Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

NetEase teases Game-X with short footage
Where Should Star Trek Games Boldly Go Next?
NYCC: What the Heck is Pokemon Rumble Blast, Anyway?
Path of Exile
New Chrono Trigger Fan Remake May Not Be Safe in the Shadows
Red Blood Online (KR)
Wild Buster (KR)
Terra Militaris £500 Giveaway
Phantasy Star Online 2 (JP)

NetEase teases Game-X with short footage

Posted: 27 Mar 2012 09:36 AM PDT

As posted a couple of days back (link), China’s number 2 MMO company, NetEase, is looking to reveal its self-developed and big-budget MMORPG soon. A teaser footage was shown earlier today by the Chinese media, and it no doubts resembles Blade Soul in some way.

With its fiercest rival, number 1 Tencent Games, getting a huge pop for acquiring NCsoft’s Blade Soul, there is no doubt Game-X will be a direct competitor. The official game’s title and trailer will be shown this coming Friday at a big media conference.

NetEase is also currently preparing to battle against Tencent’s League of Legends and upcoming publisher-less Dota 2 with its own take on the MOBA genre, Heroic 3 Kingdoms (link).

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/netease-teases-game-x-with-short.html

Where Should Star Trek Games Boldly Go Next?

Posted: 27 Mar 2012 09:35 AM PDT

witness

It’s hard not to marvel at
Jonathan Blow’s chutzpah. Braid,
his 2008 XBLA puzzler, played with the concepts and consequences of
time travel through its mechanics as well as narrative. After high
sales and
quite a bit of accolade, Blow used most of the money he made off of
Braid to help finance his next project, a first person exploration game
called The
Witness. While a decision like
this would seems cripplingly frightening, you have to applaud the
confidence that Blow has in his art. This confidence is part of the
reason why The
Witness is my most anticipated game of 2012,
and after sitting down with Blow during GDC,
it remains at the top of my list. Although the game
still has a ways to go, Blow is confident that the final portion of the
game is the single best thing that he’s ever designed. Coming from the
man who created one of my favorite video games of this generation, it’s
safe to say that my anticipation for The Witness grows with every new
look. In preparation for its release, I’ve
compiled a list of five ways to ready yourself for the title, some of
which Blow himself alluded to while others contain connections that
I’ve made from what we learned about the game.

Dear Esther

Upon first viewing the
screenshots for The Witness, the immediate comparison to Myst
sprang forward. They’re both environmental puzzle games played through
a first person view and set on an enigmatic island. Blow even admits to
drawing inspiration
from the PC classic. But instead of replaying Myst
for the dozenth time, try something a little more modern. I suggest Dear Esther,
a Half-Life
2 mod created by British
developers thechineseroom. The mod was first released 2008, but just
last month received a full-fledged remake that improves on the original
in every way possible. The game places you in the role of a nameless
wanderer who explores the expanses of a dreary island. Narration in the
game is delivered via snippets of letters sent to a woman named Esther.
There are no puzzles or combat scenarios whatsoever, so the game ends
up becoming equal parts ghost story and walkabout. From what we’ve seen
from The Witness, both games share a similarly lonesome tone that
emanates from a mysterious island lost in time.

Dictionary of the Khazars

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3186907

NYCC: What the Heck is Pokemon Rumble Blast, Anyway?

Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:12 AM 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=3185963

Path of Exile

Posted: 27 Mar 2012 03:35 AM PDT

[Game website] Before you hae doubts, note that Path to Exile will be a Free to Play title at launch, just that it is currently in Closed Beta status. This weekend’s public opening from March 30 till April 1 will be for server stress testing, with Open Beta happening “in a few months”. This is basically asking the whole gaming community to crash their servers legally! So what exactly is Path of Exile?

Posted a couple of months before, Path of Exile is an upcoming Free to Play title developed in New Zealand by Grinding Gear Games. New Zealand?! Yeah I was surprised as well initially, as the country seems more famous for its cattle. The game somewhat gives off a Diablo vibe, with tons and tons of equipments with different looks to be looted. Watch the videos in this post, and sign up for an account now!

