Gaming Microsoft Announcements & Some Upcoming Games

[Trolly]

I can't believe no-one has posted this already, as it's a fairly big piece of news. A couple of weeks ago Microsoft made some important announcements.
I've summarised the most important points here:
- New Windows Live Marketplace with downloadable digital content (similar to Steam and Xbox Live).
- Refunds to existing members of Games For Windows Live (paid version of course).
- No online fees with Games For Windows any more (finally a reason to play Gears Of War online on PC!).
- Live Marketplace will have "plenty of support" on launch (more 360 ports anyone?).
- DirectX 11 will release with the next Windows operating system, and will be available on Vista same-day.

Source

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Upcoming PC titles for those who are interested (take them with a BIG pinch of salt though, they're IGN's dates):-

August:
4th - Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People -- Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
12th - Line Rider 2: Unbound
29th - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
31st - Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

September:
1st - Rise of the Argonauts
7th - Spore
9th - Romance of The Three Kingdoms XI
16th - Crysis Warhead
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
23rd - Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Just Cause 2
LEGO: Batman
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

October:
1st - Far Cry 2
Project Origin
7th - Fallout 3
14th - Saints Row 2
15th - Shaun White Snowboarding
20th - Dead Space
21st - Ghostbusters: The Video Game (may have been cancelled?)
28th - MySims (I thought this was Wii exclusive?)
Highlander: The Game (I only put this because it sounds awesome hehe)

November:
4th - Left 4 Dead
The Lord Of The Rings: Conquest
11th - Call Of Duty: World At War
Mirror's Edge
18th - Prince Of Persia
Tomb Raider Underworld

Coming Sometime This Year Probably:
Battlefield Heroes
World In Conflict: Soviet Assault

Titles To Look Forward To Off In The Distance (Some only unofficially confirmed):
Star Wars Battlefront 3
Star Wars KOTOR 3 (MMORPG)
LEGO Universe (MMO)
Half-Life 2: Episode 3
Doom 4
Rage (New IP from id - the creators of Doom)
Crysis 2 & 3
BioShock 2 & 3
The Last Remnant (FF-style Square-Enix RPG)
The Sims 3
Dawn Of War 2
Tom Clancy's HAWX
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures
Dragon Age: Origins
Mass Effect 2 & 3 (assuming it will end up a trilogy)
StarCraft 2
Diablo 3

Predicted Releases (Not confirmed, just titles I think will be announced):
Fable 2
Gears Of War 2
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Portal: Still Alive
GTA IV


If I missed anything or you want to add a prediction don't hesitate to say anything!
Thoughts?

 

[jesterscourt]

I'd rather play the Strong Bad game on the Wii. Stalker should be good. Spore will be absolutely ridiculous, I can hardly believe it's only a month away! Lego Batman could be good, we'll have to see. It better have Harley Quinn in it. The Witcher didn't look that interesting, and Zero Punctuation surely cemented that fact in his review, I'm not sure if they are going to take out all the slog with the new version or what. Project Origin, for those that don't know is F.E.A.R. 2 due to copyright yadda yadda it's called something else, but it's the sequel. Fallout 3 should be an easy one to sell, I was half contemplating the special edition on Amazon. Left 4 Dead could be the non-RE zombie game that we have been waiting for. Ghostbusters... hm... Could go either way. From all the screenshots and videos, Mirror's Edge looks absolutely amazing.

Fable 2 should be out in 2009 or 2010, and if they correct the obvious problems in the first one, and add realtime co-op with your chars, it could be one of my favorite games. Rockstar hasn't put out a game for PC in awhile, I'd love to play GTA IV without buying a PS3 or Xbox360. Make it happen.

And that's it for my take on the next releases.

 

[Mewgia]

Clear Skies is out in less than a month?

I haven't even started STALKER yet...damn my new CSS addiction....

 

[fischju]

Clear Sky, Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, and Mirror's Edge are all going to kick insane amounts of ass

 

[Lumstar]

How about returning Gears of War PC to shelves? I haven't seen a copy in months, certainly not since the so-called price drop.

 

[gov78]

No online fees with Games For Windows any more (finally a reason to play Gears Of War online on PC!).

YEEEEEEEEA! now il buy some Games for Windows but will this be with xbox360 people?

 

[Mewgia]

Clear Sky, Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, and Mirror's Edge are all going to kick insane amounts of ass

Oooh I didn't see that it listed ME before you said that. that's awesome.

 

[Joe88]

No online fees with Games For Windows any more (finally a reason to play Gears Of War online on PC!).

