After hearing news that Gas Powered Games Chris Taylor had put the company’s Project Awakened on hold, today we have found out that the game developer has been acquired by World of Tanks behemoth, Wargaming.net! More details below in the press release.
Official Press Release
14th February, 2013 – Wargaming, the leading free-to-play MMO developer and publisher, today announced its agreement to acquire Seattle-based developer Gas Powered Games, the maker of memorable and critically acclaimed franchises such as Dungeon Siege, Supreme Commander and Demigod.
Wargaming will take full ownership of Gas Powered Games, bringing into its fold a contingent of veteran developers, including CEO and company founder Chris Taylor. The acquisition will further bolster Wargaming’s push into multiplatform expansion, including the recent acquisition announcement of Chicago-based Day 1 Studios and MMO middleware provider Big World Pty Ltd.
“Gas Powered Games’ heritage and development pedigree shows us just how valuable an addition Chris and his company will make to the Wargaming family,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming. “Gas Powered Games has a long track record of providing incredibly engaging AAA gaming experiences and we can’t wait to start working with them.”
“Wargaming growth in recent years has been tremendous, and we’re looking forward to joining one of the fastest growing gaming companies in the world,” added Chris Taylor, CEO of Gas Powered Games. “I’m sure our experience and expertise will help us contribute even more to Wargaming’s global success.”
Looks like NCsoft has licensed the new Unreal Engine 4 from EPIC Games. The license is reported to be for an as-yet unannounced game the developer is working on.
Official Press Release
CARY, N.C. and SEOUL (February 14, 2013) – Epic Games, Inc. has licensed Unreal Engine 4 to NCSOFT through a long-term deal that grants the renowned publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games to utilize Epic’s groundbreaking technology and tools for upcoming projects. NCSOFT secured its license through Epic Games Korea and is the first Korean studio to license Unreal Engine 4.
“Unreal Engine 4 is an extremely fascinating game engine in terms of its unprecedented efficiency and performance,” said James Bae, chief product officer of NCSOFT. “We plan to release our best game ever using our Unreal Engine expertise and the new state-of-the-art Unreal Engine 4 tools.”
“NCSOFT’s first Unreal Engine mega hit, ‘Lineage II,’ has remained in Korea’s top 10 games for 10 years, and people have been blown away by the leading-edge Unreal Engine 3 visuals of ‘Blade and Soul,’” said Ray Park, territory manager for Epic Games Korea. “With Unreal Engine 4 in their hands, NCSOFT is set to redefine MMORPG success all over again.”
Under this new agreement, NCSOFT is building onto its track record of shipping top-tier games of massive size and scale using Unreal Engine technology. The studio’s Unreal Engine 2-powered “Lineage II” has blazed trails across the MMO landscape and has sustained a massive player base over the past decade. Their top-ranking “Blade & Soul” was developed with Unreal Engine 3 and has become one of Korea’s most popular games. “Blade & Soul” recently swept the 2012 Korea Game Awards, winning the coveted Presidential Award along with top technical honors for best graphics, sound and character.
Additional details around NCSOFT’s Unreal Engine 4 projects have yet to be announced.
On February 4th, 2013, I got the chance to head up to the offices of 47 Communications in Los Angeles and preview Codemasters upcoming GRID 2. The preview was basically showing us some of the game’s single player component – an area which many racing titles skimp on in favor of multiplayer race modes. In a surprising turn of events, it appears as though GRID 2’s single player campaign is expansive, and revolves around a “dual journey” concept. The first of these journeys is the evolution of the W.S.R. (World Series Racing) race league. The idea behind the league is that fictional “gearhead” and multi-million dollar mogul, Patrick Callahan, wants to unify the various racing leagues around the globe and organize a tournament to find out just who the best racer is. It is a lofty goal, as there are a huge number of racing groups, leagues, and clubs to contact, gain the respect of, and ultimately get to join. Callahan can’t do this job alone, so he recruits the player to help him. Thus begins the second journey, that of the player.
GRID 2’s single player game takes place over four racing “seasons”, each sending the player to various parts of the world to spread the word of the W.S.R. In order to gain player experience, racers must do well in various events in order to gain fans. Fans are the main currency of the game. As the player progresses, you will get informed as to fan opinion of your deeds through short cut-scenes of various social media feeds. Additionally, Codemasters has teamed up with ESPN, which has created several SportsCenter segments for the game. These segments feature ESPN personalities such as Toby Moody and add a real-world feel to the experience.
