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BERJAYA Commandos Strike Force
Executive producer Michael Souto on the strategy game turned FPS.

Star Wars Galaxies: Rage of the Wookiees
The Imperial Navy Survival Guide to Kashyyyk.

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- Commandos Goes FPS
- Children of the Nile Tools
- WorthPlaying Goodies
- X�: REUNION Announced
- Battlefield 2 Impressions
- CliffyB Gets Ass Kicked at GDC
- Dark Age of Camelot Update
- RPG Vault Bits
- 1.5 Million Subscribe To World of Warcraft
- Nexus: The Jupiter Incident Ships
 
Hottopics_top
- Editor Prosecuted For Warez Crimes;... (65)
- Xbox 2 Specs (59)
- Your Game Engine of Choice? (52)
- Vivendi Universal Games Gets 50... (48)
- Xbox Next to Win Next-Gen Wars;... (47)
- Dead or Alive Creator Mauls Tekken... (44)
- Vice City Causes Shock & Disgust... (36)
- Duke Nukem Forever Nuggets (32)
- Blizzard Bans 1000 Gold Farmers (32)
- 512 Meg GeForce 6s Announced (32)
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BERJAYA Thursday , March 17, 2005 BERJAYA
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BERJAYA Commandos Goes FPS 07:51 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Action BERJAYA (0 comments)
PC.IGN has an interview with Eidos's executive producer Michael Souto to learn more about Commandos Strike Force, which departs from the series traditional squad based action/strategy theme and goes into first person shooter mode:
IGNPC: Games like Savage and C&C; Renegade have tried to bridge the action and strategy genres before. Though they've been intriguing, they never really seemed to catch on. What is it about the game design or the Commandos brand that sets Strike Force apart?

Michael Souto: I think setting is key. WWII is important to the Commandos brand, although that's not to say that we couldn't take this gameplay elsewhere. This War however was the one that gripped the minds and souls of all involved, as there was a very clear distinction between good and evil. In Commandos Strike Force you really want to get into the thick of things because you know you have a job to do.

The problem with Renegades was that the game engine was really old, slow and buggy (even before it was released). The game itself was a lot of fun.

Children of the Nile Tools 07:48 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Simulation BERJAYA (0 comments)
Tilted Mill sends word that it has released some modification tools for its recently released sim, Children of the Nile:

Tilted Mill Entertainment is pleased to announce additional support for "Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile" for those who like to create their own scenarios and those made by others. Players can visit a new homepage with several scenarios and links to scenarios hosted on other sites. The site will periodically highlight new content a couple of scenarios at a time, so check back every once in a while.

The site includes a list of instructions on how to modify or extract content in or out of "CotN" for a player's own personal use, as outlined in the EULA. Although "CotN" is by no means easy to modify, one might be surprised at what can be done.

WorthPlaying Goodies 07:32 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: General News BERJAYA (0 comments)
Happy St. Patty's Day!

X³: REUNION Announced 04:24 pm - Andrew Burnes - Games: Space Strategy BERJAYA (0 comments)
Born from the ashes of X�: THE RETURN, an expansion to the popular X�: THE THREAT, is X�: REUNION, the first multi-platform X space title:

X�: REUNION utilises a new generation game engine, developed to immerse the player into the most realistic, living universe, ever experienced. Extensive development has gone into the X� engine, making full use of DirectX 9 technology, to create dramatic visual effects and stunningly realistic starships. The economy model in X�: REUNION is more complex than any previous X game. Coupled with the massively enhanced A.L. (Artificial Life) system, X�: REUNION will present players with an ever changing, evolving universe; where a player's actions really can shape the future of the universe. Community involvement has been extensive, throughout the development process and the launch of X�: REUNION will see many innovative fan creations in the final retail game. X�: REUNION will also be the first chance for players to experience the thrills of deep space trading on a format other than PC, with the launch of a console version (TBA).

"X�: REUNION will see another huge leap in the evolution of space trading games" said Bernd Lehahn, CEO EGOSOFT. "The decision to bring X� forward, allows for many community ideas to be implemented. X� set a bench mark to be beaten. X�: REUNION will surpass this in every way possible."

Further info is available here, along with images.

