Blizzard announced today that their upgraded multiplayer service, Battle.net, will feature Facebook integration. This feature will be ready when their next big release, StarCraft II, appears this July.
The press release states that the “first step” is to be able to more easily add your friends to the Battle.net friends list, so that you can smack them around with Zealots, but who knows how it will end? Hopefully not like in my illustration.
The announcement was made on the game’s official Facebook page:
“May The Fourth be with you, since it will be Unleashed Oct 26th, 2010!”
We don’t know if this is for the US only, but we assume it is. So The Force Unleashed fans can mark the calendar and rejoice.
Michael Pachter already predicted it, but now it’s been semi-confirmed. Activision blogger Dan Amrich believes more people will leave developer Infinity Ward, perhaps to join Respawn Entertainment.
In a discussion on Facebook in a Activision/Bobby Kotick hate group, Amrich said the studio still has some talent left in it, despite numerous employees taking their hats and leaving.
“More people will probably go too, looking for new situations,” he said, “Maybe they will join Respawn, maybe not. I’m confused, because by leaving, they are giving up their bonus — and the more people that leave, the bigger the bonus gets for the people who stay.”
Amrich also added he had no idea of what really happened between Activision and the former heads of IW, except what was released into the public domain.
“First thing I asked myself was, “What really happened?” Why would Activision fire the guys so publicly after so much success?,” he said.
“What brought that drastic measure about? And until Activision goes to court over it or files its own legal paperwork in a countersuit or something like that, we will not know. We know one side, but like you, I am dying to learn the other.”
Far be it from me to actually care about anything having to do with Facebook games or Zynga-related items, but these statistics are just mind-boggling.
Facebook game FarmVille now has a roster of over 80 million active users per month, including an increase of over 10 million users since December (according to AllFacebook.com).
Want more ridiculous stats?
2K Games says that developers Firaxis are working on the fifth installment of Sid Meier’s Civilization for the PC.
This incarnation of the series will see hexagonal tiles for “deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay and stunning organic landscapes for players to explore as they expand their empire.”
For the first time, there will be fully-animated leaders that interact with the player while speaking their native tongues. In addition, long-range bombardment will be an option for taking out your foes.
Civilization V will also include an “extensive suite of community, modding and multiplayer elements” to allow a much deeper gaming experience on the PC.
“This marks a new era that will forever change the franchise responsible for sleep deprivation and reduced productivity for nearly two decades,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K games.
Firaxis are also responsible for the development of Sid Meier’s Civilization Network for Facebook which will see a beta in June of this year.
More on Civilization V can be found at the official website.
Bit of a silly move this. Microsoft has announced that the upcoming Facebook and Twitter functionality on Xbox Live will only be available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers.
Silver users will be eligible for a trial run to the new feature, but will have to upgrade to a Gold account eventually if they want to continue to use it.
Facebook and Twitter on Xbox LIVE will be free to Gold members, with a free trial period also available for Silver members. Facebook and Twitter on Xbox LIVE will offer a truly one-of-a-kind social experience, completely optimized for the TV and seamlessly integrated onto your console. Add to that exclusive access to Last.fm, Netflix instant streaming, demos, trailers and discounts, plus the best multiplayer gaming network on the planet, and we’re confident Xbox LIVE Gold memberships is hands-down the best value in home entertainment. We’re committed to adding new features and value for our Gold members, and will continue to do so.
A paid subscription for a service that is already free on your PC? Are you kidding us?
Microsoft has informed the press today that the recently announced Twitter and Facebook functionality for the Xbox 360 will be hitting the console by the end of the year, before Christmas.
“It will be before Christmas,” said marketing chap James Halton. “A lot of the background work’s been done for a lot of applications that are coming.”
Speaking of which, don’t forget that you can find The Gaming Vault on Facebook, and on Twitter as well!
Missing that sense of gaming nostalgia from your daily life? In need a quick, fast way to keep yourself updated on the latest news from all corners of gaming culture? Want to be bombarded all day with nerdy gaming references that only those old enough to remember the Commodore 64 will understand?
Good, because The Gaming Vault is now on Facebook (as well as Twitter, if you didn’t already know), and all for your nerdy benefit!
As well as being an obvious and quick means for you to keep up-to-date on the latest gaming news that we post here on the site, TGV’s Facebook page will also attempt to serve up a regular nostalgia trip for those of you old enough to get the obscure and (hopefully) witty comments on gaming culture that we plan to dilute your life with as often as possible.
Add us! Invite your friends! Tell the world!
We can’t take over the universe all by ourselves, right?
LINK: TGV’s Facebook Page
That’s right! Social networking has come to Xbox LIVE! Now you can connect with your friends on Facebook and Twitter right through your Xbox console. Sharing photos, videos, and updates are only a few of the things that will be available.
This is looking to be an exciting new development in the social networking industry!
Social networking site Facebook has a long-standing reputation as a high quality social networking website, but it looks like its days may finally be numbered, thanks to enterprising new social site… Sackbook!
Us human have FaceBook to keep us connected and informed, but the lowly sack-people of LittleBigPlanet have long been without, way to connect and network with each other. Now, thanks to Sackbook, they can finally come together.
“Sackbook is a fan-site (ie not official) that lets you search, browse and attempt to make sense of the plethora of user-generated content that fills LittleBigPlanet,” says the site by way of explanation.
“If Facebook, Flickr and LittleBigPlanet somehow had LittleIllegitimateOffspring, they’d probably be something like this.”
Trust me, it’s brilliant! Check it out for yourself at the link below.
Link: Sackbook
