Rock, Paper, Shotgun

The Final Fantasists at Square Enix send word that their beta test for improbably pretty MMO Final Fantasy XIV – which earlier in the week was declared “delayed” due to terminal bugs – is actually opening tomorrow. Let’s hope that isn’t a sign of things to come. There’s a sign up form over here for you to sign up with (tomorrow), should you wish to sign up to this open beta. Is my terrible news writing a sign of the times? Sigh(n).

UPDATE: Sorry, I forgot to close this. Consider it closed! Keys going out now.

Oh, what’s this then? I’ve got a few Steam codes for Global Agenda. They’ve arrived to celebrate and/or promote the retail launch of the game in the UK. Give them away, you say? To you guys? Well, I suppose I could. Oh, what the hell. Send an email over to this address (and keep the tagline “Globaliser, Globaliser” on there) with a reason why I should give you the code. Best reasons win codes. I’ll edit this post when they’re all gone.

I rather enjoyed my time with the colourful sci-fi shooter, although the big strategic game never managed to drag me in. It’s also changed a fair bit since launch, culling the subscription and introducing some open world bits. The most recent trailer for that open world bit is below.
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Blizzard has announced that StarCraft 2 sold 3 million copies worldwide in its first month on sale. That’s good news for any game. For a game with two must-have expandalone releases in the pipeline, I daresay it’s the sound of a leathery Porsche brochure flomping through the letterbox. Or maybe I’m being presumptuous- Blizzard’s boys were were working on SC2 since 2003, after all.

In any case, remember those people complaining that StarCraft 2 was dialing the RTS back by 10 years? The thinking there was that StarCraft 2 ignored all the advancements the genre had made in the new millenium, and that this could only be bad for strategy games as a whole. Whether you agree with that or not, these sales figures do give that argument a little more clout.

Oh, you know what else I’ve just remembered? When Kieron and I took apart PCG during the StarCraft 2 beta and uploaded it to YouTube. Video after the jump.
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Well, hopefully. While I’m always of a mind that all games should be available on all possible digital distribution wotsits, it’s hard to deny that getting the nod from Steam is good news for an indie title. And so is now the case for the lovely Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale – the translation of a gloriously bonkers Japanese game about playing as the owner of an RPG loot store. Translators/re-publishers Carpe Fulgur had previously secured an Impulse release but struggled to attract other attention. Yesterday they confirmed the golden handshake from both Steam and the august GamersGate. Both are also offering 10% off preorders. You’ve done the Right Thing, men. Details and videos and quotes and a made-up word are below.
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Harvb points at Ten Ton Hammer picking up on the Courthouse News reporting that Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment shareholders filling a suit for – deep breath – Declaratory Judgment, Fraudulent Transfer, Breach of Contract, Aiding and Abetting a Tort (Breach of Fiduciary Duties and Fraudulent Transfer), Civil Conspiracy, Unjust Enrichment, Tortious lnterference and Injunctive Relief against against Dark Comet Games, Fresh Start Studios and associated individuals. It’s worth reading Ten ton hammer’s full write-up, but the core is the allegations that the shooter Stargate Resistance was transferred from CME to Fresh Start Studios for a mere $100K without court or board approval, leaving CME in receivership with no source of income – and this is after Fresh-Start allegedly tried to remove all assets from CME on February 12th and had to be stopped by the police. You can see the full complaint here if you want to pick over it.

Meanwhile, RPS wonders whether we’re the first people to call it Stargategate. Google seems to say yes. RPS is, once again, first to the most obvious gags.

I’ve been a busy bee on the mod front this week. Like, being creative and everything. Fortunately, I just about still remembered to piece together a roundup of the most interesting and self-promotiony news from the past week. Read on, my pretties.
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