<![CDATA[Kotaku: free games]]> http://tags.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: free games]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/freegames http://kotaku.com/tag/freegames <![CDATA[America's Army 3 Invades Steam]]> The third installment of America's Army is now available for pre-loading on Steam one week ahead of its June 17th release date.

Yes, America's Army 3 is only a week away from release, and right now you can pre-load the game/recruitment tool on Steam so you're ready to drop into the action as soon as it goes live. Like the previous two installments of the game, AA3 is completely free, unless you count the taxpayer money that went into development, promotions, and marketing. Other than that, completely free.

For those of you who just can't wait for the hot military action, head over to the official website to read the America's Army Graphic Novel, the comic book paid for by American tax dollars.

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<![CDATA[Nifflas Releases Knytt Nano Minigames]]> juni.jpgYou may know indie developer Nicklas "Nifflas" Nygren for his clean, surreal and critically-acclaimed platformers Within a Deep Forest, Knytt and Knytt Stories. Nifflas fans already know that his next project, Night Game, is in the works and not finished yet — but on his site's forums, the developer's just released a Knytt minigame pack called Knytt Nano to tide eager fans over until the next release.

If you haven't checked out any of Nifflas' games, I highly recommend them — they're characterized by simple gameplay, sprawling nonlinear worlds, cute creatures and neat ambient music and sound (which he often designs himself, to boot). You'll have to hit the forums for Knytt Nano, but the other titles are available for free download from Nifflas' site. [Thanks Anonymous, who tipped me off via Sexy Videogameland!]

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<![CDATA[SAGA MMORTS Free From FileFront]]> Silverlode Interactive's SAGA is a PC MMO RTS that allows you to develop and maintain your own city and build your army using an innovative booster pack system, similar to that found in collectible card games. There's a free version available at the SAGA website, but in order to participate in trading, guilds, or PVP combat you have to buy the retail version for $19.95...unless you head over to FileFront between now and May 11th to sign up for one of 50,000 retail keys, which gives you access to the full game for free. It really is an interesting game, and with the whole shebang being free to play, relying on booster pack sales for revenue, you've got nothing to lose but some hard drive space.

SAGA Installer At FileFront
[FileFront]

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<![CDATA[Top 10 Games For $10 or Under]]> tori-emaki.jpg If you're looking for some cheap thrills (and really, who isn't?), head over to Sarcastic Gamer, where 10 bloggers (including our very own Luke and Leigh) weigh in on their favorite cheap options for some fun — and they're not all super obvious. On the list? Knytt, Tori-Emaki, Bloody Roar, and several others. I can think of a few cheapies (or freebies) I'd put on my own personal list.

Top bloggers name top 10 Games for $10 [Sarcastic Gamer]

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<![CDATA[Timewasters of the Day: Best Freeware Arcade Games of '07]]> gardengnomecarnage.png Indiegames has put together a convenient wrap up of their top 20 free arcade games of 2007. There's something for everyone, and games running the gamut from simple to complex, with graphics to match. Garden Gnome Carnage not sounding like your cup of tea? Maybe Cottage of Doom or Winter's Heart will be up your alley. Most entries give a quick overview, screen shots, and a video of gameplay.

Best Freeware Arcade Games 2007 [Indiegames]

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<![CDATA[Ubisoft Reveals Web-Based Might And Magic]]> Heroes of Might and Magic is hitting the web, and it is going to be huge! Ubisoft has just unveiled Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms, an all-new game that takes the series' trademark fantasy simulation battles and puts them in your web browser. That's right, in your web browser. There is no download at all. You'll simply log into the website, create an account, and you'll be playing Might and Magic against thousands of players around the world.

"This is a new type of game for Ubisoft, one that allows you to jump into a rich and complex universe just with your Web browser," said Serge Hascoët, Chief Creative Officer. "Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms will open a wide door to the Might and Magic universe, allowing players to immerse themselves within it unlike ever before."
Best of all? The game will be completely free to play. Worst of all? Since it plays in a browser window you can totally get away with playing it at work.

Right now players can head over to www.hommkingdoms.com to get an idea of what's in store for them once the game launches worldwide this Spring. They've got screens, an explanation of gameplay, and even a place where you can register for updates, perhaps scoring an entry into the beta.

