Diablo 3 loses companion pets and scrolls of reforging

Typically, developers reveal more features the closer a game gets to release. The wizards at Blizzard are taking the opposite approach with Diabo 3. They’re zapping any anything that isn’t quite perfect so they can concentrate on polishing everything else to a mirror sheen.

The latest victims of their feature cull are companion scrolls and scrolls of reforging. The first ability would summon a critter to run around looting gold for you, but that’s now gone. Blizzard community manager, Nethaera, explains why on the Blizzard forums. “The companion pets felt like they were mandatory to maximize play efficiency and some of the pets were too cutesy for the gritty, dark world of Sanctuary.” In a way, he’s right. The little rats were adorable.

The Scroll of Reforging would let players change the properties of an item entirely on the fly. As with the pets, Blizzards say that the scrolls felt “underdeveloped and just not quite good enough for the game in their current state.”

“Neither of those are issues we felt like we could solve without a lot of additional work, and we’re trying to close in on a solid release date for the game, not move further away,” Nathaera says.

These changes are a few of many pretty wide-ranging tweaks to D3′s stats system, outlined in a recent blog post by game director Jay Wilson. He recognised that it’s been a long wait for fans, but says that “no one will remember if the game is late, only if it’s great.”

Will they ever finish Diablo 3? If they do, will it be the leanest, silkiest most polished game they’ve ever made? Will there even be a game left? Who knows, but there’s something quite exciting about a company that can afford to keep on refining a game that they could probably have released a year ago, trimming and hopefully improving it with every round of updates. Luckily, the companion pets and reforging scrolls may not be gone forever “We think we can make companion pets into a much cooler system (both mechanically and visually), and evolve the reforging scrolls into a more meaningful system at some point in the future,” Blizzard say.

The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition to add free areas, quests and characters in April

Do you own the Witcher 2? Good news! On April 17 your copy of the Witcher 2 will be upgraded to the Enhanced Edition free. That’ll add new quests, new places to quest in and new “major characters” to meet.

There will also be a new CGI cutscene depicting the assassination of King Demavend. According to the news post on Good Old Games “BAFTA Award winner and Academy Award nominee Tomasz Baginski brings this key historical event to life (not actually historical – Historical Ed)” You’ll also get a game map, game guide, manual, soundtrack and Witcher comic free.

Are you planning to own The Witcher 2 before April 17? Good news! You ALSO will get your copy upgraded come April. The Witcher 2 is on sale at 15% off for the next two weeks on Good Old Games to celebrate.

The Enhanced Edition is just the latest in a big series of hefty free updates that have been added to The Witcher 2 over the course of the last year as CD Projekt continue to make their great game greater still. Bravo.

EU Giveaway: win Access to the Aion free-to-play beta

Aion is a CryEngine powered MMO in which you play as a winged, angelic warrior tasked with defending the gorgeous realm of Atreia against invading forces. Constant updates since launch have added new zones, flighty PvP, cute pets, afros and more. The once-ponderous levelling speed has been boosted time and time again to give players the chance to see more of Aion’s beautiful zones. It’s going free to play in Europe in the coming months and we’re giving you a chance to spread your wings early. 

We’ve got 500 keys to give away for the Aion free to play beta. If you get into the beta, you’ll automatically be granted ‘Veteran’ status when Aion free to play goes live. This will give you a few extra features over starter players, like the ability to open up your own shop.

All you need to do to enter is put your name and email address into the Aion beta key competition page, which you can discover through this link right here.

I want in on the Aion beta. Give me wings, PC Gamer!

And that’s all there is to it. If you win a key, you can redeem it on the Aion Free to Play site. They’ll be sent out once we all 500 have been snapped up, so tell your friends if you want in quicker. The Aion client is available to pre-load here. Good luck!

Abundante!

