MMO Updates

MMO Updates


The Mog Log: Into the depths of Toto-Rak

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT

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Aw, jeez. Not only do I have an extant interesting question posed to me by a reader, I had another interesting question posed to me over the course of the last week. They're both questions that deserve a lengthy answer, with the full complexity and subtlety of a column devoted to them.

But I'm not going to be talking about either of them this week.

See, I had the good fortune to run through the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak while it's still pretty much new content. And there's some confusing stuff going on in there, some awesome moments, and more to the point no hard written information in a central space to refer back to. So I figured this would be as good a time as any to put together my notes about Final Fantasy XIV's lower-level raid for public viewing, so that other players can hopefully assemble a more definitive guide over time. And besides, who wouldn't want to talk about a dungeon that sees you exploring the Empire's chthonian machinations?

Continue reading The Mog Log: Into the depths of Toto-Rak

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Into the depths of Toto-Rak originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WRUP: When in doubt, post a character shot edition

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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Normally, I have a better burst of Dadaist absurdity ready to go for this feature, but today I've got absolutely nothing. I'm working on a minimum of sleep and I've been gorging myself on the run of Transformers Animated, so instead, you get a character shot. I thought Rhio was looking rather nice when I took the shot up in Coerthas, but her unexpected blinking improved the overall look. Not pictured -- me nearly falling asleep at the keyboard during the event.

Imagine I offered a bigger non-sequitor for the opener.

With the introduction out of the way, it's time for this week's installment of WRUP, in which the Massively crew shares its plans for the coming weekend. We're also taking the time this week to talk about the little things that can turn us off from a game. So click on past the break to see our plans, and let us know what you'll be up to in the comments.

Continue reading WRUP: When in doubt, post a character shot edition

MassivelyWRUP: When in doubt, post a character shot edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What game terminology gets your goat?

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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MMOs, like any hobby, have their own specialized jargon. Someone who's never played an MMO might have no idea what it means if you say the MT pulled adds on your boss pull twice and wiped the group, but an experienced player will understand it without a problem. But that doesn't mean every acronym or term sits comfortably with everyone -- considering the plethora of specialized language that accompanies the genre and the variety of synonyms for given concepts, it's probable that there are some terms you like more than others.

So which part of MMO slang rubs you the wrong way? Does it get your hackles up when someone refers to a character as a toon? Do you hate seeing "mob" used to refer to a single enemy? Will you go out of your way to avoid saying "DPS" as a description of class roles? Is it an abbreviation or term common to a single game, like a class nickname? Or do you feel comfortable fully ensconced within the language, with no particular irritations or pet peeves?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What game terminology gets your goat? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PvP, slivers and crocodiles: RIFT outlines patch 1.4

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:00 PM PDT

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While RIFT's patch 1.4 has been on the test servers for a couple weeks now, we've finally received concrete details about Trion Worlds' latest update to this dynamic MMO. Titled "Legacy of the Fallen," 1.4 follows up the recent world event with a new epic quest line and a 10-man instance revolving around the continued threat of the Abyssal.

The epic chain, called the Water Saga, not only reveals the truth about the origins of the Abyssal cult, but gives players an opportunity to score high-end loot and a special crocnard mount. Those looking for more group-oriented activities may want to check out the Drowned Halls, a 10-person sliver that presents an alternate view of history where the Abyssal have conquered Telara.

Patch 1.4 has plenty of PvP action as well, including PvP rifts and alternative forms of warfronts. There are plenty of other goodies in store from the RIFT team, including quest item storage, the LFG tool expanding cross-server, and several new crafting options. Currently, there is no date for the patch.

MassivelyPvP, slivers and crocodiles: RIFT outlines patch 1.4 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Betawatch: July 29-August 4, 2011

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking.

After a relatively quiet time in beta-land last week, Betawatch has plenty of news for this round! We've had launches and beta status changes all over the place! For starters, Working as Intended had some good news for Dawntide fans this week: The company's sandbox title is scheduled for an October 1st launch.