Battlefield 2 Impressions 03:51 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Action BERJAYA (0 comments)
Gamespot greased up an updated preview of DICE's Battlefield 2:

As we've noted previously, Battlefield 2 will emphasize team play in a number of ways, including built-in support for voice-over-IP audio chat and the surprising addition of an actual headset in every box, along with in-game squads and a commander player. Squads seem extremely useful, since they appear on the game's minimap as easy-to-see green blips and as green chevrons when they're off in the distance. More importantly, squad leaders can act as mobile spawn points for their teammates, which helps downed players get back into the action much faster. This also means that a squad leader becomes strategically important; the squad leader can act as a forward spawn point, which can make capturing an enemy base easier. Of course, this gives every incentive for defenders to hunt down and eliminate the squad leader.

CliffyB Gets Ass Kicked at GDC 03:24 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Action BERJAYA (2 comments)
Epic Games designer CliffyB updated CliffyB.com with some of his GDC 2005 highlights. Most of them involved being physically abused in one form or another. Check those out here.

Dark Age of Camelot Update 02:22 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: MMOG BERJAYA (0 comments)
Mythic updated the Camelot Herald with an outline of the proposed RvR missions which range from simple solo deals, to realm-wide participation and relic captures. Included, is news that they added the ability to "raze" towers, which they hope will open up battles a little more. In addition, they posted the 1.75 patch notes which includes the first round of Catacomb class nerfs. Enjoy warlocks while they last.

RPG Vault Bits 02:15 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Role-Playing BERJAYA (0 comments)

    Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising First View Perpetual Entertainment's newly announced online world featuring squad-based combat and quest-driven gameplay

    The Matrix Online Media #4 Hand to hand combat in Monolith's impending persistent state title incorporates a number of cool strikes and moves. - Eight exclusive 1280x1024 screenshots

1.5 Million Subscribe To World of Warcraft 11:54 am - Andrew Burnes - MMOG: Role-Playing BERJAYA (20 comments)
Blizzard joyfully announces that 1.5 million addicts worldwide are subscribing to World of Warcraft, with global peak concurrency topping 500,000:

    Europe:

  • Over 290,000 account creations and 180,000 peak concurrency in its first weekend.
  • Over 500,000 active subscribers, and 230,000 peak concurrency to date.

    Korea:

  • The most successful 100-day launch of any MMORPG in Korean history since its commercial release on January 18, 2005.
  • World of Warcraft is currently played in 75% of Korean Internet Game Rooms (IGRs), the primary venue for playing games in Korea. IGRs subscribe directly to MMORPGs and then players buy blocks of time from the IGRs for game time.

    North America:

  • Over 200,000 subscribers and 100,000 peak concurrency achieved in the game's first 24 hours.
  • Current subscriber base of over 800,000 players.

    Blizzard Entertainment is now focused on preparing the game for launch in additional regions in Asia and firming up service support in existing data centers. World of Warcraft is scheduled to launch in China in 2005, where excitement for the game has already reached a fevered pitch, as evidenced by the 100,000 applications for the limited open beta in just the first hour of signups on February 28, 2005. Launches in Taiwan and other regions are scheduled to follow closely thereafter.

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident Ships 11:51 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Space Strategy BERJAYA (9 comments)
The incredible & beautiful looking space strategy game, Nexus: The Jupiter Incident, is now available at North American stores following a 2004 European release:

Vivendi Universal Games today announced that Nexus: The Jupiter Incident is now available at retailers nationwide. Developed by Mithis Entertainment and published by HD Interactive BV, Nexus - The Jupiter Incident is a real-time mission-based tactical space game featuring spectacular real-time battles with breathtaking motion picture quality. Players will focus on tactics and action as they control up to 10 battleships encountering aliens, unknown solar systems and other phenomena in the struggle to save Earth.

Since its European release the Nexus community has produced a number of mods with the games' tool kit. Gamers can visit NexusTheGame.com to get an updated and complete list of available mods. The full mod kit is provided with the game and contains the tools and documentation related to ship modelling: a Nexus model viewer, a couple of sample models from the game, and a doc file describing the modelling guidelines and the usage of the model viewer.

