Flashpoint comes to the Xbox
Bohemia Studios will soon release the complex military combat simulator “Operation Flashpoint: Elite” on the Xbox this November.
“Operation Flashpoint: Elite” retains all the depth and immense content of the original and takes players into the heart of a gripping Cold War conflict between NATO coalition forces and a renegade Soviet Red Army faction.
The game setting will be familiar to many. It is 1985, the midst of the Cold War, and Gorbachev has been elected to power, bringing with him policies of glasnost and perestroika. However, resistance Soviet groups are opposed to the new wave and refuse to serve the new regime in Moscow.
The game plans intense campaigns and solo missions to deliver players into believable military situations and give them complete freedom to handle any incident (or Flashpoint) on his or her own initiative.
“Operation Flashpoint: Elite” is powered by Bohemia’s technology, which is also used in real-world training by military organizations around the world, including the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines.
According to Marek Spanel, Bohemia Interactive Studio’s director, this won’t be another run-and-gun shooter.
“You’ll need brain power as much as quick reflexes; act before you die, think before you act and find cover before you think,” he said.
Players will control and command soldiers and squads of all levels in more than 40 authentic land, sea and air vehicles – both military and civilian. Players will also control individual soldiers, take on the role of a sniper, command squads, drive tanks and troop carriers, and pilot military helicopters.
This variety should allows gamers to experience a strong mix of strategic action gameplay and, thanks to the artificial intelligence applied to the game’s infantry, the troops think, move and act as troops do in a conflict situation.
Midway to publish EARTH 2160, next installment in critically-acclaimed RTS Series
“EARTH 2160,” in development by Reality Pump Studios, is the next installment of this successful real-time strategy series. Following Earth’s destruction, conflict arises as the remnants of the Eurasian Dynasty, Lunar Corporation and United Civilized States begin to terraform Mars.
As the civilizations independently rebuild, a group of imprisoned alien renegades is awakened from suspended animation. The groups must either battle it out or band together as they try and survive the new alien threat.
“EARTH 2160” takes advantage of the latest game engine technologies, giving the game a look and feel that is well ahead of other RTS titles running on more traditional graphics engines. With volumetric shading (fog and shadows) and realistic lighting, the graphics of “EARTH 2160” bring a new level of detail to the RTS genre.
In addition to standard RTS features such as resource acquisition, base building and destruction of enemy bases, “EARTH 2160” allows players to play adventure-style missions.
Virtual Agents can assist the player in specific tasks on the battlefield or act as managers dealing with construction, resources or research, letting the player concentrate on other aspects of the game for an experience tailored to the individual player’s style and needs.
WoW Membership surpasses 1 million NA customers
Good news for MMO players – you’re not alone. “World of Warcraft” has reached more than 1 million paying customers in North America. This brings the total population for Blizzard Entertainment’s critically acclaimed game, the largest massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the world, to more than 4 million paying customers.
“It’s very rewarding to see so many new and returning players logging in to play ‘World of Warcraft’ daily,” said Mike Morhaime, president and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “‘World of Warcraft’ has reached more than 1 million paying customers in North America well before its one-year anniversary in November.
We would like to express our appreciation to both the players and our retail and license partners for helping us make ‘World of Warcraft’ one of the most popular online games in the world.”
To support the expanding population of “World of Warcraft,” Blizzard continues to release content updates on a regular basis. These updates continually evolve the game, rewarding subscribers with new experiences and enticing prospective players to join in on an ever-growing number of adventures.
“World of Warcraft” has been the No. 1-selling MMORPG in North America since it launched in November 2004. Reaching the 1 million customer milestone in North America proves “WoW” is the reigning king of MMORPGs.
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