Joystiq

Braving the elements in Company of Heroes 2

David Hinkle — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST

There's a panicked struggle at the heart of every engagement in Company of Heroes 2's multiplayer mode. While a lot of real-time strategy games will emphasize squad matchups as a primary means of success in force, Company of Heroes 2 has a much more dynamic environment constantly providing interesting variables to every skirmish.

Much of my own success was ensuring my squads were pressed up against a wall or moving from building to building - staying out of the open. Most real-time strategy enthusiasts and really anyone who's seen a war movie in their life will tell you that's basic stuff, but what makes it feel so special in Company of Heroes 2 is just how rewarding it is to see it impact gameplay. A squad with good cover can take on several adversaries and still live to tell the tale.

Gallery: Company of Heroes 2 (Multiplayer)

Continue reading Braving the elements in Company of Heroes 2

Braving the elements in Company of Heroes 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Company of Heroes movie trailer traps soldiers behind enemy lines

David Hinkle — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST

The last time THQ got involved in the movie business, things didn't turn out so well for the associated game. But we have faith all will be good in the adaptation of real-time strategy series Company of Heroes. This first trailer has it all: Nazis, explosions and Tom Sizemore squinting at stuff.

Company of Heroes movie trailer traps soldiers behind enemy lines originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Planetary Annihilation, a new RTS Uber wants to get Kickstarted

David Hinkle — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST

Super Monday Night Combat developer Uber Entertainment is looking to branch out from its free-to-play MOBA game and create a real-time strategy title called Planetary Annihilation. Of course Uber is using Kickstarter to finance the $900,000 cost of the game, but they're also taking donations directly through its Planetary Annihilation website.

Planetary Annihilation aims to do just that: present "Total Annihilation-inspired gameplay on a planetary scale." Players will wage galactic war and conquer entire solar systems, or games can be scaled back to take place on a single planet. Like other RTS games, Planetary Annihilation will allow players to create their own maps - in this case, their own planets and systems - which players will be able to publish and share to the community.

Multiplayer skirmishes can have anywhere between two and 40 participants. And to handle the load of these intense skirmishes, Planetary Annihilation will employ a client-server model to handle the lion's share of work running multiplayer matches, so that real-time multiplayer won't be bogged down by those with lesser-quality rigs.

Planetary Annihilation, a new RTS Uber wants to get Kickstarted originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Total War: Rome 2 trailer is full of murder and intrigue, light on strategy

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:30:00 EST

Have the folks at The Creative Assembly been studying up on Spartacus?

Total War: Rome 2 trailer is full of murder and intrigue, light on strategy originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Company of Heroes 2 wants to remind you of World War 2's Russian casualties

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST

War is hell, and it never changes, as we've been repeatedly told by video games. Company of Heroes 2, however, isn't about a fictional future proxy war or some such - it's about the Russian front during World War 2. It's about firing on your own soldiers who were terrified enough to retreat. It's about being handed ammo without a gun because there isn't enough money to afford the luxury of both guns and ammunition, and being told to grab a gun from one of your fallen comrades when you get a chance.

In case it weren't clear, the trailer above for Company of Heroes 2 attempts to elucidate that reality - a reality you'll be carefully navigating come next year when the game launches on PC.

Gallery: Company of Heroes 2 (6/28/12)

Company of Heroes 2 wants to remind you of World War 2's Russian casualties originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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End of Nations E3 trailer gets play-by-play treatment

Mike Suszek — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST

Trion's MMO real-time strategy game End of Nations got a new E3 trailer loaded with in-game battles and voice-over commentary. The free-to-play game will go through a "PvP preview" period this summer, and is slated to launch this fall.

End of Nations E3 trailer gets play-by-play treatment originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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End of Nations nears launch, open beta coming soon

Mike Schramm — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

Last time we saw End of Nations, Trion's massively multiplayer real-time strategy followup to its popular Rift, the core gameplay hearkened back to developer Petroglyph's old home of Westwood Studios and its Command & Conquer games. Yes, this is an RTS game focused more on map control and exploration than base-building, but the goal was still to move a group of units around a top-down map, something that RTS players know plenty about.

Now, however, Trion is much farther along in the game's development, so much so that it's readying for a closed beta in just a few weeks. And as Game Director Dave Luehmann unveils a much more polished build of his company's upcoming free-to-play strategy title, another interesting influence emerges: Riot Games' League of Legends.

