Relic Entertainment
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Preview: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Even at this early point in the game's production, it's probably already clichéd to refer to Relic Entertainment's Warhammer 40,0000: Space Marine as "Gears of Warhammer," but man is it an apt description. Despite its innovative RTS roots (working on the acclaimed Homeworld and Dawn of War series), Relic is diving headfirst into the third-person shooter genre, and all of the conventions are here: Gruff-voiced space marines (literally), big shoulder armor, big guns, huge explosions and production values, and there's even a gosh-darn exploding train. I got to see the game in action for the first time this week at THQ's headquarters in Agoura, California, and while the influences from other shooters are very clear, Relic producer Raphael Van Lierop wants you to know that Space Marine is Relic's big opportunity to step outside the genre they've become known for. "It's about putting our foot down and making a statement," he said. "And saying we're not just really great developers of RTS games, we're great developers of entertainment."%Gallery-99237%
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine also storming PCs next year
A THQ press release has announced that upcoming third-person shooter Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, formerly slated to land only on the PS3 and 360, will also arrive on the PC when the game launches early next year. We'd worry about PC gamers getting this particular installment in the franchise confused with all the other Warhammer titles currently available on their platform. However, considering this one has you mowing down wave after wave of orcs using novelty-sized guns and swords, rather than ... doing strategy game stuff, we don't think you guys will have any problem seeing the distinction.
Company of Heroes CD keys to unlock unspecified bonuses in Company of Heroes Online
The free-to-play Company of Heroes Online won't fully replace that disc copy of Company of Heroes you have, as there's still at least one important piece of content for which you'll need the disc -- even if that piece of content is a Company of Heroes Online extra. "We are urging people to hang onto their CD keys," producer Greg Wilson told PC Gamer. "We don't have the details yet, but we really appreciate our current retail CoH fanbase, we love them and we recognise that they helped us get where we are today with this franchise. We want to make sure they feel appreciated, so there will be something special for people who are retail owners. News of that will come." So if you were going to shatter your disc in rage about the freemium followup, keep the CD key. Just in case. As for people who haven't yet discovered Company of Heroes, and who play other free-to-play stuff on Facebook, Wilson hopes that some of the millions of players participating in social games will "get tired of that fast food style of gameplay, and they'll want to graduate to something a bit more – whether that's a triple-A PC title or something in between."%Gallery-94329%
Company of Heroes Online seeking beta recruits
Company of Heroes Online, Relic's freemium real-time strategy title, has opened up registration for its upcoming closed beta. To receive a code, applicants will have to make sure to check both "Receive News" and "Receive Offers" when making their account, as beta keys will be sent out using the opt-in mailing list. A post on the CoHO site states that a limited number of keys will go out in the first phase but that they'll "soon be announcing a partnership" to expand the beta. For those uninterested in helping with the process of finding entrenched bugs, the full free-to-play title should be released this autumn.
Company of Heroes Online reports to North America for duty this fall
click to drop into our gallery Relic's freemium real-time strategy game, Company of Heroes Online, will launch in North America this Fall, THQ has announced. The adaptation of PC exclusive Company of Heroes was previously announced for South Korea and is currently in beta in the Chinese market. Company of Heroes Online features a persistent online world and, while being free to play, offers player customization through micro transactions. If you're unfamiliar with the franchise, you might want to check out an earlier version of the acclaimed WWII strategy title on Steam. Find the trailer after the break. %Gallery-94329%
Dawn of War II's 'Chaos Rising' expansion shows multiplayer chaos
Alright, look folks, if you have any intention of purchasing the upcoming Dawn of War II expansion Chaos Rising, we once again urge that you jump on the pre-order deal and get yourself a free copy of Saints Row 2. So when you're done getting chaos all risen up, you can spend some time shooting poo onto buildings. Seriously, that's really a gameplay option. In fact, you might wanna just go grab that joint right now. Oh, and there's a trailer above for the DoW2 expansion's multiplayer additions, if you're into that kinda thing. But you can only watch it if you're an adult -- so clearly we couldn't watch it.
'Chaos Rising' in Dawn of War II on March 11
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising, a "standalone" expansion to last year's critically acclaimed RTS, will unleash the traitorous Chaos Space Marines on March 11, 2010. In the service of the Emperor, players will cleanse, purge and kill across a new single-player campaign with 15 missions, and will acquire a bunch of multiplayer enhancements for $30. Remember, several retailers are offering a free copy of Saints Row 2 with a pre-purchase of the Chaos Rising expansion. So, while you're meditating on the idea that "an open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded," why not bust some caps in posteriors around Stillwater?
Weekend Steam deal: Company of Heroes 75% off
Valve has announced that this weekend will see Company of Heroes receive a steep discount on Steam. The original game as well as the Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansions will be available for 75 percent off the usual price. All three, usually packaged for $49.99, will be available for a paltry $12.99. For those out there looking for a real-time strategy fix, it looks like your weekend is booked.
