TF2 war tightens, adds new weapons, achievements

Team Fortress 2′s war between Demomen and Soldiers has been going on for almost a week now, and is almost at a close. The counter is tight, with the Demomen closing in with a margin of just 15,000 kills.

No matter who wins the war – and the exclusive new weapon – players of both classes are winners, with at least 3 new items and 35 achievements for each class. The Demomen will be able to go medieval with a sword and shield combination, or keep their distance with the Scottish Resistance, a sticky-bomb launcher which can lay down twice as many explosives. The Soldiers, on the other hand, have a faster rocket launcher, a pickaxe which makes them more powerful in inverse relation to their health, and a banner which, when the Soldier deals enough damage, will make every teammate nearby more powerful.

[WAR! via Team Fortress Blog]

Shatter soundtrack just $1 until Christmas

The official soundtrack to IGN’s PSN Game of the Year, the block-breaking Shatter, is available for just $1 USD until Christmas.

Available as 320K mp3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, and other formats, the quality of the audio is hard to argue with. The site even lets you stream the entire album before you buy, just in case you haven’t played the highly-praised PSN exclusive. Bandcamp, the distribution service, allows buyers to pay above the set price, if you feel $1 isn’t enough. Normally priced at a minimum of $9.99, this is a significant discount.

Is 78:52 of funky video game music worth 100 cents to you? If so, the track list and purchase link are below.

1. Kinetic Harvest – 06:36
2. Aurora – 07:28
3. Granular Extractor – 06:31
4. Krypton Garden – 06:29
5. Freon World – 07:29
6. Amethyst Caverns – 05:15
7. Neon Mines – 06:02
8. Argon Refinery – 08:50
9. Xenon Home World – 06:18
10. The End Of The World – 06:45
11. Boss Music (all sections) – 03:01
12. Homelands (Credits Music) – 05:17
13. Glass Halls (Menu Music) – 02:51

[Bandcamp via @jeffgerstmann]

Free Game Watch: Tinker

Microsoft’s Tinker is a 60-level puzzle game, previously only available in the Windows Ultimate Extras program, for owners of Windows Vista Ultimate. But as part of the launch of Games for Windows Live’s Games on Demand service, it’s now free for anyone who installs the GfW client.

The game has 15 Live achievements, worth a total of 200 Gamerscore. The gameplay is simple enough, making it accessible to anyone; just guide the cute little robot guy to the exit, by passing obstacles and hitting switches.

[Tinker via NeoGAF]

Nintendo trademarks Zii

(Hopefully, it is apparent that this is not an official logo.)

Update: Engadget have discovered not only that this is just a renewal of an old trademark request (from 2006), but that they also snagged Bii, Cii, Oii, and Yii.

On the 30th of October, Nintendo filed a trademark in Japan for “Zii”. What is it? Nobody knows. Siliconera spotted the trademark today as it was finally released to the trademark database.

Rumours that it is the successor to the Wii are already spreading. Another possibility is that it is a peripheral or attachment (the Wii Zii!), and yet another that it is a simple case of Nintendo trying to prevent a knock-off using the name. The latter seems strange, as they could have done so years ago.

If this is a new console, the alphabetical progression makes some sense. Xii and Yii are quite hard to pronounce, so skipping past them would be logical… but how would a Zii follow-up be named? A true mystery.

[Siliconera via NeoGAF]

Australian Attorney-General releases R 18+ discussion paper

This is an important day in the effort for Australians to receive a restricted rating for games, with the Attorney-General’s Department releasing a discussion paper on the benefits and detriments of adding this R 18+ rating. Remember, any game deemed unsuitable for an MA 15+ rating is effectively banned from release.

For the first time, the Government is looking towards the public for feedback, and will accept submissions on the debate from now until February 28th, 2010. I would imagine that through word-of-mouth, the public’s submissions will lean strongly towards the positive side.

The paper itself is quite comprehensive, considering topics from parity with international classification boards (and even the local rating system for films) to the average age of gamers, and the effects violent content could have on children.

[Australian Government via Whirlpool Forums]

2009 Spike Video Game Award winners

It may perhaps be a surprise that the Spike Video Game Awards aren’t just about world premiere videos and surprise announcements, but it’s true: at some point during the evening, accolades must be bestowed upon those deemed worthy. Voting for each of the 28 categories was public, performed through the official website.

Frankly, I’m pleased with the Game of the Year selection, as it is an absolutely fantastic, incredibly polished thrill-ride.

