As an early Christmas present to the fans, leading simulator game developer VSTEP today released a first teaser trailer for Ship Simulator 2010 Extremes, the next instalment in the bestselling Ship Simulator series.
The teaser gives a short but exciting sneak peek of things to come in the next game. Starting with an underwater scene with whales it takes us to some new extreme environments and heavy weather while showing off the new visuals and ocean system. VSTEP will disclose more information regarding the game and its new features as release is nearing.
Ship Simulator 2010 Extremes in now slated for release in summer 2009.
Available in 20 countries and 7 languages and with over 400,000 copies sold to date, the Ship Simulator Series is the leading naval simulation series for pc users. In Ship Simulator 2008, players will need to perform a multitude of tasks, all set within stunning 3D environments and world renowned harbours like San Francisco, Rotterdam, New York and Marseille. Players will take control of a wide array of vessels – from massive cargo ships and ferries, to speedboats, yachts, water taxis, personal watercrafts, and even the mighty Titanic! Ship Simulator 2008 incredibly recreates real locations from around the world and presents players with the challenges of commanding the vessel of their choice on the open sea.
Online titles welcome players to a virtual winter wonderland surrounded by new adventures, gifts, mounts and holiday festivities.
WHAT: Sony Online Entertainment decks the virtual halls again this holiday season with in-game activities and festive themed events in many of its online video games. This December, EverQuest and EverQuest II players will enjoy the annual Frostfell celebration, including a special event in the Legends of Norrath virtual trading card game. Not to be outshone by its Norrathian counterpart, Vanguard Saga of Heroes is celebrating the holiday season in the online world of Telon, and in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars Galaxies players will enjoy the spectacular experience of Wookiee Life Day.
In-game events: EverQuest II: Frostfell, the celebration of kinship and giving, has once again arrived in Norrath spanning from Dec. 11, 2008, to Jan. 5, 2009. Players are invited to enjoy the Frostfell Wonderland Village through the Magic Closets in Qeynos Harbor, West Freeport, Haven, Kelethin, Neriak and Gorowyn. Players can also gather presents to craft wondrous new Frostfell goodies to add to their collections. The festivities also include a daily present from everyone's favorite Frostfell Gigglegibber, Santa Glug!
EverQuest: In the Plane of Knowledge, the impending Frostfell celebrations have been ruined by a spate of thievery, and it is up to the players to save the celebration. Many families have been awakened by ruffians and monsters breaking into their homes and carrying off with presents intended for the children of the Realm. Although the celebrants of Frostfell have certainly put up with greater adversity than this, the denial of even a small measure of lightness and joy to these weary Norrathians is too much to bear. Players are needed to help track down the monsters who committed these crimes and return the missing presents.
Not only must the stolen gifts be retrieved, but also it’s clear that the thievery is part of a larger conspiracy to destroy the institution of Frostfell, a joyous and uplifting occasion. An ice goblin named Freezkorr, whose evil Frostclaw clan has captured Santug Claugg and his Gigglegibber assistants, must be defeated, or Norrathians everywhere may have seen their last Frostfell celebration!
For detailed information, please visit www.eqplayers.com. Star Wars Galaxies: Wookiee Life Day returns this year with new events, items and activities that are sure to lift your holiday spirits to galactic proportions! Wookiee Life Day festivities began Dec. 16, 2008, and conclude on Jan. 13, 2009, in the cities of Dearic, Doaba Goerfel and Wayfar and will include new quests, pets and items inspired directly by the Star Wars Holiday Special, such as a new wroshyr tree house decoration and a painting of Chewbacca’s family. New quests include a search for missing candy from TK-555, the fat stormtrooper from Empire Day, who will reward you with a brand-new speeder that is making its first appearance in SWG.
Legends of Norrath™: From Dec. 15, 2008, to Jan. 9, 2009, all Legends of Norrath players will have a chance to experience a new and exciting event called Saving Frostfell, with prizes and goodies for everyone who completes the scenario.
