Slashdot Mirror
Domain: activision.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to activision.com.
Stories · 20
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Windows 10's Store Locks 'Call of Duty' Purchasers Into Windows-10-Only Battles (vice.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Two Call of Duty games have been remastered for Windows 10, but if you buy them through the Windows 10 Store there's a problem. "Windows 10 Store players will be isolated from other PC versions of the game," reports the Windows Central site, noting a statement from Microsoft which implies that the decision was made by Activision.
"For unknown reasons, Windows 10 Store customers are segregated from customers who bought the game from Steam, which is by far the most popular platform on PC," reports Motherboard. "Call of Duty fans who made the unfortunate of mistake of giving Microsoft their cash are left sitting in lonely multiplayer lobbies waiting for games that'll never start."
Motherboard reports that at least one player successfully requested a refund, calling the situation "another black eye for a digital storefront that PC gamers already avoid like the plague." -
Spider-Man 2 Game Rewarded To Tusk-Impaled Spidey Copycat
Thanks to FirstCoastNews/AP for its article discussing the videogame reward for a Florida child who impaled himself on an ornamental elephant tusk while impersonating Spider-Man. Apparently, after viewing the movie and "playing at his grandmother's home, imitating some of the super hero's moves... the boy lost his balance... and then hit the heavy mahogany elephant.. and half the elephant's large ivory tusk broke off and got stuck in his body." Post-accident, the boy's mother explained "she was proud of her son keeping his composure during the ordeal... [and] he'll be rewarded with a Spider-Man 2 video game [as recently covered on Slashdot Games]", saying "That was his motivation through it all... I'm like, whatever it takes." Feel free to suggest other hospitalization-related acts that could be performed to receive a similarly-themed videogame. -
Micro-or-Mini Management PC Strategy Game?
darth_MALL writes "I've been looking high and low for the ultimate (could even be free!) single-player PC strategy game that offers detailed troop/battle management. I've met a few contenders that fit the bill: Medieval: Total War is a primo candidate, but Europe just ain't enough! I hate to say, the magic is gone - what I really want is to conquer the known universe from top to bottom. I checked out Ferion, as per another /.'ers suggestion, but it wasn't quite the same thrill as M:TW. What is a bloodthirsty, single player tyrant to do?" -
Driv3r - Atari's Savior, Or Lara Croft-Style Travesty?
Thanks to Eurogamer for its hands-on preview of a near-complete build of Atari's PlayStation 2 title Driv3r, as the article notes: "Never before has an entire company's fate rested so heavily on the release of one product [financials reveal $20 million for 'production costs'... and 'marketing costs... double that amount'], but Reflection's long-overdue sequel is that kind of game, and Atari is doubtlessly slightly peeved that... it has had to watch from the sidelines while Rockstar, Sony and even Activision have cleaned up in mission-based driving stakes." Although the previewer rhapsodizes: "Anyone who loves pure driving will have a fantastic time in Driv3r", the out-of-car elements are another story: "The third-person control system feels sluggish [and] the combat/shooting is currently nowhere near the standard it needs to be", and the preview ends with the warning (though it's possible the gameplay "may well come together at the last minute"): "Releasing [the game] in an unpolished state would be a crime of Angel Of Darkness proportions." -
DOOM III This Summer
Crusader writes "Activision and id Software have issued a press release announcing that DOOM III will be released this summer. A Linux client has also been in development alongside the requisite Win32 version." -
Left-Buttoned Arcade Joystick for PS2?
GusherJizmac writes "I just got the Midway Arcade Treasures game for my PS2, and, as I found with Activision Anthology, the games are very difficult to play with my left thumb on the gamepad or "analog" stick. What I want is a proper arcade style joystick with big fat buttons. Even a souped-up 2600 joystick would work. The catch is that a number of those games in the arcade (and on the Atari 2600 as well) had a right-handed person holding the joystick with their right hand and using your left thumb/fingers to hit buttons. All of the arcade/retro controllers I've seen for modern systems have the stick on the left side. I guess there was some cultural shift to using your left hand, but I missed it, and I really want to play these games properly, and without building a MAME cabinet and joystick myself. Anyone have any leads on classic style controllers for PS2?" -
On The Business Of Developing Successful Games
Thanks to InsertCredit for their article covering a recent game-related lecture at an Entertainment Law and Business conference. One of the more interesting discussions covered is how game companies should develop their games. A representative from Electronic Arts indicated they do "...most of their work in-house these days. This increases consistency, but he admits that this method can put something of a damper on creativity. So they've got what they call EAPs (Electronic Arts Properties), wherein they work with/invest in games made by other companies, and then distribute them as their own." On the other hand, an Activision executive claims that "...developers prefer to be left to their own devices, counter-culture individuals that they are. So Activision prefers to purchase them entirely, allowing them to exist undisturbed. He says that in this way, they can develop the games they want to develop, and not have to deal with any of the bureaucracy." But which approach really creates the best games? -
GTA-Styled True Crime Gets Final Verdict
Thanks to 1UP for its review of Activision's multi-platform driving/shooting hybrid, True Crime, which starts by pointing out that "there aren't very many true console competitors for GTA... True Crime: Streets of LA is the first real contender since The Getaway." The reviewer praises the "plot-oriented makeover", but is concerned about game shortness: "You can get all three endings... in a weekend once you master the controls." Gaming Age is delighted by the title, suggesting it's "one of the best games to come out this holiday season", and IGN PS2 rules True Crime as "an enjoyable game if you can clear your mind of Grand Theft Auto expectations", while GameSpot points out that the just-shipped title is another to boast an advertising tie-in, as hero Nick Kang is "modeling new apparel and footwear from Puma's spring 2004 collection." -
Activision Releases Call to Power 2 Source
An anonymous reader writes "After some lobbying from Internet fans, Activision has released the source code for its Civilization-related PC strategy sequel "Call to Power 2". Fan-site Apolyton have announced this today, and the 8mb source code can be downloaded here . The readme notes that they could not distribute the Miles Sound library with the code, and that you need to have bought a copy of the game to use its data directory - there's plenty of discussion over at the CtP2 open source forums." -
True Crime - Good Cop, GTA - Bad Cop?
