Apple Games Features Rome: Total War Gold Edition
February 4, 2010 6:00 AM
Apple Games' latest feature article explores the historical combat in Feral Interactive's Rome: Total War Gold Edition for Mac. In the game players take charge of one of three Roman families with the goal of increasing their family's power in Rome through diplomacy, economic skill, and war. Apple's article includes an overview of the game, comments from developer Mike Simpson, a history of the Roman era, and a list of cheat codes.
As your territory grows, youll also need to keep an eye on the home front. Citizens taxed too heavily may threaten to revolt, while poorly-maintained settlements are more susceptible to plague outbreaks that will decimate their population and reduce the amount of Denarii they contribute to your coffers. However, if you capture a settlement located in a province with a World Wonder such as the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Lighthouse of Alexandria youll earn powerful empire-wide benefits.
I split the...
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City Of Heroes Second Mission Architect Contest...
February 4, 2010 6:00 AM
NCSoft and Paragon Studios have announced a second Mission Architect contest for the company's super hero themed MMO, City of Heroes. Contest entrants are asked to write an arc for levels 5 to 10 with a story about a known hero or villain who loses their powers. The contest winner could receive a permanent title on a character of his or her choice, and a Developer's Choice for the mission arc.
Sigh...you know, sometimes it's tough being the creator of so many great products, living the good life in the high tower with all these responsibilities. So many things to juggle...remember when it was easier? When you were still new and didn't have so many things to take care of? Back when you could...could just be yourself? I'm not crying! Ahem...I'm just...aha! Coming up with an idea for the next challenge! That's it...I know EXACTLY what it'll be! I challenge you all to write an arc for levels 5 to 10 with a story about a known hero or villain...
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Rome: Total War Gold Edition Available Today
February 5, 2010 6:00 AM
Feral Interactive is scheduled to release Rome: Total War Gold Edition for Mac today. Originally developed by The Creative Assembly and published by SEGA, the game is released under the Feral Legends label.
In Rome: Total War players take charge of one of three Roman families with the goal of increasing their family's power in Rome through diplomacy, economic skill, and war. The Gold Edition includes the original strategy title as well as the Barbarian Invasion expansion.
The Total War series is one of the most-requested additions to Mac gaming, said Feral Interactives David Stephen. Its a game that is superbly suited to the platform and one that will be available to all Mac owners including those with Intel MacBooks and Mac minis.
"The Creative Assembly is delighted that Mac users will now have the opportunity to experience Rome: Total War and Barbarian Invasion" says Mike Simpson, Creative Director at The Creative...
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Civilization IV Digital Download Now Available
February 5, 2010 6:00 AM
Aspyr Media has announced the release of a digital download version of Civilization IV for Macs. The download is available exclusively from Aspyr's GameAgent store. The company has also opened up preorders for upcoming downloadable versions of the games two expansions: Warlords and Beyond the Sword, as well as Civilization III: Complete.
Sid Meiers Civilization IV comes-to-life like never before in a beautifully detailed, living 3D world that expands the gameplay experience. This latest installment takes the franchise to new heights with the addition of new ways to play and win, new tools to manage and expand your civilization, all-new easy to use mod capabilities and various multiplayer modes and options..
With Sid Meiers Civilization IV, rule throughout time and create your own legacy as you guide your civilization from the dawn of man through the space age and beyond. Implement new technologies, conduct diplomacy or wage...
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Wacky Mini-Golf Update Adds Ghost Ship Theme
February 5, 2010 6:00 AM
DanLabGames has announced the release of an update for its family-friendly hit title, Wacky Mini-Golf. The update brings the game to version 1.1and adds the new "spooky and humorous" Ghost Ship theme to the game. Wacky Mini-Golf features five original themes, 90 holes, 20 animated golf avatars, multiplayer vis hot seat mode.
Wacky Mini-Golf is a best-selling Mac game that puts you on the links in exotic nature locales, now with 5 original themes and a total of 90 holes.
Choose from 20 animated custom golfer avatars or use your iSight camera to edit your own pic into the game. Invite up to four players to take turns in "hot seat" mode and get started: Enjoy the awesome graphics, challenging courses, original soundtrack and family-friendly comic relief.
See how you stack up against other players with the online leaderboard and submit your achievement photos to the online player gallery.
Features:
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Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning Reviewed
February 5, 2010 6:00 AM
Mac|Life has posted a new review of the Mac version of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The game features Realm vs Realm combat and allows players to enter a grim fantasy world where the armies of Order and Destruction collide to determine the fate of nations. Mac|Life gave Warhammer Online a score of 4 out of 5.
From the review:
Really, the expectation is that youve played this kind of game before and know the implications of your decisions, so anyone unfamiliar with the MMORPG universe will likely stumble through their first 10 levels or so. Fortunately, once you get the hang of it, the experience is rich and rewarding. You can embark on solo quests, start battles alongside other players, fight against other players, join guilds, start guilds, craft items, and explore the enormous (and beautiful) world.
The games main focus is realm-versus-realm and player-versus-player combat, where the two factions square off for...
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The Sims Franchise Turns Ten
February 8, 2010 6:00 AM
The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts recently announced the celebration of the ten year anniversary of The Sims, the popular game that allowed players to create and live a virtual, simulated life on a computer. Since the original The Sims debut on February 4, 2000, the franchise has produced three core games The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3 supported by dozens of expansion and stuff packs with lifetime unit sales eclipsing 125 million worldwide.
As part of the celebration EA is offering several free items: Let there be Sims!, The Sims Strike Back and In the Dawn of Sims, as well as a 10% discount on all new items sets until February 14.
The future of The Sims is going to be a lot of fun; it is rare for an entertainment franchise to be gaining momentum a decade after release, so this is a particularly pleasant moment for everyone who has worked on the games.
The success of The Sims is something gamers and the gaming...
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Dragon Age: Origins Collectors Edition For Mac...
February 8, 2010 6:00 AM
Macworld has posted a new review of the Mac version of Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition. Bioware's latest fantasy role playing epic challenges players to take on the role of a Grey Warden and defend the land of Fereldin from the monstrous Darkspawn. Macworld gave the game a score of 5 out of 5.
From the review:
On my MacBook Pro 2.66GHz running Mac OS 10.6, Dragon Age was stunning. From the fire effects of enemy spells to the gush of blood from a blade, the details were beautiful and realistic. Unlike some RPGs, there isnt a major drop off between cut scenes and combat; the shadows and shading were impressive in both. There are some moments of slow-down, particularly in the bigger environments, but on the whole I was impressed with my machines ability to handle this high-end game.
While chaotic, battles are easy to manage thanks to the pause button and the ability to instantly order your party to change tactics....
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City Of Heroes Secret Admirer Contest
February 8, 2010 6:00 AM
NCSoft and Paragon Studios have announced a new contest for the super hero themed MMO, City of Heroes. Participants in the City of Heroes Secret Admirer contest will compete to offer the best Valentine's Day card to War Witch. Prizes for winning entrants include a Logitech G35 Surround Sound Headset, a Razer Destructor Precision Gaming Surface, Hero and Villain Pins, 5 year anniversary T-shirt, and Projector Pens.
