The Quake Wars Beta Continues

June 21, 2007

The beta rages on! As I write this, this morning's keys are already zooming out the door, so if you'd like to get in you'll have to move fast:

Join The Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Beta!

I've been having a lot of fun cruising the private beta-tester forums to see what people are thinking of the game. The strongest impression I get -- and the one echoed by yesterday's GameSpy.com preview -- is that the game is crazy and chaotic until the point where teams settle in and actually learn the objectives and best ways to use the vehicles and different classes. You can almost see the learning curve on the servers. Beta testers already have a lot of great feedback about balancing the game, so dive into the beta if you want your opinion to count.


      -Fargo

• 380 PS3 Games by March 2008 -IGN
• BioWare Creating Sonic RPG for DS -IGN
• Australian Game Charts -IGN
• Wii Sells 100K in Australia -IGN
• Vivendi's 2007 Line-Up -IGN
• Stranglehold Behind the Scenes Trailer in HD -TeamXbox
• Halo 3 ARG: The Latest Happenings -TeamXbox
• Blu-ray Disc Beating HD DVD...Thanks to the PS3 -TeamXbox
• Unreal Engine 3 Vs CryEngine 2 -Next Generation
• EA: Spore Delay “Misinformation” -Next Generation
• Steam Update Adds Community Features -Next Generation
• Sony CEO: PS3 is 'Making a Comeback Already' -GameDaily Biz
• Vrabeck: Casual is the 'Next Big Thing' in Gaming -GameDaily Biz

• Half-Life 2 - The Specialists' Final Countdown Update - Planet Half-Life
• Battlefield: Bad Company Preview - TeamXbox - TeamXbox
• Oblivion - Oblivion Mods Update - Planet Elder Scrolls

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Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

June 20, 2007

Join The Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Beta!

It's the biggest thing to happen to FilePlanet since we got our Air Hockey table. Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is one of the four multiplayer FPS games that's going to make 2007 the year of the shooter (Unreal Tournament 3, TeamFortress 2, and Medal of Honor: Airborne rank way up there for me). Join the Beta and check it out for yourself!

The Strogg are such a classic sci-fi villain. In these days, when everyone's glued to their cell phones and iPods and Blackberrys, it's easy to imagine just loping our hands off to attach a machinegun. At least it is for me. Although having a machinegun for a hand would make certain day-to-day duties extremely difficult:

• Brushing your teeth
• Blowing your nose
• Eating Corn on the Cobb
• Clapping

At first blush, as you leap into a tank and roar toward the Strogg stronghold, you can't help but compare the game to the Battlefield franchise. The beta has a little over a half dozen vehicles for you to try out, and the outdoor part of the map is awash in vehicles and heavy weapons fire. But the objectives really set this one apart: maps have multiple approaches and interesting decisions for both attackers and defenders, so the gameplay is way more focused.

In fact, as mentioned in today's GameSpy Quake Wars preview, this game is a lot more tactically complex than your average team-based shooter. That's great for serious gamers who want to dive in and get a whole new challenge, but it's intimidating until you learn the maps and intricacies of the different classes. Our advice? Get in the beta early and learn how to whup on people starting now.

Of course, this is a beta, so not everything is 100%. If you join the beta you'll have access to the forums where people are talking about everything from the weapons balance to the feel of the vehicles. These beta tests will go a long way to determining when the final game is released and how the game balance is struck when it's finished. Join the Beta and leave your mark!

      -Fargo

• Manhunt 2 Banned in Britain -GameSpy
• Spider-Man Won't Give Up At Blockbuster -GameSpy
• Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command coming to DS and PSP -GameSpy
• Sony Bundles Hot Shots with PS3 -IGN
• Aussies Get Fresh Mana -IGN
• Eidos Unveils Hitman Triple Threat -IGN
• Battlefield Bad Company Hands-On Preview -TeamXbox
• No Gears of War Sequel Announcement at E3 -TeamXbox
• D3Publisher of America to Acquire Vicious Cycle -TeamXbox
• The Pathology of Game Design -Next Generation
• Quake Wars to Feature In-Game Ads -Next Generation
• Warner Interactive to Open Euro Division -Next Generation
• The Unjust Crusade Against Video Games -GameDaily Biz
• Analysts: EA Reorganization a 'Step in the Right Direction' -GameDaily Biz

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Faster, Videogame! Kill, Kill!

June 19, 2007

I'm best known for my writing, but few readers know that I'm also a shark attack survivor.

