G-News

Atlus U.S.A. has announced that fans of classic, western-style first-person role playing games will soon be able to experience The Dark Spire for Nintendo DS come March 10, 2009. The game is an exploratory RPG which includes character development where parties will be assembled, stats will be rolled, items, weapons and armor shall be equipped, and monsters will be slain. Sounds like an RPG alright.

In the game you can choose to play using the “modern” interface, while others may opt for the “classic” mode, which could bring forth some sensations of nostalgia as it supposedly will remind you of RPGs of days gone by. Either way you choose, having the choice of two different styles to play from sounds pretty interesting.

The storyline of the game tells the tale of a powerful archmage named Tyrhung who resides in a tower of mist and shadow and holds in his possession a jewel of great worth and power. A group of adventurers decide they want to conquer the tower and claim the treasures within.

More information about The Dark Spire can be found below or by visiting the game page on FileFront.

About The Dark Spire
The Forest of Mist… Wrapped in a perpetual, impenetrable fog… No one knows what lies within… Just beyond the edge of the woods lies an old castle. Numerous battle flags fly proudly above its gate as symbols of its Lord’s power. It is here that King Kronus resides and rules his vast domain. During a celebration of the kingdom’s most recent conquest, Archmage Tyrhung, a powerful magician and key to the kingdom’s recent military success, stole a necklace of immeasurable value from round the Queen’s neck and disappeared into the night. Guards rushed after him, only to see him transform into a ferocious creature: a dragon. Tyrhung flew off toward the Forest of Mist, scattering the fog with his powerful wings. And when the beacon atop the Dark Spire lit up, it was clear to all: the beast had chosen his new lair… The Dark Spire, once the domain of an ancient goblin civilization, had found a new master. This is where your story begins…

Key Features

• Homage to classic RPGs — Take back the age of the great classic RPGs where you build your perfect party from the ground up. Shrewd strategy is required to navigate tough dungeon floors with limited resources, earning experience by taking on 80 different enemies out to end you.
• Dual dungeon modes — The traditional RPG experience is fully realized in Classic Mode, which offers a black-and-white wireframe dungeon environment reminiscent of the nostalgic PC RPGs. Switch back to Modern Mode to update to the full 3-D atmosphere of The Dark Spire.
• A captivating story of mist and shadow — A second person narrative reaches out from the game to speak to you of codpieces and killer rabbits, enveloping the gamer in an unforgettable adventure that offers three possible endings.

The Dark Spire has been rated “E10+” (Eveyone 10 and older) with Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Language, and Suggestive Themes by the ESRB.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:ClockStone Bringing Vampires Dawn to the Nintendo DSPuzzle Quest Heading To Wii, PS2, PC & MobileAlongside WiiWare Comes the Originally Named Nintendo ChannelDark Age of Camelot Catacombs to be Free to SubscribersSquare Enix: Dragon Quest X Coming to Wii

Capcom announced today that Neopets Puzzle Adventure has shipped for the Nintendo Wii, so if you have been waiting on this, run to the store now and pick it up. It has been available for the PC and Nintendo DS for a few weeks now, but finally Wii owners can get in on all the puzzle actions just like everyone else.

Neopets Puzzle Adventure is an easy to play, single and multiplayer puzzle game for fans and casual gamers alike, and lets players create and develop one of 12 Neopets characters by completing quests, playing mini-games, and battling others. Players will travel through three Lands of Neopia with more than 150 quests, while collecting “PetPets” for special abilities.

The Neopets game board itself resembles a chess board, while the gameplay takes the principles of Reversi and Go, and adds new twists where the goal is to turn all of the chips on the board to your Neopet’s color.

Key features

• Neopets Puzzle Adventure will generate codes that can be redeemed for unique items on the Neopets.com website
• Choose and customize one of 12 Neopets to be your central character in the story
• Travel through three Lands of Neopia as you experience an epic story with more than 150 quests in the single-player game
• “Co-operative” and “Head-to-Head” multiplayer matches
• Collect 150 “PetPets” for extra abilities and earn 30 special Awards for completing missions
• Collect over 300 items, recipes and treasures, many of which can be equipped on your pet to provide useful bonuses

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:Capcom Releases Online Demo for Neopets Puzzle AdventureHuh? Puzzle Quest Devs Working on Neopets Puzzle Adventure NextPlayStation (Portable) Store 1/31: NeopetsOkami Confirmed for Release on WiiPuzzle Quest Heading To Wii, PS2, PC & Mobile

CD Projekt, the studio behind The Witcher and Good Old Games is making the Holidays extra special this year. Not only are Beneath a Steel Sky and Lure of the Temptress free on GOG.com, but CD Projekt is throwing in an extra 10% off first time orders. The discount code is WITCHER.

