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DiRT 2 Achievement takes off-putting meme off-road
Though "meme" is perhaps a euphemistic label for the lurid mental virus that is "Two Girls, One Cup" (don't Google that if the phrase sounds foreign), we're nonetheless pleased to see Codemasters taking the piss out of the fecal internet documentary and turning it into something more wholesome and rewarding: an Achievement (slash Trophy)! Witness the "Two Cups One Girl" Achievement, awarded in the upcoming off-roader, DiRT 2, for winning two team events with the same female teammate. Looking over the game's 47 pop-up awards, you'll also spot a Ghostbusters reference, a pun or two, and a joke that requires cursory knowledge of The Karate Kid. It's like they made this just for the internet. %Gallery-45501% [Thanks, Merkaba]
Ludwig Kietzmann08.12.2009
Codemasters: Natal won't replace traditional controls in racers
Codemasters wasn't too impressed with that Project Natal-enabled Burnout demo, apparently, and thinks gamers won't trash their controllers and steering wheels for racing games when Natal is unleashed on the public. Speaking to Videogamer, Codemasters' Ralph Fulton -- who is currently hard at work on DiRT 2 -- said, "The complexity of control for a racing game, certainly for a core racing game like ours, requires a controller." Fulton points to the need for feedback and precision, claiming that Project Natal just won't do either justice. That's not to say there isn't a place for Natal in racers, as Fulton thinks it could add some functionality on top of traditional controls, though he fails to provide us with any ideas of his own. Until we get our hands on the final product, we're just going to have to watch those chase scenes from Ronin over and over again with a pair of fuzzy dice strapped to our TV.
David Hinkle08.11.2009
Welcome back week for Lord of the Rings Online Europe starts next Monday
Hey just a friendly reminder for our European readers, Codemasters Online is running a welcome back week for Lord of the Rings Online starting on Monday. All former subscribers are welcome to come back for a great week of bonus experience and free gameplay. Who can turn down leveling faster and leveling for free?Don't worry about fiddling with your account or clicking any "re-activate" links either. Codemasters will turn all of the accounts online on their own, so all you have to do is re-install the game or simply patch up to the latest version, Book 8: The Scourge of Khazad-Dûm. We have lots of information on Book 8, plus we even got a tour of it from Turbine! If you're not up-to-date, now's the perfect time to check out all of our coverage!
Seraphina Brennan07.31.2009
Jumpgate Evolution dev blog looks at balancing combat
As player-versus-player pew-pewing is one of the biggest draws for those interested in the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution, there's no wonder that a lot of attention has been given to balancing the game's combat. The most recent Jumpgate Evolution dev blog entry from lead producer Hermann Peterscheck, titled "Combating Combat", shed some light on how class balance came to be where it's at now. The post goes on to say that from the very beginning, balance was approached with PvP in mind, as NetDevil realized that it would be easier to tweak PvE accordingly at a later stage. Starting with just one class of ship, additional classes were introduced over time and put through their paces in daily play tests. Petersheck noted that the goal was to have each class feel truly unique and not simply have a bit less of this stat, or a bit more of that one:"It's very tempting to just throw a bunch of classes of ships together in order to say things like 'our game has 15 classes of ships!' but this, we believe, is the wrong direction. People want meaningful and strong choices and not lots of meaningless, empty choices. Currently we plan to have 4-6 classes, but they will each have nearly endless possible configurations within those groups."It's a promising design philosophy, to be sure. Check out the rest of Peterscheck's article at the JGE dev blog.
William Dobson07.30.2009
Edge's sex scene of the year award goes to Overlord II
Wow, what an upset! Just seven months into the year, Edge has already picked its sex scene of the year, giving the four-way from darkly comic strategy actioner Overlord II the coveted prize over future competition like ... well, whatever's going to happen in Dragon Age: Origins. But imagine our chagrin when we found out that the game had received the honor because of how little it actually showed? How are we supposed to derive any satisfaction without the digital breasts and mons pubis that we so richly deserve? To see for yourself, check out the video just after the break ... and yes, it's fairly safe for work (FSFW).
