We have a United Offensive headquarters server running again at 205.234.159.210:28960. I've repaired (and updated) the last Messiah Mod, which is now at version D. Unfortunately, we don't have the http redirect working yet, so the download will be extremely slow for the moment. For those IT( )E members with GTalk, I can send the mod to you that way, which should only take a few minutes.
Aug 8, 2009
Return of the Messiah
We have a United Offensive headquarters server running again at 205.234.159.210:28960. I've repaired (and updated) the last Messiah Mod, which is now at version D. Unfortunately, we don't have the http redirect working yet, so the download will be extremely slow for the moment. For those IT( )E members with GTalk, I can send the mod to you that way, which should only take a few minutes.
Aug 7, 2009
Windows 7 RTM has "critical" bug
From DailyTech.com:Microsoft is now in code-red panic mode as a major bug has been found in Windows 7's RTM build, one which threatens to kill the OS's release party. The RTM build -- 7600.16385 -- thus far only received by a handful, features a reportedly massive memory leak in the unassuming, but frequently used program chkdsk.exe.
When scanning a second hard disk (a non-boot partition or second physical drive) using the "/r" (read and verify all file data) parameter the utility starts to leak memory like its a monsoon and quickly runs up a high enough memory debt that it blue screens and crashes the system, according to some (others merely report a memory usage of around 98 percent within seconds, but without the legendary "blue screen of death").
The bug has been confirmed on many different hardware setups --it's been verified to occur on everything from a Intel Atom-based netbook running the 32-bit version, to a Intel Core 2 Duo notebook running the 64-bit version, and a VMware Workstation 6.5.2 virtual machine running the 32-bit version.
Explorer.exe, which runs the utility does not release the excessively large amounts of memory it gobbles up, compounding the problem.
Aug 6, 2009
"We're surrounded"
Back in April, Atomic's Six Days in Fallujah was the subject of much discussion here at IUN (see: post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4). It seems that the search for a new publisher hasn't gone well since then, and the developer has been forced to lay-off several employees. From Gamasutra:
Atomic Games says fears over Six Days In Fallujah's subject matter have meant it hasn't gotten funding nor a publisher for a project, and that it's had to make an unspecified staff reduction today.IUN saw this coming way back when, though we take no pleasure in being right. Atomic's management can beat their drums all they like, but the fact remains: their decisions - to make this game, and to market it stupidly - cost people their jobs. Six Days was a bad idea from the jump, and the din it generated may well end up being the soundtrack for the developer's demise.
"In the words of Marine officer Chesty Puller, 'We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem,'" said Atomic in a press statement. The studio says development at Atomic will continue with a smaller team funded by sister company Destineer.
Atomic, which also cites "low video game sales this summer" as a reason for its current challenges, notes that its staff of 75 has remained intact until the reductions this week. It called this a "testament" to their commitment to the project in the face of challenges.
Steam going down tonight
No L4D for you this evening. From Steam News:
Beginning at 6:00 pm Pacific time Thursday August 6th, we will be performing software maintenance on some Steam servers. We expect the resulting downtime to last three hours at most, putting the end of the window at 9:00 pm Pacific time.
Some Steam services will be offline during this time. Affected services will include the Steam Community, in-game matchmaking or lobbies, downloading games from Steam content servers, and making purchases from the Steam store. Games that do not rely on Steam matchmaking services should remain playable.
News updates and any further information will be posted in this space.
We will work to make this downtime as short as possible. Thank you for your patience!
Left 4 Dead DLC coming next month
From Steam News:
Entitled "Crash Course," the latest DLC delivers new single-player, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay to both platforms. Targeted for release in September, "Crash Course" bridges the gap between the end of the "No Mercy" campaign and the beginning of "Death Toll" in the original game, expanding the game universe with new locations, new dialogue from the original cast, and an explosive finale[.]No charge for PC guys. For the Xbox, players will have to lay out 560 Gamer points (whatever the hell those are).