If you really want to get into the beta and live in the UK, special key codes are included inside copies of the Heroes of Might and Magic Complete Edition, which should be available shortly.

Ubisoft To Launch Web-Based Video Game In The Heroes Of Might And Magic® Universe

Heroes of Might and Magic® Kingdoms to Hit the Web in Spring 08

LONDON, UK -13th December, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that Heroes of Might and Magic® Kingdoms , a new Web-based game in the critically-acclaimed Heroes of Might and Magic series is being developed for a Spring 2008 worldwide launch.

Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms is a strategy game set in a persistent version of the heroic-fantasy world of Heroes of Might and Magic. Thousands of players will be able to rule their virtual kingdoms, lead gigantic armies against each other, master the trades or create legendary heroes. The game requires no download or installation, only an Internet connection. In addition, players can play at their own pace; from 10 minutes to multiple-hour sessions.

"This is a new type of game for Ubisoft, one that allows you to jump into a rich and complex universe just with your Web browser," said Serge Hascoët, Chief Creative Officer. "Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms will open a wide door to the Might and Magic universe, allowing players to immerse themselves within it unlike ever before."

An exclusive key for the beta test is hidden in the Heroes of Might and Magic Complete Edition that releases today, you can also register on www.hommkingdoms.com.

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<![CDATA[Auran Lets Fury Go Free, Bad News Follows]]> Auran's "financial disaster" of an MMO brawler Fury is about to be slightly less of a financial disaster, at least from a purely player perspective. Auran has announced that starting with December 14th's Age of the Chosen update, players will be able to download and play the game completely free using a new mode called "Chosen", which gives access to all items and powers included in the game, only they will earn money and essence at a slower rate and will not be able to trade with other players. For a fee players can upgrade to Hero or Immortal status, where they gain powers and cash at an increased rate. Good news for players, though Auran CEO Tony Hilliam delivered the news to Kotaku Australia along with ominous tidings.

We will then have some bad news to follow (unless a miracle occurs), but there will be a very positive end to the week.
All they need is a miracle. All they need is you.

Fury Goes Completely Free With Dec 14 Content Update
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<![CDATA[Freedom Suits RF Online]]> Back in mid October, Codemasters announced that their sci-fi anime-styled MMORPG RF Online was switching from a subscription service to a free-to-play business model, and gamers have responded in droves. From empty servers to overfilled in a period of weeks, today Codemasters announces the opening of their second new server in the span of fourteen days. Turns out gamers really enjoy free things. Who'd have thought? Hell, even I went back and played for a couple of days before the fact that I don't have time to play any more MMO games kicked in. The game is available completely free right now at www.rf-onlinegame.com. There are certainly more expensive ways to spend your time.

RF Online Opens New World as Demand Reaches Unprecedented Levels!

Unprecedented demand sees Codemasters Online open another new world due to huge popularity for this free-to-play MMORPG.

Thursday, 8th November (2pm GMT) - Codemasters Online are thrilled to announce the opening of another new world for their hugely popular 100% free MMORPG RF Online. The new world known as "Solus" will open its gates as a surge of new players join the RF Online service.

Since the switch to free to play two weeks ago, RF Online has achieved unprecedented levels of success as players come from far and wide to declare their allegiance and battle it out for control of Novus.

"To open our 2nd new world in the space of two weeks is a tremendous success and testament to the ever increasing player base and their loyalty to the game. The current demand for RF Online is far exceeding our own expectations and the active player base continues to increase week upon week." commented Adam McGowan, Global Product Marketing Manager, Codemasters Online."

Following the opening of "Solus", Codemasters Online are now preparing for the games next free update due to launch in the coming months currently named "Planet Wars". This completely free expansion will see players take to the skies in fast paced action space combat as they pilot their ships through space and venture to all new planets and systems.

RF Online, the completely free MMORPG is an epic mix of traditional fantasy and futuristic Sci-Fi set in the deep space galaxy of Novus where three races compete in an ultimate struggle for power and resource.

