Author - Jerry Paxton

The Secret World Gets Release Date

2012/02/21
Jerry Paxton
News

Durham, USA – February 21st, 2012 –Independent developer and publisher of online games, Funcom, today announced that the highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘The Secret World’ will launch on June 19th, 2012. Originally slated for an April launch, Funcom has decided to invest more development time into the title in order to apply even more polish before launch.

Feedback from hands-on press events and beta testing has proven very positive, and Funcom intends to spend the additional development time focusing on polish and tweaking to maximize the potential of the game. The beta feedback so far is showing very positive reactions to core game features such as the role-playing systems, combat, missions, dungeons, story and immersion. Among the beta testers surveyed, almost 9 out of 10 say they will play the game at launch.

More than 750,000 gamers are now registered as beta testers, which is significantly higher than Funcom’s previous MMO ‘Age of Conan’ had at the same point in development. Funcom expects the number of beta registrations to grow significantly in the coming months, as the company ramps up its major PR and marketing initiatives towards launch.

“Allowing for even more time to polish the game really shows just how much faith Funcom as a company has in ‘The Secret World’ and how committed we are to making it the best it can be,” says Creative Director and Senior Producer Ragnar Tørnquist. “The additional time will also allow us to carry out even more quality beta testing, and soon we will also be announcing several public beta events where hundreds of thousands of gamers will get to test the game prior to launch.”

‘The Secret World’ is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated MMO’s in development. Mainstream publications such as Forbes and The Guardian have both listed‘The Secret World’ as a game to watch out for in 2012, and the game has also been singled out as one of the most anticipated games of 2012 by gaming sites such as G4TV, VideoGamer, and RockPaperShotgun. Leading technology website VentureBeat highlighted ‘The Secret World’ as one of the top new game brands of 2012, and over at MMORPG.com the game was given the ‘Rising Star’ in the site’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

Following the first hands-on press event last year, ‘The Secret World’ was heralded as “one of the most distinctive MMO’s of the last 10 years” (Videogamer) and MMORPG.com went on to predict that “The Secret World is going to take the world by storm and set new standards in excellence in gameplay.” This month, Funcom is doing another extensive round of hands-on sessions with select press, showcasing all new content and mechanics. New press previews are expected to hit later this week following the hands-on events held throughout February where journalists from over 50 outlets worldwide attended.

’The Secret World’ is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA).  Those looking to join the ongoing beta test can sign up via the official site atwww.thesecretworld.com.

The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition Teaser Trailer 1

2012/02/21
Jerry Paxton
News

CD Projekt RED has released a brand new teaser trailer offering another look at their hotly-anticipated RPG, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition, coming soon to the Xbox 360 console and PC. The game launches April 17 worldwide for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for PC.

Trailer

ROCCAT Asking if PC Gaming is Dead, Promising Announcement

2012/02/21
Jerry Paxton
News

Hamburg, February 21, 2012 – With the headline “Isn’t PC Gaming Dead?” emblazoned across the screen, German gaming peripherals manufacturer, ROCCAT Studios, today unveiled a website where they ask for fans’ opinions on the state of PC gaming.

“With all the talk lately,” the message reads, “you’d think PC gaming was over. Some say PC gaming isn’t dead, but think they need to breathe new life into it now and then with yet another ‘groundbreaking’ reinvention. But is all that necessary? Does PC gaming need a doctor? Does it need an undertaker?”

Says René Korte, ROCCAT™ Founder and CEO: “We hope to get gamers thinking about where things are headed for PC gaming. Certain gaming peripheral companies constantly announce that they’ve come up with the ‘Next Big Thing’ that’s going to reinvent things. But does PC gaming really need revolution? Or, rather, is evolution the way forward? We, as always, have our own ideas. And very soon we’re going to show the world a new and exciting one.”

Visitors are invited to give feedback via an on-screen entry form, and ROCCAT™ will post many of the answers on the site for users to read and discuss.

ROCCAT’s site also features a countdown clock ticking off the number of days until the company announces what they think “is the smartest way forward for PC gaming.”

Unreal Engine 3 Licensed for Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock

2012/02/21
Jerry Paxton
News

CARY, N.C. (February 21, 2012) – Epic Games announces that BBC Worldwide and Supermassive Games have licensed the award-winning Unreal Engine 3 technology to power the time-bending action game, “Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock.” Crafted by acclaimed developer Supermassive Games and based upon the BBC’s heralded franchise that has entertained audiences for nearly 50 years, “Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock” will be the first PlayStation®Vita game to utilize the cutting-edge Unreal Engine toolset, which also fuels the PlayStation®3 and PC versions of the game.

An exciting new trailer for “Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock” gives players a taste of what they’ll experience upon the game’s release next month as the Time Lord attempts to save the universe yet again. Of special note in the video are newly revealed features such as split-screen and 3D camera support.

