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We are just one more day away from StarCraft II’s launch. That means you can expect to see a ton of StarCraft related features and contests planned for Big Download starting tomorrow. In the meantime, check out what we have been writing about for the past seven days.

Exclusive features

• Team Fortress 2 Engineer Achievements: Check out part five, part six and part seven of our series looking at the new achievements for the Engineer class in TF2.
• Freeware Friday: Our look at free PC games checks out the new Valve top down shooter Alien Swarm.

Downloads

• ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead demo: Try out a portion of the recent shooter expansion pack.
• Making History 2 demo: Download this playable slice of the recent strategy game.
• Razor2: Hidden Skies demo: It’s a small part of the recent arcade shooter title.
• Dragon Age Origins 1.04 patch: Update your copy of BioWare’s RPG to the latest version
• Singularity 1.01 patch: This patch for the recent first person shooter solves a texture streaming issue.
• Darkspore teaser trailer: It’s the first glimpse of the new Maxis action-RPG based on Spore.
• StarCraft 2 Ghosts of the Past trailer: Check out some cool cut scenes from Blizzard’s upcoming RTS game.
• Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning teaser trailer: It’s the first glimpse of Big Huge Games’ fantasy RPG.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: July 19 – 25

The Best of Big Download: July 19 – 25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impulse’s Memorial Day sale this weekend has Sins of a Solar Empire at the heavenly price of $4. Go buy it now — full stop. Whatever nit-picky issues the 4X strategy title may have can be thrown out an airlock at that price point. It may lack a single-player campaign to teach the ropes of glorious galactic armada warfare, but setting up a medium-sized map using normal AI is a good place to start. Which reminds us: Gratuitous Space Battles is also on sale.

Impulse also has a more mainstream space opera experience on sale with the first two chapters in the Mass Effect saga bundled for $42. Want something not involving spaceships? There’s a Dragon Age: Origins bundle, which includes the original game and Awakening, for $48 — that’ll definitely keep you busy all weekend. Check out the rest of the Impulse weekend sales after the break.

Continue reading Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale

Sins of a Solar Empire for $4; Mass Effect and Dragon Age bundles part of Impulse sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huge week at retail sees the launch of new games from Rockstar, Remedy, and Ubisoft, as well as Split/Second, Dragon Age: Origins’ latest DLC, and more.

Even with dreadful April sales figures prompting analysts to second-guess the state of the industry, pretty much everyone expects May to be a huge month at retail. That’s because of release slates like next week’s, which features a handful of long awaited and heavily hyped games all launching on the same day.

Perhaps the biggest release is Rockstar San Diego’s Red Dead Redemption for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, releasing May 18. The western-themed third-person shooter has been on gamers’ wish lists for years, as it was initially unveiled in the very first PS3 footage reel from Sony’s E3 2005 press conference, almost exactly five years ago.

Interestingly, Red Read Redemption isn’t even the longest-awaited game coming out that day. Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake was revealed 12 days earlier, with the Finnish developer announcing its psychological action thriller for “next-generation consoles and PCs.” Unfortunately for PC and PS3 gamers, the intervening five years saw Alan Wake become an Xbox 360 exclusive. GameSpot’s review of Alan Wake is already online.

The wait for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands has been considerably shorter. While many assumed Ubisoft would time an entry in the franchise to the debut of the series’ feature film adaptation later this month, the publisher didn’t actually confirm the multiplatform game was in the works until late last year. The Forgotten Sands draws its inspiration not from the cel-shaded 2008 revamp, but from the Sands of Time trilogy that debuted in 2003 on the previous generation of consoles.

For those not interested in that weighty trio of new releases, there are still a number of notable new options on shelves next week. Disney Interactive’s arcade-style racer Split/Second tears up the track with plenty of player-triggered mayhem, while Shrek Forever After provides an interactive take on the green ogre’s final chapter, and the Blue Dragon role-playing game series continues with a new DS installment. On the downloadable front, Dragon Age: Origins gets another dose of DLC in the form of the Darkspawn Chronicles, with gamers playing through an alternate reality version of the main game’s climax.