Gallery: End of Nations (2/28/2012)

Continue reading End of Nations nears launch, open beta coming soon

End of Nations nears launch, open beta coming soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dawn of War 3 further detailed by THQ's Danny Bilson

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:45:00 EST

THQ executive vice president Danny Bilson is known for his many things -- his gorgeous shock of graphite hair, his devil-may-care attitude, a movie star daughter. But in the game industry, he's best known for speaking loosely and passionately about his company's yet-to-be-revealed projects. A recent interview with Eurogamer is no exception, with Bilson offering a small brigade of details on Dawn of War 3.

Bilson says that the sequel to 2009's Dawn of War 2 is in development "right now," and is a mix of new elements with features from the first two titles. He also admitted that his company will be making a game announcement at GamesCom in the PC gamer-friendly country of Germany, which we're taking a wild guess is the official reveal of DoW3. We'll be on the ground in Cologne this August to bring you more details.

[Pictured: Dawn of War 2]

Dawn of War 3 further detailed by THQ's Danny Bilson originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Civilization 5 lead designer Jon Shafer leaves Firaxis

David Hinkle — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:10:00 EST

Lead designer for Civilization 5, Jon Shafer, has left Firaxis, his LinkedIn profile shows (via Flash of Steel). Shafer, who's been with the company for over five years and a longtime member of the franchise's devout modding scene, was the biggest proponent for uploading and sharing custom maps in this year's entry.

Shafer revealed to the Flash of Steel blog that he was not let go from Firaxis -- he resigned on his own, apparently. We've reached out to Shafer and 2K Games for further comment.

[Image credit: Firaxis]

Civilization 5 lead designer Jon Shafer leaves Firaxis originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard: Use StarCraft 2 trainers 'at your own risk'

David Hinkle — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Big Blizzard is always watching! Earlier this week, Cheat Happens reported one of its users was banned in StarCraft 2 after utilizing trainers in single player. Blizzard apparently had suspended his account for 14 days over "exploitative activity." The idea is that even though these trainers are being used in single player and against AI opponents, the effects of earning achievements alters the "prestige" of a player's online persona, a supposed Blizzard rep responded via an alleged email.

We contacted Blizzard ourselves for a bit of clarification on the matter and were given a statement, which you can read past the break.

Continue reading Blizzard: Use StarCraft 2 trainers 'at your own risk'

Blizzard: Use StarCraft 2 trainers 'at your own risk' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RUSE demo on EU PSN next week, region's PS+ subscribers can grab it now

David Hinkle — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Budding warmongers across Europe will likely want to set aside some HDD space for a R.U.S.E. demo, set to assault PSN there on September 1. However, if you're one of the cool kids with expendable income who signed up for PlayStation Plus, you can actually access the demo right now -- provided you live in the EU.

R.U.S.E. pulls a fast one on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 7 in North America and September 10 in Europe.

RUSE demo on EU PSN next week, region's PS+ subscribers can grab it now originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Empires Online announced for PC from Robot Entertainment

Randy Nelson — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:28:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Ensemble Studios may be no more, but Microsoft hasn't forgotten the franchise it created: Age of Empires. Heading into GamesCom 2010, the company has announced a revival of the series in the form of Age of Empires Online, which is being developed by Robot Entertainment, a studio that knows a thing or two about the subject. That's because it was started by Ensemble Studios founder Tony Goodman.

Details on the game are fairly slim, other than its target platform (Games for Windows) and the fact that it's an online title with persistent capital cities and the ability to embark on adventures cooperatively. Microsoft has promised that screenshots and a first trailer for the game are incoming -- we'll have them up for you just as soon as possible.

Continue reading Age of Empires Online announced for PC from Robot Entertainment

Age of Empires Online announced for PC from Robot Entertainment originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard details StarCraft 2 bugs, workarounds and hardware issues

David Hinkle — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We can't imagine why you'd be taking a break from StarCraft 2 right about now but, regardless, you've chosen quite the appropriate post to read while resting. Activision-Blizzard has revealed some of the discovered bugs and issues hassling the game, the majority of which seem to be sound related. There are also some problems with the game crashing on Windows 7 (maybe that's why you're taking that break).

If you're one of those people trying to download StarCraft 2 through Battle.net, you may want to prime yourself with the thread on hardware configurations below. We know, it's all a lot to digest, but keep in mind this is StarCraft 2 we're talking about -- AKA the most important thing ever. We'd hate for you to finally boot up your game after all these years of waiting only to run into a fatal error.