Prius Online officially launched Wednesday, shedding its open beta status and celebrating the event with an Alienware laptop giveaway. The open beta list isn't shrinking much, however, as Dragon Nest added one more to the group when open beta began on Tuesday. Nexon is offering plenty of open beta events to get people playing, so be sure to check out the news on that. Dawn of Fantasy joins our open beta list this week as well.

Nadirim launched this week as well, jumping straight from closed beta to the live version, so if you didn't make it into closed beta, the doors are well and truly open now!

Finally, Perfect World has been gearing up for the closed beta of Rusty Hearts for a while, and it began on the 27th.

Follow along after the jump for the updated Betawatch list!

Continue reading Betawatch: July 29-August 4, 2011

MassivelyBetawatch: July 29-August 4, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Storyboard: Ten tips to avoid drama burnout, part one

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 05:00 PM PDT

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Roleplaying doesn't create drama. Sure, we all hear stories about roleplaying drama, but it'd be more fair to say that MMOs create drama. There are epic arguments that erupt over who gets a piece of armor that will be obsolete in a few months, it's not really reserved to having players sitting around and talking. The difference, of course, is that the lower the stakes, the higher the drama and the more petty politics can get. It's the sort of thing where petty politics can get so bad people step away forever, because the fun of roleplaying is just not worth the irritation.

Needless to say, you don't want that. If you enjoy roleplaying, you want to keep it as unspoiled as possible for as long as possible. So for this week's column, I'm going to cover the first half of ten tips that I find help ensure that you don't wind up getting knee-deep in drama that ruins the roleplaying. It won't always prevent drama from occurring, but it can help make sure it's nothing more than a mild misunderstanding.

Continue reading Storyboard: Ten tips to avoid drama burnout, part one

MassivelyStoryboard: Ten tips to avoid drama burnout, part one originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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A couple of weeks ago I decided to embark on a long-planned project to play through the entirety of Lord of the Rings Online -- or at least a whole heck of a lot more than I ever have previously. My thought was that in the rush to level and progress, I had been skipping much of the content that makes LotRO so unique, and I wanted to force myself to slow down, take it all in, and get over the desire to hit endgame as quickly as possible.

Thus, I created Slyppi, a brand-new level 1 Hobbit Burglar with the intention of experiencing the game in full. My rules with Slyppi are thus: She will clear out every solo quest in a zone (including the epic storyline but excluding tasks) before moving elsewhere. She will go through all three newbie zones and ignore the fact that the quests aren't giving her much XP. She will take detailed notes, package them up, and send them back to me for the purposes of turning them into a guide to the interesting out-of-the-way quests and places in Middle-earth.

If you're anything like me, you probably die a lot, usually in very embarrassing ways (hey, that cliff wasn't there a minute ago...). Since we all have a death warrant on our heads, we might as well get the most out of our journeys, which is why I've come up with 10 things that you should do in the Shire before the inevitable occurs. Why 10? Because it's two in computer-speak!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: 10 things to do in the Shire before you die originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: The story of the fall

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:00 PM PDT

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I've determined that I'll make this week's post a bit of a history lesson. How did Fallen Earth fall? I'll tell you, because if there is one thing I can't possibly fault about the Fallen Earth dev team, it's their writing. Though it's a little far-fetched (in my opinion), the background lore is pretty good. The game dialogue is second to none, but it's the lore we are going to take a closer look at.

Much of the story unfolds and is fleshed out throughout the game while talking to various NPCs. But knowing the back-story will help you understand a little better about what is going on in the Grand Canyon Province, especially how the factions inter-relate. So click past the cut and let's get started.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: The story of the fall

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: The story of the fall originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Watching you watching me

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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Today's entry is a newcomer to One Shots, courtesy of Yuurei:
Here's a screenshot from the upcoming martial arts game Blade & Soul. It's a lot of fun; I found myself wandering around, enjoying myself while looking at this game's beautiful landscapes and light effects.

