Latest Posts in Game Room

Bioshock arrives on the Mac October 7

It’s finally time to enter a world where undersea cities bloom, where gene splicing is a reality, where staggering technology and a promising utopia spiral into a hellish nightmare world. It’s time to enter Rapture. Because in two weeks, Feral Interactive will bring Bioshock to the Mac.

Bioshock is perhaps the most anticipated game to come to the Mac platform this year. When it was first leaked earlier in the year, buzz for the game was immediate but information has been scarce. That silence has been broken in a big way Thursday when Feral set October 7 as Bioshock’s release date.

Not only do Mac gamers have a date to circle on the calendar, they also have system requirements for the game. Bioshock requires at least a 1.8GHz Intel-based Mac with 1.5GB of memory, a 128MB graphics card, a DVD drive, and 8GB of hard drive space. You’ll need Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later to run the game. If you’ve got a Mac with the integrated Intel graphics, you’re out of luck; however, Bioshock does run on the latest generation of MacBooks and Mac minis.

Bioshock puts the player into the shoes of a character who barely survives a plane crash. He swims to a mysterious lighthouse in the ocean and stumbles upon the underwater city of Rapture, a dystopia where genetically-modified citizens and incredibly advanced technology have plummeted the society into chaos, bloodshed, and anarchy. To survive, players must use everything at their disposal as a weapon and finally piece together the mystery of the failed city.

Originally published by 2K Games, Bioshock is much more than a typical first-person shooter. You’ll encounter guns, of course, but you can also upgrade your very genes in order to give you super human powers… though not without a cost. Combining role-playing game elements like upgradeable weapons and powers, a rich plot with multiple endings, and an attention to detail that is simply staggering, it’s easy to understand the anticipation building for Bioshock on the Mac—and if you still need convincing, check out the trailer on Feral’s Web site. (Like the game itself, the preview of Bioshock is not for the faint of heart.)

BioShock sells for $50. You can pre-order it from Feral’s online store.

Want Zune HD games? Prepare to watch ads

Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from the Today @ PC World blog at PCWorld.com.

Microsoft has released a handful of free games for its new Zune HD, but these games, developed in-house, come with a catch: ads. You’ll have to watch either a static or video advertisement while the game starts up.

That could take as long as 30 seconds for Chess, Ars Technica reports, and 17 seconds for Goo Splat. The other available games are Hexic, Sudoku, Space Battle 3, Shell Game... Of the Future, and Texas Hold ’Em. Two utility apps, Calculator and Weather, are also available, but they don’t show ads during start-up.

As MacDailyNews notes, we shouldn’t be at all surprised to see Microsoft infusing—or maybe “plunking,“ in this case—advertisements into its entertainment devices.

“We are going to be an advertising company, and we are going to be a devices company,” Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said during a 2007 financial analyst meeting. “... We are hell-bent and determined to allocate the talent, the resources, the money, the innovation, to absolutely become a powerhouse in the ad business.”

We’ve seen this happen elsewhere in Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division. In July, Microsoft revealed that it would bring Silverlight-powered ads to Xbox Live. That means when you sign into the service, you might see some audio and video in the ads that appear on the dashboard.

That little “enhancement“ was more infuriating, because Xbox Live already costs $50 per year, ostensibly in exchange for a commercial-free experience.

As for the Zune HD ads, I’m torn. Thanks to the iPhone, I’ve generally come to accept that when a full mobile game (not a “Lite” version that teases a paid download) is free, there are going to be ads somewhere. The question becomes, would you rather watch an ad as the game loads, or see them while you play?

PSPgo falls further behind iPod touch and App Store

Sony’s PSPgo is a new portable version of its five-year-old PlayStation Portable handheld gaming platform. The device launches in US and Europe in October, and it’s set to go head to head with Apple’s iPod touch. But Sony has revealed that its software strategy for the PSPgo lacks some critical features that Apple already makes available for iPod touch games.