While containing both Survival maps and a Co-operative Campaign, the primary goal of "Crash" is to deliver a complete Versus mode experience in just 30 minutes, resulting in a streamlined version of the game's existing Versus campaigns. A recharge timer for infected teammates has also been added, and item spawn behavior has changed for more balanced gameplay.
Wolfenstein multiplayer leaked
From the Wolfenstein community forums:
It was brought to our attention on Friday, 7/31 that a build of the Wolfenstein Multiplayer was leaked and is now being distributed illegally through breach of NDA and mirrors posted on the internet. I must warn anyone involved that Activision’s legal department is taking this matter very seriously.
Same applies here on the forums. If you mention that you have acquired this build, you are openly admitting to illegally obtaining the build and will be banned straight away. You have been warned.
Eurogamer reviews Alpha Protocol
The whole thing is worth a read if you're looking to branch-out a bit. This line piqued my interest (a little):
And, here's the trailer:Adaptation to your play-style, not punishment. In fact, Alpha Protocol could even be said to be rewarding you for playing however you like. While clearly this is only one example, if Obsidian can stretch this philosophy across all 30-odd hours of the game (which sounds short for an RPG, but the 120 hours of dialogue hint at huge scope for replay) it could achieve something role-playing developers have been chasing in vain for years: a game that's truly shaped by you, not one that simply tumbles into arbitrary good, bad, and somewhere-in-the-middle.
Starcraft II delayed
Yet another highly-anticipated title will not find its way into Santa's jolly red sack this holiday season. Activision Blizzard announced yesterday that they're pushing StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty into the first half of 2010, because their proprietary online gaming service, Battle.net, won't be ready this year.This isn't much of a surprise, given that the beta release had already been delayed. Still, it's one less AAA title to compete with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which is now projected to sell an extra gazillion units. 1UP has a rundown of all (most?) of the games of 2009 that have become the games of 2010.
Aug 5, 2009
North Korea Rejects Gore
All I can say is : I read the headline : North Korea Rejects Gore
And I laughed my ass off.
This is in no way intended to begin a political discussion or to extend my political views to any of you, I really just thought it was hilarious.
The Man who brought us the Internet .... The Man who has saved us all, REJECTED ?
hehe Sorry no offense intended to any Al Gore fans.
I can't stop laughing though.
'
Sorry Jimbo, you fat piece of shit.... I know you wanted Al Gore to Mount you.
And I laughed my ass off.
This is in no way intended to begin a political discussion or to extend my political views to any of you, I really just thought it was hilarious.
The Man who brought us the Internet .... The Man who has saved us all, REJECTED ?
hehe Sorry no offense intended to any Al Gore fans.
I can't stop laughing though.
'
Sorry Jimbo, you fat piece of shit.... I know you wanted Al Gore to Mount you.
Aug 3, 2009
Music Monday
Odd numbers
I was reading this post over on Valve's Left 4 Dead 2 forums, and I had this thought:
The Spitter's attack isn't just about breaking a shiva-stack. It's more about punishing the stackers with a series of open-hand slaps to the gonads. Thusly, the survivors will learn not to do that. Ever.
It all has to do with the way the damage model is set up: the spit does one point of damage in the first second, three in the next, five in the third, etc. So, after five seconds of exposure (1+3+5+7+9), you've burned through 25 points of health. Ten seconds would theoretically kill a full-health survivor, but I don't know how long the puddle lasts. Here's a lame attempt at a chart (which won't look right in Internet Explorer):
The Spitter's attack isn't just about breaking a shiva-stack. It's more about punishing the stackers with a series of open-hand slaps to the gonads. Thusly, the survivors will learn not to do that. Ever.
