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Universe at War, three factions trailer roundup
Universe at War: Earth Assault, the upcoming SEGA published and Petroglyph Games developed title, is yet another real-time strategy game being shoehorned into a console control scheme. The difference between UaW:EA and other console-ported RTS titles is the inclusion of cross-platform play with the, already released, PC version -- a first for a third-party publisher. While on the surface UaW:EA seems complex, the Starcraft-esque three-different factions system, showcases the title's simplicity and accessibility. The three factions, the Novus, Hierarchy and Masari are completely different in almost every respect and should make re-playability (other than online modes) one of the strongest bullet-points on the retail package. While we're a fan of the PC version, we wonder how the Xbox 360 version will control and what the balance will be when the PC crowd goes head-to-head with the Xbox 360 crowd. Universe at War: Earth Assault is set to his retail on March 25, 2008 for the Xbox 360. Above is the trailer for the Novus faction, Hierarchy and Masari trailers await you after the jump.
Rumor: Halo Wars for PC with cross-platform competition
Still very much part of the rumor mill, website The Angry Pixel, "after enough assurances that this is not a cruel hoax," writes that Xbox 360 exclusive Halo Wars is in development for PC and that the game features cross-platform play. The result: Xbox 360 owners may feel what it's like to play an RTS against keyboard and mouse players -- or might it actually be balanced? CVG followed up with a Microsoft rep about the story and was naturally told, "We do not comment on rumour and speculation."Cross-platform capabilities have been accessible through UNO and Shadowrun, and it's no real shock to postulate that an RTS like Halo Wars could be in development for PC. Apparently Sega's Universe at War will have cross-platform capabilities when it launches on Xbox 360 this spring, so it would seem somewhat plausible for a first-party title like Halo Wars to feature the capability as well. Update: Predictably, Microsoft has squashed the rumor. "Halo Wars is being developed from the bottom up for the Xbox 360 and its control scheme to ensure that we deliver a groundbreaking console RTS experience. Given that, we have no plans to develop Halo Wars for Windows Vista at this time," a Microsoft representative told IGN.Read: Fog of War: Halo Wars for PC?Read: Is Halo Wars going cross-platform?%Gallery-1676%
Data Drive Thru iTornado does cross-platform data swaps with ease
Finally, your prayers have been answered. Never again suffer through the humiliation and torment of trying to transfer files between a PC and Mac -- that's right, iTornado has got your back. Apparently, this little device is capable of transferring information back and forth using it's "Data Drive" technology, which magically circumvents protocols, compatibility issues, and fervent fanboys. The unit is able to connect via USB and automatically load drivers and software needed to move data bi-directionally. Embedded software offers up a split-screen display on both machines and makes dragging and dropping (at up to 25MB a second) a cinch, or so they say. No word on price or release date, but we expect to see it on the CES floor.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. devs hop onboard Xbox 360 love train
After spending some six years developing the PC first-person shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R., we figured it would be some time after the game's long-delayed release last March before we heard from Ukraine's GSC Game World again. We were, of course, wrong as not two months after the game's debut the studio came forward with a burst of enthusiasm for its radioactive baby, announcing plans for "several subsequent new products" in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise. Just what projects the company has in the works remains anyone's guess, though a new posting on GSC's official website confirms that the studio is now a certified Xbox 360 developer, which has us wondering if GSC plans to irradiate Microsoft's console with a port of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. anytime soon.According to GSC, the effort to get Microsoft's seal of approval took the studio 2 years, and that "from now on, our old ambition to create multiplatform projects has become a reality." So, does this mean that yet another PC developer has been lured away, wooed by the sultry siren's song of console game development? Probably, though GSC chief exec Sergiy Grygorovych adds that the company plans to continue to pay "maximum attention to the PC platform." You hear that PC zealots? Put the pitchforks down please, we're all friends here.[Thanks, PrivateRyan]
Capcom (finally) casts loving gaze at PS3
While Capcom's love affair with the PlayStation 3 has had all the warmth of a vacation to E.D.N III, the upcoming year will see the company begin to move away from PS2 development in favor of creating games for Sony's latest console. The announcement, made by Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto, is sure to usher a sigh of relief from PS3 owners, who in lieu of Dead Rising and Lost Planet have been forced to roam shopping malls and suck on ice cubes as they pine for better days. Tsujimoto also remarked that Capcom will also begin to embrace projects that can be developed for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in order to 'maximize profits,' rather than look to platform exclusives, marking the second such time we've heard Capcom officials make this stand. We've already seen Devil May Cry 4, once believed to be Sony's alone, become monogamously challenged, with Capcom set to release the forthcoming title on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 in simultaneous fashion early next year and Resident Evil 5 likewise coming to both consoles someday. Interestingly, no mention of the Wii was made in the company's cross platform plans, though it seems likely that the console's nature will continue to spark more unique efforts like the dismally boring Umbrella Chronicles and the smart adventure/puzzler Zack & Wiki. One thing's for certain -- the coming year is going to be very interesting for Capcom. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Cross-platform support still up in the air for The Agency
