MMO Updates

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• Blade & Soul interview talks Summoner class, customization
• CCP releases EVE's emergency CSM meeting minutes
• March into the Gap of Rohan with LotRO's latest dev diary
• Rusty Hearts celebrates the PAX experience with a testimonial video
• Bonus round: RuneScape kicks off a weekend of extra XP gain
• The Daily Grind: Which MMO do you think is underappreciated?
• The baddies of City of Heroes' First Ward
• SOE's services disrupted by massive California blackout [Updated]
• The MMO Report: In-game marriage is for losers edition
• Behind the Mask: The best defense isn't a good offense
• The Guild Counsel: Dealing with 'Mr. Wiggly'
• Turbine unveils LotRO expansion point costs
• Answer your beta-related questions, Star Wars: The Old Republic does
• One Shots: Function over form
• Guild Wars 2 Charr plushies on sale now, but you can win one free from Massively!
• Ask Massively: Some games I apparently just keep buying edition
• Captain's Log: Setting a new course
• Beta and bucks: John Smedley discusses PlanetSide 2's future

Blade & Soul interview talks Summoner class, customization Posted: 09 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Blade & Soul Blade & Soul's second Korean closed beta test is winding down, and ThisIsGame.com has cornered a couple of NCsoft devs for a quick interview about the upcoming martial arts MMORPG. Project director Jae Hyun Bae and director of system design Sung Jin Hwang talk about everything from the latest class reveal (the Summoner), to mobile platform and social networking tie-ins, to the game's extensive character customization. Said customization is "almost unlimited. NPCs in the game are actually made by not modeling but customizing each. Blade & Soul will provide the most free customizing system ever so far," according to the devs. It's somewhat unclear as to whether this customization will take the form of character skills and abilities or physical differentiation via body types and personalization options. It's also worth noting that some of the article's information may have been lost in translation, and if your Korean language skills are up to the task, you can read the full original text on ThisIsGame's main site. Blade & Soul interview talks Summoner class, customization originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP releases EVE's emergency CSM meeting minutes Posted: 09 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox There's no drama like internet spaceship drama, and the boohoos stemming from last summer's EVE Online Incarna expansion -- and the associated monoclegate controversy -- continue to make waves. CCP has finally gotten around to releasing the minutes from the "emergency" Council of Stellar Management meeting that took place in Iceland from June 30th through July 1st. According to CCP Xhagen, the lengthy delay was due to the fact that "it takes time to create a document that everyone can accept. It is important to keep in mind that CSM meeting minutes are not released unless both CCP and the CSM give their approval." The document summarizes the discussions and presents the brouhaha surrounding captain's quarters performance, the Noble Exchange, and CCP's future plans for virtual goods from the perspective of both devs and player representatives. The PDF ultimately serves as a useful summary of EVE's latest drama explosion, and you can read it in its entirety by following the link below. CCP releases EVE's emergency CSM meeting minutes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

March into the Gap of Rohan with LotRO's latest dev diary Posted: 09 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Horses thunder, horns blow, and the forces of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth ride out to meet the Enemy on its own turf. It's in the Gap of Rohan, one of the newest areas featured in the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard, that players will finally encounter the Rohirrim proper. Turbine is excited to introduce this long-awaited nation of horse-riders to the game, and in a new developer diary, an overview of this infamous region is given. While the Gap may not be large in size, it is critical to both armies to control, as it commands one of the best crossings of the river Isen. The developers also share some behind-the-scenes info about the "tricks" used to simulate large armies fighting alongside player characters -- all while still running on your average computer. We have several new action screenshots of combat in the Gap of Rohan for you below, and the full dev diary can be watched after the jump! Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Core Gallery Continue reading March into the Gap of Rohan with LotRO's latest dev diary March into the Gap of Rohan with LotRO's latest dev diary originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rusty Hearts celebrates the PAX experience with a testimonial video Posted: 09 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events, real-world, New titles, Opinion, Hands-on You could sit here and read our opinions of Perfect World Entertainment's Rusty Hearts all day long, but it's not until you see the faces of those who just played the game, talking about how much they loved it, that you realize it might be something worth checking out. PWE recorded video testimonials from PAX attendees who just finished playing their game demo, showing off some true-to-life opinions of the game, while still riding high on the adrenaline from that famous Rusty Hearts action combat. "Rusty Hearts cuts all the bull crap out," one attendee claims, while several others are particularly excited about the game's gothic art style. If you'd like to check the game out for yourself, it's set to hit open beta on September 13th, and don't miss the PAX video right after the cut. Continue reading Rusty Hearts celebrates the PAX experience with a testimonial video Rusty Hearts celebrates the PAX experience with a testimonial video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bonus round: RuneScape kicks off a weekend of extra XP gain Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser RuneScape players, it's time to put your key in the ignition and slam the pedal to the floor -- you have a full weekend of bonus XP ahead of you! The weekend kicked off at 7:00 a.m. EDT this morning, and will continue until the same time on Monday, September 12th. During this weekend event, RuneScape subscribers -- not free players -- will enjoy a hearty bonus to their training activities rate. The bonus multiplier begins at 2.7 times the normal rate and decreases in percentage every half-hour played after that, until it hits 1.1 times the normal rate of XP gain, at which point it will remain until the bonus weekend is over. This bonus rate will not be used up if a player is logged out or in the game's lobby, and does not affect quest XP, XP rewards at the end of activities, assist XP, the circus, and XP that is awarded via items. Because of the unique nature of the Summoning skill, Summoning will be locked in at a 1.1 bonus rate for the duration of the event. Bonus round: RuneScape kicks off a weekend of extra XP gain originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Which MMO do you think is underappreciated? Posted: 09 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Here at Massively, we try to expose you to as many MMOs (and often non-MMOs) as possible, allowing you to get that first glimpse through our eyes yet encouraging you to go out and play more if you like what you see. With so many MMOs on the market today, it's very easy to skip right by one that might have become your holy grail somewhere down the line. Plus, the majority of games launch, lose that initial rush of tourists, and settle into a comfortable niche for as long as they can. But these games often fall by the wayside as the new shinies rise to prominence. These "forgotten" games aren't necessarily bad; they're just old news. For me, it's Free Realms. Every time I jump into that game, I think about how it does so many things right but is quickly written off as a "kids" game. So I want to know what you think! What game would you say is the most underappreciated by other MMO players? 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! The Daily Grind: Which MMO do you think is underappreciated? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The baddies of City of Heroes' First Ward Posted: 08 Sep 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lore, Previews, News items, Dev Diaries City of Heroes' villains are some of the most memorable across the genre, so it's no wonder superhero fans are anxious to see whom (or what) they'll be fighting once CoH goes free-to-play later this year. To that end, Paragon Studios' art lead, Gilbert Martinez, has penned a dev diary over on PC Gamer that details four of the villain groups players will encounter in the upcoming First Ward zone. First up are the mystics of the Carnival of Light, the perfect counterpoint to the existing Carnival of Shadows. These new Carnies are much better dressed and seek to "restore the balance of good and evil" in Praetoria. They're followed by the Direct Urban Strike Team (D.U.S.T.) units, elite PPD members with rugged armor and enormous plasma rifles that are surely not compensating for anything. If you're into tentacles, you'll love the failed Seer experiments known as the Awakened. And finally, the dreadful, harpy-like Talons of Vengeance embrace "themes of vengeance, magic, and the embodiment of the apocalypse." Enjoy the new enemies (and their awesome high-detail graphics) at PC Gamer. The baddies of City of Heroes' First Ward originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE's services disrupted by massive California blackout [Updated] Posted: 08 Sep 2011 07:34 PM PDT Filed under: EverQuest, EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, PlanetSide, Events, real-world, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, Miscellaneous A massive power outage that is affecting southern California this evening has severely hampered Sony Online Entertainment's services. The outage, which began during the late afternoon, has cut power to millions in San Diego, southern Orange County, and Palm Springs, as well as sections of Mexico across the border. Because of this interruption, some of SOE's MMOs and websites have gone offline, as SOE's servers are located in San Diego. The company sent a brief note over Twitter and Facebook saying that players might not want to hold their breath at regaining these services tonight: "The San Diego power outage could persist throughout the night affecting login servers, forums, and websites. We appreciate everyone's patience as the City attempts to restore power." According to authorities, power is expected to be restored by Friday. [Update: Some of SOE's services, such as EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, and Clone Wars Adventures, appear to be back up and running.] Update #2: SOE tweeted the following on Friday morning: "We appreciate everyone's patience during the recent power outage. Power has been restored and all services should be back online."] [Source: Twitter] SOE's services disrupted by massive California blackout [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The MMO Report: In-game marriage is for losers edition Posted: 08 Sep 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Video, MapleStory, Culture, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, The Secret World, Humor, DC Universe Online, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous This week's MMO Report finds Casey Schreiner in a celebratory mood, and why not? After all, G4TV's massively multiplayer-focused video blog has been entertaining work-bound slackers for four years now, and it's his birthday tomorrow. The show hits all the MMO news highlights for the past week including DC Universe Online's new content pack, Minecraft's new adventuring trailer, The Secret World's sub-plus-cash-shop business model reveal, and Star Trek Online's foregone conclusion of a free-to-play announcement. Casey has a bit of fun with fans of the F2P model, saying that STO is "answering the call of thousands of underpaid comics and collectible store employees who can't afford 15 bucks a month." If that's not enough for you, consider that Casey also spends a bit of time talking about the merits of in-game marriage, and more specifically, why so many of MapleStory's pairings end in annulment. Seriously. Check it out after the break. Continue reading The MMO Report: In-game marriage is for losers edition The MMO Report: In-game marriage is for losers edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Behind the Mask: The best defense isn't a good offense Posted: 08 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Behind the Mask Blocking is one of the elements that separates Champions Online from just another MMO. Along with combat movement, blocking turns CO from another game of "1, 2, then 4 until dead" into a dynamic action experience. Blocking reduces incoming damage by a ton, even with no investment in upgrading it. It also gives you sizable energy boosts for every attack you block, which gives you comeback potential. Many players block only charged attacks, and even more simply never block. While it's important to block charged attacks, blocking isn't just for the few times when those happen. Continue reading Behind the Mask: The best defense isn't a good offense Behind the Mask: The best defense isn't a good offense originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Guild Counsel: Dealing with 'Mr. Wiggly' Posted: 08 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous So there you were, ticking those last few points of health off the raid mob, preparing to celebrate a major victory, when all of a sudden someone triggers a massive AoE and the raid wipes. Even worse, you and everyone else on the raid instantly know who it is because it's the same person who mem-blurred the boss the week before and accidentally ported his group out the raid before that. In fact, it's beginning to seem like the raid should stop fighting NPCs and start taking on this guy because he's a much bigger threat. The easy answer is to ream him out, boot him, and refuse to ever rez him again, but it's not that simple because he is extremely nice, is married to the guild leader, is helpful and contributes immensely when not raiding, or is a combination of all three. That's right, in this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at what to do with the nightmare of having a Mr. Wiggly in your guild. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Dealing with 'Mr. Wiggly' The Guild Counsel: Dealing with 'Mr. Wiggly' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Turbine unveils LotRO expansion point costs Posted: 08 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Business models, Expansions, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Dungeons Those of you who didn't get around to pre-ordering Lord of the Rings Online's Rise of Isengard expansion earlier this summer will probably want to mosey over to the game's official forums. Turbine has revealed the point costs for all of the new content, and due to the variety of items on offer, it may take you a few minutes to piece together what you want (and what it'll cost you). The short version is that the expansion quests and deeds will set you back 3,250 Turbine points, while the new Draigoch raid will cost an additional 1,250 TP. There's also a bindable item called Derudh's Stone that grants a permanent 25% XP bonus on monster kills through level 64, and it is priced at 995 TP. Finally, the new Update 5 instances, currently slated for a December release, will run you 1,495 TP. There's more info, and a load of comments and discussion, at the official LotRO boards. Turbine unveils LotRO expansion point costs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Answer your beta-related questions, Star Wars: The Old Republic does Posted: 08 Sep 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic In light of the Star Wars: The Old Republic's beta testing weekends' recent inception, Stephen Reid stopped by the SWTOR official forums to drop a couple of FAQs on the