Dawn of War II's free 'The Last Stand' DLC released
THQ and Relic have released "The Last Stand," a free update for the Warhammer 40k RTS Dawn of War II. As we reported during PAX 2009, the DLC adds a Horde/Firefight style survival mode to the game. In addition, the pack contains two new maps and what THQ describes as "numerous balance updates and bug fixes." The publisher has also mentioned that Dawn of War II is receiving what we can only imagine is a limited time price cut to $20 on Steam, effective immediately. It should last 'til at least dawn. [Via VG247]
Dawn of War II's 'The Last Stand' mode detailed
It seems the increasingly popular "Horde" mode first presented in Gears of War 2 (before spreading to other popular FPS titles in some form) isn't just proliferating through the shooter genre -- GameSpy recently revealed details for "The Last Stand," a similar gametype which will soon be introduced into Dawn of War II. The new mode, which will come as a free download for those who own the full game, lets three players select either the Space Marine, Ork or Eldar hero classes, then face off cooperatively against wave after wave of computer-controlled adversaries. Between waves, players will be able to level up their heroes and manage their equipment. The series' strategic roots aren't being thrown out the window -- players will need to work together to stay alive and capture score-multiplying control points. We'll undoubtedly learn more about this intriguing expansion to the well-received strategy title during Relic's panel at PAX 2009. [Via Big Download]
Smoking Gun, Cyberia author Rushkoff partner for games, books
Smoking Gun, an independent studio formed in 2007 by Relic Entertainment vets, has landed a new deal with tech evangelist Douglas Rushkoff, with the award-winning author set to pen the story for an as-yet-unannounced property. Details remain light, though Rushkoff notes his narrative will be used in multiple games as well as related books.If that's not enough to interest you, consider that Rushkoff, whose works include cyber culture novel Cyberia and the DC comic series Testament, is set to lend words to an entire range of titles "across a range of media formats that can feed off one another and exist concurrently." Honestly, we're just as confused as you are, but once the headache stops and the Advil kicks in we'll reach out to Smoking Gun for more.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine cleansing consoles for the emperor
THQ has officially confirmed work on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, yet another game set against the backdrop of Games Workshop's gritty tabletop universe. Relic has again been handed developer duties on the title, though unlike Dawn of War, the console-focused Space Marine will be an action RPG that lets players control individual units through a "narrative-driven story campaign and in wide-scale online battles." In development for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it's unclear what ties, if any, the project has to the leaked Space Marine footage that made the rounds late last year. However, judging from this IGN-hosted trailer, the game certainly looks to keep more with 40K's combat-heavy fiction when it eventually decides to chainsword retail shelves.
Relic beats Activision-Blizzard in developer showdown
Here's an update, albeit slightly unexpected, from The Escapist's big "March Mayhem" tournament that we reported on a little while ago. They were pitting Relic Entertainment up against Activision-Blizzard in a developer vote-down, and apparently, after a tie and a little ballot box stuffing, Relic, not Blizzard, has emerged out on top. Quite an upset in a number of ways -- Relic was seeded #12 in the bracket, and Activision-Blizzard was seeded as number one (the bracket also included Harmonix, Infinity Ward, and another big MMO developer, Mythic). In fact, Relic also went on to beat Harmonix, and is now facing Bioware for a spot in the final matchup.Is it fair to say, then, that the mighty have fallen? Blizzard was (and still is, for the most part) held in high esteem as a developer -- most of the games they've released in their vast history aren't just hits, they're classics. But even commenters here on our site felt that the "Activision" on the front of the dev's name was distasteful: Blizzard's new owners don't demand as much respect as the studio itself does. And Blizzard has definitely changed lately. Some might say that the developer that allowed Diablo 2 players to play for free on Battle.net (which, to be fair, has had its own issues) isn't the same company that's planning to sell Starcraft II three different times. And let's not forget that, ballot-stuffing or not, Relic has moved on to beat Harmonix, and still has a chance to win it all, so it could just be that they have a much bigger fan following than anyone expected. But does a loss like this mean Blizzard has fallen from their fans' grace?%Poll-28751%
Blizzard vs. Relic Entertainment in The Escapist's March Mayhem
The good folks over at the Escapist are giving March Madness a little game developer spin -- they've pitted 64 different videogame developers up against each other in an NCAA Basketball-style showdown, with readers voting for which dev moves on to the next match. And our favorite developer, Activision-Blizzard, is still in the running after a few rounds: they've beaten Wideload Games and Crytek, and are currently facing Relic Entertainment (makers of the Dawn of War RTS series, as well as the classic Homeworld). Unfortunately, Escapist had to list them as "Activision-Blizzard," though what we're really voting for here is Blizzard, since companies who make Activision's other hits (like Infinity Ward, who make the best Call of Duty games, as well as Neversoft, who've overseen most of the Guitar Hero games lately) have their own places in the showdown.Blizzard's got a tough road ahead, though -- if they win, they're likely facing fan favorite Harmonix (heck, I love Harmonix), and then will probably show down against either Bioware or Rockstar, both extremely popular developers. The other side of the bracket will likely have heavyweights like Nintendo and Valve coming out of it, too, so it'll be a tough road if Blizzard wants to make it to the top.To vote, you just have to head over to The Escapist's forums -- the next round starts tomorrow morning, and every few days they're moving the developers on to the next matchup. The final round will be decided on April 8th, and while of course winning means nothing at all, this is a nice chance to show off your developer pride. Say what you want about the recent class changes, but Blizzard has given you Starcraft, Diablo, and World of Warcraft -- how can you not vote for them?
