Schlagwort: pc games

  • Heroes of the Storm™ Cinematic Trailer released

    Heroes of the Storm™ Cinematic Trailer released

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    Introducing the latest from Blizzard Entertainment — Heroes of the Storm.

    JOIN THE BETA

    Developed under the code name Blizzard All-Stars™, Heroes of the Storm is a raucous online team brawler starring your favorite Blizzard characters.

    To learn much more, visithttp://HeroesOfTheStorm.com, where in the weeks to come, you’ll find tons of videos, hero profiles, game features, information on how to join the public beta test, and more.

     

    Official Source: http://www.heroesofthestorm.com/de-de/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ecv0bT9DEo

  • Spec Ops: The Line for Mac releasing tomorrow

    Spec Ops: The Line for Mac releasing tomorrow

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    We are only a day away from launching Spec Ops: The Line for Mac on Steam! This gut wrenching tale of sand and souls has affected gamers the world over with its brutal portrayal of things gone wrong in a distant land.

    The ruins of Dubai is a character all its own in the tragic tale of Captain Walker and his crew. These relics of a modern age taken over by natural forces are more than simple set pieces to shoot guns in. Sands will shift and the tides of battle can turn on its whim putting you at the city’s mercy.

     

    And here below the minimum requirements for the game to run:

    MINIMUM MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

    • Mac OSX 10.7.5
    • 4GB RAM
    • Intel Dual Core processor

    Video card recommendations:

    • Radeon HD 4670/4850/4870

    • Radeon HD 5670/5750/5770/5870/6630/6750/6770/6970

    • GeForce 8800/9600/120/130/Quadro FX 5600

    • GeForce 9400/285/320/330/Quadro FX 4800

    • GeForce 640/650/660/675/680

     

    Official Source: http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/50300/

  • Call of Duty: Ghosts sells more than $1 Billion on retail copies on day one

    Call of Duty: Ghosts sells more than $1 Billion on retail copies on day one

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    Call of Duty: Ghosts is Gamestop’s Most Pre-ordered Next Gen Title

    Call of Duty: Ghosts Takes over the #1 Spot on Xbox Live

    Call of Duty: Ghosts Sets New High Watermark for Average Player Session Length

    Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that the company sold more than $1 billion of Call of Duty®: Ghosts into shops worldwide as of day one.

    „Call of Duty is by far the largest console franchise of this generation,“ said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. „More people have played Call of Duty this year than ever before, logging four billion hours of gameplay. And in the last 12 months, Call of Duty®: Black Ops II, including its digital content, generated more revenues than any other console game ever has in a single year. Although it is too early to assess sell-through for Call of Duty: Ghosts, it’s launching at a time when the franchise has never been more popular.“

    Millions of people are already playing Call of Duty: Ghosts online. Since its release yesterday, Call of Duty: Ghosts has moved to the #1 spot as the most played game on Xbox Live, according to Microsoft. Additionally, Activision confirmed that on the Xbox 360 videogames and entertainment system from Microsoft, average player sessions for Ghosts have been longer than either Black Ops II or Call of Duty®:Modern Warfare® 3, during the same time period.

    Call of Duty: Ghosts launched at 15,000 midnight openings around the world. Fans around the world shared their excitement in social media, with Call of Duty-related terms trending an astounding 20 times globally on Twitter in the last 24 hours.

    „Ghosts is an amazing game which ushers in the next generation of Call of Duty. The team at Infinity Ward has delivered yet another epic thrill ride in the campaign, and what I think is our best multiplayer game yet,“ said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. „This is the must have launch title for the next generation of consoles, and we expect Call of Duty: Ghosts to be the most successful launch title for the Xbox One and PS4 by a wide margin. In fact, according to GameStop, Call of Duty: Ghosts is their most pre-reserved next gen title.“

  • Need for Speed: Ken Block’s Gymkhana SIX – THE TEASER

    Need for Speed: Ken Block’s Gymkhana SIX – THE TEASER

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    Gymkhana SIX drops 11/11 (only 6 days away!). Check out Need for Speed’s teaser video in the meantime. http://youtu.be/Dxgzt6S_Qxo

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    Gymkhana SIX is coming November 11th. Here’s a little teaser of what to expect from Need For Speed’s Racing Advisor Ken Block and his newest installment in the Gymkhana series.