Gawp at the incredible visuals this title offers by checking out the official site and available demo.

TimeSplitters Future Perfect Goes Gold 11:34 am - Andrew Burnes - Consoles: General News BERJAYA (1 comment)
EA's TimeSplitters Future Perfect has gone gold for all console platforms, and shall be on North American shop shelves next Tuesday:

Have you ever teamed up with a gun toting monkey to save the world? We thought not. Lucky for you, "TimeSplitters Future Perfect" has GONE GOLD for the PS2, Xbox and GameCube, and beginning March 22nd, the game will be available at retail stores nationwide. If you're not into monkeys, you can always team up with your past and future selves to battle enemies from across time in this highly-anticipated action-filled shooter from EA Games.

Here's hoping it's better than the recent GoldenEye title...

Brothers in Arms PC Hits Stores 10:16 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Action BERJAYA (20 comments)
More Ubisoft news today, as they send word that Gearbox's Brothers in Arms for the PC hit stores today:

Today Ubisoft, one of the world's leading videogame publishers and acclaimed developer Gearbox Software, announced that Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is now available in retail stores for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment and PC at the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $49.99.

"Based on the true events of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 takes the video game medium to an entirely new level," said Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. The game is meaningful and important not just as a piece of entertainment, but as a historical reference and a tribute to our greatest generation.

Created by Gearbox Software, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 puts you in the boots of a 101st Airborne squad leader in the most authentic WWII shooter ever, earning endorsements from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation and the Patton Museum. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is based on the true story of the famous paratroopers who led the D-Day invasion and will immerse gamers in the gritty, uncensored and emotionally-charged side of war. Players of all skill levels can battle their way through twenty epic single player chapters or go online and challenge their friends with ten competitive and innovative multiplayer missions.

Anyone pick this up yet?

World of WarCraft Server Transfers 09:26 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: MMOG BERJAYA (1 comment)
The WoW Vault is reporting that Blizzard is now offering limited character transfers for toons on high population servers in World of Warcraft. Here's the poop:

We are happy to announce the next step in our continued efforts to improve the stability and performance of our realms. Players with characters on high-population realms will now have the option of transferring their characters to a low-population realm. Dispersing the population across all the available realms will reduce lag and queues and improve the overall play experience for our players. Character transfers are optional for players with characters on eligible realms. Each high-population realm selected for character transfers will have one designated realm to which characters can move. The first character transfer will be offered for the Arthas realm to the Nathrezim realm. Click here to see what other realms are currently scheduled for character transfers. For more information, please read the character transfer F.A.Q. located here.

2005-2006 Ubisoft Release Schedule 09:10 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: General News BERJAYA (20 comments)
In case you were wondering:

Q1 FY05-06
LuminesTM - PSP
Bomberman DSTM - Nintendo DS
Bomberman HardballTM - Playstation�2
Star Wars�: Revenge of the SithTM Nintendo DS
Star Wars�: Revenge of the SithTM - GameBoy advance
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six LockdownTM - Playstation�2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six LockdownTM - Xbox�
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six LockdownTM - GameCube
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six LockdownTM - PC

Q2 FY05-06
Lunar Genesis - Nintendo DS
AA Rise of a Soldier - Xbox�
AA Rise of a Soldier - Playstation�2
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon� 2 mission pack - Xbox�
Far Cry Instincts - current console
World War II Squadron (working title) - Xbox�
The Settlers� Heritage of KingsTM add on - PC
Prince of Persia Warrior WithinTM - PSP
187 Ride or Die - Xbox�
187 Ride or Die - Playstation�2
187 Ride or Die - PC
187 Ride or Die - GameCube
Myst� V : End of Ages - PC/Mac