According to a report on game site Gamasutra, Sony has confirmed that Sony’s “Mini” games for the PSPgo will not have wireless multiplayer functionality, downloadable content or software updates — all features available to iPod touch and iPhone gamers in iPhone OS 3.0 or later.

Justin Cooney, senior account manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America, told Gamasutra the decision was made to “accelerate the approval process.” He said that additional quality assurance (QA) was required to initiate those features, and that such capabilities “increase the barriers” for a timely release.

Apple has touted iPhone OS 3.0’s support for downloadable content — a feature Apple calls “In-App Purchases.” Games for the iPhone and iPod touch can also support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-based multiplayer modes, and the ability to update to fix bugs or add new features has routinely been supported since the launch of the App Store more than a year ago.

The PSPgo is the first PSP model to eschew the Universal Media Disc (UMD), a 1.8-inch optical disc Sony developed as a game delivery system for the original PSP. The system features a sliding screen and smaller design that makes it easier to pop in a pocket and carry.

Instead, PSPgo users will download games through Sony’s online PlayStation Store through a Wi-Fi connection. Sony’s already begun to publish downloadable games for the PSP through the store, although many are retreads of classic titles developed for the original PlayStation.

“Minis” are smaller games limited to 100MB in size, to give PSPgo and other PSP users access to more games. Sony plans a very modest start with Minis — only 15 are expected to debut when the PSPgo goes on sale in October for $250, priced mid-way between Apple’s 8GB and 32GB iPod touch models.

Review: Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

Sid Meier creates strategy games that are so expansive, so rich, and so complex that the mini-games, the scenarios, the sideshow distractions in the games are more rewarding then some stand-alone games currently on the market. In Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, the latest expansion pack for Civilization IV (), there’s a World War II scenario that is more entertaining than any turn-based WWII simulator I’ve played in the past year--and that’s not even a small fraction of the game’s content.

Meier is never one to shrink from creating scale, depth, or complexity in his games. He also enjoys throwing in the occasional history joke. (If you completely fail at beating a scenario, you’ll often be congratulated for having the leadership skills of Dan Quayle).

Civilization IV, which has sold over three million copies and is arguably one of the richest, most complex, and open-ended society-building games ever made, is now more complex thanks to this latest expansion pack. Beyond the Sword focuses its additions to the periods of history after the discovery of gunpowder. Eleven new scenarios, ten new civilizations, and 16 new leaders augment an already impressive cast of characters and players throughout history. If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to play as Portugal, your wait is over.

Beyond the Sword isn’t an expansion pack that I’d recommend for new Civilization IV players. New players should cut their teeth on the basic game elements and the early periods of history before they even attempt to get to the modern age and Beyond the Sword’s considerable additions.

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iPod touch comes into its own as a game platform

Never mind Mac OS X, and forget about future iterations of the Apple TV as a video game console—the iPod touch is Apple’s game platform. That’s Apple’s message from the stage of its press event in San Francisco on Wednesday.

The “Rock & Roll” event totaled about an hour and a quarter, and 20 minutes of that were dedicated to showing off the iPod touch’s proclivity as a gaming platform. Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller started off the game segment by repeating a quote offered by Arik Hesseldahl of BusinessWeek: “Apple could be on the cusp of claiming the crown as the world’s leader in handheld gaming.”

You’d be wrong to assume that Hesseldahl’s comment—which came in a November 2008 editorial—is more moon-eyed Apple fanaticism from an easily swayed tech journalist. In context, Hesseldahl is comparing sales of iPhones and iPod touches to Nintendo’s DS handheld system. In sheer volume, Apple is doing very well—the company has been selling tens of millions of units. And that pace hasn’t slowed down since last autumn. Of course, not every iPhone or iPod touch is being used for games. But each of them is capable.

I don’t see Apple competing for the same hearts and minds that Nintendo does, but I think a compelling argument can be made that Apple is competing for the exact same consumers who might otherwise buy Sony’s forthcoming PSPgo handheld gaming system. In this respect, Apple is already several steps ahead of Sony. Apple already owns this market.