PC | Puzzle | 15Mb

Explore an abundance of puzzling fun in this exotic matching challenge! Arrange bricks into matching groups of four or more to smash them and release the gems within. Catch the gems with your rolling cart and watch your score soar. Each challenging level brings you closer to a Lost Temple and the mysterious story of an ancient culture. Featuring gorgeous graphics, an immersive storyline, and surprises galore, Abundante is a journey to a jungle of fun!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me
Memory: 128 MB
DirectX: 8.0 or later
CPU: P700
Download

Mirror Mix-Up

PC | Puzzle | 14Mb

It's Mirror Mixup! Solve levels by selecting areas of the jumbled up picture puzzle and then twisting them back to their correct place! There are four fantastic levels, each with their own amazing gameplay elements! There are 150 pictures to rotate and 200 additional unlockable bonus levels! You can also use your own pictures and music in the game! Can you achieve perfection on every level? Give it a try today!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP
Memory: 64 MB
DirectX: 8.1 or later
CPU: P2 450
Video: 32 MB 3D Video Card

Download

Bookworm Adventures Deluxe

PC | Puzzle | 19Mb

Watch out, because here comes Bookworm Adventures Deluxe, a spelling sensation of epical proportions! Help Lex the Bookworm confront the most terrible threat the Great Library has ever known by spelling words to vanquish villains, whomp foes and annihilate enemies. Discover gem tiles, magic potions and fabulous treasures as you battle through three enchanting storybooks, lots of engrossing mini-games and the frenzied Arena mode! Bookworm Adventures is the ultimate test of vocabularic might!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows Vista
Memory: 128 MB
DirectX: 7.0 or later
CPU: P2 500

Download

Realms of Gold

PC | Puzzle | 15Mb

Help Odysseus find his way home in this epic puzzle adventure! Swap colorful pieces to create matching groups of three or more to move your hero across the board and to the exit. Stunning artwork brings the elements of this legendary tale to life while strategic puzzling fun provides hours of brain-bending excitement. Realms of Gold is a voyage you'll never want to end!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me
Memory: 128 MB
DirectX: 7.0 or better
CPU: P700

Download

Solsuite 2007 v7.0 Graphic Pack (Vol 1 + 2)

SolSuite 2007 is a high-qualitycollection of 468 solitaire games. All your favorite games areimplemented: Spider, Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid, Golf, Busy Aces,Canfield, Forty Thieves, Four Seasons, Carpet, Flower Garden, Rouge etNoir, Monte Carlo... and original solitaires that you cannot findelsewhere.

Each solitaire has more than nine trillion possible shuffles to play,so the game remains fresh no matter how many times you play. Enjoy thedetailed statistics of each game with graphs, 3D charts (pies and bars)and tables to estimate your skill level (by total, current session,series of wins and losses, players' games won, players' score,hi-scores...), statistics for All Games, Won games, Not Won games, OverAverage, Under Average, Not Played...

For solitaire lovers, SolSuite 2007 is a guaranteed pleasure. Each ofthe games is fun and exciting and will keep you entertained for hours.If you like solitaire games, then you'll want to add SolSuite 2007 toyour collection!

SolSuite is a high-quality collection of 468 fun and easy solitaire card games with more than 9 trillion possible games for each solitaire!

All your favorite solitaires are implemented: Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid, Golf, Busy Aces, Canfield, Forty Thieves, Four Seasons, Carpet, Flower Garden, Rouge et Noir, Monte Carlo, Spider solitaire... and more!

Games:

* Total games : 468
* Spider variations : 18
* FreeCell variations : 12
* Klondike variations : 26
* Other games types : 254
* Solitaire for Children : 15
* Original solitaires : 138

More Info:
http://www.solsuite.com/

Download

Jewels of Cleopatra

PC | Puzzle | 25Mb

It's a mesmerizing puzzler with a creative twist that won't just have you matching tiles, you'll be adventuring through them! As archaeologist Dr. Felicity Turnstone, you must make your way through hidden tombs and underground catacombs, matching tiles to clear your path. Your task is complicated by a competing art dealer who is up to no good! Unlock treasure chests filled with items that help clear rocks and other obstacles that block your way. Are you up to the challenge of finding the lost treasures?
Download

