World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Release Announced

Well Blizzard has announced today that World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King would be in U.S. stores on November 13, 2008. Blizzard will also release the game in Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Russia. On November 14, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand will get the game. On November 18, the game comes to Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Blizzard added that information on Wrath of the Lich King’s debut in China would be released later.

The expansion will be offered in two packages: a standard edition for $39.99 and the Collector’s Edition for $69.99.
The Collector’s Edition includes the following:

• The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, a 208-page book featuring never-before-seen images from the game.
• An exclusive in-game pet: Frosty, the baby frost wyrm.
• A behind-the-scenes DVD containing more than an hour of developer interviews, the Wrath of the Lich King introduction cinematic with director’s commentary and more.
• The official soundtrack CD, containing 21 epic tracks from the game, along with exclusive bonus tracks.
• A mouse pad featuring a map of the newly opened continent of Northrend.
• Two World of Warcraft Trading Card Game March of the Legion, starter decks, along with two exclusive cards available only in the Collector’s Edition.

The lives of over 10 million people will come to a screeching halt on the opening day so you should put in that vacation time request before the rush.

Day of Defeat Source For Free! Well only for 3 Days

This Fourth of July holiday weekend we have a new major update for Day of Defeat Source, the WWII multiplayer shooter from Valve. Valve just released the update to the game via their Steam client, adding tons of new content and features.

The new version adds a new map to the game, Palermo, which is based loosely on the real Italian city that was the site of one of US General George S Patton’s victories (it’ also based on a popular community made map Sarleno). The update also adds 51 new achievements to the game, player stats, Steam Community integration and a new freeze cam.

Also if you haven’t played Day of Defeat Source you will be happy to know that from July 4-6 you will be able to play the full game for free.

Did You Ever Want Hot Chicks and Loads of Free Games?

Well This is not the place to find them. But If you Think you can do a better job of posting or reporting on news stories? Prove it. OLGn is searching for talented writers to assist in the site’s daily news writing duties.

We are looking for smart, capable freelance news writers to lend a hand in daily coverage of gaming news on OLGn.net. Here is the kicker: All of these positions are voluntary! *Gasp!* What, you don’t make a load of cash from the site? HAHAHA … don’t let the ads around this site fool you – OLGn is about as financially profitable as, ‘trying to hit Bill Gates up for a loan’.

Put simply, we’re looking to grow, and I’m going to need your help. I opened the doors at OLGn a little over 6 years ago now and it’s been just me working this site and I need some help. People have said in the past that “Hay, I will help” post 3 or 4 times and POOF! never to be seen again. It’s not instant fame or easy money you have to love games and writing about them.

The Basics:
You keep the copyright to your work posted to OLGn Under the site wide Creative Commons license. So feel free to post what you post on OLGn on your blog, just give a link back is all we ask.

1. You must search the internet for worthwhile news stories. Examples of news worthy material: Nearly everything having to do with Xbox, wii, PS3, PC, Apple, PSP, DS, Previews or Reviews of Games. You can write articles about games, computer, internet or technology in your life not just news.
2. Must have good grammar
3. Must be willing to devote time, not just posting once a month

Even though it’s voluntary, Please stick to deadlines or a schedule when posting.

You might Ask What Do I get from all the *Cough* Work! You’ll get your own @olgn.net email address and the smugness of being able to say you work in the “Gaming Industry” as a Free Lance writer. Occasionally you’ll get freebies from game publishers, but that won’t happen often unless pig’s can fly.

If you stick around and all work together, one day we might even be able to pay you or hell even pay for hosting! Sound good to you? Fill out the form below.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

World Of Warcraft habla Español?

Blizzard today announced that it has totally re-recorded all voice and text and translated it into Spanish for the new release into Latin America. You will now also now be able to receive “high-quality” 24/7 support in Spanish. This will launch sometime in the first half of 2008 and will also be available to Spanish-speaking players in the US and Canada at that time.

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft(R), its award-winning, subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), is being prepared for release in Latin America. The Latin American localization will be based on the existing European Spanish version but will feature entirely re-recorded in-game speech. This new version of the game will be rolled out in select markets throughout Latin America starting in the first half of 2008 and will also be available to Spanish-speaking players in the US and Canada at that time.

