PC Game News

The lawyer that most gamers love to hate has been disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court.

"The referee has filed a corrected report recommending that respondent, John Bruce Thompson, be permanently disbarred without leave to apply for readmission  to The Florida Bar.  Respondent submitted a petition for review of the referee’s  report.  The Clerk did not accept the petition for review for filing.  This action was  in accord with this Court’s opinion dated March 20, 2008, which sanctioned respondent for abusive filings and barred him from filing on his own behalf.  The sanction opinion provided, in pertinent part: "the Clerk of this Court is hereby  instructed to reject for filing any future pleadings, petitions, motions, documents, or  other filings submitted by John Bruce Thompson, unless signed by a member in  good standing of The Florida Bar other than himself."  Fla. Bar v. Thompson, 979  So. 2d 917, 921 (Fla. 2008). The opinion also noted: "in sanctioning respondent, we  are requiring him to retain qualified counsel so that his arguments might be  properly presented through the appropriate procedures in the appropriate forum.  We do not limit such counsel’s ability to challenge the referee’s findings and recommendations on review."  Id. at 919."

You can view the full press release from The Florida Bar at floridasupremecourt.org (PDF).

Later today, Jack sent a copy of an emergency motion to Kotaku responding to the court in addition to his own press release. An excerpt of the press release is below:

"Miami attorney Jack Thompson, nationally and internationally known by virtue of his effective and successful opposition over the last 20 years to the broadcast, marketing, and sale of adult-rated entertainment to children, has just been informed by the Florida Supreme Court that he has been disbarred from the practice of law today.

This disbarment is in retaliation, among other things, for Thompson’s Tyndale House book Out of Harm’s Way, published in 2005, which blew the whistle on the Florida Supreme Court’s earlier efforts in the 1990’s to literally pathologize his faith-based and successful activism against the American entertainment industry. The Florida Bar’s insurance carrier was forced to pay Thompson money damages for that earlier assault upon his First Amendment rights, which is the only known payment of damages by any state bar to any lawyer for improper disciplinary efforts. It appears that the State of Florida will be paying Thompson more damages this time around for its illegal, now repeated, use of “discipline” to punish a Christian lawyer for his activism in the public square."

Great. If there’s one fear I have, it’s deep, opaque bodies of water… and Tomb Raider: Underworld seems to have a level exclusively dedicated to my phobia. Sharks included. Still, it’s looking good, but I can’t imagine how I’ll be able to complete that level. The second trailer is much more traditional, as it shows Lara in her traditional platforming environment, jumping around and shoving rocks around to hopefully attain progress.

A new gameplay trailer takes a look at Dark Horizon’s dogfights, which look impressive. Explosions, lasers, giant capital ships — it’s all there. Dark Horizon’s out already, so give it a look; this is about as close as we’re going to get something like FreeSpace 2.

Dead Space is close to release and it’s time for another developer diary. This time, EA focuses on the game’s animations and the challenges and hurdles associated with it. How they captured Issac’s animations in zero-g is particularly interesting, because of the all experimentation. If you haven’t heard already, Dead Space’s release date has been moved up from its original Halloween release. It’ll be out on October 20th.

Got Game Entertainment has announced that "Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals" has been shipped to North American retail stores.

"An immersive, richly detailed suspense-adventure game based on the stories and art of famed graphic novelist and filmmaker Enki Bilal, "Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals" is a dramatic and thrilling 3D adventure set in a futuristic Paris. Developed under Bilal’s discerning eye by White Birds Productions, the studio founded by adventure game legend Benoît Sokal, the game deftly melds gorgeous graphics with thought-provoking puzzles. "Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals" makes its retail debut at $29.99 (USD) and is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB for Mild Blood, Mild Violence.

Who watches and waits from high above this City of Light and what dark secrets lie buried beneath its fabled streets? In "Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals", it is Paris 2023 and you are Alcide Nikopol, a struggling artist, devoted son, and political savior. The city is now a maze of mysteries, secrets, and clues that must be explored. When you learn your missing father may be alive, a possible pawn in a looming political battle between a power hungry dictator and the Immortals, you find yourself in a suspenseful adventure to find your father and thwart a dangerous conspiracy. As you search for answers from your humble artist’s apartment to grand palace corridors, through labyrinthine metro passages and fortified military towers, you become entangled in political intrigue and caught between two worlds, one of anarchy and one of Immortality.

"Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals" features:

• A richly detailed futuristic universe inspired by famed graphic novelist Enki Bilal;
• Thought-provoking puzzles requiring cunning and logic to protect yourself from the Immortals’ plans and thwart a dark conspiracy;
• Interaction with 8 characters in 6 different environments, each made with several settings;
• Beautifully rendered and visually compelling graphics;
• Inspired soundtrack;
• Immersive gameplay; and
• Classic point and click interface.

For more information on "Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals", including a game trailer and demo, visit www.NikopolGame.com."

Interesting and entertaining stories around the web along with the submitted hardware reviews from the week of September 15th, 2008.

• Hadron Collider out of commission until the spring
• Class Action Spore Lawsuit
• Stonehenge birthdate discovered by archaeologists
• The Thirteen Greatest Error Messages of All Time
• Complaints pour in after digital TV test

Submitted Hardware Reviews

RAM

• Mushkin XP3-16000 Ascent 2GB DDR3 Memory Kit at TweakTown
• Team Group Xtreem DDR3-1866 2GB Memory Kit at TweakTown

GPU

• Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition Video Card at BmR
• Sapphire HD 4670 Review at High Tech Reviews

Cooling

• Auras TwinW SMF660 Intel CPU Cooler Review at Madshrimps
• Sunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler Review at Madshrimps
• Thermaltake V14 Pro CPU Cooler at TweakTown
• Zaward Gyre ZCJ010 CPU Cooler at TweakTown

Peripherals

• Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Keyboard and Mouse Combo at Rbmods
• Logitech V550 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks at Rbmods

Other

• ASUS EeeBox Mini Desktop PC at TweakTown
• Lamptron PC Case Handles Review at OCModShop

The list of new PC game releases, DVD releases, and movies opening the week of September 22nd, 2008.

PC Games:

• Civilization IV: Colonization
• King’s Bounty: The Legend
• Mount & Blade

Movies Opening This Week:

• Choke (limited)
• Eagle Eye
• Fireproof (limited)
• Forever Strong (limited)
• Humboldt County (limited)
• Miracle at St. Anna
• Nights in Rodanthe
• Smother (limited)
• The Lucky Ones

DVD Releases:

• Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration
• Blow [Blu-ray]
• Brothers and Sisters – The Complete Second Season
• Cashmere Mafia – The Complete Series
• Cirque Du Soleil – Corteo [Blu-ray]
• CSI: NY – The Fourth Season
• Deception
• Gangland: The Complete Season One
• High School Musical 2 Deluxe Dance Edition  
• iCarly: Season 1, Vol. 1 
• Jules Massenet: Manon
• L.A. Confidential [Blu-ray]
• Leatherheads
• Madagascar [Blu-ray]
• Rob and Big: The Complete Third Season
• Run, Fat Boy, Run
• Samantha Who?: The Complete First Season
• Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King
• Sex and the City: The Movie [2008]
• Shrek the Third [Blu-ray]
• The Godfather – The Coppola Restoration Giftset
• This American Life – Season 1  
• Two and a Half Men – The Complete Fourth Season
• Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! A Tale of Tails

1C and Atari have announced that "King’s Bounty: The Legend" has been shipped to North American retail stores.

"Developed by Katauri Interactive, published by 1C and distributed by Atari, King’s Bounty: The Legend is an adventure with tactical turn-based battles and RPG elements unfolding in a fairytale fantasy world, a world of fearless knights, evil mages, wise kings and beautiful princesses.

The player controls one character, leading him through the gameworld, exploring it, commanding armies in battle and accomplishing various scripts and bonus quests. The game progression falls into two separate parts – Adventure and Combat. In adventure mode, the player controls the character in real-time, taking him through the adventure map seeking treasure, and completing challenges. In combat mode, the player takes on the role as warchief, leading their troops through battle in a chess-like format."

Game Features:

• Classic real-time (adventure) meets turn-based (battles) gameplay
• Rich fantasy setting, storyline with a lot of twists and an unexpected ending
• Players have three types of characters to choose from – Warrior, Paladin and Mage. Each of them with unique characteristics and abilities
• Huge game world with dozens of locations and battlefields – both on the surface and in dungeons
• The game world isn’t static – enemies don’t just sit and wait for the hero to arrive, they pursue their own and try to get in the player’s way

Sony Online Entertainment has released a new trailer for "Everquest II: The Shadow Odyssey," the upcoming fifth expansion in the popular RPG series.

