GamerNode: Latest PC News

Force Unleashed PC system requirements released

Aspyr Media has released the system requirements for the impending PC port of Lucas Arts' action game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Many PC gamers were jilted to learn that Force Unleashed wouldn't appear for computer systems, according to an interview with Lucas Arts producer Cameron Suey conducted last spring. Citing difficulty with scaling the technical and graphical aspects of the game, Suey surmised that only owners of extremely high-end computers would be able to run the game correctly.

Lucas Arts pulled a quick about-face at this year's Comic Con, with the announcement that the Apprentice will indeed return to grace the monitors of computer gamers.

With a tentative early-winter release planned for the upcoming port, many gamers have been waiting with bated breath for more information...

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Civilization Network launching on Facebook in 2010...

To the Civilization addicts out there, now you definitely won't be able to escape the "One More Turn" disease. Sid Meier has announced a Facebook version of the popular turn-based strategy games. Civilization Network will drop on Facebook in 2010 and feature a "fully persistent environment" and be "free to play."

The CivNet Facebook page will be looking for beta testers soon, so if you need to statisfy the addiction early, head over and grab the details. As for me, now I definitely won't find time to get away from my PC. It'll be Civ at night and more Civ on Facebook during the day -- a recipe for success at stealing my time.

[Facebook]

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Infinity Ward unyielding on dedicated server fiasc...

When Infinity Ward announced that the PC version of their upcoming Modern Warfare 2 will lack dedicated server support, the gaming community was in an uproar. Roving bands of disgruntled gamers called for the immediate boycott of the game, along with fervent threats of cancelled pre-orders and server sit-outs. Infinity Ward responded in kind, with many threads being deleted and quarrels silenced. Today, the besieged developer has released a final statement that evidently affirms their decision.

Infinity Ward co-heads Vince Zampella and Jason West sought to justify the yanking of dedicated servers with this statement:

"We're just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners. We thought maybe it would be cool if the fans could play the game."

When asked about the possible...

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No dedicated server support for Modern Warfare 2 P...

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Modern Warfare 2 will not be delayed on the PC, Infinity Ward dropped another bombshell on the MW2 PC community. On the podcast of Call of Duty fansite Bash and Slash, Robert Bowling revealed that there will be no dedicated server support in the game. Instead, the game will rely on Infinity Ward's server tech entitled IWNet, which won't allow users to host their own servers.

While automated matchmaking is pretty standard for consoles, hardcore PC gamers usually flock to their own servers or servers that they frequent with their friends. Dedicated servers also allow custom maps and modes, which is both standard and a big benefit for PC users. It'll be interesting to see how PC gamers react to the game now that they are shut out of the multiplayer mod...

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Modern Warfare 2 on PC not delayed

If you've been following the juggernaut that is Modern Warfare 2 (and really, who hasn't), you might have heard that the PC version of the hotly anticipated shooter appeared be delayed according to numerous retailers who had pushed the release date back to November 24. Well dry your eyes PC gamer, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling is here to set things straight.

On the company's Twitter feed, Bowling stated, "No delay on PC for Modern Warfare 2, you'll also have Prestige Mode in PC as well as lots of Steam support. Hopefully min specs will be soon."

So there you have it, Modern Warfare 2 PC will drop alongside its console brethren and carry all the bells and whistles. 

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Dragon Age flash game being developed

EA has announced that the company is developing a browser-based flash game titled Dragon Age Journeys, a collaboration between EA 2D and BioWare. EA 2D is a flash game development house that focuses on browser games. The game will be a "3 chapter, single player, tactical RPG," with the first part being titled, Dragon Age Journeys: The Deep Roads.

"The game will introduce you to the dwarven city of Orzammar and the Deep Roads surrounding it where the dwarves face a persistent threat from the darkspawn hordes."

EA 2D has worked with BioWare to feature character classes, talent trees, and other assets from Dragon Age: Origins and also has received feedback from BioWare founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk. 

No word on the game's release date or whether it takes place before or after the...

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DotA developer joins Valve

IceFrog, the secretive developer behind the celebrated Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients: Allstars has been chosen to lead a new design team at Valve Software.

