Over at galciv.com, Stardock have put up a Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor preview that has the RT4x drool factor measuring off the charts. This second expansion to Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor intends to put all game expansion before it to shame. Just looking at all the stuff Stardock are packing into this thing makes it seem like it should qualify as a sequel (but, I bet all you beta testers already knew that). What’s really cool is this new expansion will be available fairly soon – less than a year from release of the first expansion, Galactic Civilizations 2: Dark Avatar. Stardock have been busy bees it seems.

So what’s it gonna cost and where can I get it?

Right now you can pre-order GalCiv2:TotA through TotalGaming.net or Stardock.com for around $29.95 (no idea if Stardock intends on boxing it for retail). GalCiv2:TotA is not a standalone expansion, so you will need both the original and 1st expansion to play it. The good new is if you lack either the original or 1st expansion (or both), you’ll have plenty of options to choose from (and a chance to save a few bucks):

Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor (2nd expansion) – $29.95
Galactic Civilizations II: Expansion Bundle (1st expansion + 2nd expansion) – $44.95
Galactic Civilizations II: Ultimate Bundle (everything) – $59.95 [coming soon]

Unfortunately, this will probably be the last expansion for GalCiv2. Stardock have also stated that if a GalCiv3 emerges, it will be years from now.

Regardless, I can’t wait to get my hands on GalCiv2:TotA. Terror Stars….mmmmm.

Via GalCiv.com

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
System: Sony PSP
Price: $50
Rated: T for Teen

The tactical RPG has held a special place in my heart as game genres go. It’s a love/hate relationship. On the one hand I hate being bored while playing games, fighting endless battles with no real goal in mind just to advance the plot. However the strategy elements, the chess-like plotting and considerations that entail fighting through a game of Final Fantasy Tactics or Advance Wars keeps me coming back.

A few years ago I stumbled upon Disgaea 2 and La Pucile Tactics, two games in this genre by NIS America. Both games had the typical turn-based tactical RPG feel to them that reminded me of the classic Final Fantasy games I’d enjoyed in the 90’s. There was one marked difference though for Disgaea – it was legitimately funny.

Not funny in the sense that it thought the mechanics were odd or something was incorrect, but laugh-out-loud funny. The characters were parodies of RPG conventions and Japanese pop-culture. This alone pushed me through the battles to the conclusion and hours of enjoyment leveling up characters and items. While Disgaea 2 was by definition a sequel game I had somehow missed the original so I sought out a used copy at my local game store only to be told by the manager I trusted that Disgaea was one of those titles that people didn’t trade in often, it got purchased quickly when a copy appeared and never seemed to come back unlike say the latest Matrix game or Madden NFL title.

That lone fact sold me even harder on the game. Why didn’t people trade this game back in? What made it a collector’s game as much as a favorite? Finally, six months later the manager called me to give me a heads up that they’d gotten a copy in on trade in good shape and that he’d hold it for me. It took a second for me to remember why I’d cared. Once that realization returned I rushed down to the retailer, put forth my money and bought the used title without looking back.
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City of Abandoned Ships is a new naval RPG in which you can take to the high seas and explore exciting new lands. Amass fortune and fame as you navigate the open seas with ruthless enemies in pursuit. In City of Abandoned Ships you’ll take the leading role as a fearless pirate in a desperate attempt to seize your rightful place as one of the most respected sea dogs in history. Starting out your buccaneering career, you can choose to go it alone and become the most feared pirate on the seven seas, terrorizing Spaniard and English gentleman alike. Or prove your loyalty and take the coin of one of four different navies: French, English, Spanish or Dutch.Sailing the high seas as a swashbuckling dread pirate or as a dashing naval captain, you will explore strange new countries and alien civilization, raid and plunder fortified ports and cities, and search for ancient treasures. But beware, the dead do not sleep easy and in the dark South American jungles myth and reality intertwine. Solve the ancient mysteries of a vanishing tribe, cross swords with the most notorious swashbucklers ever to sail the ocean blue and make sure that no foe ever sets foot on land again.

