Ravaged gets Second DLC Pack for FREE

Feb 26, 2013

Reverb Publishing and 2 Dawn Games are proud to reveal that the second DLC Pack for Ravaged is now available for free. The new pack adds a monstrous arsenal of weapons, vehicles, and game modes to the popular 32-player, post-apocalyptic PC shooter, including the violent new chainsaw and flamethrower, the massive, moveable dump truck, and two new game modes, Team Deathmatch and Hijack, providing extra depth to the already deep experience.

The second Ravaged DLC Pack includes:

• Two New Game Modes: Team Deathmatch and Highjack Mode
  • Team Deathmatch: Team Deathmatch enables 32 players to join teams of up to 16 with no resources to battle in the classic winner-take-all format gamers have loved for years.
  • Highjack Mode: Hijack Mode offers players the chance to fight for control over the all-powerful Dump Truck, a massive mobile fortress.
• One New Vehicle: Available only in Highjack Mode, the Dump Truck becomes the ultimate power target, pitting players against each other as they scramble to control the monster power vehicle.
• Two New Weapons: The Chainsaw and Flamethrower
  • The Chainsaw: Definitively rip enemies apart in close-quarter combat with the newly implemented chainsaw.
  • The Flamethrower: Players blanket the immediate area with powerful flames, enabling them to decimate multiple enemies in their path
• Improved XP: Ravaged now displays accumulative Experience Points when they are awarded.
• Reduced Ammo: Reduced access to ammunition encourages players to scavenge for weapons and ammo to stay alive.

FORGE gets updated to 1.04 with Group Matchmaking and over 30 New Abilities

Feb 26, 2013

Dark Vale Games, an independent video game developer based in Southern California, has released a major update  to the Company’s popular multiplayer PC game FORGE, this week, adding several core features as well as addressing some of the feedback received from game reviewers and the game’s fervent player community.

The FORGE 1.04 update, which released this week improves on the new player experience and streamlines the process for finding and joining matches and friends.  Players may now learn and improve their skills versus A.I. bots in the Training Zone and enjoy server browser and lobby systems to find their way into games.  In addition, the Ability Focus System has been updated with 30 new abilities providing more depth and strategy to the fast-paced combat.

Dark Vale Games has committed itself to greatly expanding the functionality and playability of FORGE with an aggressive schedule of new features and improvements.  The company has provided a sneak peek at a host of new features coming soon to FORGE that will begin appearing in the studio’s 1.05 and 1.06 updates, currently planned for release in March and April.

Among the more exciting upcoming features for FORGE are: two entirely new classes — The Ravager, a powerful and highly mobile melee character who can travel quickly with the use of a grappling hook.  And, the Tinker, who can control combat, other players and the surrounding area with a wide variety of unique gadgets; an entirely new armor system allowing players to completely customize their characters piece by piece as well as new “Divine” armor sets for high level players; two new multiplayer maps – The Den of Fenric and Arenas; more than 60 new class abilities that can be unlocked via the Ability Focus System; and, a host of UI improvements as well as a completely overhauled tutorial, which will provide a more directed and rewarding experience for new players of FORGE.

For a complete list of previous and upcoming gameplay updates for FORGE, please visit http://www.playforgewar.com/category/development-diary/.

FORGE will be featured in the Midweek Madness Sale on Valve’s Steam service Tuesday, February 26 through Thursday, February 28 for $6.80 — a 66% discount off its normal retail price — http://store.steampowered.com/app/223390/.

Train Fever, remake of Transport Tycoon is in need of crowd-funding

Feb 26, 2013

The computer game Train Fever was recently presented on Steam Greenlight and Gambitious, two online platforms focused on computer games. On Steam Greenlight, the project has been welcomed with countless positive comments and instantly became one of the platform’s all-time top-rated concepts.

