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New WAR40K trailer introduces first playable race
reddit_url='http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/20/new-war40k-trailer-introduces-first-playable-race/'; reddit_target='gaming' Tweet var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/New_WAR40K_Online_trailer_introduces_first_playable_race'; The Warhammer 40K crew has released a new trailer introducing the game's first playable race: The Imperium of Man. "After centuries of exile, the Imperium of Man has returned to the Sargos sector," begins the trailer video. The planet Sanctum is the stronghold for man, and the humans are holding it against a host of enemies eager to take it back. As always, while it's fun to hear all about a new playable race, it's even better to see it. With that in mind, the developers have put together a lineup of detailed new screenshots and a trailer video to introduce the race to players. Follow along after the jump to check them out! %Gallery-100006%
WAR40K courts 1 million users, WoW players
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/THQ_wants_1_million_subscribers_for_Warhammer_40k_Online'; Danny Bilson, core games vice president at THQ, is rather excited by the prospects of Warhammer 40k: Dark Millennium Online. In an interview at CVG, the executive talks about both the potential of the underlying intellectual property as well as the game itself. The title, currently in development at Vigil Games and fresh off a crowd-pleasing E3 trailer reveal, looks to appeal to a broad base of MMORPG games, starting with Blizzard fans. "I've spent lots of time in WoW. As a WoW fanatic, I'm going to go right to 40K as soon as it comes out. It's very friendly to the WoW player," Bilson says. In addition to aiming for the current market-share top dog, Bilson lets on that WAR40K is looking for approximately a million players in order to be successful. "They've got 14 million players! Gimme a million and I'm good! We're real good at a million, right?" We don't need everybody to migrate. We just need some of them -- and I'm full confident we're going to get them," he said.
THQ merchandises the Hell out of Darksiders
Sure, you might have liked Darksiders well enough, but we know what you really wanted from the game: your very own War to lead his own tiny Apocalypse into your living room. THQ is obliging this desire with a line of Darksiders merchandise produced in collaboration with partners in the publishing and toy industries. Udon Entertainment is producing an Art of Darksiders book featuring "a comprehensive collection of concept art from the game, including original artwork from creative director and comic book legend, Joe Madureira." And SOTA Toys will release a 14" doll action figure statue of War and his horse Ruin. SOTA says that this is just the first item in an eventual Darksiders line. Both of these items will debut at Comic-Con, which takes place from July 22-25. Preorders for the statue will open on SOTA's site at the same time.
Warhammer 40K Dark Millennium Online trailer gives taste of the far future
The Warhammer 40K MMO, Dark Millennium, may still be another two years away, but the trailer after the break gives us a small glimpse of the in-development title's graphics and user interface. Of course, being two years away, almost all of that can (and likely will) change.
Trailer revealed for Warhammer 40k: Dark Millennium Online
THQ and Vigil Games promised to "fully reveal" the Warhammer 40k MMO at E3, and they're standing by that promise. Our first peek at this revelation comes in the form of a brand new trailer, as well as the game's title. var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Trailer_revealed_for_Warhammer_40k_Dark_Millennium_Online'; The trailer for Warhammer 40k: Dark Millennium Online gives us the backstory: demons, aliens and heretics versus man. We get our first look at gameplay as well as the trailer pans through several different battlegrounds. The trailer comes at the same time as a site redesign for Vigil Games, which brings a heavy focus on this highly anticipated game. Follow along after the jump to see the trailer, and keep an eye out for Massively's exclusive interview with THQ and hands-on demo of Warhammer 40k: Dark Millennium Online.
