Call of Duty: Project Treyarch Details

Well, we all knew it was happening anyway, but apparently some details are surfacing right now. He's what I've managed to pull together:

""Black Ops" or "Project Treyarch" is scheduled for release in November 2010 and sources indicate the game developed by Treyarch will be set in history, between World War II and present day. It is also hinted that some of the missions will take gamers to Cuba and South America which hints at a Cold War and Vietnam based game.




In true Modern Warfare style, gamers will reportedly get a chance to play as a member of the Special Air Service (SAS) in which players will be involved in close combat during a mission in the Iranian embassy during the 1980’s.



The game is also hinted to feature the popular “zombie mode” where players will get to gun down forces of zombies which was made popular in Call of Duty: World at War, but was removed from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (for obvious reasons)



For worldwide PC gamers, CoD7 is set to feature dedicated servers. Gamers across the world should put their hands together for Activision who seem to be weeding out the problems with previous titles by re-adding dedicated servers to the franchise.



"... With a scheduled release date of November 2010 the game is still in full development but undisclosed sources over at Activision have stated that "Call of Duty 7 will be set in recent history, between WWII and present day". Besides this information the sources have also confirmed that some missions will take us to Cuba and South America, hinting again in the direction of a Cold War / Vietnam based game.



Also revealed was that in certain missions the players are able to play as a member of SAS (the Special Air Service), the principle special forces unit of the British Army. One of these SAS missions pitches you in close combat during a mission in the Iranian embassy in London during the 1980's.



It has also been confirmed that Call of Duty 7: BO/PT will feature the popular zombie mode, in which players get to shoot down hordes of zombies, a feature that could not be seen in the Infinity Ward produced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as Treyarch hold the rights to develop and release a game with that specific mode.



And last but not least, dedicated servers will also be part of the new Call of Duty game, much to the delight of PC gamers across the world. After Activision fired Vince Zampella and Jason West from Infinity Ward, it seems like they are taking yet another step back from the direction they had taken with Modern Warfare 2 by re-adding dedicated servers. "
 
Well folks, some info is sketchy at best up there...But more on this as it develops!

Facebook Group!

Since I'm getting so many emails and good feedback from this blog, I've gone and set up a Facebook group for you all to join!

Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102402146465649

:D

Valve To Unite PC and Mac Gamers...

In a recent announcement, Valve stated that it will be porting Source engine games to the Mac platform. This is huge news and you can chalk one up for the Mac camp. Lets hope Microsoft finally ramps up PC gaming support. We always love competition. 
I however don't like expensive Mac hardware. Here are the details.

Q: I own TF2 on the PC. Do I have to buy it again on the Mac?
A: No. If you own TF2 on the PC, you own TF2 on the Mac (and vice versa). You don't have to buy the game twice. In addition, the Steam Cloud will automatically propagate your configuration settings and custom sprays to your Mac for you.
Q: Is it just some crappy emulated version of TF2?
A: No! Also: How dare you! Mac users aren't getting a crappy emulated version of the game. TF2 will run natively on OSX, like an actual big boy game for adults.
Q: Hmm, that all sounds pretty good. But I'll bet I can't play with my friends who own Macs if I'm on my PC.
A: Mac and PC users will all play together, on the same servers. We're not creating two separate universes. We're all going to be one big, happy family with guns locked in a bloody, never-ending struggle for cap points.

Seems good right?


Heres some more info direct from Valve:

"As we transition from entertainment as a product to entertainment as a service, customers and developers need open, high-quality Internet clients," said Gabe Newell, President of Valve. "The Mac is a great platform for entertainment services."

"Our Steam partners, who are delivering over a thousand games to 25 million Steam clients, are very excited about adding support for the Mac," said Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development at Valve. "Steamworks for the Mac supports all of the Steamworks APIs, and we have added a new feature, called Steam Play, which allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge. For example, Steam Play, in combination with the Steam Cloud, allows a gamer playing on their work PC to go home and pick up playing the same game at the same point on their home Mac. We expect most developers and publishers to take advantage of Steam Play."

"We looked at a variety of methods to get our games onto the Mac and in the end decided to go with native versions rather than emulation," said John Cook, Director of Steam Development. "The inclusion of WebKit into Steam, and of OpenGL into Source gives us a lot of flexibility in how we move these technologies forward. We are treating the Mac as a tier-1 platform so all of our future games will release simultaneously on Windows, Mac, and the Xbox 360. Updates for the Mac will be available simultaneously with the Windows updates. Furthermore, Mac and Windows players will be part of the same multiplayer universe, sharing servers, lobbies, and so forth. We fully support a heterogeneous mix of servers and clients. The first Mac Steam client will be the new generation currently in beta testing on Windows."

