Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


Firefall (CN)

Posted: 24 Feb 2012 08:49 AM PST


[English website] China online gaming company, The9, threw a fancy media party to celebrate the announcement of Firefall China last week. The9 is also the majority shareholder of Firefall’s developer, Red 5 Studios. With The9 apparently swimming in cash after its meteoric revival since early last year, this media event oozed style and class, with spokesperson Nicholas Anelka gracing the stage as well.

If you have not read my previous posts, footballer Nicholas Anelka moved to China club Shanghai Shenhua in January, which is owned by The8′s big boss (seldom pictured at any events as usual). In the video above, the little girl who presented the gift to Anelka is the boss’ daughter. From what I read, Firefall will only be launching in China next year, 2013… Visit the official Firefall website above to join in the fun!


Posted by: admin in Gaming News
Find related article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/02/firefall-cn-media-event-footage.html

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BAFTA GAME Awards 2011

Posted: 24 Feb 2012 08:49 AM PST

The BAFTA GAME Awards 2011 is now open to the public vote. As a member of the games-buying public and a totalpcgaming.com reader, you can voteBAFTA GAME Awards 2011 to nominate your favourite game of 2011, include Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Portal 2.

"The gaming industry is hugely creative and the GAME BAFTA Video Games Awards aims to recognise the talented and exiting figures and games that have set the industry alight over the past year," said Anna-Marie Mason, Marketing Director at GAME.

"The BAFTA GAME Award is an award we are particularly proud of as it gives our customers the chance to make their opinion heard."

The BAFTA GAME Awards ceremony starts on 16 March, and by voting on the BAFTA Awards website, you can earn a chance to win a Limited Edition Star Wars Xbox 360 console – so get voting!

 


Posted by: admin in Gaming News
Find related article at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/latest-pc-news/bafta-game-award-2011/

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OP-ED: BioWare Doesn’t Deserve Such Hate For Mass Effect 3′s Day One DLC

Posted: 24 Feb 2012 02:47 AM PST

Mass Effect 3

Thanks to a mistake on the Xbox Live Marketplace earlier this week, a piece of Mass Effect 3 downloadable content was revealed sooner than it was meant to be. As it turns out, the From Ashes DLC is scheduled to be released alongside the game on March 6. This both means Jeremy’s idea of a tuxedo T-shirt for Jack can’t be the first DLC item and that a boycott is already being arranged by infuriated gamers who don’t like the idea of having to pay for this particular content on the day the game comes out.

Note: If you’d like to avoid any and all spoilers related to ME3, you’d be wise to not read on as the nature of the DLC is part of the reason why series fans are so upset.

The Marketplace listing for From Ashes describes the content as allowing players to “Unearth lost secrets from the past and recruit the Prothean squad member,” the latter of which is a big deal — Protheans are a race in Mass Effect lore believed to be long extinct. They were at one point credited with the creation of extremely advanced pieces of technology like the Citadel and the mass relays, so suffice it to say they are a critical aspect of the series.

As such, relegating what is presumably (keep in mind we don’t know this for sure) the last remaining member of the Protheans to premium DLC has upset fans who feel this should be a part of the game they purchase on March 6. Instead, meeting the Prothean will be a $10 proposition unless you’ve decided to purchase either the Collector’s or Digital Deluxe versions of the game.

Many fans are claiming they will not be purchasing the game, including those on Reddit who have been engaged with a letter-writing campaign expressing their displeasure with the situation. Many feel this DLC’s existence is entirely attributable to Electronic Arts which, like Activision, is seen as a money-hungry publisher that cares about nothing but its bottom line. Accusations of customers being ripped off and shafted are common among those airing their grievances on Reddit and elsewhere.

“But this is just unacceptable. For the first time in…forever, I actually took the time to send a lengthy email and have agreed not to purchase Mass Effect 3 unless they do something regarding this,” wrote Reddit user breadrising. “At this point, they are only punishing loyal fans by holding a large amount of the lore experience for ransom. Its disgraceful. I urge anyone reading this who hasn’t sent an email, to take the (quite literally) two minutes to do so. Simply upvoting will not change things as drastically as voicing your criticism.”

“It is the principle of including mission and character content as part of the complete code on launch and charging for it on Day 1,” said TotalBiscuit. “It could be the lamest character in the world or the most vital thing ever, the principle remains the same. Non-cosmetic Day 1 launch paid DLC is unacceptable in all games.”