There are a number of other contests that could net gamers free games and promotional discounts. Visit the GOG.com site for information on how to become a fan of GOG on Facebook and on entering the Win Good Old Games at BigDownload contest.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from CD Projekt RED and The WitcherThe Witcher Gets WikiCD Projekt Honored as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the YearGOG.com Gets Unreal Action with Epic GamesThe Witcher Limited Edition?

Maxim has compiled its most wanted videogame babes of 2008. Usually these lists pick the top ten, but Maxim just couldn’t stop there. There are seventeen lovely ladies, virtual and real live knock out that give playing videogames an extra thrill.

Several of these heroines are a given. The list wouldn’t be complete without Tomb Raider: Underworld’s Lara Croft modeled after Alison Carroll and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3’s Gina Carano as Russian hottie Natasha Volkova and Jenny McCarthy as Special Agent Tanya Adams.

Maggie Q as Detective Chase Linh in Need for Speed: Undercover may have been overlooked due to the games underwhelming ratings. Of course the virtual girls are well represented including. Zoey from Left 4 Dead is a pick as well as several secondary characters and enemies.

I’d say you could read the article for details but let’s be honest with ourselves, shall we? You can view the whole The 17 Hottest Video Game Babes of 2008 list on Maxim.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:Left 4 Dead Demo Infects JapanRevised E3 Floorplan is So Very TrueWhat Video Game Currencies Are Really WorthMaxim Lists the Top Video Game Heroes of All TimeHappy Halloween! Here are Some Booth Babes

Realizing that the years of suing people for pirating music online have basically done nothing but waste time and money, the lovely RIAA has decided to punish you another way–but cutting off your internet.

According to a piece published by the Wall Street Journal, the move from individuals to ISPs seems like the next logical step for the RIAA since the “I’ll sue your ass off” tactics are not working (I add the last bit in there):

The [RIAA] said it plans to try an approach that relies on the cooperation of Internet-service providers. The trade group said it has hashed out preliminary agreements with major ISPs under which it will send an email to the provider when it finds a provider’s customers making music available online for others to take.

Depending on the agreement, the ISP will either forward the note to customers, or alert customers that they appear to be uploading music illegally, and ask them to stop. If the customers continue the file-sharing, they will get one or two more emails, perhaps accompanied by slower service from the provider. Finally, the ISP may cut off their access altogether.

In the piece, it states that the RIAA has filed approximately 35,000 lawsuits against people since 2002, and instead of dropping the lawsuits and going with their new tactics, they are continuing to seek monetary damages from the individuals currently in litigation. So, newbies will get their internet cut off, ones already in trouble will still get sued. Yeah, like I can see AT&T/Bellsouth or Verizon or any cable company cutting the cord until absolutely forced to. The RIAA is a trade group, and even though they have the government on their side, it is just boggling to think that they could actually be allowed to do something like this.

Point is, don’t steal. We have all done it online one time or another be it music, games, movies… just don’t do it anymore. The days of copying any of the above on CD, VHS or cassette are long gone in the technology age and where as you would not get caught–eventually you will now. It is better to save yourself the headache and just not do it. Don’t get me wrong, the RIAA reminds me of the gestapo and I do not support them, but I don’t think we should steal either.

(Thanks: GamePolitics) (Image: Inforwars)

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:RIAA Bears Its Nasty Green Fangs - Ensuing Bad Breath Kills Local Bass PlayerRIAA: Illegal to Copy CD’s to Hard DriveWii Internet Channel no Longer FreeObama VP has Record of Voting Against TechHalo 3 Leaked to Internet

Valve’s Left 4 Dead game demo is finally available in Japan on Xbox Live. The demo came out November 11th for all other regions. The Left 4 Dead game demo is free of course and it’s a 1GB download.

Left 4 Dead is a real scream whether you’re playing on a LAN or online with Skype. I strongly recommend you try it. Indecently, one of the four player characters Zoey made Maxim’s Top 17 Hottest Videogame Babes of 2008 which could be another good reason to check it out. Thanks to Xbox Live’s Major Nelson for the heads up.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:Kane & Lynch: Dead Men PC Demo OutEnglish Vampire Rain Demo up For XBL JapanDead Space Demo Now on Xbox LiveValve Showing Off Left 4 Dead At Quakecon 2007Left 4 Dead Confirmed For Xbox 360

The devoted fanbase of Troika’s Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines have put out a new Unofficial Patch. Patch v 5.9 is hefty with many tweaks to the game as well as unearthed goodies including the uncensored US decapitation cutscene abandoned by now defunct Troika (R.I.P.). A full list of changes in the new VtM Bloodlines Unofficial Patch follows the break.
You can download the Vampire: TM - Bloodlines v5.8 to v5.9 Patch and the Vampire: TM - Bloodlines v1.2 to v5.9 Patch courtesy of FileFront.