Portal 2 will be Valve's first simultaneous release for Mac and Windows. "Checking in code produces a PC build and Mac build at the same time, automatically, so the two platforms are perfectly in lock-step," said Josh Weier, Portal 2 Project Lead. "We're always playing a native version on the Mac right alongside the PC. This makes it very easy for us and for anyone using Source to do game development for the Mac."

Support for the Mac in Source and Steamworks is available to third parties immediately. Interested developers should contact Jason Holtman at jasonh@valvesoftware.com.

Since I personally don't own a Mac, I won't be able to give a personal comment on how Valve's Source Engine Games work on a Mac, but I do know several people who DO own Mac's, so once I gather up their opinions, I'll be sure to pass them on to you!

All the best, thanks for reading!

Feel free to link other to this site for more up-to-the-minute gaming news and reviews of all things technical! 

Shot In The Everywhere!

Batman: Arkham Asylum 2

The sequel to one of the best games of 2009 is on its way...

Currently under development for PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, B:AA2 will be a multi-platform work of art!

The story will (apparently) pick up where the first game left off, but you know how developers like to change their minds during production.

No release dates yet, but pre-orders are available from Play.com and Amazon

Return of the Commodore 64!

Brace yourself, lovers of all things retro, because the Commodore 64 will rise from the dead in all its keyboard form factor glory. It will probably be based on the Cybernet ZPC-GX31 (Above), but many reviews (me included) are hoping it will look just like a REAL PC.

Utilitarian clean lines, hefty chunkiness, and glorious beige. That's the Commodore 64 everybody loves, not the travesty at the beginning of this post. Or maybe it's just me who loves it, because I still remember playing Pitstop, Summer Games, Star Wars, and the impossible-to-finish Ghostbusters in my school's computer lab, in between BASIC programming lessons and multiple-choice tests.

Since this is very far from any kind of development (they don't even own the rights to reproduce it yet), details are slim at best. But stay tuned, I'll have more on this as it develops!

-TheDillusion

Modern Warfare 2: Stimulus Package

"The Stimulus Package" (Or Map Pack 1 to you and me) is on the way for Xbox 360 players.

Here's the official post from IW:

"The multiple Game of the Year award-winner Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 just got bigger, with more epic multiplayer content, first on Xbox LIVE! The Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package will deliver additional action-packed multiplayer maps, including brand-new battlegrounds and legendary fan-favorites from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Look for the new gameplay trailer coming soon at ModernWarfare2.com."

Since I play on a PC...Not a FailBox360, I'll have to wait for the pack to be released on PC before I can give my verdict on it.

But for now...Looks Good!!

WE'VE BEEN EMP'D, ELECTRONICS ARE DOWN...

Portal 2 - Let Them Eat Cake!

Even I didn't see Portal 2 coming...But here it is!

Apparently, things will have changed, but the general attitude and gameplay will remain (just about) the same.

Co-operative play will transform this sequel into something amazing (apparently...), and with a DUAL MAC release (Thanks to Valve's latest news of putting Left 4 Dead 1 & 2 on Apple's OS), the number of buyers of Portal 2 could easily be higher than the original Portal.

Valve Software’s Portal will be remembered for three things: cake, the companion cube and mind-bendingly terrific first-person puzzling that had you opening and closing teleportation portals to navigate the topsy-turvy levels to escape Aperture Science Labs.

Originally bundled with Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2 in the Orange Box compilation, Portal got off to a very humble start. Since then, the game has taken on a life of its own, gaining release as a standalone product and spawning an entire community of fans. The catchy end-game song “Still Alive” by Jonathan Coulton also became somewhat of a geek pop hit.

Well, no surprise then that Valve has announced Portal 2 for release later this year. Once again putting the player inside Aperture Science Labs (as well as, it seems, other mystery locations), gameplay will again revolve around utilising the Portal Gun to create entry and exit point portals in order to teleport through imaginatively designed levels. Not only will you return to conquer a variety of new test chambers, but you’ll be reunited with that homicidal artificial intelligence, GLaDOS.

None of that is very surprising; however, more intriguing is the inclusion of an all-new cooperative mode for two players, with a unique plot and setting. As well as introducing new characters to the world, it sounds like the co-op mode will really challenge players to work together (unlike most other co-op modes out there these days that are more just about blasting through aliens with a buddy by your side).

