Salvation - An update on Black Wing Foundation's Source-engined action game

New update and short QA

First of all, the team would like to thank your for the interest and all the feedback left at numerous gaming web portals and sites, both negative and positive. Your opinion helps us to see our drawbacks and add stones to the concrete of the game to make it stronger and better. We care about your feedback, ake conclusions and do our best with the game.

Now, a short QA following your feedback:

Q: Source seems to be rather old hat for now to develop a project that is going to be released Q2 2009.
A: That statement has some grounding to it, but. The game engine choice depends on specific game features planned, solutions you apply to get that final picture and atmosphere (whatever they are – end effect is key) and the project structure itself. Taking all the factors into account, our choice fell on Source, and we evaluated a few technologies. Still though, for example, we signed an exchange program with Emergent (Gamebryo 2.3.) for one of the Salvation spin-offs planned, as Source wouldn't fit for that game. I think you get our point here.

Q: It looks like a HL2 mod!
A: It's really the early in-game screenshots. If you want us to cheat you by howing fake screens, we can do it, just tell us =). Though we prefer to show the rogress on every stage of the game development and have a doze of your influenceto the process. You can check new screens in today's update. They are partially a esult of your comments, btw.

Q: The story seems interesting but it's kind of fuzzy and description on the site born more questions than give answers.
A: Guys, we have more than a year to go with the game, so be sure we'll shed ome more light on the story. For obvious reasons, cannot spoil you the whole cript:).

Q: They have replicated Christ?! You'll burn in a hell for that game - infidels!
A: It's not as easy as it seems at the first glance; - game story is much more omplicated. C'mon, think wider than that:) We are not a bunch of like Satan-worshipers or something, it's all a devotion to science fiction (a little bit daring maybe) and last thing we would like to do is to hurt somebody's feelings.

Q: Ergh… how about web-site in Russian?
A: Check the site at Monday! We also promise proofread English texts)

So, today we bring you a batch of new screenshots from ome of Eastern European locations and one of the compositions from official game soundtrack – "Magenta Dawn". Like we said before – feel free to shoot your comments. 

We will follow them and make our conclusions.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm and Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights live on GamersGate

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm and Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights live on GamersGate

Leading PC digital distribution platform GamersGate announced today that Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm and Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights for PC are available for direct download on http://www.gamersgate.com.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm is the third and final expansion to the genre defining and critically acclaimed RTS, Dawn of War. In Soulstorm, two new armies are introduced, raising the total number of playable armies in Dawn of War to an unprecedented count of nine while also adding additional units to all existing factions. The revolutionary meta-game that was introduced in Dark Crusade is further expanded to an interplanetary scale, allowing players to battle across a star system. Combined with its sister products, Soulstorm makes Dawn of War the largest and most detailed RTS ever released.



Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (HIN) evolves the current street racing scene, letting players experience the culture of the real-life HIN tour, the nation's largest lifestyle custom car show in an intense racing experience. Featuring track and drift racing at real-world locations around the globe, next-gen AI and unparalleled vehicle customization, Juiced 2: HIN brings street racing to life, allowing players to test their skills at live street racing events against a back-drop of DJs, models and musicians. Groundbreaking new features include addictive drift/powersliding races and "Driver DNA" that tracks gamers' personal driving traits. These profiles, along with the profiles of select celebrities will be available for download across all online gaming systems. Racing developer Juice Games has evolved the game-play that revolutionized online racing, giving players the power to create their car, assemble their crew and put it all on the line in intense pink slip and crew races. Gamers will also be able to bet cash on each event, bringing a gambling element to the game that greatly increases the importance of each race.

To find out more about Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm on GamersGate http://www.gamersgate.com.

To find out more aboutJuiced 2: Hot Import Nights on GamersGate, http://www.gamersgate.com.

Urban Rivals – Search for an Art Star contest launched

Urban Rivals – Search for an Art Star!

Urban Rivals, the world’s leading online trading card game announce a search for artistic talent in the USA and Great Britain. Character artists are invited to submit one character card to enter, with a freelance design contract up for grabs in each country.

Boostr, the Company behind Urban Rivals announced today their ‘Search for an Art Star’. Two freelance contracts are available for a talented artist in the USA and Great Britain.

Urban Rivals launched in 2006 and has attracted over 1.75 million player registrations. The game involves battling other players online to level up and evolve your character cards, unlocking new abilities and powers. There are over 300 character cards available with four new cards being released every second Friday.

