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The Borg err Steam / Valve Adds All id Games To the List

Starting today you will find one more notch in the Borg Valve /Steam belt. You may download full versions of the complete DOOM series and QUAKE I - III, including mission packs, as well as id’s pioneering PC side-scroller, Commander Keen and vintage favorites Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny, Heretic, and HeXen.

The line-up of legendary id games and packages includes:

id GAMES on Steam

• Commander Keen, Episodes 1 through 5
• Wolfenstein 3D
• Spear of Destiny
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein
• Ultimate DOOM
• DOOM II
• Final DOOM
• DOOM3
• DOOM3: Resurrection of Evil
• QUAKE
• QUAKE Mission Pack 1: Scourge of Armagon
• QUAKE Mission Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity
• QUAKE II
• QUAKE II Mission Pack: The Reckoning
• QUAKE II Mission Pack: Ground Zero
• QUAKE III Arena
• QUAKE III: Team Arena
• Heretic
• Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
• HeXen
• HeXen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel
• HeXen II

id PACKAGES on Steam

• DOOM 3 Pack: Includes DOOM 3 and DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil
• QUAKE III Pack: Includes QUAKE III Arena and QUAKE III: Team Arena
• Wolf Pack: Includes Wolf 3D, Spear of Destiny and Return to Castle Wolfenstein
• DOOM Pack Complete: Includes all DOOM games released by id
• QUAKE Pack: Includes all 8 QUAKE Titles available on Steam
• Heretic\HeXen Pack: Includes Heretic, Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, HeXen, HeXen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel, HeXen II
• Id Super Pack: Every id game on Steam

Select packages are 10% off until August 10.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King FAQ

Here is a nice little FAQ with the developers atBlizzard about World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.

Q: What are the features of the new expansion?
A: Wrath of the Lich King builds on the rich foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, providing a wealth of new content for players to explore. The harsh, forbidding continent of Northrend, home of the Lich King and his undead minions, will be uncovered on the world map, and to contend with the new challenges found there, players will be able to advance to level 80, acquiring potent new abilities and talents along the way.

In addition, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce the death knight hero class to World of Warcraft. Once certain criteria are met, players will be able to create a new death knight character, which will start at a high level. Furthermore, player-vs.-player battles will reach a new level of intensity with the addition of siege weapons and destructible buildings, not to mention a new battleground. There will also be an abundance of new quests, dungeons, monsters, items, and recipes - as well as a new profession, inscription - for players to try out. The expansion will include some additional character-customization options for players as well. We’ll be going into more detail on all of these features in the months ahead.

Q: How will the death knight class fit into the game?
A: The death knight combines martial prowess with dark, necromantic energies. Players might be familiar with the death knight from previously released Warcraft games - most recently, in the campaigns for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and the Frozen Throne expansion, the former paladin Arthas became a death knight and wreaked havoc across Azeroth and Northrend before fusing with the spirit of Ner’zhul to become the Lich King. The death knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft; once certain criteria are met, players will unlock the ability to create a new death knight character, which will begin play at a high experience level. We’re currently exploring various options for how the death knight will play and the types of abilities at its disposal, and we’ll be revealing more information about this new class as we get further along in development.

Q: Will the death knight have any abilities from previously released Warcraft games?
A: The way we portrayed death knights in past Warcraft games is certainly a source of inspiration, but we are still determining how best to capture that feel within the mechanics of World of Warcraft, and haven’t made any final determinations on specific abilities.

Q: What role will the death knight play in groups and raids?
A: In general terms, the death knight can be considered a type of class that combines damage dealing and tanking, but naturally it will have an array of unique abilities as well.

Q: What races will be allowed to play death knights?
A: We haven’t yet made a final determination about which races can be death knights. However, the class will be available to both the Alliance and the Horde.

Q: Will there be additional hero classes in the future?
A: Yes, we do intend to add more hero classes in the future, but right now our focus is on the current expansion.

