Time to get musical on this rockin’ Friday with an ode to the games we play and the real reason we play them.

Apple and Apple-Related Gaming News

• The new Apple campus is going to be NUTS.
• Macworld breaks down how Apple achieves greatness. Hint: It’s not magic.
• GamePro goes crazy for Apple gaming this week:
• The 6 best word games on the iPhone and iPad.
• These games are better on the iPhone and iPad than any other platform.
• Hey, Nintendo, scared of the iPhone 5 yet? Computerworld thinks you should be.
• Have you upgrade to OS X Lion yet? Mac|Life points out 80 new features you may have overlooked.
• The iPad 3 has been pushed to 2012 due to troubles with the Retina Display.
• MacRumors drops the news that Duke Nukem Forever is now available on the Mac!
• iPhone users beware: AT&T is taking away the $10 text messaging plan.

Gaming Stories in General

• A new Counter-Strike game is on the way!
• IndustryGamers talks about how Duke Nukem Forever succeeded against all odds.
• Bioshock’s Rapture may soon be a reality thanks to a Paypal cofounder.
• 1UP.com takes a look at how Deux Ex has been reinvented from the ground up.
• Is the best game of the year already in your possession? Joystick Division thinks it may be.

 

Our Posts

• Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Now Available via Mac App Store
• Duke Nukem Forever lands on the Mac!
• Quicksave: Celebrate Duke Nukem Launch with 25%+ Off All Aspyr Games

Because we love a good reason to rock an awesome sale, the GameAgent Store is celebrating the launch of Duke Nukem Forever (Mac) with a MASSIVE sale on all of our Aspyr titles!  Starting today and running through August 25, you’ll be able to get any* Aspyr game at least 25% off, if not more!

This includes all of Aspyr’s top titles, like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Mac) (25% off), Star Wars: Empire at War (Mac) (33% off), Prey (Mac) (50% off), and Civilization V (Mac) and all Civ V DLC (25% off)!

BONUS: Aspyr is offering the same discount on all of their titles in the Mac App Store! Act now before the deals expire!

*The exception being Duke Nukem Forever (Mac)–too soon (and totally unfair to the awesome fans that pre-ordered)

Hey, Duke fans, the day has come–Duke Nukem Forever (Mac) is now available for download!

Blast aliens and save the babes in this epic, over-the-top shooter. Guns and explosions galore as you carve your way through hordes of monster scum!

Also, what would launch day be without a little giveaway? Head over to the Aspyr Media Facebook page and check out the Discussion page for a chance to win some Duke Nukem Forever swag!  Entries accepted through Sunday!

Finally, a BIG shout out to 2K Games and Gearbox for not only bringing Duke back to gamers everywhere, but also for allowing Aspyr to take part in his epic journey as well. You guys rock!

 

Dust off your lightsabers because Star War: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is now available on the Mac App Store!  Plus, we’re discounting the price through the first week of its release, so get your copy today!

In the tradition of the highly acclaimed Star Wars: Jedi Knight series, Star Wars®: Jedi Knight® II: Jedi Outcast™ features rebel agent Kyle Katarn in exhilarating first-person action. Several years have passed since Kyle avenged his father’s death and saved the Valley of the Jedi from Jerec and his band of Dark Jedi. Allowing his Force powers to languish for fear of falling to the dark side, Kyle entrusted his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker, vowing never to use it again. But when a new and menacing threat to the galaxy emerges, Kyle knows he must reclaim his past in order to save his future.

Explore breathtaking Star Wars locales such as Cloud City, the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, Nar Shaddaa, and the smugglers’ moon. Multiplayer options include deathmatch, saber-only deathmatch, and team capture the flag.

Features

• Expanded and enhanced use of the lightsaber features a slew of attack and defense moves
• Tap into the powers of the Force including Jump, Push, Jedi Mind Tricks and more
• Employ combat or stealth, depending on the situation. When a fight is necessary, be at the ready with an arsenal of weapons: stun baton, Bryar blast pistol and blaster rifle to name but a few
• Two multiplayer modes: Jedi training and team-based play

When was the last time you played a World War II game?  Yeah–it’s been a while.

