A Shacknews "Fallout 3 Broken Steel" preview reveals that the game is now scheduled to be released on May 5th. The DLC was originally set to be released in March. On the other hand, new screenshots from Broken Steel have been released.
"In this DLC pack, the player will join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel and rid the Capital Wasteland of the Enclave remnants once and for all. It is confirmed that the player character will still be the Lone Wanderer, even if the "sacrifice" option was taken at the end of Take it Back!. The original storyline will also get some new options for the player to choose, which will give the player somewhat more variety."
A new trailer for "Officers" is now available, giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming real-time strategy game by 3AGames.
"Officers provides World War II real-time strategy gamers with warfare on a previously unseen scale. Formidable battles are possible, with more than 1,500 units fighting simultaneously across up to 10 square miles of battlefield.
You command the US combat units; your aim is to smash the Germans’ western front. In multiplayer mode, you can also command Russian or German troops. Historical battles such as Operations Overlord, Millennium and Cobra will put your tactical abilities to the test, as you will have to skillfully combine infantry, tank, artillery and airborne troops."
The "Left 4 Dead Survival Pack" DLC has been released to PC and 360 game owners, updating the popular FPS by Valve that was released last November.
In addition, both the retail and Steam versions of the game (PC and 360) are now available for a special price. Check Steam and local retailers for pricing details. For more information about L4D, please visit www.l4d.com
Survival Mode
New gameplay Mode
16 maps including Last Stand
Leaderboards
7 new achievements
Versus Changes
Fixed a case where versus team score would continue to be recalculated after the score panel was displayed
Fixed an issue with recalculating the versus score health bonus for a player when they are rescued from being incapacitated
Fixed being able to start a swing as an infected, then teleport to the survivors and have the claw swing hit a survivor
Fixed a case where teleporting to the survivors would not reset the ability timer
Fixed an exploit where you could load the chamber of a weapon with bullets by holding down the melee key
Fixed a case where it was not possible to join a game while it was in a finale
Fixed a rare case where listen servers would speed up the game over time
Removed convars related to melee fatigue
Fixed a case where infected players would get a respawn time on their initial spawn into a map
Server Changes
Made ms_force_dedicated_server not require cheats
Add a message when queuing a heartbeat
Simplified setting of game mode.
removed convars director_no_human_zombies and director_holdout_mode
"Zeno Clash" has been released on Steam, the action game by Chilean developer ACE Team.
"Zeno Clash is an action/fighting game set in a punk fantasy world. The game blends first person action with the up close and brutal combat made popular in third person console classics. The game’s art style pushes the boundaries of the Source engine features (the same used to create Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, etc) and represents a departure from the visuals seen in any of today’s games.
Zeno Clash, also heading to retail outlets worldwide, features Steamworks integration for copy protection, player statistics and Steam Achievements.
At a press conference in London yesterday, Bethesda announced "Fallout 3 New Vegas", an upcoming add-on game that is being developed by Obsidian. This is not a sequel and will be released next year.
"The title is "just Fallout: New Vegas. No number. It’s not a sequel." For those worried this non-numbered expansion would be a party game, fret not. It’s "definitely an RPG," according to Bethesda VP Pete Hines. Obsidian Entertainment was founded by Fergus Urquhart who, along with a few other Obsidian guys, worked on the original Fallout. The team was approached by Bethesda and "jumped at the chance" to work on this new title."
Playlogic has announced that "Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships" is scheduled to ship to North American retail stores on May 12th.
"The action-packed pirate adventure role playing game (RPG) for PC features dozens of quests and infinite challenges, where players can sail the high seas as a swashbuckling dread pirate or assume the role of a dashing naval captain.
“This sequel to the popular Age of Pirates franchise reinvents itself with a larger playing field and exciting new content from a new combat system and trading options to numerous quests and character classes,” said Rogier Smit, executive vice president of Playlogic. “The game’s free-roaming options expand the storyline and challenge players with endless hours of adventure.”
Players courageous enough to delve into the dangerous world of Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships will discover treasure and adventure as they choose to go it alone and become the most feared pirate on the seven seas, or prove their loyalty and take the coin of one of four different navies; French, English, Spanish or Dutch. As players navigate their own route through the seas of the Caribbean they can explore strange new countries and undiscovered civilizations, plunder merchant ships and even raid fortified ports and cities – interacting with nearly every character and/or building along the way.
