The time has come!  After much demand, Civilization V players now have the ability to play cross-platform multiplayer! The latest patch (1.0.1.383), which will be live shortly if it’s not already, not only brings the cross-platform multiplayer goodness, but also a whole host of other changes and improvements as well.  Players can expect a change in the pacing as well as more challenging gameplay on the higher difficulty settings.  There are also multiple balancing tweaks and other additions like the Policy “Finishers” which provide a bonus effect for completing a Policy Tree.  As with other patches, Civilization V will update automatically whenever you connect to Steam.  For a full (and long!) list of changes, hit the jump below. In related and totally awesome news, Civilization V Mac gamers now also have access to the two latest pieces of DLC: the Korea Civilization and Scenario Pack and the Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario Pack.  These new pieces of DLC bring even more depth and fun to the already massive game! *Please note that the latest patch and DLC are for the full, Steam-connected version of Civilization V and not Civilization V: Campaign Edition on the Mac App Store.

Korea

The Korea Civilization and Scenario Pack brings you both the Korea Civilization and the new Scenario: The Samurai Invasion of Korea, to further enhance your Civilization V experience. Rule the world as Sejong, King of the Choson Dynasty, with your invincible Turtle Ships and Hwach’a artillery! Scenario Description The great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi has unified Japan. To keep his Samurai busy, his eye now turns west to Korea. Will he be able to expand his empire? Or will Korea’s Chinese allies arrive in time? Play as one of four Civilizations: Korea, China, Manchuria, or Japan. Korea Ruler – Sejong the Great The fourth king of the Choson Dynasty of Korea, and considered by many to be the greatest king in Korean history. His reign was marked by his deep care for his people’s welfare and his encouragement of sciences and technology. He is credited with the creation of the Korean written language.

Wonders of the Ancient World

The Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario Pack adds three new wonders to Sid Meier’s Civilization V: The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Statue of Zeus, and the Temple of Artemis. Each of these early wonders brings powerful benefits to the civilization which can construct them! The Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario is a race between civilizations at the dawn of time. Each Civilization is competing to be the greatest builder of Wonders of the Ancient World. Play as one of the five civilizations and leave an indelible mark on history, or fade away into the dust of the past!

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Apple computing ruled the headlines this week, and for good reason–they’re amazing!

Apple and Apple-Related Gaming News

• Transgaming sat down with Inside Mac Games to discuss some upcoming projects.
• Shooters aren’t just for the mouse and keyboard! GamePro looks at the 10 Best iPhone Shooters.
• Surprise! Apple stock is UP since Steve Jobs retired!
• People are really satisfied with their Apple computers.  Well, duh.
• Inside Mac Games reviews some great new releases, including DiRT 2! (*cough* available at the GameAgent Store *cough*)
• iTunes has come a long way–check out the visual history from the beginning to now!

Gaming Stories in General

• User reviews gone wild! Giant Bomb looks at a recent phenomenon that has some publishers worried about sales.
• RAGE looks amazing. That is all.
• Get your Diablo III Beta impressions here!
• Star Wars: The Old Republic may be slipping to 2012.
• Social games curtailing spending on console gaming? Oh, the humanity!

Our Posts

• Quicksave: YOUR Votes Determine the Price of Your Favorite Game!

We’re getting a little experimental at the GameAgent Store this weekend with some heavy ties to an on-going Facebook poll.  The question at hand?  Choose the game you want to see discounted the most!

• Civilization III: Complete (Mac)
• Civilization IV (Mac)
• Civilization IV: Complete (Mac)
• Civilization V (Mac)
• Civilization V DLC (All) (Mac)
• Knights of the Old Republic (Mac)
• Empire at War (Mac)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Mac)

You can go vote on your favorite over at our Facebook page (or by clicking here).  We’ll check the poll results periodically throughout the weekend and adjust the discounts according to what percentage of votes each game has! Example: At the time of this writing, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has 39% of the vote, so it is enjoying a 39% discount! The discount will end at 11:59pm (CST) on Sunday, September 25.  Act now by voting your game up to enjoy the greatest discount and tell your friends!

We cap the week off with the news that the boys and girls at Feral Interactive are busy (TWO major game announcements in ONE week?!?). Looking at their track record, though, I guess it’s not really news after all?

Apple and Apple-Related Gaming News

• Feral Interactive drops bomb #1 that the recently-released Deus Ex: Human Revolution is coming to Macs!
• If you have access to the iTunes App Store, go play Jetpack Joyride NOW.
• Is your Mac starting to show its age? Check out this handy guide to determine if it’s time to upgrade.
• Inside Mac Games interviews Aspyr’s own Elizabeth Howard on what to expect in the near and distant future.
• A MacBook that never loses power? It’s not science fiction.
• Feral Interactive drops bomb #2: Batman: Arkham Asylum is also coming to Macs, and very soon!

Gaming Stories in General

• Inside Mac Games brings updates on the hotly-anticipated Diablo III!
• Getting too old for gaming? The fine writers at Cracked provide a handy checklist that will confirm your worst fears.

Our Posts

• Civilization IV Now Available on the Mac App Store
• Civilization V Gets a New Low Price

Hot on the heels of a MASSIVE 75% off discount across multiple platforms and outlets, Sid Meier’s Civilization V (Mac) can now be found at an all new low price of $29.99!  This price point provides an unprecedented value for one of the greatest strategy games of all time.

Also, don’t forget–when you purchase Civilization V from the GameAgent Store, you also can grab any of the available Civilization V DLC at 20% off!

In other news, Aspyr is working hard on getting Civilization V (Mac) up to date with the PC version and is looking to release a new patch, along with the latest DLC Korea and Wonders of the Ancient World, in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Hey, Civ Fanatics, great news–Civilization IV, one of the greatest Civilization games of all time, is now available on the Mac App Store!  The game comes fully-featured so you can enjoy the full Civ IV experience.  Hit the jump to get a full rundown of the game description and features!

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Big news for Duke Nukem fans!  Aspyr has recently finished work on the latest Duke Nukem Forever patch, and the update should be live shortly (if it isn’t already).  The patch matches pretty much everything from the initial PC patch, including the ability to carry up to four weapons in single player. But the really kickass part?

 

Cross-platform multiplayer is now at your fingertips!

 

We’ve put together a short FAQ below (after the jump) that will hopefully answer any questions you may have.  If we missed anything, let us know in the comments!

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It’s “Back to School” week at the GameAgent Store, and we’ve got some great deals for students and non-students alike!

First up, the biggie: Civilization V (Mac) is on sale for an incredible 75% off!

We’re also discounting our the entire Feral Interactive catalog by 20%!  This includes great games like Borderlands: Game of the Year (Mac) (with the recent announcement of Borderlands 2, there’s no better time to give it a go!), Sid Meier’s Pirates! (Mac), and Rome: Total War Gold Edition (Mac).  You can also grab a collection of LEGO titles (featuring Batman, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and the entire cast of Star Wars) and the incomparable classic Bioshock (Mac), among others!

These deals are good through end of the day (11:59pm CST) September 5, 2011.  Head over to the GameAgent Store now and take advantage of this awesome sale before it’s over!