Super Granny 3

PC | Action/Puzzle | 22Mb

Granny is off on an all-new adventure! After her troubled tropical trip, Super Granny is dropped into her most ambitious adventure yet, a run-down European theme park where she must rescue her arch-nemesis, the evil Dr. Meow, from the clutches of his even-more dastardly master, Mr. Fang. With the help of over 30 all-new interactive items Granny will run, dig, climb and float through 5 new worlds with over 200 levels of puzzle-solving, item-tossing, hilariously addictive fun!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me
Memory: 64 MB
DirectX: 7 or above
CPU: P400
Internet: Active Internet Connection
Download

Might and Magic V

Heroes of Might and Magic V (sometimes referred to as Heroes V or HoMM5) is the fifth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic computer game series. It was developed by Nival Interactive, under the guidance of franchise-owner Ubisoft. It was released in the United States and Canada on May 24, 2006. The Russian version, distributed by 1C, was released in Russia on May 19. A worldwide release continues.

Features

* The game is rendered fully in 3D, unlike previous installments.
* A new skill/spell/creature system is used.
* There are six town types: Haven, Inferno, Necropolis, Academy, Dungeon and Sylvan.
* Players can see their opponents' tracks on the ground. They get deeper and last longer with size of the army. Each faction has its own distinctive 'trail'.
* Multiplayer has a "fast mode" option, where it is possible to set a limit on turns so the pace will be faster.
* There are four skill levels: Easy, Normal, Hard and Heroic.
* The set of resources are the same as previous Heroes games, the fog of war acts like Heroes III, as does the retaliation. However, some creatures have the ability of ranged retaliation.
* There are four magic schools: Light, Dark, Destructive and Summoning Magic. (As well as four 'Adventure Map' spells)
* Creatures are upgradeable.
* Creature generation in town stuctures is on a weekly basis, like in Heroes III.
* The game's music is composed by Rob King and Paul Romero.
* The battlefield is divided into squares instead of hexagons, like in the fourth game and unlike all the previous ones.

Download

Medieval 2 : Total War

Medieval 2 is the latest and greatest game to be released in the best
selling and award-winning Total War series. Set in the years 1080-1530 the most turbulent period in European history, the game combines a vast, deep-thinking turn-based strategy campaign with the most cinematic, epic and brutal real-time battles ever seen in the genre.

A vastly enhanced version of the Total War engine vividly portrays the pure bloodlust of Medieval warfare with massive battles of more than 10,000 troops splayed across new graphically rich environments. For the first time in the Total War series each troop is an individual, garbed with the rich heraldic colours and glinting arms and armour of the period.

On the battlefield they’ll survey their surroundings for threats and incoming opponents and react accordingly. When engaged they’ll string together a series of devastating moves as Medieval 2’s new combat animation brings the conflict to life like never before. Total War has never been so ferocious or realistic.

The Medieval 2 grand campaign will hand you the reins of one of an emerging faction as you set about sweeping throughout Europe, conquering all before you. Expand your borders and develop your lands for wealth and prosperity by building cities or swell your army by constructing vast castles to protect your land and keep your rivals quaking with fear.

Use Princesses for diplomatic gain, Priests to spread the influence of your religious beliefs and Merchants to fill your coffers for your war effort. All the time the Pope and the Papal States watch over the Christian world, assessing the strength of your faith and making demands to prove your loyalty. Do you cater to his whims and avoid excommunication or plot his downfall and rig the papal elections to place your own Pope in power?
Download

After The End

PC Game | Shooting | 26.42Mb

Save the planet from a genetic nightmare! Cut your way through many interesting locations filled with mutants in this 3rd person 3D-shooter. Choose from 3 different gameplay modes to discover the source of the evil raging all over the planet! Fight dreadful creatures with your arsenal of weaponry, everything from shotguns to sonic cannons! Combine that with your special abilities, and those mutants don't have a chance! After the end, there's nothing left to lose!

