OnLive, in addition to announcing that Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is now available on OnLive, has also announced a special giveaway opportunity associated with the title. The winner will win an iPad 2 along with some other very cool prizes. Checkout full contest information over at the official OnLive website.
Author - Jerry Paxton
SteelSeries has announced that they have entered into a partnership with the Major League Gaming association to develop a new line of gaming keyboards, mice, and more. The product line will be unveiled during the 2012 MLG Pro Circuit season.
“We strongly believe in and support what MLG has been building in the U.S. for the past nine years,” said Kim Rom, SteelSeries CMO. “The SteelSeries brand has become synonymous with professional gamers; from our peripherals’ quality and design to the technology and specifications that we believe gives players the edge to win. This partnership with MLG is a natural fit, the MLG events are the finest in the industry and we are excited to announce and kick things off.”
Bohemia Interactive has released a new tutorial video and blog post about the new mission creator/editor for their helicopter flight sim, Take On Helicopters.
Video
Eagle Dynamics has released the 1.1.1.0 update for its highly-acclaimed combat flight simulation, DCS: A-10C Warthog. You can find the patch over at the game’s official website.
Official Patch Notes
FEATURES
• Moving and changing cirrus clouds.
• Increased the destruction values of buildings. A big and concrete buildings will require more bombs for destruction. For example: a big 16-floor building now requires two Mk-84 rather one Mk-82, as it was earlier. The same holds true for the hardened Command Center and Ammo Depot.
• Added new, higher resolution textures for some buildings: TV tower and Control Tower by Mustang.
• New CBU-97 and CBU-105 animations.
• Edited flight manual.
• Defend Camp Yankee and Overwatch single missions have been updated.
• Georgian Yak-40 no longer uses Russian Skin.
• HOTAS Fundamentals Training Mission now integrated in the training menu.
• Added tree shadows.
• Set helicopters to land and takeoff from ships.
• Improved multiplayer stability.
• Improved FARP model.
• Improved object and terrain Z-fighting.
• New Ticonderoga-class cruiser.
• JTAC radio 9-line MGRS co-ordinates no longer omit leading Zeros.
• Ka-27s no longer spawn inside each other when taking off from the Kuznetsov.
• A-10C cockpit. Warning lights, Gear handle light and CMSC are now properly Self Illuminated.
• DCS no longer Stutters and accesses Hard disk during disintegration of Player A-10C.
• JTAC will no longer Sparkle unrelated terrain if it obstructs Line of sight to the target, will switch to Type 3 engagement.
• Submarines shadows Corrected.
• Initial LOD changes no longer cause models to disappear briefly, before the new LOD is displayed.
• Train Tunnel entrances are correctly textured now.
• JTAC “Request BDA” Tweaked.
• The GBU-31 is no longer missing a model for its LOD.
• Mission Editor no longer uses excessive amounts of memory when copy/pasting units.
• EWR 1L13 ranges in Mission editor now match those in DCS.exe.
• Side Front Windscreens tinted.
• ATC radio menu entry “I’m lost” renamed to “Request Azimuth”
• New E-3A Sentry.
[B]• Updated GUI manual.
• New trigger rules: Flag Equals, Flag Equals Flag, Flag is Less Than Flag.
• New trigger actions: Group MSG (message) and Group SND (sound).
• Nights are much more dark now.
The following airbases have had their names changed:
• UG24: Tbilisi – Soganlug -> Soganlug (runways changed from 14/32 to 13/31)
• UGKO: Kutaisi – Kopitnari -> Kutaisi
Improved Helicopter AI (HAI):
• When analyzing a tactical situation, the HAI will take in account all threats, not only the target that the HAI is engaging.
• If it possible to engage targets from a safe distance, the HAI will not fly close to threats. If it appears that the HAI is not at a safe position. If too close to enemy air defenses, for example, the HAI will fly away from away the threat(s) and then start engaging targets from safe a distance.
• If it appears impossible to engage targets from safe distance, the HAI will make only one short attack (one missile launch / rocket salvo or cannon burst per run. ) from maximum range of that weapon and then breakaway to make new attack if required. This reduces fire effectiveness, but it greatly increases HAI survival when engaging targets with cannon or rockets. Of course, the HAI will never hover in an unsafe location.