For further details on the week’s games, visit GameSpot’s New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later in the week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

MONDAY, MAY 17
Bit.Trip Runner–WII–Aksys Games
Frogger Returns–DS–Konami
Looksley’s Line Up–DS–Nintendo

TUESDAY, MAY 18
Alan Wake–X360–Microsoft Game Studios
Attack of the Movies 3D–WII, X360–Majesco Games
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow–DS–D3
Dragon Age: Origins – Darkspawn Chronicles–X360, PS3, PC–Electronic Arts
EVE Online: Tyrannis–PC–CCP
Fantasy Earth Zero–PC–Square Enix
Gundemonium Recollection–PS3–Rockin’ Android
Imagine: Animal Doctor Care Center–DS–Ubisoft
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands–PS3, X360, Wii, PSP, DS–Ubisoft
Red Dead Redemption–X360, PS3–Rockstar Games
Rocket Knight–PS3–Konami
Runaway: A Twist of Fate–PC–Focus Home Interactive
Shrek Forever After–PS3, X360, Wii, PC, DS–Activision
Split/Second–X360, PS3, PC–Disney Interactive
Trauma Team–WII–Atlus Co.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19
Sword of the Stars: Complete Collection–PC–Paradox Interactive

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

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Stock price dips in the first day of trading after reporting $677 million annual loss as analysts weigh in on publisher’s prospects.

Yesterday, Electronic Arts reported its annual results, posting a net loss of $677 million for the year ended March 31, 2010. While that was a substantial improvement over the $1.09 billion loss it posted for the previous year, it wasn’t enough to please investors.

EA shares exchanged hands at more than three times the daily average today, with the sell-off driving the price of the publisher’s stocks down nearly 6 percent, shedding $1.09 to close Tuesday’s trading at $17.71.

Some analysts were similarly unsatisfied with the publisher’s report, but more for its forecast for the coming year (between $0.85 and $1.15 per share) than its latest losses. FBR Capital Markets released a note to investors today, noting that EA “continues to struggle to build the kind of margin expanding franchises necessary to really build the bottom line…In order to meet its targets for the year, the company is going to have to see stronger results in efforts to launch/relaunch franchises like Medal of Honor, Dragon Age, and Dead Space against an extremely competitive environment.”

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter was more upbeat on Electronic Arts, maintaining his “Outperform” rating on the stock and suggesting its forecast for the coming year was “realistically conservative.” However, he stated in no uncertain terms that he has midjudged EA’s prospects before.

“We have been wrong about this stock for almost five years,” Pachter wrote. “Either we’re stupid, stubborn, or unlucky, but we’ve been wrong. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, each time hoping for a different result. This time, while we are again hoping for a different result, EA’s Q4 report provided some evidence that the company is not doing the same things over and over again: lower headcount in cheaper locations, fewer facilities, fewer games, and a growing digital business. This time, we think that EA is on the right path.”

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

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Developer thinks it has a fix for crash issues introduced last month by firmware 3.3 update, work-around still needs approval from EA, Sony.

Two weeks ago, Sony rolled out firmware update 3.3 for the PlayStation 3. The patch added new trophy-sorting options for users and made some tweaks under the hood in preparation for future features. It also had an unintended effect of causing the PS3 version of BioWare’s fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins to suffer frequent crashes for some users.

While those issues remain, the game’s developer believes it has a working patch ready to go. In a post on the game’s official forums, BioWare producer Fernando Melo said the team has created a patch to make the game more compatible with the firmware update.

Unfortunately, Dragon Age players will need to wait a little while longer before they can download the patch. Melo said the development team is currently testing the fix. After they sign off on it, the update will still need to clear Electronic Arts’ in-house certification testing, and then Sony’s. Melo didn’t have a release window for the patch, but he did say EA is “aware of the importance of this and will give [the Dragon Age patch] priority” in the certification process when it’s ready.

For more on Dragon Age for the PS3, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

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Swallow this information with the same caution one would a drink served by a Batarian bartender, but it appears that Liara T’soni may return to fighting form in future Mass Effect 2 DLC. Tehpwnage explains that extracted sound files from the PC version of the game allegedly allude to a quest where Shepard’s former companion (and possible lover) confronts the Shadow Broker.

