Gets 16th map, over four billion kills since last year

Four billion player kills in one year is quite a feat, especially for a free-to-play FPS.  Well, Combat Arms is still pushing that figure and has gotten its 16th map now with "Grave Digger."

A new trailer showcasing the map was just released, composed of compiled gameplay footage. 

On top of the previously announced four billion kills, Nexon also noted that 1.5 grenades have been tossed, with 240 million hitting their mark.  Ah yes, only in the gaming industry would you brag about having wracked up billions of deaths.

"New User Journey" introduced, replaces 10-day trial

Mythic and EA are doing something interesting with Warhammer Online.  Today, they announce their new endless free trial, which replaces the original 10-day trial.  The catch is that trial characters are capped at level 10 and restricted to the tier one Empire vs. Chaos zones of Nordland and Norsca, and the Hunter's Vale dungeon.

With the new endless fre trial comes the New User Journey, which includes "enhanced" tutorials and new community features, like the "new player" guild.  It's supposed to ease players into the game better, according to Mythic Entertainment's executive producer, Jeff Hickman:

“With the introduction of the endless free trial and streaming client, we are making it easier than ever for a new player to join the WAR.  We’ve worked hard to create a more informative and community driven new user experience, and now we are giving players an unlimited amount of time to explore the early parts of the game at their own pace. We are confident that players new and old will find all the enhancements we’ve made to WAR over the past year worthy of their time and commitment.”

The streaming trial should be seamless, an improvement over the previous method.  It's available for initial download now and requires little more than 1GB of space.  Additional content will stream in teh background while you play.  If you already had a 10-day trial account, they will have already been converted.

iPhone developer hoping for a change in attitude

The piracy community is typically never short of excuses for pirating software and/or video games ("those people are rich anyway", "I need to see if I really like it", or "I can't afford it" are common), but the word from iPhone developer NaturalMotion really boggles the mind. According to the studio's Torsten Reil, "a lot of people" have pirated their 59p (99¢) football title Backbreaker Football: Tackle Alley -- the lowest possible price on the App Store.

The console version of the game is quite impressive, too (handheld version looks similar, just scaled down), particularly with the sweet Refused track in the trailer:

Reil, understandably, is quite frustrated with the results:

"At 59p it's pretty fair to assume that a lot of those pirates would have been able and would have bought the game, but there's an overall attitude that it's fine to pirate," he says.

His feeling is DRM is not the answer though, but changing that very attitude:

"There is in general a feeling that IP and content should be free. That's fine to say, but if you have to pay all the people that actually put their heart and soul into a game – who have to pay a mortgage off and have children – it becomes much more difficult. Yes, you can limit [piracy] with technical tricks, but there needs to be an overall change in the perception of IP and the people who create it."

Ironically, we've witnessed people with mortgages and kids freely pirating. As we've communicated before, it really does seem to come down to a lack of consideration, perhaps perpetuated in part by the fact software and video games are virtual, and as such are not seen as tangible goods of value, explaining the pervasive double standard between them and physical goods.

If you happen to be a pirate, we have a word for you: freeware.

Not the helpless princess anymore (finally)

After 23 years, Nintendo is finally getting with the times.  In the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks DS game, Princess Zelda will actually be adventuring alongside Link as his companion, not a victim who gets kidnapped every few years.

Instead of running around as a mysterious blonde man with a lyre (still don't get that), Zelda shall be accompanying Link as a spirit, with a unique ability to possess suits of armor called "Phantoms."  Of course, she'll remain Link's guiding voice, traversing Hyrule on a customizable train, solving the usual puzzles as the storyline gradually reveals itself.  Spirit Tracks also promises a closer look at Zelda as an iconic character who, until now, has never really been in the Legend of Zelda spotlight.

President Reggie Fils-Aime claims early victory over MW2 on one platform

Well, big shots in the industry tend to talk crap to each other indirectly, mostly using the media.  In most situations, we only hear about the slap fighting between Sony and Microsoft, but Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime wants in on the action.

Seems Fils-Aime was recently quoted during a video interview saying that New Super Mario Bros.Wii will outsell Modern Warfare 2 on one system by January 2010.  "On a single platform...absolutely," said Fils-Aime. "I say that unequivocally." 

Now fanboys are getting all flustered over the statement, claiming the man's full of himself -- among other things.  But Reggie said one platform, not all; with the way Modern Warfare 2 currently looks for PC, it's entirely possible NSMB Wii might outsell MW2 PC before January.

"It's going to be close," said Fils-Aime, expressing his own anticipation for NSMB. "Of course I'll play it...I play all the content out there."

There's no doubt NSMB Wii will do well.  Famed analyst Michael Pachter has already predicted the sales will "shock" most of the industry and community, while GameStop executive Tony Bartel noted it should be a top-seller this holiday.
 

9 vs. 9 limit on matches, no kicking hackers, no lean, no console, no match recording and more -- no fair for PC gamers

Everyone expects Modern Warfare 2 to bust sales records wide open. But for all the sales though, unfortunately, Activision and developer Infinity Ward has all but abandoned any development into PC-specific features for the game. Compared to all earlier entries in the revered Call Of Duty series, Modern Warfare 2 is the first game that is all port, with as little catering to the PC gamer as feasibly possible.

