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Razer Naga Contest Winner! Enter To Win Yours Before It's Over!

DoranM — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:05:35 GMT

Congratulations to Josh Myers who one one of the Razer Naga mice over the weekend!

Didn't win this one? No worries! There's still time to enter and we'll be giving away two more before the end of the month! The next winner will be chosen November 22nd and announced November 23rd!

Here are the details on the contest:

Razer and Curse are teaming up to outfit you with the ultimate MMO Gaming mouse - the Razer Naga! Sign up for a chance to win one of three Razer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mice and Get Imba with Razer! To get more info visit: http://www.getimba.com

Grand Prize: A Razer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mouse (3 Winners)

The Razer Naga is the ultimate Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming mouse that shifts the balance between keyboard and mouse by putting an unprecedented number of in-game commands in one place. A multi-button thumb grid and Razer's MMO game interface add-on combine to place every command you need in the palm of your hand. An ergonomic form shaped to maximize ease of use lets you game in comfort for hours on end. With the Razer Naga, you will Get Imba.

Retail value of $79.99

***1 winner selected per week

Visit the Razer Naga Contest and enter to win!

Curse Contest: Razer Naga - The Ultimate MMO Gaming Mouse!

DoranM — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:06:51 GMT

Razer and Curse.com are teaming up to outfit you with the ultimate MMO Gaming mouse - the Razer Naga! Sign up for a chance to win one of three Razer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mice and Get Imba with Razer! We'll be announcing three winners, one per week until the end of the month, so don't miss out on your chance to pick up one of these incredible Nagas!

Grand Prize: A Razer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mouse

Retail value of $79.99

For more information visit our contest and Win a Razer Naga!

Dolby Announces Beta For Chat Room Environment: Axon!

DoranM — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:31:52 GMT

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. has announced a limited beta release of its new Dolby(R) Axon desktop client software that brings surround sound voice technology to a chat room environment. Both in game and out, the software will enable gamers to naturally discern who is talking by the direction of his or her voice.

Because the software is based on the Dolby Axon 3D voice technology, users will be able to hear voice chat in surround sound--minimizing the sensation that all voices seem to come from the same location. The new software is well-suited for chat room features in online multiplayer games, and has an easy-to-use graphical interface that allows users to create, join, and interact in visual chat rooms.

Users can register for the limited beta release at http://axon.dolby.com.

"Dolby understands that people hear the world in surround sound, so it makes sense that we would enable this for an online world as well," said Matt Tullis, Senior Marketing Manager for Games at Dolby Laboratories. "Whether it's in online chat rooms or during actual game play, the ability to discern each other's voices spatially translates into a much more enjoyable experience."

As hardcore gamers ourselves, we were anxious to get our hands on this new product. We’ve given it the full run through and have listed our favorite features below. However we strongly encourage you to go and try it yourself!

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Our Favorite Features

Surround Sound Chatting: With Dolby Axon you can always tell who's talking because the voice quality is incredibly clear and members of the chat can place themselves in certain locations so the sounds, location, and tone of their voice remain constant. This makes it easy to identify who's saying what, and who's screaming for that heal!

Large Chat Rooms: You can invite up to 50 people and see them visually represented in the chat room. The sound stays clear even with that many people and the surround sound plays a big part in letting you know who's saying what, so that you can actually identify voices and it's obvious who that person is despite the larger number of people in the chat room.

Group Division: You can set up sub-rooms inside the main chat room, so if you're having a guild officer meeting, while some members are crafting and others are raiding, everyone in the guild can break off into different rooms inside the same area. This also makes it incredibly simple, and requires very little effort, to get everyone together and on the same page when you need to quickly mobilize your guild to defend or attack.

Low-Bandwidth and High quality: The bandwidth usage for Dolby Axon is extremely low, and the quality is better than you'd likely hear on a landline phone. Using Dolby Axon, nothing is lost and you gain an excellent competitive advantage!

Mercenary Wars Closed Beta #2 Starts Today!