“You are absolutely allowed to disagree with a decision a game company/publisher is making with regards to DLC,” wrote kingerp in response to those on Reddit stating they would pirate the game after learning of the DLC. “HOWEVER, this does not justify pirating the game, or the DLC in question. Claiming otherwise is the epitome of gamer self-entitlement, and it’s laughable that any of you could argue that you somehow ‘deserve’ to get access to something without paying for it.”

BioWare has already begun attempting to defend itself. Mass Effect executive producer Casey Hudson took to Twitter with a series of messages which read, “It takes about 3 months from “content complete” to bug-fix, certify, manufacture, and ship game discs. In that time we work on DLC. DLC has fast cert and no mfg., so if a team works very hard, they can get a DLC done in time to enjoy it with your 1st playthrough on day 1. On #ME3, content creators completed the game in January moved onto the ‘From Ashes’ DLC, free w/ the CE or you can buy seperately.”

Producer Michael Gamble also offered up an explanation on the BioWare forums. He outlined what the DLC includes — the squad mate, an ‘adventure’ on Eden Prime, a new weapon, and alternative appearances for every squad mate (in addition to those in the CE) — noted the Prothean is optional content, and explained it was included in the CE because the content is designed for long-time fans, adding that the DLC release is intended to allow non-CE buyers to also enjoy the content.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun‘s John Walker suggested the solution to avoiding this reaction is to simply delay the release of the DLC. Push it back from launching alongside the game to coming two weeks later; that way day one buyers will largely be done with the game and ready for new content.

I disagree for several reasons, one of which is that some players (myself included) would prefer to have the option of meeting up with the Prothean in the midst of the story rather than in a subsequent playthrough or at some point after the main campaign has been wrapped up and Earth has (I assume) been saved. Without knowing the specifics of how ME3′s story will end or what the Prothean meeting will be like, I can’t help but think the Prothean meeting will somehow come across as less important than it should if it comes after completing the game.

That’s another reason why delaying the release of this particular DLC wouldn’t be the right way to go — I think a lot of the outrage is a result of, as I noted above, an important event taking place inside a piece of downloadable content. A meeting with a Prothean should, in the eyes of many ME fans, be a key moment in the main game. Whether the DLC is available at launch or months down the road, BioWare will be faced with criticism that it held back a moment it knew fans would be eager to experience in order to make more money. This calls into question whether we simply need to begin looking at game stories differently in this digital age, where some events can take place beyond the scope of what is included on the disc at release, similar to an MMO. (But that’s a matter for another discussion.)

The motive behind such a DLC release isn’t always as selfish as it may seem. If you follow industry news closely, you’ll likely have read a story at one point or another about a developer finishing up a game and laying off a number of staff around the time of its release. Eat Sleep Play and Starbreeze are two recent examples. As John points out in his RPS story, when confronted about this developers have a very reasonable explanation for DLC that is developed prior to the game’s release: it’s “a move that helps to keep people employed.”

Gamers tend to ignore (or simply be unaware) of the time which exists between development on a game coming to a close and the day that game shows up on store shelves. As Hudson alluded to on Twitter, certification processes, manufacturing, and so on take up a good deal of time. A piece of content finished a week before the retail release of a game can’t be included on the disc, which is why we so often see patches released on the first day a game is made available. It’s not as if the content on the disc you insert into your console or PC was being developed up until the days before its release.

Delaying a piece of DLC purely to avoid gamers getting the wrong impression is not the right way to approach this situation. DLC isn’t going away — on this we can all agree — and there’s no reason why developers should have to wait an arbitrary amount of time before selling DLC that is complete. I’m by no means in support of developers withholding content simply so it can make extra money on it later, something we have certainly seen in the past. But in the case of From Ashes that doesn’t appear to be the case. Being angry about content located on the disc you’re expected to pay extra for is one thing; assuming content was held back just to screw fans is another matter entirely.

I’m not saying you have to purchase the DLC or anything like that — by all means, don’t spend your money on it if you don’t approve of its existence, as that will send a much better message than an email alone. I simply don’t find it objectionable for a publisher to shell out money on top of a game’s budget in order to deliver more content it then hopes to make money by selling.


Posted by: admin in Gaming News
Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/news/op-ed-bioware-mass-effect-3-day-one-dlc

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Age of Wulin (CN)

Posted: 24 Feb 2012 01:26 AM PST


This time next week, the Closed Beta 1 phase for Age of Wulin China would have started for a few hours already. Even though I am registered for it (link), I am hoping there will be no hiccups for overseas player though, even if Snail Game has recognized us as part of the player group. So, before next Sunday arrives, I will be posting a few articles on the system found in Age of Wulin. First up, a preview of the guild war system.