Game features include:
Ship-to-ship combat and toe-to-toe clashes
3 diverse characters and 3 classes: Merchant, Corsair and Adventurer
4 main campaigns
40+ quests and 40+ quest generators allowing for an infinite amount of quests
New combat system for faster fights
3 weapon classes: light, medium and heavy
Advanced trading system
Real-life historical characters such as Jamaican governors Colonel Thomas Lynch and Thomas Modyford
Almost everything can be adjusted to players’ wishes, making customization and resource management a key element to gameplay. Let this serve as a warning; in Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships the dead do not sleep easy, and both myth and reality frequently intertwine.
For more information about Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships, please visit www.ageofpiratesthegame.com."
Mezmer Games has announced that "Stalin vs. Martians" has been delayed and is scheduled to be released later this month. The original release date was today.
"In the meanwhile, you can prepare yourself for the heroic battle by viewing the epic Stalin vs. Martians trailer featuring a techno-dancing Stalin and download free songs from acclaimed Stalin vs. Martians soundtrack at https://www.stalinvsmartians.com/en/av.html
Stalin commands you to dance!
“A dictator is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to,” said Tom Söderlund, Executive Producer at Mezmer Games.
The Stalin vs. Martians pre-order is still open on major online retailers such as GamersGate and Direct2Drive at a 20% discount from the retail price of $19.99 / €17.99."
The "Syberia 3" announcement on April 1st wasn’t a joke but the online PC and PS3 collaboration most likely was. The Microids website offers more details on the announcement and the inside joke on Sony, stating that the royalties imposed on independent console developers are far too high.
Emmanuel Olivier, President of Microids:
“Syberia 3 is not an April Fool’s joke. The game is highly expected by the community of fans of adventure games and fans of Kate Walker and it will be launched, it is one of our most strategic projects at Microïds and we have been anticipating it for a long time.
It will be released on PC for sure, however, on PS3, this could actually turn into an April Fool’s joke because SONY is the only decision-maker on this point, as strange as it may seem to some people.
Benoît Sokal, the author of Syberia and Syberia 2, has mentioned several times in the press that he would only participate in a sequel to his masterpiece if he had enough financial means to design and develop an exceptional title. Today Microïds is ready to invest in this ambitious production. But everyone knows that to amortize the development costs of a major video game with that level of quality, it is essential to develop it for multiple platforms, PC and consoles.
However Sony Computer Entertainment has already censured Microïds in 2003 by denying that Syberia was released on PS2 in the United States though it had previously been released in Europe on that console. The same refusal happened for a dozen other Microïds titles for the U.S.
Beyond this censorship of the authors and their producers who believe in their creations and who take the financial risks when building up productions for the console without knowing whether they will be approved or denied by SONY in the last minute, the exorbitant royalties demanded by SONY to manufacture the games on its consoles seriously hamper the financing ability of independent producers. Microïds has paid more than 15 million Euros of royalties to SONY for its entire catalog, which represents 55% of the Microïds turnover for this platform. April Fools? Well no! It is unfortunately the “rule of the game” imposed by SONY.
The revenue shortfalls due to the PS2 games we were not able to sell in the United States, a highly significant territory, coupled with the excessive royalties paid to SONY for the European territories, have so far prevented Microïds from having the ability to reinvest in an ambitious sequel to the Syberia series.
So today we launch an SOS to all fans of the Syberia series: let us rally to support the independent creation and convince Sony to change its rules. Send all your messages of support to: supporToSyberia3PS3@microids.com
SYBERIA 3 on PS3, an April Fool’s? It’s up to SONY!”
Square Enix and Wargaming.net have announced "Order of War", an upcoming World War II real-time strategy game.
"ORDER OF WAR will feature massive-scale battles brought to life with a cinematic intensity never seen before in a WWII strategy game. Players will take command of an entire army including ground troops, artillery, tank divisions and aircraft in all-out strategic assaults. The single-player mode can be played out in two campaigns – American versus German forces on the western front and German versus Russian on the eastern front. Missions will be based on key historic events and operations from 1944.
ORDER OF WAR will be Square Enix’s first release of a western-developed game outside of Japan. It will also see the company’s first simultaneous release across multiple territories.
John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. comments, "ORDER OF WAR offers Square Enix an exciting opportunity to enter this hugely popular genre, and is a strong proposition for our first western-developed release. With its cinematic intensity, hugely realistic battles and historical accuracy, the game looks set to whet the appetite of any war-gaming fan."