Patch notes for the VtM Bloodlines Unofficial Patch (v 5.9)

(+) denotes changes to Plus-version of patch

v5.9 18.12.2008
—-

• +Made player heal before Blood Hunt and repaired bad CD quest update.
• +Added Heather remembrance lines and fixed Gary poster quest issues.
• +Made Isaac recognize the Tzimisce defeat for non-Toreador clans too.
• +Added ring and watch to pawnshop and fixed two Copper log problems.
• +Made damage by fire more consistent for Andrei and Sheriff warforms.
• +Fixed quest log updates for Ash, Romero and Heather on their death.
• Fitted Cathayan report dates to morgue pc dates and fixed bum quest.
• Corrected Milligan not leaving cutscene and improved anti-cheating.
• Fixed beastform model and added slash sound to Heather’s last scene.
• Corrected Gimble and Nines Obfuscate issues and minor text details.
• Fixed minor dialogue problems of Heather, Knox, Skelter and Beckett.
• Added subtitles for cutscenes and conversations, thanks to Voerman.
• Restored some Ocean House and beachhouse lines and Chunk-Asylum fix.
• Corrected basic healing rate and added one sound to Muddy cutscene.
• Removed xp for Romero loving after zombie quest but made him return.
• Fixed Vandal endgame freeze and wrong door sound at the Ramen shop.
• Made Chastity not biteable and fixed Sin Bin handle and area change.
• Swapped Igor’s .38 with GLOCK 19 and gave more hit points to Larry.
• Replaced money in Kamikaze Zen safe by name plate to fix xp problem.
• Exchanged Brawl and Finance book locations inside the Empire hotel.
• Swapped dancers between clubs to avoid too many similar ones nearby.
• Gave GLOCKs to hunters in Ash sewers to fit gun shown on the model.
• Restored the uncensored US decapitation cutscene, thanks to Keleigh.

Thanks to The Patches Scrolls forum on DLH.net for the patch notes.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:Vampire: TM Bloodlines Unofficial Patch AvailableVampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines Unofficial Patch 4.2Vampire: TM Bloodlines Unofficial Patch AvailableVampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - Unofficial Patch 4.4Vampire: Bloodlines Unofficial Patch v. 4.5

Capcom sent us new five new screens for Resident Evil 5 today, and they basically look like more of the same. What kind of wowed everyone months ago is starting to look like old hat now. Granted, they may not be wanting to show us every area in the game, but the same ole dull grey is getting redundant.

Anyway, you can judge for yourself when you take a look at them.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:Capcom Releases New Resident Evil 5 ScreensResident Evil 5 - Two New Direct Feed Screens from CapcomResident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - New ScreenshotsResident Evil 5 Trailer Hits Xbox Marketplace and Playstation StoreResident Evil: Extinction Blu-ray Doesn’t Have Game Demos

For all of Sims fans out there eagerly anticipating the launch of The Sims 3, EA and Maxis have given you a little something to whip you into a frenzy. There’s a new The Sims 3 Create-A-Sim Trailer out which you can view below courtesy of FileFront.

It seems to me The Sims series could hold much attraction for the voyeur. You have complete control over these people of your own creation. You can put them into awkward and terrible positions and watch it all play out. That said I don’t know why I don’t like the game.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:The Sims 2 Pets Now Available On the WiiSims 2 Castaway: ScreenshotsFirst Email For 'The Sims 3' Sent To FansitesSims on Stage Brings Karaoke Online to a New LevelThe Sims 2 Apartment Life Video

Now that G.E.C.K. has been out a while, No Mutants Allowed has issued an update of its growing inventory of Fallout 3 mods. The biggest changes are to the popular The Fallout 3 Compendium mod which has had a huge update to v 0.6.0.2. The Item Description mod also continues to go and is up to v 1.15.

There are also several new mods in the NMA Fallout 3 stable:

• Medicine And Edibles Revamped - changes drug effects and addictions to suit the originals more closely
• Unique Zhu-Rong v418 Pistol - retextures and modifies a unique weapon
• Obedient Dogmeat mod - modifies interfacing with Dogmeat and makes him a lot smarter

New mods are also available on Fallout 3 Nexus. For all the details visit the NMA Fallout 3 forum.

—Related Articles at Gaming Today:Black Isle Fallout 3 Tech Demo ReleasedFallout 2 Restoration Project v. 1.1 AvailableFallout 2 Patches AvailableNMA Fallout 3 Q&A HighlightsFallout 3 Game Guides and Mods Updated on NMA