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Sonic: Lost World tails off at 710,000 units shipped
Sonic: Lost World sales dried up in 2014; as of March 31, the Wii U and 3DS game shipped 710,000 units total since its launch in October 2013. The figures come from Sega Sammy's fiscal year report, and the company doesn't note if they include download sales or not. Total War: Rome 2 was the company's best-performing game in the fiscal year, shifting 1.13 million copies by the end of March 2014. Football Manager 2014 placed second at 790,000 units, with Company of Heroes 2 not too far behind with 680,000 shipments. In roughly its first month on sale in Japan, PS4 and PS3 entry Yakuza Restoration shipped 390,000 units. Sega Sammy's consumer business posted year-on-year decline for packaged software, with the company blaming low sales on the "harsh market environment." The division shipped 8.73 million packaged games across April 2013 to March 2014, down 18 percent from the previous fiscal year. Sega Sammy expects that figure to rise substantially to 12.78 million for the fiscal year ending March 2015.
Total War: Rome 2 paid DLC sparks fan backlash over alleged cut content
The recent release of the Beasts of War downloadable content pack for Total War: Rome 2 has ignited a backlash among series fans, who accuse developer Creative Assembly of deliberately withholding finished content from the retail version of the game in order to release it later as paid DLC. Players claim that the Camel Cataphract units featured in the Beasts of War pack were originally seen in a Creative Assembly-produced Let's Play video prior to Total War: Rome 2's release. The video additionally outed the existence of the Mercenary Naked Swords unit, which wouldn't be seen until the later release of the game's Caesar in Gaul paid DLC. Players posted these allegations at Creative Assembly's Facebook page and on the official Total War forums. Further complaints arose when forum mods allegedly moved related threads to the Rants and Raves sub-forum, which is only publicly viewable by registered users. Speaking to Eurogamer, brand director Rob Bartholomew apologized to fans, explaining that the content originally featured in Creative Assembly's Let's Play videos differs significantly from the paid DLC units. "At the time of this video's recording, these units were not finished in terms of art, gameplay or design and as a marketing team we should have double-checked the likelihood of them making it into the final game," Bartholomew said. "Obviously we don't want to feature content that won't be in the game intentionally, especially when it would otherwise be pointless, as in this case where there was a huge variety of other great units to show off. That's our basic human error and I apologize for letting that through." Bartholomew additionally detailed company-wide plans to carefully check pre-release content prior to publication, in order to avoid future conflict. "[The units] weren't working pre-launch in the sense that they were finished, being largely placeholder and subject to change," he said. "However, I completely appreciate that this sounds like a 'get out' on a technicality to a fan feeling aggrieved by this, so again I do apologize for not thoroughly checking enough that all content in that video was absolutely ready for public viewing and understanding. We've put checks in place now that should prevent that in the future." [Image: Creative Assembly]
Total War: Rome 2 DLC adds scorpion bombs, angry dogs
Thanks to the Beasts of War DLC pack for historical strategy hit Total War: Rome 2, now you too can cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war - alongside the elephants of war, bees of war, camels of war, snakes of war and scorpions of war.
Total War: Rome 2, Company of Heroes 2 brawl for free DLC this weekend
In defiance of this weekend's imminent corporate-sponsored romance, Sega has decided to push strategy gamers toward corporate-sponsored violence with the aptly titled "Make War Not Love" promotion. The rules are simple: During the course of the weekend, Sega will tally all victories earned by players in Total War: Rome 2 and Company of Heroes 2. Whichever game has the more active, successful community will receive free downloadable content. In the case of Total War: Rome 2, players will be awarded the Beasts of War add-on, while those playing Company of Heroes 2 will find two new multiplayer Commanders available at no additional charge. To further sweeten the temptation toward virtual bloodshed, Sega is also discounting both strategy games by 50 percent from now until Monday, February 17 at 10AM PT. Would-be virtual generals can now purchase Total War: Rome 2 for $30 while Company of Heroes 2 can be had for $20. [Image: Sega]
Total War: Rome 2 mod tools now in open beta testing
In lieu of offering yet another downloadable content pack for Total War: Rome 2, developer Creative Assembly has opted to let fans roll their own units, factions and conflicts with the release of the Rome 2 Assembly Kit. Though still in the beta stages, the Assembly Kit is a full-featured suite of tools useful in modding the historical strategy game. According to publisher Sega, the Kit includes everything necessary to modify the game's existing assets, as well as import/export tools for pulling artwork, audio and character models into the game from third-party programs. The Kit also includes a swath of "example data" which should be useful for nascent modders. The best news, however, is that the Assembly Kit is available free of charge to anyone with a copy of Total War: Rome 2 and an Internet connection. Full details on the Kit and information on how to download the tools can be found on the Total War Wiki.
