Apocalypso's Atomic Arcade: 5/30/10

2010/06/05

Thi4f, AKA Thief 4, Not Showing at E3, Possible PS3 Version

Little has been heard about Thi4f for some time now, with the odd tweet by Eidos Montreal, usually concerning stuff that doesn’t really have anything to do with the game.

Now, Connected Consoles say that Eidos will not be bringing anything about the game to E3. The main focus is no doubt on Deus Ex: Human Revolution, also in development at the studio, which will be at the event, and scheduled for an early 2011 release, according to the latest trailer.

This means Thi4f will likely only see a release sometime next year at the latest, but I have to admit – even that seems unlikely. Late 2011 to early 2012, I’d say right now, but you never know.

Another piece of speculation on the internet is that Thi4f may make make an appearance on the PlayStation 3 console. This was thought to be the case after a tweet was spotted on PlayStation’s twitter account where a Sony employee tweeted:

"Oh man: http://www.thief4.com/".

But this doesn’t necessarily mean anything, seeing as I’m still seeing people who are appalled at the title of the game. So this guy could have been saying: “Oh man! I don’t believe! How could they name it that? THI4F!?”

See? There is a character limit on Twitter after all. Or else he only just noticed that the game existed now, even though it was announced a year ago now.

But seeing as it is the case nowadays, the game could well be coming to the consoles, and maybe even the Xbox 360. As long as it comes to the PC, I’m happy.

----

Sources:

No Thief 4 Appearance At E3 Eidos Montreal Fully Dedicated To Deus Ex [Connected Consoles]

'Thief 4' May Be Coming To PS3, But Definitely Not To E3 2010 [multiplayerblog.mtv.com]

Trent Reznor not Working on Doom 4

It’s a long way off until Doom 4 will ever see the light of day, seeing as Rage – the title that id is currently working on – will only arrive next year as it is.

Still, there were those who probably wondered whether Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame would be working on Doom 4 as far as sound and music goes.

The answer it turns out, is “No”. Apparently he said that he doesn’t have the time to work on the game.

"I haven't been contacted by them and find it unlikely that I would have time at this point."

Trent previously worked on the music in Quake, and also did some work on Doom 3 that didn’t even make it into the final version of the game.

----

Source: Trent Reznor Unlikely to be Involved with Doom 4 [1UP]

AAA – Now Playing: BioShock 2

Months ago I bought BioShock 2 and to my disappointment I couldn’t get it to work for some reason.

But just lately after updating my DirectX drivers and other such things, I decided to give the game a go once more. Sometimes these things happen.

And I was right: this time it works nicely. So, the game was released several months ago, back in February, and might not be as good as the original according to some, but here I am, catching up on playing this game. And I quite enjoy it too.

Right now on this play through I’m harvesting the little sisters, but like the first game, I probably end up going back for a second play through where I’ll be Mr. Nice guy and save them from a life of servitude and horror.

2010/06/04

Study: Gamers Have Control Over Their Dreams

I’ve sometimes had stuff on here under the “Keen Dreams” title, which goes in to how I often dream about video games as well as going into detail about what the dream was about.

I’ve read several posts over the past week talking about some study that was undertaken which apparently came to the conclusion that gamers have some of the best dreams – mainly because they are able to have some sort of control over what happens in them.

They claim that gamers can control events that happen in the dream or nightmare, and in the case of being chased or hunted by something, they can even “turn the tables” and assume control and start directing and even dictating what happens. This is because we’re actually more aware that we are dreaming, and perhaps lose some of our fear and fight back. Apparently spending hours in a virtual world, playing games, is like preparation. We’ve been labelled the “dream warriors” and excel in what is called “lucid dreaming”.

And the chances of you dreaming about games increase if you do it just before bed, so they say.

I have noticed this myself over the years. When I was young I would often flee in my dreams and fly up into the air and away. But nowadays, when I occasionally do dream or have nightmares, especially during a bad night’s sleep and waking up every few hours or so [more chance of REM which induces dreams, I reckon], I’ve found that I not only dream about games, but that I can also take control and act more like I would in a game I suppose.

You can’t always run away.

At any rate, it’s a refreshing thing to see after having seen so many “studies” and theories that suggest that gaming is bad. Now you know what to do when your kid has nightmares or complains about a monster under the bed: get them to a PC or video game console post-haste, and fire up a game.

----

Sources: Video gamers can control dreams, study hints [MSNBC]

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Screenshots, Trailer Coming

These screenshots are said to be taken from a trailer, which will arrive today, Friday, for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, a prequel to the first game released in 2000.