Here's my character's encounter with some tall bird - maybe a crane? Seeing them looking at each other, I start to wonder which one is supposed to be the animal; the staid and calm bird, or the wild, bored child. Not to mention her ears and tail. Maybe they both have their own part of humanity? This MMORPG is incredible, so I'd like to show everyone the very nice job the developers did. Enjoy!
Next week's One Shots theme is Some Assembly Required, and yes, it's a little nod to Massively's newest column. If you'd like to participate, send your best screenshot of content that you've created to us at oneshots@massively.com. It can be a house you built, an item you crafted, or anything you like as long as it came from your two (virtual) hands. Include your name, the game, and a little description of the image, and we'll feature it here on Massively!

MassivelyOne Shots: Watching you watching me originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The MMO Report: The Force is with you edition

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT

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Casey Schreiner needs to play with his new laundry and wash his iPad -- or maybe it was the other way around -- so we must hurry through the description of this week's MMO Report! I'm not joking, he really has to leave quickly.

Casey starts with quips about a bearded dragon in the new expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, which is ironic, coming from the Master of Beards himself. Following that, our man of MMO mystery discusses the vehicles, beta, and pre-order for Star Wars: The Old Republic. He says the very thing that is on the mind of every fan: "EA you're doing it wrong." First you announce release date, followed by pre-order, and then beta!

On another topic, Casey begs the new VP at Disney Interactive Studios, Bill Roper, to actually release information regarding the Marvel MMO. And lastly, Sir Schreiner lets us in on PvP for Rusty Hearts and explains why America needs to be more like Russia.

To catch all of this and dip into Uncle Casey's mailbag, jump past the break and get ready for all the sweetness of the MMO Report.

Continue reading The MMO Report: The Force is with you edition

MassivelyThe MMO Report: The Force is with you edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Begin your 8Realms empire with a closed beta key from Massively

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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We first heard about 8Realms back in May, and Jagex's social empire game has progressed to the closed beta stage of development. The development team has provided some fun incentives to join closed beta, including an iPod touch giveaway every day until August 17th.

If you're interested in trying the game, we've got beta key access for you. This giveaway has a bit of a twist, however, as we have a single code that can be used 3,000 times. All you need to do is visit the 8Realms signup page, log in with your Jagex account (or create an account if you don't have one), and when prompted to enter your beta key, enter "Columbus."

It's as simple as that for the first 3,000 Massively readers to enter the code, so head to the signup page and get your empire underway!

MassivelyBegin your 8Realms empire with a closed beta key from Massively originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiesta Online celebrating third anniversary

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:30 AM PDT

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Three years ago today, Fiesta Online's first server opened to the public, and gamigo has just announced plans for the title's birthday celebration via a new press release. The festivities will run through August 18th and include "special events and major contests."

First up is the Birthday Cooking Competition and Come Party With Me events on the the Fiesta Facebook page. There's also the Fiesta Birthday Quest and Fiesta Online Summer Festival events, as well as new and exclusive track suit and mini gift items in the game's cash shop.

Fiesta is free-to-play and features five classes as well as PvP, in-game weddings, and an estate system that allows for decoration and personalization.

MassivelyFiesta Online celebrating third anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SWTOR walks us through the Flashpoint 'Esseles'

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:00 AM PDT

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BioWare and LucasArts have said since the first announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic that choices will matter. No one witnessed that more than visitors to the BioWare booth at San Diego Comic-Con. These fans had to choose between saving the engineering crew or saving the bridge crew in the Flashpoint called The Esseles.

In this fast-paced instance, you and your party are trapped aboard the Republic cruiser called the Esseles. Like Darth Vader asking for the ambassador on board the Corellian Corvette at the beginning of A New Hope, the commander of an Imperial Star Destroyer in this Flashpoint is also seeking a Republic ambassador. The difference here is the Imperial forces haven't boarded yet. It is your job to hold them off.

After the break, catch the full 13-and-a-half-minute walkthrough narrated by Director of Production Dallas Dickinson, sans epic beard unfortunately.

Continue reading SWTOR walks us through the Flashpoint 'Esseles'

MassivelySWTOR walks us through the Flashpoint 'Esseles' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan dev update outlines PvP changes

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:30 AM PDT

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Age of Conan game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison has posted his latest monthly development update, and the lengthy piece focuses heavily on the PvP side of the game. While class-specific balance fixes aren't given much lip service here (Morrison says they're addressed in each game update anyway, and are an ongoing process), Funcom is looking at quite a few changes to AoC's PvP component.

