General Gaming Article

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• First Impressions: Diablo III's Hits, Misses, and Head-Scratchers
• Cooler Master Adds Fans To Hyper 412 Slim CPU Cooler, Intros Three New Thermal Pastes
• Samsung Researchers Design A Better Graphene Transistor
• Researchers Use Calculation Errors To Greatly Improve Processor Speed And Power Efficiency
• This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
• OCZ Outs Low Profile Vertex 3 Solid State Drives
• BitFenix Rolls Out a Pair of Fan Controllers
• HP Reportedly Mulling Huge Job Cuts
• Acer's New TravelMate P243 Heads to the U.K., Packs Ivy Bridge
• Amazon Flirts with 10.1-inch Kindle Fire, Eyes Third Quarter Launch

First Impressions: Diablo III's Hits, Misses, and Head-Scratchers Posted: 18 May 2012 12:03 PM PDT How do you possibly condense twelve years' worth of anticipation into a single game? Such is the question that plagues Blizzard's Diablo III – if you can get in to play, that is. I was one of the (likely) hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people slamming the servers on launch day, 12:01 a.m., with reckless abandon. What did it get me? Not very many "first impressions" write about. By the time two a.m. or so rolled around (Pacific time), my group of more than ten Redditors (and friends of Redditors) had just barely gotten into their games. While starting a big gaming marathon with two hours of Diablo III excitement could have probably kept me going until the sun came up, having to delay any and all fun until the servers let us all in got pretty tiring pretty quickly. It's since been a bit of an up and down with Blizzard, but I've somehow managed to find enough windows of time between my personal life and the life of Blizzard's servers (currently on fire) to beat the game on normal difficulty. In addition to some fun screenshots below, here are a few quick impressions from someone who's been punching Prime Evils in the face since 1997. It's hard. Playing Diablo III makes me nostalgic for Diablo II. You know what I'm talking about. You'd save all of your skill points for the first 15 levels of your character's existence, and then start dumping them into two or three skills and synergies to create The Unstoppable Character. Save for the random, annoying immunities you'd find in Hell difficulty, steam-rolling Diablo's minions (Baal's too) was more a question of how fast you could click your mouse than how tough these foes really were. Diablo III – not so much. If you're not paying attention, conventional packs of mobs have the capacity to put a good bit of hurt on your bottom. This isn't the kind of game where you can just walk right behind a Frozen Orb while watching YouTube videos on the side.  Should you find yourself in a four-player slugfest, well, don't expect to just leave your party members behind while you head on out solo.  Yeowch. It's easy. Remember what I just said? Okay, now ignore it for a number of boss fights within the game, because Diablo III has this odd tendency to waver between frustratingly difficult and absurdly easy. Your first trip to Belial will be unpleasant for you. Other bosses in the game are tank-and-spanks, up to and including some baddies you find in Act IV itself. In other words, Diablo III doesn't scale all that well. Heaven help the hardcore player who started out on his or her quest to glory immediately after hitting level 10 with an normal character – you're setting yourself up for a bit of sadness. It's fast. For whatever reason, Diablo III just feels like a flurry of activity compared to Diablo II. Maybe there's something about the way Blizzard now handles random mobs and elite monsters; maybe it's a result of the ease at which players can warp in and out of levels to meet up with their friends; maybe it's because of all the in-game cutscenes that become an exercise in spacebar mechanics for those more eager to kill than learn. It could also be the story itself. I won't spoil the goods for those of you who are still chugging through, but the significant plot elements that happen in each act – including the big "sigh, really?" moment toward the late-game – seem hurried. So quickly do we meet new people, learn the barest amount about them, learn a little bit more about the act boss, before blammo – next act. Blizzard's through-line is a river rapid, not a lazy inner tube ride. And I confess, I don't feel like I really understand who some characters are, why they act the way they do, or how in the heck we got to where we are. And I like the Diablo universe. It's missing. Diablo III has a lot going on. You have the game itself, your characters, your friends, the auction house… I don't want to spoil a review and say that Blizzard, perhaps, bit off more than it could chew on this one – on an 11-year development cycle, no less. For example: It would have been nice to be able to sit in a queue for the game on launch day instead of dealing with all the server meltdowns (a minor gripe for an occurrence that Blizzard really should have foreseen). Moving on, why is there no option to queue for public games of specific sizes? While I appreciate the ability to quickly jump into someone else's game and help them out, these frequently become pairings. I want to play with the full, four-person experience, and I want to join or queue for a game that allows this to happen intentionally, not just by chance. For that matter, why can I add Battle.net friends via Facebook within Starcraft II… but not Diablo III? Nothing says "ball of fun" like having to write your friends' Battletags down in a notebook so you can input them into the game later. And, in the largest, lazy sin to date, why is Blizzard showing me a cutscene to end a major act that they already released as a trailer for the game. First off, spoilers: Much of what was predicted by Diablo fans based upon the peculiarities of that trailer happens. Second: It's a bit of a letdown to find out that we've all already watched one of the game's few extended, fully-rendered cinematics. With but a handful of these beautiful mini-movies to view in the game, it's a real bummer to find out that the total amount of new CG content drops by one when chugging through the acts. Nitpicky? Yes. When a company has spent 11 years working on a single title, I think nitpicking is completely fair game. It's fun. Criticisms aside, Diablo III remains a fun stompy-stomp through all things evil. You'll enjoy your (rushed) time throughout the four acts… the real question is whether Blizzard's built enough to keep players jamming on new characters and new difficulties over the long-term. And why, oh why, won't they find competent writers for the plot and in-game dialogue.  I officially volunteer.   Maximum PC's resident Diablo nut and former editor, David Murphy, looks forward to getting pummeled left and right on Inferno difficulty.

Cooler Master Adds Fans To Hyper 412 Slim CPU Cooler, Intros Three New Thermal Pastes Posted: 18 May 2012 11:39 AM PDT Cooler Master has spread its wings into a lot of different product lines, but it's still best known for its namesake: stuff that keeps your PC running cool. To that effect, today the company announced an update to the design of its Hyper 412 Slim CPU cooler as well as three new thermal pastes. The Hyper 412 Slim redesign introduces a pair of appropriately slim fans on either side of the heatsink. Why slim fans, you ask? Cooler Master says the new look will increase cooling performance while still allowing you to plop memory down around the cooler. The Hyper 412 Slim works best with LGA 2011 sockets and should be available next month for around $50. Check out more about the Hyper 412 Slim on the Cooler Master website. Of course, you need thermal paste to install a CPU cooler, so Cooler Master announced three new compounds to go with the redesigned Hyper 412 Slim: the gold-colored, IC Essential E1, the grey-colored IC Essential E2, and the white-colored IC Value V1, which offer varying levels of conductivity. All three will join the new-look Hyper 412 Slim on store shelves in June.

