MMO Updates

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• Massively Speaking Episode 176: Black and Blue Friday
• New launchpad coming to all EverQuest II users tomorrow
• Kotick questions how SWTOR will benefit EA
• World of Warcraft strikes the Hour of Twilight
• EVE Online: Crucible forges a new game today
• Star Trek Online's Season 5 content almost ready for prime time
• The Daily Grind: Would a closed beta key giveaway convince you to try a new game?
• Not So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2011
• Black Prophecy bringing high-end raids with its next major update
• RuneScape adds a new dungeon for mold time's sake
• LOCO: Evolution goes live, brings new city and features
• Wings Over Atreia: Attitude of gratitude
• DDO's Challenges tweaked, torqued, and tailored
• Get your closed beta key for Archlord X: The Chronicles
• Vehicles to play a large role in DUST 514 battles

Massively Speaking Episode 176: Black and Blue Friday Posted: 29 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Podcasts, Interviews, MMO industry, Humor, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous Massively Speaking Episode 176 is on its third new microphone in as many weeks, but we're rolling with the punches and rounding up the biggest MMO news stories from this past week even so. Whether it be a lengthy chat with Massively's own Larry about his thoughts on the Star Wars: The Old Republic beta, our tribute to World of Warcraft on its 7th anniversary, or keen insights into the shopping mentality of Black Friday, we aim to cover all the bases! Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 176: Black and Blue Friday Massively Speaking Episode 176: Black and Blue Friday originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

New launchpad coming to all EverQuest II users tomorrow Posted: 29 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play EverQuest II's official site has updated with a news blurb heralding the launch of, er, well, a new launcher. Currently, Sony Online Entertainment's fantasy title has multiple access points including the streaming launcher, the retail box launcher, and SOE's station launcher. As of November 30th, all EQII users will be migrated to a new launchpad. What's new about it? Well for starters, it doesn't require Flash. It also boasts a "much faster patching speed" and a "general aesthetic upgrade." The migration process should be painless for the end user, as Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson says that all you'll have to do is point the new launcher at your existing EQII directory when prompted. There's a bit more info on the official site if you're curious. New launchpad coming to all EverQuest II users tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Kotick questions how SWTOR will benefit EA Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic Count Activision CEO Bobby Kotick among the doubters when it comes to the financial viability of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The controversial executive mentioned the upcoming MMO in a speech at yesterday's Reuters Media Summit talk, during which he said he's unclear what publisher Electronic Arts stands to gain from the game. "Lucas is going to be the principal beneficiary of the success of Star Wars," Kotick posited. "We've been in business with Lucas for a long time and the economics will always accrue to the benefit of Lucas, so I don't really understand how the economics work for Electronic Arts." Kotick went on to say that the odds are stacked against new investors in the massively multiplayer market. "If you look at the history of the people investing in an MMO and achieving success, it's a small number," he said. Kotick questions how SWTOR will benefit EA originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reuters Via: MCV

World of Warcraft strikes the Hour of Twilight Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Patches It's patch day for all you World of Warcraftizens out there, and this one promises to be a doozy! Players everywhere are applying body paint, creating massive "BLIZZARD 3:16" signs, and waving about giant foam hands in anticipation of the updatey goodness. Patch 4.3 will go live later today with a wealth of updates to the game, the biggest of which have to be a trio of heroic dungeons and a new raid, Dragon Soul. The patch also introduces legendary daggers for rogues, a "transmogrification" system to allow players to change the look of their gear, a raid finder, and special Void Storage to free up more bank and inventory space. Our sister site WoW Insider has been covering all of the Patch 4.3 madness with aplomb, so catch up on all the goodies coming to the game over there! World of Warcraft strikes the Hour of Twilight originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WoW Insider's 4.3 coverage, 4.3 Patch Notes