If you consider that each player will probably be equipped with a Portal Gun, you can begin to imagine the ridiculously complex puzzles that will need to be cracked by two friends not only combining brain power, but by creating portals for each other to leap through. You literally won’t be able to progress without a helping hand from your co-op partner. The potential for this mode is just staggeringly awesome and I'll be staying glued to Valve’s website for more information.

Literally, CANNOT WAIT!

Valve Announce Left 4 Dead 3!

Here it is folks! L4D3!

Bellevue, WA – Fresh off the heels of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Valve Software dropped another bombshell this week, announcing a third entry in their zombie survival series Left 4 Dead. “We are very excited to continue this franchise,” said Gabe Newell, founder and managing director of Valve. “We know our fans can’t wait to confront the zombie hordes again. And so we proudly announce our next title, Left 4 Dead 3, coming to PC and Xbox 360 consoles in October… of this year!”

The original Left 4 Dead was released to popular and critical acclaim in November of 2008 and has sold over 2.5 million copies. A sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, was announced at this year’s E3 and is slated for release in November of 2009.

Regarding the release date, Newell had this to say: “I know that this announcement means that Left 4 Dead 3 will actually release before Left 4 Dead 2, which might not make sense to some. But we’re just so excited about what we’ve done with this game that we want to get it into the gamer’s hands as soon as we can.”

Pressed about the quick turnaround in new titles, Valve’s Chet Faliszek assuaged some fears. ”We came up with some really cool ideas during the development of Left 4 Dead 2 but the programmers had already written a bunch of code so we were kinda like: ‘Screw it, let’s make a NEW game!’  And we did! Besides, there was no way our cool new changes could have been applied to the previous games–I mean, it’s not like there’s some kind of magical ‘patch’ we could apply that would update them.”

Valve promises that Left 4 Dead 3 won’t disappoint. Players will get to take the role of one of four survivors: Joey, Francine, Louie, or Phil. New enemies include The Burper (who belches toxic smoke on players) and multi-ethnic zombies dressed in culture-specific clothing. The highly-touted A.I. Director feature, which dynamically ramps up the tension and difficulty for the players, has undergone some major changes as well. Valve wouldn’t reveal all the details, but an e-mail response did offer this tidbit: “Let’s just say the A.I. Director is a lot smarter and a lot more powerful this time around. You might just find yourself fighting your way to the escape vehicle in a movie and BOOM–your Xbox reboots. That’s the A.I. director at work.”

And what about new weapons? ”We’re replacing the Sniper Rifle with a bow and arrow, since it’ll do about as much good against the Horde. Oh, and there’s now a sawed-off shotgun and, wait for it, a slightly better sawed-off shotgun. Zombies beware!”

Major retailers are now taking pre-orders for Left 4 Dead 3 and Left 4 Dead 4 which was just announced during the writing of this story.

DISCLAIMER: This story is actually fictional

HMRC FTW!...?

Its That Time of Year Once Again...

New tax year time...

You would have thought that after 'X' years of doing it, the British government would be good at it? Yeah...NO THEY AREN'T!

I (for some reason) got 2 letters with tax codes in this morning, one of them was telling me that my entire allowance (of just under £7k) was being consumed by JOBSEEKERS ALLOWANCE...Something I don't have...I'm EMPLOYED!

Turns out, they've been under the impression that I've been jobless for nearly a year now, so they've been heavily taxing me on my job for just as long...

Looking back at my payslips, it all makes sense. I'm owed around an extra £5-600 in back taxes because they've had me on a stupidly LOW tax code (26L) for nearly a year...GOONS!

Anyway, I gets on the phone and a very angry sounding woman is confused by me, she thinks I'm trying to con her, so I speak to her supervisor who is much more understanding, he issues me with tax code 643L (I think) and all is well...TAX REBATE ON THE WAY!

Hurray for the British Government, Forced Savings and Loan since 1769!

Browser Makers Demand Screen Time...

Makers of small web browsers want their programs to be given more prominence on Microsoft's browser choice screen.

Six software firms have complained to the EU saying many do not realise their programs were on offer.

To see all 12 web browsers, users must scroll to the right when viewing Microsoft's ballot screen.

The choice is being offered as part of a settlement of an anti-trust case brought against Microsoft by the European Commission.

Global choice

"The final choice screen design leaves the vast majority of users unaware that there are more than five browsers to choose from," the six firms said in their petition.

The petition is signed by the makers of the Avant, Flock, Maxthon, Slim, Sleipnir and Green browsers. The makers of the other browser on offer, K-Meleon, did not sign it.

From 1 March, the browser choice have been popping up on the screens of millions of Europeans who have Internet Explorer as their default web browser.

