All Entries in the "Mac" Category

StarCraft Noob Files: First 30 Minutes of Multiplayer

Hello, I’m Chad and I’ve never played StarCraft before in my life. I used to play other, older RTS games back in the day, like Deadlock. I’m also a big fan of turn-based strategy titles like the Civilization franchise. But, when it comes to StarCraft, I haven’t had the gumption to take it on. There could be many reasons behind that, but the primary of which is probably the fact that I knew the sequel was coming out and would rather just wait for that to drop than pick up a 10-year-old game and try to start from scratch.

With some forceful nudging from a couple other editors here, I went out and claimed my copy of StarCraft II yesterday, slightly unsure how my laptop would handle it. I installed it and didn’t even realize it was running some sort of monologue in the background while it was doing so until it was nearly finished. Everything looks and runs great on my machine, albeit not at the highest settings. I’m still amazed how Blizzard can make some of the best games in the world and support a very high array of computer specs, more so than most new titles these days. I mean, c’mon, if I tried to play Crysis on my laptop it would spontaneously combust, setting my apartment on fire. Then I’d have to go through the trouble of turning in an insurance claim and all that jazz. Not worth it. Thank you, Blizzard, for not destroying my apartment.

Cataclysm Beta Report: Let’s Play a Goblin!

I am constantly awed by the large leap forward Blizzard is taking with the upcoming Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft. Not only are they redesigning the entire world of Azeroth (sans Northrend), they are completely reimagining the level 1-60 experience. On top of that they have worked painstakingly on giving many races a fresh new starting experience. Finally, they’re giving us two new races altogether.

One of those new races are the goblins. Goblins have been around World of Warcraft as long as the game has existed, but now you can finally play as one, albeit only if you want to be horde-aligned.

Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty First Impressions

Now let me start by saying that this is not a review and that any of my stated opinions are liable to change since this is only a first impressions piece. With all of that aside, here are some first impressions that I have gotten from Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty. Let’s focus on the campaign, since that is where I feel the bulk of the change occurred.

After completing the first mission, you can immediately see the difference between this new version and the original. To start, you are presented with a semi-interactive bar environment containing a few items with which you can briefly interact. After a few missions, your between mission environment upgrades to that of a battle cruiser with multiple rooms that each serve an interactive purpose. Players can head to the armory to buy in-game upgrades for their units or head up to the bar and see if there are any new mercenaries for hire.

Another upgrade from the previous version is the depth of the story. Not only is the story deeper but it also includes memorable characters that you can easily get attached to, making you unable to put this game down (at least in my case, playing 8 hours straight through 2 meals). This isn’t just another gamer saying this either. My sister watched me play and was just as interested in what was going to happen next as I was.

Another thing that I thought was interesting was the use of campaign only units such as firebats and medics. Many will miss these units when they get to the multiplayer modes but it is necessary for the sake of balance. I personally feel that these units added additional depth to each mission I’ve played. At this point, I would definitely recommend this game to anyone I know without hesitation.

StarCraft II Has Issues, Blizzard is Quite Aware

While the 12-year-wait for StarCraft II ended early this morning, the game isn’t without its issues. This should be expected of such a huge game. While none of the issues are necessarily game-breaking, Blizzard has compiled the major ones that are known and put them in a list to fix in an upcoming patch.

Also notable is that the minimum and recommended system requirements for the game have changed slightly (although I’m  unsure exactly what that change is). The new system requirements are listed in a thread on the StarCraft II forums for all to see. I’ve dropped the known bugs below, so have a look if you’re interested.

The Fight For Antaloor Continues in Two Worlds II

Shown off at this year’s PAX East, Two Worlds II received quite a favorable impression from those who laid their eyes on it. Published by TopWare Interactive and SouthPeak Games, and developed by Reality Pump, Two Worlds II will be heading in the direction of your Windows PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and MAC on September 14th, 2010 with a North American release.

Two Worlds II is a single-player and multi-player RPG that allows you to venture through the next chapter of the story of Antaloor. Gandohar uses the power of Aziraal that is stuck within Kÿra to disrupt the balance between the elements and take control over the dark powers. With the hero a prisoner inside Gandohar’s castle, he fears saving his sister may not be an option, and then the unexpected happens. The Orcs, who are a race that the hero has always hated so very much, pull off a prison break to free the hero from the grip of Gandohar and lay waste upon the evil that fills Antaloor.

Two quite humorous videos were released by SouthPeak Games showing us what the world of Antaloor is like through the eyes of Gandohar’s right-man, Sordahon. Take a look after the break for the “serious” documentary videos of Sordahon’s journey.

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DualShockers StarCraft II: Collectors Edition Unboxing Video Is Sexy!

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty releases tomorrow, for those of you who have been napping under a cozy rock. With the release, a hefty and bulky Collector’s Edition will be hitting store shelves which will come with a bunch of nifty goodies for you StarCraft fans to salivate over. You guys already know that we’re a bunch of cool mofos here at DualShockers so, with that said, we’ve decided to provide you guys with an unboxing video which shows off the amazing novelties that Blizzard has blessed fans with. With my birthday being on Wednesday the 28th, I will admit that it is, by far, one of the best gifts I’ve received as of yet, unless someone decides to surprise me with an Aston Martin or a year’s supply of Chef Boyardee (best Italian food ever!).

After the jump, you’ll bear witness to one of the most anticipated games in this industry receiving its well deserved flaunts. With the game, we have a couple of “Guest Passes” which we will probably give away to those of you who haven’t gotten a taste of the beta. We haven’t determined how we’re going to distribute them yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be along the lines of a contest here in the comments section. So, if you’re not going to be able to purchase the game tomorrow, then here’s your chance to receive a couple days of playtime. Check out the video after the jump, and we hope that you enjoy it!