masses. The first deals with the ongoing beta testing, beta weekends, and early access for pre-order customers. The second hones in on the first beta test weekend, which took place last weekend. The beta FAQ begins by outlining the differences between early game access, beta weekends, guild testing, and the normal beta testing. Early game access, of course, is access to the launch version of the game prior to the official launch date; this privilege is given to those who pre-order the game. Beta testing weekends are exactly what they sound like, and Reid notes that the team is aiming for one more test weekend this month, which will host more players than the last test. Game and guild testing are both the normal, ongoing beta test, with the latter differentiated only by the invitation process for guilds rather than individuals. The post goes on to remind players that, even with the advent of the beta testing weekends, the NDA is still in effect, and that a player's participation in one beta test weekend does not guarantee her selection for subsequent weekends. And lastly, we'd be remiss to omit this small detail for our European players: Game testing for European players is "imminent," says the post, and these tests will include localized French and German versions of the game. Beta weekends for European players will begin around the same time. Now then, the beta weekend FAQ. The post declares the intent of the first beta weekend to have been a "small-scale simulation of a launch scenario." The post also discusses the successes and failures of the test and notes that almost every goal set by the team was met or exceeded. However, there were a few hitches with the invite process, which the team has since fixed. For the full details, hop on your speeder bike and head on over to the official forum posts. Answer your beta-related questions, Star Wars: The Old Republic does originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Function over form Posted: 08 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, Fallen Earth, One Shots, Post-Apocalyptic Today's screenshot comes to us from Fallen Earth, courtesy of our very own Justin Olivetti: While being able to craft 95% of the armor you'll wear in Fallen Earth is a major attraction of the game, early on you'll have to suffer through outfit pieces that don't quite go well together (although some may argue that's in step with the game's setting). Probably the worst aspect of the armor system is that there's no way to turn off helmet graphics unless you simply take it off. It's ugly armor week all week on One Shots, so whether you have an eye-searing color scheme, a set of armor pieces that clash like crazy, or something that you just put together for a laugh, we want to see. Next week we'll be revisiting starting zones, so if you want to get a jump on things, grab a screenshot of your favorite starting zone and send it in to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature it in next week's One Shots! Gallery: One Shots: 2011 One Shots: Function over form originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2 Charr plushies on sale now, but you can win one free from Massively! Posted: 08 Sep 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Guild Wars 2, Giveaways Guild Wars 2 fans attending PAX may have noticed an extra attendee roaming the show floor: the fiercely cute Charr plushie. According to the tag on his backside, he goes by the name Charrlie, and it seemed like every ArenaNet devotee at PAX wanted to nab one for his or her very own. The ArenaNet crew handed out several as prizes during a panel and some trivia contests on stage, and promised fans that the plushies would be for sale at some time in the future. That time has arrived a little sooner than most fans expected -- as of right now, the little guys can be purchased in the Penny Arcade store for $34.99. Even better, we've got one here at Massively to share with a lucky reader! All you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you should be the winner. Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. EDT, we'll go through the entries, choose the best one, and mail Charrlie the Charr to the winner right away. Be sure to read our contest rules, hit that comment button, and good luck! Guild Wars 2 Charr plushies on sale now, but you can win one free from Massively! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ask Massively: Some games I apparently just keep buying edition Posted: 08 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Massively meta, Humor, Miscellaneous During my week-long ordeal without power (or, you know, any of the other conveniences of the present century), Ms. Lady and I finally decided to spring for a PSP. It's a system that I've long been looking forward to owning, mostly so that I can pay for games that I already I own. Seriously. Sure, it's either an enhanced version (Persona 3 Portable) or old favorites that I can play on the go (Xenogears), but I'm still paying money to own games already in my collection. And yes, I'm looking forward to buying a Vita just to buy a remake of Persona 4. This is apparently what I do now. Moving along from my tendency to re-buy what I already own, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively. We're going pretty meta this time around, much like last week, talking all about avatars and cross-site issues. As always, questions can be left in the comments or sent to