GDC 2012

GDC 2012's 'Indie Soapbox,' Halfbrick, Moriarty sessions debut for free on GDC Vault

GDC 2012 may have come and gone, but the GDC Vault service is working to keep the show's spirit alive by debuting new free videos of its most popular lectures. This week, the service has added a handful of free sessions that offer a glimpse at GDC 2012's notable Summits.

This new batch of free content includes the extremely popular 'Indie Soapbox' panel, a postmortem from Fruit Ninja developer Halfbrick, an education-focused talk from adventure game veteran Brian Moriarty, and an overview of online globalization from the CEO of social game developer Wooga.

As part of the GDC Summits, all of these videos provide a targeted look at some of the most pertinent and emerging sectors in the modern game business. Each session offers some important insight on game creation, and developers looking to stay on top of the latest industry trends might learn a thing or two from these various GDC 2012 Summit speakers.

Here are the newest free Summit videos to join the GDC Vault:

- The 'Indie Soapbox' session, part of GDC 2012's Independent Games Summit, gives 10 prominent independent developers a chance to tell the world about the things they care about most when it comes to making games. The session features developers like Polytron's Phil Fish (Fez), Team Colorblind's Ben Ruiz, and Lazy 8's Rob Jagnow (Cogs), and covers everything from the "egocentric" indie community to how games function as "3D media objects."

It's a wild, fast-paced session to be sure, but it offers the rare chance to peek into the minds of some of the industry's most eccentric, creative, and influential indie developers. If you've ever wondered what makes these successful indies tick, now's your chance to find out. [GDC Vault free video]

- Elsewhere, over in the Smartphone and Tablet Games Summit, Hafbrick's Luke Muscat looks back at the studio's popular Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, and shares some important lessons about maintaining support for a mobile game after its initial launch. Along the way, he points to several occasions in which Halfbrick's game updates introduced some severe problems on the app market, and explains how other developers can avoid making these mistakes themselves. [GDC Vault free video]

- As part of GDC Education Summit, Infocom and LucasArts veteran Brian Moriarty (Beyond Zork, Loom) outlines the "sinister" approach he uses to teach game design to students at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Rather than teaching them about the development process step by step, Moriarty provides his students with a custom, simplified game engine, dubbed "Perlenspiel," and tasks them with making their own pixel-based game from scratch. This approach gives students direct hands-on experience with game creation, and the simplicity of the Perlenspiel engine encourages them to focus on design above all else. [GDC Vault free video]

- Finally, Wooga CEO Jens Begemann hosts a Social and Online Games Summit talk detailing how to make games for a global market. While it originally got it start in Europe, Wooga now distributes its Facebook-based social games all over the world, and in this session Begemann lists the seven key principles for finding widespread success in the growing social game market. [GDC Vault free video]

These free videos join a host of other free and notable lectures already available on GDC Vault, including the recently released classic game postmortems (Gauntlet, Harvest Moon and more) and track keynotes (from Blizzard, Plants Vs. Zombies creator George Fan, and more) from GDC 2012.

In addition to all of this free content, the GDC Vault also offers more than 300 additional lecture videos and hundreds of slide collections from GDC 2012 for GDC Vault subscribers. GDC 2012 All Access pass holders already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription Beta via a GDC Vault inquiry form.

Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company. More information on this option is available via an online demonstration, and interested parties can send an email to Gillian Crowley. In addition, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault admins.

Be sure to keep an eye on GDC Vault for more free content in the weeks ahead, as GDC organizers will also archive videos, audio, and slides from upcoming 2012 events like GDC Europe, GDC Online, and GDC China. To stay abreast of all the latest updates to GDC Vault, be sure to check out the news feed on the official GDC website, or subscribe to updates via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS. GDC and the GDC Vault are owned and operated by Gamasutra parent company UBM TechWeb.

[ Source: Gamasutra ]

Zynga platform gets 2.8 million monthly users

Web-based open beta platform doing pretty well, it seems

Zynga's web-based social gaming platform has got itself 2.8 million monthly active users, the firm has announced.

