PC Gaming News Message Board older than one year ago

Over the years of the existence of Garry’s Mod, it’s been a fun game to try to admiringly calculate just how rich it’s made creator Garry Newman. Since he’s been especially open with sales figures, and since the game is selling double the number of copies with each passing year, it means that currently he has most of the money that exists. And as the sales continue to increase exponentially, he’ll soon have infinity money, at which point money will be declared Over, and we’ll have to start again with some new system, where finances are based on emotional exchanges or something. So bearing all this in mind, with his disclosure to GI.biz that in one month Rust has already made 40% of GMod’s lifetime profits, be prepared for a worldwide financial collapse. Oh, wait, hang on… 55% now.

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A new collection of screenshots for Creative Assembly’s Alien: Isolation have appeared. Aliens, corridors, tools, and is that the chewed up remains of a Synthetic who’s been dragged across the floor?

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Oh, this game. Okhlos‘ central concept is so very simple and silly, but it’s also ripe with potential. For whatever reason, developer Coffee Powered Machine set out to create an ancient Greek angry mob simulator, because I guess angry mobs were especially prolific at the time. So you skitter about rallying everything from warriors to philosophers to your cause. Yes, philosophers. They’re old and bald and frail and wonderful. I do hope I can order them to fell gods, kings, and titans alike with heart-stopping ethical quandaries. In practice, Okhlos looks a bit like Nintendo cult hit Pikmin, which is hardly a bad thing.

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After drawing in more than $900,000 on Kickstarter, Larian Studios' prequel to Divine Divinity, Divinity: Original Sin, is ready for a bit of open-world questing on PCs via Early Access. While buying in will grant you the full game once it's finished, Divinity's Early Access page estimates the current offering to be "the first 15 hours of the game." It also suggests that those looking for something representative of the final version's content and polish should pass on the Early Access version, which is meant to allow players to "influence development" with feedback. Sounds reasonable!

The page also notes that while Larian will be updating the game regularly, save games will "not be compatible between versions." Sooo maybe don't get super attached to any adventures you start until Divinity's final version is released. Of course, the final version will include an RPG maker, so you could just get familiar with Divinity's mechanics and then make your own adventure.

Larian is encouraging all participants to share their thoughts concerning balancing, bugs and potential improvements on Divinity's discussion board. If you're interested in helping or just itching to venture through the first chunk of the game, $39.99 will get you an Early Access copy. You can also go for the $59.99 double pack and try out the Early Access multiplayer with a friend.

Catlateral Damage, the first-person knock-stuff-over-as-a-cat game from develo-purr Chris Chung will be getting some mew modes for its com-meow-cial build, Eurogamer reports. What's that? Stop with the cat puns? You gotta be kitten me! Okay, fine.

When Catlateral Damage gets a commercial release, it'll include at least two new modes: Cat Ops and a "free" mode where players aren't beholden to a timer and can explore at their leisure. In an email exchange with Eurogamer, Chung explained that Cat Ops will have players try to knock over objects without waking their owner. "I feel like this mode will fulfill the desire to be a sneaky cat, and also give quite a different challenge than the current game mode," he wrote.

Eurogamer also inquired about a possible Time Attack mode. While Chung wrote that it wasn't yet planned, he also noted that it would be "very easy" to add, and that he would make a note of the idea. Chung also wrote that he plans to add more levels and increase the scope of the game so that players could potentially explore an entire house.

Catlateral Damage is expected to have a commercial version later this year. We assume there will be a major paw-ty when it does. Haa.

Probably Archery is not very much like DayZ. DayZ is not very much like Probably Archery. But Probably Archery will nonetheless feature a mode inspired by the open-world zombie apocalypse survival game. In an email interview with BitPulse, programmer Matthew Carr wrote that the team is working on something "really, really ... odd."

"I don't want to spoil it just yet, but it was the strange result of messing around with weird ideas after being frustrated by DayZ's current state and I think it could be one of the most popular modes in the game," he told BitPulse. Of course, Probably Archery probably won't offer this mystery mode until it hits full release state sometime in early 2014, which will also feature a competitive multiplayer mode, co-operative horde mode and new single-player levels. Probably.