     

    Official Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151780475385765&set=a.161073115764.121142.139454585764&type=1

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxgzt6S_Qxo&feature=youtu.be

  • ‚Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition‘ gets official ‚Skyrim‘ makeover

    ‚Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition‘ gets official ‚Skyrim‘ makeover

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    Bethesda and Mojang are teaming up to bring a official content pack inspired by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition.

    The pack is currently in development by 4J Studios and will arrive „soon“. There’s no word yet if this pack is also coming to the PC version of the game.

    Skyrim_Screenshot_10 ku-xlarge ku-xlarge (1) ku-xlarge (2)

    Here’s the official announcement:

    Developed by our friends at 4J Studios, the mash-up features an exclusive Skyrim-themed texture set, 40 character skins, themed menus and user interface, craftable items, and more than 20 iconic selections from the original Skyrim soundtrack. On top of these features, the pre-set world recreates memorable areas including Whiterun, Riverwood, and Bleak Falls Barrow.

    Skyrim Mash-up – Content Breakdown

    • Skyrim themed texture set to apply to any existing or newly created Minecraft world.

    • 40 Skyrim characters skins to apply to player’s in-game avatars: Dragonborn (male), Dragonborn (female), Ancano, Elenwen, Argonian Fighter, Argonian Mage, Bosmer Archer, Bosmer Mage, Breton Mage, Forsworn Shaman, Dunmer Mage, Dunmer Assassin, Imperial Soldier, Vex, Khajiit Merchant, Stormcloak Soldier, Lydia, Orc Blacksmith, Orc Warrior female, Nazir, Saadia, Vampire Lord, Isran, Astrid, Aela the Huntress, M’aiq the Liar, Greybeard, Frost Troll, Flame Atronach, Dragon Priest, Hagraven, Draugr Deathlord, Sheogorath, Spriggan, Dwarven Centurion, Wispmother, Dremora Lord, Master Necromancer, Vilkas, Orc Warrior Male

    • Skyrim themed Menu, UI and Inventory including integrated Skyrim logo.

    • Skyrim music score featuring the following original tracks: Watch the Skies, Dragonborn, Awake, From Past To Present, The City Gates, Dragonsreach, Distant Horizons, Dawn, The Jerall Mountains, Secunda, Frostfall, Unbound, Far Horizons, The Streets of Whiterun, The White River, Standing Stones, Tundra, Journey’s End, Aurora, Solitude, Wind Guide You, Tooth and Claw, Into Darkness, Shadows and Echoes, Towers and Shadows, Death in the Darkness

    • Pre-made World recreating the area of Whiterun, Riverwood and Bleak falls Barrow (on a smaller scale in order to fit with technical constraints of the games map size limits)

    Is there a Trial available for Mash-up packs? If so, what do they include?

    There is and it includes everything so that players can see everything before they buy. However players won’t be able to save the creations they make with the trial version with unless they purchase the pack before they exit. They can also only look and not play with the skins that are part of the pack.

    Do Mash-ups affect gameplay?

    No, gameplay stays 100% Minecraft, the rest is up to the player’s imagination.

    What’s the price point of Mash-ups?

    $3.99/£2.69/€3.79

     

    Official Source: http://www.polygon.com/2013/11/1/5055004/official-skyrim-content-pack-coming-to-minecraft-xbox-360-edition

    http://de.bethblog.com/#more-24556

  • ‚Age of Empires II HD – The Forgotten‘ expansion release date set

    ‚Age of Empires II HD – The Forgotten‘ expansion release date set

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    Age of Empires II: Forgotten Empires HD Edition started its life as a fan-made mod developed by SkyBox Lab and Forgotten Empires, but then turned into an official expansion.

    Well, this one is now releasing on Steam on November 7. And, it will feature tons of new stuff like Steam workshop support, new expansion rankings, Twitch.tv Streaming, new maps, campaigns, civilizations, and steam trading cards…

    This will be the first official expansion for AoE II in over a decade. Here’s the full list of features:

    Civilizations

    Explore five ‘forgotten empires’, and master their unique units and technologies.

    • Italians
    • Indians
    • Slavs
    • Magyars
    • Incas

    New Campaigns

    Test your mettle with four campaigns and over a dozen never-seen-before missions.