OS: Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Me
Memory: 256 MB
DirectX: 8.1 of later
CPU: P2 800
Video: 3D Accelerated 32 MB Video Card

Source: Reflexive Game

Download:

http://rapidshare.de/files/27451914/AfterTheEndSetup.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/27453355/AfterTheEndSetup.part2.rar.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/27454234/AfterTheEndSetup.part3.rar.html

Clan Wars

Posted by MGcHarger.


Its been a while since i make a post already, but that doesn't mean at all that MG is not active.
We had 2 Clan Wars this past two weeks and we have realized how much we have to work on our game play. Is true that we did not win any of those two, but I'm specially happy in the way we lost. MG showed that there is not much left until we become a force to be reckoned with. We lost vs SC 3-1 and vs 1nsanity 3-0, but the all of them being close games in all sense, in most of the series MG taking the first game and then losing the next 2. It may be that because of our new blood as a team isn't mature enough and we keep losing under pressure. Every one on the team is trying their best in practice and massing games so that we can for sure WIN our next Clan War. GL HF, and thanks to all the players from MG that showed up in this CW giving an extremely entertaining show.

First Clan War announced for Saturday.

Posted by MGcHarger.

This Saturday teams MG and tQ will be playing a friendly clan war against each other. This is just for fun and some introduction of the team MG(Mechanical-Gamer) in the SC2 scene and challenges coming up. In the next days the line up and map pool will be released. Lets hope for good games and GLHF to all the members of each team participating.

Thanks to everyone for the cooperation and help.

Non stop upcoming friends and gosu players

Mechanical-Gamer is placed to announce the entrance of tow great solid players to its team roster.First we have Elixir, most known by elixir_gum ing brood-war. This is a player known by his super micro intensive style of play and his ability to come back in tough game situations, in his profile as a BW player he got to C+ on iccup, almost reaching B- but by certain laziness, as he describe it, didn't make it.

Second we have a all around rounded player, known by Alem, hitting the top 200 in North America a few times. His style is based on macro and good mechanics, always trying to improve the state of his game to another level.

Here, at Mechanical-Gamer, we give them a warm welcome to this team that is based on friends and dedicated players. Thanks you for joining.

Top 200 North America

This is what everyone wants to know every month.

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/1597876

Top 10 w/l

1.Kowi W-868L-663
2.NamhciR W-447L-246
3.Katari W-1370L-834
4.dde W-378L-260
5. FXOpTiKzErO W-705L-523
6.ZpuX W-202 L-120
7.NrGCheese W-419L-249
8.LiquidRet W-172 L-57
9.ReSpOnSe W-927 L-778
10.Mankeyz W-388L-294


Race Statistics
Protoss-73(Up from 56)
Terran-75(Down from 87)
Zerg-47(Down from 48)
Random-5(Down from 9)

StarCraft 2 takes takes 2 awards home.

Spike's Video Game Awards 2010 are over and it is a reckoning time for Blizzard's StarCraft 2. Fortunately for all the fans, the successor of BroodWar did not come home empty-handed.

Although it could not compete for the "Game of the Year" award due to not being nominated, SC2: Wings of Liberty managed to win the title of "Best PC Game", defeating names like Mass Effect 2, Civilization V and Fallout: New Vegas.

The second prize in Blizzard's pocket is thanks to Tricia Helfer, who won the "Best Performance by a Human Female" for her incarnation as Sarah Kerrigan.

Unfortunately, Wings of Liberty suffered a defeat in the third category in which it was nominated - "Best Multiplayer Game", the winner being Halo: Reach.

GOMTV StarCraft 2 Open - Grand Final - Results

Min-Chul "oGsMC" Jang wins the third season of the GOMTV Global StarCraft 2 Open after a 4-1 win over Seo-Yong "TSL_Rain" Park in today's grand final at Incheon, South Korea.

The 19-year-old Protoss self confidence shone throughout the series. Despite the several technical difficulties delaying two of the games, the Old Generations player could secure the position as the GSL season three champion, getting bank wired a hundred million Korean won, roughly worth €66,000 Euros.