• If high-priority targets are screened by low-priority targets that makes impossible to attack high-priority target from safe distance, the HAI will attack low-priority targets first to break the screen. In other words, if you have line of enemy APCs and tanks at 4 km and enemy AAA and SAMs at 12 km, the HAI will engage those APCs and tanks first. No more flying over the enemies heads.
• Jinking anti-flak maneuvering has been added. When flying in the WEZ of AAA, tanks, and APCs, the HAI will fly at high speed and jink. Of course, HAI will not jink when aiming at a target.
AVIONICS
• Fixed: RWR symbology intensity knob is now functional.
• TGP North arrow follows TGP view when overflying the tracked target now.
• TGP Autolase symbology has been improved – a steady/flashing ‘A’ indicator near the laser code on the TGP (autolase conditions are not met if flashing). ‘TGP AUTOLASE FAIL’ and ‘LASER CODE MISMATCH’ WCNs also implemented.
• Fixed the GUN READY light logic – the light will be ON only when the gun is really ready to fire (i.e. no more ON while taxiing or taking off); Ground Safety Override Switch will set the light to ON.
• GND SAFE and LDG GEAR annunciations on HUD/DSMS will work correctly now with the Ground Safety Override Switch.
• Training mavericks are displayed now in SADL PPLI weapons status on the TAD.
• Force Feedback stick shaker function have been adjusted.
• Waypoints names set via the ME are now not auto-renamed upon complete CDU reinitialization via DTSUPLD.
• The TGP compass rose is not displayed now if TGP LOS is above the horizon line.
• If the Boat switch on Thrustmaster Warthog is moved to another position with TGP not being SOI, the TGP will update its polarity according to the new switch position once it is made SOI.
• Missing PPLI voice callsign on the TAD is fixed.
• ILS frequency display on CDU FLDINFO page is updated. If an airfield has different ILS frequencies for two of its landing directions, both frequencies will be displayed. Each under the respective runway number.
• TGP A-G/A-A CTRL pages OSB mapping was updated – auto/man gain calibration, focus reset, and latch functions were enabled on these pages.
• Added missing time display on TGP A-A page
• ‘NO SPI’ and ‘TEST’ messages were added for IAM station status on DSMS page.
• Updated the TAD hook elevation display. It will be yellow when no elevation is available – the elevation is derived from the current steerpoint in this case. It will be displayed in red ‘NO EL’ when the hook becomes steerpoint.
• Fixed VHF presets when the Mode Selector on the VHF panel was switched from OFF to DF and then to TR (in that order).
• CDU longitude data entry routine is fixed – there were problems with sign when the data was entered without a hemisphere.
• It will be possible to drop IAMs with CICU and EGI turned off. They will be released as conventional free fall bombs.
• Coordinates format, yardstick type, coordinates, and laser designator mode (L/P/B) are now removed from the TGP display when the laser is in Laser Spot Search or Detect modes.
• COPY FAIL and TGP SLV STPT INV notes have been implemented.
• Various fixes to TGP LSS mode logic – laser spot loss, timeouts, displays transitions, etc..
• Laser mode on TGP AG page can no longer be changed while the laser is fired.
• LSS and laser mode toggle function should now work correctly with TGP slaved to SPI.
• TGP will no longer track moving objects if LOS is obscured.
• Releasing an IAM will now generate Mark Z.
• Signal Lights Switch and Approach Indexer & AR Status Lights Switch were made functional.
• INR-A and INR-P are displayed instead of AREA and TRACK when TGP LOS is masked.
• ‘M’ on the TGP will no longer flash. It is now visible only when LOS is actually masked.
• System will not allow an invalid laser code to be entered. An invalid data entry results in a “CICU INPUT ERROR” on the scratchpad (CDU or HUD), and caution is displayed on the MFCDs (LASER TRACK CODE INVALID or LASER DES CODE INVALID).
