PC Game News

Square Enix today anounced that Hitman: Absolution has been shipped and is now available everywhere.

“This is a very proud day for us here at Square Enix. The hard work has paid off and we’re finally able to see HITMAN: ABSOLUTION available everywhere! The game has shown itself to be a great addition to the acclaimed series and continues to innovate and improve in ways that could not have been predicted when the first entry came to life.

The guys over at IO Interactive have made a solid title and made sure to incorporate the feedback of long time series fans, including the addition of Contracts Mode, a unique multiplayer experience inspired by earlier efforts from fans to create new and interesting challenges in the HITMAN theatre.”

The PC version of Assassin’s Creed III has been shipped and is now available.

“The latest offerings from the Assassin’s Creed universe give gamers two different ways to experience the games and 18th century America.  Assassin’s Creed III, the first game to take advantage of the new Ubisoft-AnvilNext game engine, is set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century and introduces a new hero, Ratonhnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Gamers become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date.  Assassin’s Creed III features unprecedented scope and scale.”

The list of new PC game releases, Blu-ray releases and movies opening the week of November 19th, 2012.

PC games:

• Assassin’s Creed III
• History: Legends of War – Patton
• Hitman Absolution
• Scribblenauts Unlimited
• Twisted lands: Origin Trilogy

Movies opening this week:

• Hitchcock (limited)
• Life of Pi
• Red Dawn
• Rise of the Guardians
• Rust and Bone (limited LA/NYC)
• The Central Park Five (limited)

Blu-ray releases:

• Ancient Aliens: Season Four
• Christmas Comes Home to Canaan
• Grave of the Fireflies
• Hard Core Logo
• Heaven’s Gate (Criterion Collection)
• Judas Kiss
• Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl
• Let the Music Play
• Puppet Master II
• Puppet Master III: Toulon’s Revenge
• Ramrod
• Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
• That’s Entertainment: Trilogy Giftset
• The Expendables 2
• The Pete Walker Collection
• The Trap

Tripwire Interactive today announced the release of the latest content pack for Red Orchestra 2, which includes a new map and a redesign of the Countdown game mode.

“The new map is Barashka, a re-imagining and re-working of an old favorite from the original Red Orchestra. This brings in combined arms combat, villages, bridges and a river crossing to fight for. The map features both Territory and Countdown game modes.

For the Countdown game mode, simplified and improved match flow and user interface will make it much simpler to understand, making for much more instant and direct battles. Just to encourage everyone to try out the changes, we’ll be issuing Double XP towards your Honor from today in Countdown mode!

Of course, there are a host of other updates to the game. These include requests from the community, such as walk while actively firing machine guns from the hip; increased stamina pool in Classic; chat system refinements and more.

All of this is available, as always, for free to everyone who already owns the game. “

Paradox Interactive today announced that the first in a series of content updates for War of the Roses will be released on Monday, which will include new weapons, a new suit of heavy armor, a new helmet, four new visors, and a new game mode called Pitched Battle where death is final. 

“Pitched Battle mode will begin an Open Beta when the update arrives, and all War of the Rosesplayers are welcome to join. Simply find a game in the server browser that is listed as being in Pitched Battle mode, and join the game normally. In Pitched Battle, each knight has only one life to risk on the battlefield per round; when a combatant perishes, he cannot return to the fight until the next match. Bandaging one’s wounds and reviving teammates will be crucial to victory, and executing opponents to keep them out of the fight will decide which is the last team standing.

Join Paradox Interactive this Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 6pm GMT / 10am PST for a special War of the Roses broadcast as they demonstrate Pitched Battle and show off all the new content. To get a front row seat to all the medieval mayhem, tune into the official Paradox Interactive TwitchTV channel at www.twitchtv.com/paradoxinteractive.”

Valve today announced that voting has begun for the second annual Saxxy Awards.

“Voting is now LIVE for the Second Annual Saxxy Awards, from now until midnight GMT, November 27th! Your votes will help our panel of judges make the final call on which entries are the most gut-bustingly hilarious, the most eye-wettingly dramatic, the most pants-crappingly action-packed, and the most heart-tuggingly romantic. We don’t want to oversell things here, but this is quite literally the most important thing you will ever cast a vote for. All that Presidential election hooha? Consider that nonsense practice for your voting finger, like the training montage in Rocky IV, except instead of your finger lifting a telephone pole up a mountain on its back, it’ll be clicking a mouse button.

How to Vote

Every video entered in the 2012 Saxxy Awards can be viewed and voted on at the Saxxy Awards voting page. Head over now to vote! We’ve randomized all the entries to keep things fair; however, you can filter by category if you’re more interested in some genres than others. After you’ve watched an entry, simply upvote it or downvote it and move onto the next one. Vote as much as you like, but remember: you’ve only got one vote per entry.

The winners of this year’s Saxxy Awards will be revealed on November 30th, with the exception of the Best Overall category. Why? Because the winner of the Best Overall category will be announced LIVE on the GTTV Spike Video Game Awards pre-show on December 7th, AND their entry shown on the air. Stay tuned for details!”

