BioShock 2 patch out tommorrow

From 2K:

Our next BioShock 2 PC Patch is due out tomorrow. You'll be able to download the patch starting at 2 AM PST on Tuesday, February 23rd. This patch is small because we focused on getting it out quickly to fix a couple high priority issues the community had, rather than roll them in to a larger patch that would take longer to reach you. We are working on a larger, more extensive patch now and as testing nears finalization I'll update you on that patch's download date.

Bioshock 2 Patch List
- Fixed an issue where 16:9 and 16:10 resolutions were letterboxed versions of 4:3 resolutions, thereby properly fixing the FOV by expanding the horizontal player view as intended.
- Fixed an issue where holding the M1 button would not register in Multiplayer gameplay.

ASIDE:  I haven't met anyone yet that was really amped for BS2's multiplayer, but if you're out there, be warned - it's matchmaking only ... there are no dedicated servers.

So, about the combat knife

It might be a little overpowered:

CoD (insert # here) casting call

VG247 reports that Activision has issued a casting call for motion capture and voice over work for an unnamed Viet Nam-era video game. The four main characters described are:

• Roland Frank Barnes, an "Old War Horse" type" and a "solid leader, possessed with an excellent ability to assess and respond to any situation quickly and decisively"  
• Brick Joseph Lewis, a "very physically fit" black man in his 20s who occasionally sports a creole accent  
• Mordecai Jason Hudson, a white man in his 30s who, "given his strategic role ... rarely gets the opportunity to get up close and personal with the enemy"  
• Lilith Kristina Ivanova, a Russian-born martial arts expert and CIA operative who is "calm to the point of being cold and detached"

The casting call does, as yet, include any moaning, mumbling, and howling voice over work for Viet Cong zombies.

ZP reviews Mass Effect 2

L4D2 patch

One fix is huge:

Updates to Left 4 Dead 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. XBOX 360 users will see these changes in an upcoming title update. The major changes include:

• Fixed all bot teams not leaving the starting area if sb_all_bot_team 1 was set
• Fixed a case where survivor bots would fail to rescue a friend from charger attacks
• Updated Thai translations
• Fixed an issue where servers wouldn't relist after the master server was bounced
• Fixed Charger jumping exploit
• Fixed Spitter bug where spit could emit from a location several inches from the head, causing the spit to unexpectedly strike nearby objects and fall

UPDATE - this is the Charger jump exploit:

Wish I had known.

Medal of Honor news

Atomic MPC scored an interview with Greg Goodrich, the Executive Producer on Medal of Honor. For the good of our readers, IUN summarizes the substantive bits:

□ MoH's narrative style is inspired by Saving Private Ryan, in the way that movie told the story of the larger war from the perspective of a small group of soldiers.

□ Players will take on the roles of both the specialist "Tier 1 Operator" and the generalist Army Ranger.

□ The technical framework of the game is complete, but there's a lot of fine tuning left to do, especially on the artistic side. So expect graphical improvements over what you've seen so far.

□ There is a lean mechanic.

□ Both the SP and the MP will feature vehicles.

□ There will be dedicated servers.  Per Mr. Goodrich, lobbies and host migration would cripple the MP experience.

□ DICE is handling the MP.

□ The AI will not be garden variety Unreal engine cannon fodder.

□ The lighting engine should be impressive (think beams of light streaming through bullet holes), and if they can't make it work on consoles, the PC will get it anyway.

□ The development teams thinks they can make MoH better than MW2 on every front, and that's exactly what they're going for.

BC2 RC3 beta patch released

From EA's UK BC2 forum:

So QA found out a debug setting we used for logging errors was causing the CTD's after DICE left last night. As such the patch is good to be released and is going live within the hour.

Steam is now running the update as well for all Steam users.

You can update automatically when loading BFBC2 or you can manually run the updater from your install directory (run as Administrator if you experience update issues or errors)

As promised here is the Changelog for R3 as provided by Kalms.

This update is about performance and stability again. We are not doing any changes to the game's datafiles.

□ Reduced input "lag"

On machines where the CPU would out-run the GPU, sometimes the GPU would queue up several frames' worth of rendering commands.

This could lead to the game having a high framerate, but input still feeling very sluggish. Now there's a limiter on how many frames the CPU is allowed to be "ahead" of the GPU. Control this setting via Settings.ini. Default setting: RenderAheadLimit=2

□ Performance optimizations with biggest improvements on dual-core machines

□ Fixed black "masks"

The soot on buildings with holes in them had a bugged renderpath. We switched that over to a more well-tested renderpath.

□ Improved hit-detection

We've gone through the hit detection logic, and client+server will now give more consistent results.

□ Fix for some "rubberbanding" issues

C4 should stay attached to vehicles and not rubberband around

□ Reduced spikes/dips in framerate

□ Various fixes for alt+tab related CTD on Dx9

□ More fixes for random CTD on Dx9

□ Fix for crash when you're in a vehicle that gets destroyed

There was a race condition in the code;

System 1 thought "oh hey, you're leaving vehicle X"

System 2 thought "the vehicle got destroyed, let's remove it"

If system 2 ran before system 1, chaos would ensue. This was actually fixed in the retail version since a month, but it was only when we got detailed crash reports from the community that we understood *why* the Beta was crashing.

□ Likely bugs in this build

I wouldn't be surprised if it (still) has trouble remembering your settings between rounds. It would be nice to have that fixed too, but it's better to get a patch out now, and look at the settings issues afterward.

Webcast stream fixed

You may listen now.

IUN webcast - February 13, 2010 - SHOW NOTES

□ METRO 2033

Developer interview and gameplay videos 

□ CRYSIS 2

Gamereactor interview with Cevat Yerli, and PCgames.de interview with Nathan Camarillo (includes screenshots)

□ BIOSHOCK 2

First patch changelog - but no widescreen support yet; a legacy carried over from the original game 

Also: laggy mouse control, and the hacking mini-game is difficult - if not impossible - for colorblind gamers ... (simulated colorblind views at negative gamer)

□ SECRET WORLD

Interview with Funcom's Ragnar Tornquist

□ BAD COMPANY 2 DEMO

Press release touting 2.5 million downloads

□ LEFT 4 DEAD 2

L4D blog post noting that almost 29 billion zombies were massacred in two months  

"The Passing" screenshots

The M60 light machine gun

□ MASS EFFECT 2

Another "we rock!" press release, and yet another

□ SEX SQUAD

Penises for arms!

BFBC2: Patrick Bach interview

Translated from the German, available at Bash and Slash.  Most significantly, Mr. Bach discusses the potential for (1) mod tools, (2) FOV settings, (3) LAN play - all in the "maybe" category for now - and describes the "hardcore" mode:

The interesting about the hardcore mode is that is refers to all game modes. Firepower damage is doubled and HUD displays are deactivated. As there is no cross-hair one needs to look down the sights of your weapon to shoot accurately. Also, the (self) healing function is deactivated too, so you have to find a medic in case you get hit. Friendly fire can't get deactivated and the killcam of the normal mode is not available, so it is going to be more realistic and more difficult.

Whether you've bought the game or you're still thinking about it, the interview is a must-read.