Zynga launched its online-based platform at Zynga.com in open beta form in March, and has seen rapid growth since. The site saw 1.7 million users in the month ending March, but that number has soared by over a million in April.

At the time of writing the website showed 1.17 million concurrent players online.

Zynga recently added advertisers' paid words into the hit smartphone game Draw Something, after buying its developer OMGPop.

[ Source: Gamasutra ]

PS Access episode 32 stars Sniper Elite V2

As well as Crysis 3, Medal of Honor Warfighter and Battlefield 3 DLC

The latest episode of weekly HD PS3 video show Access is out now on the PlayStation Network.

Episode 32 stars Sniper Elite V2 as Game of the Week, and the Access team visits EA's recent London showcase to check out Crysis 3, Medal of Honor Warfighter and the upcoming Battlefield 3 DLC.

There's also a round-up all of the latest PS3 news and PS Store content.

Since launching in September 2011 as the successor to FirstPlay, PlayStation Access TV has become the most popular free download on the PlayStation Network.

Miyamoto 'doesn't see Vita as a very strong product'

But "I'm not looking at Vita as happy that it's not selling well," says Nintendo legend

Shigeru Miyamoto has shared his thoughts on Sony's PS Vita, and it's probably fair to say the Mario creator doesn't give Sony's latest handheld a ringing endorsement.

Asked what he thinks of the platform, Miyamoto told Edge in its latest issue, which is landing with subscribers now and goes on sale on May 9:

"I think I really can't say. It's obviously a very high-spec machine and you can do lots of things with it, but I don't really see the combination of software and hardware that really makes a very strong product. But I can't really say.

"I'm not looking at Vita as happy that it's not selling well," he added, "or scared that it would sell well - I'm not look at Vita in that way."

While sales data for other territories is harder to come by, Vita has consistently been outsold by 3DS in Japan.

Company of Heroes 2 details: New engine, 'True Sight' and snow

How Relic is 'making the best better'...

Relic Entertainment's Company of Heroes was and still is one of the finest real-time strategy games ever created, and - thankfully - a sequel is in the works. Given THQ's recent troubles and cuts at Relic we were starting to think it would never happen.

PC Gamer, which revealed the sequel yesterday, has now posted up details on how Relic will be following up its lauded RTS.

According to mag CoH2 will use a vastly improved version of the first game's Essence 3 engine and feature a revamped line of sight mechanic called True Sight.
Have a look at the full details below:

• Company of Heroes 2 will take place on the Russian front, with players controlling the Soviets as they battle the invading Nazi forces.

• Snow plays a major part on the battlefield, falling and melting dynamically, and slowing your soldiers and tanks based on its depth.

• The game runs on the Essence 3 engine, the latest version of the graphics engine Relic have been updating and expanding upon for years.

• The cover system has been revamped, to function more realistically and allow soldiers to vault over obstacles.

• Line of sight plays a large tactical role, with the game's fog of war based on what your soldier's can actually see. Relic call this system "True Sight", and it causes areas of the map to be grayed out and enemies within turned invisible by buildings, items of cover, or dropped smoke grenades.

• The Normandy landing that opened Company of Heroes (and Saving Private Ryan, one of its key inspirations), was the 23rd biggest battle of World War 2. "13 of the 15 bloddiest battles" happened on the Eastern front, points out Company of Heroes lead designer, Quinn Duffy. The game should represent those battles and their vicious scale, as much as it does minute infantry tactics.

• Just like the original, the scenery is highly destructible, and you'll be given control of plenty of tanks and other explosive equipment. That includes barn-burning flamethrowers.

• There will be multiplayer, but Relic aren't ready yet to talk about it.

• The game is due out 2013.

Tip: If you haven't played the first Company of Heroes and live in the UK pick up the next issue of PC Gamer, which comes with a free copy of the game. Order it here and you'll get it delivered direct to you.

Notch: EA are 'cynical bastards methodically destroying gaming'

Minecraft creator takes issue with the mega-publisher's "Indie Bundle"

Minecraft creator and Mojang founder Markus 'Notch' Persson has hit out at EA in response to the company's release of the "EA Indie Bundle" on Steam.