Blizzard details StarCraft 2 bugs, workarounds and hardware issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Joystiq Indie Pitch: 0 A.D.

Justin McElroy — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST

Being a giant, beloved video game site has its downsides. For example, we sometimes neglect to give independent developers our coverage love (or loverage, if you will) as we get caught up in AAA, AAAA or the rare quintuple-A titles. To remedy that, we're giving indies the chance to create their own loverage and sell you, the fans, on their studios and products. This week we talk with Aviv Sharon of Wildfire about the studio's 0 A.D., an indie project nine years in the making.

What's your game called, and what's it about?

0 A.D. (pronounced "zero ey-dee") is a free, open-source, cross-platform real-time strategy (RTS) game of ancient warfare. In short, it is a historically-based war/economy game that allows players to relive or rewrite the history of Western civilizations, focusing on the years between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. The project is highly ambitious, involving state-of-the-art 3D graphics, detailed artwork, sound, and a flexible and powerful custom-built game engine. It focuses on six factions: The Hellenic States (aka The Greeks), the Roman Republic, The Celtic Tribes, the Persian Empire, the Iberian Tribes, and the Carthaginian Empire, each complete with unique artwork, technologies and civilization bonuses.

Continue reading The Joystiq Indie Pitch: 0 A.D.

The Joystiq Indie Pitch: 0 A.D. originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tropico 3 is 75% off on Steam for the next week

David Hinkle — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

Usually, if you want to be a dictator, you need to find some impoverished country and navigate the treacherous political ladder all the way to the top. But thanks to Steam's sale on Tropico 3, you can achieve that end relatively quickly and cheaply. And with far less blood on your hands.

The Steam Special Edition version, which includes two additional maps for Sandbox mode and additional costumes and accessories for your avatar, will be available for 75% off over the next week -- a mere $7.50. And with the "Absolute Power" expansion now available for download, the offer becomes even more enticing. Viva El Presidente!

Tropico 3 is 75% off on Steam for the next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 15 May 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starcraft 2 offering subscription plans in Latin America, Asia and Russia

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:30:00 EST

Plans for a subscription-based StarCraft 2 are in the works for Latin America, Asia and Russia. While US gamers will only pay a one-time fee to start harvesting Vespene Gas on July 27, players abroad will be offered two different ways to play: subscription or an all-access fee.

A press release detailing plans for localization in Latin American Spanish for Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Chile covers the subscription model. By picking up the title for $299 MXN / $119 ARS / $13,900 CLP -- about $30 USD -- gamers will be given access to the single-player and multiplayer portions of the game for 60 days. Once that period ends, they can re-up their subscription for a fee (which hasn't been disclosed yet). The other option is to download the game directly from Blizzard for a one-time fee of $59.99 USD, granting permanent access to the title.

During Activision's annual investors call yesterday, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime confirmed that Blizzard would pursue a similar pricing structure for Asian and Russian territories.

Source - Official press release
Source - Big Download confirms Asia and Russia inclusion

Starcraft 2 offering subscription plans in Latin America, Asia and Russia originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 May 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Settlers 7 still plagued by DRM problems two weeks after launch

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:20:00 EST

We love the anticipation that builds up in the weeks leading up to the launch of a new game in one of our favorite franchises. That's why we think Ubisoft has stumbled upon a really clever marketing technique with its real-time strategy PC title, Settlers 7, which many users (about 50 pages worth on this forum thread) are still unable to access two weeks after the game launched due to problems with Ubisoft's DRM authentication servers.

A Ubisoft rep commented on the issues to Eurogamer, explaining, "our technical teams have made progress but we are not yet able to say that the issue is completely resolved." Hey guys, take your time. Just keep letting that anticipation build up in your player base. Once they're finally able to play, we're sure they'll thank you for the extended expectancy.

Settlers 7 still plagued by DRM problems two weeks after launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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R.U.S.E. tutorial helps you become a veteran trickster

David Hinkle — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EST

It's been almost a year and we're still haunted by the atrocities we've seen on the battlefield. We just weren't prepared last time, so the enemy advanced, steamrolling us like we were nothing but a squadron of cute, fluffy teddy bears covered in butterscotch pudding -- the cutest of ineffectual "warriors." So we've resolved that in the R.U.S.E. beta, we're not going to be such easy pushovers and, thankfully, Eugen Systems is here with another salvo of tutorial footage to help ensure that happens.

