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Beyond Good and Evil, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six and Far Cry among titles coming to Good Old Games

Today, Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, and GOG.com (http://www.gog.com), the games-on-demand platform dedicated to DRM-free classic PC games that’s just too cool for school, announced an agreement to deliver Ubisoft’s best back-catalogue games via GOG.com.

The agreement brings classic Ubisoft titles like Beyond Good and Evil, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, Far Cry, Heroes of Might and Magic and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell to gamers around the world via GOG.com’s DRM-free games catalogue. As with all GOG.com releases, the titles are affordable and accompanied by mounds of extras, including soundtracks, wallpapers, forum avatars and much more.

“We’re incredibly happy to welcome Ubisoft and their much-loved games to GOG.com,” said Adam Oldakowski, managing director of GOG.com. “Ubisoft has long been breaking new ground with innovative and award-winning games, and is strongly reinforcing that trailblazing image by bringing its titles to GOG.com. The warm welcome of GOG.com by gamers convinced us that there is huge demand for classic games at a low price and packed with bonus materials. With more titles from leading companies like Ubisoft we will be able to achieve our goal of becoming the ultimate destination for fans of classic PC games.”

Ubisoft’s classic games have already started to hit GOG.com’s catalogue, with Beyond Good and Evil (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/beyond_good_and_evil), Prince of Persia: Sands of Time(http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/prince_of_persia_the_sands_of_time) and IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/il_2_sturmovik_1946) now available for $9.99 each. Other titles will be added in the coming weeks.

Being the owner of a five star restaurant isn’t all champagne and caviar. Sometimes the heat can be as hot outside the kitchen, as inside! To demonstrate some of the many decisions to be taken on the road to success, Paradox Interactive rolls out it’s second trailer offering another enticing look at the delicious – Restaurant Empire 2.

In order to knock-up the perfect dish, a chef must cobble the perfect blend of ingredients for a given recipe. The same can be said for building a restaurant dynasty. First, fork out for the best location possible. Spice up your restaurant with it’s very own theme. Coat the interior and exterior of your dining palaces, with the best furnishings money can buy. Fix up a network of first rate suppliers. Stockpile the very best ingredients. Mold the menu to suit the clientèle. Collect and perfect the recipes, that will have people salivating with the desire to return many more times. Poach promising staff from competitors. Then whip them into shape, to provide the perfect service. Sweeten the atmosphere inside, by hiring a host of performers to provide a feast of entertainment as your diners tuck in.

For to avoid being gobbled up by the competition, you will have to bite into the problems that arise and chew on the difficult decisions ahead. Can you stand the heat in the kitchen?

To taste the next satisfy offering, click on the link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXtcSuGO58I

Restaurant Empire 2 is scheduled to ship in May, 2009 with an MSRP of $19.99.

….and congrats to the copywriter, that was a lot of pun. (get it?)

Introductory movie casts a light on to the hitherto unexplored origin of the strategic game of conquest

Welcome stranger to the dark and gothic land of Belalegosia, where the game called Legio decides the fates of all. We hope you enjoy your stay! What is Legio you ask and from where did it originate? Why, allow us to show you by way of an introductory movie which reveals the rather twisted history of this anarchy ridden kingdom and the circumstances which gave birth to Legio, a turn based Strategy game for the PC from Paradox Interactive’s indie label, Mezmer Games, releasing in late Q2 priced at $19.99.

Behold the Legio intro trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve0JVvFjC50

Developed by Swedish developer ICE Game Studios, the trailer for Legio chronicles how the populace of Belalegosia have been subjected to the misrule and stupidity of its twin sibling rulers Grubert and Violetta, starving and dying from disease, and how every decision they make, no matter the importance or triviality is made by playing the traditional and brutal game of conquest known as Legio!

Legio is a turn-based Strategy game for one or two players on the PC, taking place in the mythical kingdom of Belalegosia where magicians, warriors and monsters battle for dominion. An intense gaming experience which is best described as a cross between Chess and a turn-based Wargame, Legio requires careful strategic thinking, and rewards both courage and cleverness! With a straightforward goal of eliminating the other player’s army with your own, Legio is that classic example of a game which is easy to play but a challenge to master.

Read more about Legio and get in touch with the developers at: http://www.mezmergames.com/group/legio

Ubisoft has announced the launch of R.U.S.E., a new intellectual property developed by Eugen Systems, creators of the critically acclaimed strategy title Act of War: Direct Action. R.U.S.E. is scheduled for release on Windows PC, the Xbox 360 and the PS3 for fiscal year 2009/2010.

R.U.S.E. is optimized for Intel’s latest core processors, including the IntelCore i7 processor, and will be demonstrated for the first time in public at the Intel booth during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) at Moscone North Hall, booth #6006 at 5:00 PM Pacific on Wednesday March 25 in San Francisco.

