EA manager says $60 games are “exploitative”
General manager at EA Ben Cousins has been talking about the benefits of the free-to-play model ahead of the launch of the Battlefield Play4Free open beta in April. He says that he believes the $60 pricing on games is “exploitative,” and considers the full priced game market to be “a really harsh business model.”
Unseen Valve concept art suggests brand new project. Spoilers: Gordon absent :(
Earlier we mentioned that Valve are working on the Meet the Medic video for Team Fortress 2. The information came from one fan’s trip around the Valve offices. Meet the Medic wasn’t the only thing he saw. He also snapped an image of a wall full of some fascinating artwork, the style of which matches nothing that Valve have worked on before.
Lego Star Wars 3 is out in the US, new screenshots to celebrate
How good can Lego men really look? They’re little low-polygon men that live in a world of cubes. Somehow, in spite of this, Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars looks fantastic. You’ll find the latest selection of screenshots below, packed full of Jedi riding giant Lego lizards, and lightsabers aplenty.
Trine 2 trailer has giant spiders and venus man traps
The latest trailer for Trine 2 showcases more of the game’s stunning fairytale environments, and some of the giant creatures who live in them. There are giant spiders, giant snails, giant plants and giant see-saw puzzles. Maybe the world isn’t giant, maybe you’re just really, really small. Anyhow, Trine 2 is an interesting prospect. The three-player co-op of the first game was brilliant in an experimental, ‘accidentally killing your friends by trying to help them’ sort of way. You can try it for yourself in the Steam demo. Hopefully the sequel can be just as fun when it’s released later this year as a digital download. More on the Trine 2 site.
Dawn of War 2: Retribution Last Stand update to add achievements and new wargear
Relic have announced that they will be releasing a free update for Dawn of War 2: Retribution’s Last Stand mode. The update will add a series of new achievements that can be earned to unlock up to 12 new pieces of wargear for your Last Stand heroes.
Babe slapping in Duke Nukem: Gearbox head clarifies strength of gesture, anatomical target
Yesterday we reported on a multiplayer mode in the upcoming Duke Nukem Forever that plays like Capture the Flag, but features abductable women instead of flags. We also explained that the mode will allow you to slap the “babe” if she “freaks out.”
Since the story went live, Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, has confirmed the direction of the gesture. Last night he tweeted “Get it right, folks! In the DNF MP game “Capture the Babe”, Duke can give the girl a love smack on the booty – not face!” That still strikes us as creepy.
Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike DLC out Friday
Treyarch community manager Josh Olin has tweeted to say that the First Strike map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops will finally be coming out on PC this Friday. The pack contains three new multiplayer maps and a new zombie map, and will cost £11.49/$14.99.
Next Team Fortress 2 video will meet the Medic
The next TF2 video will star the Medic, according to a fan who recently visited Valve’s offices. While wandering around Valve HQ the visitor got to see a preview version of the next TF2 short film and reported back to fans on the Steam forums, saying that the video is almost finished, it’s coming out soon, and it’s going to be one of the best TF2 videos yet.
And in other PC gaming news…
Have you ever met anyone called Killian? Is it a real name? If it isn’t now, it will be next year when Prey 2 is released. Then we’ll all get to play as Killian the free-running, bounty hunter Sheriff stuck on an alien planet, tracking down leads and shooting aliens on a Blade Runner inspired desert world. Actually, now I write it all out, that sounds pretty great.
But what else has been going on in PC gaming? Let us tell you all about it with this list of condensed, newsy awesomeness. Read on for a look at the world of competitive Minesweeper, more details on Magicka Vietnam and the leaked treatment of the aborted Fallout film.
Duke Nukem Forever multiplayer replaces flag with capturable, slappable women
Duke Nukem Forever’s “Capture the Babe” CTF variant requires you to abduct a woman to score. The mode is revealed in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine US where they explain that Gearbox will give the option to give her a “slap” if she “freaks out” as you drag her across the map.
WTF? Read on for the details and to hear Gearbox’s CEO’s attitude towards Duke’s controversy-bating elements.
Minecraft documentary donors to get more goodies
We recently posted the brilliant Minecraft documentary from 2 Player Productions, mentioning that they were looking for funding to expand the 20 minute film into a feature-length documentary. They’ve already received excess of the $150,000 they asked for, but the fundraising campaign will continue until March 23. To tempt us into donating a little more, they’ve come up with some amazing Minecraft prizes, indluding a cuboid Minecraft piggybank and wind-up Creeper toys.
PC Gaming Alliance loses more members
The PC Gaming Alliance was founded in 2008 by a group of influential developers and hardware manufacturers to help tackle the industry-wide problems that faced the PC. Primary issues included piracy, DRM and complicated hardware labelling that provided a barrier of entry to new PC gamers. The group has mostly worked to produce reports on the state of PC gaming, and recently released figures at GDC showing the booming PC market.
It seems that all is not well at the PC Gaming alliance. Recently the new head of the PCGA, announced that major founding members Microsoft and Nvidia had left the group, without giving any reason. Now, Dell have downgraded their involvement, and Sony have left the group completely.
Prey 2 inspired by Blade Runner and Mirror’s Edge
The first details of Prey 2 suggest that it will be very different to the original, though equally as mad. It will be a single player only, open world shooter set in a run-down future metropolis. The main character will be a free-running Sheriff with the unlikely name of “Killian Samuels,” and the game promises to have “the moving scheme from Mirror’s Edge, the freedom of Mass Effect and the fire fights of Killzone 2.”
Rift devs get help from a hacker and plug security flaws
Since launch, Trion World’s new MMO, Rift, has been under constant attack from hackers trying to steal accounts. Trion Worlds have been fighting back against the attacks with the help of a benevolent hacker who spotted a huge security flaw in Rift’s system, and contacted the developers to help them fix the problem. Trion Worlds have since launched a “one-two punch” of security updates over the weekend to help protect player accounts.
Interview: Op Flash: Red River creative director talks realism, co-op, and the state of PC gaming
Earlier this month we reported on some controversial quotes from an interview with Sion Lenton, creative director on Operation Flashpoint: Red River. He spoke to PC Gamer about the current state of PC gaming, the importance of realism, and the new direction that Codemasters are taking the franchise.
We are now able to post the entire transcript for your reading pleasure.
