BFWGaming

A promised a few days ago, Monte Cristo has now launched a new closed beta test for their upcoming urban city simulation-MMO Cities XL. People who have already been invited to the beta can go ahead and download their copy and other beta keys are being given out at various web sites.

The beta has both the single player campaign as well as the MMO features where players act as “mayors” of their city and trade with other player cities and even team up to build larger structures. The game is set for a 2009 release in Europe but there’s still no word on a US release. Check out the game’s beta system requirements after the jump:

Minimal Configuraton
Desktop

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 @ 2.5 GHz and AMD equivalent or higher
RAM: 1 Go (XP), 1.5 Go (Vista)
Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 6600GT / ATI Radeon X1600 or higher (256 Mo video memory minimum

Laptop

Platform: Intel Centrino 2 with Intel graphics chip
RAM: 1.5 Go(XP), 2.5 Go (Vista)

All Support

Sound: DirectX compatible
DVD ROM: 2x
Hard Drive: 8 Gb Free
OS: Microsoft Windows XP SP3 or Microsoft Windows Vista SP1
DirectX: 9.0c

Recommended Configuration
Desktop

Processor: Intel Core 2 or higher RAM 1.5 Go (XP), 2 Go (Vista)
Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850 or higher (512 Mo video memory minimum)

Laptop

Platform: Intel Centrino 2 w/ nVidia or ATI GPU w/ 512 MB VRAM
RAM: 1.5 Go (XP), 2.5 Go (Vista)

All Support

Sound: DirectX compatible
DVD ROM: 2x
Hard Drive: 8 Gb Free
OS: Microsoft Windows XP SP3 or Microsoft Windows Vista SP1
DirectX: 9.0

Go to Source: http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/06/17/new-cities-xl-beta-test-begins/

We still have to wait until October 20 to get the game, but Electronic Arts and BioWare is apparently ready to reveal the PC system requirement specs for their long awaited fantasy RPG Dragon Age: Origins. A post on the game’s official web site has revealed those specs for Windows XP and Windows Vista so now folks have an idea if their gaming PC rig can run the game when it ships to stores. There’s no word yet on Windows 7 specs which will be released two days after Dragon Age: Origins. Check out the hardware requirements after the jump:

Windows XP Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows XP with SP3
CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.4Ghz or greater
AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8Ghz or greater
RAM: 1GB or more
Video: ATI Radeon X850 128MB or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space

Windows Vista Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows Vista with SP1
CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.6Ghz or greater
AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 2.2GHZ or greater
RAM: 1.5 GB or more
Video: ATI Radeon X1550 256MB or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space

Recommended Specifications
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz Processor or equivalent
RAM: 4 GB (Vista) or 2 GB (XP)
Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space

Go to Source: http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/06/17/dragon-age-origins-pc-hardware-specs-revealed/

Gamers were upset when it was learned a few days ago that the PC version of Ghostbusters would lack the multiplayer features that its Xbox 360 and PS2 counterparts have. We asked the game’s publisher Atari for comment on this issue and they sent over a response from Dan Irish, the CEO of the game’s multiplayer developer Threewave Software:

Multiplayer for the PC version of Ghostbusters is something that Threewave and Terminal Reality always wanted to do. However, our focus was on making the console version the best that they could be - an experience that allows multiple players to re-live and re-fight many of the themes from the movies. When we looked at the resources necessary to pull off multiplayer on the consoles and the PC, it became a question of what could we do and still be excellent in our execution. We couldn’t do all versions with multiplayer simultaneously with the resources that we had available - there was simply too much to do. Something would have to suffer. Therefore, we kept our focus on making the console versions deliver on the promise of being an integral player on the Ghostbusters team.

We have yet to receive a response to our other question on if Atari plans to add multiplayer support for the PC version of Ghostbusters via a patch.

Go to Source: http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/06/17/atari-and-threewave-comment-on-lack-of-multiplayer-in-pc-ghostbu/

Ah, StarForce. PC gamers around the world learned to hate that name as the Russian-based copy protection company found that its software not only angered gamers but may have even damaged PCs who had the software installed.

After some really bad customer and public relations a few years ago, StarForce became persona non grata among US publishers who feared that using the software would cause their sales to drop. Now the company is coming back with a new version of its software that it hopes will be used by more companies.

But has the damage of previous years been too much for StarForce to make a comeback? In a new chat at Gamasutra, the company’s deputy marketing director Dmitry Guseff states, “We do not intend to repeat our past mistakes.” Their new version allows the consumer to actually select to use either disk protection or online activation for their PC game. And what about people who think any DRM set-up is bad? Guseff states, ” . . . choosing the right schema for specific games and proper copy protection implementation does nothing to breach gamers’ rights and could be an additional and very effective tool against piracy.” Okay . . .

Go to Source: http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/06/17/starforce-looking-to-come-back-to-us-pc-games/

Nexon’s popular free-to-play first person shooter Combat Arms is planning to add some more playable characters to the title. Nexon is calling the characters Specialists and they come in male and (as seen here) female forms. The game’s storyline claims these new characters have been “selected and raised from birth to be the ultimate combination of strength, stealth, brilliance and skill.” So don’t mess with them

The Specialists add some new weapons and items to the game’s mix including an M34 grenade launcher, a claymore, a satellite scanner and a medkit. The Specialists will be made available to players of Combat Arms on June 25.

Go to Source: http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/06/17/combat-arms-to-add-new-specialist-characters/