The game is set in the chaotic “Clint City” and the characters in game are divided among clans, each with its own distinct identity expressed through both design and their ultimate mission in the city.

Nicolas Caris, Head of Marketing and Editor-in-chief of the Urban Rivals online comic commented, “We’ve experienced good growth in the USA and UK and we need local character artists that can reach a 14-25, male audience with character designs they will identify with.” Urban Rivals revels in a unique artistic style through both the website at: www.urban-rivals.com And recently, the world of Clint City was bought to life in comic form with the launch of the biweekly online comic: www.urban-rivals.com/comics

Nicolas continued

“Its important artists understand the relevance of the clans and the design styles as well as find the right characters to fit into their chosen clan and within Clint City itself. So good luck to all entrants and we hope to be working with two designers in the near future.”

Who can enter:

• Entrants will most likely already have a career in design and would like to either expand career experience or take on freelance work to supplement their career.
• Or very talented student or junior wanting to add to their portfolio.

How to enter:

• One character card design to be submitted via email by 31st May 2008.
• All character card designs to be emailed to artstar@urban-rivals.com
• Formats acceptable for submission JPEG, PNG and GIF.
• Max file size for submission 500K.
• Character card design must show at least one character evolution.
• Character card design must be based on existing clans.
• Submissions must be in colour.
• All artwork submissions remain the intellectual property of the artist.

Further details about Urban Rivals ‘Search for an Art Star’ or two, can be found online at:
http://www.urban-rivals.com/

Numen: Contest of Heroes PC video game Screenshots

Numen: Contest of Heroes Screenshots

Gods (all the 9 gods featured in Numen: Contest of Heroes) were generous to us and presented a set of fresh (right from the development field) screenshots. Shot daily and nightly, these assets offer us a great opportunity to get an attentive look at the game visuals as they did become brighter and more compelling.



Harpies, giant spiders, ugly ghouls and other brilliant representatives of the bestiary created with love and care, courtesy of Cinemax, game development studio, are all at your disposal so that you can get a more comprehensive view and impression of what was cooking in ancient Greece and is in the works in our today’s world.

Sony's newest PlayStation 3 to allow downloads

The next update of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 console, slated late this month, will include features that let users download games, video and ring tones.

Sony said Thursday the system update will add Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, or BD-Live capability, to the PS3. It will also let users copy photos and music playlists on to their handheld PlayStation Portable, use the PSP as a remote control for playing music on the PS3 and stream linked video files from the Web.

This will make the PS3 the first Blu-ray player with access to Internet content and downloads. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which owns the Panasonic brand, also plans to ship a BD-Live player this spring.

With the updates, Sony wants to build the gaming console's status as an entertainment hub.

The downloadable content will range from bonus movie scenes and trailers to "interactive movie-based games."

"With Blu-ray established as the high-definition optical disc standard, more consumers are ready to jump in and take advantage of everything the format offers," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing, in a statement.

The free update also adds a "resume play" feature that enables users to restart Blu-ray discs and DVDs at the point where they stopped even if they take the disk out of the drive. According to Sony's PlayStation blog, the update is slated for the "next few days."

Sony is planning to release a stand-alone Blu-ray player this summer that will feature an Ethernet port to download bonus materials. It won't be BD-Live capable -- meaning users won't be able to access Web content -- until a subsequent software update.

In this respect, Blu-ray players are playing catch up to the recently defunct HD DVD systems, which always had Internet capabilities.

The BDP-S350 player will cost about $400; a second player, shipping later this year, will cost about $500 and be able to download Web content.

Source: AP

Console Race: Another Lap For Sony

For the second month in a row, sales of Sony’s (SNE) Playstation 3 console system outpaced Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox 360 in the U.S., according to figures released late Mar. 13 by analysts at the NPD Group. Though both companies promptly issued press releases slicing the monthly results in their own favor, the results underscore the tightening race between the two tech giants.

After a 2007 of fits and starts, Sony’s game system seems to finally be on firm footing. The company crowed about the nearly 281,000 PS3 systems it sold, representing 120% sales growth from the year before and a volume 10% higher than Microsoft’s next-generation console for the month. “We believe that Blu-ray becoming the high-def format of choice was the tipping point for many consumers,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, referring to the demise earlier this year of the rival HD-DVD format formerly backed by Microsoft.

