TheWargamer News

1st DLC For Bioshock 2 Available.

Mon, 14 Mar 2010 GMT

NEW YORK(BUSINESS WIRE)2K Games announced today that the Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack*, the first downloadable content for the award-winning BioShock®2, is now available for download from both the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows–LIVE for 400 Microsoft Points, and from the PlayStation®Network for $4.99. Future expansions into the world of BioShock 2 are slated to arrive over the coming months and will continue to expand upon the stories of the denizens of Rapture.

Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack, the first of several planned downloadable packages, contains a number of customization features that will allow players to further their character’s development in BioShock 2’s multiplayer modes and provide a deeper multiplayer experience. The pack includes:

Rank increase to level 50 with rank rewards
New playable characters - Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
20 new trials**
A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
Five additional masks**

**Some items are only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher.

Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack is multiplayer content that requires Gold membership for Xbox LIVE® subscribers. In the coming months, 2K Games will also publish downloadable extensions of the single player experience that will provide new insights into the world of Rapture. These packages will include more narrative, new tools and challenges that will extend the lore and fiction of the failed utopia under the sea.

Field of Glory Patched To v1.1.1 - Important For Multiplayer

Sun, 13 Mar 2010 GMT

Staten Island, NY, March 12th, 2010 – Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Slitherine Strategies (www.slitherine.com) are pleased to release another update for their acclaimed turn-based ancient warfare game, Field of Glory. The comprehensive 1.1.1 update brings several tweaks and fixes including a rule change where units can no longer change their facing if they have already engaged in a melee attack for that turn.

Please note: It is strongly recommended that all customers install this update. This update is required to continue using the multiplayer feature of Field of Glory. The update will also allow owners of Field of Glory to also play against people who purchase the Rise of Rome expansion and is part of the ongoing support related to Rise of Rome, which will be released through the Matrix Games Online Store next week.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Field of Glory becomes more and more polished with each new release and the imminent Rise of Rome expansion means even more solid content to keep ancient warfare buffs battling it out!”

Based on Slitherine’s popular tabletop wargaming system by the same name, Field of Glory now comes to the PC in a faithful adaptation of this acclaimed miniatures wargame! Without the calculations and measurements required for a tabletop game of Field of Glory, the PC version accurately represents ancient combat where you make the important and fun decisions on the battlefield.

March mighty legions across famous ancient battlegrounds from Zama in North Africa to the battles of Boudicca’s revolt in Britain. Later releases will expand to new periods and new areas of the ancient and medieval world. Field of Glory sports an easy to use interface with a focus on having fun in ancient combat. Field of Glory also includes a map-maker and scenario-creator which are just as easy to command as your soldiers are on the battlefield, as well as excellent multi-player support.

This update is comprehensive and will bring all previous versions of Field of Glory to version 1.1.1. This update is required to continue using the multiplayer feature in Field of Glory so it is strongly recommended that all Field of Glory owners install this update. Get more information on Field of Glory from its official product page.

Dominions 3 Patched

Fri, 11 Mar 2010 GMT

The latest patch brings the retail version of Dominions 3: The Awakening to version 3.24 and is available for all OS flavors the game supports: Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. The following is a list of what one can find in the 3.24 patch:

Eliminated nations are now also shown in the graphs.
Spell AI improved regarding when to cast Arrow Fend, Gift of Flight and Legions of Steel.
Could get some kind of mine even though all site slots were fullfixed.
New monster modding commands: #inquisitor, #shatteredsoul, #banefireshield, #uwdamage, #popkill.
Some units like the vampire now actually takes damage from being underwater, just like they were supposed to.
Description changed for Maggots to better correspond with its true effect.
Djinn is now a unique monster.
Increased maximum number of messages a player can send on a given turn.
Fixed crash during turn generation.
Support for PulseAudio on Linux.
New resolutions! 1024*600 and 1024*576 (for netbooks).
Dominions could crash when changing video preferencesfixed.

The patch can be downloaded here.

Slitherine Releases Ice Road Truckers On PSP

Fri, 11 Mar 2010 GMT

Slitherine is proud to announce the release of HISTORY™ Ice Road Truckers on PSP Minis. The game launches today as downloadable game on the PSN store.