Darksiders PC release announced, arrives in June
THQ and Vigil announced today that Darksiders is bringing its apocalyptic brand of action adventure to the PC. The game will hit the platform this summer, with THQ offering only a June release window. It's being optimized for the PC, with Vigil's David Adams promising "key features such as user-defined resolutions, interface and both keyboard and game pad control sets." Darksiders released earlier this year on Xbox 360 and PS3. It received decent reviews -- from both Joystiq and the industry at large -- and it enjoyed healthy sales, something THQ was quite keen to announce. No doubt THQ hopes to see some of that success repeated on the PC. [Via Big Download]
Darksiders dev David Adams gushes about THQ
Unlike the less than wonderful relations some developers are currently having with their publishing partners, Vigil Games' general manager David Adams says things between his studio and THQ couldn't have been better during the development of Darksiders. "We were pretty lucky, just because our publisher had this weird, insane faith in us that I don't necessarily think any other publisher would have had ... our take was that if we just did really cool stuff, people would see that -- they'd want to jump on the bandwagon and support us, and THQ did," Adams tells GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview. Adams adds that his studio is constantly "trying to be more efficient, do stuff quicker, using less money," so that certainly can't hurt how THQ feels about Vigil, especially given the last year of "restructuring" the publisher underwent to become financially solvent once again. "THQ went through a lot of pain and restructuring -- they took a lot of bullets so we could continue to make our game, and that's a good indication of their faith in us, and their drive to make great-quality products." We'd like to point out that, in this situation, we're all winners because THQ has seemingly become a competitive publisher again, due to producing quality products that we get to play -- and hey, tons of people don't lose their jobs.
Reminder: Hefty Darksiders demo out today
A quick note for all the apocalyptic adventure-seekers out there: The promised Darksiders demo is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. As previously announced, this is no ordinary demo, either. No, this sucker contains the game's first dungeon in its entirety, a chunk of gameplay that should take approximately 90 minutes to complete for the "average player." It's not often that publishers give away that much game for free, so be sure to give it a go. Oh, and don't forget to post your completion time here in the comments. We're curious to see how close to the mark THQ's estimate is. Shortcut: Download the Darksiders demo to your Xbox 360 [Via Xbox.com]
Darksiders' free Red Faction promo open to anyone who bought it new, no code required
Got yourself a copy of Darksiders but, for whatever reason (admit it, you lost it), don't have the slip of paper it came with containing the "mystery code" redeemable for a free copy of Red Faction Guerrilla and digital art book? Seems you're not out of luck -- unless you bought it second-hand (or "pre-played," if you will). Vigil has announced via its official Darksiders blog that those without codes, but who purchased the game new can still get the free RFG and disc full o' artwork. It's a little more work than simply clicking a link and typing in a code, but, hey, free is free. Those who want in on the promotion must fill out a form, provide "your original purchase receipt of a NEW copy of Darksiders," the barcode from the cover insert and, like everything else, pay shipping and "handling" (we never quite got what that is, exactly). You have until March 7 to get in on the promotion, whatever your situation may be. [Thanks, NBA Kirkland]
'Extensive' 90-min Darksiders demo on XBL, PSN Feb. 25
If a batch of positive reviews has yet to sway you towards picking up Darksiders, THQ and developer Vigil Games are hoping to change that by means of a demo planned to hit Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on February 25. Not just any demo, mind you, but one its publisher claims will "take approximately 90 minutes to complete for the average player." That claim is backed up by the fact that it will include the entire first dungeon -- which is home to two bosses -- from the retail release. Vigil general manager David Adams explains in the demo's announcement that the dev "really wanted to give gamers a true idea of the variety of gameplay that the game offers," adding, "rather than just making a standard 20-minute demo version of the first few levels, we decided to give away this massive level and reveal the true essence of the game." Here's what we want you to do. Bookmark this post, then, once the demo hits, come back here and leave a comment letting us know how long it took you to complete. Nothing official-like, but it'll be fun to put THQ's estimate to the test. Just remember -- it said "for the average player." We know you're all well above average.
Analyst: Darksiders likely didn't sell enough for THQ
Poor Darksiders. Like an overeager child, it tried to win THQ's approval with its solid mechanics and colorful doomsday aesthetic, but, according to Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald, it likely missed the mark. He estimated for Gamasutra that the game has sold less than a million units, especially disappointing considering -- again, Greenwald's assertion -- the two to three years of development for the game and "heavy marketing dollars." Making matters worse is the fact that the game was discounted two weeks after its release. Here's hoping that a poor first outing for the Horseman doesn't necessarily mean Armageddon for his series.
Digital Foundry analyzes Darksiders post-patch
Removing screen tearing from a game requires plenty of work (probably!), so Digital Foundry was understandably skeptical when a patch to the 360 version of Darksiders, less than a month after its launch, claimed to help the game's image quality. But according to DF's analysis, Vigil and THQ were able to pull it off, reducing tearing by as much as 50 percent. How'd they do it? It would appear that this feat was achieved by locking the frame rate at 30 per second rather than letting the game push out as many frames as it could at any given moment. That seems like good news for fans and great news for all those poor, torn screens.