R.U.S.E. is a one-of-a-kind real-time strategy game that allows players to bluff their enemies to lead their nation to victory, controlling the action using views that range seamlessly from the heart of the battlefield to the full theatre of war. Players will be plunged into the action thanks to the exclusive IRISZOOMTM Engine which offers an intuitive interface that allows for smooth, rapid transitions from a birds-eye view of the entire conflict, down into the heat of the battle and vice versa.

“With R.U.S.E., Ubisoft is once again shaking up a genre, offering an RTS with a twist that will thrill gamers,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “Ubisoft is known for innovation and R.U.S.E. continues that tradition, offering the most immense and detailed maps ever seen in an RTS. Players can explore the maps using IRISZOOM Engine, which provides an aerial, smooth interaction unlike anything ever seen before.”

Ubisoft and Intel are committed to working together to ensure R.U.S.E. takes full advantage of Intel technologies. “Ubisoft and Intel are demonstrating some of the benefits gamers will experience when playing R.U.S.E. on the Intel® Core(TM)i7 processor based platforms,” said Elliot Garbus, vice president Intel Software and Services Group, general manager Visual Computing Software Division. “Gamers will experience more immersive game play with smooth zooming from satellite to ground view, superior AI delivering more complex unit movements and more realistic physics throughout the game.”

In R.U.S.E., players use their brain as the ultimate weapon, fighting a war of perception, where the ability to deceive and mislead the enemy determines success. A first in a strategy game, R.U.S.E. reinvigorates the genre by using deception to give new-found depth to the game play.

To learn more about R.U.S.E., visit www.rusegame.com

Paradox Interactive has closed the recruiting process for Beta Testers to play Hearts of Iron III, the long awaited third instalment of the World War II Strategy series set for release towards the end of 2009.

The Paradox team want to express their gratitude for the long time fans that is supporting and offering their help for the development of Hearts of Iron 3:

“We at Paradox were stunned by the response we got for the Beta testing, with over 10,000 people registering an interest in contributing. It made it one of the hardest selection process for Betas we have ever had, as there were just so many well qualified candidates to chose from. ” says Johan Andersson, Lead Developer on Hearts of Iron III.

Hearts of Iron III has now in the Beta stage of development. These last months has seen the team stabilizing the foundations of the AI, tightening up the rules and mechanics of the game, along with implementing brand new artwork and interface features.

With the Beta crew now in place the testing has already started and Hearts of Iron III is scheduled for release during the latter half of 2009.

“We have a keen an enthusiastic beta team in place who are already working hard to do their bit to make Hearts of Iron 3 the best game it can be.” Says Chris King, game designer for Hearts of Iron 3.

A game presentation from earlier this year in Stockholm is now available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxu4-7Zo9OA

The third instalment in the critically acclaimed World War II strategy series, Hearts of Iron III will feature a plethora of brand new features to satisfy veteran and novice players alike, including a huge game map with more than 14,000 land and sea provinces.

RC Cars Arcade Racing Game Featuring Real-Time Physics and Next-Generation Graphics to Be Featured in SCEA Booth at GDC

TikGames and Creat Studios today announced Smash Cars as the next release under the partnership between the two companies to deliver next-generation console games for download on the PS3. A follow-up to the original Smash Cars, Creat’s 2003 ‘no rules’ RC (radio-controlled) racing game, the successful franchise returns to the PlayStation and will be available for download Q2 2009 on the PS3, offered via Sony’s PlayStation Network.

Real-time physics, innovative stunts and next-generation graphics combine into a dynamic, tricked-out single and multiplayer RC car racing experience where players twist and turn, grind and gear up, performing aerial tricks and stunts while racking up trophies and points as they race to the finish, all in an unlikely location. Set on a beautiful and tranquil Mediterranean island, the fast-moving, bumper car gameplay style transforms this calm and relaxing setting into a dynamically frenzied raceway. A high-speed mini car racing game with a distinct arcade flavor, gameplay is presented from the unique perspective of a small RC vehicle, setting out to conquer the big world. Players will enjoy realistic driving physics and suspension as the tiny vehicles interact with full-size people and other beach dwellers along their path to victory.

“Smash Cars’ unique style of gameplay and physics simulation offers gamers a kart-racing experience that is unmatched and unlike any other,” said Vladimir Starzhevsky, CEO of Creat Studios, Inc. “We are thrilled to be releasing such an innovative and exciting game on the PlayStation Network, and are honored that Sony has chosen to feature Smash Cars in their booth at GDC this year.”

To win the race, RC vehicles must achieve nitro-fueled rocket boosts for accelerated speed bursts by grabbing big air and pulling off gnarly tricks and jumps. Points are earned by performing the best jumps and aerial tricks, hitting dynamic obstacles, colliding with other cars, skidding and “drifting” along sharp turns, and finishing first. Players can choose from the default Monster Truck style chassis, Buggy or Sports Car configurations, and a visit to the Workshop offers players the opportunity to personalize their vehicle by selecting paint color, glass styles, and decals. Additional body styles are unlocked as players advance.

