Gamerfeed http://www.gamerfeed.com Gamerfeed http://www.gamerfeed.com/media/feedlogo.gif Gamerfeed http://www.gamerfeed.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Jetpack Brontosaurus soars into alphahttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/jetpack-brontosaurus-soars-into-alpha/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/jetpack-brontosaurus-soars-into-alpha/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/jetpack-brontosaurus-soars-into-alpha/#commentsFiled under: , ,


No doubt the cousin of Professor Science, the Jetpack Brontosaurus has been eagerly awaiting to explore the stars with his trusty thruster. The much anticipated browser game of his adventures has finally entered alpha, allowing anyone to step into his over-sized dinosaur boots. Featuring a few missions, there's not much to it at the moment, but it is an alpha. Check it out at the official Flashbang Studios site. You'll need the Unity Player installed on your browser to play, and remember to fill out the feedback form!

[Via IndieGames]

 

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]]>browserexplorationflashbang-studiosindiejetpack-brontosaurusJames Murff2008-05-16T15:30:00+00:00Gamecock moves into Europehttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/gamecock-moves-into-europe/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/gamecock-moves-into-europe/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/gamecock-moves-into-europe/#commentsFiled under:


The Austin-based Gamecock Media Group may try to "stick it to the man" with their antics but the people running it are also smart business people. They know they need to get their games beyond the US market. Next Generation reports they are doing just that with the opening of a new European publishing office.

The London-based office will handle the sales, marketing and PR for Gamecock games in Europe and the publisher plans to start immediately with a number of titles including PC games like Firefly Studios RTS game Stronghold Crusader Extreme and the Crackpot Entertainment action-adventure title Insecticide. Gamecock's upcoming PC games include the first person shooters Legendary and Section 8 and the WWII stealth action game Velvet Assassin

 

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]]>gamecockgamecock-media-groupinsecticidestronghold-crusader-extremeJohn Callaham2008-05-16T15:00:00+00:00Dungeon Runners gets even more chunkyhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/dungeon-runners-gets-even-more-chunky/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/dungeon-runners-gets-even-more-chunky/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/dungeon-runners-gets-even-more-chunky/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Dungeon Runners, the heavily satirical hack-'n-slash free-to-play MMO, has gotten even more chunky and delicious with the release of the third "Chunk". The chunk, which is a major content update (in the same fashion that NCSoft's own City of Heroes does Issues) includes all sorts of improvements and benefits for free members and paying members alike. There's a balancing of the PvP system, added membership benefits, new quests and NPCs (of course), and a variety of quality of life enhancements. Overall, it's a very solid addition to the game, and if you play Dungeon Runners, you'll be delighted with the new stuff.

 

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]]>chunk-3drdungeon-runnershack-and-slashmmommorpgncsoftpatchupdateJames Murff2008-05-16T14:30:00+00:00The Protector comes into focushttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/the-protector-comes-into-focus/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/the-protector-comes-into-focus/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/the-protector-comes-into-focus/#commentsFiled under: , ,


South American mythology doesn't usually show up as a basis for a game but the development team at the newly revealed Poland-based Gingerbread Studios is adding that kind of background to their just announced debut title. The Protector is a first/third person action game that uses two different playable characters, each of which is used in very different situations.

Those characters are British mercenary Jonathan Kane (the player guides him through the action-shooting series) and American archaeologist Jennifer Guile (she is the basis of the game's stealth action scenes). Together the duo are trying to combat a terrorist organization who wants to use an ancient artifact for, natch, nefarious purposes. The press release claims The Protector will have a fully interactive world, advanced AI and a variety of bad guys, including "mythical Aztec creatures." Start researching your ancient lost civilizations now. There's no word yet on a release date for the game.
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]]>Gingerbread-studiosThe-protectorJohn Callaham2008-05-16T14:00:00+00:00Freeware Friday: Nhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/freeware-friday-n/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/freeware-friday-n/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/freeware-friday-n/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

Last week, I extolled the virtues of a crazy little platformer/shooter called Cave Story, and how I consider one of the best games of all-time. The problem is, though, that a lot of people aren't really into the whole action-adventure gameplay that Metroid, Castlevania, and Cave Story utilize. There are people who want uncomplicated platformers with left, right, and jump. For those people, there is no greater game than N.