What does this have to do with videogames? Simple: videogames have to hook you right away. Of course that's true of any entertainment, including, say, blog writing. I wasn't actually attacked by a shark, but I once watched Finding Nemo, and I got you to start reading, didn't I?

Hooking gamers early on is more important than ever, since there are so many things competing for our attention these days. We have a zillion cable channels, an Internet full of crazy web pages, friends on instant-messenger, and hundreds of games to choose from. So unless something about a game grips you -- usually in the first minute or less -- then you might not invest any serious time in it. This is especially true since most of us decide to buy games after playing it for a bit at a friend's house, in a kiosk at the store, or through a downloadable demo.

Hooking gamers early is the subject of this feature on Next-Generation, which talks to some industry luminaries about how to make an impact. Designers particularly rave about God of War, which gives you a quick intro before you're in the game and fighting, then throws you into a boss fight before you hit the two-minute mark. Your eyes pop out, the drool falls... and you're sucked in for the rest of the game.

Got a gaming memory that grabbed you in the first minute? Tell me all about it!

      -Fargo

• Manhunt 2 Banned in UK -IGN
• UK Charts: Forza Stays on Top -IGN
• Leipzig's Opening Keynote Announced -IGN
• PS3-Style Tilt Controls, Now On 360 -IGN
• Vampire Rain Hands-on Preview -TeamXbox
• Command & Conquer 3 Downloadable Content -TeamXbox
• Team Fortress 2 Won't Feature PC-Xbox 360 Interplay -TeamXbox
• Hooked in 60 Seconds -Next Generation
• ESPN Goes Casual -Next Generation
• EA Reorganizes Into Four Labels -Next Generation
• Boll Reveals Far Cry Movie Details -GameDaily Biz
• Chair Gets Unreal -GameDaily Biz

• Battlefield 2 - BattleGroup-Frontlines Update - Planet Battlefield
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Pokemon Dominance: May's Game Sales Numbers

June 18, 2007

The May 2007 Game Sales Numbers are In and business is booming ... if you're a Pokemon. Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl led the charts in number 1 and number 4 positions, respectively. Mario Party 8 for the Wii slid in at number two, Spider-Man 3 for the PS2 was number three in sales and the top five was finished off by Wii Play. Hardware-wise, the Wii continues to fly off of shelves.

While the industry is on track for record sales in 2007, this analysis on Gamasutra calls out some interesting numbers. For instance, the Xbox 360 and PS3 sales have been sliding all year. Granted, there's always some slippage going into the Summer months, but don't tell that to Nintendo, who can't keep the Wii on shelves. Naturally Sony may be considering a price-drop, and Gamasutra asserts that Microsoft should be too: "Microsoft continues to maintain that it is pleased with sales of its system, but the fact is that the Xbox 360 has been on the market for 19 months and by this time last generation each system (PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube) had dropped its price."

While those systems struggle, the Nintendo DS handheld is defying odds by more than doubling year-over-year sales. More than 400,000 DS systems are sold every month. It's staggering.

As for me, I'm one of the 300,000+ people who bought Pokemon Diamond last month. I can quit anytime I want. I mean, I'm not quitting, but just so you know, I can stop whenever I want to. Soon as I get a Pichu.

      -Fargo

• The Orange Box Release Date Announced -GameSpy
• Konami Unveils Pro Evo 2008 -IGN
• U.S. Release Date Revision (06.18.07) -IGN
• Turbine and Codemasters Celebrate Solstice -IGN
• Namco Bandai Announces Time Crisis 4 -IGN
• Lara Croft Goes Episodic with Tomb Raider Anniversary -TeamXbox
• Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground Preview -TeamXbox
• Prince of Persia Classic Review -TeamXbox
• The Curse of the NDA -Next Generation
• Take-Two "Completely Focused" on Nintendo -Next Generation
• Sony Sizes Up Xbox Live -Next Generation
• Fox Licensing Partners with Microsoft for Halo -GameDaily Biz
• Sid Meier on PS3: You'll Be Amazed by the Possibilities -GameDaily Biz

• Half-Life 2 - VALVe Confirms Launch for EP2, TF2 and Portal - Planet Half-Life
• Half-Life 2 - Amazing Asylum Update - ModDB
• Oblivion - Oblivion Mods Update - Planet Elder Scrolls

• Boards: ASUS P5B Premium Vista Edition - Hardware Secrets
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