The browser choice screen is designed as a single panel. Scrolling to the right reveals all twelve browsers on offer.

"We are only requesting the simple addition of any text or design element, that would indicate to an average user that there are choices 'to the right of the visible screen'," said the petition.

Microsoft said that the browser choice screen was drawn up to be compliant with the deal agreed with the European Commission.

Early reports suggest the browser choice screen is leading to a rise in the numbers of people trying browsers other than Internet Explorer.

In a statement, Opera said it had seen downloads of its browser increase threefold since the choice screen system started rolling out.

At the same time, the European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS) has asked for the browser choice system to be repeated around the world.

In a statement it called on "competition agencies around the world to give their consumers the benefit of browser choice, which will spur competition and improve the Web experience for all".

So far, the ECIS campaign has got no further than an open letter on the organisation's site. However, it did not rule out a more active campaign on the issue of browser choice.

ECIS members include long-time Microsoft rivals Oracle, IBM, Red Hat, Opera and Adobe.

Trouble At The Top...IW Hotshots Fired!

In 2008, anyone who would've said Activision would be culling the studios behind the Guitar Hero and Call of Duty franchises would've been laughed off as a lunatic. However, last month Neversoft's staff was drastically trimmed as part of a large wave of layoffs and the Guitar Hero IP handed over to Vicarious Visions. RedOctane, which Activision bought for $100 million in 2006 so it could own the Guitar Hero brand, is apparently also being prepped for all-but-complete closure.

Activision is letting go of two top developers at Infinity Ward.

Having just finished developing the $1 billion dollar-grossing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward was considered safe--untouchable, even. However, Monday afternoon, Activision amended its annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission to include a notice thattwo top members of the studio are being fired.

The filing read, "The Company [Activision] is concluding an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward. This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company." (Emphasis added.) Activision bought Infinity Ward outright in 2003.

Though it offers no names, the SEC filing appears to coincide with the sudden departure of Infinity Ward president, game director, co-CCO, and CTO Jason West. The veteran developer LinkedIn profile lists the studio under "past employers" and his end date as occurring in "March 2010." West helped cofound the studio in 2001.

West's departure was backed up by an unconfirmed screenshot of his Facebook page (sent to gaming blog Kotaku) that lists his status as "Jason West is drinking. Also, no longer employed."

Deepening the mystery is an as-yet unverified G4 report that paints a sinister picture of the day's events at Infinity Ward. Citing an unnamed source, it claims several weeks of "tense" interaction between Infinity Ward and Activision culminated in a meeting this morning between several studio heads and some publisher brass. Those heads included West and cofounder and Infinity Ward CEO Vince Zampella.

After said meeting, the Infinity Ward heads reportedly vanished--and a group of gruff "bouncer types" suddenly appeared on Infinity Ward's campus outside Encino, Calif. The source allegedly said the men refused to say why they had shown up unannounced, leaving the developers "freaked out."

According to Zampella's LinkedIn status, he is still employed with Infinity Ward. However, the iconoclastic developer has often criticized his corporate masters in the press, publicly declaring last October that "Activision…did not want Modern Warfare" and pressured the studio to make more World War II games.

[UPDATE] Vince Zampella has now changed his LinkedIn page to reflect he no longer works at Infinity Ward. His departure--combined with West's--casts doubt over Infinity Ward's upcoming "unique new IP" for which they signed long-term contracts with Activision in 2008. It also raises questions about the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 downloadable content pack, due out this spring.

Activision has confirmed another Call of Duty game will arrive during 2010, believed to be a Vietnam- or Cold War-themed title from Treyarch (Call of Duty: World at War). While that game will be unaffected, the changes lend some credence to rumors thatanother studio may be developing Modern Warfare 3, possibly the recently founded Bay Area shop Sledgehammer Games.

As of press time, Activision corporate communication reps and the lead spokesperson for Call of Duty had not responded to requests about the developing situation at Infinity Ward. The studio's director of communication, Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling, offered the following non-comment via Twitter: "I should also say, while I appreciate all the calls, tweets, messages and hearing my ringtone a lot. They're in vain--as I have no info."

Oh dear, what will become of IW?

Benefits Woman...

This REALLY annoyed me, taken from The Sun

SHE sits surrounded by top-of-the-range flat-screen tellies, laptop computers, games consoles and two high-tech gaming chairs.

But single mum Pam Bainbridge hasn't earned a penny to pay for her luxury life - the bill has been footed by TAXPAYERS.

