MMO Updates

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• The Road to Mordor: Ten up, ten down
• WRUP: Some rules of the Massively garden edition
• The Daily Grind: How much time do you spend on character concepts?
• Champions' Art Corner shows Golden Age costumes, new Powerhouse locales
• Star Trek's Online path to F2P delves into Lore Missions
• Betawatch: October 1-7, 2011
• The Old Republic playable at New York Comic Con
• Wasteland Diaries: Player-run economy
• Storyboard: The leveling effect
• Lord of the Rings Online dev diary outlines Epic Story design
• Massively exclusive: Introducing WindSlayer 2
• Aeria teases Eden Eternal's Templar class
• MMObility: The rise of the browser
• SWTOR dev diary comments on companion control
• This Week In MMO: Night at the movies edition
• Steel Legions opens up a can of Warfare on all declared enemies
• SWTOR asks who's better: Jedi Knight or Bounty Hunter

The Road to Mordor: Ten up, ten down Posted: 08 Oct 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Free-to-play Levels in MMOs are best when accepted as a traditional aspect of the game that blends into the background. It's weird when you hold them up to scrutiny because it's very hard to mesh these arbitrary numbers with the pretend "reality" of the game world. I've always thought it was weird that I could get high enough in levels to return to old fortresses of evil and be basically invincible. Plus, how can there be bats and goats that are both level 5 and level 75? Is there an animal commando school somewhere I haven't seen? In any case, while I enjoy the ding as much as anyone else, levels have lost their luster to me. The fact that Rise of Isengard added 10 new ones versus, say, five or none, doesn't really mean much in the long run. There isn't a lot tied to these new levels other than a small handful of mostly recycled skills and the typical increase in stats, so for me there's really no rush to climb through them. However, as with any first week or two out of release, leveling seems to be a huge area of focus for many players as they seek to hit that end cap once again and re-establish the status quo. Still, it's important to some, and our kinship has spent a good amount of time chewing over these new levels, how to get them, and whether or not they're worth a hill of beans in this crazy, messed-up world. Today in our laser-focused Lord of the Rings Online column, I'm going to sort those beans. I may even eat one or two; beans are great for protein and fiber. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Ten up, ten down The Road to Mordor: Ten up, ten down originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WRUP: Some rules of the Massively garden edition Posted: 08 Oct 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Miscellaneous While you're in the Massively garden, you will notice flowers. Please do not taunt, cajole, or bargain with the flowers. Do not under ever promise the flowers cookies or other enticements. Do not pick the flowers, and if you see someone picking the flowers, please hide your eyes and walk in the opposite direction. If a stem becomes bent or broken, do not pick up the bud or inhale the vapors. Under absolutely no circumstances are you to provide the flowers with small bits of meat. Eating the flowers on the stem is fine. In other news, it's time for this week's installment of WRUP. This time around, in addition to talking about our weekend plans, we've decided to discuss whether or not you can have too many options at character creation. So jump on past the cut to see what we're up to, and let us know what you've got planned for the next few days in the comments. There are no flowers in the comments. Continue reading WRUP: Some rules of the Massively garden edition WRUP: Some rules of the Massively garden edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: How much time do you spend on character concepts? Posted: 08 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind There are people for whom the character concept stage consists of logging in to City of Heroes for the first time, glancing at the available archetypes, and immediately creating a darkness-based Corruptor without a second though. Then there are people for whom character concepts are an art, something created gradually through a great deal of consideration, time spent out of the game devoted to deciding whether or not one powerset would work slightly better with another. Sometimes it's a roleplaying thing, and sometimes it's just a min-maxing thing, but it's possible to take a character concept very seriously before you hit the "create" button. Or you could be perfectly happy with something that looks cool and just move on from there. So how much time do you spend on your concepts before you make your character? Do you have a clear picture in your head of whom you want to play before the game launches, or do you just decide at the moment and roll with it? 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: How much time do you spend on character concepts? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Champions' Art Corner shows Golden Age costumes, new Powerhouse locales Posted: 07 Oct 2011 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Dev Diaries Cryptic has updated its Champions Online website with an interesting look at what's next for the superhero MMO's costumes and environments. The update is part of the Art Corner miniseries, which is a bi-weekly look behind the curtain at Cryptic's art department. Lead artist Brad Stokan takes us through some new bells and whistles in development for Champions' Powerhouse locale. If you're unfamiliar with the game, the Powerhouse is a type of testing ground where heroes can sample new abilities and work on their builds. This week's Art Corner shows off several new customizable dueling arenas as well as a theater designed to host a variety of in-game events. We also get a glimpse of Champions' new Golden Age costume set, and as the name indicates, the set is all about paying homage to a period in comic book history that featured "edgy anti-heroes who went to war with crime fully decked out with weapons, equipment, straps, pouches, and more pouches!" Champions' Art Corner shows Golden Age costumes, new Powerhouse locales originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: CO's Art Corner