“At Supermassive, we always try to be very pragmatic about our choice of technology and choose the right tool for the job at hand. Our aim for ‘Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock’ is to match it as closely as possible in aesthetics, tone and sound to the television series, and also to achieve a new level of quality on Sony’s outstanding platforms,” said Jonathan Amor, chief technology officer at Supermassive Games. “Critical factors in our decision to license Unreal Engine 3 include the capability and maturity of the Unreal Editor and tool chain, and we required an engine that has proven success in the marketplace.”

Robert Nashak, executive vice president for BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment, said, “‘Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock’ is the start of a major new gaming development for the Doctor Who brand. We’re committed to working with top-tier partners such as Epic Games to ensure a world-class game for fans of the series and gamers alike. ‘Eternity Clock’ will allow players to experience the action, adventure and madness of Doctor Who for themselves on an exciting new game platform that we hope will raise the bar for future games to come.”

“We are big Doctor Who fans here at Epic,” said Mike Gamble, European territory manager, Epic Games. “It’s brilliant to see the world of Doctor Who brought to life by the team at Supermassive and especially to see Unreal Engine 3 powering the game that’s bringing this universe to a whole new platform and an entirely new generation of gamers and Doctor Who fans.”

Wargaming.net Releases World of Tanks iOS App

2012/02/21
Jerry Paxton
News

21st February 2012 — Wargaming.net, the award-winning publisher and developer, is glad to announce that the first mobile application is now available for their world-famous armored action MMO World of Tanks.

World of Tanks Assistant is a new application that provides instant access to the latest and most important information on World of Tanks. The Assistant gives access to detailed data on players’ combat statistics and their positions in the Global Rating, displays current progress, shows players’ in-game balance, provides the latest news from the official World of Tanks website, and allows to share triumphs with friends via email and social networks.

The app is designed for iOS devices and is available free of charge at the iTunes App Store. The Android version of World of Tanks Assistant will be hitting the Android Market shortly.

“What I like about the Assistant most is its convenience”, says Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. “Even if you’re away from your computer, there’s always an app at hand that will give you everything you need to know at any given time.”

Download World of Tanks Assistant free of charge at:

World of Tanks is the first and only team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes more than 150 armored vehicles from America, Germany, the Soviet Union, and France, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

A flexible system of authentic vehicle upgrades and development allows you to try any of the vehicles and weapons in the game. Whether you prefer to exhaust your foes with fast and maneuverable light tanks, make deep breaches in enemy lines with all-purpose medium tanks, use the force of giant tanks to eliminate opposing armored forces, or become a heavy sniper with long-range howitzers, each unit type has its own advantages and can be extremely effective when operated by a true tank ace.

But being a great tank commander alone isn’t enough to win! In World of Tanks, it’s all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your combat skills with those of the other members of your team, each playing their own role on the battlefield. Just add your favorite strategy to build your own steel empire and manifest the indisputable authority of the tank power!

Join World of Tanks:

World of Tanks Assistant Screenshots

Megadeth Coming to Rock Band Music Store

2012/02/18
Jerry Paxton
News

Harmonix has announced that Megadeth will be bringing three tracks to the Rock Band Music Store on February 21, 2012.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii™and PlayStation®3 system (February 21st, 2012):

  • Megadeth – “Symphony of Destruction” X
  • Megadeth – “À Tout le Monde”
  • Megadeth – “Public Enemy No. 1”

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system February 22nd)

Tracks marked with “X” will offer Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

Price:                   
$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points, 550 Wii Points™) for “Megadeth Pack 01”
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points, 200 Wii Points™) per song
$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points™/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

WSGF Reveals 2011 Award Recipients

2012/02/18
Jerry Paxton
News

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Widescreen Gaming Forum (WSGF) announces the recipients of its 2011 Awards.

Field of Vision – These awards recognize developers for implementing proper support of widescreen, Eyefinity and Surround Gaming displays. They are voted by the WSGF community, and only games with perfect widescreen, Eyefinity and Surround implementation may be considered for Game of the Year.

  • Game of the Year: Dirt 3 (Codemasters) – The wildly popular Dirt 3 was selected by the WSGF community as Game of the Year, not only for its stellar gameplay but also for perfectly supporting widescreen, Eyefinity and Surround display configurations.
  • Mainstream Developer of the Year: Codemasters – For their perfect implementation of widescreen, Eyefinity and Surround gaming support in their DiRT and F1 racing series. Codemasters sets the standard for producing games that support modern display configurations.
  • Indie Developer of the Year: Mojang AB – This small studio achieves perfect widescreen and surround implementation with their first release, the runaway success story that is Minecraft.

Narrow Minded – With tongue firmly planted in cheek, the WSGF recognizes developers who actively discourage or prevent support of widescreen, Eyefinity or Surround display configurations.

  • Bethesda – The cinematic role-playing games produced by Bethesda would be the perfect fit for multi-monitor gamers. However, Bethesda’s constant disregard of this modern display technology in their Fallout and Elder Scrolls series has earned them this year’s Narrow Minded Award. Fortunately the Widescreen Gaming Forum community developed fixes to allow gamers to enjoy the game the way it should have been released.

For additional details, and to see the 2011 WSGF Awards featured on NewEgg TV, visit: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/2011-wsgf-awards