It all has to do with the way the damage model is set up: the spit does one point of damage in the first second, three in the next, five in the third, etc. So, after five seconds of exposure (1+3+5+7+9), you've burned through 25 points of health. Ten seconds would theoretically kill a full-health survivor, but I don't know how long the puddle lasts. Here's a lame attempt at a chart (which won't look right in Internet Explorer):
SECONDS... 1 .. 2 .. 3 .. 4 ... 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... 8 ... 9 ... 10 DAMAGE.... 1 .. 4 .. 9 .. 16 .. 25 .. 36 .. 49 .. 64 .. 81 .. 100
Dirty. You can watch it all happen here.
You don't shiva stack unless you're swarmed by a horde, or you see one coming. Bottom line: there's a horde, and hordes don't let you move. The commons keep you locked down in that one spot, and the survivors can't break out until most of the zombies are dead. During a crescendo event, a well-aimed loogie during that second swarm could murder a whole team.
As a Smoker, you're going leave the shiva stackers alone: the puddles are generally going to be in corners where they'll be impossible to use. In more open areas, though, you're going to stand right in the middle of that puddle, and drag that straggler into the stank.
As a Boomer, you're going to wait for the stack to start to break out, and then you're going to jump down in front of them. You'll either delay them for another second's worth of damage while they bash you away, or you'll get shot and explode all over them, sending them reeling back into the puddle.
Finally, the Hunter. A 25-point pounce in the spit zone is FTW. That's pounce damage + claw damage + acrid goo damage all in the amount of time it takes for someone to dislodge the hunter from his perch.
There are many situations where the Spitter's attack could operate as a damage buff for the other special infected. If Valve allows damage to stack that way, L4D2 is going to be a lot more difficult than L4D ... especially in versus. If the Spitter appears often enough, a tendency to cluster in tight quarters will be a hell of a liability, and will undoubtedly lead to breathless screeds in the forums about how the Spitter is overpowered.
The big questions now are how long the puddles last, and how long it takes the Spitter to recharge. On the first question, although it's hard to tell when it starts, the video above seems to show a duration of about seven or eight seconds. On the second question, who knows? Maybe she has to suck off a Tank or a couple of Smokers first.
You don't shiva stack unless you're swarmed by a horde, or you see one coming. Bottom line: there's a horde, and hordes don't let you move. The commons keep you locked down in that one spot, and the survivors can't break out until most of the zombies are dead. During a crescendo event, a well-aimed loogie during that second swarm could murder a whole team.
As a Smoker, you're going leave the shiva stackers alone: the puddles are generally going to be in corners where they'll be impossible to use. In more open areas, though, you're going to stand right in the middle of that puddle, and drag that straggler into the stank.
As a Boomer, you're going to wait for the stack to start to break out, and then you're going to jump down in front of them. You'll either delay them for another second's worth of damage while they bash you away, or you'll get shot and explode all over them, sending them reeling back into the puddle.
Finally, the Hunter. A 25-point pounce in the spit zone is FTW. That's pounce damage + claw damage + acrid goo damage all in the amount of time it takes for someone to dislodge the hunter from his perch.
There are many situations where the Spitter's attack could operate as a damage buff for the other special infected. If Valve allows damage to stack that way, L4D2 is going to be a lot more difficult than L4D ... especially in versus. If the Spitter appears often enough, a tendency to cluster in tight quarters will be a hell of a liability, and will undoubtedly lead to breathless screeds in the forums about how the Spitter is overpowered.
The big questions now are how long the puddles last, and how long it takes the Spitter to recharge. On the first question, although it's hard to tell when it starts, the video above seems to show a duration of about seven or eight seconds. On the second question, who knows? Maybe she has to suck off a Tank or a couple of Smokers first.
