According to many different sources speaking to GamesIndustry.biz this morning, it is being reported that Free Radical Design has closed down and an unknown number of staff and senior executives have left already. One staff member even went so far as to tell GI.biz that when they showed up for work the doors were locked and a note on the door told them to go to a nearby hotel for a meeting. Why did that make me giggle a little? Sorry, being gutter minded here.

While it is indeed sad news to hear of another gaming studio shutting its doors, where does this leave the “unnamed” LucasArts project they have been quietly working on despite the deal with LucasArts going down the toilet back in October? Supposedly, the game has been sent to Rebellion to be worked on instead, the game was Star Wars Battlefront III. If that is the case, it is a good move because Rebellion, as you all know, were the masterminds behind the very popular Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. However, that is still rumor at this point like I said, so just keep your shirts on.

You may recall that during the past few months, stirrings around the internet have claimed that trouble had been brewing at Free Radical for quite some time, with even the assumption that many changes and lay-offs were to happen at any day thanks to the parting of ways with LucasArts and the flop known as Haze. All of this was subsequently denied by the company’s director Steve Ellis, who like most higher-ups dismissed the accusations as false:

“Nothing unusual is happening here. Projects end. New projects start. That’s how things have worked for nearly 10 years. TimeSplitters 4 and an unnamed project are both still in development [along with] other unannounced projects, which are in the process of being signed. We certainly won’t be laying off any staff today. Or, for that matter, any time in 2008. If something happens in 2009 I’m sure we’ll be prepared to comment – but from where I’m sitting, whatever happens is far more likely to be positive than negative.”

As of this post, all calls to the Free Radical offices were yet to be returned and no word on whether or not we can expect an official announcement or press release soon has been divulged either. But, Edge apparently has some inside information on what went down during the hotel meeting. You can view that after the break.

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Looks like Fable 2 players anxious to get their hands on Knothole Island, the extra content for the game, will have to wait a bit longer than the original date of December 22 Here is what was posted this morning on Xbox.com:

Due to unexpected technical difficulties, the Fable II: Knothole Island expansion will not be available until late January 2009. As a result, the Fable II, Knothole Island Download and Win, originally scheduled to take place December 22 – 23, 2008, has been temporarily suspended. Please check back for updates. In addition, you can still register for the Download & Win by downloading the free Fable II: Knothole Island registration gamerpic, or by registering via Xbox.com at www.xbox.com/fableIIknotholesweeps. Registered participants will be notified using the contact information provided at time of registration with revised Download and Win Entry Period dates.

For more information, click here.

Frogster has announced that over 100,000 characters were created in the first 24 hours during the start of Runes of Magic open beta. Due to the high number of players, Frogster has opened an additional game which will now spread the community over seven servers.

In the first few hours Frogster also noted a significant increase in registration numbers and out of the total number of 220,000 registrations, more than 20,000 Accounts were created on Monday alone and immediately entered the game world: more than 2 million quests were completed in over 200,000 hours of combined playing time in the game world of Taborea.

If you are interested in Runes of Magic, check out the game page on FileFront where you can download the beta client, and after the jump game details are listed as well.
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Turbine is letting go of redundant positions now that the Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expansion has launched. According to Gamesindustry.biz,Turbine had this to say about the cuts.

“Yesterday, Turbine took steps to align our business to successfully achieve our strategic goals in the years ahead,” said a spokesperson for the company.

“As part of this transition some of our talented colleagues will not be with us going forward.”

“We are a privately-held company and will not discuss the details regarding the number of our team that were affected. These changes were made across the entire organisation in both our MA and CA offices,” said the company.

As a private company Turbine isn’t obligated to reveal just how many redundant employees will be leaving and they aren’t volunteering any numbers. Turbine is far from the first games industry company to tighten up its infrastructure, cutting any positions that aren’t absolutely necessary. This is definitely a growing trend we’ll be seeing more of in the future.

Electronic Arts announced a couple of days ago that the folks who brought you Dead Space are currently at work on a game based off of Dante Alighieri’s classic epic poem The Divine Comedy titled Dante’s Inferno. Today, they have sent us the “announcement” trailer for it, and it honestly looks pretty grim and scary. No release date has been given, but we do know it is heading to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 upon release.