"In an age long passed, a band of extraordinary heroes embarked on an epic journey to free Norrath from the clutches of a shrouded threat. Their everlasting quest would take them to the far reaches of the globe, delving deep into the most dangerous dungeons and undertaking many daunting trials. This was the Shadow Odyssey, and the heroes were known as the Ethernauts. In their time, this epic quest came to an end, and Norrath was saved. But now … history is repeating. It is time for a new generation of Ethernauts to retrace the steps of their honored predecessors through the ruined, rancorous and twisting regions of Norrath to rid the world of the invading scourge and destroy the renewed evil of the Shadowmen.

EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey is the fifth expansion for the critically acclaimed EverQuest II franchise. This all-in-one compilation pack follows the award-winning and best-selling Rise of KunarkTM expansion. New players and veterans alike will journey through a massive amount of exquisite content unlike anything ever before seen in EverQuest II. The Shadow Odyssey stretches well beyond the fantasy realm and propels the EverQuest II world into a new era of excitement and adventure."

2K Games has announced that "Civilization IV: Colonization" has been shipped to North American retail stores. Additionally, the game will be available internationally on Friday.

"Created by 2K’s world-renowned Firaxis Games development studio, Colonization has received praise from the industry’s top Windows PC gaming publications.

“The decade-long groundswell of fan enthusiasm around Colonization was the driving force behind our decision to make a new version for today’s gamers,” said Sid Meier, director of creative development at Firaxis Games. “The terrific community support for the game, coupled with the opportunity to design a new edition using our Civilization IV engine, made it the right time to create this title for loyal fans and everyone else who loves great strategy games.”

Colonization is a standalone game experience that adds an entirely new scenario to the ever-evolving world of Civilization. In Colonization, players lead one of four European nations on a quest to colonize and thrive in the New World. Players will be challenged to guide their people from the oppressive motherland, discover the New World, and negotiate, trade and fight as they acquire power and battle for their freedom and independence.

As a complete reimagining of the 1994 classic, Colonization is a total conversion of Civilization IV that combines Civilization’s addictive “just one more turn” gameplay with all-new graphics and features that add more depth to the franchise. New features, such as a brand-new interface, improved diplomacy options and the included modding tools ensure that Colonization is the next great title from gaming’s premier strategy game developer.

Here is what the industry’s top critics are saying about Colonization:

“…any gamer should have a blast with Colonization.” – Game Informer Magazine, 9.0 out of 10, PC Game of the Month

“If you missed Col the first time around (and most of you probably did), now is an excellent chance to pick it up and dive into the colonial era.” – PC Gamer, 84%

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Colonization for Games for Windows is available now in North America and will be available internationally on September 26. The title is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older by the ESRB. For more information, please visit https://www.2kgames.com/civ4/colonization/."

Paradox Interactive has released more details on the advanced combat system in "Dark Horizon," which is set to ship tomorrow in North America and on Friday in Europe.

"Set in the dark and beautiful galaxy of Enosta, Dark Horizon casts players as Guardians, the mysterious yet skilled fighters charged with saving the galaxy by overcoming the all-consuming spectral force known as the Mirk.

In addition to the game’s multitude of ship customization options, Dark Horizon also features two specialized combat modes for the game’s 22 missions: shadow mode and corter mode.  Several of the game’s missions will call upon players to use one or both of these modes in addition to the game’s standard flight mode.

“As we were thinking about gameplay mechanics during development, we decided a realistic element of combat that would be significant for Guardian fleet fighters would be the temperature of the ship,” said Timur Lazarenko, Lead Programmer on Dark Horizon. 

“By controlling the temperature of his ship, the player can send his ship into one of two specialized combat modes.  Making the ship’s engine temperatures drop will send the player into shadow mode, in which he can become invisible and stealth past enemy lines.  When the player heats the ship’s engine, he can then enter corter mode, which allows him to significantly upgrade his weapon system in exchange for a shield penalty.”

Dark Horizon will be available for purchase in stores and for digital download at GamersGate. The game is set to ship on September 23rd in North America and September 26th in Europe.

