News::Announcing the Tree of Life: An Interview With Indie Game Dev Flaming Toast

Hani Farah of Tech-Ticker, "Sneaking up on me on my Facebook newsfeed earlier this week, I saw something that directly caught my eye amidst the sea of duckfaces and food porn pictures. It was a picture of concept art from an upcoming game, Tree of Life, that my friend had shared. I automatically clicked on the pages link, found here, and was pleasantly surprised at what I saw. Tree of Life is an upcoming 2D platformer that follows a still nameless protagonist on his adventure to rescue Mother Nature from robots that have taken over the world. Below is the interview I had with the team to gain some more insight on this hidden gem of a game."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189735/announcing-the-tree-of-life-an-interview-with-indie-game-dev-flaming-toast

News::SimDebacle: How the SimCity DRM Disaster Could Be Great for Gamers

If youve got a new copy of SimCity staring you in the face, and youre one of the millions of gamers worldwide who spent hard earned money to play a game that simply doesnt work, I have great news for you; this has got to be the beginning of the end for draconian, always online DRM.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189842/simdebacle-how-the-simcity-drm-disaster-could-be-great-for-gamers

News::Tomb Raider Review - Artificial Fun

'Lara Croft deserves nothing less than to be treated like a lady. She is, after all, one of the most iconic women of the video game world- responsible for bringing more women into gaming than shes likely given credit for, and thats something to be thankful about. Her past few outings however, not including the remake of the original, have been slightly lackluster, focusing more on accentuating her womanly curves than putting as much as they could have into the gameplay department. Thankfully, this reboot does away with all the T&A and focuses more on content, and it shows.'



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189800/tomb-raider-review-artificial-fun

News::No, Your Game Does Not Need Microtransactions

EA's CFO may have recanted his previous statements about all of his company's future games including microtransactions, but it's still not clear that they get it. Just how detrimental to gaming can microtransactions be?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189908/no-your-game-does-not-need-microtransactions

News::SimCity: If You Don't Like it, Don't Buy It

Is Electronic Arts Inc. wrong to implement such a DRM strategy on a game that they are releasing solely on PC? GamingExcellence's Michael Joly honestly doesnt think so. Re-read the previous line and youll see one thing, the organization is called Electronic Arts Inc. They are a company. A capitalist company based in a free country, and they exist to try and make money.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189833/simcity-if-you-dont-like-it-dont-buy-it

News::Outerra Engine Shows Off Gorgeous Outdoor Environment

DSOGaming writes: "YouTubes member luishi5000 has created a gorgeous outdoor environment with the Outerra Engine. luishi5000 made these structures to show off the potential scale of models in Outerra, and these models have baked in ambient occlusion. The total polygon count on the models (combined) is about ~400,000 (triangles) and this scene runs with 60fps at 1080p with a GTX660Ti. Enjoy!"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189840/outerra-engine-shows-off-gorgeous-outdoor-environment

News::What I love about the Thief series

Destructoid - I love Thief. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me singing the series' praises as I played through Thief 1 & 2 late last year. Finally plunging into the defunct Looking Glass Studios' crowning achievement gave me much to talk about. Its art direction, level design, and mechanics ooze atmosphere, despite the low number of polygons that date the game's engine.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189863/what-i-love-about-the-thief-series

News::Discussion: Always on DRM

This has been around for a long time, Methods to prevent people from playing without a purchase. With newer modes of payment and distribution there had been many efforts to cut piracy, but like a hydra it just continued to evolve with 2 new heads to replace the last one. Recently a new form of DRM emerges like Hercules and finds. This hero is an always online method of DRM to authenticate each copy of the game on the games official servers. Following suite to a typical MMORPGs like the famous World of Warcraft or the original Everquest.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189877/discussion-always-on-drm

News::SimCity: There are No Winners Here

Who are the people that this fiasco ultimately hurts the most? The designers, the developers, programmers, artists, sound engineers, testers, and the countless people involved with actually bringing the game to life. The people who put their blood, sweat, and tears into the game and worked countless hours over many years to deliver a really unique and compelling game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189892/simcity-there-are-no-winners-here

News::Madden 2014 Wish List (Console Monster)

So we're winding down our Madden 13 seasons, granted we still have a good few months to play it whilst the NFL off-season kicks off, but who are we kidding, we can now only think of one thing, Madden '14. Here is Console Monster's Wish List.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189898/madden-2014-wish-list-console-monster

