Hotline Miami – First Hands-On at QuakeCon

Jul 31, 2012

Devolver Digital has an interesting game that will have fans at QuakeCon get their first hands-on with the game, which I know almost nothing about.

Let’s see what some other guys that are not us have to say about the game, Rezzed Best of Show Winner 2012 from Rock, Paper, Shotgun and Eurogamer:

Hotline Miami overflows with raw brutality and skull crushing close combat as you find yourself outgunned and using your wits to choreograph your way through impossible situations. An unmistakable visual style, a driving soundtrack, and a surreal plot that will have you question your own thirst for blood. Bash and blast through over 20 multiscreen levels with 35 unique weapons and collect 25 game-altering masks in one of the darkest and most unusual independent games on the scene.

The Book of Unwritten Tales is Now Available

Jul 31, 2012

Nordic Games is bringing one of the best adventure games in the past 10 years to gamers around the world today, as KING Art Games’ “The Book of Unwritten Tales” (BoUT) makes its way to Steam, GOG.com, GameStop PC Downloads, GameFly and many more. Pricing for the PC and Mac title, which varies by region, is $19.99 / £17.99 / €19.99 / 299 Rubles (Russia only) for the Standard Edition, and $24.99 / £19.99 / €24.99 / 349 Rubles for the Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes – apart from the game itself – the soundtrack (22 tracks), a nicely designed making-of booklet (47 pages), as well as a short video about the making of a character.

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Orcs Must Die! 2 Now Available

Jul 30, 2012

Robot Entertainment today announced that  Orcs Must Die! 2, the sequel to last year’s AIAS Strategy Game of the Year, is now available for download. Orcs Must Die! 2 thrusts players and their friends back into battle against a terrifying mob of orcs and other monsters. With a redesigned spellbook, players will have a broader range of options to build a deadly arsenal of defenses. Investing hard-earned skulls in an enormous new upgrade system will allow players to cater to their favorite methods of burning, grinding, tossing, or dismembering orcs.

Download Orcs Must Die! 2: http://store.steampowered.com/app/201790/ 

Orcs Must Die! 2 begins days after the ending of the original game. With the rifts closed and the magical Order dead, the War Mage finds himself suddenly thrust into a new battle against the mindless orc mob. He has a powerful, if questionable, new companion in the Sorceress, an ex-War Mage responsible for the destruction of the Order.

Orcs Must Die! 2 Features: 

• Co-Op! – Play as the War Mage, the headstrong hero who charges into danger, or play as the more strategic Sorceress who keeps the mob at bay with mind-control and magic.
• Story-based Campaign – Pick up where the original game left off with a brand new story-based campaign that you can play in Single-Player or Co-Op!
• Endless Mode – Play alone or join a friend to put your skills to the test against endless waves of increasingly difficult enemies.
• Classic Mode – Steam players who own the original Orcs Must Die! will automatically unlock co-op versions of 10 fan-favorite levels from the original game featuring new enemies!
• Over 20 Deadly Enemies – Face an army of vile new creatures like Earth Elementals, Trolls, and Bile Bats. And they’ve brought all of your favorite trap-fodder from the original Orcs Must Die! along with them!
• More than 50 Traps, Weapons, and Guardians – Choose from an enormous armory of new and classic defenses, including an all new assortment of magical trinkets.
• Massive Upgrade System – With more than 225 persistent trap and weapon upgrades to unlock, you can build an arsenal perfectly suited to your slaying style.

Orcs Must Die! 2 is an action-strategy game that challenges players and their friends to team up and defend a world constantly under siege. Orcs Must Die! 2 is available exclusively as a digital download on personal computers this. For more information about Orcs Must Die! 2, please visit http://www.OrcsMustDie.com.

ArmA 2: Army of the Czech Republic Announced for Release TODAY

Jul 30, 2012

Bohemia Interactive, the award-winning independent Czech development studio, proudly announce Arma 2: Army of the Czech Republic (A2: ACR), is about to land on a digital distribution runway near you today, July 30th via store.bistudio.com and mid-August 2012 on Steam.

Arma 2: Army of the Czech Republic the brand new installment of the most authentic, diverse and open tactical military shooter series, Arma. A2: ACR is available for purchase now on Bohemia Interactive’s own digital distribution portal. The stunning new DLC features a variety of authentically modeled units and vehicles together with detailed environments, demonstrating the various roles and deployments of modern Czech Armed Forces across different theatres of war. All brought together in an exciting and engaging new singleplayer campaign as well as a number of standalone singleplayer and multiplayer scenarios.

Storyline
The civil war in Bystrica is at its end. But it’s not the end of fear for the people. War criminals like Colonel Miyovic still terrorize the country with their militia looting and murdering civilians. Forces of the Czech Republic Army are sent to restore order.

