PC Game News

505 Games has released a new trailer for "ArmA II," giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming shooter sequel by Bohemia Interactive.

"Developed by Czech-based studio Bohemia Interactive, ArmA II features incredibly in-depth combat and tactical warfare on a massive scale. In fact, the game engine that powers ArmA II (Real Virtuality) is so realistic that armies across the globe use it as a framework for their virtual simulations and it’s been constantly refined and improved during more than 10 years of development.

This first in-game trailer showcases the Real Virtuality engine and demonstrates its ability to produce incredible military simulation. Whether you’re flying an attack chopper, blowing up houses in a tank or creeping through the forest ready to pick off your enemy, ArmA II offers unprecedented realism and intense action.

In ArmA II, you’re part of an elite squad of American soldiers sent behind enemy lines to restore peace to Chernarus, a Soviet country ripped apart by civil war as warring rival factions fight to take control of the troubled state. In an epic story full of plot twists and turns, it becomes clear that the troubles plaguing Chernarus are deeper than anyone thought and the battle intensifies to extreme levels.

Building upon the foundations laid by its predecessor, ArmA II features refined graphics; unscripted AI opponents that ensure no skirmish ever plays out in the same way; 225sq km of gameplay area including more than 50 different towns and villages, alongside lush forests and wind-swept beaches; 136 different vehicles variants including helicopters, tracked armoured vehicles, boats and even bicycles and 81 weapon variants."

This post serves as both an announcement and a test for our new staff blog posts at 2404. We felt our front page news was lacking a bit and we wanted to inject some personality. At one time we did have a staff blog but it was on a separate page and it wasn’t the best approach. Giving new staff posts some front page attention, including it in our main RSS feed, and using the newer comment system with vBulletin integration should set things off on the right path.

To identify a blog post from a news story look for the icon like the one you see at the top-left of this post. We will probably be adding a more distinct style to these posts but this should work for now.

In other 2404 related news, we will not be continuing the “Around the Web” stories. These weekly updates included interesting links around the internet along with the submitted hardware reviews. To put it bluntly, the hardware sites just weren’t being friendly; only about one was posting the game review links we sent out. We were posting hardware reviews from about six or seven sites. A Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 review will be posted tonight and a Far Cry 2 review and an editorial on the health of the PC game industry will be posted soon. Thanks for dropping by, we hope these staff blog posts work out well.

THQ has released a debut trailer for "Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor," giving viewers a look at the upcoming next chapter in the real-time strategy franchise by Relic.

"Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor is the next standalone chapter in the award-winning Company of Heroes franchise, featuring all-new content, including three single-player campaigns, new multiplayer modes, additional maps and units. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor also introduces a new "direct-fire" feature that allows players more tactical control of their units and more strategic options in-game. Developed by internal studio Relic Entertainment and powered by Relic’s proprietary Essence Engine™, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor is fully compatible with Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, allowing players who own the entire series complete access to the epic battles of World War II."

Valve has announced that "Grand Theft Auto IV" PC is now available to pre-purchase on Steam.

"Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest in the award-winning Series from Rockstar, is now available for pre-purchase via Steam. Those who pre-purchase the game via Steam will immediately receive the full version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PC at no extra charge. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com"

Valve has announced that "Left 4 Dead," the popular horror FPS game, has been shipped and is now available at retailers worldwide.

"Early critical response and sales indicate Left 4 Dead is on track to become one of the top holiday game releases. Commercially, Left 4 Dead’s pre-order numbers surpassed those of Valve’s 2007 blockbuster, The Orange Box, by more than 160%.

The game has been heralded critically, with Official Xbox Magazine U.S. awarding it a 95% score and calling it "the most intense multiplayer experience on Xbox 360." Maximum PC has given the title a perfect 10 out of 10, saying the game "didn’t just meet our high expectations for the zombie apocalypse, it exceeded them." = Game Informer gave L4D a 9.25, declaring that it "innovates in ways that will shape the future of gaming." Left 4 Dead has also been nominated for three Spike TV Video Game Awards, including Best Action game, Best Multiplayer game and Best PC game.

"The goal for Left 4 Dead was to create a game that blends the social entertainment experience of multiplayer titles such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress with the dramatic, narrative experience made popular in single player action classics such as the Half-Life series of games," stated Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. "The success of this experiment has resulted in tremendous pre-order performance, reviews, and the fastest-growing online player number of any Valve title."
Set in a modern day survival-horror universe, the game casts you as one of four survivors in an epic struggle against swarming hordes of zombies and terrifying mutants. The four expansive campaigns offer single player and co-operative game modes. Left 4 Dead also features a Versus mode that allows players to take control of one of four types of "Boss Infected," with each "Boss" possessing a mutant ability instead of traditional firearms. In addition, Left 4 Dead offers gamers the chance to go "behind the scenes" of the making of the game via the "Director’s Commentary" mode.