A dedicated Spanish-speaking team is being assembled at the Blizzard Entertainment offices in Irvine, California and Austin, Texas to ensure that Spanish-speaking World of Warcraft players based in North and South America will receive high-quality 24/7 support in Spanish. Positions are currently open on the company’s customer service, quality assurance, community relations, and web teams, and a new official website for the game’s North and South America-based Spanish-speaking players is in development.

“Making World of Warcraft more accessible to gamers around the world has been a longstanding goal for us,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Spanish-speaking players on our North American realms have already shown a great deal of enthusiasm for the game, and we’re pleased to be able to offer them a fully localized version.”

Further details on pricing in local currencies for Latin American players, as well as country-specific availability, will be announced closer to release. Also closer to release, Blizzard will provide details on language-pack downloads and character-transfer options for existing Spanish-speaking players on the game’s North American realms.

Since World of Warcraft launched in November 2004, it has quickly become the world’s most popular MMORPG, with more than 10 million players worldwide. The game is currently available in English, French, German, Korean, European Spanish, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. In addition to the forthcoming Latin American Spanish version, a Russian version is in development for Europe.

Blizzard Takes action aginst Warcraft Bot WoW Glider

Blizzard/Vivendi games up in arms over the Warcraft bot ‘WoW Glider’, the legal docs describe a legal battle that’s unfolding in US District Court over WoW Glider, a bot that automates just about anything in World of Warcraft. According to plaintiff Blizzard, the program infringes on their copyright, and violates Blizzards EULA, WoW Glider argues that since no copy of the game is used, it does not violate any copyrights. Here’s a snip with some of the details:

In its legal submission to the court last week, the firm said: “Blizzard’s designs expectations are frustrated, and resources are allocated unevenly, when bots are introduced into the WoW universe, because bots spend far more time in-game than an ordinary player would and consume resources the entire time.”
‘Infringed agreement’

Blizzard argued that Michael Donnelly’s tool also infringed the End User License Agreement that all parties have to adhere to when playing the game. More than 100,000 copies of the tool have been sold, according to Mr Donnelly. More than 10 million people around the world play Warcraft.

Mr Donnelly said the first time had had been aware of potential legal action over his program was when a lawyer from Vivendi games, which publishes Warcraft, and an “unnamed private investigator” appeared at his home.

In his legal submission, he detailed: “When they arrived, they presented Donnelly with a copy of a complaint that they indicated would be filed the next day in the US District Court for the Central District of California if Donnelly did not immediately agree to stop selling Glider and return all profits that he made from Glider sales.”

“Blizzard’s audacious threats offended Donnelly,” according to the legal papers.

Mr Donnelly says his tool does not infringe Blizzard’s copyright because no “copy” of the Warcraft game client software is ever made.

Blizzard has said the tool infringes copyright because it copies the game into RAM in order to avoid detection by anti-cheat software.

Warhammer Online Let the Pre-Orders Begin! - Also Release Delayed Again

Developer EA Mythic has revealed that the release of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, which was previously slated for Q2 2008, has been pushed back until this fall. But the pre-order rush has started and for 79.99 it’s not a bad list of extras you will get. But would you spend 80.00 for a MMO game you have not yet played?

EA Mythic is proud to present the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector’s Edition, a limited-run, premium version of the game for true Warhammer fans. It is the perfect addition to any Warhammer collection and can be proudly displayed alongside your army of miniatures. This special oversized box contains unique collectibles and exciting in-game content to help you get the most out of your journeys through the battlefields of the Age of Reckoning. Only 60,000 units of the Collector’s Edition will be available in North America.

EXCLUSIVE GAMES WORKSHOP MINIATURE – GRUMLOK AND GAZBAG
From the Age of Reckoning to your tabletop battle! Based on original characters from the MMORPG and designed by Games Workshop specifically for the Collector’s Edition, this official Warhammer metal miniature depicts the Greenskin warboss, Grumlok, and his shaman, Gazbag, in rich detail. Feel the WAAAGH!

ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL – WARHAMMER ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING PRELUDE TO WAR
Commissioned specifically for the Collector’s Edition, WARHAMMER ONLINE: PRELUDE TO WAR is a full-color, 128-page hardcover graphic novel that sets the stage for the start of the game. Written by acclaimed Games Workshop writer, Graham McNeill, the oversized book is richly illustrated by Chad Hardin, Joe Abraham, Rahsan Ekedal, Tony Parker, and Kevin Hopgood. Each of the graphic novel’s six chapters tells a unique story that together detail the events leading up to the Age of Reckoning:

• Hill of the Dead — The Chaos warrior, Tchar’zanek, undertakes a harrowing quest to cement his place as the dread Champion of Tzeentch.
• Shadow of the Hunter — Famed Dark Elf hunter, Kaloth Coldshadow, journey’s to the Old World to capture a Greenskin leader to aid the Witch King with his plans.
• WAAAGH! Grumlok — Grumlok & Gazbag unite the Greenskin tribes in a mighty WAAAGH! and lead the assault on the Dwarf fortress of Karak Eight Peaks.
• Thunder Mountain — The Dwarfs rally against the invading Greenskins under the shadow of the great volcano.
• Northern Fire — The Empire fights a desperate battle against the invading hordes of Chaos.
• The Shining Guard — Tyrion and Finubar, the Phoenix King, wrestle with the duties of protecting their homeland and aiding their allies against the forces of Destruction.

ART BOOK - THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE
A stunning collection of the art that gave birth to the Age of Reckoning! THE ART OF WARHAMMER ONLINE is a 224-page hardcover collection of original art from the game. Each of the glossy, full-color pages showcases the talented work of our concept artists and offers a glimpse of a world in the making.

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – THE LIBRAMS OF INSIGHT
Wisdom is its own reward. Readers of the Librams of Insight are granted special insight into their own actions and earn experience at a higher rate for a limited time. (+10% XP modifier for 60 minutes, 3 uses, 90 minute reuse timer.)

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – QUESTS, REWARDS, AND TITLES
New adventures and just rewards await players on the battlefields of WAR! Purchasers of the Collector’s Edition will begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning with twelve (12) bonus quests awaiting them in their Tome of Knowledge. Each quest offers an exciting in-game reward, as well as a character title, to those that complete the challenges before them.

Sample Quests, Rewards, and Titles:

Quest:	The Only Way to Fight
Type:	Dwarf / PvE (Open to characters allied with the Realm of Order.)
	Anyone can drink and anyone can fight, but only a Dwarf was born t’ do both! Are you ready t’ prove what kind of Dwarf ye are? Take a proper drink o’ this Chuffinbrau, for it’ll get ye nice and tight, then get t’ killin’ greenskins before you sober up!
Reward:	Furd’s Bottomless Mug. This ale stein is encrusted with a special rune to ensure it never goes empty. One swig of its brew and you’ll feel stronger and ready for a fight. Beware, this sense of power comes at a cost!
Title:	Brewmaster

Quest:	Spoils of War
Type:	Chaos / RvR (Open to characters allied with the Realm of Destruction.)
	Go, and cleave the skulls of those who stand against the Raven Host. Take part in the battle at New Emskrank and cut down one of each type of your Empire foes.
Reward:	Griffonslayer’s Mantle. Equip this cloak made from a fallen Order of the Griffon banner and enjoy the “Emperor’s Protection.”
Title:	Griffonslayer

BONUS IN-GAME CONTENT – CHARACTER HEADS
Stand out from the crowd with a look unlike anyone else! The WAR Collector’s Edition includes twelve (12) bonus heads for additional character customisation options. Each race gets a truly distinctive look (with male and female versions) that is sure to turn heads on the battlefields and be the envy of everyone in the army.

With the pre order box of the Collector’s Edition players will also receive:

• Access to the open beta: be one of the first players to experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR!
• A live game headstart: begin your adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the raw recruits arrive!
• Plus exclusive bonus in game content:

All pre-order customers will receive:

RITTENBACH’S PORTABLE CAMP
Rest your weary soul and heal your wounds between battles.

Plus, all pre-order customers will receive one of the following items:

Order from GameStop or EB Games (online or in-store) and receive the:
SENTINEL’S AMBER BAND
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Earth,” increasing your chance of doing additional corporeal damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)
In-store pre-orders wil receive codes printed on a “rave card.” Online store pre-orders will receive codes via email.

Order from Amazon.com, GoGamer.com, GameCrazy or EAStore.com and receive the:
GUARDIAN’S IOLITE BAND
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Spirit,” increasing your chance of doing additional spiritual damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)
GameCrazy pre-orders wil receive codes printed on a “rave card.” Online store pre-orders will receive codes via email.

