This update is for the retail copy of Torchlight. Steam, D2D or other digitally downloaded versions are not compatible.

http://www.filefront.com/14872081/Torchlight-v1.2-Patch/

Grab the patch notes after the break

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I have to admit to having a healthy dose of skepticism about Batman: Arkham Asylum. After all, the history of superhero-based video games isn’t exactly all rosy and happy. Just in recent times, there’s been a good Hulk game, a bad Hulk game, an Iron Man game with horrid controls, and a Wolverine game that was actually quite good.

My trepidation was somewhat relieved when I got my hands on the demo and found it to have great atmosphere, great pacing, and great voice acting. Now I’ve had my chance to play the full game, and in short, it far exceeds any expectations I had.

Arkham Asylum opens as Batman transports his arch-nemesis, The Joker, to Arkham Asylum. Soon after arriving there, the Joker breaks free of his restraints and takes over the asylum, leaving Batman to pursue him through a myriad of obstacles the Joker puts in his path.

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Telltale is bringing a new generation of gamers fresh Tales of Monkey Island. The new episodic adventure games plays like Sam & Max or Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People. That is to say it plays like the original classic point-and-click adventure game, the Secret of Monkey Island. For the maiden voyage of Tales of Monkey Island, Telltale presents the first of five monthly episodes, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal available today for the PC or as WiiWare..

I’m a veteran of the Monkey Island series. Although I’m really looking forward to the re-imagined Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition coming out later this summer, I was very excited about new stories featuring Guybrush Threepwood, and those mysterious monkeys. I can honestly tell you that Telltale has done an excellent job retaining the bumbling, yet witty and sarcastic Guybrush Threepwood and the ensemble of characters that keep this setting fresh almost 20 years after the first game launched.

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Last week we saw the id/Bethesda merger under parent company ZeniMax Media and there was much rejoicing, but what if Electronic Arts merged its two online game developers into one giant super developer wouldn’t that raise some eyebrows and be general cause for mass excitement?

Well that actually happened as the publishing giant reorganized a bit putting RPG mavens Bioware and long time MMO developers Mythic in the same division. While the two studios will remain mostly autonomous for the time being, they now both have a single reporting line up the chain to the big bosses and money men. That single leader? Bioware’s Dr. Ray Muzyka.

Dr. Muzyka’s ascencion to the head of the organization basically also points to the exit of Mythic’s longtime leader Mark Jacobs. According to Jacob’s blog the MMO pioneer is taking a sabatical for awhile and he leaves with a classy ‘I’m not going to dish on anything, I’m just going to thank folks and peacefully step aside’ sort of announcement – a classy response that we don’t get to see so often these days.

Regarding the future path of the now combined studio’s efforts, Dr. Muzyka indicated in an official response over on IGN that:

Anything’s possible. We can’t say it wouldn’t happen. There’s no active plans, currently to do that, but the teams at Mythic and BioWare I know from talking to all of them, they’re really excited about working together, so I think that fuels a lot of cool things.

Warhammer: Age of Reckoning is still holding strong in the WoW dominated MMO market while Bioware’s first effort – the much anticipated Star Wars: The Old Republic is still a ways off. Mythic has a lot of experience that could help the minds at Bioware pull off their vision of Star Wars and maybe even put a dent in the Warcraft numbers but only time will tell if this pairing will be all it seems.

In the past year or so, we’ve seen some big mergers and acquisitions in the gaming industry. Activision and Blizzard’s merger was the big news, but there have been others. Today, another newsworthy acquisition was announced.

ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks, has acquired id Software. This acquisition puts franchises like Fallout 3, Oblivion, Doom, Quake, and RAGE under one roof. The best news out of all of this is that all of the principals at id Software have signed long term contracts, meaning that id will continue to operate under the same management going forward.

In discussing the deal, id Technical Director and industry icon John Carmack said, “This puts id Software in a wonderful position going forward. We will now be able to grow and extend all of our franchises under one roof, leveraging our capabilities across multiple teams while enabling forward looking research to be done in the service of all of them. We will be bigger and stronger, as we recruit the best talent to help us build the landmark games of the future. As trite as it may be for me to say that I am extremely pleased and excited about this deal, I am.”

So, what sort of speculation can we make because of this deal? Bethesda games driven by id engines? That would seem to be a logical step, wouldn’t you think? What do you think this news means to the future of the two companies?

You can read the full text of the press release after the break.

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Here’s a heads up for fans of  ArmA II and World in Conflict. It’s time to update you games with the latest patches.

ArmA II continues the series that features in-depth team based conflict using an engine that has been used to train military troops. This game is one of those that enjoys a strong, talented mod community which helps keep it ever fresh. ArmA2 v. 1.02 Retail Patch is packed with tweaks improvements listed after the break.

World in Conflict is a real-time strategy offering players 3D battlegrounds and DirectX 10 graphics. It also enjoys a robust modding community. The World in Conflict 1.010 to 1.011 Retail Patch brings four new multiplayer maps into play along with some major re-balancing and bug fixes. The full patch notes are listed after the jump.
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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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This is the first time in 4 years that I’ve not been scrambling and hurrying to get things ready for my trip to E3. I wish I could say I was disappointed because there is the faint chance that this year E3 might be something more akin to a sane version of my first visit to the LA convention center in 2006.

However I can’t help wondering why E3 excites anyone anymore.

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Wallace & Gromit Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees is up on Xbox Live Arcade. The inaugural episode of Telltale’s new Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures series takes the absent-minded inventor and his pooch on an adventure of epic proportions as Wallace tries to boost  honey production for his latest business venture by super sizing his bees. Gamers will fill both Wallace and Gromit’s shoes to sort out the titanic mess and restore peace to their quaint English neighborhood.

Wallace & Gromit is a family friendly, but still enjoyable for the adult crowd. The humor is very British and ocasionally cheesy so be prepared .

Each Wallace & Gromit episode has German, French and Spanish subtitles and runs for 800 Microsoft points. All four episodes will make it to XBLA over the next few months. PC gamers who love Sam and Max or Strong Bad, and want to play Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Adventures can pick up the episodes directly from Telltale. More specifics from the press release follow the break.

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Finnish developer Recoil Games have released the first screenshots of its upcoming ‘when nature goes wrong’ inspired 3d shooter Earth No More. Powered by a heavily modified Unreal Engine 3, the screens (above) show off the game’s Crysis-like graphics. However, very little of the game itself is known at this time.

What little we do know is that the game takes place in a small New England town that has been quarantined due to a mysterious outbreak. The player will assume the role of Will Foster/Forsythe, a DHS chemical weapons specialist, initially responding to a gas attack on Washington, D.C. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the gas-attack is nothing but a government cover-up devised to hide the truth: plants are taking over the world. Poisonous red vines have spread throughout the region simultaneously strangling and terra-forming the environment. It is up to the main character, who will be joined by four other characters, to survive the apocalyptic threat of environmental extinction. Conversation paths similar to Mass Effect will presented to substantiate the game’s character driven story. Multiplayer and co-op options have also been put on the table.

Recoil Games is founded by Remedy Entertainment (Max Payne) co-founder Samuli Syvahuoko.

Also worth note is that Scott Miller’s Radar Group will be producing the game. Many of you may recognize his name in association with the now defunct 3D Realms (Duke Nukem Forever).

When recently asked if the recent closure of 3D Realms will have any effect on the game’s development, Recoil Games responded “No, the situation at 3D Realms has no effect on us or Earth No More.”

Recoil Games and Radar Group plan to release the game for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 at a future date yet to be announced.