world-in-conflict-soviet-assault posts

Yesterday, we listed our picks for some great multiplayer games to play over the holidays. However, the thing about PC games is that you usually need an individual copy for each computer to play. It gets really expensive to shell out $40-50 per game to give as gifts. It can also be difficult to convince friends and family to buy those games for themselves.

Big Download knows your pain, and we've got you covered. Here are our top picks for multiplayer games that cost $20 or less, but provide plenty of fun for the holiday season. Some of these games might go on sale in the next few weeks for even more savings. Now you can spend less time worrying about what you can afford and more time planning that gaming get together.

Click on the image above to continue reading Big Download's 2009 PC Gamer Single Player Game Holiday Gift Guide.

Now that World in Conflict developer Massive Entertainment has been bought by Ubisoft, the developer's founder has decided to leave. Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that Martin Walfiz has departed the company for currently unknown reasons.

In a statement Ubisoft said, "Ubisoft is saddened by the recent departure of Martin Walfiz from Massive Entertainment and we wish him all the best in his future projects." Walfiz launched the Sweden-based developer in 1997 and helped to created the acclaimed sci-fi action-RTS games Ground Control for publisher Vivendi Games before leading the creation of the alternate history based game World in Conflict in 2007. Ubisoft bought Massive in late 2008 and released the stand alone expansion pack World in Conflict: Soviet Assault just last week.

This high-impact trailer marks the release of World in Conflict: Soviet Assault, the first expansion for one of the best strategy games of 2007. It includes campaign missions from the Soviet perspective and new weapons for more mass destruction than ever. The game is available via digital download through select retailers like Gamersgate.

Download HD World in Conflict: Soviet Assault Launch Trailer (137 MB)
Check out all World in Conflict: Soviet Assault downloads

This trailer for World in Conflict: Soviet Assault runs through some of the major characters players will encounter in the upcoming expansion. Some of the faces will be familiar to those who played the original game. Soviet Assault takes place in Europe in an alternate history where World War III breaks out, and this time players will be able to experience the story from the Soviet's perspective. The game is scheduled to release for retail and digital download stores on March 12.

Download HD World in Conflict: Soviet Assault 'US vs Soviets' Trailer (203 MB)
Check out all World in Conflict: Soviet Assault downloads

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault: PC owners will be able to download this stand alone expansion pack to the terrific 2007 RTS game this week. It's set in the 1990s where the Cold War never ended and the Soviet Union stages a full scale invasion of the US. The expansion from developer Massive Entertainment and publisher Ubisoft adds six new single player missions on the Soviet end of things along with two new multilayer maps. If you don't have the original game you can also pick up World in Conflict Complete in retail stores this week. it has both the original game and the expansion pack.

While PC owners have been waiting for the RTS expansion pack World in Conflict: Soviet Assault for a while the game was also supposed to be released for consoles. At least that was the plan when the game was going to be released via Vivendi Games. However the dumping of the World in Conflict franchise (thanks to the Activision Blizzard merger) and its purchase by Ubisoft have apparently made the game a PC exclusive.

IGN reports that an Ubisoft spokesperson stated, "World of Conflict: Soviet Assault will be released for the PC later this month. A console version of World in Conflict is not planned for release at this time." As we reported previously the game will be released as a stand alone digital download title on March 10 in the US. The game will also be part of a World in Conflict Complete edition (combining the original title with the expansion) for both digital and retail release.

It looks like developer Massive Entertainement and their new owners Ubisoft are aiming for an early March release for the World in Conflict: Soviet Assault release. The expansion pack for the 2007 alternate history RTS game will be released in the US on March 10 and in Europe on March 12, according to a recent post on the developer's message board.

There's also more info on exactly what is contained in the expansion. Soviet Assault will have a new single player campaign with a total of six missions plus two new multiplayer maps. There's no word yet on pricing for the US version of the game which will be released as a stand alone game via digital download, including Steam. Also Ubisoft will release the World in Conflict Complete edition, combining the original game with Soviet Assault, as both a digital download and a retail release. Keep in mind that Steam versions of Soviet Assault won't work with a store bought version of World in Conflict. Likewise a Steam version of the full game won't work with a store bought version of Soviet Assault.

We were very happy to learn that Ubisoft wasn't going to abandoned World in Conflict: Soviet Assault when they bought the game's developer Massive Entertainment late last year. The PC expansion pack to the terrific RTS-action game is due out this March (along with a new collection of the original game and the expansion).

Ubisoft sent over some new screenshots from the expansion showing off some of the new content that players can expect to explode play with. As we have reported before, Soviet Assault will contain an all new single player campaign from the Soviet's point of view along with some cool new multiplayer maps and features..

After buying Massive Entertainment late last year,publisher Ubisoft was quiet about if the developer's long awaited RTS expansion pack World in Conflict: Soviet Assault would in fact be released. Today the publisher sent over word that the expansion is indeed still being released in March.

Adding an new Soviet single player campaign along with more multiplayer maps, Soviet Assault will be released as a paid download for previous owners of the game. Ubisoft also plans to release a new retail version (World in Conflict: Complete Edition), containing both the original game, Soviet Assault and other unnamed new features. Ubisot also sent over some new screenshots from the expansion.

[via email press release]

So far our multi-part overview of the next 12 months in PC games has looked at a ton of action and FPS titles. Now its time for the strategy and RTS genre to get their due. There are a lot of major titles in this category that are (hopefully) coming out in 2009, including one that could be the biggest PC game in terms of sales this year...if it's released this year that is.

Big Download has managed to get some exclusive screenshots to some of the games on our list including the above image from Demigod. And we are not done yet. Check back with us on Tuesday as we go over the many different RPG and MMO titles due out in 2009. (Keep in mind that many games on this list could have their release dates changed).

Click on the image above to continue reading 2009 (and beyond) PC Game Preview: Strategy-RTS Titles