Patric's Blog:
Posted: Mar 10, 2009
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With Windows 7 now available, new DX11 hardware on the market and Holidays fast approaching, it is time to look at the PC hardware market - if you are seeking to buy a whole new system to replace your aging gaming PC, what is the smart buy today? We also look at the question of what you'll need to run PC games in the foreseeable future - the wrath of Windows XP and DX9 is still strong and the consoles play their part as well due to the multiplatform nature of game development these days. Keeping things interesting this weekend, Electronic Arts and Pandemic Studios have announced that their upcoming World War 2-based Action-Stealth title, The Saboteur, has officially gone gold and will begin shipping to stores across Europe on December 4th and North America on December 8th. Unfamiliar with the title? No worries! Here's a brief description from the official websites: Welcome to Nazi-occupied Paris, a unique open world where you are The Saboteur. Play as Sean Devlin, a street-tough Irish racing mechanic seeking personal redemption on a Nazi officer that has taken everything away from him. Now, it’s time for payback—with the help of the French Resistance, British intelligence, an arsenal of weaponry, your own street smarts and brawn, you must exact revenge on those who aimed to destroy your life. Motivated by retribution and armed with tactics of sabotage, blow up zeppelins, derail trains, implode bridges, destroy armored tanks, and level enemy facilities in the name of vengeance. Wondering if your PC will be able to run it? Then be sure to give our Game-O-Meter a spin! Wrapping things up tonight, the Croteam has released a launch trailer for their upcoming action-packed FPS, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. Clocking in at just over a minute long, the video shows off the game's updated visuals and reveals an official release date of November 24th. Check it out after the jump: Treating us to a little eyecandy this afternoon, Creative Assembly has released five new screenshots from their upcoming Strategy title, Napoleon: Total War. These latest shots show off the game's detailed visuals, HUD and some massive battles. Here's a taste:
Hit the full story for the rest! Giving us a reason to dust off our wallets this weekend, Valve has announced that Kaos Studios' multiplayer shooter, Frontlines: Fuel of War, is currently on sale through Steam for just $7.49 US (a 75% savings). The deal runs from now until Monday morning. So if you're looking for some inexpensive fun this weekend, you might want to consider picking this one up! :) Stardock's Impulse digital distribution platform is also offering some pretty sweet deals this weekend. Here's the list:
A couple good ones in there. So don't miss out! Grabbing out attention this afternoon, Cryptic Studios have announced that the upcoming Star Trek Online Open Beta test will be going live on January 12th and will run through January 26th. Keys will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis at StarTrekOnline.com. We'll be sure to let you know when they start accepting applications! ;) Kicking things off today, the fine folks over at 2K Games have released a new teaser trailer for their upcoming first person shooter, BioShock 2. This minute-long clip gives us a sneak peek at the game's multiplayer mode in action, including a nice little kill streak. Check it out after the jump: After some slight delays, Shattered Horizon patch 1.0.2.3 is now live on Steam and clients will auto-update on next startup. A lot of little fixes and first additional features based on feedback on the forums and on the official support site. PATCH NOTES - Shattered Horizon 1.0.2.3 NEW CONTROL OPTIONS
GAME CHANGES
BUG FIXES
No word yet on the Arconauts testing program start date or full release of the dedicated server files, but they shouldn't be too far off now. Keep an eye on the official site and the forums for more. Following up on yesterday's EU launch date news, Square Enix and Gas Powered Games have announced that their upcoming Strategy title, Supreme Commander 2, will be available in North America on March 2, 2010. From the sound of things, development has gone veeery smoothly: "The partnership with Square Enix has been a highlight of my career," said Chris Taylor, Founder and Creative Director of Gas Powered Games. "I couldn’t be more proud of what the team has accomplished, as the game has continually exceeded all of my expectations throughout its development." “Supreme Commander 2 is a shining example of our strategic partnership with Gas Powered Games,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “Square Enix's expertise in character development and storytelling, combined with the real-time strategy experience of the creative talent at Gas Powered Games, promises to deliver a feature-rich product that we hope gamers from around the globe will enjoy.” The full press release is available for your viewing pleasure after the break: Fresh out of the oven, Turbine has released six new screenshots from their upcoming Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood digital expansion. These latest shots are said to depict scenes from the epic story in Mirkwood. Here's a taste:
More screenies after the jump: Grabbing our attention this afternoon, BioWare has announced that they're working on a new DLC pack for their hit Fantasy-RPG, Dragon Age: Origins. Due out this Holiday season, "Return to Ostagar" will allow players to return to the memorable region to extract their revenge and recover the weapons and armor of the fallen King Cailan. Here's a few screenshots to help whet our appetite:
More shots after the break: |