Justin McElroy07.30.2009
Ashes Cricket demo bowls wicked googly on Xbox Live
We know nothing about cricket. Having looked up a list of cricket terms on Wikipedia, we now know even less about cricket. With the bottom of our cricket resource barrel officially scraped, it was time to consult one Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq's Head Cricket Consultant. About the sport of cricket, Mr. Kietzmann had this to offer: "It's a polite, turn-based competition of precision ball-whackery."You are now completely prepared for the Ashes Cricket demo available on Xbox Live. Enjoy.
Richard Mitchell07.27.2009
New Dirt 2 trailers feature fancy cars, lots of dirt
What do a BMW Z4 Coupe, a Subaru WRX Hatch, and a mess of big trucks have in common? They'll all be at your disposal in upcoming rally-racer Dirt 2, silly! Aside from the game's striking visuals -- the ones that we marveled over when we saw it last February -- gameplay has always been a strong suit for Codemasters' dirt racer. While the video above, titled "Baja Raid," looks vaguely similar to games like Motorstorm and Pure, we expect a different, more simulation than arcade, feel from Dirt 2. Check out the rest of the trailers after the break or head over to our sister site Big Download and snag them for yourself in full HD glory.%Gallery-45501%
Ben Gilbert07.25.2009
Jumpgate Evolution hits 250,000 beta sign ups
The upcoming sci-fi title Jumpgate Evolution seems to be highly anticipated by the MMO gaming community, at least if the deluge of unique beta sign-ups is any indication. Jumpgate Evolution's developer NetDevil and publisher Codemasters announced today that they've passed 250,000 beta sign-ups. They added, "Everyone working on Jumpgate Evolution is ecstatic about the news, and we can't wait to begin allowing those who have supported us through this phase of development into Beta once it begins later this year." [Via WarCry]
James Egan07.21.2009Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising deploys October 6
Codemasters has announced an October 6 release date for the latest installment in its hyper-realistic modern infantry shooter, Operation Flashpoint. As you can see in the newly released footage of Dragon Rising, the weapons at players' disposals are formidable and the action intense, although we take some issue with Codemasters' assertion that the game is "as close to war [as players] will want to get." As a matter of fact, some gamers do want to get closer to war, which is why they enlist in the various branches of the US military. Well, except for the Coast Guard. (Just kidding, guys.)
Randy Nelson07.18.2009Dirt 2 release date all cleaned up
Codemasters today announced the official release dates for Dirt 2. The utterly filthy racing game will hit US shores on September 8, Europe on September 10 and the UK on September 11. For those out there who aren't filthy rich enough to own all the consoles, have no fear, for Dirt 2 will be available on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PSP. Much like actual dirt, you should be able to find it just about anywhere.Unless you want to pick up the PC version, which was recently delayed in order to accommodate DirectX 11. Expect it to arrive in December.%Gallery-45501%
Richard Mitchell07.16.2009
Steam weekend sale offers half-price GRID
If you love driving, but have been unable to do so since the man stripped you of your license following your vehicular collision with that nursing home (it came out of nowhere!), you may be able to satiate that desire by picking up GRID on Steam this weekend for the discounted price of $14.99. We're no mathematicians, but we're fairly certain that's about a 50 percent decrease from the usual price of $29.99. If you've got an appropriately beefy computer, we suggest picking it up. It's really fun, terribly addictive and -- best of all -- doesn't feature any pesky ambulatory architecture.
