EA is releasing DLC from the 2009 Warped Tour for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. There are five master tracks from featured bands A Day to Remember, Bad Religion, Chiodos, Escape the Fate and Underoath. This year’s Warped Tour includes BMX and pro-skating exhibitions and these thrashing tracks are just thing to accompany extreme sports. You’ll be able to pick up these hard rocking tracks as a pack for $8.49 (680 Microsoft Points) or individually for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) June 23 on the Xbox 360 and June 24 for the PS3. Here’s sampling of these tracks for your listening pleasure.

For those of you who like it on the lighter side, a trio of Maroon 5 tracks will also be available. “Little of Your Time,” “Makes Me Wonder” and “Wake Up Call” come as a pack for $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) or at the usual individual price.

For the full list of masters and music videos for A Day to Remember “The Downfall of Us All” and Maroon 5 “Wake up Call” follow the jump
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What if you could play as a walking war-machine construct? A golem of destruction with a pure heart and good soul? This concept might fit naturally into a modern sci-fi setting or even some good old space opera, but a number of years ago – in an attempt to spice things up and introduce some new ideas - Wizards of the Coast sponsored a contest to find its next D&D campaign setting.

Greyhawk, The Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Ravenloft and the various other settings apparently just weren’t as marketable. The company wanted some fresh, new ideas. This opportunity became a chance to let the amateur and professional developers compete to see whose concept would become the next official D&D setting.

The result of that contest was Eberron – a fantasy world in keeping with the core of Dungeons & Dragons, but one that turned things on its ear just a bit with concepts like – Halfling plainsmen riding dinosaurs, living constructs, shapeshifters as player races and adding a very Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider pulp feel to its core adventures placing players in a world that operates on magic, outside the fantasy constraints of pseudo-medieval Europe or even an Asian fantasy amalgam.

Eberron was built around a different mythology and cosmic organization. There exists magic powered public transportation, airships and great dungeons of fallen civilizations alongside an invading alien force and mysterious magical elf ancestors who refuse to go off into antiquities and instead guide the path of the entire elvish race.
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I know that there are several fans of the Battlefield series that wondered if there would ever be a proper PC sequel Battlefield 2. After all, DICE has been concentrating on console development of late, with the release of Battlefield: Bad Company last year, and the imminent release of Battlefield 1943 on PlayStation Network and XBox Live, not to mention the targeted release later this year of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Well, it’s time for a big sigh of relief. According to G4, development of Battlefield 3 has been officially confirmed.

It seems that John Pleasants, Chief Operating Officer of Electronic Arts, had the following to say in a presentation at the William Blair Growth Stock Conference, confirming that he’s seen Battlefield 3,

“I’ve had the luxury of looking at Battlefield 3 over at DICE in Sweden and was highly impressed by the way the team is working on that product. Of course, that’s not [coming out] in the fiscal year, but that is a product that is looking very good.”

So, no worries, PC shooter fans. The penultimate military shooter is indeed headed back to your platform of choice. It looks like it won’t arrive until later in 2010, but there is light on the horizon at last. Here’s hoping that it hews closer to the line of Battlefield: Vietnam, my personal favorite of all the Battlefield titles.

In wake of recent announcement that Valve would be releasing Left 4 Dead 2 this November, a small part of its community has responded with reception that would otherwise seem warm only to a zombie’s touch. The Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott Steam Community Group is not only upset with the recent announcement of a L4D sequel, but they feel that, no thanks to Valve, they have literally been Left 4 Dead. The group is not only a representation of L4D fans willing to boycott the full-blown sequel come November, but it also serves as a movement to educate the masses and point out repercussions a timely sequel will have on the present day L4D community.

Glancing at their Steam Community page, the group’s leaders have even gone to the trouble of establishing a manifesto outlining major points in their global argument that having a L4D sequel right now is a bad idea. Major points in the manifesto that stick out are that the group are foremost believers in Valve’s dedication to improving its past and current products, that until L4D2 hits shelves judgment can not be made, and that L4D2 will essentially split the community. I’ve copied and pasted the entire manifesto at the tail of this article.

