« Igniq.com Gaming News - Bookmark this site Advertisements  Kotaku points to Gamespy's hands-on preview of Age of Empires III, which they describe as "graphically the most ambitious RTS ever developed". Ensemble aimed to have AOE III's graphics compared to the likes of Half-Life 2 or DOOM 3, but a minus point in the preview is that the graphics will probably require fans to upgrade their systems. The preview also goes into further detail on the Home City concept of the game: Basically, your Home City represents the European capital of your chosen nation. All of the game action takes place in the new world. But, experience you gain in the new world will allow you to "level up" your home city (with improvements in tech trees, units available, etc.) Furthermore, as you gain points on the main game map you gain the ability to have the Home City send shipments to you. These shipments can contain resources, civilians, or military units that'll appear on the main map a few seconds later. Official site for Age of Empires 3 AGE OF EMPIRES III EXPLORED, PART ONE, PART TWO GamePro.com first look at Age of Empires 3 (4 April) Age of Empires III rewriting history - No, no, WRONG Discussion >>  Eidos have announced their lineup for next month's E3 Expo, including the latest installment in the Hitman franchise, Blood Money.Tomb Raider: Legend will be developed by Crystal Dynamics for the Playstation 2, XBox and PC (also planned for next-gen XBox and PSP, though Eidos have not revealed if either of those versions will be on show); it will feature new equipment such as a magnetic grappling device, binoculars, frag grenades personal lighting device and communications equipment. Hitman: Blood Money sees the return of assassin Agent 47, this time the game will be powered by a new version of IO-Interactive's Glacier Engine and Eidos promise the game will "deliver the most brutal and realistic simulation of the life of a merciiless assassin". 25 To Life is a third-person action shooter for the PS2, XBox and PC with a cops and robbers slant; players will be able to fully customise their law enforcement or criminal characters. The storyline for the game was written by author and journalist P. Frank Williams, who also lends his voice for in-game dialogue. Commandos Strike Force for the XBox, PS2 and PC will also be unveiled; set in World War II, it will feature three unique characters (Green Beret, Sniper and Spy). Related: Eidos Press release TombRaider.com MTV Games Launches with Exclusive Lara Pics Official site for Commandos Strike Force Hitman: Blood Money Discussion >>  Gamespot have a confirmation from ActiVision that an expansion pack for Rome: Total War is expected this coming Autumn, after a product page for the expansion appeared on Gamestop.com.The product page lists an estimated pre-release date for the game on 17 Oct 2005 for a price of $34.99. Added: GamersHell reveal the expansion will be titled Barbarian Invasion and will be set well after the time of Rome Total War: The expansion will offer you the chance to play as one of the Barbarian factions (including the Vandals, Saxons and Huns) and take revenge against the Roman Empire, or as the Western and Eastern Roman empires attempting to drive back the Barbarians. Official site for Rome: Total War Rome: Total War playable demo & movies Metacritic.com Rome Total War overall rating: 92% Discussion >>  Sony have announced the "Satin Silver" model of the slimline PlayStation 2, which will be available throughout Europe from 13 May at a price of €159 or £114.99 in the UK:To accompany and complement the new silver model PlayStation 2, a range of Satin Silver accessories will also be available, including a Vertical Stand, Memory Card, DUALSHOCK 2 Controller and DVD Remote Control. Already available is the stunning new silver EyeToy® camera, commissioned specifically to complement the slimline console. With global shipments of the EyeToy family of products exceeding 6.5 million since EyeToy revolutionised the games market in 2003, the EyeToy camera has become one of PlayStation 2's most desirable and useful accessories. The silver model camera takes colour coordination and style to an altogether new level. Check out more images of the Satin Silver on Spong.comDiscussion >>  PlanetWide Games have announced a 14-day free trial of Risk Your Life: Path of The Emperor which will be distributed through a partnership with XFire, the software that, among other things, lets users view which games their friends are playing, and send instant messages while in supported games: "Xfire is the perfect application and Website to download RYL: Path of the Emperor, which is the first fantasy MMORPG to be comprised of true Player vs. Player and Guild vs. Guild battles," said Kevin Donovan, President, Planetwide Games. "We are proud to be working with Xfire and its 1.3 million game players that have the ability to download our trial demo.” RYL.net XFire.com $1 Million Skill-based RYL tournament Coming This Summer IGNIQ RYL: PoTE Beta Review (4/5) Discussion >>  A review of BioWare's Jade Empire has been posted to Slashdot, earning 9 points out of 10 from the reviewer and the impressive description of being BioWare's best work to date:Jade Empire, then, is a complicated game. It's a long story (I'm well over 30 hours into it and no where near done), well written, with impressive