News::Tomb Raider Reivew | Bag of Games

Crystal Dynamics returns to the Tomb Raider franchise for Lara Crofts origin story. With a prequel that has a great pace and mood. To gameplay that is tight and super polished. With a multiplayer mode that is surprisingly fun. And a PC port that is done fantastically well with all of the options you could ever wish. Does Crystal Dynamics have what it takes to bring Lara Croft back to her former gaming glory?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189904/tomb-raider-reivew-bag-of-games

News::Sniper: Ghost Warrior Sales Are Over 3 Million

DSOGaming writes: "Even though City Interactive has not revealed the latest sales numbers of Sniper: Ghost Warrior, GameStop revealed that City Interactive's first sniper title has managed to sell over 3 million copies worldwide."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189902/sniper-ghost-warrior-sales-are-over-3-million

News::Review: Tomb Raider (PC) | Digitally Downloaded

Digitally Downloaded writes: "Applause for Crystal Dynamics as they did an excellent job with this one. They've given new life to an ageing series and it's going to be a lot of fun to see where they Lara goes next."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189901/review-tomb-raider-pc-digitally-downloaded

News::League of Legends: Riot Games Reveals New Mutant Champion: Zaun, The Combatant

An amorphous and flexible champion has been hinted by Riot Games, its name will most likely be Zaun. Data Manageer, Zaun Lab Bot has released several images that introduced a new test subject, a specimen created in laboratory.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189633/league-of-legends-riot-games-reveals-new-mutant-champion-zaun-the-combatant

News::The Sims 3: University Life Expansion Now Available

A brand new expansion pack for The Sims 3 is available at retail stores from today, offering players the chance to achieve academic excellence, make new connections and part til they drop. The Sims 3: University Life promises to make learning more fun with new major objects from from broadcasting your own radio show as a Communications student to boning up on anatomy using the skeleton as a Science and Medicine major.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189218/the-sims-3-university-life-expansion-now-available

News::SimCity Population Doubles But Still Having Major Issues

SimCity is still having continued server stability issues. Little information has been shared with the gaming community from the developers beyond a few tweets and uninformative announcements. However, Maxis' Lucy Bradshaw published a blog post yesterday that explains the current progress made.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189678/simcity-population-doubles-but-still-having-major-issues

News::What is Assassins Creed IV All About? - SegmentNext

SegmentNext - "Revealed last week as Assassins Creed IV : Black Flag; the game is played from the point of view of a new protagonist and is now set in the swashbuckling era of the 18th Century pirating world".



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189662/what-is-assassins-creed-iv-all-about-segmentnext

News::Defiance Preview | Machinima

Machinima: "For all the alien hostilities and the overwhelming expansiveness of its open world, Defiance is actually a very welcoming game. The off-center third-person view and traditional action game controls make Trion Worlds new IP coming to 360, PS3, and PC very user friendly. But if features other intriguing elements, aside from transmedia function in connection to the SyFy show of the same name."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189884/defiance-preview-machinima

News::SimCity Mass Transit Guide

SegmentNext - "How to manage and build Mass Transit system in SimCity. How to effectively control traffic and trade routes with buses, streetcars, trains planes and boats".



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189665/simcity-mass-transit-guide

News::SimCity Mining Specialization Guide

SegmentNext - "A detailed in-depth guide for Mining Specialization in SimCity 2013 with tips on coal, ore, metals hq, smelting and advanced coal mining".



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189663/simcity-mining-specialization-guide

News::Mass Effect 3: One Year On

After a year a look back on Mass Effect 3, what it meant for the series, and the controversies around it.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189846/mass-effect-3-one-year-on

News::Why We Love... Single Player Games

Dealspwn writes: Recent news has seen gamers lash out over the launch fiasco surrounding EAs latest SimCity title. The game requires an always-on internet connection, which meant it broke as soon as it went live as thousands of enthusiastic gamers tried to play at once. This happened days after Crytek CEO, Cervat Yerli, said, I think the notion of a single-player experience has to go away. Instead, he believes there should be more integration with the online world with online single-player. So, while keen to plug his upcoming online game, Warface, hes stupidly kicked his other game -Crysis 3- in the stones. Guess we know why Crysis 2 and 3s single-player modes can only muster a rental recommendation then. It shouldnt surprise you that here at Dealspwn we still think that single player games have a huge part to play in gaming. Yes, titles like Warface and Bungies Destiny look set to do great things with online multiplayer. However, as EA have shown recently, internet t...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189839/why-we-love-single-player-games

News::Steam Workshop modder able to censor and ban users amid accusations of uploading stolen mods

Steam Workshop user SupernaturalKath was accused of uploading jonwd7's "Footsteps" mod for Skyrim and claiming the work as their own. When jonwd7 became aware of this he started a discussion on her mod page with links to the mods that had been stolen from the Skyrim Nexus. He was then banned from posting in discussions on Skyrim Workshop and found his original posts edited by SupernaturalKath (note the last edited by line.)



