This Thursday, GameTap has added Sam & Max Season Two Episode 2 “Moai Better Blues”. While on vacation at Easter Island they soon realize that things are about to get hairy when a volcano eruption becomes eminent. Jonathan posted his impressions on this latest adventure for the crime-fighting duo this morning, so be sure and check it out.

Jewel Craft is also new to GameTap this week, and over on GameTap TV you can get an exclusive look behind the scenes at Harmonix and Rock Band with January’s Artist of the Month – Freezepop.

With over 73 games total the rotating selection of completely free-to-play games includes fan-favorites like Sam and Max: Ep. 4 (Abe Lincoln), Psychonauts and Tomb Raider: Legend. Black Tiger has also been added to the free-to-play roster this week, so head on over to GameTap and check out the entire list.

Via: GameTap Press Release

While I’m not the biggest fan of Microsoft’s creed of “one platform to rule them all”, it is always nice to see some PC lovin’ regardless of a certain title’s decision to join forces with ‘The Empire’. Microsoft announced at CES yesterday nine titles to be branded with the Game for Windows logo. Here are the contestants:

 
Other upcoming titles (worth mentioning) that will also bear the GfW branding are: “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Funcom, Eidos Interactive), “Borderlands” (2K Games), “The Club” (SEGA), “Fallout 3” (Bethesda Softworks) and “Frontlines: Fuel of War” (THQ).

Via Gamerscore Blog

Xbox Live is always toted as the best of the best when it comes to online console services, but Crystal Dynamics’ Riley Cooper has found at least one aspect of the PlayStation Network he greatly prefers – flexibility.

“I’m very, very interested in digital distribution and the potential it has,” Cooper told GamesIndustry.biz. “PlayStation Network is extremely interesting because it’s a more flexible space.”

Cooper was the leader designer on Tomb Raider Anniversary, which was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace in several episodic chunks. He believes that PlayStation Network is a better alternative than Xbox Live for developers looking to provide full games directly to consumers thanks to the freedom it provides.

“We made an in-road with Anniversary on 360, and it was a full game essentially, but Microsoft is only slowly increasing requirements and opening up the constraints of Xbox Live. It’s been a slow process, whereas PSN hasn’t been restricted by size, they’ve just done Warhawk for example.”

It’s surprising to think that Microsoft is the one with heavy restrictions on their service, given that Microsoft is quite clearly of the opinion that digital distribution is the future. The only reason I can come up with – and it’s a long shot – is that they simply want to avoid large downloads from making it even more glaring that having such small hard drives (or none at all) in the 360 was a mistake.

Lara Croft enthusiasts can start screaming with glee now as news of her latest adventure has been plastered all over the internet. The newest installment in this lauded franchise will be called: Tomb Raider Underworld and is currently being developed by Crystal Dynamics. This will be the third time the US developer has created a Lara Croft title, and has stated that her latest excursion will take her (at least in one level) to Southern Mexico in a search to unlock the mystery of the Mayan calendar and to uncover a portal between the mortal world and the underworld.

According to the latest issue of PLAY magazine:

“Lara’s adventure takes place after the events of Tomb Raider Legend. Her adventure will be a thrill ride for anyone new to the franchise. The emphasis is on bringing Lara’s world to life, a lush, vast interactive world that reacts and remembers. It’s pure woman versus wild.”

The gaming magazine also goes on to describe some of the graphical enhancements contained in the game, by giving us a first hand account on the above mentioned level where she is traipsing through Mexico:

“In the level where Lara explores Southern Mexico, she leaves footprints in the mud, but it’s raining so they wash away. The bodies she leaves behind in combat encounters will stay, however, as will the debris from any destruction she causes.”

Regarding Underworld’s weather system, Eric Lindstrom of Crystal Dynamics had this to say:

“We developed a hybrid lighting model that combines dynamic lights with carefully created light maps to make our world look stunning in ways that none of the available methods could achieve alone.”

Eric also elaborated on the motion capture elements included in the development that will “bring a more natural fluidity to her movements, with proper weight and secondary motion.” For example, when Lara kneels down into the mud, only her knees will be caked with it, and it will gradually disappear over time.

Tomb Raider Underworld is the eighth game starring Ms. Croft, and is slated for a 2008 release. Like previous installments, you can expect it to be made available for the PC,PS3 and Xbox 360.

Check back with us often as more details are sure to emerge soon.

Thanks: Tomb Raider Chronicles

12-04-07 Update: Stephane D’Astous has commented that Deus Ex 3 will be using “the next version (next-next gen)” of the TR-Legend engine.

The boss of just opened Eidos Montreal Stephane D’Astous has revealed Deus Ex 3 will be built on the Tomb Raider: Legend engine.

Although working with Crystal Dynamics, another Eidos studio, will be a big plus for the game, D’Astous assures gamers that Deus Ex 3 won’t be rushed, spending a regular two years in development.

“We chose the Crystal engine because we plan to help develop this engine more and then share it back with the rest of the company, the other Eidos studios.” Stephane D’Astous told Develop.

“Having that technology from the start gives us a great advantage and foundation for our coders – there are no doubts about the approach, and we have few uncertainties.”

