A new trailer for Hard Reset was released today, giving viewers more of a look at the recently announced FPS by Flying Wild Hog.
"Hard Reset is an action-packed, single-player shooter for the PC. With over-the-top destruction, loads of enemies, great weapon variety and a beautifully realized cyberpunk setting, Hard Reset is sure to shake up the shooter scene."
One of our newest reviewers, Adam Harshberger, has launched a new CPUGamer partner site with a couple of his associates. PixelsorDeath.com is a new gaming blog that will focus on a variety of systems and handpick interesting news, events, and topics to cover in the large world of video games. There may be a little overlap between CPUGamer and Pixels or Death and we may even do some relevant content sharing between the sites; we're kind of working out the details as we go. It's also possible that this could be the beginning of a network of gaming and computer related websites. We have a few things planned, including a possible Kindle edition of CPUGamer and additional partner/sub sites. So, stay tuned…
Adam will continue writing reviews for CPUGamer in addition to the content for the new site, so you can expect to continue reading his writing here. Without further ado, please head over to PixelsorDeath.com to check out the new blog, add it to your bookmarks, and be sure to check back.
The Humble Bundle 3 now includes a bonus game titled Steel Storm: Burning Retribution, which can be downloaded at no cost if you've already purchased this bundle.
"Humble Indie Bundle 3 just got a little better with Steel Storm: Burning Retribution!
If you've already bought Humble Indie Bundle 3, just go to your download page and it will show up next to your other five games.
If you haven't picked up your bundle yet, be sure to pay what you'd like for a bundle of five awesome DRM-free games on Mac, Windows, and Linux: Crayon Physics Deluxe, Hammerfight, VVVVVV, And Yet It Moves, and Cogs."
More info at: https://www.humblebundle.com/
Valve today announced "The International" tournament for Defense of the Ancients 2, in which the winning team will receive $1 million dollars. It will be taking place from August 17th – 21st at this year's Gamescom in Germany.
"The International features the 16 best Dota teams in the world competing in the Dota 2 Championships through a group stage, double elimination playoff format over the course of Cologne's five-day trade show.
The tournament will be broadcast in four languages (Chinese, German, Russian, and English) free of charge. The winning team will receive $1 million.
"The International is the first public Dota 2 event and will give the tens of millions of gamers playing Dota around the world their first look at the new game," said Gabe Newell, president and founder of Valve. "I have had the good fortune to watch the competitors as they prepare for the tournament, and the level of play is extraordinary."
In addition to the cash prizes awarded by Valve, NVidia is providing all the hardware for the event.
Dota 2 will be available for the PC and Mac later this year. For more information on Valve and its games, please visit https://www.dota2.com/ "
Eidos today released a new stealth trailer for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which highlights the in-game stealth approach.
"In this video, Deus Ex: Human Revolution development team members Jean-Francois Dugas, David Anfossi, Mary DeMarle, Jonathan Jacques-Belletete and Antoine Thisdale discuss one of the four gameplay pillars, stealth. Learn about key augmentations and techniques to employ while utilizing a stealth approach in the game."
For more information visit: https://www.deusex.com/
The teaser trailer for E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy on Monday was indeed a hint at the game's release, which is now available. The RPG that runs on the Source engine can now be purchased on Steam and is currently 10% off at a price of $17.99.
"As a member of the strange secret society E.Y.E, you wake up after a fight in which your fellow teammates were killed. E.Y.E, an armed branch of the Secreta Secretorum is attempting a coup against the all-powerful Federation, a coalition of several worlds and planets that rule with an iron fist.
To complicate matters, E.Y.E itself is plagued with its own internal conflicts between the Jian faction and the Culter faction, to which you belong. Your loyalties are torn between Commander Rimanah, your superior and the chief of the Secreta who is a separatist with an unstoppable ambition, and the "Mentor" your friend and instructor. The "Mentor" tries at all costs to unite the two rival factions. In doing so, you are thrust into the middle of a fratricidal war frought with political conspiracies and quests for power in which different groups and megacorporations are implicated.
These troubles set the stage for an attack by an unknown force bent on destroying humankind."
For more information visit: https://eye.streumon-studio.com/
EA today released a new multiplayer gameplay trailer for Battlefield 3 that revolves around the topic of dog tags. In Battlefield 3, you can choose a dog tag design that changes based on your stats. When you kill an enemy your tags are shown to them and you can also take tags from enemies as trophies – a bit of an all out brag fest.
