PC Game News

Frogwars has announced that the open beta for the free online multiplayer game "World of Battles" has been launched and is open to everyone.

"To celebrate this big event, we are also pleased to release the official Teaser for this incredible strategy game. The video will give you a glimpse of the epic battles that await you.

Without delay, come visit the official website to sign up and begin to play! Build your army, equip, train and launch it into unforgettable battles. Seize victory over your enemies and impose yourself as the Warlord of a World of Battles!

Developped by Frogwares, World of Battles® is a free, massively multiplayer real-time strategic game. In a fantasy medieval universe, nine races fight a terrible war for world domination. Choose your side, recruit, train and equip units in order to create a powerful army able to face in intense battles opposing armies created by other players. Take part in huge battles in order to establish yourself as a warlord and progress in the online World of Battles’® ranking system. Players are free to connect for quick play and to participate in one of the many official tournaments of World of Battles®.

In the game, you will discover a unique system for customizing your units and soldiers. You’ll be able to personalize the appearance of each one of your soldiers with a very high level of detail. Before launching into your first battles, you’ll need to prepare your troops, because if you don’t, your army will surely take a beating.

Once you’re ready to fight, gameplay switches to real time strategy mode. Take command of your armies and show everyone who’s the greatest warlord in the war-torn battlefields of World of Battles ®. You can also join friends to confront other clans in titanic guild wars in which tactics and teamwork will be essential to become the most powerful army of all.

Free, accessible to all and with higher technical ambitions than other current free internet games, World of Battles ® allows everyone to share an intense and unique online gaming experience.

Visit the official website for more information."

Bohemia Interactive released a new dev diary video today, which focuses on the game’s mission editor.

"The eagerly anticipated sandbox PC military shooter smash hit of 2009, ARMA II, has released worldwide and is available for all who want to visit the post-soviet republic of Chernarus and enjoy the many fantastic features of this monumental war simulator.

Jan Prazak, Bohemia’s PR manager explains the basic workings of the ARMA II mission editor, again using comprehensive video footage captured in-game.

"ARMA II includes a very easy to use editor, yet it’s one of the most sophisticated mission editors available in a PC title. It allows players to create their own missions, or even whole campaigns in just a few minutes." introduces Jan Prazak and continues "Working with it is very easy and quick. In the ARMA II mission editor, players can use every one of hundreds of game’s object and models such as weapons, vehicles, aircraft or characters and place them anywhere in the ARMA II game world which has a size of 225km2. The main goal of this dev. diary is to introduce the basic workings of the editor to casual players and allow them to enjoy the infinite possibilities and unlimited gameplay of this, the most sophisticated military simulator on the market."

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!"

Codemasters has announced that "Colin McRae: DiRT 2", which was recently delayed for DirextX 11, will be released on September 8th in North America, September 10th in EPAC territories, and the 11th in the UK.

"Developed by Codemasters Studios, creators of the BAFTA Award-winning Race Driver™: GRID™ and powered by the third-generation of the award-winning EGO™ Engine, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will be published for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. A Games For Windows® LIVE edition will follow with support for DirectX® 11.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 is set to take racing games to a new level with thrilling new race types, striking locations, big event atmosphere and a peerless line-up of super-charged speed machines, each selected to deliver spectacular, fast paced racing.

Taking players on an exhilarating World Tour, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will deliver over 100 stunning events, including aggressive, multi-vehicle races and intense solo challenges, set in the most diverse and demanding real-world environments. From the muddy tracks of the Malaysian rainforest to spectator-packed stadiums in London and Los Angeles, racers will compete in contemporary off-road race disciplines covering Rallycross, Trailblazer, Raid, Landrush, and Rally.

Embracing the culture and new heroes of modern off-road racing, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will feature an exciting line-up of the best new rally drivers – including the multi medal-winning Subaru Rally Team USA driver Ken Block alongside Travis Pastrana, Dave Mirra and Tanner Faust who help players build their racing career.

Complete with full head-to-head competitive online play, get ready for the ultimate off-road competition when Colin McRae: DiRT 2 launches September 8th (US), 10th (EPAC), 11th (UK). For the latest news and videos, powerslide over to www.dirt2game.com."

