end-of-nations posts

While first person shooters, action games and role playing games can cross over from the PC to consoles, strategy games are still mostly on the PC side of things. 2010 brought us some big strategy game releases such as Civilization V and most notably StarCraft II Wings of Liberty. 2011 also has some major turn and RTS based strategy games on tap for release including the latest in a long line of historical RTSs, the return of a major turn based fantasy strategy series and even the latest attempt at an MMO RTS game.

Big Download has picked 10 upcoming strategy PC games that we can't wait to play (in order of their expected release dates) in the next year as part of our multi-part feature on the games of 2011. You can also go back and check out our previous entries on the first person shooter, action and RPG-MMO genres.

It's been a little while since we last reported on Guardians of Graxia, the upcoming PC card-based fantasy strategy game from developer Petroglyph Games. While Petroglyph has yet to officially announce a release date for the title Big Download has learned via unnamed but reliable sources that the title will be released via download soon, hopefully in the next few days.

The game is the first PC title from Petroglyph since its release of Universe at War: Earth Assault nearly three years ago. Since departing from the development of the upcoming free-to-play game Mytheon earlier this year, Petroglyph is now working on its online MMO RTS game End of Nations for release in 2011.

The comic book industry is buzzing today on the news of major changes at DC Entertainment, the Warner Bros-owned subsidiary that includes both the DC Comics and Wildstorm Comics brands. Today it was announced that the comic book division will remain in New York while other aspects of DC Entertainment's business, including its PC and console game licensing group, will be moved to a new location in Burbank, California near Warner Bros' offices by the end of 2011.

One of the consequences of the changes is that the Wildstorm Comics brand will be shut down. The last comics under that brand will ship out in December. Wildstorm published and continues to release a bunch of game-related comic book adaptations. However those comics, which include current and near future titles based on World of Warcraft, Kane and Lynch, Assassin's Creed and End of Nations, will continue under the DC Comics brand.

World in Conflict has been out for three years now, but no other game has tried the action-packed strategy formula it developed. However, Petroglyph Games is aiming to merge Massive Entertainment's classic with MMO elements, and the result is End of Nations. There's been a lot of talk about what it's going to accomplish and the mechanics, but not a ton of gameplay footage. So here's some!

The above trailer showcases 30 player gameplay, with 15 players on each side, as they fight for control over the Pacific Northwest. It shows off some of the more detailed elements, such as point control and tactical strikes. It also links it all to the MMO aspect, although in an abstract sense. Overall, it's a good trailer for a game we are genuinely excited for.

Download HD End of Nations Gamescom 2010 Trailer (119 MB)
Check out all End of Nations downloads

Earlier this year developer Petroglyph Games finally revealed End of Nations, its near-future themed RTS MMO game for pubisher Trion Worlds. Now comes word that the next Video Games Live music concert will feature the world premiere of the music for the game.

The concert will be held on Saturday July 24 at the San Diego Civic Theater (hey, that's the city where Comic-Con is right now!) with the game's music composer Frank Klepacki taking the stage for the premiere of his music themes. Also the End of Nations "0" issue comic book that was revealed last week will be given out to all attendees of the concert.

As an obvious riff off the fact that many of the members of the Petroglyph team working on End of Nations also worked on the original Command & Conquer, this developer video discusses the cooperative aspects of the game. Although End of Nations will have a strong single player aspect for those who prefer to solo, but you can't forget that it's an MMO. So there will be plenty of gigantic challenges where it would be more beneficial for multiplayer players to work together, combining both firepower and skills, to overcome.

Download HD End of Nations Developer Video #2 (255 MB)
Check out all End of Nations downloads

Last month we reported that DC Comics' Wildstorm division would be releasing a four issue mini-series called The Telera Chronicles that would serve as a prequel story to Trion Worlds' upcoming fantasy MMO Rift: Planes of Telera. Today Trion Worlds sent over word that the other major MMO game it is publishing, the RTS title End of Nations, would also be getting its own Wildstorm produced comic. The comic, due out later this fall, will be written by Ricardo Sanchez and drawn by Yvel Guichet with covers by Chris Sprouse and is based on the game that's being developed by Petroglyph.

Trion Worlds will be giving out free "0" issues of both The Telera Chronicles and the End of Nations comic at the DC Comics booth during the San Diego Comic-Con next week. The "0" issues will only be available during Comic-Con.

[Via email press release]

While there have been MMO titles that have used the real time strategy gameplay none of them have been as successful as the many RPG based MMO titles. Developer Petroglyph and publisher Trion Worlds plan to change that with the upcoming End of Nations. The makers of his near-future title are hopeful it will succeed in bringing the RTS genre to a persistent online game

Big Download got some of our questions about End of Nations answered via Petroglyph including why they feel an MMORTS title has not broken through into the mainstream and more about the game itself.

In just five days the exhibit halls will open and E3 2010 will officially begin. Big Download has been going over what PC games we want to see at the show in terms of first person shooters, action games and RPG-MMO titles. Now we conclude our preview with a look at the strategy, driving and other games we most want to check out on the E3 show floor.

Once again we have to point out that perhaps the biggest PC game release of 2010, Blizzard's StarCraft II, won't be on the show floor. However there are plenty of other major PC games that will be there next week.

Developed by Petroglyph, a studio comprised of many former Westwood Studios employees who worked on the original Command & Conquer, recently revealed development of End of Nations. End of Nations is a massively-multiplayer real-time strategy game where players can log in to a persistent world, assemble an army, and work cooperative or possibly against each other for dominance. The trailer above provides a quick rundown of some of the things players can expect from the game, but continue reading after the jump to watch a developer video that really gets in-depth on its features. The plot is inspired by modern day events, so End of Nations will be a new but recognizable world. Players can look forward to gigantic boss fights with machines that have multiple hard points and health bars to take out. The developers also state that solo play will be just as fulfilling, but that might be a little hard to imagine with bosses like that. No release date has been announced yet, but we're definitely interested in seeing this game in action at E3 next week.

Download HD End of Nation 'Unveil' Trailer (88 MB)
Download HD End of Nations Developer Video (193 MB)