Q3 FY05-06
Alexandra Ledermann 6 - PC
And1 - Playstation�2
And1 - Xbox�
New chapter of Brothers In Arms - PC
New chapter of Brothers In Arms - Playstation�2
New chapter of Brothers In Arms - Xbox�
Far Cry add on - PC
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon� 3 - GameCube
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon� 3 - PC
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon� 3 - Playstation�2
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon� 3 - Xbox�
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon� 3 - next generation consoles
Peter Jackson's King Kong - GameBoy advance
Peter Jackson's King Kong - PC
Peter Jackson's King Kong - Playstation�2
Peter Jackson's King Kong - PSPTM
Peter Jackson's King Kong - Xbox�
Peter Jackson's King Kong - Nintendo DS
Peter Jackson's King Kong - GameCube
Peter Jackson's King Kong - next generation consoles
Prince of Persia 3 - GameBoy advance
Prince of Persia 3 - GameCube
Prince of Persia 3 - PC
Prince of Persia 3 - Playstation�2
Prince of Persia 3 - Xbox�
Prince of Persia Warrior Within - Nintendo DS
The Settlers� mission pack - PC

Q4 FY05-06
Silent Hunter 4 - PC
Heroes of Might & Magic� 5 - PC
Splinter Cell 4 - PC
Splinter Cell 4 - Playstation�2
Splinter Cell 4 - Xbox�
Splinter Cell 4 - GameCube
Splinter Cell 4 - next generation consoles
Splinter Cell - PSP
Killing Day (working title) - next generation consoles
Product with Might & Magic brand - PC
Title to be confirmed - Xbox�
Title to be confirmed - Playstation�2
Quite a few little surprises if you look at the list. Expansion packs for FarCry and Brothers in Arms, Heroes of Might & Magic 5, Splinter Cell 4, Prince of Persia 3 (yeah, I know), etc.

Million Dollar RYL Launch 08:49 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: MMOG BERJAYA (11 comments)
PlanetWide Games announced that its massively multiplayer RYL: Path of the Emperor game went gold today, and announced plans of a $1,000,000 multiplayer tournament:

Planetwide Games announced today, St. Patrick's Day 2005, that RYL: Path of the Emperor will be the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game to offer a $1,000,000 Grand Prize to the winner of a Player vs. Player Skill-Based Tournament. Players who purchase the pre-order RYL: Path of the Emperor video game either online or in retail stores such as EB Games and Gamestop will be qualified to participate in the tournament in which one player will win the $1,000,000 Grand Prize.

The RYL qualifying tournament will start July 1, 2005 and will end April 30, 2006, culminating in a Final Tournament event to be broadcast live and to take place in conjunction with the E3 Video Game Expo in May 2006.

$1,000,000.00? Wow! Not bad for a new company and game I've never even heard of before. I have to admit I'm seeing warning lights go off in my head. That, or I started drinking too early.

Is Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory The Best Game Evah? 07:56 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Consoles: Xbox BERJAYA (25 comments)
Ubisoft issued a press release regarding advanced review scores for Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory on the Xbox, where a number of magazines drool all over the latest iteration of Tom Clancy's popular tactical action series:

"Buy it, play it, treasure it. It's a rare genuine classic and the game the Xbox was built for," writes Official Xbox Magazine's Ryan McCaffrey in his review. He adds, "Topping Riddick and Halo 2 by a mile, this level of visual details shouldn't be possible on an Xbox."

"Our development teams have put their heart and soul into this game, putting in countless hours towards one ultimate objective: to create the best possible game on the Xbox�, pushing the limits of their imaginations and of the machine itself," said Ubisoft's President and CEO, Yves Guillemot. "We're thrilled that the reporters at Official Xbox Magazine and other publications have recognized the incredible creativity and tremendous efforts that have been poured into this game over the past 3 years."

Click on the comments for the full PR.

The game ships on March 31st.

Understanding the Cell CPU 07:44 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - hardware: General News BERJAYA (0 comments)
Anandtech has a great "put your ass in the know" article up today called Understanding the Cell Microprocessor which explains how this exciting new technology that will be featured first in the PlayStation 3 will work:

Cell's architecture is similar to the next version of Microsoft's Xbox and upcoming PC microprocessors in that it is heavily multithreaded. The next Xbox will execute between 3 and 6 threads simultaneously, while desktop PC microprocessors will execute between 2 - 4. The problem is that while Xbox 2/360/Next and the PC will be using multiple general purpose cores, Cell relies on more specialized hardware to achieve its peak performance. Cell's SPEs being Altivec/VMX derived is a benefit, which should mean that the ISA is more familiar to developers working on any POWER based architecture, but the approach to development on Cell vs. development on the PC will literally be on opposite ends of the spectrum, with the new Xbox somewhere in between.