For its part, Microsoft issued a release saying supply constraints had held up sales. In Feb., Microsoft sold 254,600 Xbox 360s, up from 230,000 consoles the month before. The company says the so-called Xbox ecosystem – combined sales of game systems, software, and accessories – was worth $332 million, or 39% of the market for next generation systems. Microsoft was also able to sell more games with each of its systems than Sony.

Still, Sony seems to have the wind at its back. In addition to its advanced PS3 console, the company last month sold 243,100 Playstation Portables and an eye-opening 351,800 Playstation 2 units, its previous generation game system. A raft of highly anticipated exclusive titles including sequels to the Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo series are due in the next couple of months, which the company hopes will further boost sales. Some analysts have predicted that Sony could pull ahead of Microsoft this year, despite Redmond’s year advance on the Japanese games titan.

As a whole, the games industry continues booming. Year-to-date sales of both hardware and software were up 34% to $1.3 billion from $992 million. “Even following a red-hot 2007, the video games industry shows no signs of letting up,” said Anita Frazier, an NPD analyst. She added that a slate of blockbuster titles yet to be released could push “the industry to achieve another year of record-breaking sales despite difficult economic conditions.”

Source: Business Week

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2 Grimoire of the Rift

Dive Into The World Of Ivalice This Summer With FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift

The Latest Square Enix Tactical RPG Enters the Ivalice Alliance on June 24, 2008

Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that the latest entry in the IVALICE ALLIANCE series, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift is set to transport players to the fantastical world of Ivalice on June 24, 2008.

Embark on a journey through the vibrant world of Ivalice this summer with FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift. As the third entry in the Ivalice Alliance series, this follow-up to the 2003 Game Boy Advance release brings the popular tactical franchise to the Nintendo DS™ for the first time. FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift will introduce newcomers to an engaging turn-based, grid-oriented battle system as they make new discoveries alongside the hero in this lighthearted adventure. Long-time fans will enjoy exciting new content and enhancements, including polished game mechanics, intuitive stylus control, and new jobs and classes.

“FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift makes the tactical RPG genre accessible to fans who may be unfamiliar with the grid-based battle system,” said Director Yuichi Murasawa. “While maintaining the classic functionality of the much-loved gameplay, this newest release boasts upgrades that enable a more engrossing and fulfilling tactical RPG experience.”

STORY
School is out for the summer, but mischievous Luso Clemens must first face detention to make up for his misbehavior. Alone in the library, he stumbles upon an ancient book with magical powers that summons him to the mystical land of Ivalice. Warped into the middle of a battlefield, Luso joins Cid and his clan to set off on an adventurous journey looking for a way home.

FEATURES
Explore the fantastic world of Ivalice and join forces with famous heroes from FINAL FANTASY XII – Vaan, Penelo and Al-Cid
All-new content and enhancements, including polished game mechanics, new jobs, new classes, and a new clan system that enrich the Ivalice experience for fans and newcomers alike
The North American release will allow players to command characters in battle and navigate through menus all with a tap of the stylus
Witness vibrant and colorful visuals in dual-screen presentation, made possible by Nintendo DS
Increased replay value with up to 400 available quests, allowing players to immerse themselves in a multi-faceted storyline

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift is not yet rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift will be available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $39.99 (USD). The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ffta2/.

Tales of Pirates: Officially Released no more beta

Tales of Pirates: Officially Released

IGG has announced that their prized 3D MMORPG, Tales of Pirates (http://top.igg.com), has completed the development and will have been officially released on March 24, 2008.

Tales of Pirates started its’ Alpha Test on March 15, 2007 and its’ Open Beta Test on March 29, 2007 respectively and during the tests they received tons of encouraging comments while the number of players online climbed significantly.

IGG has promised that they will continue doing their best to perfect the game and offer the best services. Additionally, to celebrate this important moment, they have prepared many online and offline events for players.

For more info about these events visit: http://top.igg.com/info.php?articleId=935.

Charity Game The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures ships supported by Facebook Contest and download

Award-Winning Charity Game The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures Ships To Retail Supported By Facebook Contest

Seriously Ill Kids Stand to Benefit from Creative Fundraising Campaign

Legacy Interactive today shipped The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures: Starlight Charity Challenge game to retail. The hybrid PC/Mac retail version of the animated arcade-style game is a first-of-its kind national fundraising campaign benefiting children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses via Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation (www.starlight.org), with fifty percent of the retail proceeds going to the organization. Simultaneously downloadable Mac, Flash, widget and Facebook application versions of The Tuttles have launched, with a Facebook "Friends" promotional contest designed to help spread the word about the charity fundraiser.

