There's no saying when the next Gothic title will launch, but it's not all that bad, because the most recent release Gothic 3 is getting is an expansion. Gothic 3 - Forsaken Gods offers not only new content, but promises fans a seamless top to Gothic 4. Check out the full article for more details.

We do believe it's time for all the SpellForce 2 fans on QJ to harness their powers and download a recently released patch for the game. If you're interested in knowing what's been changed as a result of the patch, head on over to the full article.


Download: SpellForce 2 Patch

The Gothic franchise has been receiving mixed feedback from the players and the haters ever since the first installment came out. From extreme ends of the spectrum, actually: some really loved it, some really abhorred it. It's now running on its third title (Gothic 3 for the PC) in the series, so we're guessing JoWood must be doing something right.

To continue the success of the series though, they've just announced that they're going to publish Gothic 4... with a bit of a caveat. Turns out that the German company - Piranha Bites, A.K.A. Pluto 13 - who developed the previous three titles in the series will be stripped off its developing rights. JoWood is now looking for a new developer for the next installment.

We're not sure how or why they decided to end ties with Piranha Bites, and we're not sure if that will lead to a good or bad thing. HOWEVER. Here's one good thing we do know: Gothic 4 will be published for the PC, and, for the first time ever in the franchise, next-gen consoles. What consoles exactly? No further details were given but we're placing our bets on Xbox 360 and PS3, but it's fair game for everyone, regardless.

More Gothic 4 updates in the future as they come along.

 

The expansion to the well-liked game SpellForce 2: Shadow of Wars is gearing up to be another exciting journey for all fans of the game. This addon from JoWood Productions and Koch Media brings in the ever popular Dragon race to make the players' adventures in the shattered islands of Eo more exhilarating. Players will have to ally themselves with the powerful Dragons if they wish to defeat the new enemy in the game.

In this trailer we've provided, you'll see just how essential the Dragon race's role will be in the game, and just how powerful this race is. Of course, this trailer also shows you a glimpse of what else to expect in SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm.

Download: SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm trailer feat. the Dragon race

The dog and rabbit crime-fighting duo is once again headed to retail stores worldwide beginning in August 2007. Sam and Max Season 1 gives us another peek at the six-foot tall mutt with a love for justice and that hyper-kinetic rabbit with an uncanny taste for violence. Sam and Max may be the Freelance Police, but they do get rid of the scum.

Anyhow, Telltale Games is of course the people behind the episodic games and now JoWooD Productions is helping out with the distribution chores. According to Albert Seidl, JoWooD's CEO, "We are excited about working with Telltale. Sam & Max is a strong franchise and fans across Europe, and the world over, are highly anticipating Sam & Max: Season 1... The worldwide retail release will allow us to bring Sam & Max to a wider audience since the game will be available in the five main languages."

In the meantime, we'll be expecting more screens and trailers from them.

   

The game SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm, published by Aspyr / JoWood Productions and developed by Phenomic Game Development, is the sequel to SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars. In this expansion, a new saga is formed as new creatures, beings, and magic long thought lost have returned, for better or worse. The story is a worthy continuation of the main game.

The magical portals which link the shattered islands of Eo, are losing their powers. The Shaikan, while enroute to save the portals, discover the ruins of an ancient civilization that once held the secrets of incredible beings known as "The Shapers". The ancient war, which had brought an end to The Shapers' dominion, left only two survivors. Both beings were in stasis but now one of them has been awakened. His power now poses a threat to Eo like no other enemy before. However, salvation comes from another ancient creature long though lost in the annals of time, the dragons.

The game is expected to be released Q1 this year. Check out the screenshots and see if it's your cup of tea.

    

By this time, all you SpellForce fanatics are already done with SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars which was released May of last year. And not to worry, Aspyr is well aware of that. Why else do you think they're now gearing up to release SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm?

