aspyr-media posts

A number of game publishers have been hit with a lawsuit from a company that claims the publishers used their software products illegally. California-based Uniloc filed the lawsuit late in July against a number of companies including Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft and Aspyr Media.

Uniloc claims in its lawsuit that the above companies and others used software that violated one of Uniloc's software patents. The software in question registers on one PC so it cannot be copied on other PCs. The company claims the publisher's actions "have caused reparable and irreparable damage to Uniloc." The company is seeking an unspecified dollar number in damages.

[Via GamePolitics]

When the announcement was made late in 2009 that LucasArts would be releasing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, the publisher didn't reveal any platforms for the game so we were unsure that the third person action sequel would be getting a PC port, at least right away.

Thankfully an info page on the game from LucasArts that was sent out to some game web sites has indeed confirmed that a PC port in in the works. The PC version is being ported by Aspyr who did the same job on the first Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game. For the first game PC players had to wait over a year after the console games were shipped before our version was released. Hopefully that won't be the case for the sequel which is due out on October 26. In the meantime the official box art for the game has been released. You can see a cropped version above; the full effect is over at the official Star Wars web site.

Big Download has learned through several unnamed but reliable sources that Austin, Texas based game publisher Aspyr Media has laid off a large amount of its team members a couple of weeks ago. One of our sources estimated that over 50 percent of the workers were let go with only a handful of team members now remaining in the offices.

Aspyr Media began in 1996 as a major Mac game developer and publisher but has expanded over the years to include PC and console titles. This year it released several PC games including a number of titles from Russia-based 1C Company. Last month the publisher released Star Wars The Force Unleashed Ultimate Edition for the PC to retail stores and Dreamkiller as a Steam download exclusive. Most recently the company was responsible for the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network port of the original Call of Duty game. Big Download has both emailed and called Aspyr Media to get any official comments on their current situation.

Well, what do you know? We talk a lot about downloading games on the cheap here at Big Download but there's also some games that that you can get for absolutely nothing. Today that list just got a new addition; Stubbs the Zombie. There is a way to get the 2005 released zombie action game from developer Wideload Games without paying a penny.

Head on over to Game Agent's web site; that's the PC and Mac game download store for Stubbs the Zombie's publisher Aspyr Media. When you see that game listed hit the "Download Now" button. In the promo code section type ASPYRTHANKS inside and activate it. POOF. That $9.99 game just turned into a $0.00 game. There's no word on how long the promo code will last, however, so we suggest grabbing it now.

Update: Looks like the free promotion is done. The game has gone up to $19.99 and the promo code knocks the sales price down to $4.99. Super-cheap . . .but not free.
[Via Worthplaying]

The crazy over-the-top shooter Dreamkiller released as a Steam PC digital download exclusive today, and this trailer marks its launch. It looks like entering the minds of other to do battle with their worst nightmares comes with a high degree of risk and mortal danger. Good thing Alice packs plenty of anti-phobia firepower.

"Dreamkiller takes players deep inside the minds of the mentally disturbed as Dr. Alice Drake attempts to cleanse their conscious and subconscious of the demons that haunt them. Take the journey through over a dozen different patients, mindscapes and face off against the personal hell that torments each of them. With a myriad of upgradable weapons, Alice's own special abilities and non-stop enemy onslaughts. "

Download HD Dreamkiller 'Alice' Trailer (91 MB)
Check out all Dreamkiller downloads

After a busy last few weeks, things on the new PC game release front slow down a tad for this week. In addition to the games listed below you can also get the Fallout 3: Game Of The Year edition this week which has the original game and all five previously released downloadable mini-expansions. Also this week comes another collection of previously released material, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Collection.

NBA 2K10: While EA has pretty much abandoned the PC market for its sports games, 2K Sports is releasing their latest pro basketball game for PC owners as well as their console audience. Sports game developers Visual Concepts are in charge of this title which has features like updates and news that will reflect the real NBA season.

A couple of months back we first reported on Dreamkiller, an upcoming first person shooter from developer Mindware Studios and publisher Aspyr that would be using a modified version of the Painkiller graphics engine. Today, Big Download confirmed with an Aspyr PR rep that the PC version of Dreamkiller will bypass a retail release (at least for now) and will only be made available as a Steam exclusive downloadable game (the Xbox 360 version will still ship to stores).

The PC version will be released for Steam owners on October 12 although at the moment there's no way to pre-order the game from the Steam store. The PC version will have support for Steamworks features like achievements, the Steve Cloud and leaderboards.

A few weeks ago we reported that Aspyr Media would be publishing Death to Spies: Moment of Truth, the sequel to 1C Company's WWII stealth action game. Today, in advanced of the game's release to retail stores in the US, Aspyr has gone ahead and made the full game available for download and purchase via their GameAgent web site.

The $29.99 title, which has you controlling a member of the Soviet Union's spy organization SMERSH (you might recognize the name from early James Bond movies) should be made available via other downloadable sites soon. The retail version will ship to stores on August 18.
Download Death to Spies: Moment of Truth Demo (919 MB)
Check out all Death to Spies downloads

LucasArts said they would have some special announcements at their San Diego Comic-Con panel and boy, were they right. Today they revealed that they will be releasing a PC and Mac version of 2008's best selling action game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed in a new "Ultimate Sith Edition". This new version will contain all of the content of the original console game plus three all new missions that continue the storyline of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.

This new version, which will be co-published by Aspyr Media sometime this fall., will also contain new costumes for the game's lead character the Secret Apprentice. It will also have new character models that will give players a chance to control classic Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku, Jango Fett and C-3PO. You can check out the decriptions of the three new missions, two of which are set in an alternate Star Wars Infinities timeline, after the jump.

[Via email press release]

This fall Aspyr Media is bringing a new first person shooter franchise over to the PC platform. Dreamkiller is the newly revealed game from developer Mindware Studios who previously created the 2007 FPS title Painkiller Overdose (and yes, Painkiller and Dreamkiller do sound kind of similar) This new game is promising to be "fast, frantic and mega-bloodbath first-person shooter", at least according to the official press release.

The game itself takes place in the minds of the patients of psychologist Alice Drake. She doesn't just sit on a couch listening to odd stories. She also enters her patent's dreams and battles their mental demon. The first screenshots from the game show that battling dream demons requires some heavy ordinance. In addition to single player, Dreamkiller is promising some multiplayer modes as well as supernatural powers.

[Via email press release]