Summer...no school, too hot outside to go play some basket or ride your bike, so this should be the best season for gaming, right? There's only one thing missing - new games. Is it? Obviously, not, because a lot of interesting games have been released, or at least announced, lately, and now we'll talk about the upcoming video games for all platforms!



Obviously, there are at least a few dozens of games announced to appear later this year, next year, or without a release date official yet, but we'll only check the releases for the June 30-July 6, 2008 period. Are you ready? Here we go...

PC

• Roogoo<-125x125 Button - right->


• The Immortals of Terra


• Nintendo DS


• 1 vs 100


• Journey to the Center of the Earth


• Ducati Moto


• AMF Bowling Binoculars


• Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2

Wii

• Purr Pals

PlayStation Portable

• Fading Shadows

PlayStation 3

• Hail to the Chimp

This is it for now, but be sure we'll meet again tomorrow with some hot gaming news!

Remember Starcraft? If you missed it so far, go and get it now, because this is one of those games you must NOT miss. Anyway, leaving Starcraft aside, we should talk about Starcraft 2, its sequel. First announced over a year ago, on the 19th of May, 2007, Starcraft 2 is under development for Windows and Mac OS X, but the release date is still uncertain. Anyway, leaving the release date aside, we have some new screenshots!


Since some of you may be new to Starcraft, I should say that Starcraft 2 "continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brand-new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival."

The feature list displayed on the official Starcraft 2 website goes like this:

- Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->
- Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg
- New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race
- Groundbreaking single-player campaign
- Vibrant new 3D-graphics engine with support for dazzling visual effects and massive unit and army sizes
- Full multiplayer support, with new competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net
- Full map-making and scripting tools to give players incredible freedom in customizing and personalizing their gameplay experience

At last, I should add that specific system requirements are not yet available, but it's good to know that Blizzard is working to ensure compatibility with a wide range of computer parts, including older DirectX 9 video cards. Other than these...I guess we should keep waiting, but one question arises: are we going to get Starcraft 2 first, or Diablo 3?

Ever heard of Drift City? Well, it's never too late! While some may consider this game's handling and graphics to be at least strange, Drift City, also known as Skid Rush in Korea, managed to be a unique game, by combining the features of a RPG game with an arcade racing game. There's a story, your driver will gain levels, and while doing this, faster cars will become available. Anyway, today it's not about the game as a whole, because the news is that Drift City just got a new car...

...but before talking about the URe3, pictured above, I should mention a few things that will surely be interesting to those that are not playing it yet. First, you should know that Drift City runs well on older computers, a processor clocked around 1.5GHz, 512 MB of memory, and a GeForce FX 5200 or a Radeon 9200 card, and even most onboard graphics chips are supported. Unfortunately for those using Linux or Macs, there's only a Windows version of the game, but the good part is that you can download it and play it for free without having to worry about spending any real money, although some premium items can be only purchased with real cash.

According to the official press release, "Armed with the fastest speed and acceleration stats in its class, the URe3's well-balanced speed and boost stats make it the best vehicle in the game's straight-away tracks. The car is available for purchase solely through the in-game dealership, and can be bought using Mito - Drift City's currency."

The problem is that beginners won't get their hands on this beauty, because only level 41+ drivers can get the URe3, and not even all of them, but only those having the 150,000 Mito required...

Do you remember Diablo? Come on, did you miss both games, and their addons? Well, the sad truth is that, while the gameplay and story can still be considered fresh by a lot of people, the graphics are outdated, and running Diablo or Diablo 2 on a modern computer can prove to be a greater adventure than the one inside the game... Now, Blizzard has two games in the making that will probably become instant hits as soon as they are released, and while Starcraft II is expected to drop by pretty soon, Diablo 3 has just been officially confirmed to be in the making, along with a lot of goodies, including screenshots, a great cinematic trailer, and gameplay footage, but no answer to the question "When is Diablo III coming out?" just yet.



I am sure you're ready to hear and see all there is new, because we've been waiting for Diablo 3 for almost a decade, so I am sure all those Diablo fans out there are dying to hear more about the story, before anything else, so here you have it!

"Two decades have passed since the demonic denizens, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, wandered the world of Sanctuary in a vicious rampage to shackle humanity into unholy slavery. Yet for those who battled the Prime Evils directly, the memory fades slowly and the wounds of the soul still burn.<-125x125 Button - right->

When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram's Cathedral seeking clues to new stirrings of evil, a comet from the heavens strikes the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. The comet carries a dark omen in its fiery being and it calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the mortal world against the rising powers of the Burning Hells--and even the failing luminaries of the High Heavens itself."

The feature list looks just as good as the screenshots and the videos, and I hope only one thing - they won't torture us too long with them, and keep delaying the game, as it happens with Starcraft 2. After all, when is Diablo III going to come out? Good question, no answer, so let's get to those features, shall we?



"Explore a fully-realized Sanctuary – the living, breathing gothic fantasy world of Diablo III rendered in gorgeous 3D.

Battle the unholy forces of the Burning Hells with all-new character classes like the otherworldly Witch Doctor, or with re-imagined warriors from Diablo’s past: such as the fierce Barbarian.

Rain Hell on your enemies wielding the interactive environment as a weapon: lay cunning traps, turn destructible objects against your foes, and use environmental obstacles to your advantage - all powered by the Havoc physics system.

Experience the intensity of multiplayer Diablo III over an all-new, wickedly-enhanced Battle.net platform with numerous enhancements to make connecting with your friends easier – and cooperative gameplay more fun."



Need I say more? I am still trying to breath, after seeing the cinematic trailer. Incredible! To find out all about it, simply go to the official Diablo 3 website.

Oh, yeah! The quick answers to what we're all asking ourselves - the system requirements, price and release date are not available yet, so we're going to keep asking ourselves when is Diablo III coming out for a while, but I am sure it's going to worth the wait!

Today's keywords: Capcom, Unreal Engine 3. What do you know about them, class? I know all of you can name at least one game that uses Unreal Engine 3, but if I say Capcom, this may not be just as obvious...or is it? Well, here you have a few titles involving this Japanese international developer and publisher: Devil May Cry, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Darkstalkers, and many others. Moving to Unreal Engine 3, Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears of War are the most notorious titles using it, but I guess there are at least 20-30 titles built around this great graphics engine. Now, let's bring all these elements together...

...and see that, according to Keiji Inafune, Managing Corporate Officer, R&D Management Group of Capcom, "Unreal Engine 3 is a perfect fit for this project being developed in Europe, and is capable of ensuring a high-quality game experience. Not only does the development team have thorough knowledge of Unreal Engine 3, the general versatility of Unreal Engine 3 will fully meet the requirements particular to this project."

OK, but...WHAT PROJECT? Most games involving Capcom were at least decent, with a lot of highlights, including those I mentioned earlier in this article, but for now, what they have in mind remains a mystery. Well, that's life... a little bit of mystery makes it more interesting!

"Unreal Engine 3 comes with a wide variety of functions required for next-generation game development, and it provides ease of use.<-125x125 Button - left-> On top of that, one of the major advantages is the well-established support system. We are delighted to enter into this license agreement, and have strong backup by Epic Games. With Unreal Engine 3, we can expect high development efficiency as well as high creativity within the development team," concluded Mr. Inafune.

OK, any brilliant guesses? If you heard any rumor related to this upcoming game, or have a wish...please, drop your comments below, I am dying to see what's your opinion!