Here is some gameplay footage from GRID 2
After getting briefed by the devs, I got the chance to go hands-on with the game in a few different areas, vehicle types, and tracks. The “feel” of the vehicle handling was convincing, although I really need to check the game out using a racing wheel to be sure. Damage modeling is well-implemented and it is weirdly satisfying to see bits of the car you are driving scrape off when colliding with a wall. In the build I tried, damage was relegated to visuals only. In the game, however, gamers will be able to turn on full damage modeling, which can result in things like bent frames, blown tires, and a lot more. “Repairing” your vehicle is done by using a “flashback”, which rolls time back slightly before whatever collision you sustained. If you are out of flashbacks, you cannot continue and have to restart the race. When I asked if GRID 2 would be available on next-gen systems from Microsoft and SONY, the developers were clearly not going to touch my question with a ten foot pole. However, it would not surprise me if, based on their dodgy response, that they were not at the very least considering a next-gen version.
As far as the game’s multiplayer is concerned, the guys from Codemasters Racing weren’t discussing it just yet, but they did say that more details would be released soon.
Overall, my time with GRID 2 was positive, and knowing that at least one of the developers is big on PC sim gaming makes me very happy that I will be able to use this game with a huge array of racing wheels, shifters, and more. PC racing games often take a back seat to their console counterparts – this time, it looks like it is being given at least equal attention! I will definitely be picking up GRID 2 on launch day to bring you a full review.
GRID 2 is due out on May 28th, 2013 for, so far, the Windows PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 platforms.
2K Games and Irrational Games have released a Valentine’s Day card for all the gamers out there. Bioshock Infinite is due out on March 26, 2013 for the Windows PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 platforms.
Right from the opening cutscene of Aliens: Colonial Marines, I was geeking out. The game’s James Horner-inspired soundtrack sets a moody, heady tone and I was very excited to take on this would-be sequel to the 1986 film, “Aliens”. You are a marine aboard the Sephora, a Colonial Marines vessel sent to investigate the overdue marines from the film. Upon arrival, you find the Sulaco, their troop ship, in orbit around their last known location, LV-426. You fans of the film series may be asking what the Sulaco is doing there, as we last saw it outside the orbit of a prison world in “Alien 3”. All will be answered…
Nostalgia reigns supreme in Aliens: Colonial Marines, and sharp-eyed gamers will notice that Gearbox Software has translated the aftermath of the events in “Aliens” to the game levels chillingly-well. In the Hadley’s Hope missions, they have gone so far as to include the exact broken grates where Hudson was pulled down into the floor during the battle of the Operations Room. Acid holes match up and there are even callbacks to the special edition scenes of the film. If you are an Aliens fan, you are in for a treat. I can’t begin to count just how many Easter Eggs from “Aliens” you will find in this game.
The gameplay of Aliens: Colonial Marines is smooth enough (for the player, but more on that later). Moving about, crouching, melee, and iron sight shooting all work well – unlike the wooden controls of Rebellion’s AvP game from a couple years ago. Most weapons have a realistic pop-up effect due to recoil and it can be quite a challenge to keep a sight picture on your fast-moving target as the muzzle jumps about. Moving around causes your weapon to sway into the direction you are moving slightly, adding a realistic effect to player motion. Using the welder seen in the film is a bit of a no-brainer. You simply walk up to a door and hit “E” to begin sealing it or opening it. This option has to be scripted in per door – you can’t weld any door you like. The welding in “Aliens” took a while and added to the tension of the moment. Welding in the game goes by much quicker. I think the suspense would have been better served by slowing it down, making you think about the Xenomorph that may or may not be sneaking up behind you.
Hamburg, February 13, 2013.InnoGames just released initial user interface visuals and character screens from the upcoming pirate action game Kartuga. As the closed beta nears, additional information on the use of items was also presented; through leveling up as well as killing enemies, players obtain numerous objects of varying rarity – equipment as well as consumables. Since ships are the game’s main characters, those items won’t be swords and mana potions, but, among others, cannons, crew members and ammunition.
While leveling up, players unlock an increasing number of consumable and equipment slots on their ships, which can then be filled with various items. Several types of cannons, special ammunition, and a number of offensive and defensive consumables are just the beginning – ship layouts can also be equipped. Therefore, it is even possible to change ship types on the fly to another stored in dock slots. On top of that, five types of crew members can be equipped and provide ships with additional bonuses, according to their role on board: Carpenters for example make the ships more durable, while Gunners improve weapon and skill properties.
