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Report: Timegate closes its doors
Timegate, the studio behind Section 8 and Aliens: Colonial Marines, laid off its entire staff today, Kotaku reports. On May 2, Timegate filed for bankruptcy protection, citing a debt of up to $50 million. The filing revealed that Timegate owed large sums to 50 companies, including Epic Games, Agora Games and DJ2 Entertainment. In April, Timegate lost an appeal against publisher SouthPeak Interactive, potentially losing the Section 8 license and adding $7.35 million to its debt. SouthPeak fought for Timegate's closure in arbitration and won, leading to today's layoffs, the report says. Timegate let go 25 employees in March, citing a rough transition to next-gen consoles and a publishing deal that fell through. The studio's most recent project is Minimum, a free-to-play shooter for PC that was supposed to launch on Steam Early Access on April 16. Minimum is currently not listed anywhere on Steam.
Steam weekly deal: Capsized, Krater, Section 8: Prejudice, more
Steam's clever plan to help you save cash while simultaneously putting more money into its own pockets continues this week with a lineup of deals running through March 4 at 10 a.m. PT. Games on sale this week, some up to 75 percent off, are Capsized, Krater, Gemini Wars, Section 8: Prejudice, Space Empires 5 and Stellar Impact.Capsized and Stellar Impact are $2.50, Space Empires 5 is $3.75, Krater and Section 8: Prejudice are $5.10, and Gemini Wars is $6.80. March forth and grab these games while they're still cheap.
PSN fall sale: save on Limbo, Outland, Clash of Heroes HD, and more
When you're making the obligatory "things I'm thankful for" speech around the table this Thanksgiving, you may silently include Sony among the honorees. From tomorrow through November 28, the publisher is holding a Fall Sale on PSN that drops some recent releases into temptingly affordable territory. Limbo will be $10.49 (just $7.34 for PS Plus members) during the sale; the lovely Outland is down to $6.99 ($4.89 for Plus); and Might & Magic Clash of Heroes HD drops to just $10.49 ($7.34 for Plus). Find the full list after the break, and don't actually thank Sony out loud when you're at the dinner table. Your relatives already think you're weird enough.
Xbox Live Marketplace sales bonanza, starting today [update]
Microsoft is taking a set of sharp blades and ravenously cutting prices across the board on Xbox Live Marketplace content, starting right now. Already inexpensive (and wonderful) title Outland will cost you a cool 400 MS Points ($5), while deep multiplayer fare like Monday Night Combat and Section 8: Prejudice are going for 600 MS Points ($7.50) and 800 MS Points ($10), respectively. Also, hey, if you're not one of the over 2 million people who own and adore Trials HD, here's another chance to grab it on the cheap (600 MS Points/$7.50). It's unclear when the "Extreme Shopping" sale will end, so we've asked Microsoft for more info. For now, enjoy the sweet, sweet savings while you can. Update: This post originally had ilomilo listed as on sale for $5, which is false. Sorry about that! [Image credit: Ronald Wong]
European PSN releases for July 27
Never before has a European PSN update been so violent. Section 8: Prejudice tasks you with killing heavily armored skydivers. Dead Block is all about re-killing the walking dead with a series of homebrewed traps. Finally, 3D Ultra Mini Golf Adventures just wants you to kill pars with really, really good putts. Kind of. That's kind of what it wants you to do. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Section 8: Prejudice diving into PlayStation Store July 26
Timegate's undeniably beefy multiplayer-centric shooter, Section 8: Prejudice, has been racking up kills on Xbox Live Arcade since late April. In a little under two weeks, PS3 owners will get to see what all the fuss is about (hint: skydiving), as PlayStation Blog just announced the downloadable, $15 title will touch down on PSN July 26 in North America, and July 27 in Europe. To help jump-start the community's growth on the new platform, Timegate is handing out the Blitz Armor Pack and Overdrive Map Pack to anyone who grabs the game during its first week on PSN. What's more, the first 1,000 PlayStation Plus users to download the title will receive in-game Hunter Armor, as well as a free download of the original Section 8. You're essentially doubling your bang for your buck, and by "bang," we mean "whoosh," because that's the sound you make when you're skydiving.
