PC Game News

Electronic Arts today announced that the classic Capture the Flag mode is now available for Battlefield Heroes, the free-to-play cartoon-style version of the war simulation game.

"To win, players will not only have to dodge bullets from the opposing team, but will have to look out for other players dressed as trigger-happy dinosaurs and mummies in kilts. Gamers will have to work togetherto steal the other faction’s flag and return it home safely. The first team to do so three times will be crowned victorious! To play Capture the Flag, players can log in at www.battlefield-heroes.com and hit “Play Now”.

Battlefield Heroes brings classic Battlefield gameplay to a mass audience. The game features fun, cartoon-inspired graphics and gameplay that caters to players of all skill levels. Battlefield Heroes is easy to pick up and play and has robust character customization and sticky online features so gamers can spend hours building up their characters and conquering the world.

Battlefield Heroes is one of EA’s leading browser-based, free-to-download, free-to-play games. With over two years in commercial operation, the game features monthly content updates and a growing, vibrant community. Boasting zero barriers to entry, now anyone can be a hero on the battlefield!

Learn more about Battlefield Heroes at www.battlefieldheroes.com"

Nordic Games today announced the acquisition of the DreamCatcher portfolio. Nordic Games previously acquired JoWood and The Adventure Company labels and plans on re-launching and expanding on the IP.

"Basic business operations will be handled from Vienna, Austria, whereas Nordic Games is currently in negotiations with North American companies regarding the distribution and marketing of products.

Since their first launch back in 1996, DreamCatcher Interactive quietly turned into a very successful small-sized publishers in the industry. Based in Ontario, Canada, the company started as a publisher with a portfolio exclusively for PC adventure games. Over the next 10 years, DreamCatcher experienced rapid growth and became a major publisher as well as distributor. The company diversified into new platforms and genres and, in 2002, established the publishing label The Adventure Company to handle their adventure titles and strengthen its core competence. In March 2007, both DreamCatcher and The Adventure Company became part of the JoWooD Group as publishing labels. Following JoWooD’s insolvency in early 2011, DreamCatcher experienced a similar development and filed for bankruptcy shortly after its former parent company."

Crytek today announced that MechWarrior Online, the upcoming new addition to the old mech series, will be powered by CryEngine 3.

"Set in the year 3049 during the early stages of a massive interstellar war, MechWarrior Online puts you in command of the most powerful war machine to ever walk the field of battle, the mighty BattleMech™. Command your Mech™ and customize it to suit your battlefield role; upgrade systems, replace weapons, and tweak armor with endless options.

“Here at Crytek we are incredibly proud that Piranha Games have selected CryENGINE®3 to power their forthcoming Mechwarrior Online game,” says Carl Jones, director of Global Business Development CryENGINE. “2012 will see a new segment in the games industry – as free-to-play games will step up to offer true AAA quality to gamers. Both Piranha and Crytek believe in the potential of this market and we look forward to helping them achieve their vision for an amazing game experience. With our own game, Warface and more than 20 of our current CryENGINE licensees also working on AAA quality, free-to-play games, CryENGINE is becoming the technology of choice for the highest quality online games.”
 
MechWarrior Online delivers a rich online experience, rewarding everything a player does with experience points, C-Bills, unlocks, and recognition. Upgrade skills and refine  your role in gameplay using an all-new leveling system, and up-to-the minute detailed player statistics allow you to compare, track and share your progress with other players."

CD Projekt today announced that it will be opening the DRM-free GOG.com catalog to new titles next year in addition to pursuing classic titles.

"Speaking to a room of investors and journalists, Managing Director Guillaume Rambourg stated, "GOG.com has been performing very well the last three years, as we've mentioned previously both at CD Projekt conferences and at venues like the London Games Conference last week. We have an audacious plan for the the next two years to continue GOG.com's success story, and that depends on three things."

"First, we will be adding newer games into the catalog in 2012. Traditionally, GOG.com has looked for great classics that are three years old or older. We will continue to add classic games, of course, but we are actively working to sign newer titles now. Of course, these new titles will have to come at a new, higher price point, but our key focus will always be on the same core values that have made GOG.com great so far: completely DRM-free games, flat prices everywhere in the world, and extra content and goodies for our fantastic customers.