Kartuga is an Action-MMO with RPG-elements, designed in Unity 3D. At the core of the game, developed by Ticking Bomb Games, is cooperative PvP. Closed beta will begin in the coming weeks. Players can already preregister at www.kartuga.com.
With more than 100 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. The Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as Tribal Wars, Forge of Empires and Grepolis.
Electronic Arts has sent out Valentine’s Day cards for all you fans of their upcoming shooter, FUSE, which is due out in the second quarter of this year on the Xbox and PlayStation 3 platforms. Click the above image for a larger, printable version and impress the special someones in your life!
13 Feb, 2013 – Reykjavik, Iceland: With 50% more tickets sold than last year, EVE Fanfest 2013 sold out last week as 1,400 lucky attendees from around the world prepare for what promises to be gaming’s greatest fan celebration ever. Held every year in Reykjavik, Iceland, Fanfest brings together fans of the EVE Universe for three days of epic celebrations that include panels, local Icelandic excursions, presentations, PvP tournaments, a developer-lead pub crawl, reveals, camaraderie and the spectacle that is the Party at the Top of the World.
Last week, CCP Games, makers of EVE Online and DUST 514, announced the theme of Fanfest to be “EVE: The Second Decade” as the combined EVE Universe approaches 10 years of continuous growth following a hugely successful free winter expansion in EVE Online: Retribution and the open beta for the free-to-play PlayStation®3 exclusive MMOFPS (massively multiplayer online first-person shooter) DUST 514. DUST recently joined EVE on the same server cluster, providing an even larger universe and the much-anticipated Orbital Strike feature between the two games.
This Fanfest will celebrate ten years of gaming’s most interesting, passionate and creative community and offer extensive retrospectives and future glimpses. Everything is larger, better and more than previous Fanfests, followingEVE’s success.
In addition to the traditional fare, this year will feature several unique events including the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra performing music from EVE Online, a new “Make EVE Real” speaker track that uses real-world science and innovation to illuminate the path to EVE’s Sci-Fi future, and a performance by Gunnar “Gunni” Nelson, phenom MMA submission fighter fresh off a UFC bout in London.
In the coming weeks, more programming and musical act announcements will lead up to Fanfest and CCP will reveal its plans to live stream the event for those who weren’t able to secure tickets.
Focus Home Interactive has released some new screenshots from its upcoming Mars War Logs. Mars War Logs will be released in Spring 2013 on Xbox LIVE®, PlayStation®Network and PC.
CHICAGO- February 12, 2013- bēm wireless, an innovator of wireless solutions and consumer electronics, developed the ‘outlet speaker,’ a sleek, portable and powerful Bluetooth speaker which plugs directly into an electrical outlet in the home or office. This unique speaker complements the user’s lifestyle by adding a simple touch of elegance to any décor, and its small size (about the size of a juice box) takes up very little space yet boasts crystal clear sound. The ‘outlet speaker’ begins shipping today.
“Our thought behind the outlet speaker is to enhance the consumer’s everyday life. We believe big sound doesn’t necessarily need to come from a big speaker,” says Bryan Katzel, Director of Marketing and Product Development for bēm. “The beauty behind the outlet speaker is in its simplicity. Plug it in while cooking dinner without taking up any counter space, stick it in an outlet behind your desk at work to hear your favorite tunes to spark your creativity, or tuck it behind the living room couch to fill your home with great music.”
With up to 25-feet of wireless range, the user can control their music directly from an iOS device or other Bluetooth-enabled smartphones. It comes with a built-in power adapter so it never needs to be recharged: just plug in and listen whenever, wherever- It’s so simple! A USB port allows the user to charge their mobile devices while enjoying the clear sound of the ‘outlet speaker.’ Additionally, an Aux In and Aux Out gives users more connecting options to hook up multiple devices.
A soft-touch finish creates a stylish and sophisticated appearance for the ‘outlet speaker.’ Lightweight and about the size of a juice box (3” x 5.35” x 2”), the speaker is small enough to take on vacations, business trips and more. Toss it into luggage, a briefcase or a purse to bring music to your next destination.
The ‘outlet speaker’ is available in white or black. It retails for $99.99 at www.bemwireless.com. The outlet speaker along with bēm’s hi-fi audio line will be available at Amazon.com and Target.com in March.
Features & Technical Specifications