The Ice Road Truckers is a racing game that captures the spirit and danger of the series by putting players in the driver’s seat of an eighteen wheeler. Players face a number of challenges as they haul equipment and supplies to isolated outposts north of the Arctic Circle.
Player take command of these huge 18-wheelers and drive their way across ice roads.

Stay on the road, avoid obstacles, and reach the destination before time runs out. Quicker times earn you more money, but if you’re late you won’t advance !!
Features

5 trucks, with unique characteristics. Unlock trucks by winning awards
5 different cameras different surfaces with different traction
15 ice roads to master. Unlock roads by earning cash
Thin breakable ice area – beware!
Forking roads
Race against the clock to deliver your loads
Avoid other trucks and hazards on the road
Set records in the hall of fame
Even your glass steams up when the action gets intense!

The game releases today, 11th of March 2010

Napoleon: Total War Demo Released

Thu, 10 Mar 2010 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (March 10, 2010) – SEGA® of America, Inc., today announced that the demo for Napoleon: Total War™, the next iteration of the critically acclaimed Total War™ series, is available on Steam™ today. Players can learn how to lead an army to victory in the tutorial for land battles, while testing their strategies at the Battle of Ligny where Napoleon’s army takes on the powerful Prussian forces. As land battles are only a portion of the game, a campaign map video and multiplayer video highlighting other important product features are also included in the demo.

Napoleon: Total War builds on the successful Total War series by including all the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles, a detailed campaign map, and an in depth diplomacy system. Napoleon: Total War takes Total War a step further by adding features such as a multiplayer campaign mode, a narrative structure and drop-in battles. The game also supports multi core processing out of the box making use of the most advance technology available for PCs.

“The new 2010 Intel® Core™ processor family unleashes the true potential of SEGA’s second generation multi-threaded engine, as used in Napoleon: Total War. Broadening playability on a greater number of mainstream PC platforms and on higher-end platforms, enabling greater visual fidelity during battles on both land and sea, immersing the player even deeper into the heat of the battle.’ says Aaron Coday, Intel EMEA Engineering Manager.

For more information about the game, please visit www.totalwar.com

Bigpoint Unveils Cross-Platform Mobile Gaming Engine

Wed, 9 Mar 2010 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO(BUSINESS WIRE)Bigpoint, the global market leader in Browser MMOs, today announced that it will be demonstrating the next generation of browser based games and the future of multiplayer gaming with a multiplatform technical demo, codenamed Uniter, that illustrates how multiplayer gaming can be achieved across multiple platforms like smart phones and PC.

“We believe the future of gaming exists in a world without borders and platform boundaries and in real-time. Bigpoint is excited to show the industry how it will unify the gameplay experience for gamers across all the devices they use to play our games.”

Leveraging Unity, Bigpoint can develop games for browser, console or smart phones with the goal of creating a truly open gaming platform. Bigpoint is currently working on other different Unity projects, the first technical demonstration of them (codename “Uniter”) will be presented at the GDC. The Uniter technology will be demonstrated with the help of a racing game that shows how Unity allows Bigpoint to develop games that are completely synchronous, so the players can compete and interact in real-time on multiple platforms. This is the first time that cross-platform gaming has been realized in this form and will provide the industry with a first look at the future of gaming. A Bigpoint user will be able to play the same character in the game on different platforms. Which means that you can start in the morning on your PC, pick up the same game exactly where you left off on the bus using your smart phone and after that at home on your console. It will be always the same game and the same character.

"This is an important and historic opportunity for the online gaming industry," explains Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. "We believe the future of gaming exists in a world without borders and platform boundaries and in real-time. Bigpoint is excited to show the industry how it will unify the gameplay experience for gamers across all the devices they use to play our games."

"We're completely thrilled to see Bigpoint applying Unity this way," said David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies. "We believe that providing a ubiquitous gaming experience that adapts to mobile lifestyles is the future. Bigpoint has been a true pioneer in web games and in taking this step, they're staying at the forefront of the industry."

As leading developer of online games, Bigpoint's experience in server based games programming significantly contributed to the development of a server system that enables real-time multiplayer gaming between smart phones and PC – even the integration of consoles would be possible in the near future.

Bigpoint will be located at booth #2038 at Game Developers Conference. This will be an opportunity for Unity and Bigpoint to demonstrate this technology to other developers interested in publishing through Bigpoint.com, media and other games industry colleagues.