Star Trek's Online path to F2P delves into Lore Missions Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, Lore, News items, Star Trek Online Star Trek Online's path to F2P continues today with a sneak-peek at the game's upcoming Lore Missions. It's no secret that Star Trek has quite the hardcore following of lore junkies whose very lifeblood is fueled by the franchise's canon. In light of this, Cryptic is introducing Lore Missions, which are "non-combat daily missions available to all Federation and Klingon Defense Force characters." Completing a Lore Mission will grant players a history datachip, and each datachip contains a record of a piece of the timeline that spans between Star Trek: Nemesis and the current year 2409. The missions will also test players on their lore knowledge, and correct answers will grant a reward which includes the much sought-after Dilithium Ore. There's much more in store for Lore Missions in the future, as well. Future installments will include "stories from the Federation's past, tales of the great heroes of the Empire, briefings on the many antagonists in Star Trek Online and more." So get out there and start researching, people! Star Trek's Online path to F2P delves into Lore Missions originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Path to F2P dev blog #8: Lore Missions

Betawatch: October 1-7, 2011 Posted: 07 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous 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. It's been a very quiet week on Betawatch, but we do have some post-apocalyptic goodness for you with the addition of Living After War to our closed beta list. Follow along after the jump for the latest Betawatch list. Continue reading Betawatch: October 1-7, 2011 Betawatch: October 1-7, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Old Republic playable at New York Comic Con Posted: 07 Oct 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic Mark October 13th through the 16th on your calendars, Star Wars: The Old Republic faithful, especially if you'll be anywhere in the vicinity of New York City. BioWare's Hutt-sized Star Wars MMO will be hogging the spotlight at this year's New York Comic Con, and you'll have a couple of opportunities to get some hands-on time with the highly anticipated sci-fi title. The Alderaan and Huttball warzones will be playable at SWTOR's booth, while a few of the developers will be featured on three separate panels over the course of the event. If you like a little alcohol with your Star Wars, you'll also want to make note of a dev-hosted meet-and-greet at District 36 on Wednesday, October 12th. All the details are available at the official site, so what are you waiting for? The Old Republic playable at New York Comic Con originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR website