ask@massively.com for inclusion in a future edition. Continue reading Ask Massively: Some games I apparently just keep buying edition Ask Massively: Some games I apparently just keep buying edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: Setting a new course Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Interviews, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log Hello, computer (and players)! Leave your credit cards, er, I mean, Latinum, at the turbolift door -- Star Trek Online has changed course for a new destination... Planet Free-to-Play. As we reported late last week (thanks again to tipster The First Avenger and @Altexist), it was announced during a Perfect World Entertainment earnings call that STO would be adopting a new subscription model before year's end. Little did we know that the plan to make a full-scale announcement had already been in the works and was set to have been released this week, the first inkling of which we saw this past Tuesday. The press release and new F2P information page that Cryptic has launched on STO's home page contains a lot of information that explains the different benefits that paying and non-paying players will experience. As it did with Champions Online, the development team is planning on being as transparent as possible, listening to feedback, and making adjustments based on closed beta experiences of the new hybrid model. This week's Captain's Log is going to explore some of these benefits, shed some positive light on some worries, share with you exclusive answers to some questions we sent into PR, and let you know some of my overall personal thoughts -- so without further ado, make it so! Ensign, warp 10! Let's help our readers decide whether they are going to be Silver or Gold members... Continue reading Captain's Log: Setting a new course Captain's Log: Setting a new course originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beta and bucks: John Smedley discusses PlanetSide 2's future Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Business models, Free-to-play, PlanetSide 2 In an interview with Chinese site 17173.com, SOE's John Smedley shared some revealing details about PlanetSide 2, including the fact that the upcoming MMO shooter will be free. MMOsite carried the English version of the story early this morning, but there were a few points that were lost in translation. So we contacted Smedley for clarification, and he said that while he had previously mentioned that the game will be "some form of free-to-play," SOE is not prepared to announce specifics just yet, but we should "expect something that will be very player friendly." He mentioned that a Blizzard-style auction house won't be a part of that plan but that he was fond of what League of Legends had done with its system. It's also his opinion that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the last large-scale MMO with a subscription fee. "The game looks great," Smedley commented, "and I will be playing myself. BioWare is doing an awesome job." Smedley also made mention of PlanetSide 2's beta schedule. SOE is aiming to begin wider testing of the title later this year or early next year in North America, but the company doesn't know for sure just yet. PlanetSide 2 is aiming to be bigger and better than the original, with battlefields holding up to 2,000 players at the same time, a flexible skill system that allows players to fine-tune their troops and engage in crafting, and a struggle to control territory between three factions. Interestingly enough, Smedley said that the factions might not always be at each other's throats; the PlanetSide 2 team has plans to launch PvE world events such as alien invasions where all players will put aside their differences to combat a shared threat. Beta and bucks: John Smedley discusses PlanetSide 2's future originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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General gaming

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• Deus Ex Tops August NPD Charts as Software Sales Take a Hit Without Madden
• The 1UP Community Presents: Zombie Alternatives
• Six Blizzard Releases in the Next Three Years Expected by Activision
• EA's Online Passes Have Generated $10-$15 Million
• Dead Island "Feminist Whore" Skill Prompts Apology
• Zelda Director/Producer Eiji Aonuma Never Finished The First Legend of Zelda
• ModernWarfare3.com Dispute Ends with Activision in Control

Deus Ex Tops August NPD Charts as Software Sales Take a Hit Without Madden Posted: 08 Sep 2011 04:26 PM PDT The NPD Group has released its monthly sales figures for August today, with Deus Ex: Human Revolution being the best-selling game in the month despite being on store shelves for only five days. NPD tracks new, physical sales at retail in the United States. The tracking period for August includes everything from July 31 through August 27. As Madden NFL 12 came out on August 30, it'll count towards September's sales figures. Its absence had a huge impact on sales during August -- software sales were down 34 percent as compared with last year, from $403.5 million to $264.8 million. NCAA Football 12 was the second best-selling game during August. NPD analyst Anita Frazier points out that this year's NCAA sold better in August than last year's title did in August 2010, possibly due to football fans opting to pick it up this year with no Madden release to provide their fix earlier in the month.