Order from Best Buy or BestBuy.com and receive the:
CHAMPION’S SAPPHIRE BAND
Enhance your stats and cast “Touch of Frost,” increasing your chance of doing additional elemental damage with each hit. (Usable in PvE combat only.)
Best Buy and BestBuy.com customers will receive a pre-order box containing their codes. Online store pre-orders will receive codes via email.

Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath Released and already On sale

The PC version of Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath, is on sale this week at Circuit City for the low low price of $17.99 with $12 off the retail price. This sale is only for the PC sorry 360 fans, it looks like full retail price for you.

Mar. 25, 2008 The Messiah has risen again! Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Command & Conquer(TM) 3: Kane’s Wrath has shipped to retail outlets in North America and Europe for the PC. The expansion pack to last year’s award-winning(2) real-time strategy game Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars(TM), Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath introduces a new, hand-crafted campaign spanning two decades of Tiberium lore, six sub-factions and game-changing epic units to the Command & Conquer universe. And gamers who purchase Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath or the Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection will also receive an exclusive key to the Command & Conquer(TM) Red Alert(TM) 3 beta starting this summer.

“The success of Tiberium Wars showed us that despite a five year hiatus, the fast, fluid and fun gameplay, deep storyline and live-action cinematics that make up the DNA of Command & Conquer still resonate with gamers,” said Jim Vessella, Kane’s Wrath producer. “With Kane’s Wrath we wanted to take the fiction further by tackling the stories our fans have been asking us to explore. This gave us a great opportunity to introduce new sub-factions and units that complement those stories while adding depth and variety to our core gameplay experience.”

Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath’s 13-mission single player campaign focuses on the rebirth of the Brotherhood of Nod after the Second Tiberium War through the dramatic events of the Third Tiberium War and beyond. The story is told through over 30 minutes of high-definition, full-motion videos starring Natasha Henstridge (Species, Eli Stone), Carl Lumbly (Alias) and Joe Kucan as Kane. The campaign introduces six-all new sub-factions that add a wealth of new toys and powers to the armies of the Tiberium universe’s three clashing superpowers, the Global Defense Initiative, Brotherhood of Nod and the Scrin, giving them nine sides to choose from in multiplayer. Players will also get an added bonus feature in the new Global Conquest Mode, which allows commanders to create their own campaigns for world domination with an infinitely replayable strategic layer added to the frenzied, tactical combat they know and love.

The Xbox 360(TM) version of Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath will be released this summer, debuting a revolutionary new CommandStick interface that takes RTS console controls to a whole new level of simplicity and usability. The standalone title also features 50 multiplayer maps and the Xbox 360 exclusive “Kane’s Challenge”, a single player mode that pits the player against a terrifying gauntlet of sub-faction opponents.

For the latest on Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath and everything Command & Conquer please visit http://www.CommandAndConquer.com, home of Command & Conquer TV, the franchise’s dedicated online programming channel. This Friday, the channel’s flagship show, “BattleCast PrimeTime” will feature an in-studio interview with Kane himself, Joe Kucan, along with highlights from the very first Command & Conquer 3 Kane’s Wrath fan matches and more!

Top 20 Best Selling PC Games For February 2008

The NPD Group has released the list of the top 20 best selling PC games for the month of February 2008:

1. World Of Warcraft - Blizzard2. Sins Of A Solar Empire - Ironclad Games/Stardock
3. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Activision
4. The Sims 2 FreeTime - Electronic Arts
5. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest - Blizzard
6. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell/Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow - UbiSoft
7. 15000 Games - Viva Media
8. World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade - Blizzard
9. The Sims 2 Deluxe - Electronic Arts
10. The Sims: Castaway Stories - Electronic Arts
11. Diner Dash - Playfirst Games
12. The Sim City 4 Deluxe - Electronic Arts
13. The Orange Box - Valve/EA
14. The Sims 2 Teen Style Stuff - Electronic Arts
15. Battlefield 2 - Electronic Arts
16. Warcraft III Battle Chest - Blizzard
17. 30000 Games - Viva Media
18. The Sims 2 Bon Voyage - Electronic Arts
19. Sim City 5: Societies - Electronic Arts
20. Crysis - Crysis/EA

When are the Sims going to Die already - Sims 3 Details

Electronic Arts offers up more info on the recently revealed plans for The Sims 3, the next game in the (should go away and die) people sim series. The game will be released sometime in 2009.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today the first details on one of interactive entertainment’s most anticipated games, The Sims™ 3. Featuring a brand new engine that has been in development for nearly three years, The Sims 3 allows you to immerse your unique Sims in an open living neighborhood right outside their door. The initial feature-set unveiled includes the new seamless, open neighborhood, new Create A Sim, new realistic personalities and new unlimited customization. The Sims 3 will launch globally in 2009.

