Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comJoystiq hands-on: Left 4 Deadhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-left-4-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-left-4-dead/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-left-4-dead/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

L4D
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Having fortunately escaped a swift booting from last night's EA Spring Break event by PR folk for making an innocent (we swear) "If you make a sequel, will it be titled Right 4 Dead?" query, we sat down and got our kill-on in Turtle Rock Studios' PC and Xbox 360 shooter. Our first thought: Maybe this shouldn't be published under the EA Games label; EA Sims might suit it better. Because, frankly, we can't conjure a game that could better be described as a "zombie apocalypse simulator." Take that, GT5, with your "driving" simulation.

Highlighting the four-player Survivor co-op mode, the event's Left 4 Dead station featured four HP Blackbird PCs, so we were definitely experiencing the game as an owner of a high-spec gaming rig would. To that end, the game is looking even better than it did at previous showings, wowing us with a bevy of neat visual tricks (flashlights produce rainbow halos when you stare at them straight on, for instance) and fluid character animation that had us making mental comparisons to Call of Duty 4's lifelike character motion. Left 4 Dead's visual style -- which is largely realistic with just enough style and saturation to lend it a slight arcade hue -- worked its magic and we were soon firmly in the game world's clutches. Not that we were complaining.
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]]>eaea-spring-break-2008handsonl4dleft-4-deadturtle-rock-studiosvalve2008-05-13T19:00:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Battlefield Heroeshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-battlefield-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-battlefield-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/13/joystiq-hands-on-battlefield-heroes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


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Producer Alexander Grondal said the team wants Battlefield Heroes to run on your Grandma's PC and -- with a sub-250MB download and the ability to run on Intel's anemic integrated video offerings -- we're sure it will. But that doesn't mean Grams is going to kick the Pogo crack pipe and be racking up levels in Heroes anytime soon. It's about as simple a shooter as you can imagine -- everything from the cartoon aesthetic to the streamlined controls reinforce the game's message: have fun -- but it's still a shooter at heart.

It's a curious message coming from the same team that's been bringing the popular, and complicated, multiplayer Battlefield games to the hardcore shooter fans of the world. Has some of their audience grown up? Run out of free time? Still using the same gaming rig they built to play Battlefield 1942 in 2002?

In our brief experience with the game at EA's Spring Break event in San Francisco last night, we were initially disoriented by the third-person perspective. Even though you see your character, Heroes doesn't play like a third-person shooter; it's an FPS through and through. A quick mental adjustment later, and we were running after enemies, grabbing flags, flying planes, and driving tanks.
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]]>Battlefield-HeroesDICEEAEA-Spring-Break-2008handson2008-05-13T15:30:00+00:00Gears of War 2 gameplay footage debuthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/gears-of-war-2-gameplay-footage-debut/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/gears-of-war-2-gameplay-footage-debut/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/10/gears-of-war-2-gameplay-footage-debut/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Gears of War 2 gameplay footage is now out in the wild. Ready for some Locust-cutting action? We'll let the video speak for itself, embedded above. Update: Two more videos -- an 'Assault' gameplay and an analysis video -- can be found after the break.

Continue reading Gears of War 2 gameplay footage debut

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]]>breakingnewsgears-of-wargears-of-war-2gow22008-05-10T01:11:00+00:00New Bond game Quantum of Solace runs on COD4 engine, launching with moviehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/new-bond-game-quantum-of-solace-runs-on-cod4-engine-launching-w/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/new-bond-game-quantum-of-solace-runs-on-cod4-engine-launching-w/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/new-bond-game-quantum-of-solace-runs-on-cod4-engine-launching-w/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The upcoming 007 game just got an ammo clip of good news.* Quantum of Solace, currently in development at Treyarch, is running on the Call of Duty 4 game engine and due out this Fall alongside the movie. "We look forward to launching Bond: Quantum of Solace in Q3 concurrent with movie. This game uses the Call of Duty 4 engine and technology to bring Bond games to a new level," said Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith in a conference call yesterday (36:20 mark).

Why does this excite us? Simply put: COD4 is one of the best multiplayer experiences currently available on consoles, and it gives us hope that this version will be able recapture the magic we felt when we first tried split-screen Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64. It also gives us an idea as to what platforms we can expect to see the game on -- likely Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and perhaps PC. Quantum of Solace, the film, is releasing October 31 in the UK, November 7 in North America.

