Victoria's new state government released its first budget yesterday, revealing many cuts across the board to combat the state's troubled economy. Early reports had expressed concern at the perceived discontinuation of Film Victoria's Games Investment Program -- a government funding initiative that SMH explains has supported games such as MacGuffin's Curse, Bullistic Unleashed, Gamebook Adventures and Jolly Rover.
However, reading further between the lines, MCV Pacfic note that it's not necessarily a complete withdraw of state-funding for budding game local developers, as Film Victoria -- the organisation responsible for coordinating funds -- will still be obliged to share the love with games:
When Film Victoria first began funding games, it was allocated additional funds on top of its existing budget to promote film and television. Those funds came from the Department of Business and Innovation and the Victorian Treasury. It is these moneys which have been given the axe.
Reed believes that in order to fulfil its obligation to games, some funding will have to be allocated from the existing film and television budget, and is expecting that funding will remain at its current level, or at least will not drop to a level which indicates support for games in name only.
Although it looks like funding levels for game development at the state level may not decrease, MCV rightly points out that the fact that it is under threat of being cut at all bluntly contradicts recent recommendations by the Convergence Review, that much more funding be made available to the local games industry at a federal level.
In the latest development in an ongoing patent infringement case between tech heavyweights Motorola and Microsoft -- pertaining the alleged infringing use of elements of H.264 video codecs -- a German court has granted Moto an injunction against the sale of certain Microsoft products in the European country, including Xbox 360 consoles and Windows 7 software (via BBC News).
The sales bans are not currently enforceable however, as a US court is due to consider matters regarding a related restraining order between the two companies next week and the European Commission is reportedly also likely to look things over before anything drastic happens.
Although this might be a non-issue for German consumers right now and if an actual sales ban does eventuate, would more than likely be settled with minimal retail disruption, it's still quite interesting to think that some popular tech products that have been on the market for years now could soon be banned, if only for a brief window of time.
They've offloaded quite a bit of concept art in recent months, but the developers of the upcoming free-to-play and officially licensed mech-combat game Mechwarrior Online have finally released some of the first in-game stills. The screenshots offer various perspectives of the Catapult, one of the more iconic inner-sphere battlemechs:
The quintessential indirect-fire ‘mech, the Catapult excels at blanketing a target in LRM fire. Most useful when used in tandem with a spotter, the Catapult can fire on enemies without being in visual contact with them. In addition to its excellent LRM weapons, the Catapult also has jump jets and four medium lasers, allowing it to quickly move out of close combat while offering fairly scary counter-fire.
Hit the thumbs below for a close look or head over to the official site for more details.
We have no idea what the occasion is, but Sony have decided to add a temporary splash of colour to their PlayStation 3 hardware for Australians, announcing that a limited edition Scarlet Red PS3 console will be hitting local retailers from May 31st 2012.
Adorably, Sony's official press release explains that the red console will land with "a recommended retail price of just AU$459.95". Hardly a bargain, however it will pack a 320GB hard drive and two matching scarlet red dualshock 3 controllers.
EA aren't the general gaming populations favourite company of late, but in spite of their many questionable practices, there is one thing they seem to do quite well and that's their EA Partners publishing program.
Notable releases under the EA Partners banner include the likes of Valve's The Orange Box and Portal 2, the recent Crysis games, Epic's Bulletstorm and ex Call of Duty head's upcoming project with Respawn Entertainment. The program allows independent studios to access some of the marketing and distribution clout of EA while retaining their IP rights.
So in that sense -- despite many publications angrily reporting otherwise this morning -- this "EA Indie Bundle" that just kicked off on Steam is appropriately named, and although it hardly matches the altruism of The Humble Bundle, at 70% off for these six worthwhile games, it's still a pretty good deal.
Hit the links for our reviews on each game or head over to Steam for the goodsThe deal supposedly runs until May 10th 2012 and each individual game is 50% off, or the entire collection can be had for US$20.98 (with no Australia tax). Strangely however, there's no equivalent promotion on EA's own Origin store.
Nvidia had a big new announcement last Sunday and although it probably wasn't exciting enough to have warranted the teasing they were doing, it is still one beast of a graphics card. Their new GeForce GTX 690 uses the same Kepler architecture as the recently released GTX 680, but like the older 590 it packs two GPUs on the one board. This detailed blog article from Nvidia shares some benchmarks that purportedly rank it almost twice as fast as a GTX 680 in several games.
For those that didn't catch the live-stream on the weekend, Nvidia has now released video footage from the event, which among all of the expected marketing hyperbole, features an appearance from Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli giving a new CryEngine 3 technology demo to show off what the extra power affords them -- claiming to be able to achieve a fidelity previously only seen in CG animations in real-time.