Paradox Interactive today announced the release of Crusader Kings II: Sunset Invasion, the latest DLC pack in the strategy series.

“Featuring a treasure trove of new features that would make Montezuma himself jealous, Crusader Kings II: Sunset Invasion pits the European dynasties against the brutal conquering force of the ferocious Aztec civilization and they aren’t here to trade chocolate! 

Descending on the shores of Europe like a plague, the bloodthirsty foes bring with them exotic and deadly disease as well as a craving to massacre everyone in their path. Endurance will be stretched to the limit in order to evade being captured and having your innards dished up as a sacrifice to their greedy and vindictive gods. 

Are you ready for the biggest threat Europe could have known?”

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences today announced that Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve, will be the 17th inductee into the AIAS Hall of Fame. Additionally, Gabe will be the conference keynote speaker at the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit.

“Gabe’s leadership in founding and managing Valve, creator of Source^TM game engine, Steam, and award-winning game franchises like Half-Life^®, Counter Strike^TM, Left 4 Dead^TM,Portal^TM, and Team Fortress^TM have done much to push the interactive entertainment industry forward.

The AIAS Hall of Fame honor is bestowed on game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward. These individuals demonstrate the highest level of creativity and innovation, resulting in significant product influence on a scale that expands the scope of the industry. The 2013 Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Gabe by Epic Games President Dr. Michael Capps, who serves on the AIAS board of directors and the AIAS awards committee, at the 16^th D.I.C.E. Awards on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. Past AIAS Hall of Fame recipients include: Tim Sweeney (2012), Dr. Greg Zeschuk (2011), Dr. Ray Muzyka (2011), Mark Cerny (2010), and Bruce Shelley (2009). 

“Gabe is one of the most cherished and respected figures in the industry not only for his technological innovations in advancing many of today’s highly successful video games, but also for his unique stance towards leadership and management,” said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.  “Gabe’s vision for the interactive industry has created lasting effects that have completely reshaped this generation’s digital distribution model, paving the way for independent developers and creating an invaluable service for consumers. It is a great honor to have Gabe inducted into the Academy’s Hall of Fame.”

“Gabe is a living legend of the video games industry, and his relentless focus on customer experience has made our whole industry a better place,” said Capps.  “Valve’s unconventional success is an inspiration for us all, and I couldn’t be more pleased to present Gabe’s Hall of Fame award.”      

Before starting Valve in August 1996, Gabe held a number of positions in the Systems, Applications and Advanced Technology divisions at Microsoft, where he worked for 13 years. His responsibilities included running program management for the first two releases of Windows, starting the company’s multimedia division, and leading the company’s efforts on the “Information Highway PC.”

Valve’s debut title, Half-Life, released in 1998, earned over 50 Game of the Year Awards and was named “Best PC Game Ever” in the November 1999, October 2001, and April 2005 issues of PC Gamer. Valve’s portfolio of games has since grown to include Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat^TM, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress^®. Since 1999 Valve has accumulated many accolades from the AIAS, with 20 Interactive Achievement Awards for Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Portal, Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead.  Valve’s portfolio of games accounts for over 70 million retail units sold worldwide.

In addition to producing best-selling entertainment titles, Valve is a developer of leading-edge technologies, such as the Source game engine and Steam, a broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content with over 50 million accounts. 

Submissions for the 16^th D.I.C.E. Award nominations are now open. Winners will be announced at the D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony on February 7, 2013, at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas. For the complete list of categories and to download a submission packet, visit www.interactive.org.”

Five additional games have been added to Humble Bundle for Android 4, including Avadon: The Black Fortress (tablets only), Canabalt, Cogs, Swords & Soldiers HD and Zen Bound 2.

“This fantastic addition of games was first seen in Humble Bundle for Android 2 and we’re excited to bring them back for more bundle buyers to enjoy!

All these DRM-free games run great on Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux! And many come with soundtracks and can be optionally redeemed on Steam as well as the Ubuntu Software Center!

If you have already purchased the bundle, you can access the games right now from your Humble Bundle download page (or Humble Bundle app!) and play them for free. New buyers can get the games by paying over the average price.”

Paradox Interactive today announced that the season finale of The Walking Dead will be released on the 21st for the PC.

“We can’t thank you all enough for your incredible support and we can’t wait for you all to experience the season finale of YOUR Walking Dead story. With one week left until launch worldwide, now is a great time for you and your friends to catch up on the series so you can all experience the season finale and discuss it together.”

Rockstar Games today released the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto V, the fifteenth installment in the series.

“Trouble taps on your window again with this next chapter in the Grand Theft Auto universe, set in the city of Los Santos and its surrounding hills, countryside and beaches. A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California.”

Activision today announced the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the latest sequel in the series by Treyarch.