Directly after the game, MC admits that his mom pops up in his head. Sitting in the crowd, mama MC gets as message from his cool son.

- "Now I have a 100,000,000 won. And when I win in Code S, I will make you richer," says MC, to the awe of the crowd.

- "In the first set, my opponent played as he expected, so Terrans are still below me. I expected a cheese rush in most games, but Rain showed different strategies. It was a bit startling, but I could hold it off," says MC in the post-interview with the show host.

- "I don't think there's anyone out there who can beat me. If I play Terran I would have won three times. I won as a Protoss because I'm so good."

How to burn PSX games to CD?

I guess this falls under "non-emulation help"?

So I downloaded some PSX games from this site and now I want to burn them to CD and play them on my PSX console (yes, it's chipped).

It worked great when I burned .iso and .img to cd, but now I got several files I don't recognize or know how to deal with, so please help me.

Some of the games consists of a bin-file and a cue-file. Other games consists of ccd+img+sub. One game even hade mds+mdf.

Damn all these standards to hell, why can't they just use a simple iso or img?


Anyways, I use Nero...so how do I go about this project? Can you help me?

I also have VirtualCloneDrive. I can mount a ccd-file or bin-file to that, but can I just copy the virtual disc with Nero? Tried it just now but it didn't seem to work, the PSX didn't accept the disc.

ePSXe

ePSXe is considered one of the best Playstation emulator. It was the first emulator to run commercial games at a reliable level so it wont let you down.

Tip: Make sure to also download and configure the plugins & playstation bios otherwise ePSXe will not work!

73 New PSX ROMs Added!

You have all requested PSX ROMs and I finally found a way to get them uploaded! So far, I've got 73 new PSX Games uploaded, the entire A collection. On its way is 94 more PSX Games, which includes the entire b collection. It may take awhile before everything is uploaded, because these files are huge however you will notice every week new games will be added!

Play PSX Games in Your PSP

To play PSX ISO that you downloaded from this site in your PSP is really simple (since we have done pretty much everything for you :)). Just follow the steps below and you should be playing the game in no time.

• Download the PSX game you want to play
• Use WinRAR to extract the files out of the rar file downloaded
• You should be able to find a folder in the rar file
• Copy this folder directly into the “PSP/GAME” directory of your memory stick
• You should be able to find the PSX game under the game list now

Simple right? Have fun! :)
Popsloader
Having problem playing some PSX games? Black screen? Game won’t load? It means you need to install Popsloader into your PSP (some games need this plugin to function). Just follow the steps below to get it installed in your PSP.

• If you have CFW 5.00m33-6, download this popsloader. However, if you have a 5.50 Gen (A-D), you download this popsloader instead.
• Connect your PSP to your computer via USB
• Extract the downloaded Popsloader
• Go to the folder “SEPLUGINS” on your PSP
• Open the file “POPS.txt” (create it if it does not exist) and add the following line: ms0: / SEPLUGINS / popsloader.prx 1
• Activate the plugin from Recovery

The Rarest and Most Valuable Playstation (PS1) Games

Even though the original Playstation is one of the most common consoles of all time, there are many valuable PS1 treasures to be found. Its diverse library is filled with RPGs and unique gems that collectors long for.   However, when we last surveyed the collectable PS1 market in early 2008, original Playstation titles seemed to have peaked in value.  Three and a half years later, we have seen the most popular games come back closer to reality (many games have dropped around 30% of their value — 2008 values have been noted for each of the top entries).   Having some of the games become availible as inexpensive downloads on PSN might have something to do with it, but this seems to be a more widespread trend that covers non-PSN games as well.   However, there were three cult classics that did increase drastically over the same span of time and have broken into our list.

These drastic changes in value prompted us to do a complete update so that our popular Rare & Valuable series can remain accurate and useful.  In stark contrast to the Cheapest Games series, this series will round up the rarest and most valuable games for a given console or handheld so you’ll know what to look for whether you are buying or selling.