Victor Kislyi, chief executive officer of Wargaming.net says, "ORDER OF WAR will take strategy games in a new, exciting direction, narrowing the gameplay focus on the best part and challenges gamers to defeat the most powerful armies of WWII. And we are really glad that this immense title will be released by Square Enix – one of the largest and most successful publishers in the world."
About ORDER OF WAR
In the summer of 1944, the Second World War entered its end-game when the Allies launched two major operations that would drive back German forces on both the Western and Eastern Fronts at once.
In the ultimate test of military strategy, ORDER OF WAR will challenge you not only to lead America’s finest to victory in the west, but also place you in command of German forces charged with repelling the Red Army’s seemingly unstoppable offensive in the east.
Even the keenest military minds will find that it’s one thing to make history, but quite another to change it.
Do you have what it takes to command?
Features
Experience WWII warfare on an epic, cinematic stage; that truly captures the intensity and scale of the battlefield
Command of an entire armed force consisting of up to 1,000 soldiers, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and air planes
Players can choose between two different campaign modes offering completely different storylines, missions, objectives and environments
Experience the unique dynamic camera that allows players to command troops over huge geographical scale whilst maintaining movie-like vistas and detail
In-depth gameplay mode: two different campaign modes, multi-player, Deathmatch and Skirmish
G4Box and Wicked Interactive have announced that the English version of "Cross Fire", the free online first-person shooter originally from Korea, has been launched.
"The Cross Fire Official Launch is marked by a substantial update to the game which includes, three new game modes (including the long-awaited "Free For All" deathmatch and the knives-only battle-arena), playable female characters, and ranked clan matches on a dedicated server. In addition, the official launch will introduce loads of new in-game weapons, items, and accessories. Cross Fire officially went live at 1:00 AM on Thursday April 16th, 2009. The launch is also supported by an in-game event that allows players to earn extra experience for a limited time in order to level-up faster.
"Since Cross Fire went into open beta earlier this year we have built a dedicated community of players," said Garvin Yeung, Chief Executive Office of Wicked Interactive. "We have worked hard on all the new content included in the official launch version of Cross Fire," added Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX, "We know Cross Fire veterans and new players alike will be able to find something new they can enjoy."
Cross Fire is an online military first-person shooter for the PC, developed by SmileGate and Neowiz, and co-published by G4BOX and Wicked Interactive. Players assume the role of either a Black List or Global Risk mercenary, and then join an online team that must work together to complete objective-based scenarios. Cross Fire’s flagship feature is its "Ghost Mode", which puts one team in possession of top-secret cloaking technology, rendering them invisible to the opposing team. This team of "ghosts" is armed only with knives, and must stealthily track and hunt the enemy team. This mode is exclusive to Cross Fire and no other mode exists quite like it in any other first-person shooter.
Monte Cristo has announced that beta sign-ups for "Cities XL" have begun.
"In the upcoming weeks, you could participate in our Closed Beta tests and get an exclusive access to Cities XL.
Cities XL is the next-generation of City Builder games, in which you will be challenged as a mayor with the continuous growth and development of your city. You will be able to meet and exchange with other players in an Online mode and specialize your cities with integrated Tycoon games. Click here to find out more about Cities XL.
In order to win an access to our Closed Beta tests, you will first need to register an account.
After completing the registration process, a few lucky beta testers will be selected. The Cities XL team will accept qualified testers as they are needed, and participants will be notified via the email address provided in their registration account settings. Be sure to check back on our website to get more info on the details of the Beta Tests."
New screenshots from "Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper" have been released, giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming next installment in the adventure series by Frogwares.
"While the serial killer continues to taunt the authorities, Sherlock continues his investigation to uncover and stop the terrible murderer who has been dubbed – "Jack the Ripper."
Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper allows you to play as the greatest detective of all in the London of 1888. A series of particularly horrible murders creates a real psychosis throughout the country. Atrociously mutilated prostitutes’ bodies are found by the police without them being able to find a serious lead. Sherlock Holmes starts looking for clues in the dark and sinister alleys of Whitechapel in order to follow the macabre trail of the one the press now calls Jack the Ripper. During an adventure full of twists, Sherlock Holmes will try to bring out the true identity and the motives of the one who hides behind this scary alias.