Darksiders screen-tearing patch out tomorrow
Starting tomorrow, the screen-tearing present in the Xbox 360 version of Darksiders will (hopefully) be a thing of the past, as the game's official blog reports the patch will be available for download starting tomorrow. You'll find the update available starting tomorrow at 2am PT (5am ET). We'd like to be a bit more excited about it, but knowing that everyone ever in the world will eventually succumb to the apocalypse ... well, we're finding it a bit difficult to get pumped about an update to some video game. If you'll excuse us, we're going to call our families and tell 'em how awesome they are. [Via VG247]
UK charts: Just Dance on Modern Warfare 2's grave
For nine straight weeks, the UK's gamer populace has been mesmerized by the siren's song of Modern Warfare 2. Today, that's all changed, with the latest Chart-Track data showing a new entry usurping Modern Warfare 2's top spot: Just Dance. Ubisoft's quirky dance title for the Wii has enjoyed a level of success there we would never have thought possible. Can its performance be attributed to good advertising or simply the United Kingdom's unrestrained love of Kevin Bacon? And MW2 wasn't even in the second spot, either. Wii Fit Plus managed to grab the silver, while Infinity Ward's shooter was bumped down to a respectable bronze. Newcomers Bayonetta and Darksiders also managed to stay on the list, along with Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed 2, which stealthily secured the tenth spot.
Snag Darksiders for $40 at Newegg
If you've been waiting for a good reason to pick up Darksiders on your Xbox 360, we might just have one. Newegg is currently selling the game for a cool $39.99, a full $20 off the standard $59.99 price. The $40 price includes shipping, too, so it's really a pretty significant savings. For what it's worth, we enjoyed the game quite a bit, despite its flaws. A $40 price point could only make it better, right? Says Justin McElroy, who reviewed the game for Joystiq, "You're crazier than Jeff Zucker if you don't buy Darksiders for $40 /topical." So there you go.
Metareview: Darksiders (Xbox 360, PS3)
Now that the definitive source on these here vidya games has weighed in on the intense debate regarding the quality of Darksiders, it's time we opened up the floor to other opinions and thoughts. Below, in our usual style, we've organized several viewpoints for your perusing. The majority of reviews laud Vigil's title as a genuinely fun time, so check out the links below and be sure to wage war with your own opinions in the comments section below! GameInformer (85/100): "Even without a clear narrative purpose, Darksiders never wavers from being an enjoyable adventure. I had a blast playing it, and strangely enough, the obvious nods to other games added to the fun. Despite a lame last boss fight, the setup planted for the sequel has me counting the days until it arrives." GameTrailers (84/100): "Darksiders has a lot of staples in its stable. And, yes there's even a horse. And a flying section. And even some gun segments. They're all fun, but nothing to blog home about. It's able to emulate its idols very well, so whatever War is doing, it's bound to be enjoyable. But anyone who's attracted to this sort of game, or action games in general, is going to feel more familiar than floored." GameSpot (80/100): "Darksiders unapologetically borrows gameplay ideas and mechanics from all over the spectrum and is constantly cramming new ones in all the way up to the very end. While it's not innovative by any stretch of the imagination, neither is it entirely derivative, as these myriad features not only gel together surprisingly well, but when put together even feel fresh again. Though it's hobbled by a disappointing story and excessively complex controls (as well as some technical issues on the Xbox 360), Darksiders is a fun and entertaining adventure with a host of fair but challenging puzzles, a lengthy single-player campaign, and an engaging combat system." Eurogamer (80/100): "Still, while on the surface of it Darksiders feels like a game with a lot of good ideas but only a few of its own, where even a brief flying section on an angelic mount owes rather a lot to Panzer Dragoon, overall the silly old story and wonderful art style give terrific heft to the universe, and the clockwork of the puzzles and game systems are precision-engineered in a manner that you come to trust implicitly. It may be a game of betrayal and redemption, but you won't feel hard done by if you choose to begin 2010 in its company." IGN (78/100): "Just as War is on a quest to alter how he's perceived, it seems Darksiders itself is on a quest for its own identity. It draws heavily from mechanics established in the 3D Legend of Zelda games and mixes in a forgiving combat system along with elements from a host of other popular titles. It's a goulash of collection mechanics, exploration, and combat we've all seen before, but to Vigil's credit all these