    • Alaric
    • Sforza
    • Bari
    • Dracula

    Game Modes:

    Master new skirmish and multiplayer game modes!

    Popularized in later titles, the economically focused “Treaty” gametype will be available in AoF. Also commonly known as “No Rush”, Treaty mode enables a limited duration of battle-free early growth before focusing on military might.

    For a quick paced, action oriented battle the new “Capture the Relic” will see players rushing with their monks to take control of a single treasure and return it safely to base.

    New Maps

    Explore the unknown with new maps available through The Forgotten expansion. Defend your fortress perched on a hill or embrace the unpredictable in MegaRandom.

    Feeling claustrophobic? Quadruple the space and stretch out in the new LudiKRIS sized maps! Design expansive scenarios across vast stretches of terrain with editor support for up to 500 units, and share your creations with the community through the Steam workshop.

    New AI

    AoF will incorporate smarter, advanced AI designed to give even the best players a challenge. Designed to adapt to changing units and situations like real players, you’ll actually be able to learn effective strategies for PVP from the computer. Advanced control also allow unprecedented human / AI collaboration and teamwork for more exciting scenarios than ever before.

    Observer Mode

    The taste of victory is always sweeter when someone is watching. Start the game as a spectator and keep an eye on the action from multiple viewpoints, or invite your friend in to watch as you dominate the opponent with a new build.

    Direct Twitch.tv Streaming

    Streaming has never been easier with one click broadcasting directly through Age of Empires II: HD – The Forgotten. Demo latest scenario creation, game mod, or an intense multiplayer battle. If shout-casting is your forte, stream from Observer mode to highlight the very best in competitive play!

     

    Official Source: https://www.facebook.com/ageofempires2.forgottenempires

    http://www.incgamers.com/2013/10/age-of-empires-ii-hd-the-forgotten-expansion-gets-release-date

  • THE MIGHTY QUEST FOR EPIC LOOT – NEUER TRAILER STELLT AUFGESTOCK​TE ANPASSUNGS​OPTIONEN VOR

    THE MIGHTY QUEST FOR EPIC LOOT – NEUER TRAILER STELLT AUFGESTOCK​TE ANPASSUNGS​OPTIONEN VOR

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    Ubisoft® veröffentlichte einen neuen Trailer zu The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, in dem sich alles um die neuen Anpassungsoptionen dreht. Das unterhaltsame Free-to-Play-Spiel vom Entwicklerstudio Ubisoft Montréal entführt Spieler in die frevelhafte, mittelalterliche Fantasy-Welt Opulenzia, wo Wohlstand, Status und Selbstdarstellung das Leben bestimmen.

     

    Im Trailer präsentiert Cornelius Richling, Opulenzias erster Talentscout, ein breites Spektrum an Schloss-Stilen und „spektakeligen, exzellentulösen Kopfbekleidungen“ – genau richtig für Spieler, die stilvoll plündern und looten wollen. Mit den neuen Schloss-Stilen können Spieler ihr Anwesen individuell einrichten und so aus der Masse herausstechen. Obendrein können sie ihren persönlichen Stil mit den neuen Hüten zum Ausdruck bringen. All diese neuen Anpassungsoptionen sind direkt über das Schlossherz im Spiel zugänglich!

    MQEL_CA_BossRoom_Firesly_light MQEL_CA_BossRoom_Snottingham_light MQEL_CA_Entrance_Firesly_light MQEL_CA_Entrance_Snottingham_light MQEL_CA_Skybox_Firesly_light MQEL_CA_Skybox_Snottingham_light MQEL_Screenshot_3_hats MQEL_Screenshot_3_Themes MQEL_Screenshot_Archer_Heating_It_Up_Firesly_Theme MQEL_Screenshot_Knight_Kickin_It_Snottingham_Theme MQEL_Screenshot_Mage_Gets_Eerie_Spooky_Keep_Theme

    Diese neuen Features sind Bestandteil des monatlichen Updates von The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot™, das am Dienstag, den 22. Oktober veröffentlicht wird. Andere Features beinhalten neue Ausrüstungsfähigkeiten – das beste Loot kommt jetzt mit verheerenden magischen Nebeneffekten, Spieler haben die Möglichkeit ihre Schilde zu deaktivieren, es gibt mehr als 20 neue Burgzimmer und und und!

