Category: Other

Rockstar Games now on Steam!

In a press release sent out late Friday Valve has announced that a ton of high profile games from Rockstar are now available on the Steam download system. As a promotion all the games are discounted 10% during launch week so this is the time to brush up on your GTA skills before GTA4 is released. There is no word however on what upcoming Rockstar titles will be added to the system but we can only hope that a PC version of GTA4 will be made and added. All we can say is we hope you are not on a download limit!

The list and comments below are from the press release.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto II
Grand Theft Auto
Midnight Club II
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
Max Payne
Manhunt
Wild Metal Country

 “We were immediately excited by the opportunity to offer our PC catalog via Steam because it allows us to reach out to gamers around the world in exciting new ways,” said Rowan Hajaj, Head of Finance and Corporate Development of Rockstar Games.  “We are continually looking for ways to give back to our fans and this collaboration will give people a chance to easily revisit some of our greatest titles.”

“Rockstar Games brings some of most viscerally engaging games the industry has ever witnessed to Steam’s expansive library of titles,” says Jason Holtman, director of Steam business development.  “We’re delighted to provide a place where gamers across the globe can discover all the fine work Rockstar Games has produced.”

For more information about Rockstar Games on Steam, please visit www.steamgames.com/v/index.php?publisher=rockstar

Crysis Patch Status Update

[Update] Crysis patch version 1.1 is now available

Crysis

For those of you who don’t know it was announced to the press that there would be a patch released for EA’s Crysis title between 7-14 days after its release back in November. After a really quiet period with no news at all details have arrived via EA about what has been the delay and when we should expect the two, yes two patches. From what we have read though unless it has been left out they have not fixed the stuttering nuke or machine gun sound effects left after you die. Or the problem with hovering guns that don’t exist, or the other multiplayer problem where if you buy an AA vehicle and then fire the gun it blows itself up instantly without taking a hit. We can hope though but when more than one patch is announced it doesn’t give you much faith. Expect 600MB Battlefield 2 size patches soon.

Below is the full release from EA.com

Dec. 21 2007

Community Update: Patch Release

Greetings Community!

Lots of questions from the community regarding Crysis Patches, the SDK and the Linux Dedicated Server have been asked, and we wanted to get all of them answered right before Christmas and right before we have our holiday break.

So let’s get started…

Patch #1 Delayed – The Reason

In an interview around the street date of Crysis we have mentioned to release the first patch within the next two weeks. Till then we already made quite a good progress on the patch itself and it was close to being shipped. Unfortunately due to heavy technical issues that appeared right before the patch was declared final we could not release it in time.

Patch #1 – Current Status

Thus we fully concentrated on the issues to get them addressed and resolved. So far the progress on the patch is quite satisfying since everything seems to be working as intended. Currently the patch is being reviewed by Crytek’s and EA’s QA departments and we expect to get the final feedback submitted in the first week of January.

Patch #1 – Scheduled Release

Based on this feedback we will be able to set a release date for the long awaited Patch #1 for Crysis. If no major problems occur we expect to have it available for public download within January 2008. This is of course related to the reports from the QA departments, but we are confident to match the schedule.

Patch #1 – Content

The last time we have provided you with a rough list of fixes the patch will include. Today we would like to go a bit more into detail and mention the major changes/bug fixes. Patch #1 is still meant to be a performance patch and does not include major gameplay changes or new features. These are being addressed in Patch #2, but more about that further below.

So here is the major change log for Patch #1: (the complete change log will be announced once the patch ships)

Fixes

  • Damage dealt to vehicles when shot by LAW has been made consistent
  • F12 (screenshot) now works in restricted mode as well
  • When player melees during gun raise animation, their gun will not be in a permanently raised position anymore
  • Memory leaks and potential crashes

Updates

  • Improved SLI / Crossfire support and performance
  • Improved overall rendering performance (DX9 and DX10)
  • Enabled VSync functionality in D3D10

Tweaks

  • Reduced grenade explosion radius in multiplayer
  • Clamped water tessellation to avoid cheating in MP
  • Reduced LAW splash damage vs. infantry in PowerStruggle mode
  • Slowed Rocket projectile speed down in MP slightly

Crysis SDK – Status

Due to the great feedback we have received from the pre-SDK teams till now, we have adjusted and improved both the set up and the content of the final Mod SDK (Software Development Kit) for Crysis. Due to technical limitation the retail version of Crysis is only partially supporting Modifications.

Patch #2 for Crysis will address this topic and provides full Mod support for both Singleplayer and Multiplayer. Not only that the current problems with loading up a mod in Crysis are fixed, additionally the game menu includes a mod loading system. Thus we decided to delay the SDK release until the second Patch has been finished in order to provide you with a correctly working Mod set up for the game.

Of course we will continue and extend our support within the upcoming weeks and months. For example it is planned to constantly update the official Sandbox2 Editor documentation and you can probably expect the next update on this to happen around Christmas.