PSA: Free Baktrian faction invades Total War: Rome 2
Creative Assembly's Total War: Rome 2 has again added another historical group. This time around it's the Baktrians, and they're available as a free download. For those who nodded off in history class, the Baktrians were a group living on the Eastern fringes of the Hellenistic states founded by those lesser rulers who followed Alexander the Great. As a result, the region quickly became an invaluable trade route between Europe and the Middle East, and Asian nations more closely located to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This constant influx of economy (and thus culture) lead to an amazingly varied population, and the new Total War: Rome 2 DLC reportedly reflects this by offering "players a diverse battle experience ... blending units from the Greek rosters with those of Eastern cultures." Being free, grabbing this DLC is simple. Fire up Steam and Valve's distribution platform should pull down the update automatically. While you wait, why not bone up on your history? Creative Assembly has crafted a solid background page on the Baktrians, and let's be honest, how many of you had ever heard the term before this article?
The Gaul of this new Total War: Rome 2 expansion
Total War: Rome 2 will add its first paid expansion, Caesar in Gaul, next week. The expanded map includes "Gaul and Southern Britannia," which for those of us in the modern era is known as southern UK-dia and Franceland. "We've released a number of DLC packs and free content updates for Rome 2, but this is our most substantial so far," said Total War Creative Director Mike Simpson. "We've also improved the game considerably since launch, and that process continues as we move onto substantial feature and gameplay improvements." Caesar will march upon Gaul on December 12 for $14.99 (£9.99/€14.99). The game also includes Vercingetorix, chieftain of the Arverni, which is just the coolest name you'll get outside of a Warhammer 40K game.
Total War: Rome 2 will scratch SteamOS strategy gaming itch
Fans of historical, real-time strategy now have more reasons to be excited for Valve's upcoming SteamOS: Developer Creative Assembly has announced plans to bring Total War: Rome 2 to the platform. "We've always wanted the Total War franchise to be enjoyed by living room gamers, but the limitations of traditional hardware made our style of game play impossible," reads an announcement on the game's Steam community page. "Last month, when Valve invited us to test out the new Steam Controller and unveiled their plans for SteamOS - we were impressed." "We believe it will provide us with the control fidelity and platform we need to make a living room experience for [Total War: Rome 2] that could be a more compelling experience than playing with keyboard and mouse." There is no official launch date for the SteamOS version of Total War: Rome 2, though Creative Assembly claims it will debut "early next year." For now however, Steam is currently hosting a sale that reduces the price of the game by 25 percent. Purchase it now, and once the SteamOS version has launched, it will automatically be added to your list of Steam games.
New DLC adds buckets of blood to Total War: Rome 2
If Total War: Rome 2 proves a bit tame for your desensitized palate, we've got good news: Sega has released a new downloadable addition for the strategy game that will cause its battlefields to literally run red with blood. Appropriately titled "Blood and Gore," this DLC addition focuses on improving the brutality of combat in Total War: Rome 2. New sound and particle effects have been added alongside "hundreds of gruesome animations." According to Sega, both soldiers and the ground they fight on will now become increasingly spattered with blood and pieces of former people as combat rages on. As you'd expect, this bloody deluge earns the DLC an "M for Mature" rating. If that doesn't turn you off, you can feed your sadistic desires by purchasing the Blood and Gore DLC from Steam for $3.