Q: What is the story background of the expansion?
A: Players last visited Northrend in the Warcraft III expansion, when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner’zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful entities in the Warcraft universe. He now broods atop the Frozen Throne deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the greatest champions of the Alliance and the Horde will do battle with the Scourge amid Northrend’s howling winds and fields of jagged ice, and ultimately face the Lich King himself.

Q: Will players actually get to encounter Arthas himself?
A: Players will be skirmishing with the minions of Arthas from the moment they set foot on Northrend. He will be a constant presence as players progress through the expansion content - which will culminate in a showdown with the dread Lich King himself.

Q: Can you discuss some of the new talents and abilities that will be available from level 70 to level 80?
A: As with character advancement up to level 70, players will gain access to an array of potent and exciting new abilities and talents as they make their way from level 70 to level 80. However, it’s still too early to get into specifics on these.

Q: How long will it take to advance from level 70 to level 80?
A: We were pleased with the pacing from level 60 to level 70 in The Burning Crusade, and we intend to take a similar approach to pacing character advancement in Wrath of the Lich King. However, the specific amount of time that it will take players to reach level 80 will vary widely based on play style.

Q: What can you reveal about Northrend?
A: The first area of Northrend we’re showcasing is the Howling Fjord, a region of grasslands overlooking massive cliffs at the southeastern edge of the continent. This, along with the Borean Tundra, is the front line of the war against Arthas, and players will come face to face with his minions as soon as they set foot on Northrend. Eventually, as players progress further, they will explore the Grizzly Hills, Dragonblight, and more. We’ll be showing off some of these new areas in the months ahead.

Q: What’s the level requirement to enter Northrend?
A: Players of any level who have purchased the expansion can visit Northrend. However, all of the content is designed for players level 68 and up.

Q: How many new dungeons will be in the expansion?
A: The first dungeon players will enter is Utgarde Keep, which is intended for five players around level 70. Utgarde is inhabited by the Vrykul, a Viking-like race bent on proving their strength to the Lich King, who will raise the most worthy of their warriors to serve him beyond the grave. We intend to provide a variety of dungeons comparable to that in The Burning Crusade and will be revealing more details about some of these in the months ahead.

Q: Do you plan to continue with the 25-player model for raids?
A: Yes. We’ve been pleased with the tactics, intensity, and variety of the 25-player raid model, and plan to continue with it.

Q: Will the new dungeons have heroic versions?
A: Yes. We feel that the heroic versions of dungeons are a great way to add another level of challenge and reward for experienced players, and we intend to continue creating these variants.

Q: In what ways will players be able to further customize their characters in the expansion?
A: In addition to the numerous new character-customization options that will be available with all of the new weapons and armor added by the expansion, we’ll be offering some fun ways to alter both existing and new characters with regard to dances and hairstyles, but we’re not ready to go into more detail just yet.

Q: What can you reveal about the new profession coming with the expansion?
A: The Inscription profession will allow players to permanently enhance their own spells and abilities and those of other players. We’ll provide more specific details on the mechanics of this new profession in the months ahead.

Q: What can players expect with regard to player-vs.-player combat in the expansion?
A: Players will be able to take control of siege weapons and use them to destroy opposing buildings, adding a new layer of complexity to PvP battles. Naturally, we’ll be providing some fun places to put these new tools to good use, and we’ll be revealing more information about them in the months ahead, in addition to the new battleground content being added.

Q: Can you give a sneak peek at the new recipes and items in the expansion?
A: There will be hundreds of new recipes and thousands of new items available, but we’re not ready to discuss specific examples just yet.

Q: Will there be any graphical enhancements?
A: Yes. We’re currently working on some technical enhancements to the game’s graphics, and we’ll be discussing these further in the months ahead.

Q: How many zones will be in the expansion?
A: Northrend will be roughly equivalent to Outland in terms of size and scope.

Q: Will there be any new cinematic scenes?
A: Yes, our cinematics department is hard at work preparing a new intro movie for the expansion.

Release/Availability

Q: Do you need to own the expansion to play with friends who have it?
A: There will be many aspects of the expansion that will be available to all players. However, in order to experience certain content, such as Northrend, or be able to play as a death knight, players must purchase the expansion.

