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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