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Report: Risen 3: Titan Lords leaves the sea in favor of medieval fantasy [Update]
Furthering the gaming industry's ongoing fascination with the word "titan" comes Risen 3: Titan Lords, a newly-revealed entry in developer Piranha Bytes' cult-favorite dark fantasy roleplaying franchise. German magazine PC Games has revealed the existence of Risen 3: Titan Lords via a preview image of the magazine's next cover. Scant information on the game was offered alongside this teaser, though we do know that Risen 3: Titan Lords will return to the medieval fantasy setting seen in the original Risen, in lieu of reviving the high seas, piratical adventures of Risen 2: Dark Waters. There is currently no word on when Risen 3: Titan Lords might debut. It seems certain that the roleplaying game will come to the PC, though any platforms beyond that remain a mystery. Update: Piranha Bytes sent over its official announcement for the game, found after the break. [Image: Piranha Bytes]
Sinister gamepad hopes to replace PC gamers' keyboards, leaves the mouse (hands-on)
Putting aside arguments over platform exclusives, graphical output and the convenience of gaming from the couch, one element separates console and PC gamers more than any other: control. Those parked in front of a television have an all-in-one gamepad with analog nubs, clicky buttons and smooth triggers, while those who bask in the glow of a monitor boast wield a high-accuracy mouse and and full QWERTY keyboard. While trying to jump from one platform to the other, inventor Chris Zhao-Holland found the differences frustrating. Sure, games on the PC benefited from mouse control, but the stiff inputs of the keyboard lost the built-in sensitivity of the console's dual-analog joysticks. It didn't take long for him to cook up the idea for Sinister, a modular PC keypad that hopes to take the best from both worlds. Zhao-Holland dropped by Engadget's West Coast office with an early prototype, presenting us with a 3D-printed palm-rest adorned with Xbox 360 buttons and a single analog nub. These buttons are modular, and can be rearranged mid-game without forgetting their function. The contraption looks a little like a mash up between one of Razer's keypad peripherals and a Splitfish controller, and oddly, functions like both. A pair of switches on the unit's side decide if the PC will recognize it as an Xinput device (like an Xbox 360 controller), a mouse and DirectInput device (with keys that need to be assigned through a companion program) or a mixture of both. These disparate modes give lend the device compatibility, but each comes with its own caveats.
Good Old Games now offers money back guarantee for games you can't run
For all the convenience digital games sales have brought us, they've come at the cost of the return policy. Buy a downloadable title you don't like? Tough noogies, kid - no take-backs. Well, unless you bought from Good Old Games. To help stem customer concern that a given title might not run on their computer, GOG has implemented a new money back guarantee that promises a full refund for any unplayable game. The caveat, of course, is you have to try: the team's support group pledges to do everything in its power to get its catalog's game running on your computer. If it can't, you get your cash back. Easy. Perhaps more notable, is the 14-day return policy it's attaching to any PC game the user hasn't downloaded. Sure, two weeks of leeway is kind of a standard, but for digital distribution services it's also a little unprecedented. Steam only offers refunds on pre-orders, and only if the request is processed before the game is released. Origin's policy is a little more forgiving, and gives gamers 24 hours (after a game is first launched) to let buyers remorse set in, or up to a week if the game is unplayed. Comparatively, 14 days almost seems generous. It's not a groundbreaking reform of digital purchase refunds, but at least it's a start - check out the company's announcement video after the break.
Guild Wars 2, Mists of Pandaria, Diablo III spur PC software to record revenue
The PC Gaming Alliance says that software sales reached a record $20 billion in 2012. GamesIndustry.biz reports that this represents eight percent year-on-year growth and a 90 percent uptick since PC Gaming Alliance's first report in 2008. The report, commissioned from entertainment research firm DFC Intelligence cites Guild Wars 2, Mists of Pandaria, Diablo III, and Minecraft as positive influences on a market that also saw "the decline of large subscription MMOs." DFC indicates that there are approximately one billion PC gamers worldwide, 250,000 of whom identify as "core" gamers with interests including strategy, action, and RPG titles.