While it hasn't been completely ruled out at this point, SOE hasn't made a decision on whether to make The Agency cross-platform compatible between the PS3 and it's distant cousin, the PC. Lead designer Hal Milton said, "we're evaluating cross-platform support" and then completely closed the topic with the declarative "we're not prepared to make a statement at this time." The Agency isn't the only game set to release on PS3 and PC without the confirmation of dual-platform support between the two. Seeing as how we're breaching a new frontier here, we are beginning to wonder if PS3 gamers can, or even want to live a happy co-existence with their PC brethren. Although critically flawed, Shadowrun seemed to offer a pleasurable cross-platform experience between the PC and the Xbox 360. What do you think? Can SOE pull it off with The Agency? %Gallery-3823%
The tyranny of cross-platform choice
You kids today think you've got it so good. But ya don't! Back in my day, there was only one dominant system, and we bought all the crappy games that came out for it, and that's the way we liked it, dagnabbit!Now you got all sorts of different systems clogging up your fancy-schmancy entertainment center, and what's worse, publishers are coming out with the same game for all of 'em. The last Madden game came out on 11 different systems, for Pete's sake!You might think it's better to have a choice, but it's not! Now ya gotta choose between the fancy graphics on the PS3, the online features on the Xbox 360 and the swishy control scheme of the Wii. Things ain't looking so good now that you got that decision staring you in the face, eh sonny boy?Even the portable versions are getting a second look these days. Back in my day, portable versions knew their place as the neglected, pixelated, black-and-white cousins to their console superiors. Now these upstarts are rivaling or even bettering their rightful console masters. What's the world coming to!Hey, don't walk away while I'm ranting at'chya. I need someone to drive me to the pharmacy to get my pills. Come back here and listen to me tell you how bad things are, consarnit!
iChat video now cross-platform in 10.4.9?
Loyal reader Nik spotted this interesting tidbit on the .Mac tips page last week:You can also chat with anyone who has an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) screen name and uses a chat client that supports AIM, whether on a Mac or PC. (For audio or video chats with PC users, you need Mac OS X v10.4.9 installed on your computer.)Cross-platform video chats without using the AIM client? Eeeeexcellent. (Of course, Skype video is free and quite good, but this is cool too.) If you can, try it out and let us know what you see; we'll post screenshots if we get it working.Update: Some clarifications coming in via the comments now. iChat <-> AIM video and audio was working with versions of AIM prior to v6, but not since. The 10.4.9 updates to iChat may restore the video functionality for the newer AIM clients. For a very, VERY thorough walkthrough of the cross-platform video chat config (including links to download AIM 5.9 if needed), check out this page at MVL Design.Thanks, Nik!
Shadowrun PC cross-platform requires Live Gold
In the latest Shadowrun trailer, there is a little snippet that you Games for Windows users may want to pay attention to. We all know that to play Shadowrun's Xbox 360 version online, you're going to need an Xbox Live Gold account. Likewise, to play Shadowrun cross-platform on Vista, you're going to need a Gold Live account for Windows. At this point, there hasn't been any pricing announced with regards to Gold Live accounts on Vista, so there's no telling what may be the better deal. Also, given that they explicitly state "cross platform", that may mean that PC only servers may be playable with Silver Live accounts and will be free of charge. Interesting food for thought. Do any of you plan on playing Shadowrun on your PC?[Via Joystiq]
MacDrive 6 - read/write Mac-formatted drives and discs on Windows
If, for one reason or another, you just can't get around having to work on a PC either at school, in the office or elsewhere, MacDrive for Windows 98 - XP might alleviate some of those daily headaches you've been having. Recently updated to version 6, MacDrive enables Windows to open, read from, write to and even format Mac OS-formatted discs and drives (HFS/HFS ). While this includes hard drives, CDs, DVDs, floppies (uh, what's a flop-y?), Zip, Jaz, SyQuest and more, CD and DVD burning is only available for Win 2K, 2K3 and XP. The beauty of MacDrive, or so Mediafour's website boasts, is that working with HFS/HFS drives is completely seamless once the software is installed - no learning curve, no extra steps. While I (fortunately) don't have a Windows machine to test this, Mediafour offers a free trial (form link). MacDrive costs $50, and Mediafour offers a 30-day "Love it or Return it" money-back guarantee.
Breakfast Topic: Cross-platform?
Given the imminent launch of Final Fantasy XI for the Xbox 360, surely Blizzard have their thinking caps on at the moment. Many people have postulated that WoW for the 360 is a question of "when", not "if", but with a 5.5 million player-base, do Blizzard really need to move to a new platform? It would doubtless help sales of the 360 along, especially for those who can't afford a high-spec gaming PC, but going cross-platform (especially given the different networking and input methods) is a lot of hassle.Blizzard's Mac compatibility has been highly praised, and the Windows client works fairly well under Linux (using Cedega) -- I've put many happy hours in on all three platforms. If it were to move to a console, the 360 is an obvious choice, especially as you can plug in USB peripherals. However, a network-enabled Nintendo DS or Sony PSP -- or even a mobile phone -- version of WoW would be interesting, perhaps allowing you to check auctions and craft items on the move.Would you play WoW on a console? Do you think you would get more friends addicted if it were available? Or would balancing and porting be a bad thing, forcing Blizzard to divide their attention?
