MMO Clerks

The slow trickle of information on
StarCraft 2continues, as Blizzard Entertainment today released three more screenshots from the upcoming strategy title.
Included in this latest batch of screens are some gorgeous examples of the game’s environmental effects. The rain seen in the first screenshot renders the entire battlefield suitably drab and dreary, while the lava in the final screenshot adds a menacing, glowing air to the proceedings.
In typical Blizzard fashion,
StarCraft 2is still scheduled for release “when it’s done,” though barring any unforeseen obstacles, we definitely expect it within the year.
See below for all three screens.

Images courtesy Blizzard Entertainment

Screenshots[StarCraft 2 Official Site, via
Shacknews]

See Also:

Q&A: StarCraft II Lead Designer Dustin Browder

Video: Six Minutes of StarCraft II

StarCraft 2 Trilogy Announced

Blizzard Bans 350000 Starcraft, Diablo Cheaters

New StarCraft II Screens Revealed

StarCraft 2: Kerrigan Lives

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

Though the upcoming patch for
Gears of War 2lacks a solid release date, Epic Games vice president Mark Rein wrote a forum post this morning saying the downloadable update will most likely “go live within January.”
The “major title update” is scheduled to include fixes for “a whole bunch of online exploits,” “several small changes to improve the overall online gameplay experience,” and new Achievements specifically for the game’s downloadable content.
Additionally Rein promises players that the company will make an effort to be more communicative on the game’s forums once the patch is completed.

Image courtesy Epic Games

A brief status report on the next Gears2 title update[Gears of War Forums]

See Also:

Review: Edgy Gears of War 2 Subs Flash for Innovation

Cliffy B: Gears of War 2 More ‘Girlfriend-Friendly’

Gears of War 2 Tops 3 Million Sold

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

Microsoft’s flagship console, the Xbox 360, has sold more than 28 million units worldwide since its launch in late 2005, the company claims.
That figure trumps the 20 million PlayStation 3s that Sony has sold since its console debuted in 2006, according to Microsoft executives.
“We’re widening our lead against PlayStation 3,” said Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Microsoft’s Xbox division in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “This was the best year in the history of the Xbox, despite the tough economy.”
Additionally, Microsoft claims that the company’s Xbox Live online gaming service boasts 17 million users. Though Greenberg admits that figure includes those gamers who opt for the free Xbox Live Silver subscription, he says the majority are gamers who pay for the $50 per year Gold subscription.

Image:
drdemento/Flickr

Microsoft: Xbox 360 widens lead over PlayStation 3[LA Times]

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

Not only is
Fable IIa phenomenally deep, stylish roleplaying game, it’s the most animal-friendly game of 2008, according to PETA’s annual Proggy Awards.
”
Fable IIis a vegetarian’s dream come true,” says the official Proggy website. “In this virtual fight between
good and evil, characters powered by tofu are just as powerful as their
meat-eating counterparts — and are more fit and attractive to boot.”
“Featuring a strong pro-vegetarian theme, eating a plant-based diet
helps you rack up “purity” points, whereas eating meat makes your
character fat and evil. A fun and innovative game, it’s also an
effective tool that teaches gamers the real-life benefits of a
vegetarian diet,” it continues.

Fable IIfans will notice that nowhere in the description does PETA praise the game’s virtual canine companion, though they no doubt appreciate the lack of an in-game option to devour him.

Image courtesy Lionhead Studios

PETA’s 6th Annual Proggy Awards[PETA, via
Kotaku]

See Also:

Review: Fable II Pub Games Steals Your Money

Review: Fable […]

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

The upcoming sci-fi MMO
Earthrisehas just begun accepting applicants for beta testing, according to a news blurb on the game’s official site.
Though it may not have the cachet of
Champions Online,
Earthriseis one of my most anticipated upcoming online games simply by virtue of
its gorgeous art style. Everything I’ve seen so far perfectly balances dystopian and futuristic in a really appealing way.
I’m witholding any firm support for the game until I actually play it, but as the beta is free I will certainly
urge any of you with an inkling of MMO affection to sign up. The worst you’ll lose is a few minutes of your time, and you might find yourself engrossed in the next big online world.