At some point, we've all stood outside of War Witch's apartment and played the role of Secret Admirer. After all, who wouldn't be wild over a talented sorceress who possesses brains, beauty and brawn? We sure are big fans...and we're banking on the fact that you are too!
So in honor of Valentine's Day being just around the corner, we've dreamt up a new way for you to express your love and admiration for this spiritual City of Heroes stunner!
Introducing the City of Heroes Secret Admirer Contest where between Thursday...
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The Rise And Fall Of The Lich King
February 8, 2010 6:00 AM
Blizzard Entertainment has published an Insider interview with World of Warcraft Lead Encounter Designer Scott Mercer and Lead Systems Designer Greg Street. The developers discussed the Fall of the Lich King content update released with version 3.3 of World of Warcraft.
Can you give us any teasers about the final Lich King encounter from a gameplay standpoint? How difficult will he be? Any insight into how his skills and powers from Warcraft III will carry over into the final Lich King raid event?
Scott Mercer: We're going to keep those cards close to the vest, as players will be toe-to-toe with the Lich King soon enough, but I can say that he will pose the greatest challenge yet found in World of Warcraft. Beyond that, I can only share a few additional details. The battle against the Lich King takes place at the top of Icecrown Citadel where the Frozen Throne protrudes from the citadel's tallest tower. Throughout the fight, players...
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Amnesia: The Dark Descent Reaches Alpha
February 9, 2010 6:00 AM
Frictional Games recently announced that Amnesia: The Dark Descent has reached the alpha stage. The upcoming new adventure horror title from the creators of the Penumbra series is described as a title which will take players on a "thrill-ride through the depths of madness and explore the dark side of human emotions." It follows the tale of a protagonist on the run from a horrifying foe.
So what does this mean? In general terms it means that we now have a large chunk of the game done which we can evaluate and draw conclusions from. More specifically it means:
- All code for tech, tools and game are done and what is left is basically polish. Note again that this is for all platforms! Sure, the polish is not an easy thing and can include plenty of smaller feature additions, but it is a road map that we can control and plan for.
- We can now, for the first time in almost three years, test the game and see how it really plays...
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Din's Curse Beta Updated
February 9, 2010 6:00 AM
Soldak Entertainment has released an update for the beta version of its upcoming action RPG, Din's Curse. The beta version is available to testers and those who have pre-ordered the game. In addition to a variety of quests to complete and monsters to slay the final game will feature 6 characters classes with 18 specialties for a total of 141 possible character combinations.
Din, champion of the gods, has cursed you into a second life of service because you selfishly squandered your first one while causing misfortune to those around you. To redeem yourself, you must impress Din by building a reputation for helping others. Travel the spacious western plains of Aleria and save desperate towns from the brink of annihilation. Until you're redeemed, you're doomed to wander the earth alone for all eternity.
In Din's Curse, you will explore an extensive underground, slaying dangerous monsters, solving dynamic quests, dodging deadly...
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BioWare's Greg Zeschuk Discusses RPGs
February 9, 2010 6:00 AM
A.V. Club has posted a new interview with BioWare cofounder Greg Zeschuk. The developer discussed the company's popular role playing game franchises including Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age, covering topics like cinematics, romance, dialog trees, and how the genre is evolving.
AVC: Starting with Baldurs Gate II, your games have also become well-known for the romances that the player forms with other characters in the game. With Dragon Age, the gay sex scene made the news. People are scared that their kids will just all of a sudden end up in this situation in a tent with the bisexual elf, and thats not really at all how it works.
GZ: No, not even remotely. [Laughs.]
AVC: Do you think theres a better way to communicate that theres a whole context and a lengthy relationship leading up to these scenes? Or do you think these controversies just flare up and move on?
GZ: On one hand, at a very high level, demographics are...
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Missions Of The Reliant OS X Version In Development
February 9, 2010 6:00 AM
Orange River Studio's Michael Rubin has informed us that his Classic OS shareware game set in outer space, Missions of the Reliant, will be receiving an OS X version. Reliant fan and Mac Programmer Gwynne Raskind has started work on porting the game and will be offering progress updates on her blog.
From The Monk's Brew:
For those of you who dont know, I did write one other computer game in the past, The Missions of Starship Reliant (aka, Missions of the Reliant). I had always wanted to write and release a game throughout my childhood, but all I knew back in the 80s was BASIC, and that never got me very far. And so, at one point in my mid-twenties, and being a Mac fan and all, I decided to pick up some books and learn Pascal. In 1994, amid great imaginary fanfare and to much fictitious critical acclaim, the first version of Missions was released in all of its $20 shareware glory. (The sequel, Missions II, was released in 1996, but it...
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Warhammer Online: Night Of Murder Event Underway
February 10, 2010 6:00 AM
Mythic Entertainment has announced the beginning of the Night of Murder event for its fantasy themed MMO, Warhammer Online. During the event, which continues through February 16, players have the chance to gain several event specific rewards.
As darkness falls on the Night of Murder, the worshippers of death bathe the land in blood, each intent on proving his or her devotion to the Elf god Kaela Mensha Khaine. It is a time that the forces of Destruction are all too willing to exploit. Assassins infiltrate the cities, while on the battlefield the differences between Good and Evil fade beneath the crimson haze of bloodlust. None are immune to the will of Khaine during this dark holiday.
During the Night of Murder, players will receive event influence by completing daily tome tasks. With the 'Well-Mounted Skull' reward you can mount the heads of your ememies on pikes for all to see! Keep an eye out for members of the enemy...
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Parallels Desktop And VMWare Fusion Compared
February 10, 2010 6:00 AM
MacTech Magazine has posted a new article detailing recent benchmark testing of Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion running on Intel based macs. Comparing performance on MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Pro models the tests covered performance, differences running Windows XP and Windows 7, the impact of multiple processors, and comparisons of 64 vs 32 bit.
Games
One of the most frequent questions that we were asked after our last virtualization benchmarks was "What about games?" The 3DMark06 testing did give us good insight and excellent data, but we also wanted to try some games and see how they worked.
Devil May Cry 4:
Devil May Cry 4 is the fourth in the Devil May Cry series of action games by CAPCOM. In the game, you fight enemies in close combat using firearms, swords, and other weapons. High speed, high action.
We looked at Devil May Cry 4 (from DVD, not Steam) in part because it has some very nicely...
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Diablo III Female Monk Website Update
February 10, 2010 6:00 AM
Blizzard Entertainment has updated its Diablo III website with new information about the Monk class. The additions reveal the female monk with all new artwork and an in-game model. Diablo III will return players to the action RPG world of Sanctuary, once again imperiled by the forces of darkness.
Without rising from his seat, the monk met the first man's lunging slash, grabbing his wrist and tossing him carelessly over his shoulder, throwing him into a table with a loud crash. The suddenness of the monk's attack momentarily stunned the men, and as they stood there, he rose.
That was when chaos broke out.
