PC Game News

Tripwire sends word that wave 1 of the "Killing Floor" Grindhouse Mapping contest has begun and submissions can now be submitted on ModDB.

"We have teamed up with the crew at ModDB, who are hosting all the maps for us, providing a central location for the fans to check out all of the contest maps. Remember, this is where you get a shot at winning $5,000 in cash, as well as Nvidia graphics cards and Logitech goodies.

For the full details, plus the application form, head for the contest web pages over at www.killingfloorthegame.com. Keep watching the website: there will be more news on Wave 1 soon, plus news on Wave 2, where the Grand Prize is a full $10,000 in cash! If you’ve got skills in level creation, don’t pass up this chance to win $10,000!"

Aspyr announced that "Defense Grid: The Awakening" has shipped to North American retailers and is now available.

"Gamers who purchase Defense Grid: The Awakening in stores will receive two products in one package. First, A DRM-free version of the full game on the included disc allows for local profiles to be created for saves, achievement tracking and score ranking. For players who want to take their Defense Grid: The Awakening experience online for Internet leader boards, online rankings and achievements, a code is included in the box that will allow them to download the full game from the Steam digital distribution platform for no additional cost.

Released through digital distribution in December 2008 to tremendous praise, Defense Grid: The Awakening takes the best features of the addictive tower defense genre and fuses them with the Gamebryo engine to deliver beautiful 3D environments, spectacular effects, a dynamic soundtrack and deep strategy gameplay. Ensuring AAA quality and impeccable game balance is a development team with a pedigree that includes franchises such as Age of Empires, Half-Life, Crimson Skies, Homeworld, MechWarrior, and Rise of Nations.

Defense Grid: The Awakening finds humanity struggling against an invasion by a relentless alien force. The player is tasked with defending key outposts with the aid of ancient, but powerful, defense towers and an artificial intelligence construct. Intuitive controls and a range of objectives make it fun for players of any skill to progress through the 20 story levels, and the dozens of additional challenge modes. Ten different tower types, each with unique strengths, allow for multiple strategies as players scheme to take down wave after wave of invading creatures, each more powerful than the previous.

Defense Grid: The Awakening is rated E10+ (for gamers 10 and older) by the ESRB. For more information on the game please visit www.hiddenpath.com."

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of July 27th, 2009.

PC Games:

• Bionic Commando

Movies Opening This Week:

• Adam
• Aliens in the Attic
• Funny People
• The Collector
• The Cove
• Thirst (limited NYC)

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• 12 Monkeys [Blu-Ray]
• A Touch of Frost: Season 14
• Angel of Death
• Bart Got a Room
• Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 [Blu-Ray]
• Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series [Blu-Ray]
• Becoming Charley Chase
• Bostwana: In the Footsteps of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
• Combat Shock
• Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead [Blu-Ray]
• Dollhouse: Season One [Blu-Ray]
• Dragonball Evolution [Blu-Ray]
• Eagles Over London
• Early Edition: The Second Season
• Fast and Furious [Blu-Ray]
• Fast and Furious 4-Movie Collection
• Green Lantern: First Flight [Blu-Ray]
• Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
• Miss March
• Repulsion [Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]
• Spectacular Spider Man: Complete First Season
• Streets of Blood
• Super Why!: Jack and the Beanstalk & Other Story Book Adventures
• The 10th Victim
• The Alzheimer’s Project
• The Green Hornet Strikes Again
• The Inglorious Bastards [Blu-Ray]
• The Middleman: The Complete Series
• This is Spinal Tap [Blu-Ray]
• Torchwood: Children of Earth
• Torso

A new trailer for "Risen" has been released featuring the music of Nightwish, giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming RPG by Piranha Bytes.

"This epic role playing game is set in a medieval world on a volcanic Mediterranean island, The “Risen” story unfolds over four chapters and will offer multiple ways to develop the story by his own actions and decisions. An innovative and intuitive user control interface will support both casual and hardcore gamers. With full world streaming support, the player will have a seamless experience while playing in a fully simulated game world with authentic characters.

Risen will be released for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and Windows® operating system. More information about Risen on https://risen.deepsilver.com"

A new video of the multiplayer component in the upcoming "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" has been released, giving viewers a brief look at online play in the anticipated sequel.

The first look at Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, introducing the AC130 killstreak reward.

Available for pre-order and releasing worldwide on November 10th, 2009.

Paradox announced that "Hearts of Iron 3" has gone gold and will be available in stores and via digital distribution on August 7th. Other retail dates: August 14th for the UK and Scandanavia, and August 28th for France and Germany.

"Featuring rich battle simulations that occur throughout 1936-1948, Hearts of Iron 3 will appeal to both veteran players and newcomers alike with brand new features, including a huge game map with more than 14,000 land and sea provinces. Players will soon have the opportunity to put their battle plans into action and take control of countries ranging from larger superpowers such as Russia or the United States, to smaller nations such as Costa Rica.

To read more about Hearts of Iron 3, please visit www.paradoxplaza.com."