Hardware & Tech Nuggets 07:03 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - hardware: General News BERJAYA (0 comments)

Gothic II English Demo 06:01 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Role-Playing BERJAYA (5 comments)
3D Gamers posted the English Demo of Gothic II, giving you a chance to sample Piranha Bytes' 3rd person perspective role playing game. "This demo contains the intro movie to set the sequel's premise as an seamless follow-up to the original game's ending, along with the first playable chapter." It comes in at a chubby 381 megs.

Game Reviews 05:55 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: General News BERJAYA (0 comments)

In Other News... 05:42 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - In-House: In Other News... BERJAYA (32 comments)
Thanks for all the messages, emails and posts about Billy passing on (thanks Ranger55 for the link) the past few days. It's hard to answer all of the letters personally, so I thought I'd take a moment and thank everyone here. I've always been pretty bad about answering emails and crap, but I'll try and do better in that regard. That, or make a mailbag section or something. Perhaps both.

I picked up Act of War yesterday and played it for a few hours. All I have to say is wow! It's like an old style C&C; game, but with today's bells and whistles in 3D graphics. The cutscenes are pretty good too; the story is by New York Times best-seller Dale Brown, who apparantly is releasing an Act of War novel on 5/31. Act of War could be the next big thing as far as RTS games are concerned.

Anyways... Happy St. Patties Day! The Irish blood in me is burning for some frosty adult beverages, so beer with us if our posts start making little or no sense as the day unfolds.

Today's question is: Do you plan on picking up Act of War? If you already have, what are your impressions of the game?

Just an FYI - The comments display are acting up again, so if you see a post that you would think would have comments on it but show 0, chances are it actually does...

BERJAYA
 
 

BERJAYA Wednesday, March 16, 2005 BERJAYA
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BERJAYA Act of War Final Impressions 07:08 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Real-Time Strategy BERJAYA (0 comments)
Gamespot greased up some final impressions of Atari's Act of War, which is actually pretty damned good:
In many ways, Act of War feels like a better, and more serious, version of EA's Command & Conquer series, whose real-time strategy games featured extensive live-action cutscenes. However, where Command & Conquer always went for camp with scenery-chewing performances and over-the-top plots, Act of War goes for gritty realism. The geopolitical nature of the plot lends the game an "It could happen tomorrow" feel. Meanwhile, the handheld camera shots along with the quick edits give the cutscenes the feel of an action movie, while the amount of technical jargon flying about will certainly impress military fans. Of course, that's probably expected, since Eugen Systems, the game's developer, worked with the New York Times best-selling author Dale Brown on the game's plot.

Stronghold 2 Impressions 06:37 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Real-Time Strategy BERJAYA (0 comments)
PC.IGN kicked up a hands-on preview of Firefly's upcoming stratey game, Stronghold 2:

The Stronghold series has something a bit different going for it than other RTS games. It's another turtle game that encourages players to build up strong defenses and then move out into the world and start dealing damage to players. Though... if playing the first bits of both the military and economic portions of the game is any indication, it's not going to be so simple this time around. In the kingmaker mode and single player military campaign, players will be forced to make decisions. The single player portion in particular will challenge players to complete goals much quicker than they might have intended to in a normal game of Stronghold.

RPG Vault Bits 06:16 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Role-Playing BERJAYA (0 comments)

    Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle Team Q&A; #3 We ask about particularly pleasant surprises and fun moments in the North American version of NCsoft's endeavor. - Includes eight exclusive screenshots

    Dungeon Lords Media #5 Outside and inside Heuristic Park's Temple of the Moors, we face a Wild Wolf, a Goblin Mage and lots of Nagas. - Eight exclusive screenshots

Humpday WPG 06:09 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: General News BERJAYA (1 comment)
Happy humping:

  • Various Game Trailers
    • 'Battlestations Midway' (PS2/Xbox/PC) - Trailer
    • 'Silent Hunter III' (PC) - Trailer
    • 'Still Life' (Xbox/PC) - Trailer

Stronghold 2 Interview 03:50 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Real-Time Strategy BERJAYA (0 comments)
CGM interviewed Firefly's Simon Bradbury about its forthcoming RTS, Stronghold 2:

Computer Games - One of the big attactions of the first Stronghold games were the castle siege features. First, what kinds of new defenses will the player have for his castle to protect him or her from invading armies?