You all know that there will be no dedicated servers -- the backlash over that came earlier on this month. But yesterday, in a community chat hosted by Best Buy with Infinity Ward's Mackey McCandlish and Ryan Lastimosa, further terrible news for PC gamers was unceremoniously delivered.

The lack of dedicated servers wasn't just the only bad news it seems -- it was just the beginning.

Here's some more of that bad news: Modern Warfare 2 will have extremely poor multiplayer support, compared to what PC gamers usually enjoy, with almost all other modern warfare in FPS games. Besides the lack of server support, there will be no way for players to kick cheaters out of games. Infinity Ward hopes that hackers and cheaters will somehow magically not materialize, but this must seems like a very far-fetched idea to anyone who has played a popular PC FPS. Furthermore, because the PC version is nothing more that a straight console port of the game, matches will be limited to 9 versus 9 -- 18 players a match is a sad number when you consider many other comparable games support at least 16 on 16 players per map. 

With no way to determine ping, an automatic match-making service, and no way to kick the inenvitable cheaters that will pop up, and no support for mods or custom maps,  it seems fair to say that a serious PC multiplayer community will have a tremendous challenges keeping fans of the game engaged. To further unbalance the game, any player that hosts a match will have an undeniable ping advantage, awarding them with an unavoidable unfair advantage online.

Beyond these deficiencies, Modern Warfare 2 will also have no support for console commands -- something that this practically an institution with PC FPS games. The strength of the PC as a gaming platform is that ability for gamers to customize and tailor game settings to their heart's content. But appears Infinity Ward does not think this is very important to their audience.

Also, there is no way to record matches. Recording matches is yet another commonplace feature in MP FPS games of even far less budgets. This feature-lack alone further evaporates the chances that MP Modern Warfare 2 will be taken seriously by the PC competitive gamer community.

On top of all that, there is 'lean' has not been incorporated into the game. Prior Call of Duty's supported lean, but alas, it seems it was removed because the game "isn't balanced for lean."

There might even be more features that the PC version lacks that we have not yet covered. In fact, the word 'lacking' seems to sum up the situation succinctly. When asked what features were specific to the PC version that were not found in the console version of the game,  Mackey McCandlish stated "mouse control, text chat in game, and graphics settings." (Wow thanks! Mouse control! That's awesome.)

You might expect this sort of cost saving measure from a smaller studio, doing a smaller title. But for a studio that is releasing what could be one of the best selling games of the year, the complete abandonment of a exclusive PC version, in favour of mere afterthought console-ported version of the game, must be somewhat depressing for many prior fans of the game. We suspect the complete absence of features in the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 will be reflected in low sales for the game, on the PC side. Which, probably, we are guessing, will promptly be blamed on piracy, and will lead to even less catering to  PC gamers for future Infinity Ward titles -- if this was even possible.

Guitar Hero 5 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 help give the company a major boost

In spite of a "challenging overall software market", Activision Blizzard still manages to beat projections to achieve profitability and a slight growth to its U.S. marketshare for its third fiscal quarter ending September 30th.

The company's revenues during the third quarter slid slightly year-on-year to $703 million USD, but beat its own projection of $680 million USD.  Activision Blizzard has also managed to score profit of $15 million USD for the third quarter, a huge improvement from the $108 million USD quarterly loss posted last year.  Spurred by such results, Activision believes it remains on track for revenue of $4.05 billion USD by the end of the 2009 calendar year.

CEO Bobby Kotick attributes this turnaround in profit to the performance of its Guitar Hero, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Call of Duty franchises.  Blizzard's World of Warcraft also managed to deliver the goods during the third quarter.

Activision is certainly not unaware of the concerns raised elsewhere regarding the sustainability of its music game business, especially after the lukewarm reception to DJ Hero at launch.  Sales for music peripheral bundles in North America are also stabilizing, as fans who already have the relevant instrument controllers increasingly opt for software-only packages.  CFO Thomas Tippl not only believes things will be just fine, but in fact predicts even better holiday season sales for its lineup of music games than last year.  The company continues to count on an engaged fanbase on the PS3 and Xbox 360 to help carry its music games through.

Being sneaky in space is tough

If you're looking for a beautiful PC shooter, look no further than Futuremark's Shattered Horizon, a unique multiplayer game now available for download. 

Set in space, Shattered Horizon makes the most of its unique environment; players can use the darkness and the zero-gravity to their advantage in combat.  Of course, being set in space means everything is treated differently than in a conventional shooter -- every tiny detail.  It seems players have been curious about sound, so Futuremark put together a little gameplay demo of the game's "silent running."

This mode allows players to move without any sound, which is completely possible in space, but as Futuremark notes, an FPS becomes more difficult without any audio cues.  As such, the player's suit has an "audio simulation" feature, which recreates sounds based on sensor information taken from one's surroundings.  "Silent running" basically shuts off this feature, letting you move in complete silence for stealth kills, while sacrificing radar, HUD, and maneuverability.  Hey, a perfectly executed punch to the back of your opponent's head is worth it.

First major update reduces loading times, improves performance, tweaks, and balances

If the comic below describes your experiences with the action RPG Torchlight, you'd better order yourself up another plate of swine flu: developer Runic Games have just released a massive patch for the game, improving and fixing all sorts of stuff.