If the sound clips are authentic, it’s unclear whether Liara’s Shadow Broker sub-plot will be handled using the same structure as other Mass Effect 2 characters, or if it’ll be part of something more like BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins — Awakening, thus taking place after the events of the core game. It’d be nice to have Liara back on the team, but given the weight bestowed upon the Shadow Broker in the Mass Effect universe, it’d be awkward if he/she/it were dispatched through a simple “loyalty mission” — although it may feel less abrupt for transmedia consumers of the comic. Those interested in the spoilerish sound clips can give them a listen after the break.

Continue reading Rumor: Mass Effect 2 files suggest Liara T’Soni DLC

Rumor: Mass Effect 2 files suggest Liara T’Soni DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Mac, PC, Meta (about Joystiq)

By the time you read this, the inaugural PAX East will be nothing but a cherished memory. However, that wasn’t the only big event which occurred in the world of PC gaming this past week. Here’s a handful of the biggest stories from the last seven days:

Exclusive Features

• Reviews: We give our final verdicts for Dragon Age Origins – Awakening and Gratuitous Space Battles – The Order.
• Boot Disk: Our retro game feature looks at the original Black and White.
• All You Need To Know: We give you the 411 on the upcoming Western shooter Lead and Gold.
• Freeware Friday: Our popular look at free PC games checks out 10 Second War.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: March 22 – 28

The Best of Big Download: March 22 – 28 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA-owned studio affixes ticking clock to Mass Effect and Dragon Age Web sites, set to expire Monday at 9 a.m. PDT.

Get the full article at GameSpot

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Huge week at retail also sees launches of Command & Conquer 4, Metro 2033, Dragon Age expansion, new Pokemon for DS, and Resonance of Fate.

Kratos has been yelling about vengeance since he first appeared in 2005, and he’s finally on the verge of getting it. After years of anticipation, God of War III hits the PlayStation 3 this week, its arrival preceded by critical acclaim. However, the Ghost of Sparta isn’t the only draw in what is shaping up to be a huge week at retailers.

Before God of War III debuts, retailers will welcome the latest extension in Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise. The new DS game launches Sunday, and will be available in (mostly similar) HeartGold and SoulSilver versions. Each edition comes with a Pokewalker pedometer, allowing players to level up their combative pets even when they’re not playing.

There’s a third renowned franchise receiving a new installment this week, as Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight launches for the PC. Billed as the conclusion to the series’ “Tiberium saga,” the game features different campaigns for the Global Defence Initiative and Brotherhood of Nod factions, with each faction playable in solo or cooperative modes. It will also have a five-versus-five, objective-based online multiplayer mode.

Other familiar franchises with releases this week include Dragon Age and Perfect Dark. Last year’s hit Dragon Age: Origins will receive its first retail expansion in the form of Awakening, while Rare’s original Nintendo 64 shooter is being re-released on Xbox Live Arcade with a high-definition facelift courtesy of 4J Studios.

Not every major game launch of the week comes from an established series. THQ and 4a Games are launching the post-apocalyptic survival shooter role-playing game Metro 2033 on the PC and Xbox 360. Also, Sega is rolling the dice with new RPG and strategy titles, as Resonance of Fate heads to the Xbox 360 and PS3, while Infinite Space comes to the DS. The former is set in a steampunk world and developed by Star Ocean studio Tri-Ace, while the latter is the latest fruit of Sega’s partnership with Bayonetta and MadWorld developer PlatinumGames.

For further details on the week’s games, visit GameSpot’s New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later in the week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

March 14, 2010
Pokemon HeartGold–DS–Nintendo
Pokemon SoulSilver–DS–Nintendo

March 15, 2010
Rage of the Gladiator–Wii–Ghostfire Games
Triple Shot Sports–Wii–The Code Monkeys
101 MiniGolf World–DS–Teyon

March 16, 2010
God of War III–PS3–Sony
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight–PC–Electronic Arts
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening–360,PS3, PC–Electronic Arts
Metro 2033–360PC–THQ
Resonance of Fate–360, PS3–Sega
Infinite Space–DS–Sega
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon–WII–Xseed Games
T.A.C. Heroes: Big Red One–DS–Storm City Games
Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace–DS–Activision
Sonny With a Chance–DS–Disney
Family Gameshow–WII–Zushi Games Ltd

March 17, 2010
Perfect Dark–360–Microsoft
Hall of Fame Ultimate Hoops Challenge–Wii–Zoo Games

March 19, 2010
Mount & Blade: Warband–PC–Paradox Interactive

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

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The last of the backs have been patted and the last of the glasses “chinged” over at the 13th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, otherwise known as the “serious awards” for the video game industry.

