S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the official prequel to its survival FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, bringing the players one year prior to the events of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in 2011.

Read the rest of this entry »

Further video sampling of forthcoming Rockstar game shows series will feature trademark felonies.

In March, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV debuted. Clocking in at just over a minute, the preview provided an eager gaming public with its first look at the forthcoming Rockstar Games title, which is the first complete overhaul in the now-storied series since 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III. That title introduced free-roaming gaming–and widespread controversy–into the game industry, and spawned a pair of sequels: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), two of the best-selling games of all time.

The first GTA IV trailer was titled “Things Will Be Different,” and showed an in-game-engine video montage of the new Liberty City, which is directly modeled on New York City. Its contemplative tone, aided by a Phillip Glass anthem from the art house documentary Koyaanisqatsi, raised the possibility that the forthcoming sequel might not feature quite the same level of ultraviolent criminal activity as its predecessors.

However, the (faint) possibility of a nonviolent GTA IV was shattered today, when Rockstar released the second trailer for the game. Titled “Looking for that Special Someone,” the preview shatters any notion that Nikko Bellic, the game’s Eastern European protagonist, will be a pacifist. Although Rockstar has given the impression that Bellic will be a reluctant criminal–much like San Andreas protagonist C.J.–the trailer shows that he will indulge in the automatic weapons-aided shootouts that have become the franchise’s hallmark.

With the Shy Child remix of “Arm in Arm” from NYC-based indie band the The Boggs playing in the background, the trailer begins with Bellic driving a classic “Stallion” muscle car over a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, called the Broker Bridge in the game. It then shows a montage of him arguing with various criminal types while searching for an unnamed individual. The arguments are intercut with various shots of Bellic walking the streets of Liberty City, with landmarks based on real-life NYC locales, such as the Empire State Building appearing in the background.

The trailer also contains some details about the game’s story. It shows an unidentified blond woman urging Bellic for “No more killing,” a SWAT team surrounding a bank, and several car chases with the police. Also on display is the first video evidence that the game will feature motorcycles and helicopters, and sports numerous clips from building interiors–indicating GTA IV may have as much activity inside buildings as outside.

Grand Theft Auto IV will ship for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in North America on October 16 and in Europe on October 19.

Originally from GameSpot

After weeks of taunting gamers with concept art, Bethesda Softworks has released the first teaser trailer for Fallout 3. Although brief and cryptic, the two-minute-plus trailer does answer some questions about the much-anticipated title–and might allay many fears of fans from the series.

First and foremost, the trailer dates Fallout 3. Though it did not reveal any platforms, Bethesda now plans on releasing the “next-generation” role-playing game in fall 2008. Bethesda’s most recent RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, was originally scheduled for a fall 2005 release, but was delayed until spring 2006. It debuted on the PC and Xbox 360, but was eventually ported to the PlayStation 3 as well.

Secondly, the trailer indicates that Fallout 3’s designers are attempting to stay true to the spirit of the acclaimed first two fallout games. The original Fallout (1997) began with a retro “Indian head” television test pattern. It then showed an ironic 1950s-esque newsreel of power-suited soldiers happily executing prisoners to the tune of “Maybe” by 1940s crooners The Ink Spots. The camera pulled back to reveal the TV was inside a burnt-out house in the postnuclear ruins of a bombed-out city before fading to the “Fallout” title screen. Then, narrator Ron Perlman (Hellboy) spoke the line, “War. War never changes.”

After the same test pattern, Fallout 3’s trailer begins with a 1950s-style radio warming up and then playing the Ink Spots’ “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire”–which was reportedly supposed to be the original Fallout’s theme. It then pulls back to show the interior of what looks like an Eisenhower-era bus containing various quaint personal effects. As the camera retreats further, it shows the bus is merely a shell, stacked atop a heap of twisted rubble in another ruined city. A power-armored soldier enters the frame and turns toward the camera. The trailer then cuts to the Fallout 3 title card as a voice-over again says, “War. War never changes.” Bethesda’s Pete Hines confirmed that the voice speaking the now-iconic line is indeed Ron Perlman. However, he declined to say anything further about the actor’s involvement in the game.

Thirdly, the trailer contains many clues about what the actual game Fallout 3 will look like. Primarily, Hines confirmed the trailer is entirely in-engine, meaning that when players finally step into the postapocalyptic RPG, it will look much the same. Also hidden in the trailer is a recruiting poster for the same war that preceded previous Fallouts, as well as an ad for bunker maker Vault-Tec promising “A brighter future–underground!” A billboard for a car similar to that in Fallout 2 can be seen on a burned-out building outside the bus, and the radio bears a label saying “Radiation King”–a brand name from the original games. Finally, the soldier’s power armor clearly bears a Brotherhood of Steel logo–meaning the chivalrous order will be back in the sequel–and its helmet design is almost identical to that on the box of the original game.

Originally from GameSpot

A video tutorial of the Artifact Hunt demonstrating the peculiarities of this multiplayer mode.
The video will come in handy to both newbies and players with some experience of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. net gaming.

Originally from STALKER-game

Here is some videos.

Originally from ToTheGame

In the past week, Call of Duty fans have been mercilessly teased by the companies behind the franchise. First, an Infinity Ward employee stated that the developer had some big news coming up this weekend, but declined to give any insight as to what it would be. Then, Activision confessed that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was in the works…and that it would forego a World War II setting and time-warp the series up to modern times.

