Nurses job is done
The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot opens its portcullis for free Steam beta
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The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot is an action-RPG-cum-dungeon-keeper hybrid. It's of interest not only because Dungeon Keeper proper has lately been malformed beyond recognition, but also because it’s the first ever RPG to emerge from Ubisoft Montreal's former textiles mill - birthplace of Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Watch Dogs, and a dozen other sneaky action games that’ll make you go “Oh yeah!”.
Until now, access has been restricted to players willing to stump up for Steam Early Access, which seemed a bit off in a game destined to be free-to-play. But that was then, when Opulencia hadn’t opened its doors for open beta.
The War in Warcraft: WoW PvP Season 15 begins
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For the first time in a long while, there’s a sense of impermanence hanging over these arenas and battlegrounds. World of Warcraft PvP seasons come and go as dependably as the year’s do - but the comments Blizzard’s Ion Hazzikostas made to our Tim the other day suggest its honor point system isn’t long for this world.
For now, though, the spring comes as it always has - and budding champions nudge their way up through the soil to an open playing field.
Valve grant Steam price-slashing powers to developers
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Valve are uniquely open to suggestions when it comes to price cuts - numerous developer accounts over the years have testified to that. Flash sales are timed to coincide with major updates - sometimes offering indies a crucial second wind that’s allowed them to keep the lights on.
This is unprecedented, though: carte blanche for developers to run their own sales via the Steam store, whenever they like, at whatever price point they desire.
Up in the air: What will happen when Games for Windows Live shuts down?
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The end is almost in sight for the blighted Games for Window Live service, and there was much rejoicing. The Windows Live Marketplace shut down last year, and a now-deleted official post for Age of Empires Online stated that GfWL would be dead by July, and further implied the game would no longer be playable after that date. Microsoft has refused to comment on the matter, however, and that’s putting a lot of developers in a pickle.
Without an explanation from Microsoft, many studios are concerned that their titles will be effectively unplayable come July, and thus have begun the process of removing GfWL and adding Steamworks instead. Unfortunately, an even greater number of publishers have absolutely no plans to remove GfWL from some of their games, leaving them without online support and in some cases, potentially broken.
Exploring Everquest Next Landmark: the closed alpha's best builds
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Everquest Next Landmark's desert is a little like a post-apocalyptic world in progress, littered with half-finished but deserted houses and castles of such scale and imposing beauty that great Ozymandias would regret wasting so much time erecting vast and trunkless legs of stone to troll passing travellers. In most cases, they're deserted while their creators go to mine more of the gold or whatever else they need to put the finishing touches on them, but that's okay. While you can't mine anyone else's claim, for obvious reasons, you can visit all them and travel between servers to see what people have made now that they're free of the tyranny of solid blocks and able to craft in slopes, spheres and other voxel goodness.
Here's some of our favourites from around the assorted servers, mostly for doing something a bit different with the tools than simply putting up a house - though the houses people are building are already looking great, and come in just about every flavour you can imagine.
You'll believe a bike can fly: Trials Fusion launching on April 16th
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I’ve always dreamed of owning a motorbike, but it’s a dream that is unlikely to become a reality. I’m rather dyspraxic, so I’d probably just fall off it, and my perpetually worrying mother promised she’d write me out of her will if I ever even sat on one.
It’s okay mum, I’ll just play Trials Fusion, instead, since it’s launching on April 16th. Take that!
Heroes of the Storm will let you try heroes before you buy them and reward you for testing the store
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The sleuths over at Heroes Nexus have uncovered a veritable dragon’s horde of information about Blizzard’s upcoming not-a-MOBA, Heroes of the Storm. Most notable among the plethora of details is the likelihood that Heroes will be giving out rewards for testing the store by spending money, much like in Hearthstone, and confirmation that Blizzard will be implementing a free-to-play model much like the one found in League of Legends.
Planet Hulk: Planetary Annihilation enters Gamma phase tomorrow, adding multi-planet spawns
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Planetary Annihilation is entering Gamma phase tomorrow, which sounds very serious. It won’t be Hulking out and smashing buildings in a blind range, but Uber is planning some big additions to the growing Early Access RTS.
It’s been a while since I last took a long look at the game, and the plans for Gamma phase, which includes multi-planet spawns, is making me eager to jump back in.
LEGO The Hobbit begins the journey to reclaim the Lonely Mountain in April
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Stick hair on your feet, grab your comically oversized beard and try not to stand on loose blocks: LEGO The Hobbit is arriving in April. Launching on April 8th in the US and 11th in Europe, the blocky adventure covers the first two Peter Jackson films, Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug.
While Lion's Arch burns, ArenaNet fiddles around with an interactive Guild Wars 2 atlas
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Confession time: I have a love of maps and cartography that borders on a fetish. Back before proper in-game maps were common, my study was overflowing with graph paper covered in labyrinthine mazes and maps of towns, and I often found myself ignoring school work in favour of doodling my own maps of fantasy lands plucked out of my own noggin. Right now, my mouse mat is currently a giant map of the world, and several random maps are scattered across my walls and floor. Yeah, I’ve got a problem.
So I feel confident in saying that ArenaNet is an enabler. Not only does Guild Wars 2 have an absolutely lavish map that I lose myself in every time I look at it, the developer has put up a new interactive map on its site, which is “designed to lead fans through a process of discovery that illustrates the game’s current living world storyline.” The bastards.
Batman: Arkham Origins – Cold, Cold Heart DLC Officially Revealed, Coming On April 22nd
Back in December we informed you about a rumored DLC involving Mr. Freeze for Batman: Arkham Origins. Well, it appears we were right. Warner Bros has officially unveiled that the next story driven DLC for Batman: Arkham Origins will be called “Cold, Cold Heart” and will be out on April 22nd. Continue reading
Dark Souls II Gets A New Developer Diary
Namco Bandai has released a new developer diary for Dark Souls 2 in which developers talk about the game’s story, and Yui Tanimura’s desire to use more elements and concepts of the Dark Souls franchise. Dark Souls 2 PC will be released after the console release, which is currently scheduled for March 14th. Enjoy! Continue reading
Gods Will Be Watching Releases This June, Gets New Trailer
Deconstructeam and Devolver Digital have announced that upcoming indie thriller Gods Will Be Watching will arrive on PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam, Humble, and GOG this June. According to its press release, the updated and expanded Gods Will Be Watching is a minimalistic “point and click thriller” centered on despair, commitment, and sacrifice as players face intriguing puzzles and tough decisions that will affect their entire crew’s wellbeing. Continue reading
Tropico 5 – March Beta Phase Confirmed, Registrations Now Open
Kalypso Media announced that a beta test for Tropico 5 will be launching this March. In addition, the company announced that registrations are now open, meaning that potential applicants should apply right now. Continue reading
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