Keen Software House announced "Miner Wars" today, an upcoming space combat themed game.

"Miner Wars is a 6DOF underground and space shooter played in a fully destructible environment and is a combination of single player story game and MMO.

As a player, you operate an advanced mining ship in an open world asteroid belt area. You dig kilometers of tunnels, harvest the ore, travel the solar system, fight your enemies and discover mysterious alien secrets.

Game play is led by an epic story and is a combination of a single/multi-player game, cooperative, or you against everyone.

The story will introduce you to many types of missions: rescue, exploration, revenge, base defense, theft, transportation, stealth, search and destroy, pure harvesting, racing or just flying around and destroying everything you see.

Features:

• 6DOF
• Fully Destructible Environment
• Single Player Story & MMO
• Persistent open world – millions of km
• 15 mission types: Revenge, Mining, Harvesting, Defending, Exploration, Rescue and more
• High quality rendering

Please visit https://www.MinerWars.com for more information."

LucasArts has announced the release of "The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition", a complete re-imagining of the original game. The game is available for Windows via Steam and Direct2Drive.

"Back by popular demand, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition faithfully re-imagines the internationally-acclaimed classic game (originally released in 1990) for old and new audiences alike. The development team at LucasArts has brought the game into the modern era with all-new HD graphics, a re-mastered musical score, full voiceover, and an in-depth hint system has been added to help players through the game’s side-splitting puzzles. Purists will also delight in the ability to seamlessly switch between the updated HD graphics and the original’s classic look.

The game’s twisty plot leads hero, Guybrush Threepwood, on a hilarious quest throughout the fabled Monkey Island. Tales of pirate wealth attract Guybrush, who lands at the port of Mêlée with high hopes, no money and an insatiable desire to become a pirate. If the player is clever enough, Guybrush will win the confidence of Mêlée’s established pirates and soon find himself blown by the winds of fate toward Monkey Island — a storied isle whose name alone chills the bones of even the most bloodthirsty buccaneers.

More information about The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition can be found at the official website, www.MonkeyIslandSpecialEdition.com."

Her Interactive today announced that "Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships", the latest sequel in the adventure series, has been shipped to North American retailers and is now available.

"Lauded for its message of empowerment for girls, the Nancy Drew PC game series has surprised pundits by appealing to non-traditional audiences consisting of grandmothers, college students and working moms in addition to the primary girl audience. That mainstream appeal has lead to yearly sales growth for the series and ultimately a 40% market share within its category.

Adds Her Interactive CEO and president, Megan Gaiser: “I think the true power behind our games and the reason for their success lies in the ability to convey the positive traits of Nancy Drew – intelligence, determination, independence and resourcefulness – to the person playing the games. That is a very empowering feeling for our audience and when combined with thought-provoking gameplay, results in a series of games that are as unique as they are fun.”

The new game, Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships, hits at a time when Nancy Drew has never been more relevant as the character was recently cited as being an inspirational influence to several Supreme Court justices including Ruth Bader Ginsburg and recent nominee, Sonia Sotomayer, as well as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

In the game, Nancy, is joined by her best friend Bess and George, and the player gets to see them as animated characters for the first time in the series. When they all travel to the Bahamas for a fun-filled vacation Bess is suddenly kidnapped and held for ransom. Depending on the scene, players assume the role of either Nancy or George as they unlock treasure chests, decrypt a riddle book and explore dangerous underwater shipwrecks with the hope of finding the missing artifact needed to rescue Bess. During the quest for the lost treasure, players find themselves immersed in a variety of classic Bahamian activities such as diving, sailing and interacting with native wildlife.

Rated “E” for Everyone, Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships is available now for purchase at retailers nationwide, and from the Her Interactive website for a suggested retail price at $19.99."

New screenshots from "Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta" DLC were released today, giving viewers a look at the fifth and last upcoming add-on to "Fallout 3", scheduled for a release on August.