Wasteland Diaries: Player-run economy Posted: 07 Oct 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Economy, Patches, PvP, PvE, Opinion, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic The economy in Fallen Earth has been stagnant for a while. The auction house has been just a place for trader clones (with maxed social skill) to post wares with a small markup from the NPC vendors prices. In some cases, these traders would post mats that could only be bought in PvP conflict towns or found in secret or dangerous scavenging spots. It was hard to be competitive in a market like that. Every resource had an unlimited supply thanks to the vendors. There were a few items that actually worked on the supply and demand principle, like vibrant and volatile chemicals and pre-fall tech. These items had prices that were dictated completely by the players. Through competition, the prices got pretty reasonable (and I even bought a few pre-fall techs to allieviate the Citadel grind). All that has changed now, and the Fallen Earth team has made some massive changes to the way the economy works. In this post, I'll take a look at what has changed. I'll try to give my best guess about what will happen to the economy in the coming weeks. A great many players are already freaking out about this concept on the forums and in global chat. While I admit it's too early to tell what will become of us in the near future, there's no need to panic. People were rage-quitting the game mere hours after the changes were made. If you ask me, it's a bit premature to make a decision like that. Nobody really knows what will happen, but click past the cut to see my best guesses. Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Player-run economy Wasteland Diaries: Player-run economy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Storyboard: The leveling effect Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous A couple of weeks ago, I took a look at some of the issues that crop up when you start considering in-game details in the context of roleplaying. Today, I'm doing something very similar but in the opposite direction. Instead of fitting verisimilitude into the game world, I'm trying to fit game mechanics into the game world. And if you've ever tried to explain in-character what level you are, you should understand that this is an arduous task to say the least. Of course, to some people, the very idea is ridiculous. There's a reason why gameplay and story generally remain in two different baskets: When you start trying to mix them too closely, everything gets dicey. The problem, of course, is that level isn't just a mechanical concept; it's tied to almost everything in the game world. And that begets all sorts of questions, the same sort that you start asking when you ask yourself about time, but from a different angle. Continue reading Storyboard: The leveling effect Storyboard: The leveling effect originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lord of the Rings Online dev diary outlines Epic Story design Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game mechanics, News items, PvE, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Lord of the Rings Online fans, we know you've all probably been quite busy adventuring through Isengard, but perhaps it's time you take a break. We've got just the thing for you to read while you relax, too. Light up some pipe-weed and have a seat as Turbine's Jeff Libby takes you on a tour of the design of Rise of Isengard's epic questline. Libby expounds on the "T-Factor," or the Tolkien Factor, which governs the design of the game and the Epic Story in particular. In essence, the iconic characters and locations from Tolkien lore are said to have a higher T-Factor, and the devs aim for the Epic Story to have a particularly high T-Factor. The devs also introduced phasing with Rise of Isengard, which allows the environment to change based on players' actions. For the full, spiffy details on Rise of Isengard's Epic Story, head on over to the official dev diary. Lord of the Rings Online dev diary outlines Epic Story design originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Rise of Isengard: Developer Diary: Volume III Book 4 Quest Notes

Massively exclusive: Introducing WindSlayer 2 Posted: 07 Oct 2011 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, Free-to-play, Browser, Dev Diaries One of the things we Massively writers love to do is to be the conduit between you and hidden gems in the MMO world. While high-profile games may get all the hubbub, it's just as important to bring to you the scrappy upstarts that are looking to make a name for themselves. With that in mind, we'd like to introduce you to WindSlayer 2, a 2-D side-scrolling title that keeps the action fast and furious. Ignited Games is understandably excited to show off WindSlayer 2 as it enters closed beta and is prepared to woo you with a series of developer diaries showing off this fun little sequel to WindSlayer. So gird your loins, hold on to your butts, and hit that jump to see what WindSlayer 2 is all about! Continue reading Massively exclusive: Introducing WindSlayer 2 Massively exclusive: Introducing WindSlayer 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aeria teases Eden Eternal's Templar class Posted: 07 Oct 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play Eden Eternal is adding features at a rapid clip. The free-to-play fantasy title from Aeria Games recently announced its player housing implementation and is now following that up with some info about the new Templar class. Actually, scratch that. Today's press release -- and the accompanying video -- doesn't feature much info at all beyond a tease for what Aeria calls "a very important class [for] those who wish to fight their way through all the new dungeons in the new upcoming content." In any event, the Templar is currently scheduled to go live in "early October," and you can watch the teaser clip after the break. [Source: Aeria Games press release] Continue reading Aeria teases Eden Eternal's Templar class Aeria teases Eden Eternal's Templar class originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMObility: The rise of the browser Posted: 07 Oct 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Browser, Miscellaneous, MMObility Over the last week I have been obsessing over Glitch, the new browser-based MMORPG brought to us by Tiny Speck. I will go into details of why in my Rise and Shiny column, but for now, let's just say that I think it is one of the greatest things I have come across in a long time. For the record, I was talking about Glitch before it was popular (that hipster cred should get my a free pair of glasses in Glitch!) and was excited about starting this column because of games like Glitch. In short, I knew that the browser market was huge, and I knew it was only going to grow bigger. Yes, I know what you're thinking, and yes I am claiming that we are starting to see the end of the heavy-duty client and demand for expensive hardware and upgrades. It's a big prediction, but click past the cut and let me explain. Continue reading MMObility: The rise of the browser MMObility: The rise of the browser originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR dev diary comments on companion control Posted: 07 Oct 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dev Diaries A couple of weeks ago, BioWare began a diary outlining the Star Wars: The Old Republic companion. In the second part of the companion developer's diary released today, Senior Game Designer William Wallace tackles the intricate mechanics of companion control. MMO players' opinions vary on how pets should be handled in combat situations. If not handled well, companions can overpower a group sometimes and completely ruin it at others. Wallace admits that BioWare's vision for companions has been augmented based on how players actually used the NPCs during gameplay. The team added passive and active controls over companions. In fact, if a player only wishes to control some companion actions but not others, BioWare provided ways to do that, too. We also know that sometimes groups can be split up. Wallace explains how SWTOR works around that: If a player leaves the group or its proximity, to travel to a vendor for instance, he is able to summon his companion for the journey. Upon reentering proximity of the group, the companion is automatically dismissed. The remaining group can temporarily substitute the missing player with one of their companions if desired. Companions are a staple in BioWare games. Developers promise to continue to make the companion gaming experience better -- meeting or exceeding your expectations. SWTOR dev diary comments on companion control originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR Developer Diary