     

    Weitere Informationen zu The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot™, den Spielupdates und der Registrierung für die geschlossene Betafinden Sie unter: www.themightyquest.com

     

    Official Source: UBISFOFT Press Release

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8HUoPIcT8

  • Bound By Flame three new screenshots and Trailer revealed

    Bound By Flame three new screenshots and Trailer revealed

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    The bestiary in Bound by Flame has some amazing, impressive and unique creatures that have been created and brought to life by the talented Spiders teams, and the images released today provide a glimpse of what’s in store: here we see the game hero and his companions confronting formidable enemies like the Bone Golem, the general of the armies of the Living Dead and the terrifying Lich.

    Bound by Flame uses the combat system designed for Mars War Logs, the previous Spiders RPG where the highly dynamic and tactical approach to the combat proved a real hit with players, but goes further and offers players even greater variety and tactical depth in battles. This has been made possible by the richness and originality of the game bestiary, where every creature has attacks, special skills and, in particular, behavior that is unique to them, forcing the player to adapt his tactics and combat style depending on the composition of the groups of enemies he encounters.

    bound_by_flame-08_zps7c3f12e7 bound_by_flame-10_zpsa5f5a4e1 bound_by_flame-09_zps924509fe

    This, combined with the wide range of attacks available to the player, the use of magic and some impressive combat animations (seen recently in the first video teaser), make the battles in Bound by Flame both tactically complex and spectacular.

     

    Official Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kGYT4O6jiPY

    http://boundbyflame.com/

  • Batman: Arkham Origins Wii U and PC disc version delayed in Europe

    Batman: Arkham Origins Wii U and PC disc version delayed in Europe

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    Bad news we have here, it seems that the European owners of a Wii U or the PC users who wanted to get the new Batman: Arkham Origins on disc will have to wait until November 8 to get their hands on it. This is what Warner Bros has revealed on a recent interview by Eurogamer. The 3DS version of Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate will also be delayed to this date.


    Here’s the Eurogamer post about it:

     

    Warner Bros. has told Eurogamer that Batman: Arkham Origins‘ Wii U and physical PC versions will arrive in Europe on 8th November, a fortnight later than the game’s launch on other platforms.

    Strangely, the same isn’t true elsewhere. In North America, the game’s worldwide release date – next Friday, 25th October – applies across every version.

    It’s unclear what the difference is in Europe.

    PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions will still arrive next week in the UK, Warner Bros. reassured. So too will the PlayStation Vita version of Arkham Origins: Blackgate, a spin-off developed by the ex-Metroid Prime devs at Armature Studios.

    But the 3DS version of Blackgate is also going to arrive late in the UK – again, on 8th November.

    Finally, it’s worthwhile noting that there’ll be another difference between the US and UK’s Wii U editions of Arkham Origins – the price. North America will get a discounted RRP due the Wii U version’s lack of multiplayer mode. No plans have been announced for a similar discount in the UK – in fact at many retailers, the Wii U version is the most expensive.

    Official Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-10-18-batman-arkham-origins-pc-wii-u-versions-will-launch-two-weeks-late-in-europe

  • Dark Matter now on Steam and GOG

    Dark Matter now on Steam and GOG

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    Developed by InterWave Studios and published by Iceberg Interactive this horror survival side-scroller named Dark Matter has arrived on Steam and GOG, and is available for Linux, Mac and PC for just $15 excluding the 10% off launch offer (You get the three versions at once).


    For all of you than didn’t know the game, it is a tactical 2.5D adventure set in an abandoned spaceship full of alien enemies where you have to go trough 14 levels using you 4 weapons and the different ammo types for it.

     

    The Endeavour was a deep space exploration vessel, tasked with exploring an anomaly at the edge of our galaxy. A year into its mission, after a confusing burst of static about ‘light’ and ‘angels’, the Endeavour was never heard from again. Now, almost seventy years after that final transmission, you emerge from cryosleep to find the Endeavour a dying wreck, wedged in the ring of alien machinery that orbits the anomaly.

    Dark Matter is a 2.5D side-scrolling survival horror game, set in a derelict spaceship besieged by a sinister alien presence, and infested with deadly parasites. As the Ensign, you must explore fetid hallways and abandoned facilities, scavenging for parts and blueprints, expanding your arsenal to up to four deadly weapons and freely customize each to fit your combat style against intelligent, reactive enemies. Dark Matter delivers a hard-hitting take on the survival horror genre in deep space, with a heavy emphasis on tactical combat and exploration.

