LucasArts creative director resigns

Creative director Clint Hocking has left LucasArts and is "moving on to something new."

Hocking broke the news today on his blog, saying that he already has a position waiting for him.

"I will let the world know where I am going once I get there," he said.

Hocking joined LucasArts after leaving Ubisoft in 2010 and worked there on an unannounced project. Previously he contributed to the original Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and Far Cry 2.

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Indie game Little Inferno announced

Tomorrow Corporation has announced their upcoming game, Little Inferno.

The studio consists of World of Goo's Kyle Gabler and Allan Blomquist and Henry Hatsworth's Kyle Gray. They have been working on the title for "what seems like a very long time."

Little Inferno should be ready by winter and will release on multiple platforms.

"We’ve been quiet about this game so far to avoid being another lost adorable indie game that never materializes — but now we’re almost done!" the developers wrote on their blog.

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Gamers starting to get irritated by a lack of Steam Sale announcement

Summer is a wondrous time. A time when kids are out of school and are able to spend their times socializing with their friends, and playing outside. Who are we kidding, it's a time to whip out that backlog of games and spend every waking moment glued to our screens! Summer is also a time when Steam has one of its best sales on a myriad of titles.

The Steam Summer Sale has been going on for a few years now, and gamers have come to expect that around this time, is when they scrounge up all their savings, and splurge on triple A titles such as Skyrim being discounted to absurd prices like $14.99.

The internet has been in an uproar so far since there has no official announcement made. In fact, if you go on the Gaming subreddit, you'll notice that 80% of those posts are about the Steam Summer Sale. So what gives? Will it happen later today? Will it happen at all? Has Gabe Newell given up on us?! Is this the end of the world as we know it?! No one knows for sure, but in the meantime, enjoy some of these obviously trolling images.

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Trine 2 is 50% off on XBLA until Tuesday

Trine 2 is the XBLA multiplayer deal of the week for a limited time.

Players can save 50% on the action platform-puzzle game from Finnish developer Frozenbyte. Only users with a Gold membership can take advantage of the deal. The offer ends July 2.

Frozenbyte recently announced a Director's Cut of the game for the Wii U. The version will include the upcoming The Goblin Menace expansion.

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Diablo 3 patch 1.0.3b delayed, here are some hotfixes

Diablo 3 patch 1.0.3b may be "delayed slightly", Blizzard announced, but a few of the changes will be going live as hotfixes. Hotfixes are changes made on Blizzard's end that don't require you to download a new patch.

With that being said, some of the changes noted today include an in crease in drop rates for high-end items in certain difficulties, boss drop changes, and typical bug fixes. Here are the exact hotfixes:

Items

Bosses

Bug Fixes

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Elsword unveils new character for fans

Kill3rCombo has unveiled a new character based on fan demand for Elsword, their free-to-play side-scrolling MMORPG.

The latest update introduces Chung, who wields a giant Destroyer cannon that can hold six cannonballs. The character fits the powerful brawler role and is equipped with a specialized armored called Freitunier.

Chung can also use the Silver Shooter, which can virtually penetrate any enemy's defense. To use this maneuver, players must accept the job class change to "Shooting Guardian" at level 15.

On the other hand, the "Fury Guardian" class turns players into a walking tank that can deal a huge amount of damage in a short span of time.

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Quantum Conundrum set to become game show

Quantum Conundrum, the newest first-person environment puzzle game from Kim Swift, is going to be a TV game show. Publisher Square Enix has announced a joint venture with iam8bit to create "The Super Dimensional Quantum Learning's Problems and Solutions Gametime Spectacular!!", a new show that takes cues from Quantum Conumdrum.

In the game show, "unsuspecting contestants are transformed and taken to real-life fluffy, heavy, anti-gravity and slow motion dimensions", just like the dimensions found in Quantum Conundrum.

Professor Quadwrangle's pet, an Interdimensional Kinectic Entity better known as Ike, will join game show host Kevin Periera. Ike is described as a "one-of-a-kind puppet hand-crafted by industry veteran, Russ Walko".

“I’d be in the crazy dimension to pass up the role as host for the most epic show ever,” said host Kevin Pereira, former host of "Attack of the Show.” “Have you SEEN Ike? How can you say no to anything involving that little guy?”