"Valve launched Left 4 Dead with a $10 million dollar marketing campaign spanning television, print and online advertising plus non-traditional outdoor placements in many major cities in the US and Europe," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing at Valve. "These programs, in addition to the community-focused activities such as the ‘Dude, where’s my thumb?" photo contest have helped expose Left 4 Dead’s innovative gameplay to gamers and put it on track to become one of 2008’s top releases."

For more information on Left 4 Dead please visit www.l4d.com."

The still-not-subtitled Prince of Persia looks great and a new developer diary explores its open-world and story elements. It essentially regurgitates a lot of information we already know — the compass, hub design — but it also has some new gameplay footage to take a gander at. While I’m not completely convinced this open-world structure will work (Warrior Within was arguably the weakest out of the trilogy and it was the only one with an open-world structure), Prince of Persia looks undeniably promising.

So, you’re probably wondering where the heck’s Mirror’s Edge for the PC. There have been mumbles of a January 2009 release and I refused to believe it, because this was one game I really wanted to play. Unfortunately, this PC-exclusive trailer reveals the sad truth. The trailer is essentially a display for the cool physics, which are admittedly pretty damn cool. Wow, check out that plastic rip to shreds. There’s some sarcasm in what I just said, but really, that’s pretty cool.

Codemasters has announced "DiRT 2," sequel to "DiRT: Colin McRae Off-Road," which will be released in 2009.

"The announcement marks confirmation that the game will be headlined by Colin McRae, honouring the life of the rally legend. Colin McRae, who consulted on the series for over ten years, tragically died in a helicopter accident in September 2007. The decision to continue the famous series bearing his name was made jointly between the McRae family and Codemasters.

 “Colin McRae was all about the speed, the excitement and the entertainment of rally driving. Even when we first worked with him over ten years ago, he captured a freedom and a spirit that enthralled rally fans.” said Gavin Raeburn, senior executive producer at Codemasters Studios. “Later his showmanship shone through in events such as the X-games, the Dakar Rally and the Race of Champions. He could do things with a car that no one else would and that’s where we’re taking the series with new events at the extreme edge of rally and autosport. It will be a great tribute to an incredible champion.”

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will feature a roster of contemporary off-road events, taking players to the most diverse and challenging real-world environments. This World Tour will have players competing in aggressive multi-car and intense solo races at extraordinary new locations, from canyon racing and jungle trails to city stadium-based events.

“Rally has attracted new stars and a new style that makes it more vibrant and exciting than ever before; it’s right up there as a premium extreme sport, attracting fresh crowds and a new confident attitude,” said Raeburn.
 
“Colin McRae: DiRT 2 mirrors this new, exciting direction and, in a way, we’ll be throwing off some of the shackles and constraints that real-world rallying has to abide by. We’re pitching players against the most spectacular and dangerous environments in the real world.”

To be powered by the third generation of the EGO™ Engine’s award-winning racing game technology, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will benefit from tuned-up car-handling physics system and new damage engine effects. It will also showcase a spectacular new level of visual fidelity, with cars and tracks twice as detailed as those seen in Race Driver: GRID.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2’s garage will house a best-in-class collection of officially licensed rally cars and off-road vehicles, specifically selected to deliver aggressive and fast paced racing. Covering seven vehicle classes, players will be given the keys to powerful vehicles right from the off. In Colin McRae: DiRT 2 the opening drive is the Group N Subaru; essentially making the ultimate car from the original game the starting point in the sequel and the rides just get even more impressive.

In addition to the World Tour, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will come complete with full online functionality that will be core to the overall experience, with head-to-head competitive online play and new social features to engage the racing community. Prepare for mud, gravel, dust and dirt too in Colin McRae: DiRT 2, coming 2009. Sign up for the drive of your life at www.codemasters.com/dirt2."

Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, Gearbox’s latest entry for their innovative and original line of WWII-shooters, had a wonderful soundtrack. Now, you don’t need to play the game to appreciate what Gearbox’s composers has stirred up for the game, because Sumthing Else Music has announced that they well distribute the official soundtrack for Hell’s Highway.

"Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing relationship with Gearbox Software, proudly presents Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway Original Soundtrack featuring the original music score composed by Ed Lima and Duncan Watt. Developed by Gearbox Software, Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway is the third installment of the critically acclaimed series of WWII video games. The original soundtrack will be released on Nov. 25, 2008 to retail outlets through Nile Rodgers’ Sumthing Else Music Works record label www.sumthing.com, and for digital download at www.sumthingdigital.com and iTunes®.

Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway Original Soundtrack features the dramatic and emotionally poignant symphonic score composed by Ed Lima (Prey, Doom 3) and Duncan Watt (Need For Speed: Pro Street). As in the previous Brothers In Arms games, no music is featured during gameplay. Instead the score is focused on supporting the story and accompanies the cut-scenes and menus in the game. The music was recorded with the FILMharmonic Orchestra and Choir at the prestigious Dvorak Hall of Rudolfinum in Prague.

“The Brothers In Arms series of video games has always taken upon itself the responsibility to treat our nation’s heroes and history with all the respect and honor they are due. It’s an imperative that permeates every facet of Gearbox Software’s development of this series,” said Ed Lima, Audio Director and Composer at Gearbox Software. “The music underscores the relationships that exist between these brave men, highlighting their connections, their trust in each other, and for some, their tragic ends.”

Track Listing:
1. Main Theme
2. The Story So Far
3. Baker’s Dozen
4. Double Time
5. The First Bad News / Letters To Loved Ones
6. For Matthew
7. We Happy Fewer
8. Eindhoven/Roadblocks/Frankie’s Choice
9. Those We Lost
10. Farewell Is Goodbye.

Re-mastered versions of the scores to Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30 and Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood are now available for digital download at www.sumthingdigital.com.

Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway brings the critically acclaimed squad-based WWII shooter into the next generation of gaming with superior graphics and sound and new gameplay features. Delivering on the franchise’s compelling story, unrivaled authenticity and intense squad-based action, Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway drops players into Operation Market Garden, the largest paratrooper operation in World War II. For more information, visit www.brothersinarmsgame.com."

To the surprise of everybody, Blizzard’s latest expansion for the insanely popular World of Warcraft has shattered the day-1 sales record. 2.8 million copies were sold in 24 hours, which breaks the record of 2.4 million. Shockingly enough, the previous record was set by The Burning Crusade, Blizzard’s first expansion for World of Warcraft. Here’s what Blizzard had to say about the unexpected commercial success of Wrath of the Lich King:

"Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft®’s second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King™, has sold more than 2.8 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability*, making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time. This eclipses the previous record of nearly 2.4 million copies sold in 24 hours, set in January 2007 by Blizzard’s first World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade®. Wrath of the Lich King was simultaneously released in North America, Europe, Chile, Argentina, and Russia on November 13; Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand on November 14; and South Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on November 18.

In celebration of the launch, more than 15,000 stores throughout the world had their doors open at midnight to welcome thousands of expectant players. Several of these locations were attended by Blizzard Entertainment representatives, who met players and signed copies of the game.

“We’re grateful for the incredible support that players around the world have continued to show for World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Wrath of the Lich King contains some of the best content we’ve created for the game so far, and we look forward to seeing even more players log in to experience it in the days ahead.”

“World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King surpassed all sales expectations, with 100 Gamestation stores opening at midnight to cater for a high level of demand,” said Andrew Thompson, product director, Gamestation UK. “Players queued for hours – some dressed as characters from the game – proving that enthusiasm for Blizzard Entertainment’s latest installment is at its highest level to date."

Prior to the launch of Wrath of the Lich King, World of Warcraft’s subscriber population had grown to more than 11 million players, further strengthening its position as the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. More information about the new expansion can be found at the official Wrath of the Lich King website: www.wow-europe.com/wrath."

Lighthouse Interactive has released two "Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches" demos, giving players a chance to try out the adventure game by Arberth Studios that was released in October.

"Both demos give players a chance to experience the mystical Celtic atmosphere and peek into the world of a lonely teenage girl named Rhiannon. In Demo #1, players play Chapter 1: Arrival, where they may explore the remote Welsh farmstead known as Ty Pryderi. In Demo #2, players can have a go at Chapter 5: Boswell’s Office, an underground office located beneath Ty Pryderi. These demos highlight the engaging and unusual challenges unique to Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches.

Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches, a game based on the gripping tales of the Mabinogion, a collection of stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts, is deep rooted in Celtic mythology and follows the present day haunting of a lonely teenage girl named Rhiannon, as she unwillingly enters a world filled with supernatural phenomena, magic, and legend.

This highly acclaimed Mythological Adventure game for Windows® is now available at retail outlets across the United Kingdom, including GAME®, Amazon®, Play.com®, the Lighthouse Interactive European Web Shop, and via digital download at GamersGate.com. Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches is a must-have Adventure game you don’t want to miss this holiday season!"

Demo #1 (75MB) can be downloaded from Atomic Gamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

Demo #2 (80MB) is available to download at Atomic Gamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original "Half-Life," Valve is now offering the game on Steam for 98 cents.

"Valve is now offering Half-Life for just 98 cents in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the company’s debut title. Launched 10 years ago today, Half-Life was greeted with overwhelming review scores (Metacritic of 96%), earned over 50 Game of the Year Awards, and birthed a franchise with over 20 million units sold to date. The special 10 year anniversary price is available via Steam until 12:01 pm PST on November 21. For more information or to purchase Half-Life for 98¢, please visit www.steamgames.com"

The list of new PC game releases, DVD releases, and movies opening the week of November 17th, 2008. Also, sorry for all the downtime yesterday, the host was having some problems with our server.