The monk was a fluid mass of restrained energy, meeting every attack with hardly a moment's distress. He fought with hands and feet in a way I had never seen before. In my days, I have witnessed my share of drunken bar brawls, but this was something else altogether. The sound of bones crunching with each of his...
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Tasty Planet Sequel In The Works
February 10, 2010 6:00 AM
In a blog post from last month Dingo Games revealed that work has begun on a sequel to Tasty Planet. The game put players in the role of a grey glob of experimental bathroom cleaner that rolled over items and slowly increased its size until capable of devouring worlds. The blog update offers a few details about features in the sequel.
Ive been working for a couple weeks on a sequel to Tasty Planet. We havent finalized the story or setting for the new game, but weve picked a general direction and things are moving along. Here are some features that we have in mind:
- Larger scale in levels. We want the ability to go from really small to really large in a single level instead of spread across multiple levels.
- Many more levels. Ive been working on tools to speed up our ability to generate content.
- New physics system. This will make object interactions feel better.
- 2-Player Cooperative play. Should be super...
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PopCap Celebrates 10 Years Of Bejeweled
February 11, 2010 6:00 AM
PopCap Games has announced that it has begun a 10 month long celebration in honor of its long running Bejeweled franchise, which turns ten this year. The festivities for the popular and often imitated match-3 game will include unveilings of new installments in the series, a Bejeweled Blitz competition, and a variety of other promotional activities.
The company also announced that Bejeweled has now sold more than 50 million units, making it one of the top ten best-selling video games of all time. PopCap continues to sell a copy of Bejeweled every 4.3 seconds.
Bejeweled has obviously succeeded beyond our wildest dreams, said Jason Kapalka, co-creator of the game and co-founder and chief creative officer at PopCap. When Brian Fiete, John Vechey and I built the game ten years ago, we had no grand aspirations for it or PopCap, we were trying to survive as a company during the depths of the dot-com collapse. Little did we know we'd...
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Apple Games Features The Sims 3 High End Loft Stuff
February 11, 2010 6:00 AM
Apple Games has published a new article on High End Loft Stuff, a new item pack for The Sims 3. The pack adds a variety of new items to the popular sim title including three items returning from the previous two Sims titles: the heart-shaped vibrating bed, the electric guitar, and the aquarium.
Nothing beats relaxing in a well-furnished living room after a tough day at the Mad Scientist lab, and no Sim can go wrong with the aptly-named Cradle of Civilization, billed as the most comfortable sofa in the entire world. Thats right, not just in Sunset Valley or in Sim City: the entire world. Dont be surprised if the neighbors start feeling a little jealous.
And you might have to start coming up with excuses for why they cant drop by daily after they see your Sims MedeaMedia wall-mounted flat-screen TV, especially if its connected to a GUGA JoyToy 3 videogame console. Nothing beats an intense game of DeathSaga or Blood Buckets 7 in...
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StarCraft II Beta Test Begins Later This Month
February 11, 2010 6:00 AM
During Activision Blizzard's fourth quarter earnings conference call Mike Morehaime announced that the company plans to begin beta testing StarCraft II later this month. The company also revealed that both StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be released this year.
Avarius: I know you are all very excited to hear the news about the StarCraft II beta coming soon. In order to help facilitate this discussion, please keep your comments about this announcement consolidated to this thread. Thanks! Emails to those who can participate in the beta will be sent out once it's ready to start.
1. You should be able to download it to your other computer, however, you must be logged into your battle.net account in order to play.
2. They will exist to give beta participants a place to discuss the beta and report any issues they may find. Only participants of the beta will be able to post, but the forums can be read...
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City Of Heroes Issue 17 To Feature Improved Graphics
February 11, 2010 6:00 AM
NCSoft and Paragon Studios have revealed some new information about Issue 17: Dark Mirror, an upcoming update for the company's comic book hero themed MMO, City of Heroes. The patch will include a new Ultra Mode featuring improved graphics for Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, and offering an idea of the new visuals coming in the upcoming Going Rogue expansion.
A while ago, we announced Ultra Mode, a brand spanking new addition to the City of Heroes universe that will bring Paragon City and the Rogue Isles to an even fresher and visually more pleasing level!
Ultra Mode will allow you (as long as your computer can handle it) to experience City of Heroes in a completely different light...literally! You will rediscover places and landmarks in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles as if you'd never seen them before, and best of all, it will be in Issue 17: Dark Mirror, our next free expansion! And it is worth mentioning that once...
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Telltale Releases Tales Of Monkey Island, More...
February 12, 2010 6:00 AM
Telltale Games has officially announced it is bringing its lineup of games to Mac starting with the pirate adventure Tales of Monkey Island, available now to Mac users. Customers will get both Mac and PC versions of the multi-platform games with a single purchase. Any customers that have bought these titles from Telltale in the past can download the Mac version for no additional charge.
"Telltale's built up an outstanding catalog of content over the years, and we're looking forward to getting the games to this community to further enrich the increasingly growing, vibrant and technically outstanding Mac platform," said Telltale CEO Dan Connors. "We're big fans of Apple's technology and devices, and we're looking forward to building further from here."
Which title appears on Apple's platform next is up to the people. Telltale is opening the ballot box at the Telltale Games website, where Mac devotees can cast their vote for one of...
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Din's Curse Rogue Class Unveiled
February 12, 2010 6:00 AM
Soldak Entertainment, known for its Depths of Peril and Kivi's Underworld fantasy games, has released more new information about the upcoming action RPG, Din's Curse. The latest update reveals the game's Rogue class and its associated specialties: Assassin, Trickster, and Thief. This is the fifth revealed class of the six planned for the game.
Rogue:
Living by their own rules, this tricky class excels at stealthy deception, trap evasion, lock picking, and are lethal killing machines.
Specialties: Assassin, Trickster, and Thief.
Assassin
This vanquisher is a lethal killer, racking up huge amounts of damage.
Bonuses: higher attack per dexterity, higher health per vitality, and higher damage per strength
Mana gen: Mana gain on critical hits and kills
Armor: Cloth and Leather
Weapons: Daggers and Swords
- Rupture - This has extra damage and a high chance of deep wounds. Deep...
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No Macs In First Round StarCraft II Beta Testing
February 12, 2010 6:00 AM
In a post on the official forums a Blizzard Entertainment representative has updated recent beta test reports with the news that Mac users will not be able to participate in the first round of beta testing for the upcoming StarCraft II. The game will return players to the popular RTS franchise with an all new single player storyline and new units and strategies for multiplayer fans to enjoy.
Will Mac users have an equal chance to get into beta as compared to windows users or a chance at all?
Zhydaris: No Mac version, at least not at the beginning of the first phase of Beta, sorry :(
Visit the pages below to read more.
IncGamers: No StarCraft II Beta For Mac Gamers
Blizzard Forums: Mac Starcraft II Beta?
...
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City Of Heroes: Reactivation & Double XP Weekend...