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Disney Interactive taps Bungie founder as creative boss

Disney has hired Bungie Software founder Alex Seropian to oversee creative development across the company's own video game development teams, according to CNBC.com.

Seropian joins video game designer Warren Spector, whose resume includes the legendary cyberpunk game Deus Ex. Spector joined Disney Interactive two years ago and is working on an as-yet-unreleased console game, according to reports.

Disney Interactive Studios produces an assembly line of video game and computer game products based off its popular media properties—everything from Hannah Montana to games based on Pixar properties. The company hasn't struck it big with blockbuster video games, however. Disney Interactive Studios general manager Graham Hopper is clearly hoping to change that.

Hopper said that Seropian's hiring is an example of where his business unit is "trying to be a magnet in this industry for talent," similarly to how Disney operates in other parts of the entertainment business. The company is constantly expanding its reach: In late August Disney announced the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, the comic book publisher turned movie studio responsible for Iron Man, Spider-Man, and many other hit franchises.

Seropian co-founded Bungie with Jason Jones in 1991 when the two were still college students at the University of Chicago. The company established itself as a premier developer of original video games for the Macintosh platform, producing the Marathon series of first-person shooters and the Myth series of real-time strategy games. In 2000, Bungie was acquired by Microsoft, which repurposed Bungie's then-in-development first person shooter Halo as an exclusive for the then-nascent Xbox video game console.

Seropian founded another independent game developer, Wideload Studios, in 2004 after leaving Bungie. Wideload is the developer of 2005's Stubbs the Zombie in "Rebel Without a Pulse", a Halo engine-based 3D action game dripping with dark humor, published for Mac, PC and Xbox by Aspyr Media. Since then, Wideload has focused its attention on the development of console games.

Bungie has since spun off from Microsoft, though the company continues to develop products for the Xbox 360 video game system.

As part of the deal, Disney Interactive Studios has acquired Wideload. The details of the acquisition were not made public.

Hands On with The Force Unleashed

If you've always thought that despite the allure and wonder of previous Star Wars games, you didn't get to blow up enough things or really tap into the dark side of the Force enough to satisfy your darker, destructive urges—stop whining. Sith Lords don't whine.

The Force Unleashed is coming to the Mac. With already six million units sold, this wickedly dark chapter in the Star Wars saga has already made an impression on console users when it was first released in 2008. Now Mac users can truly feel the power of the dark side of the Force with this exciting upcoming action adventure title.

The game takes place in the years between Episode III and Episode IV and follows the adventures of Darth Vader's secret apprentice. Armed with unprecedented Force powers, this young dark Jedi is tasked with hunting down rogue Jedi and anyone else who comes in his path. Because the main character is a secret to the rest of The Empire, he must dispatch anyone who discovers him—this includes not only powerful Jedi but stormtroopers, commandos, and whatever unfortunate alien races stumble into his path.

During the demo with Aspyr's Eric Duncan and LucasArts' Cameron Suey, I got to see two levels of the PC build of the game. Though its not the Mac version, the games are being built simultaneously and I've been reassured they're supposed to be give the same treatment.

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CrossOver Games 8 adds additional Windows game support

CodeWeavers has announced the release of CrossOver Games 8.0, a new version of their game-specific virtualization software for Intel-based Macs. It’s vailable for download for current CrossOver customers with an active “support entitlement.” CrossOver Games costs $40.

CrossOver Games enables Mac users to play a selection of Windows games without having to have Windows installed first, unlike Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion. The software is derived from the open-source WINE project.

The new version 8 release supports Left4Dead, Tales of Monkey Island (available using Valve Software’s Steam software distribution system), and other new games. Many “under the hood” improvements have also been made, according to CodeWeavers, which the developers say will lead to better frame rates and more enjoyable game play.

Other new games now supported by CrossOver Games include Dragon Sky, Last Chaos, Jade Empire, Ether Saga, Perfect World, and non-English versions of Shaiya. Various bug fixes have been made for Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Spore, Guild Wars, Civilization IV and Bejeweled, along with several unofficially supported games, including Lord of the Rings Online, EVE Online, Pharaoh, City of Heroes and Lego Star Wars.

