Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta details, screens

Bethesda Softworks today released the first screenshots and information about the next major piece of downloadable content for Fallout 3 - Mothership Zeta. If you caught yesterday’s news, then you probably already know that PS3 owners will have to wait until well after September to get their hands on any DLC let alone this latest one starring crashed alien ships and little gray men.

In the game our favorite former vault dweller turned wasteland enforcer has to deal with Mothership Zeta, and alien craft orbiting the earth. somehow the player ends up being taken aboard an alien spacecraft where he’ll meet some new non-player characters who - like him - want to escape their captors.

In addition to new characters, this content features a brand new storyline, new weapons, items and armor, and some new enemies to fight. Mothership Zeta is scheduled for release on Monday, August 3 on Xbox Live (800 Points) and Games for Windows Live. Details from Bethesda can be found after the break.

Read the rest of this entry »

BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle released

2K Games and Bethesda Softworks have released the BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle to retail outlets across North America for a suggested retail price of $39.99 for the Xbox 360 and $29.99 for Windows. The bundle will be available internationally in mid-July. The BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle combines the 2006 Game of the Year winner The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with 2007 Game of the Year winner BioShock.

The BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle is rated M by the ESRB. For more information on BioShock visit www.bioshockgame.com and for more information on Oblivion visit www.elderscrolls.com. If you don’t already own both of these great games this is as good a time as any to get them for a pretty decent price.

Zenimax Media Acquires id Software

ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks and Zenimax Online, announced that it has completed the acquisition of legendary game studio, id Software, creators of such hits as DOOM, QUAKE, Wolfenstein, and its upcoming title, RAGE. Bethesda Softworks will publish all future id Software releases - other than upcoming releases previously committed to other publishers.

Founded in 1991,  created the popular first-person shooter, Wolfenstein 3D, and went on to set new standards in the genre with DOOM and QUAKE titles. In addition, id Software develops cutting edge, proprietary game engine technology with the id Tech engine which powers many notable FPS titles, and continues to make great advances in game technology under the direction of John Carmack, one of the country’s technology leaders and a member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) Hall of Fame.

“This was a unique opportunity to team with a smart, sophisticated publisher like Bethesda Softworks where the interests of the studio and the publisher will be fully aligned in the development and marketing of our titles,” said Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software. “In addition, we will now have financial and business resources to support the future growth of id Software, a huge advantage which will result in more and even better games for our fans.”

“This puts id Software in a wonderful position going forward,” said John Carmack, who will continue to serve in his current role as Technical Director. “We will now be able to grow and extend all of our franchises under one roof, leveraging our capabilities across multiple teams while enabling forward looking research to be done in the service of all of them. We will be bigger and stronger, as we recruit the best talent to help us build the landmark games of the future. As trite as it may be for me to say that I am extremely pleased and excited about this deal, I am.”

id Software will continue to operate as a studio under the direction of its founder, John Carmack and no changes will be made in the way id Software develops its games. All the principals at id Software have also signed long-term employment contracts, assuring they will continue in their roles developing games at the studio.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed at press time.

Two Elder Scrolls Novels on the way

Bethesda Softworks and book publisher Del Rey will publish two novels based on Bethesda Softworks’ high-fantasy video game series, The Elder Scrolls. The books will be written by New York Times bestselling author Greg Keyes. Keyes is best known for the Age of Unreason tetrology (for which he won the prestigious “Le Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire” award), and three New York Times bestselling Star Wars novels in the New Jedi Order series.

The first novel – The Infernal City – is set to be published in Fall 2009. The Infernal City is set after the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and finds the citizens of Tamriel once again facing an uncertain future. Floating high above the land is a strange and mysterious city that is casting a horrifying shadow – wherever it falls, people die and rise again as undead. It is up to an unlikely duo – a seventeen-year-old girl named Annaig and the Emperor’s young son, Prince Attrebus – to rescue the kingdom from doom. Annaig and Attrebus’ quest will take them through the Elder Scrolls universe and their adventure is sure to add to the series’ mythology.

Could this book be a hint at some of the plot line we can expect in the next Elder Scrolls game? We hope so.

Bethesda Signs WET

Bethesda Softworks will publish WET, the new action game from Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M).
WET is a third-person shooter that blends acrobatics, gun play, and sword kills. With dual pistols and a samurai sword, players can engage in combat while sliding on floors, running on walls, jumping, flipping, and performing acrobatic moves.

WET puts players in the role of Rubi Malone, a gun-for-hire who specializes in “wetworks” – covert operations that tend to get a little messy. As Rubi, you can expect lots of double crosses, promises of payback, humor and violence, a unique retro film style, and an original 70’s-inspired soundtrack.

Voicing Rubi Malone is actress Eliza Dushku, star of Fox’s Sci-Fi thriller series “Dollhouse.” Dushku starred in the box office hit “Bring It On” and the television series “Tru Calling.” She is also well-known for her recurring roles on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.”

If A2M can pull it off, WET might be the best thing since sliced bagels (sorry bread, the love is gone). The game is in development for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and will be released this fall.

Mickey Rourke Lands Lead in Rogue Warrior

Bethesda Softworks announced this morning that actor Mickey Rourke will do voice work as the lead role in its upcoming game Rogue Warrior. Rourke, who most recently won critical acclaim for his role in The Wrestler, will play Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko, a real-life Navy SEAL and founder of the elite SEAL Team 6, in Rogue Warrior.

Rourke, who had fallen on hard times due to drug problems, made his comeback in 2008 as Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler, for which he won a Golden Globe and a Spirit award in the ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ category and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Rogue Warrior is currently under development for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Games for Windows at Rebellion Studios. The game is scheduled for release at the end of this year.

WGA Videogame Writing Nominees Announced

After people complained about Dead Head Fred winning last year’s award (the reason being that the nominated game in question had to feature writing from a member), it looks like the Writers Guild Association is trying to redeem itself this year. The organization announced this year’s nominees, which includes an excellent indie game from Mouschief. See this year’s nominees after the break.

Read the rest of this entry »