PC Game News

The list of new PC game releases, DVD releases, and movies opening the week of June 22nd, 2009.

PC Games:

• Overlord 2
• Spore: Galactic Adventures
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Movies Opening This Week:

• Chéri
• My Sister’s Keeper
• The Hurt Locker (limited LA/NY)
• The Stoning of Soraya M. (limited)
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern: Collection Three
• Bob Funk
• Catlow
• Chok Canyon
• Confessions of a Shopaholic [Blu-Ray]
• D. Gray-Man: Season One, Part Two
• Darker Than Black: Volume Five
• Death Note: Re-Light, Vol. 1 – Visions of a god
• Dragon Hunters [Blu-Ray]
• Hallowed Grounds
• Hobgoblins
• Inkheart [Blu-Ray]
• Last Year at Marienbad [Blu-Ray Criterion Collection]
• Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine
• Moeyo Ken: The Complete Series
• Mr. Troop Mom [Blu-Ray]
• My Dinner with Andre
• Origin: Spirits of the Past [Blu-Ray]
• Phoebe in Wonderland
• Reba: Seasons 1-6
• Romeo x Juliet: Romeo Collection, Part 1
• Table for Three
• The Code [Blu-Ray]
• THe Girls Next Door: Season 5
• The Monster Squad: The Complete Collection
• The Pianist [Blu-Ray]
• The Pink Panther 2 [Blu-Ray]
• Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection
• Waltz WIth Bashir

Activision has announced that "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" has been shipped to North American retailers and is now available.

"Developed by Luxoflux under license from Hasbro, Inc. and based on the blockbuster feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, the Transformers(TM): Revenge of the Fallen game allows players to become their favorite AUTOBOTS® and DECEPTICONS® and engage in massive single and, for the first time ever, online multiplayer battles as they fight to protect or annihilate all of mankind.

"The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen game will give fans the chance to experience the most robust and explosive TRANSFORMERS game ever," said Rob Kostich, head of marketing for licensed properties, Activision Publishing. "Featuring a huge roster of playable TRANSFORMERS, the game delivers massive firepower in a frenetic single player experience, along with several multiplayer modes players can experience with friends online."

"Because of our close relationship with Activision, the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen game features an unprecedented amount of content to fully immerse players into the TRANSFORMERS universe," said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming, Hasbro, Inc. "It is amazing how far interactive entertainment has come – the new video game takes the characters we all know and love and allows for even deeper interaction via online multiplayer across the globe."

The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen game for the next-gen consoles and PC lets players take on the role of their favorite TRANSFORMERS, picking from the largest, most diverse range of playable characters – each with their own distinct abilities and weaponry. Set in unique environments across the globe such as Cairo and Shanghai, the game allows players to instantly switch between vehicle and robot modes as they drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. After engaging in single player action, players for the first time ever will be able to go online and battle friends in all-new multiplayer modes.

For more information on the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game, visit www.TransformersGame.com."

Beautiful Game Studios has announced that "Championship Manager 2010" will be released in September.

"Championship Manager 2010TM is the definitive football management game and the first football title available for the 2009/10 season. This new version of the game has been in development for over two years and will be released just after the start of the new football season.

Championship Manager 2010TM features a host of unique, cutting-edge technology including a bespoke 3D match engine with over 500 individual player animations, a Set-piece creator giving users the chance to create their own unique free kicks and corners, Scouting Networks allowing users to set-up local networks in countries around the world and grow local player knowledge and Practice matches helping users select their perfect team or trial new players.

Championship Manager 2010TM will also feature real player data and information for the 2009/10 football season in a completely new gameplay innovation called CM Season LiveTM.

In what is a first for football management games, CM Season LiveTM is an additional monthly update that lets players download the real-world 09/10 football season data, at that point in time, and then take charge of their chosen club. All of the scores, competition standings, player transfers, player stats, bookings, major injuries etc. from the ten leading countries in Europe, downloaded directly on a monthly basis throughout the season – full updates of 49 major leagues and competitions. CM Season LiveTM starts on October 15th and is available at monthly intervals for 6 months.

“With this game we are genuinely looking to change the face of football management games and raise the bar for consumers through bringing innovative brand new features to the PC football management genre,” said Roy Meredith, General Manager of Championship ManagerTM. “CM Season LiveTM is the most exciting innovation in football management games since they began with the original Championship ManagerTM game. This is the closest fans will get to ‘actually’ managing their team, fighting the relegation or promotional battles, dealing with the big name injuries or transfers as they unfold in the real world, throughout the real season.”

Championship Manager 2010TM will be fully localised into French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish and Polish allowing fans in some of football’s biggest countries to enjoy the game in their native language."

