PC Game News

SEGA today announced "Napoleon: Total War – The Peninsular Campaign", an upcoming expansion that will be released this summer exclusively through Steam.

"This expansion pack includes a brand new campaign map featuring 32 controllable regions divided amongst 4 different factions. In addition to France and Britain, Spain has now been added as a playable faction for this campaign for the first time in Napoleon: Total War,

As well as the new campaign, The Peninsular Campaign also features three new agents; the priest for Spain and Portugal, the provocateur for Britain and France, and one unique agent for the Spanish faction – the Guerrillero, as well as a host of new multiplayer features.

For a full list of features in The Peninsular Campaign, please visit www.totalwar.com.

Paradox Interactive today announced that the "Majesty 2: Kingmaker" expansion is now available to download on Steam. In addition, patch 1.3 has been released for "Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim".

"Containing a brand new single-player campaign consisting of eight missions, players will go up against Lord Blackviper and his army of evil goblins. In addition, Majesty 2: Kingmaker also contains brand new creatures to go up against and the ‘Kingmaker editor’, a mission creator toolset which enables players to create their own missions and battles.

Patch 1.3 for Majesty 2 is also a compulsory and automatic install for Majesty 2: Kingmaker and will bring additional new content and features to expand the gameplay experience even further. These include;

• An added ‘randomize’ feature in all single and multiplayer missions which shuffles the locations of non-quest monster dens along with sites for the construction of temples and trading posts. Enabling this feature can dramatically affect the difficulty of a mission
• Random filling of treasure chests. Heroes can now discover various amounts of gold, weapons, armour, elixirs and artifacts
• New map editor
• Multiplayer compatibility for Majesty 2 with the Kingmaker expansion installed
• Added network compatibility of versions with different languages
• The option to acquire additional game content, part of which is available free-of-charge
• The ability to now view a list of heroes who are interested in a selected flag
• Anisotropy filtering added to graphical settings dramatically improving the texture quality

Majesty 2: Kingmaker can be purchased and downloaded at the following link: store.steampowered.com/app/42881/https://store.steampowered.com/app/42881/

The original game is currently enjoying a 75% off sale on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/25980/

Majesty 2: Kingmaker has a suggested retail price of $14.99, €14.99 and £9.99."

Futuremark today announced the latest version of their benchmarking software "3DMark 11", which is scheduled to be released in Q3 of this year.

"Designed to measure the performance of DirectX 11 gaming PCs, 3DMark 11 uses a native DirectX 11 engine created in-house. To accompany the announcement Futuremark has released a trailer and screenshots taken from a 3DMark 11 tech demo called "Deep Sea".

Deep Sea is a demonstration of DirectX 11 technologies created using an early development build of the 3DMark 11 engine. The Deep Sea trailer features submersibles exploring the sea floor. Volumetric lighting illuminates the seabed with tessellation used to add rich detail to the rock, coral and manmade structures. Post processing delivers depth of field and other lens effects. The music is an original composition.

"For over 10 years 3DMark has shown gamers what to expect from the next generation of real-time 3D graphics," said Jukka Mäkinen, Futuremark CEO, "So we are especially excited to announce 3DMark 11 and show the possibilities of DirectX 11 with the release of the Deep Sea trailer."

The trailer, a selection of screenshots and further information about 3DMark 11 can be found on a newly launched website: https://www.3dmark.com/

The 3DMark 11 Deep Sea tech demo will be shown publicly for the first time on the MSI booth at Computex in Taipei, from June 1 – 5.

3DMark 11 will be released in the third quarter of 2010. There will be a free edition available at launch. 3DMark 11 will join existing Futuremark benchmarks 3DMark Vantage for DirectX 10 and 3DMark06 for DirectX 9."

1C Company and Katauri Interactive today announced "King's Bounty: Crossworlds", an upcoming stand-alone expansion to King's Bounty: Armored Princess.

"The expansion features two new campaigns and a massive expansion to King’s Bounty: Armored Princess, dozens of new quests, new items, spells and creatures. Fans of the King’s Bounty series will be thrilled to see their requests were answered as King’s Bounty: Crossworlds will also include a full-scale game editor. As in the multi-award winning 1st game, the player has many options to battle both new and old enemies. Various new skills and abilities, as well as a flying steed, will help to overcome the hordes attacking the kingdom. The Princess is also accompanied by her tamed dragon, at the very beginning it is small, but its abilities develop steadily until it becomes an incredible ally. The dragon will do its best to protect the Princess during the battles, starting with simple attacks and finishing with fire breathing and volcano summoning.