February 12, 2010 6:00 AM
NCSoft has announced a Double XP and Account Reactivation weekend for its super hero themed MMO, City of Heroes . Starting on March 4 and continuing through March 7 both villain and hero characters will receive double the usual experience points for their accomplishments. The company will also allow gamers with inactive accounts to rejoin the game for the duration of the weekend event.
Get excited because one of your favorite times of the year is quickly approaching - Double XP Weekend! All the fun begins on March 4th!
What is a Double Experience Weekend? It's a three day stretch of time during which all participating Hero and Villain characters receive double the XP, Influence, and Infamy for their accomplishments in game. All you have to do is log in and take advantage of this opportunity to level up your favorite characters twice as quickly as normal! And if you pre-purchase Going Rogue, you'll be able to take advantage of...
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Shutter Island Now Available
February 12, 2010 1:24 PM
Macgamestore.com today announced the release of Shutter Island on its web site. Shutter Island is a casual game based on the upcoming feature film Shutter Island by Paramount Pictures. The game is published by Merscom.
From Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese, "Shutter Island" tells the story of two U.S. Marshals, Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the coast of Massachusetts in 1954 to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from Ashecliffe, the island's fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane.
The Shutter Island game is a hidden objects game where players take on the role of a U.S. Marshal as they attempt to locate patients that have escaped Ashecliffe during a recent hurricane. The game consists of 7 levels and 20 environments. In addition, there are multiple mini-games that move the player through Ashecliffe, creating unique interactions with...
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Galcon Fusion Released
February 15, 2010 6:00 AM
Phil Hassey has announced the release of Galcon Fusion for OS X. The game is a "fast-paced multi-player galactic arcade-strategy game", which now features improved HD graphics, a full soundtrack, a variety of new multi-player modes, achievements, and detailed rankings.
Developer, Phil Hassey, created the original prototype in just two days for the Ludum Dare 48-hour game development competition in 2006. Galcon was such a hit with the Ludum Dare crowd that Phil decided to rework it into a multi-player desktop game. In 2008, Phil ported the game to the iPhone where Galcon distinguished itself as the first multi-player strategy game in the App Store. Galcon went on to win the Independent Game Festival Innovation in Mobile Game Design award in 2009. With the introduction of Fusion, Galcon comes full-circle back to the desktop, with all new graphics, missions, and more!
Game features include:
- Beautiful new HD graphics...
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Teltale Games' Dan Connors And Mark Darin...
February 15, 2010 6:00 AM
AppleTell has posted a new interview with Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors and designer Mark Darin about the company's venture into Mac Gaming. Telltale recently announced the Mac release of Tales of Monkey Island, as well as plans to bring more of its games to Apple machines.
For us, our audience is always a unique group of people, anyway, Dan explained, and we just want to find them wherever they are. A big part of what Telltale is about is creating interactive experiences that are about storytellingabout great cinematic presentation and artso, in a way, we want to be the next generation of interactive content in general, and we think Mac is where a lot of that innovation is going, so we want to be part of that.
Each game theyre bringing to the Mac is the type that can appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers; theyre easy enough for new gamers to instantly start playing, but offer the deep gaming experience that appeals to...
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SLUDGE 2D Adventure Game Engine Comes To Macs
February 15, 2010 6:00 AM
Rikard Peterson has announced the release of version 2.0 of SLUDGE, a 2D Adventure Game Engine. Originally created for Windows by Tim Furnish, SLUDGE has been modified by Peterson to work on Mac and Linux machines as well. Other updates include OpenGL graphics and support for 32 bit images with alpha channels.
Some of you may be aware of the cross-platform open source adventure game engine called SLUDGE. It used to be Windows-only, but starting with version 2.0 it's available for Windows, Mac and Linux. (The 2.0 development kit is currently Mac-only, but games made with the 1.x dev kit in Windows can be run in the 2.0 engine, and there are plans to bring the new dev kit to all three platforms.) Version 2.0 is currently in beta, but it's reached the point where it's working well, so we want more people to try it to find any bugs that may be remaining.
I have packaged up the game Nathan's Second Chance with the engine, so that...
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Two Worlds II: DEMONS Spell System, Gargoyle, Q&A
February 15, 2010 6:00 AM
TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump recently released a new Two Worlds II newsletter. The fourteenth edition of the newsletter includes information about the game's magic system, details about sacred altars and obelisks, a description of the dangerous Gargoyle, and a brief Q&A. Two Worlds II will send players to the unexplored land of Eastern Antaloor and will feature detailed graphics, an active combat system, and a complex storyline.
krathax: How did you organize the merchants' system in the towns and cities?
RP: We used a much more individual approach than in Part 1, krathax. In the public markets, you'll mostly find conventional booths selling food, less specialized weapons and armor - but the special stores are hidden away in the houses. Each merchant there has his own very special program and will demand (or pay) various different prices. So there is no use in trying to sell ingredients and plants to a blacksmith. You...
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Two Worlds II: New Screenshots, Gameplay Videos
February 16, 2010 6:00 AM
TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump recently added new content to the website for Two Worlds II, the upcoming fantasy RPG. The site change includes several new screenshots and MoveShots, 3 second videos showcasing Two Worlds II gameplay. The game will send players to the unexplored land of Eastern Antaloor and will feature detailed graphics, an active combat system, and a complex storyline.
Despite the massive landscape which spans over 60 square kilometres of rolling grasslands, murky swamps, and sprawling cities, images of the upcoming RPG epic Two Worlds II have only to date only scratched the surface of beautiful world of Antaloorliterally. Deep underground there lie cavernous mines rich with precious Veritas crystals, the ancient twisting catacombs of long forgotten cultures, and shadowy dungeons adorned with remnants of countless tortured prisoners.
Available today at...
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iGame Radio: Telltale Games Interview
February 16, 2010 6:00 AM
iGame Radio has posted a new podcast interview with Telltale Games' Matt Darin, Will Armstrong, and Chris Schmidt about the company's decision to bring its adventure games to Mac users. Telltale recently announced the Mac release of Tales of Monkey Island, as well as plans to bring more of its games to Apple machines.
Whats inside this episode:
- An exclusive interview with Matt Darin, Will Armstrong, and Chris Schmidt of TellTale Games about Tales of Monkey Island, how the games are being ported to the Mac, and why the decision was made.
Click over to the link below for more information.
iGame Radio: Telltale Games Interview
iGame Radio
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World Of Warcraft Five Years Later
February 16, 2010 6:00 AM
IncGamers recently posted an article examining the history of Blizzard Entertainment's popular MMO, World of Warcraft. The article examines the innovations Blizzard brought to its massively multiplayer role playing game with the initial release of WoW five years ago, as well as with each expansion since then.
Due to Blizzard's work on level 60+ content since the release of TBC, players with new characters tend to rush through WoW's early zones in favour of questing in the more recently added areas, and thanks to all the improvements to levelling speed, many of WoW's original areas are often desolate. Cataclysm, WoW's next expansion which is due to be released later this year, will address this issue head on. Blizzard has stated that almost every zone in Azeroth will be affected as a result of Deathwing's reappearance, the story behind Cataclysm. Some places will change so dramatically that they'll hardly be recognisable, others will have...