If you are a fan of the Xbox 360, or keep a fairly good awareness of indie titles being released for any platform, you'll know that a game called N+ was released on Xbox Live Arcade recently. If you've played it, you know it's one of the better titles on XBLA. N is the daddy of N+, creating the style, gameplay, and feel that N+ perfects.

N is a game that oozes style. From the very start, you are greeted by a simple menu with only a few options. The text is all pixelated, looking like something out of a computer from the 70s. In the background, you can observe a random replay of a level being played. Sometimes they are bad, sometimes they show you a lot about how a level is played. In total, it gives off a very minimalist and post-modern vibe. This sort of philosophy extends to the rest of the game as well.

The controls are extremely simple. Hold left and right to travel horizontally, and press shift to jump. The longer you hold shift, the higher your character jumps. The controls may feel sluggish and slow at first, but with time you get used to them, and eventually they will become second nature to you. The biggest thing you will notice is that after you become used to the controls, complex maneuvers and dodging will become second nature. This is the beauty of the control scheme.

The gameplay itself is equally as simple. Each level is comprised of a start and a finish. It is your goal to finish each level as quickly as possible, and in order to put the pressure on, the levels are timed. If you run out of time, your character will automatically die, and you must try the level over again. In order to alleviate this constraint, you can gather little yellow squares to extend your time. This is explained as you, being a ninja, require the gold to extend your amazingly short lifespan.

As far as goals, that is it. However, there are lots of obstacles that stand in your way each level. Turrets, drones, mines, and seeker bots are just a few of the things that block your path. And even then, that's not counting the perpetual threats of falling to your death or running out of time. So prepare to die a lot. The beauty, though, is as each level only take around 1-2 minutes to play at most, and your only penalty for dying is to start from the beginning of the level, there is no frustration over lost progress. This allows players to experiment with different solutions to each level, as each level is very much like a platforming puzzle to be worked out through trial and error.

The graphics and sounds match the gameplay style very effectively. The sounds are very simple, mostly consisting of a variety of thunks, thuds, and booms. There is no music whatsoever, lending even more credit to the minimalist theme. The graphics are much the same way, things consisting mostly of straight lines and simple colors, making everything easily distinguishable. The only real vice the developers took with graphics is by giving your character ragdoll physics, making each death highly entertaining. You even gib apart!

For those into the content scene, the game comes with a level editor, allowing you to make and upload your own levels to a server to share with the world. They can be played by anyone, and the best-rated levels get played quite a lot. You can check the user levels by going to (surprise!) user levels in the main menu. It's definitely worth a look if you are tired of the normal levels.

That's about all one can say about N. It's an extremely simple platformer with post-modern ambitions that it fulfills expertly. It's a small download and runs off of a single executable, which makes it extremely easy to organize. It's a great little time-waster for when you feel like some thoughtful platforming instead of running-and-gunning. But in the end, it just is. And like Cave Story, must be played to realize its true beauty.

You can get N in two places, and there are executables for all three major operating systems. The first place is the official download site. The second is, as always, here on Big Download for your convenience! So whether you want it on Windows, Mac, or Linux, you can find it here as well! Happy gold hunting, and may the bots be behind you.

 

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]]>featuredfeaturesfreewarefreeware-fridayindiemetanetnn-plusplatformerJames Murff2008-05-16T13:00:00+00:00Guide to TF2 Medic Achievements, Part 5http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/guide-to-tf2-medic-achievements-part-5/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/guide-to-tf2-medic-achievements-part-5/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/guide-to-tf2-medic-achievements-part-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Welcome, Herr Doktor. No doubt you have at least sampled the waters of the new TF2 update, resplendent in it's new content. However, you are not concerned over the new Gold Rush map, or the new Payload gametype. No, you are most likely aiming to obtain your überweapons: the Blütsauger, Kritzkrieg, and Übersaw. Unfortunately, you have to complete the many new medic achievements, ranging from the incredibly hard to the very simple. Thankfully for you, Herr Doktor, we have compiled a guide to acquiring those achievements in the easiest way possible. We have already given you the first, second, third and fourth, so here is the fifth. Keep this in mind the next time we proclaim our love for you.

Intern

Accumulate seven thousand heal points in a single life


Before I start on the strategy for this achievement, I'd like to point out that you can easily check how many points you have healed in the current round by looking at your personal stats at the bottom. This updates in real-time, so you can use it to keep track of where you are in the achievement.