Although not developed by Ion Storm, who did the first two games, it’s being worked on by Eidos Montreal, who also picked up Thi4f, or Thief 4, with the last entry in that series also developed by Ion Storm.

----

Source: Deus Ex: Human Revolution shots get out [VG247] via All Games Beta

Alan Wake Novel, Based on the Game, Now Out

Alan Wake was released for Xbox 360 just last month, with the PC version said to be too much effort for a little studio like Remedy, developers of the title.

Alan may be a best-selling author suffering from writer’s block in the game, living the events of his book, but in real life, late last month saw a tie-in novel, which I personally hadn’t heard about before, arrive.

It’s a 320 page novel written by Rick Burroughs, and it’s naturally based on the game. So for everyone who didn’t get a chance to play the game, can head over to Amazon and grab it for about $10.

----

Source: Remedy Alerts [Twitter]

2010/06/03

Modern Warfare 2 Soundtrack Available Now

Video game soundtracks are usually released before or just about the same time the game which features the OST releases. Modern Warfare 2 is different, seeing as the OST for this game, which was released last November, was only released this month – this week in fact.

The score is by Hans Zimmer, and features 17 tracks from the game, which in total clocks in at just under an hour’s play length. It retails for $7.99 at Amazon, saving you over $8 if you bought all the songs individually, and also $2 cheaper than you’d find it on iTunes.

Track list:

1. Opening Titles       3:25
2. Extraction Point     3:35
3. Breach                  3:22
4. Guerrilla Tactics     2:58
5. Siege                    4:05
6. Infiltration               4:27
7. Espirit de Corps     3:07
8. Retreat and Reveille     2:57
9. Ordinance              1:58
10. Contingency         2:15
11. Onwards              2:27
12. Code of Conduct     2:09
13. Chain of Command     2:00
14. Safeguard             2:43
15. Deadline               3:55
16. Protocol                3:47
17. Coup de Grace      3:21

----

Source: Modern Warfare 2 Soundtrack [Blues News]

Alien Breed Evolution, Renamed Impact, Coming to Steam Today, Sequel in the Works

Alien Breed Evolution by Team 17, the makers of the original series back in 90’s along with the likes of Worms, came out last year for the Xbox 360 on XBLA. Nearly a year later, the PC is set to get a port of the game, but it’s been purposely renamed to Alien Breed: Impact. There’s word that the PS3 version will be named this as well. It’s good that the PC version will have more stuff than the XBLA one did, like upgradeable weaponry, co-op play, and a better campaign, naturally.

Martyn Brown, studio head:

“We’re always very keen to hear what our communities are saying about our titles and greatly consider feedback. For Alien Breed: Impact, it was great that we went back to the design and improved the game in many areas, meaning a much tighter gameplay experience for all.”

The game will be available to download off of Steam this week – today in fact: June 3rd. It retails for about $14.99 and if your pre-order it, you get 10% off that price, and a digital comic book - nice. There’s also a demo that you can grab off of there, as well as a trailer.

There’s also been word that a second game, called Alien Breed 2: Assault, is going to arrive sometime in the future, according to some ESRB listing. Right now, only listed for Xbox 360, the same thing is bund to happen where they port it to PC – perhaps a little sooner this time though.

----

Sources:

Alien Breed Evolution PC coming this summer; renamed Alien Breed Impact [Big Download]
Alien Breed Impact demo released via Steam; game release on June 3 [Big Download]

NAG June 2010 Issue Out Today

Last week the NAG June issue ran into some complications and was delayed for a week. just like they said however, Monday NAG put up a post and in it was the usual cover for the issue as well as the contents page to see what’s in it, and what’s on the Cover DVD.

There’s a feature on Call of Duty: Black Ops, the latest in the series which is set to possibly be one of the biggest ever, maybe even more so than Modern Warfare 2. There’s also some stuff on the new XCOM game which was announced this year, as well as Halo: Reach and Alpha Protocol, which came out this week.
Reviews include one on Alan Wake, Metro 2033, Supreme Commander 2, and Splinter Cell: Conviction.

Great cover by the way, don’t you think?

The cover DVD has the usual stuff on it like drivers, patches, an lots and lots of videos and trailers. There are a few demos on there too, including The Whispered World.
----
Sources:
NAG June 2010 issue [NAG Online]
[NAG Magazine] June 2010 Issue [NAG Online Forums]

2010/06/02

Video Game Deals on Amazon [June 2, 2010 Edition]: BioShock 2 Special Edition, UFC Undisputed 2010

This week has seen some deals like BioShock Special Edition drop on the Xbox 360, as well as price drops for the standard game as well. UFC Undisputed for the Xbox 360, only released this month is $20 off at the moment, and there are several deals where you can get $10 off on games on several different consoles.