Crysis Linux Dedicated Server – Status

The Linux version of the Crysis Dedicated Server is still in development and we don’t have an estimated released date for it yet. We want to make sure it is working fine and running without any problems before we release it. After some problems that have been resolved already the progress is good and we expect to have a beta version ready soon.

Patch #2 ? Information

As you might know already we are working on Patch #2 for Crysis simultaneously. The content is based on the feedback we have gathered during the Crysis Beta and the first weeks of release. In addition we are tracking several threads in the Fan Site forums where the community has given constructive feedback and suggestions.

Currently we are evaluating the collected data from the community and taking multiple suggestions into consideration for adding them to the patch. Quite a few community requests have been implemented already and others are work in progress. The patch will be a full content patch and is addressing stability, gameplay tweaks, balancing issues and new features for both Singleplayer and Multiplayer. Next to that we will fix several security holes in our system and also improve both the Punkbuster implementation and our internal Anti-Cheat solution.

We will keep you informed on the progress and announce more details on the change log within the next weeks. Once we have reached a nearly finished status of the patch we will let you know about the release date.

Regards,

-Crysis Dev Team

Add The Pipeline – Video Games to your page

Harmonix, Activision brawl over Guitar Hero PS3 controllers

Guitar Hero III box

In what is a most amusing series of events, Harmonix and Activision are fighting like kindergarten kids over who’s responsible for not releasing a patch for Rock Band.

Harmonix, with some help from MTV, thought that releasing a patch for Rock Band, which would allow Guitar Hero III controller compatibility is a good idea. The idea did, after all, come after thunderous public request. However, it didn’t go down as well as they had expected. Harmonix’s patch was approved by Sony, but not by Activision, who supposedly objected to the patch.

This makes Harmonix and MTV heroes who want a free and liberal gaming area and where everything is good and compatible. Activision is suddenly a dark, evil EA-esque villain who wants the depraved gamers to buy Rock Band controllers. And because we need a fine background for a fight, we have Sony and their PlayStation 3.

Sony promptly replied that this is a matter out of their hands, and one that should be “amicably resolved” by Harmonix, MTV and Activision. Well, at least Sony has nothing to do with the whole fiasco. Then again, it’s the ill-fated, all-cursed PlayStation 3 that serves as a setting for this tale.

Activision struck back yesterday by saying that MTV/Viacom is unwilling to participate in a healthy tussle discussion about the issue. According to their press release, Activision were the good guys all along and Harmonix/MTV have been the ones who were not talking with Activision about their technology.

This fight is almost like the Silicon Knights/Epic brawl, except there’s no legal matters here and the subject is ridiculous. What’s bad is that the gamers are suffering in the long run. They are the ones who haven’t gotten the patch yet, while the big corporations talk about how they love gaming and want gaming to be accessible.

How will Harmonix/MTV respond? Is the PS3 really cursed? Isn’t watching this silly fight fun? Comment and conquer!

Half Life 3

[Update #2]

We would like to mention here that “Half-Life 3” is speculation, as we only have confirmation that Half-Life 2: Episode 3 will not be the last Half-Life game. It has been confirmed previously that Episode 3 will end the current Half-Life story arc, but not the franchise, nor the episodic medium.

There is perfect chance that there will be a series of episodic Half-Life games after Episode 3 (but unconnected to the current story arc). Then again, we cannot deny the possibility of a full-fledged title like Half-Life 3. Hell, for all we know, it might even be a prequel!

[Update]

We have had a number of comments wanting a confirmation of our sources. While this should not be required, the writing credits of the StuffWeLike.com staff can be confirmed. The writer of this piece Ted Stokes is the main game reviewer for Ireland’s main PC magazine PC Live! In the magazine’s current issue he has an interview with Assassin’s Creed Producer Jade Raymond.

The Founder and Editor of StuffWeLike.com, David Rodriguez, is known for his contributions to the independent video game community with his indie game publisher Packom Interactive. He has distributed several titles such as Ethereal Darkness Interactive‘s Morning’s Wrath and Wadjet Eye Games‘ The Blackwell Legacy.

StuffWeLike.com was created back in 2002 as a website that dissects and entertains the internet generation.

——————

[Original Post]

In an exclusive interview we at StuffWeLike.com have had official confirmation that there will be a Half Life 3.We are not talking about Half Life 2: Episode 3 but a Half Life title after that one.

Our confirmation comes after taking with Doug Lombardi the guy responsible for all those PR pieces you have seen and read recently about Half Life 2: Episode 2. While discussing the game mechanics that run the Orange Box Portal game the topics of future games came up. These interview pieces are below and we do have permission from Valve to release it to you guys. Even though its not much in terms of details even getting a confirmation that there will be another game is a first!

Doug Lombardi

TS-SWL: With the ending of Episode 2 going directly to help the feeling of “must play Episode 3 now” could you give the current estimated date for Episode 3’s release?

