Game development is seldom a trouble-free prospect, but it seems Damnation developer Blue Omega has had more than its fair share of troubles. In addition to news of the team being let go, ShackNews has details of the lawsuits that are now underway.

ShackNews has posted a Demoman review of America's Army 3.

Frankly, the best shot I made all day was after swiveling around and putting a round into my drill instructor's dome, which the Army did not look upon favorably. After leaving my jail cell, I spent some more time on the range with the M320 Grenade Launcher and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, which has a reload animation so long you could spend a week in Morocco and be home in time to see it finish. I attempted to take the Combat Lifesaving class, too, but it stubbornly refused to run without freezing. But hey, how often do injuries really come up during battle, anyway?

The latest GEARS OF WAR title JACINTO’S REMNANT BY Karen Traviss hits the shelves (and Amazon) on July 28.

NEW YORK (June 30, 2009) – Blockbuster video game franchise Gears of War burst onto the book scene last year with its first official novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss. ASPHO FIELDS — spanning the story between Gears of War and Gears of War 2 — was an instant bestseller. Now the sequel, GEARS OF WAR: JACINTO’S REMNANT (Del Rey Trade Paperback, on sale July 28, 2009, $15.00) picks up from the harrowing end of the second game and follows humanity’s struggle to survive after the destruction of its last bastion on the planet Sera.

After a brutal fifteen-year war for survival, the Coalition of Ordered Governments is forced to destroy Jacinto – mankind’s last city – in a final bid to stop the Locust Horde. As the survivors flee, they're caught between the last of the Locust, bent on vengeance, and a primitive struggle to stay alive in an icy wilderness. It’s up to Marcus Fenix, Dom Santiago, and their fellow Gears to fight to get Jacinto’s refugees to a safe haven. But what they find is a new world; lawless, treacherous, with an all too familiar enemy – humans, as desperate and dangerous as any Locust grub.

“Karen Traviss has outdone herself once again,” said Rod Fergusson, executive producer, Epic Games. "JACINTO'S REMNANT not only answers the question of what happens after the events of Gears 2, it also provides greater insight into the Gears of War universe and a deeper understanding of its characters. We hope players of the games and discerning readers alike will enjoy this ongoing tale of humanity's fight for survival."

GEARS OF WAR: JACINTO’S REMNANT was written in partnership with Epic Games, Inc., developers of the 11 million-selling Gears of War video game franchise. GEARS OF WAR: JACINTO’S REMNANT will be released day and date with the latest Game Add-on for Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360). Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection includes all previously released downloadable content for the game to date in addition to Dark Corners, a substantial Add-on featuring seven new multiplayer maps and the new Road to Ruin campaign chapter. In total, the All Fronts Collection contains nineteen maps and a new campaign experience, available for 1600 Microsoft points on Xbox LIVE starting at 12:00 a.m. GMT on July 28.

Karen Traviss is the author of four Star Wars: Republic Commando novels: Hard Contact, Triple Zero, True Colors, and Order 66; three Star Wars: Legacy of the Force novels: Bloodlines, Revelation, and Sacrifice; two Star Wars: The Clone Wars novels: The Clone Wars movie novelization and No Prisoners; as well as City of Pearl, Crossing the Line, The World Before, Matriarch, and Judge. A former defense correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, Traviss lives in Wiltshire, England.

Frogster has announced its Korean subsidiary will be teaming with Spellborn NV to send The Chronicles of Spellborn into "re-development" until 2010, at which time it will become free to play, supported by microtransactions. Those with subscriptions will be allowed to continue to play normally (P2P) until that time.

Oddly, this comes on the heels of news that a portion of Spellborn has dipped into bankruptcy (thanks MelvinB). As the site is in Dutch, details are still sparing. Perhaps someone would be nice enough to translate?

If you've been watching our Hosted News on the right sidebar then you'll have noticed a flurry of updates over the last few weeks for these two sites. If you haven't, then pay attention now because there's lots of good new stuff.

• SkinCity - EvilEngine and AgentX have teamed up to release the Skaarj-Pack for UT3. If you're a Skaarj fan, this is a must-have. In addition, you'll find a female model called "Tarja" and a "Polar and Dumon Soldier" model pack for UT3.
  
  
• UT Unlimited - Firefly has turned UT Unlimited into the Swiss-Army Knife of Unreal review sites with the addition of UT, UT2004, and UT3 map reviews, as well as models and links to other happening sites around the web. Highlights include a review of the Community Bonus Pack 3 v3 and a review of DM-GodComplex for UT2004.

Hazel H. has converted her great DM-Chizra and DM-Subterrane maps from the UT3 HOLP packs to Unreal Tournament. If you're a die-hard UT'er and haven't picked up UT3, you'd do well to treat yourself to these two fine maps... and they look fantastic!

Both levels are converted versions of my HOLP maps for UT3, scaled down to 75% of their original size to accommodate the UT1 movement. The ripper has also been added to both and the weapon placement altered.

Unreal Tactics v 2.1 has been released for Unreal Tournament 3. If you're looking for something a bit different, this one might fit the bill:

Unreal Tactics is a turn based tactics modification for Unreal Tournament 3 in which you take control of the forces of the Liandri, Axon, or Izanagi forces while they attempt to gain sole control of mining operations on a valuable ice planet.

Today, Epic Games Inc. launched Epic Games Korea, a local subsidiary located in Seoul, Korea, which "extends Unreal Engine 3 licensing services and dedicated support resources to game developers in Korea".

"Epic has been providing Unreal Engine technology to the Korean market for over five years, with the simple goal of helping our customers make better games," said Wilbur. "We are now expanding our commitment to the Korean game industry by opening a local subsidiary, hosting a third of our global licensing resources, to serve as a hub for Unreal Engine access, knowledge and support in the Korean marketplace."

We first reported on the opening of the new office last week. Epic Games Korea has their own website at http://www.epicgameskorea.com/.

Hm, I wonder if this means we'll be having more Unreal Engine-based MMORPGs...