Video Review: Aliens: Colonial Marines


Welcome to our review of Aliens: Colonial Marines. See that YouTube video embedded above? It is our very first SEGAbits Video Review! We’re trying to sort out a way to get these video reviews put up for all upcoming games. Seeing as how this is our first one, there is always room to improve. So positive criticism is definitely welcomed. Let us know what you think in the comments section. After the break, an old school written review.

Aliens: Colonial Marines charts at number six for February in the US

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We usually don’t post much NPD numbers here because SEGA really never charts. Well, I guess the Aliens license does make quite a bit of cash. In the UK it hit number one the week it released and in America it came in sixth for its release month. Only to be beat by heavy hitters like Dead Space 3, Crysis 3 and Metal Gear Rising.

Want to see the full top ten chart? Hit the jump.

Games Workshop looking for more publishers and developers to make Warhammer based games

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We have reported many times on SEGA picking up the IP license to Warhammer, but today Games Workshop announced that Slitherine, a video game publisher, is creating a real-time strategy game based on the Warhammer 40k universe.

So who else is making Warhammer titles?

  • Siltherine – We talked about above, they are creating a RTS game based in the Warhammer 40k universe. 
  • Zattikka – Announced last week that they will be creating social games based on the Warhammer IP.
  • Full Control – They acquired the Space Hulk license.
  • EA – They have created Warhammer: Age of Reckoning and are developing  Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes.
  • Rodeo Games – Creating a game called Warhammer Quest.
  • No Mad Games – Picked up the license to develop games based on Talisman.
  • SEGA – SEGA, which own the studio Relic, responsible for some of the most popular Warhammer 40k games. Also rumored is that Creative Assembly is making a game based on the Warhammer license.

Apparently Games Workshop is open to new ideas and said they will be going to trade shows to meet potential developers for games. With quite the list of developers already having Warhammer games in the works, even our blue and true SEGA, and the licensee looking for more games means that he market is going to be filled with Warhammer based games. Is this good? All I hope is that the games are great. The Warhammer universe is expansive and if they can cover different parts in different style games, they got my money.

Amazon has a PC sale going on, download Binary Domain today for only $5

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Hey, you got $5 bucks and a capable PC? Well, why not pick up Binary Domain? We here at SEGAbits loved the game, check out our review. It even redeems on Steam, so no worries there. What else is on sale for SEGA? Let’s have a look.

Not as much as I would have liked. But it is still quite a nice selection. Though having a nice sell on SEGA & Sonic All-Stars Transformed would have been really awesome. You can check out over 800 games being discount over at Amazon now. Have fun!

Binary Domain on steam gets update with support for Big Picture Mode and more

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SEGA’s port for Binary Domain isn’t exactly good, so I was thrilled to find out that there was a small 5.5mb update. Sadly I knew it couldn’t fix all port’s problem and I was right.

Fixes: Updated launcher featuring gamepad navigation in Steam Big Picture mode.Fixed issues launching the game on Optimus graphics cards.

Seems there will be another update soon, because…

Known issues: Custom configurations for some DirectInput pads may not save correctly. This will be fixed in an update soon.

Come on SEGA, release worthy updates to your PC stuff and more people will trust your ports!

Aliens: Colonial Marines mods add DirectX 10 lighting effects, sharper texture filtering and much more

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The PC community is great, always striving to make their games look better even if the developers are incompetent.  Right now there are two mod packs that are making this game look ‘less crap’ than it did before. The first one is the DirectX 10 mod packs that add some better lighting effects and soften those shadows. The SweetFX mod gives you a sharper texture filter, deeper color saturation and stronger shadows.

Sadly, the game will still suck. But at least it will be prettier to look at it sucking now.

 

Ex-Gearbox employee says game was outsourced, SEGA denies (sort of)

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Well, seems that Aliens: Colonial Marines isn’t being as well received as we would have hoped and now everyone is pointing fingers. First comes a statement made by a ex-Gearbox employee, stating that Gearbox didn’t really develop most of the title and that the game was outsourced. The anonymous employee who goes by the forum handle “mugwurt” posted:

“Hate to say it, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high for Colonial Marines. I used to work at Gearbox, and the development of that game has been a total train wreck, going on what, 6 years now? Gearbox isn’t even making the game, except for the multiplayer. Primary development was outsourced to TimeGate Studios, which has a less than stellar past.” – Link to response 

When asked about this, SEGA’s Senior Producer Matthew J. Powers had this to say:

Review: The Cave


How could I not be excited for The Cave when SEGA was publishing, Double Fine was developing, and the man behind The Secret of Monkey Island, Ron Gilbert, was behind this title? Now that I have finished the game, was it everything that I expected it to be? Were my hopes too high? Read on and find out.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed – Speed Run

SEGA America has released a video a speed run, it’s really quite a good speed run. It’s also a reminder that the PC version of this game will be out soon, end of this month to be exact, but you can pre-order it on STEAM right now! If you wanted to play this game in 60 FPS, you will soon be able to!

SEGA reveals release dates and price for The Cave

Last year, SEGA announced that they’d be teaming up with Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts) and Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert to publish their latest digital title, The Cave. It’s a platformer with a large cast of characters, one that looks to meld a quirky sense of humor with gorgeously dark art direction. Coming from these developers, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

Release dates and prices below;

Playstation Network: January 22nd ($14.99)
Wii U eShop: January 22nd ($14.99)
Xbox LIVE Arcade: January 23rd (1200 MSP)
Steam: January 23rd ($14.99)

Keep it locked to SEGAbits for more on The Cave as it nears its release.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed PC release priced and dated

According to the recently updated product page on Steam, the PC release of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed has a price and a date. The release date has been revealed to be January 31st, 2013 and the price is $29.99 with a discount price of $26.99 currently available. While the listing does not mention the bonus characters that are going to appear in the PC release, it does list the minimum system requirements to run the day:

  • CPU: 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent
  • Ram: 1GB Ram (Windows XP), 2GB Ram (Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8)
  • Video Card: 256MB with Shader Model 3.0 support
  • Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
  • HDD: 6.7GB free hard drive space

Sonic franchise pack available for 77% off on Steam

Steam is having their holiday sales, which means all PC gamers will be broke by new years. If you want to join in on the sale, but where waiting for some SEGA stuff to hit discount then you are in luck. The Sonic franchise pack is 77% off, giving you 15 Sonic items (not games, since some of it is DLC). You’ll even get newer stuff like Generations and All-Stars Racing (not Transformed).

But hey, a big pack isn’t for you? Single items are being discounted up to 50%. Check it out. There is also the SEGA publisher pack for $70 (sadly low on the Sonic).

The Cave’s new character trailer got me interested

Above is the trailer for SEGA and Double Fine’s new game, The Cave. This is the second character trailer, if you missed the first one, you can see it here. This one introduces some of the characters you will be able to play as when the game comes out next month. I’m really liking the time traveling character. Which one tickles your feathers?