Take the opportunity now to save 30% on the critically-acclaimed Brothers in Arms: Double Time (Mac) at the GameAgent Store!  The game will be on sale all week until 11:59pm CST, Sunday, August 14.

Based on a true story, Brothers in Arms: Double Time brings the first two episodes in Gearbox Software’s critically acclaimed WWII tactical shooter series to the Mac.

Play as Sergeant Matt Baker and Corporal Joe Hartsock, leading your squad behind enemy lines through the Normandy invasion. Gritty, authentic and innovative, Brothers in Arms: Double Time offers a visceral, emotionally-charged experience of infantry combat.

Real Soldiers. Authentic battlefields. True combat.

Gaming News

• Borderlands 2 has been announced!
• Bethesda is suing Mojang (creators of Minecraft) over the word “Scrolls” for trademark infringment.
• HBO GO is coming to consoles so prepare yourself to watch some of the greatest TV shows of all time from your consoles.
• Id Software’s RAGE gives the press a chance to play through the first 3 hours of the game.
• Diablo 3 is going to require a constant internet connection to play. Uncool. Also, there is going to be a real money auction house.
• Nintendo’s company president, Satoru Iwata has taken personal responsibility for the floundering 3DS handheld.
• EA figures that 3D gaming isn’t worth it’s time.

Apple News

• Rumor has it that Apple may end up merging iOS and Mac OS X into a single platform in 2012-13
• Apple and Samsung are in a legal battle about patent infringements and Apple wins the early round.
• If you were so inclined to boot up Windows on your computer, Boot Camp 4 now requires Windows 7 or later.
• iPhone apps are starting to be approved by Apple for iOS 5 compatibility.
• Apple is cracking down on non-developer devices running iOS 5. They’ve tracked down devs who have sold their account device slots and closed their accounts.
• Apple is getting closer and closer to claiming the “World’s Most Valuable Company” title.
• It’s a total victory for games now that the iPad and iPhones are considered consoles to some extent.

With QuakeCon kicking off yesterday, I imagine many of your gaming buddies may have run off to Dallas, TX, to the BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) LAN party that QuakeCon is so known for.  For whatever reason you chose to remain behind doesn’t mean that you can’t throw a small LAN party of your own and have a blast.  Here’s a couple things to keep in mind when throwing a LAN party.

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QuakeCon is rocking all weekend, and so is an awesome deal at the GameAgent Store.  From now through 11:59pm CST on Sunday, you’ll be able to grab Doom 3 (Mac), QUAKE 4 (Mac), and Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars (Mac) all for 50% off!

BONUS: Order all three games (or just add our id Pack (Mac) for quick checkout) and receive free shipping! (USPS only)

Roll out the red carpet for humanity’s babe-lovin’, beer chuggin’, ass-kicking savior, because on August 18^th Duke Nukem Forever is bringing its style of awesomeness to Macs everywhere. Hail to the King!

In two week’s time, you’ll be able to step into the mighty boots of Duke Nukem and serve up the pain-cake to any and all aliens that threaten Earth and its babes.

And believe me, Duke is more than ready to kick ass and chew bubble gum! And, as always, he’s all out of gum.

Luckily for you, the King of Babes has been feeling particularly generous, so he’s decided to offer the digital version of Duke Nukem Forever for a new low price of $39.99.

Don’t freak if you’ve already pre-ordered the digital version, because all current digital pre-orders will be charged the lower price.  Duke Nukem knows how to treat his adoring masses.

Also, it’s still not too late to pre-order Duke Nukem Forever, and it would be unwise to refuse this gift from Duke Nukem.

To sweeten the deal, Duke has concocted a little contest for his devoted fans to win some kickass swag in the coming weeks so check back regularly for the details.

Pack your bags, grab a toothbrush, and hop on your nearest plane, train, or automobile, because they are opening another Apple Store in New York. This store, however, will be located at Grand Central Terminal, the largest train station in the world, where thousands of people commute everyday to their respective places. Sufficed to say, this already busy transit hub will soon be even busier.

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