King’s Bounty: Crossworlds features:

• 2 brand new campaigns (Champion of the Arena with boss battles in a gladiatorial tournament and Defender of the Crown with battles in unique tactical arenas with a random selection of enemies and allies).
• Massive expansion of the original King’s Bounty: Armored Princess – Orcs on the March, featuring new units, spells and quests.
• New creatures to slay or use in combat.
• 70 new items, 8 new item sets, including one for the pet dragon and 3 component artifacts.
• 7 new quests allow players to continue their journey.
• 50 new abilities and skills.
• 13 new spells.
• Game Editor for King's Bounty: Armored Princess.

The King’s Bounty series are adventure games with tactical turn-based battles and RPG elements unfolding in a rich fantasy world. The character and their army of companions travel across a huge continent, visiting dozens of different locations all connected to each other. Communicating with NPCs, collecting resources and recruiting an army the player will control their character in real-time mode, while all battles take place in classic turn-based mode with a strong emphasis on tactical elements. King’s Bounty: Crossworlds release is scheduled for
Q3 2010. More information about the game can be found at www.kings-bounty.com"

Microsoft today confirmed that "Fable III" will be released on the PC in time for Christmas.

"Action, drama, adventure and humour propel the story as players choose their journey to become King or Queen of Albion.

“Fable III” will be available in Standard and Limited Collector’s Editions for Xbox 360. The Limited Collector’s Edition also offers unique collectibles that true “Fable” fans won’t want to miss, including downloadable content, also available for Windows users, as well as in-box items that come with the Xbox 360 version. Wrapped up in a distinctive box created in the likeness of a book from “Fable III,” the contents include:

• A new quest: Uncover the mystery of the haunted forests of Silverpines and earn the legendary sword, Wolfsbane, deadly against wolves and balverines.
• Exclusive location: Unlock a new region, ideal for settling down with a family and discovering new treasures.
• “Fable III” playing cards: Created by Lionhead, these cards depict every type of character in “Fable III,” including Heroes, royals, rebels and villains from across Albion and beyond.
• Guild Seal Coin: The coin features a Good side (blue) and Evil side (red) to assist players in making critical decisions that will impact the fate of the world forever.
• A new dog breed: Renowned for its loyalty, the Boxer is a brave canine companion worthy of greatest Queens and Kings.
• One unique outfit: Unearth one male and female outfit from the mysterious, faraway land of Aurora, a new destination in your “Fable III” adventures.

“Fable III” sets the stage for an unparalleled action and adventure experience, in which you will be called upon to rise from revolutionary to ruler of Albion. The choices and sacrifices you make while fanning the flames of revolution, and then as you rule as King or Queen, will lead to an ever evolving world of consequences that will be felt across your entire land."

Prima in-game strategy guides are now available through Steam.

"All the guides are readable in game via Steam's UI overlay functionality, as well as being available outside of game. The launch collection of guides available now on Steam include Dragon Age: Origins, Just Cause 2, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.  To celebrate the launch of Prima guides on Steam, all the launch titles are available at 50% off their regular price. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com"

Paradox Interactive today announced that "Hears of Iron 3: Semper Fi", the first expansion in the WWII strategy series, is scheduled to be released on June 6 in honor of D-Day. The expansion will be released through most major digital distribution portals.

"To make this the most rockin’ release-date announcement of the year, Paradox also released an earth-shaking new trailer detailing some of the key features fans will be watching for in Hearts of Iron 3: Semper Fi featuring music by Swedish Metal band Sabaton

Features of Hearts of Iron 3: Semper Fi include:

• Player-determined hidden victory conditions that will keep opponents guessing
• Greater cooperation with allies, allowing players to request troops, convince their allies to attack a specific target and more
• Hundreds of new events added to immerse players in their own version of World War II, comparing the unfolding, alternate timeline to real history
• Vastly improved AI that will defend its territories valiantly, marshal large naval taskforces and launch multi-stage invasions

For more information and an expanded list of features, visit https://www.paradoxplaza.com, follow the game on twitter @heartsofiron3 and join the growing ranks of the community on Facebook. "

Paradox Interactive today announced the release of an update for "Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West", which adds a new map and a new game mode.

"Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West’s newest map, Jacob’s Bridge, features new artwork and is set in the northern reaches of the Wild West. The new game mode, Demolition, pits two gangs against each other in a Powder Keg spin off where the objective is to blow stuff up. Rivaling gangs play simultaneously as both attackers and defenders battling franticly to destroy the opposing gang’s objectives.

In addition to a new map and game mode, gamers will be given the opportunity to change his or her Profession at any time in the game resulting in a death, and gangs will now be given the option to vote or kick off players of their own team. On top of the additions, several improvements were added to the game. And, in the spirit of true competition, WANTED posters will expand to the top three leaders of the leaderboard and can be found in the Sinner's Gulch map.

Fatshark has also released a behind the scenes video, where QA Manager Victor Magnuson describes the new map and game mode (below).

For more information on the game, please join the Lead & Gold Facebook fan page, visit www.leadandgold.com, www.fatshark.se/leadandgold or follow the game on Twitter @leadandgold."

In a move that some PC gamers will find disappointing, BFG Technologies announced an exit from the graphics card market because of low profits. The company will continue to sell power supplies, gaming notebooks, and Phobos gaming systems. In addition, the company made it clear that it will continue to honor all warranties.

"John Slevin, chairman of the company stated: "After eight years of providing innovative, high-quality graphics cards to the market, we regret to say that this category is no longer profitable for us, although we will continue to evaluate it going forward. We will continue to provide our award-winning power supplies and gaming systems, and are working on a few new products as well. I’d like to stress that we will continue to provide RMA support for our current graphics card warranty holders, as well as for all of our other products such as power supplies, PCs and notebooks."

BFG will continue to offer RMA, telephone and email support for qualified BFG Tech graphics card warranty holders, but will no longer be bringing new graphics card products to market."

Disney Interactive Studios today announced that "Split/Second" has been shipped to North American retailers and is now available.

"In Split/Second, players don't just race to the finish line to beat their opponents, they build up their power meter through deft driving and trigger "power plays," explosive moments that take out opponents or alter the track. The game takes place within a hyper-competitive reality television show with city-sized sets rigged for destruction. Each track has numerous power plays that can be strategically triggered by skilled drivers. Competitors in Split/Second don't just collide with other vehicles to knock them from the track – they can trigger blockbuster action film-like explosive events that drastically alter the dynamics of the race. Players must use strategy and pinpoint timing to derail opponents, tactically alter the track or create entirely new routes.

"With massive environments that players can dynamically change to take out opponents and alter the track, Split/Second redefines the action racing genre and provides a whole new level of fun for all video game fans," said Craig Relyea, senior vice president, global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. "Black Rock Studio is among the world's best game development studios and Split/Second is an incredible entry in their impressive portfolio."

As many as eight players can compete online in Split/Second through Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network and online on Windows PC. Also, two players can race against each other on the same system in the same room through split-screen features.

Black Rock Studio pioneered the innovative heads up display (HUD) affixed to the back of the player's vehicle. The Split/Second HUD showcases the player's relevant information (place, lap number, etc.) on the back bumper of the car, the area of the screen where players primarily focus during racing games.

"When we were early in development on the concept, we expected racing fans throughout the world to be passionate about Split/Second but the feedback since we announced the game has far exceeded our expectations," said Nick Baynes, game director, Black Rock Studio. "We wanted to create something really fun that had never been done before in the racing genre and Split/Second accomplishes that."

Black Rock Studio has an impressive heritage in the racing video game genre. The studio became the first developer to win consecutive Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 in the racing category with two different franchises after having won with PURE in 2008 and Split/Second in 2009. Split/Second was also selected Best Racing Game of E3 2009 by G4TV and featured on the cover of PlayStation: The Official Magazine's Hugest Games of 2010 issue. Also, Black Rock's first game after joining Disney Interactive Studios, the action racing game PURE, won numerous awards. Along with the Game Critics Award, PURE was named among the top 10 video games of 2008 by Entertainment Weekly.