DoranM — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:19:52 GMT

Mercenary Wars has announced their second closed beta which starts today! The beta will kick off at 5PM PST and will run through Nov. 5th. Players can still sign up at the Mercenary Wars Beta Signup Page!

This new beta test will feature all new content including a new free-for-all mode which does away with teams and places players on a map to have an all out war with each other. The player with the most kills when time ends is the winner! A new map is also featured that is ideal for a multitude of different play styles introducing lots of places to hide and great sniping locations. Three new guns round out the new content; G36K, SPAS12 and a Mac10.

Here are a few of the latest screenshots, one of a city map, and the other of the first person UI:

To learn more about the game or signup for beta visit the Mercenary Wars Beta Signup Page!

Armored Core 3 Portable Screenshots and Features!

DoranM — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:29:43 GMT

We received an update today from the folks over at Armored Core about the latest version of the game ported over to the PSP! Here's a look at the most recent press release along with features and screenshots from the game:

FromSoftware Inc. today announced that Armored Core® 3 Portable, the latest installment in its popular mecha action game series, will be available for download on the North American PlayStation®Network on October 22, 2009. The Armored Core franchise has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, and the original Armored Core 3 for PlayStation®2 has stood the test of time as a fan favorite.

In Armored Core 3 Portable, players battle as members of the mercenary organization “Raven,” piloting customizable mecha Armored Core (AC) units. The ACs are customizable with different weapons and machine parts that can be reconfigured as necessary to complete a variety of combat-intensive missions.

Features:

Over 50 action-packed missions
Enhanced menu interface and in-game visibility
Pilot a fully customizable AC unit, configuring weapons, parts, armor color and emblems
Over 200 parts available to assemble and create your own machine, including parts from the previous games in the series
PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) Ad Hoc Network support; easily battle up to four friends using a wireless connection
Challenge opponents nationwide over the Ad Hoc Party on PlayStation®3 (PS3™)
A new opponent from the Japanese Armored Core novel
Future-proof data can be saved and transferred to future Armored Core PSP titles

Armored Core 3 Portable is rated T for Teen (Violence) by the ESRB, and has a purchase price of $14.99.

L4D2 First TV Commercial Release on Curse.com!

DoranM — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:03:18 GMT

The first Left 4 Dead 2 television commercial begins airing across North America this week. The spot, created in collaboration by Valve and GameStop, highlights the exclusive in-game melee weapon (American baseball bat) offered to those who pre-order the game at GameStop. For more information, visit www.l4d.com

Here's a look at the new L4D2 TV Commercial:
(Please visit the site to view this media)

Curse Looking To Hire .Net and PHP Developers! Passion For Gaming Required!

DoranM — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:15:40 GMT

Curse is looking to hire a few new developers; and where better to hire than our own super-hecka awesome gaming community! We're looking for a .Net Web Developer and a PHP Web Developer. The requirements can be seen at the links below, but one of the most important things here at Curse is passion. Passion for what we do and what we're trying to build. If you're eager and have the knowledge required we'd love to hear from you!

PHP Developer Position Details:

Curse, Inc is seeking a talented PHP web developer to join its Huntsville-based team, for the ongoing development of Curse's PHP based fan site network. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone with a passion for online gaming, and an interest in continuing development on some of the web's most popular sites.

Click here for more information on the PHP Developer Position.

.Net Position Details:

Curse, Inc is seeking a talented .Net web developer to join its Huntsville-based team, for the ongoing development of Curse's web platform. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone with a passion for online gaming, and an interest in developing the world's leading online gaming portal.

Click here for more information on the .Net Developer Position.

New Cities XL Post-Launch Trailer!

DoranM — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:04:28 GMT

Cities XL has relelased a new trailer to celebrate their recent launch! The new trailer gives viewers a glimpse at some of the choices you make while playing Cities XL.