Oh boy, look! It's that game you like, and it's 20 percent off right now! Sales are great, aren't they? Well, The Castle Doctrine developer Jason Rohrer doesn't think so. Rohrer argued on his blog that rampant sales create a "culture of waiting," where players wait for a good sale before pulling the trigger on a game, which in turn makes launches weak and early adopters disappointed.

Take that hypothetical game from earlier. You're ready to bust out the wallet for the 20 percent off price. But wait, what if it goes down to 30 percent off? Or 40 percent? Even 50 percent? Potential buyers can wait indefinitely, which Rohrer argues hurts the developers. "Launch weeks become weak, and developers grow to depend on sales for financial survival," Rohrer posted on his blog last week. "This waiting game is likely decimating your player base and critical mass at launch by spreading new players out over time."

Rohrer also pointed out how he believes sales hurt early adopters: "To put it bluntly: sales screw your fans," Rohrer wrote. "Your fans love your games and eagerly await your next release. They want to get your game as soon as it comes out, at full price. But they are foolish to do that, because a sale is right around the corner."

To counter the culture of sales, Rohrer will be offering his own game, The Castle Doctrine, at a pricing scheme that is the "inversion" of the sales business model. The game, in alpha state, is available now for $8. When it comes to Steam on January 29, it will cost $12. One week after launch, it will rise to the full price of $16, which Rohrer wrote that it will remain forever. "Anyone feel burned by that plan?" he asks.

Demonic queer *crag* ritual. Jake Clover’s Borderlands. One move to play this game.

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Sundays are for celebrating the week past by smearing yourself in Philadelphia cream cheese, listening to Petula Clark, and reading the week’s best writing about videogames.

• Cassandra Khaw takes to the Daily Dot to skewer the low quality and nearly non-existent wages of esports reportage: “Yet, in spite of the adulations, the nerd cred, and the media’s enthused portrayal of the rapidly growing industry, only a handful are making an actual living. But while eSports’ high-tech athletes and their entourage of coaches, managers, and publicists are slowly being given their due, eSports journalists are still, by and large, community volunteers who subsist only on their own passions and the occasional approval of their peers.”

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…or, why one editor hasn’t played anything else for more than a month.

Ryo Hazuki, leather-clad everyman and forklift-racer extraordinaire from the Shenmue series, has come racing onto the PC version of Sonic And Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed. Ryo debuted in the mobile port of Transformed, but his arrival on PC marks his first appearance in the game on a home platform. Whether this means he'll also be making a pit stop on consoles, 3DS and Vita is unknown.

Instead of going for a more realistic approach and placing Ryo atop his signature motorcycle or inside a forklift - as was the case in the original Sonic And Sega All-Stars Racing - Ryo gets to show his '80s heritage by piloting modified arcade cabinets. Ryo rides a Hang-On cabinet on water, an OutRun cabinet on land, and a Space Harrier cabinet in the air. He's available now for $1.59 on Steam.

To those who haven’t invested tens of hours in Don’t Starve and uncovered every last one of its randomized secrets, it may seem like an endless onslaught of hungry, hungry horrors. Some people, however, have ventured deep into its howling forests and emerged with their stomach linings largely intact. They want more. They need more. One might say they are starving for more Don’t Starve. I wouldn’t, because I’m better than such an easy joke. You, though? Well, I won’t judge. At any rate, those people will get their wish soonishly when Klei unleashes Don’t Starve’s first major DLC expansion: Reign of Giants.

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In lieu of offering yet another downloadable content pack for Total War: Rome 2, developer Creative Assembly has opted to let fans roll their own units, factions and conflicts with the release of the Rome 2 Assembly Kit.

Though still in the beta stages, the Assembly Kit is a full-featured suite of tools useful in modding the historical strategy game. According to publisher Sega, the Kit includes everything necessary to modify the game's existing assets, as well as import/export tools for pulling artwork, audio and character models into the game from third-party programs. The Kit also includes a swath of "example data" which should be useful for nascent modders.

The best news, however, is that the Assembly Kit is available free of charge to anyone with a copy of Total War: Rome 2 and an Internet connection. Full details on the Kit and information on how to download the tools can be found on the Total War Wiki.