• Maverick symbology logic is slightly varied now with different IFFCC target elevation modes selected – DLZ and range cues have been removed from the display under particular slant ranges.
• The IAM Quick Pickle routine has been updated. After the first quick pickle, the user has a chance to pickle again. After a 15 second timeout, the bomb will become unusable and it will be impossible to ‘restore’ the bomb via the DTS UPLOAD function.
• Fixed the inoperable Auto EO power in multiplayer after multiple restarts of client aircraft.
• ADI steering bar movement limits have been adjusted.
• Fixed missing TER DETECTED and TER+STORE DETECTED messages on the DSMS Inventory page.
• IAMs are no longer initialized with ALN UNS or ALN GRDY status when a mission is started in-flight.
• DSMS station status is correctly updated now when Selective Jettison is attempted with the RACK option.
• Fixed the missing black background for some MFCD items.
• HUD symbols are no longer shown outside the HUD frame.
• Maverick FOV change is instant now and not a zoom.
• Issues with ARC-186 and ARC-164 two lower digits frequency setting has been fixed.
• TACAN frequency selector animation and functionality has been updated based according to real cockpit videos.
• Marker beacon Morse code audio volume is no longer affected by the ILS volume knob on Intercom panel. However, it can still be turned OFF by pushing the ILS volume knob.
• New canopy open/close sounds have been added.
• New Sidewinder growl sound has been added.
• Canopy jettison/tear off sounds have been added.
• Cockpit Master Caution sound, and warning tones have been made non-spatial (not dependent on pilot’s head position).
• Sidewinder growl is no longer heard in external views.
• TACAN and ILS Morse code audio frequencies have been changed to 1020 Hz for ILS, and to 1350 Hz for TACAN.
• The Middle marker beacon Morse code audio frequency was changed to 1,300 Hz. The Outer marker audio has been updated to better reflect the real audio.
• CCIP consent option no longer affects the AGM-65.
• The Waypoint name is no longer changed when its coordinates or altitude have been edited.
• The red smoke generator is now shown in DSMS.
• IAM min/max range marks, and current range caret will no longer randomly jump around when SPI is generated by the TGP.
• Pressure and Barometric altitudes are correctly displayed on CDU CADC page now.
• GCAS 90-foot hardcall no longer needs EGI and CADC to function.
• Minor changes to the ARC-164 Frequency Knobs logic according to newly available videos.
• The ARC-164 preset channel frequency is now displayed only after the Status button has been pressed on the control panel. Also, minor changes in the indication have been made – display test, etc.
• The NMSP UHF light has been fixed.
• EGI in-flight alignment will no longer cause an error in the ownship position. EGI will switch to NAV automatically when the 30 seconds timeout is over, and after a certain alignment accuracy has been reached.
• IAM ALN RDY and ALN DEG status messages will no longer generate LRU FAIL for IAMs on the STAT page.
• Airfields will be initialized in the CDU with correct waypoint numbers on all clients in multiplayer.
• The Fuel Quantity Indicator will now show current fuel quantity instead of zero at ramp start.
• The DSMS Quick Look profile will now display the correct bomb laser code.
• CCIP Gun Reticle PAC-1 now correctly stabilizes on the API pipper when the gun is loaded with Combat Mix (CM).
• Existing markpoints are now removed from the TAD upon DTS Upload.
• The Signal light lamp test function has been fixed – some lights were not lit with only battery power on, and some were not lit with AC power available.
• Laser guided bombs can now be released without TGP on board.
• Fixed incorrect target elevation when switching it from DTS to HOT. NAV points (51 and above) will no longer be updated with hot elevation. All DTSAS functions will be ceased if a DTSAS failure is detected.
• Select MAV video (China Fwd Short) logic was adjusted.
• Radio frequency selectors rotation speed was adjusted for more convenient use.
• Fixed bomb release interval option in DSMS. This no longer as an effect on CBU-97.
• Ripple release will now work correctly with unlimited weapons.
• Fixed SPI reporting for AI aircraft – index number on TAD, display sequence, and update period.
• Fixed wrong fuel display for TAD air PPLI symbols.
• Cockpit switches sound is positioned correctly now. Updated other cockpit sound positions.
