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?