This one can be done easily either normally or farming. To do it normally, just stay on the front lines of a battle while being careful to avoid fire. If you take damage, retreat to behind friendly lines, heal, and come back. If you keep at it and manage to stay alive for a good portion of the match, you'll get the achievement without a hitch.

To farm this one, get a soldier or demoman willing to hurt himself. It's easiest for a demoman, as two pipe bombs will nearly kill him. Have the soldier or demoman perform explosive jumps, and just heal them as they do so. This is a good way to do it as it will also help you get the Medical Intervention achievement.

Tip: You won't get the achievement until you die, so don't worry if it doesn't show up. Round end counts as a death, so if you are still alive at the end of the round and have healed 7000+, you will get this achievement. If you had already reached 7000 heal points in a single round before the patch, you will get this achievement on your first death.

Specialist

Accumulate ten thousand heal points in a single life


This one, despite being only 3000 points more, is significantly harder than the Intern achievement. This is purely because if you have stayed alive that long, you are likely a huge target for the other team by the time you reach 8500 heal points. Because of this, you'll want to attach to heavies or soldiers almost exclusively, as they can be your meat shield much easier.

To farm this, you should focus on having a demoman do two-bomb jumps in front of you as you heal him. Any other way is too slow to be effective. Otherwise, the farming strategy is mostly the same as it was for Intern.

Tip: As with Intern, you won't get the achievement until you die, so if you reach 10,000+ in the middle of a match and haven't gotten it, go get yourself killed and you will have the achievement.

Chief of Staff

Accumulate one million total health points.


This achievement doesn't have normal or farming options. There is only grinding available for this achievement. Utilize the strategies for Intern and Specialist to dramatically increase the rate you are working towards this achievement, but beyond that, there's nothing I can really tell you. Just go and play a medic.

Some great achievements to grind with this one are Infernal Medicine, Grand Rounds, Intern, Specialist, Quadruple Bypass, and Big Pharma, as all of those achievements will net you large amounts of heal points. Also, if you had already reached 1 million total heal points before the patch, you will earn this achievement after you die.

Tip: This doesn't have to be in one life. That would be impossible. However, you do have to die once you hit the 1 million mark in order to receive the achievement. As always, round ends count as a death.

Quadruple Bypass

Heal a teammate who is taking fire from four enemies at once


This achievement is fairly easy, and is best accomplished in tandem with the Big Pharma achievement. Get a team of medics on a single heavy, and have him perform an offensive push. There are fairly high chances that the heavy will be under heavy fire for the duration of the push, allowing you and your assisting medics to get the achievement without a hitch.

To grind this achievement, get a heavy on your team and 4 medics from the enemy team. Overheal the heavy, and then continue to heal him while having the enemy medics shoot him with their syringe guns. You should get the achievement without any issue whatsoever. If the heavy dies, just retry.

Tip: All 4 enemies have to be firing at once at the person you are healing. This means that the projectiles from weapons have to hit the person within a second of other projectiles. All projectiles, including rockets and grenades, count.

Placebo Effect

Kill five enemies in a single life, while having your Übercharge ready but undeployed

This achievement can be hard or difficult, much like the other combat medic achievements. It is all dependent on your skill as a combat medic. The best way to do this is to charge up your über on a heavy or other large class, then have a fellow medic heal you until they have über. When you see some enemies, rush at them, have your teammate activate the über, and kill them. If you kill 5 enemes, you should get Placebo Effect and your benefactor should get Consultation.

To farm this achievement, charge your über on a teammate, and then have the enemy team die to your bonesaw a lot. It's a great achievement to farm in tandem with FYI I'm A Medic, Hypocritical Oath, and Sawbones, as you will be getting plenty kills from farming the achievement. It's best if the enemy team are mostly spies and scouts.

Tip: You have the perform the kill, not assist it. You must also have a normal übercharge, not a Kritzkrieg übercharge.

 

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]]>featuredfeaturesguidehow-tomedic-achievementsteam-fortress-2tf2James Murff2008-05-16T12:00:00+00:00New Mass Effect PC gameplay videos out in the wildhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-mass-effect-pc-gameplay-videos-out-in-the-wild/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-mass-effect-pc-gameplay-videos-out-in-the-wild/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-mass-effect-pc-gameplay-videos-out-in-the-wild/#commentsFiled under: ,


The game is due for release on May 28 but today we have some new gameplay videos from the PC port of Mass Effect, the acclaimed sci-fi RPG from developer BioWare. You will be able to see how the game looks in comparison to the previously released Xbox 360 version. If you are not familiar with Mass Effect these movies will give you a taste of the gameplay goodness that will soon be available on your PC's hard drive.

