PC Gaming

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Writer Needed, 451 Press, PC Gaming

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

It’s time for a new weekly feature: The PC Gaming Trivia Question of the Week!

Every week I will post a new trivia question, and the next week I will post the answer along with a new question.

Well, here goes. Take your guesses in the comments section, but no cheating!

” According to GameRankings.com, what is the highest rated PC game of all time? ”

Good luck!

PC Gaming, GameRankings

Game publisher Atari has announced a new expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2, entitled Mask of the Betrayer. The new game will include a new campaign, more party members, and epic levels featuring new enviroments and enemies. Players will be transported back to the Forgotten Realms, and go through an epic and adventurous storyline that will keep fans entertained for weeks.

“Atari’s commitment to the Neverwinter Nights franchise and the enormous community is strong. We are on track to release the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion pack this Fall, less than one year since the launch of Obsidian’s outstanding sequel, and are confident the new features will deliver a role-playing experience that further engages and satisfies fans.” stated Nique Fajors, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Atari.

“Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer’s engrossing campaign will conclude the storyline that began in the original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on combat, exploration and classic D&D dungeon-crawling,” said Feargus Urquhart, CEO, Obsidian Entertainment. “We’re also making new advances in story and character development as well as improving upon the acclaimed companion Influence System used in both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2.”

In the expansion, along with new characters and enviroments, you’ll be able to use dozens of new spells, new races, new classes, new items, and new modding tools.

Mask of the Betrayer will be in stores this fall.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, Atari, Dungeons & Dragons

Funcom and Eidos have announced that over 100 000 people have signed up for the Age of Conan beta program that was launched last week. Over half of those people signed up within twenty-four hours of the beta’s announcement.

“

” We’re naturally very pleased to see that so many dedicated gamers are signing up for the ‘Age of Conan’ Beta at such a rapid pace,” says Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. “With more than 100,000 gamers signed up in such a short time-frame our confidence in the game’s potential and its ability to be a major contender in the MMO genre continues to be strengthened. ”

If the game sells at this rate, we could be looking at the next World of Warcraft. Who knows, it could even be bigger than World of Warcraft.

Age of Conan will be available on October 30th of this year.

Age of Conan, Funcom, Eidos

Ford has teamed up with EA to bring you new cars for your Sims. Anyone with the Sims 2 expansion packs Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, or Seasons can download a Mustang GT and driveway for their Sim house.

I wonder if this advertisement deal will bring other Ford cars to Sims fans. I can totally see my Sims driving in an ‘89 rusty pickup.

You can download the Ford Mustang GT from the Sims 2 website.

The Sims 2, Mustang GT, EA, Ford

The guys over at the GameReplays discussion forums are planning a big stress test type event for the RTS ‘Company of Heroes’. On April 13, thousands of players will log onto Relic’s servers in an attempt to break the current record of 1753 people online at one time. The event should be great fun and I hopefully we can expect some challenging matches between fans of the game.

To participate in the event, you’ll have to log onto the servers at the correct time. The times for different time zones are listed here:

- London UK: (GMT) 12:00am GMT on Saturday April 14th 2007
- East Coast US: (GMT-05:00) 7:00pm EST on Friday April 13th 2007
- Central US: (GMT-06:00) 6:00pm CST on Friday April 13th 2007
- West Coast US: (GMT-08:00) 4:00pm PST on Friday April 13th 2007

If you’re not doing anything Friday night, why not have some fun with some fellow strategy game fans? I’ll be there, and I hope you will too!

Company of Heroes, Relic, GameReplays

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but the engine from Crysis is starting to look a lot like the Unreal 3 engine used in games like Gears of War and Roboblitz. This new screenshot definitely furthers my point. Check out this beauty from the cover of GameReactor magazine.

Whatever it looks like, it looks awesome, and I can’t wait to try it out for myself. Computer graphics have sure come a long way since the days of Doom and Monkey Island.

[via News4Gamers]

Crysis, GameReactor

Shivering Isles, the latest Oblivion expansion pack, is getting great reviews, but will you be playing a broken game if you make the purchase? Websites across the US and Canada are reporting on a major bug in the Elder Scrolls IV add-on.

” The problem has been determined to derive from six scripts which control the patrolling patterns of certain guards. The scripts, which run even if you are not in the area, exhausts the internal allotment of identification numbers which are assigned to every object in the game (e.g. dropped arrows, weaponry). Once all the space is full, newly created objects disappear from the game world. ”

Even if you aren’t playing the game, the bug can still happen if you have it installed. Depending on your framerate, the bug will hit your game after 75-150 hours of gameplay. The Xbox 360 version is expected to experience the bug after 150 hours.

For now, gamers can only wait for a patch to fix the problems, or just play out the game and live with the bug. Hopefully we’ll see a patch in the near future.

[via Joystiq]

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Shivering Isles, Xbox 360

Whenever something new from Spore is released, I start to go a little crazy. I want to play this game so bad. If I had a choice between getting $1000 and waiting for Spore for a year or paying $50 dollars and playing it now, I would play it now without giving it a second thought. IT LOOKS. SO. AWESOME.

Anyways, GameVideos has put up some new footage of a spaceship totally owning a planet. I wish I could be that spaceship right now… or at least the guy controlling the spaceship… or at least the guy on the computer controlling the guy controlling the spaceship. Before I start rambling on, here’s the video.

DAMN! Will Wright is so cool, and he’s so smart and so awesome and DAMN. I want to play Spore. Is that not cool, or what?

Spore will be relased later this year, which is totally not soon enough. I want it now!

Spore, Will Wright, GameVideos

[via Destructoid]

Tommy over at PS3 Rally has posted a great preview of Frontlines: Fuel of War, complete with screenshots and everything. The game will be released onto the PC as well as the consoles, so you don’t need to visit your friends house or your living room everytime you want to play the game. I’m not going to console-bash or anything, but I hope the game has cross-platform multiplayer so I can take on and own my fellow 451 Press gamer bloggers. IT’S ON!

I think this game could turn out to be the next Half-Life. I’m getting quite anxious to play it myself. Anyways, to read the whole preview, visit PS3 Rally.

PS3 Rally, Frontlines: Fuel of War, Playstation 3

Gaming site WorthPlaying has posted five new screenshots for ‘World in Conflict’, a real-time strategy game that will be in stores this summer. These screens feature battle between the US and Russians in the midst of the Cold War. It’s kind of creepy to imagine what the world would be like today had the war actually gone like this.

I can’t wait to see what they do with this game, because the graphics and atmosphere look amazing. To see the images in full size, visit the link to WorthPlaying below.

World In Conflict, WorthPlaying

[via WorthPlaying]

Last week, many gaming websites were invited to an Enemy Territory: Quake Wars preview event. While PC Gaming Rally was not there, we’ve read the previews from the major gaming websites, and we are definitely impressed.

Here are some of the important details from some of the websites who previewed the game. To read the whole preview, click on the link at the top of each summary.

1up

Main Points:

- compared game to Battlefield series
- enjoyed deploying units to the battlefield
- there will be an SDK for Quake Wars modding community

” Splash Damage, co-creators of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, has found a way to add to the formula of objective-based shooters. You’re compelled to grab the next objective point, because you must in order for you to complete your underlying mission goal…

There is one feature — and we can’t figure out if this is good or bad — that gives your weapons the ability to destroy any vehicle in the game. The good part of this is that if you’re facing off with a tank, and you don’t have an anti-tank weapon in your arsenal, you’re assured that your machine gun can get the job done if you have enough bullets. ”

Game Informer

Main Points

- described game as a combined version of Battlefield 2, Unreal Tournament 2004 and Team Fortress Classic
- large Battlefield style maps
- five classes on both teams

” Playing a game of ET:QW for the most part controls like every other FPS since the first Quake. If you’ve played even one, you’ll be fine to just drop in. What makes the title’s controls stand out is not how they are mapped, but how they are used. The coolest feature Splash Damage has added is an “Easy” button. Normally, to complete and objective, a player would have to switch to the right item, place it, switch to another item and activate it and so on. The F key will actually just allow you to complete any objective by just holding it when you reach the spot…

ET:QW is all team-based gameplay. Each map will have different objectives that will be completed one after another with one side on the offence and the other on the defense. As a team of Humans (GDF) or Strogg (depending on the map) pushes forward, the battles are fought in new parts of the large maps and the spawn areas will even shift to follow along. ”

Gamespot

Main Points:

- big focus on team-based gameplay
- some weapons from Quake 4 to be included
- lots of intense battles in huge enviroments

” Quake Wars takes place in the near future in the Quake first-person shooter universe. More specifically, it takes place in the middle of a war between the human Global Defense Force (GDF) and the strogg, the alien race from 1997’s Quake II…

During our time with the game, we had a chance to explore three different maps, which were simply named “valley,” “sewer,” and “Area 22.” These maps took place in near-future versions of the Rocky Mountains, sewers beneath a Japanese city, and a bombed-out area in Nevada. ”

IGN

Main Points:

- structured like Return to Castle Wolfenstein
- many different objectives that must be completed
- ideal players in a round = 24

” Battles in Quake Wars are absolutely frantic, with detonations all around, tanks rolling over teammates, artillery batteries whizzing down from the skies, space-based laser cannons sweeping across the field, and of course a constant haze of bullets. Fighting is fluid as well, since combat shifts around so often as objectives are completed and one team gradually takes more and more ground…