There was no mention of when this show will go live, but you can see a brief behind-the-scenes clip above. It's an interesting concept, but will it be fun to watch?

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Second Tomb Raider game could be in pre-production

Tomb Raider is still nine months away from release, but Crystal Dynamics' global brand director Karl Stewart is hinting at the franchise's future, including a sequel that could already be in pre-production.

"You have to look at the future, you have to look at where ... It's not just one game," he told VideoGamer.com.

"At the end of this game we want her to be that strong female character that is willing to go and seek out mysteries and seek out tombs," he said. "She's going to be going to plenty of tombs in this game, but we're going to have somebody who wants to go on that adventure, who wants to be the person that she now is. That's the goal."

Stewart declined to reveal any more details this early on.

Crystal Dynamics is supposedly working on two more games: one an original IP for next-gen systems, and the other led by ex-God of War director Cory Barlog.

The brand director called the recent Tomb Raider rape controversy "unfortunate," arguing that "90 percent of people who reported on it didn't actually see the game."

Tomb Raider launches on March 5, 2013.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic game update 1.3 'Allies' available now

Star Wars: The Old Republic game update 1.3, officially titled "Allies", is now available bringing those who still play many new features that fans have been waiting for, including Group Finder, Ranked PvP Warzones, Adaptive Gear, and new enhancements to the Legacy system to name a few.

“We are living up to our commitment in setting a new bar for what players should expect from a premium MMO service,” said BioWare Austin GM Matthew Bromberg. “In just six months, we have already released three major game updates that have added new content and game features that have addressed the feedback from our fans. And we are just getting started."

"By the end of this year, we are adding more Warzones, more Flashpoints, more Operations, more updates to the Legacy System, new companions, new storylines and more," he added. "We are very excited about the future.”

Here's what SWTOR game update 1.3 - Allies - officially includes:

Star Wars: The Old Republic went live last December and although it never lived up to the hype of "WoW-killer", it boasted pretty decent numbers. Since then, however, subscriber numbers have dwindled setting many into panic mode. Following layoffs at BioWare, many have assumed SWTOR has been struggling. Many are expecting the game to go free-to-play soon and while BioWare admits to exploring the option, they remain committed to the subscription model.

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Cinders is a mature visual novel based on a classic fairy tale

Indie studio MoaCube has launched a visual novel called Cinders for PC and Mac.

Based on the Cinderella fairy tale, Cinders follows four women and tells their story. The game contains 120 decision points and over 300 options so players can help shape the protagonist's personality and reach different endings.

It also features illustrations by Gracjana Zielinska and a "moody" soundtrack by Rob Westwood.

Cinders costs $22.95. A free demo is available on the studio's website.

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[Siliconera]

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Far Cry 3 delayed until December to create 'best possible gameplay experience'

Ubisoft has announced a new release date for their highly anticipated shooter Far Cry 3. The game will now launch on December 4 in the U.S. and November 29 in EMEA.

According to Ubisoft producer Dan Hay, the studio is "taking more time to create the best possible gameplay experience."

“Far Cry 3 is a huge offering and we want every element of this insane, action-packed adventure to be of the highest possible quality for the players.”

In Far Cry 3 players assume the role of Jason Brody, a man stranded on a mysterious tropical island where lawlessness and violence roam. From the battles fought to the allies or enemies made along the way, players will dictate how the story unfolds. As Jason Brody, players will slash, sneak, detonate, and shoot their way across the island.

Far Cry 3 wasn't the only game that received a release date today. Other Ubisoft blockbusters Just Dance 4 and Rocksmith both received launch dates in October. Just Dance 4 will now launch on October 9 in the U.S. and Rocksmith on October 16.

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Claude Giroux picked for NHL 13 cover

The winner of the first-ever EA SPORTS NHL Cover Vote campaign, sponsored by BlackBerry, is Philadelphia Flyers forward and NHL superstar Claude Giroux! Players from around the country got the chance to decide who would grace this year's most popular hockey game, and this hard hitting French-Canadian took home the prize. Congratulations to Giroux who is now part of the EA Sports family and will be the face of NHL 13. Do you agree with the outcome of this election?

