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Steam offering Ubisoft quadruple-pack for $10
Steam's week-long celebration of French gaming industry juggernaut Ubisoft (which kicked off with a 50 percent discount for Far Cry 2) is coming to a close, but not before the digital distribution leader performs a coup de grâce on wallet-wary consumers -- this weekend, the service is offering the Ubisoft Classic Pack, which includes Far Cry, IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and Beyond Good & Evil, for just $10.We highly suggest checking it out -- the four-pack seems to cater to all sorts of gaming interests, whether they be horrendously gaudy hawaiian shirts, World War II-era dogfighting, demonic fantasy combat or titles that got royally shafted by the game consuming populous during their initial release.
EA job cuts have 'unfortunate consequence' for Arkane Studios
EA's recent curtailing of its work force by six percent has had a dramatic effect on independent developer and collaborator, Arkane Studios. Speaking to GameDaily BIZ, Arkane chief executive Raphael Colantonio confirmed that the cost-cutting maneuver came to the detriment of his studio's engagement with the publisher. The way Colantonio said it, it almost sounds like he rang EA's Los Angeles office the next day and found that there was nobody left to answer the phone. Not even Antonio."The next morning the team on EA's side was greatly downsized and we were told about the strategic decision and its unfortunate consequence on our collaboration," he said. Though the Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic developer still respects EA as a "great partner," it's already evaluating plans for the immediate future. "I need to find a deal as soon as possible to reassign the team affected by this event." There is no indication as to what project the thirty-strong team was working on.
Dark Messiah: Might and Magic Elements DLC: The Journals
Day 1: Well, the team and I just shipped off Dark Messiah: Might and Magic Elements and we're going to start on the DLC while we await the reviews. People are going to love it!Day 7: Early reviews have been ... mixed. But we're trying hard to stay positive. We'll bet the true fans are just going to love the new maps, classes and weapons that we're creating. ... Right?Day 14: Becky came in to give us the latest sales numbers today. "Seven," she said. After a while we asked her if she meant seven thousand or seven million. Then she sort of did this half cry and ran out of the room. Work continues.
Dark Messiah rises on Marketplace
A new Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Elements video is risen on Xbox Live Marketplace. The video is short and to the point, making sure to emphasize the violent first person combat of the title. There's plenty of slicing, dicing, whacking, and thwacking to be had, and just so you remember that there is both might and magic, a few spells are thrown in for good measure. We imagine most players will get a kick out of telekinetically launching opponents off cliffs. One new tidbit revealed in the trailer: the 360 version of Dark Messiah will have a new multiplayer mode designed by the Splinter Cell team (how will that work? Spies versus orcs?). Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Elements ships September 7.
360 to get both Mighty and Magical
Yet more Ubisoft news today, as Eurogamer discovers that Arkane Studios' Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is headed to the Xbox 360. Powered by Valve's Source engine, the game will be a port of the original PC title, with the additional subtitle, Elements (does every game have to have a subtitle these days?). For those unfamiliar with the game, it is a first-person RPG that's heavy on fantasy action. It's worth noting that the game received decent reviews on the PC, though many complained of lots of bugs. Here's hoping everything is ironed out for the 360 release. See a trailer for the PC version after the break.
Dark Messiah screen contest announced
Ubisoft's community manager for Dark Messiah of Might and Magic has announced a new promotional contest on the game's forum. The French publisher is soliciting humorous screenshots and pictures that can be taken from the single player demo, multiplayer beta, or by simply playing medieval dress-up with your friends. At stake are 20 Dark Messiah bonus discs, and a t-shirt for the top entry. Not many guidelines are offered, but considering the French have such deep affection for Jerry Lewis, you might want to try reenacting a scene from The Errand Boy while dressed in your best Orc outfit.You only have until October 1, so get snappin' (or grabbin')!
Ubisoft shares Dark Messiah of M&M with Steam
Valve has been busy piling up games with hearts of gold in their increasingly popular, and increasingly cramped, Steam bordello. With the recent additions of Introversion's DEFCON and seventeen members of the burgeoning PopCap clan, Steam is really (steaming up/under pressure/on fire). Sure, a little service called Xbox Live ain't doing so poorly, but they're not delivering highly anticipated AAA retail titles yet, so there. Today, Valve announced a deal with Ubisoft to distribute their Source-based, first-person RPG, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic over Steam. More importantly, the release will be simultaneous with the retail release this October. Unlike Half-Life 2, which is distributed digitally over Steam and in stores by EA, Valve does not own this property, they're just the messengers. Ubisoft is acknowledging the demand for digitally distributed AAA content and using the largest platform they can find to promote it. We're still waiting on governement-distributed protein pills and personal submarines, but the third pillar of our future vision is now realized.Check out a video of Dark Messiah, and today's press release, after the break.