Samsung Researchers Design A Better Graphene Transistor Posted: 18 May 2012 11:12 AM PDT Intel's doing a bang-up job and shrinking transistors and packing them in tighter than ever before, but let's face it: it's going to be hard to scale silicon down much further. That eventual wall is why engineers are pumped about the potential of graphene, a substance with more than 200 times the electron mobility of silicon. (Read: better potential performance.) Coaxing graphene transistors into switching off current to create the 1 and 0 signals we know and love has been tricky, however. Now Samsung says it's developed a solution that does just that, without limiting graphene's electron mobility. That last part is key: most of the previous solutions to graphene's electric current woes involved transforming the material into a semi-conductor, but doing so reduced its electron mobility -- thereby eliminating much of its performance gain over silicon. Samsung Electronics' R&D arm, the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, created a special three-terminal Schottky barrier (dubbed the "Barristor" by Samsung) that can be raised or lowered in order to allow or impede the flow of electrical. The three-terminal device is basically a gate. So how does Barristor stop current without mucking up electron mobility? From the abstract: The key is an atomically sharp interface between graphene and hydrogenated silicon. Large modulation on the device current (on/off ratio of 10^5) is achieved by adjusting the gate voltage to control the graphene-silicon Schottky barrier. Subscribers to the Science journal can check out the full text for an even more in-depth and jargon-filled explanation. It was published on the website yesterday. Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

Researchers Use Calculation Errors To Greatly Improve Processor Speed And Power Efficiency Posted: 18 May 2012 10:22 AM PDT A team of researchers from prominent institutions around the world claim that they've figured out how to make computer processors smaller, faster and more power efficient than ever before: by letting chips mess up once in a while. No, seriously. By allowing "inexact" chips to make a pre-calculated amount of errors rather than striving for absolute perfection, the researchers claim that drastic power reductions can be made -- and they already have a working prototype. The researchers -- from Rice University, Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, Switzerland's Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, and the University of California, Berkeley -- use probability to account for the number of errors created by the inexact chip and place limitations on exactly which chip calculations can produce errors, to avoid mistakes during critical processes. Since an inexact chip isn't constantly triple-checking its work for pinpoint accuracy, it also receives a significant processing speed increase compared to traditional processors. A couple of innovations help inexact chips consume less power than traditional chips. The variance allows the team to "prune" infrequently used sections of the chips to make the hardware smaller, while a technique called "confined voltage scaling" taps into the processing speed increase to reduce power consumption when it isn't needed. "In the latest tests, we showed that pruning could cut energy demands 3.5 times with chips that deviated from the correct value by an average of 0.25 percent," study co-author Avinash Lingamneni said in a Rice University press release. "When we factored in size and speed gains, these chips were 7.5 times more efficient than regular chips. Chips that got wrong answers with a larger deviation of about 8 percent were up to 15 times more efficient." But what good is a chip that screws up all the time? Plenty of good, as it turns out. While you obviously wouldn't want an inexact chip running, say, critical banking or security systems, the researchers say it could provide significant gains in areas that can have more tolerance for slight errors. Since the human body is hard-wired for basic error correction, the release says that initial markets may include hearing aids and devices that generate pictures. "We used inexact adders to process images and found that relative errors up to 0.54 percent were almost indiscernible," project co-investigator Christian Enz reports. "Relative errors as high as 7.5 percent still produced discernible images." Hey, does that mean Photoshop might get cheaper in the future? In any case, the team hopes to have the first inexact chip-powered prototype hearing aids and educational tablets available sometime in 2013. Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 18 May 2012 08:32 AM PDT Sony KDL-46HX853 review This is the best LCD TV we've ever tested. Sony has had a tough ride in the last few years but after a catalogue of mistakes, it's finally come good in the most spectacular of ways. The KDL-46HX853 takes LCD picture quality to a whole new level, particularly where contrast and motion handling are concerned. The set looks gorgeous too, and features what's for our money the best - or at least the most sensibly focussed - online service around. This all adds up to an achievement made all the more remarkable when you consider that this outstanding TV is being delivered at a more aggressive price than the usually ultra-competitive Korean brands are offering on their range equivalents. To sum all this up, with the KDL-46HX853 Sony isn't just back, it's back with a vengeance. Toshiba BDX3300 review The way the Toshiba BDX3300 doesn't bother to disguise its BBC iPlayer, Acetrax, YouTube and Picasa services as apps is somewhat refreshing, since the functionality is identical to much more expensive - and certainly more polished, usability-wise - smart TVs and Blu-ray players. When it comes to pure Full HD picture quality, the Toshiba BDX3300 delivers, and we also like the fact that it can support an awful lot of digital files via USB and over a network. It may lack finesse and at times appears a tad archaic, but we can't find it within us to criticise anything on a super-slim Blu-ray player that combines the best of the smart TV landscape with a price that hovers under £80/£120. For a simple 2D Blu-ray upgrade with some YouTube goodness, we can't recommend the Toshiba BDX3300 highly enough. Asus Transformer Pad 300 review You can't release a £399, 10.1-inch tablet and not expect comparisons with the iPad, so we'll cut to the chase. The Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is currently one of the best 10-inch Android tablets you can buy, and represents better value with equivalent performance than the Asus Transformer Prime. The top-notch benchmark scores, wonderful use of the keyboard docking station, excellent battery life and superb usability make it a top recommendation in our eyes. If you're platform agnostic and are tossing up between this and the iPad, things get trickier. The Transformer is better value, has double the storage, a fantastic keyboard dock which makes it much more versatile, and Ice Cream Sandwich closes the gap hugely. Individual needs and budget will determine if the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is right for you, but we applaud Asus for marrying value and performance, and the TF300 comes highly recommended. Panasonic TX-L42DT50B review The TX-L42DT50B is a relatively high-end TV - that much is obvious from its slim depth and metallic bezel, the latter of which is some achievement considering Panasonic's rather lacklustre history in this department. Feature-packed inside, we're able to detect that this isn't the brand's flagship set, but there's really no major flaws aside from a stubborn refusal to include 3D specs. It's a decision which rather underlines why most brands - including Panasonic, to some extent - is quickly turning to passive 3D system with its 99p 3D glasses. Toshiba 55ZL2 review Toshiba's 55ZL2 is designed to get any tech obsessive's pulse racing. After all, it breaks new ground in not one but two huge areas. First it can genuinely produce a watchable 3D picture without you having to wear glasses. And second, to help it achieve its first innovation, it employs a native 4K or Quad HD pixel resolution for the first time on a domestic TV. Amplifiers Fatman Mi-Tube review Blu-ray players Toshiba BDX5300 review Cameras Ricoh CX6 review Hands on: Leica M Monochrom review Desktops CyberPower Infinity Achilles review Gaming accessories PS Vita Starter Kit review Graphics cards Sapphire HD 7870 OC Edition review Gigabyte HD 7850 Overclock review Headphones Sennheiser RS 220 review Incase Sonic Over Ear Headphones review Plantronics BackBeat Go review Laptops Toshiba Satellite Pro C660-2F7 review Asus X53E review Hands on: Sony Vaio T13 review Mobile phones LG Optimus L3 review Motorola Defy Mini review ZTE Tania review BlackBerry Curve 9320 review Printers Kodak ESP 3.2 review Kodak ESP 1.2 review Processors AMD A10-4600M review Routers Asus EA-N66 Ethernet Adaptor review

OCZ Outs Low Profile Vertex 3 Solid State Drives Posted: 18 May 2012 06:06 AM PDT Thin is in, as it pertains to the tech world, and the current trend is towards increasingly skinny devices. Just take one look at the Ultrabook frenzy, including similar devices that don't carry Intel's official Ultrabook label, but are just as flat and portable nonetheless. Catering to this crowd of thin and light machine owners is OCZ, which is rolling out a line of low profile Vertex 3 solid state drives. The Vertex 3 LP line features a 7mm high form factor that "easily integrates into the latest mobile computing platforms." Best of all, the shrinkage in physical size doesn't come at the expense of performance or storage space. These are SATA III SSDs available in 60GB, 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB capacities. Depending on the model, they offer maximum read/write speeds of up to 550MB/520MB per second, and up to 85,000 IOPS of random 4K write performance. No word on when these will be available or how much they'll run. Image Credit: OCZ