Game features:

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Spec Ops: The Line demo trailer showcases grenade power

The demo for Spec Ops: The Line recently dropped for most major consoles, and developers 2K Games are urging players to check it out with this new trailer showing the power of the game's grenades. The third person combat definitely looks thrilling, though as seen in this demo spotlight, proper placement of grenades is even more fun, the explosives perfect for blowing away a squad of advancing baddies.

Have you tried the demo yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments!

Game info
Spec Ops: The Line is a new original title from 2K Games that features provocative and gripping Third-Person modern military Shooter gameplay designed to challenge players' morality by putting them in the middle of unspeakable situations where unimaginable choices affecting human life must be made. Features include, a gripping, storyline reminiscent of Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness but set in a ruined Dubai, tactical squad-based Delta Force gameplay throughout a horizontally and vertically oriented world, devastating sandstorms which can be used in combat, a variety of multiplayer modes and maps, and deep support featuring two factions.

It's been 6 months since Dubai was wiped off the map by a cataclysmic sandstorm. Thousands of lives were lost, including those of American soldiers sent to evacuate the city. Today, the city lies buried under sand, the world's most opulent ruin. Now, a mysterious radio signal is picked-up from Dubai, and a Delta Recon Team is sent to infiltrate the city. Their mission is simple: locate survivors and radio for evacuation. What they find is a city in the grip of war. To save Dubai, they'll have to find the man at the heart of its madness - Col. John Konrad.

Spec Ops: The Line is an action-packed Third-Person Shooter that delivers heart pounding physically close combat through a squad-based play mechanic. Players lead a team of three characters, Captain Martin Walker, Lieutenant Adams and Sergeant Lugo. Each character has his own distinct personality and specialized skills, and the mature story they each play a role in explores the dark side of war in a realistic way, in which there are no good outcomes, only hard choices. As missions are completed more advanced weapons and equipment are made available. In addition, the desert environment of Dubai is brought into the game in a unique way with stunning visuals, and dynamic sandstorms that actively effect level designs, and which can be used to help and hinder progress. The vertical interiors of Dubai high rise buildings also provide tactical advantages and risks that can used be by players. Multiplayer campaigns bring new modes and unusual situations and environments to expand the single player experience.

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Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut DLC release date announced

Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut, BioWare's attempt to expand the controversial endings of Mass Effect 3, finally has an official release date. The free downloadable add-on which will provide closure "through additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes" will be available on June 26th on Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 in North America and July 4th for PlayStation 3 in Europe.

Extended Cut isn't a new ending or a re-imagining by any means, but it will "provide more of the answers that players have been asking for".

"It gives a sense of what the future holds as a result of the decisions made throughout the series," the FAQ reads. "And it shows greater detail in the successes or failures based on how players achieved their endings."

The Extended Cut will take up roughly 1.9 GB of space and will *spoiler* require players to load a save game from before the attack on the Cerberus Base and play through to the end of the game.

According to BioWare, "The Extended Cut endings will differ depending on choices made throughout the Mass Effect series, so multiple playthroughs with a variety of different decisions will be required to experience the variety of possibilities offered by new content."

The company didn't say exactly how many different endings there will be, but prior to the game's launch BioWare promised "many different endings" to Mass Effect 3 that were a result of all of your actions and decisions in the previous games. That, of course, wasn't what BioWare delivered and after enraged fans spoke their mind, BioWare caved and announced the new Extended Cut.

Check out an exclusive interview with BioWare's Casey Hudson, Mac Walters, and jessica Merizan about Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut.

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Watch Dogs releasing for Xbox 360 and PS3? This screenshot suggests otherwise

Ubisoft has released a new screenshot for their recently announced open-world action game Watch Dogs and it looks stunning, to say the least.

Ubisoft may be playing coy with what platforms Watch Dogs will be released for, having refrained from initially announced platforms for the new IP. Ubisoft's noncommittal to platform, other than PC, initially led to speculation that Watch Dogs could be released on next-gen consoles; I wouldn't be surprised if this screenshot leads to more of those rumors, despite the game's producer since confirming it will be released for Xbox 360 and PS3. If Watch Dogs is, in fact, launching on this generation then I guess it goes to show that maybe we do have some years left in these systems.

Still, it does look like something of next-gen nature. If this is a taste of things to come, then it looks like a bright future for gaming.

