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Labels: Portal, Video

24/05/2011 @ 19:51

Could Hideo Kojima's latest game have hit the scrap heap?

The Metal Gear Solid mastermind took to his Twitter feed last night to mourn the death of a project which he'd been working on for the past year.

"I cannot bear, and cannot be positive," read one post, quickly followed by, "What I prepared minutely spending a year became meaningless."

Of course, he could just be referring to a 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle that he's only just discovered has a piece missing.

However, if he is referring to a game project there are a few possible contenders. Metal Gear Solid: Rising or Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D perhaps? Zone of Enders 3 maybe? Or what of the mysterious collaboration with Suda51 he discussed last year?

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Labels: cancelled, Kojima, Latest, project

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Labels: Debut, Modern, trailer, Video, Warfare

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Labels: artwork, Conan, Gallery, screenshots

24/05/2011 @ 18:15

A new Witcher game will be announced at E3 next month, developer CD Projekt has told Eurogamer.

Could it possibly be the mooted console version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings? Senior producer Tomasz Gop wasn't giving much away, but did hint that CD Projekt might have good news for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 users.

"I can't say anything obviously for gazillions of reasons but it is a Witcher game, and I can say that console gamers might be interested in it," he explained.

One thing seems certain though ? it won't be The Witcher 3.

"No, I'm not going to lie to you, we haven't started work on The Witcher 3," he said. "But it's possible we might do it in the future."

The Witcher 2 launched on PC last week, conjuring up a glowing 9/10 from Eurogamer's Quintin Smith.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is out now on PC. Got a news tip? Email news@eurogamer.net.

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Labels: announced, Witcher

24/05/2011 @ 19:31

SEGA's classic Shinobi franchise is all set for a comeback, judging by a developer resum? unearthed today.

Twitter sleuth Superannuation spotted an online CV for an environment artist at Griptonite Games listing Shinobi 3DS as their current project.

The artist claims to have "created whole levels for 'Shinobi' on the Nintendo 3DS, including many props for use in a variety of environments."

Griptonite specialises in handheld versions of multiplatform releases, having worked on the DS version of Spider Man: Shattered Dimensions and Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines on the PSP.

We're asked brand owner SEGA for some clarification and will update if we hear back.

Debuting in arcades back in 1987, SEGA's ninja platformer has spawned a number of sequel and spin-offs over the years. It was last sighted on the PlayStation 2 with 2003's dismal Nightshade.

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Labels: planning, revival, Shinobi

BURLINGAME, Calif. - Tecmo Koei America today announced the renowned heavy hitting brawler DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions, developed by Team NINJA and published by TECMO KOEI America has begun to fight its way to retailers nationwide. Uniting long time series fans with new challengers, DEAD OR ALIVE Dimensions transports players to stunning new interactive locales and offers players intense fast-paced combat exclusively on the new Nintendo 3DS handheld system...

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Labels: Alive, America, Dimensions, Launches, Nintendo, Tecmo

24/05/2011 @ 17:29

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 represents a major step forward for the FPS genre, so says Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg.

Following the release of the game's debut trailer last night, Hirshberg hailed the work of twin developers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games.

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is by far the most epic Call of Duty experience yet," he insisted.

"The teams at Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have worked tirelessly to create for the Call of Duty player a scale that is unimaginable with a level of polish and creativity that will push the genre forward.

"The passion and energy of our developers is reflected in everything about the title. From the innovative gameplay, to the cinematic intensity, to the most advanced multiplayer ever, Modern Warfare 3 will raise the bar for this already incredible franchise."

The publisher has also confirmed that, as leaked earlier this month, the game will be available on 8th November.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is due to be released 8/11/2011 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Got a news tip? Email news@eurogamer.net.

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Labels: forward, genre, Modern, Warfare

MMOs do mature, but how many people care years after they walked away? It's a conundrum all MMOs face: how to tempt people back? Age of Conan has an enviable solution: a Hollywood movie.

Conan the Barbarian airs this August with Jason Momoa as the titular (in more ways than one) lead. To coincide, Age of Conan will launch a Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack. This opens a new outdoor 'playfield', a Tier 4 raid and group and solo instances. You'll meet characters from the movie 20 years on, unravel epic storylines and loot some of Age of Conan's most powerful equipment.

Is Age of Conan, three years on, ready for a second coming? Eurogamer put executive producer Craig Morrison in the chair.

Eurogamer: Can Conan the Barbarian (the film) save Age of Conan?

Craig Morrison: First of all I'm not sure we need saving! We wouldn't still be running the game with the size of team and the operation that we have if the game wasn't perfectly viable, profitable and doing well. We still have a sizeable team working on the game, we are still adding new content - we've added as much new content this year already as any of our other competitors and we're only going to do more for the rest of the year.

We invested a lot of money in upgrading the technology for Age of Conan last year. We had a gap at the end of last year after the [Rise of the Godslayer] expansion launched, up to January this year; we weren't really pushing out as many updates because we were focusing on upgrading the Dreamworld technology that underpins the game: the server technology, the infrastructure, the stability and the performance of the rendering engine, and making things more accessible for a wider variety of hardware.

"Jason Momoa plays Conan really well, and it fits with Howard's original stories."

We really feel that 2011 is an opportunity to grow and get customers back with the attention from the movie and the new content and changes. We are in a position to take advantage this year. We've never seen it as saving the game but as an opportunity to push the game.

