Futuremark Games Studios and Steam have launched the Shattered Horizon free weekend, opening up the doors for anyone with a rig that can run the title to play for nothing through Sunday. To celebrate, the FPS has been slashed in half and can be had for just $10 through the event.

The free weekend comes to an end a little earlier than usual, so if you want to hop in and get some quality time for free you have from now until 1 PM PT on June 6. The sale however, doesn’t end until Monday, June 7 so if you’d like to take some extra time pondering a purchase its granted.

If you’re looking for a little written word on the game check out Geoff’s review.

For all you PC gamers who still have yet to try Shattered Horizon, this weekend is your chance to experience 100% of the action for 100% less of the price, via a Steam “free weekend.”

For those still not in the “know,” Shattered Horizon is a unique online-multiplayer FPS that takes place in entirely in space, which means zero-gravity. The game takes place 40 years from now when the moon has been mined so much that it eventually collapsed on itself and formed a “ring” of debris around Earth. You side with either the International Space Agency astronauts or the Moon Mining Cooperative in order to lay claim to the remaining supplies and mining locations.  You’ll be fighting above the Earth, in all it’s splendor, on such historic settings such as the International Space Station and various space shuttles.

Futuremark Game Studios, since release, has provided two additional/free content packs to the game, one that added additional maps and game modes (something Halo and Call of Duty charge for) and another that added a series of new weaponry (which fixed one of my primary complaints when reviewing the game initially).

Additionally, the game is drop dead gorgeous, provided you have the specs to keep up with the game. Even if you don’t however, it’s still a great looking game.

So be prepared. This weekend, you’ll get to try out the game in all it’s glory for zero dollars. What’s more, if you do like it and want to buy it, you’ll only have to pay half the price as, during the same weekend, the game will only cost $9.99 (usually $19.99). That’s a steal for anybody who enjoys online FPS games.

So get ready, because this weekend is gonna be packed with a whole lot of float-by-shootings.

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Shattered Horizon vs. Knytt Stories
Love vs. Ben There, Dan That

This is it, the very first match up in the round of 16. This is where the competition starts getting really interesting as games with large communities and games with long established fan bases begin clashing for indie game domination! … See? I can totally make this sound like a real sporting event.

In any case, for today’s maytch up we have Shattered Horizon vs. Knytt/Knytt Stories.

Up first we have Shattered Horizon, a unique FPS multiplayer game that features such astounding gameplay mechanics such as zero-gravity and float-by shootings. This has easily marked it as one of the best indie FPS games to have ever been made.

Facing off, however, is Knytt/Knytt Stories, which is probably one of the most talked about and celerated indie games of all time. It certainly didn’t hurt when Nifflas released Knytt Stories that allowed for user created levels which allowed for near-unlimited gameplay.

So which will make it to the quarter-finals? Cast your vote now!

Don’t forget to follow our TOURNAMENT feed to catch all the action!

Futuremark has released a pair of new updates for its first-person space shooter Shattered Horizon, now available for download.

The v1.2.1.28 patch brings several optimizations to the game’s engine code, with noticeable frame rate and general performance improvements, especially with middle to low end cards. The update also brings a change to the winning conditions of the Assault mode to reduce the percentage of matches ending in ties, and weekly leaderboards have been added to the Shattered Horizon website.

A minor patch (v1.2.1.29) released shortly after the update previously detailed fixes a few rare crash bugs as well. Both are available automatically on Steam for owners of the game. From the change log:

Shattered Horizon patch 1.2.1.28

This update makes several optimizations to engine code. Frame rates and general performance should improve noticeably particularly with low and mid range cards.

The winning conditions for Assault mode have been changed to reduce the number of matches ending in draws. A team now wins either by capturing more control points than the other team during the round, or by capturing all of the control points faster than the other team.

Server commands have been added allowing admins to edit the level cycle while the game is running. See the Shattered Horizon game manual for details.

Weekly leaderboards have been added to the Shattered Horizon website:

http://stats.shatteredhorizon.com/stats/weeklyLeaderBoards.action

Patch 1.2.1.29

This minor update fixes a few rare bugs that can cause the game to crash.

One of our favorite first-person shooters, Shattered Horizon, will be coming to UK retail stores by way of a boxed PC edition sometime in August 2010. Futuremark Games Studio has signed with PQube after having encountered great success with its zero-gravity, visually appealing title.