Download the Mass Effect PC gameplay movies from Big Download now
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3
Gameplay video 4
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]]>biowareeaelectronic-artsmass-effectJohn Callaham2008-05-16T11:30:00+00:00Europa Universalis: Rome declared patchedhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/europa-universalis-rome-declared-patched/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/europa-universalis-rome-declared-patched/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/europa-universalis-rome-declared-patched/#commentsFiled under: ,

Strategy fans looking for an updated experience in Rome are in luck. On Thursday, Paradox Interactive's Europa Universalis: Rome was patched to version 1.2 via the in-game auto-update system.

Patch 1.2 includes the original Day 1 patch as well as updates to the look and feel of the Roman environment and compatibility fixes on Vista and Intel graphic chip systems.

Europa Universalis: Rome was released on April 15 to mixed reviews and fan reaction. However, it appears some of the issues gamers found with the title are being addressed with automatic patches like the one released Thursday.

Major changes can be found after the jump.

Download the demo of Europa Universalis: Rome today!

Europa Universalis: Rome Patch 1.2 (Partial List)
* Legacy patch (Day 1 patch update)
* Rebalanced military system that, more closely, represents the Roman battlefield
* Deeper character interface (Additional statistics and information on each character)
* Added events that add to the Roman environment and gameplay
* Compatibility issues with Vista and Intel graphics cards have now been solved

 

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]]>europa-universaliseuropa-universalis-romeparadox-interactiveXav de Matos2008-05-16T11:00:00+00:00New screenshots for Left 4 Dead get down and dirtyhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-screenshots-for-left-4-dead-get-down-and-dirty/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-screenshots-for-left-4-dead-get-down-and-dirty/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-screenshots-for-left-4-dead-get-down-and-dirty/#commentsFiled under: ,


It's always a good time to play games with your buddies, whether they are right next to you or if they are online thousands of miles away. Developers Turtle Rock Studios and Valve know this well. They also know that shooting through an army of zombies is fun, too. Thus was born the co-op oriented Left 4 Dead which Turtle Rock and Valve plan to spring on players sometime this fall.

Some new screenshots from the game just got released and they show a lot of folks who look like they need to take some baths going up against the flesh eating undead with a truckload of ordinance. Since this is Valve we are talking about here we are betting that even after the game is released there will be some extra content for the game that will find its way via its Steam client. In any case, we can't wait to get some hands-on time with Left 4 Dead very soon
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]]>eaelectronic-artsleft-4-deadturtle-rock-studiosvalveJohn Callaham2008-05-16T10:00:00+00:00First Battleforge screenshots look very Warcraft-yhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/first-battleforge-screenshots-look-very-warcraft-y/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/first-battleforge-screenshots-look-very-warcraft-y/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/first-battleforge-screenshots-look-very-warcraft-y/#commentsFiled under: ,


It's really hard to make a fantasy RTS game and not compare it to Blizzard's hugely influential Warcraft series. Certainly the first screenshots released for the upcoming Battleforge have that kind of similar art style and look to their units.

However Battleforge, from developer Phenomic, is aiming to be something a bit different. Instead of mining resources to build units and structures, players will buy, sell and trade virtual collectible trading cards that will help them build their armies. Support for online tournaments and clans are also planned. We hope to get more info on the game before its publisher Electronic Arts sends it to stores this fall.
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]]>battleforgeeaelectronic-artsphenomicJohn Callaham2008-05-16T09:00:00+00:00New Warhammer Online screenshots; Aussies get the green light to playhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-warhammer-online-screenshots-aussies-get-the-green-light-to/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-warhammer-online-screenshots-aussies-get-the-green-light-to/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/16/new-warhammer-online-screenshots-aussies-get-the-green-light-to/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Electronic Arts couldn't get a in-house MMO to successfully launch so a couple of years ago it bought Mythic Entertainment and brought in their fantasy title Warhammer Online. The game is now scheduled for release this fall (after several delays) and now EA has announced that folks in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia will be able not just have the game ship to their shores at the same time as the North American and European launches but they will also be able to log onto a local Australian server