Star Wars Galaxies™ Trading Card Game: Celebrate Wookie Life Day in the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game! From Dec. 24, 2008, to Jan. 4 2009, all Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game players will have access to a new scenario, with special reward cards for the winners.
For detailed information, please visit http://www.starwarsgalaxies.com/tradingcardgame. Vanguard Saga of Heroes: The Festival of Gloriann returns to the world of Telon this holiday season! Once a year during the wintery months, towering trees adorned with lights can be seen glittering within the cities of Telon. Players can take a tour over the rooftops of Telon while riding on Randolph, the flying reindeer mount.
The Matrix Online: It is time for the fourth-annual Winter Holiday Celebration in The Matrix Online! During this period, snow will be falling in the Mega City and Snowman, and Holiday Helper Vendors will be around to help you get into the holiday spirit.
This Winter Holiday, operatives can enjoy the gift of sharp new clothing items: "Formal Shoes" and "Winter Coats" for men, and "Formal Skirts" and "Winter Shirts" for women, all available in black and white versions. Those operatives skilled at defeating the giant Snow Simulacra may find an additional holiday-themed clothing item.
WHEN and WHERE: Winter Holiday-themed events are scheduled to take place in the virtual worlds of your favorite SOE games. Exact dates vary by title. Please log on to www.station.com for more information
Harold’s Hills, the spiritual successor to the immensely popular casual game Icy Tower was released this week. The developer Free Lunch Design stays true to the fans by releasing yet another free downloadable game just in time for Christmas. Johan Peitz, founder of Free Lunch Design, hopes that Harold’s Hills will have the same attraction as Icy Tower which since its release has acquired over 20 million downloads.
“I’m especially happy with the addictiveness of the game, easy to get into but hard to stop” says Johan Peitz.
Free Lunch Design has also added online Flash games to their site and enhanced its community features. This has resulted in an increase in online traffic and exposure. One example is the newly created Icy Tower Fan group on Facebook which currently boasts around 80000 members from all over the world.
“We are seeing more and more visitors by the day. Currently we have around 100000 unique visitors each month and its growing steadily” Johan adds.
The business model is built around ads, premium subscriptions and licensing. The game Icy Tower was recently released for mobile by publisher Hands on Mobile. More titles are currently under negotiation for licensing on several platforms.
That's one of the questions that will be confronting players of Arberth Studios' forthcoming Point & Click adventure game, 'Coven'. Did she suffer the noose because she really was a witch, as they claimed? And why has the ghost of the black dog haunted the river bridge ever since?
Wales-based developer Arberth Studios is currently riding the strong popularity wave of its debut title 'Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches', which has achieved both critical and player acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Production has now begun on their keenly awaited second game.
Inheritance
Comments Noel Bruton, one of the three-person development team, "'Coven' was formerly known as 'Project Rivercastle'. It is a moving tragedy, unfolding through generations in Castle Avon, a small town steeped in Welsh history.The player arrives in the present day, ostensibly to mix corporate duties with the family business of claiming an inheritance, the legacy of an unknown Great Aunt. But your investigations enmesh you with an involved story going back to the frightening witch-hunts that coincided with the English Civil War, traversing the Rebecca Riots, the British Agricultural Revolution and World War II espionage, to the terrible threat that has come to grip the fate of the town following your Aunt's demise. You must discover and assume your Aunt's occult responsibilities - summon allies and new skills - and face the truth that has eluded Castle Avon for nearly four hundred years.He continues, "As with 'Rhiannon', we have dipped into Wales' past; however this time into history rather than legend. In the seventeenth century, while England and Scotland were hanging and burning hundreds accused of witchcraft, Wales exercised pragmatic tolerance; there are no records of witches being executed there. So now we add another layer of gameplay - what made Megan Jones special?"
Feedback
Bruton is at pains to point out that for this title, the fledgling company has learned much from player and reviewer feedback. "There was so much that people loved about 'Rhiannon' - and some aspects where they asked us to improve next time. So in 'Coven', navigation is slicker and more precise, along with a new "Where Am I" feature and shortcuts to distant locations.
