Underholdene viral Civilization V "Civanon" trailer

Efter rigtig mange mere normale E3 2010 trailers, kommer dagens noget anderledes Civilization V trailer fra Take-Two Interactive og Firaxis som en ganske behagelig overraskelse. Skulle du være blandt de gamere, som kunne tænkes ligefrem at blive afhængig af Sid Meiers spil, kan du få hjælp - eller i det mindste være blandt ligesindede - i denne virale video. Civilization V udkommer i løbet af efter året og vi kan desværre ikke sige det mere konkret. Det seneste E3 "fact sheet" afslører ikke en endelig dato. Du kan både se og læse meget mere om Civilization V her på Daily Rush.

Shogun 2: Total War annonceringstrailer fra SEGA

Sidste uges Shogun 2: Total War lækage viste sig at holde helt og aldeles stik. Nu er SEGA & Creative Assembly kommet på banen med en lille præsentation af spillet i form af en lancerings-trailer, som I naturligvis ikke skal snydes for. IGN's britiske afdeling har været hurtige nok til at sikre sig det første eksklusive preview af denne titel, som vil være klar til PC i løbet af 2011.

Blizzard giver StarCraft II betatesten en uge mere

Den igangværende StarCraft II betatest skulle efter planen have været afsluttet i dag, men Blizzard har nu meddelt, at de mange betatestere får en uge mere at udforske spillet i. Blizzard fortæller, at det er for at forberede sig til "den afsluttende betatest", at de nu har forlænget perioden med en uge. Næste mandag vil det derfor være slut og det gælder samtlige regioner. StarCraft II vil blive udgivet den 27. juli.

We previously announced that the first phase of the StarCraft II beta test would be coming to a close in all regions on Monday, May 31. In order to prepare for the final phase of beta testing, we plan to extend the current phase in all regions until Monday, June 7. After this date, the beta test will be unavailable for several weeks while we make some hardware and software configuration changes for the final phase of the beta test and the release of the game. We plan to bring the beta test back online for a couple of weeks prior to the game’s launch to complete our testing. We’ll have more details to share about when this final phase will begin at a later date.

Shogun 2: Total War "fact sheet" er nu blevet lækket

Det lader til at SEGA ikke længere formår at kontrollere de efterhånden mange lækager hvad angår det næste Total War-spil fra Creative Assembly. Først fik Voodoo Extreme nys om sagen og derefter kom et noget obskurt tyrkisk website på banen, som øjensynligt ikke havde forstået principperne bag embagoen. Nu slår Voodoo Extreme dog for alvor til og har valgt at bringe det officielle "fact sheet" fra det kommende Official Shogun 2: Total War. Spillet vil blive udgivet næste år til PC. Mon ikke SEGA nu for alvor lukker op, de ikke har formået at hemmeligholde projektet indtil E3 2010.

Title: Shogun 2: Total War
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: The Creative Assembly
Format: PC DVD
Players: 1 - 8
Ratings: ESRB Teen, PEGI 16, OFLC M, USK 12 – All provisional
Release Date: 2011

In 2000, the Creative Assembly re-invented the strategy genre with Shogun: Total War, an unprecedented blend of 3D real-time battles and turn-based management game and the first offering in the multi-award winning series. With over 7 million units sold and universal acclaim from the press and community, Total War has consistently been at the cutting edge of the genre and is today one of the most successful PC franchises of all time.

In 2011, the makers of Rome and Empire: Total War will release the sequel to the game that started it all. Shogun 2: Total War will take long-time veterans and newcomers alike to the next level of strategy gaming on PC. Based on 10 years of experience in making Total War, Shogun 2 is the perfection of the series with a new Artificial Intelligence (AI), revolutionary multiplayer modes, brand new campaign map options and epic 3D real-time battles.

It is the middle of the 16th century in Medieval Japan. The country, once ruled by a unified government, is now split into many warring clans. The player takes on the role of one Daimyo – the clan leader – and will use military engagements, economics and diplomacy to achieve the ultimate goal: re-unite Japan under his supreme command and become the new Shogun – the undisputed ruler of Japan.

Set during the golden age of Samurai warfare, Shogun 2 brings to life the most turbulent period of Japanese history.