Bigpoint Opens US Office

Wed, 9 Mar 2010 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO(BUSINESS WIRE)The global market leader in Browser MMO games, Bigpoint (http://bigpoint.com), is staffing up its new North American subsidiary based in San Francisco, which opened on March 1. This new and important extension of the popular games portal and developer will be led personally by Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. The 33-year-old entrepreneur will live mostly in the U.S., but will also continue to lead the global operations of Bigpoint GmbH in Hamburg (Germany) as CEO.

“The U.S. is one of the most strategically important markets for us”

Hubertz will concentrate on setting up the new subsidiary with an emphasis on creativity, drawing from Silicon Valley's deep technical and creative talent pool. In addition to the new development studio, business development, marketing and public relations departments will also be established.

Headquartered in Hamburg, Bigpoint is supported by offices in Berlin, Malta and New York. The office in San Francisco will be the fifth site for the growing enterprise.

"The U.S. is one of the most strategically important markets for us," explains Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. "Now that we have spent the past several months building up a strong and experienced management team for our Hamburg headquarters, I am going to personally oversee the successful development of the U.S. market in the coming months."

Bigpoint is already heavily involved with the U.S. market. In 2008, the media company NBC Universal joined the Hamburg-based enterprise as one of the major investors. With media partners such as SyFy, Wild Tangent and Hi5 and more than 100 million registered users millions, Bigpoint is one of the top players in the online games market in the U.S. At the end of 2009, the online gaming portal bigpoint.com was chosen by U.S. players as the best website in the area "Entertainment" (http://www.websiteoftheyear.us/winners.php).

Bigpoint will be attending Game Developers Conference and will be located at booth #2038. This will be an opportunity for Bigpoint to demonstrate its innovative technology and exciting game catalog to other developers interested in publishing through Bigpoint.com, media and other games industry colleagues.

AGEOD's Rise of Prussia Released

Wed, 9 Mar 2010 GMT

NEW YORK – March 9th, 2010 – Paradox Interactive and AGEOD’s 18th-Century strategy game, Rise of Prussia, is now available for purchase via digital distributors. Until March 15, anyone who purchases Rise of Prussia via participating digital distributors will receive a 75% off AGEOD’s title Birth of America 2.

A demo of Rise of Prussia is available for download, to give prospective buyers a taste of the Seven Years’ War-themed title. A list of download mirrors can be found at: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464122

Rise of Prussia Features:

Over 100 new leaders with individual portraits, and 300 types of units
10 Scenarios:
- 1 Battle Scenario, Saxony 1756, to enter the game
- 6 Annual Campaign Scenarios, for each year between 1757 and 1763
- 1 Grand Campaign Scenario 1756-1763
- 2 Tutorial Scenarios
Map covering all of Germany and surrounding vicinity, with over 1,000 different regions offering plenty of room for maneuvering
New events and a wide set of options for you to customize your strategy
Streamlined command system based on the hierarchy system seen in American Civil War and Napoleon’s Campaigns, allowing for historical army command, organization, and structure
Brand new system for recruiting units, allowing players to choose and purchase forces during the annual and grand campaigns
New system of historical events, allowing multiple-choice events and answers, enhancing flexibility and increasing replayability
Additional interface helpers introduced to ease player interaction with the game, like the new Army Outliner system
New functionalities to find your armies and see your supplies and assets
Advanced AI
Widely extended manual and player aid

View the Rise of Prussia gameplay trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Yp6ALOp3o

Jagged Alliance 3 Development Underway With New Publisher

Wed, 9 Mar 2010 GMT

Eschborn/Frankfurt, March 09, 2010: Preliminary development work has started on Jagged Alliance 3, the new episode in the internationally successful Jagged Alliance series. The German publisher bitComposer Games has secured the full rights to the license from Strategy First, and will publish this famous strategy brand with roleplay elements worldwide. The aim is to preserve the popular basic concept of the previous versions and place it in a contemporary setting. A specific release date for Jagged Alliance 3 has not yet been confirmed, but a 2011 release is anticipated.