Below you will see two prices beside each title. The first is the average daily selling price, which is typically the going rate for the game by itself. The second price is the highest price in the past three months which is usually the price for the new/sealed game. The list is ordered by the balance of the two prices. Note that some of these games are not rare in the sense that there are not many available, but rare relative to demand, which makes the games expensive.
(Digg This Story)

Medal of Honor

Synopsis: First-person shooters haven't quite managed to achieve the same prominence on consoles as they have on the PC platform. However, with the release of EA's Medal of Honor in November of 1999, the PlayStation was blessed with its finest first-person shooter -- a game that made many PC owners envious of their PlayStation brethren.

 

Doug Perry's Take: After the first wave of PC to PlayStation ports in the system's early years, the first-person shooter genre on PlayStation died down quite substantially until Dreamworks figured out to make its first good game, Medal of Honor, in late 1999. Using some of the best aspects from the game that reinvented FPSs on consoles (Goldeneye), Medal of Honor was not only an excellent example of great presentation, music, and storyline, with authentic artwork, environments, and superb voice acting, but also a damn fun game. It had its problems, but in this genre on the PlayStation there is nothing better.

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Synopsis: 2D fighters have always seemed to suffer on PlayStation because of the system's lack of a significant amount of video ram, but with the release of Street Fighter Alpha 3 in May of 1999, Capcom proved that it was the king of 2D as it made the system do what nobody thought possible -- an amazing port of its arcade fighting game. Street Fighter Alpha 3 features a long list of characters, excellent character animation, and classic 2D fighting gameplay. Pure gaming bliss (blue shadows or not). 

Doug Perry's Take: Believe it or not, it took a dead Saturn to make a great Street Fighter game on PlayStation. When Capcom finally put its nose to the PS grindstone, it found that it could beat the system into grinding out 30 frames per second, that it could handle dozens and dozens of characters, that it could put a handful of characters on screen without slowdown. And finally, finally, that it could make a great single-player fighting game. But perhaps what's even better than all of those things is that the two-player game is damn near invincible. It's chock full of combos, mid air techniques, reverses, great speed, you name it, SFA3 has it. Street Fighter Alpha 3, in my opinion, is the best 2D fighting game Capcom has ever made for the PlayStation, and it's damn near close the best 2D fighting game ever -- on any system.

Silent Hill

Synopsis: Released in February of 1999, Konami's Silent Hill was its first in the survival horror genre and was highly touted as the company's answer to Capcom's Resident Evil. However, the game managed to distinguish itself from RE by concentrating on adventure style gameplay and a heavy emphasis on character and storyline. It was commonly thought of as one of the scariest games on the system and had what was arguably one of the best stories on the system. 

 

David Smith's Take: Resident Evil brought the term "survival horror" into the gaming lexicon. Silent Hill cut off all the trimmings, and just delivered horror. The first RE might have had suspense, and RE2 might have delivered shocks, but Konami's dark-horse 3D adventure had moments more genuinely frightening than anything ever crafted in a videogame. Built around fully realtime-rendered environments, the game took advantage of the resultant freedom of camera movement to create a powerful sense of cinematic terror.

To be sure, the PlayStation's 3D capabilities didn't allow for much of a draw distance. But that was often an asset rather than a detriment - the hellbound town of Silent Hill appeared only as a small pool of weakening light surrounded by mists and darkness. And regardless of what you could say about the game's technical qualities, Silent Hill presented a story that would be excellent no matter what medium it appeared in. Scary as hell, yes, but still a remarkable achievement.

Parappa The Rapper

Synopsis: Parappa The Rapper made a big splash when it was released in the United States in November of 1997 for a variety of reasons. First, it was a sign that the days of American gamers missing out on all of the quirky Japanese titles were nearing an end. And second, it was an extremely original title that was a departure from the cookie-cutter games that were being released on PlayStation in droves. The game was a simple timing-based game with memorable music and addictive gameplay. It's one of the PlayStation's most original titles to day. 

