General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Firefox Adds Outdated Java Plugin Versions to Blocklist

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 08:19 PM PDT

Downright malicious browser plugins and add-ons are obviously a massive security risk, but make no mistake unpatched or outdated extensions are just as big a headache. For this reason, Mozilla has a blocklist service to deal with plugins that jeopardize the security, stability, or performance of Firefox. The latest addition to the Firefox blocklist happens to be the ubiquitous Java plugin. Hit the jump for more.

Back in February, Oracle rolled out a "critical patch update" for Java SE, patching as many as 14 remotely exploitable vulnerabilities. But considering the Java plugin's notoriety for remaining outdated, the holes that Oracle plugged last month still pose a risk to many users. In fact, according to Mozilla, these vulnerabilities are being actively exploited in the wild.

"To mitigate this risk, we have added affected versions of the Java plugin for Windows (Version 6 Update 30 and below as well as Version 7 Update 2 and below) to Firefox's blocklist," announced Mozilla channel manager Kev Needham in a blog post Monday.

"Mozilla strongly encourages anyone who requires the JDK and JRE to update to the current version as soon as possible on all platforms," he further wrote. "Affected versions of the Java plugin will be disabled unless a user makes an explicit choice to keep it enabled at the time they are notified of the block being applied."

The latest versions of JRE for Windows and Linux can be obtained from the official Java website.

January 2012: Set Up Your New PC The Right Way

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 03:23 PM PDT

In the PDF archive of the January 2012 issue you can find:

  • How To Set Up Your New PC The Right Away
  • GPU Computing: Is the GPU the New CPU?
  • The Asus X79 Motherboard Reviewed
  • Build It: A Sandy Bridge-E Powerhouse
  • Head-to-Head: Amazon Prime vs Netflix
  • Ask the Doctor
  • Best of the Best
  • Media Suite Review Roundup
  • And a whole lot more!

Click the cover image on the right to download the PDF archive today!

Google Shows Off Awesome New "Project Glass" HUD Project

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:09 AM PDT

They're real, and they look spectacular! Back in February, we reported that both 9 to 5 Google and The New York Times claimed to be hearing rumors about devices we cheerfully dubbed "Google Glasses:" Oakley-esque glasses sporting a HUD and all other kinds of useful technology. Today, that rumor became reality when Google unveiled "Project Glass," from the Google[x] division responsible for those self-driving cars.

We'd prattle on about how the concept video shows an awesome augmented reality full of on-the-fly directions, pictures, music, voice commands, locational awareness and video chat, but that'd be silly: just check out the video above to see it for yourself. We first saw the story over at AllThingsD, but a Project Glass page has already been set up over on the Google-fied social network. (Is it still okay to call Google+ fledging or are we past that stage?)

Initial reports put the price of the Google Glasses -- I'll continue to call them that, thank you very much -- at somewhere between $250 and $600. How much would you drop on a pair after watching that video?

Leaked AMD Trinity Slide Promises Big Gains Over Llano APUs

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:52 AM PDT

All the headlines have been going to Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge CPUs -- When will it launch? How will it perform? When are the Core i3s coming? -- but AMD's preparing to roll out a new line of chips of its own before too long: the Trinity Fusion APU. AMD's been talking big about the Piledriver-based procs, and new leaked slides suggest that Trinity has been able to hit projected performance gains AMD bragged about during its February investor conference.

If you remember correctly, AMD said that Trinity would boast a 25 percent CPU increase and 50 percent GPU increase compared to the Llano chips currently available on the market. TechPowerUp pointed us towards SweClockers.com, which claims that the slide shown above is a leaked marketing slide targeting OEM partners. As you can see, AMD says that Trinity rocks a 29 percent productivity/CPU increase and a 56 percent graphics/GPU increase over Llano, along with an impressive 12 hours of resting battery life in mobile versions of the 32nm chip.

Will those numbers stand up to testing? Is the slide legit? Why do we ask so many questions? The answers are anybody's guess, but the slide looks pretty kosher, and it gets us more pumped for Trinity's eventual release. (Especially after re-watching the Trinity trick AMD played on conference-goers at this year's CES.) How about you?

OCZ's New Indilinx Everest 2 Controller And Vertex 4 SSD Bring Blazing Fast Random Read Speeds

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:30 AM PDT

The hardworking folks over at OCZ have been busy little beavers today: not only did the company announce its new and improved Indilinx Everest 2 controller for SSDs, but it's also gone ahead and unveiled a new Vertex 4 SSD line to show off the new controller's chops. If the numbers being tossed around in OCZ's multiple press releases are any indication, the Indilinx Everest 2 and Vertex 4 should be big improvements over their predecessors.

First, the controller itself: the Indilinx Everest 2 rocks a 400GHz dual-core processor and a 6Gbps SATA 3.0 interface. OCZ says the controller features "a highly parallel and pipelined hardware design with extremely efficient data management algorithms" and the company's new Ndurance 2.0 NAND memory management tech, all of which combines into an SSD bundle that OCZ claims has virtually zero (0.4 ms) latency, "unsurpassed speeds" and a long lasting life. So long, in fact, that OCZ is tossing a 5 year warranty in with the Vertex 4.

Spec-wise, the Indilinx Everest 2-powered Vertex 4 SSD line rocks max sequential read/write times of 535/475 MB/s, respectively, and a maximum random I/O IOPS of 120k. The max random 4k read/write IOPS are 95K and 80k -- not too shabby at all, considering the Vertex 3 has a max random read IOPS of 60k. Though, to be fair, the Vertex 3 also has slightly higher max sequential read/write speeds than the Vertex 4 -- though it isn't based around an Everest controller.

What does that mean in real life? "In typical use case scenarios, the Vertex 4 outperforms the Vertex 3 by as much as 400 percent," OCZ boasts in its press release. We'll be the judge of that!

