Ever, Jane: The Virtual World of Jane Austen meets Kickstarter goal
Ever, Jane: The Virtual World of Jane Austen, developed by Judy L. Tyrer’s Colorado-based 3turnproductions, has met its Kickstarter goal. The project was funded by 1,600 backers pledging $109,563 to the initial goal of $100,000. In the virtual world, players will invite and be invited to gatherings and use gossip as the weapon of choicer to demolish enemies and aid friends. The game takes place in Regency Period England and quests are “derived from player’s actions and stories.” You can download the prototype through the Kickstarter page.
Just Cause 2′s multiplayer mod releases on Steam December 16
Just Cause 2′s multiplayer mod will arrive on Steam December 16, according to it’s page on Steam. The final beta test for the mod is scheduled to end two days earlier. “JC2-MP is a project to bring multiplayer to Just Cause 2 in all of its magnificent glory,” reads the page blurb. “Imagine the chaos of normal Just Cause 2, then extending it out to dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of players.” The final beta phase ends on December 14. Thanks, Eurogamer.
Velocity Ultra will release on Steam next week
Velocity Ultra will be released on Steam next week, Curve Studios has announced. The PC version features every level and secret area as the PlayStation Vita original while taking advantage of customizied controls, and full Steamworks support. The arcade puzzle-shooter with a teleportation mechanic will run you £6.99/$9.99/€8.99 come December 12.
WildStar’s Medic and Engineer classes revealed
WildStar developers Carbine Studios have revealed the final two classes for the MMO: the Medic and Engineer.
Battlefield 4 has been updated on PC, PS4 update rescheduled for additional testing
Battlefield 4 has been updated on PC, as promised; however, the PS4 version of the update has been delayed, according to DICE.
Project Spark PC beta registrations are now live for Windows 8.1 users
Project Spark beta registrations are now live for the PC version, after seeing a delay in October. Windows 8 users can sign up here and Xbox One testing is scheduled for January. Project Spark is out next year on both systems and you can watch the intro video here if you missed it earlier today.
Gaming Tuesday Bundle from Indie Royale is live
Indie Royale has announced its Gaming Tuesday Bundle is now available. It contains five arcade titles: Who’s that Flying?!, Aeternum, Rush Bros., Bad Bots and Defy Gravity. All are available for Windows via Steam except Aeternum which is available through Desura. Rush Bros. and Bad Bots are also available on Mac through Steam. The bonus target of $6 will hand you all of the games plus the the Valence chiptune album by Haberdashery. Hit up the link for more.
Path of Exile exceeds “initial expectations,” has over 4 million registered users
Path of Exile “has exceeded initial expectations,” according to Grinding Gear Games, and has over 4 million registered users with over 250,000 daily users and 1.5 million unique players logged in during the end of open beta. Along with the impressive figures, the developer has also posted patch notes for update 1.0.2 which went live over the holiday weekend. Release Supporter Packs for Path of Exile are also now available. Thanks, Blue.
Survarium closed beta starting in “a week or two,” scheduled for launch during second half of 2014
Survarium, the free-to-play PC MMOFPS from Vostok Games will transition into closed beta “within a week or two,” the firm has told Eurogamer. Invites will be sent out to the international community at that time, and you can sign up for the tester here. The game will launch in the UK during the second half of 2014. You can watch the latest developer diary here.
Battlefield 4′s China Rising DLC launch trailer, screens released
Battlefield 4′s China Rising DLC is out today, in case you hadn’t noticed via Sam’s videos featuring Silk Road and Guilin Peaks gameplay and Paul Davies’ hands-on write-up. Now, EA has released the launch trailer and screens for it. Hit up the break below. China Rising contains the multiplayer maps: Silk Road, Altai Range, Guilin Peaks, and Dragon Pass. Non-Premium members can download it come December 17.
Stasis: 2D isometric point-and-click sci-fi horror adventure game funded on Kickstarter
Stasis, the 2D isometric, point-and-click sci-fi horror adventure game from Johannesburg-based developer, The Brotherhood, has been successfully funded on Kickstarter. With three days left on the counter, 3,353 backers pledged $103,224, surpassing the project’s goal of $100,000. The game is slated for an August 2014 release on PC, and is also up for your consideration on Steam Greenlight. A developer video is below.
The Elder Scrolls Online video details character progression
The Elder Scrolls Online has a new video detailing the systems players will use to build the character they want to play and explore Tamriel with. Have a look at character progression in action below. ESO is currently in beta and upon release will launch on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Starfighter early access now available to subscribers
Star Wars: The Old Republic subscribers can now gain early access to the Galactic Starfighter expansion. The content allows players duel it out via space combat, using two teams of 12 players. Various fighter ships are available and include: Scout, Strike Fighter and Gunship. Players can also customize their ships by spending earned Requisition. A video detailing customization is below. Preferred status players will gain access on January 14 and Free players can try it out on February 4.Read over the patch notes here.