• BDU-50/56LGB auto lase procedure was fixed.
• Each action in the aircraft auto-start sequence is followed by a screen message now.
• HARS is initialized with correct magnetic heading.
• The TAD map will be displayed instead of NO NAV DATA once any position source is valid – either INS or GPS.
• Fixes to CCIP CR – heading scale is removed in post designate mode, ‘3/9’ and ‘5 mil’ indication is reverted to ‘MAN REL’ once the solution is inside HUD FOV.
• Rockets can now be fired in CCIP CR if they are selected after a bomb profile.
• Weapon ripple/pairs release order was fixed – the wrong stations sequence when profile was deselected and then selected again, inability to ripple rockets from paired stations.
• HSI selected course pointer is correctly initialized with course to the next steerpoint when the aircraft is started in air.
• Waypoint attributes from ATTRIB page are now correctly applied to a newly created waypoint or markpoint.
• Waypoint attributes are now correctly applied to ADI/HSI steering when the steerpoint altitude/coordinates, current fly-to DB, or current steerpoint number have been changed, or when the ANCHOR point has been set as the steering destination via the NMSP.
• Many fixes have been made to the ADI steering bars logic. Pitch steering will work for the anchor point now. Pitch steering was improved and is less sensitive. Bank steering bar will properly steer to the course set via HSI. Bank steering pointer will no longer generate strange steering commands.
• SCS point altitude is now derived from current steerpoint.
• ADI pitch steering bar does not steer the aircraft into the ground anymore. The minimum steering altitude changed to 90 feet.
• Course set display on ATTRIB page will refresh when FROM point has been changed.
• Waypoints DB is no longer reset during CDU warm start.
• NO SPI WCN will be set if the current SPI is steerpoint with no valid elevation set.
• CDU will perform some actions after the aircraft has landed: 1) DTS download will be performed. 2) RER and CEP will be calculated with special RERCALC waypoint being created and set as the steerpoint. 3) CDU warm start will be performed, once the CDU download is complete.
• Fixed blank waypoint display on CDU when new mark Z event is created.
• Brightness/contrast effect for sensors (TGP and Maverick) has been made much more realistic looking.
• Fixed HSI Course offset from heading by approx 5 degrees.
• Fixed ADI steering with crosswind.
• Desired magnetic heading with crosswind is computed correctly now.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics have announced that Gotham City Impostors will be available beginning January 10, 2012, on Xbox LIVE™ Arcade and PlayStation®Network, as well as for PC. An open beta for the game is expected to go live in December. Fans can go to www.GothamCityImpostors.com to register for their chance to take part in the beta.
Also released was a new screenshot – enjoy!
Atari has released the launch trailer for its new iOS game, Atari: Asteroids Gunner, which is a free download!
“The successful launch of Atari’s Greatest Hits this summer exceeded our expectations for the iOS platform, garnering over 3 million downloads to date,” said Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari. “Asteroids: Gunner capitalizes on the innovation and potential of the app store and sets the path for more great games based on our legendary franchises while launching new original titles that meet the expectations of our dedicated fans and broader consumer base.”
Trailer
Wargaming.net has announced that, on Veteran’s Day (November 11th, 2011), it will donate $5 for each $14.95 gold bundle purchased, and $15 for each $49.95 gold bundle purchased within World of Tanks to Paralyzed Veterans of America, an organization focused on changing lives and building brighter futures for seriously injured heroes.
“There are nearly 23 million US veterans[1] among us at home or abroad, and we wanted to find a way to show how deeply we appreciate the commitment and sacrifice that they have made for our country,” said Jeremy Monroe, general manager, Wargaming America. “By giving back to the veteran community, we hope to honor and thank U.S. troops that are within our World of Tanks community, and around the globe.”
Wargaming.net has announced that the website for their popular online tank battle title, World of Tanks, has been updated with as new navigational system as well as a larger community section so that players can communicate and share information.
“Developing the new website took quite a while, and we are truly glad to finally launch it,” said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. “The design you are seeing now will become the foundation for the three-in-one “World of” web platform.”