EVE Online: Crucible forges a new game today Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Patches, Sandbox Crucible is an apt name for EVE Online's 15th expansion, considering that the game, its developers, and its players have gone through a severe testing this year in many respects. CCP is hoping that Crucible will be better received than its previous expansion, Incarna, and is hyping it as "EVE reforged." Today Crucible is coming to the game as a free expansion following a period of extended downtime. It's very much a "kitchen sink" update, with major improvements and reworkings of game systems. These include items as big as improved space visuals and dilating time to allow for large fleet battles to touches as small as contrails, an improved font, and new Captains Quarters. New ships in the expansion are a given, but ground-bound pilots might be attracted to opening up their very own customs offices to tax planetary businesses. There are so many additions and changes, in fact, that it's almost futile to try to crush them into a couple paragraphs, so while you're waiting for the game to come back up, make sure to check out the patch notes, the EVE Online: Crucible website, and our own Brendan Drain's thoughts for more info. EVE Online: Crucible forges a new game today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EVE Online, Crucible Patch Notes

Star Trek Online's Season 5 content almost ready for prime time Posted: 29 Nov 2011 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play Another day, another Path to F2P dev blog from Star Trek Online. The 24th entry in the series takes the wraps off the game's newest content update, and the Season 5: Call to Arms patch is almost ready to see the light of day on the holodeck server. Season 5 boasts the new Borg invasion of Defera ground combat map, reworked Borg strategic task force maps, new non-combat Federation and Klingon Academy maps, a patrol mission revamp, and more. Gameplay tweaks abound as well, with improvements to duty officers, space skills, and the leveling curve among the changes. Read the full list at the official STO website. Star Trek Online's Season 5 content almost ready for prime time originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Path to F2P #24

The Daily Grind: Would a closed beta key giveaway convince you to try a new game? Posted: 29 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Giveaways, Miscellaneous If there's one thing we love at Massively, it's giving goodies away to our readers. We share real-world items, virtual game items, and beta keys galore. That last item is an interesting one because there are so many varying factors to a closed beta key giveaway. How many keys are there? How long is the testing period? How polished is the game so far? Is the game super hot or will this giveaway be the first time some of our readers have heard of the game? If it is, then a closed beta key giveaway is as much a promotional tool as it is a testing opportunity for the developer. There's nothing wrong with that, of course -- the more the merrier. But does it work for you? If you see a beta key up for grabs, will you take one and use the opportunity to see what this new game is like? Are there criteria besides "hey, free key"? Hit the comment button and let us know! 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: Would a closed beta key giveaway convince you to try a new game? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2011 Posted: 28 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Lore, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA League of Legends launched season two this week and announced some pretty big changes to jungling with the upcoming Volibear patch. Developers have also removed the dodge stat from the game completely and refunded players the full price of dodge runes purchased. Despite the lack of official reveals for Diablo III this week, the news train kept chugging along as fansite DiabloFans dug around in the data files to discover details of the gem system. The first part of the game's official comic Sword of Justice was also released this week, with a limited 100,000-print run. Bloodline Champions officially released Metal Warden this week and celebrated a successful tournament at Dreamhack Winter 2011. Heroes of Newerth was also at Dreamhack this weekend, with the finals of MSI's massive Beat It tournament and news released of a new HoNTour tournament series. Rise of Immortals released a spotlight on new immortal Pycon this week, and Facebook MMO Dungeon Overlord published a trailer to celebrate the game's official launch. BioWare's Wrath of Heroes celebrated its third closed beta event this weekend, and I was there to get some first-hand experience. Keep an eye out this week for my first impressions of this upcoming MOBA. Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other big online games that aren't quite MMOs. Continue reading Not So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2011 Not So Massively: Dreamhack Winter 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Black Prophecy bringing high-end raids with its next major update Posted: 28 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, Endgame, News items, Free-to-play, Black Prophecy Endgame systems take time to develop properly and even more time to balance. But they're still an important element of any game, which is why Black Prophecy is bringing in a major new set of endgame mechanics with its next major content update. Episode 3: Rise of the Boids will feature new raid missions for large groups of players at the level cap, updating the PvE experience with what the developers promise will be "epic" experiences. Most of the details aren't yet known, as the announcement itself is fairly thin on hard facts, but players will be expected to form groups between eight to ten players in size. The encounters will focus heavily on group mechanics, and if prior experience is any indicator, they should reward players with significant increases in power when completed successfully. If you've gotten a bit tired of Black Prophecy's current PvE endgame, keep your eyes peeled for more details in the coming weeks. Black Prophecy bringing high-end raids with its next major update originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Raid overview part 1 Via: MMOCrunch