The Secret World Membership deals can be yours from now until December 16
Funcom has announced new Membership offers for The Secret World which will be available for two weeks from today until December 16.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist dev “took nothing away” in making series more accessible
Splinter Cell: Blacklist developer Ubiusoft Toronto wanted the game to be easy to pick up and play, but to teach players not to run-and-gun via difficulty spikes.
Need for Speed: Rivals video touts the advantages of OverWatch
Need for Speed: Rivals has a video available showing how OverWatch allows players to see which friends are playing in real-time and interact with them, all the while unlocking exclusive content. Using the Need for Speed Network powered by Autolog, players can also view their game progression, look over the next round of unlocks and plan their next session using their mobile. Hit up the break to watch the video below. Need for Speed: Rivals is available now for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Humble Jumbo Bundle includes Magicka, Natural Selection 2, Garry’s Mod, more
The Humble Jumbo Bundle is now available and contains Natural Selection 2, Sanctum 2, Magicka and its DLC. Those who pay over the average, currently sitting at $3.94, will unlock Orcs Must Die! 2: Complete Pack, Serious Sam 3: BFE and Garry’s Mod. Soundtracks are included with select games. More games will be added soon, so pay over the average and unlock them as they are added. Video is below.
Planetside 2 dev looking at more end-game progression content
Planetside 2 develoepr Sony Online Entertainment is hoping to implement new systems giving veteran players something to work towards besides better gear.
Dungeons & Dragons Online 2014 update to bring Haunted Halls of Eveningstar, Anauroch, more
Dungeons & Dragons Online will receive at least four major updates in 2014, adding a classic module and several new areas to explore.
Battlefield 4 China Rising fixes incoming for PC, Xbox 360
Battlefield 4′s China Rising DLC is not without its problems, but DICE is aware of a couple of issues and is working on them.
Maia now available on Steam Early Access
Simon Roth’s Maia is now available through Steam Early Access; it’s currently on sale at 25% off the normal price of $25. Kickstarter and Indiegogo backers can redeem a key to receive a free copy by logging into the Maia members area. Take a look at the sci-fi base-building sim’s progress in the new trailer through the break.
PC Gaming Alliance plan to uphold technical standards in new games with certification system
Comments2This is a quite-fascinating idea - up there with communism, straddling the thin line between ‘we need this’ and ‘it’ll never work’. The PC Gaming Alliance are planning to launch a certification program for PC games, which will allow players to buy games on release confident that they’re not bug-ridden technical dross.
World in motion: Microsoft start shipping Kinect 2 to PC developers internationally
CommentXbox One has had its European release, which means Kinect 2 sensors are even now busy tracking Europeans’ intravenous liquids as they wander about their living rooms, informing their employers that they appear to be at the peak of health, contrary to earlier reports.
That’s more ‘Rear Window’ than Kinect for Windows, which offers a similar feature set coupled to the platform-exclusive experience of being able to turn your sensor off. It’s presumably this promise that’s had thousands of PC developers angling for a pre-release Kinect 2 kit.
Come Caesar these screenshots of Total War: Rome II's Gallic campaign
CommentThe draw of Creative Assembly’s newly announced Caesar in Gaul campaign is that it’s a small-scale affair - the business of one country over less than a decade. But the veteran Total War developers know better than to extend that approach to the battlefields themselves, which are crammed full of thousands of woad warriors and men in sandals. Check them out.
Call of Duty: Online’s zombies are also robots (but not Nazis)
CommentI’ve scanned this Call of Duty: Online trailer for an ounce of self-awareness and haven’t found enough for the scales to register the weight. I’ve strained watching the faces of its behatted player avatars for any sign of a smirk, but read only grim determination.
Call of Duty: Online is doing robot zombies, and has apparently decided to play it straight.
PC market to suffer "by far the most severe" fall on record this year
Comments4We’re not normally given to quoting AA Milne via Piglet, but oh d-d-dear dear. Despite positive noises to the contrary during the Autumn, research firm International Data Corporation have now told us to expect the “most severe yearly contraction on record” for the PC market.
Team Meat's Mew-Genics to cater to hoarders
CommentTeam Meat's doolally feline breeding sim, Mew-Genics, isn't just about forcing cats to bump uglies or participate in kitty beauty pageants - it's also a game for those who obsessively collect crap and tat, Edmund McMillen explains on the Team Meat blog. You know the type: the one's that can't throw out old newspapers or gather Steam trading cards.