Section 8: Prejudice getting new maps and mode this month
TimeGate Studios has introduced a new map pack and game mode coming to Section 8: Prejudice later this month. The Frontier Colonies Map Pack will be out on July 13 on Xbox 360 and PC for 320 Microsoft Points/$3.99, and will bring Desolation, a desert map featuring the ruins of a previous colonization, and Overseer, which offers fighting through military facilities in a "habitable forest valley." Both of those maps will be available for all game modes. They'll also support the new Skirmish mode, which will arrive for free later this summer. Skirmish mode plays like Team Deathmatch, but all of that killing is taking place while you're also earning Victory points for completing missions. Control Points are out of the game, however, and players will need to adjust as needed. Sounds interesting -- TimeGate promises more info on that mode and a release of the map pack on PSN coming soon.
Section 8: Prejudice patched, DLC'd and double XP'd
If you can handle a hot drop from orbit, then just maybe you can handle this Section 8: Prejudice news bomb. First, the Overdrive Map Pack is now available for $4 Xbox 360 and $4.49 on Games for Windows Live. In celebration of the two new maps, Prejudice players can enjoy a double XP weekend starting on Friday at 1AM EST and ending on Monday at 1AM EST. Second, a patch has been delivered to both versions of the game, tweaking or fixing several stability and gameplay issues. Players will be happy to hear that several crashes have been fixed and that autobalance will now "more aggressively" attempt to places players with their friends during matches. Head over to the TimeGate forums for the full patch notes and find a new trailer after the break.%Gallery-124998%
Section 8: Prejudice Overdrive Map Pack coming June 1
Are you familiar with the nooks, crannies and sweet, skydiveable air above each of the maps included in TimeGate Studios' beefy downloadable shooter, Section 8: Prejudice? Next Tuesday, June 1, the game will receive the Overdrive Map Pack, a bundle which includes two new maps which will be playable in all game modes: A magma-covered battlefield known as Abaddon, and a decidedly colder frozen wasteland called Sky Dock. The two new maps will launch on Xbox Live Marketplace and Games for Windows Marketplace for 320 Microsoft Points ($3.99). Sounds like a fair price for the raw, visceral thrill of plummeting into a pool of volcanic rock. Yes, that's not the smartest strategic move, but c'mon.
Section 8: Prejudice players reach 10 million kills, Assault Mode unlocked
TimeGate has announced that players across the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Section 8: Prejudice have reached the combined goal of 10 million in-game kills, thus unlocking the new Assault Mode. The objective-based gametype is now available to all players on both versions of the game. In Assault, the attacking team tries to capture all designated control points on a map, while the defending team attempts to hold onto them for as long as possible. TimeGate has also announced plans for an Xbox Live Game with Developers session this Sunday, May 15 from 5–8PM ET. Head over to the Xbox.com events page for details.
10 million kills in Section 8: Prejudice unlocks Assault mode
To coincide with the launch of the PC version of Section 8: Prejudice, TimeGate has announced a new community objective for both PC and Xbox 360 players. A kill counter has been launched on the Prejudice website tracking online kills across both versions of the game. Once the counter reaches 10 million -- which will hopefully happen soon, given it's already over 7.5 million -- the new Assault mode will be unlocked. In Assault mode, the attacking team attempts to capture all control points on the map. The defending team, naturally, tries to hold off the attackers as long as it can. The new mode will be free to both PC and Xbox 360 players once it is unlocked.
Section 8: Prejudice update addresses community feedback
One of the only knocks we gave Section 8: Prejudice regarded its matchmaking system. Specifically, our review mentioned the game's lack of a party system and the general difficulty of playing with Xbox Live friends online. Apparently ours wasn't the only complaint, as TimeGate has addressed community feedback with a new title update. While the new update won't add a party system to the game, we've been informed by TimeGate that "servers are more likely to try to put friends or Xbox LIVE Party members together during auto-balancing." Furthermore, ranked Swarm matches will now only require two human players instead of four. Additional fixes were also applied to usability, dedicated servers and a pair of crashing issues. See the full patch notes after the break.