Eidos is working towards the resurrection of the Action FPS genre, looking to the original Deus Ex, the game that started it all, for inspiration.

“Deus Ex 3 is an incredible title to be working on, and will also help us attract talent. Real gamers, serious gamers. It’s a big mandate we have received – and we take it very seriously,” continued D’Astous.

“We have done our homework and we have done a lot of research into it. Our proof of concept was approved last month on our first try – I think we’ve impressed our colleagues back in the UK.”

Dues Ex burst onto the gaming scene in 2000 and still remembered as one of the finest examples of a video game ever made.

Eidos is working on Deus Ex 3 for the PC, 360 and PS3. watch the trailer here on Gaming Today.

via Eurogamer

Halloween is here, and what better way to celebrate than by paying homage to some of the most notorious ghouls and monsters to grace our PCs and consoles? Without such cannon fodder as spiders, vampires and zombies we would be condemned to just shooting our fellow man, which although fun, would get old after a while. In compiling this list, I came across some notables worthy of an honorable mention, but who have yet to become mainstream enough to cross over into different genres, and instead continue to be pigeon holed within their niche. While this list is in no way a complete list of video game baddies, it is instead a list of some of the most common miscreants to get within our pistol sites or in the vicinity of our broadsword.

These distractions on our way to victory in our gaming universe are also not listed in order of importance or occurrence rate – because face it – one is just as annoying and evil as the other. Unfortunately, these monsters never get the glory that their bosses do, because they are nothing more than expendable minions set upon our paths to deplete our life force so that the main antagonist may continue with more important matters – World Domination. In truth, they become nothing more than something for you to enjoy chopping to bits or a vessel for extra health, magic, or cash, the poor, misguided fools. So without further ado, let me introduce you to the stars of this post.

Read the full article

The biggest game to hit GameTap recently is undoubtedly Clive Barker’s Jericho, although after seeing the reviews, you might not be quite so excited to play it. If that’s the case, then maybe new additions Clans or Abomination will tickle your fancy. That’s assuming you’re a subscriber, of course, but there’s plenty of love for the freeloaders out there, too. 46 games are available to play for free, including a Sam & Max episode and Tomb Raider: Legend. Check after the break for the full list.

To celebrate Halloween, GameTap will also be home to an exclusive Clive Barker Jericho interview (which, for some reason, I doubt will discuss why the game isn’t any good) and some Castlevania games. Can’t go wrong there.

Read the full article

Eidos Interactive announced today that Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary for the Wii will contain over three hours of exclusive new content in the Wii version of the game. With over 32 million copies sold to date, the Tomb Raider franchise will finally be making its way to the Wii on November 13th, with a revamped version of the original game – which means improved graphics and next generation gameplay mechanics.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary for the Wii brings Lara to the next level by enabling a hands-on experience with “flick of the wrists” controls, an active aim combat system, and more for fans of the franchise and new adopters.

“Bringing Lara to the Wii platform has allowed us to creatively expand the Tomb Raider experience and add some really exciting and brand new game play elements” said Morgan Gray, senior producer, Crystal Dynamics. “The
additional content, cryptic challenges and motion sensitive puzzle solving require much more involved input from the player.”

New game features include; hands on challenges, an archaeologist’s tool kit, a new remote flashlight and more exclusive new content. The new tool kit allows players to break through walls, take charcoal rubbings and uncover important clues buried in dense layers of ancient rock. Players will also be able to twist the Wii remote to illuminate dark areas with Lara Croft’s new remote flashlight uncovering secrets hidden in the dark.

“This marks two important developments in the gaming industry: the coming of age of a classic franchise and the first time gamers get to physically emulate the Tomb Raider icon,” said Robert Lindsey, executive vice president of sales and marketing, Eidos, Inc. “Tomb Raider: Anniversary for the Wii will be an essential key addition to game libraries this holiday season.”

Tomb Raider Anniversary became available for the Xbox 360 yesterday, October 23rd.

Via: Press Release

While we reported yesterday on confirmation that Tomb Raider: Anniversary was still coming to the Xbox 360, we didn’t have a release date at the time. We do now, and it’s much sooner than you might think – next Tuesday, October 23 will be the day you get to revel in some old-school Tomb Raider action on Xbox 360.

Europeans have to wait an extra three days; it’ll be out over there on October 26.

For those who were hoping to enjoy Lara Croft in downloadable form, the two downloadable halves of Anniversary will be released in late November. 2400 Microsoft Points is purportedly the asking price, or $30. With retailers listing the price of the boxed version at $40, the downloadable version might be the way to go, provided of course you already have Tomb Raider: Legend and the hard drive space to spare.

Earlier this year, Tomb Raider: Anniversary – a remake of the original Tomb Raider – was released for the PS2 and PSP, with a promise of an Xbox 360 version in the works. As it turns out, Eidos intended to release it in two different forms – a regular retail copy of the game, and then a downloadable, episodic version. (The downloadable version would require a copy of Tomb Raider: Legend to play.) But the game’s September release date has come and gone, with no word or indication from Eidos on what to make of this.

That VideoGame Blog contacted Eidos and was told the game is still in the works, and official release dates should be known fairly soon. Good news for Lara fans.

via 1UP