Dave Zdyrko's Take: Parappa The Rapper is one of those games that while I wasn't ever any good at it, I couldn't stop playing that silly thing. What's more, it was a game that I enjoyed watching others play as much as I enjoyed playing myself. It just had an enormous amount of appeal, the characters were cute and very inventive, and the songs were just so memorable. The lovable rap lyrics in the game were extremely humorous and just got ingrained into your mind the more that you listened to them. 

Oh, and the bathroom stage with the diarrhea has got to be one of the funniest levels in the history of videogames. The first time I saw someone play through that stage I was on the floor laughing my butt off and it was the topic of conversation for weeks. It's an amazing game that should be a part of all PlayStation owners' collections.

Another Job Listing For Console Version Of Diablo III

It's starting to become the worst-kept secret in gaming.

Despite the lack of an official confirmation, more evidence continues to arise that Blizzard is working on a console iteration of Diablo III. The best we've had from the developer is the encouraging statement that the upcoming sequel "is probably coming to consoles."

But as more times passes, it's less like "probably" and more like "definitely." The Internet is a-buzz with another job sighting at Gamasutra...it's pretty obvious. Blizzard is looking for a Console Network Senior Software Engineer, and the successful applicant will be "responsible for ensuring the best implementation of sophisticated networking systems on consoles." See, there's that word again: "consoles."

Blizzard seems reluctant to make the confirmation but at this rate, we have to assume Diablo III for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is a given. However, we do wonder when the console version will actually release. How long will we have to wait after the launch of the PC version...? They won't be ready for a simultaneous release for all targeted platforms, will they?

PS Vita News: Game Requires Online Pass

To nobody's surprise here is a PS Vita game that requires an online pass. Minna no Golf 6, aka Everybody's Golf and to be Hot Shots Golf: World International, comes with an "online play ticket" when purchased online or offline. This will however affect the used game sales since if I were to buy a second hand game I would want the repurchase of the online pass reduced from the selling price. Wouldn't you?

Rumor: Kratos And Deimos Anchor GoWIV Multiplayer

Many will say straight-up action games like God of War simply don't need multiplayer. But multiplayer seems to be the wave of the future (fortunately or unfortunately) and we keep seeing this rumor...
We all know that Sony Santa Monica will eventually deliver God of War IV, and we've heard that the new production might include multiplayer entertainment. And now, another source has located more evidence to support that idea.

It appears that UK publication PSM3 has said GoWIV "could possibly feature online multiplayer co-op in the form of a plot-line involving Kratos and brother Deimos attempting to escape from the afterlife." ...aside from the run-on sentence, that's intriguing. Now, the concept of multiplayer designed to extend or enrich the storyline in the campaign mode isn't exactly new, but such a concept hasn't been realized often enough, in my opinion.
As we always say, provided you don't sacrifice anything from the development of the campaign, feel free to add multiplayer. However, if the fans find that the campaign in God of War IV is anything less than astounding, they're gonna blame...yeah, you know.

Still No Alan Wake For PS3 Owners

Alan Wake remains one of our favorite games of the generation, and one PS3 owners wish they had.
Remedy is working on a new title for the Xbox Live Arcade, and they just announced they'll be bringing the original to PC. But what about Sony's console?

Still no dice, according to a post in the Alan Wake community forums. Remedy is self-publishing the PC version and they own the brand, but Microsoft still owns the publishing rights. Here's the post in question:

"I would like to make it clear that Microsoft funded the production of the first Alan Wake game, and while they were happy for Remedy to now self-publish on PC it is highly unlikely they would want to see the game on a competing console. While we do own the Alan Wake brand, Remedy doesn't have rights to publish THE Alan Wake on PS3. And technically it would be significantly more difficult to do than the PC version."

Yeah, we understand. If you don't have the Xbox 360, you should definitely consider playing the PC version when it arrives early next year. Alan Wake is suspenseful, well-written, and nicely paced. We're definitely looking forward to the new entry, even if it's not coming to Sony's console.