Nomadic tribes join Total War: Rome II in new, free DLC
Total War: Rome II has added three new nomadic tribes, all of which can be yours totally gratis if you act fast. Dubbed the "Nomadic Tribes Culture Pack," this latest downloadable content adds a new, nomadic culture to the game, which includes three playable factions: the Roxolani, the Massagetae and the Royal Scythians. As in reality, these nomadic cultures are master horsemen who use surprise raids to wear down more entrenched, sedentary opponents, but lack the strong economic foundation provided by contemporary agriculture. Owing to this unique lifestyle, the three nomadic factions also bring with them new units, buildings and objectives, all of which can be used in any of the game's single- or multiplayer modes. As of now this DLC is available as a free download, but only until October 29. After that, the nomads once again take to wandering and the addition jumps to its standard price point of $8.
Total War: Rome 2 gets free Seleucid Empire, Steam Workshop support
A free update for Creative Assembly's PC strategy game Total War: Rome 2 dropped today, introducing a number of balance fixes and a new playable faction, among other additions. Today's update also enables mod management via Steam Workshop, adding support for player-created gameplay tweaks, texture packs, and cheats. A full run-down of the latest patch improvements is available at the Total War: Rome 2 wiki. If you want to become better acquainted with the newly playable Seleucid Empire, this article should catch you up.
Total War: Rome 2 patch includes 'over 140' improvements
Creative Assembly has unleashed the third planned update for Total War: Rome 2, a patch the developer believes will improve the game's performance, online multiplayer functionality and overall usability. The full list of changes included in the patch is massive, but most crucially, Creative Assembly has included a "significant" boost to multiplayer game speed. Online games will now automatically adjust their pace to match the speed of the slowest participant's gaming machine. Don't fret if you've got a weak computer however, as the patch also includes optimizations which should improve framerates for all players across the board. Updating your copy of Total War: Rome 2 is as simple as firing up your game and waiting while it automatically pulls down and installs the update. Creative Assembly has now turned its sights toward the fourth update for Total War: Rome 2, a patch which should enter beta testing shortly.
Total War: Rome 2 totally patched
Patch 2 for Total War: Rome 2 has come ashore, so the next time you ready your legions for battle, it will automatically download and apply more than 100 changes. Most of the changes are various tweaks and fixes, but among the highlights are Campagin performance optimization, AI round time improvement, and additional settings options. You can view the whole list of Patch 2 notes via the Total War Wiki, as well as preview the upcoming Patch 3, which entered beta testing yesterday.
Learn history from Brian Blessed in the latest Total War: Rome 2 trailer
Legendary actor Brian Blessed is joined by an expert on Roman warfare to narrate a look at the various "throwing" weapons found in Creative Assembly's newly released Total War: Rome II. These include slings, pilum and the one weapon more impressive than Blessed's magnificent beard, the ballista. Total War: Rome II (which earned a 3.5/5 in our review) is now available on Windows for $60.
Total War Rome 2 developers striving to catch critical bugs
Total War Rome 2 launched earlier this month and suffered a strategic blow when some players reported game-breaking bugs – and this was "totally unacceptable," Creative Director Mike Simpson said. In the Total War forums, Simpson outlined Creative Assembly's approach to fixing these issues, including the plan to release a patch a week until every bug is obliterated. One patch is already live. Simpson said 2 percent of players reported technical issues and that was "too many." "We just wanted to reassure you that we do know it's an extremely annoying and frustrating time for some of you at the moment and we are working around the clock to sort out those issues that you are having .... To these people we are really very sorry that you are having problems, we really want to get you enjoying our game, please do take the time to post your issue in the Support Forum if there isn't a fix for you available in there already," Simpson said. Simpson urged players encountering problems to hit up the support forums.