DL: We haven’t announced a date for Ep Three just yet.

TS-SWL: Are there any current plans after Episode 3 to have a Half Life 3?

DL: We haven’t announced anything specific, but Half-Life won’t end at Episode Three – hang on to your crowbars!

TS-SWL: For Portal, can you explain in layman’s terms how the engine allows the mechanics to make it so you can go from one point to another? Does it duplicate the room after a portal location is selected or is it something else?

DL: A portal is two planar rectangles in 3D space. When both portals are placed we build a mathematical formula that converts position and angle values from one portal to the other. Rendering the portal is done in a separate pass where we use that formula to covert the player’s view position and angles to the view they see through the portal.

We also generate special collision data to represent the portal hole by grabbing collision data near each portal, combining them, and carving a rectangular whole through the center. When the player is near the portal they use this collision data instead of the standard data, allowing them to pass through the wall. We then use the conversion formula to teleport the player to the proper position after they’ve gone more than halfway through the portal.

It’s of course a lot more complex than that, but that’s the basic idea.

[Extra Reading]

Activision MERGES with Vivendi (and Blizzard)

An Activision logo

Right when you thought that all the attention of the gaming world has been turned to the Gerstmann controversy, Activision announces out of the blue (the one you see above) that they are merging with Vivendi, who owns Blizzard. As any good gamer will know, Vivendi is just a frail shell encompassing the massive development powerhouse that is Blizzard. This deal shows promise to our gaming eyes, because both sides of the merger here lie on the good side. Activision have published great games like the Call of Duty series and the Guitar Hero series, while Blizzard is known for their even more popular games like the WarCraft games, StarCraft, Diablo series and of course, World of WarCraft.

This flabbergasting deal is worth $18.9 billion, and the result has been titled Activision Blizzard, although I would have preffered something more catchy, like Actizzard, or Blactivision, or Blizzivision. Even though Blizzard gets to be in the company’s name, Vivendi is the one holding a 52% stock in the corporation.

Blizzard CEO, Mike Morhaime says, “Blizzard’s industry-leading PC games business…is an exceptional fit for Activision’s highly profitable console games business.” This probably hints that Blizzard may now be concentrating on the console crowd, which has now become ever simpler with Activision permanently involved. With the developing genius of Blizzard, and the publishing power of Activision, the new corporation is going to give the strongest competition of the Dark Evil Lord of gaming, EA.

Blizzard has posted a press release on their site, which is basically a FAQ with what is going to happen after the deal. Blizzard has explicitly stated that their operations, goals, beliefs and political ideals will not be affected with this deal. You can read the release here.

I don’t know about you, but I have a feeling Activision did this to compete with EA’s buying of BioWare and Pandemic. With those two devs in EA’s hands, they are an unstoppable force in the RPG market, leaving their fierce rivals Activision at a loss. In retaliation, Activision buys what must be the most successful developer in the past 5 years – Blizzard, and their sorry money-giving shell that is Vivendi.

Possible? Not? Comment.

Deus Ex 3 announced, teaser revealed, pants wetted

Screenshot from Deus Ex 3’s teaser

I’ve always maintained that Deus Ex is the greatest game ever made by man, and with good reason. It was thought-provoking, immersive, intelligent and its unique game mechanics were plain perfect. While its sequel never lived up to its predecessor’s timeless glory, I still liked it for just being. I’m in need of underwear right now, because Eidos has just announced Deus Ex 3. That’s right, folks – Deus Ex is back with a vengeance!

Of course, Ion Storm saddeningly dissolved a long time ago, so this is Eidos’ Montreal studio’s first game, and that’s a blazing inauguration. Gamasutra reports the company’s structure, their goals and other details not concerning Deus Ex. What I found to be interesting was that Eidos mentions that the new studio will have tightly-knit, multi-discipline groups (at the most 80 people) working on a single project. Also, their development cycles will reportedly last 24 months, as opposed to the much lesser numbers of their competitors.

Eidos also released the teaser for Deus Ex 3, which you can find below. It’s as ambiguous as you’d expect from a teaser, and depicts a bio-augmented foetus, along with some mysterious words from a narrator. There are also a series of pictures that run damn fast. There’s a list of what they are at Wikipedia, if you’re that interested. (UPDATE: We have just learned that the guys at Shacknews have spent a good portion of their lives taking screenshots from the series of images. They have 20 images here right now, and I have no idea if those are all the images or not.)

While this is all excellent news, I have a strange fear in the back of my mind that this may get “consolized” as well, just like (*shudder*) Invisible War. Also, the fact that Montreal is facing a development cycle, no matter how long, hints at the same. Deus Ex, the beautiful game, in its unadulterated form is one that can only be reasonably played on the PC in its entirety. I hope that Montreal tries to recreate that, rather than tossing this legendary franchise into the unwashed masses of multi-console video games.