The Sims franchise has long been recognized for its appeal to a universal audience, both male and female, and at any age. Its broad appeal and loyal The Sims community has vaulted the franchise to an impressive 98 million games sold around the world and translated into 22 different languages. Celebrated for its creativity, humor, and community, The Sims franchise has become a global and cultural phenomenon since its inception in 2000.

Now, The Sims 3 is being designed to be the next-generation flagship game from The Sims Label.

“In The Sims 3, Sims can go beyond the boundaries of their home lot, and immerse themselves in an open, living neighborhood, interacting with other Sims using our new deeper personality system,” said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. “It is this type of open-ended gameplay that inspires endless creative possibilities. In addition the new goals and rewards systems will give players of all kinds from core gamers to storytellers the ability to enjoy long-term gameplay.”

New Seamless, Open Neighborhood—Explore the Neighborhood Freely.

See the sights with your Sims! The new seamless neighborhood architecture allows your Sims to roam freely around the neighborhood and visit their loved one and friends—or foes. Discovering other Sims homes and families, traveling around to new locations like City Hall or the local park will create a whole new way of life for your Sims. Storytelling options will multiply as your Sims stroll downtown to meet new acquaintances, head across town for lunch, spy on their neighbors and bump into the boss when they least expect it.

New Create A Sim—Create Any Sim You Can Imagine.

In addition to the open, living neighborhood, the all-new Create-a-Sim interface will feature easy-to-use design tools that allow you to make truly detailed Sims that are more realistic than ever. Create-a-Sim gives you the incredible freedom to customize just about any Sim you can imagine. From thin to full-figured to muscular—everything in between and even the extreme! In addition to determining your Sims body shape and size, you will also be able to fine-tune every feature on their faces, customize their hair style and select their skin tone, all from a vast selection of options. With so many choices to choose from, it is fun to create more realistic characters that look like you, someone you want to look like, or even a famous personality.

New Realistic Personalities—Every Sim Is A Unique Person, With A Distinct Personality

With the innovative and proprietary Realistic Personality System in The Sims 3, you can attribute each character with five distinct personality traits, helping shape your Sims behavior and how they interact with others and their surroundings. This new system will empower you to create extremely complex and diverse in-game personalities. Will you create the nosy, inappropriate, kleptomaniac grandmother who loves to meddle in other people’s business? Or the commitment-phobic, hot-headed punk rocker whose rude nature and childish disposition keeps him from scoring a date? In The Sims 3, Sims will go beyond the basic set of day-to-day needs to be distinct individuals with multifaceted personalities, who can focus both on short-term opportunities and long-term goals. With a wide selection of personality traits to mix and match, more than 700 million combinations of Sims await. You never know who’ll meet in The Sims 3!

St. Patrick’s day and Games Shipping this Week

Happy St. Patrick’s day! Here are the games expected to ship this week to a store near you:
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2: Head back to Sin City with this tactical shooter sequel from UbiSoft for the Xbox 360 and PS3 (The PC game has been pushed back to April some time)

Sega Superstars Tennis: The characters in the Segaverse play some tennis in this sports game for the Xbox 360, PS3, PS3, Wii, and DS
Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds: Sony release this latest game in the arcade golf series for the PS3
Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends: Koei releases their latest hack-and-slash action game for the PS2.
Singstar 90’s: Sony releases this latest game in their PS2 karaoke game series
Worms: A Space Oddity: Team 17 and THQ release this latest game in the long running turn based strategy series for the Wii.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008: Konami’s soccer game ships for the Wii platform this week.
Condemned 2: Bloodshot: Delayed for a week, Monolith and Sega’s melee based action-horror game ships for the PS3 platform this week.
Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection: Konami re-releases the last three Metal Gear Solid games in a new collection for the PS2.