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EVE Online: Bug Testing And Dealing With Lag
February 16, 2010 6:00 AM
CCP Games has published a new developer blog offering information about its sci-fi MMO, EVE Online. The article offers a lengthy explanation of the company's approach to improving the game and its features through large scale mass testing.
The cornerstone of our approach is an initiative, dubbed "Mass-Testing." Simply put, we figured that the best way to "simulate hundreds of players all doing many different actions at the same time" was to, well, get a bunch of real players together and run through proper test scenarios. This is such a vital thing because it is the only way we can accurately gauge how the new code behaves under such extreme conditions as fleet fights with several hundred pilots. This is because of various factors which only become apparent in such highly loaded situation, such as diminishing returns, and code scalability.
At its core, Mass-Testing is a very basic framework which allows us to invite hundreds...
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Marvel Action Pack Released
February 17, 2010 6:00 AM
The Marvel Action Pack was recently released. The game is a collection of 10 casual arcade games featuring characters from the Marvel Comics universe. The Marvel Action pack includes Hulk, Wolverine, Captain America, and Iron Man games.
The MARVEL Action Pack! contains 10 arcade style casual games that pull you right into the action alongside your favorite MARVEL Super Heroes. Various games inside feature Hulk, Wolverine, Captain America, and Iron Manproviding hours of MARVEL entertainment all jam-packed into one exciting collection.
Features:
- Sharpen your skills with "Wolverine MRD" and "Wolverine Search & Destroy"
- Get green with "Hulk Vs.", "Hulk Bad Altitude", and "Hulk Central Smashdown!"
- Wield your shield to help Captain America defend his city in "Captain America: Red Skull and Crossbones"
- Then suit up with Tony Stark in "Iron Man Armored Popper", "Iron Man...
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Max & The Magic Marker Available For Mac
February 17, 2010 6:00 AM
Independent Danish game developer Press Play recently released Max & The Magic Marker for Mac and Windows. Described as a 2D puzzle platformer, the game puts players in the role of Max who must use his newly acquired Magic Marker to put a stop to the monster rampaging through his drawings.
The Game
Max & the Magic Marker is a physics based 2D puzzle platformer, in which the player controls the boy Max and his Magic Marker. While Max enables good old platforming fun, the marker provides the games signature feature: the ability for the player to draw directly inside the game world where everything drawn becomes physical objects. This feature is used to complete levels and overcome challenges but it also provides the player with a unique tool that in itself is fun to play around with.
The Story
Max is a young boy, and like most boys he loves to draw. One day he gets a mysterious marker in the mail. There is no...
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Diablo III Female Barbarian Unveiled
February 17, 2010 6:00 AM
Blizzard Entertainment recently updated the official Diablo III website with new character information. The update offers new concept art and animation for the female barbarian class. Diablo III will return players to the action RPG franchise where they once again must choose a character and face off against the forces of darkness.
Though they were once misunderstood as simple, bloodthirsty invaders, the long and noble history of these proud people is now rightly acknowledged. And therein lies the greater tragedy here, for those of us familiar with the nobility of the barbarians remember too what they call their "vigil", the concept that lay at the very heart of their culture. The barbarians consider it their sworn duty to protect Mount Arreat and the mysterious object within. They believe that if they fail to uphold their duty to the great mount, or are not given a proper burial upon its slopes, they will be denied a true warrior's...
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StarCraft II Beta Test Forums Open
February 17, 2010 6:00 AM
Blizzard Entertainment has opened up a collection of new beta test forums for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The forums will allow beta testers to provide feedback as they assist Blizzard developers in fine tuning game balance and stability. Only beta testers can post, but the forums are open for anyone to read.
This forum is for discussion based around the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty public beta test. Only participants in the beta test can post here, but the forum can be viewed by everyone. The primary objectives of the public beta are to test the stability of our Battle.net service and to dial in the game balance prior to launch. As a beta participant, you play a big part in ensuring we meet these goals. Please provide your feedback on balance, Battle.net, or any other beta-related topics in our feedback forum.
If you find any bugs, please visit the bug report forum
For answers to some common questions, be...
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Din's Curse Preorders Selling Well, Beta Updated
February 18, 2010 6:00 AM
A new blog post from Soldak Entertainment's Steven Peeler provides an update on the status of Din's Curse, the company's next action RPG. The post covers testing progress and preorder sales. A 4th patch was also recently released for beta testers.
Today, I released our 4th patch. In those four patches, I have made 309 changes. Well over half of those are changes directly from gamer feedback. There are still many changes coming that I haven't gotten to though. Right now my todo list has 241 items on it. One of these days I will get this back down to zero.
A quick sales note, so far this is our fastest selling game ever. I'm really hoping it stays this way. :) If it doesn't, I might start taking some contracting work, which would slow down Soldak development. :( The sales so far is actually interesting to me. On one hand we don't have a finished product, just a beta, and not even a demo yet. Yet the beta is selling quicker than...
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Apple Games Features Tales Of Monkey Island
February 18, 2010 6:00 AM
Apple Games has posted a new article, this one featuring Telltale Games' recently released Tales of Monkey Island. In the adventure game players must help Guybrush Threepwood as he confronts a variety of amusing puzzles in his quest to defeat his arch-nemesis LeChuck. Apple's article includes an overview of the game and a brief history of the Monkey Island series.
And thus begins Guybrushs latest misadventures. During the course of escaping from Flotsam Island, he learns that the only way to reverse the voodoo infestation is to find La Esponja Grande, a voodoo sea sponge that can soak up the pox. He also meets the Marquis de Singe, who believes Guybrushs infected hand is the key to eternal life; Guybrush would prefer to keep as many of his preferably pox-free appendages as possible, thank you very much.
Of course, sailing away from Flotsam Island is simply your first step into the never-before-seen Gulf of Melange, where more...
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PopCap Survey Studies Social Gamers
February 18, 2010 6:00 AM
PopCap Games has released the results of a new survey of gamers who play games on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. The survey of 5,000 respondents found that 24% regularly played social games, and that the average social gamer is a 43 year old woman.
From IndustryGamers:
The survey was conducted for both Americans and Brits; in the U.S., 55 percent of all social gamers are female and 45 percent are male, with the U.K. disparity growing to 58 percent to 42 percent. In age matters, social gamers in the U.S. are on average 48 years old compared to 38 for those based in the U.K. while 46 percent of American social gamers are 50 or older, contrasting to to just 23 percent in the U.K. Social gamers that are age 21 or younger only make up six percent of the total social gamer population.
From Gamasutra:
"While still in its infancy compared to the traditional video game industry, the social games sector...
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The Sims 3 High End Loft Stuff Reviewed
February 18, 2010 6:00 AM
IGN has published a new review of High End Loft Stuff, a new item pack for The Sims 3. The pack adds a variety of new items to the popular sim title including three items returning from the previous two Sims titles: the heart-shaped vibrating bed, the electric guitar, and the aquarium.