Here are more Indilinx Everest 2's specs, taken from the press release:

  • Broadest NAND flash support, including 1x nm and TLC
  • Up to 8 NAND flash channels with up to 16-way interleaving per channel
  • HyperQueueing and Native Command Queuing (NCQ), with a queue depth up to 32 commands, and algorithms to optimize the order in which read and write operations are executed
  • Up to 8 Gb (1 GB) of 800 MHz DDR2/DDR3 DRAM cache support
  • Multi-Level ECC with 128-bit correction capability per 1 KB of data
  • RNA Redundant NAND Array to protect against catastrophic NAND flash failure
  • True end-to-end data path protection performs data integrity checks at every juncture where data is transmitted, received, processed and stored to ensure that corrupted data will be detected and not propagated
  • Power fail protection and optional Supercap support prevents data loss in the event of a power failure
  • Auto encryption and AES-256 encryption to protect and secure data
  • Additional flash management techniques such as TRIM, background garbage collection, dynamic and static wear-leveling and advanced flash defect management

The Vertex 4 and its new controller look pretty sweet on paper and will launch later this month in 128GB, 256GB and  512GB flavors -- presumably for much more than those budget-priced Intel 330 SSDs that are also right around the corner. Any thoughts?

Cooler Master Announces QuickFire Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:09 AM PDT

Cooler Master may be known best for its cases and cooling supplies, but the company also offers a fairly spiffy line of gaming accessories. Yesterday, Cooler Master unveiled a new entry in its CM Storm QuickFire line of mechanical gaming keyboards: the QuickFire Pro. As any serious gaming 'board should be, this one is all about the keys.

The QuickFire Pro sports laser-etched, matte-finished keys on top of Cherry MX Red, Black, Brown, or Blue switches -- depending on the type of resistance and feedback you're looking for -- complete with red LED lighting for the most-used gaming keys. A set of backup caps come in the box along with a handy-dandy key puller. N-Key rollover is supported regardless of whether you're connected via USB or PS/2. An optional Game mode disables the Windows key to avoid any potentially devastating window minimizations in the midst of a hot and heavy frag fest.

No word on an exact release date, but the QuickFire Pro will launch sometime this month for $100. Check out more about the keyboard on the CM website.

Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 Toxic 6GB Graphics Card Tips Up in Russia

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 06:09 AM PDT

Sapphire is getting ready to launch an AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics card with a massive 6GB frame buffer, which is twice as much as found on every other variant. The card was actually first seen at CeBIT earlier this year, but has now been picked up by a Russian website, stripped naked, and photographed from top to bottom. Sapphire has yet to announce a release a date or offer up any pricing information, but given the photo gallery, we suspect it will start shipping soon.

As displayed at OCLab.ru, The Sapphire HD 7970 Toxic sports a dual-fan cooler dressed in black with aggressive curves and lines, and a blue LED light on top for good measure. It's a mean looking card with "Vapor-X" written on the back and not much branding on the front. Connectivity options include two DVI ports, dual mini DisplayPorts, and HDMI.

Underneath the heatsink sit 24 GDDR5 memory chips, a dozen on each side of the PCB, for a total of 6GB of onboard memory. According to OCLab.ru, the Toxic edition graphics card boasts a 1150MHz GPU clockspeed and 1500MHz (6000MHz effective) memory clockspeed. It also features an 8+3 VRM with solid state chokes and two 8-pin power connectors.

You can take the visual tour here.

Image Credit: OCLab.ru

Android Users Crash the Instagram Party, Elitist iPhone Users in a Tizzy

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 05:44 AM PDT

Over 30 milion iOS device owners have registered accounts with Instagram, the free and popular photo sharing application that allows you to transform photos with a handful of digital filters and then upload the altered image to social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. It's enjoyed almost a cult-like following, and the fact that it's now available for Android isn't sitting well with a select group of silly iPhone users.

First things first. If you're an Android user, you can download Instagram from Google Play and see for yourself what all the fuss is about, provided you own a camera phone with Android 2.2 or above with support for OpenGL ES 2. Many of you may have already downloaded it. On the day of launch, there were more than 430,000 Android users signed up on Instagram's waiting list.

Now, onto the iPhone nonsense. Several disgruntled iPhone users immediately took to Twitter to post their disdain for welcoming Android users to the club.

"Don't follow me on Instagram if you have an Android... Ew," one user tweeted. "Ew. I don't want to see Android phones in my Instagram feed. I like it being an Apple club. #elitist," another one wrote. "I feel gross knowing people with an Android phone can follow me on Instagram," yet another posted to Twitter.

There are more. Many more.

"Ew, Instagram is now available for Android users... I don't need anymore creepers/weed haters on my shit... LOL," one of the tweets read. "Man, Android users getting instagram is like the losers in high school taking over the cool table in the cafeteria," another one stated.

Now let's get one thing straight. There are plenty of sensible iPhone owners who couldn't care less what smartphone platform someone else is running, but the number of pretentious tweets from iPhone toting tools is a little bit staggering. Android users, you know what it is you have to do. Download Instagram and commence crashing the party.

Image Credit: Instagram

Floppy Autoloader is Ten Years Too Late, Still Awesome

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 05:12 AM PDT

What do you do when you need to backup several thousand floppy disks from yesteryear? If you're a true geek, you build a machine to automate the entire process, which not only demands mad respect, but also will save you the fatigue and frustration of having to pop each disk into your PC individually as you go through the tedious steps to copy the contents off of each one. This is the precisely the type of task machines were designed for, and the Copypro CP-2000, while a little late to the floppy party, is still a marvelous piece of equipment.

A dude who goes by the Twitter handle OzzyDweller found himself needing to clear out his collection of 3.5-inch Amiga floppy disks. Dweller, as he calls himself on his blog, had been holding onto around 5,000 disks stored in large wooden crates, and before getting rid of them, he also needed to backup the contents.

"Around 3 years ago, I tried reading the disks manually," Dweller states on his blog. "I made it through a hundred or so, before I realized my brain had gone numb, and I was at risk of chewing my tongue off and needing replacement eyeballs."