In Closed Beta 1, there will be 11 areas opened for the top 11 guilds to build their base. After a player registers a guild and there are no 4 players in it after 3days, the guild will be disbanded. Those with the amount will become an official guild. When the number of players in a guild reaches 100 and there is 20 silver in the guild bank, it is possible to upgrade to level 2. Only upon reaching level 2 can a guild declare war on others and vice versa. For Closed Beta 1, guilds with a base will not be able to declare war on another with none.

Pretty much similar to Ragnarok Online’s War of Emporium, there will be a short time for both attacking and defending guilds to prepare for the war once it has been declared. For the defending guild, the guild master have the option to relocate where the guild throne, the ultimate goal of the attacking guild, is placed within the walls. If not done so, the game will automatically choose a spot itself.


Both guilds will see the names as red, indicating the enemy. Killing anyone during a guild war will not affect the karma status of players. While the attackers can kidnap the female servants in the guild base and exchange them for silver, the defenders may spend silver to hire NPCs to defend or build various traps. Once the attacker gain control of an area, their guild flag will be shown there.


Here is one of the more interesting parts of the guild war. For the defenders, there will be 8 portals (or 4 connections) which will allow them to travel instantly to another area. However, the attackers may destroy and gain control of 3 of the portals and use them to move around, except for just 1 main portal. Of course, the linking portal on the other side must be captured as well in order to be used. The defenders may also attack and gain back these portals.


Once the attacking team discovers the guild throne in either of the 4 throne rooms, gaining control of it will declare the end of the guild war and change of ownership. The information posted here are all for the Closed Beta 1 phase, hence details might change accordingly when it is ready for an official release.


Posted by: admin in Gaming News
Find related article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/10/age-of-wulin-cn-guild-war-preview.html

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Can Etrian Odyssey IV Bring Hardcore RPGs to the Masses?

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 02:46 PM PST

Annual iterations in video games are something that we’re just going to have to deal with — as much as we may complain, there’s just too much money to be made in releasing yearly installments of the biggest franchises. While this business model obviously makes sense from a financial point, many lament the fact that this short span in between sequels hurts creativity and quality. If you need proof of this, look no further than the Assassin’s Creed series. The two-year gap between AC and ACII allowed the series to come into its own and evolve into one of gaming’s most ambitious franchises. Since then, the annualization of the series has brought a bit of stagnation to the formula. And yet, we continue to have faith that the franchise may return to its former greatness. With the recent announcement that Assassin’s Creed III will hit shelves on October 30, we remain cautiously optimistic that Ubisoft is prepared to make an ambitious leap forward for the next numbered installment in Desmond’s journey. Below are some initial thoughts and theories from the AC players at 1UP: Marty Sliva, Thierry Nguyen, and Jeremy Parish.

The Setting

Marty: A few months back, I received a pro-tip that ACIII was going to place you in the body of a half-Cherokee warrior during the American Revolution. Evidently you’re going to be tasked with traveling north along the Atlantic coast to Boston and Philadelphia, engaging in all sorts of wacky hijinks. If this is the setting for ACIII, it would be a great direction for the series to take, as America during the latter half of the 18th century is rife with potential in the video game world. With so many historically significant events occurring throughout New England at the time, Assassin’s Creed III could take a Forrest Gump-ian approach to history and have your character be present at all of the major events of the American Revolution. Imagine playing through historical moments like the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s ride, or Washington’s crossing of the Delaware.



Posted by: admin in Gaming News
Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3186765

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Ragnarok II (KR)

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 02:46 PM PST


[Game website] Back in May 2007, Ragnarok II begun its first public beta phase. But being nowhere near a polished product, it caused players to be disillusioned and negative about the game. Gravity Games promised to make sweeping changes, but till the test server closed in August 2010, no significant content updates where implemented at all.

Fast forward to 2012, the game has finally entered Open Beta yesterday. Korean gaming website ThisIsGame.com (link) held an interview with Ragnarok II’s man-in-charge, Mr Kim, to understand what really happened all these years. Please note that the article has been summarized in certain parts.


Mr Kim took over the Ragnarok II project on 2nd October 2009. It was not an easy decision, as the franchise has already established itself with Ragnarok Online and tackling the problems faced by the sequel will require an incredible effort. Eventually, he felt that as one of Gravity Games’ executives, it is his responsibility to make Ragnarok II a success.