BitFenix Rolls Out a Pair of Fan Controllers Posted: 18 May 2012 05:50 AM PDT The world's population of fan controllers grew by two this week, courtesy of BitFenix, including one model the company claims is the world's first Internet-connected fan controller (Recon) and another that sports low profile sliders (Hydra Pro) for compatibility with just about any case, even ones with doors. The Hydra Pro features 30W per channel performance (with five channels), offers push-button LED on/off functionality when combined with BitFenix's Spectre and Spectre Pro LED fans, and boasts BitFenix's SofTouch surface treatment similar to what you find on many rubberized smartphones. Probably of more interest to most folks is the Recon, an Internet-connected fan controller that also boasts five channels, but offers fan monitoring and control via mobile devices. The mobile interface is browser-based, so you can control it with just about any operating system, including iOS, Android, and Windows. "Users have been clamoring for these two devices for a while now, and I'm proud to report that the wait is finally over," says BitFenix Product Manager David Jarlestedt. "With Recon and Hydra Pro, BitFenix once again takes our disruptive ideas and brings them into a new design space – fan controllers. Offering never-before-seen functionality at competitive price points, Recon and Hydra Pro are set to become the go-to thermal control devices for enthusiasts the world over." The BitFenix Recon carries an MSRP of $39 in the U.S. and will be available next week, while the Hydra Pro will run $34.90 when it ships in June. Image Credit: BitFenix

HP Reportedly Mulling Huge Job Cuts Posted: 18 May 2012 05:33 AM PDT Last year, Hewlett-Packard briefly toyed with the idea of quitting the PC business. While that didn't pan out as the powers that be at the company eventually decided against it, HP did launch a major restructuring effort by announcing the merger of its printing and PC divisions in March, 2012. According to recent reports, that restructuring effort also includes job cuts. Hit the jump for more.   These reports come on the heels of a recent research note by ISI analyst Brian Marshall, in which he told clients that he expected a "reduction in force" at HP. But there seems to be no consensus among the various reports, which are all based on unnamed sources, as to the extent of this workforce reduction. The different numbers floating around range from 8 percent to 15 percent of the company's current workforce of 320,000 employees. According to AllThingsD, whose sources expect the company to lay off around 30,000 people in a graduated manner over a year or more, CEO Meg Whitman will make the big announcement when it announces its quarterly results next Wednesday.

Acer's New TravelMate P243 Heads to the U.K., Packs Ivy Bridge Posted: 18 May 2012 05:33 AM PDT Acer this week rolled out its TravelMate P243 laptop, a notebook designed to meet the needs of SMB and SOHO with a "pleasant yet practical design." On the practicality side, the TravelMate P243 wields third generation Intel Core processor options with Turbo Boost and, according to model, discrete level Nvidia GeForce GT 630M graphics to tear through those multimedia chores (or some gaming in between hammering out TPS reports). The TravelMate P243 sports a 14-inch display with a 1366x768 screen resolution. Specs will vary by model, though all will come with a USB 3.0 port for high-speed data transfers (provided you're rocking a USB 3.0-friendly storage device), HD webcam, up to 8GB of system memory, at least 750GB of storage space, stereo speakers, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, GbE LAN, Bluetooth 4.0, and various security features, including Acer's ProShield Security lineup, which is a suite of security and manageability tools integrated in a unified user interface (file shredder, pre-boot authentication, and other odds and ends). Pricing starts at £339 when it launches in the U.K. Acer didn't say when that will be, nor did the company mention whether or not its latest TravelMate will make a trip to U.S. shores any time soon. Image Credit: Acer

Amazon Flirts with 10.1-inch Kindle Fire, Eyes Third Quarter Launch Posted: 18 May 2012 05:17 AM PDT One of the complaints some people have with Amazon's Kindle Fire device is that it's only 7 inches. Sure, it's relatively affordable in the land of tablets (or glorified eBook readers, if you prefer to call it that), but certainly a larger screen size would put additional competitive heat on Apple's iPad, the only tablet line that sells better than the Fire. Well, it looks as though a 10.1-inch Kindle Fire is nearing release. According to DigiTimes, Amazon is "likely" to launch a full-sized Kindle Fire tablet device in the third quarter of this year, and is so serious about the move, it's suspending the launch of the 8.9-inch version that was rumored to exist. The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire was supposed to compete with Samsung's Galaxy Note tablets, or at least that's what DigiTimes' sources are saying. But with the decision to launch a 10.1-inch Kindle Fire, Amazon scrapped its 8.9-inch plans in order to simplify its lineup while going for the iPad's jugular. Image Credit: Amazon

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MMO News

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• A Mojave Makeover for Fallen Earth
• MMORPG Female Character Clichés and Why They Need to Stop
• Super Newbie Guide arrives in Eden Eternal
• RuneScape announces new combat system
• Conquer Online celebrates 9th anniversary
• First Spirit Tales content update coming May 23
• Dragon Born

A Mojave Makeover for Fallen Earth Posted: 18 May 2012 05:22 PM PDT Today, Reloaded Productions announced a new major update for Fallen Earth: Global Territory Control. The update adds new conquerable settlements and outposts throughout the world, which will grant their owners property rights such as resource extraction and passive buffs that boost core combat skills and crafting. A new 50+ PvP area, The Foothills, will give players a new area to challenge each other in. A new player-crafted technology, prospectors and harvesters, will now let players survey and extract materials passively. New Death Toll items and recipes will also be available. Other tweaks will also be found in the update, including combat trainers, merchant buyback, faster mounting, bulk purchasing, skill tree improvements, and junk-tech starting gear. Players can also get a new Light Slugthrower Rifle (an advanced version of the new Junk Tech starter rifle) for free by entering “JUNKTECH” as a promo code in-game or on the Fallen Earth website. The code expires June 1. Fallen Earth is published by GamersFirst, which also publishes APB Reloaded and Sword 2. Fallen Earth “Park City” Gameplay Screenshot Source: The Mojave Makeover –Massive update for Fallen Earth The Wasteland gets edgier with sweeping changes to the landscape and politic systems Irvine, Calif., May 16, 2012 – Reloaded Productions, the wholly-owned creative development studio for GamersFirst, announced a major update for the post apocalyptic Free2Play online sandbox game Fallen Earth today. Titled Global Territory Control, the update introduces entirely new game content, updated landscapes and new player-crafted technology. Key Features of the Update include 1.      All new settlements and outposts throughout the world that can be conquered by each of Fallen Earth's player factions 2.      Capturing settlements grants sole property rights to the owning faction, allowing them to extract valuable resources from the territory 3.      The faction with the strongest territorial claim gets a passive buff improving core combat skills, Precision, Power, and Death Toll, Experience, Faction, Random AP gain, as well as harvesting and crafting speed by 5-10% 4.      All new level 50+ PvP area: The Foothills, filled with rare and valuable resources 5.      Brand new player-crafted technology: Prospectors and Harvesters a.       Prospectors allow players to survey for resource-rich areas b.      Harvesters allow players to set up a device to passively extract materials 6.      Brand new items and recipes acquired via Death Toll The highlight of the 2.4 Global Territory Control update is the most sought after and valuable new territory, The Foothills, which promises an abundance of rare and valuable resources in the recently constructed settlement in Deadfall. Beyond the addition of Global Territory Control, the 2.4 update includes numerous tweaks and improvements to the overall user experience. This includes easy-to-use combat trainers, merchant buyback, faster mounting, bulk purchasing, easily accessible skill trees, all new "junk-tech" starter weapons and more. "Global Territory Control finally gives our faction what they’ve always wanted – control of the canyon!  We’ve been listening to all the feedback from our players and are Proud to finally release GTC and change the face of the Wasteland – so join a faction and join the fight!", says Marie Croall, Lead Designer at Reloaded Productions. As a special incentive, GamersFirst is offering gamers the Light Slugthrower Rifle. The gun is an advanced version of the all new "Junk Tech" starter rifle which features a higher damage output than its "little brother". Players can grab the Light Slugthrower rifle by simply entering the promo code "JUNKTECH" either in-game or by clicking the Redeem Code button on the Fallen Earth Website. To access the Marketplace in-game, players can click on the $ button on the bottom of their minimap. The code expires on June 1 2012. Fallen Earth is a Free2Play post-apocalyptic MMO set near the Grand Canyon in 2156. A hybrid third-person shooter and role-playing game, Fallen Earth features real-time twitch-based combat, six factions, a classless advancement system and a powerful crafting system in which players can make 95 percent of in-game items. With more than 1000 square kilometers of territory to explore, Fallen Earth players can experience an unparalleled game world while completing more than 5,500 game missions, including the ability to capture towns and territory. To get up-to-date information on GamersFirst and APB Reloaded's Community and Fan Pages, check out the following links: Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/fallenearthgame Development Blog – http://fallenearth.gamersfirst.com/ Website – http://www.gamersfirst.com/fallenearth or www.fallenearth.com Twitter – @FallenEarth @GamersFirst