To download RF Online now visit www.rf-onlinegame.com

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<![CDATA[GameTap Nears 1000th Game]]> Way back when GameTap was first announced via a series of viral websites, I was highly skeptical of the service, which at the time only had a handful of older titles that were easily available via other sources or not worth playing altogether. Since then the service has grown into a respectable game delivery platform worth of my $9.99 a month, and with games like Clive Barker's Jericho coming to the service for no charge to subscribers, it's an excellent time to be paying member. As of right now there are 989 titles available, and the company has now announced that November 15th will mark the 1000th game available on the service. They aren't telling what game that is, but they do hint that it will be from one of their publishing partners like Eidos, or Codemasters. Head over to GameTap's website and sign up today for only $.99 your first month. They've got Typing of the Dead, so it pretty much pays for itself.

GAMETAP APPROACHES 1000 GAMES IN SERVICE

Upcoming release schedule is highlighted by day-and-date offering of Clive Barker's Jericho, new original game episodes and the arrival of Game 1000

ATLANTA - October 18, 2007 - With its 1000th game on the horizon, GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), announced today its upcoming video games on-demand offerings, including the October 23rd day-and-date release of Clive Barker's Jericho, the premiere of Sam & Max Season Two, and the season finale of Myst Online: Uru Live. By championing original broadband episodic content and the day-and-date offerings of new games, while boasting the video game industry's largest on-demand library of games, GameTap remains at the forefront of the digital distribution trend.

"GameTap is focused on providing our subscribers with new original games, as well as great partner titles like Clive Barker's Jericho, that will premiere on GameTap the same day it hits retail stores," said Ricardo Sanchez, vp of content and creative director for GameTap. "We are also excited to announce that on November 15th we will be setting an industry benchmark of 1000 video games on-demand, reinforcing our reputation as the leader in the space."

The following are details regarding GameTap's hottest upcoming video game offerings:

* Clive Barker's Jericho: As part of its groundbreaking distribution strategy, GameTap is making Clive Barker's Jericho from Codemasters available to subscribers on October 23rd, the same day it arrives in retail stores. Written by legendary author Clive Barker, this game adds a new level of depth to the horror adventure genre by arming players with a squad of parapsychological soldiers, each with unique skills and abilities.

* Myst Online: Uru Live: In the Season Finale of this GameTap Original title, players embark on an amazing adventure filled with new worlds to explore and captivating puzzles to solve. The episode begins on November 1st and features the release of new game areas and the climax of the current storyline.

* Sam & Max Season Two: November 8th marks the premiere of the sequel to one of the most critically-acclaimed games of 2006. Sam & Max, stars of the industry's first successful episodic game, return for a second season of hilarious adventures. The first episode, "Ice Station Santa," pits the rabbity-thing and dog sleuth duo against a crazed Santa Claus. To get the party started early, GameTap is also now featuring Episode 4 from Season One "Abe Lincoln Must Die!" free to play exclusively at www.gametap.com/samandmax.

* Game 1000: On November 15th, GameTap will further solidify its position as the leading provider of video games on demand by releasing its 1000th title. What will the milestone title be? With hundreds of games already available in the service and dozens available to play free, count on it to be from one of GameTap's top publishing partners.

In addition to brand new games, GameTap is still continuing to add hit titles from the past, including Clockwork Knight, the SEGA Saturn side-scrolling classic, and Typing of the Dead, the SEGA Dreamcast-popularized game that introduced an entirely new keyboard-driven way to combat zombies.

To play the latest titles, Gold level subscription plans are currently available for as low as $5.00 per month and new subscribers can get their first month for only 99 cents. Gamers can also visit GameTap.com to check out the selection of more than 40 free games which are updated each week.

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<![CDATA[RF Online Goes Free]]> And so another Codemasters MMO gets so 'popular' that it makes the switch to free to play! High-fantasy Archlord is now joined by anime sci-fi RF Online in CM's stable of free MMORPGs. Players can now download the full game plus the free expansion, Episode II: Pioneers of Novus from www.rf-onlinegame.com and start playing immediately.