Those two bits of information had the COD faithful drooling, but they had no visual evidence. Today, the world premiere of the game’s trailer was shown during the NFL Draft.

Beginning with a shot of a mustachioed man in a helicopter, the trailer displays a flurry of environments, vehicles, and soldiers. The game appears to take place in multiple settings, perhaps the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Attack helicopters, naval vessels, and tanks are all prominently shown off, but it is unclear how many of them are interactive. As for the soldiers, some are outfitted in standard-issue military gear, while others are decked out in sniper or special operatives gear.

An unrated and extended version of the trailer is also playing at the game’s official Web site, which just went live today. However, Activision has not revealed any platforms for the game.

Originally from GameSpot

Bungie’s shooter open for testing worldwide on May 16; new “Vidoc” shows off never-before-seen features including instant replay, shield grenades, man cannon.

For those lucky gamers who managed to nab themselves a Halo 3 beta key over the last couple of months, the wait is almost over to test-drive the new first-person shooter. The multiplayer beta will be going live on May 16 on Xbox Live globally, Microsoft announced today.

The announcement also scotched rumours that there would be two different beta start dates for those who had got their beta keys either through the Rule of Three promotion or through purchasing a specially marked copy of Crackdown. Access to the beta will be rolled out simultaneously worldwide at 1 p.m. GMT (5 a.m. PDT) on May 16, and will end on June 7 at 7:59 a.m. GMT (June 6 at 11:59 p.m. PDT). Those who have not yet obtained a Halo 3 beta key can still sign up by buying a copy of the Xbox 360 game Crackdown.

There will be three maps available to play–Snowbound, High Ground, and Valhalla–which will “represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments.” New vehicles will include the nimble Mongoose all-terrain vehicle, and new weapons will be available, such as the “new and improved” Assault Rifle, the Brute Spiker, the Spartan Laser, and Spike Grenades.On Bungie.net, community liaison Frank O’Connor makes the disclaimer that the Halo 3 multiplayer beta isn’t completely indicative of the final product that is releasing this fall. O’Connor says there may be some “quirks, a couple roughedges and all that jazz,” and that testers’ focus should be on gameplay rather than snazzy graphics.

Even though the beta will include the aforementioned new vehicles and weapons, Bungie isn’t pulling out all its tricks until the fall. “…a lot of secret features are hidden in this Beta,” says O’Connor. “We’re keeping a lot of our powder dry for fall.”

But for those who can’t wait for May 16 to see the game in action, Bungie has released a “Vidoc” titled “Is Quisnam Protero Damno” that shows off the multilpayer portion of Halo 3 in action.

In the short, several new features of the game are shown off, including the Spartan-launching man cannon (and the inevitable sniper picking helpless players out of the air), the shield grenade first shown off in the Halo 3 TV ad, and instant replay, complete with customizable camera angles and freeze-framing for recounting pure ownage.

O’Connor also says that the mysterious function of the X-button is also revealed in the video, but doesn’t explain exactly what it does in the announcement on Bungie.net. However, on the Bungie.net forums, he says “X Button is DEPLOY EQUIPMENT” (emphasis in original) and that it is shown three times in the video. Halo fans are assuming that the Shield Grenades and Trip Mines (explained in the video) are two of the instances, and the third may be a portable gravity lift (watch the blue Spartan on the left side of the screen 23 seconds into the video) which allows players to boost up to higher ground with ease.

Originally from GameSpot

Will Dr. Dave ever fall in love with Nurse Susie? Will Nurse Susie’s hopes of injecting some passion into the hospital end up in vain? Is Sally the receptionist’s technique for warming thermometers hygienic (or even legal)? Tune in now to Codemasters first Hospital Tycoon™ trailer, currently available for download from www.codemasters.com/hospitaltycoon or www.youtube.com/codiesgames and come away none the wiser.

At the Sapphire Beach Medical Institute, the lives and loves of the hospital’s doctors and nurses, as well as the sneezes and diseases of its patients, will come alive this June when Hospital Tycoon launches exclusively for PC. Fusing ‘Tycoon’ style gameplay with character simulation and a light-hearted narrative, Hospital Tycoon is set to give players a soap-opera feel as they progress through episodes of hospital drama’s Story Mode.

Each episode in Hospital Tycoon explores a plot involving certain members of the hospital’s staff and some very interesting patients, while at the same time challenging players to find cures for bizarre new illnesses. Diseases range from the everyday Explosive Sneezing – where a simple sneeze can launch the unfortunate patient several feet into the air, to the more rare Monkey Nuts – where patients sprout fur, climb furniture and favor bananas over everyday person food.

Hospital Tycoon staff members have rich behaviors that players can nurture and influence throughout the game. Gamers may choose to encourage a friendship or a falling-out of sorts, and can train staff to improve their skill levels. Players will also be challenged to manage and maintain each hospital, creating dedicated areas to support additional medical needs, including surgery, diagnosis, physiotherapy and more. As more patients are cured, the more players can expand their medical empire and attract new, and even more interesting patients. However, as the hospital becomes busier, players will have to be on the lookout for the spread of infectious conditions or they’ll soon have an epidemic running riot throughout the facility.

Originally from DigNews

In this video you’ll see the great power of superweapons in Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars.