MMO Updates

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• WRUP: Value this moment edition
• EVE Fanfest talks Inferno, World of Darkness panel later today
• The Daily Grind: Do you prefer open or closed chat?
• SWTOR devs attempt to balance the Force through nerfs
• Betawatch: March 17 - 23, 2012
• MMObility: A few bad design apples ruin the whole bunch
• Vindictus brings out a dragon with accompanying ink
• Storyboard: Talk this way
• Darkfall polishes content until it shines
• The Soapbox: Nobody's hero
• Colonize the New World: Salem opens beta sign-ups
• EVE's Inferno expansion launches May 22nd, precursor patch April 24th
• The Firing Line: A couple of PlanetSide 2 concerns
• Aika Online giving away Razer gaming peripherals

WRUP: Value this moment edition Posted: 24 Mar 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous I know that most weeks when I write up the header for WRUP, I'm talking about something ridiculous. This week, I don't have it in me. This week, I have only advice for you: Take the time and the energy to value the things that matter in your lives. Games, people, experiences, all of the above. Don't ignore these things, don't let them slip away, and don't ignore how many important and fragile pieces exist all around you. Take the time to do things you enjoy and see people you care about, and don't take any of that for granted. The rest of this week's installment is less somber, as we're discussing our usual weekend plans as well as whether or not we expect RP servers to be policed. Jump on past the break to see what we'll be up to, and then let us know your plans (and your opinions on the bonus question) in the comments. Continue reading WRUP: Value this moment edition WRUP: Value this moment edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Fanfest talks Inferno, World of Darkness panel later today Posted: 24 Mar 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox Day two of EVE Online Fanfest 2012 had a lot to offer fans of CCP's sci-fi sandbox. First and foremost was the announcement of Inferno's official launch date and the fact that EVE's latest expansion will roll out to Tranquility on May 22nd. As we told you yesterday, the patch is heavy on PvP tweaks, and everything from faction warfare to a new specialized mercenary marketplace is on the way. The official EVE website also received a ton of updates yesterday, the better to catalogue all of the breaking news direct from Fanfest. Today's docket is equally fascinating, and CCP devs are scheduled to speak about EVE-related game design topics that include war decs, concept art, and growing the game's infrastructure. Also on the menu is a presentation on World of Darkness that we'll be following with great interest. You can follow it too via our EVETV Livestream channel. Be sure to look for our expert analysis of all the Fanfest happenings in this Sunday's EVE Evolved column! EVE Fanfest talks Inferno, World of Darkness panel later today originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Do you prefer open or closed chat? Posted: 24 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvP, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Roleplaying, Miscellaneous Tribes: Ascend has an open chat system that might seem unusual to players more familiar with MMORPGs than MMOFPS titles. Anyone can lay down whatever smack-talk he wants in the traditional open chat... but almost no one does. Instead, players make use of quick macros to audibly announce enemy movements, signal for aid, praise comrades, and taunt opponents. Truth is, time spent trash-talking the other side in chat is time enough for that side to shoot you in the face, so players stick to simple short-cut communication, keeping the game relatively clean of the sort of chatter that makes your eyes bleed. Roleplayers would never go for such a limited chat system, I realize, and I'm right there with them when it comes to annoyance that factional chats limit communication between, say, the opposing teams of World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic. But at the same time, it's refreshing to see a streamlined chat that sticks to gameplay and isn't bogged down with Chuck Norris jokes and clever ways around the profanity filter. What do you think of closed vs. open chat? 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: Do you prefer open or closed chat? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR devs attempt to balance the Force through nerfs Posted: 23 Mar 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Community Q&A It's Friday, Friday, and even Jedi got to get down with Friday... which also means a new community Q&A sent across the holonet to players eager for a glimpse of Star Wars: The Old Republic's future. However, the devs have asked that questions focus more on current features in the game, as in many cases they cannot give firm details about what's coming up in SWTOR. Today's topics begin with a discussion about why some advanced classes, such as Commandos and Mercenaries, lack an interrupt. This wasn't an oversight, the devs revealed, but "a purposefully designed weakness in their ability arsenal" to keep them balanced in the game -- especially in PvP. "Balance" was an answer to another issue as well, specifically the nerfs to some of the healing specs. Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller realized that folks were going to rail against it, but the team thought it was necessary: "I know trying to 'sell' a downwards adjustment (AKA nerf) to anyone affected is like selling the need for a tax increase to people. When you are on the receiving end of it, you're not going to be happy about it." Other questions revolved around rage timers, looping the game's music, cross-faction communication within the same guild, and legacy system specifics. SWTOR devs attempt to balance the Force through nerfs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: March 23 Q&A

Betawatch: March 17 - 23, 2012 Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO industry, Betawatch, Miscellaneous This week has been huge for Betawatchers: The beta for World of Warcraft's Mists of Pandaria expansion kicked off, Wrath of Heroes' beta servers are now open, and Salem has begun accepting beta signups. We also learned that the End of Nations closed beta will start this spring. Are you hoping to populate The Repopulation? Alpha signups went live just a few hours ago! Or maybe you're still waiting on Glitch's re-release? TinySpeck released a progress report earlier this evening (housing fans should go peek). Finally, ArenaNet confirmed that a batch of Guild Wars 2 beta invites went out this week. Massively will be in attendance over the weekend, so tell us what you want to know and we'll do our best to focus on it! The full Betawatch roundup is after the cut! Continue reading Betawatch: March 17 - 23, 2012 Betawatch: March 17 - 23, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMObility: A few bad design apples ruin the whole bunch Posted: 23 Mar 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Screenshots, Business models, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, MMORTS, MMObility The MMORTS genre is easily one of my favorite genres. There's so much potential in a game that is essentially a giant, endless boardgame with thousands of players. An epic scale occurs in even the smallest of titles because players control not only one or two grand heroes but entire armies that swarm from sprawling cities. Though many of Massively's readers might not hear a lot from the genre, I believe this genre to be one of the most popular out there. Browser-based access doesn't hurt, either, and generally the MMORTS titles I find do a great job of covering their design bases. You know I have to play Devil's Advocate, however. Despite the fact that the genre is packed full of potentially wonderful gaming sessions, there is so, so much that needs to improve. The negative stereotypes exist for a reason, and I want to shine a light on a few of the more popular titles to show just how one or two bad design and business decisions might reflect poorly on the entire genre. Continue reading MMObility: A few bad design apples ruin the whole bunch MMObility: A few bad design apples ruin the whole bunch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vindictus brings out a dragon with accompanying ink Posted: 23 Mar 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Vindictus In any fantasy game, downing a dragon is what you want. Sure, there might be other monsters that are technically stronger, but nothing else has quite the feel of straight-up slaying a dragon. Nexon realizes this, which is why the strongest foe in Vindictus' latest game update, is the massive dragon Elchulus. Players will need to have quite the team to bring down this massive foe, as a full raid of 24 characters at level 40 are required to slay the beast. The update also adds a lower-level raid for levels 20 and 30 as well as some brand-new tattoos to help signify your battle against the scaly menace. You can buy new tattoos, or you can face off against the new bosses and have a chance at winning one for free. Not quite convinced? Then take a look at the dragon in action just past the break, and see if you don't have a sudden urge to put a flying lizard in its place. Continue reading Vindictus brings out a dragon with accompanying ink Vindictus brings out a dragon with accompanying ink originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Armies of Colhen update

Storyboard: Talk this way Posted: 23 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous One of the great problems presented to roleplayers is the challenge of presenting audio via text. We don't think about it all the time because most of the time it's easy to construct the sound of something from context. Sure, simply saying that your character sighs could mean any number of things, but contextually it's usually obvious whether it's meant as a gesture of exasperation or a sign of relaxed contentment. "Yes, I'm sure your new weapon will make a huge difference in the war" could be sarcastic or serious, but there are generally enough clues in the situation to make the difference obvious. But there's one obvious case in which that breaks down, and that's in the matter of accents. After all, people from two different regions shouldn't quite sound the same... but there's also no effective way to communicate how one voice or another sounds different. And the most common solution is essentially a matter of making your character's words borderline unreadable in the hopes that you convey a sliver of your intention. Continue reading Storyboard: Talk this way Storyboard: Talk this way originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Darkfall polishes content until it shines Posted: 23 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Previews, Dev Diaries, Crafting Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work Darkfall's development team goes (and now that tune is stuck in your head. You're welcome.)! And as the game's 2.0 edition slowly takes shape, we're given yet another dev blog about the massive undertaking of this project. Improved visuals are one of the priorities for the team, and players will be pleased to hear that SMAA -- uber-anti-aliasing -- should make the game's graphics shine. Weapons are being modified to have distinctive looks based on which rank they are, and the team reports that there are six weapons styles with nine ranks apiece, each requiring a unique design. Also on the table for examination is the improved crafting process. Aventurine is introducing two new professions dedicated to converting one material into a more refined product. Tanning will take on skinning's former duty of taking hides and turning them into leather, and weaving will be the primary avenue to create cloth from cotton. On top of these new professions is the expansion of the crafting system to allow professions to "infuse" rare materials into common ones, resulting in special crafting mats for high-quality gear. Darkfall polishes content until it shines originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Darkfall blog

