Here is Sony Online Entertainment’s GDC reveal trailer for their upcoming Dragon’s Prophet, which allows players to fight, capture, train and ride hundreds of dragons.
Author - Jerry Paxton
NEW YORK – March 27th – Paradox Interactive, the global PC strategy games publisher behind critically acclaimed games Crusader Kings II, War of the Roses and Magicka, today announced they are branching out to book publishing with a new e-book initiative called “Paradox Books”.
“We’ve spent more than a decade creating and telling compelling stories through our computer games, stories that have engaged and captivated people from all parts of the globe, and books are just another medium to get those stories out there and engage with our audience,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “Add to that the fact that our company was founded on pen and paper role-playing games and books, and that we have several published authors amongst our ranks here at Paradox, so this felt like a very natural progression for us.”
Three books will be available under Paradox Books initially, and several more have been signed and will be distributed later in the year. The books will broach everything from biographical behind the scenes books to game strategy guides to fiction and novels. The inaugural round of books to be made available will include:
“A Year with Mojang: Behind the Scenes of Minecraft”
Author: Tomas Arnroth
Type: Behind the scenes, Biography
With over 20 million copies of Minecraft sold, the book that brings you behind the scenes with Markus “Notch” Persson, the creator behind the wildly successful game, and his studio Mojang is finally out.
Seasoned Swedish gaming journalist, Thomas Arnroth, spent 2012 following Markus Persson, Jens Bergensten, Carl Manneh and the others at Mojang and the result is a personal and entertaining account of the phenomenon Minecraft, its creators and the games that are changing the world.
“The Communist Campaign in Karelia – A Hearts of Iron III Strategy Guide”
Author: Jason Pitruzzello
Type: Narrative Strategy Guide
This Narrative Strategy Guide for Hearts of Iron III follows the tradition of Paradox’s community of fans and teaches gameplay while telling a story, rather than a dry recitation of facts and figures. Instead of just lightly touching upon all topics, the guide has focused on the most important aspect of the game: land combat. Since land combat is so critical to the national survival of France, Germany, the Soviet Union, China, and Japan, this is the most crucial skill to master in the game. World War II is not very forgiving to any nation that cannot find victory on land. This Narrative Strategy Guide is the perfect complement to new and seasoned armchair generals alike.
“Coriolis”
Author: Mattias Lilja
Type:Hard-boiled Crime Noir
The orbital station Coriolis is at the crossroads of space and everything good, bad and ugly in the Third Horizon sooner or later ends up here. It’s here that a young pathfinder comes to seek the father she’s never meet. It’s where a courtesan realizes he cannot escape the sins of his past, and where a crooked guardsman finds out how hard it is to get dirt off his fingers by washing them in blood. The fates of these three get intertwined as old enemies seek new ways to hurt each other. And, as so often before on Coriolis, it all starts with a corpse.
LOS ANGELES (March 27, 2013) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, today announced that FINAL FANTASY® XI: Seekers of Adoulin™ is now available for purchase on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC platforms. Online servers will go live later this evening. The latest addition to the decade-strong online game features new areas to explore and develop, along with two new jobs to master and a horde of new beasts and monsters to defeat.
A new adventure awaits players in “Seekers of Adoulin.” As the eighth century came to a close, the Royal Family, in partnership with the Eleven Knightly Orders, has agreed to abolish imperial rule—from which arose the Sacred City of Adoulin on the Ulbuka Continent. In the blink of an eye, Adoulin had grown to be a maritime metropolis, with a mercantile prowess rivaling that of Jeuno. It is in this booming city state that the players will find themselves as they work to explore and unlock the secrets hidden in the nearby jungles.
With the new expansion, players can now become geomancers or rune fencers. Geomancers harness the elemental energies of Vana’diel® to aid their comrades and attack enemies alike. Rune fencers are versatile duelists, quick with a blade as well as incantations, and employ the power of arcane runes to sway battles.
The expansion also introduces new gameplay systems, including player-built outposts, new contract work, and the introduction of special “power spots” that are hidden throughout the environment for powerful character enhancements.
FINAL FANTASY XI: Seekers of Adoulin is available for $29.99 for Xbox 360 and for Windows PC platforms. The FINAL FANTASY XI: Ultimate Collection Seekers Edition is available for $39.99, and includes the full compilation of the stand-alone game with all four previously released expansion packs, add-on scenarios, and three battle area add-ons. More information is available at http://www.playonline.com/
FINAL FANTASY XI “Seekers of Adoulin” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. Please visit the ESRB website for more information about ratings: http://www.esrb.org.
Launch Trailer
Rockstar Games gas released a slew of new GTA V screenshots from this week’s GDC expo in San Francisco.
Screenshots
BURLINGAME, CA and CARY, N.C. (March 27, 2013) – Epic Games, Inc. announces an agreement with Tecmo Koei Games to license Epic’s award-winning Unreal Engine 3 technology for the development of “YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z,” a bold new take on the renowned “NINJA GAIDEN” franchise. The agreement was brokered by Epic Games Japan, which supports the company’s licensees locally.