Not only does Watch Dogs look visibly amazing, but the gameplay looked incredible as well. Watch Dogs, at E3, showed off an open-world action-adventure that "blends cutting-edge technologies and sophisticated game design into a realistic and living open world where players must use any means at their disposal to take down a corrupt system." Armed with technology and the ability to hack into any connected electronic system, gameplay will focus on the concept that all people can be identified and tracked based on their electronic interactions. Players must use this ability to their advantage as they hunt down valuable targets.

So what do you think, next-gen or not?

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Curt Schilling explains what went wrong with 38 Studios

In a radio interview with WEEI in Boston, 38 Studios head Curt Schilling said that after the recent failure of his company, "Life's going to be different."

Schilling, who started the studio six years ago, said he's personally invested more than $50 million in the company, but operating costs were still too high to see the now defunct project Copernicus through to completion.

“I put everything in my name in this company,” Schilling said, adding that he's not interested in sympathy. “I believed in it. I believed in what we built. I never took a penny in salary. I never took a penny for anything.”

Schilling admitted he could have done better, saying that he doesn't blame employees for the way they've reacted.

“The employees got blindsided,” he said. “They have every right to be upset. I always told everybody if something were going to happen, you‘re going to have a month or two of lead time, and I bombed on that one in epic fashion.”

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[Boston.com]

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THQ offers a season pass plan for Darksiders II

THQ and Vigil Games are gearing up to release Darksiders II this August, and the publisher is offering customers a number of ways to save on the game and its assorted DLC.

The conditions for a season pass depend on where you pre-order the game and what edition you buy, but here are the details:

Keep in mind that the collector's edition is more expensive and contains a Death statue and in-game extras (along with the Argul's Tomb DLC). You can obtain the limited edition (which includes the DLC) by simply preordering the game from a retailer or ShopTHQ.

Vigil Games added, "All DLC content packs will ship post launch and are new content not originally intended for the main game." In case you're paranoid about slapped-on DLC and all its hairy implications now.

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[Game Informer]

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New content planned for Legend of Grimrock

Developer Almost Human is rolling out new content for its dungeon crawler Legend of Grimrock.

According to a blog update on the game's website, the studio is adding a level editor first.

"With the editor our goal was to make it easy to use but at the same time offer advanced features such as scripting for puzzles," wrote co-founder Petri Häkkinen.

"The dungeon designer can now connect actuators such as buttons, pressure plates and levers to doors, pits and other types of entities without writing a single line of Lua script," he said.

Almost Human is also working on a mystery project that's related to the game.

"As explained above it's still undecided what this project is going to be, but some parameters are certain: we need more monsters and new environments, so that's what the guys have been up to," Häkkinen said. "We already have a new themed wallset and two fearsome monsters in the pipeline."

Legend of Grimrock is available for PC. It released in April.

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[Eurogamer]

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Orcs Must Die! 2 coming in late July

Orcs Must Die! 2 comes to PC on July 30, according to developer Robot Entertainment's blog.

The sequel to last year's award-winning tower defense game features a new campaign that allows you to play as a War Mage or Sorceress. Orcs Must Die! 2 also contains more enemies, defenses, and a new upgrade system for earning and spending skulls.

Those who own the previous title for PC can unlock exclusive content in the new game.

It's possible that the sequel will come to other platforms, although Robot Entertainment has only announced a PC version so far. The original game hit XBLA as well as PC last October.

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Portal 2 now free for classroom use

Valve is providing teachers with free copies of Portal 2 as part of "Steam for Schools."

Valve's Leslie Redd and Yasser Malaika announced the news today at the Games for Change conference. By signing up with the beta, educators can acquire the game and its newly launched Perpetual Testing Initiative. Students won't be able to share custom levels outside of the classroom.

Follow @wita on Twitter for tales of superheroes, plumbers in overalls, and literary adventures.

[Kotaku]

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Tomb Raider story is 'informed by real life'

Responding to the controversy surrounding Tomb Raider, art director Brian Horton spoke to Edge about the game's mature content — which he says is "informed by real life."

"If it was just something that we were trying to tack on, it would be the wrong answer," he said.

Horton defended the violence, gore, and emotional tension, saying each element "serves the story and serves the character."

"Now, the fact that she is a woman is not lost on us, and that’s an important part of the dynamic of it being Tomb Raider, but it’s not our primary concern to distinguish that she is a woman," Horton said. "We are playing up the fact that she is human and believable."