Simon Bradbury - There are many new ways to burn, perforate, flatten, slice and shatter those that would hurl themselves against your walls. We've got pitch ditches as before(which can be set aflame to torch your enemies), boiling oil, spike pits, and lots more.. But its our new burning logs system that gets us excited, these heavy logs are mounted on the side of castle walls, to be released by the player to cause physics mayhem on the poor approaching enemies.

That Physics PPU will really add a lot of spice to games like these.

Tomb Raider for Xbox 2 03:42 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Consoles: Xbox Next BERJAYA (8 comments)
Hidden away in Eidos's annual report is mention at Gamespot that the publisher is working on a new Tomb Raider for the Xbox Next and PSP:

Then came the following bombshell, "This [delay] will enable further development work to be undertaken on these titles (including additional versions of Lara Croft Tomb Raider for the next generation PSP and Xbox 2 platforms) and allow the Company to take advantage of more favorable release windows."

Unfortunately, that's all the earnings report said regarding the PSP and Xbox 2 versions of the seventh Tomb Raider game, which are the only platforms for which it has been officially confirmed. The game is set for release in Eidos' next fiscal year, which begins July 1, which would be the earliest possible launch date for the PSP version. But with industry expectations pointing toward a Q4 2005 launch for Microsoft's next-gen console, a holiday release looks more likely if all versions of Tomb Raider VII ship simultaneously.

Call of Duty 2 Nuggets 12:46 pm - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Action BERJAYA (15 comments)
Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 2 is featured in this month's PC Gamer Magazine (April 2005) and has the first details about the sequel to the best WW2 game released to date (Brothers in Arms isn't out for the PC yet, so I don't include that). Without spoiling the game, here are a few tasty info nuggets from the article:

  • Call of Duty 2 uses a new proprietary graphics engine featuring normal-mapping, specular-mapping, bump-spec, real-time lighting and shadows and donut bumping (okay I made the last one up).
  • Is less scripted and linear than the original letting players jump from any of the campaigns (American, English, Russian) in whatever order they want. Not to the point of being Grand Theft Auto: WW2, but the gameplay is a lot more open ended.
  • Hints at a possible playable German campaign.
  • Missions set in Normandy, Stalingrad and North Africa.
  • Huge maps on "a scale of miles".
  • Better story telling, more emotional than the original.
  • D-Day landing mission is supposed to be pretty good.
  • Improved squad based companions.
Overall, a great article and well worth picking up. On a totally unrelated note, they slapped Star Wars Republic Commando with a 62% score.

Total Overdose Revealed; Nudies 09:44 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action BERJAYA (14 comments)
Although vaguely announced back in January, SCi and Deadline Games today took the wraps off Total Overdose, a third-person action shooter in similar vein to Grand Theft Auto and the thousand other clones coming outta the woodwork of late:

The year is 1989 and deep in the sweltering heat of the Mayan jungle, camouflaged among the Inca ruins, Ernesto Cruz catches his breath for a few moments and admires his handiwork, bodies strewn across the temple ruins, as he makes a last gasp effort to board a DEA plane to take him to safety. He never made it home, the tragic victim of an alleged 'OVERDOSE'.

Two weeks ago Ernesto's son, Ramiro Cruz is hauled out of jail by the DEA to be told his twin brother, Tommy, works for them as an undercover agent and has some new information about their father's death. But, Tommy has had an accident with a hand grenade and now Ramiro must take his brother's place in an undercover operation closing in on the ruthless drug cartel overlord Papa Muerte.

Through stylized Mexican neighbourhoods and jungle hide-outs to the swanky Californian coast; TOTAL OVERDOSE is an over-the-top, adrenalin-fuelled, free-style action, 3rd person cinematic adventure with a strong whiff of tequila.

Crash cars, steal hats, shoot bad guys with style, jump bikes, fight in the street, meet girls, shoot more bad guys, find your fathers killer, hot-wire tractors, eat Burritos, catch planes, drink tequila; the Mexican heat can make people do the strangest things.