Image courtesy Masthead Studios

Beta Sign Up[Earthrise]

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

Midway has reached an agreement with its creditors effectively delaying the deadline at which the flailing games publisher must repay its significant debt, reports Gamasutra.
The extension gives Midway until February 19 to repurchase $75 million in bonds. If the company is unable to cover the entirety of the bonds’ price by that date, its total debt will increase to $240 million.
No doubt depressing for Midway employees, news of this extension is the first positive financial note in the company’s recent history.
Over the past few months the company was sold for a huge loss by Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements, canceled a number of in-development games, and initiated substantial lay-offs — all in an effort to avoid losing more cash.

Image:
jenn_jenn/Flickr

Midway Gains Reprieve In Bankruptcy Struggle[Gamasutra]

See Also:

Midway Cuts Jobs, Cancels Games to Save Cash

Majority of Midway Games Sold for $100000

Midway’s Wheelman, Vegas Delayed

Midway: New Blitz, Mortal Kombat For 2008

Midway Plans ‘Fewer, Bigger, […]

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

What happens when Japanese punk group GaGaGa Sp is magically transported into the world of
Dead Rising? They turn into zombies and rock the Willamette Parkview Mall, obviously.
This clip, a promo for the upcoming
Dead Rising: Chop Til You Dropfirst seen at 2008’s Tokyo Game Show, is rendered entirely in the
DRengine, meaning not only do we see GaGaGa Sp in an undead state, we also witness
Dead Rising’scast dancing along amidst a crowd of shambling horrors.
As a huge fan of
Dead Rising– I still maintain
it’s the only game to ever fully capture the zombie mythos correctly — I have seven or eight fingers crossed that
Chopwill live up to its sterling pedigree when it hits the Wii on February 27.

See Also:

Dead Rising Legal Battle Heats Up

Rumor: Dead Rising 2 in Development

Capcom: Dead Rising Sequel Just a Rumor

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

Bucking the trend of releasing all high-profile titles during the holiday season, Capcom has opted to ship a number of games in the beginning of the new year.
An official press release from the firm today reiterated Capcom’s commitment to entertaining gamers throughout the early months of 2009. Included in the list of upcoming blockbusters are the heavily anticipated
Street Fighter IV and
Resident Evil 5.
Here’s the list, sorted by release date:

Flock(Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network) — February (Date to be determined)

Street Fighter IV(Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) — Feb. 20

Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop(Wii) — Feb. 27

Neopets Puzzle Adventure(Wii, Nintendo DS, PC) — Feb. 27

Resident Evil 5(Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) — March 13

MotoGP(Wii) — March (Date to be determined)

Bionic Commando(Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) — March (Date to be determined)

Bionic Commandofans hoping to play the game on their PC need not worry about the lack of a mention in the above list: Capcom’s […]

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

The oft-rumored
Lego Harry Potterwill not hit consoles this year, according to an unnamed source quoted by Eurogamer.
The site claims that a “senior source” close to developer Traveler’s Tales revealed the news while also saying that a new installment in the
Lego Indiana Jonesseries is “likely.”
On a similar (and slightly more far-fetched) note,
videogaming247 is reporting a rumorthat Traveler’s Tales is also working on a Lego version of Harmonix’s blockbuster
Rock Bandseries.
I’m willing to put a certain amount of faith in the first two rumors, but I can’t imagine the purpose behind crafting a
Lego Rock Band, short of making it
easier to reenact White Stripes videos.

Image courtesy Lego

No LEGO Potter in ‘09, says source
News[Eurogamer]

Original post by Earnest Cavalli

A new Illinois law seeks to bar alcohol producers from advertising their “alcopop” line of drinks to minors by banning their appearance in videogames, reports GamePolitics.

Illinois Public Act SB2472, which officially went into effect at the start of the new year, specifically bans “the display of any alcopop beverage in any videogame.”
The legalese used to define alcopop is a bit lengthy and tedious, so to put it simply the broad categorization of “alcopop” includes all those fruity booze concoctions like Smirnoff Ice (pictured right), Zima, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and any other brew that tastes more like candy than beer.
I applaud Illinois’ attempt to restrict booze companies from advertising to impressionable kids, but can anyone offer one example of alcopop actually appearing in any commercial game at any time in the past? I’m scratching my head trying to figure out where the impetus for this law came from.

Image courtesy Smirnoff […]

Original post by Earnest Cavalli