“With the release of Smash Cars, we are pushing the design and gameplay boundaries beyond the casual games arena,” said Anatoly Tikhman, founder and CEO of TikGames. “With the popularity of the original Smash Cars, we are very excited to bring the franchise to a next-generation platform and take advantage of capabilities only found on the PS3.”

Smash Cars will be featured in the Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) booth at the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, March 23-27.

Smash Cars will include PLAYSTATION Trophy support and its rating is still pending by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for this platform.

The Unity 2.5 development tool has been rebuilt to look, feel and function identically on both operating systems, each running the same underlying engine. The best part? Unity on either platform can build games for either platform – cross-platform development in the truest sense.

David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies said, “Starting today, Windows users can finally get their hands on our baby that has been generating an incredible amount of excitement. Unity has been used to create dozens of hit games and is already being used by thousands of developers on the Mac, and we have huge expectations of how far we and our community can go.”

Major updates in Unity 2.5 include:
Even easier-to-use tools allowing rapid play, test and improvement of work
A gorgeous tabbed interface
Precise navigation and placement of tools – new flythrough controls and a newly designed rotation tool
Information at a glance – detailed rendering stats of meshes; waveforms of audio clips; model file previews and much, much more
Drag and drop 3ds Max support in addition to existing support for Maya, Blender and all other 3D apps
Completely extensible toolset
The Unity tools have been hailed as revolutionary for democratizing game development, in that the same platform is being used by the big players like EA, Cartoon Network, and Funcom, as well as thousands of indie developers, startups, hobbyists and students. Hundreds of commercial games have been developed with Unity, and more are launched every day.

Unity 2.5 will be on show at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco from 23-27th March 2009. Stop by booth #5110 for a chat and full demonstration.

Blade Games World, the newly formed company from the merger of Digini and Vyk Games, today unveiled its plans for the upcoming 2009 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Next week, the company will reveal improvements and additional features for its Blade3D engine and will also be discussing its outsourcing services.

Blade Games will be at Moscone Center North Hall Booth 6306, and the company will be hosting a cocktail reception on Wednesday March 25 at their booth from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. Blade Games is also attending Game Connection in San Francisco during the same week.

“We have made great strides in development technology that will dramatically affect how our customers and our industry approaches making games,” said Tony Garcia, CEO of Blade Games. “Over the last few months, we have been working closely with our rapidly growing community to expand functionality while adding elements from our never ending “wish list” of enhancements. We look forward to showing these new features to the attendees at GDC.”

Among the features being shown at their booth include:

Terrain Editor:

Blade3D now includes a fully integrated terrain editing system that is powerful, extensible and easy to use.  As well as basic operations such as raise/lower and smooth/flatten, the new editor lets you paint color channels and level of detail directly on the terrain.  The new editor also allows any shader based material to be painted anywhere on the terrain with automatic blending.  Finally, all terrain editing operations can be used with the visual programming system to enable physics based deformation at runtime.

Audio Support:

Blade3D now has full 3D audio support for both Windows and the Xbox 360 – including Doppler effects, pitch shifting, volume falloff and more.  Support for audio formats has also been expanded with support for Wav, Mp3, Ogg, Wma, Flac and many additional formats.  And, with symmetric deployment on the Xbox 360 and Windows, your games will sound the same no matter what platform you play them on.

HDR Support:

Blade3D now supports high dynamic range (HDR) rendering, this allows you to light your scene with a much higher range of light values. The new HDRToneMapping lens shader adapts the HDR scene into a viewable range with intensity dependent adaptation tone mapping. You can also adjust the overall intensity, contrast and alteration limits to tweak for your needs.

“Try Before You Buy” COMING SOON

This spring, the company will launch a trial version that allows access to all of the functionality within Blade3D, without requirement of entering a credit card. With the Blade3D Trial Version you can use all of the tools within the Blade3D tool set, go through all of the Blade3D training materials and tutorials, and browse assets in the BladeMarketplace.

What is Blade3D?

Blade3D is a revolutionary “all-in-one” game engine and authoring platform that enables every developer, from an individual to a team of professionals, to build their dream game. The innovative application removes the traditional barriers to success with its low-cost, highly robust tool set. The intuitive, easy to navigate interface seamlessly blends all disciplines of game creation, from artist to designer to programmer.  The subscription-based technology works with Microsoft’s XNA game development platform, allowing for easy publishing to Xbox 360 and Windows. To assist with development, Blade3D‘s first-ever integrated asset Marketplace is designed to put “in-game” resources a mouse click away. Blade3D is available with price points of $14.95 per month for hobbyists and students, $29.95 per month for independent developers, and $99.95 per month for professional developers.