It's well known there was an awful lot of people that tried Age of Conan at launch that probably haven't tried it since. It makes sense for us to invest so they can see how far it has come in the three years since it launched. It's definitely an opportunity.

Eurogamer: Have you seen the film?

Craig Morrison: We saw a version about a month ago that was only about 60 per cent done. I really enjoyed it. What pleased me the most was the brutal feel, the fantasy realism we aim for in the game. I saw so much similar art direction.

They've been trying to make The Conan movie for many, many years. It was actually first mentioned to me before I worked on Age of Conan some five years ago.

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The Savage Coast of Turan, meanwhile, offers new armour sets designed around a Persian theme.

Eurogamer: Is Jason Momoa a better Conan than Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Craig Morrison: That will be an impossible question to answer! It's going to be subjective for people of different ages and different types. I'm going to sit firmly on the fence with that one. Jason Momoa plays Conan really well and it fits with Howard's original stories. They've done a really good job of translating that feeling onto the big screen.

Eurogamer: Whose idea was putting film content in Age of Conan?

Craig Morrison: It was always in the plan, so as soon as they started filming we started talking to Paradox. Once they confirmed they were looking at the fall of this year we started on production. We were provided the script by Paradox and found how we could tie it in. It's a challenge given that our game is set some 20 years after the events in the movie.

We're working with Lionsgate closely to do as much cross-promition as we can. When there's a Hollywood movie coming out you want to get as much attention for the game as you can. Even just having the movie out there and a huge advertising campaign behind it - it does great things for the game.

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Labels: Conan, Interview, Movie

World of Warcraft patch 4.2 has gone live on the public test realm. The patch notes have been released.

The headline attraction is Firelands, a huge outdoor raid "of the highest difficulty" for 10 or 25 people in either normal or Heroic modes. Firelands takes place in the Elemental plane and puts six bosses between you and a new, "reinvigorated" Ragnaros.

Patch 4.2 adds a new epic quest to complete the legendary staff Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa's Rest. Aside from super stats, the staff bestows its owner with the ability to transform into a member of the Blue Dragonflight - i.e. a dragon, in other words. All friends or guildmembers that help with the quest will receive a new pet.

Patch 4.2 brings new daily quests given at the Regrowth (Mount Hyjal) and Molten Front (Firelands). Blizzard promises "unprecedented" daily solo content for level 85 players, including more than 60 quests, four unlockable level 365 gear vendors and an evolving world.

Patch 4.2 introduces a new tier - 12 - of armour sets. Screenshots below.

Patch 4.2 also makes Cataclysm dungeons Twilight, Blackwing Descent and Throne of the Four Winds easier.

The full 4.2 patch notes as they stand at the time of writing are below.

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Tier 12: which class has the nicest set?

General

All existing Valor Points in the Currency tab have been converted to Justice Points.

Achievements

Bear-ly Made It (new achievement): Save all four prisoners before they are sacrificed in Zul'Aman on Heroic difficulty.

Classes: General

All healing critical strikes now heal for 2 times a normal heal (+100%), up from 1.5 times a normal heal (+50%).Dodge: Death Knights, paladins, and warriors no longer receive any bonus to their chance to dodge from Agility. Their base chance to dodge is now a fixed 5%.Parry: Death Knights, paladins, and warriors now receive 27% of their Strength bonuses as parry rating, up from 25%. This conversion still only applies to Strength above and beyond their base Strength.Players are once again free to dance in combat (without causing graphic errors). Other animations, such as attacks, will take precedence over dancing. The dance animation will be suppressed until the higher priority animation is complete. Fun has been unnerfed.Buffs: All class abilities which place a buff on friendly targets no longer generate any threat. This goes for raid-wide buffs like Mark of the Wild and Power Word: Fortitude, as well as triggered effects such as Blessed Resilience or Fingers of Frost, and single-target buffs like Dark Intent and Hysteria. The exception is buffs which directly cause healing or damage, such as Thorns or Renew. Abilities such as these still generate normal threat.Crowd Control: Many crowd control abilities no longer cause creatures to attack players when they are cast. The creature will not attack the player when the crowd control wears off, and nearby creatures will not become hostile to the player either. However, if a visible player gets too close to the target creature, the creature will remember and attack the player when the crowd control effect wears off. The intent is to make it easier for dungeon groups to manage crowd control assignments and pulling packs of hostile NPCs. The abilities affected by this change are: Hibernate, Entangling Roots, Wyvern Sting (will still cause hostility when it begins to deal damage), Freezing Trap, Polymorph, Repentance, Shackle Undead, Blind, Hex, Bind Elemental, Banish, Seduction.Pets: The Aggressive pet stance has been removed and replaced with the Assist stance. This stance will cause the player's pet to attack the player's target. The pet will not change targets unless the master attacks a new target for a few seconds.Spell Interrupts: When interrupted while casting a single-school spell such as Mind Flay or Frostbolt, players will now be able to cast dual-school spells such as Mind Spike (Frost and Shadow schools) or Frostfire Bolt (Frost and Fire schools). However, being interrupted while casting a dual-school spell will still interrupt all respective schools as intended.

Death Knights

Obliterate base damage has been reduced to 150% weapon damage, down from 160%.Annihilation now increases Obliterate damage by 12/24/36%, down from 15/30/45%.Unholy Might now increases Strength by 10%, up from 5%.