When he took over, the vision for Ragnarok II was at best confusing, as there was no single direction the team was working together on. Even if there was an internal schedule for the game’s development, Mr Kim felt that it was not helping at all and decided to re-plan the whole timeline. The whole project became clearer once everything was organized properly.


In order to speed up the re-development process, 3rd party studios from China and Korea itself were hired to fulfill the manpower requirements and to prevent staff from working too much overtime. An overhaul of the development team in Gravity Games was also carried out. Still, many of the development team had to stay past 10pm on a daily basis.

Mr Kim recalled one of his development staff quitting the company after his fiancee threatened to break up with him. He also admitted that he himself seldom leave the office before 10pm, with 12am counted as “early” on lucky days. Mr Kim was admitted to the hospital once due to overwork, while the art department’s head was stressed till he couldn’t move his neck and back properly.


The initial engine for Ragnarok II was Unreal 2.5, bu the development team faced many troubles working with the engine when trying to perfect the game. It was then later changed to the Zero Ding Engine, a Korea-developed engine. However, that did not work as well, which led to the current Gamebryo Engine (which was used for Warhammer Online as well).

In order to understand the essence of Ragnarok’s lore and world, Mr Kim frequently played Ragnarok Online to understand what the fun parts are in the prequel from a player’s point of view. He spoke to the author of the Ragnarok manga as well, from which the games spawned from. In the end, he decided to keep almost all the original map names, skill names and monster names to stay true to the franchise.


One of the more major changed will be the card system. In Ragnarok Online, Mr Kim noted that the number of card slots and card in an equipment will determine how long it is viable before players move on to another, which is usually a short time. To solve this, monster cards will now be used on characters instead.

For the 20-man raid dungeon, the final boss will start spawning hordes of minions to make the fighter much harder on its health points drop to 5% and below. Mr Kim stated that he smart choice will be the out last the waves of minions and concentrate firepower on the boss.


He also mentioned that he hopes the raid dungeons in Ragnarok II will not be as stressful as the ones in World of Warcraft, without having to do a standard set of actions simultaneously to clear the dungeons. The aim of the raid dungeons should be seen as a fun side-activity instead of being engrossed in them.


Posted by: admin in Gaming News
Find related article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/02/ragnarok-ii-kr-developer-reveals.html

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AstroN MMO Review

Posted: 23 Feb 2012 01:29 PM PST

AstroN is a 3D Sci-Fi shooter MMO where players command starships. Chose from three races, each with their own ships and distinct features. Work together to defeat computer controlled enemies and complete missions, or battle against other players in five game modes!

 

 

Publisher: GameIs
Playerbase: Low
Graphics: Low Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: Various Modes
Filesize: 165 MB

Website: http://astron.gameis.com/

Pros: +Low system requirements. +Action oriented gameplay. +Cooperative and competitive game modes. +Keyboard controls.

Cons: -Dated visuals and interface. -Low playerbase. -Repetitive gameplay, must grind same stages constantly.

 

AstroN is a sci-fi shooter with action oriented combat. Like the browser based Pirate Galaxy, players can only move their ships in two dimensions, but the environments are in 3D. AstroN is a simple game with low system requirements and a small file size. It was developed by the same studio behind Carom3D. Players can create a character from among three races, each of which starts with a different kind of ship. Each mission stage takes place on a different world which players access through a launch pad in the main city. AstroN also has five different kinds of battle missions which are the PvP modes in the game.

Races:

Shrewdo - They have the fastest ships in the whole universe.

Acron - The most energy efficient race. They possess many special weapons and advanced technologies. Acron worship the God Rahkiel.

Bellico - A hostile species which has destroyed many civilizations. They have simple but powerful weapons. The durability of Bellico ships constantly recovers, even during battle.

Battle Missions

Communication Center - Two teams compete to destroy the opposing team's base while defending their own.

Resource Struggle - The three factions defend their mining vessels as they generates resources. Harass the vessels of other factions to delay them.

Convoy Mission - One team has to escort the cargo ship as it moves while the other team must destroy it.

Planet Invasion - Attacking party must destroy defending team's command ship. Defending team must prevent this.

Keydisk Struggle - Three factions defend their keydisks until the end. The side with the last remaining keydisk wins.

 

 

 

AstroN MMO System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP
CPU: Pentium Celeron 1GHz
RAM: 128 MB
HDD: 500 MB
Graphics Card: 32 mb

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7
CPU: Pentium 4 1.5 GHz or higher
RAM: 256 MB or more
HDD: 1 GB or more free
Graphics Card: 64 mb or more

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