“Although Jagged Alliance 2 was published over ten years ago now, the game still represents a milestone in the genre and boasts a huge following of loyal fans,” says Wolfgang Duhr, Managing Director of bitComposer Games. “We are delighted to acquire this classic game for bitComposer, and want to continue the success of the previous titles in the series, while giving the new version a contemporary look, bearing in mind the strong features of its predecessors”.
The Jagged Alliance series has received numerous national and international awards since its first appearance in 1994. The second part in particular, Jagged Alliance 2, released in 1999, won a host of accolades and gained the highest plaudits from the global games media. Jagged Alliance 3 will build on the strengths of its famous predecessors and, set against the backdrop of a gripping story, will again deliver the much-loved combo of turn-based strategy gameplay with roleplay elements.

Recently there has been conflicting information about further planned releases in the Jagged Alliance series. Apart from a Social Network based game under development by Strategy First, the acquisition of the full IP rights by bitComposer Games will now serve to clarify the situation and will lay the foundations for future development work under the license.

For details on bitComposer Games products, please visit: www.bit-composer.com

Theatre of War 2 - Kursk 1943 Released

Wed, 9 Mar 2010 GMT

ZITADELLE! Theatre of War Kursk 1943 just released!
Operation Zitadelle, the largest tank battle in history, taking place near the Kursk salient in the year 1943, has just begun! Secure your place in this monumental battle by ordering Theatre of War 2 - Kursk 1943 right now!

Theatre of War 2 - Kursk 1943, developed by leading Russian publisher and developer 1C Company is the most recent title in the acclaimed Theatre of War series of detailed tactical battle simulations and is released exclusively by the independent online strategy and wargame publisher Battlefront.com, one of the web's largest and oldest communities for military games.

You can order a copy today for $45 as a digital download, for $45 plus Shipping & Handling as a mail delivery with DVD box, game DVD and printed limited edition *manual, or for $55 plus Shipping & Handling for both immediate download & mail!

* Battlefront will only conduct one print run of the game manual, and once it is sold out, it will not be available anymore.

Rise of Rome - Field of Glory Expansion - Released Today

Tue, 8 Mar 2010 GMT

Slitherine is proud to announce the release of Rise of Rome Digital, the first army pack for its blockbuster wargame Field of Glory.

Rise of Rome is an expansion pack for Field of Glory Digital and requires Field of Glory Digital. It adds a host of new features to single and multiplayer and the vast number of armies and troop types make this more than just an expansion pack; it is an entirely new game!

The game also features a Digital Army Generator (D.A.G.) to allow players to design their own armies to a specific number of points and use them against the AI or in Multiplayer battles.

The D.A.G. sets a new benchmark for all wargames addicts and, alongside the increasingly popular multiplayer play by e-mail system, it will make this award winning series a completely new experience for wargamers, strategy players and newcomers alike.

Field of Glory Digital is based on the popular Field of Glory tabletop wargaming system from Slitherine (www.fieldofglory.com), the PC version takes care of all the calculations and measurements and just leaves you to make the important and fun decisions.
Find out more about Field of Glory Digital here and do not hesitate to ask for review codes should you wish to review the game !

Features

A comprehensive Digital Army Generator (D.A.G.) which allows you to design armies to a specific number of points and then take these armies in to single player against the AI or online in multiplayer. Making its first ever appearance on a Slitherine title, the D.A.G. is a powerful tool for any wargames addict !
New random battle generator using armies created in the army builder for single and multiplayer.
Baggage camps which appear in battle and can be looted for bonus points. Some armies are allowed to fortify their baggage.
Over 100 new unit types including camelry, scythed chariots and artillery!
5 New terrain types: broken ground, impassable terrain, open fields, plantations & steep hills.
6 new battles from the Greek & Persian wars, Macedonian & Punic War's and from Rome’s expansion.

Armies Included

Mid-Republican Roman, Late Republican Roman, Gallic, Pyrrhic, Later Carthaginian, Ancient Spanish, Later Macedonian, Attalid Pergamene, Numidian or Early Moorish, Later Seleucid, Later Ptolemaic, Pontic, Spartacus Slave Revolt, Early Armenian, Parthian, Later Jewish, and Bosporan.

Defense Grid Patched

Sun, 6 Mar 2010 GMT

This latest patch will be automatically applied via Steam.

The release notes state the following changes:

Field of Glory Patched

Sat, 5 Mar 2010 GMT

Staten Island, NY, March 6th, 2010 – Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Slitherine Strategies (www.slitherine.com) are pleased to release the comprehensive 1.1.0 update for their acclaimed turn-based ancients game, Field of Glory. Specific changes coming with the update include tweaks to rout and pursuit moves, several alterations to both how disorder is handled and displayed, minor bug fixes, and more.