"DESCRIPTION:
Defy hostile alien abductors and fight your way off of the massive Mothership Zeta, orbiting Earth miles above the Capital Wasteland. Mothership Zeta takes Fallout 3 in an entirely new direction – outer space. Meet new characters and join with them in a desperate bid to escape the Aliens’ clutches. To do so, you’ll wield powerful new weapons, like the Alien Atomizer, Alien Disintegrator, and Drone Cannon, and deck yourself out in brand new outfits, like the Gemini-Era Spacesuit and even Samurai Armor.

STORY:
A strange Alien signal is being broadcast throughout the Capital Wasteland, originating from a crashed UFO. Is it a distress call, or something far more sinister? That question is answered when you find yourself beamed aboard an enormous Alien spacecraft, with only one alternative – to fight your way to the bridge of the ship and secure your escape. "

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of July 13th, 2009.

PC Games:

• Nancy Drew: Ransom of Seven Ships

Movies Opening This Week:

• (500) Days of Summer (limited)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Homecoming (limited LA/NY)

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• 1,001 Classic Commercials Collection
• 12
• A Haunting: Twilight of Evil [Blu-Ray]
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations – Collection 4
• Bardelys The Magnificent, Monte Cristo
• Beach Kings
• Bewitched: The Complete Eighth Season
• Crouching Tiger/Golden Flower/Flying Daggers Trilogy [Blu-Ray]
• Dakota Skye
• Door Into Silence
• ER: The Complete Eleventh Season
• For All Mankind [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Great White Odyssey [Blu-Ray]
• Grey Gardens (2009)
• Gungrave: Complete Series
• Horsemen
• I Still Know What You Did Last Summer [Blu-Ray]
• Ironside
• Journey to the Moon The 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11
• Leverage: The First Season
• Mad Men: Season Two [Blu-Ray]
• Menage
• Rec
• Shark Week: The Great Bites Collection [Blu-Ray]
• Tales of Wells Fargo
• The Bracelet of Bordereaux
• The Color of Magic
• The Edge of Love [Blu-Ray]
• The Haunting in Connecticut [Blu-Ray]
• The State: The Complete Series
• The Towering Inferno [Blu-Ray]
• Tracey Takes On… : Season 3 & 4
• Wild Pacific [Blu-Ray]
• Wire in the Blood: The Complete Sixth Season

Paradox Interactive announced that "Majesty 2", the upcoming strategy sequel by Ino-co, will be released on September 11th.

"The sequel to the heralded PC Strategy title will be available for purchase through retail and on all major digital distribution channels.

This autumn, players will finally have the opportunity to once again rule the unique world of Majesty 2. Through indirect control of the title’s characters and units, you will recruit the finest group of Heroes to take on the treacherous Villains of Majesty 2. Doing so can pose quite the challenge, for your Heroes are just as likely to stop in for a beer at the local tavern as they are to fight monsters and undertake heroic quests! Mixing humour and charm into a magical landscape that is quite unlike anything else, Majesty 2 is primed to offer strategy fans a fantastic experience never to be forgotten.

Join the quest on September 11 with Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim."

Robert Bowling, community manager at Infinity Ward, posted a new video on the company’s Youtube channel displaying the contents of each edition of the anticipated upcoming FPS sequel "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2". Turns out, the prestige edition will feature a working pair of Mondern Warfare branded night vision goggles.

There will be three editions of the game: 

• Standard: Just the game and nothing more
• Hardened: Steel cover, the original Call of Duty, and what sounds like some additional extra content
• Prestige: Hardened version of the game with steel cover, art book with map and weapon details, night vision goggles, a mounting head (..ok that last one sounds really bad)

It was revealed today that THQ is pushing the release date of "BioShock 2" from quarter 4 of this year to the company’s fiscal 2010, which begins in November.

"The decision to shift a release date is never an easy one, especially with a product as highly anticipated as BioShock 2. We felt that it was essential to invest the additional time to ensure that this title will deliver what its fans expect and deserve. As a result, we will now be launching sequels to several of our strongest franchises – including BioShock 2, Mafia II, Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption – during the next fiscal year."