On Gambitious.com, the world’s first crowd funding platform exclusively dedicated to the games industry, Train Fever is by far the most successful project. By investing small amounts of money, fans of the genre not only help to make the game become a reality, but also participate in the sales revenue. Fans have already invested more than 125,000 Euro.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/55925430 w=500&h=280]

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX announced by Square Enix

Feb 25, 2013

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, today announced that KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX will be available this fall in North America exclusively for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

Fully remastered in HD, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX is a compilation of the critically acclaimed KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX, previously exclusive to the Japanese market, and KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Chain of Memories. In addition, the two-in-one-disc package will feature HD cinematic story videos from KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days, enhanced gameplay mechanics and PlayStation®3 system trophies. Players can now relive the origins of the celebrated franchise with Sora, Riku and the colorful cast of Disney characters, including Mickey, Donald and Goofy.

Sword of the Stars: The Pit is a spin-off roguelike RPG from the 4X RTS series, Out Now

Feb 22, 2013

Kerberos Productions, the makers of the Sword of the Stars series of 4X strategy titles, have today released their first science fiction role-playing game for PC. Sword of the Stars: The Pit is a fun, fast, light-hearted RPG in the tradition of Rogue and other old school dungeon-diving games. Set in the popular Sword of the Stars universe, the game offers a rich science fiction backdrop and sharp, modern gameplay. The game’s turn-based mechanics and playful art style are suitable to a wide audience.

The Pit is the first independent title to be published by Kerberos. The studio launched its first crowd-funding campaign in October 2012. Hundreds of players stepped forward to support the team and to participate in the game’s Exclusive Beta period, which ran December of 2012 until mid-February of 2013. The result of all the hard work and player support is a highly addictive romp through 30 levels of science fiction mayhem.

Sword of the Stars: The Pit is available initially on Gamer’s Gate for $9.99. Kerberos and GamersGate are celebrating the game’s launch with a 10% off sale for the first week of release. A playable demo offering six of the full game’s 30 levels is also available for download (link).

Features

• 3 Characters to choose from… Marine, Scout and Engineer.
• 4 Levels of Difficult, from Easy to Insane.
• Improve your character and increase your skills as you try and find a way to survive the depths.
• 30 Levels of ancient evil science between you and the cure!
• Dozens and dozens of enemies drawn from the Sword of the Stars universe.
• Over 50 weapons and armors with a variety of special effects including flamethrowers, rocket launchers, plasma cannons and powered Brawler armor.
• Randomized augmentation effects (for your equipment… and for you!) make each game unique.
• Crafting lets you make special items from bits and pieces of your enemies.
• Over 100 items to discover, ranging from the familiar to ancient exotic tech.
• Dozens of room types containing a host of exotic devices to help – or maybe hinder – your progress.
• Discover and decipher hidden messages, crafting recipes, and pieces of Sword of the Stars lore.
• Many fiendish ways to die including poisoning, disease, traps, radiation, starvation and of course… MONSTERS.

TOMB RAIDER PC Requirements get Detailed

Feb 22, 2013

Square Enix, Inc., the publishers of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, today announced that TOMB RAIDER®developer, Crystal Dynamics, has released the system requirements for the PC version of the eagerly anticipated game; scheduled for release on March 5, 2013 in line with Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

The PC version of TOMB RAIDER has been developed in tandem between Crystal Dynamics and long-time partner Nixxes; a collaboration that has spanned over a dozen PC titles and dates back fifteen years.

Jurjen Katsman, director of Nixxes stated, “The team at Crystal intended to make the game of their careers and we are extremely proud of the part we have played in the project’s development.”

TOMB RAIDER for PCs has been extensively optimized to heighten the gameplay experience; with the goal of taking advantage of the PC platform. Enhanced features include: full integration with Steamworks, increased detail tessellation, improved SSAO and post-filter effects, and very high resolution textures, shadows and cloths.