The 1UP Community Presents: Zombie Alternatives Posted: 08 Sep 2011 01:31 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet The 1UP Community Presents: Zombie Alternatives Since the undead are boring, our readers have dreamed up what they hope the newest monster craze will be. By: 1UP Staff September 8, 2011 Let's face it: zombies are everywhere -- fighting in World War II, shambling around tropical islands, and hanging out on the moon for reasons that escape us. It's not hard to see why; as video game enemies, they're dumb as rocks, easy to kill, and travel in hordes, making them the perfect choice for lazy designers who dare not think outside the box. That said, with zombie game saturation seemingly reaching its peak over these past few years, we as gamers demand a change -- or at least, something more interesting to murder. Here are a few select suggestions from our community. Have a suggestion of your own? Post it in the comments, or join the conversation on our message boards. CloudStrife_ca I would like to see natural environments with everything you'd find in them used more in games like Call Of Duty. For example you're in multiplayer or campaign mode you're quietly making your way through a swamp in South America, trying to stay hidden from your target(s) and out of nowhere you're dealing with a crocodile in its natural environment! no this isn't a new perk to unlock (...release the crocodiles!) it's just a little extra detail in the environment to put you deeper into the game you're playing, offer a new realistic element of danger, not the "filler" zombies have become. This wouldn't have to be limited to just wildlife, if you were running through a village in a third world country and people didn't take kindly to your actions in the game, riots could start and not just as background scenery but danger elements you'd have to plan around/ through. What if you were playing Uncharted and you were caught in the middle of a Hurricane, not as a scripted moment to add to the storyline's drama, but at random. Deadly weather conditions could also be attached to natural environments depending on your location in or out of the world.

Six Blizzard Releases in the Next Three Years Expected by Activision Posted: 08 Sep 2011 01:20 PM PDT Blizzard is one of those rare companies that, like Valve, has the luxury of taking as much time as it needs to make its games really good. That doesn't mean it can't have a heavy period for releases, and it's looking like that's exactly what we'll see over the next three years. Speaking at the Citi 2011 Tech Conference today, Activision Blizzard COO Thomas Tippl said six "proven property" releases are expected out of Blizzard over the course of the next three years, GameSpot reports. That's somewhat of a surprise for two reasons. One is that Blizzard has released six games in the last eight years. The other is that we only officially know of three games it has in development: Diablo III, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. There's also its next MMO, Titan, but that's not using any of Blizzard's existing IP, which prevents it from fitting into the category of "proven property" games.