RuneScape adds a new dungeon for mold time's sake Posted: 28 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Dungeons It's not really a proper fantasy game until you've fought your way through animated fungi, right? That's the premise of the newest dungeon in RuneScape, the just-added Polypore Dungeon. Deep within the dungeon lives a solitary skinweaver who was born to be a healer, but she's turned her powers to creating animated fungi for her own amusement. With her only other companion an ancient merchant that no longer has all of his faculties, her domain isn't a prime vacation spot... unless, of course, you're a skilled adventurer looking for new items and new craftable armor. The new dungeon can be reached north of the Duel Arena bank, with most of its contents requiring a high level in various skills. The inhabitants are non-aggressive, however, allowing any and all members to take a look at the place freely. Other updates include an improvement to the Slayer interface and the UI option to switch bloom lighting on or off, which should help improve your overall experience whether or not you decide to go mushroom hunting. RuneScape adds a new dungeon for mold time's sake originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Polypore Dungeon

LOCO: Evolution goes live, brings new city and features Posted: 28 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA Last month, we learned that Alaplaya's free-to-play MOBA, Land of Chaos Online would be rebranding itself with its upcoming LOCO: Evolution content update. The wait is now over, however, as LOCO: Evolution is live, and so are the multitude of features that come with it. Players can now explore the new city hub of Arhonnas, accept and complete quests, track achievements, and much more. For the full details, head on over to the game's official site. LOCO: Evolution goes live, brings new city and features originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: LOCO: Evolution announcement

Wings Over Atreia: Attitude of gratitude Posted: 28 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia For Solorius, I expounded on my wish list for Aion, detailing things I wanted to see in game. Now, however, 'tis the season to express thankfulness for that which we have. While contemplating the many things I am grateful for in my life, I also considered the things that I am grateful for in the world of Atreia. Sure, things are not perfect (what world, real or pixelated, is?), and there are problems, bugs, and things I still hope are changed or added, but that does not diminish the fact that Aion still offers many things to gamers in general -- and me in particular. Originally slated to release during the holiday, this topic was preempted by last week's announcement. No matter -- I certainly don't mind stretching out the season of gratitude. So while it might be more trendy to troll and spread hate, I dedicate this week's Wings Over Atreia to just saying thanks. Don't believe there are things to be thankful for? Step past the cut (or roll, if you enjoyed as much turkey as I did) to check out my reasons and a chance to express your own. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Attitude of gratitude Wings Over Atreia: Attitude of gratitude originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

DDO's Challenges tweaked, torqued, and tailored Posted: 28 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Patches, Free-to-play It's been a few weeks since Dungeons and Dragons Online came out with Update 12 and its newfangled Challenge system. No new system is perfect, of course, which is why Turbine has a slew of changes and fixes in testing as it prepares the first post-Update 12 patch for release. There's no one specific aspect of the Challenges that is receiving the most attention, but a variety of tweaks to make the feature more enjoyable (and functional) as a whole. The patch includes additional weapons at Challenge vendors, Challenge loot that can be used in crafting and upgraded, and the ability for players to repeat Star Challenges for XP. There's also the interesting inclusion of the ability to sell DDO Store-bought loot to in-game vendors for cash. Players are invited to check the changes out on the Lamannia test server or to peruse the patch notes at their leisure. DDO's Challenges tweaked, torqued, and tailored originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: DDO forums