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/path-of-exile-open-to-public-this.html

New Chrono Trigger Fan Remake May Not Be Safe in the Shadows

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 09:35 PM PDT

Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger is one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, and with good reason. It’s an excellent game, and despite Square Enix releasing the game on a fair number of platforms over the years, fans have no less of an appetite for remakes and re-releases. A new HD remake of the game is now allegedly in the works and is hoping to learn from the mistakes of its predecessors.

Fans have attempted to release remakes in the past only to see what Square Enix’s legal team is paid to do. Chrono Resurrection was an enhanced remake of the original game which received a great deal of attention in 2004. A public reveal resulted in several months of heavy traffic from Square Enix IP addresses, which in turn led to a cease and desist being issued to the team behind it. There was also Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes, a modded version of the game in development for more than four years. Just prior to its release in May 2009, Square Enix issues a cease and desist which ended development and blocked its release. Despite this, an alpha version lacking many key features and bug fixes was leaked at one point before the final release made it out. Chrono Resurrection, a remake initially slated for release on N64, also fell victim to a cease and desist.

So what makes those behind Chrono Trigger HD believe they’ll be any more successful in getting anything Chrono Trigger-related into the hands of fans? For starters, the fact that I can’t be more specific than saying “those behind” it is a big reason. As indicated by the image below, which surfaced on Reddit over the weekend, the developers have no intention of putting up a website or including their names in the credits. It’s an admirable thing to do, creating such a project and not taking the credit for it. It’s also seemingly the only way to get away with releasing a Chrono Trigger game at this point, but it’s not a guarantee it will work.

Saying it’s “certainly an interesting idea,” Law of the Game‘s Mark Methenitis told 1UP releasing the game in this fashion “doesn’t make [it] any more legal.” Not having a name or email address attached to the project does make things more complicated for Square Enix. It does not, however, leave it without options.

“Square may be able to get a court order to have the various involved hosting companies turn over records related to that image in order to serve the cease and desist,” Methenitis said. “Square would likely exhaust every remedy they could, which would also likely include takedown requests on anyone hosting the final project. I doubt Square would avoid any potential remedy here given their history with fan Chrono projects.”

Chrono Trigger HD

Methenitis noted he is a fan of the game and would be happy to see an updated version released by Square Enix (and he believes “it’s at least more probable that Square is working on something given the attention the game has had in the last few years”). He also pointed out the number of re-releases the game has seen, noting fans have not been “neglected to nearly the degree that, say, Earthbound’s fan base.” That doesn’t legally give Chrono Trigger HD’s developers any right to take matters into their own hands, though. “Neglect is certainly no excuse,” he said.

It would appear those behind the game have anticipated the possibility of being tracked down and are going to great lengths to avoid having that happen. In the comments on the Reddit post, “ct_throwaway” indicated the submission and subsequent comments had been made over “hijacked wifi.” It was said that updates for the project aren’t going to be provided except for the occasional screenshot.

Some Reddit members were understandably skeptical the project is real and requested screenshots to prove its existence, to which the submitter responded, “[W]e’re not going to start bending over backwards because people on reddit develop a false sense of ownership or entitlement. Your cautious optimism makes perfect sense but remember, you’re not paying for anything.” He or she later relented, stating that screenshots — without any consistency — would be made available “in a few days.” Further updates will follow at some point later, either a few days or a few months from now.

Other comments reveal the remake — which is being built using the Unreal Development Kit — includes everything from the PlayStation 1 version plus anything extra that can be done “without making the project take 15 years.” (The DS version featured some significant additions and is the best version available; it’s presumably these optional extras that could be added.) As for how far along it is, ct_throwaway said, “1000 A.D is mostly mapped, some areas need another pass. Basic game play is in place. Lucca is a box robot place-holder. There are no techs yet.”

