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Half-Life 2 Preloading Underway 07:02 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
(35 comments)
Valve announced that preloading for Half Life 2 via Steam is now underway. Just as a note, many online stores now have Half Life 2 shipping Nov. 1st/2nd. Lets hope there isn't some evil plan to sell it exclusively on Steam until then if the game does make the early September release as expected. Here's the poop: Half-Life 2 pre-loading begins to Steam account holders today. Over the coming days, those who have selected the pre-loading option will have encrypted Half-Life 2 files delivered to their PC. No purchase is required to pre-load HL2, but is required to activate the game. Purchase options will be released soon. Then, the moment the game is made available, those who have pre-loaded and purchased Half-Life 2 via Steam will be authenticated and ready to start playing.Well that's pretty cool - you don't actually have to buy it to preload, but if you want it activated you do. This of course doesn't include ATI free Half Life 2 coupon holders. Any of you plan on preloading / activating the game via Steam?
Dragonshard Interview 05:43 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: real-time strategy
GB: What role will Dungeons & Dragons character classes have in the game? Will all races be able to produce heroes of any class? What advantage do units have when teamed up with a hero, and do such advantages stack when multiple heroes are placed in a single group?
Joint Operations Patch 05:38 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
WorthPlaying Goods 05:35 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: general news
David Duchovny in Area 51 12:51 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
Cast in the lead role is David Duchovny, star of the ultimate conspiracy-theory television show, The X-Files, who will bring his instantly recognizable voice to AREA 51's lead character Specialist Ethan Cole, a special forces soldier specializing in hazardous materials investigations. Powers Boothe, who currently appears in the HBO mini-series Deadwood, will provide the voice of Major Bridges, while infamous recording artist Marilyn Manson will deliver an unforgettable performance as Edgar, the gray alien. It will be revealed that the conspiracy theories and alien autopsies the world has speculated about related to Area 51 are far worse than anyone could ever imagine.
Men of Valor Quickie 12:45 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
Visually, The Vietnam War stands out too. While the textures on the jungle grass appear reasonably authentic, it's the little details like the rays of light bursting in through the trees overhead, or the shadowy figure of a Vietcong sniper running across the distant horizon, that impress. A later boat level looks exactly like something out of Apocalypse Now too, with sweeping patrol lights and glowing bridges dazzling against the starry sky.
No Co-op for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 12:32 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
Senior PR Manager Oleg Yavorsky from GSC Game World responded to our community member ryan dunn, saying: "as for co-op, we haven't made any definite plans yet, so I'm not sure when it will be released, if at all. a patch-released co-op is wrong." I was told the same thing.
Evil Genius Preview 12:29 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action / strategy
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Evil Genius evokes a humorous kitschy '60s spy movie feel. Whether it's the dancing scuba divers on the menu screen or the oddball actions performed by the guards, this spoof of spy movies is just serious enough to give you a sense of criminal power while making you laugh at the same time. (Keep an eye out for dancing guards or slinking henchmen!) What's more, there are a number of one-liners that will make any spy movie fan laugh out loud. Evil Genius plans to control shelves next month, and from what we've seen, will appeal to strategy and non-strategy fans alike. Check back soon for a full review! In the meantime, I have some spies to torture, countries to fleece and an organization to run...
Ghost Recon 2 Impressions 12:24 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
Although the PC and GameCube versions were notably off the menu during the 60 minute presentation, members of the development team present admitted that the PC version will be based on the Xbox version and is being coded at Red Storm, while the Cube version is being handled in Shanghai. To add to the development tentacles, the online portion of the PS2 will be developed in Paris by a 30-strong team to ensure it's making the most of the Sony platform - a similar situation to the Pandora Tomorrow development.
Xpand Rally MP Demo 12:21 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: racing
RPG Vault Happenings 12:09 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: general news
Rome: Total War Previews 12:45 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: real-time strategy
This game is not for the timid, nor for the twitch strategic gamers. Rome is a complex meeting of tactics and deep strategy on a global level. Activision and Creative Assembly gave us the opportunity to sit down and check out both of these aspects in the single player campaign mode. The mix and harmony between those two elements is quite impressive. Those decisions you make on the overland map have a tangible effect to the battlefield.