EA's Online Passes Have Generated $10-$15 Million Posted: 08 Sep 2011 11:27 AM PDT EA set out last May to combat used game sales (or improve gamers' experience) with the online pass system. It's since been adopted by a number of other games: Mortal Kombat, Dirt 3, Resistance 3, and Driver: San Francisco (though that didn't work out so well) are just a few examples. It's been more than a year now and it's yet to bring in a substantial amount of money for EA, though it's not quite so simple. "The revenues we derive from that haven't been dramatic," said CFO Eric Brown during the Citi 2011 Tech Conference, Gamasutra reports. "I'd say they're in the $10-$15 million range since we initiated the program." Online passes are included with new copies of games and typically grant access to online multiplayer and other features. Buying a used copy in most cases means you won't have the free code. That means anyone who wants to then play online (or access any locked content) has to purchase the online pass separately through the Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Store. In other words, EA is only getting money from used game buyers who want to access the locked content.

Dead Island "Feminist Whore" Skill Prompts Apology Posted: 08 Sep 2011 10:18 AM PDT Update: Techland issued a statement to Tracey John in addition to what's contained below. It reads, "It has come to our attention that one of Dead Island's leftover debug files contains a highly inappropriate internal script name of one of the character skills. This has been inexcusably overlooked and released with the game. The line in question was something a programmer considered a private joke. The skill naturaly [sic] has a completely different in-game name and the script reference was also changed. What is left is a part of an obscure debug function. This is merely an explanation but by no means an excuse. In the end that code was made a part of the product and signed with our company name. "We deeply regret that fact and we apologize to all our customers or anyone who might have been offended by that inappropriate expression. The person responsible for this unfortunate situation will face professional consequences for violating the professional standards and beliefs Techland stands for." Original Story: It's been a tumultuous week for Dead Island. The game had a number of bugs that led to developer Techland releasing a day-one patch that could cause players to lose access to their save games, while the version released on Steam was the "incorrect" one. Now a line of code that's been found references a skill called "Feminist Whore."

Zelda Director/Producer Eiji Aonuma Never Finished The First Legend of Zelda Posted: 08 Sep 2011 09:45 AM PDT If you've ever tried to play The Legend of Zelda -- maybe that free copy you got as a 3DS Ambassador -- and found yourself frustrated, you're not alone. Eiji Aonuma, who has led the Zelda series as a director and producer since the N64 installments, has never completed it himself. "I've never actually finished it," he admitted to Game Informer when asked for his thoughts on the franchise's first game. And it's because of its difficulty, something that has hurt his enjoyment of games in the past. When 1UP profiled Aonuma in 2007, he was asked about how he once said he isn't interested in Mario games. He responded, "I'm just not good at them, that's why! I always fall!" Explaining exactly what's stopped him from finishing Zelda, he said, "I almost feel like there's still no game more difficult than it. Every time I try to play it I end up getting 'Game Over' a few too many times and giving up partway through. Certainly after playing the original Zelda for the first time, I didn't ever think that I wanted to make a game like that."

ModernWarfare3.com Dispute Ends with Activision in Control Posted: 08 Sep 2011 08:37 AM PDT A few months ago, it was discovered that the domain ModernWarfare3.com was not owned by Activision. Not only that, it was apparently owned by someone who's not a particularly big fan of the Call of Duty series, and he made sure the website demonstrated that. This prompted Activision to file a complaint in order to secure control of the domain, which it has now been granted. The domain was first registered on March 26, 2009. For part of this time, it hosted anti-Call of Duty content; for instance, one particular section read, "Modern Warfare is crap. On November 8, 2011, the most over-hyped first-person action series of all-time returns with the copy and paste sequel to the lackluster Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Check out the E3 2011 gameplay demo featuring the Black Tuesday level for a look at the epic fail of the campaign. Pre-Order Call of Duty MW3 Today for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC to secure exclusive bonuses only available online for Modern Warfare 3 fanboys who don't know that Battlefield 3 is the better game." Other areas reference Modern Warfare 3's biggest competitor, Battlefield 3, as being "the better game." A note at the bottom of the page did make it clear the site isn't official or owned by Activision. The design of the site itself wouldn't make that clear, however, and it's not as if the average website visitor makes a habit of reading the footer.

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