AMD Never Settle bundle gives Radeon HD 7000 buyers free games they'd actually care to play
Just about anyone who has bought more than one aftermarket graphics card knows that bundled games rarely matter. They're usually year-old titles or neutered editions built only to showcase the GPU's performance for a few hours. AMD thinks its Never Settle bundle might finally get us to notice. Buy any modern Radeon HD video card from the 7770 GHz Edition on up and you'll get a download code for at least one new game you'd genuinely want to try, ranging from Far Cry 3 on basic cards to a full three-game deal that supplies Far Cry 3, Hitman: Absolution and Sleeping Dogs to high rollers buying the 7900 series. There's likewise a discount for Medal of Honor: Warfighter and promises of bundles in 2013 for Bioshock Infinite and the reimagined Tomb Raider. As long as you're not dead set on springing for a GeForce board in the next few months, one of the qualifying cards might be worth a look to jumpstart your game collection.
PBS mini-documentary explores indie game creation, shows what they do that majors can't (video)
The indie game world has undergone a metamorphosis over the past few years, transforming from an often overlooked niche into as much a staple of the game industry as once-every-year blockbusters like the Call of Duty series. It's that fast-rising side of gaming that PBS' Off Book has explored in a succinct documentary. As both developers and game journalists explain, the small and more flexible nature of indie teams lets them delve into game concepts, art and sound that major developers typically avoid -- you probably wouldn't get Bastion, Fez or Super Meat Boy out of a company focused mostly on hitting its quarterly revenue targets. Crowdfunding and internet distribution methods like Steam and Xbox Live Arcade have similarly removed many of the barriers that either kept these games from commercial success or forced uncomfortable deals with large publishers in the past. Accordingly, the indie sphere that PBS sees in 2012 is less about trying to become the next Activision or EA and more about experimentation and personal expression. If you've ever wanted an elegant summary of what makes Spelunky feel so special, the whole Off Book episode awaits after the break.
Steam Big Picture beta hands-on
Been keeping up with Steam's Big Picture interface? Then you probably know it's already in beta. The 10-foot UI hopes to help Valve's content distribution portal get comfortable in front of your couch, offering gamers access to their favorite PC titles from a gamepad-friendly interface. We piped the beta out to our own living room to take a look, and weren't surprised to find a sleek attractive UI with a heap of polish. That said, we were glad we didn't leave our mouse and keyboard at the office.
NYT: Steam's Big Picture public beta begins Monday
Can't wait to use Steam's forthcoming Big Picture mode to game from the comfort of your couch? Well, you're in luck, because it might be ready for a test drive tomorrow. According to The New York Times, the living room-friendly user interface is getting the public beta treatment starting Monday. Gabe Newell let loose last month that both the TV-geared view and Steam for Linux betas would be "out there fairly quickly," but there's still no word on when the Ubuntu-bound preview will land. In the meantime, we'll keep busy by gawking at Valve's augmented reality headset, which the NYT got a glimpse of during a trip to the firm's headquarters, at the source link below.
Valve launches Steam Greenlight to pick cream of indie game crop
Steam has developed a reputation as a haven for indie games like Super Meat Boy, so it's only fitting that store owner Valve has just launched a section to welcome more of those games into its tent. Greenlight lets small developers submit titles and have gamers vote as to whether or not the candidates should get space on Steam's virtual shelf. Pickier players don't have to see every game in contention; they can filter the list down to specific game types and platforms, and collections can narrow the selection to categories hand-picked by fans or publishers. No games have cleared Greenlight just yet, but it won't be long before the logjam becomes a flood -- between this and general apps, Steam is about to get a lot more crowded.
Square Enix Coreonline offers top-tier games on the web for free -- if you feed the ad meter
It's not hard to see that offering high-quality games through the cloud has its pitfalls, not the least of which is getting customers to pay. Square Enix may have licked that last problem through its new Coreonline web gaming service. Players can still pony up for the full-priced games or even single levels if they want unfettered access, but the cleverness comes through Coreonline's parking meter approach to ad-supported free play: the more ads you watch and the longer they run, the longer you'll get to play without spending a single coin. As our colleagues at Joystiq found out, however, the current level of OS support is inconsistent. Windows gamers can use Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer to start playing, but their Mac-owning friends have to lean on Chrome for some games and can't even consider running the marquee title, Hitman: Blood Money. Square Enix's library of eligible games will start expanding in October; while there's no guarantee the Final Fantasy series or many other dream games will make it to the roster, Coreonline's approach might just be viable enough to spare us a few raids on the bargain bins.
Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 now working on Linux through Google Chrome, more or less
A Holy Grail of Linux gaming has been an Unreal Engine 3 port. Getting one for the OS would unlock a world of games that has been the province of, well, just about any other mainstream platform. Thanks to Google preserving Flash on Linux through Chrome, that dream is alive in at least a rudimentary form. Experimenters at the Phoronix forums have found that Chrome 21 has support for the Stage 3D hardware acceleration needed to drive Epic Games' Flash conversion of UE3. Tell Chrome to enable support as well as ignore a graphics chip blacklist, and suddenly you're running Epic Citadel from your Linux install. When we say "running," however, we're taking a slight amount of poetic license. Performance isn't that hot, and certain configurations might not show the medieval architecture in all its glory. We've confirmed with Epic that it works, but it's still firm on the stance that there's no plans for official UE3 support on Linux "at this time." It's still promising enough that maybe, just maybe, gamers can embrace an open-source platform without having to give up the games they love.
Sony takes SOEmote live for EverQuest II, lets gamers show their true CG selves (video)
We had a fun time trying Sony's SOEmote expression capture tech at E3; now everyone can try it. As of today, most EverQuest II players with a webcam can map their facial behavior to their virtual personas while they play, whether it's to catch the nuances of conversation or drive home an exaggerated game face. Voice masking also lets RPG fans stay as much in (or out of) character as they'd like. About the only question left for those willing to brave the uncanny valley is when other games will get the SOEmote treatment. Catch our video look after the break if you need a refresher.
Steam's latest beta client enables remote installation of games, with emphasis on 'beta'
Considering it's supposed to be a democratic free-for-all, Steam has been running a tight ship lately. We've already seen a video of a forthcoming native client for Linux, and now there's a new beta client for Windows and Mac that also brings something different: remote game management. This can save you time by letting you trigger the download and installation of a title to your home computer while you're still in the office or on the move, via any web browser. That said, this type of thing was already possible using remote desktop apps, and so far the community response to the buggy beta has been decidedly mixed -- so make sure you read up on Valve's forum (at the source link) before you expect to find your slippers, Pinot Grigio and Sniper Elite V2 all lined-up and waiting when you get home. [Productive workplace photo via Shutterstock]
Kainy remote desktop app brings PC games to Android (video)
Watching Skyrim run smooth and sweet on a Tegra 3 slate did a lot to re-kindle our excitement for remote gaming on mobile devices. Hoping to cash in on that buzz, a $5 app called "Kainy" has appeared on Google Play that promises to bring PC games to Android handsets at up to 60fps with customizable control interfaces, 100 preset templates and accelerometer control. The demo video after the break is full of fast cuts that make it hard to judge performance, and user reviews suggest Kainy may prioritize lag-reduction over resolution with some ugly results, but then these are still early days. One thing is for sure: picking an Android device for its processor grunt will make a lot of sense in 2012.[Thanks, Drew]
Engadget evaluates Razer Blade performance
Our fellow bloggers at Engadget have gotten their hands on the Blade laptop from Razer (the very first commercial fruits of that "Switchblade" concept seeded so long ago), and the unit gets some high marks, despite some significant flaws. The worst issue with the laptop seems to be the audio (the built-in speakers are so bad that Engadget suspected their unit was broken somehow), but in general the problem with the Blade seems that it's tuned for a mix of portability and performance, which means neither gets to be perfect.Yes, the Blade is sleek and super thin for a PC laptop, but it trades on that build by being a "gaming" unit that doesn't play StarCraft 2 on its highest settings perfectly. (see update) For the sticker price of $2,799, Razer traded a little too much performance for the admittedly impressive form factor.But while Engadget doesn't recommend the laptop wholeheartedly, the site does praise the Blade's "bright and delectably tactile" LED buttons. The article surmises we'll see those types of controls again soon, either in Razer hardware, or units from other device manufacturers.Update: Engadget has discovered that they didn't have the latest drivers for the graphics card, and with those, apparently Skyrim runs much better. Engadget is working on updated benchmarks for all of the Blade's performance aspects.