"After the launch of Battlefield 1942, the development team received physical dog tags from DICE as a token of appreciation. The team was so tickled by the gesture, they made sure dog tags have been a part of the in-game experience, becoming a part of the franchise since Battlefield 2142."
"The only way to get a dog tag from your adversary is by performing one of the new, brutal knife takedowns. That's not all – you’ll have to take out your target from behind. That’s right – you’ll have to employ some stealth and sneak up on your enemy and put them out of their misery before they realize you were even there, making for some well-deserved bragging rights. Now that these dog tags are highly customized for your own play style, it helps make things that much more personal, so the only way to gain one is to get the jump on your opponent. Yes, these dog tags may demand a bit more than usual to collect them, but that just makes it a greater insult when you take one from your foe."
CJ E&M today announced a new Ottoman Empire expansion for "Uncharted Waters Online", adding a new contender in the MMORPG that will have the best military resources.
"Current players now have an important choice to make: stay with their original nation and fight against the Ottoman military or defect to this powerful new empire. But the Ottoman won’t just accept a landlubber from the docks: defectors must meet a variety of qualifications before joining the Ottoman ranks. If successful, they’ll gain support from a vast army, but their former Western European allies will become their new sworn enemy!
New Quest
A new imperial quest that opens a new route connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas is now available! Prior to this discovery, European voyagers had to travel all the way around the southern tip of Africa in order to reach resource-rich India. This new route will significantly shorten both distance and time.
New Ship
The Ottoman Navy is no stranger to battle, with a highly-refined collection of ships. With massive sails and countless strong paddles, the Turkish Galley will inspire fear across all of Western Europe. With the long body of the current Heavy Galley and a sharp, narrow bow, the Turkish Galley has better mobility and turning radius for quick (and deadly) maneuvers.
New Cultures
The vast territory ruled by the Ottoman Turks will introduce new customs, climate, and Turkish clothing never before seen in Western Europe. Newly introduced men’s and women’s clothing are made with dazzling ornamentation and fancy embroidery. These fancy clothes are sure to bring a high price at market!
Your Own Private Island
Players may now develop a deserted island as their own private production base. This is an invaluable asset that won’t cost players a cent! To get your own island, you simply need to explore the ocean, discover a suitable island and declare it for your own! Like the apartment system, all players are eligible to own their own private farm.
The Ottoman Empire marks a major shift in the Uncharted Waters battlefield. For more on the recent update, visit the promotion page.
To start playing Uncharted Waters, visit the homepage: https://global.netmarble.com/uwo/"
Activision today announced the release of "Annihilation" for "Call of Duty: Black Ops", the third DLC pack for the FPS sequel by Treyarch.
"Fans have logged billions of hours in Call of Duty: Black Ops since its record-setting debut in 2010. Annihilation packs four of the most varied and intense Black Ops maps to date, along with a new Zombies experience filled with countless hours of new gameplay.
The Annihilation content pack includes:
For additional Call of Duty updates and information, visit us on the web at www.callofduty.com/blackops"
Pando Networks, the content delivery provider for popular MMORPGs such as "Lord of the Rings Online", "League of Legends", and "Maple Story" today released details from a study it conducted on the quality of internet access across the US. In terms of speed, Rhode Island came out on top and Idaho was dead last in the study, which looked at connection speed, download completion statistics, how speeds change with average income, and the differences between the major ISPs.
"The most striking findings were the core differences between the average speeds on a state-by-state basis. The data indicates that the fastest state was Rhode Island at an average of 894 KBps, which was almost three times faster than the slowest, Idaho, which had a dismal 318KBps. Rhode Island and Idaho may stand out as the extremities, but the disparities they highlight reflect more expansive, regional trends. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region contained eight of the ten fastest states. With California, Oregon, and Washington in the top 15, the West coast was also a remarkably a speedy region. On the other hand, the rural Midwest and Mountain-West states of which Idaho is a member comprise nine of the ten slowest states. Middle America’s slow connectivity could be representative of its more widespread populations and a lower demand for high-speed data infrastructure.
Generally, the slower downloading, rural states were also the least likely to complete a download once begun, with some notable exceptions. Users in Hawaii, dealing with a fairly sluggish average of 432KBps, still managed to complete 87% of their downloads. Colorado residents averaged a relatively slow 474KBps, but managed to complete 86% of their downloads. Bucking the trend in the opposite direction, the District of Columbia enjoys an average of 759KBps but only completes 80% of downloads. Such findings suggest high-speed internet users may not necessarily hold the most stable connections (or be the most patient internet users). Culver City, CA, the headquarters of Pando Networks client Riot Games, had the highest average completion rate at 98%.