Depending on where you've purchased, the 1.12 patch may or may not be ready for you; as of 11 AM PST, the official site and GamersGate versions are ready to go, with the remaining ones set to be available quite soon. Note the official site version may ask you to re-enter your serial, thus removing one allowable install (out of 10); contacting Runic following this will allow you to get it back.

One last thing before we proceed with the release notes: a major feature to the patch is improved loading times, and as such you must uninstall the game and reinstall before giving it a go.

Enjoy!

Torchlight 1.12 Patch Notes -

* Fixed several issues which could overwrite saves, and protected against possible save loss. Save backups are now also generated.
* Much reduced load times for many users
* Some minor ingame performance improvements
* Fixed Needle Arc XP exploit
* Fixed Shadow Armor stacking effects
* Fixed vendor dupe bug
* Fixed various fullscreen startup issues
* Fixed broken Brink cinematic on subsequent plays
* Fixed merchant 'thief' exploit
* Fixed right clicking in inventory casting certain spells
* Fixed console not activating on Steam builds - this also fixes the fact that subsequent characters didn't see the random dungeon unlock after the first completion
* Fixed issue with Syl's cinematic not being "skippable" during first boss fight
* Fixed some DOT deaths not dropping loot
* Quest items no longer allowed in stash
* Several level fixes for a few places where things overlapped, or collision was missing, or stuck-issues cropped up
* Fixed texture/mesh/ replacement issues with mods
* You can now change difficulty level on the fly from the console without being branded a Cheater ( UNLESS you're playing hardcore )
* Fixed pet minions not awarding fame
* Fixed slow load times when mods were enabled
* Pets inherit your spell masteries
* Magic find takes the max value between you and your pet when pets or pet minions make a kill
* Visible/increasing chance of stripping enchants via enchanter. Price based on # of enchants. Variables tunable in globals.dat
* Troll pet is properly invincible
* Tree Boss could be charmed - fixed
* Fixed issue - Returning to town if you died during Ember Colossus or Medea would make them dormant on return
* weapon + shield doesn't count as 'dual wielding'
* Shimmering Scale ( and 2 other socketables ) now work properly when socketed
* Ember lance slight nerf
* Ember lightning slight buff
* Aloe Gel summon provides better healing
* Equippables properly provide bonuses to passive skills
* Fixed display issue where multiple skill bonuses on the same item would collapse into a single display
* Hardware skinning settings respected properly for pet paperdolls
* Fix for potential bad state in the henchman battle
* Enchantments at level 100 now work
* Relabeled difficulty levels, and added tooltips explaining each
* Fixed 'free spell purchase' exploit
* Socketables cannot be heirloomed
* Fix for masteries not updating certain spell bonuses until logout/login
* Summon Blood Skeleton has 11 levels now
* Various small grammar and spelling fixes

* ADDITION : Rimlights, HW Skinning, and VSynch can all be altered from the Settings menu now.
* MODDERS: Items can be set to 'always identified'

Cheaper admission for elevator rides

If you have any extra cash not already invested in the reasonably-priced Mass Effect 2 CE, why not spread the love by buying the original game for a friend at a discounted price?  Starting today, you can buy Mass Effect from Steam for $10.00 USD.

Haven't played the game yet?  Here's a brief refresher: Mass Effect is a sci-fi action RPG that lets you take on the role of Commander Shepard (or your own customized avatar) to embark on an interplanetary mission to battle against an ancient threat.  Helping you out are two partner characters of your choice that wield unique skills to assist with your missions.  Aside from a rather unique group of allies, you've also got some high-powered firearms and Biotic skills (like the Force in Star Wars).

Mass Effect on PC differs from its console counterpart in that it has some improved features and an all-new HUD made especially for PC play.  The Steam edition also includes the "Bring Down the Sky" DLC at no extra charge.  All this for ten bucks is a pretty good deal for one of 2007's most highly regarded games.

Direct2Drive, Impulse, GamersGate oppose mandatory Steam client in games

Digital PC game service Direct2Drive (D2D) has begun a protest today against Activision's use of Steamworks in Modern Warfare 2, refusing to sell the PC title.

The game's page reads as follows:

At Direct2Drive, we believe strongly that when you buy a game from us, you shouldn't be forced to install and run a 3rd party software client to be able to play the game you purchased. Because COD MW 2 requires you, the consumer, to do that, we aren't able to offer the game via Direct2Drive at this time.

Elaborating in a statement, D2D refers to the client as a "Trojan Horse" in that it's a means by which to sneak in digital rights management (DRM). Steam-bundled games, of course, require online activation and the client's files to be updated for play -- two things not always possible, particularly if your Internet connection is not rock solid.

The opposition appears to be a new change in D2D's operations, as previously released titles like Saint's Row 2 and Empire: Total War do require the client. It's plausible to expect then support received enough complaints for previous titles to rule out the inclusion of Steam in future releases.

Oddly, D2D encourages people to buy the retail version through their partner Amazon, though that version includes Steamworks as well. In any case, they're also offering $5 off select Activision titles which are not bundled with the client, and even encourage you to contact them about your concerns. We'd guess if they get enough e-mails, they may convince Activision to supply them with a Steam-free version of the game, or at least not use it for future games, if only on D2D.