Game of the Year: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Studio of the Year: Rocksteady Studios
Best Independent Game Fueled by Dew: Flower
Best Xbox 360 Game: Left 4 Dead 2
Best PS3 Game: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Best Wii Game: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Best PC Game: Dragon Age: Origins
Best Handheld Game: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Best Shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter IV
Best Action Adventure Game: Assassin’s Creed 2
Best RPG: Dragon Age: Origins
Best Multi-player Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Best Individual Sports Game: UFC 2009 Undisputed
Best Team Sports Game: NHL 10
Best Driving Game: Forza Motorsport 3
Best Music Game: The Beatles: Rock Band
Best Soundtrack: DJ Hero
Best Original Score: Halo 3: ODST
Best Graphics: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Best Game Based on a Movie/TV Show: South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play!
Best Performance by a Human Female: Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes
Best Performance by a Human Male: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
Best Cast: Wolverine
Best Voice: Jack Black as Eddie Riggs
Best Downloadable Game: Shadow Complex
Best DLC: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Most Anticipated Game: God of War III

Spike VGA surprises: Arkham Asylum 2, Green Day: Rock Band, Force Unleashed 2, True Crime

One of the most celebrated new series of the year now has a sequel, with Rocksteady and WB Games’ Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 (working title) now confirmed through a teaser trailer, which frankly doesn’t reveal much. The official website has launched, with roughly the same amount of information.

Green Day: Rock Band was another premiere for the night. Following the Beatles with Green Day is …well, kind of an odd choice, but the band IS exceedingly popular. This suggests that Rock Band 3 really is a long way away, and that Harmonix are now leaning towards the route of more physical releases instead of working on DLC, perhaps depending on Rock Band Network for DLC creation instead.

Another surprise comes in the form of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2. Details are again hazy, but we know from the website that it will be “Unleashed 2010″, presumably at least for PS3 and 360.

The True Crime franchise will be revitalised with a new title… named True Crime. (Apparently without a subtitle.) Since the first title was released in 2003, and the second in 2005, it’s been a long time coming. Set in an Asian city, the game features the Triads. No platforms were explicitly discussed, but expect it on PS3 and 360.

Weekend Deals – December 12/13, 2009

We have another fairly quiet weekend, in the lead-up to Christmas and the accompanying giant sales. For those who’d rather try before they buy, Steam have a free weekend up on Dreamkiller, giving a couple of days of unlimited play for free, plus a 25% discount if you decide to buy it. Their other deal is on Counter-Strike: Source, the game still played all over the world, for just $5.00. Direct2Drive have cut $10 from Dragon Age: Origins as part of their December offerings.

Play-Asia:
Wolfenstein (X360) – $22.90 ($37 off). Works internationally.

Steam Weekend Deal:
Counter-Strike: Source – $5.00 (75% off)
Dreamkiller - $22.49 (25% off).  Free Weekend!

Other Steam Deals:
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 - $4.99 (50% off)
Pirates of the Burning Sea - $5.00 (75% off)
ItzaZoo - $8.99 (10% off)
Samorost 2 - $2.49 (50% off)
The Bard’s Tale - $8.99 (10% off)

Impulse:
Cities XL – $19.99 (50% off)
Dawn of Discovery - $34.99 (30% off)
Divinity II – Ego Draconis - $44.99 (10% off)
Odd Combo Pack (Oddysee + Exoddus) – $4.99 (50% off)
Time of Shadows - $14.99 (50% off)

GOG:
Realms of Arkania games 25% off:
Realms of Arkania 1+2 - $4.49
Realms of Arkania 3 - $4.49

Direct2Drive:
D2D’s 24 Days of Christmas
Dragon Age: Origins - $39.95 ($10 off)
Champions Online - $29.95 (25% off)
Empire Earth III - $4.95 (75% off)

GamersGate:
Holiday Gift Guide – includes pages of deals.
An Advent Calendar contains a new deal each day.
East India Company - $11.98 (60% off)
Hearts of Iron 3 - $11.98 (60% off)
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim - $7.48 (75% off)
Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest - $4.95 (50% off)
Streets of Moscow - $19.95 (50% off)
Tropico Reloaded - $4.95 (50% off)

Rubber Soul DLC out next week for The Beatles: Rock Band

From December 15th onwards (depending on region), The Beatles’ album Rubber Soul will be available for download on all three platforms. It is currently planned to be the last piece of DLC for The Beatles: Rock Band, concluding a trilogy of album releases which started with Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

All tracks can be purchased individually for $1.99 US / 160 MSP / 200 Wii Points, and the “Complete the Album” pack is available on the PSN and Live for $13.49 USD / 1440 MSP. The pack includes the 11 tracks previously missing from the game: (The other 3 are “Drive My Car”, “I’m Looking Through You”, and “If I Needed Someone”.)

• “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”
• “You Won’t See Me”
• “Nowhere Man”
• “Think For Yourself”
• “The Word”
• “Michelle”
• “What Goes On”
• “Girl”
• “In My Life”
• “Wait”
• “Run For Your Life”

The trailer for the album pack is available for viewing here. (MOV file.)

[Rock Band Forums via @TheBeatlesRB]

Team Fortress 2 starts a war

Valve are continuing to work hard on post-release support for Team Fortress 2 with a number of free updates. This looks to be a big one…and it’s war.

Both the Soldier and Demoman classes are getting a class update (with 3 new items apiece), and some new maps and achievements will spice things up again. The really interesting part of the update is the war aspect.

After this week’s comic, where the Administrator discovered a friendship between the pair, it was decided that a rift must be brought between them. How? A secret seventh weapon, available only to the victor of the war. If the collected Demomen of the world kill more Soldiers over the next week, the Demomen win, and vice versa. Exciting!

[WAR! via Team Fortress 2 Blog]