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Relic reflects on Warhammer 40K: Space Marine reception
"Was it our best work?" Warhammer 40K: Space Marine producer Andy Lang asked Eurogamer. "It was our best console work." Relic, best known for PC real-time strategy games like Company of Heroes and Dawn of War, took a risk by attacking the third-person shooter genre so late in the console cycle. We enjoyed Space Marine, noting it showed Relic's "expertise can extend far past the RTS genre they've already conquered," but critical reception has been varied. "I'm pretty humble; I don't look at [criticism] and get all upset. I thought most of the reviews were fairly on the mark with what they had to say," Lang admitted. "The character design does get a bit repetitive and certain parts of it, just how the game plays - we didn't have time to really polish that stuff to where we wanted to get to. There wasn't anything that was oh-my-god shocking in the game." Head on over to Eurogamer for more Space Marine postmortem.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 'Exterminatus' DLC drops Oct. 25
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine's free "Exterminatus" co-op DLC will kill in service to the Emperor on October 25, according to Eurogamer. The DLC includes two, four-player scenarios that pit the Space Marines (or "SPACE MARINES!" as is incessantly shouted throughout the whole game) against Orks and Chaos. Relic is reportedly working on more content for the game, which will be released as free and premium DLC sometime in the future -- certainly sometime before 40K. Relic is better known for using the Warhammer 40K universe in its Dawn of War real-time strategy series. Space Marine, Relic's new, more action-oriented take, fittingly launched into the hell of end-of-year game retail and is apparently surviving. In our review we found the studio's "expertise can extend far past the RTS genre they've already conquered," and the game has held steady on the UK sales charts.
Company of Heroes franchise 80% off on Steam this weekend
To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the Company of Heroes franchise is 80 percent off this weekend on Steam. When Relic developed the original game those many years ago, the WWII setting and RTS scene were both feeling tired, but Company of Heroes delivered a fresh take on the aging genre and delivered a graphically gorgeous experience that still holds up. You can own the intense, immense campaign now for $2. If you're willing to spend more than a gallon of gas for tens of hours of refined RTS entertainment, the original game is bundled with expansion Opposing Fronts for $6, and with the Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansions for $10. If you have any interest in the RTS genre -- even if the WWII setting is a bit of a turn off -- don't miss out on Company of Heroes for $2.
Space Marine gets 'Exterminatus' co-op DLC in October, free for everyone
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine may be pushing its meaty shoulders into retail this coming week, but its co-op mode won't arrive until "early October" says THQ. The mode, with the Latin-derived name "Exterminatus," will be made free as a download to "all players" according to THQ's release. Exterminatus contains two separate "scenarios" in which four-player groups can maneuver their bulky trio of classes around, chainsawing through everything in their path. Global leaderboards are also included, posing "dynamic challenges" to players and supporting additional "score modifiers" (read: Skulls). Some confusion was raised over the game's co-op back in August when a GameStop advert pinned the co-op mode exclusively to GameStop pre-orders, but today's announcement clearly refutes that information.%Gallery-132494%
'Kraftwerk Who?' Pioneering '50s Synthesizer unearthed in French Barn
So there Dr. Mick Grierson was, wandering around a French barn, minding his own business when all of a sudden he happened upon an antique: one of the earliest modern synthesizers. Grierson, a professor at Goldsmiths University in London did what any expert in the field of electronic music would do, and whisked it back to the motherland for restoration. The Oram "Oramics" Synthesiser (sic) was built by Daphne Oram in 1957, a year before she co-founded the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to research and develop electronic music. Political wrangling within the corporation forced her to leave in 1959, and she retreated to a farm in nearby Kent to tinker with her invention. After her departure, the Workshop shot to fame for creating the original electronic theme to Doctor Who. In order to create music on the Oram, a composer painted waveforms directly onto 35mm film strips which were fed into the machine. Inside, photo-electronic cells read the light pattern and interpreted it as sound. Check out the video to see the arrival of the machinery back into England where it'll be on display all the way through December 2012. If you're really interested you can tap Dr Grierson's homebrewed Oramics iPhone app (linked below for your downloading pleasure) to create your own futuristic theme songs, '57-style.
Space Marine dev diary aims to disect the blockbuster
Apparently, Relic's Space Marine will "use action and awesome, awe-inspiring moments to really drive people through the narrative." Translated into English, we think that means: it's got some cool stuff in it. Good to know!
Space Marine multiplayer classes trailer takes us to school
The Ork menace requires a cunning, knowledgeable Space Marine. Best you study up on those kill tactics, grunt! Within this communication from the emperor himself, you'll find information on classes and battle strategies essential to any Marine in the field.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine trailer is properly overdramatic
Brothers, the time is almost upon us to die in service of the God-Emperor. Heresy will not be tolerated! Equip extra Space Marine provisions by playing Warhammer 40K: Kill Team and prepare to purge the xenos from the Imperium.