     

    Official Source: http://www.gog.com/game/dark_matter

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbPirB-DGRk&feature=player_embedded

    http://store.steampowered.com/app/251410

  • Ubisoft was worried that GTA V, Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty would hurt Watch Dogs

    Ubisoft was worried that GTA V, Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty would hurt Watch Dogs

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    According to Wedbush Securities‘ analyst Michael Pachter, the delay to Watch Dogs from November 2013 to Q2 in 2014 is likely to have been influenced by the crowded release schedule and the huge success of Grand Theft Auto V:

    „We believe that management was also concerned about the strong competition for wallet share Watch Dogs faced at the holidays from Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 4, and a new Call of Duty, among others,“ wrote Pachter in a note released yesterday.

    He added: „Grand Theft Auto V is only adding to industry uncertainty, as while it is bringing many previously-disconnected gamers back to the market, it also has achieved record-breaking sales that have tapped a certain percentage of gamer holiday spending months ahead of time.“

    Whatever the reason, he believes Ubisoft made the correct decision:

    „Given next-gen uncertainty and this very strong slate of competitors, we believe the two aforementioned delays were the right decision,“ he wrote.

    He added: „By releasing Watch Dogs in Q1:15, Ubisoft has given its developers the opportunity to fully maximize the game’s sales potential in FY:15 and build a lasting franchise that the company could use to offset any future weakness for its established key franchises (displayed most recently by the disappointing Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist).

    „We are somewhat concerned about competition in Ubisoft’s Q1, however, with games like EA’s Titanfall, Activision’s Destiny and Microsoft’s Halo 5 all targeting the same launch window. We don’t think it is important that Watch Dogs (or any of the other three games) launches in Q1, and we expect all of the game publishers to behave rationally when setting release dates to avoid competition wherever possible.“

    Official Source: http://www.videogamer.com/xboxone/watch_dogs/news/ubi_worried_gta_5_battlefield_4_and_call_of_duty_would_hurt_watch_dogs_says_pachter.html

    http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=698743

  • DIE SIEDLER® ONLINE  HALLOWEEN-PARTY ANGEKÜNDIGT

    DIE SIEDLER® ONLINE HALLOWEEN-PARTY ANGEKÜNDIGT

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Exklusive Ressourcen und unheilverkündende Bauwerke halten zu Halloween Einzug

        tso_logo_halloween_DE_small 

    Ubisoft® und Blue Byte® bereiten sich auf ein besonders schauerliches Halloween-Event für Die Siedler® Online vor. Ab dem 15. Oktober werden sich die Spieler an einer großen Auswahl neuer Spielinhalte, exklusiver Gebäude und neuer Buffs erfreuen können. Neben den bekannten Herausforderungen können sich erfahrene Spieler dieses Jahr außerdem einem brandneuen und epischen Bosskampf stellen.

     

    Eine neue serverweite Herausforderung

    Die Insel jedes Spielers wird von einem riesigen Golem angegriffen. Die Herausforderung besteht darin, die Kreatur zu besiegen und in die Flucht zu schlagen. Anstatt den Golem mit Militäreinheiten anzugreifen, müssen Spieler Verstärkungszauber (Buffs) produzieren und gegen ihn einsetzen.

    Village_light

    Durch den einmaligen Sieg über den Golem tragen die Spieler zum gemeinsamen Server-Erfolg bei, der dann erreicht ist, wenn die Hälfte der aktiven Spieler von Die Siedler® Online an dem Kampf gegen das Unheil teilgenommen hat. Jeder einzelne Spieler muss den Golem stürzen, um höhere Belohnungen für seinen Server zu erhalten. Der Golem kehrt nach jeder Niederlage erneut mit frischen und gesteigerten Kräften zurück, jeder erneute Triumph über ihn wird mit immer höheren Belohnungen versüßt.