For those not in the know, Dragon Storm is the upcoming expansion pack for the JoWood Productions-developed RTS for the PC. Featuring an expanded skill tree which offers the new Shaikan section for an even more customized hero development, you'll be casting spells left and right with your in-game avatars that have your own personal flavor. The expansion pack also includes hundreds (yes, hundreds) of new equipment items and new multiplayer maps.

Dragon Storm is slated for a late March release for the SRP of US$ $19.99 and requires the full version of SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars in order to be played. On to the screens!

   

JoWooD Productions is proud to announce that their RPG for the PC, Gothic 3, has sold more than 500,000 copies, making it one of the most successful German RPGs ever.

Senior Marketing Manager for Jowood, Johannes Natterer, says,

Every week we're curious about the incoming charts, showing sales of both Collector's and Standard Edition at a stable and high level. Our high expectations are still outnumbered and Gothic 3 is finally on its way to become a known and beloved brand even outside the German speaking territories.

Publisher Koch Media is also ecstatic about this recent development, for perfectly understandable reasons too. I mean, what company wouldn't be glad that they're raking in this much cash, eh? Now just in case you haven't gotten a copy yet (even though it's been out for like three months already), or you've forgotten the features that you'll find in the game, here's a quick refresher:

• Specially designed easy combat system
• Clear main goals, with the story driven yet dictated by the player
• Vast and free-roaming world and environments
• Advanced human behavior AI with full audio dialogues
• Over 50 different monsters and animals and dozens of human enemies
• Over 50 different powerful spells and over a hundred different weapons
  

So if you weren't one of the 500,000+ users who grabbed a copy, you might wanna start thinking and heading out to stores, fellas.

SpellForce fans rejoice! The next adventure to the Islands of Eo is close at hand. SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm would be brought to us by the joint efforts of JoWood Productions and Koch Media.

SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm is an RPG mixed with RTS elements. The Islands of Eo are well... islands and the only thing connecting them are the portals. The portals are weakening so the hero, a Shaikan, is sent to a dangerous mission to keep the portals alive. The Shaikan discovers the powerful ancient civilization called the Shapers. One of the last two surviving Shapers has awakened from a Sleeping Beauty sort of nap and is now considered a threat to Eo.

Along with that discovery comes the dragons. With their mixed sort of PR, dragons could either be good or evil - pretty much depends on which side you're on. Anyway, SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm boasts of more than 30 hours of gameplay, extended RPG gameplay with quests to unlock additional abilities, control the Shaikan faction on RTS gameplay, and more hero development. Additional features include: unit upgrades, summoning magic to conjure animals, hundreds of items plus players can create crafted set items, new maps for multiplayer mode, and skirmish mode at the Fortress of Decision.

SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm will hit the shelves in late March 2007. In the meanwhile, check out these screenshots.

Check out the rest of the screens after the jump!

Robert D. Anderson and the Legacy of Cthulhu is a "playable horror novel" based on the "Arkham Cycle" and the Cthulhu stories written by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft (born 1890, died 1937). We can see how Cthulhu fans will gravitate to this game (chanting "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" the whole time).

We just had to dig up more news on this PC game, and here's what we uncovered from a press release from JoWooD Productions:

• The game follows Robert D. Anderson as he travels to Germany in the early part of WWII to find out about his ancestors.
• The game is a collaboration between "literature experts, Pen&Paper gamemasters, and campaign authors," "award-winning director Gerhard Daurer," and "acclaimed fantasy artist Peter Siedl."

And we found a trailer. It's a MOV file, so you'll need QuickTime Player or something else that can play MOV files.

The game doesn't look as polished as other high-profile games for the PC, but the trailer does say that the game is "fanmade and homegrown". While others can criticize its graphics and the FPS gameplay, die-hard Cthulhu and Lovecraft fans will probably be waiting for this game's rising: June 2007.

Cthulhu fans might also want to check out Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, where Holmes' investigations lead him to a cult that worships Cthulhu. And for those who want a bit of Cthulhu humor, here's a delightful YouTube video (uploaded by Asfaril):

Download: [US UK Legacy of Cthulhu (PC) teaser]