BioWare Helping Maxis In Darkspore Development

BioWare is known for their alluring western RPG games. Without a doubt, they’ve established themselves as respectable folk in this industry by bringing us renown games since the 90’s. It’s why it’s really not a surprise to see Sims developer Maxis Studio receive a helping hand with their upcoming action adventure title, Darkspore, from the Canadian development studio – a game that positively resembles past BioWare games, respectively.

How much help Maxis is receiving from BioWare is unknown. However, if we track BioWare’s success in the genre, we can pretty much determine that they’re lending enough resources to make Darkspore anti-sucky. If you’re familiar with games like Neverwinter Nights, or Baldur’s Gate (two games which somewhat resemble Darkspore visually), then you’ll know why BioWare’s generous “help” can be positively received. Once we get word as to just how much help Maxis is getting from BioWare, we’ll make sure to update this post. Darkspore is already sounding more and more intriguing as nears.

[Gamespot]

Say Goodbye to the StarCraft II Beta

Don’t cry too much, though. While the StarCraft II beta ends today, the full release of the highly anticipated title is only a little over a week away. So, all you beta testers, take a breather, go outside, see the sun, say hello to your family, visit friends…because once July 27 comes around, you are pretty much guaranteed to return to a life spent in front of your computer screen.

You may be asking why the beta doesn’t last right up until the game releases next week. Blizzard needs to prepare the servers for the live game, so that will take some time. Plus, to my previous point, they probably realized all you beta testers needed a break. But, hey, they did send out a thank you.

“We would like to thank everyone who has participated in the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty beta test. You’ve done an admirable job of testing, and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback you provided during this critical phase of development. It’s been a lot of fun; however, all good things must come to an end.”

Check out the rest of the note on Battle.net and brace yourselves for next week!

Netflix Streaming Into Canada Later This Year

We’ve had streaming Netflix service on various devices – including our game consoles – for years now in the U.S., but later this year our friends north of the border will finally be able to see what all the fuss is about. There are a couple caveats, however. First, for French Canadians, the service will initially not support French audio or subtitles, but it appears that will be coming down the line at a later point.

Secondly, Netflix did not announce which devices the streaming service will initially be available on. Here’s what Netflix had to say about which devices will be available at launch and it is frustratingly vague at the moment:

“Canadian Netflix members will be able to instantly watch a broad array of movies and TV episodes right on their TVs via a range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as watching on PCs and Macs.”

It can pretty much be assumed that, at the very worst, over time their streaming service in Canada will support all the game consoles it does here – the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. So, here’s hoping those will be supported at launch or shortly thereafter.

If you live in Canada and are looking forward to this service going live in the fall, you can head on over to Netflix’s Canadian site to sign up for updates on how the rollout is progressing.

Alien Swarm Free Today On Steam

What gets better than free? Absolutely nothing. Being an avid fan of the word and its practice, I can assure you that I’ll definitely take anything that is offered for the price of nothing. Today, Steam has blessed us with one of these offerings by providing a new game, Alien Swarm, for zero dollars and zilch cents.

Alien Swarm is an Unreal mod with some Source Engine enhancements developed by a few members of the Valve squad. If you’re a fan of top-down shooters, and enjoy shooting the crap out of mobs of stinky, gooey, multi-limbed aliens, this game is definitely for you. With an arsenal of over forty weapons to choose from, you can bet your sweet behind that you’ll be engulfed in pure entertainment. If not, we can’t complain – we paid nothing for it.

Plants vs. Zombies For XBLA Priced

If you’re curious as to how addiction truly feels, you should probably get your hands on a game that oozes digital methamphetamine that will provide you with hours of satisfaction. Plants vs. Zombies is one of these games. If you have yet to play this game, make an effort to pick this gem up on Xbox Live. Oh yea, I forgot to mention that the game has finally been announced by PopCap to release on XBLA with both a price and release date.

Due to release early September, the game will feature two new multiplayer modes, 21 mini-games unique to the XBLA version, 12 whopping achievements. Adding to the cauldron of awesomeness, the game will also feature a new way to track and share progress online, with players creating their own custom homes which can be visited by friend who wish to ridicule their mediocre scores. PopCap has also stated this will be the sexiest looking version by far, with a resolution of 1920×1080 (high-definition, for those of you who aren’t savvy with technical specifications).

The game will run you 1200 Microsoft Points ($15), that is definitely well worth every penny. If, for whatever reason, you’re not an owner of an Xbox 360 because you prefer to spend a bunch of your money on upgrading parts on your computer, a “Game of the Year” edition for both PC and Mac will be shipping to retails stores for $19.99. What does the additional $5 get you? A zombie figurine. I’m in there like swim wear.

OnLive Gaming Service Will Support Wi-Fi Connections in the Fall

OnLive’s streaming game service has launched without Wi-Fi support but now it has been announced that it will be getting it this Fall. Perhaps it was bound to happen in order to grow the user-base of the leading digital streaming video games distribution service.

In case you don’t already know, OnLive is a digital streaming video game service compatible with a wide variety of machines including PC, MAC, and has a pretty good range of specs available for support at the moment. OnLive will process the video rendering of game-play in a remote location and stream the experience to the end user, enabling you to play games that might not otherwise work on your system. Even if you do not meet the recommended specs, the client will still allow you to attempt playing. Some examples of games included in the service are Just Cause 2, DiRT 2, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origins, LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4, and more.

In a recent interview on CNET, Steve Perlman (CEO of OnLive) says that the team behind the service is working to diagnose existing bugs and iron everything out before such a launch would take place, but it’s coming. There is also talks of full 1080p HD support which may be available with OnLive in the future. If you are without wired internet connection to your router/modem setup and wish to participate in some streaming game action, hang on a little longer.

[CNET] via [GamerTell]