The Sims 3: High-End Loft Stuff is the first Stuff Pack for the newest sequel of the franchise, and it makes an impact as far as dcor and objects are concerned. There are a couple dozen new objects on the disc, which, if you bought them a la carte on the Sims Store, would run you a couple bucks EACH. In that, the Stuff Pack is a nice quantity discount at only $20 for the whole package.
As the title may tell you, all the new objects in the Stuff Pack are for the wealthier Sims of your neighborhood. (Nothing says "I'm rich" more than when you contemplate life on a $1200 Flushmaster Hi-Def!) Of course, the downside to this is that most of your...
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Multiwinia Updated
February 19, 2010 6:00 AM
Ambrosia Software has updated its real-time online strategy war game Multiwinia to version 1.3.1. The update includes a variety of bug fixes and enhancements including adjustments to movement controls. Returning to the unique world of Darwinia, the game allows players to choose from six game modes on over 40 maps as they battle for stick figure supremacy.
Multiwinia 1.3.1 includes the following changes/improvements:
- Movement controls shouldn't "get stuck" anymore
- Smoother sound in main menu
- Fixed a number of crashes
- Fixed hang in main menu on certain machines
- Minor gameplay and interface fixes
- Numerous other bug fixes and enhancements
Multiwinia is a multi-player real time strategy war game unlike any other. A chaotic war is raging in a fantastic fractalized world populated by bloodthirsty little stick men with a mission: follow your orders to annihilate their...
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Eschalon Book II Trailer Coming Next Week
February 19, 2010 6:00 AM
Basilisk Games has announced that it will release a trailer next week for Eschalon: Book II, the upcoming second title in its planned "old school" RPG trilogy. The game will include improvements like 1024X768 native resolution, re-rendered tiles, new weather effects, new skills, new monsters, and a larger world to explore.
More about Eschalon Book II:
- Eschalon: Book II is the sequel to 2007s award winning RPG Eschalon: Book I, although no previous experience is needed to play and enjoy Book II.
- Book II will be available for Windows, Macintosh (Universal Binary) and Linux-based computers.
- Play as a male or female character.
- 1024 x 768 native resolution.
- Most tiles have been re-rendered to take advantage of the higher engine resolution. Hundreds of new graphic elements, tiles, sound effects and music means Book II is not just a remix of the previous game.
- New weather effects: snow, rain...
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Din's Curse Q&A
February 19, 2010 6:00 AM
GamersInfo.net has published a new interview with Soldak Entertainment's Steven Peeler. The indie game developer discussed Din's Curse, the company's upcoming action RPG, as well as the difficulties faced by independent developers.
In Din's Curse players take the role of an adventurer cursed to walk the lands in a quest for redemption. The game features 141 possible class combinations, an infinite number of dynamically generated towns, and a game world directly impacted by player choices.
GamersInfo.net: The other feature of Dins Curse that I took note of was the dynamic world and quest system. How does that work, and how did it come about?
Steven Peeler: Instead of starting in the same world each time, in Dins Curse, you start in a new town that has different problems than any other town. It doesnt stop there, though; these quests arent static. If you dont do anything about them, they will cause other trouble. For example,...
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Civilization V Announced For PC
February 19, 2010 6:00 AM
2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, has announced that Sid Meiers Civilization V, the newest entry in the popular franchise, is currently in development at Firaxis Games for PC.
Civilization V will update the turn-based strategy franchise with a new engine built from the ground-up for Civilization. Players will be introduced to an entirely new combat system, deeper diplomatic interactions, and a variety of other expanded features.
Sid Meiers Civilization franchise has been recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all time with millions of units sold worldwide, said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. Civilization V takes the franchise further by offering players a more immersive experience with deeper strategies; heightened tactical combat; vast, realistic landscapes to explore, battle over and claim as their own; and an in-game community hub where Civ fans can share content and...
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Amnesia: Teaser, Website, Pre-Order, Mac Status
February 19, 2010 12:07 PM
Frictional Games today announced a first look at in-game footage of the company's new horror game, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, in the form of a teaser video. The game's website has been updated with general information about the game, screenshots, the new teaser video, and details about pre-ordering Amnesia.
A recent email from Frictional Games revealed that the Mac version of the game is already functional and at this stage of development runs on a PPC 1.4Ghz eMac with a 64MB Radeon 9600 card. System requirements have not been finalized yet.
"We recently finished a massive testing session of the game to much success. With that behind us we now know how Amnesia will play like and what it takes to finish it. This means we feel confident in moving forward and sharing more juicy details about the game. This includes crucial things such as availability, pricing and what the game is all about." - Thomas Grip, Co-founder.
Web...
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EVE Online: Tyrannis Announced, Will Include Planet...
February 22, 2010 6:00 AM
CCP Games has announced work on Tyrannis, its next free expansion for the popular sci-fi MMO, EVE Online. The expansion will feature the ability to harvest minerals from planets, updates to its EVE Gate (previously called COSMOS) social networking elements, and a variety of optimizations and improvements.
OMG did you say all of the planets!?
Thats right, you will finally be able to survey for juicy deposits of minerals and other goodies, build infrastructure to harvest them, store them, process them and launch them into space. Build complex networks of facilities and fine tune them for optimal production. All in a very massive single shard sandboxy way as only EVE can provide. And its not just the terran planets. Its ALL OF THEM. The gas giants, the lava planets, the ice worlds, the water worlds and even the elusive plasma planets. Each type with their unique properties. Maintaining facilities on gruesomely hostile planets will be...
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Eschalon Book II Trailer Unveiled
February 22, 2010 6:00 AM
Basilisk Games has announced the release of a trailer for Eschalon: Book II, the upcoming second title in its planned "old school" RPG trilogy. The game will include improvements like re-rendered tiles, new weather effects, new skills, new monsters, and a larger world to explore.
More about Eschalon Book II:
- Eschalon: Book II is the sequel to 2007s award winning RPG Eschalon: Book I, although no previous experience is needed to play and enjoy Book II.
- Book II will be available for Windows, Macintosh (Universal Binary) and Linux-based computers.
- Play as a male or female character.
- 1024 x 768 native resolution.
- Most tiles have been re-rendered to take advantage of the higher engine resolution. Hundreds of new graphic elements, tiles, sound effects and music means Book II is not just a remix of the previous game.
- New weather effects: snow, rain, and thunderstorms. Weather isnt just an...
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The Secrets Of Da Vinci Reviewed
February 22, 2010 6:00 AM
Mac|Life has posted a new review of The Secrets of Da Vinci: The Forbidden Manuscript. The adventure title challenges players to discover and delve inside the mysteries surrounding the hidden enigmas of the works of the great genius. Mac|Life gave the game a score of 3 out of 5.
From the review:
Our biggest problem was the camera, which is frustrating because the games 3D environments--a faithful re-creation of the Clos Luc, Leonardos final residence, as it looked in 1522--are so beautiful. Theyre full of rich color and detail, right down to Leonardos paintings and drawings hanging from the walls. And while the simple controls let you move the camera by moving the mouse, we found ourselves getting queasy after an hour or so of playtime on even the slowest setting.
