There has been a lot of talk about the possibility of cross-platform play in Unreal Tournament 3 (PC, PS3, and Xbox 360). The addition of mouse and keyboard support to the game's PlayStation 3 version has also fueled further speculation about PS3-PC online multiplayer.

While it certainly is a very interesting idea, Epic Games has finally confirmed that no, there will not be any cross-platform online multiplayer in Unreal Tournament 3. At launch, anyway. Here's what Epic VP Mark Rein had to say about the subject in a recent IRC chat with Beyond Unreal:

The biggest challenge in doing cross platform play is synchronizing the builds such that the build on the PC is 100% compatible with the build on the PS3. Unfortunately (or fortunately) when you games on console you have a lengthy certification process to go through each time you release anything new...

We looked at how this would impact our ability to respond quickly to things happening at internet speed on the PC side of the equation and realized that would not be in the best interests of our very loyal PC user base because we would constantly be holding on to updates to wait until they passed cert on the console platform

There's is still some hope, though. Rein went on to say that cross-platform play may still be added "after the game has settled down". For the full chat log, click on the Read link below.


Buy: [Unreal Tournament 3 (PC)]
Buy: [Unreal Tournament 3 (PS3)]

Still haven't got your hands on Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars? You've been missing out on some solid FPS action. No need to worry though; more beta keys are up for grabs. The first batch of beta keys were only available to FilePlanet subscribers, but any registered member can now join.

This fourth stage of beta key giveaways is for anyone and everyone with a free FilePlanet account. Won't be surprising if numbers of players online triple, but the process is expected to be faster this time.

Classic multiplayer slaughter, very fast paced action, wide array of weapons - everything you'd expect from a QUAKE title is there. Some say that the graphics look dated, but you better experience it first before making a judgement. What are you waiting for? Grab that beta key now!

Several hours ago, Xbox 360 and Windows Vista owners were greeted with the news that Microsoft released the Shadowrun FPS for their respective platforms. And while we imagine players who've purchased their copy are enjoying the game's linked play capability, we've picked up another upcoming event, courtesy of FASA.

The game developers has just announced that as part of the ongoing festivities surrounding Shadowrun's release, FASA is planning to run the second part of the Play the Devs Day this Thursday, May 31.

This event will provide gamers with an opportunity to meet up (online) with Shadowrun's creative team, who in turn have several activities such as a Q&A session being planned for the appointed day. The event is scheduled for 3 p.m. (Seattle time), and will be conducted via IRC chat. Players interested in joining are advised to PM the FASA developers via their Gamertag.

Shadowrun (rated "M" by the ESRB) for the Xbox 360 is priced at US$ 59.99, with the Windows Vista port coming in at US$ 49.99. The game includes nine unique maps and three additional map variations, showcasing environments set in a futuristic Santos, Brazil, and its neighboring ancient Ziggurat. Shadowrun includes six training chapters, with four levels of difficulty provided for the game's bots. For the guys who've decided to wait and see if the game's worth buying, expect a demo to be released this June 6 via Xbox Live.

To celebrate the end of Shadowrun's (also on the PC) Beta phase, FASA Interactive is giving the cyberpunk FPS-RPG crowd some reason to whip out those guns this April 30. If you were one of the lucky gamers to have received that Xbox Live email invitation into the Beta run, listen up:

Join us on IRC chat channel #Shadowrun.FASA on the Gamesurge server from 2-6 P.M. PDT on Monday, April 30th. FASA will be giving away prizes, answering questions about the game, and chatting with everyone while playing Shadowrun.

If you've got the time (and are willing to put down that Xbox 360 controller for a few hours) might as well join the talk-fest online. Narrate your beta experience, air out your constructive criticisms, report bugs, barrage the devs with your questions - it's going to be fair play for everyone. And on top of that, you just might win a couple of prizes in the process to.

Now who said blabbermouths are just nothing but talk, ey?

Buy: [Shadowrun (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Shadowrun (Windows Vista)]

Days after the rumors revolving around CoD 4 and Infinity Ward spread, the latter still refuses to comment on the matter and remains tight-lipped. However, the developer's silence is not exactly without a crack as their latest action somewhat betrays their future intentions and plans.

Infinity Ward just re-launched its official site, adding community-focused features as well as updating its networking and communication capabilities. "We worked with our fans to create a web site that speaks to their interests and in order to create an environment where fans can stay informed, express themselves and connect with one another," says Community Manager Robert Bowling.

Aside from sections devoted to the history of various installments of the Call of Duty franchise, strategy guides, IRC links and fan/clan web site tool kits, here are the major developments added to their site:

• Squad-Building: Users will be empowered to create and build their own squads for Call of Duty 2. The customizable Squad mini-site profiles will include private squad chat rooms and forums, along with rosters, photos and profiles and the ability to set up events, send out challenges, recruit and more.
• Social Networking: Users can set up personalized accounts and create/update their profile, build a network of friends, upload photos, send email, post events, create/manage clubs, maintain a personal calendar and more.
• Podcasts: Download regular interviews straight from the team at Infinity Ward. They’ll address questions and comments from the community, as well as offer featured interviews.
• Developer/Modding Tutorials: Tips and tricks for modeling, scripting, mapping and modding in all forms are available here.
• FAQ/Suggestion System: Got a question or suggestion? Community members can search for the answer here; if the answer can’t be found, questions can be posted.
• Server Admin./Modding Sections: Tips and tricks, plus useful information and help for the more proactive player.
• Montage Mayhem: A forum for members to show their skills on film by posting their own tricked-out gameplay movies.

So, if you've read our earlier post about the unforgettable DDO-based Neverwinter Nights 2: Forgotten Realms, then you...wait, what? you havent?! What tha'?! Then scroll down and read it!

Seriously though, if you've done your own reading on NWN 2 and it has piqued your interest, we suggest you tune in for WarCry's developer chat because they'll be covering anything and everything you need to know about the upcoming action RPG. Listen to the Obsidian Entertainment developers talk about their latest project right smack on the eve of the game's release!

Other NWN enthusiasts will be there too, so you can talk like, we dunno, tips and tricks about the game. The chitchat will be on irc.warcry.com::6667 (irc.chatspike.net::6667) #nwn2 on Monday, October 30th, at exactly 6pm PST/7pm MST/8pm CST/9pm EST and GMT -8. Now, if you don't have an IRC client, no prob, you can always use the Java client over at the WarCry site. So there ya go, make sure you guys join in on the NWN talk and get to know the brains behind the game before you go out and try the game yourself. We will be keeping you updated on more NWN 2 developments, so stay tuned.