The Left 4 Dead 2 boycott movement is, as of today, 20,000+ and growing strong. They have sent their manifesto to Valve. They have established a moderated public forum from which anyone can voice their opinions (assuming you behave). While this particular editor (and fellow zombie annihilator) will not be joining their ranks, I do find their sincerity and professionalism quite refreshing. They are off to a good start and I wish them luck.

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I’ve been a fan of the Battlefield series since BF1942 launched way back in 2002. I have to admit to being at least moderately excited about the upcoming release of Battlefield 1943.

Sure, it’s just a downloadable game for consoles, but BF: Bad Company was a blast, and BF1943 is based on the same Frostbite engine. Sure, it’s just a remake of some classic maps for BF 1942, but they were great maps!

Anyway, on the back of this month’s gamesTM magazine (a German games publication) you can find an ad for Battlefield 1943. In that ad, it lists the release date for the game as June 25 on Playstation Network and XBox Live.

Here’s hoping that’s entirely accurate. You can find that ad after the break.

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LucasArts has gamers setting sale for Monkey Island in two new updates of this classic adventure series. Guybrush Threepwood is coming at you in new episodic adventures from the creative team behind Sam & Max and Strong Bad, Telltale. Gamers can enjoy Tales of Monkey Island in five months of brand new swashbuckling adventures for the PC and WiiWare

The word on the web on the Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition has turned out great for Money Island fans. gamers will get to meet all their favorite characters from the Secret of Money Island in there-imagined first adventure of Guybrush Threepwood with HD graphics and full voiceovers. Learn the art of insult sword fighting with Guybrush to a new musical score. The game will be out for the Xbox 360 and PC.

Get the full details on Tales of Monkey Island and the Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition from the press release following the break. There’s also word of an easter egg included on the upcoming Wii version of Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings.

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Seems like a poster over on the F13 forums was told by a job recruitment type not to mention the fact that he plays MMOs. Supposedly, the recruiter told him that one of the employers he consults for specifically asked not to be sent people who play World of Warcraft.

According to the post:

I met with a recruiter recently (online media industry) and in conversation I happened to mention I’d spent way too much time in the early 2000s playing online games, which I described as “the ones before World of Warcraft” (I went nuts for EQ1, SWG and the start of WoW, but since 2006 I have only put a handful of days into MMOG playing - as opposed to discussing them - I’ve obsessed over bicycles and cycling instead).

He replied that employers specifically instruct him not to send them World of Warcraft players. He said there is a belief that WoW players cannot give 100% because their focus is elsewhere, their sleeping patterns are often not great, etc.

I mentioned that some people have written about MMOG leadership experience as a career positive or a way to learn project management skills, and he shook his head. He has been specifically asked to avoid WoW players.

For one thing, I can understand this on some level, but so what if it is a videogame? It could be a number of things that the person does when not at work that can lead to being a less than suitable employee. There is excessive drinking, whoring, knitting, dog training, working out, getting high all night, MMO grinding, reading into all hours of the night, clubbing, your kids myriad of different sporting events you have to attend, a TV marathon of “My Big Redneck Wedding”, the wife/husband/mother-in-law bitching and yelling all night, insomnia, chronic masturbation habits, just being a crap employee– a number of things can make a person less worthwhile on the job. Don’t just blame MMOs, and if you have hired a load of people who play these games for your company, that means you are an industry that appeals to gamer types any way so get used to it. It could just as easily be some multiplayer “shoot em up” on Xbox LIve that is keeping them up all night.

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After a renewed start we had an interruption these last few weeks but rest assured Filefront is still hosting and promoting all the great user created and hosted content contributed to us. We return with a double length post highlighting some great mods and files for quite a few outstanding games including usual suspects like Half-Life 2, the Battlefield games and of course one of my favorite series “that I am really no good at yet still enjoy” - Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War

Highlights from this week’s column include mods for:

• Doom III - Wrathchild Act I (not ROE compatible), Revised Alphalabs
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - A Provost of the Nine Divines, More Nord Beards
• Battlefield 2 - Operation Peacekeeper, Allies Intent Extended
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Ballistics Mod
• Far Cry 2 - new maps: MP_Surf & Gold Rush

There are also links to other maps, mods and patches for many of your favorite PC modifiable games. Be sure to check it all out after the jump.