Druids

Druids now gain 1 attack power per point of Strength, down from 2. They continue to gain 2 attack power per point of Agility while in Cat Form or Bear Form.Entangling Roots and the equivalent spell triggered by Nature's Grasp no longer deal damage.Ferocious Bite damage has been increased by 15%. In addition, its base cost has been reduced to 25 energy and it can use up to 25 energy, for up to a 100% damage increase.Innervate now grants an ally target 5% of his or her maximum mana over 10 seconds, but still grants 20% of the druid's maximum mana over 10 seconds when self-cast.Mangle (Cat) damage at level 80 and above has been increased to 530% weapon damage, up from 460%.Omen of Clarity clearcasting buff from now lasts 15 seconds, up from 8 seconds.Ravage damage at level 80 and above has been increased to 975% weapon damage, up from 850%.Shred damage at level 80 and above has been increased to 520% weapon damage, up from 450%.Swipe (Cat) now deals 600% weapon damage at level 80 or higher, down from 670%.Earth and Moon's duration has been increased to 15 seconds, up from 12.Fungal Growth spell visual effect has been updated to be less visually intrusive and more aesthetic.Lunar Shower has been redesigned. When casting Moonfire, the druid gains Lunar Shower. Lunar Shower increases the direct damage done by Moonfire by 15/30/45%, and reduces the mana cost by 10/20/30%. This effect stacks up to 3 times and lasts 3 seconds. While under the effects of Lunar Shower, Moonfire generates 8 Solar Energy, and Sunfire generates 8 Lunar Energy. The amount of Lunar/Solar Energy gained does not change based on the number of points spent in the talent, or stacks of Lunar Shower. Those druids who wish to delay transition in or out of an Eclipse state should now cast the one of their two basic attacks which will not move the Eclipse bar (either Starfire or Wrath).Solar Beam has a new spell effect.Symbiosis Mastery has been removed and replaced with Harmony. Harmony increases direct healing by an additional 10% and casting direct healing spells grants an additional 10% bonus to periodic healing for 10 seconds. Each point of mastery increases each bonus by an additional 1.25%. Healing Touch, Nourish, Swiftmend, and the initial heal from Regrowth are considered direct healing spells for the purposes of Symbiosis Mastery. All other healing from druid spells is considered periodic.Wild Mushroom: Detonate can now also trigger Earth and Moon, in addition to Starfire and Wrath.Glyph of Berserk duration increase is now 10 seconds, up from 5.Glyph of Ferocious Bite has been redesigned. It now causes Ferocious Bite to heal the caster for 1% of maximum health for each 10 energy used.Glyph of Innervate now causes the druid to gain 10% of his or her maximum mana over 10 seconds when Innervate is used on a friendly target, in addition to Innervate's base effect.

Hunters

Multi-shot damage has been reduced. It now deals 120% weapon damage at level 80 or higher, down from 137%.Traps now scale with hunter stats such as hit, expertise, spell penetration and attack power as intended.

Mages

Pyroblast: The version of this spell cast when Hot Streak is not active did slightly less damage than the Hot Streak version. Its damage has been increased so that both versions of Pyroblast now do the same amount of damage.Spellsteal mana cost has been increased 100%.Impact: When Living Bomb is spread via this talent, it will only be spread to two additional targets. The net effect is that if the Mage's most recent Living Bomb target is the same as their Impact target, that target will no longer lose the Living Bomb effect. If Living Bomb is active on multiple targets when the Impact effect is cast, Living Bomb will remain active on the most recent Living Bomb target, and will be added to two other nearby targets.Deep Freeze and Ring of Frost will now cause diminishing returns for each other.

Paladins

Divine Light mana cost has been increased to 35% of base mana, up from 30%.Flash of Light mana cost has been increased to 31% of base mana, up from 27%.Holy Light mana cost has been increased to 12% of base mana, up from 10%.Rebuke, Divine Shield and Divine Protection have new icons.Seal of Righteousness ? now can be proc'd by any melee ability, not just single target melee abilities. This adds Hammer of the Righteous (the physical component) and Divine Storm to the list of abilities that can proc it. In addition, Seal of Righteousness procs can now crit.Beacon of Light can no longer be dispelled.Denounce has been redesigned. It still reduces the mana cost of Exorcism. However, it no longer has a chance on Holy Shock of making Exorcism free and instant. Instead, it has a 50/100% chance to prevent the Exorcism target from causing critical effects for the next 6 seconds. This effect can be dispelled.Holy Shock mana cost has been decreased to 7% of base mana, down from 8%.Infusion of Light can now lower the cast time of Flash of Light by 0.75/1.5 seconds, in addition to Holy Light and Divine Light. In addition, the old Denounce spell overlay effect has been transferred to Infusion of Light since Denounce is no longer a proc.Speed of Light now increases movement speed when Holy Radiance or Divine Protection are cast. In addition, this talent now reduces the cooldown of Holy Radiance by 13/26/40 seconds, up from 10/20/30.Walk in the Light now improves Word of Glory healing by 30% in addition to its current effects.Ardent Defender has a new spell effect.Guardian of Ancient Kings now uses the 'Assist' pet stance functionality.Hammer of the Righteous mana cost has been lowered to 10%, down from 12% to match Crusader Strike.Holy Shield now increases block chance by 5% while active, instead of increasing the amount of damage blocked by 10%.Judgements of the Wise now procs on attempt rather than on strike, which means judgements that miss can still grant mana. This is to help ensure Protection paladins are not starved for mana if they aren't capped on hit rating.Seals of Command: This talent now makes Seal of Righteousness hit an unlimited number of melee targets, instead of only 2 additional targets.Selfless Healer can no longer be dispelled and cannot be stolen via Spellsteal; and, in addition to its current effects, it lowers the cooldown of Word of Glory by 5/10 seconds.Glyph of Seal of Truth: The expertise bonus granted by this glyph now also works when Seal of Righteousness is active.

