id Software recenly announced the launch of premium subscription plans for its web based first person shooter, Quake Live. In addition to the still free Standard plan the company has added Premium and Pro Subscriptions which include extras like special maps, game modes, and the ability to start your own game server.

The Premium Subscription, which can be purchased for $1.99 per month, billed annually, includes:

• Access to 20 QUAKE LIVE Premium only maps at launch with more to come. Premium maps are a combination of brand new maps and frequently requested community favorites from previous QUAKE games such as Aerowalk, Theater of Pain, Japanese Castles, and Realm of Steel Rats;
  
• An all new 'Freeze Tag' game mode;
  
• Exclusive premium level awards;
  
• Create your own clan and join up to five separate clans;
  
• Custom QUAKE LIVE profile wallpaper; and
  
• Match statistics stored for six months.

The Pro Subscription, which can be purchased for $3.99 per month, billed annually, includes all of the premium subscription features as well as:

• The ability to start your own game server, specify a server location, determine the game mode and invite who you want to join you;
  
• With the Pro Subscription, you can invite three friends with Standard level memberships to play with you in any Premium level map;
  
• Exclusive pro awards;
  
• Create your own clan and join up to ten separate clans; and
  
• Match statistics stored for 12 months.

The QUAKE LIVE 'Standard' version is still free to play and includes friend lists, access to one clan, matchmaking, and stats tracking delivered through a web browser with over 40 arenas and five game modes.

Quake Live Premium Subscriptions

Quake Live

id Software (add to watch list)

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Amanita Design has announced a Pirate Amnesty Sale to encourage the purchase of its point and click adventure game, Machinarium. Until August 12 the game will be available for $5 rather than the usual $20. Amanita estimates that only 5 to 15% of players have paid for the game. Machinarium follows the adventures of a robot who must find a way to save his girlfriend and his city from a group of villains known as the Black Cap Brotherhood.

Everybody who downloaded our game illegally (for free) has now a chance to redeem himself and get the latest version of the game (Win+Mac+Linux) and it’s fantastic Soundtrack only for $5 (instead of $20).

We released the game DRM free which means it doesn’t include any anti-piracy protection, therefore the game doesn’t bother players with any serial codes or online authentication, but it’s also very easy to copy it. Our estimate from the feedback is that only 5-15% of Machinarium players actually paid for the game. If you decide to buy the game, you can be sure you’ll support directly the developers, not any big publisher or distributor.

Update:
we just want to assure you, we don’t think you have pirated the game first if are going to buy it now:)
This sale isn’t only for pitaes, it’s for all. Thanks to everybody who paid for the game!

Amanita: Pirate Amnesty Sale

Amanita Design (add to watch list)

Machinarium (add to watch list)

Buy Machinarium

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Lowpoly Studios recently released a new website and debut trailer for its upcoming puzzle title, The Undergrounder. The action puzzler puts players in the role of a worker who must brave the hazards of the underground in the course of carrying out his duties.

The Undergrounder is a fast paced action/puzzle game based on the hard life of millions of workers that every day have to use the underground to commute to work.

The player plays the role of a worker that needs to travel around a city using the underground for his/her duties.
Even if this could seem a simple and boring activity, there are a lot of hazards making things hard and challenging every day: underground faults and congestions, strikes, work rivals... Everything makes regular duties become challenges against the passing time.

Lowpoly Studios (add to watch list)

The Undergrounder (add to watch list)

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Guild Software has released a new patch for its massively-multiplayer online space strategy game, Vendetta Online. The latest update brings the game to version 1.8.138 and includes a variety of new updates, bug fixes, and content additions including expanded options for crafting large scale items like capital ships.

The last two releases of Vendetta Online have begun a significant expansion in the area of crafting large-scale assets such as Capital
Ships (crafting is called "Manufacturing" within the VO universe).
Specifically, a number of specialized component items have begun to drop
from certain ships of the dynamic Hive. These components may then be
taken to specific Player-Conquerable Stations and used to create other
items, which in turn may eventually be assembled into large-scale
specialized assets, such as Capital Ships, or (down the road) will
figure directly into the player's ability to create their own
Conquerable Stations.

The existing Conquerable Stations each hold specific Manufacturing
facilities, required for different components; so to create any one
final asset, manufacturing capacity of all three stations must be
utilized. This will present a challenge to the player guilds, to either
combatively or cooperatively share the construction resources to build
their desired assets. Any given station may be assaulted at any given
time, and conveying the heavy intermediate components between stations
will be both delicate and dangerous, benefiting from organized player
behaviour.

Guild Software (add to watch list)

Strategy First (add to watch list)

Vendetta Online (add to watch list)

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