Scene panning is used where it fits. There will be an ingenious way of recording player progress and delivering gameplay hints. Graphics are more animated. But we're sticking to our preferred model of the player acting alone, in the first person - and story and puzzles still come first. Even with such a tragic story, player enjoyment is crucial. There's fun to be had here too."
Midway Games, the video-game maker sold this month by Sumner Redstone, will eliminate 25 percent of its work force and suspend development of some titles to scale back expenses as the company works to repay creditors.
Midway, based in Chicago, will have severance costs of about $1.6 million for 180 workers and will close its Austin, Texas, studio, according to a regulatory filing today. The suspended games were planned for release in 2010 or 2011 and hadn’t been announced publicly, according to a Midway statement.
Redstone announced on Dec. 1 the sale of his 87 percent stake in the maker of the “Mortal Kombat” video games for $100,000. Following that move, Midway said owners of $150 million of its debt may demand repayment. The company said today it will have about $20 million in costs related to the accelerated repurchase of its 6 percent and 7.25 percent notes.
“Midway has cash issues, has debt to repay in January, and has to conserve its cash as much as possible,” Michael Pachter, a Los Angeles-based analyst for Wedbush Morgan Securities, said in an e-mail. “These steps should have been expected, however unfortunate.
Midway rose 3 cents, or 16 percent, to 22 cents at 4:01 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. It has fallen 92 percent this year.
Redstone, 85, is chairman of CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. A drop in their shares this year triggered debt covenants at the family holding company, National Amusements Inc., that forced him to sell $233 million in nonvoting stock of the New York- based media companies.
The sale of Midway will give National Amusements tax losses of more than $800 million, a person familiar with the matter said at the time. A portion of those losses can be used to offset taxable income in the future, the person said.
After the release of the long awaited patch for Grand Theft Auto IV was released to fix a number of bugs, Rockstar have admitted that the patch has caused other problems.
The patch has caused problems with controllers (mouse, keyboard and Xbox windows controllers).
Evolving the shooter genre with its unique and exhilarating combination of fluid action and combat, Damnation will feature huge, open environments, frenetic combat, daredevil acrobatics and high-octane vehicle-based stunts. Presenting players with an intense test of reflexes, quick thinking and rapid-fire conflict, Damnation will feature vast, breathtaking landscapes, each covering miles of distance and thousands of vertical feet.
Billed as a ‘shooter gone vertical’ and visually inspired by iconic elements of American history, these massive streaming landscapes will form the battlegrounds for a post-industrial conflict between humanity and an unstoppable arms dealer hell-bent on total world domination.
Players will be able to choose their own paths and navigate the world by performing daredevil feats on the edge of human ability. However, players aren’t the only ones with mind-blowing acrobatic skills; intelligent enemies will give chase and engage players in frantic gun fights and attacks that can come from any direction – in Damnation’s world there’s no safe place to hide.
With up to three hours of actual gameplay stretching out in front of them per level, players will need more than just muscle power to get across each level safely. Damnation will offer players a selection of awe-inspiring vehicles, from motorbikes capable of launching across seemingly infinite chasms, to huge, armour-piercing marvels that will induce mayhem with every huge shell.
The high action will be supported with an epic and in-depth story which, while focusing on the exploits of the hero character Rourke, is truly an ensemble piece. Players will meet and become involved in intricate story plots that reveal much more than the obvious.
In addition to the single player experience, Damnation comes complete with a unique set of multiplayer options that take full advantage of the game’s expansive levels.
Evolving the shooter genre with its unique and exhilarating combination of fluid action and combat, Damnation will feature huge, open environments, frenetic combat, daredevil acrobatics and high-octane vehicle-based stunts. Presenting players with an intense test of reflexes, quick thinking and rapid-fire conflict, Damnation will feature vast, breathtaking landscapes, each covering miles of distance and thousands of vertical feet.