This Week In MMO: Night at the movies edition Posted: 07 Oct 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Video, MMO industry, Opinion, Miscellaneous This Week In MMO is all about movies: how some games compare to movies and which movies will be made into games. The BioWare doctors hinted at a Mass Effect MMO once again, but what does our panel of hosts think? Mike B, aka Fony of ZAM, believes that the Mass Effect intellectual property is very similar to the movie industry, such that Mass Effect can take a few years of downtime, then just like some movie remakes, bounce back even stronger as an MMO. What about movies becoming MMOs? Jasmine Hruschak, of Gamebreaker's The Sanctum, is scared of any movie becoming a game. Traditionally, these platform conversions are disastrous, according to IRLJasmine. However, Gary Gannon agrees with Avatar director James Cameron's sentiments and believes that the world of the Nav'i could one day be comparable to the world of World of Warcraft. Catch all this and more movie-to-MMO comparisons after the break on Gamebreaker.TV's This Week In MMO! Continue reading This Week In MMO: Night at the movies edition This Week In MMO: Night at the movies edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: This Week In MMO Episode 65

Steel Legions opens up a can of Warfare on all declared enemies Posted: 07 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Patches, PvP, Free-to-play, MMORTS For all those out there who boast about how uber their show pony mount is, Steel Legions horde of tanks, artillery and other weapons of awesome mass destruction begs to differ. The free-to-play title is bringing more explosive firepower to the battlefield with its Warfare update. In this patch, players can upgrade their tanks with a variety of new modules, starting with experience modules. These do pretty much what you'd expect: increase the rate of XP gained as you plow through the chaos of the fight. The Warfare update is also adding a marketplace for players to purchase better goods for their machines, new weapon systems like the Kinetic Deflector and Mazer Cannon, and an oil refinery that can be fought over for control of the liquid black gold. Steel Legions is a free-to-play browser-based MMO that takes place in an alternate timeline when steam-driven tanks clash for control over the world. You can watch the trailer for the Warfare update after the jump. Continue reading Steel Legions opens up a can of Warfare on all declared enemies Steel Legions opens up a can of Warfare on all declared enemies originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steel Legions

SWTOR asks who's better: Jedi Knight or Bounty Hunter Posted: 07 Oct 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Classes, New titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic In the latest Friday update, the developers at BioWare ask one of the ultimate questions: Which class is better? In this three-and-half-minute video, the Jedi Knight and the Bounty Hunter of Star Wars: The Old Republic are pitted against each other. The criteria for winning ranges between the best story to the most powerful weapons, but ultimately, it's up to you. According to the video, it's time to choose your side. Senior Writer Hall Hood expresses that although the Jedi are typically good guys, "you get to be whatever kind of Jedi Knight you think is best. You don't necessarily have to follow the Jedi Code. In fact, you can violate it pretty regularly." On the other side, Writer Randy Begel explains that the Bounty Hunter does not have to be the most evil all the time. "The Bounty Hunter can live by a code as much as the Jedi does. It's just that they don't always see eye to eye on how that plays out," Begel explains. Decide for yourself after the break; we have the complete video for your enjoyment. Continue reading SWTOR asks who's better: Jedi Knight or Bounty Hunter SWTOR asks who's better: Jedi Knight or Bounty Hunter originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR News