After restoring partial order in Takistan; Allied forces were able to send in a small number of provisional reconstruction teams. Unfortunately local rebels are still planning operations to damage the reconstruction process. However, Czech forces are operating in the area and that should help change the status quo.

NASCAR The Game: Inside Line shows off Bristol Motor Speedway in screenshots and trailer

Jul 27, 2012

Activision and Eutechnyx’s upcoming NASCAR The Game: Inside Line, scheduled for release this fall on PS3, 360 and Wii.

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Sanctum to be released on Mac – Apply for a Beta Key

Jul 27, 2012

Sanctum has taken Steam by storm, winning the community’s vote for last week’s Community Sale. Come August 13th, Mac users will be able to get their hands on the game and experience the awesomeness that is the first FPS/tower-defense hybrid. Those who own Sanctum now will see a separate Beta version in their games list that they can download and test. For those who don’t have the game yet, hopefuls can apply for a beta key here:

http://www.sanctumgame.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1592&sid=a54c4918c5ccff014cc65e8c363bc4fd

Sanctum is a fresh take on the tower defense genre and places the player right into the frenetic fray with tight first-person shooter gameplay mechanics. Gamers take the role as Skye, an elite soldier sent out to protect her home town, Elysion One, from hordes of mysterious alien creatures. To successfully defend your land, you must construct and upgrade a labyrinth of defensive structures and towers. When the havoc starts and the wave of baddies is unleashed, you jump right into the action with your own fully-upgradeable weapons and play a key role in the defense. Sanctum has taken the best features from FPSs and tower defense games to create something totally unique.

For more information about Sanctum, please visit http://store.steampowered.com/app/91600/. For more information about Coffee Stain Studios, please visit www.coffeestainstudios.com.

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission being presented on Xbox 360 at Gamescom 2012

Jul 27, 2012

The debut presentation of Carrier Command: Gaea Mission will be happening for Xbox 360 for the first time ever.

Bohemia Interactive will unveil their exciting new game at Gamescom 2012.

Orcs Must Die! 2 Demo and Soundtrack Now Available!

Jul 27, 2012

With just four days until the release of Orcs Must Die! 2, Robot Entertainment today has announced that they’re celebrating the final countdown with demos, deals, and the long-awaited release of the Orcs Must Die! soundtrack! Players looking to be the first to get their hands on Orcs Must Die! 2 can now download the demo and start sleighing their way through two of the game’s early levels in single-player or co-op. Play as either the Sorceress or the War Mage and test-drive a selection of new traps and upgrades. Hone your combat and trap combos this weekend in anticipation of the monstrous assault coming your way when Orcs Must Die! 2 releases on Monday, July 30^th, 2012!

Download the Orcs Must Die! 2 Demo: http://store.steampowered.com/app/201790/ 

In addition to the demo, Robot Entertainment has also released the pulse-pounding soundtrack to Orcs Must Die! 2. The soundtrack can be purchased exclusively on Steam for $5.99 and contains over 40 minutes of original music sure to whip players into an orc-killing frenzy.

Finally, Robot Entertainment has permanently lowered the price of the original Orcs Must Die! to $9.99! Downloading the original game will not only give players hours of intense orc-slaying, but will also unlock 10 classic levels in Orcs Must Die! 2. Still not enough? The original game is also on sale for 75% off from now until the morning of July 30^th, 2012. There’s never been a better price on the 2011 AIAS Strategy Game of the Year!

Pre-order Orcs Must Die! 2: http://store.steampowered.com/app/201790/ 

Argon Queen Update comes to TERA – More Battlegrounds, New Raids, New Dungeons

Jul 27, 2012

En Masse Entertainment, the company behind the highly-acclaimed action MMO TERA, is pleased to share early details surrounding the game’s biggest update yet, which will be available to players free of charge next month. A new game video outlines some of the upcoming features and is available now.

TERA is all about action-oriented combat, so this update will improve certain classes to make them more versatile on the battlefield. Warriors are now more effective as tanks, pulling threat from enemies while still dealing quick damage, and the burly lancer has increased agility to help avoid attacks. Players will be able to test these new skills against each other in Fraywind Canyon with the addition of the all-new battlegrounds, where users from different servers will clash in fierce 15-on-15 battles for in-game supremacy.

Players will also find new dungeons, including the dark and sinister Argon Corpus, the colorful and vibrant Sirjuka Gallery and the ultimate face-off against the argon queen herself in Manaya’s Core. Players will need to be at their best to fend off her relentless attacks. Players will also experience an expanded 10-person raid for the first time in the Nexus Traverse, with some of the biggest and baddest BAMs the world of TERA has ever seen. Look for more details surrounding this exciting update over the next month.

Lauded for its action-oriented, real-time combat and massive MMO world, TERA continues to entertain masses of players looking for a new game experience. TERA is developed by Bluehole Studio™, co-produced and published by En Masse Entertainment in North America, and distributed at retail by Atari. For more information on TERA, please visit TERA-online.com.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn announced by Square Enix

Jul 26, 2012

Square Enix, Inc., the publishers of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, announced today the fully-redesigned, massively multiplayer online adventure FINAL FANTASY® XIV: A Realm Reborn™.  Previously referenced as “version 2.0,” this title has been rebuilt from the ground up, and centers on the core concept of rebirth, featuring a new world to explore and storyline to experience.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn offers visually-stunning graphics and game design that appeal to both Windows PC and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system players.

“Since announcing our plans for the future of the title last October, we have been working tirelessly to include all of the elements that we have promised in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. This new title not only becomes a symbol of a completely new FINAL FANTASY XIV, but also marks the beginning of a new stage as the latest title in the FINAL FANTASY series. I hope you’re looking forward to it!” said Naoki Yoshida, producer/director ofFINAL FANTASY XIV.

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Spy vs Spy is Now Available on iOS

Jul 26, 2012

Robots and Pencils, together with First Star Software, Inc. and Warner Bros. announced today that the landmark hit “Spy vs Spy” is now available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, featuring the famous Black and White spies from DC Entertainment’s MAD Magazine with online and local multiplayer matches, 16 new embassies (plus the original 8), and a pixel perfect retro mode as well as a modern mode. “Spy vs Spy” is just $1.99 on the iTunes App Store.

Based on the original “Spy vs Spy” game, the iOS title brings back all the humor, action and fisticuffs that made the original an all-time, multi-million-unit-selling hit. This modern update takes the original gameplay as designed, developed, and published by First Star Software in 1984 for the Apple II, Atari 400/800 and Commodore 64, and adds HD visuals; support of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Apple’s GameCenter as well as four remixes of the original music and many other new features.

Spy vs Spy features:

• • Online + Local Multiplayer Support – sabotage and intrigue included.
• • 16 Brand New Embassies – for a total of 24.
• • Play alone in Custom Matches for all 24 embassies, each with 5 levels of difficulty – you select the IQ of the opposing spy.
• • Retina graphics for the new iPad and iPhone.
• • New, full screen club-to-club Combat in Modern mode.
• • Modern & Retro game modes – both featuring Simulvision™, Simulplay™ and your very own Trapulator™.
• • 5 types of Booby-Traps – play as the famous Black and White spies from MAD Magazine.
• • Integrated Game Center Leaderboards and Achievements.
• • Includes the original theme music plus 4 new remixes.
• • Universal app – play on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

If you don’t succeed at first…spy, spy again.”–Alfred E. Neuman

“Spy vs Spy” is now available on the iTunes App Store. http://itunes.apple.com/app/spy-vs-spy/id514737089

Get Rico’s outfit from Just Cause 2 when you play Sleeping Dogs

Jul 25, 2012

With United Front Games’ Sleeping Dogs three weeks from release, Square Enix London Studios today revealed Just Cause 2 players will find an exciting piece of free content available in the hotly anticipated open world cop drama.

Available in-game from launch, players browsing protagonist Wei Shen’s safehouse wardrobe will gain access to a unique new player outfit… a Just Cause 2 clothes set. Featuring Rico Rodriguez’ trademark look, players stepping out onto the streets of Hong Kong dressed as the King of Chaos will gain a distinct boost to their action hijack ability, allowing them to perform stunt-style takeovers of enemy vehicles from an even greater distance.

This exclusive Just Cause 2 clothes set will be available in-game from launch across all formats upon detection of a Just Cause 2 game save on the machine’s hard drive.

Stardock celebrates Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion’s success of 100,000+ purchases

Jul 25, 2012

Today Stardock posted a news item for their loyal fans discussing sales of the recently released Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion.

The article is here http://www.stardock.com/about/newsitem.asp?id=2738 and contains some interesting information:

• In the short release window (mid-June) they’ve sold 100,000+ copies of the game

• They briefly discuss the difference between sell-in vs sell-through

• Positive reviews and even some Editor’s Choice Awards

“When we combine our direct sales of Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion with the sales from GameStop, we see unit sales similar to what we’ve seen previously when at retail. This contradicts our projection that sales via Steam would share the overall digital pie we’d previously seen,” said Brad Wardell, president & CEO of Stardock. “Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion on Steam didn’t cannibalize its GameStop or direct sales.”

It’s neat to see companies be so open and honest about sales and what things mean. Transparency can be a good thing. Stardock has had some rough launches with games like Demigod and Elemental, but SoaSE has always been strong for them. We look forward to seeing more of Sins of a Dark Age.