MMORPG Female Character Clichés and Why They Need to Stop Posted: 18 May 2012 04:59 PM PDT By, M. Hauschel Two things are certain in life –death and taxes; another thing that could be added to the list are hyper-sexualized female characters in games.  When playing video games in the genre of Anime, Fantasy, or Post-Apocalyptic, one trend that is often reoccurring across the board- sexualized characters.  You may be wondering, "What's wrong with a sexy character?" to which I'd respond, "Why is she sexy?" Is she sexy because of what she's wearing?  Is she sexy because she has enormous breasts?  Is she sexy because of how she carries herself? Or is she sexy because she was created for the sole purpose to tantalize the male audience?   If these characters are created for the male audience, what is that to suggest?  With Laura Mulvey's theory on Male Gaze, describes depictions of the female body that are meant to create pleasure for the heterosexual male audience.  The male is a voyeur, as women are objects for the male to view.  While this theory was developed for the depiction of women on film 37 years ago, it very well can be applied to video games of today.  Visual representation of women in media reflects how women are seen in society.  If the vast majority of characters are seen as sexual objects instead of a complex character, women in society are still seen as objects that exist to please men, sexually or in other ways.   The Anime girl, with much emphasis on girl, is not only a cliché in anime series, but has leaked into the world of gaming as well (Lucent Heart and Aion).  She is petite, youthful, and often accompanied with an infantilized voice (In case the point of her being young was not hitting you over the head quite enough.).  With her petite figure, she is well endowed with ridiculously large breasts.  Her fun bags are often spilling out of her tiny outfit, as she runs around and battles foes.  Speaking of battles, she will wield a weapon that her tiny frame obviously could not support.  She's simultaneously hyper-sexualized and innocent, which is just a bizarre combination.  She not only satisfies Loli fans, but fans of anime will appreciate her as well. This character has become dated and overdone.  She is a leftover of the invasion of Japan in the 80s and 90s into the culture.  The innocent schoolgirl personality with kick-ass abilities has become a formula so over processed that my eyes will glaze over when I see examples.   The Sexy Mage, often found in fantasy-style MMORPGS (Tera, Perfect World, and Age of Conan, etc.); she is a mystical creature, that is human-like, but obviously not a human.  She does not require the need of armour or clothes, because she is a magical being.  The fewer clothes you see, the more magical they are!  She's sexy not only because she has an awesome body, but also because she is foreign.  She conjures up a desire for the exotic.  She's mysterious, and comes from a world that is unknown to you! The Sexy Mage invokes the idea of a lonely basement dweller painting his Warhammer figurines.  She embodies sultry sexiness, magical abilities, and a revealing outfit; an image the lonely basement dweller could conjure up to allow him to escape his grim reality.  In reality, players who play a Sexy Mage character may not be live a life anywhere close to the stereotype, but that stereotype will always be attached to this character.   If you think games set in the future have finally mastered female representation, you've guessed wrong.  While Mass Effect has shown that females and males can have similar functional outfits, and have the characters remain attractive, there are examples of titles that have gone into the opposite direction.  Set in the future, whether it is a sci-fi or post-apocalyptic (Fallen Earth, Firefall, etc.) and following the trend of having aesthetically pleasing characters, females in the future are often given bizarre outfits for dangerous environments.  While most characters in Firefall do not have extreme cases of sexualized characteristics, their female engineer has an odd choice of attire.  While the male engineer has a full outfit, with one arm revealed, the female has a similar outfit, with one arm and one leg revealed.  By one leg, I mean the entire leg and half of a butt revealed. Why? Engineers need to be half-naked, I guess.  The focus of having attractive female characters caused Fallen Earth to redesign the faces of females to make them more feminine after complaints from players. While having attractive characters to play can make a game enjoyable, blatant sexualized characters in order to please the heterosexual male players is quite another thing.  If you do enjoy having characters with revealing clothes, let that be an option of a skin; but having it as the default mode is a questionable choice of the developer.  Of course, these are all games that are made for us to escape reality into a different world.  That world may be a place of sexy nymphs and burly giants, but when you incorporate reality into games, you may need to follow the rules of reality.

Super Newbie Guide arrives in Eden Eternal Posted: 18 May 2012 12:37 PM PDT A new update for Eden Eternal has just launched, and should have newbies (and veterans) bouncing for joy. The update includes the “Super Newbie Guide,” a new program for new players that will offer a bunch of new benefits to help them get along in the game better. The update changes experience gains to make leveling up easier and safer against regular and elite enemies. Players will now also be able to teleport between the beginning village and Tranquil Hill, and gain a one day mount at levels 10, 20, and 26 (before earning a full-time Alpaca at level 30). The UI, map display, potion cooldowns, and pets have also all been improved. Veteran players will find the Crystal Cross Badge, which can be earned in territory battles based on fatigue levels (the higher, the fewer) that are reset every week. These can be used to purchase new vanity items. Eden Eternal is published by Aeria Games, which also publishes Dream of Mirror Online and Grand Fantasia. Eden Eternal “Crystal Cross Badge Merchant” Gameplay Screenshot Source:   Aeria Games Launches Eden Eternal Update That Adds New Events, Badges, and a Host of Improvements to Help Beginning Players   SANTA CLARA, Calif. – May 18th – Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, has released a brand-new content update for its anime MMORPG Eden Eternal, including intense new battles, daily recommended events, and a suite of features for new players called the "Super Newbie Guide." The Super Newbie Guide will help new players get acquainted with the game's mechanics and features as they level up faster than ever before. The combination of features will help new players get into the game faster while giving veteran players new events and vanity items to earn.   The Super Newbie Guide includes the following benefits for beginning players: • Level 1 to 50 Adjustments: EXP and fame obtained from quests are adjusted so players can level up more quickly, and players are less vulnerable to monsters, including Elites. • Teleport: Players can save time by directly teleporting between the beginning village and Tranquil Hill when they reach a certain level or complete a particular quest. • Alpaca Mount: An Alpaca Mount (1 day) will be awarded to players at Lv10/20/26 to increase their speed before they receive a full-time Alpaca at Level 30. • Other Changes: The UI and map display make it easier to find NPCs, quest details, and other key information. Potion cooldowns are reduced, and pet attack power is increased. The Crystal Cross Badge, which players can use to purchase vanity items for their characters, is among the changes for veteran players. Players can obtain badges by participating in territory battles, where badges are distributed based on a player's fatigue level. Higher fatigue will result in fewer badges, but fatigue is reset to zero with each weekly update; players can start fresh every week. Daily recommended events, a new addition to the in-game event interface, give players new adventures each day. Players can complete a range of daily events to earn additional EXP, gold, Crystal Badges, and much more—check back every day! Published by Aeria Games, Eden Eternal is free to download on PCs and free-to-play. Gamers can learn more and play Eden Eternal by visiting http://edeneternal.aeriagames.com.