As reported by Gamasutra, Notch appears to take issue with the mega-publisher's use of the word "indie", implying that the company is trying to cash in on a grassroots term.

The bundle in question features a selection of titles made by indie studios and published by EA, including DeathSpank, DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue, Gatling Gears, Shank, Shank 2 and Warp.

Persson said on Twitter: "EA releases an 'indie bundle'? That's not how that works, EA. Stop attempting to ruin everything, you bunch of cynical bastards.

"Indies are saving gaming. EA is methodically destroying it," he added, before saying that he no longer considers Mojang to be indie.

Next-gen Xbox 'already in manufacturing stages'

Assembly lines have started rolling in Texas, claims report

The next-generation Xbox is already in manufacturing stages, a new report has claimed.

According IGN's sources, assembly of the next Xbox hardware started recently at the Austin, Texas branch of Flextronics, the same electronics company currently assembling the Xbox 360, and the original Xbox before that.

"Prior to reaching the manufacturing stage, Flextronics created a new testing group separate from the rest of the company," the report claims.

"This team was solely dedicated to comprehensive marketing, software, and hardware tests of the next Xbox. With that activity concluded, Flextronics started building the hardware."

If true, it's most likely dev kits - not final hardware - that's being put together at the Texas firm. Developers are known to have been working on next-gen Xbox games for some time using high-spec PCs, and getting their hands on more final hardware would be the logical next step.

Microsoft provided IGN with the following statement upon inqury:
"Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend its lifecycle like introducing the world to controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships.

"We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumors or speculation."

Keith Vaz calls for 'closer scrutiny of aggressive FPS games'

Labour MP goes on the attack again

Keith Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, has renewed his campaign against violent games.

Vaz requested that the House of Commons hold a debate on violent games, slammed European classification body PEGI, and called for tighter restrictions on content.

As reported by Edge, the source of Vaz's inspiration is Anders B

ehring Breivik, who's currently standing trial for the murders of 76 people in Norway last year, and referenced both World of Warcraft and Call of Duty in his testimony.

Vaz asks:

That this House is reminded of the consequences of the ineffectual Pan European Game Information (PEGI) classification system for video games following the testimony of Anders Breivik about the tragic events in Norway in July 2011; notes that in his submission of evidence to the court Breivik describes how he trained for the attacks using the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare; is disturbed that Breivik used the game to help hone his `target acquisition' and the suggestion that the simulation prepared him for the attacks; is concerned that PEGI as a classification system can only provide an age-rating and not restrict ultra-violent content; recognises that in an era of ever-more sophisticated and realistic game-play more robust precautions must be taken before video games are published; and calls on the Government to provide for closer scrutiny of aggressive first-person shooter video games.

In November last year Vaz tabled an Early Day Motion calling for the BBFC to tighten its rating restrictions. He also used it to link terrorist activities in Modern Warfare 3 with the July 7, 2005 London bombings.

Elder Scrolls Online: First details

PvP, factions, quests and more...

Following yesterday's The Elder Scrolls Online announcement and today's debut Elder Scrolls Online screens, the first details have leaked online via a PDF of Game Informer's upcoming cover feature.

The document reveals that development began in 2007, and that the team making the game currently has around 250 people.

The title's based around the following idea: "What happens when hundreds or thousands of prophesied heroes all think that they should be Emperor?"

In terms of story the MMO will have all the usual political scheming, strife and demonic mischief expected of the series. The Tharn family and Mannimarco, the King of Worms, have forged an alliance in an effort to take over Tamriel, but the conniving King has also made a pact with Molag Bal, a Daedric prince with his sights also set on ruling the region.

Other Daedric princes will also be making an appearance, along with Molag Bal, who has stolen the player's soul, thus conveniently allowing him or her to come back from death repeatedly. Vaermina, the Daedric Prince of nightmares, is also mentioned.

The game will have three player factions: the Ebonheart Pact, which encompasses The Nords, Dunmer, and Argoninans; the Aldmeri Dominion, which includes the Altmer, Bosmer, and Khajit; and the Daggerfall Covenant, which brings the Bretons, Redguard, and Orcs. The Fighters, Thieves and Mages guilds will also be present, along with the Dark Brotherhood.