“AMD Graphics and Crystal Dynamics have partnered to capture the realism of one of video gaming’s most iconic characters, Lara Croft of the TOMB RAIDER franchise,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics. “By leveraging the power of AMD Radeon™ and Graphics Core Next, Lara and her environment have come to life like never before.”

Additionally, for PCs that are capable, the game will support AMD HD3D and AMD Eyefinity technologies, the latter of which allows up to six simultaneous displays off a single graphics card.

The game’s enhanced features on the PC version include:

General
• Full integration with Steamworks to offer cloud storage for saves, multiplayer matchmaking, achievements, as well as automatic updates and new content.
• Support for Steam Big Picture Mode.
• Configurable mouse and keyboard support.
• Gamepad support.

High-end graphics
• Very high resolution textures with up to 16x the amount of data
• Detail Tessellation to enhance the detail on many surfaces in the game
• Higher quality shadows
• High quality bokeh depth of field with near-blur
• Tessellation algorithms used to smooth out geometry
• Improved cloth, SSAO, quality wetness effects, and post-filter effects.
• LOD quality is adjustable for better quality on higher-end machines.

Low-end graphics
• Crystal cares about TR fans being able to run on older systems, unlike many other games they still support Windows XP.
• A lot of scalability options to suit a range of machines.

Darrell Gallagher, studio head of Crystal Dynamics commented: “With over a decade of experience working alongside AMD and Nixxes at Crystal Dynamics alone, we had rock solid partners on board to create a superb TOMB RAIDER experience for PC gamers around the world. At Crystal we approach each of our projects with the sole intention of creating the best possible consumer experience for that format, and we are proud to have worked alongside two great partners who hold the very same values.” 

The Bridge to Release on Steam February 22

Feb 22, 2013

The Bridge, a black-and-white indie puzzler in the style of M. C. Escher, will be released on Steam of the PC on February 22, 2013. The price of The Bridge is $14.99. The Bridge has been in development for nearly 3 years, and has received international attention after receiving nominations in contests such as the IGF, PAX 10, Indie Game Challenge, and IndieCade. Below is a complete list of accolades for The Bridge:

[starlist]

• “Winner – PAX 10” – Penny Arcade Expo 2012
• “Winner – Achievement in Gameplay” – Indie Game Challenge 2012
• “Winner – Achievement in Art Direction” – Indie Game Challenge 2012
• “Winner – Student Showcase” – Independent Games Festival 2012
• “Winner – Best Art” – Independent Propeller Awards 2012
• “Winner- Grand Prize” – Seattle Independent Game Competition 2012
• “Winner – Grand Prize” – Seattle iFest 2012
• “Winner – Grand Prize” – Redmond Digital Art Festival 2012
• “Nominee – Best Art” – IndieCade 2011
• “Nominee – Grand Prize” – Independent Propeller Awards 2012
• “Nominee – Grand Prize” – Develop Indie Showcase 2012
• “Honorable Mention – Innovation” – Dream.Build.Play 2011
• “Honorable Mention – Art” – Independent Games Festival 2013

[/starlist]

The Bridge is a 2D logic puzzle game that forces the player to reevaluate their preconceptions of physics and perspective. It is Isaac Newton meets M. C. Escher. Manipulate gravity to redefine the ceiling as the floor while venturing through impossible architectures. Explore increasingly difficult worlds, each uniquely detailed and designed to leave the player with a pronounced sense of intellectual accomplishment. The Bridge exemplifies games as an art form, with beautifully hand-drawn art in the style of a black-and-white lithograph.

Features of The Bridge include:

• 48 thought-provoking puzzles, each unique from the rest, all requiring an innovative solution.
• Gravity manipulations, gravitational vortexes, parallel dimensions, and many more mind-bending concepts in a world where the laws of physics are not what they seem.
• M. C. Escher-esque worlds with impossible architecture set in the style of beautifully hand-drawn black-and-white lithographic art.
• An alternate version of the game unlocked after the main storyline has been completed, including challenging alternate versions of each of the 24 main puzzles, along with an alternate ending.
• A time-backtracking system to alleviate any fears of making a mistake.