(Click to Enlarge!)
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Total Overdose will be released on the Playstation 2, PC, and Xbox this summer.

Update: A trailer can be found on Worthplaying.

AND 1 & Ubisoft Partner For Mix Tape Tour Titles 09:43 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Sports BERJAYA (0 comments)
Ubisoft announces that their second exclusive sports license is a hook up with AND 1 to create titles inspired by their popular, although unknown to me, Mix Tape Tours:

AND 1, the performance basketball footwear and apparel company is best known for its Mix Tape Tour property and its more than 100 endorsers in the NBA.

Every summer AND 1 hosts the AND 1 Mix Tape Tour, which raises the bar for the brashest and most innovative playground moves ever invented. This summer-long roadshow pits the best players each city has to offer against the AND 1 playground legends such as The Professor, Spyda, Half Man-Half Amazing, AO, Sik wit It, Main Event and others. Held in more than 50 cities around the world each year, the AND 1 streetball events are featured on the ESPN television network series: "Street Ball: The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour presented by Mountain Dew."

The first hook up was with golfer Vijay Singh, FYI.

PSX Back Again; Adds PSP Compatibility 09:36 am - Andrew Burnes - Consoles: PS2 BERJAYA (0 comments)
Thought Sony's multimedia PS2 was dead in the water after production ceased? Well apparently not, as Sony today revealed models that can save video recorded on the device to Memory Sticks, which can in turn be watched on the PSP.

Check out the rest of this news on GamesIndustryBiz.

Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil Quickie 09:33 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Games: Action BERJAYA (0 comments)
The chaps from Gamesdomain kicked up a quickie for Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil:

Among the new weapons to be found in Resurrection is the grabber gun. Reminiscent of a certain weapon in Half-Life 2, the grabber allows players to swipe objects and projectile weapons, and fling them around the room. You can even grab small demons and toss them back at their friends, killing two birds with one stone. Using the grabber well requires timing, but once mastered, it is a powerful weapon. For example, grabbing an Imp's fireball and flinging back at the hapless demon will result in its instant demise. The grabber can also be used to reach out-of-the-way weapons and health packs.

Sony After Australian Mod Chips Once Again 09:31 am - Andrew Burnes - Consoles: PS2 BERJAYA (0 comments)
Australian IT reports that Sony will challenge a ruling that allowed legal sales of mod chips Down Under, following a change in federal copyright laws:

SCEA has engaged in a long series of legal manoeuvres to outlaw the chips since 2002 when it took legal action against backyard mod chip supplier, Eddy Stevens, in the Federal Court.

Sony asked the court to interpret parts of the Copyright Act outlawing the devices that circumvent copy protection mechanisms to include mod chips that Mr Stevens was selling.

However, Justice Ronald Sackville ruled in favour of Mr Stevens after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission intervened in the case.

StarCraft Ghost Going Multiplayer? 09:07 am - Robert 'Apache' Howarth - Consoles: General News BERJAYA (4 comments)
BlizzPlanet seems to believe that StarCraft: Ghost may be adding multiplayer, after checking out the latest help wanted ads which seem to indicate that having multiplayer experience is a must.

A new job position for a Level Designer was announced by Swingin Ape Studios, who is leading the development of Starcraft: Ghost with supervision of Blizzard's Rob Pardo & Chris Metzen. The job position highlights Multiplayer level design a plus. Seeing as all Blizzard games have multiplayer features, it is no surprise that Blizzard could be considering multiplayer in Starcraft: Ghost for console gamers.

After the sudden leave of Nihilistic from the project, Blizzard assigned Swingin Ape Studios to follow up development of Starcraft: Ghost few months ago(July 7, 2004). Although Blizzard has not officially confirmed Multiplayer features for Starcraft: Ghost, the job opening may suggest that Blizzard and Swinging Ape Studios are studying the possibility of adding Multiplayer capabilities to the Console game.

Thanks Nathan.

Stoked Rider featuring Tommy Brunner Nudies 08:59 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Sports BERJAYA (10 comments)
Below you can peruse four new screenshots of Stoked Rider featuring Tommy Brunner, a 3D cellshaded snowboarding game from Austrian developer Bongfish:

(Click to Enlarge!)
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What we cannot host here, however, is a slick flash-based 3D screenshot.