Priests

Devouring Plague damage done has been decreased by 12%.Mind Blast damage done has been increased by 12%.Shadowfiend now uses the 'Assist' pet stance functionality.Shadow Word: Death damage done has been increased by 12%.Shadow Word: Pain damage done has been decreased by 12%.Mind Flay damage done has been increased by 12%.Sin and Punishment's Vampiric Touch backlash Fear effect no longer has diminishing returns.Vampiric Touch damage done has been decreased by 12%.Players will no longer prematurely cancel a channeled spell when clicking on the Lightwell.

Rogues

Blind duration against enemy NPCs is now 1 minute, while the duration against players remains 8 seconds.Stealth now once again begins its cooldown once the rogue leaves Stealth.

Shaman

Lightning Shield and Water Shield can no longer be dispelled.Unleash Elements is now in the Nature school, and thus can no longer be used if a shaman's Nature school has been locked out.Water Shield has had its internal cooldown reduced to 3.5 seconds, once again matching other shields. The amount of mana restored when Water Shield procs has been reduced by 50%.Lava Flows now grants a 30/60/90% haste buff when a Flame Shock effect is dispelled, up from 10/20/30%.Thunderstorm now reduces the movement speed of players it knocks back by 40% for 5 seconds.Improved Water Shield has been redesigned and renamed Resurgence. When Water Shield is active, Resurgence causes critical direct heals to restore mana (Resurgence rank 2 is roughly equal to 150% of the old Improved Water Shield value when a Healing Wave or Greater Healing Wave critically hits, and scaled down accordingly for faster or multi-target spells).Mana Tide now grants 200% of the caster's Spirit, down from 400%.Glyph of Unleashed Lightning (new Prime glyph) allows Lightning Bolt to be cast while moving.

Warlocks

Soul Harvest has a new spell effect.It is no longer possible to leave combat while channeling Drain Soul.

Warriors

Overpower now has a 1.5-second cooldown and global cooldown (Taste for Blood's Overpower cooldown has not changed).Retaliation, Recklessness and Shield Wall no longer have stance requirements.Dungeon Journal is in the process of being implemented. While some UI elements may exist in the current Public Test Realm build, the feature is not yet complete.The Firelands, a new 10- and 25-player raid, is now available for limited testing. Please visit the PTR Discussion forum for the latest raid testing schedule.Bastion of TwilightThe damage modifier on Normal has been reduced for Arion, Elementium Monstrosity, Feludius, Ignacius, and Terrastra.Removed one of each type of Bound elemental from the Ascendant Council chamber.ArionChain Lightning damage has been reduced.Cho'gallHealth, melee damage, Health of Corrupting Adherent, Depravity damage, Corrupting Crash damage, Flaming Destruction damage, and Unleashed Shadows damage has all been reduced by 20%.Corrupting Crash and DepravityHalved the amount of Corruption they give to 5 from 10.Corrupted Bite effect caused by Blood of the Old God reduced.Damage Taken from Corruption of the Old God per Corrupted Blood has been reduced from 3% per stack to 2% per stack.Debilitating Beam damage has been reduced by 20% to 6,400.The duration of Twisted Devotion has been reduced by 25%.Dragon SiblingsHealth, melee damage, Twilight Meteorite damage, Devouring Flames, Blackout damage, Unstable Twilight damage, Twilight Zone damage, Twilight Blast damage, Fabulous Flames damage, has all been reduced by 20%.Elementium MonstrosityElectrical Instability damage has been reduced.FeludiusDamage due to being Frozen while Waterlogged has been reduced.HalfusHealth, melee damage, Fireball/Fireball Barrage damage, Furious Roar damage, Scorching Breath damage, Shadow Nova damage, has all been reduced by 20%.Nether Scion, Slate Dragon, Storm Rider, Time Warden, and Orphaned Emerald Whelp health has been reduced by 20%.Shadow Nova base cast time has been increased.IgnaciousRising Flames now increases damage by 3% per stack, down from 5%.TerrastraHarden Skin now increases Physical damage dealt by 20% (down from 100%.)