Cities XL enables gamers to develop cities on realistic 3D maps, which feature a variety of environments from mountain ranges to beaches and islands. The cities you will build are based on American, Asian and European-influenced architectural styles. You must create the right combinations of job opportunities, social services, leisure activities, and special events within your cities in order to keep your citizens occupied and happy. Whether you're planning and building a new zoo, public park, residential neighborhood or transit system, there's always a fresh and exciting challenge for would-be city managers and mayors in Cities XL.

Here's a look at the most recent game trailer:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

New Eyewear Crafted Specifically For Gamers!

DoranM — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:09:12 GMT

We have received a press release from Gunnar Optiks about a new line of eyewear they're launching that specifically caters to gamers and people who use computers for long periods of time, so basically...gamers! Gunnar Optiks specializes in eyewear that gives human visual systems a higher level of performance in front of any digital screen. They're currently working on research and studies to show how the eyewear helps with headaches, migraines, and overall strain on the eyes during extended screen usage times.

Some of the results experienced by gamers and fans of Gunnar eyewear include:

• An increase in visual resolution
• An increase in contrast
• Sharper, clearer vision
• A reduction in glare and reflective light
• A decrease in eye fatigue
• Higher humidity levels surrounding the eyes
• A reduction in the effects related to dry eyes
• An increase in effectiveness, productivity and performance

You can check out Gunnar Testimonials to hear what other gamers and industry professionals think about these glasses!

L4D2 Announces Scavenge Mode - New Screenshots!

DoranM — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:46:32 GMT

Left 4 Dead 2's release is just around the corner and they're starting to release more and more information about this new title! Today they've announced Scavenge, the fourth game mode to be included in its upcoming zombie thriller, Left 4 Dead 2.

Scavenge mode challenges players to compete in round-based games of up to 8 players (Survivors vs. Infected). The Survivors must battle both the Infected and the clock as they collect gas cans to refuel a generator located in each map. Every can the Survivors pour into the generator scores their team a point and adds time to the clock.

On defense, the Infected team plays as the boss Infected (including the new Spitter, Jockey, and Charger). They must keep the Survivors from fueling the generator by attacking them, destroying the gas cans, or running out the clock. During a round, each team gets an opportunity to play both sides, with the round going to whichever team successfully delivers the most cans.

Coming exclusively to Xbox 360 and PC, L4D2 promises to set a new benchmark for co-operative action games and become one of 2009's marquee titles. Set for release on November 17, the title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and more.

L4D2 also introduces the AI Director 2.0, adding the ability to procedurally change weather effects, world objects, and pathways in addition to tailoring the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players' performance. The result is a unique game session custom-fitted to provide a satisfying and uniquely challenging experience each time the game is played.

Finally, with new Survivors, boss zombies, weapons, and items, Left 4 Dead 2 offers a much larger game than the original, featuring more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, new Survival maps, and a brand new competitive mode all available at launch.

Here's a look at the latest L4D2 Screenshots:

For more information, visit www.l4d.com!

Left 4 Dead 2 Pre-Order Details Announced!

DoranM — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:09:56 GMT

Valve has announced the pre-order details for L4D2! It turns our players will receive early access and an in-game item! Players can cash in their early access and start on or around October 27th!

Here are the official details for the L4D2 pre-order offer:

Oct 2, 2009 - Valve, creator of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced pre-order details for its upcoming action thriller, Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2).

tarting now, those who pre-order L4D2 from participating retailers (PC, Xbox 360) or via Steam (PC) will receive early access to the Left 4 Dead 2 demo (currently targeted for October 27) plus an exclusive in-game item - the American baseball bat, one of the 10 new melee weapons included in the game.

In addition, Steam and participating retailers are offering a 10% savings to those who pre-order.

Check steamgames.com or your favorite retail outlet for more details.

Command and Conquer 4 Updates and Development Blogs!

DoranM — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:09:11 GMT

Command & Conquer is due to release early in 2010, and they've just sent us a batch of updates to get you excited about the game!

The new CommandandConquer.com has website launched! If you're a fan of C&C this will serve as your new stomping ground. Be sure to browse around to view the updated screenshots/wallpapers section, a new Hot Seat video with Joe Kucan, a new Designer Blog from Jeremy Feasel, a pre-order survey, and lots of other cool features!

