DiRT Showdown console release pushed back to June 15

17 minutes ago - 3:00 PM on 05.16.2012   |   Conrad Zimmerman

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Codemasters has announced that they are delaying the release of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of DiRT Showdown, previously scheduled for release on May 29. The combative racing game will now be found in stores two weeks later, on June 15.

The publisher stated in a press release that they came to the decision -- along with the title's distributor, Warner Bros. -- in order to give the game a "clearer release window," which might be code for, "not the week before the biggest North American gaming trade show where it could be drowned out entirely by hype for products which won't be released for months or years." It's probably a smart move.

On the plus side, PC players will be unaffected by the delay and will still be available for purchase through Steam on May 24.

Metacritic user reviews tear Diablo III apart

5 hours ago - 10:00 AM on 05.16.2012   |   Jim Sterling

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Anybody attempting to play Diablo III last night may have been disappointed to learn that the servers were down for a spell, meaning that even those who wanted to play solo were unable to log in and play. As outrage abounds over Diablo III's "always-on" requirement (and subsequent errors), gamers have done what they do best -- they took to Metacritic's user reviews.

At the time of writing, Diablo III has 1839 reviews and a score average of 3.5. As expected, the negative reviews focus on Blizzard's DRM (or anti-cheating measure if you prefer), though a few twist the knife by damning its "cookie cutter" gameplay and "sloppy" graphics. 

"If Blizzard demands that the user have an active online connection. The user should be allowed to demand an active online connection," wrote one review, quite elegantly. 

In most cases of Metabombing, I tend to side with the game, usually because the grievances are silly or presumptuous. In the case of Diablo III, however, I find it difficult to be angry at people who are upset because they bought a game and couldn't play it. 

Treyarch: Black Ops II doesn't need a new engine

6 hours ago - 9:00 AM on 05.16.2012   |   Jim Sterling

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Among the ten thousand criticisms reserved for the Call of Duty series, one persistent complaint is that the game engine hasn't been changed in forever. According to Treyarch's Mark Lamia, however, Black Ops II doesn't need an updated motor, even in the face of insanely pretty games like Battlefield 3. 

"People always ask me, 'Is this a new engine?' I liken it to people who live in an older house that has been remodeled," Lamia told One of Swords. "Just because you’re remodeling the house and it will look new or it will have a new kitchen, you don’t tear out the foundation, or break out some of the framing. You might even go as hardcore as replacing the plumbing, and we will do that sort of thing, as an analogy. It’s a gross simplification, but it’s one way to say that. There’s a lot of good still in that foundation that you wouldn’t get rid of, and we don’t. We look to advance in the areas that support our game design.

"Engines, each time they get touched, they change. The creators alter them; they don’t modify what they don’t need to, and then they alter what they need to. You can’t make a competitive product if you’re not upgrading that engine along the way."

As someone who cares more about what's done with a game's visuals than the visuals themselves, I've never been too hung up on COD's graphics. They're not ugly and they don't affect my enjoyment of the game. That's just me, though. 

Kingdoms of Amalur dev misses $1.25 million loan payment

7 hours ago - 8:00 AM on 05.16.2012   |   Jim Sterling

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Kingdoms of Amalur was hailed by Electronic Arts as a success, partly responsible for the publisher's strong first quarter financial results. Meanwhile, the folks that actually made it are in debt, and the financial future of 38 Studios is uncertain. 

It's become known that the studio owes the Rhode Island government $75 million, and this last month it missed the last payment. It's now behind $1.25 million. For those curious, the $75 million was a controversial sum of money given to 38 Studios in order to get them to relocate from Massachusetts. The idea was that the developer would generate jobs and tax revenue in Rhode Island. 

If 38 Studios can't pay up, the taxpayers will be expected to dig everybody out of the hole. The public could be expected to shell out $112.6 million by the year 2020. 

38 Studios has an Amalur MMO in the works, but given how crowded that sector is, I'm not sure it's the guaranteed pot of gold it needs. In any case, this is yet another case of a studio that makes a successful game while still finding itself up shit creek. What a demented industry. 

RI taxpayers actually on the hook for $112.6M with 38 Studios [WPRI]