Blizzard afviser at ville benytte sig af DRM-løsninger

Blizzards Frank Pearce har været på lidt af en interview-tour den seneste uge og har, vanen tro, bidraget med et par ganske åbenmundende udtalelser i forbindelse med StarCraft II. Overfor bl.a. VideoGamer har Pearce fundet lejlighed til at give en lille bredside imod de (læs Ubisoft), som stadig tror på DRM-løsninger. Pearce forklarer, at det er en tabt kamp på forhånd, som mest af alt skubber kunderne væk. Blizzard selv integerer deres BattleNet (2) på en sådan måde, at StarCraft II-spillerne slet ikke vil være foruden de funktioner. Man kan dog lidt velvilligt, godt kalde BattleNet for en slags DRM. Du kan ved samme lejlighed læse et længere interview på Gamesindustry.biz, hvor Pearce sammen med Bob Colayco afviser at mikrobetalinger vil være noget for StarCraft II. Successen med salget af "Celestial Steed" i World of WarCraft, har mere end demonstreret, at Blizzard-fans gerne vil spytte penge efter in-game objekter.

Blizzard integrerer deres BattleNet med Facebook

Det er efterhånden en nødvendighed for spilproducenterne at sørge for, at deres (potentielle) kunder kan tale sammen sammen via diverse sociale netværk. Ingen er større end Facebook og det har selv Blizzard opdaget. De kunne i går meddele, at deres nypudsede BattleNet også springer på Facebook og i første omgang vil integrere det kommende StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. Blizzard vil i de kommende måneder teste systemet via den igangværende betatest af StarCraft II, men lover at have det klar til lanceringen den 27. juli.

PARIS, France – May 5, 2010 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that its Battle.net® gaming service will integrate with Facebook®, linking the world's premier online gaming platform with the world's most popular social platform. The first step in the integration will enable StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ players to quickly add Blizzard gamers who are friends on Facebook to their Battle.net friend lists, facilitating their social gaming experience on the service.

"We're pleased to be working with Facebook to integrate their platform with Battle.net to enhance the social-entertainment experience for our players," said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. "This new functionality will make it easier than ever to connect with friends on Battle.net and play StarCraft II and future Blizzard Entertainment games together."

The new Facebook functionality in Battle.net will be tested in the near future via the ongoing StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty beta test and will be available to all StarCraft II players when the game ships later this year. Information about other Facebook-related features on Battle.net will be announced at a later date.

Analytiker spår 5 mio. solgte StarCraft II-spil alene i år

Vi kunne i går aftes fortælle, at Blizzard Entertainment slipper deres StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty løs den 27. juli. Selvom der er tale om et spil i RTS-genren forventer Doug Creutz fra Cowan and Company, at Blizzard vil sælge op imod 5 mio. spil alene i det første år efter udgivelsen. Han baserer sine forudsigelser delvist på salget af bl.a. Modern Warfare 2 og forsvarer sine konklusioner med den større udbredelse af PC'en i forhold til konsollerne. Blizzards spil ligger heller ikke under for piratkopiering i samme grad som andre og mindre online-baserede PC-titler. Activision vil også lukrere på deres Blizzard-forbindelser. Michael Pachter (Wedbush Morgan) og Todd Greenwald (Signal Hil) er begge enige om, at Activision ikke vil blive økonomisk mærket af Infinty Ward-balladen, da Blizzard mere end opvejer det eventuelle tab der måtte komme i indeværende år.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty udkommer den 27. juli

Blizzard Entertainment har her til aften bekræftet, at deres StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty vil være i butikkerne den 27. juli 2010. Derved kan vi sætte en stopper for de mange spekulationer om, hvornår spillet ankommer. Du kan nu begynde at forberede dig, og mangler du yderligere motivation, bør du ikke snyde dig selv for vores igangværende kig på spillet. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty udkommer til PC & Mac.

PARIS, France – May 3, 2010 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that its highly anticipated real-time strategy game, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, will arrive in stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau starting on July 27, 2010. Players will also be able to purchase StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty directly from Blizzard Entertainment shortly after the retail launch.

"We've been looking forward to revisiting the StarCraft universe for many years, and we're excited that the time for that is almost here," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Thanks to our beta testers, we're making great progress on the final stages of development, and we'll be ready to welcome players all over the world to StarCraft II and the new Battle.net® in just a few months."

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s 1998 hit StarCraft, which has been hailed by players and critics worldwide as one of the top real-time strategy games of all time. Sporting a vibrant 3D-graphics engine, StarCraft II will once again center on the clash between the protoss, terrans, and zerg, with each side deploying legions of veteran, upgraded, and new unit types. Unparalleled online play for StarCraft II will be available through a new version of Battle.net, Blizzard Entertainment's world-renowned gaming service. Battle.net has been redesigned from the ground up to be the premier online gaming destination for Blizzard gamers, with several enhancements and new features, such as voice communication, cloud file storage, leagues and ladders, achievements, stat-tracking, and more.