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189760/steam-workshop-modder-able-to-censor-and-ban-users-amid-accusations-of-uploading-stolen-mods

News::BioShock Infinite Commercial Sneak Peek

Here's a freeze frame sneak peak of the not yet released commercial for BioShock Infinite.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189761/bioshock-infinite-commercial-sneak-peek

News::What I love about the Thief series

I love Thief. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me singing the series' praises as I played through Thief 1 & 2 late last year. Finally plunging into the defunct Looking Glass Studios' crowning achievement gave me much to talk about. Its art direction, level design, and mechanics ooze atmosphere, despite the low number of polygons that date the game's engine.

While Fraser Brown looked toward the future of the franchise, I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss Thief's past. With the reveal of Thief 4 , I am unsure of what to expect but I do know what I love about the original games. These are also the things that I'd like to see Eidos Montreal embrace.

Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/what-i-love-about-the-thief-series-247821.phtml

News::Indie Royale Debut Bundle...Debuts

Hardcore Gamer: The Debut Bundle from Indie Royale gives you six brand new games. Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller is a cel-shaded adventure game, with the RTS McDroid, while Master of Alchemy: Rise of the Mechanologists looks to offer up some strategic shooting and more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189592/indie-royale-debut-bundle-debuts

News::Defiance weapon mod trailer is infectious

Joystiq - This trailer for Trion Worlds' MMO Defiance shows off the weapon customization options in the game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189815/defiance-weapon-mod-trailer-is-infectious

News::Metro 2033 retrospective

Eurogamer - Metro 2033 is not a game that deserves a sequel. Too often the game stumbles in its quest to combine elements of shooter, stealth and horror, never confident enough in any one category. The story demands no clear continuation.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189812/metro-2033-retrospective

News::Why the Skullgirls Indiegogo Effort Should Be an Example To Every Other Crowdsourcer

GP writer Leah explains why the Skullgirls Indiegogo effort should be an example to every other crowdsourcer, and what continues to make it so successful.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189797/why-the-skullgirls-indiegogo-effort-should-be-an-example-to-every-other-crowdsourcer

News::EA: Our Boss Cant Play SimCity Either

Heres yet another update post by Maxis General Manager, Lucy Bradshaw. This time she would like the frustrated SimCity gamers to know that more progress is being made. Server response time has supposedly been improved by 40x and the number of players that can be in the game simultaneously has been doubled. If thats not good enough the server down time has apparently also been reduced. Great news, but wait there is more. According to Lucy, her boss still cant play SimCity and because of that they are still hard at work. Wait, what?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189784/ea-our-boss-cant-play-simcity-either

News::The Sunday Seven | Tomb Raider Survival Guide

Dealspwn deliver seven top tips to bear in mind when traversing the perils of Yamatai in Lara's latest adventure.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189772/the-sunday-seven-tomb-raider-survival-guide

News::SimCity Review | Ten Ton Hammer

Ten Ton Hammer: "Moving away from the fact that the Internet is required for single-player mode, this game is outright delightful. The gameplay is addictive, fun, easy to learn, and takes the series back to its roots--that honest innocent fun of placing. Even if youre not a fan of the series, SimCity offers enough to draw you in by shedding the complicated simulation aspects of its predecessors and focusing on pure city building fun."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189820/simcity-review-ten-ton-hammer

News::Know SimCity Before You Go

IGN - Server issues are slowly ironing out for SimCity, and that means more of us can enact our grand schemes. As frustrating as it has been to be barred from playing a game we've purchased, there is a silver lining: we can learn from the mistakes of those who've gone before, and start our cities with a base of knowledge that will set us up for grand success.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189816/know-simcity-before-you-go

News::Have an Idea for the Next Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Pandemic or Splice? Get £10K To Make it Happen

