stalker
Latest
'Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl' release now set for 2023
GSC Game World hopes to release Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl next year.
'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' is delayed until December 8th
GSC Game World says it needs seven more months for 'thorough testing and polishing.'
'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC on April 28th, 2022
Take a deeper look at gameplay from the first-person survival horror sequel.
Google will prohibit ads for 'intimate partner surveillance' tech
Starting August 11th, Google is banning advertisements for “stalkerware” apps and hardware, which enable someone to track the phone activity or movement of another person. The apps are already banned in Google and Apple’s app stores, however some still slip through while others are available directly on developers’ websites.
Taylor Swift concert used facial recognition tech to identify stalkers
You're probably used to the presence of facial recognition cameras at airports and other transport hubs, but what about at concerts? That's the step Taylor Swift's team took at her May 18th show at the Rose Bowl, in a bid to identify her stalkers. According to Rolling Stone, the camera was hidden inside a display kiosk at the event, and sent images of anyone who stopped to look at the display to a "command post" in Nashville, where they were cross-referenced with other photos of the star's known stalkers.
Guide helps you fight online harassment
Harassment may be a regular part of the modern internet landscape, but that doesn't mean that you have to simply sit there and take it. Feminist Frequency, which is all too familiar with harassment and threats, has posted a guide to protecting yourself against the onslaught of digital bullies, stalkers and trolls. In some ways, it's about observing common sense privacy and security policies: avoid sharing more personal info than necessary, use difficult-to-crack passwords and stay on guard against malware and other exploits.
Unreal Tournament 3, STALKER games update following GameSpy shutdown
Developers continue to scramble to update their legacy products in the wake of GameSpy's recent server shutdown, with Unreal Tournament 3 and the STALKER trilogy emerging as the latest games to update in order to maintain online play. Epic Games has released a replacement executable for Unreal Tournament 3 that redirects online play requests to the game's new in-house master server. The fix works for both the retail and Steam versions of the game, and requires players to re-register their previous user names. The remaining developers at shuttered studio GSC Game World have also launched their own dedicated server for the STALKER series, releasing a series of patches with updated multiplayer clients for Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat. Steam players will receive all needed updates automatically. [Image: Epic Games]
The Daily Grind: Are you into stealthing mechanics?
Apart from the Imperial Agent in Star Wars: The Old Republic, I haven't played a lot of stealth-able characters in MMOs. For me, I just don't see the appeal of sucker-punching bad guys instead of facing off in a fair fight; it kind of makes me feel as though I'm bullying them. Plus, having to walk slower in stealth, constantly worry about positioning, and ignoring the illogic of disappearing in broad daylight all wave me off of such characters. But that's me and those are my hang-ups. I know that stealthing is pretty popular in certain quarters, and I can concede that when done right (as in the Thief series) it can be a compelling mechanic. So I'd like to hear whether you're into being all stealthy in MMOs and what you think about how these systems have been handled over the years. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Latest WildStar livestream highlights the Stalker
The latest WildStar livestream set the spotlight on the game's token stealthy-stabby class, the Stalker, with over an hour of gameplay and Q&A all centered around WildStar's masters of subterfuge. The stream, which can be watched in full on Twitch.tv, features a number of the game's developers -- including Stalker class designer Jade Martin -- answering questions from viewers and showing off the Stalker's many capabilities in both PvE and PvP situations. For all the skulking and shanking you can handle, grab some popcorn and click on through the link below for the full Stalker livestream.
WildStar shows off the Stalker
WildStar's recent class re-reveals have all lacked a certain something. A certain panache, a certain trait, a certain ability to sneak past a huge number of enemies before stabbing something in the back and walking away. That's what the Stalker brings to the table, and for everyone who loves classes that involve stealth and stabbing, you'll be very happy. Not that the class is that one-dimensional, of course; like all of the game's classes, Stalkers have a big bag of tricks. It's just that invisibility is a pretty good trick. Stalkers are equipped with twin retractable claws as well as nanoskin and a variety of other high-tech gadgets. The nanoskin serves multiple functions -- it allows for Stalkers to become tougher, more evasive, and even do that invisibility trick while in combat. Combined with their natural agility and controlling tricks, Stalkers can easily be on the front lines of a battle or tuck themselves away and assassinate key targets. Check out how it works in the video just past the break. [Source: Carbine Studios press release]
Garry's Mod creator launches Rust in free alpha; think DayZ, STALKER [Update]
Garry Newman's new game is a departure from his breakout creation, Garry's Mod, but it's still slightly familiar. Rust is a survival game that started off as a DayZ clone and transitioned into a STALKER-inspired world where players build their own buildings and defenses – and they can play however they want. "So what's to stop you from going around killing anyone you want and taking their shit and becoming more powerful?" Newman asks. "Nothing. What's stopping it from becoming a PVP killfest? You. Our job should be to give the players the tools they need. If you're sick of getting killed – start a town. Build town walls. Give all the town members red clothes. Put warning signs up outside the town. Set up trip wires and alarms. Watch each other's back." Rust is in alpha now, accessible here – just type in any series of numbers until the "Next" button appears in the right-hand corner of the registration box. Newman and his studio, Facepunch, are working on implementing their own assets in the game and fixing bugs, so it's still early in development. Update: The alpha is closed, for now, so put down your keyboards and take a deep breath. Keep an eye out for updates on the Rust forums.