The 30 minute presentation also features some gameplay from the Unreal Development Kit powered mech combat game Hawken and you can watch it in its entirety embedded below or here in our video library.
Due to hit retail outlets on May 3rd 2012 and boasting 3072 CUDA parallel processing cores, chromium-plated aluminum body with a magnesium alloy fan housing and nickel-plated fins it all sounds rather opulent, with a US$999 price tag to match (we're not sure on local price point just yet, but graphics cards don't generally get marked up as steeply in Australia as other IT products).
Rockstar has given us a heads up outlining their post-release content plans for the Max Payne 3 multiplayer component of their game, including an annual pass option to buy into all the DLC plans early and at a discounted rate.
The Rockstar Pass grants you access to all upcoming Max Payne 3 DLC and will be available for 2400 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE), or $29.99 (PlayStation Network and PC) – over a 35% discount compared to purchasing the content individually. Once purchased, the Rockstar Pass enables gamers to download all DLC releasing through the end of 2012 via the in-game store as soon as it is made available on Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network, or PC.
The first content pack to land after the game's release is the "Local Justic Map Pack", coming this June, which features the "Police Precinct map for Gang Wars, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Payne Killer multiplayer modes", alongside two additional maps for Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Payne Killer as well as the usual multiplayer challenges, avatar awards and so on.
The rest of the schedule looks like this:
Summer 2012
Disorganized Crime Map Pack
Deathmatch Made In Heaven Mode Pack
Hostage Negotiation Map Pack
New York Minute Co-Op Pack
Autumn
Painful Memories Map Pack
Trickle Down Economics Map Pack
For a look at how the multiplayer in Max Payne 3 fares ahead of our forthcoming review, click here.
Max Payne 3 is due to release on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 June 1.
Ahead of today's initial trailer unveiling for Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops II, AusGamers was invited out to the developer's Santa Monica studio in California to sit in on a presentation by studio head, Mark Lamia, and key members of the development team.
They filled us in on the fiction behind their futuristic setting for the game, which is more like non-fiction really, while also giving us a snippet of single-player gameplay and dropping a few hints and tips at what might occur in the multiplayer space for the game and beyond. It was a meaty presentation full of great information, which lead to the formation of my in-depth preview for Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
When we told you to stay tuned for more Call of Duty: Black Ops II details today, we weren't just referring to Activision's NBA Playoffs ads. AusGamers was privy to an advanced reveal of the game in Los Angeles recently and chat with the developers about their ambitions this time around.
Treyarch Studio Head Mark Lamia was kind enough to entertain our questions for over 20 minutes and even if you haven't been the biggest fan of recent Call of Duty instalments, what he has to say offers some interesting insight into the different ways they want to mix things up a bit and might just pique your interest in Black Ops II.
We touch on the thought processes behind the game's cold war and near-future 2025 setting, Call of Duty's cinematic scope, potential licensed soundtrack options, the new sandbox strikeforce mode, zombies and much more.
Confirming months of rumours, Activision has finally announced the very-expected Call of Duty: Black Ops II, a sequel to Treyarch's last cold war-era outing that will this time take the action to a near-future 2025 setting.
Also as expected, the official release date for what is an annual series anyway is November 13th 2012 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Watch the debut trailer below (or here in our HD video library) and stay tuned for many more details on the next Call of Duty experience later today.
In an update to the game's official FAQ, Blizzard have detailed new "Global Play" functionality for Diablo III that will allow players from any region to get their game on outside of their home servers.
The three regions are defined as The Americas (which includes Australia and New Zealand for proximity reasons), Europe and Asia and players will be able to hook up with others outside of their region, with a few caveats:
While you can access the gold-based auction house in any region in which you’re currently playing, the real-money auction house is only available in your “home” game region -- you can only access it for the characters you have in your “home” region, and you cannot use the real-money auction houses in other regions. Note that players in some regions do not have access to a real-money auction house at launch.
Heroes, items, and friends lists do not transfer across regions.
Players are subject to the policies in their selected play region.
Personally, we'd still prefer if it wasn't region-restricted at all, but at least there's an option now.
Hit up the complete FAQ for a much more detailed overview of the Global Play functionality.
Diablo III is coming to PC and Mac on May 15th 2012.
Confirming the rumours following a trademark registration back in March, Bethesda has revealed that the first DLC for the hugely successful The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be titled Dawnguard.
Disappointingly, the only thing accompanying the reveal is a teaser image that simply shows the regular Nordic Dragonborn archetype from plain-old Skyrim, however, there is one more detail that is likely to irk half of their fan-base:
Coming this summer to Xbox 360. More details at E3.
Yep, like the Fallout: New Vegas DLC, Dawnguard is expected to be exclusive to Xbox 360 for 30 days before it comes to PC and PlayStation 3.