Apply for Development Funding and Pitch Your Game at the Develop in Brighton Conference 2013



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189766/have-an-idea-for-the-next-deus-ex-human-revolution-pandemic-or-splice-get-10k-to-make-it-happen

News::Tomb Raider Review | Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll: "Tomb Raider feels complete, offering a solid single-player adventure that remembers the original's roots while taking the series in a gripping new direction, with a few sly winks and nods to earlier games for longtime fans. Lara Croft is back, and--just for a change--she's a strong, determined female lead that I would happily let my future daughters emulate."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189817/tomb-raider-review-crunchyroll

News::RIFT China American Idol alumni revealed as final spokesperson

As you can see in the image, the final American spokesperson for RIFT China was revealed to be American Idol alumni, Adam Lambert. After NBA star Dwayne Wade representing American sports, actress Maggie Q representing American media, Adam Lambert is representing American music.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189221/rift-china-american-idol-alumni-revealed-as-final-spokesperson

News::Pachter: Next gen will be the last for real this time

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter most definitely has sweet side, but it's his sour side that's so much fun to talk about. The latest stop in his carnival of flavors is SXSW 2013 in Austin, Texas, where he made the oft-repeated prediction that this latest round of home consoles will be the last we ever see. Of course, he said the exact same thing about this past generation, but I'm sure his number is bound to come up eventually.

GT.TV's Geoff Keighley was in attendance, snapping photos of Pachter's PowerPoint presentation and uploading them to Twitter. In addition to claiming that PS4 and Xbox "Durango" games will likely retail for $70, despite what Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton insists otherwise, Pachter also offers his thoughts on the quality of tech. Clearly, Wii U is nothing more than a DS split in half and offers no significant potential for software innovation, while the PS4's large RAM pool means games on that machine will probably be super innovative.

Even though console gaming's days are numbered, total hardware sales will remain steady. The Wii U is projected to only hit 30-50 million, down from Wii's roughly 100 million. Based on all its innovative RAM, PS4 will achieve 85-95 million, up from PS3's 73 million. And we know absolutely nothing about "Durango" -- it'll have a TV tuner maybe? -- so of course that ensures another 85-95 million, up from 360's 75 million.

If that's the future of this market sector, it's totally obvious why all the major console manufacturers will jump ship. Those numbers sound terri-bad! Where would we be without your awe-inspiring insight, Mr. Pach?

@geoffkeighley [Twitter via NeoGAF]

Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/pachter-next-gen-will-be-the-last-for-real-this-time-248325.phtml

News::Dreamfall Chapters To Include Even More Content As Kickstarter Campaign Ends

Dealspwn writes: "After a month of updates, trailers, interviews, Crow-related puns and cannon-stroking (well get to that) the Kickstarter campaign for Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey has finally come to a close. The pledge total came to $1,538,175 when the timer ended at 11 am this morning, going 80% further than the initial $850,000 target developers Red Thread Games were originally aiming for."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189702/dreamfall-chapters-to-include-even-more-content-as-kickstarter-campaign-ends

News::Tomb Raider 2013: 5 Ways To Improve The Sequel

The recent release of Tomb Raider has been met with good critical and fan reception. With this in mind, and considering sales have been decent too, theres a very high chance of seeing a sequel to this game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189769/tomb-raider-2013-5-ways-to-improve-the-sequel

News::Have SimCity and Diablo III Ruined Always-Online DRM?

EA and Blizzard have single-handedly lost the trust of most consumers with an always on DRM.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189626/have-simcity-and-diablo-iii-ruined-always-online-drm

News::CryEngine 3 Meets The Stone Age In Free-To-Play Multiplayer Action Game, Stone Rage

Mountainwheel Games is working on a Stone Age multiplayer action game, set to divide players into three teams: humans, neanderthals, and prehistoric beasts.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189730/cryengine-3-meets-the-stone-age-in-free-to-play-multiplayer-action-game-stone-rage

News::My ultimate gaming tradition of Old School Day

Gamers are a diverse breed. From PC aficionados and console fanatics, to retro devotees and casual admirers, there is no one-size-fits-all model of videogame hobbyist. Though we possess many differences, like game preferences, level of devotion, and platform of choice, we can all unite under a common flag of shared interest. There is one event, however, that my family celebrates. A monthly tradition that I believe just about every gaming fan can appreciate. I call it Old School Day.