“PQube is delighted to bring the innovative Shattered Horizon to retail. The game has already chalked up considerable online success and will soon be available to a wider PC gaming audience in a complete retail package. Futuremark has consistently been a world leader in 3D performance benchmarking software for PC and this game is a testament to their attention to detail that we know gamers will love.”

- Dave Pain, Managing Director of PQube

Likewise, Futuremark had a few choice words about working with PQube.

“We are delighted to be working with PQube to bring a complete boxed edition of the game to traditional game retailers. We invite all PC gamers looking for an FPS that offers something new and different to check out Shattered Horizon in their local games store from August this year.”

- Jukka Mäkinen, Futuremark CEO

The PEGI has rated Shattered Horizon for persons aged 16 and above. Expect the release in August 2010. For more info, check out the press release below.

Press Release:

London 27th May 2010: PQube Ltd, a leading UK based independent video games publisher and distributor, announced today the UK retail release of Shattered Horizon™ for PC. The instore launch date is scheduled for August 2010.

About PQube Ltd
PQube provides a complete range of services for PR, marketing and games publishing. With an established team of industry professionals based in the UK and Germany, PQube Ltd publishes and distributes a range of its own and third party products across all games platforms and price points. www.pqube.co.uk

Futuremark has released a new update for its zero-G shooter Shattered Horizon, now available for download on Steam.

The v1.2.0.26 patch brings a short list of notable changes to the title including performance optimizations and plenty of gameplay tweaks including overall improvement for pistol accuracy, non-scoped railgun accuracy, along with an increase in speed while using the machine gun and a reduction in speed when carrying the SMG.

The file can be had by owners of the game by restarting the Steam client, if it doesn’t just arrive automatically. From the change log:

Shattered Horizon: version 1.2.0.26

performance optimizations

reload bugs fixed

Pistol overall accuracy has been improved

Railgun is now more accurate when fired from a surface in non-scoped mode

The railgun wobble after each shot and after zoom-in is a bit shorter

Player speed while using SMG or shotgun has been reduced

Player speed while using machinegun has been improved a bit

Vote for Your Favorite Indie Game!

We here at DIYgamer.com have started our very own bracket-styled tournament to find the best indie game, as voted on by you, the gamers. So head on over to our tournament page to vote on your favorite games!

The Tournament
Cave Story vs. Torchlight
Braid vs. Runman: Race Around the World
Spelunky vs. 5 Days a Stranger
Dwarf Fortress vs. Trine

The latest free content for Shattered Horizon has just hit the Futuremark store and Steam. Bringing 8 new weapons and 3 new grenades, it’s no small update to the space combat FPS. The update just hit Steam, so you can snag it now.

In addition, Shattered Horizon has also dropped its price by 25% through May 12th to make sure as many new players can experience the game as possible.

Jaakko Haapasalo, the Head of Futuremark Game Studio says, “We believe players should be rewarded for supporting a game and that’s why we have released all our DLC packs for free. In fact for $14.99, the same price as ‘that other map pack’ released this week, PC gamers can now get the complete Shattered Horizon game, including both the Moonrise map pack and the brand new Firepower weapons pack, from a developer that puts players first.”

Here are all the weapons headed your way, I daresay that mining pick is going to be awesome:

As a modern gamer, I’m a fan of many various genres, including, the online multiplayer FPS. I’ve played/beaten every Halo, and damn near every Call of Duty. I even enjoyed each’s prospective online modes for months after they were released, although I make no claim to ever actually being any good at them.

That said, however, as the two most popular online FPS games I’d be remiss if I didn’t point something out; in pure multiplayer gameplay, neither Call of Duty, nor Halo holds a candle to the innovativeness and fun of Shattered Horizon.

It’s true. With both games being so overwhelmingly popular I feel like it’s my duty to point this out and not only tell you, but show you why this is as well. So if you are an ardent PC gamer, and you love yourself some Call of Duty (or Halo 2…) then it’s time to check out another online FPS; Shattered Horizon. Here’s why:

1. Truly innovative FPS gameplay.

Games like Call of Duty and Halo are fun, but they’re essentially the same thing we’ve bee playing since Quake came out. You’re in some sort of arena — even if it doesn’t look like an arena — and you run around killing guys. You can jump, shoot, maybe even drive some vehicles. It’s all standard stuff and has been for a long time, across dozens (hundreds?) of FPS games.

In Shattered Horizon, however, while the game still follows some standard gameplay modes, there’s a single thing that truly sets it apart from all those other games: zero gravity.