VGDs feature on AAA once or twice a week with deals at least $7.00 [R50] or more making the big list. Deals which are $10 or more make the best deals list.

Links go to game detail pages at retail and digital distribution outlets like Amazon and Steam, etc. You can also check out my Amazon aStore for the latest and greatest games released this year.

Best deals:

BioShock 2 Special Edition - $64.99 - Save $23.67 [360]
UFC Undisputed 2010 - $39.99 - Save $20.00 [360]

The Whispered World - $16.99 - Save $13.00 [PC]
Call of Duty: World at War - $19.99 - Save $10.00 [360]
Split / Second - $39.99 - Save $10.00 [360]
Star Wars: Clone Wars: Republic Heroes with Blaster - $19.99 - Save $10.00 [Wii]

[PC]

The Whispered World - $16.99 - Save $13.00

[Xbox 360]

BioShock 2 Special Edition - $64.99 - Save $23.67
Call of Duty: World at War - $19.99 - Save $10.00
Split / Second - $39.99 - Save $10.00
FIFA Soccer 09 - $15.97 - Save $9.00
UFC Undisputed 2010 - $39.99 - Save $20.00

[Nintendo DS]

Bakugan Battle Brawlers - $10.99 - Save $7.00

[Nintendo Wii]

Shrek Forever After - $39.99 - Save $10.00
Star Wars: Clone Wars: Republic Heroes with Blaster - $19.99 - Save $10.00
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - $16.30 - Save $9.00

----

Sources: Amazon - Nowinstock

Direct2Drive now Selling Splinter Cell Elite Echelon Pack, Insurgency Pack

I picked up the Splinter Cell Trilogy box just the other day. That pack contains the first three SC titles, namely Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, and Chaos Theory.

Direct2Drive is now selling a downloadable compilation pack containing all but one of the Splinter Cell titles, which would also mean Double Agent, and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction, which was released just barely a couple of months ago – except this is the Deluxe Edition. That’s four games – the only one seemingly left out for some reason is Pandora Tomorrow.

The Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Elite Echelon Pack is available for $75.95.

Speaking of Splinter Cell, the Insurgency Pack DLC for Splinter Cell: Conviction is now on Direct2Drive as well.

----

Source: Direct2Drive [via Twitter]

2010/06/01

Buy Borderlands, get two DLC Add-ons Free at Amazon

It was a bank holiday in the US and the UK yesterday, and Amazon started something by putting up a deal for Borderlands, the hit game of late last year by Gearbox Software.

You can grab the game, currently going for $27.99, saving you a whopping $2 - but with it you’ll get the first two DLC packs released this year, The Zombie Island of Doctor Ned and Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, collectively known as the Borderlands Double Game Add-on Pack, for FREE. And that saves you about $20 right there.

By the way, this deal is only available for the PC version of the game.

----

Sources: Amazon - Borderlands on sale at Amazon.com with two DLC expansions for free [Big Download]

The Sims Could be Getting Medieval on Your @ss

Couldn’t resists the heading, the saying made famous in Pulp Fiction years ago. But Superannuation spotted some domains that were registered by EA recently, which seem to indicate that there will soon be yet another expansion or add-on pack for The Sims 3 that has something to do with anything and everything medieval – as in back in the Middle Ages, which by looking at the names could be something like The Sims Get Medieval, or something to that effect.

These domains include simsmedieval.com, simsmedieval.net, thesimsmedieval.com, thesimsmedieval.net, thesimsgetmedieval.com, and thesimsgetmedieval.net.

I have to say that this is the expansion for The Sims that I have waited for for ten years. I think a few other add-ons may have dabbled in it a bit, but I mean, I want to build castles, and moats, have jousting tournaments, and so on.

I’ve yet to buy any of the expansions for the game, namely World Adventures and Ambitions, but this one just got my attention. If it is an expansion, that is. It might not be. It could be something else entirely.

----

Source: superannuation

2010/05/31

Gaming Magazine Subscriptions for $5 at Amazon

Amazon has had a few deals on magazine subscriptions and so on over the past couple of months. Now they’ve got a deal exclusive to gaming mags.

For the next few days, until June 5th, you can subscribe to Official Xbox Magazine, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Nintendo Power, and PC Gamer for $5 each.