Theodore Bergquist, CEO of another digital distributor GamersGate has a similar stance on publishers including Steam with their games, having said in an interview last month it's both dangerous for competition and unfriendly to the customer:

"The real danger for a publisher using Steam, for example, is that they're feeding a competitor with money and resources. Consider the way Steam locks their customers into a download client; essentially they implement their technology in third party games, and force users to go through Steam in order to access games that the consumer paid full price for. What ends up happening is Steam builds an inordinate degree of control over their customer base and future revenues, and I don’t think many publishers are aware of just how much control they actually have."

Bergquist later added, "We believe being independent and working toward an open ended solution that delivers a smooth and fast retailing service is the concept of the future."

Update: Impulse and GamersGate have both joined the boycott; no other digital distributors (except Steam) are listing the game at this time.

Make your own Gears of War 3, with 300% more bromance

The always community-based Epic Games have seen fit to release their famed Unreal Engine to the public today, allowing anyone with a powerful PC and some technical know-how to make amateur games or even full-scale works with enough time and effort.

The engine, which has powered games like Mirror's Edge, BioShock, and of course, the Unreal series, comes to us in the form of the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), complete with its own website and tons (tons) of support should you need it. More, they plan to release free updates and builds over time.

Basically, it's blowing PC development wide open -- definitely a boost the gaming and education communities could use (the editor is already used in over 100 academic facilities).

Epic seems happy to announce the kit includes all the latest technology, some of which is even yet to be seen in an Unreal Engine-powered title. Hundreds of video tutorials on how to use it are available on 3D Buzz; we've got a demo video of sorts here, featuring some tasty-looking gingerbread men:

For those that want to take their efforts commercial, there's licensing options available, for which they note finances are a minimal barrier thanks to the structuring.

Console gamers are out of luck with this one for the moment, but Epic notes they are considering a version for you. However, if you happen to be approved for the creation of PS3 or 360 games (lucky dog), send an e-mail this way to get started with UDK.

The official website is below, complete with the not too steep system requirements.

Forget about the polar caps melting, the South Pole just got covered in a black void

Atlus confirms it will be localizing the latest title in the long-running Shin Megami Tensei RPG series, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, for North America.  Scheduled for release next March 10th 2010 for the Nintendo DS, Strange Journey once again blends the world of demonic folklore and mythology with one of science.

Like most of the classic titles in the series, SMT: Strange Journey is a dungeon crawling RPG that pits you against demons you can battle or negotiate with to join your cause.  Setting the stage of the story is a mysterious, growing, black void that appears at the Earth's southern pole in the near future.  The player is part of an elite team of explorers dispatched to investigate the heart of this void, dubbed the "Schwarzwelt", and it happens to be a universe filled with demons.

Yes, you do look like an armored space marine with guns, but your handy "Demonica environment suit" works into the gameplay itself.  Strange Journey is designed to take advantage of the DS' dual screens during both exploration and combat.  You'll also make use of suit upgrades to allow you to deal with the different situations you may encounter as you explore the mysterious world of demons.

As with previous SMT games, the player will be required to make choices throughout the game intended to reflect on their avatar's moral compass.  The decisions you make could effect the course of your strange, strange journey.

Expanding microtransaction, hitting up the dim and addicted

Apparently making one billion every year isn't enough for Activision Blizzard, so now World of Wacraft is expanding into microtransaction for some extra profits. 

This is usually a method implemented for free-to-play games, but companies not satisfied with charging monthly fees (and a crap-ton of other service fees) can certainly consider this option.

As such, World of Warcraft now has new pets that will cost real money to acquire.  The official Blizzard Store already has a Lil' K.T. (Kel'Thuzad) listed at $10.00 USD; the page also proudly proclaims gift-giving options for your purchase.  Hey, nothing like a $10 virtual pet to show someone you care, right?

So mini-Kel'Thuzad can float, and for many WoW saps, that's probably enough to warrant paying nearly 70 percent of an entire month's subscription fee.  Hey, who are we to question someone's spending habits and hobbies?  Here's the product description:

Give the gift of diminutive undead companionship with this Blizzard Pet Store exclusive — Lil' K.T., the mini-lich.  What Lil' K.T. lacks in size, he more than makes up for in sheer malicious intensity.  Watch with misplaced pride as he randomly freezes critters and laughs maniacally at your vanquished PvP foes.  Once activated, this World of Warcraft in-game pet key applies to all present and future characters on a single World of Warcraft license.

Not that real fans need to actually read it before buying, psh!

Master of Magnetism trailer and screens

Okay, it's not like no one saw this coming: Magneto has been revealed for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.  Granted the list was leaked some time ago, but at least now we've got a trailer and some screenshots of the Master of Magnetism in action.

The character model looks a bit odd in combination with his bucket helmet (a bit purple and red gorilla) but at least we've still got the classic costume.  For the most part, Magneto just floats around in the trailer, lifting things in the air around him with the same flare as Jean Grey.  Could have similar attacks, with the exception of fire.

As mentioned before, the DLC is out today and will cost gamers 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 on PSN.  Juggernaut is also available, sold separately for 160 MS Points or $1.99 USD.  In addition to the new characters, the DLC introduces new challenge missions and boss encounters, as well as new upgrades for your superhuman team.  Now fork over the money -- Activision is waiting.

PS3 players can get started this month, PC gamers in December

Shooter fans hankering for some hands-on time with DICE's upcoming single and multiplayer game Battefield: Bad Company 2, you'll be able to get in on the action with a multiplayer beta in a couple weeks, provided they have a PS3. PC owners will have to wait until December, while Xbox 360 owners will have to wait for the demo (set for each platform) come early next year.