RuneScape announces new combat system Posted: 18 May 2012 12:25 PM PDT Jagex has announced an upcoming update for RuneScape that will “evolve” combat. The Evolution of Combat update will redesign RuneScape’s combat system completely, with an intent to offer a “more immersive and involving experience.” RuneScape members will be the first to try the system in a limited access closed beta, which will open registration on June 1 and begin on June 26 (running until September). So far, there’s little detail on just what this update entails, but with several months of beta testing, RuneScape players might want to be prepared. RuneScape “Combat Metamorphosis” Gameplay Screenshot Source: JAGEX ANNOUNCE THE EVOLUTION OF COMBAT – THE NEXT GENERATION OF RUNESCAPE COMBAT RUNESCAPE'S LARGEST EVER UPDATE TO LAUNCH AS LIMITED-ACCESS BETA ON 26TH JUNE   Friday 18th May 2012, Cambridge, UK – Jagex, makers of RuneScape, the World's most popular and multi-award winning free-to-play massively multiplayer online adventure game, today unveiled the first details of the upcoming RuneScape combat update: The Evolution of Combat. The Evolution of Combat project will see the biggest change in any system in RuneScape's history. By bringing this eagerly anticipated update to life, Jagex will be completely redesigning RuneScape's combat system to offer players an even more immersive and involving experience. On release, the Evolution of Combat update will completely revolutionise the way players fight and interact in game. "It's impossible to downplay the significance of this update," stated Mark Ogilvie, RuneScape's lead designer. "A rework of the combat system has been the most requested update from our community, and thousands of man hours have gone into developing a more fluid, interactive and tactical combat system. The Evolution of Combat update will fundamentally change the way people play and view RuneScape forever." Due to the game-changing nature of the release, RuneScape members will have the opportunity to be among the first to trial the new system with a limited access closed beta; the first in the game's history. Beta registration will open to all RuneScape members on 1st June in preparation for the first beta entry on 26th June. The beta will run from 26th June until September and will allow testers the exclusive chance to preview the expansion before the rest of the world. Speaking about the beta, Mark Ogilvie continued, "We have always valued the views and feedback our community which is why we are so excited to be launching this game-changing update with a members' beta. By introducing this update with a limited-access beta, we are able to interact with our community in a completely new way and offer our members the chance to try the new features first, helping to shape the future of one of the most important elements of the game. I know players won't want to miss out on the chance to take part in this exclusive opportunity, so be sure to register your interest when registration opens on 1st June." Further details of The Evolution of Combat update will be unveiled in due course, and those wishing to keep up to date with the latest announcements are encouraged to visit www.RuneScape.com. Players wanting to take part in the exclusive access beta will need to be an existing member or sign up to RuneScape membership by the 1st June, and continue to be a member through the beta period. With The Evolution of Combat update on the horizon, there has never been a better time to start your RuneScape adventure. Visit www.RuneScape.com to create your free account today.

Conquer Online celebrates 9th anniversary Posted: 18 May 2012 12:13 PM PDT Conquer Online released in 2003, and is now celebrating its ninth year in service with a bundle of special events. Events for the anniversary will include a cross-server battle on May 19; special discounts in the game’s shopping mall; a free “Nurture” pack for all players that includes Heaven Blessing Scraps, 5X EXP Ball Scraps, and more; upgradeable prizes, special VIP gifts and veteran bonuses. Veterans who return to the game and claim special prize packs will also be eligible to win a free trip to China. Conquer Online is published by TQ Digital, which also publishes Eudemons Online and Crazy Tao. Conquer Online 9th Anniversary Video Source: Conquer Online 9th Anniversary Begins, New Free Trip to China! Hong Kong – May 18, 2012 – Since the release in 2003, CO has proven itself to be one of the most successful MMO’s of its genre, spawning several expansion packs and subsequent titles, and introducing millions of players to the ancient Chinese martial arts world. During the month of May Conquer Online will begin in style with their 9 year anniversary, which will last from now through June! Now the venerable expansion-driven game is taking a moment to look back on its success with a grand anniversary celebration, including a grand free trip to China! Take a look at video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tjkMtp5XCs. “The TQ team insists on thinking differently about MMO’s, and the team is always trying to bring in new things to entertain our players. We listen, and we care. For the past 9 years, we’ve witnessed tremendous changes and improvements taking place in the game. And we believe the legend will continue as long as we have you together with us.” – Pan Deng, CO’s Chief Designer. The year of Dragon marks the 9th year for Conquer Online, which is quite a milestone for any game, and it deserves a grand celebration, and we want you to join us! During this one month celebration, players of Conquer Online will be able to experience a whole host of exciting events! You’ll be able to explore intriguing quests, share your cherished CO moments with the community, and win some fantastic prizes! We are even giving away spots to win a free trip to China! Now let’s take a sneak peak at what we’ve got for you: 9 Year Special Events main page http://co.91.com/guide/quests/festival/anniversary9th.shtml Cross-server Battle Battle for Your Server, Win Glory for Yourself! On May 19th, there’ll be a group of champs to be selected to enter the battlefield with the equipment we provide and fight for fabulous prizes! Practice matches are scheduled to take place on May 12th. http://co.91.com/guide/quests/festival/csctf9th.shtml Special Discounts for the 9th Anniversary From May 10th to May 24th, all players will receive a huge discount on all offers in the Shopping Mall – Promotions! And from May 26th to May 27th, there’ll be a 4-hour long Special Discount Event, which will offer you the lowest discounts for +3 Stones, Permanent Stones and more! http://co.91.com/guide/event/2012/specialdiscount01.shtml 9th Anniversary Nurture Pack All newcomers will receive a new Nurture Pack, which contains Heaven Blessing Scraps, 5x EXP Ball Scraps, and more! The complete list can be viewed here! http://co.91.com/guide/info/nurturepack.shtml 9 Years Events Prizes Upgrade A major upgrade to the rewards for almost each event is set to occur during the anniversary celebration! You can check out what prizes have been upgraded, here! http://co.91.com/guide/event/2012/prizeupgrade9th.shtml VIP Special – Living the High Life During the event, all VIPs who have credited points to their accounts will be allowed to claim special gifts! http://event.co.91.com/vipgifts/ Updated Veteran Bonus All veterans whose last login date is before February 1st, 2012 and who credits at least one $29.99, two $15.99, or four $7.99 TQ Point Cards during the event will be able to claim an extra 120 CPs! Each account can only claim it up to five times, per day. All veterans will have a chance to claim the special packs that have been exclusively prepared for you! What’s more, once you participate in the event, you’ll have a chance to join this year’s free trip to China! http://contest.co.91.com/huntdownheros/index.php The CO 9th Anniversary Celebration is now raising the curtain. Get yourselves ready for the marvelous carnival in Conquer Online, this May!