graphics and memorable characters. The only two real complaints I can lay at the game's feet are occasional slowdowns during combat, and (as with all Xbox Bioware games) sometimes abominably long load times between map areas. Neither of these minor technical hurdles was annoying enough for me to become frustrated by my play experience. Jade Empire is a new high water line for console RPG titles, and in my opinion is Bioware's best work to date. Official Jade Empiire website Jade Empire game info 5 Min video review of Jade Empire Language of Jade Empire Discussion >> Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley was interviewed for CNN's Game Over column recently, and gave some information on the company's future projects, which will include an action MMOG with a focus on more modern weapons, and an online strategy game. The action title is expected to be ready for unveiling at next year's E3 Expo according to Smedley, and when asked about Sony's previous foray into the online strategy gaming genre with Sovereign, he said: "We're always looking for the right idea and we didn't have it [with 'Sovereign']," he said. "We will be in the strategy market. It's just a matter of timing. We'll get it eventually. ... Our goal is to be the dominant player in every major genre." Interestingly for PSP owners, SOE is also negotiating with wireless providers to allow free WiFi access at public internet hotspots found in the likes of airports and certain cafe's - the service would be supported by advertisements beamed to the handhelds:The plan, said Smedley, is if you enter one of those Hot Spots and decide to play for a bit, you'll be able to log on without having to configure your PSP with a username or password – and without having to pay the usual fee. Discussion >> Technology columnist John C. Dvorak's latest opinion article in PC Mag is a sensational rant against the gaming industry. He foresees the collapse of the business very soon based pretty much around the idea that games have hardly changed since the invention of the first-person-shooter, and when the technical advances in gaming machines hit the level of photo-realistic graphics, there will be nothing else to sustain growth: The business is going to attempt to sustain growth and creativity by making game players buy newer and newer machines. Computer gaming has always been sustained by never-ending improvements in resolution and realism. But once we get to photorealism, what is going to sustain growth? Dvorak Trashes Modern Gaming Industry 3D Realms Forums: Doom 4: End of the Game Industry? Dvorak Forsees End of Gaming Game Industry Collapse Imminent Discussion >>  According to a press release over at Steam Powered, all legal ties between Valve and Vivendi Universal Games are now over. The 2 companies have been in a bitter court battle reportedly over Valve's implementation of Steam which apparently affected Vivendi's retail sales. Bellevue, WA and Los Angeles, CA - April 29, 2005 -- Valve and Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced the settlement of a pending federal court lawsuit filed by Valve in August 2002. The parties have resolved their differences, and the settlement provides for the dismissal of all claims and coaunterclaims. Under the settlement agreement, VU Games will cease distribution of retail packaged versions of Valve's games, including Half-Life®, Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike™, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike: Source, effective August 31, 2005. Is Half-Life 2 EULA illegal? Valve Release Latest Hardware Survey Results Gabe Newell: From Half Life To Folk-Rock Does Valve Really Care About Its Customers? Discussion >>  Worthplaying.com reports that Dungeon Lords has gone gold and will hit the shelves on 4 May, 2005. The so-called fantasy action RGP, designed by role-playing veteran D.W. Bradley (Wizardry), combines elements of classic role-playing games with 3D combat action and is set in a fantasy-style medieval world.To top it off, the game's high-resolution intro sequence can also be downloaded at 3DGamers. Serving as an appetizer for the impending release, the short trailer shows a fight between good and evil and has a moderate file size of about 17 MB. Related info: Official Dungeon Lords Website Heuristic Park DreamCatcher Discussion >>  Namco Hometek have announced the upcoming release of Namco Museum 50th Anniversary for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PC and Game Boy Advance.As it is fast approaching the 50th anniversary of Namco, the museum package will consist of 14 classic Namco titles such as Pac-Man, Ms Pac-man, Dig-Dug, Pole-Position and many others. From the press release: "Namco Museum 50th Anniversary brings countless hours of family-friendly entertainment to gamers everywhere," said Jeff Lujan, business director, Namco Hometek Inc. "With Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, and more, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection offers 14 landmark games in a single package." Related: Official website Mario Brothers Commercial From 1983 WoodCube - Super-Nintendo, Playstation and N64 Discussion >>  The first official trailer has been released for Black & White 2, sequel to the popular real-time strategy Black & White. In development by Lionhead Studios the game is scheduled for release sometime