PC players of some of Ubisoft’s titles will be unable to play their games because of a hosting transition starting on February 7. The company’s uPlay service will also be unavailable during the said time.

Games that will be unplayable during transition
Assassin’s Creed–Mac
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2–PC
Might & Magic: Heroes VI–PC
Splinter Cell Conviction–Mac
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom–PC
The Settlers–Mac

Games that will have online functionality throughout transition
Anno 2070
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Driver: San Francisco
Just Dance 3
The Settlers Online

via [Gamespot]

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Shank 2 Uncut Gameplay Clip Jan 5 2012 from Jamie Cheng on Vimeo.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Award-winning independent game developer Klei Entertainment and EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), today announced that the highly anticipated 2D action brawler, Shank™ 2, will be available on the PlayStation®Network and PC in North America on February 7, 2012 for $9.99 USD. The game will be available on the Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network Europe on February 8, 2012 for 800 Microsoft Points or € 9.99.

Set in a pulp fiction world, Shank 2 puts players back in control of their favorite ex-mobster hitman, Shank. Klei has evolved the combat experience with precise controls, new weapons, smarter enemies, and more advanced combo techniques, all set to the backdrop of beautiful 2D art and animation. Players can put Shank’s trusty arsenal of handguns, chainsaws, grenades, plus all-new weapons to use in order to protect those close to him.

Introducing an all-new Survival Mode, gamers can team up with a friend online or locally, working together to take down hordes of goons in an action-packed, arcade-style brawl. Featuring stunning visuals from Klei’s veteran cartoon director, Jeff Agala, Shank 2 raises the bar even higher for 2D brawlers with art and animation that won Klei multiple awards and nominations, including IGF’s Excellence in Visual Arts nomination, and the Canadian Animator of the Year award for Klei’s lead animator, Aaron Bouthillier.

For more information on Shank 2, please visit www.shankgame.com and follow the development team at www.twitter.com/klei and at www.facebook.com/shankgame.

This is a series of blog posts about playing Skyrim on Master, the highest difficulty setting. At this level the only thing that changes is damage: player characters deal only half of it while receiving double the usual amount.

I admit that I only decided to head up to High Hrothgar after finding out that I was losing direction. The thing about Skyrim is that it offers so much gameplay it’s often difficult to prioritize. Getting a full-powered Unrelenting Force seemed like a good idea so that’s what I set out to do.

I fast traveled to Helgen, turned around and made my way down the mountain. Previous playthroughs have taught me that this was the fastest way to Ivarstead. They also showed me that this was a safer path in general. Encounters were rare and, in the cases that they did happen, usually involved weak enemies.

Read more… »

Rockstar Games has pushed back the release date for Max Payne 3 two months, the developer said Tuesday.

The third-person shooter, originally scheduled to come out in March, will now be out for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 15. A PC version of the game will arrive on May 29.

[Wired]

Your reward will differ depending on which retailer you choose to go with, and there’s plenty on offer including a Cemetery multiplayer map, a Silent Killer Multiplayer Loadout Pack and the promise of the first paid multiplayer DLC pack for free.

The Cemetery multiplayer map can be had by pre-ordering at Game. US gamers will get that through GameStop.

More at [CVG]

This is a series of blog posts about playing Skyrim on Master, the highest difficulty setting. At this level the only thing that changes is damage: player characters deal only half of it while receiving double the usual amount.

I have to admit that after defeating the dragon I was at a loss as to what to do next. I knew that the next logical step was to head to High Hrothgar to answer the summons of the Greybeards. Getting level 3 Unrelenting Force would be a great addition to my arsenal, especially considering that I needed all the help I can get. But doing that felt tedious. The trek up the mountain, the inevitable ice troll encounter and all the dialogue I’d have to sit through again sounded a bit too much.

These were my thoughts as I made my way back to Whiterun. A quick glance of the compass showed that I was near a giant camp. Hey, why not? I thought. I snuck my way to the camp, took out my bow, aimed at a giant standing next to a tree and fired. As usual, the damage I did was miniscule. He turned and lumbered his way to me.

Read more… »