Get your closed beta key for Archlord X: The Chronicles Posted: 28 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Free-to-play, Giveaways The development team at Webzen has been hard at work, and it's all about to pay off -- for you. Webzen is all set to kick off the closed beta test of Archlord X: The Chronicles, and the company has passed us a set of beta keys to share. Archlord X is a continuation of the events of the Archlord universe, according to Webzen. The Archlord X game scenario is based a hundred years after Archlord, when Chantra fell into chaos from the Archon running out of control. Ready to check it out for yourself? Visit our giveaway page, then head over to the Archlord X redemption page. Create an account via the "play for free" button if you have not, then enter your beta key serial code. Once you've done that you're all set to download Archlord X -- enjoy! Get your closed beta key for Archlord X: The Chronicles originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vehicles to play a large role in DUST 514 battles Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox The PlayStation blog has been updated with a new blurb on DUST 514, and vehicle freaks will be happy to note that we now have a better understanding of how rolling armor works in CCP's EVE-based MMO shooter. CCP says that vehicles "play a large role" on DUST's battlefields, with heavy armor units delivering long-range concussive attacks "while lighter units emphasize speed and flexibility." Vehicles are also highly configurable, and players will be given a choice of armaments drawn directly from EVE Online's weapon classes. Finally, the new blog entry gives us a glimpse of various vehicle aesthetics, and long-time New Eden fans will be pleased to note that the selection has a familiar factional feel (though duty compels us to complain about the lack of a Minmatar entry). Vehicles to play a large role in DUST 514 battles originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: PlayStation blog

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MMORPG News

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• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Blizzard CEO's Statements Rain on EA's Parade
• General: Kids Games Don’t Suck
• General: The Digital Parent: Raising a Gamer
• EVE Online: For Whom the Bell Tolls
• Hellgate: Four New Events Bring Big Rewards
• Dragona: New Forums Arrive
• EVE Online: Crucible Battlecruiser Spotlight

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Blizzard CEO's Statements Rain on EA's Parade Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:15 AM PST According to a report from Develop.com, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick believes that "downward pressure on profits" will hurt EA's chances of making gigantic profit from Star Wars: The Old Republic.

General: Kids Games Don’t Suck Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:13 AM PST The prevailing opinion is that most games made with younger gamers in mind are somehow less professionally made and less engaging than games made for older audiences. In today's Devil's Advocate column, we take that opinion head on and offer an opposing view. Read on and then let us know what you think.

General: The Digital Parent: Raising a Gamer Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:25 AM PST We are debuting a new column here at MMORPG.com. As the average age of gamers rises and as those same gamers are having kids, it becomes incumbent on parents to make sure their kids are safe online and in their digital worlds. The Digital Parent is aimed at helping parents navigate those waters with pithy advice and commentary. Let us know what you think!

EVE Online: For Whom the Bell Tolls Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST In our latest One Jump Home column, we delve into the depths of the rumor mill, the supposed death of Alliances, the forging of new empires and all of the other things that pique the collective attention of EVE Online players. Read on and then leave us a few thoughts in the comments.

Hellgate: Four New Events Bring Big Rewards Posted: 29 Nov 2011 05:37 AM PST T3Fun has given our readers an insider's peek at four fun events for Hellgate players to participate in throughout the month of December. We've got the scoop!

Dragona: New Forums Arrive Posted: 28 Nov 2011 08:32 AM PST The Dragona team has sent word that the game's official forums are now up and running. Players are invited to head over to participate in the discussion about Dragona.

EVE Online: Crucible Battlecruiser Spotlight Posted: 28 Nov 2011 07:59 AM PST EVE Online fan 'Flamewave' has created a terrific cinematic look at the four new battlecruisers coming with the Crucible expansion set to deploy in late 2011. The ships are the Oracle, the Talos, the Tornado, and the Naga. The video also gives a great look at new trails, nebulae and more. Check it out and enjoy the awesome music that accompanies it.

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General gaming

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• Review: Mario Kart 7 Comfortably Settles For Silver
• Vita's Proprietary Memory Cards Won't be Cheap
• The Man Behind Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian
• Zelda: Skyward Sword and Mario 3D Land Each Surpass 500k Units Sold
• If a Final Fantasy VII Remake Ever Happens, Changes Could be Made
• Skyrim Patch Now Out on PS3; 360 and PC Following Soon
• Tony Hawk Ride's Developer Wants You to Fund its Next Game
• Latest Xbox Successor Rumors Include a Lip-Reading Kinect
• I Am Alive Dev Didn't Mean to Say a PC Version Won't Happen
• Rainbow 6 Patriots Unsettles by Having You Play as a Suicide Bomber

