In roughly 2 weeks, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 will be arriving on retail shelves. This latest trailer highlights everything that’s ridiculous and awesome about the series. Absurd story, awesomely cheesy full-motion video and Samurai Jedis. And Samurai Mechs. Just samurais in general.
Bethesda has announced that the highly anticipated "Fallout 3" has gone gold and is scheduled to be available in North American stores on the 28th, the 30th in Europe and Australia, and the 31st in the UK.
"Developed at Bethesda Game Studios – creators of the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® – Fallout 3 is slated for release on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows.
“Fallout 3 has been the biggest project we’ve ever undertaken,” said Todd Howard, game director for Fallout 3. “It’s been a long journey and we’re really happy with how it turned out. We can’t wait for everyone to get a chance to play it.”
Fallout 3 features one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.
Fallout 3’s first review is featured as this month’s cover story in Official Xbox Magazine, hitting subscribers now and on newsstands October 21. Hailed as one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Fallout 3 has already won numerous awards including Best of Show from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2008, a selection voted on by an independent group of journalists from 36 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry.
Fallout® 3 has been rated Mature by the ESRB."
A new documentary for Tomb Raider: Underworld takes a look at all the cool new stuff Lara can pull. Tiger head-jumping action and being able to shoot two targets at once are some of the neat stuff she’ll be able to do in Underworld. It looks like a traditional Tomb Raider adventure, with some new wrinkles to keep her relevant. It’s looking good and Underworld is set for November 3rd of this year.
The updated "World of Warcraft" system requirements have been posted on the official forums in preparation for the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion.
"We have updated computer system specifications required to run World of Warcraft in preparation for our next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. Please also note the recommended specifications, which, while certainly not required, generally provide a more optimal gaming experience."
PC System Requirements
OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 3), Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
Processor:
Memory:
Video:
Sound: DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability
Mac System Requirements
OS: Mac OS X 10.4.11 or newer
Processor:
Memory:
Video:
All Platforms
Controls: A keyboard and mouse are required. Input devices other than a mouse and keyboard are not supported.
Connectivity: You must have an active broadband Internet connection to play.
Mouse: Multi-button mouse with scroll wheel recommended.
Hard Drive Space: 15 GB free hard drive space
The list of new PC game releases, DVD releases, and movies opening the week of October, 6th 2008.
PC Games:
Movies Opening This Week:
DVD Releases:
Two awesome gameplay videos for Mirror’s Edge today, displaying more of that motion sickness-inducing gameplay as Faith makes one impossible leap after another all in first-person. The first video seems like an extension of first gameplay trailer, as Faith leaps all cool-like while bullets whiz by her. She isn’t so lucky in the second one, but it does display the alternate routes that are present in Mirror’s Edge. A little bit of gunplay is present, too. Mirror’s Edge looks unique, stylish and a lot fun. Its November release can’t come soon enough. See, EA’s not all evil, Mirror’s Edge is proof of that.
The Silent Hill games have been graced with Akira Yamaoka’s great work on all aspects of sound design, the music in particular. The intro music that has accompanied each Silent Hill have been great enough to stand on their own for just listening and Silent Hill: Homecoming’s intro is no different. Vocal’s are once again provided by Mary McGlynn, who has provided her vocal talents since Silent Hill 3. Once again, McGlynn and the intro piece in general sounds great and the music has vibes of Silent Hill 2, which is a definite plus.
Dead Space nears its release and it was revealed today that Jason Graves is the composer for Dead Space. His notable works include Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones and a plethora of Star Trek games. He’s also signed to work on Obsidian’s two RPGs, Alpha Protocol and the Aliens RPG. You can also get a taste of his work on Dead Space on his official site.
"Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the intensely atmospheric orchestral score for EA’s new sci-fi survival horror game Dead Space™. Developed with award-winning composer Jason Graves, in association with Rod Abernethy and under the direction of EA Redwood Shores studio; Jason’s chilling score for Dead Space enhances the horror and tension of the game through extreme aleatoric and extended 20th Century orchestral music techniques.
“Graves’ work on the Dead Space score is simply fantastic. The music is a key factor in the overall tense mood of our game,” says Don Veca, Audio Director of Dead Space. “We needed an original orchestral score for Dead Space — Aleatoric in style, dark and dissonant, ranging from subtle creepy/eerie moods to completely cacophonous frenzies.”
Dead Space is a bold and bloody sci-fi survival horror game that is designed to deliver the ultimate in psychological thrills and gruesome action. In Dead Space, players step into the role of engineer Isaac Clarke, an ordinary man on a seemingly routine mission to fix the communications systems aboard a deep space mining ship called the USG Ishimura. Set approximately 500 years in the future, Isaac discovers that the crew of the mining spaceship is found horribly slaughtered and transformed into terrifying monsters. Now Isaac is cut off, trapped, and engaged in a desperate fight for survival.
The official soundtrack for Dead Space will be available on www.ea.com/eatrax for purchase to coincide with the release of Dead Space on October 14, 2008. The score features over three hours of music recorded during two different recording sessions. In the first session Graves conducted sixty musicians of the acclaimed Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra at the Bastyr Chapel in Seattle, and a year later Graves conducted sixty players of the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra and twenty voice choir at the world famous Skywalker Sound Scoring Stage. During both sessions, co-produced by Jason Graves and Rod Abernethy, the orchestra was recorded individually by section (woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings) with multiple dynamic levels and variations to be implemented as adaptive layers of music in the game. EA’s audio team designed the music system to be multi-layered so the music could be mixed at run-time based on gameplay and situation.
“The unique interactive aspect of the Dead Space music gave me the opportunity to experiment and try things I’ve never been able to do in a video game score before,” said Dead Space composer Jason Graves. “Many thanks to Don Veca and the rest of the team at EA for allowing me such freedom with the score; it was both the most challenging and most rewarding music I’ve ever composed."
