Total-Annihilation posts

Once again the GoG.com PC gaming web site takes us back in time to the late 1990s when the RTS genre was exploding in popularity. The DRM-free game site had added a little bit of an oddity in the genre today with the relase of Total Annihilation Kingdoms.

The game, orginally released back in 1999 from the now defunct game developer Cavedog, is a spin-off of the sci-fi RTS game Total Annihilation but in a fantasy world setting. GoG.com's release includes the The Iron Plague expansion pack plus a few extras including the game's soundtrack. You can get the game now from GoG.com for just $5.99.

Unlike Monday today was full of PC gaming news. Will Wednesday be busy as well or will the news be super-slow ahead of the Thankgiving-Black Friday weekend?

• World of Warcraft's latest update is all about the Cataclysm that has pretty much changed the MMO game's world forever.
• Speaking of which Blizzard is selling the MMO and the first two expansions for super low prices this week only.
• Impulse has put Total Annihilation on sale for just $4.99.
• You can now check out the final box art design for Shogun 2: Total War.
• Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg claims the publisher will "not now, not ever" charge gamers for online multiplayer.
• New details have been released on an upcoming Battlefield Bad Company 2 patch.

Wow! Gamescom hasn't even started yet (officially anyway) but there sure were a ton of PC game exclusive announcements today. Apparently if you want to announce a PC only game, go to Germany:

• New bug fix updates were released via Steam for Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike Source and Day of Defeat: Source.
• There's also a new update to Garry's Mod available for download
• Steam also has an update for the Counter-Strike Source beta build.
• GoG.com has added the Total Annihilation: Commander Pack (the original game and its two expansions) to its DRM-free library.
• Did you know there's a game based on the TV show Criminal Minds that's due out in December? Now you do.
• Brink is sponsoring the 2010 European Parkour tour for some reason.
• Fallout: New Vegas pre-order specials for Europe, South Africa and Australia have been revealed.
• Speaking of which check out these pictures of the various voice actors in Fallout New Vegas in their recording sessions. Hey, its Wayne Newton, dude!

With Supreme Commander 2 now tearing up PC monitors this week, some of you may have wanted to play the game that served as the main inspiration for Gas Powered Games' RTS sci-fi series. Well wonder no more because Stardock's Impulse PC game download service has just gotten the exclusive digital download rights (via Atari) for Total Annihilation, the 1997 RTS game that put Gas Powered's founder Chris Taylor on the map.

Developed by Taylor at the now defunct Cavedog, the game was the first RTS title to have full 3D units and terrain. The Impulse version of the game sells for $9.99 and includes both the original title as well as all of the content from the game's Core Contingency expansion pack.

Sometimes you just need to sit down, slide a floppy into your A: drive, and enjoy gaming retro style. We know this all too well! That's why we have a list of the best and brightest from days long gone. These are some of our favorite games of all time, and we're sure that you'll love them as much as we do, if not more. Welcome to Boot Disk, and enjoy the retro ride!

There's a few RTS games that are considered to be true classics of the genre. Dune 2, Starcraft, Command and Conquer: Red Alert, and Homeworld are all considered to be classics. And so is Chris Taylor's first game, the incredible Total Annihilation. With more units per side than any RTS had even dared to try, massive battles that took place in 3D environments, and a system that relied on real-world concepts such as physics and intel rather than dice-rolling, Total Annihilation blew our minds away with its complete departure from the norm. Even with Supreme Commander, its spiritual successor, on the market and an open-source remake called Spring on the internet, Total Annihilation is still as fun and innovative now as it was in 1997.

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

Once every few years there comes a game that knocks you right off your feet. In 1997, Total Annihilation did just that. Featuring massive battles, realistic physics, and a wide variety of tactics and units to utilize, it became an instant classic in the real-time strategy genre. Scoring well with critics and consumers alike, it managed to spawn both a fan remake of the engine, Spring, and a spiritual sequel, Supreme Commander. Utilizing the Spring engine, Wolfe Games has decided to follow this route with the excellent freeware RTS P.U.R.E.