This saves you over $100 on a 1 year subscription in the case of PC Gamer or Official Xbox Magazine, which comes with a DVD. You can also take advantage of this deal to renew subscriptions too. In all cases, you’re saving more than 90% on the price.

So head on over there and get a good deal on gaming magazines before it ends.

----

Source: Amazon

Dennis Hopper, of Easy Rider fame, Passes Away

We said farewell to one of the 80’s biggest child stars, in Gary Coleman, last week. He died on Friday afternoon in Utah, in the US. The next day also saw one of the greatest and most recognisable stars of the last half-century pass away: Dennis Hopper.

Dennis Hopper battled prostate cancer for a long while before eventually succumbing to it on Saturday. He was 74 years old. He had his last birthday on May 17.

Dennis was mainly known for movies, especially Westerns and the like, but also played the role of King Koopa in Super Mario Bros.: The Movie back in 1993. He also dabbled in photography as well.

And on a personal note related to gaming, Dennis Hopper was considered one of the greatest Dr. Wallace Breen [from Half-Life 2] lookalikes as well, if they ever made a film – which they haven’t. To think that now both he and the voice actor behind Breen, Robert Culp, are dead – in the same year. That’s a big shame.
Rest in Peace, Dennis.

----
Source: Dennis Hopper Dead At 74 [Kotaku]

Mass Effect Possibly had a Prequel: Unreal II

Even the box covers look similar…

Mass Effect and Unreal. What’s the connection here? Mass Effect 1& 2 used more than just the Unreal Engine, you see. Mass Effect is also somewhat similar to Unreal II: The Awakening.

I bought the Unreal Anthology the other day, which had Unreal II bundled along with three or four other games in the series. This got me thinking back to the days when I played Unreal II. Okay, so it didn't continue the story of Unreal, but it wasn’t a bad game.

What does all that have to do with Mass Effect? Look at Unreal II, and then look at Mass Effect.

Both featured one man out to save the world, along with his crew, on his ship. You argue that those two men aren’t the same rank, and that with Shepard you could at least customize what he [or she] looks like.

Fair enough, but then look at the how the game plays – you have those dialogue options and so on. Yeah, Unreal II had those, and could also be one of those talky games as well at times.

Okay, so you argue that the dialogue options weren’t as in depth, and didn’t feature Paragon and Renegade and so on. I know you’re probably getting cross now, but have a look at this next one.

Unreal II also saw you travelling to different planets and so on to stop threats: one which included a trip to the snow-covered planet known as Hell, where John Dalton [you] ended up battling these huge spidery looking things called Araknids, and the Heavy Araknid -essentially the Queen. Sound familiar? Mass Effect also had a snowy level, Noveria, where you drove up to this building, where you faced the Rachni - which were big spidery looking things, with a Queen Rachni…

Mass Effect 2 also had that suicide mission at the end of the main storyline, but if you played it carefully, most of the crew if not all came out alive. In Unreal II, there was also a bit a of a suicide mission, but this time the crew ended up sacrificing themselves by plunging their ship into the sun.

Not to mention that Mass Effect 2 had your Cerberus officer, Miranda – the eye candy of the game – and Unreal II had Aida.

I’m not saying that BioWare copied Unreal II, and it could all just be coincidence, but I just happened to notice a few similarities. Perhaps, spiritually, even though they are now working on Mass Effect 3, the Mass Effect series all ready has a trilogy… in a way.

2010/05/30

Video Games Coming out This Week [May 30-June 05, 2010]: Alpha Protocol

AAA’s Targets of the Week: Alpha Protocol, The Sims 3: Ambitions

This week sees the release of Alpha Protocol, an RPG that has so far received mixed reactions from critics. There’s also The Sims 3: Ambitions expansion for PC and Mac. Then there’s a truckload of Sega Genesis Classics arriving on Steam for the PC, hence the larger than usual number of PC releases.

Available Links go to game detail pages at retail and digital distribution outlets like Amazon and Steam, etc. You can also check out my Amazon aStore for the latest and greatest games released this year.