The Sherlock Holmes series is known as one of the best franchises in adventure games and is very popular with around 1.5 million copies sold worldwide. Now, Sherlock Holmes is back with a game that will give a new dimension to the series. Indeed, Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper will offer players two different views that are accessible at any time: a third person view in the purest style used in point & click adventure games, as well as a first person view. The player will be free to play in one or the other modes or even combine them for greater immersion into this terrifying adventure. Another novelty: the player will also find an original crime scene reconstitution system that will allow him to test his theories during his progress in the investigation to follow the bloody trail of the terrifying serial killer.
Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper will be released for DVD ROM PC in May of 2009 and at the end of the year on Xbox360."
NCSoft has released details on "Lineage II The Chaotic Throne: Gracia Final", the upcoming free expansion in the series.
"This final part to the Gracia series offers an extensive amount of new content, including a renewed experience for both new and veteran players in the world of Lineage II.
Lineage II is a beautiful war torn land where trust is critical and betrayal is inevitable as players battle for glory and clans struggle for political supremacy. Choose your path and dominate mercilessly in this legendary MMO. Claim your fortune and rule the castles and lands that over 19 million of the world’s gamers have explored.
The world is waiting for its leader; will you heed its call?
KEY FEATURES
Discover the continent of Gracia
Journey through the skies of the breathtaking and perilous lands of Gracia, using the aerial transformation skills Aurabird Falcon, Aurabird Owl and the Kamael’s special Final Flying Form. While whisking through the air, be on the lookout for the new aerial and land based hunting grounds, which will challenge all of Lineage II’s players.
Refined PvP combat and arenas
Gracia Final introduces multiple new ways for players to compete and experience the ultimate thrill of PvP. From expanding a time honored classic PvP tournament, the Olympiad, to include three vs. three competitions, and adding the new Aerial Cleft PvP arena where individuals can register and compete in random PvP matches, it has never been easier to get into the competitive side of Lineage II.
Expanded clan features
Level your clan up to 11 to earn additional benefits that expand clan abilities and membership. At level 11, clans will continue the struggle for economic and political dominance. However, additional Royal Guards and clan skills should provide an edge to those who prove themselves worthy.
Territory battles
Territory battles bring a new level of land control and provide a unique “capture the flag” style PvP experience that rewards dominating clans with castle-related skills and additional revenue. Unlike castle sieges, where battles are fought between clans, territory battles allow individual players and groups unassociated with clans to participate as anonymous mercenaries in these epic wars over the lands of Lineage II . All territory war participants can receive Territory which can be traded for new items through the Territory Manager.
To find out more information about each of the Gracia expansions, please visit www.lineage2.com/gracia"
Already revealed "Six Days in Fallujah" has already caused some controversy. Today, Konami officially announced the title.
"Developed by Atomic Games, Six Days in Fallujah is a new third person shooter experience that puts the player in the center of the largest urban military operation in four decades. Six Days in Fallujah combines the action of a military shooter with the realism of a documentary film to create a new kind of experience that is both historical and engaging. Partnering with over three dozen US Marines to help develop the game along with unprecedented access to battle plans, after action reports, photos, videos and satellite maps makes this game the most authentic military shooter to date. Coupled with missions, objectives and scenarios grounded in factual events, Six Days in Fallujah will create an authentic 3rd person shooter unlike any ever developed.
“Six Days in Fallujah creates a very compelling interactive experience,” said Brian Christian, Vice President of Product Development for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “We are creating a 3rd person shooter unlike any other by combining a brand new game engine, authentic weaponry, missions and combat set against the gripping story of the US Marines on the ground.”
Six Days in Fallujah lets players experience the historic battle of Fallujah as a US Marine fire-team leader and places them in the heat of the action against the insurgency. Players are able to physically shape the battlefield just as US Marines did during the battle in Fallujah. Create new lines of attack by kicking in doors, blowing up walls, eliminating enemy cover and destroying the environment around them. To make the battle even more authentic, heavy emphasis has been put into the environments using real world satellite maps, weapons from US Marines and vehicles used in the conflict to fully immerse players in this epic confrontation and experience what it was like to be a Marine on the ground. In addition, Six Days in Fallujah will include multiplayer functionality – allowing players to team up with other fire team members in co-op and online modes.
Six Days in Fallujah is scheduled to be released in 2010 on Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION®3 system and Windows PC."