Morrison tasks lead systems designer Einar Forselv with talking about the specific goals, and he gives us a general look at what's on the dev team's plate. First up is the problematic minigame respawn mechanic, and Forselv says that Funcom is looking to make it more like the systems found in your average FPS as well as address the loopholes people use to perform AFK exploits.

Ranger tracking will also be "overhauled," which likely means a nerf since the feature is the subject of much QQ from the non-Ranger community. Siege performance changes are also on the table, as are stamina and aggro fixes, changes to animation and combat calculation interactions, and tweaks to the stealth system. Finally, this month's dev update mentions that new PvP world bosses are on the way to Hyboria, and teases the upcoming Savage Coast of Turan content that ties in with this summer's Conan film reboot.

MassivelyAge of Conan dev update outlines PvP changes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General gaming

General gaming


Weekend Deals: Just Cause 2, The Witcher, and GoldenEye

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:53 PM PDT

Just Cause 2

With a new GoldenEye game on the way for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, GameStop has decided to drop the price of the Wii remake all the way to $9.99. While you're at it, you can also pick up another James Bond game, Blood Stone, for the same price.

GameStop has some other unusually strong (for them) deals, including the wireless Rock Band 3 keyboard for $59.99 and DJ Hero wireless turntables for $9.99. With how cheap DJ Hero and its sequel have been recently, that's a nice, cheap way to get the DJ Hero multiplayer experience for a very small fraction of what it would have cost a year ago.

Direct2Drive has some very fun PC games for $4.95, including Just Cause 2, which is an absolute blast (and is a very difficult game to pick a single screenshot for). For that same price, you can also get The Witcher, STALKER, or Magicka.

NSFW Madden Video Ends Up Inspiring a Madden 12 Achievement

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 05:19 PM PDT

Madden Greg Jennings broken leg

Whether you were offended by the language in it or not, YouTube sensation Demetry James' Madden video that was published last April must have amused someone at EA Sports. And it's now inspired an Achievement in the upcoming Madden NFL 12, reports Kotaku.

In the video, James narrates a replay where Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings scores a 99-yard touchdown. What makes this noteworthy is that Jennings had broken his leg earlier in the game, yet was still capable of outrunning the entire New Orleans Saints defense. The video on its own may not have stood out, but the commentary by James led to the video being viewed in excess of 5.1 million times. It's laced with profanity and is sure to upset the more sensitive types, but there are more than a few people who find it hilarious.

One of James' comments -- that Jennings was putting the team on his back -- is now being commemorated with a Madden 12 Achievement/Trophy titled "Put Da Team on My Back." It's worth 50 Gamerscore on Xbox 360; to earn it, you need to score a 99-yard touchdown with Jennings. The other Achievements can be seen here.

Long-Delayed Final Fantasy Tactics iOS Port Coming Soon

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:07 PM PDT


Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions will finally make its way to the iOS App Store in the near future. Apple has approved the game for release, TouchArcade reports.

This has been a long time coming. After being announced last June, it was set to come out on September 15, 2010. It obviously missed that date and was pushed back and bounced around a number of times; with Apple's approval, it's all but guaranteed to be in our hands very soon. (TouchArcade speculates it will be out by next Thursday.)

The War of the Lions was originally released in North America in October 2007 for PlayStation Portable (and was made available for download on PSN just over a week ago). It's an updated version of the PlayStation 1 tactical RPG Final Fantasy Tactics, which debuted in North America back in 1998. The PSP game was hardly perfect, but it did provide fans with some new content without wrecking anything -- or fixing a number of problems the original had.

Driver's Always-Online DRM Deemed a Success by Ubisoft

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:23 PM PDT

Driver San Francisco

Gamers were none too pleased with this week's news that the PC version of Driver: San Francisco is bringing back a form of DRM used in previous Ubisoft games like Splinter Cell: Conviction and Assassin's Creed 2. Put simply, gamers need to be online at all times in order to play. It was met with a negative reaction last time around, and after the DRM was removed from the aforementioned games in January, it seemed strange that it was making a comeback. The decision was made because Ubisoft feels it's successful at what it's trying to do.