Dawn of War 3 further detailed by THQ's Danny Bilson
THQ executive vice president Danny Bilson is known for his many things -- his gorgeous shock of graphite hair, his devil-may-care attitude, a movie star daughter. But in the game industry, he's best known for speaking loosely and passionately about his company's yet-to-be-revealed projects. A recent interview with Eurogamer is no exception, with Bilson offering a small brigade of details on Dawn of War 3. Bilson says that the sequel to 2009's Dawn of War 2 is in development "right now," and is a mix of new elements with features from the first two titles. He also admitted that his company will be making a game announcement at GamesCom in the PC gamer-friendly country of Germany, which we're taking a wild guess is the official reveal of DoW3. We'll be on the ground in Cologne this August to bring you more details. [Pictured: Dawn of War 2]
Become a space wolf with Warhammer 40K: Space Marine's pre-order bonuses
Though it's possible you've been offered the opportunity to dress like a space wolf at some other point today, we were quite excited to be extended such a chance by the newly announced pre-order bonuses for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine. Folks pre-ordering the forthcoming third-person space shooter at GameStop will get the hilariously named armor, as well as the "black templar chapter armor." A variety of other bonuses are available from several other retailers, detailed below the break. Additionally, a "limited run" of the collector's edition seen above will be offered at retailers, going for $79.99 on PC and $89.99 on 360/PS3. Beyond the faux "Purity Seal" and artbook, Space Marine's collector's edition comes bundled in a box (shaped like an old book!) with the soundtrack, a pack of "character information cards" and the game itself. Additionally, among the other ways you can currently get Darksiders for free, PC pre-orders at most retailers -- except THQ's own store, it seems -- will snag a copy of that alongside Space Marine.
Space Marine combat system vid goes into blood frenzy
Make no mistake, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine is all about a man's quest to turn his enemies into a bloody puree (and his name ain't even Kratos). If our recent preview didn't impress this fact upon you, check out this new, most violent video.
Relic establishes Brian Wood Memorial Game Design Internship
Relic Entertainment has set up the Brian Wood Memorial Game Design Internship for students at the Vancouver Film School's Game Design Program. The internship will give one student a four-month paid stint at the developer, with the company providing three graduating students the opportunity each year. The internship is named after Brian Wood, lead developer on Company of Heroes Online, who died last year after a tragic incident. The first internship will begin next month.
Dawn of War II: Retribution multiplayer beta starts Jan. 31
THQ has announced a multiplayer beta for the standalone expansion, Dawn of War II: Retribution. The beta includes all of the game's factions and multiplayer maps and is scheduled to begin on January 31, at which point access will be given to the press and "Key Dawn of War community members." The following day, the beta will be open to anyone who has pre-ordered the game on Steam. Beginning February 8, the test will then open to anyone who has ever purchased a Dawn of War product or registered a copy of Dawn of War II on Steam. The beta will test Retribution's Steam matchmaking as well as overall multiplayer balance. Once the beta ends on February 24, the results will be used by the developers at Relic to create a "day-zero balancing patch" for the game.
Dawn of War 2: Retribution trailer is for Chaos, for the Emperor!
Come! Show me what passes for fury amongst thy misbegotten kind! For the Emperor, pray before this vision of Retribution. Now, behold brothers, our prey draws nigh! (in other words, check out this new Dawn of War 2 trailer!)
Company of Heroes Online trailer shows how to serve the Fatherland
Sure, playing as the Taliban might be taboo now, but give it about 60 years. The latest trailer for the free-to-play Company of Heroes Online (currently in open beta) slyly promotes the Nazis' Terror Division, showing that time heals all wounds when it comes to video game enemies.
Dawn of War 2 standalone expansion 'Retribution' announced for early 2011
Relic and THQ have announced the second standalone expansion to the Warhammer 40k-themed RTS Dawn of War 2. The expansion will be called Retribution, and will introduce the series' first multi-race single-player campaign. The first race announced is the Orks, but players will be able to choose other races to play through the campaign as well, meaning you can finally play as something other than Space Marines in the single-player game. Multiplayer also gets extras in the form of new units, some new maps and a whole new playable race to fight with. There's no word out of Gamescom yet as to exactly which race that is, but given that we've played as Orks, Space Marines and Eldar in the series before, playing as the Tyranids is a pretty good guess (edited) already in the game. Commenters are guessing Dark Eldar. We'll find out for sure when the expansion is released -- it's scheduled for Q1 2011.
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.
Warhammer 40K Space Marine baptizes with bullets, 'still a ways out'
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine may have the most generic title this side of the Imperium, but after popping up on our galactic monitoring devices almost two years ago in a leaked video, we've been eager to discover more about it. During E3 we spoke with Morten Haugaard, global brand manager of all things 40K at THQ, who told us that the game had come a long way at Relic since that original leak -- back then, it was a with a different developer. While noting that Space Marine was "still a ways out," Haugaard said that the development team includes Gears and God of War alum. Aha! That might explain why the game appears to be a hybrid of those visceral (lower case "v") franchises. See if you agree after watching the Space Marine trailer after the break. %Gallery-95781%
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.