Dead Space will be in stores on 24th October 2008 for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the PC . For more information on the game, visit the official web site at www.deadspacegame.com."
A new developer diary for Far Cry 2, but instead of focusing on the game, it focuses on the sound team and their journey through Africa to record sounds. You gotta appreciate all the stuff they’re going through, especially after failing to record frog sounds, because the river dried up. And it took 12 hours of driving to get there. Wow.
A new trailer for GTA IV takes a look at some of the nifty new content that will be available on the PC. I’m sure they will be included in the Xbox 360 version too, so console owners shouldn’t fret. There are a couple details that caught my eye, like the sky carts. I didn’t see them when I played the console version, so maybe they’re new. Anyway, it’s another nicely edited trailer from Rockstar, so enjoy.
Paradox Interactive has announced that "Europa Universalis III: Complete" will be released the 14th of October in North America and the 17th of October in Europe.
"Included in the collection is the multiple award- winning Europa Universalis III enhanced by the expansions Napoleon´s Ambition and In Nomine. The timeline of the original game has been expanded, forward through the Napoleonic Era to 1820, and backwards to let you start as early as 1399, while the Hundred Years War between England and France is still going on.
Europa Universalis III delves deeply into the areas of exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy. It is an epic strategy game where players take control of a nation and guide it through the ages to become a great global empire.
Thousands of missions and decisions create a deeply engrossing historical framework, where you guide your country through the eras to write history as you intend it to be.
About the expansion Napoleon´s Ambition:
The expansion Napoleon’s Ambition takes the award winning Europa Universalis III all the way into the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era.
About the expansion In Nomine:
Start in October 1399 and the coronation of Henry IV of England. Experience over 50 more years of game play, living through the Byzantine Empire, Tamerlane and the end of the Hundred Years War."
Got Game Entertainment has announced that "Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches" has been shipped to North American retail stores.
"Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches is set on the grounds of Ty Pryderi (House of Pryderi), a mystery-shrouded farmstead on the Celtic fringes of Britain. As the Sullivan family, the new owners of Ty Pryderi, embarks on renovations and restorations to their home, the spirit of an ancient malevolence is awakened, portending an age-old devastation and threatening the very sanity of 15 year-old Rhiannon. As the frightened family abandons Ty Pryderi to your watch, you must bring Rhiannon salvation and quell the haunting through exploration, deduction, and the use of classical magic in a contemporary context.
Imbued with authentic Celtic environment touches and storytelling, Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches clearly reflects the two years of development dedication by Wales-based Arberth Studios. Taking from their own, real environments and intensive studies of the collection of medieval Welsh prose known as the “Four Branches”, the team created a truly immersive and timeless game.
“Over the past seven years, Got Game Entertainment has developed a reputation for successfully taking a chance on the independent game developer,” said Got Game Entertainment President Howard Horowitz. “Arberth Studios and their entrancing ‘Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches’ reaffirms our commitment to continue making that leap.”
Publisher Got Game Entertainment and developer Arberth Studios of West Wales have succeeded in releasing a spine-tingling, point-and-click adventure game of folklore and magic just in time for Halloween. Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches brims with unearthly Celtic atmosphere and organic, brain-teasing puzzles in an eerie tale of the haunting of Rhiannon Sullivan, a lonely, teenage girl. “Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches” makes its retail debut at $29.99 (USD) and is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB for Drug Reference, Violent References.
For more information, visit the game’s official website at www.RhiannonGame.com."
PC Zone’s 200th issue will have Deus Ex 3 as its cover story, which will included first screens and a wealth of details. CVG has already nabbed a couple details:
"This said, they are doing their utmost to please newcomers as well as existing fans. Perhaps controversially this time around combat won’t be influenced by stats, but will rely purely on your personal marksmanship skills. Instead stats will influence "a vast array of fully upgradeable and customisable weapons", and you’ll be able to tailor your arsenal to your play style with mag upgrades, scopes and other add-ons.
What’s more, stealth will now rely on a cover system rather than shadows, and damage will be dealt with by a very Call of Duty-style auto-heal. There’s probably going to be some debate over those two."
Stats don’t influence your aim at all, auto-regeneration and a cover system that will act as the game’s stealth system. The word "skeptical" or terms like "Brace for cataclysmic impact." come to mind, but we’ll simply have to wait and see.
Source: CVG
Valve has announced that five of the top Source engine modifications have been added to Steam, which are available free of charge.
"The initial set of MODs offered via Steam are available free of charge for owners of any Source-based game.
To celebrate the launch of MODs on Steam and give gamers an easy entry into the world of Source MODs, Valve is offering Half-Life 2: Episode One for just $4.99. The original Steam MOD squad is comprised of: Age of Chivalry, D.I.P.R.I.P., Insurgency, Synergy, and Zombie Panic.
"Valve has been supporting the MOD community since the company’s inception, offering updates to the SDK, holding MOD Expos and being the first to bring a MOD to retail with Counter-Strike in November 2000," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing at Valve. "The debut of these MODs on Steam marks the beginning of a new level of support for the MOD community by putting the leading MODs at the finger tips of over 15 million targeted gamers."
The first MOD squad is available now. Once installed, these MODs will appear in the Steam "My Games" list and the MODs will receive automatic updates just like other games on Steam. Also, these MODs now take advantage of Steamworks, providing stat tracking and tighter integration with the Steam community.
For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com"
A brand new developer diary for the brand new Prince of Persia. Today’s topic is combat and the adversaries the Prince will have to face and the Corruption. There’s a lot of backstory of the game’s enemies, so there’s a lot of story information to chew on. A new speed art is shown off to boot.
