The Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG Gets Announced
Game Informer has been nice enough to show off their latest cover which gives tribute to none other than The Elder Scrolls Online. If you’ve been paying attention you’ll probably know that following the success of Skyrim, rumors have been circulating that say Bethesda may be looking towards breaking into the MMORPG scene. Today, thanks to the above mentioned Game Informer cover, we now know that the game is in fact real and will be dubbed The Elder Scrolls Online.
Unfortunately we know virtually nothing about what will be included in this game. What we do know, however, is that gamers will be able to choose from 3 separate factions and that the game will be out sometime next year. What we also know is that the story takes place 1,000 years before the events of Skyrim and follow a daedric prince by the name of Molag Bal as he attempts to take over all of Tamriel.
As I just mentioned, The Elder Scrolls Online is set to drop sometime in 2013. In the mean time, sit tight and wait for the next edition of Game Informer to drop where we’re sure to hear quite a bit more.
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Black Ops 2 Gets Officially Named In Morse Code
Activision has finally taken center stage to talk about their latest forthcoming Call of Duty game but not in a way we would normally expect. Instead, Activision has taken to the official Call of Duty site to spell out the game’s official name in morse code. As we told you just a few days ago, a leaked Target pre-order card suggested that the next game would be called Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Now, in the above mentioned morse code fashion, Activision has in fact spelled out the name officially.
Of course, other than the name (which we kind of already knew about) getting confirmed, we don’t learn much of anything else here. Luckily, now that the name has been confirmed Activision is free to give us insight into all of that juicy gameplay we we all love. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted. On another note, make sure to stay tuned to TNT tomorrow during the NBA playoffs where Activision will be showing off the game’s official debut trailer.
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Spectator Mode Coming to League of Legends in Next Update
League of Legends has blown up to the point where it’s now largely considered one of the most popular competitive games on the scene. Already many different competitive leagues including MLG have picked the title up further supporting the fact that its future is bright. In fact, the developers behind the game are looking to add a feature that is sure to interest quite a few competitive gamers.
That feature is, of course, spectator mode. Quite obviously, this will allow gamers to join a game in progress to watch the game without actually playing. This may seem quite dull to those not in the know but those looking to further those skills are well aware of the value that comes from watching skilled gamers do their thing.
According to the developers, spectator mode will launch in the game’s next update. When exactly that update will drop we aren’t sure but in the mean time check out a video showcasing the mode above.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Confirmed, Release Date November 13th, 2012
Call of Duty is without a doubt one of the biggest names in video games today. Spanning countless consoles and featuring many different iterations the latest release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 didn’t fail to impress posting extremely successful sales numbers and the like. But, now that a new year has rolled in gamers everywhere are wondering what Activision will put out of their sleeve next. Fans of the series will know that this year Treyarch will be returning after hitting it out of the park with the 2010 release of Call of Duty: Black Ops leading us to believe that Black Ops 2 may be on its way.
Those paying attention will know that rumors have previously hit the scene suggesting this year’s title will in fact be a follow up to Treyarch’s smash hit Call of Duty: Black Ops. These rumors were supplemented with what was said to be a leaked multiplayer detail list but Activision has remained understandably quiet on the topic. Now, however, we finally have some concrete proof that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 does in fact exist and we even have some intel on when the title will be dropping.
The confirmation has come our way via a leaked snap shot of a pre-order card found at Target. As you can see from the above picture, these pre-order cards both confirm that the game will in fact be called Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and that it will be dropping on November 13th of this year. Of course, while naysayers may be quick to point that this can be the work of a Photoshop handyman. However, the fact that Black Ops was Treyarch’s most successful Call of Duty title and the fact that other games in the series dropped in a similar time window supports these leaks heavily. Stay tuned as we look to uncover further information – perhaps this leak will prompt Activision and/or Treyarch to come forth and officially announce the title.
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Torchlight II Now Available For Pre-order via Steam
As any self respecting gamer will know, Diablo 3′s May 15th release date is quickly approaching. Upon release, gamers will be able to crawl through dungeons, link up with friends and cause utter destruction to their hearts extent. However, while the Diablo franchise has long been known as the go-to dungeon crawler, Runic Games’ Torchlight franchise has been gaining some steam.