Rather than go down the road of self-mutilation, Dweller fashioned himself a machine that would do the work for him. Inspired by a Lego Mindstorms kit and partially built from parts he tore out of a commercial disk duplicator he found on eBay, Dweller's contraption is rudimentary looking, but functionally awesome. It's also highly efficient. His home-brewed floppy autoloader only failed to fully eject a single disk out of 300 so far, and that was because of a torn and peeling label.

Check out his contraption in the YouTube video below:

Hitachi Rolls Out for 4TB Hard Drive for Enterprise Applications

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 05:11 AM PDT

HGST, the company formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, is wasting no time in showing new owner Western Digital how it rolls in the storage space by unveiling what it claims is the world's first 4TB enterprise-class hard drive family. The Ultrastar 7K4000 represents a new generation of 512e Advanced Format drives and offers up oodles of storage space for both traditional enterprise customers and the ever growing cloud/Internet market.

Big on storage space, the 4TB Ultrastar 7K4000 delivers 33 percent more capacity in the same 3.5-inch footprint as its predecessor, and it boasts 24 percent lower watts-per-GB to boot. Looking at the big picture, HGST says IT managers can get 2.4 petabytes in the same footprint as a standard 19-inch storage rack by stacking ten 4U, 60-bay enclosures.

"Our cost-effective, high-density, and scalable enterprise-class storage solutions are designed for a broad range of market applications including cloud, digital video storage, and backup, and HGST's high-capacity 7,200 RPM enterprise-class hard drives play a crucial role in our value proposition," said Gary Watson, CTO, Nexsan. "We all know that the need for more storage is expanding in multiple directions and dimensions, and Hitachi's highly reliable, high-capacity HDDs allow us to deliver solutions where large capacities, density, and power efficiency are highly valued. We have been using Hitachi Ultrastar drives for years and look forward to qualifying their new 4TB enterprise-class drives."

The new drives also feature 7200 RPM spindle speeds, SATA 6Gbps interfaces, and 64MB cache buffers. Limited quantity shipments have already begun.

MMO News

MMO News


Grepolis gives away Easter chickens

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 12:08 PM PDT

Easter events are beginning in InnoGames’ Grepolis.

Every player will get a virtual Easter Chicken as a present for Easter. These chickens must be fed in order to lay golden eggs, and food can be found by letting city inhabitants search for it. Feeding a chicken will grant players golden eggs, which can be traded in the new Easter shop, which contains cultural items, spells, and special effects. Players can also purchase a second chicken if they desire.

InnoGames also publishes Tribal Wars and Forge of Empires.

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Grepolis Gameplay Screenshot

 Source:

Grepolis: Feed the Chicken that lays the Golden Egg!

Easter Event provides Players with a Challenge

 

Hamburg, April 4, 2012. Today, InnoGames launched a new Easter event in its popular browser game Grepolis. Players don’t have to go on a difficult search for Easter eggs, but can easily produce them in a new mini-game. Each player gets a virtual Easter chicken as a present. It must be supplied with food in order for it to lay golden eggs. These eggs can be exchanged in an Easter shop into special goods or advantages.

Each player starts the Easter event with an Easter chicken, which must be fed to start laying eggs in a chicken coop. Players can get feed for the chickens by letting their cities’ inhabitants search for it. The resulting golden eggs can then be traded for a variety of goods and advantages in the new Easter shop. Among those are cultural items, spells and special effects, resources or the favor of the gods. In addition, players also have the opportunity to purchase a second chicken in order to turn a possible excess of chicken feed into golden eggs.

Grepolis is a strategy game set in ancient Greece. In the browser-based title, players are tasked with building up a vast metropolis and uniting with other players to establish a powerful military and conquer far away islands. The Gods of Greek mythology; Zeus, Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Hades and Artemis influence the players’ fate. The game is free to play and does not require a download.

 

Next to Grepolis, German games company InnoGames has published major browser game titles like Tribal Wars and The West. With more than 75 million registered users, the German company belongs to the biggest developers and publishers of online games.

Carte opens its doors to Japan

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:09 AM PDT

GamesCampus has announced that Carte has launched in Japan.

As Carte is a global game, Japanese players will be playing alongside others. To welcome the new players, Carte is introducing new features. Players will soon be able to convert Rare cards into Collector’s Cards (with alternate artwork). Easter celebrations are also underway until April 10, allowing people to gain extra rewards for players who tackle raids.

Carte is also introducing hero building this month, letting players alter their heroes to be specialized and more powerful, helping them lead their deck further into victory.

GamesCampus also publishes Asda 2 and Scarlet Legacy.

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Carte Gameplay Screenshot

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KANPAI! CARTE WELCOMES JAPANESE PLAYERS

 

New Players Join Global Server Just In Time For Easter Events

 

Sunnyvale, Calif. (April 04, 2012) – Carte is ready to speak a new language: Leading online game publisher GamesCampus.com (www.GamesCampus.com) announced the official launch of their first global online trading card game, Carte, in Japan. There’s plenty of international love to celebrate, including a new way to collect cards, a wild Easter event, and buff heroes coming in the future. Registration is now open and bona fide card carriers can dash over to carte.gamescampus.com to view a revamped website, and check out all the new cards and decks added in the latest content patch.

 

Carte’s global servers are now welcoming Japanese players! Pit your card skills against the best of the East and see who comes out on top. To celebrate the truly global nature of the Carte servers, GamesCampus is teasing a fabulous new way to acquire “Collector’s Edition” cards. Soon, players will be able to convert their Rare cards into Collector’s cards, featuring alternative artwork. These cards will slowly begin appearing on the Carte Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CarteGlobal, where players can meet and discuss the newest deck building strategies.

 

“It’s amazing to see how well the international players come together when you don’t divide them into territories like other games do,” said Hubert Yee, Head of Marketing at GamesCampus. “We see completely different deck building strategies coming out of the various world regions, and seeing them clash against each other is extremely exciting!”

 

Hippity Hop over to the Easter celebrations, where raid rewards are breeding like bunnies! Players who team up to take on these challenges during the holiday weekend will find their rewards are considerably more “plush” than before! This affects all raids at all levels, so every level can hop into the action. The raid Eggs-travaganza has already begun, and will still be twitching until April 10th.

 

Feeling like your hero could be a bit more…heroic? Never fear, as Carte is an ever-evolving game always looking for new ways to bring out the best of the cards. Beginning this month, players will be able to not only build the perfect deck, but build up their heroes! Refine your warrior of choice into a finely honed weapon, then pair then with a perfect deck for a one-two combo that’s sure to knock out the competition.

 

Carte is a fast paced global online trading card game. Choose a Hero, build a deck and launch into exciting battles with fierce weapons and allies. Create and master endless strategies with an arsenal of spells and creatures to conquer your opponents. With an easy to learn system coupled with a user friendly interface, Carte is ready for new players as well as grizzled TCG veterans and everything in between.

 

For more information about GamesCampus.com or Carte, please visit carte.gamescampus.com

Tribes Ascend rewards first Celebrity and reveals launch plans

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:39 AM PDT

Hi-Rez Studios has made TotalBiscuit a little more of a star with its Tribes Ascend referral program.

John “TotalBiscuit” Bain is the first player who has achieved Celebrity in-game status by achieving 500 qualified new player referrals. This achievement has earned TotalBiscuit 5000 xp for each referral, over 30,000 Tribes Gold, and the honor of being the first name added to the Player Celebrity Wall at Hi-Rez Studios. This isn’t the only milestone, though: Hi-Rez is also waiting for the first player to reach 10,000 referrals.

The company has also announced its update plans for the launch of Tribes Ascend on April 12. Released with the launch will be a new map, Raindance, based on the classic and praised Raindance map from the earlier Tribes games. The update will also introduce Capture & Hold as a new game mode, which will be first playable at the upcoming PAX.

Hi-Rez Studios also publishes Global Agenda.

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Raindance Map

Tribes: Ascend Gameplay Screenshot

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Tribes: Ascend Player “TotalBiscuit” Personally Refers Over 500 New Players In 5 Days

ATLANTA. April 3, 2012. Hi-Rez Studios, the independent developer of the free-to-play fast-action multiplayer shooter Tribes: Ascend, announced today that John “TotalBiscuit” Bain has become the first player to achieve Celebrity in-game status by achieving 500 qualified new player referrals.

Remarkably the Refer-A-Friend program for Tribes: Ascend was only soft launched on Thursday March 29th with a single posting to the community forums. In less than five full days, TotalBiscuit’s direct referrals have netted thousands of new accounts and over 500 new active Tribes: Ascend players. Each referred player progressed to at least level 6 in order to qualify as a counted referral.

Per the Tribes: Ascend Refer-A-Friend reward program, TotalBiscuit has earned 5000 xp for each referral plus over 30,000 additional units of Tribes Gold. And upon reaching 500 Referrals TotalBiscuit becomes the first name has added to the Player Celebrity Wall at Hi-Rez Studios.

“We knew TotalBiscuit was on a fast path with referrals”, explains Hi-Rez Studios Chief Operating Officer Todd Harris, “But we honestly didn’t expect it quite this fast! He’s a knowledgeable and authentic voice in gaming. And we couldn’t be more pleased that players worldwide are trying and enjoying our fast, skill-based shooter. In terms of the referral race, there are a couple of other players hot on his heels but he is currently the odds-on favorite to reach the grand milestone of 10,000 first”

Tribes: Ascend is scheduled to release on April 12, 2012 but is already available as a digital download in Open Beta.

Players can create an account and download the game from www.tribesascend.com.

Path of Exile Gameplay – First Look HD

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 03:47 PM PDT

To Learn More About the Game, Check out our Path of Exile Page.

 

Path of Exile is a 3D Action RPG MMO published by Grinding Gear Games. It’s play-style is very similar to games such as Diablo and Torchlight. Unlike other games in the genre however, players are not bound by the specific class they choose at the start. Instead after choosing their class, they can freely choose skills and most weapons (depending on initial class) to suit their play-style. This allows them to completely change how a certain class is played. Path of Exile uses an enormous passive skill tree that allows players to fully customize their character’s stats. In this first look we try out the Ranger class. The game is currently in closed beta. To learn more about Path of Exile out the official MMOHut Path of Exile page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

Spirit Tales announces open beta and giveaway

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 02:10 PM PDT

KoramGame has announced that Spirit Tales will begin its open beta on April 25.

The beta will launch at 4pm Pacific (7pm Eastern), and players who register for an account by April 30 will be automatically entered in special $2,000 prize giveaway.

The giveaway, which is sponsored in part by MMOHut, includes an Apple iPad 16 GB, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560, Tt eSPORTS Saphira Gaming Mouse, and Spirit Tales prize packs and in game items as the prizes, promising to grant over 5,000 prizes in total.

You can find out more about Spirit Tales in our special press preview.

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Spirit Tales Gameplay Screenshot

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Spirit Tales Open Beta and Giveaway Set for April

“Epically Cute, Massively Fun”

 

Sunnyvale, Calif. — (April 3, 2012) – KoramGame Ltd., a leading developer and publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today that open beta for Spirit Tales, a cute 3D fantasy MMORPG developed by X-Legend, is set to launch on April 25 at 4:00PM PST. Players who register for a free Spirit Tales account from now until April 30 will automatically be entered for a chance to win over $2,000 in exclusive prizes.

 

“We’re thrilled to finally have an official date set for open beta,” says Yann Wang, General Manager. “Coming off a very successful closed beta, we’re confident that the new features and content we have planned will bring even more enjoyment to our users and allow them to experience Spirit Tales at its fullest.”

 

In Spirit Tales, players will embark upon a journey across a colorful fantasy world, battling fierce creatures and capturing magical pets to call their own. Work harmoniously with friends to create the perfect Guild Island, or unlock a character’s Spirit Form to unleash devastating attacks on opponents during exciting player-versus-player (PvP) battles. With six unique character classes to choose from, and over 40 million customization and fashion combinations, Spirit Tales is designed to offer players a high degree of in-game freedom and an "Epically Cute, Massively Fun" online gaming experience.