this year. Black and White 2 features new Epic Miracles, including the ground-ripping Earthquake and volcanoes, which cause rivers of lava; new forms of weaponry, from swords to bows to siege machines; multiple tools to help train and improve Creatures (old favorites as the Ape, Cow, and Lion, plus many others); weather systems such as rain, snow, mists, and fog; ten lands homing each of the five tribes. Download the trailer from gamershell (18.4 Mb)Related: Official Website Black & White 2 screenshots Discussion >> The Gaurdian have an interesting article that reports on a survey being carried out by Project Massive examining the lives of the online gamer, more to the point the massively multiplayer online gamer. The survey looks at what drives people to stay online so long, why they skip meals, what keeps some of them in this virtual reality for so long and how real life is affected by this virtual endeavour. This latest approach aims to understand how real life is effected by online play, a topic close to my heart as the motivation for returning to the hallowed halls of academia. Discussion >>  According to the Register, Nintendo has out-paced its Sony PSP rival and shipped well over 5 million DS handheld consoles around the globe.Nintendo are claiming that the 5 million mark was passed in March not long after the DS went on sale. This surge has made it the fastest selling console in UK gaming history.
1000 New Games On Show At E3 Freefalling Sky Divers Play Multi-Player DS WoodCube - Super-Nintendo, Playstation and N64 Nintendo Source Confirms Revolution For E3 Nintendo Revolution Speculation: 3D Projection? Discussion >>  Gamespot have the first look at EA's From Russia With Love. Based on the 1963 movie, the XBox, GameCube and PS2 title will feature the voice-acting talent of Sean Connery:Based on this early look, From Russia With Love has the makings of a game that is more than capable of running with the considerable momentum that started with Everything or Nothing. The gameplay feels as though it's building on the right aspects of its predecessor and certainly brings some intriguing elements to the table. From Russia With Love official EA website EA Bring Connery Back For One More Bond Role (6 April) Potential Work Stoppage For Game Voice Talent Discussion >>  PlayFrance.com have the first screenshots of The Sims 2 for the PSP, which is due for release this autumn; check them out here (via kotaku) Related: Gamespot preview The Sims 2 for PSP Discussion >>  A remake of the classic RTS Total Annihilation has reached its first public beta release. Titled TA Spring, it reuses original content from TA, but has been upgraded to a 3D environment and features new additions such as a revised physics system and a first person shooter mode: TA Spring is a project to create the best RTS ever (no joke). There are three principle goals which we hope to achieve. Slashdot | Total Annihilation Remake Released Total Annihilation Universe Total Annihilation on Wikipedia Discussion >>  Ok straight into more Xbox 360 hype/speculation/rumour. Latest coming from Total Video Games who are reporting that Microsoft Senior VP Will Poole confirmed yesterday that the wireless controllers shipping with the Xbox 360 will be compatible with the next version of Windows, Codenamed Longhorn.A interesting bit of information has today emerged from Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) 2005, as Microsoft Senior Vice President Will Poole confirmed in a presentation that Xbox360 controllers will be fully compatible with the next version of the Windows OS, currently code-named Longhorn (although with the length of development, perhaps Longhaul would have been more appropriate.) Related: Xbox 360 Backwards Compatible? 1000 New Games On Show At E3 Xbox 360 To Launch With Over 15 Games? Report on Microsoft after XBox 360 Image Leaks Latest Xbox 360 Image Of Memory Card? Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early Discussion >>  Surely this is the most awe-inspiring sight of the day and week. Some tech-savvy individual has mashed together a Super NES, Playstation and Nintendo 64 into a box made of old plywood. You have to operate wooded-levers to power on and off the individual consoles and CD drive. I for one am impressed. While I may have seen prettier mods, this one definitely stands out as a gutsy wooden box of delights. Sure, it may get picked on by the more sleek and poplular PSP or DS but you can bet good ole' Woody will give as good as he gets :-) If you're interested in making a bid, the inventor will be selling his WoodCube through E-Bay This is my recent project - the "Woodcube". It contains a Super NES, a Playstation and a Nintendo 64. I think the pictures speak for themselves. All of the consoles use standard Video as output, and they all use the same power cord. To power up the SNES, you push the leftmost putton down, and pull it up to turn it off. The N64 is controlled by the lever to the right, and it is pushed back/forward to turn and off the power. The PSX has a button in the middle, but it's not working, so I didn't bother to make it look good, because I will soon open it up to fix the PSX's power board. There are som stuff I have left to do, though: Fix the PSX, add LEDs, and fix up the PSXs Power Button Discussion >>  If gaming-nostalgia is your thing, then you might want to check