Team Fortress 2 Getting New Environments

If you’re an avid TF2 player, you should be one of the thousands that have gotten tired of TF2’s same old “dust/industrial” setting. Worry not, VALVe is cooking up new enviroments for Team Fortress 2:

One of the things we’re looking at for the next update is the creation of a new type of environment for our levels to be built in. We’re pretty happy with the way our environments have turned out so far, but as we create more and more maps with these achievement packs, we want our level designers to have more to work with in terms of giving their settings a unique look.

The challenging part of this type of design process is in finding types of terrain and structures that provide an understandable, interesting set of visuals and at the same time staying within the constraints of what we want to do with gameplay. In addition to this, we want to be able to stay within the strengths of the engine that TF is built around.

They’ve also released some concept to get your engines going:

Wolfenstein - FIRST Screenshots

The debut Wolfenstein screenshots, showing the game’s visuals as well as vast locales. Wolfestein is using id Tech 4 ( DOOM 3) Engine.

The Witcher: Versus (Formerly Duel Mail) Goes LIVE!

The Witcher’s flash PvP version; The Witcher: Versus (formerly known as Duel Mail) has gone live. Go play it here.

Press Release: 

Pick up your sword and slash your so-called friends into submission in The Witcher: Versus, the web-based dueling game formerly known as The Witcher: DuelMail. In The Witcher: Versus, players can finally fulfill their dreams of challenging a friend or complete stranger to a duel without having to put their real-world lives on the line. The game is free to play at http://versus.thewitcher.com. Read more

Hybride Technologies Acquired by Ubisoft

Ubisoft, the french games publisher/developer has acquired canadian based visual effects studio; Hybride Technologies. Hybride Technologies’s portfolio includes blockbuster movies like 300, Sin City. Hybride is notable for giving movies almost a video game look by using unique visuals. Ubisoft plans to use Hybride’s technology in their games. Ubisoft did not disclose the amount of the buyout.

Press Release:
Today Ubisoft announced the acquisition of Hybride Technologies, a Montreal-based studio renowned for its expertise in the creation of visual effects for cinema, television and advertising.

Created over 15 years ago, Hybride employs 80 team members. The studio’s many projects include such innovative films as 300, Frank Miller’s Sin City and the Spy Kids series. Read more

Project Offset may become PC exclusive

Project Offset, a visually stunning first person shooter in development by Offset software, may become exclusive to PCs if Intel has it’s way. Intel acquired Offset Software in Feb, 2008 and has been working on “next generation visuals” project ever since. Below is a video that features Remi Arnaud, Senior Graphics Architect and Manager of the Game Engine Technology team at Intel. Arnaud talks about the technology behind the engine, consoles as well as the game in-general.

CD Projekt Announces Witcher: Duel Mail

CDProjekt, the developer of the brilliant RPG, The Witcher, Has annouced a multiplayer version of The Witcher.

The Witcher: DuelMail is a completely free-of-charge next-gen web-browser game that offers depth seldom found in similar products. The start of open beta is planned for April 7th, with the final version scheduled for release on May 9th.

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Two Worlds: The Temptation Announced

SouthPeak Games has announced that it will be releasing a sequel to Two Worlds, its popular open-world role-playing game. Entitled Two Worlds: The Temptation, this second episode from the world of Antaloor is set for release on PC and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®. Due on the shelves in autumn 2008, Two Worlds: The Temptation will build on its prequel by including a host of improvements and new features, including a completely overhauled graphics engine. Full press release and 4 images after the jump. Read more

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Coming This August!

While an exact release date is unknown, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky will be hitting stores in August 2008. Clear Sky is the prequel to GSC Game World’s platinum selling shooter-survival title. Clear Sky promises to fill in the story gaps that Shadow of Chernobyl left. Clear Sky will use GSC’s proprietary X-Ray 1.5 and also support DirectX 10 for enhanced visuals. Make sure to check our Clear Sky screenshots gallery.

Source: KochMedia

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Screenshots

We’ve got 32 new & high-resolution screenshots of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky in our image gallery. The prequel to the highly successful Shadow of Chernbobyl. In Clear Sky, players will be able to join factions and lead them to victory. Clear Sky will also have more open ended environments alongside enhanced A.I., physics and more Anomalies. Clear Sky will also boast DirectX 10 support for enhanced visuals. view the newly added screens after the jump.

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