"Second, the consistent growth that GOG.com has had since we launched in 2008 has been a great success story. We've been profitable since our first month, and the fact that we've come from nowhere to bring over a million classic gamers to our website every month and over six million games downloaded proves that gamers want an alternative to the usual digital distributors. We want to continue this growth, and we have a plan for this: more than 400 products in our catalog by the end of 2012, combined with new partners, more franchises, and continued improvements to make GOG.com a better website will help us achieve this goal.

"Finally, we want to work closely with ambitious developers and independent publishers who feel a kinship with that 'good old spirit' that GOG.com embodies. Thanks to the commercial success of The Witcher 2 on GOG.com, more and more people realize that our values are universal. They are coming to GOG and asking if we can carry their titles. We’ve made GOG.com the destination for classic PC games, but now is the time to take this to the next level and emerge as the best alternative digital distribution platform for all PC games.”

The sale of Stardock's Impulse digital distribution system to GameStop in March removed the competitive barrier for Stardock to distributing via other online channels. Stardock announced today that its titles are coming to Steam beginning this week with Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity at a discounted price.

"Sins of a Solar Empire, developed by Ironclad Games, is the world’s most popular space-based real-time strategy game. In it, you are the leader of one of three civilizations embroiled in a galactic war, fighting for the survival of your entire race against relentless foes. Your success will depend on your ability to manage your empire and command your vast fleets of starships to victory. Players will colonize new worlds, develop extensive trade networks, conduct research, fortify their empires with powerful starbases and fleets of ships, plus control the galaxy using the unique diplomacy system that reacts dynamically to the players’ actions.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity supports both a single-player “sand box” mode against cunning computer players as well as a compelling multiplayer mode that lets friends and other players from around the fight epic space battles with massive starships, world destroying weapons and nefarious diplomatic and trade strategies.

“With the sale of our former PC digital download technology to GameStop earlier this year, we no longer have any conflicts of interest in offering our titles to other digital distribution channels,” said Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock. “We are starting with Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity with other titles being made available over the coming weeks.”

More distribution platform announcements are planned for Stardock titles in the coming weeks in order to give fans the opportunity to play on the platform of their choice.

Find more information about Sins of a Solar Empire at www.sinsofasolarempire.com."

Paradox Interactive today announced the release of a large tech overhaul for the game engine in the Magicka series. A trailer for the upcoming The Stars are Left expansion was released along with this announcement.

"Full details for what is featured in the game engine update:

• Fairy familiar added, revives characters after death occurs in solo campaign
• Checkpoints now save progress even if game is quit
• Chapter select added to replay previously played chapters
• Several improvements to the server browser
• Physics and collision detection improved – less falling through the floor
• Frame rate stuttering – should be less noticeable for some users
• Extended particle system with particle lights
• Improved light performance
• Several minor bug fixes, game balance, and tweaks

The Great Old Ones also unveiled a gameplay trailer that was available before the existence of man. However, since the Great Old Ones only had dial-up internet access until just a few days ago (old habits die hard), they’re finally able to share it with all of mankind who have since started to exist; the trailer is sure to excite players who are Thurston for more Magicka action—bah-dum-ching!"

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of November 14th, 2011.

PC Games:

• EverQuest: Veil of Alaris
• Need for Speed: The Run
• Saints Row: The Third

Movies opening this week:

• Another Happy Day (limited LA/NY)
• Happy Feet Two
• The Descendants
• The Lie
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1
• Tomboy (limited NYC)
• Tyrannosaur (limited LA/NY)

DVD and Blu-Ray releases:

• Aspen: The Complete Miniseries [Blu-Ray]
• Assassin's Creed: Lineage [Blu-Ray]
• Awkward: Season 1
• Beginners [Blu-Ray]
• Being Human: The Complete First Season [Blu-Ray]
• Bellflower [Blu-Ray]
• Bite Marks
• Bizet: Carmen in 3d [Blu-Ray]
• Bleach the Movies: Fade to Black [Blu-Ray]
• Despair [Blu-Ray]
• DreamWorks Dragons: Gift of the Nigh Fury / Book of Dragons Double Pack [Blu-Ray]
• Evil Dead 2 [Blu-Ray]
• Farscape: The Complete Series [Blu-Ray]
• Flypaper [Blu-Ray]
• Gabriel Iglesias Presents: Stand-Up Revolution
• Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis: Special Ed. [Blu-Ray]
• Griff the Invisible [Blu-Ray]
• Harvest
• Hell in The Pacific: Prisoners of the Japanese [Blu-Ray]
• Humongous
• IMAX: Sea Rex [Blu-Ray]
• Infernal Affairs [Blu-Ray]
• Korea: The Forgotten War 1950-1953
• Larry Crowne [Blu-Ray]
• Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Vol. One [Blu-Ray]
• Main Street [Blu-Ray]
• My Fair Lady [Blu-Ray]
• Neverwhere
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• Rules of the Game [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Shaun the Sheep: Season 2
• Sigur Ros: Inni [Blu-Ray]
• Spy Kids Triple Feature [Blu-Ray]
• The Ultimate Gift [Blu-Ray]
• The Wavy Gravy Movie: Saint Misbehavin
• Three Colors: Blue, White, Red [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Treasure Hunter [Blu-Ray]
• Turandot [Blu-Ray]
• Vietnam Combat [Blu-Ray]
• Warbirds of WWII: The Carrier War in the Pacific [Blu-Ray]
• West Side Story: 50th Anniversary Ed. [Blu-Ray]
• White Chapel: The Ripper Returns
• WWII in HD [Blu-Ray]

THQ and Volition today announced that Saints Row: The Third has been shipped and is now available.

"Saints Row®: The Third™ gives you control of the Saints at the height of their power, and you live the life to show for it. Now Steelport is ripe for the taking, and it’s up to you to make the city your own. Mold the skyline based on your choices, outfit your crew in classy gangster gear or furry costumes, and make life-or-death decisions that will change Steelport, and the Saints, forever. This is now your city. These are now your rules. Strap it on."

Nemesys Games today announced the release of an Ignite demo on Steam, giving players a chance to try out the recently released racing game.

"Players can feel the heat of the nitro and get to know the asphalt with 3 cars, spanning 4 different
circuits with single and multiplayer action!

Ignite is an edge-of-your-seat racer, which pits you against your opponents in a unique way.  Players must collect  points while racing, by performing maneuvers, stunts and destruction to add to their overall score.  Once  past 1000 points, players can burn away their score to get ahead or save it for a time bonus at the end of the  race. Ignite sports 3 racing modes, 35 circuits to run, and a multitude of cars and configurations to speed through 7 different locations in single player or with up to 5 friends, via multiplayer."

Deep Silver today announced that Bloodbath Arena, an upcoming DLC pack for Dead Island, will be released next Tuesday. Customers who pre-ordered the game will receive the DLC at no charge.

"In the “Bloodbath Arena” DLC four different arenas offer new challenges that can be played alone or in coop mode. It’s a desperate fight for survival where waves after waves of unrelenting zombies attack, one more gruesome than the next! In this DLC characters can loot experience points and items and bring them over to the campaign mode. Players can show off their skills in zombie fighting with the newly implemented leaderboards. The brain wave bomb, a new exclusive weapon, tops this DLC package off."

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim launched last night at 12:00AM EST. The Bethesda blog is updated with word of the release.

"Today’s the big day! To help celebrate the occasion, IGN got artist Bashir Sultani to pay tribute to the game with salt art. Awesome stuff!

From everyone at Bethesda, we hope you enjoy the game as much as we did making it. Have a great weekend playing!"

Playdead today announced that Limbo, the unique platformer game, has now sold over one million copies worldwide.

"This success has enabled Playdead to expand its independence by fully acquiring the company from early investors, laying the groundwork for the studio to begin developing and financing their next title.

"With the success that LIMBO has achieved, we felt this was the ideal time to fully regain our independence,” explained Dino Patti, Playdead CEO. “We are grateful to everyone who supported us over the past few years, and look forward to forging new partnerships that will both let us reach new heights as a studio and give our director, Arnt Jensen, room to grow creatively.”

Hot on the heels of this milestone, Playdead today also announced that a Mac version of LIMBO is in the works and will be released before the end of the year. For information about the game, including news of the upcoming Mac launch, visit the official website at: www.limbogame.org/"

The Steam forums were defaced on the evening of November 6th and an initial investigation revealed intruders also gained access to the Steam database. Personal information in the database is encrypted but Valve suggests keeping an eye on your credit card statements. Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve Corporation, has personally apologized in a statement that is displayed on the Steam Forums. The message is copied below in its entirety.