If that doesnt make you flee, youll play as Valdo, searching Leonardos estate for a missing notebook on behalf of a mysterious patron. But your quest keeps you...
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Jeff Vogel Offers Advice On Starting An Indie Game...
February 22, 2010 6:00 AM
In a new post on his Bottom Feeder blog Spiderweb Software's Jeff Vogel recently offered a few tips to aspiring independent game developers. The veteran RPG developer discussed the importance of having a unique product, acquiring the best software necessary regardless of cost, and avoiding the dangers of working too hard.
1. You Need a Good Idea
This means (and yes, I know this seems obvious but it's amazing how often people forget it) that whatever you are selling has to be pretty darn special. It has to be a good idea, well executed, and not competing against a ton of free competitors. And let me tell you something. That's a hard thing to come up with these days.
2. Professional Work Requires Professional Tools
Another question I get asked from time to time is, "How can I find a free program to do [make art/write programs/whatever]." And my answer is always, "You DON'T!"
I know. You don't have much...
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Din's Curse Priest Class Revealed
February 24, 2010 6:00 AM
Soldak Entertainment, known for its Depths of Peril and Kivi's Underworld fantasy games, has released more new information about the upcoming action RPG, Din's Curse. The latest update reveals the game's Priest class and its associated specialties: Paladin, Healer, and Shaman. This is the sixth and final revealed class of those available in the game.
Priest:
By the light of good, these holy warriors command more than strength and might, but also heal and bless themselves and others.
Specialties: Paladin, Healer, and Shaman.
Paladin:
This guardian totes heavy armor with ease while using the power of the gods to maim the unjust.
Bonuses: higher health per vitality, higher mana per spirit, higher damage per strength, and higher mana regen per spirit
Mana gen: Mana gain on blocks and parries
Armor: Cloth, Leather, and Shields
Weapons: Maces
- Zeal - An attack with extra...
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iGame Radio Episode 92 Features The Movies Superstar...
February 23, 2010 6:00 AM
Episode 92 of Omaha Sternberg's iGame Radio podcast is now available for listening. The podcast features a review of Feral Interactive's The Movies Superstar Edition for Mac as well as reviews of Thor and Phantom Mansion: The Orange Library for iPhone and iPod Touch.
Episode 91:
- A review of The Movies Superstar Edition by Feral Interaction. This babys got everything for the budding movie mogul. Just hop in and express your creativity.
- Plus, a review of Thor by Freeverse. This slide-scroll platform game pits a goofy god Thor against giants, the goddess Hel, even a serpent. And Thor just keeps running and running and running and
- Finally, a review of the Phantom Mansion: The Orange Library, the second episode in the Phantom Mansion series. No, Hector is still stuck in the Mansion. And Omaha is still waiting for more difficult puzzles.
Show Notes:
- A great conversation with Peter...
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New Subversion Screenshots And Game Details Unveiled
February 23, 2010 6:00 AM
Worthplaying has posted some new screenshots from Introversion Software's upcoming Subversion, as well as more information about the game. Subversion will offer players the chance to control a team of skilled operatives seeking to complete missions in hostile high security buildings. Previous information about the game centered around its procedurally generated cityscapes.
Subversion is going to be set in a modern High Tech environment, with you taking "mission control" over a team of skilled operatives in a hostile High Security building. You will be using Sabotage, Social Engineering and Grifting, custom Electrical and Mechanical devices, Distractions, Hacking, Stealth, Acrobatics, Precision demolitions, Trickery, whatever gets the job done. In the best case scenarios your enemies will never know you were even there. When things go wrong, a well prepared escape plan and well timed precision violence will get you out of a tight spot -...
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Amnesia: Dark Descent Trailer Examined
February 23, 2010 6:00 AM
Frictional Games recently published an in-depth look at the recently released teaser trailer for the company's upcoming horror game, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The blog post covers the creation of the trailer and includes comments on key moments in the footage.
- 2:05
Notice how books just slightly slide along the shelf because of friction and so on. This is all due the nice simulations provided by Newton Game Dynamics. It was quite fun setting everything up on the table so that that some fell off while pushing it, giving the a feel of urgency when trying to barricade the door. The table was also harder to move due to the weight from all the stuff on it, so had to give it an extra push to get into place (using the "throw" button). One never knows what going to happen with physics...
- 2:26
It took a while to remember the best times to open the closer door, in order to get a nice effect. After 50 tries or so, I had...
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Star Wars The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition...
February 24, 2010 6:00 AM
Aspyr Media has announced the digital download release of Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition for Intel Mac owners.
Developed and published in North America by Aspyr, the title combines the original Star Wars The Force Unleashed videogame with three new levels set in iconic Star Wars locales and a host of new costumes and character models. This special edition of the game will show players "the deepest, darkest side of the Force in a story that puts them on a collision course with Luke Skywalker himself."
Experience the Power of the Dark Side
The story and action of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed expands with the release of Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition. A special new version of the game that shows players the deepest, darkest side of the Force in a story that puts them on a collision course with Luke Skywalker himself. The Ultimate Sith Edition includes all of the original...
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Jurassic Realm Released
February 24, 2010 6:00 AM
Independent game developer Enkord has announced the release of Jurassic Realm 1.9, a new action puzzle game for Mac OS X. In the game players uncover the secrets of the ancient Jurassic Realm by solving a variety of puzzles and discovering images of long-lost dinosaurs.
"We continue to bring our classic casual hits which hit top spots on casual portals to Mac platform" said Yaroslav Yanovsky, CEO and founder of Enkord, Ltd. "We feel the Macintosh is a wonderful platform and intend on porting more of our games."
Perfect for casual gamers and pros alike, Jurassic Realm features 2 game modes, includes over 150 striking levels with 19 ancient dinosaurs to uncover. Players become archeologists on a mission with a huge map at their disposal, with great number of roads and pathways to travel. Version 1.9 includes improved collapse, explosive power-ups and exciting brick-breaking.
Feature Highlights:
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Land Air Sea Warfare Comes To Macs
February 24, 2010 6:00 AM
Isotope 244 recently announced the release of Land Air Sea Warfare for Macs. The new game from the developers of Machines at War features 70 new types of units, new technologies, and six "gigantic mega units" for players to control.
I have been working non stop on the Mac version the last few weeks and it is done! I have also updated the games webpage with screenshots and the games help manual. After two years of development I have finally completed my next game! It builds on my previous real time strategy game Machines at War and takes it in a different direction. There are over 70 new types of units, new technologies, and six gigantic mega units which are awesome in battle! I will be working on the mobile versions next and am still developing the game every day, so if you have any suggestions for the game please let me know. - James Bryant
Command a force of thousands of units into strategic warfare in this new real time...
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Din's Curse Previewed
February 24, 2010 6:00 AM
Honest Gamers has published a new preview of Soldak Entertainment's Din's Curse, the company's upcoming action RPG. In Din's Curse players take the role of an adventurer cursed to walk the lands in a quest for redemption. The game features 141 possible class combinations, an infinite number of dynamically generated towns, and a game world directly impacted by player choices.