More interesting findings are visible when the data is broken down to the city level. The fastest download averages tend to be concentrated in fairly affluent, metropolitan suburbs. Topping the list is Andover, a suburb of Boston with a median income of $114,000 and average download speeds of 2,801KBps. Other notable, high-average suburbs include Burke, VA (an average of 1,674 KBps) outside of DC and Santa Monica, CA outside of Los Angeles (1,428KBps, with an average completion rate of 96%). Keeping with the statewide trends, the slowest downloading towns tend to be in rural areas with low incomes. Taking the bottom spot is Pocatello, a small community in Idaho with a median income of $34,000. Other notably slow communities include Yuma, AZ (290KBps) in the Mojave desert and Mission, TX (270KBps) near the Mexican border.
Also notable are the wide margins between the various major ISPs. Excluding business and private networks, the data puts Comcast Cable at the top spot, averaging download speeds of 890KBps. Other notables near the top of the list included Verizon (788KBps) and Cox (757KBps). At 673KBps, Road Runner was the slowest of the major broadband providers. Such wide gaps also exist amongst the providers of wireless 3G and 4G data plans. Topping the list are AT&T with an average of 416KBps and Sprint with a respectable 391KBps. T-Mobile turned in an average of 364KBps, Verizon Wireless had an average of 216KBps and ALLTEL was the slowest with an average of 155KBps."
Average Completion Rate by State (%)
Average Download Speed By State (Kilobytes Per Second)
Bantam today announced that it will be publishing "Dead Island", a novel based on the upcoming game of the same name. The novel is scheduled to be released simultaneously with the game.
"Dead Island™, the upcoming gruesome zombie action game with RPG elements by renowned developer Techland, combines first-person action with a heavy focus on melee combat, character development and customisation of a vast array of weapons. All of these gameplay features are presented in a dark story inspired by classic zombie movies with a gritty and engrossing campaign that can be played with up to four players in co-op mode.
Set in an open world tropical island, hordes of different festering zombies await players around every corner while they embark on a variety of thrilling missions through the holiday resort. With firearms and ammunition being scarce the player must rely on discovering and utilising items as weapons for self-defense and fighting off zombie hordes in intense melee combat. A diverse range of items can be collected and will later serve to transform the player’s ordinary makeshift weapons into serious instruments of destruction."
For more info visit: https://www.deadisland.com/
Square Enix and Eidos Montreal today announced that "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" has gone gold and is scheduled to be released on August 23rd.
"The return to one of the most critically acclaimed video game franchises of all time, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION is an action RPG that offers open-ended, hybrid gameplay.
Telling the story of Adam Jensen, a man cybernetically augmented against his choice who finds himself in the middle of a global conspiracy to which he holds the key, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION is set in a near-future world where humanity is at a turning point.
By offering players the chance to play the game in multiple and vastly different ways, DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION challenges the foundations of gaming and provides an immersive experience where every choice has a lasting consequence."
The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of July 25th, 2011.
PC Games:
Movies Opening This Week:
DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:
The HumbleBundle website has been updated with the launch of "The Humble Indie Bundle 3", which includes "Crayon Physics Deluxe", "Cogs", "Hammerfight", "VVVVVV", and "And Yet It Moves". Portions of the proceeds will go to the EFF and Child's Play.
"Pay what you want. If you bought these five games separately, it would cost around $50, but we're letting you set the price!
All of the games work great on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
We don't use DRM. When you buy these games, they are yours. Feel free to play them without an internet connection, back them up, and install them on all of your Macs and PCs freely. There is no time-limit on your downloads.
You can support charity. Choose exactly how your purchase is divided: Between the developers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or the Child's Play Charity. Also, if you like this deal, a tip to the Humble Bundle itself would be much appreciated!"
More info at: humblebundle.com
A new teaser trailer for "E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy was released today, giving viewers a bit of a mystery related to the upcoming RPG by Streum On Studio that was previously delayed without a new release schedule given. The video displays July 29, which could possibly be a hint at more upcoming news or a possible new release date.
"After an unending war with the metastreumonic Force, the powerful organization Secreta Secretorum you belong to is finally ready to undermine the head-strong federation, despite an intense struggle for power."
For more info visit: https://eye.streumon-studio.com/