Please note: It is strongly recommended that all customers install this update. This update is required to continue using the multiplayer feature of Field of Glory. The update will also allow owners of Field of Glory to also play against people who purchase the Rise of Rome expansion.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Excitement has been steadily building in anticipation of the Rise of Rome expansion. With this update, Field of Glory owners will be able to continue enjoying the game’s true strength in multiplayer along with people who purchase Rise of Rome. We can be sure there will be no shortage of generals to clash with!”

Based on Slitherine’s popular tabletop wargaming system by the same name, Field of Glory now comes to the PC in a faithful adaptation of this acclaimed miniatures wargame! Without the calculations and measurements required for a tabletop game of Field of Glory, the PC version accurately represents ancient combat where you make the important and fun decisions on the battlefield.

March mighty legions across famous ancient battlegrounds from Zama in North Africa to the battles of Boudicca’s revolt in Britain. Later releases will expand to new periods and new areas of the ancient and medieval world. Field of Glory sports an easy to use interface with a focus on having fun in ancient combat. Field of Glory also includes a map-maker and scenario-creator which are just as easy to command as your soldiers are on the battlefield, as well as excellent multi-player support.

This update is comprehensive and will bring all previous versions of Field of Glory to version 1.1.0. This update is required to continue using the multiplayer feature in Field of Glory so it is strongly recommended that all Field of Glory owners install this update. Get more information on Field of Glory from its official product page.

Strategic Command WWII Global Conflict In Stores

Sat, 5 Mar 2010 GMT

Battlefront.com and Fury Software are thrilled to announce the public release of Strategic Command WWII Global Conflict! This biggest and boldest design yet in the critically acclaimed Strategic Command series allows players for the first time to wage World War II across the massive expanse of the entire planet, from battles in Europe and North Africa all the way to Asia and the Pacific!

Strategic Command WWII Global Conflict is available for purchase immediately, either as download ($45), as mail delivery ($45+shipping&handling), or both download and mail ($55+shipping&handling). Hardgoods for mail and download&mail orders, including a DVD box, printed "limited edition" manual and game CD, will begin shipping within the next 7-14 days.

War in the Pacific Admiral's Edition Patched

Fri, 4 Mar 2010 GMT

Staten Island, NY, March 4th, 2010 – Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Henderson Field Designs are proud to release a major new update for their award winning WWII Pacific Theatre mega game, War in the Pacific – Admiral’s Edition! The new comprehensive 1.01.02a update comes with heaps of changes, fixes, and improvements including support for variable resolutions and even widescreen support. Gone are the days of 1024x768 – you can now see as much of the gorgeous map as your monitor will allow! Other changes include adjustments to anti-sub warfare and torpedo effectiveness, many interface improvements, gameplay improvements galore, and much more – well over 100 changes, fixes and improvements.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Unparalleled in its realism and scope, War in the Pacific – Admiral’s Edition is a must-have for any Pacific Theatre buff. This new update, the third official update since its release, ensures that War in the Pacific – Admiral’s Edition will continue to remain on many hard drives for years to come!”

War in the Pacific: Admiral’s Edition is the result of many additional man-years of development from a dedicated and experienced team including subject matter experts and experienced programmers. This has resulted in an improved War in the Pacific experience across the board. This is the entire War in the Pacific down to individual aircraft, vehicles, ships, guns and squads - more than just a game, it's an encyclopedia of the war compiled from many sources to an unmatched level of detail. Add in a much improved AI and more secure PBEM play and you have the makings of a new classic!

War in the Pacific: Admiral’s Edition is a stand-alone release which does not require ownership of War in the Pacific. The Admiral’s Edition installation process will not overwrite original War in the Pacific files, but instead the expansion installs along side the original installation of the game and runs as a separate game.

The individual features and improvements to Admiral’s Edition are far too numerous to mention in total in this announcement, but the product page link below goes into enough detail to please any War in the Pacific fan.

As our first "Collector's Edition", the boxed version also comes with a Full Color Printed 330 page manual!

War in the Pacific – Admiral’s Edition is a standalone release and does not require War in the Pacific to install and play.

