Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 will pack Annoying DRM

Details of Red Alert 3’s DRM have surfaced and the initial picture doesn’t look pretty. According to the Executive Producer Chris Corry, the strategy title will require one-time online activation similar to Spore/Mass Effect and the installation is limited to 5 computers. Read more

Mass Effect - DLC Now Available

Mass Effect’s promised “Bring Down the sky” DLC is now available on PC. Unlike Xbox360 version, this DLC is completely free.

Press Release:

Leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., has announced that “Bring Down the Sky,” the first piece of downloadable content for the award-winning space epic Mass Effect, is now available for PC gamers to download free1 of charge.

Fully optimized for the PC, “Bring Down the Sky” is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that will further expand the Mass Effect story and universe. It includes a new uncharted world that introduces the deadly Batarian alien race, approximately 90 minutes of new gameplay and an original soundtrack. Instructions on how to download and install the new content is available at http://masseffect.bioware.com/downloadablecontent/. “Bring Down the Sky” is currently available for international languages including English, Spanish, Italian and German, with additional language versions coming soon. Read more

Splash Damage Hires Industry Veterans

 

Splash Damage, the developer of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, has hired four game industry veterans to work on their announced multiplatform project. Atleast Splash Damage was smart enough to acknowledge how inadequate they are when it comes to developing great games. Maybe the four hired veterans will add another cheek to their half-ass work. Maybe?

Press Release: 

Splash Damage, the award-winning independent developer, today announced the hiring of four industry heavyweights to its team. Following the recent announcement of its partnership with Bethesda Softworks®, Splash Damage is planning to double the size of its development team to more than 60 staff as it moves into multi-platform development on an as-yet unannounced title. Read more

Mass Effect - SecuROM Activation Issues?

The SecuROM DRM is finally taking it’s toll it seems, as users are reporting activation problems. riftguy from BioWare forums has reported the activation problems he encountered:

By this time it was after midnight so I registered my game on the forums and posted for help. (See topic=631894, forum=127) The feedback I got was that my card was either going bad or ancient, and Mass Effect was just pushing it over the edge. So I went out and bought a new 8800GT on June 2nd and the game worked beautifully! I was so happy that I got it and couldn’t put it down – by the night of the 3rd I’d finished my first run through. Then I put the game down hoping the DLC would come out to give me even more new stuff to explore.

That was ten days ago. Today I decided to do another run through while waiting in order to try playing a renegade on a higher difficulty level. That’s when I got it. “The game can not start. For security reasons, only a limited number of machines can ever be licensed by a single purchase. This limit has been reached. Please purchase another registration code, reinstall, and then try again.”

Mass Effect PC Ships to Retails

PC port of BioWare’s successful RPG has shipped to US retails. You can get it for MSRP of $49.95.

Press Release:

Leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., has announced that the award-winning space epic Mass Effect for the PC is now available in stores across North America. Rated “M” for Mature, Mass Effect is available at a MSRP of $49.99 at all major retail outlets. Mass Effect is also available for purchase online and can be downloaded from major digital distribution sites including the EA online store at www.eastore.ea.com. Read more

Mass Effect Gone Gold

BioWare’s PC port of their successful RPG Mass Effect has gone gold. The game has completed development and has been sent to DVD-replicating facilities to ready it for retail.

Press Release:  

BioWare announced today that the award-winning action role-playing game (RPG) Mass Effect for PC, published by Electronic Arts, has gone into manufacturing. Mass Effect will be available in North America on May 28, 2008 and June 6, 2008 to European retailers.

Gamers can still take advantage of pre-order specials1 and should check with their preferred retailer for information. Alternatively, gamers who pre-order Mass Effect through the Electronic Arts online store at www.eastore.ea.com will receive bonus items2 from the game Dead Space™, the highly anticipated sci-fi survival horror game by EA, including the first issue of the Dead Space comic book and a Dead Space poster while supplies last. Read more

Mass Effect - 11 New Screenshots

BioWare has released new screenshots for their upcoming PC port of Mass Effect. Here are 3 to get you started:

More here.

Mass Effect PC Copy Protection Details

Mass Effect official forum has details of copy protection being used in upcoming PC port of Mass Effect. According to the Technical Producer Derek French, Mass Effect will use SecuROM and require online activation in order to play.

Mass Effect uses SecuROM and requires an online activation for the first time that you play it. Each copy of Mass Effect comes with a CD Key which is used for this activation and for registration here at the BioWare Community. Mass Effect does not require the DVD to be in the drive in order to play, it is only for installation.

After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days (in case the CD Key has become public/warez’d and gets banned). Just so that the 10 day thing doesn’t become abrupt, SecuROM tries its first re-check with 5 days remaining in the 10 day window. If it can’t contact the server before the 10 days are up, nothing bad happens and the game still runs. After 10 days a re-check is required before the game can run.

For more info, check out the official BioWare forum thread.

BioWare Announces Special Pre-Order Offer for Mass Effect on PC

BioWare has announced a special Mass Effect pre-order program. Press release below:

Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS - News), is proud to announce that key retailers across North America will be offering $10 off for all pre-orders of Mass Effect™ for the PC1, shipping to retailers May 27, 2008 in North America and June 6, 2008 in Europe. Gamers will receive the $10 discount by pre-ordering Mass Effect at both specialty and online retailers including GameStop, Amazon.com and GoGamer.com. Read more

Mass Effect PC System Requirements Unveiled

BioWare has released the system requirements for their upcoming Action/RPG Mass Effect. Check them out below:

Mass Effect PC System Requirements:

Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista

Processor:
2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD

Memory:
1 Gigabyte Ram (XP)
2 Gigabyte Ram (Vista)

Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 6 series(6800GT or better)
ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)

Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes

Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
———-

Recommended System Requirements for Mass Effect on the PC

Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista

Processor:
2.6+GHZ Intel or 2.4+GHZ AMD

Memory:
2 Gigabyte Ram

Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher.
ATI X1800 XL series or higher

Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes

Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers – 5.1 sound card recommended

———–
Additional Note from Derek French:

The Mass Effect Config program will automatically adjust your settings on first run, to attempt to give you an optimal play experience. As with all PC games, computer performance varies from system to system and adjustments can be made via the Config or through the in-game options to tailor your experience.

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