More details are available in a forum post on CodeWeavers’ Web site.

EVE Online: Dominion coming this winter

CCP Games has revealed details of its forthcoming expansion to the massively multiplayer online game EVE Online. Entitled “Dominion,” the free expansion pack is expected to be released this winter, sometime after CCP Games’ annual Fanfest, which takes place in Reykjavik, Iceland (home of the developer) in October.

EVE Online takes place in outer space, in a galaxy on the other end of the universe, where mankind has populated star systems and participates in interstellar trade and combat. Mankind has fractured into four factions that experience uneasy alliances frequently broken and rearranged; players assume the role of a “capsuleer,” the pilot of an interstellar spacecraft.

Often described as the ultimate “sandbox” MMO, EVE places few restrictions on what players can do — they can fly solo or in groups, participate in “corporations” (the EVE equivalent of a guild), become pirates or warship captains, mine precious minerals from asteroids, trade materials, produce finished goods and sell them to other players, and more.

The focus of “Dominion” will explore how individual players can influence and control what happens in EVE’s single-shard, persistent world — an online universe populated by more than 300,000 players. Unlike other MMOs, EVE isn’t split into different “shards” — everyone plays in the same space.

“Sovereignty” is a concept that’s often described as “EVE’s end-game” — when a player or corporate becomes influential and powerful enough to erect a space station and control an area of space. It’s an issue that EVE Online senior designer Noah Ward has described previously as something the company planned to work on, and the results of that effort will be made apparent in Dominion. Sovereignty will be overhauled in Dominion as alliance combat requires additional tactical strategy.

COSMOS — a social networking framework for EVE Online — will also make its debut in Dominion, along with new Pirate Epic Mission Arcs for players who enjoy Player versus Everything (PvE) combat. The developers are also refining some graphics tweaks to the game.

Walking in Stations still in development

CCP Games’ recent announcement about Dust 514 has led to some confusion about what the future holds for EVE Online. Dust 514 is new console-based first person shooter/real time strategy game based in the EVE universe; what happens on the ground in Dust 514 will have a direct bearing on what happens in the Mac and PC-based MMO. Dust 514 was revealed by CCP Games CEO Hilmar Petursson at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in Cologne, Germany last month.

Some long-time EVE players are concerned that Dust 514 is a replacement for “Walking In Stations” technology that CCP Games has been talking about for a couple of years now and which it demonstrated at Fanfest 2008. Walking In Stations will let EVE Online capsuleers leave their spacecraft and interact with each other directly.

The project, which has recently been renamed “Incarna,” is still in development, confirmed CCP. Incarna will not be part of Dominion, but is still coming "soon."

BlizzCon 2009 Roundup: Cataclysm, StarCraft II and Diablo III

BlizzCon, Blizzard Entertainment's two-day celebration for enthusiasts of its popular computer games, converged this past weekend in Anaheim, Calif. Blizzard used the event to reveal its upcoming "Cataclysm" expansion pack for World of Warcraft, and also provided details of other games in development.

Cataclysm builds on a massively multiplayer game that's been in continuous play since 2004, and has been added onto twice already with expansion packs. While previous expansion packs have emphasized improvements that mainly benefit high-level players, Blizzard is going back to basics with Cataclysm by offering new content to attract both new and existing players.

Accompanying some changes to Azeroth, the mythical land World of Warcraft uses as its setting, are completely revamped quests. Blizzard wanted to create quests that tied in to the new zones and were more enjoyable to the casual player. New "instances" have been added, for example—triggered events that players initiate when they go on questions—along with improved loot tables that should hand players more valuable items.

Cataclysm will also introduce improvements to the game’s graphics engine, permitting players with higher end computers to experience higher quality video. Blizzard development proudly showed off improved water effects. Both representatives we spoke to stated that the minimum hardware requirements to play the game will not be increased.

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