Razer tests the waters with Project Fiona at CES
Razer's Project Fiona looks just like you'd expect a prototype to look. Despite a thick but standard tablet-style body and 10.1 inch touchscreen, it has some unfinished aluminum struts sticking out of either side, with not-quite-perfect joysticks and buttons placed unceremoniously on the top. In short, it's a manufactured idea and not a real product just yet. And Razer's purpose at CES last week was to judge, reps told me, just how good that idea actually was. Playing with the Project Fiona tablet doesn't feel quite right, but not because the games don't work. The Intel Core i7 processor powers a full Windows 7 installation (though it will eventually run Windows 8, says Razer), and the two prototypes at the show had full PC games on them, including the excellent Warhammer 40K: Space Marine. It ran quite well, but it was still difficult to play -- those joysticks and buttons just aren't fully in the right places. My thumbs did find and learn to use them after a few minutes of play, but it's unclear why, when Razer is already borrowing the "console controller" setup, the buttons are so strangely placed. After about twenty minutes of handling and playing with Project Fiona, I came to the biggest question about the prototype: Why?
GameFly to launch 'Unlimited PC Play' download service, offer less incentive to leave the house
GameFly hasn't wasted any time jumping into the digital download waters after acquiring IGN's Direct2Drive platform a little over two months ago. Set to launch September 8th in beta form, its new "Unlimited PC Play" service will offer subscribers access to 100-plus downloadable PC and Mac titles, with hundreds more expected in time for the official end of year launch. Fans of the video game rental outfit's snail mail subscription service don't have to worry about a shift to digital only, as the company has no plans to abandon its "unique combination of console and digital PC game offerings." Interested in getting an early peek at the new platform? If you live in the Los Angeles area, you can look forward to a planned beta launch party next month, where access codes for the new, invite-only service will be distributed. The rest of you PC gaming warriors will just have to settle for a sign-up page at the source.
Ubisoft's Battle Tag lands at the FCC, we're already out of breath
Remember when we just about passed out from exhaustion following a rather short demo of Ubisoft's nouveau laser tag setup? Well, judging from its appearance over at the FCC, it looks like the RFID-packing Battle Tag is ready to play. Unlike some of our more fruitful dives into the commission's archives, this one doesn't uncover a whole lot about the product that we didn't already know. Internal photos show an RFID reader, used to communicate with ammo packs for reloading, and a thorough examination of the game's user manual revealed the accompanying software is compatible with Windows only. So, no, we won't be exposing any big secrets here, but for laser tag aficionados, whoever they may be, today is a good day. A Battle Tag setup for two is now available via Ubisoft for $130.
Microsoft says it's 'doubling down' on PC games
Well, it looks like the forthcoming launch of Microsoft's browser-based Games for Windows Marketplace could just be the beginning of a broader PC gaming push from the company. Speaking with Kotaku, Microsoft's Peter Orullian, group product manager for Windows PC and Mobile, said rather boldly that PC games "is a place where we are doubling down." Exactly what that means beyond the new Games for Windows Marketplace isn't clear, but Orullian did mention that Microsoft has a "healthy list of features we're going to start bringing out once the store launches" in response to a question about further integrating PC and Xbox 360 gaming (something the company is also exploring with the revised Xbox.com).
Sims 3 expansion beats Star Trek Online in February's PC top 20
NPD has released its monthly list of the top 20 PC games, and while Star Trek Online made a valiant showing in the month of its debut, landing at number two for the main game and number four for the collector's edition, it was beaten in the end by the Sims 3: High End Loft Stuff (yes, "Stuff") content pack. The Sims juggernaut of a brand continued to rock the top 20, claiming six spots total, and perennial favorite World of Warcraft continued to place almost all of its current editions on the list in three different spots. Other big titles in February were Bioshock 2, the Everquest II: Sentinel's Fate expansion, and Mass Effect 2. Aliens vs. Predator appeared at a miserable number 19, below something called the Mumbo Jumbo Assortment. Full list after the break. We'll say this about PC game players: They know what they like, and they stick with it. [via Big Download]