    Golem_light

    improvedWarehouse_light

    Die Jagd nach Halloweenkürbissen

    LoadingScreen_Artwork

    Eine exklusive Quest-Reihe mit etlichen Sub-Quests wird Spielern die unterschiedlichen Möglichkeiten zeigen, Kürbisse zu finden. Diese können gegen besondere Halloween-Objekte eingetauscht werden wie beispielsweise Dekorationsartikel, Buffs und Gebäude. Dieses Jahr wird ein „Verbessertes Lager“ zum Tausch bereit stehen, welches den Spielern ermöglicht, mehr Ressourcen unterzubringen.

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    Spieler können kostenlos in die Welt von Die Siedler® Online eintauchen unter www.diesiedleronline.de

     

    Officical Source: Ubisoft Press Release

  • Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z coming to PC (Steam)

    Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z coming to PC (Steam)

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    Alongside the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

    Tecmo Koei has announced that Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z -the cel-shaded Ninja Gaiden spin-off from Team Ninja, Spark Unlimited and Comcept- will be released on Windows PC via Steam in addition to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

    The game follows ‚Yaiba‘, a ninja brought back to life with cyber technology and seeking revenge against Ninja Gaiden series protagonist Ryu…

    icon_xl (2)

    “Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is an impressive project led by the expertise of Team Nnija’s Yosuke Hayashi and Comcept’s Keiji Inafune, with the goal of creating a thrilling new experience for fans,” said Amos Ip, SVP and General Manager of Tecmo Koei America.

    “We are extremely pleased to offer Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z on PC through Steam, giving us the ability to reach as many gamers as possible with their action-packed creation.”

    The game is scheduled to be released in early 2014.

     

    Official Source: http://gematsu.com/2013/10/yaiba-ninja-gaiden-z-coming-to-pc-via-steam

  • SimCity Offline Mode being explored

    SimCity Offline Mode being explored

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    Maxis is finally „exploring“ an offline mode for SimCity, nearly seven months after the online-only simulation game launched to widespread server congestion and connectivity problems.

    However, according to the company, larger cities won’t be coming to the game at any point.

    raiselower_1

    Here’s the lengthy post at Maxis‘ official blog:

    It’s been seven months since we released SimCity and I wanted to take stock of where we are, respond to some questions and talk about the future.

    We’re Listening

    First, I want you to know that we are listening to your feedback. We dig deep into the forums, Facebook posts, and Twitter feeds every day to see what players are talking about. There is a lot of feedback and there is a clear passion for SimCity. That’s great to see. And while we appreciate positive feedback, we take very seriously the players who have criticisms. Players have high expectations of what goes into our games and we have an obligation to deliver.

    We continuously review this feedback alongside in-game telemetry to help us decide where to focus our game tuning and development efforts. We’ve formed dedicated teams to explore specific features. Some player requests, such as a tool to raise and lower roads, were straightforward challenges. Some of the larger asks, such as bigger city maps and an offline mode, have required more thought and exploratory work.

    Seven Months, Seven Major Updates

    We’ve released seven major updates in the last seven months, which have evolved the gameplay experience and the core of our simulation. GlassBox powered our first agent based simulation and this system created depth and complexity like we’ve never had before. This opened up a whole new world of tuning and we’ve spent our time making sure that all players, whatever track they take their cities through, are getting a challenging experience. I encourage you to watch Dan’s great talk from GDC 2013 to give you an idea of just how complex SimCity’s system really is.

    Traffic was always meant to be a challenge; in fact, many of our team considered traffic to be a strategy game all on its own. But, in reality, traffic was behaving irrationally. We got the player feedback and fixed it. Cars are smarter, buses are more intelligent in their routing, and the new raise/lower tool brought new ways to route traffic throughout the city. Tuning is the life blood of the simulation and we continue to monitor and make enhancements to the way GlassBox responds to our players. Stability and performance increases are also a constant area of focus for us; servers are stable and performance continues to improve on lower spec machines.

    We’ve also heard feedback on our strategy and pricing for DLC. My commitment on DLC for SimCity is that we do not force players to purchase game elements that are essentially helping to tune the simulation or fix specific issues. And for that optional content, we always want players to feel like it’s valuable. Along with paid DLC, we’ve also been providing free content. The first two million players received the Launch Park, we recently released new hotels and houses of worship, and we’re planning to release additional free content soon – more region maps, more free buildings and more.

    User Generated Content (UGC) Discussions Underway

    Maxis has a long tradition of supporting User Generated Content (UGC) and the UGC community. We have begun a discussion with our players with the ultimate goal of giving you space to mod while assuring all our players that the multiplayer gameplay experience is safe and has integrity. It’s difficult to determine what makes a “good” or safe mod and what mods cross the line. Clarifying guidelines for UGC will help players understand where that line is. We want to have an open discussion with our community about what you want out of SimCity and hear your thoughts about UGC guidelines. To join the discussion go here.

    Exploration for Offline Mode is Happening

    Right now we have a team specifically focused on exploring the possibility of an offline mode. I can’t make any promises on when we will have more information, but we know this is something that many of our players have been asking for. While the server connectivity issues are behind us, we would like to give our players the ability to play even if they choose not to connect. An offline mode would have the additional benefit of providing room to the modding community to experiment without interfering or breaking the multiplayer experience.

    Bigger Cities

    City sizes have been a constant point of conversation among our players since we released the game. The game’s original design focused on the density of an intimate urban environment. It was about intercity connectivity and the challenge of managing a region of cities instead of one metropolis in isolation. However, we recognize that many players have expressed the desire to build up one big city rather than manage the interrelationship of multiple smaller cities.

    We’ve put months of investigation into making larger city sizes, reworking the terrain maps, changing the routing algorithms of our agent-based system and altering the way that GlassBox processes the data in a larger space.

    After months of testing, I confirm that we will not be providing bigger city sizes. The system performance challenges we encountered would mean that the vast majority of our players wouldn’t be able to load, much less play with bigger cities. We’ve tried a number of different approaches to bring performance into an acceptable range, but we just couldn’t achieve it within the confines of the engine. We’ve chosen to cease work on bigger city sizes and put that effort into continuing to evolve the core game and explore an offline mode. Some of the experiments we conducted to improve performance on bigger cities will be rolled into future updates to improve overall game performance.

    Cities of Tomorrow

    Two weeks ago we announced SimCity Cities of Tomorrow expansion pack. You can read more about that here, but what I want to make clear is that we have a separate team working on Cities of Tomorrow. It does not divert attention away from enhancing the core game and finding a way to bring our game offline.

    Thank You

    Our launch wasn’t what anyone on the team hoped for. We think about this every single day, but we’re proud of how far we’ve come over the past few months.

    Like you, I’m a SimCity fan and a passionate gamer. That passion for the original SimCity was one of the influences that led me to study Government in college and to work on Capitol Hill. But my love of gaming drove me from Washington DC to California to join Will Wright’s studio 17 years ago. SimCity is in my blood and if there’s one thing I know about Maxis is that it attracts a certain kind of game maker, those who love simulations and take personal joy in bringing these worlds to life. We’re all passionate about SimCity and we want to make it better.

    So that’s the state of SimCity right now and we feel that it’s improving every day. Agree or disagree, tweet me at @EAGamer and let’s get the conversation going.

    Official Source: http://www.simcity.com/en_US/blog/article/state-of-simcity

    http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/4/4802548/simcity-may-finally-add-offline-mode-says-maxis

  • You want to Play GTA IV in 4K on your PC, or how GTA V PC will maybe look like?!

    You want to Play GTA IV in 4K on your PC, or how GTA V PC will maybe look like?!

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    What you see above is a 4K shot of the PC version of GTA IV with some mods applied. The author of this impressive work is Raphael Smith who has explained how he did it:

    “I have a Steam version of GTA IV which I modded with Better City Textures, GTA IV Road Textures by Fonias, Supreme Vehicle Conversion Pack-140 vehicles, Traffic Control System V1.0B, DKTronics70 Vegetation, and a first-person mod by C06alt. Then used IcEnhancers beta 1.25 ENB for the lighting.”

    Grand Theft Auto Patch by Rockstar Games!

    If you got Problems Installing follow this Link -> https://support.securom.com/pop_gtaiv.html

    WARNING!! FULL INSTALLATION HAS MORE THAN 25GB ON HARDDISK!!

    8517615658_42eecf8c59_o 8517614178_77a8fdf217_o 8516499963_54ec429b3b_o 8516500551_ac0fa5e642_o 8517616932_a4793224fd_o
    However, all this visual work has a big con, the system he used was only capable of running the game at 5 fps (3384×2160) but worked great at 30-50 fps (1920×1080).

     

    Official Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15539352@N02/sets/72157632886023166/