futuremark-games-studio posts

Shattered Horizon, the 2009 released zero-g based space shooter from Futuremark Game Studios, is about to get a big update. This update, titled the Last Stand Pack, will turn the formerly multiplayer online game into a single player experience.

Basically the Last Stand pack gives players' AI enemies to play o any of the game's maps and any of its multiplayer gamplay modes. You can also check out the new Last Stand gameplay mode which has four human pals fighting against waves of in-game bots. So far the developer's plans for Shattered Horizon continue to evolve and grow the game. As with the previous mini-expansions this one will be free to play. It's scheduled to be released later this month.

Update: The Last Stand AI pack is now available for the game via Steam automatic download.

After getting a last minute delay earlier this week, the team at developer Futuremark has now secured a new release date for its games-themed PC benchmarking software 3DMark 11. After finding some last minute bugs that caused the delay from its previous November 30 release date, 3DMark 11 is now set for launch on Tuesday, December 7.

As compensation for those folks who pre-ordered the benchmark software before the announcement of the delay, Futuremark has sent out a key to those people that will allow them to purchase and download its 2009 zero-g shooter Shattered Horizon. As we mentioned before, 3DMark 11 will be released in three versions; a free one, a $19.95 version that will turn off ads and a $995 version of 3DMark 11 that will have other features like demo looping. an image quality tool and more.

Two of Steam's higher profile indie games are joining forces later this week for a special event. The zero-g space-based first person shooter Shattered Horizon and the Wild West-themed third person shooer Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West will both be free to play starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday. Pre-loading for the free versions will begin on Wednesday.

In addition to the free play period, both games will be on sale in a bundle called the Frontiers Pack. The games from developer Futuremark and Fatshark will be priced together for $12.49, a savings of 60 percent from the games' normal prices.

Futuremark Games Studio's 2009 released zero-g themed shooter Shattered Horizon has only been made available as a digital download via Steam so far. That's going to change, at least in the UK, next week as the title gets a boxed retail release via publisher PQube.

The retail version will include the original game plus the two downloadable expansions that were released for free for Steam users. It also comes with a printed keyboard and mouse control guide and, oddly enough, a set of 16 Shattered Horizon stickers for all you gaming scrapbookers out there. Meanwhile the Steam version of the game just got a small update which prepares the game for a German version that will also be released next week. It also adds in-game containers with a Cooler Master logo "as part of an upcoming sponsorship deal."

The folks at developer Futuremark Game Studios are giving players another chance to try out their zero-g themed sci-fi shooter Shattered Horizon. Beginning at 7 pm Eastern time on Thursday the multiplayer themed game will be free to play for anyone via Steam until Sunday. Also the game will get a 50 percent discount to $9.99 for the time period.

Launched last December, Futuremark has added two major free DLC additions to Shattered Horizon since its release. A level pack doubled the number of maps in the game from four to eight. More recently the Firepower pack added a number of new weapons and grenade types to the title. As always keep in mind that Shattered Horizon requires a DirectX 10-based video card to run.

While Futuremark has been busy of late with their PC game development division and their first person shooter Shattered Horizon, the company is still best known for their PC benchmarking software and tools, particularly their 3DMark software. Today Futuremark officially announced its plans to release the latest entry in the series 3DMark 11 which will fully support the new DirectX 11 graphics API.

Using an in-house graphics engine, 3DMark 11 will be able to benchmark even high end gaming PCs using DirectX 11 features like tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading. 3DMark 11 is currently schedule for release in the third quarter of 2010. There's no word yet on the pricing for the full version although a version with limited features will be released for free.

Players of Shattered Horizon now have some new in-game toys to play with. As promised, developer Futuremark Games Studio has released the free Firepower Pack that greatly increases the number of weapons and grenades that are in the zero-g based sci-fi shooter.

The pack adds new weapons like the Railgun, Machine Gun, Assault Rifle, Sub Machine Gun, Shotgun, Pistol, Grenade Pistol and Moon Mining Pick. Three new grenade types (Flare, Pulse and Decoy) are also newly available in the game. At the moment the game is on sale via Steam for $14.99, 25 percent off its normal price. This discount also applies to the game's four-pack bundle.

As they announced a few weeks ago, Futuremark Games Studio plans to release a second free expansion pack for their downloadable sci-fi multiplayer shooter Shattered Horizon. Today they announced that the Firepower pack will be released on May 5.

The expansion will add a number of new weapons to the game along with new types of grenades. While the developer has not yet announced exactly what will be included in the weapons pack, a new video, shown above, shows off some of what players can expect when the Firepower pack is released. Starting tomorrow, a new weapon or grenade type will be officially revealed at the game's official web site.

Download HD Shattered Horizon 'Firepower Weapons Pack' Trailer (45 MB)
Check out all Shattered Horizon downloads

Developer Futuremark Games Studios continues to expand upon their sci-fi zero-g based multiplayer shooter Shattered Horizon. Today the developer announced plans to release the Firepower weapons pack, a new update to the game that will be free for all of its players when it's made available.

Details of the Firepower weapons pack are still scarce at this point with Futuremark's press release only saying that new weapons and grenades will be added that will give players of Shattered Horizon "different styles of play and providing the opportunity for new team tactics." A release date for the free weapons pack has yet to be announced.

Ubisoft's new take on putting in an "always on" online connection as their DRM set-up for PC games hasn't really worked well in practice so far as attacks on their DRM servers in the past few have prevented many people from playing the games they have paid for. For Futuremark Games Studio, makers of the recent zero-g based shooter Shattered Horizon, having a set up that keeps players from their own games is not the way to go.

In a chat at Computer and Video Games, Futuremark's CEO Jukka Mäkinen states,"Whatever the DRM used, games need to be hassle free for those who have bought their copy the proper way. Taking good care of the customer is always better than chasing the thieves."

The full interview concentrates more about Shattered Horizon itself including plans to continue to support and add to the game with free downloadable content.

Gallery: Shattered Horizon