Bits And Bobs: Monday News Roundup
(Updated throughout the day.) New Links 2004 course on Live, Digital Jesters signs D-Day RTS, Oxygen signs a pair of FPSs, Strategy First commissions Jagged Alliance 3D and 3, Disciples III.
Microsoft has made another golf course available to Links 2004 fans via Xbox Live's ingenious Downloadable Content system, the Gallery Golf Club's North Course. Much like January's Kapalua Plantation course, this one is 'premium content' and costs you $4.99 (or whatever the European equivalent is - we haven't had a chance to check in this case), and highlights include the world's longest par-5, the 725-yard ninth. More courses should be made available via Live in the future - apparently at intervals of around two months each.
We're not quite sure what to make of this, but Britsoft publisher Digital Jesters has announced the signing of D-Day, a real-time strategy title from the makers of Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps, which gives players the chance to recreate the events of June 6th 1944. Some might call it a bit poor taste, but apparently DJs is behaving quite respectfully, and even has a website live featuring exclusive interviews with real-life D-Day veterans. The game itself will be a historically accurate strategy simulation based on an updated version of Desert Rats' Walker 2 graphics engine, with a single-player campaign and an extensive multiplayer mode to back it up. The game's due out in August.
Oxygen Interactive has signed a pair of war-y first person shooters, the publisher announced the other day. Vietnam: The Tet Offensive is due out in September on PS2 and PC, and SAS: Against All Odds is due out a month later on the same formats. Both games are under development at Atomic Planet Entertainment, whose previous work includes various Capcom ports (Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo for GBA, Mega Man Anniversary Collection for PS2/Cube and original titles like Aero The Acro-Bat) and some older titles - in fact the developer's website has a list of all its games since the Dragon 32, which kept us entertained for a little while this morning.
Strategy First and Game Factory Interactive have apparently entered into some sort of deal that will see Game Factory's dev studio MiST Land South develop three new titles: Jagged Alliance 3D, Jagged Alliance 3 and Disciples III, all for the PC. Russian developer MiST has already begun work on each title, although we haven't any details at this point. Strategy First will reportedly publish the games worldwide while Game Factory handles them in Russia and Eastern Europe. More details are due in the next few weeks.