Old School, Retro, or Classic Day as the name suggests, is a celebration of your personal gaming past. This holiday of sorts should not be compared to the feeling on Christmas morning or the anticipation of New Years Eve, Old School Day is simply in a league of its own. Whether you have been hooked on virtual adventures since childhood, or if you're a current-gen convert, the first experiences that characterize an activity like gaming are special and worthy of remembrance.



Exactly how the gaming festivity is commemorated is completely up to you. There is one stipulation, however, simply that a hectic work week, argument with the misses, and any other stressor of life takes a back seat for a few hours in pursuit of videogame nostalgia.

Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/my-ultimate-gaming-tradition-of-old-school-day-248105.phtml

News::New Turrican title in the works

In the newest edition of the German "Retro Gamer" magazine, a complete retrospective of the legendary Turrican game series also delivers some very exciting news for fans of the long lost silver-armored hero. According to the article, a brand new Turrican adventure is being planned and is in the early stages, with the title of the game being revealed as Turrican Rebirth.

There's not a whole lot of information disclosed on how and when the game will released, but what is revealed so far is that the game will be proper 2D, with development hopefully starting up soon this year. The plans are also to make the game highly customizable for the players, with the ability to craft their own weapons and stages to be shared online. No word yet if Chris Hülsbeck has been approached to score the game but it's a pretty sure bet he will, considering the timing with his own Turrican Soundtrack Anthology being on its way. An interesting piece of information is that the right holders have been in contact with Black Forest Games, creators of Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams , but nothing is set in stone yet.

For those of you in Germany, the issue holds a ton of interesting tidbits on the series and is well worth checking out, from stories about a never before seen director's cut Super Turrican game, new information on the cancelled Thornado and also details on a PS3/360 re-imagining that never came to be due to lack of interest from publishers.

via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/new-turrican-title-in-the-works-248302.phtml

News::Guild Wars 2s Guild Missions - First Impressions

Kilabytes.com takes a look at the newly introduced Guild Missions for Guild Wars 2, in the first entry into an on going series.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189506/guild-wars-2s-guild-missions-first-impressions

News::Tomb Raider Review | Tech-Ticker

Michael Nasr of Tech-Ticker, "Tomb Raider is one of the old classics in the gaming world. This 2013 reboot brings some new aspects into the game, while at the same time keeping its classic attributes intact. The game is very engaging and offers a variety of different ways to play it. Overall this reboot of the series is a good and exciting one that should not be overlooked."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189738/tomb-raider-review-tech-ticker

News::Auti-sim: What is?

Chris writes, "Sometimes games are art, sometimes games are fun, and sometimes games attempt to teach you something. Case in point, Auti-sim. This jumble of code is less game and more interactive experiment as it places you in the shoes of an autistic child with Auditory Hypersensitivity."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189636/auti-sim-what-is

News::Face-Off: Tomb Raider

EuroGamer: "Despite the radical design change, the reboot still delivers plenty of thought-provoking exploration as Lara makes her way through the beautifully realised environments. Straying off the beaten path reveals extra tombs that contain puzzling gameplay elements more in-line with what fans would expect from a Tomb Raider game, all delivered in a new, state-of-the-art game engine. The question is, has Crystal Dynamics replicated that level of technological achievement across all major HD platforms? Our head-to-head video - backed by a triple-format comparison gallery - reveals some noteworthy differences between each platform, particularly highlighting the gap in sharpness and clarity between them. However, it's the inclusion of the new TressFX PC hair-rendering technology that provides the biggest difference, so we'll kick off with a PC vs. console comparison."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189737/face-off-tomb-raider

News::More Tales of Laputa Details Revealed

NGames today revealed more gameplay details for the upcoming magical new web RPG, Tales of Laputa. With over 100 monsters and more than 300 anime style characters, every player can experience a unique adventure on the isles of Laputa.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189654/more-tales-of-laputa-details-revealed

News::'PS4 will out-power most PCs for years to come' - Avalanche Studios CTO

"Sony revealed the PS4 at an event in New York last month and it managed to impress a lot of industry people. Linus Blomberg, CTO and Co-founder of Avalanche Studios, is one of them."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189733/ps4-will-out-power-most-pcs-for-years-to-come-avalanche-studios-cto

News::Sword of the Stars: The Pit Review | Game Podunk

GP writer Marcus Estrada reviews Sword of the Stars: The Pit on PC.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1189683/sword-of-the-stars-the-pit-review-game-podunk