There are also two new development Q&A's posted for the game that will address lots of recent community questions!
Take a look:

o Developer Q&A #1

o Developer Q&A #2

Curse Interview with GDC Board Members About GDC Austin 2009!

DoranM — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:45:01 GMT

We were recently able to sit down with Rich Vogel, Studio Director and Co-GM for Bioware Austin, and Eugene Evans, from the Marketing department at EA. Both of these gentlemen have been involved in the Game Developers Conference for years and recently sat down with us, here at Curse, to discuss how this years' conference will relate to MMO's and what aspects of the conference might be the most beneficial to developers. The conference will take place this year in Austin from Sept. 15th-18th and play host to a variety of informative sessions designed to facilitate the sharing of information and techniques between developers and industry leaders. There will also be keynote speakers, including John Smedley from SOE, that will be speaking about the future of the industry, and sharing their insight and experiences with those in attendance.

You can find our more about GDC Austin at the official website.

Here's a look at the Curse.com GDC Austin Interview with Rich Vogel(RV) and Eugene Evans(EE):

Curse: Gentlemen if you could please briefly introduce who you are, and your relationship with GDC?

RV: I'm Rich Vogel and I am the current Studio Director, Co-GM for BioWare Austin.

EE: And I am Eugene Evans; I am responsible for marketing over here at Mythic which is another EA studio. I was involved since I believe that first year of AGDC but I took couple of year's hiatus on the board because I had a product to ship. So, but I have been involved early on as well.

Curse: Sounds good, okay. Our first question is, if there seems to be a running trend for this years GDC Austin, it seems to be how the game(no pun intended) has changed when comes to making successful MMO's. Our keynotes are talking about new and innovative ways to market, such as PlayFish using social media and Sony doing some different types of research for Free Realms. With these types of keynotes what exactly is the message that GDC is trying to send to attendees about MMO development?

EE: The conference has always had an online focus, and the nature of online gaming has broadened and you know the way I come into to get on it and early discussion was you really see two different things going on. You have this web, web 2.0, social network world that brought networks of friends together who are figuring out that one of the things friends like to do together is play games and they are struggling to figure out what that means. And then from the other direction you have got people with a history such as, you know, myself or Rich who have been involved in what is historically the hardcore business starting to go "huh, there is often lot of people playing interesting games in some of these social networks" and you know, we are all seeking answers in the same way that hopefully all of these attendees to the conference will and we wanted to give forum to people who hopefully have some of those answers. A show like this should be educational and also generate a dialogue and I think that we have got some great speakers who are doing some interesting new things and by the nature of them being prepared to turn up at the show or prepare to talk about it and hopefully back up a lot of their experience with facts and real world examples.

Curse: That's actually a great lead into the next question. What are some of the specific sessions that will address exactly what you are talking about, you know, being a community MMO's specifically. Who will you guys have talking about it and what will some of the important sessions be for it?

RV: We have quite a few sessions on, we have community and social networking track, which has people talking about community development and social networking as sessions and then within design track we talk... We have people coming from Free Realms as well as Maple Story, and they will be talking about their experience with a different model and a more casual audience model and how successful they've been and they are going to talk about design challenges and things like that. Then arguably, from the other side of it, we have speakers from places like GamerDNA, who are trying to build one of these social networks for gamers too. I think are going to give a great deal insight into what they have been able to, either infer, or actually monitor as far as the behavior of these sort of players. You know, the guy who plays WOW or Warhammer or another big MMO are just as likely to be going off and playing Panzer or Zombies for many hours, which you could argue as casual, but isn't really. As we're all getting together to look at the proposed panel, we are looking for people who are doing interesting things in this space and have data and experience to back it up.

Curse: If you were to pick three of the core ideas that you think attendees and developers will come away with this year, what would they be?