The Split/Second App for iPhone and iPod Touch, available via iTunes, was conceived and designed with help from Black Rock Studio. The game mirrors the console version and features diverse locations, including the airport, downtown, ports and power plant. A Black Rock Studio-designed entertainment district also appears exclusively in the app. The game includes 19 vehicles to select and a six-person network multiplayer over Wi-Fi and locally through Bluetooth.

Split/Second is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

Split/Second: Velocity, the console and PC game's title in Europe only, will be available across Europe beginning on May 20.

For more information about Split/Second, go to https://www.splitsecondvideogame.com/."

2K Games today announced a partnership with NVIDIA to brin PysX technology to "Mafia II".

"Additionally, the Windows PC version will feature a thorough integration of NVIDIA PhysX and 3D Vision technology into 2K Czech's Illusion EngineTM. Mafia II will be the first Windows PC game ever to utilize the NVIDIA APEX Clothing module, providing an immersive gameplay experience in the world of 1940s and 1950s Americana.

The integration of PhysX and NVIDIA APEX technology, including the APEX Clothing and Particle modules, enable the city and personalities of Empire Bay to truly come alive on Windows PC. The NVIDIA APEX Clothing module allows for more dynamic movement in clothing, making in-game characters even more realistic and reactive to environmental conditions. With the implementation of NVIDIA APEX Particles, players are engulfed in lifelike explosions that are bigger and brighter, including weapon fragments, in-game debris and destructible environments that are amplified in both quantity and realism through the integration of APEX Particles. For example, a pistol fired into a glass pane will emit hundreds of glass shards; a shotgun blasted through a wooden landing will splinter the wood; and a Tommy Gun will chip into a brick or stone wall to methodically fracture and break it into pieces.

"We are extremely excited about the upcoming launch of Mafia II for Windows PC," said Drew Henry, general manager of GeForce business at NVIDIA. "With support for GPU-accelerated PhysX and 3D Vision, gamers will be able to experience the mob world in a whole other dimension. Gamers are in for a real treat."

Mafia II for Windows PC will also be playable in full stereoscopic 3D, courtesy of NVIDIA 3D Vision* technology, which combines high-tech wireless glasses and advanced software to create an impressive element of authenticity and immersive realism. Players will be blown away by the added depth of field on display as particles and explosions come off the screen in thrilling 3D.

Mafia II will be available in North America on August 24, 2010, and internationally on August 27, 2010. Mafia II is currently in development by 2K Czech, the same creative team behind the award-winning, genre-defining Mafia®, which captivated millions of gamers around the world.

Mafia II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on Mafia II, please visit www.mafia2game.com."

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of May 15, 2010.

PC Games:

• Legio
• Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Episode Two – The Tomb of Sammun-Mak
• Split/Second

Movies Opening This Week:

• Holy Rollers (limited LA/NY)
• MacGruber
• Shrek Forever After
• Solitary Man (limited)

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• 30 Days: The Complete Series
• 9 Songs [Blu-Ray]
• Apocalypse Now: Redux
• Black Sheep & Tommy Boy
• Carlito's Way [Blu-Ray]
• Clash of the Olympians
• Classic Movie Musicals: Legends of the Stage and Screen – set
• Damages: The Complete Seasons 1-2
• Eclipse 21: Oshima's Outlaw Sixties [Criterion Collection]
• Extraordinary Measures [Blu-Ray]
• Film Noir Collector's Ed. – set
• Frank Sinatra Triple Feature – set
• Gamera: The Giant Monster
• Ghost Hunters: Military Investigations
• Greatest American Hero: The Complete Series
• Invictus [Blu-Ray]
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent – The Fifth Year
• Love, Lies and Betrayal – set
• Love, Loss and Affliction
• Outlander [Blu-Ray]
• Tales from the Three Stooges
• The Girl on the Train
• The Jeff Durnham Show
• The Louis L'Amour Western Collection
• The Messenger [Blu-Ray]
• The Navy vs. The Night Monsters
• The New Daughter [Blu-Ray]
• The Spy Next Door [Blu-Ray]
• Valentine's Day [Blu-Ray]
• Walkabout [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Whitest Kids U Know: Complete Third Season

EA released a new video interview with Nathan Camarillo, executive producer of "Crysis 2".