It's rare that an MMO title will begin its life in so many territories at once and having a server close to home will likely make it easier for those Aussies to enjoy the game without a ton of latency issues. Oh, and we have a boatload of new screenshots from the game to show off. There's a lot of visual goodness in this batch (depending on whether or not you like big huge monsters who show their guts . . .literally).
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]]>eaelecronic-artsmythic-entertainmentwarhammer-onlineJohn Callaham2008-05-16T08:00:00+00:00Battlefield Heroes devs welcome TF2 comparisonhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/battlefield-heroes-devs-welcome-tf2-comparison/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/battlefield-heroes-devs-welcome-tf2-comparison/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/battlefield-heroes-devs-welcome-tf2-comparison/#commentsFiled under:


DICE's Battlefield Heroes is many, many things all wrapped up in a bite-sized package. "Less is more," as they say. But here's one thing you'd think DICE wouldn't be happy about: constant comparisons to Valve Software's mega-hit Team Fortress 2. You'd think.

"If they want to keep comparing it to TF2, I think that's perfectly okay," said producer Aleksander Grondol to Shacknews. "It's an honor to be compared to a great game like Team Fortress 2, and I think the art style in TF2 is awesome." Okay, so ... maybe DICE is cool with it after all! Grondol did note, however, that Heroes' gameplay is nothing at all like that of TF2, artistic choices notwithstanding.

Welcoming comparison to a game as acclaimed and successful as TF2 is a cocky move. That sets the bar very high. Early impressions of Heroes have ranged from very positive to kind of lukewarm, so it's tough to tell whether or not those making the comparison are onto something with regards to the fun factor.

[Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

 

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]]>aleksander-grondolbattlefield-heroescomparisondicefpsinterviewshacknewsshooterteam-fortress-2tf2valveSamuel Axon2008-05-15T22:00:00+00:00Fallout 3 concept artist diary releasedhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/fallout-3-concept-artist-diary-released/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/fallout-3-concept-artist-diary-released/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/fallout-3-concept-artist-diary-released/#commentsFiled under: ,


The post-apocalyptic world of the Fallout franchise has always been rife with humor and innovative imagery. While we all think we know what the aesthetic should resemble, it's up to the actual artists to try to find new ways to spin that aesthetic in novel ways, to keep the look fresh and appealing. Leading the charge is Bethesda's Adam Adamowicz, Concept Artist on Fallout 3.

In his latest Diary, Adam details the sometimes rigorous brainstorming sessions and countless revisions it takes to arrive at a truly immersive look and feel for the game, and presents several concept art sketches for our enjoyment. Included in this overview are the clothing, machines, architecture, robots, and assorted mutants and bad guys that populate the ravaged world of Fallout. If the finished product is anything even remotely like these sketches, we're all in for quite a treat. Enjoy!

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]]>adam-adamowiczaestheticartbethesdaconcept-artdiaryfalloutfallout-3galleryimmersionpost-apocalypticAkela Talamasca2008-05-15T21:00:00+00:00Razer launches new soft-mat lineuphttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/razer-launches-new-soft-mat-lineup/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/razer-launches-new-soft-mat-lineup/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/razer-launches-new-soft-mat-lineup/#commentsFiled under:


Razer has just announced its latest lineup of gaming related accessories in the form of the Razer Goliathus soft-mat series. Goliathus is available in two flavors, one built for speed and the other for control and ship in three different sizes ranging from $14.99 to $24.99.

Co-developed by Razer techs and gaming professionals, the Goliathus brand promises to give gamers the edge in all gaming scenarios, from home all the way to professional gaming sessions, using Razer's woven fiber technology.

The pads will release later this month.

 

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]]>accessoriesmouse-padrazerXav de Matos2008-05-15T20:00:00+00:00Deadly Rooms of Death: The City Beneath trailer released about a year latehttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/deadly-rooms-of-death-the-city-beneath-trailer-released-about-a/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/deadly-rooms-of-death-the-city-beneath-trailer-released-about-a/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/deadly-rooms-of-death-the-city-beneath-trailer-released-about-a/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Deadly Rooms of Death is a great indie dungeon crawler/puzzler which, unfortunately, doesn't receive the attention it really deserves. The latest entry, The City Beneath, expanded upon the already magnificent puzzle-based gameplay in a myriad of ways. It was also released last year (in April) to little fanfare except in the indie community. Thankfully, though, there is now an official trailer that shows off some of the excellent gameplay elements. You can check out the embedded video after the break. If it interests you, check out the main site for a demo and ways to get the full version.