RailSimulator.com Launches London-Faversham High Speed Route Featuring Class 395 “Javelin”

Feb 22, 2013

Railsimulator.com Ltd., the market-leading innovator of rail simulation and modeling tools, today released its latest product, the popular London-Faversham High Speed route, featuring the Hitachi Class 395 high speed train known informally as “Javelin”. The new standalone route does not require the Train Simulator 2013 base game to play, making it a perfect entry point for new players.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/aij2T3yvuHM]

11 bit studios’ Secret Game announcement brought some backlash

Feb 21, 2013

Last week we posted a story about 11 bit Studios announcing that they have an unannouced, secret game. The only information was that it exists and that you can buy it at 50% off. Some people loved the prospect of another great game from 11 bit, others….didn’t. So Tom Ohle from Evolve PR, gets in front of the camera to talk about things openly and honestly.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/lQeUjwNyIHg]

One Final Sendoff for Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 3: Citadel and Recknoning Multiplayer DLC

Feb 21, 2013

The final chapter of Commander Shepard’s heroic saga draws near. BioWare, a studio of Electronic Arts announced two new downloadable content packs for Mass Effect 3; the single-player pack Mass Effect 3: Citadel and the multiplayer content Mass Effect 3: Reckoning. On February 26, Mass Effect 3: Reckoningwill be free* to download, giving fans of the popular multiplayer mode in Mass Effect 3 access to new characters, weapons and upgrades. On March 5, Mass Effect 3: Citadel will be the last single player DLC pack for Mass Effect 3, giving fans one final, sentimental journey with Commander Shepard and their squad. Mass Effect 3: Citadel will be available for $14.99 or 1200 MS Points.

“The team has poured heart and soul into Mass Effect 3: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3: Citadel. As the launch of these chapters near, the feeling around the studio is bittersweet,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “We have always been humbled and driven by the passion of our fans for the Mass Effect trilogy. We hope fans will enjoy spending more time with some of their favorite characters — we have certainly enjoyed spending time creating them. We’re excited to release this final sendoff for the trilogy and move forward into the future of the Mass Effect universe.”

In Mass Effect 3: Citadel, players will explore and discover new locations across the vast, deep-space station while also having the opportunity to reconnect with some of their favorite characters from all three of the Mass Effect games. The multiplayer DLC pack, Mass Effect 3: Reckoning, offers players new firepower and character kits for the war against the Reapers. Fans will be able to get a sneak preview Mass Effect 3: Reckoning before it launches on BioWare’s official Twitch.TV channel at http://www.twitch.tv/bioware. Developers from BioWare Edmonton will be streaming gameplay and taking questions from fans on February 25 at 9:30AM PST.

Mass Effect 3 thrusts players into an all-out galactic war to save mankind from an ancient alien race known only as the Reapers. Players will assume the role of Commander Shepard, a war-torn veteran who’s willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate this nearly unstoppable foe. With a team of elite soldiers at their side, each player decides how they will take Earth back, from the weapons and abilities they utilize to the relationships they forge or break. The Mass Effect franchise is one of the most highly decorated series in the history of games, earning more than 300 international awards.

Demo Now Available for March of the Eagles

Feb 21, 2013

Not sure if you are up to facing down the Imperial Guard in the Rhineland? Uncertain about how you will measure up when the Royal Navy comes sailing into your waters? Paradox Development Studio is now giving you a chance to sample the glories or defeats that await you in March of the Eagles.

A demo for March of the Eagles, Paradox’s newest wargame, is now available on Steam for those of you that want to give an army a test drive before taking up the reins of power.

Get a taste for battle in March of the Eagles here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/227760/

The demo limits you to playing Prussia, the great central European power sandwiched between the might of France and the inexhaustible hordes of Russia. All single player capabilities as well as the tutorial and the hints system are included in this demo. There are no multiplayer capabilities, and saved games have been disabled.

