Just to keep you busy throughout the weekend, here are a few gaming nuggets to chew on. But because this is the "Weekend Edition," expect to see this article updated during the next few days. The last Weekend Edition did rather well, so lets see if that can happen again.
Mirror's Edge Map Pack Now Available
As the heading states, the Pure Time Trials Map Pack is now live on the EA Store, available for direct download at $9.99. According to the site, the map pack focuses on the time trial gameplay mode: "Time Trial is a popular mode in Mirror's Edge that challenges players to find the fastest route across various maps. Players can upload their best time to the Mirror's Edge leaderboards for their friends to download and compete against. Players can see their friend's "ghost" run as they race their way through the course to the top of the leaderboards."
New Overlord titles in June
Last night Codemasters sent over an impressive media package packed with screens and videos, however amongst the multimedia glory was a passive revelation of three new Overlord titles in June. First and foremost, Overlord II is headed to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows, offering a new Overlord and a more powerful army of Minions to take on the Glorious Empire, and an advanced Romanesque nation. Additionally, Overlord Dark Legend is in development for the Nintendo Wii as well as Overlord Minions for the DS.
More Codemasters Dates Set - DiRT 2
Along with the Overlord info game the revelation of additional release dates, beginning with DiRT 2, the sequel to the off-road racer. According to the company, the game will hit the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Games for Windows, Wii, DS and PSP this September. "In addition to Utah, Malaysia and London, DiRT 2’s World Tour of off-road events will take racers to a massive, spectator-packed Los Angeles sports stadium for an exhilarating rally cross event: the Stadium King Shootout."
More Codemasters Dates Set - FUEL
The company also aid that FUEL will hit the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows this May, the multi-terrain, multi-vehicle action racing title from Asobo Studios. "With the largest environment ever created in race gaming. FUEL will have players competing across wildly different terrain, created from the most compelling, diverse and striking areas of America using satellite data."
More Codemasters Dates Set: Jumpgate Evolution
The action-based PC Massively Multiplayer Online game Jumpgate Evolution is slated to go live this June, promising "exhilarating" space combat on a vast scale. Fans can head to the official website and check out a video sporting the game's "breath-taking visuals and an innovative twitch-based space combat."
More Codemasters Dates Set - Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is scheduled to hit the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows this summer. The upcoming military conflict title is set to be "the most accessible, engaging, and visceral sandbox shooter of the year."
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Updated, Get Blazing Angels Free
Steam News is reporting that there are new updates to Dan of War II, applied to the retail version of the client once the Steam client restarts. The changes include fixing a bug that caused missions to stop populating. Valve says that regular save games should not be affected, and "stalled" games should not work properly after the update. Additionally, Valve also reports that consumers can receive a free "copy" of Blazing Angels when they pre-purchase the multiplayer air-combat action game, Tom Clancy's HAWX.
Valve Shares Hardware Specs
Ever wonder what developers are using on the hardware site? Recently Valve included its system specs in the January Steam Hardware Survey announcement (within the Steam client(, reporting that most rigs have a life span of 18 months before replaced with an improved machine. Here is the list of components for their base configuration:
- EVGA 780i SLI FTW Intel Motherboard
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz Quad-Core Processor
- 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 1066MHz ram (Crucial Ballistix, Kingston ValueRam)
- 1 x NVidia GTX280 1GB - OR - ATI 4870 1GB graphics card
- 1 x 250GB 7200RPM SATA HD
- (Seagate, Western Digital)
- 1 x 500GB 7200RPM SATA HD (Seagate, Western Digital)
- Antec Sonata III desktop case
- Zalman CPU Cooler
- 850W Antec power supply
- 1 x Dell 3008FPW-HC 30" LCD - OR - 2 x Dell 2001FP 20.1" LCD monitors
- Windows XP 32bit
Now here is the system configuration for the next set of PCs once the current ones become obsolete:
- EVGA X58 3X SLI Intel Motherboard
- Intel Corei7 940 2.93GHz Quad-Core Processor
- 12GB PC3-10600 DDR3 1333MHz ram (Crucial Ballistix, Kingston ValueRam)
- 1 x NVidia GTX285 1GB - OR - ATI 4870 1GB graphics card
- 1 x 250GB 7200RPM SATA HD (Seagate, Western Digital)
- 1 x 500GB 7200RPM SATA HD (Seagate, Western Digital)
- Lian Li P60-F Case
- Intel CPU Cooler
- 850W Antec power supply
- 1 x Dell 3008FPW-HC 30" LCD - OR - 2 x Dell 2001FP 20.1" LCD monitors
- Windows Vista 64bit
Leisure Suit Larry Returns
The Codemasters website is now offering information and media on the upcoming game, Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust. The game will use the talented (cough) voices of Carman Electra and Shannon Elizabeth and also feature a new Director's Mode. "The original Larry is now a movie mogul, but he’s got a problem…the studio across the road always seem to know what he’s making: there must be a mole in the studio! Uncle Larry turns to you, his nephew, Larry Lovage - to solve the mystery, after all, no-one would suspect a guy working in the mail room right? You must uncover the identity of the mole… the very existence of the studio depends upon it! What could possibly go wrong?" The brief details also say that the game offers an open world and plenty of mini-games.