* Note: Fear not, the writer of this joke has indeed been eliminated.

Continue reading New Bond game Quantum of Solace runs on COD4 engine, launching with movie

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]]>007activisionbondcall-of-duty-4cod4james-bondquantum-of-solacetreyarch2008-05-09T15:30:00+00:00Portal gets new Flash-inspired mapshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/portal-gets-new-flash-inspired-maps/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/portal-gets-new-flash-inspired-maps/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/portal-gets-new-flash-inspired-maps/#commentsFiled under: ,


So we're sure you all remember our love for Portal: The Flash Version in which We Create Stuff took all the fun of Portal and bludgeoned it with a digital hammer until it could fit into two dimensions. Now, like in some sort of Tom and Jerry cartoon, We Create Stuff's Hen Mazolski has inserted a bike pump into the flattened game's mouth and re-inflated it to 3D, with all of the Flash versions' levels intact.

This is no mere rehash of the Flash game, though that, in and of itself, would have been impressive. At around 3 1/2 hours, this is a complete experience, with GLaDOS' urgings and taunting remixed to provide an alternate take on the Enrichment Center experience. If you're a fan of Portal, you really shouldn't miss it.
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]]>mappackportalvalvewe-create-stuff2008-05-08T08:25:00+00:00Mirror's Edge reflects on Unreal Engine 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/mirrors-edge-reflects-on-unreal-engine-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/mirrors-edge-reflects-on-unreal-engine-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/mirrors-edge-reflects-on-unreal-engine-3/#commentsFiled under: ,


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Although they have an in-house engine for the Battlefield series (Frostbite), EA DICE has gone with Epic's mega-popular Unreal Engine 3 for the Parkour-inspired Mirror's Edge. According to the development team (via Electronic Arts PR), the reason was that the Mirror's Edge project began early on in Frostbite's development, so they decided to use the more-developed Unreal technology instead.

DICE is also developing "a new lighting solution that truly makes Mirror's Edge stand-out visually." If you haven't had a chance to check out the trailer, do so now. Full statement after the break.
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Continue reading Mirror's Edge reflects on Unreal Engine 3

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]]>diceea-diceepicepic-gamesmirrors-edgeunrealunreal-engine-3unrealengine32008-05-07T16:30:00+00:00Far Cry 2 intro trailer mixes gameplay with developer commentaryhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/far-cry-2-intro-trailer-mixes-gameplay-with-developer-commentary/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/far-cry-2-intro-trailer-mixes-gameplay-with-developer-commentary/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/far-cry-2-intro-trailer-mixes-gameplay-with-developer-commentary/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ubisoft recently released an introductory video for Far Cry 2, its upcoming human-hunt across the African plains. The trailer mixes clips of Ubi Montreal developers talking and actual gameplay footage. Although we got some footage showing off the game's engine earlier this year, we really haven't seen gameplay footage since Leipzig.

The developer clips in this trailer are actually quite entertaining, with Far Cry 2's art director, Alex Amancio, explaining how the team almost got eaten by lions while camping in Africa (silly Quebecers, should have hired someone with lion-mastering experience). Far Cry 2 is expected later this year and will allegedly be the same game on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
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]]>far-cry-2farcryfarcry2introductionubisoft2008-05-07T16:00:00+00:00Doom 4 announced, id Software hiringhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/doom-4-announced-id-software-hiring/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/doom-4-announced-id-software-hiring/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/doom-4-announced-id-software-hiring/#commentsFiled under: ,

Turns out those blood-thirsty demons just won't stay dead. Id Software has announced that Doom 4 has begun production as of today. According to the press release, the studio is now hiring for the project. Said CEO Todd Hollenshead, "Doom is part of the id Software DNA and demands the greatest talent and brightest minds in the industry to bring the next installment of our flagship franchise to Earth."

No other details were given, but we're guessing it'll run off of id Tech 5 (or perhaps something greater). Given the ending of the Doom 3 expansion Resurrection was pretty conclusive, we don't know where the team will take the Doom story next. Our guess? Probably send a space marine to Hell to fight demons. Perhaps this time he (or she) will pack a better flashlight.