First Spirit Tales content update coming May 23 Posted: 18 May 2012 11:56 AM PDT KoramGame has announced the first update for its new MMORPG, Spirit Tales. Released just recently into open beta, the new update will add a new instanced dungeon designed for players above level 40: Crisis of Jade Forest. This special dungeon will let players have the chance to win any item in the game (including some Item Mall-only items). This instance fills the map with tons of aggressive enemies and ten bosses for players to fight against. The dungeon can be run once a day. KoramGame also publishes Dragon Born. Spirit Tales  Gameplay Screenshot Source: First Spirit Tales Content Update Coming May 23 KoramGame announced today that the first Spirit Tales content update will arrive on May 23, 2012. With only two weeks into the Spirit Tales open beta, players will already get a glimpse of some the exciting new content that’s in store for the game. A new instanced dungeon, known as the “Crisis of Jade Forest,” will be released, and will provide players with the opportunity to obtain any item in the game, including some that are usually only found in the Item Mall. The upcoming content update is only just the beginning. KoramGame promises to retain its rapid content release schedule well into the future, with bigger updates to keep Spirit Tales loaded with fresh new content. Key Feature: - New Instanced Dungeon: Familiar land becomes your new playground; except with more EXP and items than ever before. For more information on the new instanced dungeon, visit: http://forum.koramgame.com/thread-60427-1-1.html

Dragon Born Posted: 18 May 2012 10:28 AM PDT Dragon Born is an action RPG playable directly from your browser. Detailed 3D characters come to life on gorgeous backgrounds. Epic equipment, intense combat, and smooth gameplay has been put into the design of Dragon Born. The game offers a challenging, entertaining, and polished world to explore. Publisher: KoramGame Playerbase: ?? Graphics: Medium Type: MMORPG EXP Rate: ?? PvP: Yes Filesize: N/A Pros: +High quality RPG in a browser. +Multiple mounts, equipment pieces, and weapons to get. +Friendly to solo and group play. Cons:  -Similar to other games. -Limited information currently. Overview Dragon Born Overview Dragon Born is a browser based RPG featuring a variety of systems to cater to both casual and hardcore players. The game features four classes: Soldier, Priest, Mage, and Ranger. It features quest-based gameplay, as well as dungeon delving. Solo players may hire NPCs to help them with more difficult content. Guilds, known as Legions, give various perks like extra experience from monsters. Mounts in Dragon Born level up as well, as you ride them, and can learn additional skills. Dragon Born Screenshots Dragon Born Featured Video Click here to view the embedded video. Full Review Dragon Born Review Coming Soon. . . Screenshots Dragon Born Screenshots Coming Soon .  . . Videos Dragon Born Videos Official Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Links Dragon Born Links Official Game Page System Requirements Dragon Born System Requirements Coming Soon . .  .

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Capcom Reveals 3DS Spin-off to Lost Planet Series
• TERA Review
• Carmageddon Dev: Kickstarter ‘Not A Trivial Undertaking’ For UK Studios
• With Infinity Blade Dungeons, Epic Doubles Down on iOS
• Should We Expect Voice Acting In Every Game?
• Activision’s "Project Icebreaker" Could Hurt its Reputation Among Devs
• Big City Racer MMO Review
• Akai Katana Review: A Bleedin’ All Right Time

Capcom Reveals 3DS Spin-off to Lost Planet Series Posted: 17 May 2012 09:46 PM PDT With Lost Planet’s roots firmly planted on consoles, it comes as a surprise that the series will soon be making a trip to portables in the form of E.X. Troopers for the Nintendo 3DS. Taking an anime-inspired look and featuring gameplay similar to its console brethren, it appears that the franchise will be bringing some familiar elements to Nintendo’s smaller screens. As sudden as the announcement is, Capcom seems to be taking an unexpected approach for the franchise on portables. The most jarring element of the whole trailer, though, can be found in the game’s distinct anime style; an attempt possibly made to attract the younger demographic of the 3DS’ audience, and to ensure the portable’s 3D features will pack as much of a punch as possible. Taking a Jet Set Radio aesthetic mixed with panels straight out of a comic book, the game is taking a new approach to presentation for the series that may be a good match for the platform. As random as this E.X. Troopers may seem, it could end up being a good match for the 3DS. With the title being developed for the 3DS (and with an anime-friendly art style at that), it’s easy to be reminded of the last big project Capcom developed for the 3DS, Mega Man Legends 3. With Legends’ cancellation, it may be presumptuous to assume, but one can’t help but wonder if E.X. Troopers could be the remnants of Legends’ canceled development. With Legends shuddered, something had to be done with all those assets and code, right? There’s no real way to know if this may be the case, but the title will probably be on display in some form or another at next month’s E3. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/news/lost-planet-ex-video Related Posts DK Online (KR) Bethesda Finally Takes The Elder Scrolls Online with New MMO Teaser The Last Story May Finally Deliver on Mistwalker’s Promise Gungnir, Dept. Heaven, and the Greatest RPG Universe You Don’t Even Know About The Elder Scrolls Online revealed

TERA Review Posted: 17 May 2012 03:45 PM PDT Combat has often been the blot on the otherwise seamless fantasy presentation that MMOs inimitably have the ability to conjure. No matter how refined the mystical realm, how compelling a quest or how intrinsically allied the guild, a couple of clicks followed by a flutter of arbitrary numbers has always felt disjointed by comparison. TERA's combat system dispenses with such aloof mechanisms, instead replacing point-and-click manoeuvres with tactical, intuitive and diverse gameplay. Players direct action using a reticule – a concept seemingly far more preposterous in the genre than warlocks and ogres – enabling players to not only conduct action more accurately but gain an intense gratification from the system – which works both ways of course; death is rarely a result of anything other than the player's error. Straight away the game's prologue gives players a taste of the underlying potential of combat, dropping you in at level 20 with a variety of abilities depending on the class. It's a gracious way to sidestep the usual indecision that comes with picking classes – how do you know an Archer will suit your playstyle after ten-or-so hours invested into the game? You can't possibly, so it's a gentle introduction to a hefty time investment. It's also a great opportunity to have a toy with each of the classes. The more physical of which are well balanced, each mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of each other.   While BAMs come in many forms, this one's a giant enemy crab. For instance, Slayer is a predominantly offensive class (dealing hefty damage with a two-handed greatsword) but makes up for a lack of defensive capabilities with quick movements and a dodge ability. It also comes equipped with a useful attack that knocks down enemies, enabling other players to attack en masse. Other classes follow suit. Archers are proficient in long-range attacks, while Warrior is an even balance of offensive and defensive strength. Shame then that magical classes (Sorcerer, Mage and Priest) feel underpowered, seemingly designed to support at the concession of strong attacks. But a balanced team is crucial to a significant portion of TERA's design. Dungeons – especially those reached at higher levels – require an even balance of abilities and encourage healthy strategy discussions within your party. There's plenty of design flair in these cavernous pits, housing bad-ass monsters (the in-game term for bosses – BAM for short) from basilisks, frost giants and dragons. They are exquisitely designed, awe-inspiring creations, fuelling a huge amount of anticipation and trepidation as you embark on the next raid. In fact, you'll rarely find an MMO that features such a diverse and vibrant range of landscapes as TERA, with charming inhabitants ranging from the brutish Humans and Barakas, to cutesy bear-like Poppori and bunny-eared Elin that populate each district. Magical classes feel underpowered compared to the more physical characters. It's certainly a cut above the standard design whims of MMOs, so it's a shame that it drops the ball when it comes to the story. While it significantly picks up the pace as you near the level cap (and it's certainly one of the quickest MMOs in terms of progression), the lore is often too dense and the quests too mundane to fully engage players. Professions appear to be an oversight as well, with blacksmithing, alchemy and the like requiring far too high a price of gold and demanding excessive resources to be worthy of the investment – especially when you can acquire gear on the cheap with less effort elsewhere. It's easy to overlook such quibbles, especially as Bluehole Studios has crafted a hugely impressive and staggeringly ambitious MMO for its debut. Even small touches – such as servers having multiple channels so players can switch easily, supporting players who prefer some PvE time – is indicative of a confident studio with a firm handle on what players want. However, as impressive a feat as this is, the inevitable grind still chokes long stretches of game time. Fetch quests, kill x number of that monster and collect so many environmental items are some of the outdated missions that otherwise jar with the refreshing sensibilities of the rest of the game. At the time of review a few of the features were missing, such as the Political System (enabling players to vote other players as a ruler) and PvP battlegrounds, so perhaps these elements will help relieve some of the monotony. Ultimately, TERA falls short of greatness within the genre. While the deeply involving combat system is a huge leap forward, it stumbles over too many of the small fundamentals. Nevertheless, it excels in so many other forms that there's little question it's worthy of your time. It's fair to say that there's no other MMO quite like it. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/uncategorized/tera-review/ Related Posts Jetpack Joyride Might Already be Facebook’s Best Game Starhawk Review: Laying a Solid Foundation Big City Racer MMO Review Dragon Nest (KR) Beach Volleyball Online MMO Review