PC Games:

• Left 4 Dead
• Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods
• Tomb Raider Underworld

Movies Opening This Week:

• Bolt
• Special (limited)
• Twilight

DVD Releases:

• 17
• Arizona Sky
• Black Keys Live at the Crystal Ballroom
• Bones – Season 3
• Burke’s Law: Season One Volume Two
• Charmed: The Complete Series
• Daniel Boone: Season 6
• David Lynch The Lime Green Set
• Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series
• Dog Tags
• Encounters at the End of the World [Blu-ray]
• Evolve
• Fairly Odd Parents – Season 6, Vol. 1
• Foo Fighters – Live At Wembley Stadium [Blu-ray]
• Hannah Montana: The Complete First Season
• Hawaii Five-O – The Fifth Season
• Heathers [Blu-ray]
• Jeff Dunham: Three-Disc Collection 
• Kiss the Bride
• Letting Go of God
• Luciano Pavarotti: Life in Seven Arias
• Lucky Number Slevin [Blu-ray]
• McHale’s Navy: Season Four
• Mirrormask [Blu-ray]
• Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us [Blu-ray]
• Priceless [Blu-ray]
• Revolver
• Southland Tales [Blu-ray]
• Spongebob Squarepants – Season 5, Vol. 2
• Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 3 Remastered
• The Odd Couple – The Complete Series, Seasons 1-5
• The Odd Couple – The Final Season
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
• The Stendhal Syndrome [Blu-ray]
• The Who At Kilburn: 1977
• The Who At Kilburn: 1977 [Blu-ray]
• The Zombie Diaries
• Tropic Thunder
• Very Special Christmas Special
• Wall-E
• Wild Combination: a Portrait of Arthur Russell

JoWood and Dreamcatcher have announced that "Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods" has been shipped to North American retail stores.

"Also releasing today is the Gothic 3 Collector’s Edition, the complete Gothic 3 experience in a special collector’s tin case containing the most up-to-date version of Gothic 3, the complete version of Forsaken Gods Add On, a ‘Making of Gothic’ DVD, Official Soundtrack CD and a full-color map.    

The official Gothic 3 Add On, Forsaken Gods takes you a step further into the fantastical world of this epic RPG series.  This exciting new chapter of the Gothic series introduces intoxicating new quests, monsters, armour and weapons while the gaming experience offers a sense of intense realism, provides 15-20 hours of non-stop gameplay and introduces an improved combat system.      

Two years after the release of Gothic 3, players will once again journey to the world of Myrtana for an all new experience set in this amazingly rendered universe. Forsaken Gods includes more than 125 all new quests to explore, dozens of new monsters to slay, 20 new weapons and armour sets and many old friends to revisit.

Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods will answer all the questions which have risen in the past, while introducing you to an exciting new chapter…

Features:

• Enhanced user interface and updated graphics
• 15-20 intense hours of all-new gameplay
• Improved combat system with new combat rules
• One of the biggest and most authentic game worlds ever created in a video game

Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods for Windows(r) will sell for an SRP of $19.99 USD and Gothic 3 Collector’s Edition will sell for an SRP of $39.99 USD. The ESRB rating is T for Teen.   For further information please visit our website at www.dreamcatchergames.com."

Two tank classes never quite made it to the initial retail release, but that’s about to change with WAR’s Heavy Metal Event, which will kickstart the inclusion of the two new classes — the Empire Knight of the Blazing Sun and the Dark Elf Black Guard.

"Prepare for the coming tank rush! Starting tomorrow, the forces of Order and Destruction in Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ will face a brand new challenge as the Heavy Metal live event blasts onto the battlefield.

During this special in-game event, which runs from November 18th until December 1st, the armies of WAR will be given orders in preparation for the arrival of two new tank classes – the Empire Knight of the Blazing Sun and the Dark Elf Black Guard. Players that successfully complete the quests associated with the Heavy Metal event will be rewarded with early access to the new careers a full week before they are available to the general public.

As part of the Heavy Metal live event, players will also have special access to Reikland Factory, a new, instanced Scenario taking place on the grounds of an Empire steam tank factory. This Scenario is available to all players and all ranks, but will only be open for battle during the live event. Soldiers are encouraged to secure the Reikland Factory for their Realm, and continue the fight across the many other battlefields of WAR during Heavy Metal.

Based on the popular tabletop war game from Games Workshop, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ conflict that will provide players with an engaging battleground for years to come. Available now for PC, WAR is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

For more information on Warhammer Online and the Heavy Metal live event, visit www.warhammeronline.com."