Q: Will there be an open beta test of the expansion?
A: We have not yet determined whether the expansion will require an open beta test. If we do decide to conduct a beta test, details will be posted on the official World of Warcraft website once we’ve gotten further along in the development process.

Q: When will the expansion be released? How much will it cost?
A: We have not yet announced a release date for the expansion set. However, we expect to announce further details, including the release date and price, on our community website in the months ahead.

Q: Will there be a collector’s edition?
A: We have not yet made any determination about whether there will be a collector’s edition of Wrath of the Lich King. We’ll be announcing details such as this closer to release.

Q: Will a Mac version be available simultaneously with the PC version?
A: Yes. As with all of our games, Wrath of the Lich King will be compatible with and optimized for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Q: What are the system requirements?
A: We’ll continue to ensure that the game is playable on a wide range of hardware. However, we have not made a final determination on the system requirements as yet.

Q: Will the expansion be released globally at the same time?
A: We recognize that players throughout the world will be eager to experience all of the new content being added with Wrath of the Lich King, and we will make every effort to release the expansion simultaneously worldwide. However, there’s always the possibility that unforeseen circumstances could delay the launch in any given region. We’ll share the launch timing with players in each region as soon as the plans have been finalized.

World Of Warcraft: Wrath Of The Lich King Unveiled First ScreenShots

Blizzard Entertainment today announced plans for the second expansion to World of Warcraft, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Unveiled at the company’s BlizzCon gaming festival before an audience of more than 8,000 gamers, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King will open the forbidding wasteland of Northrend to exploration by the hardiest adventurers. New levels of power, challenging new dungeons and encounters, an exciting new character profession, and the game’s first hero class are just some of the new features awaiting players in Wrath of the Lich King.

“This expansion will add some of the most infamous characters and settings from the Warcraft universe to World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “In addition to new story content, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a number of features specifically requested by players over the past couple of years. We’re looking forward to sharing further details with everyone as development progresses.”

Players last visited Northrend in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner’zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful beings in the Warcraft universe. He now broods atop the Frozen Throne deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the forces of the Alliance and the Horde will venture into battle against the Scourge amid Northrend’s howling winds and fields of jagged ice.

Building on the foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King will add a rich variety of content to an already massive game. New features coming with the game’s second expansion include:

• Death Knight Hero Class: Create a high-level Death Knight character - the game’s first hero class - once certain challenges have been met.
• Increased Level Cap: Advance to level 80 and gain potent new talents and abilities along the way.
• Northrend: Explore the harsh new continent of Northrend, packed with new zones, quests, dungeons, monsters, and items - and do battle with the undead armies of the Lich King.
• “Inscription” Profession: Learn this exciting new profession and gain unique ways to permanently enhance spells and abilities in the game.
• Siege Weapons and Destructible Buildings: Take the battle to another level with new player-vs.-player game mechanics and new battlefields to wage war on.
• New Character Customization: Change how characters look and express themselves, with different hairstyles and dance animations.

Since launching in November 2004, World of Warcraft has become the world’s most popular MMORPG, with a subscriber base of more than 9 million players. The game’s first expansion, The Burning Crusade, broke PC-game sales records in North America and Europe by selling nearly 2.4 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability and approximately 3.5 million copies in its first month. World of Warcraft is available in seven different languages and, in addition to North America and Europe, is played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

STAR TREK: Conquest for Holiday 2007 On The Wii

Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company, today announced its great looking next STAR TREK videogame, STAR TREK: Conquest, a blend of strategy and intense action set in “The Next Generation” era. Conquest will be available for the Wii from Nintendo.

Players take control of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, and Breen forces and lead them in a campaign to control the Galaxy, one planet at a time. Build and manage your growing empire in turn-based strategy, fully utilizing the Wii Remote as you select and maneuver your starships throughout the large, galactic map.

Strategically, you must effectively manage limited resources to expand your empire. You decide how to best achieve objectives by managing your fleets and admirals, building support structures, researching technology, and engaging your enemies in combat. Once battle is initiated, Conquest switches to a ship level tactical view allowing direct command of your ships as you engage in real-time combat. While maneuvering your starship with the Nunchuk, take direct aim and fire away with the Wii Remote.