elements are adeptly combined in the same product and executed well overall. While the game world could have been developed more, the boss fights leave a lot to be desired, and more interesting things could have been done with the combat and puzzles, the game as it stands is still thoroughly entertaining. If it's successful and a sequel is eventually produced, it'd be great to see a game filled with terrors wielding powers of unknowable strength take a few more risks and step into territory less well-traveled. In the meantime, we should just enjoy the solid puzzle and combat mechanics Vigil is offering, as well as the opportunity to stomp demons as a Horseman of the Apocalypse." GameDaily (70/100): "All of this amounts to a game that, while entertaining, falls short of being a triple A experience. Darksiders has an engaging story, beautiful visuals and plenty of badass characters, but THQ/Vigil Games' reliance on tired concepts prevent it from being a must buy." Source - Darksiders reviews (Xbox 360) Source - Darksiders reviews (PS3) %Gallery-19839%
Review: Darksiders
It's impossible to review Darksiders without the conversation beginning and ending with its influences. Though it's not technically a copy cat, this is a game that wears its inspirations on its bone-armored sleeve. It's a gutsy move by newcomer Vigil Games, considering it's inviting comparisons to some of the gaming's heaviest hitters, but it's one that -- for the most part -- pays off. You're War, the angriest of the Four Horsemen, and you've just been tricked into starting Armageddon. Now, all the people on Earth are dead and you've been given one chance to travel to the post-apocalyptic planet and take your vengeance on the party responsible, whoever that may be. %Gallery-33091%
Swag Saturday: Darksiders for the PS3 + loot galore! [update]
Update: We've closed the comments and will contact a winner this week. Check the email tied to your commenter name!Do you like action figures, t-shirts, and books? Good, then we've got just the thing for you. Darksiders has been keeping us occupied ever since its somewhat bizarre release date of January 5, so we'd like to pass this newfound addiction straight on to you, the reader. You can outfit yourself with a War action figure (complete with his lovely, flowing, white locks and his megasword Chaoseater), a sweet Darksiders t-shirt (size large), and a hardbound Darksiders art book that'll tell you everything you need to know about the game. Wait, what's this? You want the game, too? A toy, a garment, and some reading material won't do it for you? Fine. We'll also toss in a PS3 copy of the game, free from all of the glitchified bugs tearing up the Xbox 360 version. To enter, just tell us what you'd name your own ginormous, soul-devouring sword Leave a comment telling us what moniker you'd apply to your own giant sword. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, because of something Clint Hocking said -- at least that's what we heard). Limit 1 entry per person per day This entry period ends at 11:31AM ET on Sunday, January 10. At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Darksiders for PS3 ($59.99 ARV), one Darksiders t-shirt, size large ($10 ARV), one Darksiders art book ($14.99 ARV), and one action figure featuring War from Darksiders ($19.99 ARV). For a list of complete rules, click here What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. For more info on our policy, click here.
Darksiders patch to sew up Xbox 360 screen-tearing issue
You'd think some screen tearing was only natural in the aftermath of ... the Apocalypse -- but apparently it's an unintended hiccup in the Xbox 360 version of Vigil Games' Darksiders. Speaking to IGN, studio head Joe Madureira confirmed that Vigil is aware of the issue and is planning a title update to address it. "It's something that's really not a difficult fix for us, and so we're going to implement a patch to resolve the problem," Madureira assured. "We're fairly certain it'll happen really soon, so look out for it." Phew! It's good to know that the end of the world will be running a little smoother in no time. %Gallery-19839%
Report: Darksiders to never see the light in the UAE, kept 'under the table'
With little explanation offered (alright, so, basically no explanation whatsoever), the United Arab Emirate states have reportedly banned the distribution and sale of THQ and Vigil's Darksiders: Wrath of War. According to UAE-based GamesLatest, the game was deemed to "contradict with the UAE's customs and traditions" -- a standard phrase used to near-universally describe banned games in the Middle Eastern states. Unfortunately, that task of enforcing such a ban can be a mighty difficult one. Many retailers in the UAE simply order from wholesalers, bypassing importing laws altogether, and sell their games under the table (and untaxed, might we add). And then, of course, there's always the internet -- we hear you can buy stuff through it. %Gallery-19839% [Via GamePolitics]