"I feel like some of those players might actually evolve their perspective," he continued. "They might look at it in the beginning and say 'I’m protecting her,' but as they grow with her, become closer to her, they’d start to think 'I am her' giving them the fantasy and fulfillment of being Lara Croft."

What do you think? Are "fantasy and fulfillment" good words in regards to a suspected rape scene?

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Register for The Secret World's final beta weekend

The final beta weekend event for The Secret World kicks off this Friday, June 22.

Those who register before the start date can participate in "The Battle Begins" event, which features both new and previous content — including the Templars, Illuminati, and Dragon starter experiences; Kingsmouth; the Savage Coast; and the Polaris and Hell Raised dungeons.

Players can also visit small PvP areas, like Stonehenge and El Dorado, or fight in the massively scaled Fusang Projects, which supports over 200 competitors. Character progress carries over from past events.

This fourth session runs until 11:59 PM PDT on June 24.

The Secret World launches on July 3.

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Diablo 3 patch files suggest gifts for Mists of Pandaria players

Players who own Diablo 3 and have plans to purchase World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion Mists of Pandaria will soon be treated to a slew of in-game rewards. Hidden in the depths of the Diablo 3 patch files, and uncovered by Player Attack, are lines of code that suggest there are hidden perks for those who play both Diablo 3 and World of Warcraft.

Panda-monium is a new Feat of Strength that can be unlocked by registering your copy of Mists of Pandaria Collector's Edition. A new banner sigil and accent combo with Pandaren-style illustrations are also coming.

Perhaps the most intriguing incentive is the line of code that hints at some sort of Collector's Edition Buff. The string "SpecialGiftWIngsBuff_name - Collectors Edition Buff" appears with a small image of black demon wings similar to that of the Demon Hunter in Diablo 3.

We don't know when it will implemented, but 1.0.3 is due out "this month", according to Blizzards. These patch files could just be setting up the game for these incentives in the future, however.

[Player Attack]

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Incoming Battlefield 3 Double XP Event open only to Premium members

If you aren't a Battlefield 3 Premium member then you suck, and EA is letting you know by announcing a Premium-exclusive double XP weekend event.

Battlefield 3's second Double XP weekend event came to a close last night, but those who are Premium members will have their own exclusive event to help boost them through the ranks. Everyone who is a Premium member will get double XP throughout the entire upcoming weekend and, like before, this is valid across all maps and modes as long as you play on ranked servers.

It is set to begin on Saturday, June 23 at 7:01 AM PDT and conclude on Monday, June 25 at 6:59 AM PDT.

This is the first of many Premium-exclusive events planned by EA and DICE spanning through the months until March. The Premium Calendar includes at least one exclusive Double XP Event per month while introducing unique in-game content and expansion packs scattered throughout the upcoming months.

Battlefield 3 Premium was officially made available earlier this month. For $49.99 players can get early access to all future add-on content along with a slew of bonus content and features available only to those who pay. Fair or not, this is the future of Battlefield 3.

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Here are 10 reasons why people hate EA

Why do people hate EA? Despite being voted the worst company in America, IGN still felt the need to ask this ridiculously stupid question. Obviously there's a reason IGN, and we didn't have to meet with EA's COO Peter Moore to find out.

You see, it's very simple and you don't have to look very far at all to find out what EA does to piss off gamers. All we had to do is look at the comments of your article, the comments from gamers who decide to purchase or "write mean things on the internet" about EA.

So without further adieu, here's why gamers hate EA, according to real gamers who actually spend money to play these games:

From there, the comments get a little crazy and out-of-hand, but those are 10 reasons, from the gaming public, why people hate EA.

Isn't the customer always right? The consumers have spoken, and rather than wage a big business vs consumer war maybe companies should use this feedback. Don't play victim, address the issues. Then again, if people keep buying the game is there any reason to change?

Look, I'm not saying I hate EA. I play and enjoy some of there games, but you'd have to be blind to not understand why gamers are frustrated. They are feeling shafted and ignored by a "big corporation".

Thanks IGN and the wonderful users who responded.

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Humble Indie Bundle 5 raises $5.1 million

The fifth Humble Indie Bundle has officially ended with nearly 600,000 purchases raising about $5.1 million. It is the most successful release in the series to date.