While not revealing any specific details on the decision to join Valve, IceFrog does remark that the move will be "great news for DotA fans."

"I finally have all the resources needed to do some very exciting stuff that you guys will love," IceFrog states. "As I've said many times in the past and especially after today's developments, I am very excited about DotA's future!"

It remains to be seen whether the newest addition to Valve's team will enable the company to branch out into game genres other than shooters. DotA fans are speculating wildly about a possible Valve adaptation of the Warcraft III add-on. Barney Calhoun, DotA he...

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Modern Warfare 2 delayed on PC

A report from Electronic Theater is stating that the PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been delayed.

Originally intended to release alongside the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game as well as the Nintendo Wii's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex and the Nintendo DS' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Mobilized on November 10, the PC version will now release two weeks later on November 24.

Electronic Theater is sourcing the information on the delay to the new release schedule for Activision-Blizzard that lays out their Autumn/Winter line-up.

[Electronic Theater]

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CrimeCraft going free-to-play by end of October

MMOFPS CrimeCraft has faced numerous issues since its launch. From financial issues to PR stumbles, the game can't seem to catch a break. Publisher Vogster Entertainment looks to change this by restructuring their subscription plans. According to a press release from the company, the game will have an unlimited free trial plan later this month, while still offering a $4.99/month and $9.99/month plans for players who want a few perks.

The differences between the free-to-play and paid plans are not detailed, but subcribers will gain "customization, skill slots, speed of experience gain and inventory capacity." If you choose to pick up the game at retail, you'll get access to "three months of online game time as well as access to 100 in-game gold bars and a number of exclusive in-game items." 

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Character creator releasing early for Dragon Age: ...

Looks like Bioware's newest PC RPG is taking the Spore route with its creation utilities. BioWare has announced that the Dragon Age: Origins character creator will release before the game on October 13, allowing players to fully create their characters and then upload them to the game when it drops on November 3.

The 320MB application will be free on the PC, and there has been no word whether or not the program will be offered to Xbox 360 owners as well.

[Shacknews]

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Valve hopes to lure you in with Left 4 Dead 2 pre-...

Valve really wants you to buy Left 4 Dead 2. They know you may feel like it's too soon for a sequel, but to make the deal sweeter, they are offering a nice pre-order bonus for players who nab the game through Steam. Early committers will receive early access to the demo (October 27th), an exclusive American baseball bat in-game item, and 10% off the game.

No word on whether this baseball bat is different from the bat seen in trailers or if it is just a reskin of the same weapon. Either way, if you're looking to grab L4D2 on the PC, get your pre-order in.

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The Incredible Machine chugs back to life

Those gamers who pine for the halcyon days of simplistic and intellectual gaming, take heed: one of the most influential games ever made for the PC has made a return in all of its hair-tearing glory. That's right; The Incredible Machine is back.

Considered to be the forerunner of physics-based puzzle games, The Incredible Machine was released by designer/coder Kevin Ryan and producer Jeff Tunnell during the early 1990s for the (then) fledgling PC gamer community. The game was an instant smash hit with its mind-boggling puzzles and intricate gadgets; who knew that causing a basketball to sail into a hoop via bowling balls, treadmills and mouse wheels could be so fun?

Unfortunately, the property for The Incredible Machine was bounced around in abandonware limbo after publisher Dynamix was clos...

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Star Wars: The Old Republic opens testing signups

LucasArts and developer BioWare have opened up signups for pre-launch testing of their highly anticipated MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. But not everyone will be able to get in.

Anyone hoping for a chance to get in will need to register at the game's website, select the pre-release testing option from their account page, then fill in the necessary details and "submit a system scan."

However, LucasArts states that the testing itself will not be as open as the signups. "Testing will be an ongoing process, and spots are limited, so people need to sign up early to give them the best possible chance of getting selected," said the publisher.

At press time the official site was so overloaded with signups that it has undergone maintainence and informs visitors to check back in a few hours.

The ...

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LOTRO gets Mirkwood expansion date, lifetime membe...

The latest expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online will arrive for Tolkien fans before Christmas. Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood will be available for digital purchase starting December 1.