Review: Mario Kart 7 Comfortably Settles For Silver Posted: 29 Nov 2011 12:01 AM PST Jeremy Parish, Editor-in-Chief: Stop me if you've heard this one before: Nintendo releases a sequel to a big-name franchise for the 2011 holiday season. It's very well made, and it's a lot of fun, but you just can't shake the feeling that you've seen it all before -- that Nintendo, the company that has made its swimming pools of money in recent years with terms like "blue ocean" and "disruptive design" is playing it uncharacteristically safe. First was Super Mario 3D Land, then The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword; now we have Mario Kart 7, which seems to have its eyes set on the been-there-done-that prize. Familiar is not the same thing as bad, of course. On the contrary, MK7 is leagues better than its predecessor, the deeply disappointing Mario Kart Wii. Nintendo has dialed back all the design flaws that made MKWii such a bracing letdown: The hyperactive party-game feel has been toned down, and even on the upper-level 150cc courses you're much less likely to have victory snatched away at the last second by yet another Blue Shell. MK7 feels far better balanced in favor of fairness (rewarding skill) rather than "fun" (based on random luck and chaos).

Vita's Proprietary Memory Cards Won't be Cheap Posted: 28 Nov 2011 04:26 PM PST For whatever reason -- many would likely guess "money" -- Sony has decided to go with a new, proprietary format for the memory cards used by PlayStation Vita. Whereas a dirt-cheap SD card can be picked up for use with 3DS, Vita will use specific cards that will cost quite a bit in Japan. If you were hoping the pricing situation wouldn't be the same in the United States, well... you had better get saving. GameStop has posted listings for four different sizes of official Vita memory cards, revealing a ballpark figure for how they will be priced. (I say "ballpark" because GameStop sells the Wii Motion Plus attachment for $5 more than other retailers, so perhaps these will be a few bucks more than elsewhere.) The picture isn't pretty -- a 4GB card's price is set at $29.99, 8GB at $44.99, 16GB at $69.99, and 32GB at $119.99. The same size SD cards would cost roughly $6, $10, $20, and $32, respectively, and that's going by the first result on Amazon for each (so there may be cheaper options out there).

The Man Behind Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian Posted: 28 Nov 2011 03:34 PM PST Feature Share it: Tweet The Man Behind Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian By: Matt Leone November 28, 2011 This story began with a bet two years ago. In late 2009, I told a coworker about an appointment with Team Ico director Fumito Ueda at the Tokyo Game Show. We joked about Ueda's short interview replies, and how it'd be an accomplishment to get him to vent or ramble. In my head, I was building an easy narrative about how Ueda speaks in interviews the same way he designs games, given his minimalist stories and "design by subtraction" philosophy.

Zelda: Skyward Sword and Mario 3D Land Each Surpass 500k Units Sold Posted: 28 Nov 2011 03:16 PM PST The biggest Wii game launch of the year and the first big original game release on 3DS are each off to a strong start in the United States with both titles having already sold over 500,000 units. According to Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime, who spoke with USA Today, Super Mario 3D Land has sold in excess of 500,000 units since it launched on November 13. That's a strong enough start to make it the fastest-selling portable Mario game ever. It's not as impressive a figure as it would be if it included console titles, where the majority of Mario's success has been experienced, but it's good news for Nintendo nonetheless.

If a Final Fantasy VII Remake Ever Happens, Changes Could be Made Posted: 28 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PST Final Fantasy VII is one of the most oft-requested remakes whether you're talking about Final Fantasy or games in general, but be careful what you wish for: should it ever happen, the game may not end up being just like fans remember it. Square Enix's Yoshinori Kitase, who is currently serving as a producer on the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII-2 and was the director of Final Fantasy VII, recently spoke about how he would personally like to approach a remake of VII, should it ever happen. He's not keen on leaving things just as they are, a stance that could upset diehard fans.

Skyrim Patch Now Out on PS3; 360 and PC Following Soon Posted: 28 Nov 2011 12:49 PM PST It is an unfortunate truth, but a truth nonetheless, that Bethesda games are almost always invariably plagued with some sort of bugs following release. Many gamers are willing to accept that because of the nature of the open-world experiences the company's games provide, but they nonetheless expect those bugs to be taken care of before long. Skyrim is no exception to this; PlayStation 3 gamers have been dealing with a particularly annoying issue that should hopefully be resolved with the release of a patch today. Bethesda has announced the version 1.2 update for Skyrim on PS3 has been released, and those in North America and Europe should both be able to download it as of this writing. Xbox 360 and PC gamers will have to wait another two days or so -- Wednesday, November 30 is the current estimate for when the patch will hit.