The pay-what-you-want PC and Mac (don't forget Linux) pack - which included Bastion, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Limbo, Psychonauts, and Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery EP - splits revenue between charity, developers, and the Humble Bundle organizers based on how you choose to divide your donation.

Windows users on average donated $7.97, Mac paid $9.99, and Linux, of course, donated the most with $12.50. Among the top donators was HumbleBrony and Mr. Indie himself, Marcus 'Notch' Persson.

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NVIDIA shows off the glorious Unreal Engine 4

Unreal Engine and NVIDIA go together like spaghetti and meatballs so it's no surprise that NVIDIA is one of the first to show off two glorious HD videos and dozens of high res screenshots of the very impressive Unreal Engine 4.  Captured in real-time on a single GeForce GTX 680, the photos and footage were "in no way edited, Photoshopped, or pre-rendered".

This means two things: the NVIDIA GTX 680 is damn powerful and Unreal Engine 4 is going to be amazing.  Feast your eyes on the beautiful images and footage.

Earlier today received the new Unreal 4 tech demo which shows off the game engine's fully dynamic lighting features that will help cut down on development time effectively ensuring less iteration on creative ideas.

Global Illumination is a way of rendering the game world by simulating the behavior of light as it bounces from surface to surface. But emulating nature at the photon level is a very expensive business, which is why Global Illumination has only been used selectively to render complex CGI scenes in films.

That's about to change. With Unreal Engine 4, games will be rendered for the first time with Global Illumination in real-time. To understand the implications of this we spoke to Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games and mastermind of all things Unreal.

For more information head on over to NVIDIA for an exclusive interview with Unreal Engine pioneer Tim Sweeney.

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Pictures from E3 2012: Best of Booth Babes

While E3 is generally known to showcase some amazing upcoming games, it's also known to have drop dead gorgeous booth babes on display as well. This year however, there was a huge lack of booth babes. While they were still sprinkled throughout the show, you actually had to look out for them, rather than looking left, and then right, and seeing them in every direction.

With that said, here are our top pics of Booth Babes E3 2012

That outfit couldn't have been very comfortable, but at least it was damn pretty to look at.

She likes the whips and chains, or as I was led to believe by her costume.

We like free shirts! Even better when hot girls in uniforms shoot them out of a T-Shirt cannon!

Peripherals? Yes!

These Wushu girls might just kick your ass with their martial arts skills, or you know, it could all just be for show.

Oh PlanetSide 2 girl, I'd let you shoot me through the heart any day.

She was on a search for Dragon Balls, hope she found 'em!

Ubisoft girls were simple and effective, and honestly they had the best games to show off, so kudos!

Live long and prosper, does anything else need to be said?

These girls energized the crowd with their...energy drinks.

As usual, the lovely Jessica Nigri could be found parading in front of the Lollipop Chainsaw booth.

These ladies want to show you their dark side, or wait, was it Darksiders 2?

A celebration of Street Fighter and a celebration of booth babes.

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Throw your money at this awesome Spider-Man shirt

Gear up for the upcoming release of The Amazing Spider-Man with this awesome t-shirt brought to us by the fine people at welovefine.com. The shirt is called 'Spidey Nouveau' and it's designed by ninjaink. It has Spider-Man giving a thumbs-up while hanging from a strand of web between the sexy Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy. Above the art it says "does whatever a spider can." I'll tell what he can do... both of them. KA-POW!

You can head over to welovefine.com and buy it for $25. It comes in coffee (fancy for brown) and red.

It's the perfect nouveau tribute to Peter Parker! (Plus it makes both MJ and Gwen fans happy. Eyyy! ;) ) -- their description... not mine.

You can follow Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He also like t-shirts... send him t-shirts. KCCO.

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Warren Spector speaks out against the 'ultraviolence' in games

Epic Mickey designer Warren Spector believes we're too focused on violence in video games.

"The ultraviolence has to stop," he told GI.biz. "We have to stop loving it. I just don't believe in the effects argument at all, but I do believe that we are fetishizing violence, and now in some cases actually combining it with an adolescent approach to sexuality. I just think it's in bad taste. Ultimately I think it will cause us trouble."

Spector said he left Eidos in 2004 because of the overwhelming theme of violence he noticed in the company's line-up.