[PC]

Alpha Protocol [Direct2Drive – Digital]
Altered Beast [Steam]
Crack Down [Steam]
Deadtime Stories
Ecco the Dolphin [Steam]
Tropico 3: Absolute Power [Expansion] [Direct2Drive – Digital]
Gain Ground [Steam]
Golden Axe [Steam]
Hearts of Iron 3: Semper Fi [Digital]
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi [Steam]
Shinobi III [Steam]
Sonic 3D Blast [Steam]
Space Harrier II [Steam]
The Sims 3 Ambitions [Expansion]
Vampireville
Vectorman [Steam]
Wizardology

[Mac]

The Sims 3 Ambitions [Expansion]

[Xbox 360]

Alpha Protocol
Backbreaker
Bass Pro Shops: The Hunt
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Resurgence Pack
Pure Futbol
Snoopy Flying Ace

[PlayStation 2]

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow

[PlayStation 3]

Alpha Protocol
Backbreaker
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Resurgence Pack
GundeadliGne
Hitogata Happa
Planet MiniGolf [PSN]
Pure Futbol
Telegraph Crosswords [PSN]

[PSP]

Hexyz Force
Telegraph Crosswords [PSN]

[Wii]

America's Next Top Model
Bass Pro Shops: The Hunt [with Precision Pointer]
City Builder
Get Moving Family Fitness - Sports Edition
Let's Paint
Tetris Party Deluxe
Voodoo Dice [WiiWare]
Wizardology

[Nintendo DS]

America's Next Top Model
Diamond Trust of London
Farm Frenzy: Animal Country
Hero of Sparta [DSiWare]
Mind Over Matter
Telegraph Sudoku & Kakuro
Tetris Party Deluxe
Wizardology
X-Scape [DSiWare]

----

Sources:

The Video Game Release List of 5/30 - 6/5 [Shacknews]
New Releases Week of May 30, 2010 [Gamespot]

Classic Game Collecting: Unreal Anthology

I went over to Makro for the first time in quite a while today and naturally went over to the section where all the games are. I was quite impressed with their selection of classic games, particularly from the early 2000’s and even some from the nineties – stuff that you don’t often see in some of the other shops. They had a shelf dedicated to classic PC games, as well as a bargain bin just filled with the usual rubbish and a few gems.

It was here that I stumbled upon something that caught my eye. There was a box that read Unreal Anthology.

Originally released in 2006, in it are several games in the Unreal series, namely: Unreal, Unreal: Return to Na Pali [the expansion, both collectively known as Unreal Gold], Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition, Unreal II: The Awakening, and Unreal Tournament 2004. It’s also got a bonus soundtrack CD with music from the series.

This is a welcome addition to my collection, seeing as I do have the original Unreal, which I bought brand new years ago, back in 1998, but even though I’ve played all the others, I haven’t really owned them myself. The only one I haven’t played at all would be Unreal: Return to Na Pali.

I also all ready own Unreal Tournament III. So I’m missing what? Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal Championship and Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict.

There were some other games there that I had a look at like some games in the Hitman series, but I settled for the Unreal Anthology, which has 4 or 5 games in one box for about R99. And it was the only copy in the store.

If you want to get a hold of Unreal Anthology yourself, you can grab it from Amazon, and even Direct2Drive.

Classic Game Collecting is a AAA original, where I talk about my shopping outings, where I usually pick up one or two games that appeal to my interest. The more games in the box, the better value, I say.

Gary Coleman Passes Away at 42

Last year and this year saw some of the greatest eighties icons pass away. Last year we had Michael Jackson, and earlier this year it was Corey Haim.
Now another one in Gary Coleman, passed away on Friday in the past week, after sustaining a fall, hitting his head and suffering from a intracranial haemorrhage on Wednesday. He then spent a couple of days in the hospital, apparently on life support before dying.

Gary Coleman was mainly known for his television and movie roles, but he also had a couple of appearances in video games too. He played himself in Postal 2 and the Apocalypse Weekend expansion, and also voiced a character in The Curse of Monkey Island. He also at one time owned a video game arcade in Santa Monica, and often attended E3 and other gaming events.
Running With Scissors, the developers of the Postal series, had this to say about this:

“NO!! Gary Coleman died?! He can't be dead! He was our little buddy! That's f*cked up! According to the reports he died of intracranial haemorrhage after falling and hitting his head. He was only 42. Damn.
Running With Scissors sends it's deepest condolences out to Gary's family, friends and fans. We still can't believe this is real! You will be immortalized in POSTAL history forever Gary! We had a lot fun times together! You were an awesome dude with a great sense of humor! Rest in peace Gary, we love you and we will remember you always. You will be greatly missed little Buddy!”

Read the comments on the website, and the comments suggest that there should be a tribute to Gary in Postal 3, perhaps a statue.

Rest in Peace, Gary.

----
Source: Postal 2's Gary Coleman passes away [Big Download]