out this old commercial for Mario Brothers for the Atari from 1983. Shudder...it's hard to believe this thing ever got off the ground with tv spots like this. Related: Mario Demands Right To Walk Of Fame Freefalling Sky Divers Play Multi-Player DS Discussion >> With the Xbox 360 making all the headlines lately, one question that has dogged Xbox enthusiasts is "Will the Xbox 360 be backwards compatible?" Well, the Inquirer point to a questionnaire being taken online by Xbox live users that suggests the next-generation console will in fact be compatible with regular Xbox games.Xbox Live is an online gaming service that works across both the current Xbox system and the future Xbox 2. You will be able to play online and compete against others across both consoles. If you are playing an Xbox game on Live you will be able to compete against people playing that same game on Xbox 2 Related: 1000 New Games On Show At E3 Xbox 360 To Launch With Over 15 Games? Report on Microsoft after XBox 360 Image Leaks Latest Xbox 360 Image Of Memory Card? Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad Discussion >>  Given the huge number of players who have entered the realm of Azeroth so far, it doesn't really come as a big surprise that some don't live a virtuous online life but try to assert themselves by making use of cheats or hacks. In order to keep the game balanced and fair, Blizzard Entertainment have now banned more than 500 accounts from WoW permanently:As part of our continuing effort to keep World of Warcraft free from abuse, we have permanently banned more than 500 accounts during the last week which were involved in the use of cheats and/or hacks using third-party software. We will continue to take an aggressive stance to ensure that the gaming environment remains an enjoyable place for our customers by actively pursuing those who would seek to violate the principle of fair-play, as well as breach our terms of use and policies in this way. As stated previously, we have a zero-tolerance policy for cheating or hacking of any kind. Players caught using cheats or hacks will have their characters removed and their account banned. They will not receive a warning. If you bear in mind that they kicked more than 500 paying customers in the process, that's no small feat at all.Related info: WoW Europe Blizzard Entertainment Honor System Killing Spree Begins in WoW (22 April) 250000 More Copies of WoW Hit Europe on 15 April (3 April) Discussion >> According to 1up.com, the top ten Girlfriend-Friendly Games include Ms. Pac-Man, Animal Crossing, Katamari Damacy, Dance Dance Revolution and The Sims.I don't know how accurate this list is apart from The Sims, I have found more girls play the likes of Counter Strike: Source, Far Cry and Doom 3. The old cliche of girls reaching for Mario and Ms Pac-man while guys go for the Action/First Person Shooters is kind of a dead myth. I think 1up seriously need to rethink their list if they don't want to offend any serious gamers. They have certainly struck a chord with Game Girl Advance. Hahahahaha. Via Game Girl Advance Discussion >>  More media has been made available today concerning upcoming Source updates. GNA-Soft have released screenshots of the new Lost Coast level in Half Life 2 that will feature the new lighting technology (HDR). There is also a small video clip showcasing footage of Half Life 2 using HDR. Check out the high-res screens here The high-quality movie is available here (reg required) Via hlfallout Related: CS: Source de_port Strategy Guide HL2 Aftermath: 2 New Screenshots More Half-Life 2: Aftermath/ Lost Coast Details HL2 Aftermath Screenshot, 2 New CS: Source Maps Soon Half life 2: Ending Extended With Aftermath Expansion Discussion >> After weeks of probing to see just what hardware you are using for Source, Valve have released their most recent hardware survey results. Interesting to note that the results see Nvidia edge out competitor ATI 50.72% to 41.03%, despite the fact that Valve always claimed ATI's Radeon was the best boy for the job of handling the Source engine. Intel and AMD are reportedly neck-and-neck.Most of you playing Valve's games have installed Microsoft's Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, unlike the 17.04% who are still using Service Pack 1. See the results for yourself Related: CS: Source de_port Strategy Guide HL2 Aftermath: 2 New Screenshots More Half-Life 2: Aftermath/ Lost Coast Details Does Valve Really Care About Its Customers? Discussion >>  Get your swashbuckling eyes fixed on Summer of next year as Disney have announced they are starting work on a new MMORPG based on the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The game, being developed by Walt Disney Internet Group's VR Studio, will let players create and customize their own Pirates as well as create crews with other players. Not very much is known about the game so far other than the fact that Disney are planning for a Summer 2006 release. From the press release: We've learned through our experience with Toontown that the market for massively multiplayer online role-playing games can indeed reach beyond traditional gamers," stated Ken Goldstein, EVP and managing director, Disney Online. "Pirates of the Caribbean is the perfect franchise for our second commercial effort in this arena. Fans of the movies and theme park attraction will