"RF Online is a great game with a strong community and by making the game free-to-play we're inviting absolutely everyone to come and enjoy this unique Sci-Fantasy online RPG," commented Kyle Rowley, Community Manager, Codemasters Online."
Personally I enjoyed the look and atmosphere of RF Online when I played it during late beta, but felt that the gameplay itself fell flat. Maybe it'll play better free?
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<![CDATA[Candy Mountain Massacre]]> From the website that brought you 5 Minutes to Kill Yourself and Viva Caligula comes Candy Mountain Massacre, the latest highly inappropriate game to grace the Adult Swim Games section. It's a 3D 3rd-person shooter which puts you in the shoes of a sexy female exterminator charged with cleansing the creatures of Candy Mountain, who have been turned into vicious killers due to some sort of plague. Dress up in cosplay or don some black-ops gear as you slaughter your way through leprechauns, bunnies, and cooing babies with three different weapons. It's one of the better web-based shooters I've played, running quite smoothly despite the odd glitch here and there. Probably not safe for work, unless your job doesn't mind dying representations of Irish folklore shouting, "Look what you did, ya slut!"

Candy Mountain Massacre [Adult Swim]

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<![CDATA[Ubisoft Titles Go Free On Fileplanet]]> Are you a PC gamer who's never tried Far Cry, Rayman's Raving Rabbids or Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time? Well today all four games have shown up on FilePlanet, completely free of charge for subscribers to the service. Well, not exactly completely free. They are all now in convenient as supported form, meaning you'll get a healthy dose of marketing along with your free game, but hell, these are some pretty awesome titles to get for the low, low price of watching a few commercials. Not sure if this is a temporary deal or what, as Ghost Recon was up there as well but the link is now not working, so you might need to hop on this ASAP.

Raving Rabbids on FilePlanet
Far Cry on FilePlanet
Prince of Persia on Fileplanet - Thanks to Mascott for finding these, and if they go away, blame him!

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<![CDATA[Majesco Titles On GameTap]]> Every week I am feeling a bit better about that $.99 GameTap free trial that I keep forgetting to cancel. Not only will they have Clive Barker's Jericho for the only price worth paying for it (free), but now they've signed a deal to provide Majesco games to lazy folk like me that never got around to stopping the service. If I had actually gone through with ending it only to have Psychonauts suddenly become available I would have kicked myself so hard. BloodRayne 1 & 2 and Jaws: Unleashed I could give or take, but mmmm Psychonauts.

"Given the limited shelf space and relatively quick turn of titles at retail nowadays, we consider GameTap to be a valuable vehicle that can help extend the video game lifecycle," said Ken Gold, vice president of Marketing, Majesco.
That's the truth. I've been using the service lately to fill in a few gaps in my gaming portfolio. If you haven't experienced the joy of Psychonauts, now would be an excellent time.
Majesco and GameTap Partner on New Digital Distribution Deal

Top titles now featured on leading broadband gaming network

EDISON, N.J. - Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games and digital entertainment products for the mass market, announced today that several popular titles from its catalog, including Psychonauts, BloodRayne 1 & 2, and JAWS™ Unleashed are now available for subscription play and digital download on GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.). The new agreement includes that Majesco titles will also be made available on GameTap's recently launched ad-supported game play website.

"Given the limited shelf space and relatively quick turn of titles at retail nowadays, we consider GameTap to be a valuable vehicle that can help extend the video game lifecycle," said Ken Gold, vice president of Marketing, Majesco.

Along with the critically-acclaimed Psychonauts from Double Fine Productions that is currently available for subscription play and online purchase, BloodRayne 1 & 2 are also prominently featured as part of GameTap's 'Bloodsucker Summer,' an original content program that the 900+ game service utilizes to bring both newer and older titles from their massive library to the attention of their subscribers.

GameTap is also inviting fans to 'Hit the Beach' today by offering the best-selling JAWS™ Unleashed to their Gold Level members for the first time.

"Majesco's wide range of quality games are a great addition to our current product catalog," said Ricardo Sanchez, GameTap's vice president of content and creative director. "Psychonauts is consistently one of our top titles and we've had a great response to the recent launch of BloodRayne on our service."

Psychonauts is a unique, third-person psychic odyssey from the mind of Tim Schafer that received numerous accolades and awards, including the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for Best Screenplay.