 

REGISTER NOW for a free Spirit Tales account and be entered for a chance to win big prizes, including the new Apple iPad. Giveaway ends April 30. For more information on Spirit Tales or how to enter the giveaway, visit http://st.koramgame.com/2012/0331/article_15.html.

 

For updates and other giveaways, visit Spirit Tales on Facebook: http://facebook.com/spirit.tales

 

Spirit Tales will be available worldwide.

Legend: Legacy of Dragons celebrates 15 million

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 12:45 PM PDT

Mail.Ru is celebrating its 15 million milestone with Legend: Legacy of the Dragons.

The game, released in October 2008, has continued to grow in both players and content size, now surpassing content of over 1.2 million words. Mail.Ru offers scripted multi-stage events and frequent updates for its Legend players.

Legend: Legacy of the Dragons will be celebrating an Easter Event from April 5 through April 9, letting players find hidden easter eggs in game for rewards.

Mail.Ru also publishes Juggernaut and RiotZone.

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Legend: Legacy of Dragons Gameplay Screenshot

 Source:

Mail.Ru Games Cracks 15 Million With

Legend: Legacy of Dragons

 

Mail.Ru Games cracks the 15 million mark with its internationally successful browser game Legend: Legacy of the Dragons! Since the fantasy MMO was launched three and a half years ago, on October 6th, 2008, the worldwide gaming community has grown continuously. The game itself has grown significantly in size with 400,000 words from the beginning of the game compared to today with a content of over 1,200,000 words. Numerous hand-scripted events bring more variety to the game and the next major event will be the Easter event from April 5th to the 9th where players seek out hidden Easter eggs.

 

“With Legend: Legacy of the Dragons, we offer players a meticulously crafted world of fantastic stories, heroes and dramatic twists. Once in the game, players feel like they are in the thick of a full, immersive novel – and it’s a novel they can’t put down!” explains product manager Katharina Radunz. “With the ability to take an active influence on the game, we are very flexible and can respond directly to players’ wishes which is great for our community. To keep players happy we regularly provide individually scripted multi-stage events and frequent game enhancements.”

 

More information about Legend: Legacy of the Dragons can be found on http://warofdragons.com/

Blacklight Retribution officially launches

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:40 AM PDT

Today marks the official release of Perfect World Entertainment’s Blacklight Retribution.

While the launch doesn’t include a content update, the game plans on releasing two new game modes (Netwar and Siege) along with supporting maps featuring an oil rig and an experimental weapons facility.

Perfect World also released some statistics about the beta, that include:

• 14 Million Minutes Played
• 280 Million Shots Fired
• 13 Million Agents K.I.A.
• 494 Million Combat Points Spent
• 21 Million GP Earned
• 1.3 Million Headshots
• 300,000 Melee Kills
• 255639 Flags Capped
• 40 Countries Represented

Perfect World Entertainment also publishes Rusty Hearts and Ether Saga Online.

Blacklight Retribution Launch Trailer:

Source:

BLACKLIGHT: RETRIBUTION NOW AVAILABLE

Anticipated Free First-Person Shooter Launches

(Redwood City, CA) April 3, 2012 – Perfect World Entertainment Inc. today announced the official release of Blacklight: Retribution. The premiere first-person shooter has completed its extremely successful beta testing and is now a live free-to-play game.

Building upon Zombie Studios’ predecessor, Tango Down, Blacklight: Retribution provides FPS enthusiasts with a new standard for free-to-play games by fully utilizing Unreal 3 technology and implementing Direct X 11 to provide cutting-edge graphics and gameplay. Anyone can download and begin playing Blacklight: Retribution by visiting: www.playblacklight.com

Perfect World has also released an infographic detailing various in-game achievements made throughout the beta period. Some fun statistics from the infographic include:
• 14 Million Minutes Played
• 280 Million Shots Fired
• 13 Million Agents K.I.A.
• 494 Million Combat Points Spent
• 21 Million GP Earned
• 1.3 Million Headshots
• 300,000 Melee Kills
• 255639 Flags Capped
• 40 Countries Represented

“The Blacklight launch is a great achievement and testament to all the hard work from the passionate and talented people at Zombie Studios and Perfect World Entertainment,” said Kelly Dickinson, Product Manager, Perfect World Entertainment. “Even though it’s free, Blacklight is a technologically advanced, polished, fast-paced first-person shooter with production values that compete with the best the genre has to offer and we are very proud of it.”

Blacklight: Retribution fans can expect to strap on their combat helmets tighter than ever before with two upcoming game modes and supporting maps going live shortly after launch. Capture, control and hold areas of a highly hazardous oil rig and pilot a Scorpion Tank through a twisting path of carnage in an experimental weapons facility. Both the new game modes, Netwar and Siege, blend acute team strategy and crafty combat prowess in a heart-pounding race to annihilate or be annihilated.

LeKool begins Star Supremacy closed beta

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 05:16 PM PDT

LeKool Games has launched the closed beta of Star Supremacy.

As of March 31, players of LeKool can experience Star Supremacy, a space simulation game also published by Barbily Games. Star Supremacy features PvP and PvE arena battles, guild quests and upgrades, complete customization of space ships, and a global reach.

LeKool also publishes Call of Gods, Rich$tate, Senatry, and Lord of Ages.

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Star Supremacy Gameplay Screenshot

 Source:

 

Los Angeles, CA – March 31, 2012 – LeKool games one of the leading global publishers of free-to-play online games are delighted to announce the Closed Beta launch of Star Supremacy Experience the next generation of browser based gaming with this Space war themed game. The battle for supremacy is about to begin!

The Game will be launched on 31st March 2012 at 7:00 PM PST time.

Star Supremacy, is a revolutionary strategic space simulation game, the player fights for dominance of the universe. Select your faction, you have planets to conquer, fleets to manage, new facilities to build, and exciting combat units to discover, with your battle squadrons spread out through the vastness of space with the mission to settle new planets and mine their raw ores. The player builds up an industrial infrastructure, constructs weapons factories and strong defensive fortifications, to get a strong offensive capability. Build a guild and conquer the universe together.