Mother-of-three Pam, 33, hasn't worked for 13 years and is proud she has managed to save from her benefits to pay for new bikes, a £1,600 Golf car and Sky TV throughout the house.

Sitting on her three-piece leather sofa with her chihuahua pooch Milo dressed in designer dog clothes, she says: "Everything I own is thanks to the money I have earned in benefits and I am not ashamed to admit that.

"I realise there will be people reading this who feel furious that I haven't got a job but I am not ashamed.

"I work really hard as a full-time mum and consider my benefits to be my wages.

"When you have three kids to look after, you cannot clock off at 5pm every day.

"I don't have the option to come home from work and put my feet up - my whole life is a job. In fact, I bet that people on £50,000 a year don't work anywhere near as hard as me."

Although Pam feels her life is tough, she in no way regrets having children Scott, 13, Chloe, ten and seven-year-old Jack by two different men.

She says: "If people stopped having kids, then the world wouldn't continue. We all have a responsibility to have children.

"All my kids are well behaved and never cause problems. They have everything they need in life and I try to make sure they never go without."

Every week, Pam's rent and council tax for her three-bedroom semi in Carlisle are paid for by the state.

She then gets £35 in income support, £137 child tax credits and £45 child benefit, and recently started receiving £35 in child support. Her children get free school dinners and each term she pockets £85 to pay for school uniforms.

Pam also gets free prescriptions and glasses if the kids need them. Excluding her rent and council tax, her benefits total £252 a week.

She says: "I am very good with money and have been able to save for the things that I want in life.

"For Christmas, I managed to save £1,000, which I am really proud about. With that, I was able to buy my kids top-of-the-range trainers, games consoles and new bikes.

"It felt good to be able to save money and I am proud of myself for spending my benefits wisely."

Twice a year Pam must attend a meeting with the Benefits Agency, who try to convince her she would be £50 a week better off if she got a full-time job on the minimum wage.

Luckily

She says: "I tell them they are talking rubbish. If I was working I would have to pay rent and council tax and would never get to see my kids. I don't have a husband to bring home the money and I really want to be a stay-at-home mum.

"Luckily, the Government allows me to do that."

Pam, who last worked when she was 20, adds: "I never liked school and I avoided it whenever I could. I used to sneak home when my mum was at work. All I dreamed of was being a wife and mother.

"Even when I saw the careers counsellor at school, I told her all I wanted in my future was to be a mum. She was absolutely horrified."

Pam left school at 15 to do seasonal work in hotels. After three years she went to college to study nursery care. But a year into the course she fell pregnant with Scott.

That is when she started receiving benefits. She says: "I was thrilled to be a mum and happy to apply for benefits so I could stay with my baby.

"My own mother worked very hard as an admin assistant and, although I love her dearly, I never felt I saw that much of her as a child.

"Benefits have given me the chance to stay with my kids and see them grow up."

After separating from Scott's dad after little more than a year with him, Pam had Chloe and Jack by another man but they split after five years.

She now gets £148 a month in maintenance from Scott's dad but nothing from Chloe and Jack's father.

She says: "Each time I had another child I received more money from the state. It felt great to be in charge of my life and my own money - it's like a warm security blanket.

"I have peace of mind that, no matter if I am sick, I will still get my money."

And she insists: "No one can call me a benefit skank or scrounger because I am very careful with the money. I make sure there is enough to pay my direct debits, which total around £470 a month.

That goes on gas, electricity, water, the TV licence, Sky, BT Vision, credit card, house and life insurance, BT phone and internet, catalogue payments and my mobile contract."

Criticism

Last year, Pam returned to college but dropped out after two months with stress and glandular fever.

She says: "I found it too stressful bringing up three children and trying to study throughout the day.

"I probably will have to return to work when my kids grow up as my benefits will be cut. But I am a single parent and it is my view that we should not have to work. In my opinion, single parents aren't secure employees."

Pam's views will horrify taxpayers. But she says: "People constantly think they can have a go at me because I am on benefits, but I refuse to be ashamed of my lifestyle.

"It is not my fault benefits are available to me. I would be a fool not to take them and I feel proud I am able to save and spend wisely.

"I'd never have a child just to get a council house. Teenagers who do that are really wasting taxpayers' money and it's disgraceful."

But Pam is now pushing for a bigger house than her three-bed semi. She insists: "I have three kids and need a room for each child. I've been pushing the DSS for a bigger place and will continue to ask, no matter how many times.

"Benefits are offered to me and I don't know why anyone in their right mind would turn them down. They allow me to be a great mum and be with my children every single day.

"I wouldn't want to live any other way."

See what I mean?