The previous June 19th release date previously announced for "ArmA II" was the European date, which had us and others a little confused. Today, Bohemia and Got Game Entertainment announced a publishing agreement that will bring the game to North American retailers on July 7th. It will apparently be available on Steam this Friday, the 26th.

"Bohemia Interactive once invented the genre of realistic military sand-box games and it aims now to re-define that genre with its upcoming game ARMA II, the ultimate military simulator, powered by the 3rd generation of their original Real Virtuality engine that’s also used to train soldiers in numerous countries from Australia to the United States.

"North America is one of the most powerful and important markets in terms of a game’s marketing and distribution," said Marek Spanel, Bohemia’s CEO. Spanel continues "We were looking for responsible and credible partners who will focus on ARMA II with the kind of drive and enthusiasm that this huge project deserves. We feel Got Game Ent. will be the right partner for us and I believe together we will make ARMA II a success in North America."

"We are very excited to bring ARMA II to the North American market," said Got Game Entertainment President Howard Horowitz. "This caliber of game brings Got Game Entertainment to a new level of excellence and certainly ushers in a new era for our company."

ARMA II will offer the ultimate realistic combat simulation experience in a modern day setting. With unprecedented freedom of movement, actions and tactics, unbeatable detailed weapons and military hardware, easy-to-use built in mission editor and one of the most dedicated online communities around. The game will allow players to immerse themselves into the battle as never before.

ARMA II is scheduled for an in store Date of July 7th, 2009. For more information please visit the official homepage at www.arma2.com"

HOI3 is going to be one of the biggest PC strategy games this year so it’s only fitting that we put together a similarly big preview for it. The article proper is coming along, but for now, to pique interest and tide you over, is a brief summary of some of the points I’ll touch on in the coming preview.

The first major change I noticed starting a game as the Soviet Union was that when I activated the sidebar unit-list I only had a single land unit. It was STAVKA, the national headquarters located in Moscow. And underneath it were a dozen-odd front headquarters- Leningrad, Far-East, Transbaikal, etc. And under those HQs (jaw hovering a few inches above the floor now) were the actual divisions and corps formations themselves. And in each division, of course, there are now anywhere from one to four regiments of various types. Clicking on a regiment vomits another long list of numbers up on the screen in the form of equipment lists, strength data, speed, etc. I don’t think I unpaused the game for about thirty minutes. Just staring.

What effect does this have on the gameplay? Johan has enumerated the various technical differences between the new system and the old, but being a programmer-type he’s not well-equipped to provide the emotional feedback I’m able to. What does HOI3 feel like, now that you’re not tied up in division-micro as much as you used to be?

Things feel more distant, for sure. It’s impossible to understate how much the addition of these thousands of new provinces to the map, in combination with the new front system detailed above, really alter the way the game plays. You’re much more detached then you were in previous HOI games, which is ironic because the new regimental system as well as the new tech system have taken the detail-quotient of this game to a ludicrous level. You almost want to get into the nitty-gritty more now that there’s more to see, but the graphics, the new provinces and the new AI (which wasn’t implemented fully yet, but is supposedly capable of fighting entire wars on its own) are constantly pulling you back out to see the big picture. A big part of whatever success this game will enjoy is going to be tied to how well this new AI can operate. Because if the picture has gotten a lot bigger (and it has) and the detail has skyrocketed (and it has) and the AI isn’t capable of taking some of the burden off the player via skillful abstraction, then HOI3 is going to be the most tedious HOI ever. Here’s hoping the crew at Paradox can keep it together.

New screenshots from "Point Lookout", the latest upcoming DLC for "Fallout 3" have been released, along with a dev. team diary.

"It all started with a piece of scratch paper. We had just been told that Fallout 3 would receive a fourth installment of additional content. That is pretty much all we were told, in fact. The two of us were asked to think it over and come back with ideas. The brainstorm sessions that followed were summarized on a messy piece of scratch paper containing a series of seemingly unrelated words: “Swamp, Boardwalk.  Mansion Siege.  Organ Thieves.  Steamboat.  Cultists.”  The next few months would see those scattered concepts come together as what we feel is a fun and fresh new chapter in Fallout 3."

You can read the full entry on the official Fallout 3 site.

       

A new trailer for "Blood Bowl" has been released, which walks through the different races playable in the game.

"This video gives you a preview of the eight races all with the same thing on their minds: crush their opponent and win the Blood Bowl! Definitely eager to fight, the teams are not afraid of their adversaries and won’t miss an opportunity to taunt and provoke them!

There’s electricity in the air, tension is high as kick off time approaches…as our friend Bob would say: "it’s gonna be a bloody night"!