Ubisoft has seen "a clear reduction in piracy of our titles which required a persistent online connection, and from that point of view the requirement is a success," according to a company rep who spoke with PC Gamer.

Given that the DRM was said to be cracked previously and hackers prevented legitimate players from being able to access the game by bringing down Ubisoft servers, it nevertheless seems questionable to bring back this DRM that is decidedly anti-consumer.

Need for Speed: The Run Isn't Always Running on Foot

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:36 PM PDT

For a series always focused on flash and mainstream tastes, it's weird to look at the latest Need for Speed game (and especially EA's laser honed messaging at E3 on its new Hollywood-caliber story) and not feel a little confused. Haven't most NFS games developed by EA Black Box dabbled in delivering movie-style action experiences to players? You'd be kidding yourself if you didn't admit that Need for Speed: Underground was inspired by the illegal neon-lit street racing scene depicted in Hollywood's The Fast and the Furious, and each subsequent NFS game seemed to follow similar inspiration.

Need for Speed: The Run tries to take the story concept one step further by upping the intensity, and pushing players out of the car and into scripted action sequences. "For the first time, you can get out of the car and actually play as a character, and [at E3] we showed how we're going to bridge that gap," explains producer Alex Grimbley. "That's still less than 10-percent of our game, so this [demo] is really just to show you the other 90-percent. And obviously it's all about the racing because we're a racing game."

Plunging Nintendo Stock Price Sees Former President Lose $300 Million

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 01:45 PM PDT

3DS

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata didn't have a big presentation about the company's first quarter financial results earlier today in Japan because, as he put it, "the first fiscal quarter has limited importance within the annual business of game companies, it does not make much sense for me to make a detailed presentation on the business in that quarter." Instead, he focused on explaining why the 3DS price drop is coming now and revealing that he and other executives are taking a pay cut. Nintendo did release the obligatory financial numbers, and they didn't look good.

For the period of May 1, 2011 through June 30, 2011, net sales were down 50.2%, and gross profit was down a staggering 84.3% compared with the same period last year. The drop in net sales was attributed to a lack of "hit software," leading to a decrease in hardware and software sales. The price drops for Wii and DS were also partly to blame, as was "the impact of absorbing the inventory markdown taken into account in connection with the" 3DS price drop.

As for the drop to an 11.7% gross profit ratio, which was called a "drastic drop year-on-year," that was due to Wii and DS price drops, a declining sales ratio for Nintendo's Wii games, the impact of the 3DS price drop, and the lower-than-expected profitability of the 3DS.

This Week in the 1UP Community 7/25/11: The 3DS Nintendrop

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 01:41 PM PDT

Nintendo decided to drop a massive news bomb yesterday with the announcement of an $80 price cut to its latest handheld console. Hoping to entice consumers, Nintendo has chopped the price of its system from $249.99 to $169.99. While many of the early adopters may think this early price drop as a slap in the face, Nintendo has tried to soften the blow offering the 'Ambassador program' -- offering any 3DS units that connect to the Nintendo eShop before August 11 a free selection of NES and GBA titles for download. Though only a partial list of games has been announced, many gamers are questioning whether this compensation is enough for early adopters of the hardware.


IN THE BLOGS:

Super Mario Bros. FPS Built on Unreal Engine in Eight Weeks

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 12:17 PM PDT


Mario platformers have always come in the form of third-person games -- you never see things through the eyes of Mario himself. The project seen in the video above was put together over the course of eight weeks and switches between the two perspectives, giving you a chance to see what it'd be like to play the original Super Mario Bros. from a first-person perspective... if that Mario game also had the Unreal Tournament 3 announcer calling out double kills, killing sprees, and so on.