Id Software is a prolific partner of Activision, who published Doom 3, Quake 4 and Quake Wars. Check out Activision's Family Album to learn more about the company's internal studios.
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]]>breakingnewsdoomdoom-4idid-software2008-05-07T12:59:00+00:00Haze PSN demo hits in Europe, coming to US tomorrowhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/haze-psn-demo-hits-in-europe-coming-to-us-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/haze-psn-demo-hits-in-europe-coming-to-us-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/07/haze-psn-demo-hits-in-europe-coming-to-us-tomorrow/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's been a long time coming, but Ubisoft's Free Radical-developed shooter, Haze, has finally been given the demo treatment, with the publisher sending word that a single and multiplayer-flavored demo is now available over PSN in Europe and that the same hors d'oeuvre will make the rounds in the U.S. starting May 8.

As if offering apology for Haze's numerous delays, the demo will include both a sampling of the game's single player campaign called "Salva Region," as well as "drop-in drop-out" co-op multiplayer for up to four players online or over a LAN, or with two players via split-screen. We're sure that there is some "coming out of the haze" joke to be made here, but honestly, after months of waiting we're simply all joked out.
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]]>co-opco-operativedemofree-radicalfreeradicalhazeubisoft2008-05-07T11:00:00+00:00See Mirror's Edge in PlayStation Day footage [update]http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/see-killzone-2-mirrors-edge-in-playstation-day-footage/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/see-killzone-2-mirrors-edge-in-playstation-day-footage/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/see-killzone-2-mirrors-edge-in-playstation-day-footage/#commentsFiled under: ,

Update: Videos for Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 have been removed at Sony's request. "This was an internal video to show work in progress and was not ready for distribution." We will post new media when it is available.

If you were furiously pounding F5 to follow along with PS3 Fanboy's live coverage of PlayStation Day 2008, you probably felt a little pang of sadness as our man, Jem Alexander, got to see some new footage from Mirror's Edge, Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 while you had to make do with reading his text second-hand.

Now, you can make amends and see the videos directly from the show for yourself. Oh, and you should know that the audio on the Killzone clip seems to become a little crazy at the end, but we're hoping you still get the idea. You can find Resistance Mirror's Edge after the break right here.
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]]>diceguerrilla-gamesinsomniackillzonekillzone-2mirrors-edgeplaystation-day-2008resistanceresistance-2scee2008-05-06T13:00:00+00:00UK Pub Deep Silver to bring S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky to North Americahttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/uk-pub-deep-silver-to-bring-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-clear-sky-to-north-am/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/uk-pub-deep-silver-to-bring-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-clear-sky-to-north-am/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/06/uk-pub-deep-silver-to-bring-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-clear-sky-to-north-am/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky shipping worldwide on August 29, Deep Silver has announced that it will handle publishing duties in North America for developer GSC Game World's upcoming prequel to 2007's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. We think it's particularly interesting that Deep Silver, a UK-based studio that only established a US footprint last month in Los Angeles, has been trusted to steer the game's North American debut instead of THQ, which handled the original game's release last year.

As the latest in GSC's considerable plans for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe, the game promises a "what-if" look at the events leading up to last year's FPS/RPG hybrid, and according to Deep Silver was "created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies" -- especially, we assume, any tech that can give rise to hordes of radioactive beasties.
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]]>deep-silverdeepsilvergsc-game-worldgscgameworlds.t.a.l.k.e.r.stalkerstalker-clear-skythq2008-05-06T09:25:00+00:00Valve: Left4Dead will come to PS3 if another dev wants to port ithttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/valve-left4dead-will-come-to-ps3-if-another-dev-wants-to-port-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/valve-left4dead-will-come-to-ps3-if-another-dev-wants-to-port-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/valve-left4dead-will-come-to-ps3-if-another-dev-wants-to-port-i/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Valve's multiplayer survival-horror romp Left4Dead is due out later this year, but it won't be coming to the PlayStation 3. Said Valve's Doug Lombardi, "We're not PS3 developers -- we're doing PC and 360 like with Orange Box" (Via CVG). He said that Valve would consider a PS3 port if L4D ends up a success and if another dev wanted "to take on that investment and risk" to port the game.