Dedicated server support added to Section 8: Prejudice on XBLA
Well, this is certainly unexpected. No Xbox Live Arcade game to date has been afforded a dedicated server option. That is, until now. TimeGate Studios has announced that its recently released, multiplayer-centric title, Section 8: Prejudice, now allows Xbox Live players to access and play on PC-hosted servers through GameServers ... for a small fee. Dedicated servers can host ranked or unranked matches with support for up to 32 players. The monthly charges will run you $1.29 a player, plus a little extra something something if you want to purchase support for a standalone voice chat program. You can place your order for a dedicated server for the XBLA version now -- PC and PS3 players should look sharp, though, as the same support is on its way to their respective versions of the shooter.
Section 8: Prejudice PC pre-order bonuses, stat portal video
With Section 8: Prejudice now available on Xbox Live Arcade, TimeGate has announced the pre-order bonuses for the upcoming PC version. Prejudice will be available via Steam, Games for Windows Live and Direct2Drive, all of which will offer different pre-order incentives. Those who pre-order on Steam will receive a ten percent discount, knocking the $15 price down to $13.49. Games for Windows Live pre-orders get the Explosion Pack, which unlocks the Riot Mod pulse cannon as well as Concussion Detpacks for in-game use. Direct2Drive pre-orders also get in-game goodies, namely the Lightning Pack, which unlocks EMP rounds for the pulse cannon, tagger rounds for the sniper rifle and Blitz armor. Section 8: Prejudice will be released on PC May 4. TimeGate has also released a video detailing the game's online stat tracking portal because, hey, this is a portal kind of week. Check it out after the break.
Section 8: Prejudice review: It's raining men
Somewhere, on an ice-encrusted planet, a battle is raging. Enemies literally fall from the sky, crashing feet first onto the ground, spraying up dust and stone. Jets periodically strafe the area with bombs as I frantically rush toward a computer console, quickly activating it to disable the facility's shield generator. High above, I spy a massive orbiting space ship as it bombards the fortified bunker into which our quarry recently fled. Strangely, the thought running through my mind has little to do with the abundance of action. The mental refrain is one I've repeated often while playing Section 8: Prejudice: "This costs fifteen dollars."
Section 8: Prejudice launch trailer skydives into our hearts
Few trailers are as comprehensive as this launch video for Section 8: Prejudice. It's got a little slice of everything included in the game: Hectic gunfights, vehicles, armor customization, objective-based gameplay and, of course, some of the most haphazard skydiving in recorded history.
Odd Section 8: Prejudice dev diary series continues
Joy is back and, it would seem, still single in the latest developer diary for Section 8: Prejudice. Apart from her quest for love, the video also discusses the game's story, which is greatly expanded over that of its predecessor. Section 8: Prejudice drops (ahem) on XBLA April 20.
Section 8: Prejudice drops April 20 for 360, PC and PS3 to follow
Timegate Studios has dated two of the three versions of its upcoming FPS sequel Section 8: Prejudice. Via its Twitter account, the developer confirmed that the game will land on Xbox Live Marketplace in two weeks on April 20, followed by the Windows version on Games for Windows Live come May 4. The PS3 release doesn't have a firm date; the game is simply noted as coming "summer 2011" to PSN. Whenever it hits, it'll carry the same $15 price tag as the other versions.
Section 8: Prejudice dev diary is weird, informative
If can get past the strange introduction and interludes in the latest Section 8: Prejudice developer diary, there's actually some worthwhile information to be had. If, for some reason, you actually enjoy said interludes, it looks like we'll learn more about Joy's love life in later episodes.
Section 8: Prejudice preview: Once you drop, you can't stop
The original Section 8 was an unknown quantity launching within weeks of the likes of Halo 3: ODST and Batman: Arkham Asylum. To put it lightly, Section 8 had quite an uphill battle on its hands. Now, developer TimeGate Studios has prepared a disruptive secret weapon: Turning the sequel, Section 8: Prejudice, into a budget download. Based on what I played at PAX East, I'd say it's a strategy that might pay off. %Gallery-115412%