Blackwing Descent

AtramedesHealth, melee damage, modulation damage, Roaring Flame Breath damage, and Searing Flame damage has all been reduced by 20%.Modulation no longer causes Sound in normal difficulty.Sound given by Sonar Pulse has been reduced to 3 (from 5.)ChimaeronHealth reduced by 20% and melee damage reduced by 10%.Chimaeron will now only cast two caustic slimes per 30 second cycle, at second 17 and second 23.Drakeadon MongrelTime Lapse no longer stuns.Frost Burn silence is now 3 secondsDwarven KingsWhirlwind no longer drops threat.Execution sentence now deals damage only.Shield of Light absorption now reduced.MagmawDamage and hit points reduced by 20%.Lava Parasites have been diminishedLava Spew damage, Magma Spit damage, Massive Crash damage, and Infectious Vomit damage have all been been reduced.Mangled Lifeless no longer instantly kills, and damage has been reduced.Parasitic Infection has been decreased.MaloriakHealth, damage, Aberation health/damage, Arcane Storm damage, Prime Subject damage, Flash Freeze/Shatter damage, and Scorching Blast damage has all been decreased by 20%.Aberration stacking damage buff decreased.Prime Subjects no longer fixate, and are no longer immune to taunt.NefarianAnimated Bone Warriors take 33 seconds to fall over, (down from 50.)Blast Nova cast time increased.Chromatic Prototype Health reduced 20%.Electrocute damage reduced 30%.Fewer Animated Bone warriors spawn.Magma Stacking debuff effect reduced 75%.Nefarian health and melee damage reduced by 20%.Nefarian's Shadowblaze cast frequency cannot increase beyond 1 per 15 sec.Onyxia health and melee damage reduced by 20%.Shadowflame Barrage damage reduced 20%.Tail Lash damage reduced 50%.Omnotron CouncilBarrier absorb amount increased by 100%.Increased the cooldown on Power Conversion (Converted Power chance).Health, Melee damage, Electrical Discharge damage, Lightning Conductor damage, Health of Poison Bomb, Incineration Security Measure damage, Arcane Annihilator damage, has all been reduced by 20%.Flamethrower damage has been reduced by 40%.Static Shock caused by Unstable Shield damage and Poison Bomb damage has been decreased by 50%.

Deadmines

Vanessa VanCleef (Heroic difficulty) now has a sweet, sweet voice to accompany her dialog.

Throne of the Four Winds

Al'AkirAcid Rain now stacks every 20s (up from 15s.)Electrocute now pulses every 1s (up from 0.5s.)Feedback duration increased to 30s (from 20s.)Health, damage, and Wind Burst damage have all been reduced 20%.Lightning and Lightning Rod recast time has been increased.Lightning Strike friendly chain damage has been halved.Will no longer use Static Shock on normal difficulty in phase 1 or phase 2.Conclave of the Four WindsGathering Strength cast time has been increasedIce Patch slow is now 5% per stack, up to 10 stacks (down from 10% per stack, up to 30 stacks), damage reduced by 20%.Rohash, Anshal, Nezir melee, Ravenous Creeper health/damage, Ravenous Creeper toxic spores damage, Hurricane damage, Sleet Storm damage , Permafrost damage , Slicing Gale, and Wind Blast damage have all been reduced by 20%.Wind Chill damage decreased by 20%and now increases damage taken by 5% per stack.

Guilds

The daily guild experience cap has been increased by 25%.The weekly guild reputation cap has been increased by 25%.The guild experience cap is now removed at level 20, down from level 23.The Reins of the Dark Phoenix, purchased from the Guild Vendor, has had its art improved. It's now less transparent and indisputably more awesome.

Items

Darkmoon Card: Hurricane damage done when triggered has been increased by 40%, however, it can no longer deal critical strikes and no longer receives any modifiers to its damage from the equipping player.The 2-piece resilience bonus from Cataclysm PvP sets no longer stacks. If a player wears 2 pieces each from 2 different Cataclysm sets, the player will only receive the 400 resilience rating bonus once. This change does not apply to PvP sets from prior expansions.The 4-piece Elemental shaman PvP set bonus (Gladiator's Thunderfist set) has been redesigned. It now causes Lightning Shield to generate an extra charge, rather than consuming one, when it is triggered by receiving damage, up to a maximum of 3 (9 with the Rolling Thunder talent).Restoration druid Tier 11 2-Piece: This set bonus has been redesigned to work with the new Restoration druid mastery. Druids with this bonus now receive the bonus to Spirit while the Harmony mastery bonus to periodic healing is active.Tier 12: Hunter 4P: The effect which makes Shots cost no focus now also makes Kill Command cost no focus.Tier 12: Mage 2P: This set bonus can now also be triggered by Frostfire Bolt.Tier 12: Mage 4P: The portions of this bonus referring to Arcane Missiles have been removed. Instead, the set bonus now makes Arcane Power reduce the cost of Mage spells by 10% instead of increasing their cost.

Professions

Jewelcrafting: The shield block value bonus from Eternal Earthsiege Diamond has been increased to 3%, up from 1%.Skinning: Players can no longer skin corpses already being actively skinned or looted by other players.

PVP

Arenas: The Ring of Valor has been added to the Arena rotation once again.Battlegrounds: Eye of the Storm has been added into the rotation as a 10-man Rated Battleground. The tug-of-war style capture points have been replaced with Arathi Basin style capture points to better support 10v10 competition. This change applies only to Rated Battlegrounds. Eye of the Storm is otherwise still a 15-player Battleground with tug-of-war style capture points.War Games: Many improvements are being made to the War Games interface, though the changes are not yet fully functional.Conquest Points: The minimum cap on Conquest Points earned per week is now 1500 at 1500 or less Battleground rating. The maximum cap remains 3000 at 3000 or more Battleground rating. The cap continues to scale non-linearly between those two points.Conquest Points: The game now separately tracks different Conquest Point caps for Battlegrounds and Arenas. The cap for Arena rating will always be 2/3 of the cap for Battleground rating at any given Arena rating. Players may earn a total number of Conquest Points per week equal to the higher of these two caps, but once players have reached the cap for either Arenas or Battlegrounds, they can no longer earn Conquest Points from that source. Conquest Points from Battleground holidays only count toward the total Conquest Point cap.