So, how do you get a key? A limited amount will be sent out to Best Buy and GameStop for North Americans. Pre-ordering will nab you one, if you make it in time -- the PS3 begins November 19 (PC doesn't have an exact date). For Europe and Asia, nothing has been announced yet, but check the Battlefield blog (link below) in the coming weeks for an announcement.

As for what you can expect: 24-player battles on the Arica Harbor map in one of the four multiplayer modes, called Rush. Arica should have a healthy balance of vehicle and infantry combat between the American assault unit and Russian army base, all spread out between a desert town and an industrial area.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be released March 2 and 5 in NA and Europe, respectively, on all platforms.

Madden NFL 2010 is the best-selling North American-produced title, and makes the global list

Industry sales trackers NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track and Enterbrain collaborate once more to deliver their latest Top Global Markets report covering software sales across three major regions; North America, the United Kingdom, and Japan. According to their findings, all software markets suffered a 6 percent decline in unit sales combined for the three month period from July to September.

Of the three global markets, Japan proved to be the healthiest thanks to a 15 percent year-on-year increase in third quarter software unit sales. Year-to-date sales however dropped around 9 percent compared to the first three quarters of 2008.

North America and the UK suffered year-on-year declines in both quarterly and year-to-date software unit sales. The UK in particular faced the greatest drops, with third quarter sales down 19 percent and year-to-date sales declining 13 percent.

While North America and the UK still enjoyed great software unit sales from high profile releases like Madden NFL 2010 and Halo 3: ODST, it was Japan that produced the single best-selling title across all three regions, Dragon Quest IX. The DS RPG racked up lifetime sales of just under 4 million units since launch at the start of the calendar quarter, further underlining the series' popularity in Japan.

Art book, DVD, in-game goodies, and more...

BioWare and EA have finally released details for the Mass Effect 2 Collectors' Edition perks.  Looks like the pricier version will come with both physical collectibles and in-game gear.

To start, the ME2 CE will be shipped in a special case (assuming tin) and include Art of Mass Effect 2 in hardcover, the first issue of Mass Effect Redemption (comic), and a bonus making-of DVD.  There aren't any specific details announced for the in-game weapons and armor, but we do have an illustration of it -- and it looks badass.  The whole package will cost ten bucks more at $69.99 USD.

Oh, and don't forget your retail pre-order bonuses, announced last month and valid worldwide.  Just in case you'd like a spare suit of armor and all.

Shadowrun: The Awakening, a game that never happened

Why does it seem sometimes that games that should have been axed, ended up being released, while promising projects, end up getting thrown in the can? That might have been the case with the now-deceased FASA Studios.

There last project, Shadowrun, a multiplayer FPS set in the long-running cyberpunk-fantasy IP, did not do as well as the company hoped -- or Microsoft, who bought out FASA in 1999. The commercial failure of the game meant the death of the dev studio. But as it turns out, the FPS that came to be Shadowrun was started after an earlier aborted attempt at a single-player possibly-RPG Shadowrun game, called Shadowrun: The Awakening (for the PC and Xbox 360).

Some screenshots and early video of Shadowrun: The Awakening popped up today, on the Net-Inters. The graphics look pretty good, considering this 2007, and the game was in an early state. 

Shadowrun: The Awakening was supposed to be a full single player game, and we can hypothesize that the entire Shadowrun game that was published might have just been the MP component of the more ambitious earlier project. Hearing about this late cancellation and complete change of plan for the game makes a lot of sense -- many people who played Shadowrun commented on how little content it seemed to have for a full game, as it was only MP, only a handful of maps, and not too many models (many reviewers knocked the game for not even having character ladder-climbing animations).

Furthermore, with Shadowrun's strong RPG legacy, in both early video games and of course the pen-and-paper source material, many fans were disgruntled to hear that the last Shadowrun game wasn't going to be a RPG at all. We would like to think that if Shadowrun: The Awakening was a single-player RPG it would have resonated much more with gamers than did the last (and maybe final) game.

If you are a fan of the Shadowrun world you will be happy to hear that there is a chance that a new Shadowrun game will be made some day though. FASA founder Weisman recently re-licensed his bought-out rights (that Microsoft now owns) to the Shadowrun I.P. Perhaps if Weisman's Smith & Tinker venture is a success, which is now finishing up a Mechwarrior game, maybe there will be a chance for something like Shadowrun: The Awakening to be made again. 

PC titles Psychonauts, Bloodrayne and more now available digitally

Digital distribution outfit Good Old Games (GOG) sees its next major publisher signing today: Majesco. With this news comes four new PC titles to the library: Psychonauts, Advent Rising, Bloodrayne, and Bloodrayne 2, each priced at $6 or $10, depending.

Psychonauts is definitely the biggest release here; gaming buffs surely know the title or at least other works of its creator Tim Schafer, like Grim Fandango, Maniac Mansion, or the recent Brutal Legend. Psychonauts was a terribly unique, surreal and creative title that unfortunately went mostly unloved by gamers, so the GOG re-release is a really special event, allowing anyone who missed out on it to catch up easily and cheaply. It's also a rather difficult title to explain in words, so we'll let this trailer do the talking:

The other title available today is Advent Rising, a sci-fi action adventure written by famed author Orson Scott Card -- fans of Shadow Complex (to which he lent his universe) should love this one. We've never played it, unfortunately, though judging by the screenshots and setting, Mass Effect is astonishingly similar to it, right down to the UI. Advent Rising sees you taking on a "vicious" race called the Seekers with the help of your expected futuristic weapons and not-so-expected psychic powers.