Tribes: Vengeance Preview 12:38 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
At this stage, the outdoor missions and graphical environment there feel very polished. The character models also look pretty good, and the voice acting is professional. Although the textures on the indoor missions are still a little rough and the geometry a little basic, you could tell it was still a work in progress. The spaceship takes heavy damage during this segment, and many objects simply sunk into the ground instead of getting scripted destruction animation. Vengeance ain't a budget game, so you can rest assured that this is just placeholder stuff. The single player campaign as a whole may not bowl you over, but it's looking quite respectable at this stage--we're looking forward to seeing the finished product.New movies and other media are included.
MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf Preview 12:34 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action
One of the by-products of stretching the Xbox to the edge of its abilities is vibrant graphics. For example, firing on a building gradually wrecks it, with falling debris being a mix of heavy chunks dropping rapidly (which can damage anyone in the vicinity) and dusty clouds of smaller pieces falling much slower. Some buildings take a while to destroy, with the first volleys rendering it a skeleton framework of beams and floors. Additionally, most of the weapons have stylized effects and tracers as they cut through the air, such as the mortal that leaves a coiling, green trail as it zooms to its target.
EverQuest II Diary 12:25 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: mmog
The Blurbs 12:21 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: general news
IGN Morsels 12:17 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: general news
Hardware & Tech Nuggets 12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- hardware: general news
Game Reviews 12:11 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: general news
In Other News... 12:00 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- in-house: in other news...
Today's question is What kind of features would you like to see in the new site design? Joe is busy at work so make sure to speak up now or forever hold your peace.
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Brothers in Arms Preview 08:05 pm
- Apache
- games: action
(3 comments)
PC.IGN is sporting a new hands on preview of Brothers in Arms, Gearbox's upcoming World War 2 themed first person shooter: Playing Brothers in Arms reminded me a lot of the Band of Brothers series, and you really feel like you're a part of the action, with a real chance to turn the tide of the war. So far it's looking like one of the most immersive World War II games ever made, and that's saying a lot given the shear number of WWII games out there. While you still have a ways to go before you can play it for yourself -- the PC and Xbox versions are being developed simultaneously, and should be out early next year, with the PS2 version to ship slightly later -- you'll be hearing a lot more about Brothers in Arms as we see and play more of it before it's released.
Top 10 Best Selling PC Games 08:02 pm
- Apache
- games: general news
1. Doom 3 (Activision)
Humpday WPG 05:01 pm
- Apache
- games: general news
Tracking Advertising In Games? 03:07 pm
- Apache
- games: general news
Michael Dowling, general manager at Nielsen, said the technology is far more advanced than the People Meter, the device used by Nielsen Media Research to monitor the nation's television viewing habits.
The Matrix Online Interview 02:38 pm
- Apache
- games: mmog
MxO Vault: MxO is obviously a different and new type of MMO, based upon the movie trilogy. Do you think it is going to be bringing out a lot of new players that have never played an MMO before? How do you think that will affect the player community, and how are you preparing for it?
Star Wars Battlefront Site Launched 02:22 pm
- Apache
- games: action
Full Spectrum Warrior (PC) First Look 01:07 pm
- Apache
- games: action
As expected, one of the biggest improvements is in the game's graphics. The PC version will include higher resolution textures, which are needed because the resolution of the game is much higher. The version that we saw played at 1024x768, and it looked beautiful. However, we're told that it should max out at 1280x1024. At high resolution and with antialiasing turned on, the PC version looks a lot sharper than the Xbox version, which is an impressive-looking game in its own right.Here's another from IGN.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. MP Impressions 12:46 pm
- Apache
- games: action
We came away very impressed with how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. looked and felt, but we'd certainly like to learn more about the new multiplayer modes in the game. We also didn't get a chance to see any of the single-player game, though we're told that at this point the developers have completed all of the levels and are now balancing and polishing the game. As it stands right now, THQ is looking to start its second beta test in September, and there's talk of a public beta in November. If all goes according to plan, we should expect to see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. ship in the early part of 2005.
Warhammer 40K Quickie 12:42 pm
- Apache
- games: real-time strategy
Surprisingly. representatives from Relic weren't available at the editors' event--they're all up in Vancouver, BC, working to finish the game. That should give you an idea of just how close to completion Dawn of War is. Relic did send down the latest build for the event, though, and we saw that the graphics in particular have tightened up considerably. The multiplayer beta test, for example, was full of weird graphical glitches and some rough artwork, but that's all gone now, and the game looks beautiful and plays smoothly at this point. All four of the game's playable races are in, and each has its own unique look and building style.