An ultra-violent mix of Warhammer Fantasy and American football, Blood Bowl allows players to create the ultimate “fantasy” sports teams. Coaches can build bone-crushing teams of Orcs, Wood Elves, Humans, Dwarfs and many more fantastic creatures – then throw them into the stadium for the ultimate blood sport! Blood Bowl is strategic, action-packed and violent, requiring coaches to use their best tactics, team design – and a dose of pure ruthless bloodlust always helps too!

All of these charming creatures are waiting for you to play in highly contested games soon on PC and handheld consoles."

Tripwire Interactive has announced a "Killing Floor" map making contest with $20,000 worth in prizes up for grabs.

"Tripwire are partnering with Nvidia and Logitech to bring you a truly spectacular mapping contest for the zombie-slaughtering co-op hit that is Killing Floor. We put the game out at a recession-friendly price, there have already been hundreds of custom maps created, so here is the Tripwire economic stimulus package to follow up: the headline prize will be an awesome $10,000 for the Grand Prize winner.

The contest will run in two Waves. Wave 1 completes July 31, 2009, with a First Prize of $5,000 for the winner, while the runners-up will get prizes including Nvidia graphics cards and Logitech goodies. Wave 2 is the Big One, completing September 18, 2009. The Grand Prize will be $10,000. Yes, a full Ten Thousand Dollars for the winning entry! There will be more Nvidia graphics cards and Logitech goodies for runners-up in Wave 2.

To find out more about the contest (including the rules), visit the web page: https://www.killingfloorthegame.com/map-making-competition/."

Paradox has released a new trailer for "Hearts of Iron III", that focuses on Japan and the Pacific war.

Set to release on August 4th, the game was recently awarded the Readers Choice "Best of E3 – PC Strategy" on Voodoo Extreme, along with being nominated for the "Best of E3 – PC Strategy" on IGN and Gaming Excellence.

About the movie:

This brand new Hearts of Iron III movie depicts the strategic problems Japan faced during the Second World War. Long supply lines stretching over the Pacific Ocean were vulnerable to hostile navies, but were needed to transport resources back to the Home Islands in order to fuel the war effort in China. This called for a large and powerful navy, and an inevitable conflict with the United States.

True Games has announced the development of the first expansion to the recently released "Warrior Epic", which will be released in July.

"The new expansion is scheduled to launch in July and will include all-new PVP gameplay that will be available to players who are level ten or higher.  In addition, the expansion will also offer an all-new mid to high level region, "Trogken Swamps", which will feature tons of new missions, monsters, and unique gear for your Warriors.

"Our promise to the Warrior Epic community is that the game will never get stale or repetitive," said Peter Cesario, Director of Product and Business Development at True Games. "We want Warrior Epic fans to find something new and exciting about the game every time they login, and this new expansion is just one of many great gameplay updates they can look forward to as the community continues to grow."

Warrior Epic is an online, action role-playing game set in an original fantasy universe. In the game, players will assume command of a Warrior Hall from which they manage their characters’ adventures. They can recruit from a wide array of Warrior Classes, each with its own style of play.  The Classes and the Hall itself can be upgraded visually as well as functionally. Players adventure together in multiplayer campaigns, adventure mode, solo quests and soon, PVP.

One of the most unique aspects of Warrior Epic is that death does not mean the end of a warrior. Instead, it opens totally new and strategic options for players. The game’s unique Warrior Spirits System enables fallen warriors to not only be revived at any time at their hall, but also to be transformed into Spirits that can be bound to weapons to increase and open weapon abilities and skills, or they can be called out to inflict massive damage depending on player needs.

For more information and to join the Warrior Epic community, visit www.warriorepic.com."

Atari has released new screenshots from "Champions Online", giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming MMORPG based on the pen-and-paper Champions role-playing game.

"Champions Online is all about total customization – it will offer a near infinite amount of character customization so that all players will have a unique game experience. Gamers will be able to create their hero’s name, back story, costume, powers and abilities as well as design their own personal arch-enemy and his or her back story, which will guarantee a truly unique experience."

       
   

The US Army has announced the release of "America’s Army 3", which is available on Steam and other mirror websites.

"As with previous versions of America’s Army, AA3 will be constantly updated to include new features and missions and to highlight new technologies being incorporated in today’s Army.

In America’s Army 3, Every Detail CountsTM and as a result, the game has more authentic military elements including training, technology, weapons, and audio than any other military game. Built on Unreal Engine 3, AA3 delivers stunningly realistic environments, lighting effects, animations, and team-based experiences so that America’s Army players can experience how Soldiers train, live, and advance in the Army. Players are bound by Rules of Engagement (ROE) and gain experience as they navigate challenges in team-based, multiplayer, force-on-force operations. In the game, a player’s actions and demonstrated Army values are integral to successful mission accomplishment and affect a player’s career progression.