A series of videos showing off the project were recently uploaded to Vimeo. They were created through a joint effort between Massud Sarahi and J. Lee, and run on Unreal Engine 3 -- as if the UT3 announcer weren't enough of a giveaway, loading screens are also pulled right from UT3. It's described as an attempt to "learn more about game development." The reason they decided to replicate a game that already exists was "to save time needed for play-balancing, to present already familiar gameplay, and to focus on technical aspect of implementing game design."

The video above shows off world 1-1 with enemies. Below is a video showing an enemy-less run through the game's first four stages, culminating with an interactive version of destroying the bridge Bowser (or his duplicate) would normally be standing on. There are also several other videos showing off UnrealScript versions of various elements like Bullet Bill, a springboard, and procedural animations. It's not the first time we've seen Mario from the first-person perspective, but it's neat nonetheless.

Iwata's Salary Cut in Half, 3DS Price Drop Explained

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:45 AM PDT

Iwata 3DS

At a meeting on the company's financial results for its first fiscal quarter, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata explained to investors the thinking behind the decision to drop the price of the 3DS so soon after launch. He also announced that he, along with other key executives in the company, have decided to take significant pay cuts "to show our sincere attitude and to fulfill our responsibility."

Executives at Nintendo like Iwata receive both a fixed income and a bonus, the latter of which varies depending upon the success of the company. With things looking down right now between the struggling 3DS and declining Wii and DS sales, that'll naturally be lower. The fixed salaries would be the same regardless of the company's performance, but at a meeting yesterday, it was decided that top officials within the company will be taking pay cuts -- 30% for representative directors, 20% for other directors, and a whole 50% for Iwata himself. Needless to say, that's a big deal.

The 3DS price cut, announced yesterday, will see the system drop in price from $249.99 to $169.99 in the U.S. Iwata, who called this a "drastic approach" and "quite unusual," said Nintendo felt it was necessary to push sales of the hardware now so that Nintendo's games coming out later this year will have a larger install base to sell to.

1UP's Top Gear Giveaway

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:03 AM PDT

1UP's Top Gear Giveaway
How To Play

Prizes

Speed lover, thrill seeker, car enthusiast...

Do these words describe you? If so, odds are you're a fan of Top Gear! Yes, Top Gear, based off the BBC series of the same name, is hands down the most exciting show on television today. So why not make it the most exciting show in your DVD collection?

MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Esseles Flashpoint Walkthrough

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:44 AM PDT

Bioware and Star Wars: The Old Republic Director of Production Dallas Dixon team up to give fans an in-depth look at 'The Esseles,' one of the early Flashpoints in the game. Check it out!

MMO updates

MMO updates


[ChinaJoy 2011] Final Combat media conference

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 06:19 AM PDT


By now some of you would have heard of Final Combat, China company Xunlei's new online shooter. The past few videos have drawn various criticism with regards to glaring similarities with a fan favorite shooter, Team Fortress 2, but the voices from the people apparently was of no concern. In fact, Nvidia is teaming up with Xunlei to market and promote Final Combat. With that, at ChinaJoy 2011, a new "theme song" was even released.


Here are 2 of the class preview trailers released previously. The official website seems to be down now, or are outsiders IP blocked?



Before I forget, pictures from Final Combat's ChinaJoy 2011 media conference as well.

[ChinaJoy 2011] Firefall to launch in December

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:54 PM PDT


According to an interview by Tencent Games with Red 5 Studio's CEO, Mark Kern, the Firefall Beta for North America will being this December. Updated: The game will LAUNCH in December, not begin the beta test phase.


He also stated that the overall development for Firefall is now more than 50% complete, with PvE content well over 75% done and map development stands at 90% wrapped up. The Firefall team is also currently testing some new ideas and features to implement. Meanwhile, Firefall China will only see the Closed Beta phase begin next year.

[ChinaJoy 2011] Saint Seiya 25th anniversary

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT


Well, even though Perfect World had Saint Seiya Online at ChinaJoy 2011, there wasn't any playable demo available or anything to do with the game. The showcase is more of celebrating the franchise's 25th anniversary, cosplay and selling some merchandise. The Saint Seiya Online's official logo can also be seen in the first picture below. According to Perfect World's CEO, the game is still scheduled for Closed Beta before the year ends.

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