Quests & Creatures

There are no longer oddities in the critical strike and dodge chance of lower-level creatures.

User Interface

Characters can now be reorganized at the Character Selection screen. This feature not yet fully functional and the reorganization of characters doesn't save at this time.The cast bar can now be moved to display below the Character frame.Move Pad is a mouse-click interface for movement which is now built into the base interface.Raid Profiles are in the process of being implemented and are not fully functional. Raid Profiles will allow players to save the raid window user interface layout based on type of content (i.e. 10-player raids, 25-player raids, Battlegrounds, etc.).

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Labels: Firelands, notes, patch

Sorry, but your browser doesn't support video playback. PS3 XBOX360 Trailer

Behind the scenes on the game's smack downs.

2 People liked this video. 7mins 41secs Added Monday

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Labels: Exclusive, fatalities, Kombat, Mortal, Video

I can't think of BioShock without thinking of Walt Disney. Aside from Andrew Ryan sporting the same haircut and moustache as the famous animator, both were perfectionist visionaries who would do whatever it took to create their own paradise. One built an underwater city, while the other was in the process of doing the same in a Florida swamp before he died. Disney may not have lived to see his dream come to fruition, but he at least left behind a hell of an amusement park, whereas Andrew Ryan's legacy was a rotting tomb at the bottom of the sea.

It's only fitting then that Irrational Games' follow up, BioShock Infinite, bears a resemblance to the Magic Kingdom. Its floating city of Columbia's quaint architecture is comprised of cobblestone roads, well groomed grass and pastel storefronts bringing to mind Main Street U.S.A., while the giant manors floating in the clouds resemble a cross between the Haunted Mansion and Snow White's castle.

The cultural and political turmoil that defined BioShock has returned - this time focusing on pompous nationalism, workers rights, and scientific pursuits of this alternate early 20th century - but whereas before the allegories and setting were thrust into the foreground, BioShock Infinite uses them as a backdrop for a character driven story.

"We've always been successful about immersing people in a space," BioShock creator Ken Levine says. "Now we want to immerse them in a relationship."

Before unveiling a new 15 minute hands-off demo at the Viceroy hotel in Los Angeles, Levine sets the stage: the player assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker Dewitt, a man with a troubled past and gambling debts. He's given an offer he can't refuse by a mysterious benefactor who tasks him with flying to the floating city of Columbia and bringing a girl named Elizabeth back to New York.

Sky islands. I like to call them 'skylands.'

Columbia was something of a travelling American emissary, a means of presenting its power unto the rest of the world. After it was involved in an international incident involving the destruction of a city in China during the Boxer rebellion, it seceded from the United States and became its own sovereign nation. Complicating matters, Elizabeth has mysterious powers and has been held prisoner in a tower since she was five years old.

As luck would have it she's also the key to a civil war within Columbia. The Founders, a group of ultra-nationalist religious fundamentalists, want her to stay in the tower, while the internationalist anarchist movement, Vox Populi, want her dead. Busting her out instigates the war, and places you firmly at its centre.

The demo begins with DeWitt and Elizabeth setting off in search of a man named Z.H. Comstock. He's the leader of the Founders, and the only person that can help Elizabeth control her powers.

BioShock Infinite's focus on characters is apparent from the off. DeWitt and Elizabeth enter the Columbia Flag Company, a touristy storefront. Filled with American flags and nationalist memorabilia, Elizabeth playfully throws on a Lincoln mask and begins to recite the Gettysburg Address. While her childlike naivet? kicks in (she mistakes cheap trinkets for solid gold) Dewitt is preoccupied with looting more practical things like cash, a pistol, and a Bucking Broncos Vigor, this iteration's equivalent to plasmids.

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Labels: BioShock, Infinite, Preview

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Labels: Portal, Video

23/05/2011 @ 15:55

Spotted any bugs while playing L.A. Noire?

The game has already recieved its first update, containing tweaks and fixes for various in-game issues.

According to patch notes obtained by Shacknews, the download squashes various bugs and adds several improvements, although there's no major changes to see.

The download weighs in at gnatty 4MB.

L.A. Noire title update patch notes

Fixes for several in-game store issues including age-verification for DLC purchasesFixes for minor gameplay bugs and graphical issuesFixes for several minor plot/objective/conversation issuesImprovements in stat-tracking and Social Club integration

Rockstar's accompanying Social Club website, which tracks players' progress through the game, still lists the caveat that "due to an issue with the way case statistics are reported during case replays, your Case Tracker may have incorrect data. We are working to resolve this issue with a future update".

Has this been fixed?

L.A. Noire is out now on PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Got a news tip? Email news@eurogamer.net.

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Labels: Noire, Rockstar, title, uncovers, update

Sorry, but your browser doesn't support video playback. PS3 PSP Trailer

Critters now in HD.