"Dear Steam Users and Steam Forum Users:

Our Steam forums were defaced on the evening of Sunday, November 6. We began investigating and found that the intrusion goes beyond the Steam forums.

We learned that intruders obtained access to a Steam database in addition to the forums. This database contained information including user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. We do not have evidence that encrypted credit card numbers or personally identifying information were taken by the intruders, or that the protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating.

We don’t have evidence of credit card misuse at this time. Nonetheless you should watch your credit card activity and statements closely.

While we only know of a few forum accounts that have been compromised, all forum users will be required to change their passwords the next time they login. If you have used your Steam forum password on other accounts you should change those passwords as well.

We do not know of any compromised Steam accounts, so we are not planning to force a change of Steam account passwords (which are separate from forum passwords). However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to change that as well, especially if it is the same as your Steam forum account password.

We will reopen the forums as soon as we can.

I am truly sorry this happened, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

Gabe."

Perfect World Entertainment today announced the launch of the closed beta test for War of the Immortals, the upcoming MMORPG.

"Prospective heroes across the globe may now begin their journeys to become greater warriors, even as they're swept into the wake of an impending war. War of the Immortals features interactive environments, vivid landscapes, classic action-RPG gameplay and awe-inspiring monsters.

During closed beta testing, players explore content from levels 1 to 50, first choosing to become a powerful immortal from between eight classes. War of the Immortals also boasts a unique pet system based on the concept of 'capture and customize'. That comes alongside an advanced guild system, which allows players to establish housing for guild members, recruit new warriors, plan dungeon runs and create new recipes and items.

To celebrate the closed beta launch, Perfect World Entertainment is giving away one of two prize packs consisting of Logitech gaming gear and a limited edition War of the Immortals mousepad valued at $210 USD. All players that log into War of the Immortals between now and November 13 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific will automatically be entered for a chance to win.

Players can now join the beta and play War of the Immortals for free by visiting: https://register.perfectworld.com/woi"

ATLUS and Cyanide Studios today announced a publishing agreement for Game of Thrones, an action RPG based on the HBO television series that's scheduled to ship in early 2012 worldwide. As far as we can tell, this game appears to be a separate project from Cyanide's A Game of Thrones: Genesis.

"In this 30-plus hour action RPG, players will enter the gritty and medieval fantasy world of Westeros.  As one of two original characters with disparate motivations, both former soldiers of Robert's Rebellion, players will forge alliances and wage battles as they play a pivotal role in the ongoing war for power of the Seven Kingdoms.  Their journey will span numerous quests, during which they will interact with many characters and make key decisions that impact the realm.

Standing before the majesty and bitter isolation of the Wall or walking through the streets and alleys of King's Landing, players will not simply pass by locations and characters integral to the series; they will explore and interact with them, meeting and learning about the people and history that defines them and their importance.  Key decisions and major events will have meaningful impact on Westeros, allowing the player to witness how the game world evolves over time based on their actions or inactions.  Moreover, "Game of Thrones" introduces an innovative "active slowdown tactical combat engine" in which combat mirrors the series' thoughtful approach to war and politics: fighting slows but never stops entirely, forcing the player to make quick, pressured choices before their enemy strikes again.

"The Game of Thrones television series and the A Song of Ice and Fire book series it is based on represent some of the most captivating, original medieval fantasy and drama ever created," commented Shinichi Suzuki, President and CEO of Index Digital Media, Inc.  "Its amalgam of bitterly antagonistic rival houses, deeply nuanced characters, intricate political machinations, and breathtaking fantasy-all set within a richly storied world-offers unparalleled realism and raw emotion.  We are honored to work with HBO, Cyanide Studios, and the great George R. R. Martin in bringing an exciting action RPG set in this beloved fantasy universe to fans and gamers in early 2012."

"This is a wonderful way for fans to engage with the brand in an exciting and interactive way," stated James Costos, VP of HBO Global Licensing.  "ATLUS and Cyanide are leaders in developing world class games with broad accessibility so the partnership was an ideal fit for us."

"Game of Thrones" is currently scheduled to release in early 2012 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.  For more information, visit https://gameofthrones-thegame.com."