As announced previously, Team NINJA, the world-famous development team from Tecmo Koei Games, is working on this title in collaboration with Keiji Inafune, founder and chief executive officer of comcept, and developer Spark Unlimited.
“We couldn’t be happier to develop ‘YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z’ on Unreal Engine 3,” said Inafune. “In the past I have been involved with numerous projects built upon Unreal Engine 3, so I understand its benefits and reliability. Unreal allows us to focus on making the game fun, and to push the boundaries of visuals and gameplay in the shortest time possible.”
“‘YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z’ is not a sequel. It is a new experience for gamers,” said Yosuke Hayashi, studio head of Team NINJA. “As with any new title, there are many new challenges, from the game design to art style and even development team structure. Unreal Engine 3 is a great ally to have when taking on those challenges. Unreal Engine allows us to quickly and efficiently iterate on countless ideas, and ‘YAIBA’ is now taking on a life of its own. We can’t wait until gamers everywhere get their hands on the ultimate ninja zombie experience.”
“Gamers around the world are awaiting ‘YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z’ with great anticipation,” said Taka Kawasaki, territory manager of Epic Games Japan. “I’m really excited to see what the great talent at Team NINJA, comcept and Spark come up with, as they comprise some of the best creative minds in Japan and the United States. I’m honored to see how Unreal Engine 3 technology helps the team as they reinvent this beloved franchise.”
‘YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z’ is currently in development. Tecmo Koei will reveal more information in the coming months.
Screenshots
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 26, 2013 – Only in Battlefield™ can players go through a building instead of around it or eject from a jet and take out the enemy mid-free fall. Those incredible gameplay moments that blur the line between game and glory can only be created by players, and occur only in Battlefield. DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), today announced Battlefield 4™, a genre-defining action blockbuster launching in Fall 2013. Powered by the advanced technology of DICE’s proprietary Frostbite™ 3 engine, Battlefield 4 offers players a glimpse into the future of interactive entertainment – a future that is more human, dramatic and believable than anything before it. With more than 65 million players worldwide, theBattlefield series has consistently been praised by critics for its world-class multiplayer gameplay, and is recognized as the only game that allows players to own land, sea and air.
Battlefield 4 is a seminal moment for the Battlefield series as more award-winning, multiplayer game design elements are incorporated into the single-player campaign. In single-player, gamers will experience huge environments, a playground of destruction, access to an arsenal of vehicles and the ability to direct squad mates. Taking a page from the social aspect of multiplayer gaming, the single-player mode will now track players’ progress, adding an element of persistence and friendly competition to the campaign.
The game made its world debut today with a staggering 17-minute gameplay demo, available for view at Battlefield.com. The demo begins as the player – Recker – opens his eyes to discover that he is trapped in a rapidly sinking car with three of his squad mates. Shooting the window is the only way out. Panic and fear are pushed aside as Recker makes a difficult decision – take the shot and recover the intel but risk that not everyone will survive. The emotional demo features a cast of characters unrivaled in interactive entertainment. Players will learn how to work together in both the Campaign and Multiplayer, issuing squad orders and comparing achievements in both experiences. Adventure and Competition will unfold through a series of beautifully crafted locations constructed with some of the best art and sound design in modern shooters. All of this is only possible with Frostbite 3 – a new standard for interactive entertainment in 2013.
“We are so humbled and proud to debut Battlefield 4 on a global stage with simultaneous events in San Francisco and Stockholm. To be this early in development, and to already be so polished is a huge achievement for the DICE team and reflection of their passion and commitment to driving the franchise forward. Today’s demo was just the beginning — we have so much more in store,” said Patrick Soderlund, Executive Vice President, EA Games Label. “It is thrilling to witness peoples’ reaction when seeing the game for the first time. It really makes you realize that we are at the beginning of a whole new era for gaming. As artists and craftspeople, we are focused on creating a dynamic, open design that brings people together with amazing, surprising unscripted moments that they’ll talk about for days. That’s the beauty of Battlefield.”
By pre-ordering Battlefield 4 at any participating retail outlet, gamers will receive a Premium expansion pack at no additional cost*. DICE also announced today Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe, an Origin™ exclusive special edition that includes the base game and bonus in-game digital items. Players that pre-order Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe* on Origin will also receive the Premiumexpansion pack as well as access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta.
To view the first Battlefield 4 single player gameplay footage, please visit www.battlefield.com. To join the conversation onBattlefield 4, please visit http://www.facebook.com/
* Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://store.origin.com/promo?
Here is the new, 17 minute long gameplay trailer from Electronic Arts upcoming Battlefield 4 – specifically, from the “Fishing in Baku” level.
Gameplay Footage
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND –March 26, 2013 – CCP Games, the world’s leading independent massively multiplayer game developer, is pleased to announce that on May 6, 2013, the very date that EVE Online launched 10 years ago, the DUST 514® Uprising build will roll out, bringing new features to the mercenaries of New Eden!
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the hugely successful MMO EVE Online as DUST 514 upgrades to the Uprising build, its biggest update yet. With Uprising, CCP takes another bold step toward the launch of DUST 514 and the further evolution of CCP’s single-shard universe.