Conquest has not yet been rated by the ESRB. Scheduled for a simultaneous release this Holiday at an estimated MSRP of $29.99 on the Wii.

You Can’t Play Grand Theft Auto IV Untill at least April 2008

The release date for GTA IV has been pushed back until at least April 2008.

Take-Two is reducing its fiscal 2007 guidance primarily to reflect the movement of the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2008, due to additional development time required to complete the title. The title is now planned for release in the Company’s second quarter of fiscal 2008.

Here is the Why get ready to cry.

Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two, stated, “With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is setting a new standard for next generation video games. Certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms. We all recognize that perfecting the game is vital and I can assure everyone it will be worth the wait. We owe it to the game’s millions of fans, to our dedicated development team, and to our shareholders to make sure that Grand Theft Auto IV is a groundbreaking gaming experience that takes maximum advantage of next generation technology.”

Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games, added, “The new consoles are allowing us to create the Grand Theft Auto game we always dreamed about. Every aspect of the game and its design has been completely transformed. The game is huge and is pushing the hardware platforms to their absolute limits. The top engineers from Sony and Microsoft are working closely with the team in Edinburgh right now, helping us to fully leverage the power of both platforms. As always, our goal is to surpass even the wildest expectations of the game’s fans, and to create the ultimate high definition video game experience.”

It’s a Sad day for GTA IV fans who wanted this game before Christmas 2007. Read the entire press release here.

Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock Cranks It Up With 11 New Tracks

Activision, announced today 11 new songs for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the next installment in the #1 best-selling music and rhythm based game franchise, including master tracks from rockers AFI, Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer and the Strokes.

The 11 additional tracks include:

• Miss Murder (by AFI)
• Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
• Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
• 3’s and 7’s (by Queens of the Stone Age)
• Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
• Raining Blood (by Slayer)
• Reptillia (by The Strokes)
• Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
• Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
• Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
• La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)

“Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock features the most comprehensive song list ever assembled for a game,” said Tim Riley, Activision’s worldwide executive of music. “Artists and music execs from the major and independent record labels and publishers respect the brand and have given us unrivaled access to their music vaults allowing us to give gamers what they want - to grab their Gibson guitars and shred to their favorite music.”

In fact, real rock stars like Jade Puget, guitarist for AFI, a band featured in the game is anticipating the upcoming release of the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and wants fans to know that “if you’re going to start playing Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, make sure you have, say, the next 2 years free, because that’s all you’re going to want to do.”

In addition to the newly announced tracks, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock’s previously announced tracks include:

• Slash’s Original Boss Battle Recording
• Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N’ Roses)
• Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
• Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
• Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
• The Metal (by Tenacious D)
• My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
• Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
• Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
• Lay Down (by Priestess)
• Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
• Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
• School’s Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
• Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
• Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
• Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. While continuing to retain all the key features from their prior legendary performances, fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.

Crysis Release Date Announced

Electronic Arts and Crytek, today announced that Crysis, will be hitting retail stores in North America and Europe on November 16, 2007 exclusively for the PC. Crysis is recognized as one of the most anticipated PC games and first person shooters of 2007, recently winning Best PC game from the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007.

“Crytek is constantly striving to push the boundaries of both game design and technology, while maintaining quality at the highest bar,” said Cevat Yerli, CEO and President of Crytek. “We’re thankful to our fans for their support and patience, and we’re excited to bring them Crysis this year. It’s going to be worth the wait.”

Offering open-ended gameplay, Crysis gives gamers an unparalleled amount of freedom that fosters completely unique gaming experiences. Players are outfitted with a revolutionary Nanosuit and an arsenal of fully customizable weapons, giving them a wide array of options not only in approaching the entire game, but every single objective or individual encounter. And they will need every advantage they can get going head to head against a menacing and highly intelligent alien threat amid dynamic, hostile battlefields that range from lush, tropical jungles, flash-frozen landscapes and a horrifying zero gravity environment.