The first Torchlight dropped way back in 2009 which means it’s about time for a sequel. Luckily, Runic Games is way ahead of us letting us know today that pre-orders for Torchlight II have gone live via the Steam digital distribution platform. Unfortunately, while you will be able to slap down a pre-order for the game now the developers have yet to tell us exactly when it will be released. Perhaps they are waiting for the dust to settle around Diablo 3 before letting their creation into the wild.
Whatever the case may be stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted as more information is made available regarding Torchlight II’s release date.
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Portal 2 Getting Free Perpetual Testing Initiative Level Editor Next Month
Valve is one of the most iconic gaming companies to ever grace the market. From their labs have come killer franchises like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead and Portal, among other. While each of these franchises have their own respective strengths for now, we’ll focus on Portal – more specifically, Portal 2.
Released in April of last year Portal 2 brought with it a more in-depth game than the first with many features gamers longed for from the first title. One of the killer features included in Portal 2 is co-op which will, quite obviously, allow you and a buddy to trek through a series specially designed levels using one another’s presence to your advantage.
While the game did feature more content than the first chances are you’ve already made your way through all of it due to it being on the market for over a year. Luckily, if you’re longing for additional content your prayers will soon be answered. Valve has just made it known that they will be coming forth on May 8th to release the Perpetual Testing Initiative DLC pack for the PC and Mac. While it may not be too obvious from the name, this is simply a level editor that will allow creative individuals to mold new and challenging puzzles that have never been seen before. These user created levels can then be uploaded to Steam Workshop where gamers can browse, download and vote on their favorites.
Best of all, for those of you worrying about breaking the bank with this DLC – fret not. Valve has confirmed that the Perpetual Testing Initiative pack will be offered free of charge. Better get those creative juices flowing!
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Assassin’s Creed III PC With a Controller? Ubisoft Thinks So
Assassin’s Creed is one of those franchises that came from no where only to quickly gain critical mass and become one of the premiere video game franchises on the market. To date there are currently 8 different games, some of which somewhat follow a central story line and others that are spin offs of said story line. In terms of platforms, Assassin’s Creed has almost made its way to a myriad including the PS3, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo DS and even Sony’s now dated PSP.
Just over the horizon, anxiously awaited by many is Assassin’s Creed III which will be the 5th major installment to the franchise. For the first time gamers will be placed in the Revolutionary War era within the shoes of protagonist Connor Kenway. Stealth kills, hours of adventure and the unique parkour style running elements will all unsurprisingly make the cut when Assassin’s Creed III drops on October 30th of this year. Platform wise the game will hit the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and even the old tried-and-true mouse & keyboard wielding PC.
But wait, according to Ubisoft Montreal’s Creative Director Alex Hutchinson, the ever-so-precise mouse and keyboard combo may not be the best way to enjoy Assassin’s Creed III. In fact, Hutchinson recently went on record as saying that despite the fact that the studio loves and will continue to support the PC platform, he still feels gamers will choose to utilize a controller. Quite obviously hes either alluding to a PS3/Xbox 360/Gamepad linked to the PC for use with Assassin’s Creed III.
Below is a direct quote from a interview between Gamespy and Alex Hutchinson:
“We’re definitely supporting PC, we love PC, but I think it’ll be PC with a controller. I don’t see us investing hugely in a mouse and keyboard setup. I think if you want to play on PC and you want to play Assassin’s Creed, you have a controller.”
So, while Assassin’s Creed III will support a mouse and keyboard setup a few years down the line we may see PC games requiring the use of controllers. Let’s hope that it’s actually for a more innovative experience and not simply to make it easier and more cost effect on the developers to port the game from consoles to PC.
Anyways, despite what setup you choose Assassin’s Creed III will be available for the Xbox 360, PC, PS3 and Wii U on October 30th, 2012. Be there or be lame!
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Replica Portal Gun From NECA Displayed on Video
Half-Life 2 introduced us to the Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator commonly referred to as the Gravity Gun. This weapon (or tool, if you will) took advantage of the game’s Havok physics engine giving the players ability to pick up massive objects (think ‘The Force’ in Star Wars, but with a gun type apparatus) and fling them across the horizon or otherwise move them gently. While this is definitely a cool concept, and unquestionably something I want, Portal’s Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, otherwise known as the Portal Gun, is arguably more enticing.