Shattered Horizon has no up, down, left, or right. Seeing as how the game takes place in space, there’s really no right way to go. You just follow the markers proceed to blast your way to victory, no matter if your shooting somebody who happens to be upside down or not.

Beyond even the unique perspective, however, this also alleviates one of the worst types of online FPS gamer: the camper. In a game like Halo, or Call of Duty a person can find a spot and just sit there waiting for you to walk by, which you probably will because chances are thats one of the only paths/corridors/etc. With Shattered Horizon, even if there is a camper (which there are) they’re much easier to avoid seeing as how you don’t always have to go the same route to get to your objective. Zero-G has a funny way of removing most objects that would otherwise be obstacles.

2. Free DLC/Content Packs

I’ve never, ever bought a DLC map pack/weapons pack for any of the online FPS games I’ve ever owned. Why? Because, to me, an added map isn’t something that’s really worth money. Honestly, it just doesn’t change the game in a dramatic enough fashion. New maps are just new set pieces, the game is still the same.

That said, however, I don’t have anything against them overall. In fact, I love the continued commitment to the game. Shattered Horizon developers, Futuremark Game Studios, seem to agree with me on both points as they’ve so far released one free DLC map pack and are following that up with another free DLC which will add new weapons to the game, something that was desperately needed when the game originally launched.

3. Server support

Call me old fashioned, but when Activision announced it was killing server support for the PC in favor of it’s Infinity Ward match-em-up service I was instantly turned off. Not to say, it was a deal breaker like others were pronouncing, but I do prefer to pick my own servers and follow around with that server for a long time. Some of my best internet friends have come about that way.

While this method seems to be going away, Shattered Horizon continues this time honored tradition allowing me to find and stick with a single server for the duration. While the server population lists aren’t as numerous as some other games, it’s still comforting knowing they are there.

4. An actual interesting setting.

It seems like damn near every FPS that gets released today focuses around three different settings: space marines (Halo, Aliens vs. Predator, etc.), modern combat (Call of Duty, Battlefield, etc.) or WWII (Medal of Honor, Brothers in Arms, etc.). Beyond that there’s very little variation. With Shattered Horizon, the setting is very different. While in the crudest sense, you are playing as a sort of “space marine” these aren’t the space marines you’re familiar with. If anything these are more like astronaut soldiers, where combat is actually taking place in and around Earth’s orbit.

As somebody who has played some of the greatest historical battles, as well as on the most alien of worlds, I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to play in Earth orbit, simply floating around the big blue ball while fighting off hoards of enemies. It truly is breath taking.

So there you have it. My reasons for why Shattered Horizon ultimately provides a more fulfilling, and enjoyable experience than either Halo or Call of Duty, the supposed “big boys” of the FPS market. While both are fun and have their own merits, some of which are better than what Shattered Horizon offers, in the end they just don’t do enough that’s “different” from what I’ve been playing for the last decade. Shattered Horizon, on the other hand, does.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know below!

Speaking of Shattered Horizon…

Did you know we are currently holding a “Best Indie Game” tournament where you get to vote on various indie game match ups to determine the overall winner? Shattered Horizon is currently competing against Crayon Physics right now! Let your voice be heard for the first annual Indie Games tournament.

Shattered Horizon vs. Crayon Physics
The Bracket

[buy via Steam]

As we reported yesterday, Futuremark is releasing a free DLC content pack for Shattered Horizon called Firepower.

And to excite folks even more than the launch trailer, they’ve also released a reveal of two of the new weapons coming out in the pack: the Machinegun and the Rail Gun.

Check out these images we snagged off of Futuremark’s Twitter account:

It’s great to see free additions to any game and these new ways to kill people should keep things exciting. The DLC is coming out on May 5th.

We’ve been discussing this for a while, but, awesome developers Futuremark Game Studios, have finally set a date for their upcoming free DLC pack that promises to fix one of my personal major gripes about the game upon it’s release last year. That being the lack of weapon diversity.

As you probably know, by reading the title, the DLC is landing on May 5th. What you don’t know, however, is what the new weapons are. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what they are either. What I can tell you is that Futuremark Game Studios will be, gradually, announcing each individual weapon one day at a time beginning tomorrow, April 28th, and running all the way until the day the DLC is actually released.

Shattered Horizon was one of my favorite games last year and this news is incredibly exciting. I’ll, personally, be posting each day as the new weapons get announced.

For those who still have yet to buy the game I’d strongly recommend reading my review and then heading on over to our forums so you can win a copy in our Spring Cleaning Contest.

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