RV: I think the key one is that our, our world is changing and that, you know these hardcore MMO's that we look at WOW 10 million subscriber number and you look at Maple Story 24 million subscriber number, not subscriber, but registered users, you kind of see that the broader reach games actually reach further than others do. And so these games, I think it's really important to people that they get a good take away and they say "wow things are changing" and it's not that you can't do a hardcore MMO anymore, it's that you can't get away with some of the things you got away with a long time ago, because there is a different audience today than there was three or four years ago playing these games.

EE: Yes there are so many more varieties of experience that we can deliver and we are going to learn from the web guys, and the web guys are going to learn from the gaming guys and we are all going learn because there are a lot of new things that are imagined here.

RV: Yeah, and the good thing about this conference is actually bring in the talent here to speak so people can get a good understanding of where things are heading basically, and also share some of their experiences with people who are currently have a lot of good online experience they can share back with them.

Curse: What feedback have you gotten from previous GDC events that you use to come up with things you want to address for this event?

RV: We generally look at feedback. So we generally look at feedback that people give us in the conference and we also look at trend, so we look around, we see Playfish and others that are doing very well with these social games, you know restaurant, city and the like, and we say okay that's kind of new and unique. So let's bring that kind of talent and bring it over here to talk about what they are doing and what their experiences are. In that way we can share it with the group, because again that's an emerging new area that's coming up and about in the social networking stream. So, we kind of look for new trends, we also look for stuff that's being going on and what people have learned and talk about, because there's a lot of stuff today we are doing that's irrelevant, that's relevant as well, that's very interesting to talk about at the conference too. Because what's interesting is those people have never probably met people who do hardcore RPG, MMORPG and they actually do, they can talk about all lessons learned and apply that to their games as well, and vice versa. So it's a good way of stirring the pot.

Curse: What is the criteria that's used to kind of modify some of the sessions and things that you have. So let's say you are going out looking at Playfish, what criteria do you use to say okay this is something I think we need to integrate into our program?

RV: Well I look at how many users they have, how big a deal it is and what kind of impact it has in the world today, and then we evaluate if we'd want to see them if we were attending this conference.

EE: Well actually we are very selfish about this. All the board members are people who are trying to get a job done and need the answers themselves. So it could be an audience made up of just board member requests and we'd have an excellent demographic.

RV: Yeah that's true, but it is I mean the basic thing is to make the conference dynamic and changing with the times is very critical to us and that to us it's about content. That's really what draws people and because we are, you know, we are kind of a nice size for a conference. We have the ability to do that in a, being in a not huge environment, if you understand what I am saying. It's kind of nice, it's tight, it's a smaller environment.

EE: We have kept it to a fairly singular vision of online.

RV: Yeah very focused. And actually people like that, who attend as well. But I think content has got to be king. We have to try really good content to bring people. And one of the criteria's, as Eugene says, we were kind of selfish is "would I attend that conference, would I attend that talk" is one of our criteria. Would I find that interesting?

Curse: That sounds like a great way to do it! All right so obviously sharing knowledge and networking is a pretty important thing when it comes to GDC Austin. What is the event this year specifically doing to foster social networking, as far as people meeting each other and finding the right connections to get business done?

RV: We have implemented MyGDC sort of application which will be applied to here, which helps people network together. One of the good things about this conference because its small, it's a lot easier to socialize and because of its size and it's focused right. So one of the good things about this conference in the past, I've seen, is a lot of people network very well here and there is a lots of parties that are happening. There is lots of social things that are going on, and they get people interested and start reaching out. The bigger thing I think is, you know, when I see new people to this business coming in, there is a lot of very good knowledge here and people here that they can meet and talk to and get their cards. I mean as far as the mechanisms to do that, the only thing I know is MyGDC is the area, that allows people to start and connect with each other.

Curse: Can you tell us about some of the more interesting MMO focus panels that will be coming out this year? What's like the one must-see panel that people who are interested in this and MMO's should see?

EE: We have 3 very strong keynotes that will all be must-see sessions and I think at the end of the 3 of them, you'll have a really broad view on where the online gaming space is, with WoW at one end, Free Realms at another end of the triangle, and the Playfish guys in a whole different space. There's 3 corners of an interesting triangle of game development in the online space right there.