Keeping the multiplayer support introduced in Kivi's Underworld, Din's Curse ditches the pre-generated characters of the previous title to introduce a new class system with over 140 possible combinations. Players can pick from classic templates such as Warrior or Priest, or they can combine two skill trees from any basic class to create a hybrid. Want to relive the glory days of Ultima Online with a platemail-wearing, polearm-wielding warrior-mage? How about rolling up a home-brewed necromantic archer? Din's Curse will let you do that.
The downside of the...
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id Software Celebrates One Year Of Quake Live
February 25, 2010 6:00 AM
id Software has kicked off celebration of Quake Live's first year with a Year One Event continuing through March 9th. During the event players who participate in online matches will receive special Year One awards. id has also released a new level, Fallout Bunker, and plans to add both new maps and old favorites from the community.
One year ago today id Software launched browser-based (and totally free) version of Quake III Arena and since then players have spent over 8.9 million hours in over 60 million ranked matches, earning 8 million awards and 810 million frags.
To celebrate Quake Lives milestone, id Software has launched Quake Lives Year One Event. The event runs from today through March 9th. During that time, anyone that participates in an online match will receive a special Year One award.
To help get the year off to a good start, the team has also uploaded a new level, Fallout Bunker. As the team moves...
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Diablo II Patch 1.13b Enters Public Test Realms
February 25, 2010 6:00 AM
Blizzard Entertainment recently revealed that the long delayed patch for Diablo II has once again entered beta testing on the public test realms. Version 1.13b will introduce a variety of bug fixes and updates as well as respecialization options, and a new mystery to be solved by players of Hell difficulty.
Major Bugs:
- Fixed an item dupe bug.
- Video improvements for Intel Mac machines with OS 10.5 or greater.
- Fixed an issue where some players could kill other players while in town ("TPPK").
- Fixed an issue where some players could disconnect other players when they had too many active states.
- Fixed two issues where players could stack auras in an unintended way.
Specific changes/improvements:
- Respecialization is now possible! Completing the 'Den of Evil' quest will now additionally reward 1 free respec which can be saved. Players who have already completed this...
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New Details Revealed About Spiderweb's Next RPG
February 25, 2010 6:00 AM
The Gamer Studio has released a new interview with Spiderweb Software's Jeff Vogel about the company's upcoming new RPG title. The as of yet unnamed game will kick off a new series and will mark a departure from Vogel's popular Avernum and Geneforge series. The new game will retain a turn-based, party focused, fantasy role playing format with an all new world and history to explore.
Could you give us a brief summary of the storyline?
The known world is divided into the Pact and the Farlands. The Pact is an alliance of five nations, who have banded together to keep the barbarians and monsters of the Farlands at bay. You are one of the elite warriors of the Pact, given almost limitless authority to hunt enemies inside and out. You get all the best weapons and powerful magic, all the cool toys, but the responsibility and danger are both considerable. And you have a very difficult boss to please. That's where we're at so far.
...
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City Of Heroes Issue 17 Overview Page Unveiled
February 25, 2010 6:00 AM
NCSoft and Paragon Studios have released a new overview page for the upcoming Issue 17: Dark Mirror update for the company's comic book hero themed MMO, City of Heroes. The patch will include a new Ultra Mode featuring improved graphics for Paragon City and the Rogue Isles as well as a variety of other game content.
Features:
Ultra Mode
Ultra Mode includes a superior graphics rendering process for players who have higher-end graphic cards. Each feature can be enabled or disabled in the graphics menu options and will be scalable. Ultra Mode works on both Macs and PCs. In specific, it offers dynamic shadows, screen-space ambient occlusion, and dynamic environment reflections (including planar reflections and environment mapping of reflective surfaces).
Epic Archetypes Unlocked at Level 20
Previously, you had to have at least one character at level 50 to make an epic archetype character. No more! Now you...
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Apple Games Features WarBirds Dogfights
February 26, 2010 6:00 AM
Apple Games has posted a new feature article, this time taking to the dangerous skies of WarBirds Dogfights from iEntertainment Network. In the game players choose from a large variety of historically accurate aircraft and fly in the game's many missions or engage in combat against other players online. The article includes an overview of the game, comments from iEntertainment CEO Bill Stealey, and a short history of flight sims.
When you go online, Stealey explains, first we send you to the Special Training Arena, because we learned that new players get shot down very quickly in the regular arenas. He pauses while getting a bead on an enemy plane; he litters one wing with bullets and a teammate finishes the kill. In the Special Training Arena, all players are on the same side, he adds. His team also created CheckRide and CheckOut training options: the former is aimed at experienced flight simmers who want to work on advanced tactics,...
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More Din's Curse Creatures Unveiled
February 26, 2010 6:00 AM
Soldak Entertainment, developer of Depths of Peril and Kivi's Underworld, has released more new information about the upcoming action RPG, Din's Curse. The latest update features three new additions to the creature list with the unveiling of the Evil Leprechaun, the Scree, and the Plaguebringer.
Evil Leprechaun
A nether creature, this small fiend can smell coins of all kinds and will steal from anyone. When it runs away with new found wealth, it'll rely on other brutish allies to protect it from retribution.
Scree
Chaos rips through the core of the world, a deadly doorway to dimensions beyond. The Scree slipped through into the underworld, cowardly mini-demons ready to mob their enemies when the numbers were on their side.
Click over to the link below for more information.
Din's Curse Monsters
Soldak...
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id Developers Discuss Original Quake Public Beta...
February 26, 2010 6:00 AM
Bethesda Softworks has posted a new blog featuring comments from id Software's John Carmack, Tim Willits, and others about the release of the first public beta of the original Quake 14 years ago. The participants shared their memories of the release of the game and its then innovative features.
John Carmack, Co-founder and Technical Director, id Software:
We were watching a live online chat when the upload went live. When the first person got it, there was a great clamor for reports about what it looked like. Unfortunately, one of the first things reported was There is a turtle in the corner of the screen. I had a check in the code to draw that icon as a sign that you were running at 10 frames a second or less, so you should reduce quality settings to get a more playable experience. Quake was one of the first PC apps where floating point performance was a critical factor, which meant that Intels Pentium processor had a huge lead...
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World Of Warcraft Twitter Q&A Today
February 26, 2010 6:00 AM
Blizzard Entertainment has announced an upcoming Twitter chat for fans interested in talking with the World of Warcraft development team about recently released content for the game. The question and answer session will be focused on Icecrown Citadel and Fall of the Lich King and will be held on Blizzard's Twitter page February 26 at 5 PM PST.
We will be holding our next Developer Chat on Twitter on Friday, February 26, at 5:00 p.m. PST with World of Warcraft's lead content designer and lead systems designer. This chat session will focus on Icecrown Citadel and other Fall of the Lich King content.
Questions will be taken live through Twitter, so be sure to sign up for a Twitter account at https://twitter.com/signup and follow account @Warcraft in order to participate!
To submit a question for the Developer Chat, please tweet using the #...
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