Features:

• Explore the accurately-mapped paradise of the Caribbean. Sail your tall ship around the islands of Cuba and Jamaica to Belize and Bermuda.
• Vast array of land-based locations, from dense South American jungle to dark Caribbean cave complexes.
• Meet real-life historical characters, such as Jamaican governors Colonel Thomas Lynch and Thomas Modyford.
• Take your part in quests based around actual historical events.
• Experience mirrored missions for different states – defend a Spanish territory in one instance and orchestrate a ruthless attack in another.
• Unique P.I.R.A.T.E.S system of character progression: Power, Impression, Reaction, Authority, Talent, Endurance and Success.
• Face fierce ship-to-ship combat or stand toe-to-toe with the most feared swordsmen in the Caribbean.

For more information on the game, you can check out the official website. This looks like a pretty cool new game from the folks at Akella, and possibly one that will stand out amongst all of the different “pirate oriented” games that are flooding the market. You can expect City of Abandoned Ships to be available for the PC during the first part of 2008.

An exciting discovery was unearthed today. Archaeologists uncovered an entry from the journal of one of the survivors of Hellgate: London:

When the demons came they turned everything we loved into ash and dust. A small sect of religious fanatics, long ago relegated to myth and legends, became very real to all of us that survived. They called themselves Templars, inheritors of a sect of Christian knights, an order believed dead in the middle ages. The Templars took us in, got us organized and taught us how to fight back. Some took naturally to the sword, others began to manifest abilities that could only be described as magical. These magic wielding survivors came to be known as Cabalists, summoners and evokers who seemed disposed to wield the evil magics that the demon invaders brought with them through the Hellgate. A third group soon formed among the survivors as well, collectively known as Hunters they used technology and science to combat the arcane threat. I’m no good with a sword like the Templars, and have no innate magic talent like the Cabalists, but I can turn a pile of junk into a bot in no time flat. I’m a pretty good shot too, so I signed on with the Hunters as an Engineer.
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JoWood Productions has announced an expansion to Dungeon Lords. The stand alone expansion slated for Q3 2008 will be followed by a sequel, Dungeon Lords 2 for next generation consoles and PC.

The stand alone expansion will feature a new storyline that will bridge the original title and the sequel. Dungeon Lords 2 will feature a new graphics and physics engine as well as a new quest line.

Dungeon Lords is a new breed of epic Fantasy RPG, a unique combination of RPG and Fighter game action in full 3D, featuring a deep storyline shrouded in mystery, surprise, and betrayal. Dungeon Lords is loaded with quests, personal missions, extensive skills and special abilities for customizing your own character hero from a variety of races and multiple class specializations, as you journey through an enchanted land of ancient castles, dark forests, and dungeon lairs braving an army of diabolical foes in real time action packed combat to uncover the secrets lying hidden within the depths of an evolving storyline. Dungeon Lords can be played either single-player, or in multi-player group sessions. 

via JoWooD Press Release

Atari US and their growing doubts about their ability to continue has become such a growing concern that the company is considering harsh steps to keep the company going. With funding from parent Infogrames being unlikely, it is instead considering “suspending current development projects, laying off more staff and selling its remaining intellectual property”.In an SEC filing, Atari US stated that “Historically, we have relied on Infogrames Entertainment SA to provide limited financial support to us, through loans or, in recent years, through purchases of assets, however, IESA has its own financial needs, and its ability to fund its subsidiaries’ operations, including ours, is limited. Therefore, there can be no assurance we will ultimately receive any funding from IESA. The uncertainty caused by these above conditions raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.”

Yesterday, the publisher was slammed with the news of a second quarter net loss of $7.7 million, with their net revenue dropping from $28.6 million to $13.3 million.

“We continue to explore various alternatives to improve our financial position and secure other sources of financing which could include raising equity, forming both operational and financial strategic partnerships, entering into new arrangements to license intellectual property, and selling, licensing or sub-licensing selected owned intellectual property and licensed rights,” said the publisher.

Last year, to make ends meet, Atari sold its Driver franchise and Reflections to Ubisoft, and also sold Shiny Entertainment to Foundation 9. Also last week, Atari ended a production agreement with Infogrames, and decided to concentrate on publishing and distribution in the US instead. Even with selling off bits and pieces and culling certain production agreements, the company states that further action may have to include lay-offs and halting the development of games already in the works.

