Hellgate: London Patch 2.0 and 2.1 information.

[HellgateGuru] is reporting some information about what’s in store for Patch 2.0 and 2.1.  an official forum posts states:

Discover that which awaits you in the Abyss, brave Hellgaters! The Abyss Chronicles (Patch 2) is rapidly taking shape and form and we’re ready to share some of its most exciting offerings with you. As Hellgate: London’s second major content update, the Abyss Chronicles boasts an impressive and lengthy list of new features including a major class rebalance, new environments, new enemies, new skills, new bosses, and new inventory slots . Then there’s the Consignment House, Attribute Respec Vendor, item linking, achievement rewards, and lots more. Suffice to say, the Abyss Chronicle is big. Very big.

Plans are already underway for the patches beyond the Abyss Chronicles. A small content summary for Patch 2.1 has been included as well. This update will open up an entirely new side to Hellgate: London in the form of ranked player versus player (PvP) gameplay. Originally slated for release with the Abyss Chronicles, the decision to release new PvP content as part of a supplemental patch was brought about by a desire to introduce five cohesive elements of PvP in a single update: ranking, matchmaking, rewards, achievements, and Capture The Flag. Together, these features will provide a robust PvP experience within the Hellgate: London universe.

We are hoping to get a Patch 2.0 build into Test Center next week, but we will see what happens.

Verbinski signed for BioShock Movie…

[Contact Music.com] is reporting that Gore Verbinski, director for Pirates of the Caribbean has been signed to direct the new BioShock movie.  The new agreement almost completely ensures the movie will be made, unlike the Halo movie. 

Pre-production is likely to commence once John Logan, screenwriter of The Aviator, has completed a Bioshock script.

Xbox 360 to us 65nm graphics chip…

The [Register hardware] is reporting that the next generation of Xbox 360 due in August, is to include the 65 nanometer ‘Jasper’ version of the graphics processing unit.  The TEN report also claimed MS is already working on Japser’s successor, ‘Valhalla’, due to be implement in Q3 2009.

Codemasters to make Formula One Games.

According to [Formula One.com]  Codemasters has bought the rights to create vidoe games based on Formula 1 racing.   With it’s world-wide agreement, Codemaster studios will create and develop games for consoles, handhelds, and PC’s.

Rod Cousens, chief executive officer of Codemasters, had this to say

“Formula One is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China. It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the Formula One audience and connecting them globally,”

“As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with Formula One is the jewel in Codemasters’ racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. Formula One has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host Formula One Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack.”

“Codemasters’ success and recent innovations in the racing game space makes the company more than appropriately tuned for the challenge,” said Chris Deering, chairman, Codemasters. “The combination of Formula One’s new momentum of expansion and Codemasters’ contemporary technology and past experience is the breaking of a new dawn for the sport, on the track and on the HD game screen.”

The worldwide deal provides Codemasters with rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, Formula One teams, cars, and driver likenesses.

Codemasters expects the first game based on the FIA Formula One World Championship to launch in 2009.