Two other titles to be available in the coming weeks (pending testing on XP & Vista) are Bloodrayne and Bloodrayne 2, great titles for action and vampire fans, something we don't see too often on the PC.

As always, GOG titles are DRM-free, are compatible with modern operating systems, and come with extras (these ones come with artworks, soundtracks, and more; AR gets a sweet comic book and 'making of' video).

All this making you want to play? Fear not, little reader, we're giving away five GOGs, of which you can win one (for any game in the catalogue). All you have to do is PM us with the name of the first studio that designer Tim Schafer worked under -- be warned it's a trick question. Update: Contest closed; happy GOGing!

Featuring the explosions, helicopters, and Eminem

'Cause sometimes you feel tired, feel weak,
and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
and just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up
and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.

Who wants more Modern Warfare 2, eh?  Just about everyone, it seems (who doesn't game on PC), and gamers are already planning to ditch work / school / church following November 10. 

As noted earlier today, the launch trailer debuted on Spike TV tonight.  If you don't have cable or TV, or just avoid television as I do, we've got the launch trailer right here.

We're seeing more scenes of the suburbs turned into war zones, and even a sequence in... space?  So anyway, that's Eminem's "Till I Collapse" in the background, and the trailer has drawn some old fans out of the woodworks.  Just browse the song on YouTube, and you'll find a buncha' MW2-related comments.

No doubt this game will be topping the charts for weeks to come following its release -- well, for consoles at least.

President: "American characters tend to be much more shallow..."

We've got the third Dark Void developer diary from Capcom and developer Airtight games.  The third episode discusses Will, the hero of Dark Void, and the importance of character depth in video games.

Of course, the developers gush over Capcom's wide cast of video game leads, like Ryu and Mega Man, while taking numerous jabs at stereotypical Western games.  Airtight president Jim Deal notes, "I think the American characters tend to be much more shallow.  You know, a big guy who runs out and shoots everything."

He and his team then go on to say that they were striving to emulate Japanese games in creating a very capable but "not somebody who just looked like an impossible caricature."

Now Deal, sir, we think Dark Void looks fantastic, and it was a real pleasure to play at E3 this year, but that was totally uncalled for.  I mean, those giant men with guns are as iconic to Western gaming as girly men with giant swords (and underage female leads) are to Japanese games! 

On top of that, senior producer Morgan Gray seems to imply in a very matter-of-fact manner that "blank slate" characters, commonly found in Western story-driven games, are somehow inferior to actual characters, with established personalities and background stories of their own.  Seriously, isn't it possible to promote games without insulting the competition?  We're gamers, not haters...

So anyway, Will is a pilot who gets stuck in the Void, a pocket universe within the Bermuda Triangle.  According to art director Matt Brunner, the guy might come off as a jerk to start, though that's pretty understandable considering his problems: alone and lost in another dimension, surrounded by hostile robots.  Poor Will; maybe if he'd be less douchey if he were a big dude who runs out and shoots everything.  Then again, the protagonists of Silent Hill are pretty normal yet capable people, and they seem to take the whole "trapped in another dimension" problem very well!

Persisting to invade wherever you go

When Taito released the awesome Space Invaders Extreme 2 (which we reviewed not too long ago), they weren't kidding around with celebrating the 30th anniversary release of the original Space Invaders. Taito decided to introduce a slimmed-down version of the game to the Japanese DSiWare today called Space Invaders Extreme Z (SIEZ).  It's perfect for DSi owners who are seeking to extend gameplay beyond the cartridge release, having a little bit of SIE2 wherever they go, or even for new players who want a taste of what they're getting into before buying the full game.

This time around, you're limited to Score Attack and Time Attack modes, where you vie for the highest score or lowest time respectively. SIEZ still retains major features from its counterpart including the Bingo Card system, Fever Times, bonus scoring methods, cannon levels, and the four power-ups.  But the familiarities end there as instead of shooting through branching stage paths, you take on three progressively harder courses dubbed Beginner, Normal, and Extreme.  And most of the enemy formations are different this time around with a few familiar ones coming in from Space Invaders Extreme 2 to have another chance at taking you down.

It would be criminal not to point out SIEZ features the amazing Moe-themed stage from the previous game, as shown here:

Space Invaders Extreme Z is available to download for 500 Nintendo Points if you have a Japanese DSi on hand.  No international releases have been announced yet but when your biggest hurdle is to translate the manual, there's no reason not to bring this little invasion overseas; Taito's been pretty cool with bringing their digital releases out of Japan.

First episode "Weapons & Combinations"

Previously, SEGA and Platinum Games kicked off their episodic developer diaries with "Revelations," which went over the idea of fighting the forces of good as a witch.

This week, they start their little gameplay video series, and we've got episode one, "Weapons & Combinations."  With that same sexy British narrator returning to talk us through the video, we check out some of Bayonetta's kick-ass moves.  Well, what else would you expect from a witch who wears guns on her feet?  It seems our classy beauty never leaves home with less than four guns in hand (and feet).