According to the document, the game will be fully voice acted and is suggested to be running on the Hero Engine, which also powers BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic. Visually, its style is likened to RIFT or Everquest 2.

The world is said to be much larger than Skyrim and will be fully explorable. Players will also be able to venture to Elsweyr, home of the Khajiit, and the Altmer's Summerser Isle, but it's suggested that these might not be accessible at launch.

PvP will take place in Cyrodil, with three factions battling to take over keeps, farms and mines using siege weapons. The ultimate goal is to take over and hold the Imperial City, which is rewarded with a faction-wide bonus. The most skilled player within the faction is crowned as the emperor of the capital when it's conquered. Like all good MMOs, high-level raids and heroic dungeons will be available as end game content.

Combat revolves around stamina management, since stamina is consumed by sprinting, blocking, interrupting, and breaking incapacitating effects, so players will have to keep a constant eye on their bar.

Combat will not be in real time due to latency, but is being balanced for competitive eSports play.

To recreate "the freedom Elder Scrolls players expect" developer ZeniMax has opted for a hub-less design, which means players won't have to keep returning to specific areas to collect quests. Instead random encounters with NPCs yield missions.

Minecraft Xbox 360 launch trailer shows split-screen play

Indie world-building hit out next week

Microsoft has sent over the launch trailer for the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft, ahead of the game's release on May 9.

The 360 edition of the massively popular build-it-yourself adventure game will support two player and four player split-screen. Dundee-based developer 4J Studios also plans to offer Kinect support in a future game update.

The title was initially due to be released last winter, but was pushed to spring 2012.

Jaffe: 'God of War Ascension isn't watered down by multiplayer'

Series creator gives Sony's prequel the thumbs up

Outspoken God of War creator David Jaffe has offered his opinions on God of War: Ascension, the new prequel being developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio, and he's impressed.

Speaking to IGN Jaffe responded to concerns surrounding newly revealed with a showing of support.

"I think it looks cool," he said. "It looks like another great, impeccably executed Sony Santa Monica game."

"I think that anger is well deserved for people who have felt that way for certain games, but I think so far -- you know what I was Tweeting about was -- Sony Santa Monica, and certainly that team, really hasn't done anything ever to let people down as game developers."

Jaffe admitted that although concerns about the effect multiplayer could have on the traditionally single player experience, he hasn't seen anything that worries him so far.

"If it turns out to be the case that the single player is watered down because of it, then I think they have some justification. But I don't see any evidence of that, and I don't see evidence of that based on the team they are."

Saints Row: The Third: 'Enter The Dominatrix' expansion revealed

"Freaking super powers"

THQ has announced a standalone expansion for Saints Row: The Third called 'Enter The Dominatrix'.

Here's the flowery official description:

Saints Row: The Third - Enter the Dominatrix picks up immediately following the events of Saints Row: The Third. For centuries, alien warlord Zinyak has eyed Earth and its precious natural resources and females with a watchful eye. As he prepares an armada for invasion, he has only one worry: the Third Street Saints.

Once a simple street gang from Stilwater, the Saints have evolved into a global empire, replete with bombastic TV advertising and tasteful consumer products, the kind of TV advertising and consumer products that would give any alien warlord pause. Clearly, the Saints are the biggest badasses on Earth.

Now, in order to prepare his forces for domination, Zinyak captures the leader of the Saints and imprisons him in an elaborate virtual reality simulation. This simulation program looks and feels like Steelport, but it is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. Here, you are a slave. Welcome... to the Dominatrix.

Danny Bilson, THQ's executive VP of core game production, also chimed in with some hype.

"Faster than a speeding cyber jetbike, more powerful than a roided-out Luchadore, able to leap flying aircraft carriers in a single bound... That's the power you'll find inside the Dominatrix. Use it for good. Use it for evil. Use it for whatever you want. As always in Saints Row, it's up to you," he said

"With a franchise with more than 11 million units shipped globally, it's incredibly gratifying to have the flexibility to give Saints Row fans the features they want most."

He later added: "Freaking super powers."