"We've gone too far," he said. "You know, Deus Ex had its moments of violence, but they were designed — whether they succeeded or not I can't say — but they were designed to make you uncomfortable, and I don't see that happening now. I think we're just appealing to an adolescent mindset and calling it mature."

The industry veteran also noticed an emphasis on Netflix and other non-gaming interfaces at E3 this year.

"When the games are the least interesting part, there's a problem," he said.

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Skyrim Dawnguard DLC is longer than Dishonored

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's upcoming expansion, Dawnguard, is going to be longer than Dishonored, a full-length AAA title set to release later this year. You can bet it won't be nearly as expensive either.

"It'll take between 10 and 20 hours to beat," Skyrim lead artist Matt Carofano told Game Front. "It's about as long as a faction line."

“Dawnguard will be significantly bigger than any Fallout DLC,” Carofano added. “We wanted to do something more in depth than that. It’s not as big as Shivering Isles, but there’s still a lot of content there.”

Apparently it's about as much content as Dishonored, currently in development by Arkane Studios, will offer. How long will Dishonored take you to beat? According to a Bethesda Q&A it will take players about "12 or 14 hours" to complete. To be fair, they did add that "explorers who eavesdrop a lot will take twice as long."

Now I don't know how much Bethesda plans on charging for Dawnguard, but you can bet it won't be $60 which is likely what Dishonored will release for. I think this shows, more than anything, is just how much we need some form of tiered pricing model for gaming. Why pay full price for a new title, which may suck, when you can get the same gameplay time out of a game you already own and love?

Granted, I understand there are added development costs for a brand new IP. I doubt it costs Bethesda nearly as much to create additional Skyrim content as it does to create a fresh, new game, but from a consumer standpoint which would you rather purchase? Additional content for a game that you already love that will likely be cheap, or a game that you have no idea how it will play that will probably cost three times as much? You're getting nearly the same amount of content either way, but for two drastically different prices.

By the way, the $60 doesn't even include the planned DLC that Bethesda and Arcane likely have for Dishonored.

It's time for a tiered pricing model for video games.

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Tomb Raider: Underworld lands on Mac today

Today Feral Interactive released a Mac version of Tomb Raider: Underworld, according to the Tomb Raider Facebook page.

Feral Interactive has a reputable history of publishing games for Mac, including titles like BioShock 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum. They're currently working on a release of Empire: Total War Gold Edition.

Underworld, part of the Feral Legends label, costs $25 for Mac according to the publisher's website. It's available in retail copies and as a digital download.

The company also created a page that provides wallpapers and other media for fans.

Follow @wita on Twitter for tales of superheroes, plumbers in overalls, and literary adventures.

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MineCon 2012 confirmed for Europe

The second annual Minecraft convention, MineCon, will take place in Europ this year.

At least, that's the plan, as Mojang is still in the process of signing the papers for the location and date. The company is headed to a "secret location" next week to check it out and officially make MineCon 2012 happen. Mojang won't make any more announcements or share any more details until everything is signed and confirmed.

The first MineCon took place at the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas over November 18 and 19 last year, coinciding with the release of the final PC version of Minecraft. Of course, by final, we mean the release version as Mojang continues to update the game even today. This year, Mojang will undoubtedly have much more to play with thanks to the release of Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition and Minecraft: Pocket Edition.

In the meantime, the company confirmed they will have a presence at PAX Prime, taking place August 31 through September 2. They didn't say if they will be showing off new project 0x10c or something Minecraft related.

[Mojang]

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Ignition approves Magical Drop V internal beta

Publisher UTV Ignition has approved the internal beta version of Magical Drop V, Golgoth Studio said on their blog earlier this week.

"So we are now on the road to the Master version," they wrote, apologizing for the delay in communication.

At the beginning of June, the studio posted a message to fans on their Facebook: "Magical Drop V Beta version was sent , Localization work and Network is available , but improve need to be done on this last point ! i guess now we are close to the final version ! some few weeks to get a polished version !"

It seems like the game (from original developers Data East) is back on schedule and may still release this summer for PCs. It features local and online multiplayer for up to four players.

Golgoth plans to include Ghostlop, Data East's unreleased Bust-a-Move style game, with the upcoming release, as well.

Follow @wita on Twitter for tales of superheroes, plumbers in overalls, and literary adventures.