The game is a third-person action adventure but how this will translate from being one of the greatest works of literature telling the tale of Dante descending into hell to find the love of his life Beatrice into a videogame is anyone’s guess. Surely we can all assume that the famous Roman poet Virgil will guide him through the nine circles of hell–which of course will be fraught with dangers, demons, and deziens of Satan; and surely each circle will be named after each of the sins portrayed in the poem–but I for one am just slightly worried despite Jonathan Knight’s feelings on it.

The executive producer stated that it was time to “Re-introduce Dante to an audience that, until now, may have been unfamiliar with the remarkable details of this great work of art. [This is the] perfect opportunity to fuse great gameplay with a great story.”

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The Mac is often over looked as a videogame platform, and although EA is pushing releases for it, Mac users are often left out. NCsoft is bringing its City of Heroes MMORPG to the Mac and has launched the open beta.

The Mac City of Heroes Special Edition comes with exclusive in-game items. Mac players will get the Mission Teleporter Power which will allow them to teleport to their mission site immediately. The exclusive Valkyrie Costume set is also part of bonus. I’m a little confused about that since these Norse warriors were women who would triumph or die in battle but hey I guess guys like wings too.

Mac gamers can get in on the City of Heroes Mac open beta on the City of Heroes site.

If you missed out on the sneak peek weekend that Cartoon Network hosted for their MMOROG, FusionFall on December 5-7 then here is a trailer showing off some of the fun you could have been participating in. If you are unfamiliar with FusionFall, it is based on the show of the same name and in the game players will team up with other players and Cartoon Network characters to defend the world from an alien invasion of epic proportions.

The game is a mix of all the action of a 3D console platform game and all the customization, character development and open-ended world exploration of an MMORPG. In addition, small, super-deformed versions of Cartoon Network characters are collected along the way and travel with players, providing powers and abilities to assist during missions. The game also plays more like a console port than one for the PC which younger kids and adults alike should find it easy to just dive right in.

For more information on the game, check out our FileFront page and the official website. Whle you are over there, sign up for the next beta sneak peak because it is expected to launch on December 27.

Midway Games is preparing to issue layoffs and axe its Austin Studio in an effort to stay afloat.
Studios in Chicago and San Diego will suffer losses as well as Midway reduces it’s global work force by a full quarter. Several unannounced non-core games are also under suspension. The titles were scheduled for 2010 and 2011 releases.

The downward economic trend is hitting the game industry, and the stress is forcing companies large and small to take drastic measures to survive. With EA, Midway and many other familiar names in the games industry caught in the spiral of economic depression, companies will be relying on core titles. Proven money makers are much safer than innovative games that may or may not gain a following.

Turbine has posted a new developer journal over on the official website for Lord of the Rings Online describing the lore of Nimrodel, a well know area for those versed in Tolkien lore; plus it is also a new area which was added to the game’s recent expansion the Mines of Moria.

The river Nimrodel was named after an Elf-maiden of old who once dwelt by a waterfall there, and fell in love with Amroth, the Lord of Lórien. Long ago, they left Lothlórien together for the haven of Edhellond, but Nimrodel disappeared in the White Mountains and her fate remains unknown. In later years, the River Nimrodel served as the site of a watchpost of the Galadhrim, kept by the brothers Haldir, Rúmil, and Orophin.

The waters of Nimrodel are said to bring healing to the weary, and some claim they can hear the voice of the maiden singing in the falls. As the War of the Ring has worsened, the waters have been defiled by the filthy feet of Orcs, and the Elves of Lothlórien seek vengeance.

The river Nimrodel is visited by the Fellowship of the Ring after they escape from Moria in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Players of The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria may find respite – or danger – near its waters.

Gamers who play LotRO but who have not purchased the expansion yet should go out and get it ASAP because it is not only loads of fun, but gorgeous as well.

Thanks: MMORPG

Gas Powered Games and Stardock’s Demigod, a team-based action/strategy title with bits of RPG thrown in is expected to be released sometime during Spring 2009.

In the game, players take control of a massive Demigod with the goal of annihilating their opponent’s position in a given arena while preventing the opponent’s Demigod from doing the same to them. Although the game supports superb one-on-one duels, the title will truly shine in team play either with other human-controlled Demigods or with ones controlled by a sophisticated computer AI. As the game progresses, the player’s Demigod will acquire items, attributes and experience.

You can view the rest of the new screens here.