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General gaming

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• Weekend Deals: Fable III, Max Payne, and Deus Ex
• Supply and Demand: Behind the Scenes of Retail Pricing
• PS Vita Hands-On Editor Roundtable
• Bulletstorm's Profanity Took its Polish Developer by Surprise
• Mortal Kombat Kollection Was PSN's Top Seller Last Month
• Many Battlefield 3 Issues Being Resolved in Time for Launch, Producer Reiterates it's a Beta
• Review: Aliens Infestation isn't Perfect, but It's an Essential DS Game Regardless
• People Would be "Really Sick" of Resident Evil if it Didn't Branch Out From Survival Horror
• FarmVille Movie Could be Written by Toy Story Scribes
• Watch UFC PPVs and More on Xbox Live Starting December 1

Weekend Deals: Fable III, Max Payne, and Deus Ex Posted: 07 Oct 2011 02:16 PM PDT Steam has slashed the price of Fable III and all of its downloadable content by 66%, bringing the price of the game down to $16.99. Things are quiet on Steam otherwise this week aside from the usual pre-order discounts and a sale on Cogs ($3.40). Both Amazon's download service and GamersGate have several King's Bounty games on sale. All things aside, Amazon looks like the way to go as its prices are lower -- the Platinum Edition is just $4.99. Amazon also has its usual discounts on newer PC downloads; NBA 2K12 was added this week and is only $23.99. With all of the press about Max Payne 3 this week, the first two Max Payne games have been put on sale at both Impulse and Direct2Drive. The bundle of the two games looks like the way to go -- at less than $4 there's a good deal of entertainment to be had from both games, even if the story is a bit crazy.

Supply and Demand: Behind the Scenes of Retail Pricing Posted: 07 Oct 2011 01:43 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet Supply and Demand: Behind the Scenes of Retail Pricing How consumer input affects the price of everything you buy. By: Seth Macy October 7, 2011 Let's take a trip back in time. Not too far; just 2006. America's economy was zipping along at a frenetic pace. The price of real estate rose exponentially, and if you tried to tell someone that the market wasn't sustainable, they would laugh in your face. Sony began gearing up for the release of the PlayStation 3, and if you spent any time on the Internet, you probably witnessed an argument or two concerning the $599 price tag for the more feature-rich of the system's two models. The two sides of the argument generally boiled down to "it cost too much" versus "it's a great value." And you know what? Both sides were correct. The fact that the PS3 cost more than the sum of its parts could be proven by gathering together the prices of similar, individual pieces (most Blu-Ray players at the time were still more expensive than the PS3, with none of the extra features). This much was undeniable. However, value is a wholly subjective notion and decided by consumers. If a consumer sees value in a product such as the PS3, then they decide that the price is just. If not, they simply don't buy it, buy a substitute product, or wait until the price comes down to a level they feel is acceptable. This is known in economics as the subjective theory of value.

PS Vita Hands-On Editor Roundtable Posted: 07 Oct 2011 01:18 PM PDT We recently visited Sony for a Vita press event where their goal wasn't to reveal information, but to allow media to spend more time with many of the same builds that were at last month's Tokyo Game Show. So after we each spent a couple hours of hands-on time -- spread across Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Resistance: Burning Skies, Wipeout 2048, Hot Shots Golf, Gravity Rush, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Reality Fighters, and Little Deviants -- we sat down and had a chat about what we liked and disliked. Jose Otero: I'm kind of torn on my favorite game from the event. I dug Gravity Rush because it's a fresh concept that utilizes a really cool-looking floating mechanic to maneuver the main character around -- it's an action game, sure, but it also uses mechanics I don't think I've seen before. On the other hand, I liked UMvC3 because it's a known quantity for me and I find that genre really appealing. So I'm stuck between the game I recognize and another that looks cool, but I don't really know enough about.

Bulletstorm's Profanity Took its Polish Developer by Surprise Posted: 07 Oct 2011 01:10 PM PDT Warning: The video above is full of NSFW language. Of course, that should be a given as it showcases footage from Bulletstorm, a game laced with profanity. The video is a collection of many of the swears from the early portion of the game and is just a sample of what you'll hear over the course of the full campaign. Given just how much naughty language there is, one might assume developer People Can Fly was fully aware of how it would come across. Yet it wasn't until fairly late in the game that the Polish developer grasped just how dirty the characters' mouths are.