FIFA 13 players 'to look more realistic'

EA adopts new Dimensional Imaging software to boost player likeness

We can expect to see more lifelike characters in upcoming EA games like FIFA 13 if the hype surrounding new tech adopted by the publisher lives up to its promise.

While previously it was only possible to offer highly accurate 3D facial likenesses for the most recognisable players, a press release from Glasgow-based Dimensional Imaging claims the firm's new tech will allow EA to give more players than ever the "DI3D star treatment".

Mike Harrison, director of EA Capture at Electronic Arts, said: "We recognised a few years ago that raising the quality of facial appearance was an increasing priority for our game teams. Working closely with Dimensional Imaging has allowed us to develop a highly accurate 3D facial capture pipeline that is now so efficient that we can apply it to more characters than we ever thought possible."

Dimensional Imaging CEO Colin Urquhart added: "The relentless increase in the quality of computer graphics makes it ever more necessary to capture real life human likenesses in order to create believable virtual characters, but this process has traditionally been very time consuming for video game development.

"EA was one of the first developers to recognize the need for improved capture workflows, and working with them since EA Sports FIFA 10 has been instrumental in helping Dimensional Imaging to develop a product suite that is now suitable for even the most demanding development pipelines in the business."

Black Ops 2 pre-orders 3 times as high as the original's - Amazon

Latest Call of Duty already setting records

We'd bet our houses on Black Ops 2 being the biggest selling game of 2012. What's probably more interesting is whether it's going to be bigger than its predecessors, or whether analysts are right to suggest the monster FPS franchise may be on the wane.

Either way, Black Ops 2 is off to a great start at Amazon, with the online retailer telling MCV that day one pre-orders were three times as high as those achieved by the original Black Ops in 2010.

Amazon UK video games manager Graham Chambers said: "Set to be one of the biggest games of the year, it's great to see so much enthusiasm and anticipation for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2."

Earlier today Activision released the first artwork for Black Ops 2's Zombies mode, as well as a documentary-style trailer for the game focusing on future warfare and tech.

'No plans' for Tribes: Ascend on consoles

Popular free-to-play shooter looks set to remain PC-only

Hi-Rez Studio currently has "no plans" to bring its free-to-play shooter Tribes: Ascend to consoles.

COO Todd Harris told Gamasutra that the game was originally planned for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC, but the team reconfigured the title to play best on the open PC platform after it opted to adopt a free-to-play model.

"We do not have any plans for Tribes on console at this time," he said. "The way it went is that we wanted to do the free-to-play model, and there wasn't a clear path to that on consoles early on. Based on that, we optimized the game around the strengths of the PC, and specifically a keyboard and mouse control.

"Once we decided it'd only be on the PC, we optimized [gameplay] around speed, a quick turn radius, and things that are optimized for PC game controls," Harris added.

"We're still interested in free-to-play on consoles, but at this point, we have nothing specific to Tribes on console. I do expect the consoles will see more and more free-to-play, certainly the new generation, and possibly the existing generation as well."

If you're not in on the action yet - and you have a decent PC - you should give it a go. It's a sweet-looking, online multiplayer shooter and you can have it for free. Our friends at Edge gave it a 9/10, calling it "one of the most fluid, elegant, and strategically rich online shooters available."

Late last month Hi-Rez said Tribes: Ascend had topped 800,000 registered players.

 

 

Draw Something sees 'dramatic drop' in players following buyout

App sensation down 5m daily users, according to data

Just two months after its developer was sold for $200m (£123m) to mobile giant Zynga, app sensation Draw Something has suffered a dramatic drop in players, figures have suggested.

According to data gathered by WebMediaBrands (via the BBC), Draw Something has dropped by almost five million daily users in the past month.

Monthly users are also beginning to drop after a huge spike in April, according to the data.

The figures show that between April 2 and May 2, Draw Something's daily active user count went from approximately 14.3 million people to 10.4 million.

The iOS and Android game has been downloaded more than 50 million times, which is said to have made it the fastest growing original mobile title ever.

Ubisoft to invest $500m in Splinter Cell studio

Publisher 'attempting to replicate Montreal success'

Ubisoft plans to invest $500m USD into its growing Toronto studio, in an attempt to replicate the success of its successful Montreal office.