We’ve been eagerly watching (and, on some occasions, playing) Divinity: Original Sin ever since it launched a turn-based assault on Kickstarter, growing its already grandiose vision of a classic RPG world into one worthy of having its praises sung. Now it’s finally available to everyone, whether old and grizzled or so young that they think Baldur’s Gate was a middling action-RPG on the PlayStation 2. That said, this one traces its roots more to Ultima VII than anything else what with all its systemic complexity and obsessively detailed interactivity. There is, in other words, much to dig into here, even in Early Access form. But should you? Well, that depends on a few factors.

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Sierra Adventures? Serious adventures? Get it? Get — I’m tired and need more coffee.  With the year beginning to  boil towards the inevitable frenzy of conventions and hyped-up announcements, it’s nice to be able to simply drink in the quiet for a little while and reminisce over the years gone by.  I’m genuinely amazed at how many memories GOG.com ‘s Winter Quest Fest is evoking.  For good or for bad, these games shaped my childhood. I wonder what kids will be saying in another twenty years? Will it be Minecraft? Bioshock Infinite? Gone Home? Will Twine games be that thing that people wax nostalgic over? Who knows. I’m interested in finding out. On an unrelated note, this week’s Bargain Bucket plushie photo was actually submitted by a community member! A point of interest: MadKatrina’s tentacular friend wasn’t bought from a store, it was brought to life by her own hands. Isn’t that awesome? I think it’s awesome.(more…)

Etherium is a new real-time strategy game in development at Tindalos Interactive that, like so many before it, sees players battling over a precious resource that is both futuristic and totally fictional: The titular "etherium."

"The solo campaign in Etherium is non-linear: You are free to decide how your conquests progress," states publisher Focus Home Interactive. "Manage your resources, expand your colonies and extend your control of the map to assemble an army capable of crushing your opponents. Epic battles will ensue between formidable armies comprising numerous units: infantry, tanks, aircraft, and even gigantic colossi of war several meters high; real machines of destruction! You will also use scientific research to develop a tech tree enabling you to unlock new units and upgrades, access new structures to develop your colony and to use new special skills."

So far, so typical of the genre, but where Etherium differentiates itself is in its "dynamic weather system." According to examples offered by Focus Home Interactive, players might use a rolling sandstorm to cover their advance into an enemy base, or wait for a river to freeze before using the newly formed ice bridge as a staging point for a sneak attack.

Above you'll find Etherium's debut trailer while screenshots can be found in the gallery below. For more information, visit the game's official website.

Peter McConnell's original orchestral soundtrack for Double Fine's Broken Age will be available for download next week. McConnell's previous work can be heard in Double Fine's Brutal Legend and Psychonauts, as well as in classic LucasArts adventure games Grim Fandango and Monkey Island.

The full soundtrack will be available for download on Bandcamp when the game's first act officially launches on January 28. Samples of select tracks can be heard right now over on McConnell's Soundcloud page.

Broken Age is an adventure game about two teenagers, Vella Tartine and Shay Volta, living separate lives in their own distinct worlds. The two are linked by their coming-of-age predicaments, and players can switch between each teen at any time. We streamed a good chunk of the game yesterday, so feel free to give our archived video a peek.

Aveline may be an interesting protaginist, but Assassin's Creed Liberation HD still has too many problems.

Disney's world-building game picked up speed.

Pre-season is over. Top teams from North America and Europe are ready to compete in Riot Games' LCS tournament.

S.EXE is a new monthly column written by Cara Ellison which explores sex and relationship games. The column is published on the third Friday of every month and, like Cara herself, is NSFW.

Rhythm, thrills and bodies are all things games are good at, so where’s the goods my friends, readers, players? Where’s the junk all up inside that trunk? Wherefore does the mainstream ignore our fiery loins and blustering hearts, and refuse to lay claim to our feelings and intimacy? Why do mainstream games render our lives as placid jogs through sanitised, picket-fenced streets, and never as joyful sprints through neon jungles lit up with the expression of our needs and our far-reaching hunger for pleasure?