Billed as a ‘shooter gone vertical’ and visually inspired by iconic elements of American history, these massive streaming landscapes will form the battlegrounds for a post-industrial conflict between humanity and an unstoppable arms dealer hell-bent on total world domination.
Players will be able to choose their own paths and navigate the world by performing daredevil feats on the edge of human ability. However, players aren’t the only ones with mind-blowing acrobatic skills; intelligent enemies will give chase and engage players in frantic gun fights and attacks that can come from any direction – in Damnation’s world there’s no safe place to hide.
With up to three hours of actual gameplay stretching out in front of them per level, players will need more than just muscle power to get across each level safely. Damnation will offer players a selection of awe-inspiring vehicles, from motorbikes capable of launching across seemingly infinite chasms, to huge, armour-piercing marvels that will induce mayhem with every huge shell.
The high action will be supported with an epic and in-depth story which, while focusing on the exploits of the hero character Rourke, is truly an ensemble piece. Players will meet and become involved in intricate story plots that reveal much more than the obvious.
In addition to the single player experience, Damnation comes complete with a unique set of multiplayer options that take full advantage of the game’s expansive levels.
The start of Runes of Magic’s open beta phase exceeded all expectations of publisher Frogster significantly. Over 100,000 characters were created in the first hours and are now populating the world of Taborea. Technically the start went smooth despite the heavy rush of players. Due to the high number of players, Frogster opened an additional game world on Monday afternoon. The international community now is spread over seven servers – even though Runes of Magic is only in the early stages of the open beta phase.
In the past few hours Frogster also noted a significant increase in registration numbers. Out of the total number of 220,000 registrations, more than 20,000 Accounts were created on Monday alone and immediately entered the game world: more than 2 million quests were completed in over 200,000 hours of combined playing time in the game world of Taborea. These numbers underline the relevance of quests and immersive background story in the MMORPG developed by Runewaker Entertainment.
"We will systematically analyse the feedback of the high number of players in the coming weeks and use it to give Runes of Magic the final polish for the official release in the first quarter of 2009," welcomed Daniel Ullrich, Director of Product Management, the active participation of the players. The beta is now open to all interested players and the game can be downloaded free of charge after a short registration on www.runesofmagic.com.
extensive content update, including the beta version of the long-desired SACRED 2 network, for the popular action RPG. The holiday update (620 MB) will be published on December 17, 2008.
The update is packed with new features such as new armour, a brand new snow region, a whopping 20 new opponents and spectacular new weapons. In addition, a completely new series of quests guarantees tons of gaming fun and provides a special set of armour specifically designed to get you into the festive spirit. Naturally, many game details were improved as well, making for an even better gaming experience.
The first beta version of the SACRED 2 network includes an extensive ladder and highscore ranking system allowing you to compare your own performance to that of other community members. You can even win ranks and orders, and legendary characters are immortalized in a Heroes' Cemetery and a Hall of Fame. You can also use the social network to create your own profile then contact other users, make new friends, or arrange some multiplayer sessions.
Tincat, the flexible multiplayer engine from Arvato Systems, makes it possible to export all information belonging to a game character to the SACRED 2 network, and view it there. This allows players to compare character and guild information, and to view multiple highscore lists, making for additional long-term motivation.
Thanks to the SACRED 2 auto-update feature, the holiday update will be automatically installed when the game is launched. You can also download the patch via a specially created landing page.
New Content:
A new area for exploration, including an underground portion New “snowy landscape” textures and objects New sounds for the snowy landscape Roughly 20 new creatures New NPC’s A new quest chain A new armor set for each character New armor items and weapons Fixes (a detailed list is available at www.sacred2.com) Game server creation bugs have been fixed in both single- and multiplayer play Some Combat Arts for all characters have been adjusted or re-balanced Visual issues (such as UI elements not fading out properly) have been fixed Miscellaneous sound and graphical fixes in various environments and situations
The ASCARON team is looking forward to feedback from the community and wishes everyone happy holidays and a wonderful year 2009.
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