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Fans of the Gothic games from German developer Piranha Bytes have kind of been in the dark a bit regarding their upcoming project Risen. The company has been a bit hush-hush over details for the game, especially now that they have split with publisher JoWood–however, thanks to a little prodding from the folks over at PixelRage, we now know a little bit more.

During an interview with Piranha Bytes’ Ralf Marczinczik, the graphic designer skipped over a few questions regarding release dates, major details, and what sorts of enemies you will face. While this sort of secrecy is pretty standard for upcoming games, Ralf did give them a bit of information on the current status of the RPG and just slightly more than the teaser site shows you regarding the plot.

Pixel : When are we going to see Risen / what is the current status ?
Ralf Marczinczik : We are entering the polishing and debugging phase with alarming speed.

Pixel : Is it still an CRPG ?
Ralf Marczinczik : Of course. You also have multiple careers you can follow and have the endings according to your actions.

Pixel : Can you drop some details on the story ?
Ralf Marczinczik : Nope. Just the stuff you´ve already read elsewhere. You wake up on a mysterious island and have to learn your way around. The inquisition is already on to something - but I can´t spoil that too early. (NR - They’re going to get wacked if they leak too much…

Pixel : Who’s gonna be the baddies ? Orcs /demons / some other evil spawns ?
Ralf Marczinczik : I am sworn to secrecy, sorry. I really don´t wanna loose my job.

Pixel : With Gothic you set the standard for realism with a living-breathing world, character schedules, consequences, etc. In what area are you going to amaze the world this time ?
Ralf Marczinczik : You have tremendous detail in the world- and lot´s of stuff to explore. And all this is set by hand. No random elements like some other games. Very controlled and tastefully arranged. And of course you have to take into your consideration, that we also have to deliver the standard GFX-FX that people expect from a game like this.

Pixel : What size is the gameworld going to be ? Is it a long and epic game ?
Ralf Marczinczik : A bit Bigger that Gothic one- but definetly not as big as Gothic 3. And yes - it´s quite an epic journey with long hours to play around…

You can read the full interview over on PixelRage, which also has three screens of the game. Hopefully, the folks over at Piranha Bytes will soon be a bit more forthcoming with the goods because while gamers love a good tease, they can get a bit cranky if left in the dark too long.

It’s one thing for a company to announce they’re laying off a bunch of employees; it’s quite another to have an employee reveal financial issues that everyone in the company has noticed. Factor 5 artist, Sam Baker, has apparently noted the developer’s economic problems in a blog post — that has since been removed — citing the loss of some benefits, the cancellation of projects, and the fact that no one has been paid in awhile:

“I find out no one at Factor 5 had been paid in a month…. and we weren’t going to any time soon…If we left, there would have been no hope in F5 staying afloat. We had faith in the projects and the company, so there was no reason to bail just yet…

“Then we lost health care. Ok, who needs it? If we’re going to eventually be paid, some sacrifices would be worth it. I had my own on the side, so I wasn’t sweating it. Then things turned bad…

“Without proper funding on the project I was working on, the company was forced to stop production…The president of the company basically told us that if we didn’t receive funding in 1 week, all of us should move on and look elsewhere for another job. I had no idea how bad this economy was getting until something like this affected me personally, and yea, it sucks. I have 1 more week left at Factor 5.”

Baker has since deleted the blog post in question, but it can still be found cached here. He also replaced it with a note saying that certain projects at the company are still doing well and that some of the financial problems were related to the demise of Brash Entertainment, one of their partners. Still, it’s looking like the Factor 5 house isn’t too stable at the moment, and with other developers dropping left and right due to the economy, I wouldn’t get too attached to them.