New World Interactive, the team behind Insurgency, has released info on new features for the game and some new screens. Insurgency, a first-person team-based shooter based on a popular total conversion for Half-Life 2 and originally displayed at PAX Prime last year, has been gaining momentum and was launched in an “Early Access” beta campaign at the beginning of this month. Anyone can join the “Early Access” campaign by going to the Insurgency site.
The new additions added to the game have been the result of community feedback, and include two new modes and expanded maps.
The mission-based RTS comes to Valve’s platform with multiplayer and skirmish modes.
UPDATE: Just got confirmation that the Steam version will be released for PC and Mac!
Last year we got news that Iceberg Interactive was bringing 4x RTS game Gemini Wars to the PC and Mac. Scheduled for a 1st quarter 2012 release, it actually came out quietly in June. And strangely, you can find the Mac version on developer Camel101′s Gemini Wars site but no mention on Iceberg Interactive.
The storyline follows a war between the United Space Federation and the Alliance of Free Worlds, a bloody conflict which has apparently reached a stalemate. That is about to change when a third faction unexpectedly appears. In the game you take control of a fleet commander who returns from exile, rises through the ranks of the USF forces, and joins an epic war across the stars. Build space stations, fortify your position, and build up your fleet.
Iceberg says that the game is entirely missions-based, with 16 missions to provide long gameplay time. A substantial free update was just announced that will add Skirmish and Multiplayer modes, among other things. Based on user feedback, Iceberg Interactive has also sped up the tempo of the game. With the update, the game will also be released on Steam at a newly lowered price of $19.99.
The update as well as the newly priced complete game will be available November 2, but there was no indication of whether the Steam version will include the Mac client.
Seven more Mac titles greenlit by Steam.
Valve has announced the second wave of greenlit games from Steam Greenlight. Intended to be only 10 more games, they decided to release 20 because of the number and quality of games submitted, among other things.
Among those titles are 7 that will be available for the Mac when the games are finally released. The total is listed below, but they include the multi-legged sequel Octodad: The Dadliest Catch, the humorous Folk Tale, and atmospheric exploration game Dream.
In the coming months, the developers for these games will work with Valve to work on, polish, and/or market the game and plan for its launch. The amount of time that takes will depend on just how far the game is in development now. For example, Folk Tale is looking at a Winter 2013 release, whereas Postal 2 is looking at a release on October 22 of this year.
Games Greenlit this wave with Mac clients:
AirBuccaneers
Folk Tale
Interstellar Marines
Octodad: Dadliest Catch
POSTAL 2 COMPLETE
The Stanley Parable: HD Remix
Yogventures!
UPDATE:Valve designer Greg Coomer gave us a quick reply to our query regarding how long it will be until the Big Picture beta will include Mac gamers. Though he couldn’t provide an exact time for when it would happen, he did confirm that Mac users are a priority. “We don’t have a specific date planned yet,” Coomer said, “but Mac support is definitely a priority for us. We won’t leave Mac users behind for too long.”
Back in late August, Valve announced that they were finally bringing Big Picture from the idea phase to the reality phase. Today Valve announced that the beta of Big Picture is coming later today. However, only Windows gamers get to cash in on the Beta to start.
Big Picture allows you to take your gaming habit from your monitor to your television screen by providing a reformatted screen interface that you can access once you hook up your PC or Mac to a television set, usually with just a single HDMI cable. Valve says that access to the complete Steam store and the new Steam Community is included. In addition to your complete library of Steam games, your cloud files, Steam Workshop content, account information and preferences will be accessible automatically in the new mode, too.
The new interface has been formatted to support either keyboard and mouse input or most game controllers. Big Picture includes a new tool for typing called the Daisywheel. There’s not a lot of info about this feature yet, but from the images the Daisywheel does seem to make it easier to chat and surf using traditional game controllers.
Another cool feature is access to a web browser within the interface designed for televisions and game controllers. The web browser is accessible from anywhere within the Big Picture UI, even in the middle of playing a game on Steam, so you can check out walkthroughs, for example, when you get stuck in a tough spot.
The setup page does a good job of going through the various types of computers that you can hook up to your HDTV to use Big Picture. Most notably, Valve says that laptops with integrated graphics will probably NOT provide the kind of performance you’d want. So beware of earlier Macbook and Macbook Pros with integrated graphics in them.
Unfortunately for us Mac gamers, we’re going to have to wait a bit longer. The Big Picture beta site lists OSX as a Big Picture system requirement, but also states that the beta would be “Coming soon for Mac”. There’s no word from Valve on how soon that will be.
Another Zombie game? But you know if it made it into the PAX 10 it isn’t. Containment: The Zombie Puzzler is our latest entry in the PAX 10 Showcase, available for PC, Mac, and iPad.
Containment: The Zombie Puzzler
Developer: Bootsnake Games
Publisher: Bootsnake Games
Release Date: Already released
Platforms: Mac, PC, iPad
Details: Containment: The Zombie Puzzler is the puzzle game that fights back. The town of Franklin needs your help to fight off the undead hordes. Throughout the game you will use your wits, items you pick up along the way, and even the town around you to survive the zombie outbreak. Think Bejeweled meets the undead invasion. The description doesn’t do the game justice…watch the trailer for the full impact.
The cute and bloody arcade shooter Tiny Troopers has been released for WindowsPC and Mac. Iceberg Interactive originally released the game for mobile, but decided to expand the game’s reach.
In Tiny Troopers players lead a team of tiny, adorable soldiers on a modern battlefield and fight against an intriguing assortment of enemies, guiding them through dozens of challenging missions, all the while listening to their cute little voices. Isn’t war adorable?
Gamers go face to face with enemy infantry snipers, tanks, and more in a war where the casualty rate is high. With an endless supply of fresh recruits to step up and fill the ranks, the lucky troopers who survive from mission to mission will be promoted and each new stripe earned will make them stronger. Players can increase their troopers’ survival rate by using points to upgrade their equipment.
A new launch trailer and screens have been released, and the game is available through a number of digital download portals, including Steam, for $9.99 (on Steam, it’s available for $7.99 at posting time).
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a go! The team-based shooter has been released for WindowsPC and the Mac just a few hours ago and will be launched for PSN and Xbox later tonight and tomorrow morning. CS: GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS: GO will introduce new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.
CS: GO comes with a number of competitive leagues already running from months of beta testing, and several tournaments are already gearing up, including the ESWC and Go4CSGO. There’s also a lot of additional content, such as the Zombie mod, and Valve is working towards the release of the Map Workshop so map makers will be able to quickly share their ideas with the community.
Some in the community have complained that CS: GO is nothing more than the original game with a little extra content, and asked why an entirely new game hadn’t been released. Whereas there is some validity to this argument, a significant amount of work has been put into upgrading the artwork for the game, adding more weapons to use, and launching the game with a full community of players that you can jump into that have a long history behind them.
System requirements aren’t that steep either:
- MacOS X 10.6.6 or higher
- Intel Core Duo Processor (2GHz or better)
- 2GB RAM
- At least 7.6GB of Space
- ATI Radeon HD 2400 or better / NVidia 8600M or better video cards
You can download the game right now off of Steam for a mere $14.99.