Lombardi explained that the PS3 port of Orange Box came about after Electronic Arts offered to do the port -- and we've all heard the story of that one.
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]]>left-4-deadleft4deadportturtle-rockturtle-rock-studiosvalve2008-05-05T19:00:00+00:00Halo 3 celebrates Cinco de Mayo with double XPhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/halo-3-celebrates-cinco-de-mayo-with-double-xp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/halo-3-celebrates-cinco-de-mayo-with-double-xp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/halo-3-celebrates-cinco-de-mayo-with-double-xp/#commentsFiled under: ,


Everyone knows that Cinco de Mayo celebrates when Mexican Spartan forces destroyed a batch of French Covenant troops in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. So it seems only fitting that the bravery and sacrifice of those armored soldiers be honored with a Halo 3 Double XP weekend (which has already kicked off) and a new playlist for Fiesta (which spawns players with random weapons) called "Cinco de Mayo."

Two words of warning before you begin jamming cervezas and the right trigger: 1. Everyone can get double XP but you need the Heroic and Legendary map packs to play in "Cinco de Mayo." 2. The party only lasts until Tuesday, with the fiesta becomes a siesta.
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]]>bungiedouble-xp-weekendhalohalo-3halo32008-05-02T13:45:00+00:00Crytek turns back on PC exclusivity, cites piracyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/crytek-turns-back-on-pc-exclusivity-cites-piracy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/crytek-turns-back-on-pc-exclusivity-cites-piracy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/30/crytek-turns-back-on-pc-exclusivity-cites-piracy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Crysis developer and PC gaming evangelist Crytek may soon fly the flag of multiplatform solidarity, as company president Cevat Yerli revealed in a recent interview that the studio will no longer create games exclusively for the PC due to poor sales and game piracy that he says is "encompassing Crysis."

The comments were made as part of an interview with Croatian magazine PC Play, during which Yerli stated that "I believe that's the core problem of PC gaming, piracy ... It was a big lesson for us and I believe we won't have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future." He added that while the company will continue to create games for the PC, these titles will not be released solely for that platform.

Of course, this brings into question not only the oft-rumored PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 ports of Crysis, but also the game's planned trilogy of sequels. While Yerli wasn't asked as to the fate of subsequent games in the Crysis canon, he did comment that bringing Crysis "as we have seen" to consoles would be "impossible," and that the game would have to be "largely changed" to be brought to either the PlayStation 3 of Xbox 360. We continue to dream of playing the game from the comfort of our couch, though Yerli's remarks that the company's focus "is not linked to bring Crysis to consoles" has a single high-def tear running down our cheek.

[Via Team Xbox]
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]]>crysiscrytekexclusivepiracyport2008-04-30T11:00:00+00:00Valve releases Team Fortress 2 Gold Rush update, new Medic weapons [update]http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/valve-releases-team-fortress-2-gold-rush-update-new-medic-weapo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/valve-releases-team-fortress-2-gold-rush-update-new-medic-weapo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/valve-releases-team-fortress-2-gold-rush-update-new-medic-weapo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Team Fortress 2 Gold Rush update is now available for free download via Steam. The update includes the Gold Rush map with its own gameplay style dubbed Payload. Perhaps more important than the map, this update marks the first set of new achievements and unlockable weapons.

The first class to receive the update is the Medic, who can earn three new weapons -- Blutsauger, Kritzkrieg and Ubersaw -- obtained by earning 12, 24 or all 36 new medic achievements, respectively. All the new achievements, including a complete Medic icon set (PNG files) can be found at the Gold Rush site.

Update: It's also worth noting that this weekend, May 2 - 4, Steam users can play Team Fortress 2 for free. That includes the Gold Rush update. You can pre-load the game now.
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]]>breakingnewsteam-fortressteam-fortress-2tf2valve2008-04-29T22:43:00+00:00Portal rejected from XBLAhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/portal-rejected-from-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/portal-rejected-from-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/portal-rejected-from-xbla/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Considering Valve released Portal as a separate title on its Steam digital distribution service, gamers might have been confused as to why the developer didn't pursue a similar avenue with the game on Xbox 360, via the Xbox Live Arcade service. As it turns out, it did, but the title was rejected due to size limitations and other unnamed reasons.