Eidos released information on the Joker in the upcoming Action Adventure game "Batman: Arkham Asylum" by Rocksteady Studios:

REAL NAME: Unknown
OCCUPATION: Professional Criminal
Base of Operations: Gotham City
EYES: Green
HAIR: Green
HEIGHT: 6 ft
WEIGHT: 160 lb
FIRST APPEARANCE: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)

An insanely homicidal super-villain, the Joker’s white skin, green hair, and blood-red lips belie the chaotic nature underlying his cartoonish appearance. The self-styled Clown Prince of Crime has no superpowers, beyond a capacity for incredible violence and a skill at creating deadly mayhem. He frequently concocts elaborate schemes to entrap his arch nemesis, Batman.

Attributes:

• Unrepentant homicidal maniac, albeit without a precise psychological diagnosis
• Surprisingly strong hand-to-hand combatant
• His past is unknown; conflicting, unconfirmed reports state that he was a failed comedian, a petty thief, and a broken family man
• Employs various deadly weapons, often based on party-gag items
• Frequently uses a toxin that stretches victim’s face into a Joker-like grin and causes death

A new trailer for "Prototype" has been released, giving viewers more info on the action game by Radical Entertainment that was released about a month ago.

"PROTOTYPE tells the story of Alex Mercer – a man haunted by his past, fighting a secret war in New York City. As the action spirals out of control, a conspiracy tied to his origins threatens the future of mankind itself. Mercer’s amazing shapeshifting powers allow him to become an exact replica and steal the skills or powers of anyone who crosses his path."

Codemasters has announced the release of a demo for "FUEL", the recent racing action game by Asobo Studio.

"The FUEL demo enables players to take on the Ocean Rush career event, where 7 racers pick their own paths through treacherous landscapes and short-cuts are key to taking the chequered flag. Gamers can also take on Blitz – a wild, high-pressure challenge where players must race against the clock to reach the next checkpoint before time runs out. Gamers who download the console versions can also play online for a limited period of 2 weeks from release, experiencing up to 16 player free ride in a limited area of the Tsunami Reef zone or challenging up to 6 other players in the Ocean Rush career race.

Celebrating the demo’s arrival, a new video showcases the wheel-to-wheel racing, open landscapes, diverse vehicles and dramatic weather which up to 16 players can enjoy in FUEL’s stunning game world."

The 1.036GB demo can be downloaded from the official site, Atomic Gamer, FileFront, Gamer’s Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

Electronic Arts has announced "Command and Conquer 4", a new upcoming sequel in the strategy series that is in development at EA Los Angeles.

"Shipping in 2010, Command & Conquer 4 will introduce a multitude of innovations to the to the classic fast and fluid Command & Conquer gameplay while retaining the core compulsions that fans have come to love over the series’ history. Introducing new class-based gameplay, mobile bases and persistent player progression throughout all game modes, Command & Conquer 4 offers players new, innovative and compelling strategic depth.

“Command & Conquer is a powerful franchise with an amazing 15-year legacy. We are thrilled to bring the dramatic Tiberium saga to a conclusion in Command & Conquer 4. This game is designed to give fans all the answers they’ve been looking for,” said Mike Glosecki, Lead Producer of Command & Conquer 4 at EA Los Angeles. “With its objective-based multiplayer mode, persistent player progression and all-in-one mobile base, players will experience Command & Conquer like never before.”

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.

In addition to the two campaigns on the epic battles of GDI and Nod, which players will get to conquer alone or in a cooperative mode, Command & Conquer 4 will also feature a new 5v5 objective-based multiplayer mode, promoting teamwork and cooperation and delivering a social real-time-strategy experience never seen before in a Command & Conquer game.

Command & Conquer 4 is being developed at EA Los Angeles and will ship to retailers in 2010 for the PC. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information about the game, please visit www.commandandconquer.com or follow the community and development team on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ea_apoc. The July 24th episode of BattleCast™ PrimeTime will give fans the latest news and exclusive information on Command & Conquer 4. Additionally, Gametrailers TV will exclusively reveal the fist cinematic trailer for Command & Conquer 4 in its July 23rd episode on SPIKE TV."