This update is comprehensive and will bring all previous versions of War in the Pacific – Admiral’s Edition to version 1.01.02a. Matrix Games recommends that all owners of War in the Pacific – Admiral’s Edition update to this version. Get more information on War in the Pacific – Admiral’s Edition from its official product page.

The patch may be found here.

Rise of Prussia Demo Released

Fri, 4 Mar 2010 GMT

NEW YORK- March 4th, 2010 – Paradox Interactive today released the official demo for the upcoming PC title Rise of Prussia. Gamers everywhere can now dive in and get a sample of the strategic and political twists and turns of the Seven Years' War 1756-1763.

The Rise of Prussia Demo gives you two scenarios, the short invasion of Saxony scenario and the option to play the opening turns of the grand campaign.

The official list of download links is available here: http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=464122

Rise of Prussia is scheduled for release on March 9th, 2010 and is currently enjoying a pre-order campaign which offers AGEODs previous classic, Birth of America 2 for a 75% discount and is available via most major digital retailers.

Strategic Command WWII Global Conflict Demo Released

Fri, 4 Mar 2010 GMT

This demo includes the full world map 1942 Axis High Tide campaign covering the high water mark of Axis power during WWII. With the German army at the gates of Stalingrad, Rommel advancing towards Alexandria and the Japanese Navy ready to strike at Midway, can the Allies ever hope to turn the Axis High Tide?

The demo campaign is limited to 2 months of game time.

Multiplayer modes, saving and unit purchases are disabled in the demo but the campaign is playable against the AI as either side.

The demo may be downloaded directly from Battlefront. More mirrors are expected but currently with only one server gamers may expect delays in the download. The Download my be found here.

Technical Notes about the Demo:

NOTE ABOUT DUAL MONITOR DISPLAYS:
SC WWII Pacific Theater can have problems with Dual Monitor displays which cancause the game to be unplayable. As such, we advise disabling a secondary monitor before launching and playing this game.

VISTA/WINDOWS 7 COMPATABILITY
If you have experienced any issues with installation or running Strategic Command WWII Pacific Theater (in general) it is recommended to run the installation utility and/or the game as an Administrator. Either logging in with an Administrator account or using the following steps can achieve this:
1. Right clicking the Shortcut
2. Select Properties
3. On the Shortcut tab select Advanced
4. Then Select the "Run as Administrator" checkbox.
Additionally you may find that you need to temporarily disable Vista’s User Access Control (UAC). Please refer to your Vista documentation for further instructions on the disabling and subsequent re-enabling of UAC if necessary.

NEW VIDEO ACCELERATION SETTING
If you play the game and notice unplayably slow map scroll speeds and unit selection time, then please activate the "Video Acceleration" option from inside the Settings panel. That option will use a different method to handle graphics and should put your game performance back to regular levels. If you have never noticed any extreme game slowness, you can leave this option set to OFF.

Rise of Prussia Pre-orders Open

Tue, 1 Mar 2010 GMT

NEW YORK – March 1st, 2010 – Paradox Interactive today announced the pre-order program for AGEOD’s upcoming 18th-Century strategy game, Rise of Prussia, which gives gamers a 75% discount on AGEOD’s acclaimed Birth of America 2. The discount is extended to anyone who purchases Rise of Prussia via most participating digital distributors, including GamersGate.

Rise of Prussia is also on track for release on the 9th of March via the most major digital distributors. In addition Paradox has released a new gameplay trailer displaying off the detailed game map.

See the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Yp6ALOp3o

Rise of Prussia Features:

Over 100 new leaders with individual portraits, and 300 types of units
- 10 Scenarios:
- 1 Battle Scenario Saxony 1756 to enter the game
- 6 Annual Campaigns Scenarios, for each year between 1757 and 1763
- 1 Grand Campaign Scenario 1756-1763
- 2 Tutorial Scenarios
Map covering all of Germany and surrounding vicinity, with over 1,000 different regions offering plenty of room for manoeuvering
New events and a wide set of options for you to customize your strategy
Streamlined command system based on the hierarchy system seen in American Civil War and Napoleon’s Campaigns, allowing for historical army command, organization, and structure
Brand new system for recruiting units, allowing players to choose and purchase forces during the annual and grand campaigns
New system of historical events, allowing multiple-choice events and answers, enhancing flexibility and increasing replayability
Additional interface helpers introduced to ease player interaction with the game, like the new Army Outliner system
New functionalities to find your armies and see your supplies and assets
Advanced AI
Widely extended manual and player aid

Huge Patch For Armada 2526

Sat, 26 Feb 2010 GMT

Staten Island, NY, February 26th, 2010 – Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Ntronium Games (www.ntronium.com) are thrilled to release a major update for their popular turn-based/real time strategy blend, Armada 2526! The new comprehensive 1.024 update comes with many new improvements, tons of bug fixes, and a few major new features.

