source
Latest
HL2: Episode Two delayed till 2007
Valve Software has been one of the main proponents in the push for episodic gaming, a fact which quickly comes to mind in light of Half-Life 2: Episode Two getting its own push into the future. Releasing Half-Life 2 expansion episodes in lieu of Half-Life 3 was supposed to curb development time, something which Valve is always struggling to keep on a leash before it wrecks the office and eats all the calendars. Alas, it has run amok once again, causing Episode Two to slip to February 2007. In other words, the release gap between the first and second "episodes" has now grown to 8 months. Valve's Doug Lombardi tells Eurogamer that the delay is simply "classic Valve being overly aggressive on our dates" and that the title will likely end up being a "little longer" than the first title. A further point of consideration is that Episode Two is being developed in conjunction with several other included games (Portal, Team Fortress 2) and console versions. Lombardi also states that the extra games will result in a slightly higher price than that of the single Episode One release ($19.99), with the all-inclusive console releases expected to retail at full price. With any luck, this will be the last delay in store for Valve's upcoming release -- otherwise, we'll have to start questioning just how far the word "episodic" can stretch.
Shiira 2.0 Preview
Shiira has always been the browser we all have installed, play with when we're bored or need to test site compatibility, but never really use in day-to-day work. Despite the fact that the current version has essentially all the features of Safari, the interface and features always felt a bit unpolished, at least to me. Delusions of Grandeur has a preview of the next version of the open source browser, Shiira 2.0, and it looks to be a refreshing change. Sporting a newly designed interface, multiple ways of viewing tabs, full screen mode, plugin API, and so much more, Shiira 2 will be pretty, if nothing else.
Half-Life 2 confirmed for Xbox 360, PS3
Speaking at EA's annual summer press event, Valve's Gabe Newell revealed that Half-Life 2 would be headed to the Xbox 360 and PS3, bolstered with extra content and presumably, plenty of opportunities to kill people with high velocity toilets. The full console package will be comprised of Half-Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 (it still exists!) and an entirely new title, Portal. According to Gamespot, Team Fortress 2 now sports a cartoonish art style and a 60's spy feel akin to that of Monolith's No One Lives Forever -- certainly a description you'd never expect to be about a game from Valve. The developer is also trying new things with Portal, which incorporates a rather imaginative gun and encourages you to blast Prey-like portals into floors and walls for all manner of object shifting, puzzle solving hijinx. The console versions of Half-Life 2 (along with all the extra goodies) are expected to launch alongside the PC game's second episodic expansion. Barring unforeseen code thefts and other delays, that means they'll be out by the end of the year. [Thanks Easy_G and icemorebutts!] Previously: Internet survey lists Half-Life 2 for Xbox 360
Play the news: kill Al Qaeda's al-Zarqawi
If you've recently witnessed the news on TV or your disagreeable neighbor's house getting blown to smithereens, you'd likely be aware that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, was killed in a decisive US air strike earlier this month. If this is the first time you're learning of it, the news is reaching you in a way quite dissimilar to the way in which the people behind Kuma Reality Games want it to. Reaching you is just the beginning for them -- they want it to grab you by the arm and yank you into a Source-powered, 3D recreation.The goal of Kuma\War is elaborate and intriguing, though much like a minefield, it's also laced with topical traps that require careful movements to navigate successfully. For every major battle or newsworthy event that takes place in the ongoing war on terror, Kuma\War offers a free, downloadable counterpart, plunging you right into the war-torn boots of an American soldier and tasking you with carrying out the very same mission. Just a scant few weeks after al-Zarqawi's death, Kuma\War will be offering "players" the opportunity to call in the airstrike that killed him or, alternatively, rush his house with a group of comrades in tow.
$40 XBL Vision camera & UNO bundle detailed by MS source along with prices & dates for other 360 accessories
Our friendly anonymous source at Microsoft has provided us with a few more details concerning the 360 accessories announced back at E3.Perhaps the most important involves the bundling of the Xbox Live Vision camera with a wired headset, the popular Live Arcade title UNO, and a month of Live Gold service for $39.99 when it releases in the States on September 19, 2006.Granted, this is still an unofficial report (based on a leak of "official" info), so understand that you're probably not gonna get much confirmation from MS until they're good and ready to give it. If you'd like information on what other peripherals are coming out "Holiday 2006" (so sometime in the 4th quarter) and at what price, read on for more.
Half-Life 2 for Xbox 360 could be in the works
Recently erected EB Games and Gamestop listings of Half-Life 2 for Xbox 360 have ignited rumors that Valve's acclaimed sequel is again headed to a Microsoft console. Despite a somewhat stripped-down version of the game being released for Xbox last November, an Xbox 360 version would presumably include added features akin to the upcoming PC 'Platinum' edition (also scheduled for February 2007), which is said to contain Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Counter-Strike: Source, and Day of Defeat: Source. In addition, Valve could use the Xbox Live service to deliver the long awaited expansion episodes*, just as we speculated back in April.In responding to the listings, Valve would not confirm the project, stating, "We've only announced development for 360. No specific titles to reveal just yet, but folks can expect to hear more before the end of this year." *See: Half-Life 2: Episode 1 set for June release; Half-Life 2: Episodes Two and Three confirmed
Half-Life 2: Episodes Two and Three confirmed
As we wait patiently for next week's release of Half-Life 2: Episode One, Valve has confirmed that Episode Two will ship by the end of the year, and will be the subject of a sneak peek included with the first expansion. Meanwhile, Episode Three is already in development and has been confirmed for a late 2007 release. How many of you have purchased SiN Episodes: Emergence, or BioWare's Neverwinter Nights premium modules? What other franchises would you like to see deliver episodic content? See also: HL2: Episode One site is up, with plot details, Half-Life 2 storyline cheat sheet