A "Command and Conquer 4" teaser trailer has been released, giving viewers a look at what’s to come in the upcoming strategy sequel.

"The story of Command & Conquer 4 takes place after the events of the critically acclaimed Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars™. The year is 2062 and humanity is at the brink of extinction. With only six years left until the mysterious crystalline structure Tiberium renders the earth entirely uninhabitable, the two opposing factions – Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod – inevitably find themselves in desperation for the same cause: to stop Tiberium from extinguishing mankind. The unthinkable becomes reality and Nod’s enigmatic leader Kane takes off for GDI headquarters. What is Kane planning in the heart of his enemies’ base? Command & Conquer 4 draws the epic conclusion to the beloved Tiberium universe, where fans will learn the fate of Earth, Nod, Tiberium, GDI and most importantly, Kane’s motivations behind his decade-long plan."

Bohemia Interactive released a new developer diary for "ArmA II," introducing viewers to the team command interface.

"Jan Prazak, Bohemia’s PR manager explains the basic workings of the ARMA II team commands, again using comprehensive video footage captured ingame.

ARMA II offers the ultimate realistic combat simulation experience in a modern day setting. With unprecedented freedom of movement, actions and tactics, the game allows players to immerse themselves in battle as never seen before.

Join the duty in ARMA II, this ultimate military simulator, and get a taste of what it takes to be a soldier in a modern warfare conflict!
Visit www.arma2.com for more information!"

Disney Studios Interactive today announced a new "Alice in Wonderland" game for the PC, Wii, and DS based on the upcoming new movie by Tim Burton.

"The video games, inspired by Tim Burton’s highly anticipated film starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska as Alice, find Alice several years after the original “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” stories. Alice in Wonderland for Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Windows-based PC takes players on a topsy-turvy and immersive journey in Underland as Alice finds herself in a world of illusion and magic where nothing is quite like it seems. Alongside her endearing friends –Mad Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit – players aid Alice to defeat the Red Queen and Jabberwocky. Alice in Wonderland mobile games will begin launching later this year.

"These games fully capture the magnificent and whimsical world of Underland while experiencing key moments from the film,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “More than just a retelling of the movie, Alice in Wonderland introduces fans to an entirely new style of innovative gameplay designed to challenge the puzzle solving skills of older players while making the adventures accessible and enjoyable for the younger crowd. Innovative gameplay and distinct artistic styles on each platform gives players a range of unique and engaging experiences."

Alice in Wonderland allows players to guide, protect and aid Alice as she journeys through the world of Underland while unraveling the game’s many twisted mysteries. Along the way, players call on a diverse and unique cast of characters such as the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat who each have unique abilities to help evade traps and solve challenging puzzles. The Mad Hatter can help Alice alter her perception of Underland and take advantage of optical illusions to open up places in the world the player alone would not have noticed. Meanwhile, the Cheshire Cat can use his ability to make himself and objects appear and disappear helping Alice through this strange world. Players must choose wisely when using each of the characters’ powers and combine the abilities to solve more complex puzzles.

The Wii and PC versions follow the film’s epic storyline and introduce new fiction and locations. With an upgradeable combat system, players collect “impossible ideas” to replay levels and unlock Underland’s secrets. Players must carefully select the supporting characters and their abilities to defeat the numerous enemies set forth by the Red Queen and her army of cards, destroy the Jabberwocky and restore Underland back into Wonderland."

Tripwire Interactive has released new details on upcoming DLC for "Killing Floor," which will include a new map and weapons.

"The new level, entitled "Foundry", is set in an old iron works which the Horzine Corporation has converted to support their top secret military projects. Exactly what they have been up to here is a matter for conjecture – but before we can send in investigators, your squad has to get in there and clean out the infestation of specimens.

To assist in your task, there are now two new weapons. The first is an old favorite of armed forces the world over: the AK-47. In our case, it has the folding stock, for ease-of-use in close quarters. This one will fit in as a heavier weapon for the Commando Perk and provide extra stopping power over the base Bullpup. The second is a weapon that just about every special-forces soldier in every movie seems to know intimately, for no good reason other than personal interest: the Japanese Katana sword. Just where the squad got hold of it is a mystery, but this piece of Samurai history is just so fitting, such a thing of beauty and such a perfect melee weapon, that we aren’t going to ask too many questions.

In addition to this free update, Tripwire Interactive will be releasing our first paid DLC character pack for Killing Floor very soon. This character pack adds four new playable characters including a Horzine foundry worker and a soldier in prototype Horzine body armor.

Killing Floor is available now on Steam and will be in stores across the world shortly."

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of July 20th, 2009.