Engage in amazing PvP and NPC battles and prove your supremacy, with countless customization options no two ships will be identical.

Features:

  • Animated Battle
  • PvP & PvE Arena Battles
  • Guild Quests & Upgrades
  • Total Space Ship customization option
  • Team up with other players from around the globe

So what are you waiting for? Come join us at the closed beta launch and see this amazing game yourself. Don’t forget the closed beta begins 31st March 2012 at 7:00 PM PST

LeKool is a fast growing browser game and social game developer and publisher. The company has published some of the most popular web games of 2011 like Call of Gods, Rich$tate, Senatry, Ninjawaz, EDragon, Fantasy of Swords, Business Tycoon Online, Lords of ages and Legends of Xian and has achieved great success. It also has an interactive and engaging gamer community.

Hellgate Global announces April events

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 05:10 PM PDT

T3Fun has unrolled the line-up for Hellgate Global’s April events.

Three major events will keep players busy this month, including:

* Base Defense – Complete base defense mode with a party as often as you can; the party that defeats the most each week will earn special prizes.

* Code Rush – Guess the missing number or letter of randomly announced codes in-game for a chance to win premium items.

* Daily Hunt – Go on a daily scavenger hunt for a chance to earn treasures, if you find all these desired items.

T3Fun also publishes Mythos Global.

43590  420x310 hellgate 2011 07 04 23 14 31 64

Hellgate Gameplay Screenshot

 Source:

Only the Sharpest and Strongest Will Survive Hellgate Global's April Events

 

Exciting and challenging puzzle and action-based in-game events await players this April

 

 

LOS ANGELES – April 2, 2012 – All this month, crusaders must prepare to face the apocalyptic onslaught of events that T3Fun has planned for Hellgate Global fans. T3Fun has today announced Hellgate's plans for April, which also includes the return of several popular events that previously saw very high participation from players. High stakes rewards are on the table this month for players with the skills to defend their bases and those with a keen sense for solving codes. Fearless hunters willing to set foot in the most treacherous of areas to collect certain items each day will also find themselves handsomely rewarded for their courage and hard work.

 

Base Defense – Groups of up to five are challenged to complete the base defense mode multiple times. Strategy is every bit as important here as individual strength as waves of demons will attempt to conquer the bases without mercy. Every week, the party that has defended their base the most from the most vicious of Hell's minions will receive great rewards.

Code Rush – Players are advised to keep their eyes peeled and minds sharp as a code with a missing letter or number will be announced randomly in-game. Those who guess the missing alphanumeric character correctly have a chance to win premium items.

Daily Hunt – Prepare for the wildest scavenger hunt in the history of humankind. A set of items will be announced each day and players will be tasked to hunt them in locales brimming with the forces of darkness. Hunters who succeed in scouring them will find their own lucky treasures waiting for them.

 

Hellgate Global continues its explosive romp through 2012 with events that are sure to please players from all corners of the globe. It's time to smite the abominations wreaking havoc across the land! The fight for man's survival just got more intense!

MMOHut Weekly Recap #80 Apr 1 – Tribes, World of Mercenaries, Phantasy Star Online 2, & More

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 02:31 PM PDT

A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: Tribes Ascend, World of Mercenaries, Forsaken World, Grand Chase, Luna Online, Luvinia Online, Star Trek Online, Phantasy Star Online 2, Sword Girls Online and Auto Club Revolution. The biggest news comes from the announcement that Phantasy Star Online 2 will be F2P. The game is set to release in Japan this summer and hopefully a EU/NA version will follow soon after. Phantasy Star Online 2 is part of an extremely popular series by Sega. The Original Phantasy Star was multiplayer but not an MMO. You can view all the individual news articles mention over at the MMOHut.com News section.

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


ChangYou

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 08:23 AM PDT

59b51 changyou ChangYou
(Source) Most of the online gamers would have heard of ChangYou or played games under this company before. If you do not, go dig around its North America portal (link). One of the powerhouses in China alongside Tencent Games, Netease, Shanda Games, Giant Interactive and Perfect World, ChangYou managed to kick all its IPO listed opponents aside in the US stock market, NASDAQ. It is currently number 3 in the top 10 most profitable US-listed Chinese stocks list provided in the source above. The other 2 online gaming companies in the list would be Giant Interactive and Netease.

Changyou.com Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the 3rd most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 52.84% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 60.81% for the same period.

Giant Interactive Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 7th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.02% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 54.45% for the same period.

NetEase.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:NTES) is the 8th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 44.50% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 45.63% for the same period.

Personally, I feel that ChangYou’s current status in the English market is not doing really well, with a striking lack of different genres and choices in its games stable for players to choose from. All that is set to change in 2012, with the company looking towards web games and publishing 3rd party games as well, including DaVinci Online (link).

One of the reasons why the company’s stock is so profitable, I am guessing it is down to the mega-launch its latest title, Duke of Mount Deer Online, enjoyed over the past few months. Costing over USD 80 million to develop (link), the results so far seems very positive. I am not sure if the game will hit the English market, but read my small preview here (link)!

59b51 c1 ChangYou59b51 c2 ChangYou

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/10/changyou-striking-gold-in-us-stock.html

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Kinect Star Wars Review: Boldly Going Where Star Wars Didn’t Need to Go

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 03:50 AM PDT

See the child. Hear her beckon forth, surrounded by the carcasses of men harboring murderous intent. Men you ended. Their last breath whispering about the sweetness of a child, or the satisfaction of killing the interloper that you are. Save the child, who you thought was yourn, but she reveals herself to be Mei lost in the world of dust, not the daughter you left behind twelve months ago. The voice in your pocket sputters forth. The man named Henry asks, take her, take the lost child Mei, take her to the mall. Give her medicine left behind by those who never set foot in Haventown, those who drop foodstuffs and medicines from above and never look back. Not since The Event. The Event that scraped the loam off the earth and turned it into the dust that hugs and holds and kills all who wander within. The dust that chips and gnaws at your very stamina. The Event that dominates I Am Alive.