BloodRayne 2 Interview 12:33 pm
- Apache
- games: action
Shack: What kind of engine improvements have been made?
Battle for Middle Earth Preview 11:10 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: real-time strategy
One interesting touch is that some units can be combined, so add orcs and archers together to form a horde and the melee orcs will protect the archers, while their arrows cover the fighting boys - simple but highly effective. Adding some orcs to one of the powerful troll units has a similar combined effect, however, if the troll is feeling particularly feisty he might pick up the odd orc and hurl them at nearby troops or even occasionally eat one, to recover lost health.
RPG Vault Features 11:06 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: role-playing
Men of Valor Video 11:02 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: action
Video Game Characters in Playboy? 10:51 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: general news
"Majesco (MJSH.OB: Research, Estimates) thought it was all in good fun. The game's coming out that month and it's perfect timing," said Laura Heeb, a spokesperson for the "Bloodrayne" publisher. "BloodRayne is a very viable franchise now. It has definitely made the step up to a full-fledged video game franchise. The Playboy thing is nothing more than just another cool thing we can do with this franchise."
Ghost Recon 2 Times Two? 07:21 am
- Apache
- games: action
In a move that blurs the very definition of what constitutes a sequel, Ghost Recon 2 will be released as two distinctly different games, with parallel development teams working on their own vision of the game.
Rome: Total War Previews 07:17 am
- Apache
- games: real-time strategy
Graphically, the grand strategic game map no longer looks like a flat board game (as it did in the earlier Total War games). The map has come alive in 3D: you can see sparkling rivers flowing downhill, winding roads with trade caravans crisscrossing along them, tall mountains, water lapping against the shore, and even active volcanoes. A volcano in one of my provinces even erupted once: I could see it spewing lava on the big map, and shortly thereafter got the news that the eruption had damaged buildings and killed thousands in that province.More previews can be found at ActionTrip and Firing Squad.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Hands-On 02:22 am
- Apache
- games: action
Even though S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a first-person shooter, it contains a lot of role-playing elements similar to Deus Ex. In addition to the aforementioned dialogue trees, you can also expect a few basic stats such as health, radioactivity, food and endurance. Health is pretty understandable since it's in every shooter. Get shot, lose health. Radioactivity is similar. If you absorb too much radiation in affected areas, you'll get sick and eventually die. Food and endurance are a little bit different. You'll have to rest and eat occasionally in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and if you don't find a safe place to bed down, expect to be attacked in the middle of your slumber.
Tron 2.0: Killer App Preview 02:14 am
- Apache
- consoles: xbox
The basic single-player game follows the same story provided by the PC predecessor. It picks up 20 years after the film's story, with Alan Bradley (the Boxleitner character in Tron) completing his technology to digitize a person and "upload" him to a computer. Unfortunately, Bradley's company is on the verge of a takeover by a nasty firm named fCon, which has its own use for the technology to hack computers around the world. Bradley suddenly disappears, and when his son Jet seeks him out at the lab, the younger Bradley ends up being zapped into the inner workings of the network by his father's computerized assistant.
NWN 2 Interview 01:51 am
- Apache
- games: role-playing
HomeLAN - First, how did Obsidian get the gig to develop Neverwinter Nights 2?
The Blurbs 01:34 am
- Apache
- games: general news
IGN Morsels 01:19 am
- Apache
- games: general news
Hardware & Tech Nuggets 12:57 am
- Apache
- hardware: general news
Game Reviews 12:37 am
- Apache
- games: general news
In Other News... 12:30 am
- Apache
- in-house: in other news...
In other, other news - I had a eye doctor appointment yesterday (the first in about 4 years or so) and it was cool that my prescription hardly changed at all after all that time. Driving home after I got my pupils dialated for the exam was fun, especially in the bright Arizona sun. My eyes looked pretty freaky, it was like being in High School all over again. But in High School, having dialated pupils was a heck of a lot more fun. I made it home alive, so it's all good, baby! Today's question is Which genre news would like more of? Action, adventure, hardware, role playing, strategy, simulation, tactical, racing, etc! In totally unrelated news, lets give a big welcome back to Billy whose posting again over at Gaming Groove. It is awesome he has straighted out his life and is back updating. He was my best friend for like, forever, so its really awesome to see him back again staying out of trouble (grin). He is one of the family (my Mother's maiden name is Wilson), so it really does my heart good to see him back again.
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