The Paris-based developer behind the deceptive RTS offers several tips on maximizing time with the recently released beta; through the use of slick ruse combos, players can create more potent attack patterns and even distract the enemy from vital strongholds. There's even some insight into the unique characteristics of some of the six different factions in the game and combining their units in very specific ways, giving you a more dynamic unit set -- not to mention a breakdown of time periods, which limits the amount of research you can access and, by extension, your access to certain units.

Because R.U.S.E. is such a complex game, it means you can't just click on stuff until you figure it out, which is our basic go-to strategy in these situations. What? We're lovers, not fighters, folks!

R.U.S.E. tutorial helps you become a veteran trickster originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overheard@PAX: 'Don't drink your own Kool-Aid'

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST

On Saturday, we attended Big Huge Games prez Tim Train's panel on the near death of his studio (saved at the eleventh hour by Curt Schilling's 38 Studios). And while we'll have a full writeup on the very candid panel for you very soon, we felt it necessary to share Train's word of warning to studios with long-term employees who are working on a single, long-term game: "Don't drink your own Kool-Aid."

Train issued the warning while explaining the business missteps (from the top down) at Big Huge that lead to his studio's near downfall. He explained the tale of his studio's unsuccessful attempts at pitching a "AAA" real-time strategy game to publishers unwilling to invest in his company, and the eventual "worst day of my life" when he was mere days from sending out layoff letters to the entire staff. Like Tim, we're rather glad the day never came.

Overheard@PAX: 'Don't drink your own Kool-Aid' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard wants you to get a friend into the StarCraft 2 beta

David Hinkle — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:40:00 EST

Has your former friend Billy been playing StarCraft 2 for the longest time before you've even had a chance to check it out? Well, you probably should have opted in for the beta last year, but we're not here to point fingers. We're here to tell you that Blizzard has sent out a wave of fresh beta codes to everyone who's already in the beta, so you should hold off on throwing that brick through Billy's window and make with the nice-nice.

The codes are coming via email right now, so log in and check your inbox for that hot new string of characters. And, hey, if you're the recipient of a fresh invite, give it away to a friend or somebody you don't even know -- don't be a jerk and try to profit from it or anything.

Blizzard wants you to get a friend into the StarCraft 2 beta originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Combat abounds in this Command & Conquer 4 trailer

David Hinkle — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

EA's latest salvo of media on Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight presents us with both the GDI and Nod's task-based units' setups: offense; defense and support.

Each is comprised of several different units -- an offensive group on the GDI side is comprised of heavy tanks and walkers; the perfect fit for anyone looking to storm a base. On the Nod side, its air support units let players rain hell from above. It's all very appropriate stuff for the Command & Conquer series, really.

Combat abounds in this Command & Conquer 4 trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grab a friend and watch this Napoleon: Total War trailer

David Hinkle — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST

The latest trailer showcasing Napoleon: Total War takes us for a decidedly multiplayer spin. Whether it's playing through the three multiplayer campaigns (Italy, Egypt and Europe) or one of the historic battle recreations for up to eight players, it's apparent that the quest for RTS enjoyment isn't one you'll have to face alone. There's even drop-in support for the main campaign, allowing one of your friends to take over for any of your ill-fated CPU opponents in a given match.

Grab a friend and watch this Napoleon: Total War trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spoiler: RUSE trailer ends in a bang

David Hinkle — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:30:00 EST

The "E" in RUSE must stand for "epic." (Don't bother trying to tell us what the rest of RUSE stands for though, because nobody knows -- seriously.) This latest trailer really shows off the dramatic scope of this RTS, and features tank units, airplanes and even some of the Nazi's nasty V12 rockets. Check it out above.

Gallery: R.U.S.E.

Spoiler: RUSE trailer ends in a bang originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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C&C 4: Tiberian Twilight screens shoot more beams than a Pink Floyd Laser Show

David Hinkle — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST

While the subtitle could use some work, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight's look is coming along nicely. EA recently deployed some new media from the game, all showing off the ongoing war between the Brotherhood of Nod and the GDI forces. Their conflict is eternal -- kinda like Tom and Jerry, but with way less slapstick and lots moar lazorz.

Hit up the gallery below for the new screens, which are oddly devoid of all that XP we saw in the last batch.