PC Games:

• G-Force

Movies Opening This Week:

• G-Force
• In the Loop [limited NYC]
• Orphan
• Shrink [limited]
• The Answer Man
• The Ugly Truth

DVD Releases:

• 300: The Complete Experience [Blu-Ray]
• Always Been A Rambler
• An Empress and the Warriors
• Ballerina
• Charlie’s Angels: The Complete Fourth Season
• Coraline [Blu-Ray]
• Echelon Conspiracy [Blu-Ray]
• I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry [Blu-Ray]
• Made in U.S.A. [Criterion Collection]
• Midnight Express [Blu-Ray]
• Monk: Season Seven
• Prison Break: The Final Break
• Psych: The Complete Third Season
• Pushing Daisies: The Complete Second Season [Blu-Ray]
• Robot Chicken: Star Wars – Episode II
• Route 66: Season 3, Vol. 1
• Scenic National Parks: Glacier Banff & Jasper [Blu-Ray]
• Sherman’s Way
• SpongeBobe SquarePants: To SqurePants or Not to SquarePants
• The Great Buck Howard [Blu-Ray]
• The Lucy Show: The Official First Season
• The Mighty Boosh: Seasons 1, 2, and 3
• This American Life: Season Two
• Two or Three Things I know About Her [Criterion Collection]
• Visioneers
• Watchmen [Blu-Ray]
• Wolverine and the X-Men: Deadly Enemies

Pandemic Studios has announced that "The Saboteur," the upcoming WWII action adventure game, will be released worldwide on December 8th.

"Inspired by a true story, The Saboteur stars Sean Devlin, a street-tough Irish race car driver trapped behind enemy lines in 1940s Nazi-occupied France. Motivated by personal revenge, Sean fights, climbs, and races through open-world Paris, sneaking into the heart of the Nazi operations and sabotaging their every move. With the help of the French Resistance, the British intelligence, an arsenal of weaponry, street smarts and brawn, players will exact revenge on those who aim to destroy Sean’s life. From derailing trains and blowing up zeppelins to scaling famous Parisian landmarks and more, this action hero uses a broad range of weapons, explosives and vehicles to get the job done.

"The Saboteur is an entirely new take on WWII action gaming. Instead of putting players in the role of a soldier, they’ll experience one man’s quest for vengeance through an incredible story and an epic range of explosive action. Every street of Paris is alive with options, every block is teeming with action," said Josh Resnick, President of Pandemic Studios. "We’re extremely proud of The Saboteur. The art style, intense story, and grand acts of defiance against the Nazis will deliver the one-of-a-kind experience that Pandemic fans have been waiting for."

As Sean takes down enemies, the citizens of Paris are empowered to resist the tyrannical Third Reich and their eyes open to the colorful world around them. This innovative mechanic, called the "Will to Fight," will change the way Paris is seen and felt – from a dark and oppressed policed state to a bright and inspired world where the citizens fight back. As the player executes acts of sabotage against the occupying force, color returns to the stylized black and white world – both figuratively and literally. The "Will to Fight" spawns an underground resistance that takes players not only through Paris, but across various parts of France.

The Saboteur will be available for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox360, and the PC and has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information on The Saboteur, please visit https://www.thesaboteurgame.com"

Square Enix today announced that "Order of War," the upcoming real-time strategy game by Wargaming.net, will be released in PAL territories on September 18th. A North American date wasn’t mentioned in the release but we assume that it will probably be released around the same time here. Along with this announcement, several new screenshots were released.

"ORDER OF WAR is set to be the most accessible and explosive strategy title on the market. Components such as base building and resource gathering have been stripped away to create a WWII game that focuses on non-stop action featuring massive scale battles. With missions based on key historic events and operations from 1944, players take command of an entire army including ground troops, artillery, tank divisions and aircraft in all out strategic assaults. While a unique cinematic camera mode allows players to experience the action up-close in a detail previously unseen in the strategy genre."

More new screenshots can be found in the game’s gallery.

Activision and Treyarch confirmed that a new map pack for "Call of Duty: World at War," with four new maps, will be released in August. The press release makes no mention of a PC version but we assume that the maps will also make their way to the platform. The four maps included will be "Battery," "Revolution," and "Breach," which are co-developed with Certain Affinity, along with a new zombie map "Der Riese."

"Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 3 follows the enormous success of its first two predecessors, which to date have sold more than four million copies on both Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network (combined) for a Call of Duty® game that has sold more than 11 million units to date across all platforms, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk.

Call of Duty: World at War is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore. For more information and exclusive updates about Call of Duty: World at War, visit www.CoDWaW.com."

NCSoft has announced Issue 16: Power Spectrum for "City of Heroes", the next content addition in the MMORPG.

"The new issue will allow players to customize their powersets! It also involves a really nice update to their award-winning and genre-defining character creator, as well as more powerset proliferation. Powers customization is the longest requested feature that players have wanted and they are going to get it!

City of Heroes’ latest offering, Issue 16: Power Spectrum, forever changes the way all super powered beings will look at their powers. Now, changing the colors of your powers is as easy as changing the colors of your cape!

At last, our next free content update unveils the all new, much requested and long awaited Powers Customization system! You wanted more control over what your characters’ powers look like, and you are getting it! Issue 16: Power Spectrum takes City of Heroes’ unparalleled character creator to the next level by unveiling a kaleidoscope of colors for your characters’ powers. Become your own pyrotechnician as you select themes for your characters’ powers and color coordinate the hues of the power effects.

Please go to the official site to find out more specifics about Issue 16."