The game is launching with five different environments, each with three different mission scenario options for a total of 15 different map/mission combinations. Initially, the core of the gameplay focuses on an Infantry Soldier (11B). Players first complete Basic Combat Training and then progress to Advanced Individual Training for a variety of specialized roles that the Infantry Soldier performs, such as Advanced Rifleman, Automatic Rifleman, Squad Designated Marksman, and Grenadier. This advanced training allows players to unlock new abilities and gear, customize their gear and equipment loads, increase their in-game skill level, and progress in their Army careers. "

Monte Cristo has announced that the closed beta for "Cities XL" has launched and that interested gamers can still apply for a key.

"CITIES XL enables players to develop and run their own cities, built on realistic 3D maps featuring a variety of environments from mountain ranges to beaches and islands. Each city manager, or mayor, needs to create the right combinations of job opportunities, social services, leisure activities, and special events that will occupy and entertain their citizens.

In the Beta programme, mayors can trade with one another, manage their economy and team up with neighbouring cities to create sprawling metropolises. The Beta version of CITIES XL is fully playable with online elements fully implemented.

“We’re delighted to have reached this milestone in the development of CITIES XL with the start of the Beta programme,” said Jerome Gastaldi, CEO of Monte Cristo, “We can’t wait to see how players interact with CITIES XL to create some amazing cities, and of course it will be an incredibly valuable testing time for the game itself.”

Visit https://www.citiesxl.com for more information about the game, and to learn more about the beta programme."

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of June 15th, 2009.

PC Games:

• America’s Army 3
• Ghostbusters: The Video Game

Movies Opening This Week:

• Dead Snow (limited)
• Food, Inc. (limited)
• The Proposal
• Whatever Works
• Year One

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• Andrzei Zulawski’s L’important C’est D’aimer
• Bleach, Vol. 17
• Burn Notice: Season Two
• Burn Notice: Seasons 1-2
• Cherry Blossoms
• Dr. Strangelove [Blu-Ray]
• Essential Art House: Last Holiday
• Eureka Seven
• Everwood: The Complete Second Season
• Family Guy: Vol. 7
• Fracture [Blu-Ray]
• Friday the 13th [Blu-Ray]
• Friday the 13th: Part V: A New Beginning
• Friday the 13th: Part VI: Jason Lives
• Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
• Garfield’s Pet Force
• Generation Kill [Blu-Ray]
• Ghostbusters [Blu-Ray]
• Hydra
• Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
• John Adams [Blu-Ray]
• Lost: The Complete First Season [Blu-Ray]
• Lost: The Complete Second Season [Blu-Ray]
• Morning Light
• Operation Valkyrie
• RiffTrax: Carnival of Souls
• RiffTrax: Night of the Living Dead
• RiffTrax: Plan 9 From Outer Space
• Saving Grace: Season Two
• Spaceballs [Blu-Ray]
• Sword of the Stranger [Blu-Ray]
• The Diary of Anne Frank
• The Seventh Seal [Blu-Ray Criterion Collection]
• The Strange One
• The Three Stooges Collection
• Transformers: The Complete First Season
• Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail
• What Goes Up
• WWE: Judgment Day 2009

Sony Online Entertainment has announced the launch of the "Monument and Might" game update for "EverQuest II", which introduces research assistants, adds 80 new quests in the Rise of Kunark overland zones, gives players a chance to write and distribute books, and includes the new Charasis West Wing group quests.

"WHAT:

EverQuest® II’s game update, Monument and Might reveals the true appearance of Kurn’s Tower to Norrath; panicking the inhabitants of Kunark and intriguing adventurers to its doors. A new void anchor emanates from the tower, as if a ghastly chord has tied its fate with the invading void. A warlord from a far-off land has turned his conquering eye upon the lands of Kunark and will stop at nothing to find a great power that may lie just within the tower’s walls!

UPDATE FEATURES:

• Let someone else do the work for you! Monument and Might introduces Research Assistants which allow players to train their spells up to higher grades one at a time! They are available around Qeynos and Freeport, Neriak, Haven, Gorowyn, and Kelethin. Check out the research guild hall amenity that allows you to access the research system in the comfort of your own house or guild hall!
• More than 80 new quests in the Rise of Kunark overland zones!
• Player-written books – Leave your permanent mark in Norrath by writing and distributing books! Books look and act just like the current books in the game, and you can hold them in your inventory or place them in your house or guild hall for other players to read. Read Rothgar’s blog about user-written books here!
• All-new Charasis West Wing group quests!

WHEN:

The Monument and Might game update is scheduled to go live on June 16, 2009."