JAWS™ Unleashed adapts the landmark film into a unique interactive experience that lets you play as one of Nature's most powerful and fearsome creatures, the Great White Shark.

BloodRayne is an original action-horror franchise starring the super-sexy, super-lethal, supernatural heroine Rayne.

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<![CDATA[Wii Flash Games]]> Albino Blacksheep has posted a repository of Wii friendly flash games. Pretty much games that only really require a mouse pointer to use, so they translate well to the wiimote. There's a Duck Hunt clone, a shooting gallery, puzzles, and my personal favorite...

It's a game where you try to spank the monkey so fast that disco music plays, which is a refreshing new twist on the plain vanilla monkey spanking genre. Some of the games work well, others don't seem to work at all. Don't expect a lot of depth here, just some minigames to help pass the time.

Just go into your Wii's internet channel and navigate to the URL below and you'll be all set. Happy spanking!

Wii Flash Games [Albino Blacksheep - Thanks Odelay!]

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<![CDATA[Dice Wars, Like Crack In Flash Form]]> This is a call for help. I am addicted to Dice Wars. Let me give you some back story. When I was in college, instead of going to parties and talking to girls, I hung out with a group of fellow nerds on the weekends, ate Kentucky Fried Chicken and played a ridiculous amount of Risk (or NHL 94 on the Genesis). While I don't necessarily miss the people, I miss the fun.

That's probably why I'm like a skin and bone crackhead for Dice Wars. After giving up the nerd hangouts, and the fried chicken, all I have left is some speedy approximation of those nights playing Risk. Dice Wars isn't exactly the same thing, merely a randomized hexagonal map with some simple, but deep, turn based strategy. We don't normally talk about freeware or Flash games, but I'm willing to make an exception to get you kids hooked on a little weekend "fun".

Dice Wars [via Jay Is Games]

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<![CDATA[Play Multi-Player Asteroids With Me]]> Guys, I'm really bored. Play some Multiplayer Asteroids with me, okay? I promise I'm really, really bad and I hardly know what any of the power ups do, so you can beat up on me for hours while I shirk my Kotaku duties. I'll be KotakuMike and I'll just sit there for a few rounds so you can up your kill ratio.

Did I mention it's free? It is! Play some Multiplayer Asteroids with me. Don't make me beg. It's really fun!

[Update] Clearly the Kotaku readership has answered the call for some MP Asteroids. We've been putting some strain the server, resulting in some serious lag. I'll be sitting out for a bit to help keep the numbers down. Asteroids with 20+ simultaneous players is nuts!

Multiplayer Asteroids [via 4CR]

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<![CDATA[Metric Butt-Ton of Free Games]]>

Megagames.com has compiled a gigantic list of free games for those blogging hobos that are popping up everywhere. There are approximately 400 in the list, from the unsightly yiff-fest MMO "Furcadia", to the socially-conscious condom shill "Catch the Sperm".

Randomly clicking through, I was rewarded with the bile-filled description for A Nightmare on Sesame Street, which ends on a note of mystery:

Through the games' various levels you get to make sure each character of the game receives a slow, agonizing and painful end. By the end of the game the name on the street sign won't be visible, cause it will be covered in puppet blood.

This game is as simple as they come but it certainly deserves credit for its very rewarding concept.
The developer of this game is unknown.

The User Comments also offer up some good old-fashioned Greater Internet Fuckwad action (more the clueless variety as opposed to the malicious). My favorite?

anonymous at 18:27 8/0/2002 personally i was expecting more activities from the program. no-one makes a fool of Arnold Smith

"DO YOU HEAR ME, ELMO? NOOOO OOOOOONE!!!"

So many games! [MegaGames]

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<![CDATA[Play Grid Wars Now, Before It's Too Late]]> If you agree with any of the following statements:

1. I like Geometry Wars but want to play it on my work PC instead of working
2. I haven't yet played Geometry Wars and want to see what all the fuss is about
3. I like free games and copyright infringement
4. I like installing software

Then I suggest you go get yourself some Grid Wars, a Geometry Wars knock-off, before the suits at Microsoft shut it all down. Hurry! Go!

Grid Wars by Incitti

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