Gallery: Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight (10.13.09)

C&C 4: Tiberian Twilight screens shoot more beams than a Pink Floyd Laser Show originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2 development and delays

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:59:00 EST

Dustin Browder is the man in the hot seat as Blizzard's lead designer for StarCraft 2. Ultimately, he's the one you can heap the blame (or the praise) upon when the final product finally ships. At the time of this interview, we didn't officially know SC2 would be delayed, but given the sheer amount of things they'd shown us during our visit, it became clear that there was no way StarCraft 2 would make 2009.

Still, Browder talks about the reasons for the delay, and ultimately gamers are going to be happy that they chose to make the game better, rather than rush it out for the holiday shopping frenzy. Read on for the full interview with him where we talk delays, easter eggs, the new matchmaking system, the single player experience, and hidden items in the game, including a fully playable Lost Viking arcade game with a data editor that will let you make your own scrolling shooters.

Gallery: Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty - Single Player

Continue reading Interview: Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2 development and delays

Interview: Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2 development and delays originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Starcraft 2 - the single-player experience (finally!)

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:57:00 EST

Don't you just love embargoes? So do we. Expect a ton of StarCraft 2 information today.

Forget everything you know about StarCraft 2. Well, forget everything you know about the single-player campaign in StarCraft 2. Which at this point is pretty much ... nothing. We've told you all about the multiplayer and its upcoming changes, but the single-player experience has been one gigantic black hole. Until now. We recently spent a day at Blizzard's campus learning all about StarCraft 2's Wings of Liberty Terran campaign, the first in a series with the Zerg and Protoss expansions coming at a later date.

One thing is for sure: this isn't anything like the old StarCraft single-player campaign. Read on to find out what you'll be doing with Jim Raynor throughout the 30 or so missions in StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty.

Gallery: Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty - Single Player

Continue reading Hands-on: Starcraft 2 - the single-player experience (finally!)

Hands-on: Starcraft 2 - the single-player experience (finally!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: StarCraft II multiplayer

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:15:00 EST

It's been nearly two years since we were first embarrassed in a StarCraft II multiplayer preview, but we recently got our long-awaited shot at redemption. During the interim, we've logged countless hours with the original StarCraft and its Brood War expansion (having picked up new, digital copies for a mere $15) in order to prepare for this opportunity. The bad news? We still managed to get owned. Although, in our defense, we were playing against some hardcore fansites, and the setup of Blizzard's recent hands-on event was not unlike being dropped into a televised StarCraft tournament match in Korea with an announcer saying, "Okay, and ... GO!"

That's the bad news. The good news is that StarCraft II looks simply amazing, and it plays even better. After you've pounded your brain with several hundred hours (for some of you, it's probably thousands of hours) of StarCraft, and you fire up StarCraft II, it's like being jolted by 1.21 jigawatts of mouse-clicking rapture -- which, thankfully, also numbed the pain of our ongoing losing streak.

Gallery: Starcraft 2 (6/29/09)

Continue reading Hands-on: StarCraft II multiplayer

Hands-on: StarCraft II multiplayer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eyes-on: Seven minutes of Starcraft 2 multiplayer footage

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:15:00 EST

click here for high-res gallery or here for multiplayer video

Seven minutes and six seconds, to be exact. That's pure, raw, Starcraft 2 footage coming at you just beyond the break, and it features Terran, Zerg, and Protoss units going at it. If you're still not sated, try out the direct video file here (it's 250MB), free from flash encoding.

See how much you can resist trying to move the screen around with your own mouse, continually forgetting that - alas! - it's just a video. For us it happened right at the very end when that swarm of Ultralisks started pounding on that poor Terran Command Center. Ouch.

To kill time until the game ships (hopefully) later this year, be sure to check out our new hands-on with the multiplayer and our interview with lead producer Chris Sigaty, both coming later today, and the new images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Starcraft 2 (6/29/09)

Download in HD (250MB)

Continue reading Eyes-on: Seven minutes of Starcraft 2 multiplayer footage

Eyes-on: Seven minutes of Starcraft 2 multiplayer footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: RUSE (and its steep learning curve)

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:45:00 EST

RUSE is shaping up to become a nice addition to PC gaming, and also to the vacant market of real-time strategy games on consoles. Halo Wars and Red Alert have pretty much been the only standouts, but where's the real depth and longevity of a title like StarCraft? Ubisoft's RUSE is hoping to fill that gap, and based on the time we spent with it recently, it may be just the thing. That is if it'd stop with the gimmicks like showing it at E3 on a Microsoft Surface table and just give us the console goods. Not all of us have a spare $15,000 sitting around.