Specifically, an automatic population transport feature has been added to reduce the micromanagement involved transporting population around the galaxy, the research speed and bureaucracy growth rate have scaled to game size and can now be set manually, improved support for mods has been added, bugs have been fixed, and much more. In addition, there have been several balance changes with the overall aim of promoting bigger, more interesting battles, greater use of ground units, and more research specialization.

This update also includes an updated version of .NET and DirectX, which is required for Armada 2526 to function properly.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Armada 2526 was already a highly addictive hit right out of the box, but the new update further smoothes and improves nearly all areas of the game! This update is a major step in Ntronium’s commitment to listening to its fans and making Armada 2526 all that it can be!”

Expand your Empire, Conquer the Galaxy!

Armada 2526 is the heir to one of the first great space empire-building games and it is the product of veteran game designer and developer R.T. Smith, of “Total War” series fame. You guide your race from its first interstellar journeys, until it becomes a mighty galactic empire. Along the way, you'll explore the galaxy, conduct research, diplomacy and trade, found new colonies, maneuver mighty star fleets, and fight epic battles. Create bustling colonies on foreign worlds to build powerful fleets, construct advanced buildings and research facilities that will help you master space and defend your civilization! In a close race for victory, alliances forged through bartering and good will can help tip the balance of power in your favor as alien empires seek power and glory at your expense.

Powerful tutorial and advisor features help any would-be galactic commander get up to speed quickly, and with endless possible strategies Armada 2526 offers many different strategies to best your alien foes.

Unlike many games in this genre, Armada 2526 focuses on providing a game that can be finished in a reasonable time and emphasizes decisive strategy over micro-management.

This update is comprehensive and will bring all previous versions of Armada 2526 to version 1.024. Get more information on Armada 2526 from its official product page including the patch which can be found toward the end of the page. The comprehensive patch is approximately 25 MB in size.

Release Date Slips For Order of War: Challenge

Fri, 25 Feb 2010 GMT

London (25th February 2010) - Wargaming.net, a strategy game specialist, announces a new release date for its World War II Real-Time Strategy game ORDER OF WAR: Challenge - March 12th.

Two additional weeks will be used for optimizing game performance and tense QA work, allowing the company to deliver a more polished product.

"We are committed to delivering quality products," says Victor Kislyi, chief executive officer of Wargamig.net", that's why we decided to give Order of War: Challenge some more time that will be spent on enhancing and polishing certain areas of the game. That is the only reason for the delay".

About Order of War: Challenge:

ORDER OF WAR: CHALLENGE is a multiplayer stand-alone game in the world of ORDER OF WAR™, published by Wargaming.net, packing even more intense World War II real-time strategy action. With 6 extended modes, 12 unique maps, and hundreds of units under player control ORDER OF WAR: CHALLENGE gives players a battlefield experience of epic scale. With a focus on fast-action gameplay, and featuring exclusive bonus content, ORDER OF WAR: CHALLENGE is the ultimate way to experience online RTS gaming. With a new advanced gameplay system and including fog of war, ORDER OF WAR: CHALLENGE redefines combat mechanics and gives players a tense battlefield experience with plenty of room for wide-ranging tactics. For more information on ORDER OF WAR: CHALLENGE, visit http://www.wargaming.net/challenge

Key Features:
• 12 Unique Maps - Each map features different types of cross-country terrain and urban areas to provide great replayability.
• 6 New Multiplayer Modes - With these new modes you have the opportunity to prove you are the best commander on the online battlefield in a variety of ways.
• Command troops of the USA, Germany or the Soviet Union - Grasp your units by knowing their strengths, weaknesses and discover how to exercise their power to defeat your enemies.
• 4 Co-op Survival Missions - Play shoulder to shoulder with your comrades-in-arms to defend your headquarters from enemy attacks of increasing intensity. To get extra income and new reinforcement types, capture control points that appear randomly throughout the map but only stay for a short time.