Everyone's a potential traitor... even you: WildStar's Dominion faction
Last week, we revealed WildStar's Exile faction -- a Firefly-esque group of rebels, pirates, and vagabonds. Today, we're finally able to put our eyeballs on the game's Dominion faction, including three of its four races, plus a newly unveiled class, the Stalker. My instinct was to assume that the Dominion faction was meant to be a parallel to Firefly's Alliance -- space cowboys versus authoritarian aristocrats. But having explored them in more detail, I saw a lot more of Star Wars and Allods Online than I expected, and that's brilliant. Allods also has two factions, the "evil" one of which is a unique blend of Imperial Russian industrial dieselpunk and high-society technocracy. Blend that with Human High Culture propaganda from the Star Wars Extended Universe and maybe a dash of Brazil's dystopian humor and you've got WildStar's Dominion. But don't take just my word for it. Let's have a look at the videos!
Vostok aiming for Survarium beta by the end of 2013
Vostok Games has updated its website with a 2013 development timeline for Survarium, an online shooter said to feature PvE, factions, and task and auction systems. Vostok, which is staffed by veterans of the much-loved Stalker series, says that the title will go into open beta before the end of the year. The timeline also mentions an alpha due in Q2 of 2013. The build will feature PvP, four game maps, and two playable factions. Survarium is something of a spiritual sequel to the post-apocalyptic Stalker games, and the new title will incorporate concepts planned for the defunct Stalker 2 project.
Amazon THQ sale: Metro 2033, Red Faction Guerrilla, more for 91% off
The Tantalizing THQ Medley on Amazon includes downloads of Metro 2033, Homefront, Red Faction Armageddon, Red Faction Guerrilla, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, all for $12. Regularly priced, this bundle comes out to $118, so that's a savings of 91 percent. Buying all six games is cheaper than getting one by itself, so if you're in the market for any of these, it's your lucky day.Actually, it's your lucky days: The Tantalizing THQ Medley will be on sale through January 20 as Amazon's Deal of the Week.
Lockheed Martin Stalker drone stays airborne 48 hours using laser power, all-seeing eye gets literal (video)
Aerial drone designers have been pushing hard to get devices that can stay airborne for days. After all, what's the point of having an observer that routinely lets its guard down? Lockheed Martin must have this question forever etched in its collective mind, as it just completed tests of a modified Stalker drone that was continually charged by laser power beamed from a ground-based source. The LaserMotive-built test was admittedly conducted in a wind tunnel, not a wind-swept battlefield, but it kept the drone aloft for more than 48 hours and was so efficient that it might even have gone indefinitely, if it weren't for staff intentionally bringing the trial to a halt. The true test is coming next, when Lockheed Martin and LaserMotive fly the drone on laser power outdoors. Should the Stalker sail the friendly skies for long enough, it could help usher in an era of UAVs that can spot intruders at all hours -- a little too close to the aircraft's name for comfort, perhaps, but potentially vital for Special Operations troops that might not have to put themselves in danger. You can check the underpinnings of both the laser power system and the Stalker in videos after the break.
Survarium dev diary details story and skills
2020 is the end of the world as we know it according, to the upcoming free-to-play FPS Suvarium. The studio Vostok Games, recently formed by ex-S.T.A.L.K.E.R. devs, has released a second developer's diary for its inaugural title detailing the events that lead up to the game's setting, an Earth converted into a wasteland by an ecological catastrophe. The video also explains that players, the survivors of the catastrophe, will become stronger by completing faction missions and developing five skills: firearms training, physical training, medical knowledge, technical training, and knowledge of the new world. The video concludes by discussing the team combat mode, cooperative-play mode, and free-play mode. For more details on these features, watch the video after the break.
MMOFPS Survarium gets new screens, story details
Vostok Games, composed of developers from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, elaborates on its coming free-to-play MMOFPS Survarium in a new developer diary video. The game is set in the near future, after a "mass-scale ecological catastrophe" leaves Earth a wasteland.As seen above, the video details the five skills that players level up by completing faction missions. Survarium will require a constant connection to the Internet and will not include a single player mode. The game is expected to launch on PC at the end of 2013, just a few years before the world goes to hell (according to Survarium, of course).%Gallery-159921%
The Firing Line: Newsplosion edition
Holy carp there was a lot going on in shooter circles this week! Between the news blurbs, videos, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. memories (yes, I said S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and damn that takes a long time to type), there was nearly enough information for two editions of The Firing Line. Luckily for you (and for my overworked editor), I managed to keep the word count down. Let's not kid ourselves, though; there's plenty of interesting stuff after the cut. Join me for the latest on dueling World War II aviation MMOs, a new free-to-play shooter from Crytek, the requisite PlanetSide 2 lovefest, and some official dev answers to last week's Taikodom question.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Online footage sighted in the wild
Fans of GSC Gameworld's S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series got a tad bit excited this morning as new gameplay footage from the IP surfaced on YouTube. As it turns out, the video is from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Online (yes, really), which is an MMO being developed by CyberTime Systems using its proprietary BigWorld game engine. Apparently the title has been in the works for a while, and an ongoing open beta phase is currently available in Russia. VG24/7 reports that there is a multi-language pack in the works, but until it's ready you'll need to bone up on your language skills if you want to participate. For the uninitiated, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a series of post-apocalyptic single-player titles that mix first-person shooter action with sandbox RPG elements. Head past the break to check out the gameplay footage.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. developer GSC shut down
Ukrainian developer GSC Game World, creators of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, have reportedly shut down. The details regarding the closure are currently very s.k.e.t.c.h.y. UkraNews reports, citing sources, that CEO Sergei Grigorovich told the staff in a meeting this morning that he had decided to close the company. GSC is said to have had between 40-50 employees. RockPaperShotgun, which has been on top of this story, got in touch with GSC and obtained the ominous: "Sorry, no comments at this point." STALKER 2 was expected to launch sometime in 2012. We'll update as more information becomes available. Update: Details are still a mess, but it appears GSC has been shuttered.