Dave Perry demonstrerer World of Warcraft på iPad

Der er stadig en del Daily Rush'ere, som ikke helt tror på Apples iPad. Dave Perry, som senest har kastet sig over steamed gaming med Gaikai, har dog opdateret sin egen blog med et ganske interessant billede. Her fremviser han en iPad, som tilsyneladende streamer World of Warcraft ganske lystigt via Gaikai-systemet. Ikke helt dårligt, hvis det kan lade sig gøre over en standard WiFi-forbindelse. Gaikai er sammen med OnLive de første mere seriøse bud på fremtidens streamede spiloplevelser.

Ubisoft udskyder udgivelsen af R.U.S.E. i tre måneder

Ubisoft har nu taget konsekvensen af spiller-feedback og besluttet sig for at udskyde lanceringen af deres kommende rts-spil R.U.S.E. indtil september måned. Beskeden til spillerne er blevet offentliggjort på Facebook (tak til Kotaku), hvor Ubisoft undskylder forsinkelsen, men også erkender, at der er elementer som kræver en større kærlig hånd.

We hope that you understand that decision and will continue supporting the game and the team during that time. You can of course expect us to communicate on the changes and improvements that will happen during the coming weeks. Meanwhile, here is a list of some features currently being improved based on your feedback:

• The multiplayer menus and filters
• The unit selection
• The order assignment
• The unit behavior and pathfinding
• The strategic AI behaviour
• The anti-lag policy and kick system
• and the game balance of course

Blizzard luger ud i deres Warcraft- og Diablo-spillere

Blizzard Entertainment har i en ganske kortfattet udtalelse i deres BattleNet-forum, meddelt at de har lukket for over 320.000 Warcraft III & Diablo II konti, som har overtrådt de noget strenge regler (terms of use) for BattleNet. De fleste af de bortviste spillere er blevet taget i at benytte sig "bots" eller tredjeparts-programmer, som ikke er lovlige.

We’ve recently banned over 320,000 Warcraft III and Diablo II accounts that were found to be violating the Battle.net Terms of Use. If this is a first offense, the CD key associated with the banned account will be suspended for 30 days, while repeat offenders will see their keys banned permanently. All account ban decisions are final.

We would like all players to remember that abuse of unintended mechanics and/or use of third party programs is a violation of the agreement made when signing on to Battle.net, and can subject your account to disciplinary action up to and including a permanent ban of its access to the service. These types of activities can severely impact the stability of our servers, and we’ll continue to aggressively monitor Battle.net in order to protect the service and its players from the harmful effects of cheating.

Many account closures come as the direct result of tips emailed to our hacks team by legitimate Battle.net users. If you come across a hack, find a site responsible for distributing hacks, or have a replay of a newly available hack, please report this to our hacks team at hacks@blizzard.com or through our Hacks Report Form at http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&tag=hacksform

Blizzard appellerer koreansk 18+ StarCraft II rating

Blizzard Entertainment har ikke helt uventet besluttet sig for at appellere den noget overraskende +18 StarCraft II klassificering, som de koreanske myndigheder gav spillet i sidste uge. Shacknews har haft fat i Blizzards pr-repræsentant Bob Colayco, som kan fortælle, at Blizzard vil indlevere en ny "build" af spillet til revurdering. StarCraft eSport-scenen er enorm i Korea og det kan have ganske store konsekvenser for Blizzards salg, hvis 18+ grænsen opretholdes. Den første udgave af StarCraft II, som Blizzard viste de koreanske myndigheder for som forventet et +15 prædikat.

Unge koreanske gamere må nu undvære StarCraft II

De fleste Daily Rush'ere er godt klar over, hvor store Blizzards spil er i Korea. StarCraft- og WarCraft-spillene har der helt eget liv dér, og der er ingen tilfældighed, at flere af de allerbedste spillere er koreanere. Derfor kommer det som en ubehagelig overraskelse, at de koreanske myndigheder nu har givet det kommende StarCraft II en +18 klassificering (tak til Kotaku) og derved bliver spillet kun tilladt for voksne gamere, og ikke det segment, som det allerhelst vil have fingrene i det. Tidligere har StarCraft-spillene været påklistret et +15 mærke, hvilket også var gældende for den igangværende betatest. Blizzard har nu 30 dage til at appelere de koreanske myndigheders kendelse. StarCraft II er helt uden skyggen af tvivl, den største spillancering i Korea i år. Du kan se meget mere til StarCraft II her på Daily Rush.

