PC Gaming Roundup - January 29, 2009

Here is today's list of PC gaming news, including Mythic's announcement of its Call to Arms expansion and the ship date for Hotel Giant 2. Yeah, I know. It's late.

Cross Fire Open Beta Launches Tomorrow
This morning G4BOX Inc and Wicked Interactive announced that their persistent online military first-person shooter, Cross Fire, enters open beta tomorrow, available for the general public to test drive. The open beta kicks off at 12pm EST, allowing gamers to play for free without downloads or subscription fees. During the first week of open beta, players will enjoy a 50 percent increase in the amount of GP earned in-game. Players assume the role of either a Black List or Global Risk mercenary, and then join an online team that must work together to complete objective-based scenarios.

Hotel Giant 2 Ships Next Month
Nobilis is reporting that its hotel empire game for the PC, Hotel Giant 2,  will ship mid-February, offering gamers 26 locations from around the world including Paris, Los Angeles, Munich, Rome and Phuket. The company says that the key to success in Hotel Giant 2 is "careful observation of your guests’ behavior and monitoring their happiness in the surroundings you have created for them." Players can build restaurants, health clubs, swimming pools and business centers to please the guests while keeping an eye on satisfaction ratings. The game sounds like a must have for Donald Trump wannabes.

Mythic Issues a "Call to Arms"
Mythic Entertainment today revealed its new Call to Arms live expansion pack for the MMORPG Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The company stated that Call to Arms will offer two new careers (Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer) as well as a new dungeon zone called Land of the Dead, set in the desert realm of the Tomb Kings. The live expansion is schedule to hit the MMORPG for free in early March, and will conclude at the beginning of June.

Update Unreal Tournament 3 via Steam
Valve Software said that consumers who own a retail copy of Unreal Tournament 3 can register the game with Steam for free, enabling owners to download updates and the upcoming expansion packs. As reported by the company, the game will be updated automatically via Steam and introduce support for Steamworks Achievements (with over 50 Achievements), plus a host of new features and enhancements in AI, Server Browsing, Demo Recording, Mod Support, and more.

Another Blood Bowl Trailer
Although skipped in yesterday's roundup, Focus Home Interactive continues its week of Blood Bowl videos with another installment, this one featuring "the vicious half-man half-rat race known as the Skaven, born of the foul magics of Chaos." Check out the streaming clip by clicking here.

Secondhand Lands MMORPG Launches as Free Download
The MMORPG Secondhand Lands launched this morning as a free download from Pixel Mine Games. According to the company, this " offbeat fairytale MMORPG brings a fresh perspective on fun with four non-human races, player to player mounting, and a rofl-worthy world that tickles the funny bone at every turn." The game features player to player mounting, enabling avatars the ability to ride each other... no kidding.

Hold tight.. more to come as I plunge the goodness out of my inbox.