Not that she relies on them.  She's strong enough to send enemies flying with a well-placed kick.  Still, she's got blades and firepower at her disposal, so there's little chance of enemies getting too close for comfort.  Seriously, look at those legs.

World of Warcraft popularity has residents concerned

Looks like people across the Pond are starting to take gaming more seroiusly than we thought.  Therapists in the UK have been preaching the dangers of game addiction with the unprecedented global success of Activision Blizzard's World of Warcraft.  With another expansion on the way, that MMO obviously isn't slowing down.

And the problem isn't restricted to WoW either -- it simply represents the problem best.  According to specialists, people are suffering socially and physically from being glued to their computer monitors for days at a time.  So Britain is getting its first game addiction rehab program at the Broadway Lodge, a residential rehabilitation center that already takes care of 400 or so alcoholics, drug addicts, and gamblers.

Utilizing the widely-used 12-Step Minnesota Method approach to addiction, the clinic will use group therapy, tapes, videos, therapeutic tasks (vacuuming, washing, etc.) and recreational activities to help their clients.  It's mostly about peer-to-peer support, according to the clinic.

The center's chief executive Brian Dudley remembers a couple bringing in their 23-year-old son after he began spending up to eight hours at a time with his PC, presumably gaming.  According to Dudley, the young man was successfully rehabilitated with the 12-step abstinence program and began eating properly and living normally again.

Overall, he believes the approach to game addiction needs to be different, as opposed to traditional methods used for drugs and alcohol.

"Obviously this is the very early stages of researching how many youngsters are affected.  But I would stick my neck out and say between five and ten per cent of parents or partners would say they know of someone addicted to an online game. 

However, you can't simply say to a 23-year-old male 'you should never use the internet again'. It's just not practical.

So we go through all the issues surrounding gaming use and ensure there are triggers through which an addict recognises their usage has become a problem.  Behavioural shifts include users becoming agressive, with chaotic lifestyles that result in irregular eating and sleeping patterns as well as social exclusion.

I don't know anybody else who is treating such cases in this country. There's no helpline.''

Peter Smith, a councelor at Broadway Lodge, notes online games are easy to become addicted to because they allow players to associate with people around the world, resulting in odd play hours.  As a result, players form relationships with characters in-game, giving them an "artificial feeling, created by [the] body's natural endorphins" -- particularly when the player achieves something like winning a piece of epic gear, killing a high-level boss, or solving any other in-game problem.

On the flip side, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (like the ESA in the U.S.) still claims that online games do not lead to addiction.

''Playing video games is becoming increasingly mainstream in the UK," said director general Michael Rawlinson, "And we firmly believe in the positive impact playing games can have.''

Premature apocalypse, Horseman of War, pissed off angels...

We've got a new Darksiders cinematic trailer from THQ and Vigil Games, titled "Mayhem."  In it, we see the lords of Heaven -- most likely angels -- though it's unclear whose side they are on, and what their relation to War will be.

A bit of background info for those of you who haven't been keeping up with this 2010 action title: War is the good guy here.  Someone has triggered the apocalypse early, and the Chaos beings are pretty peeved.  All evidence seems to point to War, who insists he is innocent and convinces his masters to send him to Earth in search of the true culprit. 

Along the way he fights other demons, and with this trailer, we see he encounters angels as well, mostly getting owned in unpleasant ways.  Poor guys, they seem to always be taking it from behind in video games.

Spike TV to air complete film on November 11

Ah, Spike TV, not my favorite channel.  Well, all you manly men who feel more validated by watching the manly man channel can look forward to some video game debuts soon. 

The bigger release is the Assassin's Creed: Lineage short film, which Spike TV will show on November 11 at 12:00 AM midnight.  On that Wednesday, the entire film will globally premiere in HD, so make sure you've got first dibs on the TV for that night.

Lineage covers the events preior to Assassin's Creed II, letting fans check out Ezio's past in greater depth.  It revolves around Ezio's daddy, Giovanni Auditore de Firenze (a real mouthful), setting up the man's execution and Ezio's ensuing lust for vengeance.

“As Ubisoft begins to expand into other media beyond games, we are excited to be working so closely with our valued partners at Viacom to debut this new story in the Assassin’s Creed universe exclusively on Spike TV,” said Tony Key, seniorVP of sales and marketing for Ubi.

“Spike has long been a leader in supporting our industry with excellent editorial programming, so it was a natural choice to team up with them for the U.S. public unveiling of this revolutionary new short film.”

Since November 11 isn't here just yet, Spike TV is hoping to get your attention anyway, with the premiere of the Modern Warfare 2 full-length launch trailer.  The official trailer will air tonight around 10:00 PM EST, during the new South Park on Comedy Central and The Ultimate Fighter on Spike.  So if you can bear to set down that controller for two seconds, give it a look-see.
 

A PC indie game with lots of plasma and lasers

Gratuitous Space Battles, a game by mostly one-man dev studio Positech Games, has been released today.

You might remember an earlier look we had at the beta. GSB pits you in the shoes of an alien warlord spaceship commander. Your mission is to be the grand strategy master who decides how best to decimate the opposition.