Tony Hawk Ride's Developer Wants You to Fund its Next Game Posted: 28 Nov 2011 11:45 AM PST Launched in 2009, Kickstarter.com allows anyone to generate crowd-funding campaigns, which appeal to the public to amass funds for whatever project is on the page. Since then, more than $100 million has been successfully raised for a wide array of projects, including tech gadgets, records, films, and more; last winter, a design firm raised more than $940,000 to create wristband holders for the iPod nano, while 2 Player Productions' documentary film on Minecraft topped $210,000 this past spring. When it comes to indie game development, the sums haven't been quite as high, but they're growing, with recent success stories including the nearly $37,000 generated by iOS/Android game Star Command, as well as $24,000+ pulled in by Octodad 2, a PC game about an octopus secretly posing as a suburban dad. Prior to today, Kickstarter had yet to host a funding campaign for a game explicitly designed for a console system. That's no longer the case, but the studio behind the project may surprise you.

Latest Xbox Successor Rumors Include a Lip-Reading Kinect Posted: 28 Nov 2011 11:41 AM PST As we continue the march towards the inevitable release of the Xbox 360's successor -- whether it be coming in a year or three or whenever else -- more rumors and reports are rolling in. The latest batch includes supposed details on an improved Kinect that may be bundled with the system and two radically different models that will be made available. Eurogamer is reporting, per a development source, that an improved version of Kinect is being developed that will have the ability to read lips. That would be an impressive feature and would presumably mean it wouldn't be restricted in the same way as the current Kinect is. Of course, we heard about how Kinect would be capable of understanding sign language, a feature it didn't turn out to be equipped with, so early promises (let alone rumors) shouldn't be taken as gospel.

I Am Alive Dev Didn't Mean to Say a PC Version Won't Happen Posted: 28 Nov 2011 09:40 AM PST Last week we heard what appeared to be the reasoning for why I Am Alive was headed only to consoles and not PC as it had previously been slated to: piracy. This explanation was accompanied by some poorly-chosen words that upset PC gamers, a group that feels it has already been treated less-than-ideally by I Am Alive publisher Ubisoft. Creative director Stanislas Mettra, who referred to PC gamers as "bitching about there being no version for them," has now clarified his stance and softened his words on the subject. "I would really love to see a PC build of the game," he told IncGamers last week, "and I don't think I meant to say 'the game won't happen on PC.' [I]t's probably an English language miscommunication," noting that English is not his first language.

Rainbow 6 Patriots Unsettles by Having You Play as a Suicide Bomber Posted: 28 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST There you are -- sitting at home watching the news or browsing your iPad. Your negligee-wearing wife presents both herself and a little cupcake to commemorate your birthday; moments after blowing the candle yet before you can get intimate with her, the doorbell rings. And that's when everything goes wrong -- serious men storm in; they restrain your wife; and they knock you out despite your attempt to defend your family and home. When you come to, they mock you for making money off of home foreclosures while strapping a bomb vest to your body, and tell you that if you don't go with them to Times Square, they will kill your wife and child. Fast forward a bit and you're trapped in a van on the Brooklyn Bridge. Everything that can go wrong is in the midst of going wrong. You're under fire, the men who kidnapped you are busy shouting or dying, and one of them reiterates the "get to Times Square or they die" threat. The doors open and the Brooklyn Bridge lies under siege. Everyone around you is either shooting or screaming or dying. Men in black body armor assault you from multiple angles as you race your way down the bridge. Then, the perspective shifts, and you make a realization: the armor-clad foes who have been raining down assault rifle fire -- the terrorizing enemy -- turn out to be Rainbow Six operatives. That is, from your perspective of a civilian-forced-into-suicide-bomber, the heroes of Rainbow 6 Patriots have become the enemy. And now in Rainbow's perspective, the innocent civilian is now the primary target. This perspective shift (which occurs rarely in the game, so don't mistake this for multi-perspective action a la Call of Duty) reinforces one of the primary points of Patriots: anyone can be the enemy.

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