“We continue to examine the reduction of working capital requirements to further conserve cash and may need to take additional actions in the near-term, which may include additional personnel reductions and suspension of certain development projects during fiscal 2008. The above actions may or may not prove to be consistent with our long-term strategic objectives, which have been shifted in the last fiscal year. We cannot guarantee the completion of these actions or that such actions will generate sufficient resources to fully address the uncertainties of our financial position.”

With a number of projects in development, including Alone in the Dark, we may soon find that games we may have been looking forward too will either be sold to other companies or axed all together. Gaming Today will keep you posted as more information on the sad state of Atari is announced.

Via: GamesIndustry.biz

I’m a fan of viral marketing campaigns, even though they’re normally elaborate ruses that usually give you no new information. So I was intrigued when I found the image above in my inbox. Considering the upcoming game will be set in Central Park, the mysterious overtones of the website, and the fact that there’s an agreement from Atari on the registration page, I’m about 99% sure this is for the new Alone in the Dark game. The website, centraldark.com, basically has video with a mini-documentary on Central Park along with a timer counting down to the next 25 days. So I’m guessing we’ll get some cool new bit of information at that time. Either that, or Atari’s branching out into the supernatural documentary industry.

SEGA’s Universe at War: Earth Assault, developed by Petroglyph, is a combat-intensive RTS game enlisting players in an epic struggle to prevent total alien domination of planet Earth. Set in the near-future when multiple factions from across the galaxy have come to Earth to wage epic warfare, the developers boast numerous features and customization options for the RTS genre. With both single-player and multiplayer battles, Universe at War: Earth Assault is set to hit the Xbox 360 in 2008, but PC users should expect it to hit shelves early December. Until that time, you can play the demo which features a tutorial and the first two Hierarchy missions, by clicking on the badge below.

More information regarding the game is listed after the break.

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Atari has announced that they will be showing some gritty love to the PS2 and the Wii with Alone in the Dark. Previously announced for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 – this new announcement is something everyone can get on board with no matter what system or console they currently own or are a fan of. With Hydravision being the developer of the PS2 and Wii versions, they are promising that they will be utilizing everything that the PS2 and Wii have to offer when the game arrives in stores during March 2008.

“Realizing the enormous ambition of Alone in the Dark is a huge technological challenge, which becomes even more demanding on Wii and PS2″ said Mathias Hautefort, Executive Vice President of publishing and production, Atari. “However, we’re certain players will be impressed with what Hydravision have achieved on the two consoles, not least with the Wii game which is perfectly adapted to the gameplay thanks to the console’s unique controllers.”

The Wii version looks pretty nice, but personally, I think I will be getting my copy for the PS3 now that I have talked my fiancé into getting me one for Christmas – which for that reason alone, I would like to send a shout out to Microsoft. Thanks for giving me a console that, after a year I have had to send back for the third time for various reasons – you solidified one of my arguments on getting a PS3. Now I will have all three consoles. Mwha ha ha ha.

If you would like to get more information regarding Alone in the Dark for PS2 and Wii, you can read the full press release after the jump.  I have also posted some screens for the Wii version.
Via: Press Release

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Atari’s been doing very poorly from a financial standpoint for some time now, with a loss of $0.54 per share during 2006 – a figure which has now increased to a loss of $0.89. With revenues at just $19.5 million last year during the same period, that number has nearly been cut in half to $10.4 million.

Things aren’t looking for the old goliath.

Executives revealed yesterday that, following a loss of $11.9 million in Q1, they cited “substantial doubt about [their] ability to continue as a going concern.”

And understandably so. The company no longer owns the rights to some of its more popular franchises, including Driver and Stuntman, and just recently the rights to Dragonball-Z were demanded back by FUNImation. As 1UP points out, the only series Atari has left are Dungeons & Dragons and Alone in the Dark, neither of which seem strong enough to keep the company afloat. At this point, it seems like more of an issue of “when,” rather than “if.”