The space-battles in this game are strictly hands off affairs -- your role as commander ends when the ships engage the ruthless enemy fleets. But for those of you who are a fan of strategy, watching the battles unfold, and see your ship designs and fleet placements fail or succeed into tremendous explosions, then hey, this game might be right up your alley.

Cliff Harris, the game's programmer, documented his roughly 3 month long beta over here at his blog. As someone who has been following the game's development quite closely, I can tell you that the game has already received a great deal of enhancements in just this short period of time. It seems likely that Cliff will continue to improve his most ambitious title to date.

A demo for the game is available. The full game sells for $22.99.

Gamer sends developer money in open protest against Call of Duty

Infinity Ward pissed gamers off in October when they announced their decision (or Activision's) to pull client-side dedicated servers for Modern Warfare 2, cutting mod support in the process -- all in favor of running things more tightly with their own matchmaking services.  Why?  Well, according to IW creative strategist Robert Bowling, it's all for the gamers, as this makes Modern Warfare 2 more accessible to a wider audience.

Following that, DICE producer Gordon Van Dyke responded in a more positive light and noted their upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will still continue supporting dedicated servers, basically reasoning that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  And you know, so their customers (the gamers) don't get pissed.

Looks like DICE succeeded at winning over a few PC gamers.  One such person named "Eddie J." has spoken for many others with his recent action; it borders on hilarious performance art, really.

Eddie sent a letter and check for $60.00 USD to DICE headquarters in Stockholm, writing to the developers that he is just one of many irked at Infinity Ward's decisions.  As such, he sends the money he would have spent on Modern Warfare 2 to DICE instead, since cake wouldn't do very well in transit between the United States and Sweden.  Van Dyke responded to the gesture with much gratitude:

The entire team of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 wants to thank Eddie J. for his letter and generous gift.  It's moments like this that make all the late nights and weekends of crunching to make the best game possible all worth it. Again, thank you so much Eddie!  :-)

DICE also posted the letter, check, and envelop on their official blog.  Private and lawsuit-worthy details have been blacked out in the scan, but we can all guess what's being said here...
 

Unusual cover fading issue will be addressed soon

Don't you just hate paying extra to get something awesome, only to realize later it was some cheaply made import from [insert unspecified nation known for cheap labor] riddled with defects?  Yeah, you and everyone else on the planet.

Honestly, we have no idea what the story behind Atlus' Demon's Souls Official Strategy Guide issue, and neither does the developer; still, Atlus has announced an upcoming replacement program for customers who received defective strategy guides.

The weird thing is that not every copy is defective, but enough customers have complained for Atlus to take note.  In the announcement, they noted customers will need to mail in their covers and the first page of their guide as proof of purchase, suggesting gamers keep the rest of the book until their replacement claim is processed.  More details will be posted on the official forums, and those registered with Atlus will receive an email version of new details.

Atlus couldn't resist adding in the usual "lulz" to this announcement, of course...

"Thank you for supporting us and making Demon's Souls such a big hit.  We apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused, but fear not: we've got you covered (pun intended)."

Oh Atlus, no one could possibly stay upset at you.

“[We] don’t think any developer should not have control of how their game is presented or marketed or communicated"

At the beginning of the week we'd touched on Remedy Entertainment's relationship with the publisher for its game Alan Wake: Microsoft. According to the developer, there's quite a bit of leniency for them in deciding exactly how their game is presented to the media, which was surprising and pleasing to hear.

Developer Infinity Ward (Modern Warfare) is apparently in on this approach, too; designer Robert Bowling says it's "essential" creators take matters into their own hands:

“I don’t think any developer should not have control of how their game is presented or marketed or communicated,” he said, “and they should take control of that a lot, lot more. It is why I started my Twitter account in the first place. I have direct line to our audience and the press."

Bowling doesn't stop there though, going so far as to say one of the benefits of this directness is being able to "call bullshit on the really lame shit", giving an example with IW's publisher Activision:

“Recently we launched our new Infinity Ward website, and we were going to send a mass newsletter out to everybody. And it was suggested that we should send in the newsletter a note to pre-order the strategy guide for Modern Warfare 2. And I said no.

Yeah it would probably sell a few more strategy guides, but we don’t use our newsletter to market to our gamers. We will only e-mail our gamers if it is worth their while. So if a new trailer comes out, they might want to know and we’ll send them that. If they want the strategy guide, it is an awesome guide, and they’ll buy it because they want it. Not because we’re advertising it to them. So we draw lines.”

In another part to the interview, Bowling notes IW rejected Activision's proposal for what he calls a ridiculously high budget for the upcoming shooter, saying they "didn't need that" and "we would only put stuff in the game that is right for the game, and not because we can.”

Though drawing much ire from PC gamers for dropping dedicated server support on Modern Warfare 2, the developer has definitely retained some respect with us following these comments.

Rip time a new one!

If you're into surrealist adventures, lovely violin and have a PS3, you'll be pleased to learn Number None's creation Braid will be coming to the NA PlayStation Network next Thursday, November 12 at the low price of $15. Now being on all current platforms (Wii excepted, that is), we expect creator Jonathan Blow's next move will be to open up a Braid Burger franchise. Kidding -- you have our congratulations, fella.

Local talent Hothead Games, who brought the game to Mac as well are in charge of this one. They're happy to say trophy support is included and it runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second.

Europe and Asia can expect Braid on the PSN very soon; below are some screenshots from the new version.