0 People liked this video. 2mins 26secs Added Monday

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Labels: Hunter, Monster, Portable, trailer, Video

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Labels: First, Gallery, Ghost, screenshot, Sniper, Warrior

Disc Size6.6GB (disc one), 6.6GB (disc two), 6.7GB (disc three)Install6.6GB (disc one), 6.6GB (disc two), 6.7GB (disc three)Surround SupportDolby Digital, 7.1LPCM, 5.1LPCM, DTS

Produced by an off-shoot of the team that made The Getaway, it might be tempting to suggest that the PlayStation 3 is the natural home for L.A. Noire - that the developers were more au fait with the Sony platform, resulting in a tangibly better game. There are various reports of enhanced graphical effects, smoother frame-rates and of course the plain and simple fact that the PS3 version ships on one disc rather than three.

Five years in development, the final version of L.A. Noire appears to be using a variation of the same RAGE engine that underpinned Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption: certainly a number of graphical techniques carry over from the previous games into Team Bondi's epic. Both of those titles undoubtedly ran more smoothly on Xbox 360 with higher native resolutions - but things are different this time.

L.A. Noire addresses all of these deficiencies and it is easily the closest multi-platform open-world game that Rockstar has released to date. But it's also interesting to see how Team Bondi has taken a very different approach to its project in comparison to Rockstar's teams.

The environments were the focus in GTAIV and Red Dead Redemption: the emphasis was on building a narrative around a hugely complex and realistic game world. With L.A. Noire, Team Bondi pares back some of the world effects and rich detailing, but compensates by using a real-life city with authentic period detail, plus characters animated with a brand new motion capture technology: MotionScan, from Team Bondi's sister studio, Depth Analysis.

With the sheer amount of characters in the game, combined with that state-of-the-art MotionScan facial tech, it's safe to say that this game is very data-rich, almost filling a 25GB Blu-ray disc to the point of capacity. Just how well does the Microsoft platform compete in providing the same gameplay experience?

Let's kick off with the head-to-head movie, backed up by an appropriately colossal L.A. Noire comparison gallery.

L.A. Noire's Rockstar predecessors all commanded a resolution advantage on Xbox 360, but the situation appears to have been redressed here: both console SKUs run at native 720p and both are using hardware-based 2x multi-sampling anti-aliasing.

Two elements of visual quality that have brought about plenty of comment since the game launched concern the implementation of shadow and the use of screen-space ambient occlusion (SSAO). On the Xbox 360, shadows are dithered at the edges while the PS3 version uses the RSX's PCF (percentage closer filtering) technique, giving a much "harder" and more defined look.

Which of them is "better" is down to personal opinion really. The PS3's harder shadows often look a little strange because the intensity of light required to produce shadows that sharp is somewhat at odds with the muted ambient light that makes up much of L.A. Noire's ambience. Even broad daylight can only really produce shadows this strong in certain conditions. In this sense, the Xbox 360's dithered look should be more realistic - and indeed it is... at range. Unfortunately, on close-up shots, the dithering simply looks rather ugly and undoubtedly impacts the quality of the effect.

There's also the matter of how shadows are rendered. L.A. Noire uses a cascade of different resolutions - the further you go back "into" the screen, the lower the resolution of the shadows. The transition points are rather too close on both versions producing some ugly artifacts, but combined with the dithering the effect looks poorer on 360.

Screen space ambient occlusion, first used in Crysis but now a standard graphical effect on a great many games, is a useful tool in adding depth to the scene's nooks and crannies. The effect is definitely implemented in both Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 versions of L.A. Noire but to somewhat different effect. The PS3 game seems to have a larger occlusion radius, resulting in a significant over-darkening effect while in many scenes the 360 version is barely noticeable (but it is definitely there).

The net result of this is that SSAO is a subtle addition to the scene on 360, but is really heavy on PS3 - this is perhaps OK at night-time where the scene will benefit from a much darker look, but in broad daylight, the effect itself and the subsequent artifacting sometimes looks distracting, overly "dirty" and somewhat unrealistic. You can't help but feel that a halfway house approach between the Xbox 360 and PS3 implementations would have produced a more pleasing look.

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Labels: Faceoff, Noire

24/05/2011 @ 15:19

Duke Nukem Forever has gone gold, 2K Games has announced.

In the good old days, when men were men, games went "gold" when the developer produced a "gold master" disc ready for mass duplication.

In other words, Duke Nukem Forever is finished and ready for release - a momentous occasion in the 15-year development of Duke Nukem takes Forever.

"Duke Nukem Forever and its journey to store shelves is legendary," said George Broussard, creative director of Duke Nukem birther 3D Realms. "It's an epic tale of four game development studios that banded together and did the unthinkable and shipped the unshippable. In the timeless words of Duke Nukem it's finally time to 'Come Get Some'. Come be a part of gaming history."

Randy Pitchford, boss of Duke Nukem IP saviour Gearbox Software, added: "Always bet on Duke, I did. I bet on all of the developers who have ever been a part of this legendary project and I bet that none of us want to live in a world without the Duke.

"I've played the final game and it is an incredible experience - a once-in-a-lifetime opus of interactive entertainment that reminds me once again why Duke Nukem is our King."

A Duke Nukem Forever demo will be offered to First Access Club members on 3rd June. Join their ranks by pre-ordering DNF or by purchasing Borderlands Game of the Year Edition.

Duke Nukem Forever arrives in full on 10th June in Europe and 14th June in the US. Will the game be more than a self parody? We wait with bated breath to find out.