As you’re about to see, next year will be known as the 2nd annual Uncharted 2 awards. Other games to do well on the night include Scribblenauts, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Brutal Legend, while surprises include Modern Warfare 2 “only” picking up two awards and Assassin’s Creed II – which had the misfortune of going up against Uncharted in around half of those categories – won nothing.

Game of the Year:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Producer: Sam Thompson
* Creative Director: Amy Hennig
* Game Director: Bruce Straley

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Producer: Sam Thompson
* Creative Director: Amy Hennig
* Game Director: Bruce Straley

Casual Game of the Year

Flower

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: thatgamecompany
* Producer: Kellee Santiago
* Creative Director: Jenova Chen

Fighting Game of the Year

Street Fighter IV

* Publisher: Capcom
* Developer: Capcom
* Producer: Yoshinori Ono

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year

Dragon Age: Origins

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Bioware
* Producer: Mark Darrah
* Creative Director: Mike Laidlaw
* Game Director: Mark Darrah

Sports Game of the Year

FIFA Soccer 10

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Canada
* Producer: David Rutter
* Creative Director: Gary Paterson
* Game Director: Kaz Makita

Racing Game of the Year

Forza Motorsport 3

* Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
* Developer: Turn 10 Studios
* Producer: Korey Krauskopf
* Creative Director: John Wendl
* Game Director: Dan Greenawalt

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

Batman: Arkham Asylum

* Publisher: Eidos/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: Rocksteady Studios
* Lead Level Designer: Ian Ball

Adventure Game of the Year

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Producer: Sam Thompson
* Creative Director: Amy Hennig
* Game Director: Bruce Straley

Social Networking Game of the Year

Farmville

* Publisher: Zynga
* Developer: Zynga
* Producer: David Gray
* Creative Director: Mark Skaggs
* Game Director: Bill Mooney

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

Brutal Legend

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Double Fine Productions
* Producer: Caroline Esmurdoc
* Creative Director: Tim Schafer
* Game Director: Tim Schafer

Action Game of the Year

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West

Family Game of the Year

The Beatles: Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix Music Systems
* Producers: Paul DeGooyer, Jeff Jones, Alex Rigopulos
* Creative Director: Chris Foster
* Game Director: Josh Randall

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming

Scribblenauts

* Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: 5th Cell Media
* Producer: Joseph M. Tringali
* Creative Director: Jeremiah Slaczka
* Game Director: Jeremiah Slaczka

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Lead Animators: Josh Scherr, Jeremy Lai-Yates, Mike Yosh

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Technology Director: Pal-Kristian Engstad

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Art Directors: Erick Pangilinan, Robh Ruppel

Outstanding Achievement in Story -Adapted

Batman: Arkham Asylum

* Publisher: Eidos/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: Rocksteady Studios
* Writers: Paul Dini, Paul Crocker

Outstanding Character Performance

Batman: Arkham Asylum – Joker

* Publisher: Eidos/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: Rocksteady Studios
* Writers: Paul Dini, Paul Crocker
* Voice Actor: Mark Hamill

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Lead Online Designer: Todd Alderman

Outstanding Achievement in Story – Original

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Writers: Amy Hennig, Neil Druckmann, Josh Scherr

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Composer: Greg Edmonson

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack

Brutal Legend

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Double Fine Productions
* Music Supervisor: Emily Ridgway

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Lead Game Play Programmer: Travis McIntosh

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Sound Designer/Audio Lead: Bruce Swanson

Outstanding Achievement in Portable Game Design

Scribblenauts

* Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: 5th Cell Media
* Lead Level Designer: Matt Cox

Portable Game of the Year

Scribblenauts

* Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: 5th Cell Media
* Producer: Joseph M. Tringali
* Creative Director: Jeremiah Slaczka
* Game Director: Jeremiah Slaczka

For a full list of the nominations, see here.