The new expansion will raise the game's level cap to 65, add a new skirmish system for randomized instances, feature an improved mount system, and of course introduce the forests of Mirkwood to the game world.

The release date is not the only news for LOTRO fans, as several pre-launch offers have also been announced that are available starting today. The biggest of all is the new lifetime membership offer for $199.

Other offers include the expansion for free to any current or former subscribers who sign up for a multi-month subscription, special items and character slots for subscribers who...

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NCSoft to give Aion major update every year

The newest MMORPG to come from publisher NCSoft, Aion, is going to be getting "at least" one major content update every year. This according to an interview brand manager Christian-Peter Heimbach conducted with VG247.

"There will be at least one major update a year," said Heimbach. "You know this from our previous titles. We're currently adjusting on how we're going to make these available, but there will be free content updates for all players, and we're looking then at how big the major updates will be."

The game has already gathered over 400,000 pre-orders and will go live in the US tomorrow and Friday in Europe.

[VG247]

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BioWare and LucasArts unsure of Old Republic payme...

One of the most highly anticipated games currently in developement, BioWare and LucasArts' Star Wars: The Old Republic, is still without a release date. It's also missing something else: a payment method.

LucasArts and BioWare are weighing a list of options, but they have yet to decide which they will use. These options range from subscritpions to micro-transactions, and the final method could also vary based on where in the world a player is playing.

"We're considering it all, absolutely," said LucasArts president Darrell Rodriguez. "You start looking at how different communities, territories such as Asia, actually play games, and we start to consider it all -- especially if we want it to be a worldwide phenomenon."

It seems interested gamers will have to be patient to find out just how th...

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Now you can change your WoW Faction for $30

Blizzard opened up the new World of Warcraft Faction Change service today, allowing players of the world's most popular MMORPG to change any character's faction for a fee of $30, provided the character has reached at least level 10.

Players who make use of the service will be allowed to choose any race that is available for their selected class, fully customizing the new character's name and appearance. Old names will remain unavailable to the WoW masses for a period of 90 days. All non-faction-specific mounts, equipment, achievements, and titles will remain unchanged after making the switch; those that are faction-specific will be replaced with "cross-faction equivalents." Non-combat pets and characters' experience points will be completely unaffected.

The Faction Change option can be foun...

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Empire: Total War Update 1.4 coming in September

Creative Assembly and Sega have announced that Empire: Total War will be updated to version 1.4 in late September. The update will focus on improving enemy artificial intelligence, with an overhaul to both the campaign and battle AI, as well as rebalanced sieges and naval battles.

Said Creative Assembly creative director Mike Simpson, "This update will please all Empire: Total War players as we've continuously listened to the feedback received via our forums. The framework has been laid down for all the exciting content that will come to the series in the future, and that's thanks to all the players of Empire: Total War."

A more complete list of fixes in the 1.4 update follows:

- Fix for auto unlimbering causing the attack order to terminate prematurely resulting in an inability to stop the ...

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BioWare reveals Sith Warrior for The Old Republic

It shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone who knows that Star Wars: The Old Republic exists, but LucasArts and BioWare revealed the Sith Warrior as their newest playable class in the highly anticipated MMO. The lightsaber-wielding, hatred-filled force adept has its own profile page on The Old Republic website with details and hints on how the Sith will act and play in the game.

"Though the lightsaber is the Warrior's primary method of attack, he also uses his dark command of the Force to paralyze, terrify, and kill," says the site. "Protected by heavy armor and his powers of intimidation, the Warrior wades into the thick of the fight and unleashes pure hatred and fury to eliminate all who would stand against him."

The profile also mentions how the Sith Empire is run in the game, and that s...

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm scheduled for 2010

In one of the biggest stories to come out of this year's BlizzCon, Mike Morhaime has revealed that World of Warcraft's next expansion, Cataclysm, is scheduled to be released sometime in 2010. The news came during a DirecTV interview with the Blizzard CEO, however no further details regarding the release were given.

Of course a 365-day release window is a little too wide to get excited about -- projections such as these represent only general plans for publishers to come to market with their products -- but at the very least it gives eager WoW fans a little more to look forward to for the coming year.

GamerNode will have more info as it becomes available.

[WoW.com]

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