Considering that Bethesda developers have noted in the past how Skyrim mods for the PC game can actually function on modded Xbox consoles -- highlighting that there is little difference in the content interface between platforms and would therefore be trivial to publish across all three simultaneously -- the only real conclusion that disappointed PC and PS3 owners can draw is that Microsoft has paid for the privilege.
Bethesda promises to tell us more about Dawnguard at the E3 expo in early June.
Over the past weeks we've been treated to a series of videos showcasing the character-classes in Blizzard's ridiculously anticipated Diablo III and today -- with only two weeks left until launch -- we have the last trailer in the series.
This latest clip takes a closer look at the Wizard, Diablo III's more traditional caster class:
The wizards. Brilliant practitioners of the arcane arts who deftly wield the energies of fire, ice, lightning, and even time itself in the pursuit of their enigmatic goals. Bedecked in archaic charms, clad in runes, and wrapped in free-flowing robes to allow for the somatic components of their spells, wizards are a veritable thunderstorm of lethal powers who can strike from close or long range. There is no safe way to approach an angry wizard.
Watch The Wizard feature below (or click here for the HD option, and just in case you needed reminding again, Diablo 3 is due on May 15th 2012 for PC and Mac.
Earlier today (last night in Santa Monica, California) Sony's Santa Monica Studio and the official PlayStation blog hosted a presentation of God of War: Ascension live-streamed from the developer's offices, with Game Director Todd Papy walking through the game's freshly-revealed multiplayer component (a first for the franchise), detailing the development process and answering a stack of user-submitted questions.
For those that didn't catch the live stream, we've fished it out of the ether and you can watch the entire 45 minute session at your leisure, here in our video library, or embedded below.
We also have five new screenshots from God of War: Ascension's multiplayer component that you can take a closer look at here on AusGamers.
God of War: Ascension is due exclusively on PlayStation 3 next Autumn (US Spring 2012).
AusGamers was given an opportunity to check out one of the few surviving Aussie development studios (not exclusively working on mobile and iOS titles), SEGA Studios Australia, who're based in Brisbane, and their forthcoming London 2012 - The Official Video Game of the Olympics.
We sent our roving newcomer, Mr Naren Hooson, north of Sydney for his first studio tour and visit, to not only check out the game but to also chat to the guys about what makes their game tick. And while making an officially licensed game based on the Olympics might not seem that fun, it's going to be a success regardless, and from what he saw, Naren feels like the Aussie team has done a bang-up job bringing the 'Games to life.
The Bethesda Blog has reminded us that Kinect support for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Xbox 360 will be integrated tomorrow via a title update. We reported on the decision to add Kinect voice commands to the game a few weeks back, letting you know we'd give you a heads up on the commands that will be made available, which Bethesda Game Studios has been kind enough to finally release.
The full manifest of TV shouting you'll be involving yourself with is in trusty PDF form, which you can check out directly here, but a few examples of the commands on offer are:
Dragon Shouts either by English name, or as Dragon words (eg: "Unrelenting Force" or "Fus Ro Dah").
Follower Commands such as "follow" or "follow me", "interact" or "use", "trade" or "items", to name a few.
Magic use such as "favourites", "alteration" or "conjuration" alongside the corresponding spell.
If you plan on getting the update and dabbling in the Dragon tongue for yourself, be sure to drop us a line in the Comments with your experience with the voice command system.
Microsoft's promotional live action Halo shorts leading up to the releases of Halo 3, ODST and Halo Reach left viewers asking for more, and with Halo 4 coming this year, it looks like more is what we're going to get.
Movie publication Variety is reporting that MS is kicking things up a notch for Halo 4, promising "Forward Unto Dawn" a complete series of five episodes, each about 15 minutes long.
"Forward Unto Dawn" will play out over five weekly instalments, around 15 minutes each, telling an original story about the game's Master Chief and how he inspired a young UNSC cadet who will eventually become a leader aboard the UNSC Infinity spacecraft. Introduction of the new character will tie in with the plot of "Halo 4," while providing a flashback to the beginning of the "Halo" franchise's war between the humans and the evil Covenant.
"Every time we do a live-action commercial the audience says, "We want to see more so that we can explore the 'Halo' universe a little bit more"," said Frank O'Connor, franchise development director at 343 Industries. "Demand grew more and more out of the two little vignettes we'd previously produced."
But Microsoft had to make sure that the Web series didn't just appeal to hardcore "Halo" fans.
Playing the games and reading the books or other "Halo" spinoffs is "a big commitment", O'Connor said. "We needed a way to ensure there was a way for people to get on board this universe without feeling intimidated." As a result, the Web series is "an origins story that teaches you about a lot of different facets of the ('Halo') universe."