ParaWorld Q&A; 07:28 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Real-Time Strategy BERJAYA (0 comments)
GGMania spoke to the ANNO 1602 folks about their visually advanced dino-slaying RTS:

GGMania: How will the enemy AI function? Can you give us an example?

Reinhard D�pfer: The ParaWorld AI acts as a virtual player through a special user interface. Its actions and basic behavioural patterns are exactly the same as a human player would see. This is accomplished by deriving AI behaviour from the normal gameplay functionality. To make the AI as flexible as possible, it constantly evaluates its current techtree status and finds the most valuable upgrades. In parallel, unit management competes for resources. All resource needs are weighted against each other and the higher priorities finally become AI activities. Our AI is prepared to use co-operative strategies, especially for Multiplayer games. This includes distributed resource management, co-ordinated outposts and also in-game chat messages. To address the varying game characteristics for the available tribes, the AI code uses hand-tuned short-term strategies in both combat and economy.

European PSP Release Delayed; More UMD Movies Announced 03:00 am - Andrew Burnes - Consoles: PSP BERJAYA (0 comments)
Due to supply issues with the Playstation Portable, Sony will delay the European release by several months, as predicted some time ago:

"It's been deferred. We were originally hoping for an end of fiscal year (March 31) launch, but now that's not going to be the case," a Sony spokesman told Reuters Tuesday. "It is likely to be a matter of a few months rather than a few weeks -- it's a matter of allocation." "When it launches in the U.S., they will have 1 million units at launch and continuity of supply thereafter," he added.

Meanwhile, Buena Vista Home Entertainment has announced that five of their titles will make the transition to UMD format for viewing on the slinky device:

BVHE will release National Treasure, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pear, Reign Of Fire, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Hero in the United States and Canada. Other titles to be made available will be announced throughout the year.

"Buena Vista Home Entertainment is excited to move forward with our movies on this format. With its crisp picture, ease of use and quick response mechanisms, the PSP is poised to revolutionize portable entertainment systems throughout the world," said Chapek. "We are confident that the five titles we announced today appeal to the new PSP consumer."

Unreal Tournament 2004 1 Year Anniversary Q&A; 02:54 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action BERJAYA (1 comment)
Today is apparently the 1 year anniversary of Unreal Tournament 2004 being released, so naturally there's an interview about it on BeyondUnreal:

BeyondUnreal: A huge part of the success of Unreal Tournament 2004 was the addition of vehicles and the Onslaught gametype. Looking back, what about Unreal Tournament 2004 do you think _didn't_ work? What would you like to have changed?

Steve Polge: With Assault, it's the problem that in many maps, the game play tends to get bogged down in spam fests around certain chokepoints. We spent a lot of time trying to improve this issue, but it is difficult to prevent this and keep assault from becoming too complicated for casual players.

With Onslaught, the problem is that once one team has a significant advantage, it's often difficult for the other team to mount a comeback. This is particularly the case on node layouts with only a single node connection to the powercore (which is a good layout for small player counts, but not for larger player counts). We tried to address this by providing multiple node layouts, but unfortunately people tend to play with the default layout.

We're working on some new game play mechanics to address this issue for the next Unreal Tournament.

'Grats Epic.

Enemy In Sight Revealed 02:42 am - Andrew Burnes - Games: Action BERJAYA (1 comment)
Although we've yet to receive the official press release, we can today reveal that Mafia developer Illusion Softworks is presently beavering away on Enemy In Sight, a near-future first-person shooter depicting an epic conflict between Russia and The United States of America.

Featuring a predilection for vehicular combat, Enemy In Sight is to be published by Atari, and released later this year.

In Other News... 02:31 am - Andrew Burnes - In-House: In Other News... BERJAYA (0 comments)
I've had trouble accessing our content management system the past few days, but thankfully all seems well now.

I think I only spoke to Billy once or twice, but without him, I would never have been on this site today, so thanks Billy, may you rest in peace. What is your fondest Billy phrase/saying/quote/story/anecdote?

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