March of the Eagles puts you in command of a great power in one of the climactic periods of European history, the Napoleonic Wars.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/P5IAk4twLmA]

ArmA III will be a Steam-exclusive title, says Bohemia Interactive

Feb 21, 2013

Ahead of their release plans announcement, Bohemia Interactive has revealed that Valve’s Steam will be required to play Arma 3. In a developer’s blog post, Project Lead Joris-Jan van ‘t Land explains the studio’s motivations, stating that the game could otherwise not be released in 2013.

The “Full Steam Ahead” blog post mentions a difficult phase in development, which also involved the recent incident in Greece. These setbacks drove the studio to re-evaluate the project, and Joris-Jan van ‘t Land refers to the decision for Steam as one of the steps to set Arma 3 back on track for a 2013 release.

“As an independent developer, we’re constantly evaluating the way we develop, distribute and publish games. Valve made tremendous improvements to their system, which made the installation/update process much more user-friendly – for both developers and customers“ , adds Bohemia Interactive’s founder and CEO, Marek Španěl.

“We realize that some people may find it difficult to migrate to a new platform, especially if they were used to purchasing and playing our games without any external third-party application. We have evaluated the pros and cons, but in the end Steam enables us to release Arma 3, brings massive advantages to the game, and improves the end-user experience. Not to forget, the majority of our players already come from Steam.“

Bohemia Interactive is also exploring the further integration of Steamworks functionality, which would enable game features that are impossible to develop in-house, on time. Joris-Jan van ‘t Land: “Valve’s Steamworks offers some cool features that can help us to enhance the Arma experience where it matters. We’ll save the exact details for a later update, but to summarize our priorities in two key words: user-generated content and multiplayer.”

Based on the latest progress and the current state of Arma 3, he ends his blog post in confidence: “We feel strongly that our decision is paying off, and soon you’ll get a chance to see why.”

The entire development blog post can be found at Bohemia Interactive’s website.

Boxed copies of Arma 3 will still be available at retail in most regions. These will either be Steam Codes in a retail package, or also contain DVD data to speed up installation.

Epic Games Demonstrates Unreal Engine 4 on the PlayStation 4 Computer Entertainment System

Feb 20, 2013

Epic Games, Inc. today revealed a new version of its “Elemental” real-time demonstration, the premier showcase for the studio’s breakthrough Unreal Engine 4 game engine technology, running on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system at today’s PlayStation Meeting 2013.

“We are thrilled to build onto our long-established success with PlayStation®,” said Tim Sweeney, Epic’s founder and chief executive officer. “Unreal Engine 4 is expertly designed for the next generation of game development and the outstanding power of PlayStation 4. Today’s demonstration offers a preview of what developers can accomplish using our tools to create games for PlayStation 4.”

In the new presentation, a scene featuring the fiery mallet-wielding Elemental knight picks up where the original demo ends. Unreal Engine 4’s high-end rendering capabilities are evident, as dynamic lighting and shadowing bring intensity to contrasting volcanic and snowy vistas. Real-time reflections, subsurface scattering and GPU-powered particle effects fill the screen space with visual gems as a new ice behemoth cracks free from a frozen mountain and emerges with a radiant, frosty bellow.

Destiny video from the Sony Playstation 4 Event

Feb 20, 2013

Earlier this week, Bungie and Activision officially announced that Destiny would be shipping on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. On February 20th, 2013, Bungie co-founder Jason Jones shared a simple message with PlayStation fans around the world: Destiny™ is being developed for PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®4, with both versions available at Destiny’s launch.

Harold Ryan, President of Bungie further added,

“Destiny is being developed for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, with both versions available at Destiny’s launch.  Destiny will also feature exclusive in-game content, only available on PlayStation.”

[youtube=http://youtu.be/6kJkiwDeWqQ]