So you go, ever pressing on to find wife and child. Gone a year, but now you return, to climb and cobble and carry on. You cannot ignore Mei’s bleat for aid, but other survivors of the Event not so much as settle but subsist their meager existences in the dust covered Haventown. A man yearns cigarettes to pass on. Another man in an amusement park needs medicine to heal the leg that’s been crushed by another uncivilized man. Haventown also starves for supplies. Bottles of water, cans of fruit cocktail, a single inhaler, a handful of painkillers, these all turn into precious manna from heaven through scarcity. Give the emergency kit to the woman with the ankle sprain? What these bemoaning folk have to give, besides gratitude and perhaps a precious shotgun, is the Retry. Haventown harbors death by trial, not saves. It does not yield to the checkpoint that others call for. It takes away a Retry from your knapsack for every fall, stab, or shot you suffer. Deplete your store of Retries, and your journey resumes at the beginning of your current episode. A practice that leeches away minutes of your life. A practice that mocks you by depleting Retries and then flings you back to 45 minutes ago. What is worth more, the rat meat that can heal you, or the Retry that you get for giving rat meat to the gurgling man below? Every survivor, like the woman bound by handcuff to a bench, pleads for help while you mind debates.

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Latest SimCity Video Gets Technical

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 09:50 PM PDT

We're used to a few more explosions with our videos, but upcoming SimCity is looking to take things a little more seriously.

Which, of course, is the only way to run a successful city.

We're almost humbled by EA and Maxis' approach to the way it's demoing its SimCity reboot – but honestly, it's probably the best way of doing it. SimCity fans don't care about fancy graphics or superlative descriptions – a by-the-numbers description of what is happening, what that means for SimCity and why that is important is what we want.

And the new implementation of SimCity's economic structure really seems to mix things up for the series – something we're very pleased about. Now there's mechanics pinning the system together, meaning each citizen is an actual 'agent' – going to work at the correct time, create products which are then passed on to the commercial district, which they can then go and spend their money on. It's like a depressingly tiny recreation of our lives.

We're going to stay positive about this one, and you should too.

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Skullgirls Emphasizes Jiggles (Not Juggles) in a Fighter Designed for Everyone

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 08:23 PM PDT

Once upon a time, getting about in a Zelda game was such a clear-cut process. You had your dungeons (anywhere from four to 12, depending) and you had the overworld that linked them all together. Aside from the occasional spin-off (Four Swords Adventures was broken into levels, and Majora’s Mask centered around the hub of Clock Town), that’s how it always worked. You’d wander around, maybe poke into a cave for a Heart Piece, clear away some scrub, fight some bad guys, and eventually work your way to the next subterranean puzzle labyrinth.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is mixing things up, and — for the first eight hours of the game, at least — the results are pretty great. Skyward Sword’s design makes the distinction between overworld and underworld much muddier than in past games. Perhaps that’s appropriate, since this adventure divides its world into three layers rather than the usual two. Above the dungeons, you have the overworld; meanwhile, above it all is the realm of Skyloft, best described as an aerial take on Wind Waker’s sea. At the heart of Skyloft is a large city held aloft by (one assumes) ancient magic or technology or something, but the skies are littered with floating islands, and Link travels between them on the back of a huge red bird.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3185997

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Power Rangers Online (KR)

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 03:50 PM PDT

1088c pr Power Rangers Online (KR)

I am sure most of you would have read about Power Rangers Online through my previous posts (link), which caused quite a wave in the Toku fraternity. As a long-time Super Sentai and Kamen Rider fan myself till today, I wouldn’t have even remotely thought about having an online game based on the series. I mean, how could the game be pulled off since the single-player ones on consoles are virtually bad to the core? Korean studio Ironnos and publisher Ntreev apparently found the equation according to ThisIsGame.

A: It is a Dungeon Fighter online-styled Free to Play action MMO. The design of the game is primarily based on the 29th Super Sentai series in Japan, Mahou Sentai Magiranger. The new “Striker” system is added in the currently on-going Closed Beta 2.

A: The feedback is generally good, but of course there are negative ones saying the game is too childish, but found the game really fun after trying it out. The players in Closed Beta 1 are mainly people in their 20s and 30s, which is a good sign. The only main negative issue was the operational convenience of the game (controls, UI) which we improved and polished for Closed Beta 2.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: Basically, it is a skill which allows players to summon Rangers from the other series to aid them in their fight. For Closed Beta 2, there will only be Gaoranger (Power Rangers Wild Force) available. More teams will be added in due time. We also added a 2nd combination skill, which requires players to be in-sync in terms of timing to pull it off.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: We are having a hard time deciding how to present this feature to the players, and also which player to control the mecha. We will absolutely be releasing this feature, perhaps as a major content update after the game goes live.

A: As the core of Power Rangers is focused on 5 players, we will be designing new features based on this number of players. Being an online game, it will be hard for players to be really coordinated and react at the same time. Hence, the current combination skills will just require a simple activation from all 5 players without having everyone to do so at the same time. In the future, we might have other new features.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: Power Rangers is very famous in Korea as well, and it is part of many people’s childhood and even popular among the kids nowadays. With Super Sentai running in Japan for so many years, there is actually a huge pool of content to be brought into an online game.

A: Magiranger was aired on cable TV in Korea back in 2000, and it was the most popular series here. Those people who are in their late 10s and early 20s have mostly watched the show. We thought of using a newer series, Engine Sentai Go-onger (Power Rangers RPM), but the fan base of Magiranger is much wider. The settings of Magiranger’s storyline corresponds to the current age as well, hence it was chosen.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: Toei was hands-on during the process, and the company was very active. Although the whole duration of development slowed down, it can’t be a bad thing as Toei is the series’ creator who came up with all of the content.