Whether we ever see anything from this project, assuming it is real, is hard to say at this point in time, though I’m all for any excuse to replay Chrono Trigger (particularly if it looks even nicer than we’re used to). Square Enix will surely do all it can to shut it down if it does not prove to be a hoax, but if the developers do stay silent and the game is suddenly distributed via torrent, a cease and desist will have a difficult time keeping it out of the hands of fans.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/chrono-trigger-hd-fan-remake

Red Blood Online (KR)

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 06:13 PM PDT

Later today, the latest 3D action MMO to hit Korea, Red Blood Online, will be entering its very first Closed Beta phase. With multi-target action combat as its main feature, along with a “Stage Automation” system where dungeon routes are not the same everytime players enter one (link). Below is a brief skill demo for the current 3 classes revealed, Warrior, Knight and Elementalist. Each class will have 3 different types of skill trees available,

According to early media reports from Korea and Taiwan, Red Blood Online will not be having a true open persistent world, but rather similar to Dragon Nest and Guild Wars where only party members can see each other once stepping out of town. Only 3 maps will be available at the start, including the beginner town of Ironshore.

More features are planned for the undated Closed Beta 2, including the Family system and pets. The Family system will be one of the core features as well, as it will determine the learning of high level skills, character growth, new quests and Family-exclusive dungeons.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/10/red-blood-online-kr-closed-beta-1-draws.html

Wild Buster (KR)

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 03:35 PM PDT

Diablo in space with guns? Well, almost, I guess. This is Wild Buster (with an attached Project Titan, probably the original codename) developed by Korean outfit Star Ducks Studio, with the team comprising of staff with around 10 years of experience. Wild Buster only started development last year, hence I must say I am quite impressed with how the game is looking right now.

As you can see, the Diablo reference came from the isometric view. Wild Buster really reminds me of another Korean MMO which went quiet since G*star 2010, NCsoft’s Metal Black: Alternative (link). Players will be grouped in parties of 5 to clear various maps infested with various robotic monstrosities.

Other than PvE, there are group PvP maps as well such as capture the flag and team PvP. This will happen between the 2 warring factions of course, identified by their colors of blue and red.

The character selection screen for both factions, Guardians and Abandon, looks pretty similar to that of MOBA games’ such as League of Legends and Dota 2, with various heroes each with different specialties to choose from.

The developer promised combat will be fast, exciting, with simple controls allowing even the most unskilled players to enjoy. The first beta is currently scheduled for late 2012 in Korea.

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/wild-buster-kr-diablo-in-space-with.html

Terra Militaris £500 Giveaway

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 03:35 PM PDT

TPCG.com and gPotato is offering totalpcgaming readers a Terra Militaris goody bag worth nearly £10! Each one contains around 20 items, all you have to do send us an email with your account name and 'Terra Militaris' in the subject header.

If you don't already have a Terra Militaris account, you can sign up for one for free and read more about the strategy MMO on the official Terra Militaris website.

Find similar article at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/mmo/terra-militaris-500-giveaway/

Phantasy Star Online 2 (JP)

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 09:35 AM PDT

Phantasy Star Online 2 held a really awesome press conference earlier to announce what its developer SEGA is planning for the latest title in the long-running franchise.Some of you might have played the English version of Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst, hence PSO2 will be really of interest to you as well.

Coming Free to Play (F2P) early this summer in Japan, the game will share similar content with the PlayStation Vita version coming spring 2013. The smartphone (iOS/ Android) game coming this winter will have a separate game, but nevertheless still have some linked content with the other 2 platforms. The smartphone version, of course, will spot a simpler control scheme and character customization will not be as extensive as well.

This is the part which impressed me the most from a business point of view. SEGA also rolled out various partnership with PC brands to promote Phantasy Star Online 2. In the pictures below, you can see some of the bonus items players can get when the purchase the corresponding hardware pieces. Like I said, from a business standpoint, this is absolutely a complete presentation of how much effort SEGA is putting in.

Closed Beta test, in Japan only of course, will be happening soon in late April. For this test, SEGA will be granting a whopping 100,000 gamers access to the game servers. Hopefully, the game will see light in the English market next year or in 2014.