YEEEEEEEEA! now il buy some Games for Windows but will this be with xbox360 people?

probably never

none the less MS saw that no one uses a PC with their service (except the 3 n00bs who play shadowrun lulz)
and with things like steam and a few other services have been doing it free forever

also this is bascially gonna go in a bad way
the marketplace is gonna get cracked allowing you to download anything you want without paying

 

[Trolly]

also this is bascially gonna go in a bad way
the marketplace is gonna get cracked allowing you to download anything you want without paying

Well, we'll still get more games either way. I don't see how this will end up in a bad way to be honest.
Most looking forward to LOTR: Conquest! I can imagine being the Witch King, flying around kicking everyone's ass in Helm's Deep online, or how's about the ents storming Isengard? This game's gonna cane ass, especially the online.

Also, Saints Row 2 was slated for a Sep 1st release when I last checked, but the IGN release dates said October. Anyone know a reason for the delay or whether the date's right or wrong? It's the best we're gonna get until a GTA IV announcement's made.

 

[Jax]

Where's Duke Nukem Forever?

Spoiler

I kid, i kid...

 

[Satangel]

Great post, thanks for this!
Looking forward to alot of titles.

 

[gov78]

i read on wiki that the cross platforms is going to be free for PC this is gunna be good coz i can own alot of my friends at gow

P.S Mouse >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Xbox 360 Pad

 

[Mewgia]

Where's Duke Nukem Forever?

Spoiler

I kid, i kid...

coming 4/1/2009

 

[Mangofett]

i read on wiki that the cross platforms is going to be free for PC this is gunna be good coz i can own alot of my friends at gow

P.S Mouse >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Xbox 360 Pad

Not for gears :\ KB/M is awkward for Gears.

Plus the only cross-platform game is Shadowrun so far.

 

[CockroachMan]

Predicted Releases (Not confirmed, just titles I think will be announced):
Fable 2
Gears Of War 2
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Portal: Still Alive
GTA IV

Fable 2 and Gears of War 2.. yep, those should eventually come to the PC (next year probably)..

Start Wars? I don't think it will come to the PC, if it was coming, it would be out with all the other versions (PS3, 360, PSP, PS2, DS, Wii), really, I don't see it happening..

It was confirmed that Portal: Still Alive, is just Portal with some extra levels that you can easily get on the Internet FOR FREE for the PC version already..

GTAIV is a hard subject, people keep claiming it and Rockstar keeps denying it.. I personally think that it's being made already and should be out next year.


edit: And you forgot about Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3.. those 2 alone already deserve a lot of attention!

 

[Trolly]

Well, pretty much every LucasArts game comes out on the PC, and most Star Wars fans (maybe I'm just making generalisations, but nerds tend more towards PCs) own PCs.
Besides, it's more of a technology game, which is just what the PC is at home with.

And where exactly do I get Portal: Still Alive then? I haven't seen any new official levels at all! Only user-made content.
And as for GTA IV, I have no idea really, it's just a heavily-speculated about game. We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

Oh, I'll put StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 on there as well then, those went under the radar because I've never played the other titles in the series. I've heard they're good, so maybe I'll play them someday...

 

[CockroachMan]

And where exactly do I get Portal: Still Alive then? I haven't seen any new official levels at all! Only user-made content.

That's right, some of those user-made content are the new maps on Portal: Still Alive..

That's what I've heard at least.. http://kotaku.com/5027559/portal-still-ali...ree-pc-map-pack

 

[Trolly]

Ooooooh, I already downloaded that map pack. Was far too hard for my liking though lol. Got stuck trying to jump over some electronic field thingy, as you have to turn round at the speed of light in order to shoot the Portal. It all got too confusing what with all the different directions you face every time you come out of the portal.

Anyway, if I owned a 360 I'd feel cheated there. An unofficial map pack made for completely free, then repackaged officially as a new expansion only to have a price on it. Still, at least they get the additional maps we've been getting.

 

[Trolly]

Sorry to double post, but I felt it was necessary for this new material. And I didn't think it would be worth creating a new topic.
Anyway, IGN have just put up a preview and footage of the STALKER:Clear Sky preview build, along with the new Rage demo and a Mercenaries 2 trailer.

Linkage:
STALKER: Clear Sky Preview
Mercenaries 2 Trailer
Rage Demo

EDIT: Sorry, just realised the Mercenaries 2 trailer is for the PS2, however it's exactly the same as the PC version gameplay-wise anyway, just with far worse graphics.

 

[Mewgia]

Ooooooh, I already downloaded that map pack. Was far too hard for my liking though lol. Got stuck trying to jump over some electronic field thingy, as you have to turn round at the speed of light in order to shoot the Portal. It all got too confusing what with all the different directions you face every time you come out of the portal.

It is very hard, I'm about halfway through it but I find myself getting stuck and having to noclip to figure out what to do next. I don't skip anything via noclipping, it just helps me figure the puzzles out...

[edit] turns out I was at the second to last test and then I just had to escape, which was harder than the tests to actually get through (for the most part) but so much easier to figure out. Got stuck on the boss because notarget was on for some reason and you have to make it shoot itself, so I had to realize that I had notarget on (even though I turned cheats off), turn it off, and resume watching the thing kill itself.

Then I walked out for a bummer ending.