Total War: Rome 2 fails to conquer Saints Row 4 in UK charts
These are the days of the Saints Row empire. Despite a brave attempt by Total War: Rome 2, all roads still lead to Saints Row 4 in the UK charts, where Volition's game is now into its third week as Numero Uno. Not that it was a bad launch for Rome 2; the strategy sequel upped the previous Rome game's first week sales by 4,000 copies, and it managed to pip the console versions of Diablo 3 to second place. Get tu, Rome 2! Okay, we're out of Roman references. Lower down the order, we find two new releases in Vita game Killzone: Mercenary, which docks in eighth, and - oo-arrrr! - Farming Simulator 2013, which crops up in tenth. That unusual combination pushes Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn just out of the top ten, the PS3 and PC MMO coming in 11th. Finally, if we peer right down the top 40 we just about find Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate - in 35th. At least Tecmo Koei can reflect on the updated fighter's debut in the knowledge the original shipped 580,000 units worldwide in its first month. Oh, and get this: FIFA 13 isn't in the top ten! It's the first time in recorded history (or close enough) that FIFA 13 has been sighted as low as (gasp!) 14th. Truly, this is the silly season.
Total War: Rome 2 review: The condiments of war
I once watched a reenactment of the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge – a Revolutionary War battle in Wilmington, NC – and one of the colonist militia used ketchup packets to simulate fatal blood loss. Upon recoiling from the impact of the invisible half-inch musket ball, he fell to the ground, reached into the pocket of his homespun colonial breeches, clenched his fist, and pulled out a handful of Heinz to smear on the open wound. His body was not buried; the corpse slid into his Corolla and went back to Wendy's to restock. There's something inherently silly about historical fiction that the Total War series will never shake, though Total War: Rome 2, the eighth in the series, comes as close as any reenactment can to escaping it. A passion for historic detail is more convincing than any graphical leap or streamlined troop management system could be, and the staggering obsession over political intrigue in 280 B.C. is a fascinating study in itself. And, as the first Total War game to support thousands of independently animated hoplites, the technical feat is (usually) a marvel too. Developer Creative Assembly put me in charge – now Caesar's dead and there's ketchup everywhere.
Total War: Rome 2 gets multiplayer trailer now, additional content by October
Creative Assembly recently announced its post-launch support plans for Total War: Rome 2, the developer's newest war strategy game. Beyond the game's day-one Greek States Culture Pack, the developer said the Nomadic Tribes Culture Pack will arrive by October. That pack, for which Creative Assembly did not list a price but noted it will be paid DLC, will include Royal Scythians, Roxolani and Massagetae groups. Additionally, players will get to add the Seleucid Empire to their factions free of charge by October. The developer also recently unveiled a multiplayer "Let's Play" video, which pits two members of its team against one another in the game. Total War: Rome 2 launches September 3 on PC, and those pre-ordering the game receive the Greek States Culture Pack for free.
Former rivals Creative Assembly, Relic find 'kinship' on the battleground
Previously competitors in a niche genre space, The Creative Assembly and the formerly THQ-owned studio Relic Entertainment are now under the same umbrella at Sega. This has fostered a "kinship," The Creative Assembly's studio communications manager, Al Bickham, says – a kinship largely fueled by a similarity in studio cultures. "I think there's a growing kinship between us that is very heartening. It's fantastic. What is absolutely amazing about us being under the same umbrella is we started to do a bit of information sharing," Bickham explains of Relic Entertainment. "We're at E3, we're at the booth next to each other and chatting and seeing how it's going and all of that. But also we've had delegations from Relic come and visit, see how we do things and we've done the same."
Total War: Rome 2 picks up (Mark) Strong celebrity voice work
Mark Strong, known for his villainous work in Sherlock Holmes (the Robert Downey Jr. one) and Kick-Ass, will switch gears to play the protagonist of Total War: Rome 2's prologue. Let's hope he lasts longer than Patrick Stewart did in Oblivion. Given our knowledge of Roman leaders, we're not placing any bets.