The news just keeps getting worse for computer games giant Blizzard Entertainment, which is reeling after Korea's Games Rating Board moved to ban youngsters from playing its upcoming title, ``StarCraft II.''

StarCraft II was obviously the most-anticipated launch of 2010, being the sequel to the original game that has sold more than 5 million copies since its 1998 release, while singlehandedly spawning a whole new industry of ``PC bangs'' (commercial gaming lounges), and professional gaming leagues within a movement dubbed as e-sports.

The decision by the Games Rating Board, a unit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is certainly a letdown, although Blizzard can file an objection within the next 30 days.

Blizzard annoncerer Collector's Edition af StarCraft II

Er du den type gamer der ynder at gøre meget ud at dine spilkøb, eller er du glødende fan af StarCraft-universet, kan Blizzard være behjælpelige når StarCraft II (SC2) udkommer. Som med alle Blizzard-spil i mange år vil SC2 udkomme i både en normal udgave og i en Collector’s Edition. Ud over selve spillet vil indholdet bl.a. være en 176-siders bog indeholdende concept art fra spillet, en CD med spillets officielle soundtrack og en mini Thor som pet i World of Warcraft. Dette er efterhånden standard for Collector’s-versioner af Blizzardspil, men som noget unikt kan købere finde et 2 GB USB-drev i form af Jim raynor’s hundetegn, hvorpå både StarCraft og StarCraft: Broodwar kan findes. Og hvad er prisen så? Pt. sælger Coolshop Collector’s-versionen for 828 kr. Du skal øjensynligt grave dybt i lommerne for at kunne kalde dig ejer af den specielle version af SC2, men mon ikke det nok skal sælge alligevel.

PARIS, France – April 8, 2010 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that its highly anticipated real-time strategy game, StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™, will be available both in a standard edition and in a limited-release Collector's Edition packed with exclusive bonus materials. Players who purchase either edition will be able to play online for no additional fee through the new version of Battle.net®, the premier online gaming destination for Blizzard Entertainment gamers.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will be available on DVD-ROM for Windows® XP/ Windows Vista®/ Windows® 7 and Macintosh®. The standard edition will sell for a suggested retail price of 59.99€ and will also be available shortly after release as a download through the online Blizzard Store. The special Collector’s Edition package, which is priced at 89.99€ and will only be available at retail stores, will include the following bonus items in addition to the game disc:

• The Art of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, a 176-page book featuring artwork from the game
• An exclusive 2GB USB flash drive replica of Jim Raynor's dog tag, which comes preloaded with the original StarCraft and the StarCraft: Brood War® expansion set
• A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, cinematics with director’s commentary, and more
• The official StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty soundtrack CD, containing 14 epic tracks from the game along with exclusive bonus tracks
• StarCraft comic book issue #0, a prequel to the comic series
• A World of Warcraft® mini Thor in-game pet that can be applied to all World of Warcraft characters on a single Battle.net account
• Exclusive Battle.net downloadable content, including special portraits for your Battle.net profile, decals to customize your units in-game, and a visually unique version of the terran Thor unit

"We've been looking forward to revisiting the StarCraft universe with our players for over 10 years, and we wanted to offer an epic collector's edition that commemorated the occasion," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This special version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty -- easily our biggest collector's edition to date -- does just that, and we think StarCraft II gamers will really enjoy all of the exclusive contents."

MAC-versionen af StarCraft II-betaen er klar om to uger

Så er ventetiden snart forbi for de hungrende MAC-brugere, der kun kan se på mens PC-folket fornøjer sig med StarCraft II-betaen (SC2). Blizzard Entertainment har just offentliggjort at de er klar med MAC-versionen af SC2-betaen d. 13. april. Det er uden tvivl godt nyt, både for de mange nye folk der kommer med i betaen, men også for Blizzard, der nu kan teste hvordan spillet løber på MAC-maskiner, samt hvordan de to versioner af beta’en fungerer når de spiller sammen. Blizzard udtaler i samme anledning at de for nuværende har et tilfredsstillende antal beta-testere og at der næppe kommer flere beta-adgange til PC-folket i de næste par måneder. Har du stadig ikke fået adgang til betaen kan du evt. følge med i vores oplevelser her på Daily Rush.