Frictional Games, known for the Penumbra adventure series, has announced that the company is working on a new horror game, which is currently untitled.

"The upcoming project is set in the late 18th century and will take the player on a thrill-ride through the depths of madness and explore the dark side of the human emotions. Frictional Games promises to deliver a truly frightening first person survival horror game.

The primary aim is to make the game as scary and atmospheric as possible. "There are plenty of ideas that we never realized in the Penumbra games. We think it is possible to go a lot further in terms of evoking unsettling feelings and a sense of dread in the player", says co-founder and sound designer Jens Nilsson. The atmosphere is not the only focus of the game though and Frictional Games is determined to deliver a solid gameplay experience.

"We intend to give players a lot of freedom in our upcoming game", explains Thomas Grip, co-founder and lead programmer at Frictional Games. "Instead of following a laid out route we want players to choose for themselves how they want to progress and how deep they want explore various aspects of the game world".

Though the project will have a large focus on freedom, story will not be neglected. Frictional Games have been hard at work to develop a multitude of new ways to tell a story and yet allow for a dynamic gameplay. The goal is to make the story and gameplay converge and create a truly engaging and unique experience.

Release date is currently unknown. Stay tuned for more information by visiting the web site https://www.nextfrictionalgame.com/ or by signing up for the newsletter at https://www.frictionalgames.com/propaganda/."

Three concept art images are up at nextfrictionalgame.com.

Delay after delay, the next iteration in the Brothers in Arms series is finally nearing release. To celebrate, here’s a pleasantly gory trailer, as we see Matt Baker’s journey push deeper into the German front. The game’s gore model is shown off and it’s somewhere between cathartic and disturbingly gory. Either way, it looks very nice. September 23rd is the big day for this WWII tactical-shooter, so get ready.

The patch that brings the original Witcher game up to the newly released "Enhanced Edition" has been released. The upgrade comes at no cost to existing owners and contains a plethora of enhancements and additions.

"The Witcher, which was released in October 2007, has won more than 90 awards and has sold more than 800,000 copies worldwide, and The Witcher: Enhanced Edition brings the game even closer to perfection with a number of technical and visual improvements jammed into the value-packed retail box. The enhancements introduced in this version include more than 5000 lines of re-written and re-recorded dialogue, more than 200 new dialogue animations, a new character differentiation system for NPCs, an enhanced inventory with improved alchemy, reduced loading times, improved combat responsiveness and much more."

QUICK GUIDE:

1. Download patch (About 1GB)
2. Download your language version  (About 500 MB)
3. Download bonus pack (optional) (About 1,2 GB)

The 909.6MB Original to Enhanced Edition patch can be downloaded from The Official Site, Atomic Gamer, FileFront, FileShack, or Gamer’s Hell.

Also note – Apparently, the North American version of the Enhanced Edition lacks the file that displays blood in the game. You can grab that small fix from FileShack or Worthplaying.

Te language pack and additional adventures are also available at the mirrors listed above.

DreamCatcher games has announced that it will be publishing "War Leaders: Clash of Nations" in North America, a WWII real-time strategy game by Enigma.

"War Leaders: Clash of Nations is a unique combination of turn-based global management and Real-Time Strategy (RTS) where players will assume the role of one of the seven most important characters of WWII and be granted the power to control and manage all the main aspects of a massive war effort.

“War Leaders: Clash of Nations does a fantastic job of a creating a historical accuracy of WWII,” said Brian Gladman, Global Product Manager at DreamCatcher Games.  “Not only does this game provide a full representation of historic and prototype units for each country, but players get to dive right into the roles of real WWII personalities, such as Roosevelt, Mussolini, Hitler, and Churchill.”

The title offers a variety of game modes, including Campaign, Multiplayer, RTS battles and more with 41 different maps available in RTS mode with vast and detailed scenarios.  “Players can bet on countless hours of gameplay, the combination of Manager and RTS mode really adds substance to this title,” said Gladman.  “We expect War Leaders: Clash of Nations to be a stand out addition to a successful genre in PC gaming.”

Immerse yourself in a beautiful 3D strategy game where your efforts can truly change the course of history…

War Leaders: Clash of Nations for Windows® for release in North America in October, 2008 for a suggested retail price of $39.99USD. "