Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods - First Screenshots

JoWooD Studios has released first screenshots of upcoming Gothic 3 expansion, Forsaken Gods. More info and screenshots below:

JoWooD Productions is happy to present the first screenshots from the official Gothic 3 Add On. A vivid world, intoxicating new quests and the gloomy Gothic atmosphere invite fans to spend hours playing this exciting new chapter in the epic and popular RPG series. Have a look at the screenshots and get ready for the perfect Gothic experience once again.

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Mass Effect - 10 day activation method pulled

After enraging pretty much every PC gamer with the 10 day re- activation feature for Mass Effect, BioWare has pulled the feature from the final product. According to the official statement:

There has been a lot of discussion in the past few days on how the security requirements for Mass Effect for PC will work. BioWare, a division of EA, wants to let fans know that Mass Effect will not require 10- day periodic re-authentication.

BioWare has always listened very closely to its fans and we made this decision to ensure we are delivering the best possible experience to them. To all the fans including our many friends in the armed services and internationally who expressed concerns that they would not be able re-authenticate as often as required, EA and BioWare want you to know that your feedback is important to us.

The solution being implemented for Mass Effect for the PC changes copy protection from being key disc based, which requires authentication every time you play the game by requiring a disc in the drive, to a one time online authentication.

This system has an added benefit of allowing players to seamlessly play the game without needing the DVD in the drive.

Key points -

•This solution allows gamers to authenticate their game on three different computers with the purchase of one disc. EA Customer Service is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting customer support.

• Games are authorized to the machine when the player installs and launches the software for the first time.

• We’ve all had those times when the discs get lost or scratched and you can’t play a game you’ve bought because you need a working disc in the drive. With the new system players will no longer need the disc to play the game, but can instead simply retain the disc as back up for re-installation.

For more info regarding the DRM controversy, check the official thread.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI Coming to PCs this July

KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, announced today that the Historical Simulation game, Romance of the Three Kingdoms®XI (RTK XI) is coming to Windows-based PCs for gamers throughout North America on July 29, 2008.

“Following KOEI’s successful launch of Warriors Orochi for Windows-based PC earlier this year, the response to bringing more of KOEI’s popular franchises to the platform has been overwhelming,” said Amos Ip, Senior Vice President at KOEI Corporation. “For PC releases, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series has always been at the top of our fans’ wish lists. We are looking forward to bringing Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI to Windows-based PC this summer.”

Red Orchestra Adds Steamworks Matchmaking and More

Tripwire Interactive has updated the WWII multiplayer classic Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 (RO) with support for Steamworks, a complete suite of publishing and development tools available free of charge to game developers and publishers. In this Steamworks update for RO, Tripwire has leveraged the online matchmaking services offering, including integration of the Steam Server Browser, the Friends’ “Join Game” functionality (for use in and out of game), as well as support for player and server stats viewable on www.steamgames.com. Read more