The studio, founded in 2009 and headed by ex-Assassin's Creed producer Jade Raymond, is about to announce its first "triple-A" game.

Right now it has around 210 programmers and designers, but it intends to expand the team to more than 800 over the next ten years, reports Gamasutra.

The Ontario government is also backing the studio's development, with $263 million CAD ($266 million) promised over the course of ten years.

Ubisoft Toronto has a mandate to create Ubisoft's next big IP in the future, but boss Jade Raymond recently confirmed to CVG the studio's"100% focussed" on its new Splinter Cell game.

TimeSplitters 4: 'Nobody was interested in signing us,' says dev

Free Radical co-founder says publishers just want Call of Duty

  Steve Ellis, co-founder and former managing director of Free Radical, has revealed his attempts to get Timesplitters 4 off the ground failed due to publishers' unwillingness to stray from the formula.

Speaking to Edge Ellis, who also worked on Rare's GoldenEye 64, said publishers aren't interested in quirky and different shooters.

"I spent the whole of 2008 going round talking to publishers trying to sign up Timesplitters 4," he said. "There just isn't the interest there in doing anything that tries to step away from the rules of the genre - no one wants to do something that's quirky and different, because it's too much of a risk. And a large part of that is the cost of doing it.

"Nobody really buys any FPSes unless they're called Call Of Duty," he added. "I guess Battlefield did okay, but aside from that pretty much every FPS loses money. I mean, [look at] Crysis 2: great game, but there's no way it came anywhere close to recouping its dev costs."

Obviously, Ellis' statements ignore the numerous non-CoD shooters current in the works, titles such as BioShock: Infinite, Metro: Last Light and Dishonored.

Whether those games sell well is yet to be seen, but surely they show that some publishers are willing to court 'quirky and different'?

The studio formerly known as Free Radical was saved from closure by Crytek, which acquired it and renamed Crytek UK. Although many speculated it might be working on a Timesplitters a spokesperson officially confirmed that was not the case last week. Other rumours suggest Crytek UK is developing Homefront 2.

 

EA backtracks on Rock Band iOS shutdown, claims 'error'

Publisher won't be shutting down your already-purchased app

EA's seemingly backtracked on its move to kill off Rock Band for iPhone.

Yesterday reports filtered in that the iOS app was serving players with an in-game message stating it will "no longer be playable" after May 31 - even if you owned it.

EA backed up the in-app message by putting up in an FAQ on its website, stating it was "suspending support of ROCK BAND after May 31 and focusing resources on other EA titles."

Now, following fairly predictable outrage from owners of the Rock Band app, EA's claimed "error" on the closure messages.

"Rock Band for iOS will remain live - the in-app message users received yesterday was sent in error," the company said in a statement sent to Cnet.

"We apologize for the confusion this caused. We're working to clarify the issue that caused the error and will share additional information as soon as possible."

Error or not, at least the company's making things right.

Scarlet red PS3 soon to be available in Australia

It's a PS3, and it's red

At long last, a limited edition "scarlet red" PS3 console will be available in select Australian games stores later this month

The 320gb console, which is red, comes bundled with two Dualshock 3 controllers and retails for $459.95. Both Dualshock controllers will also be red.

If you're planning on camping out for this, the console hits "select stores" on May 31.

No midnight launches have been announced as yet.

Do you wish your PS3 was red? Let us know in the comments section below!

Dragon's Dogma developer diary is in

Designer Makoto Tanaka talks shop

Dragon's Dogma has dragons. It may or may not have dogs. We're not sure. But Makoto Tanaka knows, because he designed the game.

He says some words in the developer diary below. They're all in Japanese but some clever chap at Capcom has gone and translated it all into Brit-speak for you.

Aren't they nice?...

Black Ops 2 zombies detailed: More players, more zombies, new modes

Better start stocking up on ammo...

 

Now that Activision has marched Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 into the spotlight we've got some some official details on what we'll see come November, and it looks like Treyarch has something special in store for fans of its zombie mode.