Items purchased from Hoarders R Us aren't useless bits of rubbish, however, as they have bizarre powers like a clock that manipulates time or appliances that emit radiation and can cause mutations. Some of the objects are literally trash, though, but that's okay because it tempts strays into your cat prison.
Space saunter: rymdkapsel comes to PC
CommentSerene strategy title rymdkapsel is finally making the leap from mobile devices to PC next month. Not just a straight port, the PC version will also feature extra content like new missions along with an extended soundtrack - all of which is a timed exclusive for PC players.
As a chap with fat, stubby fingers usually covered in bacon grease and no discernable dexterity, I don't really go in for the whole tactile, touchscreen control set up inherent to mobile gaming, so I'm substantially chuffed to see rymdkapsel coming to a platform that doesn't task me with smearing my digits across a screen.
Online Austrian Store “Gameware” Lists Fallout 4 For PC, Xbox One and PS4
Let they hype begin. Yesterday, a website – that is supposedly a teaser for Fallout 4 – shared a new morse code, hinting towards a possible reveal of Fallout 4. Even though it has not been confirmed yet whether that website is legit or not, German (thanks Mark for pointing out) Austrian online store Gameware has already listed Fallout 4 for PC, Xbox One and PS4. Continue reading
Despite PC Gaming Being Dead, Steam Has Hit 7 Million Concurrent Users
Yes yes, PC gaming is dead. Who cares about console-only developers releasing their games on the PC? Who cares about those PC exclusives that were funded via Kickstarter? Who cares about indie developers? And who cares about Steam hitting 7 million concurrent users? PC gaming is dead, get over it. Move along, nothing more to see. The cake is a lie. Continue reading
In Theory… 20000€ milestone reached!
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/reset–4
A big hand to everyone, high five and thumbs up! Our good pals at Almost Human (makers of Legend of Grimrock) were also super cool to lend their thumbs for a good cause. The campaign is doing good, with almost one third of the 65K target already reached with 23 days still to go. Work continues on the campaign and the game of course.
Super big thanks to NVIDIA also, who published a new exclusive screenshot!
View the screenshot here:
https://twitter.com/NVIDIA_UK/status/406381346571841537/photo/1/large
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=626126817450590&set=a.240268132703129.62682.151569994906277&type=1&theater
Never Stop Designing: Formicide
Take some Unreal Tournament, add a pinch of Worms, sprinkle in some ants and you have the upcoming multiplayer title, Formicide. Developers Michael Goodman and Matt Schemmer give TPG all the details.
Interference Interview
Anthony Beyer takes some time away from his development duties to give TPG the lowdown on his upcoming stealth puzzle-platformer, Interference.
This Skyrim Mod Will Take You Into The Danger Zone
By Craig Pearson on December 3rd, 2013 at 7:00 pm.
According to international law, I am not allowed to post the video I made playing of myself playing this Skyrim Mod, which changes the fighting music into Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins. Now, I’ll admit there hundreds of reasons and at least three court orders that should prevent me from going anywhere near recording equipment, but I am sad that one of them is “A man in his pants enjoying a game and wants you to share it with the world.” It seems like my happiness, and the happiness others would get from it, should override petty rules and regulations, particularly when it involves Skyrim and the Top Gun soundtrack.
Read the rest of this entry »
Murder Most Discounted: Blue Toad Murder Files Free-Ish
By Alec Meer on December 3rd, 2013 at 5:00 pm.
Relentless seem to have dropped the ‘Blue Toad’ bit from their Murder Files game, in fact, which is probably the right choice, at least presuming their intended audience wasn’t people looking for soft porn starring amphibians. Whatever its name, Relentless’ comic noir, slightly Professor Laytony puzzler has gone pay what you want for the rest of the month, and that includes the option of paying no-pennies.
Read the rest of this entry »
Space Narwhal Battler Starwhal Getting Bigger, Whal-er
By Nathan Grayson on December 3rd, 2013 at 1:00 pm.
Here I am again, caterwhaling on about Starwhal, the QWOP-ish multiplayer narwhal fencing sim. Where once it was a simple yet deceptively skill-based jam game, its intergalactic ‘whals have since smashed all walls standing in their wha– er, way. The result? A full experience with single-player, AI opponents, more multiplayer modes, narwhal customization, and more things that developer Breakfall apparently hasn’t thought of yet. The catch? Oh, why do I even bother with the koi lead-ins anymore? It’s the same catch as always: Starwhal: Just The Tip is asking for a little shove off shore (and into space) on Kickstarter.
@TheVoxelman on twitter