[Via TIGSource]

 

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]]>deadly-rooms-of-deathdeadly-rooms-of-death-the-city-beneathdroddungeonindiepuzzlethe-city-beneathJames Murff2008-05-15T19:30:00+00:00Shane Hensley to helm Superstition Studioshttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/shane-hensley-to-helm-superstition-studios/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/shane-hensley-to-helm-superstition-studios/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/shane-hensley-to-helm-superstition-studios/#commentsFiled under: ,

City of Heroes and City of Villains scribe Shane Lacy Hensley has been tapped by publisher FireSky to head Superstition Studios. Hensley, who is famously known for creating such pen and paper RPGs as Deadlands, will lead development of a new MMORPG that has yet to be detailed.

Prior to the promotion, Hensley was the creative director of Superstition where his vision and key hiring decisions made him the "perfect" candidate for the promotion, according to FireSky senior vice president of product development Rod Nakamoto. "With Shane's leadership, success is a given for Superstition Studios."

Without giving specifics on Superstition's mysterious upcoming release Hensley explained his work with the studio is helping to fulfill a career-long dream. "FireSky and Superstition Studios have given me the creative freedom to build the game I've been dreaming of since I entered the video game industry back in 1992."

Currently FireSky is developing Stargate Worlds, based on the long running science fiction series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, which is now accepting beta sign-ups.

 

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]]>city-of-heroescity-of-villainsfireskystargate-worldssuperstition-studiosXav de Matos2008-05-15T19:00:00+00:00Kryzta released by cactus, took 3 hourshttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/kryzta-released-by-cactus-took-3-hours/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/kryzta-released-by-cactus-took-3-hours/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/kryzta-released-by-cactus-took-3-hours/#commentsFiled under: , ,


cactus has long been established as a complete beast of a developer. The indie developer has developed complete games in the time it takes the normal person to finish Super Mario Bros, as has done it yet again. Working on a competition where the goal is to create a functional game in 3 hours, cactus has make a quirky little arena shooter with unique mechanics called Kryzta.

Your goal is to kill other ships by luring enemies into shooting their buddies. Once an enemy dies, you can collect his little chunks for points. After a while, you can utilize a special shot as well. It's very simple, like most of his games, but very fun and easy to pick up. Pick up the download off of the competition thread!

[Via IndieGames]

 

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]]>cactuscompetitionsfreewareindiekryztaJames Murff2008-05-15T18:30:00+00:00Alienware: Gaming PCs need to move to 64-bit based systemshttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/alienware-gaming-pcs-need-to-move-to-64-bit-based-systems/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/alienware-gaming-pcs-need-to-move-to-64-bit-based-systems/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/alienware-gaming-pcs-need-to-move-to-64-bit-based-systems/#commentsFiled under:

What is the next leap that is needed for gaming-oriented PCs? According to Dell's gaming PC subsidiary Alienware it's not a faster processor or graphics card but moving to a more powerful operating system. In a new News.com article Alienware's desktop product manager Marc Diana says the major PC hardware companies (Microsoft, Intel, NVIDIA, AMD) need to move collectively to fully support 64-bit based operating systems.

Ever since the release of Windows 95 13 years ago, most PC games have supported 32-bit based OSs with only a few that have fully supported 64-bit systems natively. In fact Diana admits Alienware doesn't even bother to offer 64-bit based PCs because the driver support for such a system isn't available, in their opinion. Yet going to a 64-bit OS would not only increase performance for PCs in theory it would also allow gaming PCs to have memory that can break the current 4GB limit that 32-bit OS have.

Diana said other factors could also help in making more powerful PCs in the future including moving to DDR3-based memory that use less power but are clocked higher than DDR2-based memory. At the moment DDR3-based memory is still much more expensive than the norm.

 

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]]>alienwareamdatidellmicrosoftnvidiawindows-vistawindows-vista-64-bitJohn Callaham2008-05-15T18:00:00+00:00CBS bids $1.8 billion for CNET Networkshttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/cbs-bids-1-8-billion-for-cnet-networks/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/cbs-bids-1-8-billion-for-cnet-networks/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/cbs-bids-1-8-billion-for-cnet-networks/#commentsFiled under:


After the whole Kane & Lynch fiasco, who takes CNET seriously anymore? CBS does, apparently. In a press release today, the media giant announced that they were offering $11.50 for each outstanding share in CNET, or $1.8 billion in total. CNET owns their own gaming media giant, with GameSpot, GameRankings, Metacritic, and Download.com ranking some of the most popular sites around. The CNET Board of Directors has approved the merger and urges all shareholders to accept the offer for their shares.