Carmageddon Dev: Kickstarter ‘Not A Trivial Undertaking’ For UK Studios Posted: 17 May 2012 03:45 PM PDT UK-based Carmageddon: Reincarnation studio Stainless Games reveals how it got setup for US site Kickstarter. Carmageddon: Reincarnation developer Stainless Games has revealed the trick to getting on Kickstarter for non-US studios – setup a US-based company. "Kickstarter's really not ideally set up for anyone outside the US to start a campaign," Stainless Games co-founder Neil 'Nobby' Barnden told NowGamer. "It's because the site uses amazon.com payments, which require the person setting up their account to have the necessary accompanying US tax information required to receive the money pledged. To do this, we had to set up a US company, and a US bank account, which is NOT a trivial undertaking!" Stainless spoke to Kickstarter during the process, but it isn't something the developer would suggest to others. "At present, I wouldn't recommend trying it unless you have access to a US lawyer who can handle setting everything up for you Stateside, as we have. Hopefully Kickstarter will sort this out as the popularity of the site continues to grow worldwide, because it really has been a hassle to try and get it all set up. And it actually delayed us launching by three weeks or more." Carmageddon: Reincarnation's Kickstarter page generated way over half of its £252,578.46 ($400,000) target in a week, and still has 20 days to go. Notch persuaded the studio to release the game via a model similar to Minecraft. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/uncategorized/carmageddon-dev-kickstarter-not-a-trivial-undertaking-for-uk-studios/ Related Posts Republique May Pave The Way For More Hardcore iOS Games TERA Taiwan reveals monthly fee A Kickstart Roundup: Double Fine's Adventure, Wasteland 2, Shadowrun & More Shadowrun Returns: Kickstarter Revitalises Classic RPG For PC & iPad Nexon

With Infinity Blade Dungeons, Epic Doubles Down on iOS Posted: 17 May 2012 03:45 PM PDT Religion and civilization have gone hand-in-hand throughout human history, with gods and their mouthpieces alternately hindering and inspiring humanity every step of the way. That’s why Civilization V felt a bit off when it hit us about a year and a half ago and was missing a few things we’d come to take for granted in the previous iterations. Religion and its best buddy subterfuge were either absent or folded into the Piety branch of its social policy tree, with temples and whatnot contributing to the ever-more-broad “culture” statistic. Religion always existed in the background of Civ V, from cathedrals to a huge number of biblical verses doled out for researching everything from animal husbandry to frickin’ laser beams, but it was no longer present as a distinct element of strategy. When it came to religion as a tactical tool, the relevant quote seemed to be, “God is dead.” Well, now we’re getting a chance to make him in our own image. Faith is the new currency, and once we have enough we’re given a Great Prophet. The first one we’re graced with can found a pantheon, be that a war god that grants more faith when we win battles, a namby-pamby healing god that restores units that end a turn next to a friendly city, or a whole slew of other crazy stuff people are raring to fall on their knees in front of. Our second prophet can turn that half-assed belief into a true religion, tacking on tenets like tithing (if you’re into accumulating more gold) or holy warriors (which grant the ability to purchase pre-industrial land units with faith). Followers passively pressure neighboring cities to join their particular theological club, but for a more direct approach we can send those prophets and missionaries to neighboring cities to directly convert the population. Nobody really likes that, so expect diplomatic repercussions, and prepare your own cities with inquisitors to keep the faith pure… or just fill the besandaled heretic with arrows when he starts down the palm-leaf-covered road to your own holy city. It’s an act of war, sure, but at least the simulation isn’t detailed enough to take martyrdom into account. That’d really make a mess of things. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187150 Related Posts Civilization V: Gods & Kings & an Antiseptic Approach to Religion Unchained Blades Gives First-Person Dungeon Crawlers a Boost of Adrenaline Dragon Sword (CN) Dragon Blade (CN) Civilization V: Gods And Kings Expansion Pack Release Date Confirmed

Should We Expect Voice Acting In Every Game? Posted: 17 May 2012 03:45 PM PDT supposed to care about the story? Posted: 46 minutes ago by  NinjaKaos voice acting takes away control from the player, and put limits on the storyline. video games more and more are making the players passive in everyting. A good makes a good story, not some shakespearean reject. Voice acting costs money and dev time instead of working on good gameplay.   Look what happened to the Knights of the old republic MMO: alot of voice acting, dreadfully boring endgame, and dull linear non interactive worlds. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/features/should-we-expect-voice-acting Related Posts Storm Warriors Online (CN) Japan Review Check: Final Fantasy XIII-2 Blood From Stones: Gears of War, Karen Traviss and Telling Good Stories Skyrim First Western-Made Game to Score Perfectly in Japan’s Famitsu Cave Story 3D is a Nice, if Unnecessary, Update to an Indie Classic