A: It will go into public beta testing later this year in Korea.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/power-rangers-online-kr-brief-interview.html

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Power Rangers Online (KR)

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 09:50 AM PDT

7d2bb pr Power Rangers Online (KR)

I am sure most of you would have read about Power Rangers Online through my previous posts (link), which caused quite a wave in the Toku fraternity. As a long-time Super Sentai and Kamen Rider fan myself till today, I wouldn’t have even remotely thought about having an online game based on the series. I mean, how could the game be pulled off since the single-player ones on consoles are virtually bad to the core? Korean studio Ironnos and publisher Ntreev apparently found the equation according to ThisIsGame.

A: It is a Dungeon Fighter online-styled Free to Play action MMO. The design of the game is primarily based on the 29th Super Sentai series in Japan, Mahou Sentai Magiranger. The new “Striker” system is added in the currently on-going Closed Beta 2.

A: The feedback is generally good, but of course there are negative ones saying the game is too childish, but found the game really fun after trying it out. The players in Closed Beta 1 are mainly people in their 20s and 30s, which is a good sign. The only main negative issue was the operational convenience of the game (controls, UI) which we improved and polished for Closed Beta 2.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: Basically, it is a skill which allows players to summon Rangers from the other series to aid them in their fight. For Closed Beta 2, there will only be Gaoranger (Power Rangers Wild Force) available. More teams will be added in due time. We also added a 2nd combination skill, which requires players to be in-sync in terms of timing to pull it off.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: We are having a hard time deciding how to present this feature to the players, and also which player to control the mecha. We will absolutely be releasing this feature, perhaps as a major content update after the game goes live.

A: As the core of Power Rangers is focused on 5 players, we will be designing new features based on this number of players. Being an online game, it will be hard for players to be really coordinated and react at the same time. Hence, the current combination skills will just require a simple activation from all 5 players without having everyone to do so at the same time. In the future, we might have other new features.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: Power Rangers is very famous in Korea as well, and it is part of many people’s childhood and even popular among the kids nowadays. With Super Sentai running in Japan for so many years, there is actually a huge pool of content to be brought into an online game.

A: Magiranger was aired on cable TV in Korea back in 2000, and it was the most popular series here. Those people who are in their late 10s and early 20s have mostly watched the show. We thought of using a newer series, Engine Sentai Go-onger (Power Rangers RPM), but the fan base of Magiranger is much wider. The settings of Magiranger’s storyline corresponds to the current age as well, hence it was chosen.

 Power Rangers Online (KR)

A: Toei was hands-on during the process, and the company was very active. Although the whole duration of development slowed down, it can’t be a bad thing as Toei is the series’ creator who came up with all of the content.

A: It will go into public beta testing later this year in Korea.

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Do As We Say, Not As We Toon

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 09:49 AM PDT

If you played video games in the ’80s and early ’90s, then you probably watched the tie-in cartoons that were broadcast at around the same time, God help you. At first glance, the marriage of video game heroes and Saturday morning still sounds like an idea that should, by all rights, completely rock. Alas, the reality stank. Those early video game cartoons weren’t just bad: some of them were arguably a bad influence.

It’s almost heartbreaking to watch the likes of Super Mario World, Mega Man, or Double Dragon as an adult, because you can still smell the cartoons’ wrecked potential. With a little effort, the storyboarders could have expanded on Mario’s universe, or given Billy Lee a multi-episode quest to rescue Marian. Unfortunately, the cartoons’ production companies weren’t interested in making anything except an animated game commercial that would hold fast to kids’ attention spans for half an hour, preferably without offending their parents. And in order to yark up the cartoons as cheaply and as quickly as possible, the show’s writers typically built an episode around ten-cent morals that would make a fortune cookie manufacturer blush and turn away.

Granted, kids can do worse than learn the lessons that these shows dished out, like “racism is bad” and “don’t smoke.” Problem is, said lessons were presented so carelessly that they blatantly contradicted their source material — or, occasionally, other episodes of the same show.

Never fight to injure, just stand there and let Abobo rearrange your anatomy (Double Dragon, 1993, DiC)

What comes to mind when you think of Double Dragon? If your answer is bare-fisted brawling accompanied by some of the best chiptunes ever composed, ding ding ding, you get a gold star. But the Double Dragon cartoon adds a few things to the game formula, including friendship, sportsmanship, and using weapons to do whatever it takes to avoid fighting enemies directly. Sure, you can fire a beam of energy to knock oil drums onto your opponents’ heads (since the barrels are obviously made of Styrofoam), but never, ever, let those blades nick flesh. And–what? Punching? Are you insane?

To be fair, martial arts dictates that you must never strike out in anger, only in self-defense, and maybe the show’s creators respected that ancient credo. On the other hand, martial arts also commands utter respect for the dojo, which includes performing a bow before leaving. But if you watch the video, Billy Lee doesn’t bother with custom. He just peels the hell out of his dojo on a motorcycle.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/features/do-as-say-not-as-toon

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Review: Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is Not One 4 All Ratchet Fans

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 08:23 AM PDT

I honestly have no idea how I got through the first few video games I played during my childhood. I’m not just talking about the NES stuff from the mid-’80s, but games like the Smurfs for the Atari 2600. Assuming my memory is correct, there’s a random fence that, if you didn’t jump over in precisely the right way, meant instant game over. And somehow, I had put up with that damn instant death fence — again and again. I’m not sure whether I did so because I was a very perseverant child, or if I simply had nothing better to do than try-and-try-and-try again. Back then, video games for kids were simple, crude, and a bit on the cruel and unrelenting side.

Nowadays, kids games have dialed down the cruelty to the point where failure is not only not an option, but it’s not really even acknowledged. But even though they’ve become easier, they have not progressed much in terms of being less janky. It sort of makes sense for some Flash game on a NickJR or Disney XD website to look like it was made in some high schooler’s programming class, but when you see uninspired characters, repeated assets, and horrible glitches in a retail game meant for a home console, it’s downright disheartening. So it’s nice to see that while Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster still adopts the lack-of-failure motif, it’s within a game that looks like people cared about its craft.


 Review: Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is Not One 4 All Ratchet Fans

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/reviews?cId=3185986

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