Thanks to GameDevLeague for their article discussing discussing the Grand Theft Auto-like Activision game True Crime, and its good cop/bad cop dilemma. The author argues: "In Differentiate or Die, Jack Trout says if you're not the leading brand with the killer attribute - then you should go 'opposite' the leading brand's killer attribute." He continues: "What attribute does GTA own? Crime. How do you go opposite of crime? Law enforcement." But he laments that, while you play a cop in the game, "...Activision went and called it True Crime! And buried the law enforcement angle so deep I can barely even tell from the ad copy that's what it's about." So does everyone "want to be bad" nowadays, thus Activision's clone-like marketing ploy, or do users genuinely not care as long as the game is fun? -
Putting On Your Game Face
Thanks to GameSpot for their editorial discussing the ability to alter in-game characters to look like yourself in videogames, specifically citing EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. The author admits to having "a definite penchant for games that allow me to play as a character resembling myself", and muses: "I've already spent an unhealthy amount of time putting myself into Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 - imagine how cool it would be if that same character could be transported to FIFA Soccer 2004, Madden NFL 2004, or even SSX 3." With other forthcoming titles such as Tony Hawk's Underground highlighting this type of feature, is playing as yourself a much-desired extra for everyone, or would you prefer controlling someone more... handsome? -
Game Company Financials Examined
An anonymous reader writes "An article over at Curmudgeon Gamer collects together and discusses the revenue reported over the past eight quarters for five game companies: Electronic Arts, Take Two Interactive, Activision, THQ, and Midway. Using graphs and some discussion, it reveals some interesting points and trends in the market. You can see how important Grand Theft Auto has been to Take Two, just how big EA really is compared to Activision, and whether the Xbox or GameCube is generating more revenue for these game companies." This is a very interesting attempt at collating and comparing revenue data for some of the bigger multi-platform game publishers. -
RTCW: Enemy Territory Test Released
Ant writes "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory Test is released for Linux and Windows! It doesn't require the original game." See the news blurb and player guide. -
RTCW: Enemy Territory Test Released
Ant writes "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory Test is released for Linux and Windows! It doesn't require the original game." See the news blurb and player guide. -
Review of Linux Gaming Using WineX 2.0
Ceyx writes "Toms Hardware ist running an Interesting review of DirectX Gaming under Linux using WineX. An interesting point is that the native Quake3 Arena runs faster with Linux then with windows." I had the good luck to play Jedi Knight Outcast and Return To Castle Wolfenstein at my friend's house, and it was really pretty good. The numbers show just how good the Linux drivers from nVidia are, so mad props to Mark V and his co-workers ... -
Return to Castle Wolfenstein Ships
Screaming Lunatic writes "Woohoo, Return to Castle Wolfenstein has finally shipped. Check this story out at Yahoo. You should be able to buy it at the regular gaming shops. I highly recommend buying it rather than hacking it, as noted in Graeme Devines .plan file." CD: I am seriously flashing back to the Apple II game with a similar name, hope this doesn't suck like daikatana. -
Scripting Language for CIV
doomy writes "SLIC the scripting lanugage for Civilization : Call to Power has been released. All all game scripters rejoice and learn this language before the game is out. " -
Scripting Language for CIV
doomy writes "SLIC the scripting lanugage for Civilization : Call to Power has been released. All all game scripters rejoice and learn this language before the game is out. " -
Civ3 For Linux
DP writes "Well, it is known known which game they will be porting. Civilization: Call to Power (CIV III, basically), will be fully ported to linux by Loki Software, all utilities and extras included. " How many hours did I lose to the original Civ? Man, this is great news. -
SiN for Linux
Andre Torrez writes "Don MacCaskill updated his .plan suggesting that a SiN (First Person Shooter) port for Linux is not too far off." In all honesty, I've never heard of this game, but a lot of people sent us this article, and many of them had raving things to say about SiN and Ritual, the company who made it.