Activision’s "Project Icebreaker" Could Hurt its Reputation Among Devs Posted: 17 May 2012 03:45 PM PDT More than two years after Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella first sued Activision, their case is finally set to head to trial on May 29. But before the case can be heard, documents have been released which shed light on some unsavory moves Activision made prior to firing West and Zampella in March 2010. Prior to the start of the case, there have been some developments of note. Electronic Arts, the publisher of the game being produced by West and Zampella’s new studio, Respawn Entertainment, was added in late 2010 as a defendant in Activision’s counter-suit; Activision alleged EA conspired with the former IW heads to derail the Call of Duty franchise, among other things. Bloomberg reported yesterday the two publishers have reached a settlement, details of which were not made available. In addition to West and Zampella’s lawsuit against Activision, a group of Infinity Ward employees — many of whom left the Modern Warfare developer and were hired by Respawn — sued the publisher over unpaid royalties, with the Infinity Ward Employee Group’s lawyer estimating these royalties to be in the neighborhood of $75 to $125 million (not counting punitive damages). Polygon reported earlier this week that Activision paid the former developers $42 million, the amount it determined was owed during the discovery phase. This was not as part of a settlement; the group’s attorney, Bruce Isaacs, confirmed the payment was made on Monday but described it as a “cynical attempt to look good before the jury trial,” noting it is only a fraction of the amount being sought. Where this all becomes particularly juicy is in a recent court filing in the case between West/Zampella and Activision. Public relations reps for the duo’s attorneys sent the filing to Giant Bomb, no doubt hoping the information would be distributed and make Activision look bad. This is only one part of the court filings that have been made, so they fail to paint a complete picture, although they certainly do Activision no favors. Project Icebreaker, despite the seemingly silly name, was the name used for an investigation launched by Activision management in order to discover something — anything — which could be used as grounds to fire West and Zampella. Former Activision director of information technology, Thomas Fenady, testified he was told to “dig up dirt on Jason and Vince” because “we’re sick of dealing with these guys, their ego … we just want to get rid of them.” This directive came from George Rose, who then served as Activision’s Chief Legal Officer and assured Fenady, “[Activision CEO] Bobby [Kotick] will take care of you. This comes from Bobby directly … Don’t worry about repercussions.” Fenady found himself unable to access the desired information himself, at one point turning to third parties like Microsoft and InGuardians, a security consultancy company, for help. Both refused to assist, leading to Fenady requesting Activision’s Facilities Department help in “gaining covert physical access to Infinity Ward.” As if that doesn’t sound incredible enough, Rose is said to have approved of discussions where ideas such as “staging a fake ‘fumigation’ and a ‘mock fire drill’” were conceived in order “to get Jason and Vince away from their computers long enough to image their contents.” To Fenady’s knowledge, none of these plans were ever actually carried out. The purpose of this filing is to show both why Fenady’s deposition should not be treated as privileged information (because he was speaking with a lawyer in Rose, Activision wants the evidence excluded) and that Activision had plans to fire West and Zampella well in advance of Modern Warfare 2 (pictured above)’s release, and months prior to them ever having contact with Electronic Arts. Aside from making for some fascinating reading material and potentially hurting its court case, the Project Icebreaker business could have a negative impact on Activision going forward. As I mentioned, there is undoubtedly more to come from both sides as the case goes to trial, and it may be shown that the duo’s firing was justified and they are not owed a thing. But as far as Activision’s reputation among developers, the damage may have already been done. Even prior to this filing being made public, there were a number of things which did not make Activision look good. The heads of a studio responsible for creating the biggest franchise in the industry today were fired, and dozens of their former employees left in the wake of this move in addition to filing a lawsuit. Double Fine head Tim Schafer once famously called Bobby Kotick “a total prick” (before framing the comments as an accident), this coming two years after Kotick and Activision had decided to pass on publishing Double Fine’s Brutal Legend following the Activision and Vivendi merger. There would have been nothing wrong with Activision passing on the game (and others, like Ghostbusters), save for the later-cited reasoning of the games lacking the potential to be “exploited” on an annual basis across all platforms, except it then chose to sue over the game’s rights when EA decided to publish it. Activision did sign Bungie to a ten-year exclusive deal to publish the new franchise it has in the works, but that was announced just as the Infinity Ward business began to take place — it was before we heard allegations of unpaid bonuses and a “police state-like atmosphere.” None of this makes Activision come across as particularly endearing, and that could prove to be costly if and when developers in the future look back at all of this and decide they’d rather do business with another publisher. There will undoubtedly be those who decide to look past all of it and focus on Activision’s ability to support massively successful franchises, of which two of the past decade’s biggest (Call of Duty and Guitar Hero) came from Activision. The company’s focus on a smaller number of titles, each with the potential to be much larger than your average title, may help to spare it from suffering as a result of the reputation it has garnered. However, one has to wonder if failing to settle this West/Zampella lawsuit, and thereby preventing Project Icebreaker from ever becoming public knowledge, could have been the right long-term move. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/news/activision-project-icebreaker-hurt-reputation Related Posts Three Reasons Zenimax Would Cancel Prey 2 GDC Talks OP-ED: Activision Has a Point When Defending Itself Against Claims It Doesn't Innovate Firefall 18 Million Map Packs Sold to 23 Million Black Ops Owners Rift Account Database Hacked, Exposing Some Personal Info

Big City Racer MMO Review Posted: 17 May 2012 11:58 AM PDT Big City Racer is a 3D racing MMO where players can race around various European cities. Play on different weather settings, race against other players or train in single player mode. Big City Racer is a an easily accessible MMO with simple keyboard controls.     Publisher: Vanilla Live Games Playerbase: Low Graphics: Medium Type: MMO EXP Rate: N/A PvP: N/A Filesize: 340 mb Website: http://www.bigcityracer.com/ Pros: +Three weather conditions for each track. +Round and Sprint version available for each map. +Small download, easy to get started. Cons: -Very low player base, difficulty to find a game. -Dated graphics. -Poor crash and overall physics effects. -Only 4 maps.   Big City Racer is a simple racing game published by a European studio. The game doesn't have the same depth as Need for Speed World Online or Heat Online, but offers simple gameplay and has low system requirements. Players can race across the cities of Europe with up to eight participants per match. While the total number of maps is sparse, Big City Racer allows each one to be played under three weather settings. Each track also comes in two forms. The standard lap based game mode is the most common, but players can play sprint mode where cars must race from one end of the track to the other. Big City Racer has an assortment of cars for purchase and players can customize them using decals, rims, windows, and neon lights. Tracks - Vienna, Paris, London, Berlin Weather - Sunny, Rainy, Sunset       Related Posts CEO of major Korean MMO company arrested Elder Scrolls Online Announced, Due 2013 For PC And Mac Codename X7 (CN) Steam Box Confirmed? Spirit Camera Review: A Lack of Focus

Akai Katana Review: A Bleedin’ All Right Time Posted: 17 May 2012 09:45 AM PDT It wasn’t too long ago that Sega gave us Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, a new 2D Sonic game that aped the original Genesis games. It wasn’t amazing, but wasn’t exactly the grand betrayal many made it out to be, either. Nevertheless, it was defecated on by the gaming public for many reasons ranging from the valid to the insane. Sega apparently acknowledged the vitriol and spent a couple of years producing Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II, redoing the graphics, adding a couple of new features, and addressing the myriad of quirks that only added to Sonic 4′s bad reception. The result is a game that neutralizes virtually all of the bullshit that stood out in its predecessor, though on the whole, it carries a tradition that probably still won’t sit well with Sonic purists. The set-up is about as pure as can be, though: as usual, Dr. Eggman is up to no good, so Sonic, joined this time by trusty pal Tails, dashes through a handful of different worlds to defeat Eggman and Metal Sonic, the sub-antagonist from Sonic CD. Sega’s earlier insistence that Episode II had anything to do with Sonic CD was tenuous at best, as it basically begins and ends with the presence of Metal Sonic, and Episode II’s stages are more a melange of references to Sonic 2 and 3. But that was just marketing, and regardless, those stages look pretty good. Whereas Episode I had a decidedly plastic pre-rendered look to it, Episode II’s stages, like the lush Sylvania Castle or the rolling dunes of the Oil Desert zone, don’t rely on 2D assets and look downright gorgeous at times instead of looking cheap and pasted-in. In that sense, it’s a different game for sure. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/reviews?cId=3187145 Related Posts Warlock: Master Of The Arcane Video Shows Civ-Like Gameplay Blade & Soul (KR) Quantum Conundrum: A Nerd Stereotype Turned Video Game The Elder Scrolls Enters the World of Multiplayer in a Massive Way Pokemon Conquest Externalizes the Poke-Complexity

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