I do not know the answer, denizens of netclick cities, but this column desires to devour the games that address the sexy parts with thought and consideration and perhaps a little experience. Are You Experienced? Well it’s okay if you’re not because I’m here. My name is Cara. You may remember me from such puns as Highway To The Bonerzone and ‘booty hall‘. This is my new monthly column: S.EXE. Let’s start with Lea Schönfelder’s Ute. THIS WON’T BE SAFE FOR WORK YOU KNOW. LEAVE YOUR COAT AT THE DOOR. (more…)

A real-time strategy game, eh? [A bushy eyebrow raised cautiously, revealing a tired but interested eye.] We don’t get many of your kind around these parts. Not since… [A silence. A stare towards the horizon.] Well, we don’t like to talk about it. Those were hard times. Dark times. [Another silence. Another stare, this time at nothing, or at least nothing anyone else can see]. Anyway, used to be you couldn’t moved for RTSes. Tanks everywhere, all commandin’ and a’conquerin’. Feels… feels like a lifetime ago. Were they better days? I don’t rightly know. [A gnarled finger reaching up to a suddenly heavy-lidded eye, to wipe away - dust? A tear? A memory?] Different times, that’s what they were.

[A sharp intake of breath, a straightening of the spine, a gleam in the eye.] Any road, here you are, an honest-to-god real time strategy game, stood right there in front of me. Etherium, they call you? Ah, you’ll be one of those science fiction ones then, eh? All robots and deathrays, eh? [A hearty chuckle]. Well, don’t just stand there, let’s take a look at you.(more…)

It seems like only a few days since the last write-up of an RPG created by former Bioware developers. Neo Scavenger is actually the work of a single man, Dan Fedor, and it’s a less lavish production than The Banner Saga. This is a brutal game about survival in a harsh world. It’s also one of the best single player turn-based RPGs I’ve played for a long time.

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I just can’t work out what this product announcement from Focus Interactive is about. It’s called ‘Call of Cthulhu: The Videogame’, which is far too cryptic and oblique to be of any use. What even is it – a book, a game, a film, a museum? And whatever is it about? Jane Eyre? Vampires? Bears? Vampire Jane Bear? WE NEED MORE INFORMATION.

Or perhaps – and I’m taking a wild shot in the dark here – it’s a videogame based on Call of Cthulhu? No, you’re right, it’s too much of a reach.(more…)

Microsoft announced last year that Games for Windows would shut down its marketplace features on August 22, 2013, signaling the beginning of the end for the service. Never quite achieving its desired critical mass, GFWL handled DRM, achievements, and multiplayer for a long list of games.

A since-deleted support article for Age of Empires Online stated that the GFWL service would be discontinued on July 1, 2014. Although Microsoft has not yet made an official announcement on the matter, a number of developers took this to mean that their games would effectively become unplayable in July and began work to divorce them from GFWLs, often switching over to Steamworks.

However, a large number of developers remained quiet about what the future held for their games, so Joystiq reached out to get the official word on what the future may hold for their games past July.

Despite rumours to the contrary, Valve has announced it isn't working on a VR headset of its own, and is instead supporting Oculus Rift.

I am a conscientious objector in the Total War war. I fight for neither side, and I shall declare no opinions about the controversies surrounding the release state of Total War: Rome II. All I shall do is report the facts, ma’am. Today’s fact is that devs the Creative Assembly have just released a beta version of the game’s Assembly Kit mod tools, which have been long expected/demanded by the TW community. That is a fact.(more…)

The agent formerly known as Incognita, the upcoming espio-sim from Mark of the Ninja and Don't Starve studio Klei Entertainment, is now Invisible Inc. Klei marked the change by re-releasing a trailer showcasing the game's 2.5D world and turn-based tactics.

"After some focus testing, Invisible, Inc. was better received than the old "Incognita," said Klei's Jason Dreger on the studio's forums. "Our focus of the design does not change in that it will still be a game of turn based tactical espionage."

Klei announced what's now Invisible Inc. last summer before releasing a playable alpha in September, which players can access now via a $17 pre-order. The full game is covert for now, but remains due to slip into our lives later this year.

There was a young Panzer called Peter, Who fancied himself a great defeater; But because of his haste, and his tendency to waste Panzergranate 40 Armour Piercing Composite Rigid ammunition, He was often disgraced in the War Thunder: Ground Forces beta.

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Turtle Rock Studios reveals the first details about a couple of the Trapper and Support class characters.