The episodes are expected to start airing some time in September, launching weekly on the official Halo Waypoint site and Machinima in the lead up to Halo 4's November 6th 2012 release.
It might not be the Halo movie that was announced oh so long ago, but the article goes on to explain that it could very well serve to re-ignite that production.
Microsoft considers the Web series "the next step" for the franchise as an entertainment property that could eventually lead to a theatrical feature -- after the plug on one was pulled by Universal and Fox that Blomkamp was to direct and Peter Jackson to produce in 2005.
"I don't think anybody needs any reminding of (the potential)," McCloskey said. "Everyone keeps reminding us of that."
McCloskey stresses that the "Halo 4" Web series is "not just a marketing piece" to promote the game. "We wanted to go way beyond that and transform this live-action exploration from advertising into a full standalone product that people will enjoy."
Details such as the director and cast are seemingly being kept secret until San Diego Comic-Con in July.
Bethesda and id Software have announced the Premium Pack 12 update for their browser-based competitive FPS, Quake Live, which is now live on the service.
With this update, Pro Start-a-Match players get five new game modes, a new Start-a-Match interface that offers in-depth match customisation options, more than 200 customisation settings, and four new premium arenas.
To celebrate, all premium content is available to trial for free from today right through to Sunday, May 6 (so May 7ish for us), and any new Premium or Pro subscribers during this free week signing up will "receive one or two free two-week Pro Subscription Tokens which can be redeemed to extend their subscription or gifted to a friend".
No payment or credit card is required at all to get in on the free offerings which include over 50 Premium Arenas, six Premium game modes and all Premium in-game features.
Arkane Studios' Dishonored appears to be edging ever-closer to the 2012 full media swing, with Bethesda and the developer continually offering up new nuggets of tantalising awesome, today with a new batch of screens.
There are a few elements within these we haven't had seen before, such as the crossbow and grenade weapons, while a look at some new environments such as the courtyard, backstreet canal and cat house give us a better look at the stellar art-direction on display here.
If you're still a bit behind on the Dishonored front we have even more media, including an excellent trailer you can check out right here, as well as an extensive preview of the game you can read right here.
Click the thumbnails below for a closer look at today's new screens.
A trailer that found its way online over the weekend via French publication gamekult has not only confirmed the development of Rayman: Legends -- a follow-up to Ubisoft's successful Rayman: Origins platformer -- but has also seemingly revealed unannounced NFC (near field communication) technology of the Nintendo Wii-U tablet controller.
The "Legends" title appears to describe the game's mythological themes, with castles, dragons and Valkyries, and mentions online multiplayer challenges but the big hook appears to be the ability to place plastic figurines on the Wii-U's tablet controller in order to manipulate the game. The leaked video demonstrates this with a heart-shaped object, a Raving Rabbids figurine, then teases reaching for a model of Assassin's Creed's Ezio Auditore.
According to VG247, a statement from Ubisoft has since officially confirmed the existence of the game and that it is being worked on by Michel Ancel and the Ubisoft Montpelier team, but has played down the finality of the Wii-U's NFC features.
“An internal video showing images of Rayman Origins’ sequel has leaked over the Internet,” said the firm. “This video was intended as a purely internal demonstrative video, and in NO way represents the final game, the final console or their features.
“This video was destined for internal production teams who often create game prototypes with work in progress development kits.”
With the proven success of NFC features in Activision's Skylanders and Nintendo's long-standing license to the Pokemon franchise, it seems like a good fit for the Wii-U. Though it is strange that Nintendo has been so coy on acknowledging its existence.
On a sour note, Ancel's confirmed involvement with Rayman Legends means it's probably going to be even longer before we hear any more about Beyond Good and Evil 2.
One of the stand-out features for Portal 2 wasn't the game's mechanics, setting or puzzles. It was the tight, comedic scripting and its delivery. Few games have managed to reach humour heights like those found in Portal 2 and we're happy to report this benchmark remains in the recently announced Portal 2 DLC "Perpetual Testing Intuitive". Or at least as the new trailer for it would have us believe.
There's no real gameplay shown here, but the point of this new content is to offer up an easy-to-use level creation kit so everyone can get in and have a crack at making something that's easily shareable and easy to use.
If the many rumours and teasers hadn't already confirmed that the next title in Activision's flagship Call of Duty franchise would be Treyarch's Black Ops 2, then this latest retailer slip-up surely has to seal it. IGN are reporting that pre-order cards from brick-and-mortar retailing giant Target have been spotted, displaying a very convincing looking title logo for the game and a very specific release date of November 13th 2012.
The official reveal of Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is scheduled during the NBA play-offs on the evening of Tuesday May 1st (EST).