Gameplay shifts depending on which objective is in contention. At Sewer’s beginning, players fight in an open field where vehicles and stationary turret weapons are a viable tool for combat. Near the end the action moves indoors, eliminating any air strike or turret abilities and forcing players to rely more on their shooting skills. ”

WorthPlaying

Main Points:

- release date this summer
- system requirements similar to Quake 4
- great graphics and smooth framerate

” Feel like being a champion of your race? Represent the GDF in Quake Wars and choose from five character classes: Soldier, Medic, Engineer, Field Ops, and Covert Ops. Each class has its own specific tasks, abilities, and weapon set. Soldiers have the best selection of firearms (including the rocket launcher and GPMG machine gun), but are simply there to dole out violence with extreme prejudice…

With one team on offense and the other defending a handful of structures, victory in a battle depends on whether or not the aggressor can complete all objectives. If 20 minutes pass without all objectives being fulfilled, the defending team will win the battle. Unlike respawn points, which can be reclaimed, completed objectives cannot be overturned by the defensive team. ”

***

Well, there you go. Five of the many sites who covered this game, combined into one post. I must admit, I’m jealous that I didn’t get to attend this event, because I think it would be awesome fun to check out this cool looking game. After checking out these previews, I’m really excited for this game, and I think it will be a great way to spend my summer or winter, depending on when it’s released.

Are you excited for this game? Did we miss an important part of any of the previews? Leave us a comment, they’re always welcome no matter what you have to say.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, 1up, Game Informer, IGN, Gamespot, WorthPlaying

EA has released patch 1.04 for Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Mainly, the patch focused on the multiplayer part of the game, providing fixes for any known Battlecast and lobby bugs.

Here’s the official statement from EA detailing the patch:

” Optimizations

–Made further improvements to video playback on low-end Windows XP system configurations.

Bug Fixes

–Fixed an error that caused some players to crash or disconnect while in online lobbies.

–Fixed an error that caused players with semicolon (’;'), colon (’:'), comma (’,'), or equal sign (’=') characters in their Online IDs to not be able to see and select options from dropdown menus in online multiplayer lobbies. These characters are no longer permissible in Online IDs.

–Fixed an error that caused players to desync when watching a BattleCast match in which one of the participants disconnected.

Other Fixes

–All online multiplayer game lobbies will now appear properly localized in different languages. ”

The patch is now available around the internet, including EA’s website.

Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, C&C3, 1.04, Battlecast

I hope everyone’s having a fine Easter weekend, but if you’re bored out of your mind, you might be intrigued by some of these April releases coming out this month. Starting May 1st, I’ll be doing this segment at the start of every month, but for now, you’ll have to settle for the 7th =)

Here are all of the April PC releases worth noting:

1. The Sims 2: Celebration Stuff

If you play the Sims 2, and you need some more stuff for your favourite Sims holidays, then you can pick up Celebration Stuff on your PC.

You’ll be able to party with new clothes and furniture, including a great bridal dress for your Sims wife, and all for the low price of about $17 dollars US!

2. Frontlines: Fields of Thunder

This tank simulator has been below average reviews left and right, but if you can’t get enough of blasting away at your friends, you might consider picking this one up.

It retails for only $29.99 US, so it’s not like you’re gonna be emptying your wallet for a plastic box and a cheap frisbee. It also might make a nice doorstep, coaster, or gift for your “friend”.

3. Ancient Wars: Sparta
If you enjoyed 300, you might be interested in kicking some Spartan ass yourself. This RTS features three playable races and lengthy single-player campaigns to please the inner warrior in you.

You can pick this game up for around $39.99 US, or if you can’t afford that, you can download the demo for absolutely free.

4. Lord of the Rings Online

And finally, J.R.R. Tolkien’s amazing fantasy world comes to life in the Lord of the Rings online, the latest MMO to hit your computer. If you haven’t played the beta already, the game is quite similar to other MMO’s, but it’s Lord of the Rings, so that takes the awesome level another step up.

This game retails for 50 bucks, but don’t expect the money to stop there. You’ll need to pay about 10 dollars a month, or a one time fee of 200 dollars to play this game forever. Perhaps it’s worth it, perhaps it’s not. It’s all up to you.

Whether it’s a Sims booster pack or a wallet-crushing MMOG, there’s always something to enjoy on your computer every month.

Stay tuned on May 1st, when I’ll talk about games like Halo 2 and Shadowrun. It’s a good year for games, and don’t you forget it!

April, The Sims 2: Celebration Stuff, Frontline: Fields of Thunder, Ancient Wars: Sparta, Lord of the Rings Online