Head beyond the break to see a (very, very) long demo from the Tunisia setting in RUSE, and to read our thoughts about it. It's not something you can pick up and learn in a scant few seconds, but it offers you enough to keep coming back to it. Find out why inside.

Gallery: R.U.S.E.

Continue reading Hands-on: RUSE (and its steep learning curve)

Hands-on: RUSE (and its steep learning curve) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq impressions: Ubisoft's RUSE

Kevin Kelly — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:21:00 EST

Randal Graves: I don't appreciate your ruse, ma'am.
Indecisive Video Customer: I beg your pardon?
Randal Graves: Your ruse. Your cunning attempt to trick me.

Clerks (1994)

Ubisoft is betting against Kevin Smith and hoping that you will appreciate its cunning attempts to trick you with this real-time strategy game that feels like a board game on steroids. Ubi announced the game at GDC earlier this year, but besides the strange Euro-trailer and a few screenshots, there wasn't much to go on. Thankfully, the publisher has released the above gameplay video that shows off the new IRISZOOM engine that powers the game -- now you can see what the game's all about.

RUSE has a very robust tabletop feel, and opens up to an impressive scale. Read on after the break to see just how the "ruses" work.

Gallery: R.U.S.E.

Continue reading Joystiq impressions: Ubisoft's RUSE

Joystiq impressions: Ubisoft's RUSE originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch this: 20 minutes of Starcraft II footage

David Hinkle — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:20:00 EST

Starcraft II. Over 20 minutes of gameplay footage. No further text needed.

Gallery: Starcraft 2

Watch this: 20 minutes of Starcraft II footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo Wars demo enlists over 2 million recruits

David Hinkle — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:58:00 EST

With news that the Halo Wars demo on Xbox Live has been downloaded over 2 million times, we tried to think about the why. Why would over 2 million gamers check out this particular demo? We came up with a few reasons:

Xbox owners enjoy free demos
Xbox owners enjoy games with Halo in the title
Xbox owners enjoy free demos of games with Halo in the title

So, as you can see, it's really anyone's guess as to why the demo has become so popular. As soon as we find out that why though, we'll be sure to let you know.

Halo Wars demo enlists over 2 million recruits originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brick by brick preview of Halo Wars Mega Bloks

Dustin Burg — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:15:00 EST

Action-Figure.com just posted a few pre-release photos of this Summer's upcoming Halo Wars Mega Bloks and, yes, they're mildly cute. You know, in a blocky, mini-fig kind of way.

Per the preview photos, we can confirm that most of the iconic Halo characters (and vehicles) will be Mega Blok'ed. Spartans, Elites, Grunts, Warthogs, Ghosts, Hornets, Scorpions and even Banshees are all there. Our only question: Will the building instructions be presented in a radial pie menu?

[Thanks, sambob117]

Brick by brick preview of Halo Wars Mega Bloks originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Avert your eyes! Stormrise box art revealed, hideous

Xav de Matos — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:45:00 EST

Stormrise is an upcoming console RTS from The Creative Assembly, developer of the Total War series. Among the standard promise of intuitive console controls, Creative Assembly is introducing "verticality" to console RTS players. Units can be deployed in the air, on rooftops, at ground level, or below the planet's surface. Okay. So far, so good ...

Uh-oh, wait a minute. Stormrise's box art looks like the class project of a paint-by-numbers after school program. Sure, it's the game inside that matters -- and we're excited for it -- but imagine if, instead of saying Stormrise on the cover, the box read RoboCop vs. Zombies. This art would still totally work, and probably be twice as rad.

Avert your eyes! Stormrise box art revealed, hideous originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo Wars is gold, new behind the scenes documentary

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace, Halo Wars

click to enlarge

Microsoft announced today that the Spartan-fueled RTS Halo Wars has gone gold and will soon be winging its way to retailers the world over. The company also revealed new details regarding the upcoming demo, which will hit Xbox Live Marketplace on February 5. The demo is set to include the first two campaign missions of the game as well as one of the game's 14 multilayer maps, Chasms, which can be played against AI in Skirmish mode. In skirmish mode, players can play as either the human UNSC or alien Covenant. Don't worry about wrapping your head around the control scheme, as the demo will contain both a basic and advanced tutorial. Curiously, the press release does not mention if the demo will feature any kind of local or Xbox Live multiplayer, which is a disappointment.