According to our man, who had the opportunity to get a first-hand demonstration of CoD: BlOps 2, this time around Treyarch will be using the game's improved multiplayer engine for zombies, which means double the amount of shuffling corpses to sink your bullets into.

It'll also be able to "handle a co-op tally double that of Black Ops 1's". Eight-player zombies mode? Sign us up. Although Treyarch is still being coy with the deets it has promised there will be some other fresh modes too.

Strong sales of Black Ops' Rezurrection DLC pack has afforded the studio's zombies team some freedom to move. "Treyarch have given their zombie team free reign to do pretty much whatever they want with the mode regardless of the direction the campaign is headed in."

As our preview rightly points out, the last game had JFK, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Freddy Kruger, George Romero and battles on the Moon, we're chomping at the bit to see what Black Ops 2 has in store for us.

Source: CVG

Valve 'not announcing anything at E3'

Gabe Newell says studio will be "showing stuff everyone already knows"

Those hoping to get the first word on new entries in the Half-Life, Portal or Left 4 Dead series at next month's E3 look set to be left disappointed.

A seemingly genuine email sent by Valve boss Gabe Newell to fan site ValveTime said of the company's E3 plans:

"We are not announcing anything at E3. Really. We are not announcing Half-Life 3 or Portal 3 or Left 4 Dead 3. We are going to be showing stuff everyone already knows about (CS:Go, Dota 2, 10' UI, ...)"
We guess there's still time for a change of heart, but it doesn't sound likely.

Valve's company handbook for new starters found its way onto the net last month, and it's fair to say the company likes to do things a little differently from your average developer, employing no real managers and letting its employees pretty much pick and choose their projects.

Black Ops 2 on PC: Treyarch tackles the tough questions

Dedicated servers, Call of Duty Elite, combating online cheats and more

Call of Duty is arguably gaming's biggest franchise, but it's fair to say sections of the PC crowd have felt let down by the series in a number of respects, perhaps most recently with CoD Elite's no-show on the platform and the late arrival of DLC.

With that in mind, our friends at PC Gamer grilled Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia on the tricky creative, technical and customer service decisions the developer's facing with Black Ops 2. Here are a few excerpts:

Lamia on dedicated servers: "We had it with Black Ops, so the architecture exists. But we haven't yet announced exactly what that setup is going to be... We like the flexibility, just philosophically, of the dedicated server. We also like our game to be played the way we spent the last couple of years making it, and try to find that happy medium between the two."

Lamia on combating cheats: "We know it's a huge issue in PC gaming, for online gaming. We've been working on proprietary schemes, we're not just relying on the commercial schemes ... We have a lot of experience, especially after Black Ops, seeing what people were doing to the game, and... we are going to try to make it fun for as many people as possible."

Lamia on Call of Duty Elite for Black Ops 2: "It's one that Activision has to answer for us... Our engine's really well-integrated with all that stuff... It takes advantage of Elite pretty nicely."

Head over to PC Gamer for the full interview, in which Lamia also tackles questions on LAN play and a potential beta.

Diablo 3 Auction House

Blizzard details Diablo 3's real-money auctions

Each of Diablo III's three game regions - the Americas, Europe and Asia - has its own separate set of gold and real-money auction houses (one for each supported currency in the region).

Each auction house is completely independent, meaning items listed on one do not appear on another, Blizzard explains.

For selling items in the real-world auction house, transaction fees will apply. Equipment will cost $1 USD/AUD per item. Meanwhile commodities such as gems and recipes will cost you 15 percent of the final sale price.

Players can pay for virtual gear with either their Battle.net account, or Paypal for a 15 percent transfer fee.

Tera Online

Ladies and gentlemen, it's official: May 1 has arrived and TERA has launched! We here at En Masse Entertainment are very proud to present the world's first massively multiplayer online game with true action combat. The world of TERA is yours to explore and to conquer, to defend and to rule. It starts right now.

Just starting out in TERA? Visit our Game Guide for an overview of TERA's game features and mechanics as well as dungeon walkthroughs. If you're looking for quick answers, hit up our Frequently Asked Questions or ask your own question to fellow players on TERA Answers. Once you're all caught up, read about TERA's new launch features. This is only the beginning!

Source: Enmasse