Mortal Kombat Kollection Was PSN's Top Seller Last Month Posted: 07 Oct 2011 12:14 PM PDT Sony is often criticized for not doing enough to promote the downloadable games available on PlayStation Network. For a long time it wasn't uncommon to see a game suddenly pop up on the PlayStation Store with little-to-no warning. By extension, we also are never given any indication of how well games on PSN are selling. Although it isn't providing any numbers, Sony has debuted a monthly sales chart for PSN games beginning with September. Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (a bundle of the first three MK games) was the best-selling game on PSN last month, followed by Resident Evil 4, From Dust, Angry Birds, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3. The latter two don't take into account downloads by PlayStation Plus members, who were given free access to both as of September 20. Final Fantasy VII, perhaps the most popular game in the franchise, was still selling well enough to come in at number ten despite making its debut during E3 2009. It made a splash at the time, quickly selling in excess of 100,000 copies in just two weeks.

Many Battlefield 3 Issues Being Resolved in Time for Launch, Producer Reiterates it's a Beta Posted: 07 Oct 2011 11:51 AM PDT Many of those who have been able to try the Battlefield 3 beta since it kicked off late last month have been quick to pass judgment based on its glitches and bugs. With a release coming in less than three weeks, there have been questions about how all of these issues will be worked out by then. (DICE says many of them will be; more on that a minute.) Whether it's because other betas have been released that essentially operated as demos or some other reason, there seems to be a misconception about what a beta is, says producer Patrick Liu. "I think there's been a misunderstanding of the term 'beta test,'" Liu told the Guardian. The Operation Metro map featured in the beta may lack vehicles and not show off Conquest mode, two things fans want to see, but again, this is a beta and therefore the goals DICE had in mind might not perfectly align with what gamers want in a demo. "We ran the alpha tests with a Rush map and we wanted to have some sort of reference so we could compare results -- so we needed to have more-or-less the same map," he explained. "But we do understand the concerns that we didn't show a Conquest map, but we have demoed Caspian Border, and we did run a Conquest map as a limited PC-only test."

Review: Aliens Infestation isn't Perfect, but It's an Essential DS Game Regardless Posted: 07 Oct 2011 11:01 AM PDT I have a few complaints about Aliens: Infestation, Sega's new portable-version-of-Colonial-Marines-but-not-really action shooter for DS. They're pretty trivial complaints, though. Usually, criticisms in a review are meant as caveats: Things to consider before committing to buy a game. Not this time, though. Infestation is a game that any fan of Metroid, Aliens, or classic action games in general should grab. It's a wonderful verse in the DS's swan song. I have no hesitation in recommending it. No, my complaints are more nit-picky. They're the sort of things I wish I could have brought up during development, because they concern fine details that would turn a great Aliens game into a perfect one. Little elements of pacing, atmosphere, interpreting the source material -- that kind of thing.

People Would be "Really Sick" of Resident Evil if it Didn't Branch Out From Survival Horror Posted: 07 Oct 2011 10:33 AM PDT The upcoming 3DS game Resident Evil: Revelations looks to be returning to the series' roots as a survival horror series, but that's not indicative of the direction the entire franchise is moving in. In June we saw the arcade-style shooter The Mercenaries 3D released on 3DS, and Slant Six is currently at work on Operation Raccoon City, a third-person shooter. Recent numbered games (RE4 and 5) have been more action-oriented than the older games in the series. It's a diverse array of games to come out of the same franchise in a fairly short period of time, and that's helped to keep the series from becoming stale, according to Resident Evil producer Masachika Kawata. "At the core, basically, we want to make the best use of our brand. Resident Evil is an IP, and a franchise, that people have loved for a long time," Kawata told Gamasutra. "It's still very, very popular and we're very, very happy about that, and we want to basically answer all the requests that we get about the series. People want to see a lot of different experiences within the Resident Evil universe, and so we've been fortunate enough to be able to answer those requests with a lot of different experiences, in different forms, in games."

FarmVille Movie Could be Written by Toy Story Scribes Posted: 07 Oct 2011 09:54 AM PDT There have been some wacky games optioned for movies -- Asteroids, Missile Command -- so the idea of a FarmVille movie shouldn't shock you or anything. That might be your reaction anyway to what was hinted at in a recent interview with two noteworthy Hollywood writers. Speaking with IGN, Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen were asked about what they're working on besides the story for the upcoming Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure game. "So, yes, we will continue writing movies," the duo said. "We are also working on several new and very exciting opportunities. We're in conversations with Zynga to do something with one of their brands. Can't really say too much on that front yet, but 'Old MacDonald' didn't have a factory, if you get our drift."