"In Crysis 2, the aliens have returned with a full invasion force bent on nothing less than the total annihilation of mankind. In New York, terrifying alien invaders stalk the streets and a nightmare plague strikes down the city's myriad inhabitants with brutal epidemic speed. The city's systems are in chaos, its streets and skyline are smashed and in flaming ruin. Neither paramilitary law enforcement nor the might of the US military machine can stand against the invaders, and all who choose not to flee are dead men walking. Just to survive in this maelstrom of death will require technology beyond anything any modern soldier has ever seen. One man will inherit that means to survive. You alone must wield the combat technology of Nanosuit 2, and make the last stand to save humanity from destruction in the urban jungle that is New York City."

FIX Korea today announced that "Tactical Intervention", an MMOFPS in development by Minh Le (famously known as Gooseman – the developer behind Counter Strike) and FIX Games, will be entering into closed beta phase near the end of the month or June. The Tactical Intervention website was recently launched and applications will be accepted beginning tomorrow.

"After leaving Valve, Le has worked furiously on this project and met Inho Choi, CEO of FIX Korea, finishing off 6 years of development.

Counter-Strike, commonly known as CS, was created when Le was still at the university, spending 20 hours a week and polishing it for more than a year, with Cliffe. It’s been anticipated that this evolved FPS game Tactical Intervention will continue the phenomenon his first success game CS brought. Tactical Intervention is the perfection Le craved for CS, and now, is ready to be shared with the world in 11 years since CS.

Tactical Intervention brings a new concept to a standard FPS game, putting the players in challenging scenarios that emphasize teamwork and thinking as well as lightning fast reflexes. The game promotes reality through motion capture-like animation and photo-realistic environments, a step-up from the original Counter-Strike.

Tactical Intervention is a game of team-play, where the proper use of dogs, helicopters, cars, and environments can give teams an advantage over their adversaries. These new elements create a dynamic environment that gives each round a unique feel and challenges the players to always be aware of his surroundings.

FIX Korea is opening the first website on May 10, and is planning closed beta in May-June. Mayn Interactive, the Europe-region publisher, is also planning similar dates for the testing.

Fans in North America will be able to catch up with Minh Le (a.k.a. Gooseman) thru the website opening on May 10 @ www.tactical-intervention.com, where fans will have official channel to talk to Minh directly to share their desire and view of the game to build strong community. Videos and wallpapers for i-Phone are to be made available for downloading also.

Fans in Europe will be able to enter an event for beta key thru https://ti.mayngames.com/ that was opened in March this year.

The most anticipated FPS game, a creation of Minh Le (a.k.a. Gooseman) is coming soon, one-click away.

Experience the new world of FPS in Tactical Intervention."

ISOTX today announced "Iron Grip: Marauders", the next installment in the strategy series.

"Marauders will once again take players straight to the core of civil unrest – this time in the form of airship piracy.

The game is set several years after Warlord and Lords of Atelia, and the world of Iron Grip is plagued by conflict. Superpowers aspire to control smaller nations, plunging the land of Iron Grip into a continent-wide war. In the tradition of the Iron Grip series, Marauders once again employs strategy elements: the medium this time is your browser window, with strategic army and base-building to make your soldiers your own. Players take up the reigns as opportunistic Marauders – bands of militaristic pirates controlling armies that serve no nation, instead seeking riches, infamy, or any other number of private goals. The objective is simple: build the strongest army and conquer. But as easy as that sounds, when your primary opponent is other clever players – nothing is ever quite as simple as words make it out to be.

Marauders is a long-term, ever-expanding project. The game will feature an intricate, detailed universe built upon steadily over time, and ISOTX is committed to updating the game regularly with new features, support and fixes. As the community grows, so too will Marauders.

Some of the key features the game offers are:

• A free-to-play environment: With no monthly or registration fees, anyone has the option to join Marauders!
• Aside from a one-time download, the entire game available immediately to be played straight from a browser window and is compatible with all browser types – as long as you’ve got an internet connection, it’s possible to play.
• Spectacular 3D graphics in your browser – watch your troops fight before your eyes!
• Take part in a battle against AI or participate in our ever-growing multiplayer experience!

Like many browser games, Marauders will feature both a closed and open beta, with signups beginning as early as this month. Players will be offered an opportunity to test the game long before it reaches public eye and help shape the production with productive feedback. The exact release date of the beta has not yet been announced, but is expected to be in the summer of 2010. The game’s website is already online and visible at www.igmarauders.com."