Crysis also breaks new ground in multiplayer with the introduction of PowerStruggle — a unique team-based strategic mode for up to 32 players, where opposing sides battle for control of advanced weaponry and vehicles to overcome their enemies. For those who prefer the pulse-pounding action of deathmatch, Crysis will also feature an Instant Action mode, with the highly adaptive Nanosuit serving as the ultimate tool to outwit your opponents.

New MERC Stealth Gaming Keyboard

Ideazon , designer and developer of the Zboardâ„¢, today announced the availability of its new MERCâ„¢ Stealth gaming keyboard featuring the best illumination in gaming peripherals. The new MERC Stealth keyboard features an astounding three-colour illumination system that delivers various levels of brightness for every character on the keyboard.

“We’ve researched with gamers, elite teams and game developers to bring the PC gaming community the most complete gaming keyboard on the market today,” said Chris Rathgeber, President of Ideazon Inc.

Features of Ideazon’s MERC Stealth include:

• Fully Illuminated with 3 color options and 3 sensitivity settings;
• A 34 key dedicated gaming terrain featuring rubberized movement keys;
• 144 Gamer Touch responsive keys;
• Multimedia control center featuring two USB 2.0 ports to plug in mice and other peripherals;
• Gold-plated audio jacks for headsets and microphones;
• Combined navigation and number pad with 11 one-click shortcuts;
• Z Engine gaming software that allows users full programmability, with easy to use drag and drop macro-editing, or the ability to select from over 125 pre-defined key mapping layouts.

The MERC Stealth’s color and intensity illumination controls will allow gamers to dial in the precise lighting level they prefer in any gaming environment. The keyboard offers three distinct illumination levels when turned on: Subtle, Ambient and Intense. The user can also select from red, blue or purple light, or they can choose no light at all.

MERC Stealth comes with 34 dedicated gaming terrain keys and nine rubberized labeled keys for main commands like jump, crouch and directional movement. All keys are labeled and clustered together with the spacing and positioning of keys. It is also tilted 11 degrees to match natural wrist position. The MERC Stealth, retailing for US$89.99, will be available September 17th at all major electronics and gaming retail and retail outlets. For more information on the MERC Stealth please visit www.ideazon.com.

U.S. Executed 32 Federal Search Warrants Looking For Wii Mod Chippers

Today U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents executed 32 federal search warrants in 16 states as part of an investigation into the alleged sale and distribution of illegal modification chips for various video game consoles, including Nintendo’s Wiiâ„¢ home video game system. The mod chips designed for the Wii console circumvent the security embedded in the hardware and allow users to play counterfeit Wii software.

This Immigrations and Customs Enforcement investigation represents the largest national enforcement action of its kind targeting video game piracy. Nintendo has worked closely with this branch of the Department of Homeland Security, and fully supports its actions and other investigations currently underway.

Hottie Morgan Webb Launches A New Site

Morgan Webb, host of the popular TV program X-Play, today announced the launch of WebbAlert a daily online videocast covering major breaking developments in the technology and gaming industries, as well as important and intriguing technology lifestyle and culture stories. She is launching WebbAlert in close cooperation with Federated Media, the fast-growing network of author-driven websites.

Morgan Webb will be producing and hosting WebbAlert. She will also continue to host X-Play, which is television’s longest-running and most-watched videogame-focused series. A graduate of Berkeley’s Rhetoric department and a former Internet developer, Morgan is a respected technology and pop culture commentator who has appeared on networks as diverse as MSNBC, E!, and CNNFn, as well in countless publications. In April she was voted the 51st sexiest woman in the world in FHM’s closely watched annual survey.

WebbAlert will be frequent, succinct, and highly topical, covering eight to ten headline stories in a roughly four-minute daily format. The program will initially appear at 5 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Thursday, with Friday coverage added this fall along with advanced community and commenting features.

“The top technology blogs will be my primary sources, and I’ll be pointing my viewers to specific blog postings as part of almost every story that I cover,” said Morgan. “Even when something’s the top story on every newspaper and news show, I’ll try to direct my viewers to a particularly analytical or thoughtful blog posting for deeper background.”