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Labels: Forever, Nukem

Funniest thread I've read in ages.

I'm not calling anyone a geek.

But lets see, as has been pointed out, people posting on a games related forum on the Internet, which to me means they have a fairly large interest in gaming, meaning they probably spend a large amount of time in front of a screen, are calling WoW players geeks?

Sorry, but WTF?

Hands up who has gone to any sort of midnight opening for a game related purchase or a queued for a console? Im gonna guess a fair number of you... How does that makes you less geeky, or better than those in pictures? (i got the impression a lot of you thought you were better than them)

And hand up who likes playing games like Final Fantasy or other Japnese/anime RPG's?

I've got news for you hypocrites, to the average person we are all a bunch of geeks.

I play WoW, and guess what? I have a girlfriend, and even more shocking, I live with her!! And I also go out and socialse with my friends. guess I need to get a life.

Anyway i'm will to bet that most of the people in those pictures are more friendly than the judgmental pricks we appear to have here. What gives you the right to judge someone from a picture or by their hobbies? Doesn't really tell you much about what the person is like, how they live their life and what other things they might do in the spare time.

And at the end of the day, even if you are geek? Who gives a damn, there are much worse things to be in life and do with your spare time.

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Labels: Gallery, screenshots, Warcraft, World

Rockstar's L.A. Noire could be the starting point for a lucrative franchise, judging by comments from Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

Speaking at investor call earlier today, Zelnick stated that the game's reception at retail had been "exceedingly strong", adding that Take-Two was anticipating the brand has a long future ahead of it.

"We have every reason to believe that L.A. Noire is another strong franchise for this company," he said. "We do see this as a powerful new franchise."

There's been no official statement of intent regarding a sequel to the acclaimed crime epic, though developer Team Bondi speculated last week that any follow-up would take significantly less time to develop than the seven years the original gobbled up.

Take-Two also announced Rockstar founders Sam and Dan Houser have renewed their employment contracts with the publisher, along with key creative Leslie Benzies.

The deal is said to be on "substantially similar economic terms" to their previous agreement.

"I want to take a moment to recognise this team that has been with Take Two for well over ten years now," said Zelnick. "They've not only continued to deliver outstanding results but they've showed incredible loyalty. We look forward to working with the Rockstar team for many years to come."

Elsewhere during the presentation, Take-Two detailed a strong set of financials for the last 12 months. Net revenue was up 49 per cent year-on-year to $1.14 billion, though the last quarter saw a decline to $182.3 compared to $233.2 million in the same period in 2010.

"Fiscal 2011 was a very strong year for Take-Two," commented Zelnick. "We generated revenue growth and margin expansion that consistently exceeded expectations, and also took action to position the company for even greater success over the long-term."

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Labels: anticipates, Noire, TakeTwo

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Labels: Anniversary, Edition, Gallery, Oblivion

24/05/2011 @ 12:17

Card battling game Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 has a release date: 15th June.

It's a PC, PSN and XBLA game, so there could be regional date discrepancies. But 15th June is a Wednesday, which bodes well for Europeans, whose PS Store updates weekly on that day.

Planeswalkers 2012 has improved deck editing, enhanced co-op and new game modes. There's also single-player campaign, competitive multiplayer, community features and unlockable content.

Magic: The Gathering ? Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is due to be released 15/06/2011 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Got a news tip? Email news@eurogamer.net.

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Labels: Duels, Planeswalkers

Many readers have asked us is if Nintendo (through Japanese developer Grezzo) has added anything to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Of course, the game is being drastically revamped visually, with improved textures, animations and character models. The touch-based capabilities of the Ninten...

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Labels: Legend, Ocarina, Times, Zelda

It's a fine line between "new gameplay mechanic" and "gimmick". Dream Trigger 3D attempts to go for the former with its unorthodox approach to shooters. And while it is an extremely colorful and interesting shooter, its one note song tends to move it towards the gimmick category...

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Labels: Dream, Review, Trigger

It's finally here. Though The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is still a month away from its North American release, Nintendo has dropped off a reviewable build of the game here at the IGN offices. I've been firing through the game, discovering new things and reliving moments that I only vaguely remember playing through as a teenager. For this week's Hyrule Times, I wanted to take you on a quick tour of some of the cool stuff I've experienced in my exploration of Link's world...

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Labels: Legend, Ocarina, Reborn, Zelda

As we're walking into the Tower of London, they're helping out the Queen (or a very good impersonator). Further on, past the hordes of tourists peering at the magnificent prison-fortress through their camera viewfinder, there's a room full of seriously-suited business men and a sharply-dressed athlete or two. It's the most incongruous places to show off Mario & Sonic at the London Olympics we could have thought of...

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Labels: London, Mario, Olympics, Sonic, Sweat, Working

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Labels: Dream, Screens, Trigger

It might sound odd, but the best game for the Nintendo 3DS also happens to be the last significant release for the Nintendo DS. Ever since their release over two months ago, we've been enamored with Pokemon Black and White, and they call us back frequently as we wait for the 3DS's next big game...

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Labels: Pokemon

In an interview with the Official Nintendo Magazine, Resident Evil Producer Masachika Kawata revealed details regarding the Resident Evil Revelations demo that would be included with Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D...

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Labels: Details, Resident, Revelations

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Labels: Mercenaries, Resident, Screens