Finally, Microsoft has released the first in a series of Halo Wars video documentaries. You can check out the video after the break, and don't forget to take a gander at some new screens in the gallery below.

Gallery: Halo Wars (XBL Demo)

Continue reading Halo Wars is gold, new behind the scenes documentary

Halo Wars is gold, new behind the scenes documentary originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New off-screen Halo Wars footage

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Halo Wars

GameTrailers has posted some new footage of Halo Wars from CES. Unfortunately, it's off-screen footage, and portions of the screen are cut off. Still, There's plenty of interesting things to see if you know where to look. For one, you can see the system that lets you cycle through each individual unit type when you've selected a large group of different units -- the player uses it at around 0:35 to select the Warthog and ram the enemy. Another prominent feature is the circle menu, which is used to queue up new units and research upgrades. And, of course, you get to see delicious carnage. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading New off-screen Halo Wars footage

New off-screen Halo Wars footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ensemble's gift to you: Halo Wars units and structures revealed

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Halo Wars

Late last week, the crew at Ensemble left us a present and we didn't even notice it. The company unlocked every unit and structure in both the UNSC and Covenant field manuals for Halo Wars. If you're hankerin' for some Halo Wars, you might want to browse through each field manual. After all, the game is only a few months away, so you might as well start planning your strategies now.

One strange note, we're not seeing any Brute units for the Covenant. We know they're in there somewhere though. Upgrades from Elites perhaps?

Source - UNSC Field Manual
Source - Covenant Field Manual

Ensemble's gift to you: Halo Wars units and structures revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq plays first three missions of Halo Wars

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Halo Wars

Joystiq recently got the chance to play through the first three levels of Halo Wars. The game is still good, which isn't too surprising given our impressions of the game from E3. It's worth noting though, that the player in question managed to figure out the majority of the "advanced" controls before actually starting the "advanced" tutorial, which is good news for anyone doubting that an RTS can work on a console. Head over to Joystiq for full impressions and a heap of new screens to boot. Now where's that demo, hmmm?

Gallery: Halo Wars (11-17-2008)

Joystiq plays first three missions of Halo Wars originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo Wars releases in Feb, LE comes with Mythic Map Pack

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: News, Halo Wars

click to enlarge

Microsoft has announced that Halo Wars, the Halo-themed RTS from Ensemble Studios, will launch in February 2009. Furthermore, the company has announced that a limited edition version of the game will be released and detailed its contents. Retailing for $79.99, the limited edition of Halo Wars includes:

Three new Halo 3 (not Halo Wars) multiplayer maps. The maps include Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox. You might recognize those maps as the upcoming Mythic Map Pack.
Halo Wars: Genesis -- A graphic novel by Phil Noto, Ensemble's own Graeme Devine and Halo novelist Eric Nylund. The novel details the first human conflict with the Covenant and "centers around the Spirit of Fire on a mission to discover why the Covenant are so interested in the world of Harvest."
The "Honor Guard" Wraith in-game vehicle
Six "Leader Cards." Trading cards, we're guessing, or something like them.
Spirit of Fire Patch. You know, the iron-on kind. Have fun explaining what it means to your non-gaming friends.

The press release also notes that those who pre-order at certain (unannounced) retailers will get a code to unlock a Warthog vehicle with flame decals.

While we're intrigued by the graphic novel, we have to admit the inclusion of the Mythic Map Pack is a pretty crafty move. The announcement says that those with the Halo Wars LE will be among "the first to experience the Mythic Map Pack," which implies that they can get their hands on the maps before they become available to the general public. We get the feeling that a lot of Halo players are suddenly very interested in RTS games.

Halo Wars releases in Feb, LE comes with Mythic Map Pack originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Halo Wars TGS video now in hi-res

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Halo Wars

Last month, Microsoft demoed the upcoming RTS Halo Wars at the Tokyo Game Show. The demonstration showed off many new units and abilities, including the Cryo Bomb ability and the massive Vulture unit. The demonstration also revealed the inclusion of the Flood (though the race is unplayable, sadly). Unfortunately, the demonstration was only available in shaky-cam form, complete with icky audio. Now Microsoft has released a high resolution version of the video, free of the graininess and tinny audio. Trust us, it's much more enjoyable than our attempt to recreate the video with Haloclix.

Video: Halo Wars TGS video now in hi-res originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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