Griffin McElroy07.10.2009
Fuel demo available to download today
Codemasters' ambitious open-world racer Fuel gets a demo today, available on Xbox Live, PSN, and the PC (via the Fuel site). According to Videogamer, the demo will feature the Ocean Rush career event, a traditional race featuring seven different drivers, and Blitz, a time-based event featuring checkpoints.Even more surprising is the demo's inclusion of some sweet multiplayer action for console owners. On the Xbox 360 and PS3, gamers will be able to race online for two weeks, with the demo allowing up to 16 players into a limited portion of the Tsunami Reef area in Free Ride mode. Or, if you're feeling like you need a bit more competition in your life, know that up to six racers can compete in the Ocean Rush career event race. You can bet we'll be downloading the demo, mostly to see how far the game has come along since our play session earlier this year. What about you?
David Hinkle07.09.2009New Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising trailer teases the teasing tease out of us
If you're looking for a tease, look no further -- the trailer above for Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is the very definition of tease. A full minute and a half of quiet preparation as a squad of soldiers sneak up on their enemies, picking off two guards with silenced weapons, before bedlam sets in. In fact, we never get to see any of the insanity, as the trailer leaves us with just the phrase "Think you're ready?" Boo! Looks like we're stuck waiting for the game's fall release to see just how crazy OFDR will be.%Gallery-67532%
Ben Gilbert07.08.2009
Pimp your ride, Lord of the Rings Online style
Ok, ok, so the contest isn't called "Pimp Your Horse," but Codemasters does want you to submit your own designs for a new horse in Lord of the Rings Online. Here's the chance for aspiring artists to really customize a game that they love by submitting original designs for horse coloring, saddle color, and blanket design. Or you could do what we did and find the worst possible design to put on your horse, followed by a flame decal. Oh yeah, totally rockin'.The winner (which will totally be our lightning fast purple speed mount we named "Schuster's Shooter") will receive a Codemasters goodie bag, a unique forum title and avatar, and their design appearing in the live game as a player mount. Two runners up will also get the the goodie bag and forum prizes as well.So what are you waiting for? Get in the saddle and start designing!Update: Turbine just got in contact with us, and apparently the contest is for United States and North American audiences too! Go, design, let one horse rule them all!
Seraphina Brennan07.06.2009
PC version of DiRT 2 delayed until December
If you were planning on using your Compy 386 to tap into the rally-racing action contained within Codemasters' upcoming release, DiRT 2, you're going to have to wait a bit longer than your console-toting brethren. Though the game is leaping onto PS3 and Xbox 360 in September, it's not going to pull into the PC parking lot until December.The delay can be attributed to the developers' desire to implement the brand new DirectX 11 tool set in order to improve the game's graphical fidelity. Such areas of improvement include the "appearance of water and other surfaces as well as crowd animations," not to mention "depth of field, ambient occlusion and shadows." Also, we hear the game's titular dirt will be 300 percent dirtier. Thanks, technology!
Griffin McElroy07.06.2009
Damnation devs at Blue Omega laid off
It appears that all of the developers at Blue Omega Entertainment, the folks behind Damnation (and producer of B-movie horror flicks like Dark Ride and Danika, starring Marisa Tomei!), have been laid off. Sure, a tweet announcing this has been floating around since June 23rd, but it appears a former employee, who sent a tip to several media outlets, finally got the news ball rolling. Kotaku confirmed with "several former employees" that the entire development team was laid off.The tipster also reveals there were bigger "issues" at the studio and mentions that, if anyone has access to US and UK legal records, digging around will reveal those problems. Shacknews followed up and found a paper trail of legal disputes and drama involving Blue Omega, publisher Codemasters and subcontractors working on the game.Whatever all those layers of problems were, it likely had an influence on the team's product: Damnation had an average Metacritic score in the high 30s.[Via Develop]
Alexander Sliwinski07.01.2009
Overlord II DLC to be announced 'soon'