RV: Yeah, it's kind of cool because you have your really hardcore RPG, which I call hardcore but it really isn't, it's WoW and Everquest, and all the others that are out there, War, all kind of going to that one end, and then you have the social networking site which is Playfish, and then you have the Free Realms site which is very casual kid's games, so we definitely cover with those 3 keynotes what we try to do, is a different perspective on the online market. And we have some very good sessions on the social networking and community one. We try to make sure that we have some very, very good, very good sessions on all the tracks that we have. Everything from production management to design.

Curse: If you had any advice to give attendees this year, and being GDC's a pretty short event, there's lots and lots to see. What would be a good way to spread out your time so you get as much as possible?

RV: Yeah, so I would say if I were attacking it, I would look in design track and what I would look for is something that you think, not, something new, right, something innovative in that. In each track I'd actually do that, if you want a good overview, then I would go to the, you know, beginner sessions and mid-level sessions, and not the higher end ones. Get a really good smattering of each discipline is what I would do. If I was a designer, I'd definitely handle more design tracks. If I was a programmer, I'd actually go to more programming and security, and I may even attend a customer service track because that's more important to me as a programmer too right? So yeah, my advice for anybody to get out of GDC is look at the sessions, pick something that interests you in each one, and get a kind of a balance, right? If you especially look for new and innovative ideas, like micro-transaction. If you don't understand that, then there's some really good sessions in design, production, management and business side, as well as CS4 side that I would actually go to on that.

Thank you Rich Vogel(RV) and Eugene Evans(EE) for sitting down with us to discuss GDC Austin 2009!

You can find our more about GDC Austin at the official website.

Dragon Age: Origins Voice Over Video With Tim Curry!

DoranM — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:02:24 GMT

We previously posted about the Dragon Age: Origins star-studded voice over cast. We've received a video featuring footage of Tim Curry’s and Kate Mulgrew’s voiceover recording sessions, plus interviews with Curry and Dragon Age: Origins lead writer David Gaider!
Here's a look at the video showing some of the voice over actors hard at work:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

In Dragon Age: Origins, players take on the role of a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians who have served as protectors throughout the centuries. Only they have the power to unite the shattered lands, defeat the Archdemon and drive back the darkspawn that threaten to destroy the world. Players will interact with many interesting characters who may join them in their quest, and they will choose whether these characters become friends, foes, or even a romantic interest. Featuring a deep and compelling story where every choice can have a dramatic impact on the game, Dragon Age: Origins is scheduled to release on November 3, 2009 in North America, for the PC and Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and later in November for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Halo Reach - Not the Last Halo From Bungie?

DoranM — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:44:09 GMT

Halo Reach might not be the last Halo game from Bungie! Earlier this month Bungie had said that Halo Reach would be the last Halo title they'd create. Now they're more-or-less retracting that statement by saying they just don't know at this point.

IndustryGamers.com had this to say about the possibility of another Halo:

Last month Halo developer Bungie commented that Halo Reach would be the last Halo title to come from the studio. Bungie senior designer Lars Bakken noted that "in terms of Bungie-produced Halo games, ODST and then Reach is probably all you're going to get." Now, however, Bungie seems to be backtracking on that statement.

Speaking to Videogamer, community and pr director Brian Jarrard commented, "The clarification is we just don't know at this point. I'm not really able to speculate on what we're going to do after Reach. I wouldn't confirm or deny at this point. We're really excited to get Reach out the door. Beyond that, we're not at liberty to say right now what's next. I think there's a lot of work just to get Reach done between now and next fall. At that point anything's possible. We're going to keep looking at making the games we want to make. Maybe that's Halo. Maybe it's not. We'll have to wait and see."

One of the main reasons Bungie reworked their deal with Microsoft to become independent is to have the creative freedom to work on whatever they want. Most of the studio probably wants to work on some new IP, but as Jarrard says, "anything's possible," especially if Microsoft throws a boatload of money Bungie's way.