The most interesting part to us, however, is the fact that in the release, CBS does not utter the word "games" at all. Apparently, the words "games" or "videogames" are taboo to a multi-national multimedia corporation like CBS. However, "entertainment" is a perfectly fine way to refer to it, even though it could mean books, movies, games, music, or even sports. Can't we at least get an "interactive"?

 

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]]>acquisitioncbscnetfinancialgamespotstocksJames Murff2008-05-15T17:30:00+00:00In-Depth: Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnorhttp://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/in-depth-galactic-civilizations-ii-twilight-of-the-arnor/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/in-depth-galactic-civilizations-ii-twilight-of-the-arnor/http://www.gamerfeed.com/2008/05/15/in-depth-galactic-civilizations-ii-twilight-of-the-arnor/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Twilight of the Arnor picks up some time after Dark Avatar, and the galaxy is in rough shape. The evil Drengin Empire still maintains major control while the Dread Lords quietly manipulate things from behind the scenes until it comes time to step out with a show of force. Fortunately, all hope isn't lost. The humans located the last of the Arnor, the ancient precursor race that holds the secret to defeating the Dread Lords. While the story might seem like pretty standard for space operas, the expansion delivers plenty of fantastic gameplay improvements and tweaks to make it compelling and keeps Galactic Civilizations II placed among the best strategy games around. Conquer the galaxy after the jump

Ships look better than everStardock decided to go all-out with its second and final expansion to Galactic Civilizations II, and the efforts clearly show. Chief among the improvements is the graphics update that practically makes the game look brand new. Ships have excellent detail, and custom made designs come to life with the addition of animated parts. Planets also look more distinct, with different backgrounds to denote volcanic, green or barren worlds. The makeover continues across factions, with race-specific buildings that establish a strong sense of identity. Some of the buildings are so race-specific that they are unusable by conquerors that launch ground invasions. Creating a stronger race identity does wonders for the GalCiv2, since it wipes away the sameness that each faction suffered from before. Each race's identity also shows in the revised tech trees, which now includes a handful of unique technologies that only specific races can research. It adds an extra item to bargain with in diplomatic negotiations. However, acquiring these unique technologies through trade doesn't open new research branches, and they generally don't offer anything too different from the main technologies.

Amazing list of customization featuresThe list of enhancements and game tweaks goes on, but general tasks like empire and economy management are much improved. Players can bring up a list of all the leases and maintenance across the empire to find out where all the money is going. Highlighting a technology now provides a numeric listing of its bonuses, which makes planning significantly easier. Those players that can't get enough exploration out of their game now have the option to generate Immense maps to overcome, or they can create their own with the map customization tool. Twilight of the Arnor closes off GalCiv2 with a huge send off by including a large host of customization tools. Custom races can even have their own unique technology trees, along with tools to create custom scenarios, campaigns and planetary improvements.

Twilight of the Arnor leaves practically nothing to be desired, and it's the near perfect expansion to close out the GalCiv2 storyline. Its weakest point comes surprisingly from the Terror Star, a massive superweapon that consumes stars and destroys solar systems. It's meant as an end game clean-up option, and it's a blast to use, but it requires a large amount of resources to build and moves so dreadfully slow that it's usually far easier to eliminate rival factions using more traditional means. We still have a few issues regarding some of the gameplay, mostly carried over from previous chapters. Spies are a little too easy to overcome, especially given the amount of time an resources that goes into producing them. It still takes an extraordinary amount of time and resources to establish close relations with a race to form an alliance, even with the artificial intelligence updates, which makes one chapter in the campaign feel very drawn out. It would also be nice to have a strong visual indicator or announcement letting players know when a rival race is wiped out. Yet these concerns can be overlooked, since Twilight of the Arnor brings so many great features to GalCiv2.

Current fans shouldn't have to think very hard about picking up this expansion. Twilight of the Arnor makes GalCiv2 almost feel like a new game. Altogether, one of the best turn-based empire building strategy games out today is improved in practically every sense, which makes it one incredible send off for the series.

Download the Galactic Civilizations II Gold Demo

 

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]]>featuredgalactic-civilizatio...galactic-civilizationsgalactic-civilizations-iigalciv2stardocktwilight-of-the-arnorSteven Wong2008-05-15T17:00:00+00:00