Starlight helps seriously ill children and their families cope with pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Its programs include mobile entertainment units and laptop computers for hospitalized children, fun family events that take children and families away from medical treatments, a social network for teens with serious medical conditions and much, much more.

"The Tuttles looks great, is fun and makes you feel good. It's an easy choice for people to get behind this game because a significant portion goes directly to brighten the lives of real children," said Legacy's CEO Ariella Lehrer. "By making a $20 purchase and helping spread the word, anybody can make a difference."

Kicked off as a fundraising concept by Starlight, certainly many people have gotten involved in the game already. Actors William Shatner, Bob Saget, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ashley Tisdale, Dominic Scott Kay, Dave Thomas and Dave Coulier lent their voices to The Tuttles, a classic side-scrolling platformer game for all ages. The story line follows a vacationing family as they travel by flying mini-van through desert, jungle and even under water avoiding obstacles and collecting goodies along the way to the Alamo. The original comedic script and characters were designed by Emmy Award-winning Animax Entertainment. SomaTone Interactive Audio created the soundtrack and leading Mac portability developer TransGaming, Inc. (TSX-V: TNG) has made the game Mac compatible using their Cider Portability Engine.

The downloadable PC version of the game (www.tuttlesfamilygame.com) was released late last year and has already garnered a "Kids Game of the Year" award from GameTunnel.com and a 2008 Parents' Choice Silver Award. The retail version, rated E For Everyone, will be available through retailers for a suggested retail price of U.S. $19.99. TransGaming has launched the downloadable Mac version of The Tuttles online at www.gametreeonline.com, and is also donating a significant portion of those sales back to Starlight.

In addition, free Flash, widget and Facebook application versions of The Tuttles have launched today. Ten Sony Cyber-shot DSC-N2 digital cameras, each with an MSRP of $449.95, will be given away as part of a Facebook "Friends" promotion. Participants must add The Tuttles Sweepstakes Facebook application to their profile at http://apps.facebook.com/legacygames, then can answer questions about the game and invite "friends" in their Facebook social network to add the application. The participant will receive one entry when they submit their answers and an additional entry for every friend they invite that accepts and downloads The Tuttles Sweepstakes Facebook application. Camera winners will be randomly drawn from all entries received by April 20, 2008.

While the celebrities and companies involved in creating the game have given liberally of their time and services, the remaining sales income goes towards defraying the actual costs of the fundraiser.

Sony PlayStation 3 getting BD-Live sooner rather than later

When I referred to potential Blu-ray player shoppers having an easy choice to make last week - Sony PS3 or, ummm, a Sony PS3 - I mentioned it was the only Blu-ray player currently on the market that could be upgraded to the format’s Profile 2 functionality. Profile 2, or BD-Live, makes Blu-ray players capable of downloading content, which I should point out — with only a few sour grapes — means Blu-ray will now have the same ability that HD DVD players had from day one. And at $399, the PS3 is one of the least expensive Blu-ray players around.

Well, it turns out BD-Live is a lot closer than I had realized — Sony just announced that it will be go out with the next PS3 firmware update (v.2.20) in late March. It will take a while for BD-Live-enabled movies to hit the market in force, though Sony is not surprisingly touting two Sony Pictures Entertainment titles - The 6th Day (wow, if that’s not a reason to buy a Blu-ray player, I’m not sure what is!) and Walk Hard - due out April 8.

According to the Playstation blog, other features in v2.20 include:

• The ability to copy PS3 Music and Photo playlists to a PSP system. We introduced the ability to create Music and Photo playlists on the PS3 in firmware update v2.0. Now you can easily export your playlists to your PSP.
• You can now play DivX and WMV format files that are over 2 GB.
• Resume Play - begin playing a DVD or BD disc from the point where you previously stopped it, even if you eject the disc and insert a different movie or game.
• Use your PSP as a remote control to play back your music files on your PS3 without turning on your TV.
  
• The Internet browser now displays some web pages faster. In addition [Save Target] has been added as an option under file. This option lets you save a file that is linked to a web page to your PS3 hard drive or storage media.
  

Source: znet