Currently in open beta, DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large-scale warfare and deep character advancement to the PlayStation®3 in an exclusive, free-to-play, massively multiplayer shooter. Set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online, players wage war in this next generation first-person shooter, where a single victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire and thousands of online gamers.
“We reached a momentous milestone in January when DUST 514 and EVE Online became one and formed the largest single-shard MMO universe in the world,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP. “Now our teams will continue to lay down more tracks between EVE Online and DUST 514 which will then be galvanized by our players every step of the way, inspiring us to go ever further. Uprising brings new features to drive meaningful human interaction, beautiful new visuals to astound, and increased ease of use, an important step in the journey.”
CCP continues to improve and fine-tune DUST 514 in a series of planned updates during its open beta phase with the next and biggest wave of them all arriving in the spring of 2013.
The Uprising update for DUST 514 is focused on these core features:
- Planetary Conquest: Take over the galaxy one world at a time! Player corporations can own and manage planetary districts in the EVE Online universe. Every battle matters and the fates of hundreds of thousands of gamers and the wealth of their massive corporations are constantly at stake.
- Graphic enhancement: The overall visual experience of DUST 514 is improved and enhanced by an optimized graphics engine. The maps and environments of DUST 514 are sharper, faster, and better than ever.
- Accessibility: The improved user experience is cleaner and easier, getting players into the action quickly.
- New content: Uprising extends the DUST 514 gameplay experience with new battlegrounds and gameplay modes and expands your arsenal with brand new weapons, gear, and equipment for every situation.
DUST 514 is currently in open beta and is available as a free download exclusively on the PlayStation®3. For more information, visit www.dust514.com and follow the game on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/
Release Assets
NEW YORK — March 26, 2013 — Paradox Interactive, a publisher of games and a level eight rules-lawyer, announced today that they will be bringing the acclaimed mobile meta-RPG Knights of Pen & Paper to the PC, Mac, and Linux platforms in a new version of the game called Knights of Pen & Paper +1 Edition. Forming a partnership with Behold Studios, developers of the original mobile title, Paradox will be casting several fortitude and agility buffs to help summon Knights of Pen & Paper onto desktops with +1 Edition, which will include new features, improvements, and content. +1 Edition will also be coming to mobile devices, with the game launching across all platforms in Q2 2013.
Roll your 20-sided die. If you roll a 10 or above, watch the following trailer:
If you roll a 9 or below, watch the trailer anyway.
“When we first saw Knights of Pen & Paper, the game scored a natural 20 on its Charm Person roll,” said Shams Jorjani, VP of Business Development and Corporate Paladin at Paradox Interactive. “We knew it was the kind of title that was right up our alley, and we’re glad to be able to keep supporting the Brazilian developer community with new partners like Behold Studios.”
Knights of Pen & Paper +1 Edition is an RPG-playing RPG, where players control players in-game at the dungeon master’s table – going on adventures with other tablemates and spending their gains to boost their warriors and mages while simultaneously improving the quality of their snacks, gaming table, and sourcebooks. Full campaigns will take the player-character-characters through a varied collection of monsters and quests, rendered in classic retro pixel art, while their in-game party squabbles with the DM about random encounters. Paradox and Behold are bringing the PCs (and NPCs) to PC (and Mac and Linux), and adding buffs to the mobile game while they’re at it.
Knights of Pen & Paper is a finalist in this year’s Independent Games Festival (IGF) in the “Student Showcase” category.
For more information on Knights of Pen & Paper +1 Edition, equip your +3 Mouse of Browsing and visit www.paradoxplaza.com.
Hamburg, March 26, 2013. InnoGames just released initial information on the closed beta of its 3D browser game, Kartuga. The publisher is positively overwhelmed by players’ reception to the game: More than 100,000 players have registered so far, willing to begin their career as fearless pirates. Now the team has summarized first impressions in a developer letter to the Community, saying “thank you” and publishing some numbers – Players have already spent more than 1.76 million minutes, or 3.3 years in the game, buying close to 30 million cannon balls – the subsequent PvE and PvP battles provided InnoGames and developer Ticking Bomb Games with invaluable data, allowing for first updates to improve the games overall stability, matchmaking and PvP.
“No level of internal testing can replace insights of players actually experiencing your game for the first time.” says Product Manager Florian Supa. “And we are proud of the players’ enthusiastic response to the unique formula that is Kartuga. Nonetheless, we got lots of player feedback on how to improve the game. The update we did last week aimed at a more stable experience and fairer PvP.” In the upcoming weeks, the team plans to implement an improved chat window as well as ranking, and rework balancing for PvP and overall progression in order to ensure long-term motivation.
Keys for the closed beta are given out by lotteries amongst all users who registered via www.kartuga.com, but players can also visit InnoGames’ Facebook page to grab keys to enter the game. The closed beta is in English, with several additional language versions to follow in the open beta.
The action-packed MMOG is based on Unity 3D and focuses strongly on cooperative PvP (player versus player) gameplay with several role-playing elements. As a purely free-to-play online game, users only need a Unity 3D plugin, which is available for all current browsers. Kartuga is InnoGames’ first partnership with its subsidiary company, Ticking Bomb Games, who is responsible for the development of the title.