Watch UFC PPVs and More on Xbox Live Starting December 1 Posted: 07 Oct 2011 09:16 AM PDT One of Microsoft's surprises during its E3 press conference this year was the announcement about UFC content coming to Xbox Live. We're now less than two months away from seeing that become a reality, and we have some new details on what will be possible. The focal point of the UFC app appears to be pay-per-views. And that should come as no surprise -- PPV revenue is a huge aspect of UFC's revenue and it's in its best interest to make purchasing a PPV as easy and convenient as possible (and watching an unauthorized stream online as unattractive as possible). Both standard definition and high definition (in 720p) versions of PPVs will be available, each at their own respective prices, which will presumably be the same amount you'd pay through your cable provider. Microsoft Points won't be necessary; you'll be able to pay directly with your credit card through Xbox Live, so there's no need to worry about purchasing points and having some left over that may never be used. The first PPV to be available through the Xbox Live app is UFC 140 on December 10, headlined by Jon "Bones" Jones versus Lyoto Machida for the light heavyweight title and Frank Mir versus Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.

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MMORPG News

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• Prime Battle for Dominus: Professions Detailed
• Knight Online: EU Closed Beta Coming October 11th
• TERA: Compass Points at Alpha Coming Soon
• Rift: Story of the Week: Rift Ain't Skeered
• PlanetSide 2: Twitter Chat Transcript Posted
• Rift: Serious WoW Competitor & Unafraid of SWTOR
• Eden Eternal: Templar Class Incoming
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Companion Characters & Choose Your Side
• The Secret World: Check out TSW at NY Comicon
• City of Heroes: Fight Crime in Style Contest

Prime Battle for Dominus: Professions Detailed Posted: 08 Oct 2011 07:34 AM PDT The Prime: Battle for Dominus site has been updated with new information about the 'professions' that players can choose and how each one has its special niche in the game.

Knight Online: EU Closed Beta Coming October 11th Posted: 08 Oct 2011 07:25 AM PDT EU Knight Online fans will want to pencil in October 11th as a sick day as the closed beta is scheduled to officially kick off.

TERA: Compass Points at Alpha Coming Soon Posted: 08 Oct 2011 07:21 AM PDT According to a new post on the TERA EU forums, the game is nearing its alpha phase of development. EU Community Manager "Raven" indicated that testing will initially begin internally and quite small.

Rift: Story of the Week: Rift Ain't Skeered Posted: 08 Oct 2011 06:47 AM PDT This week's SotW comes courtesy of Trion's charismatic and emphatic CEO, Lars Buttler. In a recent interview, Lars spoke on Rift being the only real WoW contender, and how they're simply not afraid of SWTOR.

PlanetSide 2: Twitter Chat Transcript Posted Posted: 07 Oct 2011 12:45 PM PDT PlanetSide Universe has posted a transcript of the Q&A session held on Twitter between fans and the PlanetSide 2 team.

Rift: Serious WoW Competitor & Unafraid of SWTOR Posted: 07 Oct 2011 11:45 AM PDT According to a new interview with IndustryGamers.com, Trion's Lars Buttler, Rift has been the "most serious competitor WoW has ever had".

Eden Eternal: Templar Class Incoming Posted: 07 Oct 2011 11:26 AM PDT The Eden Eternal team has revealed more information about the forthcoming Templar class. Templars are expected to arrive in game with the next major content update.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Companion Characters & Choose Your Side Posted: 07 Oct 2011 08:10 AM PDT The Star Wars: The Old Republic website has been updated with two new features. The first is the second installment of the companion characters series and the second post is a new feature called "choose your side".

The Secret World: Check out TSW at NY Comicon Posted: 07 Oct 2011 08:04 AM PDT During next week's New York Comicon, MMORPG.com will be partnering up with Funcom to bring fans of The Secret World a brand new look at the game.

City of Heroes: Fight Crime in Style Contest Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:50 AM PDT With the recent launch of City of Heroes: Freedom, MMORPG.com and NCsoft have partnered up for the "Fight Crime in Style" contest where one lucky winner could win 5 years (60 months) of VIP subscription time to City of Heroes: Freedom and be flown out to Paragon Studios to have their hair cut using a Flowbee by Matt "Positron" Miller!

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