The almighty price point
So the next Call of Duty is going to cost $10 more than the last Call of Duty. For that matter, it's going to cost at least $10 more than any other game scheduled for release in 2009. Given that CoD4 has sold better than 13 million units so far, Activision/Infinity Ward probably haven't been struggling to break even. Assuming a development cost of $20 million, and a wholesale price of $35 per unit (a bare-minimum estimate), ATVI/IW made somewhere in the neighborhood of $435m on CoD4. Other publishers and developers are undoubtedly watching closely. If ATVI/IW get away with mugging game buyers this Christmas, the MSRP for most PC games will likely be $60+ by the end of 2010.
As you mull that over, consider this guy's theory that AAA titles should cost even more ... to the tune of £70. That's 118 American dollars at today's exchange rate, but the price increase in the US would be less. The Brits are being asked to pay £55 for Modern Warfare 2, which equates to about $93 on this side of the Atlantic. So a price increase to £70 over there would equate to price of around $77 here. I will note that Mr. "I think we're not charging enough" concedes that most people would be unwilling to pay that much for a game, but if $60 works in 2009, $70 in 2011 (for Modern Warfare 3) is well within the realm of possibility.
So, it seems the price point for video games is going to trend upwards, despite the fact that Valve increased its sales of Left 4 Dead by 3000% - over one holiday weekend - when it cut the price in half. In fact, they sold more copies of the game during that weekend than they did at its launch.
Still, Modern Warfare 2 will probably make at least half a billion dollars within 18 months of release, mostly on the strength of console sales. On the PC side of the ledger, however, Infinity Ward will have to content itself with bitching about the level of piracy (as they did with CoD4). That, I fear, is going to be the second lesson the video game industry learns from MW2: they can rape the console players with impunity, but PC players are still going to rape them back. ATVI/IW has apparently decided that PC retail sales won't justify the increased costs of packaging, shipping, etc. for the two "enhanced" editions of MW2, so those editions are console exclusives.
Although I doubt most PC gamers will care that they're missing out on all the superfluous junk that comes with the elevated price tag, they should. If more expensive games = more piracy = less and less PC support (in all areas, not just special editions), we may be at the dawn of an age when PC titles are all casual games and MMO's. The Call of Duty series is ready to cross that threshold; and it will, if IW declines to release mod tools for MW2.
Enjoy that high-end hardware while you can.
* * *
UPDATE: there's an alternative future out there.
As you mull that over, consider this guy's theory that AAA titles should cost even more ... to the tune of £70. That's 118 American dollars at today's exchange rate, but the price increase in the US would be less. The Brits are being asked to pay £55 for Modern Warfare 2, which equates to about $93 on this side of the Atlantic. So a price increase to £70 over there would equate to price of around $77 here. I will note that Mr. "I think we're not charging enough" concedes that most people would be unwilling to pay that much for a game, but if $60 works in 2009, $70 in 2011 (for Modern Warfare 3) is well within the realm of possibility.
So, it seems the price point for video games is going to trend upwards, despite the fact that Valve increased its sales of Left 4 Dead by 3000% - over one holiday weekend - when it cut the price in half. In fact, they sold more copies of the game during that weekend than they did at its launch.
Still, Modern Warfare 2 will probably make at least half a billion dollars within 18 months of release, mostly on the strength of console sales. On the PC side of the ledger, however, Infinity Ward will have to content itself with bitching about the level of piracy (as they did with CoD4). That, I fear, is going to be the second lesson the video game industry learns from MW2: they can rape the console players with impunity, but PC players are still going to rape them back. ATVI/IW has apparently decided that PC retail sales won't justify the increased costs of packaging, shipping, etc. for the two "enhanced" editions of MW2, so those editions are console exclusives.
Although I doubt most PC gamers will care that they're missing out on all the superfluous junk that comes with the elevated price tag, they should. If more expensive games = more piracy = less and less PC support (in all areas, not just special editions), we may be at the dawn of an age when PC titles are all casual games and MMO's. The Call of Duty series is ready to cross that threshold; and it will, if IW declines to release mod tools for MW2.
Enjoy that high-end hardware while you can.
* * *
UPDATE: there's an alternative future out there.
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