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Assassin's Creed 3 is 'kind of a new IP'

Annualizing a video game franchise doesn't always result in the same stale gameplay year in and year out. Just ask creative director Alex Hutchinson who credits the "big leap" of the Assassin's Creed 3 to the annual release model that Ubisoft adopted with the Assassin's Creed franchise.

"We have multiple groups now working [on the series]. We started this one in January 2010, the same time as Brotherhood and before Revelations," Hutchinson explained to Eurogamer at E3. "The core team on this one has been working at it for almost three years, which is something you can almost never get in the industry these days - it's too expensive, too risky. So we need the other projects to support that kind of development - these big jumps."

Assassin's Creed 3 is the fifth major installment, and third numbered title, in the wildly popular Assassin's Creed series. But thanks to the successful yearly releases of Brotherhood and Revelations it allowed Ubisoft more time to work on AC3 and take a possible risk by bringing the series into an all new setting.

In fact, this new setting of Colonial America during the American Revolution actually makes Assassin's Creed 3 feel more like an entirely new IP and less of a "sequel".

"The beauty of Assassin's is that if you do it right it's kind of a new IP," Hutchinson added. "It's still about navigation and combat, but it's a brand new hero, brand new setting, brand new fantasy. It really is as close as you could get to a big budget new IP late in the hardware cycle."

These days, it's not easy for companies to take that risk on a new IP. Games cost more to develop than ever before, and there are more competitors in the ring just fighting for a bit of the limelight. So once a company finds a hit they tend to stick with it and milk it dry. In Ubisoft's case, they chose to annualize Assassin's Creed, create some titles that towards the end began to get a little stale, and then surprised the world with an all-new Assassin's Creed 3 - which I admit, is the first Assassin's Creed I've been interested in.

[Eurogamer]

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Rockstar issues warning to Max Payne 3 cheaters

Rockstar Games has sent a strong message to the "small minority" of players who are ruining the Max Payne 3 multiplayer experience with cheats and hacks.

"We'd like to make it clear that anyone using these nefarious methods will be dealt with," Rockstar warned.

While forthcoming title updates should put an end to this sort of behavior, Rockstar also revealed additional measure they are taking to keep Max Payne 3 a clean and fun game.

Anyone found to have used hacked saves, modded games, or other exploits to gain an unfair advantage in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer, or to circumvent the leaderboards will be quarantined from all other players into a "Cheaters Pool", where they'll only be able to compete in multiplayer matches with other confirmed miscreants. In the event we decide to absolve any of these cheaters for their past transgressions they may re-enter play with the general public, however a second offense will result in their indefinite banishment. In either case, we will be removing invalid leaderboard entries to ensure that the players at the top of the charts have earned their spots fairly.

The studio is asking players to report any suspected cheats by emailing the following information to maxpayne3.banhammer@rockstargames.com:

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Blizzard warns of cheating in Diablo 3

In an attempt to curb cheating in Diablo 3 before it becomes rampant, Blizzard has issued a warning to all of you thinking of using hacks, bots, etc.

In a post today, Blizzard emphasized that they take cheating of any form in Blizzard games "very seriously".

"If a Diablo III player is found to be cheating or using hacks, bots, or modifications in any form, then as outlined in the Diablo III end user license agreement, that player can be permanently banned from the game," Blizzard warned. "This means that the player will be permanently unable to log in to Battle.net® to play Diablo III with his or her account."

For those of you hoping to find a way around this, Blizzard clearly outlined what constitutes as cheating.

"Playing Diablo 3 legitimately means playing with an unaltered game client. Doing otherwise violates our policies for Battle.net and Diablo III, and it goes against the spirit of fair play that all of our games are based on."

"We strongly recommend that you avoid using any hacks, cheats, bots, or exploits. Suspensions and bans of players that have used or start using cheats and hacks will begin in the near future."

I think we can all agree that cheating in any form ruins the gameplay experience. Diablo 2 was a great game ruined by hacks and duping.

Diablo 3 was supposed to counter cheaters with its controversial DRM that required constant internet connection to play.  In light of the recent videos released that show duping is possible in Diablo 3, I think it's safe to say it has failed. Blizzard likely issued this response to prevent anyone possibly thinking of performing this action, or other variations, from actually doing so.

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