GamesIndustry.biz reports that during Portal's development, Valve did approach Microsoft to make the title available through XBLA, but several factors made the title an undesirable candidate for the service. Still, marketing director Doug Lombardi does state that the company is always happy to renegotiate. Maybe we'll see Portal on XBLA one day, after all.
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]]>microsoftportalsteamvalvexbla2008-04-28T14:14:00+00:00Valve's Lombardi: No Portal 2 in 2008http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/valves-lombardi-no-portal-2-in-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/valves-lombardi-no-portal-2-in-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/valves-lombardi-no-portal-2-in-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


We're making a note here: huge disappointment -- since Kim Swift's February interview with X-Play, where she mentioned the existence of a Portal 2 project, we've been salivating at the thought of the continued adventures of Chell, GlaDOS, WC³, and the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Unfortunately, it seems we'll be wearing our spit guards for quite some time -- according to a recent Eurogamer interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi, any sort of continuation of the beloved franchise will not be hitting store shelves this year.

Lombardi expressed Valve's desire to create an equally "revolutionary" successor to the lightning-in-a-bottle first person puzzler, rather than cash in on the franchise at the height of its popularity with a quick and dirty sequel. Oh, Lomby, can't we have both? We're all about instant gratification -- especially gratification involving cake, and a particular silent, springheeled heroine.
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]]>douglombardihalf-life-2lombardiorangeboxportalportal-2sequelvalve2008-04-26T18:00:00+00:00Korn's Haze-inspired music assaults our earshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/korns-haze-inspired-music-assaults-our-ears/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/korns-haze-inspired-music-assaults-our-ears/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/korns-haze-inspired-music-assaults-our-ears/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We were initially indifferent when first told of nu metal rockers Korn's vocal enthusiasm for Haze, or as vocalist Jonathan Davis so eloquently calls it, "the shit." However, after now exposing our ears to the band's Haze-inspired title track, we can't help but hope that the aural assault will be kept at an absolute minimum once Ubisoft pushes the game from out of the mist.

The two and a half minute scream session not withstanding, the video does show off a bevy of CG and gameplay for Free Radical's overly-yellow shooter, which is currently circled -- in pencil mind you -- on our calender for release around May 20 or so, which should be right around the time our ears stop ringing.

Continue reading Korn's Haze-inspired music assaults our ears

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>hazekornmusicubisoft2008-04-24T11:25:00+00:00Don't expect a split-screen patch for UT3 on PS3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/dont-expect-a-split-screen-patch-for-ut3-on-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/dont-expect-a-split-screen-patch-for-ut3-on-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/dont-expect-a-split-screen-patch-for-ut3-on-ps3/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to Videogamer, Epic's Mark Rein says PS3 owners shouldn't expect Unreal Tournament III's split-screen option for Xbox 360 to be patched into their version of the game. To compensate, he says they "should be happy" that they have user-generated mod support.

Rein explains it would be a "big job" to go back and retrofit the PS3 version and doesn't believe Epic has the resources to devote to such a project. He says more mod support will be added to the PS3 version of the game, but wouldn't go into specifics. The Xbox 360 version of UT3 is expected "this summer."
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>epicsplit-screenunreal-tournament-3unreal-tournament-iiiunrealtournament3ut32008-04-21T19:15:00+00:00Real-time Call of Duty card game coming in Fall '08http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/real-time-call-of-duty-card-game-coming-in-fall-08/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/real-time-call-of-duty-card-game-coming-in-fall-08/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/real-time-call-of-duty-card-game-coming-in-fall-08/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Here at Joystiq, we've always felt that the intense, highly realistic military action of the Call of Duty games would be better captured by a card game. Thankfully, someone at Upper Deck had the same idea, because the company announced the Call of Duty Real-time Card Game at this weekend's New York Comic Con.

MTV's Stephen Totilo got an early demo of the game, which comes off as a mix between the Pokémon TCG and the traditional card game Spit. Players lay down soldiers, protective cover and weapon cards as fast as possible, until someone plays a "freeze" card and all the damage and effects get tallied up. The game will be based on the non-modern Call of Duty games (sorry, COD4 fans) and could possibly include special cards that unlock in-game content for Call of Duty 5 (much like similar cards in the World of Warcraft card game) -- though this feature isn't yet confirmed. Look for it in stores this Fall.

Read - MTV playtest impressions
Visit - Official Upper Deck game site
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

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