Dawn of War II beta now available to all
Just a quick reminder that the Dawn of War II beta is now available to all people for the low, low price of nothing. With just a click, a little free time and 5.5 gigglebytes of hard drive space you could be well on your way to pitting orcs against space marines in the most stunning visual metaphor for the state of the video game industry ever. Sure, you've read our thoughts on the game, but now we're dying to see what you think. Let us know in the comments below.
Nexon to close their Vancouver studio in economic wake
Originally reported by Kotaku and now verified by Gamasutra, Nexon is shuttering the doors on Nexon Vancouver, leaving 90 employees without jobs. The Vancouver group, also known as Humanature Studios, was unable to release one of their own games under the Nexon flag, but was involved in the development of Klei Entertainment's Sugar Rush title. The studio was headed up by Alex Garden, co-founder of PC developer Relic Entertainment (Homeworld, Company of Heroes.)Nexon is retaining their Los Angeles studio, keeping a base of operations available in North America.The company has confirmed the closure, saying that it was a difficult decision due to the dedication of the staff and all of their hard work, but necessary given the current economic conditions and the need to secure Nexon's core business.
Why you buggin? Tyranids playable in Dawn of War II
It's time to load your storm bolter and wrap up your last prayer to the Emperor, cuz we're huntin' Tyranids! IGN has confirmed that everyone's favorite galactic bugs will be clawing their way onto Relic's forthcoming Dawn of War sequel, not only as an opponent but as a playable race as well. The blood news was spilled during the Leipzig Games Convention by Dawn of War II senior designer Philippe Boulle, who noted that the space insects behave as "a single organism, not an army of individuals," and that the swarm is composed of disposable "meat shields" and more specialized alien troops serving the Tyranid Hive Mind. For more, check out the pre-rendered pure awesome below while we wait for the bugs to digest their fill of Space Marine, Ork and Eldar in early 2009. [Thanks Damn Lucky]
Dawn of War II E3 teaser introduces the Eldar
While it's difficult to make out the guttural baritone voice of the above trailer's narrator, we're pretty sure that this is an E3 teaser for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II. Those already invested in the series will be glad to know that the svelte Eldar will be making an appearance in the the RTS franchise's latest installment, and that they will apparently wield neat glowing swords. At least, we think they're swords. For all we know, the Eldar might just be on their way to a futuristic fantasy-themed rave -- after all, they are well-known among their contemporaries for being the galaxy's official party race.
The Daily Grind: Who's your dream developer?
If you could have any developer tackle an MMO project, who would it be? There are a lot of great developers out there who've never -- as far as we know -- tried their hand at the genre. In fact, recently both Sid Meier and Gabe Newell have expressed their interest in creating MMOs. So there's always the dream of seeing a Valve MMO or even something based on the Civilation franchise as well. However, there's still plenty of other developers that we'd love to see tackle the genre. Bungie, Rockstar, Insomniac and Relic Entertainment are a few that come to mind. There's also long shots like Nintendo or Epic Games, too. With so much money being made in the MMO market, we wonder if it's only a matter of time until a high profile developer can pitch a crazily-yet-awesomely different MMO concept and see it published and released into the wild. Maybe we'll even get a game out of
Who's Jay Wilson?
Jay Wilson is on stage at WWI right now, showing off Blizzard's new game, the very hot-looking Diablo 3. But just who is Jay Wilson, and why is he in charge of the new Diablo game? Wilson's worked with Blizzard on World of Warcraft, and he's even got a character named after him.Previously, he'd worked for a company called Relic Entertainment, and was the lead designer on Dawn of War, a Warhammer 40000 (Warhammer, but in the future, kind of like Starcraft to our Warcraft)-based RTS game. The good news is that the game was fairly well reviewed, but of course Diablo 3 isn't an RTS game, it's a hack-and-slash, so we're not sure how Wilson will do on that front yet.In this interview, Wilson was known to be at Blizzard and supposedly working on Starcraft II but of course now we know better. This new Diablo could be the chance for this developer new to Blizzard to claim his place in history.UPDATE: Our very own Joystiq caught up with Jay Wilson at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational. Find out what Diablo 3's lead designer has to say about porting to consoles, the next Deckard Cain rap and the notorious dupe exploits of previous games.