If you've sunk your teeth deeply into Codemasters' manipulative jerk simulator, Overlord II, you'll be pleased to know new opportunities to bully and plunder are just around the corner. In a recent interview with Strategy Informer, the game's creative director, Lennart Sas, confirmed the developer is working on Overlord II DLC, and that "it'll be announced soon."When pressed for details, Sas retreated into a thick, scaly carapace attached firmly to his back. Our guess? This new content will allow the game's traditionally evil antihero to make difficult moral decisions. For instance, should you punch a six-year old girl in the face -- or should you punch her in the stomach? Hmm, that's a toughie.[Via VG247]
Griffin McElroy06.29.2009
LotRO dev diary looks at this year's Summer Festival
Now that the Summer Festival has begun in Lord of the Rings Online, a new developer diary has been posted that tells us a bit about some of the events, and what's different from previous festivals. This year, party invitations have been sent to each player's mailbox. This is more than a formality -- handing in the invitation will net you a Summer Festival Guide and Fishing Guide, to help with your enjoyment of the festivities and to make sure that you don't miss out on anything that's going on. There should also be an extra little present along with the two guides.The developer diary goes on to talk about two big events that are taking place during the Festival, The Keg Races at Thorin's Hall and The Taste of Hobbiton. Each of these events has four contestants, and you can learn a lot more about them at the diary. Lastly, it unfortunately looks like the Festival Run Horse Races won't be held this year. However, it's not all bad news: "The festival run token is still being offered as a reward to those who can generate a sizeable quantity of barter tokens. This means the Lithe horse and pony will still be available to those who look forward to owning this eye-catching mount."
William Dobson06.25.2009
Deal watch: Grab Overlord: Dark Legend for $37
Being that games are an expensive habit, we're always on the lookout for a decent savings. With that in mind, please direct your attention to Amazon, where you can pick up a copy of Overlord: Dark Legend for $36.99. That's $13.00 off the standard price of $49.99 and nothing to sneeze at. The game has been reviewed fairly well thus far and, at the very least, we can vouch for the charms of its PS3 and Xbox 360 brethren.If you like your games funny and evil, you might consider picking it up.%Gallery-45512%
Richard Mitchell06.25.2009Metareview: Overlord 2
All hail Overlord 2! Well, OK, so don't everyone hail, but one may genuflect if one wishes. It appears that the game has been slightly enhanced since the first outing, but it's still just not clicking. We've given our "snap judgment" on the evil baiting master simulator, but let's see what the other outlets thought. Much like the original, it appears people's opinions are all across the board. 1UP (A-): "So no, it's not an entirely perfect experience. But all of the above complaints -- even combined with my minor irritation with details like the marionette-like cut scene animation -- barely contests my overall joy at just playing this damn thing. The original Overlord was a perfect send-up and reversal of fantasy game clichés, and the sequel is even more satisfying while fixing a lot of the first game's rough patches." OXM (80/100): "To be fair, most parts of Overlord II are fun, and its problems are offset by high production values and funny dialogue (oh, those minions!). A lot of folks missed the original game, so here's your second chance: Overlord II preserves what worked last time, improves what didn't, and tries several new ideas on for size." Eurogamer (80/100): "Overall, in what has been a pretty underwhelming year for games so far, Overlord II feels like a shining beacon of quality. Not only is it a distinct improvement on the original, but the new features add greatly to what was already a superbly entertaining game." Game Informer (65/100): "The real shame is that Overlord II can be entertaining. It shamelessly embraces its evil heritage, and goes to great lengths to put the hilarious minions front and center. On the other hand, it just doesn't play well. The controls are clunky, the pacing is unsatisfying, and the multiplayer feels tacked-on. While the original Overlord was a compelling game at heart, Overlord II just feels like an unpolished retread of familiar ground." IGN (60/100): "Overlord II is a sequel that is neither bigger nor better than its predecessor. The size and scope have been dialed back to something that is more akin to a straight action game. And since none of the frustrating elements of the first have been fixed -- namely the camera, control, and save structure -- this game just isn't much fun. No amount of British wit could bring a smile to my face as I treaded through the tedium that is Overlord II." %Gallery-48075%
Alexander Sliwinski06.25.2009