“The groundbreaking Call of Duty®: Black Ops II is now available at retail locations across the globe. The highly–anticipated sequel to the best–selling Xbox 360® and PlayStation® 3 console game in history has been called “the most ambitious Call of Duty® ever,” pushing the boundaries of the blockbuster franchise to new heights by propelling players into a world full of advanced weaponry, robotics and drone technology in the year 2025. Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which has shattered pre–order records set last year by Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3, is on its way to a historic launch, and is poised to usher in a new era for the 30–million Call of Duty fans worldwide with a host of new innovations to deliver the complete gaming experience. Providing great value to the Call of Duty community, starting today Activision’s Call of Duty® Elite services for Call of Duty: Black Ops II are free, providing fans with deeply integrated features, including Clan Operations, Zombies Leaderboards and more.

Activision kicked–off the celebration overnight as eager fans lined-up at midnight across an unprecedented 16,000 retailers around the globe from Sydney to Dubai to Paris to Los Angeles to get their hands on Activision and their award–winning studio Treyarch’s innovative new release. Anticipation for the title has reached a fever pitch and is expected to be the “biggest game launch of all time,” as GameStop Tony Bartel recently noted.”

The list of new PC game releases, Blu-ray releases and movies opening the week of November 12th, 2012.

PC games:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
• F1 Race Stars
• Lego Lord of the Rings
• Living Legends: Ice Rose Collector’s Ed.
• Rift: Storm Legion
• The Sims 3 Seasons
• Tropico 4 Gold Edition

Movies opening this week:

• Anna Karenina (limited)
• Citadel (limited)
• Lincoln
• Price Check (limited)
• Silver Linings Playbook (limited)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

Blu-ray releases:

• 2 Days in New York
• After the Thunder
• Attila
• Barbarian & The Geisha
• Big Trail
• Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
• Black Beauty
• Brave
• Children Who Chase Lost Voices
• Company
• D.W. Griffith’s Abraham Lincoln
• Dark Horse
• Demetrio E Polibio
• Doctor Who: 2011 Christmas Special
• Doctor Who: Series Seven – Part One
• Drew Barrymore
• Dynamo Magician Impossible: Series 2
• Empire of the Sun
• Fantastic Fear of Everything
• Friends: The Complete Series
• Harold & Kumar: Christmas Ultimate Collector’s Ed.
• Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & 2
• History in 3D
• Ill Manors
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Life’s Too Short: Series 1
• Lost Girl: Season Two
• Marvel Knights: Astonishing X-Men
• Monster High Gouls Rule
• Mrs. Brown’s Boys: Series Two
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding: 10th Anniversary Special Ed.
• My Neighbor Totoro
• Natural Selection
• Neurosis
• Nitro Circus: The Movies 3D
• Painted Skin: The Resurrection
• Parade’s End
• Pelleas Et Melisande
• Pixar Short Films Collection 2
• Puppet Master 2
• Queen of Versailles
• Savages
• Sinbad: The Complete First Series
• Snowmageddon
• Snowman
• Storage 24
• Symphonies
• The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Complete Series
• The Otto Preminger Collection
• The Postman Always Rings Twice
• The Universe in 3D
• The Watch
• Trilogy of Life – The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights (Criterion Collection)
• Twilight’s Last Gleaming
• Vamps
• Watchmen Collector’s Ed.
• We Can’t Go Home Again & Don’t Expect Too Much
• We Come in Peace
• Weekend (Criterion Collection)
• Wimbledon
• Woody Allen: A Documentary

Yanick Roy, studio director at BioWare Montreal added a post to the BioWare blog today revealing that his studio will be the primary developer of Mass Effect 4 and the game is being built on the Frostbite 2 engine.

“To ensure a proper and effective transition, we’ll continue to be supported by the Edmonton studio through the game’s development, working with and learning from them on some critical initiatives. On top of that, Casey remains the Executive Producer, but he will have a Project Director under him, working in Montreal, leading our development team and making day-to-day decisions for the game. We all care very much about Mass Effect and make our decisions based on what’s best for the game.

There is really not much I can tell you about the game right now, except that it will be built with the amazing technology of Frostbite as its foundation, enhanced by many of the systems that the Dragon Age III team has already spent a lot of time building.”

According to the Mojang website over 8 million copies of Minecraft have now been sold.

“Jeepers creepers! Crikey! Jawch! Inoffensive exclamation native to your home country! Minecraft has sold 8 million copies on PC and Mac. That’s a lot. Not as many as the The Sims 2 or Half-Life 2, but more than the Sims 2: Pets and Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty according to this page. It’s a big number, basically.

I asked Jeb for some words to highlight the awesomeness of the sales and got this back: “I can’t think of anything clever to say. It’s simply amazing.”

Notch replied with this: 69I960EHE0A4A0IVG0EHE02500R4R0G1T30PLJ00V6V0EHE0V1U01V10U5U0VGV0V4R

Thanks for buying Minecraft everyone! Have a lovely day. 😀

Owen”