If you’re not familiar with Portal or its only usable weapon (tool?) it allows players to create an entry portal and then link it with a portal of a contrasting color (either blue or orange, depending on which is originally created). Quite obviously, players can then walk, jump, skip or fly through the first portal and come flying out the other depending on initial momentum. Just the money I would save at the gas pump (provided the Portal Gun doesn’t use some kind of overly priced uranium for fuel) would be enough to have me sold.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that Aperture Science will be releasing a civilian model of their Handheld Portal Device at any point in the near future, at least to my knowledge. But, if you want to run around with a plastic replica toy maker NECA would love to give you the opportunity.
Officially licensed from the games developers, NECA’s Portal Gun looks and acts just like the gun in the game minus, you know, actually shooting portals. However the gun will light up either orange or blue and make the “portal shooting sound” we’ve all come to know and love. In contrasting news, US pre-orders are unsurprisingly sold out but NECA assures us that they will let us know once more stock rolls though. In the mean time, luckily, you can check out the replica Portal Gun in all of its portal-less goodness in the video above.
We’ll keep an eye on this let you know when the Portal Gun will be back up for sale. Stay tuned and follow us on Twitter @Gamequack for the most up to date happenings in the video game world.
On a quick side note, if you’re into highly detailed figurines and other replicas inspired by popular video games you should definitely check out NECA’s blog at www.necaonline.com. The post found here, for example, shows off a ton of their wares from the New York Toy Show including pieces from video game properties like BioShock, Assassin’s Creed, Gears of War and even film properties like Evil Dead, Friday the 13th and Rocky.
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Free- to-Play Age of Empires Online Now Available Through Steam
Age of Empires is one of those franchises that it’s very to forget when considering the RTS genre. Having been around since 1997, Age of Empires has been tasking gamers with building historic armies and enacting historic battles for over a decade now. Unfortunately, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that original development studio Ensemble Studios eventually dissolved but that doesn’t mean the Age of Empires legacy won’t live on.
The most recent release, Age of Empires Online, has been available to play free of charge for quite some time now. Straying away from the typical realistic graphics of yesteryear, AoEO instead opts for a sort of cartoonish look that remains visually appealing.
Due to the free-to-play model behind the game you, quite obviously, will be asked to whip out the credit card when looking to pick up some premium content. This is not to say, however, that you won’t be able to enjoy Age of Empires in all of its glory without spending a single penny. Once you’re engrossed, however, the chances of you breaking free without spending said penny seems pretty slim.
Regardless, if you’re looking to grab the game and are partial to Valve’s Steam, you’re in luck. It was just made known today that the game is now available (again, free of charge) to download through the popular digital distribution platform. Of course, there isn’t exactly a leg up you’ll get over the competition or anything for downloading the game through Steam but at least you will have easy access to the wealth of content without having to use external clients.
Check out the Steam listing here and a few gameplay videos after the break.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Details & Release Date Leak
We’ve alluded to the fact that Call of Duty is by far the most popular FPS franchise currently on the market time and time again. While the Modern Warfare series may be of the most popular Black Ops gained a considerable amount of popularity as well. Due to this popularity it’s no surprise that Activision will be looking to follow it up with a title appropriately dubbed Black Ops 2.
To be fair, Activision hasn’t technically come forth to announce the sequel so you’re going to need to take all of this with a grain of salt but if you’re willing to get your hopes up, read on. On a side note, these details were posted on an Activision endorsed message board only to be promptly pulled so that from that what you will.
According to new reports, we now know not only when Black Ops 2 will ship this November (which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering this has become somewhat of a trend). What may come as a surprise, however, is the wealth of leaked information regarding the games multiplayer. While the full list of supposedly leaked details is included after the break one big thing to look out for is the new Escort gametype. If you couldn’t tell by the name this gametype is said to involve a single VIP-esque player that must reach a certain checkpoint without being killed. Quite obviously the rest of the team will be tasked with protecting said VIP which will certainly make for some high pressure gameplay.
Anyways, check out the full list below and let us know what you think.
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