be able to live their own unfolding pirate adventure through the game, including searching for lost treasures and battling numerous enemies on land and at sea." Related: Official Website Discussion >>  Although the main programme was already released in March this year, the single-player demo has only been published today. The game, a first-person shooter with tactical elements, is set in WWII and lets you jump into the role of Sgt. Matt Baker who, dropped behind enemies lines in the night before D-Day, has to guide his squad safely through the next 48 hours.The single-player demo comprises a tutorial and two missions also found in the full version, "Rendezvous with Destiny (Extended Version)" and "Action at Vierville". The game's official website offers some mirror download links, as the demo has a considerable file size of 385 MB. Related info: Brothers in Arms - Tested Cheats (25 April) Brothers in Arms v 1.03 Patch (6 April) Brothers in Arms First Impressions (28 March) Gearbox Software Discussion >>  2 K Games and 3D Realms have announced Prey for the PC and an upcoming "next-generation" console. The game will be developed on a "significantly enhanced" version of id's DOOM 3 engine by Human Head Studios under the supervision of 3D Realms, and will be unveiled at the E3 Expo in a movie-theater-style exhibition: "The initial concept for Prey had been incubating for a while, waiting for the right opportunity to come along," said George Broussard, President of 3D Realms. "We jumped at the chance to create this game with a talented developer like Human Head Studios and next-generation technology like the Doom 3 engine." Related: 3DRealms.com PC Gamer Get Prey Exclusive & First Look At Duke Nukem Forever Scott Miller blog - CEO of 3D Realms Internet Archive of the Prey Game FAQ from 1998 Prey Taking Shape (17 April) Shelved 3D Realms Prey to be Unveiled at E3 (6 April) Discussion >>  An extreme experiment into the wireless capabilities of the Nintendo DS saw four sky divers play a multiplayer game of Super Mario while plummeting towards Earth at 120 miles an hour:"It was a rush," said Myers. "Playing in the air was pretty exciting. It was also incredibly difficult. Some of the problems were that when you were jumping, you needed to bring both hands together on the DS, and it seriously decreased your stability."  The Entertainment Software Association have announced 1000 new games are lined up for the E3 Expo next month; and they've released a lengthy list of the never-before-seen products that will appear at the show (reproduced in the Discussion link).The number is staggering (over 5000 products in all will be displayed), and the president of the ESA Douglas Lowenstein hailed the sheer number of titles as "examples of the innovation and creativity that will drive industry growth in the coming year,", but it met with some scepticism over on Gamesblog: I have one simple question: has Mr Lowenstein ever actually been to E3? E3 Expo official site About the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) E3 - 1000 new games on show Discussion >>  The prize in a new G4TV competition is a chance to become a reporter at this year's E3 Expo; viewers have until 4 May to send in a five minute video tape of themselves explaining why they want to be chosen:If you’re selected, you’ll get access to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming conference where all of this year’s biggest news will be released. You’ll get to take a camera crew on the conference floor, talk to developers, play the newest games, and tell G4tv.com viewers at home what you think of the developments in the gaming industry.  Bungie have released the first four new Halo 2 multiplayer maps promised last month.Nine maps in all are due for release, with the remaining five scheduled for a 28 June release on XBox Live and as a $19.99 retail disc; Bungie say that by late summer, all nine maps will be available as a free download. Of the two packs released today, the free Bonus Map Pack contains Containment and Warlock, and the $5.99 Killtacular Pack contains Turf and Sanctuary: The wait for new Halo 2 content is over. As promised, the first four (of nine) maps are available for download today via Xbox Live. When you sign in, select "Content Download" from the Live menu and you'll see two download options. Nine Halo 2 maps in all to be released by 28 June Details on Sanctuary, Containment, Warlock and Turf Discussion >> Just when you thought you had your fill of Xbox 360 rumours. Latest coming in from Joystiq, who are reporting on an article that suggests the next generation console will debut with 15-20 games, many such titles rumoured to be next-gen sequels of established franchises.Topping that list is the long-awaited sequel to Perfect Dark, as well as a half-dozen or so racing titles, including Project Gotham, NFSU, Test Drive, a new Namco series, and the possibility of a Burnout installment—hey, at least Steve will be happy. What the next few weeks/months hold is anyone's guess. It is however, a very exciting time for console lovers the world over as they once again challenge the high-end PC. Related: Report on Microsoft after XBox 360 Image Leaks Latest Xbox 360 Image Of Memory Card? Leaked Pics Unveil XBox 360 Early Microsoft Teaser Xbox 360 Ad XBox Development Kit Images Surface Xbox 2 To Retail At $249 In October? |