The Soapbox: Nobody's hero Posted: 23 Mar 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Star Wars Galaxies, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous, Sandbox Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. We're not heroes, at least in the ubiquitous Hollywood sense. We're teachers and janitors and businessmen, and we may occasionally be heroic in the eyes of our kids or our colleagues, but rarely are we celebrated beyond a tiny circle of family and friends. Games can meet this emotional need, at least temporarily, and that's a major reason they've become such a booming business over the last couple of decades. We get to be Kratos for a couple of hours, or fem-Shepard or a thousand other pixelized pariahs -- until we set foot in an MMORPG, that is. Software companies sell pre-packaged heroism in ways that book publishers and filmmakers can only dream of, and it doesn't really matter that it's fake heroism or impersonal heroism crafted on an assembly line and shipped out to millions of consumers. Shouldn't it matter, though, when it comes to MMORPGs? Continue reading The Soapbox: Nobody's hero The Soapbox: Nobody's hero originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Colonize the New World: Salem opens beta sign-ups Posted: 23 Mar 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Video, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Sandbox It's time to set sail for the New World with Paradox Interactive's upcoming free-to-play sandbox title, Salem. The studio announced today that beta sign-ups for the title have opened up, and anyone and everyone is welcome to jump in and give the team feedback. But remember, folks, the untamed wilderness of the New World is a harsh and unforgiving place, and death is not something to be taken lightly. If you don't play your cards just right, you could end up six feet under with no way of returning to the world of the living. Don't worry too much, though; the folks at Paradox have released a new video to give players a bit of a heads up on how to survive the wilderness. So after you're done with the "how-to-not-die-of-dysentery" primer, just head on over to the game's official site and get in on the test. [Source: Paradox Interactive press release] Continue reading Colonize the New World: Salem opens beta sign-ups Colonize the New World: Salem opens beta sign-ups originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE's Inferno expansion launches May 22nd, precursor patch April 24th Posted: 23 Mar 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, PvP, News items, Sandbox EVE Online aims to revamp PvP in its upcoming Inferno expansion. In addition to continuing the good work that started with Crucible, Inferno will revamp the wardec system, iterate on faction warfare, and introduce new ships and modules for players to smash to pieces. It sounds like the perfect PvP expansion, and today at the EVE Fanfest, CCP revealed some firm details of exactly what the wardec and faction warfare revamps will entail. A new wardec interface will make wars easier to follow; loopholes like the wardec shield used by EVE University will be closed; and a new mercenary marketplace will be introduced. Faction warfare system ownership will be given more consequences, such as making it impossible for enemy militias to dock in the system. During the EVE Keynote speech today, CCP announced that Inferno will be hitting on May 22nd and that it will be CCP's first ever expansion preceded by a precursor patch. CCP intends to introduce new content with the patch that will prepare the way for the main expansion, but exactly what form that preparation will take has been kept a secret. EVE's Inferno expansion launches May 22nd, precursor patch April 24th originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Firing Line: A couple of PlanetSide 2 concerns Posted: 23 Mar 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, PlanetSide, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox Now that the glow of PlanetSide 2's GDC demo reveal is a couple of weeks back in the rear-view mirror, I've had time to digest it all and adjust my expectations of the game accordingly. Nothing I saw from Matt Higby and company dampened my enthusiasm for Sony Online Entertainment's MMOFPS opus, but a few things I didn't see are niggling at the back of my mind. Don't get me wrong -- PS2 is still at the top of my most-anticipated MMO list, but there are a few points of contention that could relegate it to the status of fun diversion instead of zomg-must-play-every-day title. Continue reading The Firing Line: A couple of PlanetSide 2 concerns The Firing Line: A couple of PlanetSide 2 concerns originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aika Online giving away Razer gaming peripherals Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Aika Want a free Razer Tiamat 7.1 surround-sound headset? How about a Razer Lycosa keyboard? Does a Razer Death Adder mouse tickle your fancy? Aika Online has teamed up with Razer to give 15 players of the free-to-play fantasy MMO a chance to walk away with some slick new gaming peripherals, and all you have to do is loot the most Razer tokens. This is easier said than done, though, as would-be winners "must charge into the lairs of vile monsters" spread throughout the lands of Aika in order to loot the tokens. The player with the most tokens will take home the Tiamat (billed as the world's first true surround-sound headset), while four second-place finishers get the keyboard. Last but not least, 10 third-place contestants will grab a mouse for their trouble. You can read more about the contest event at the official Aika website. Aika Online giving away Razer gaming peripherals originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Razer event

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Blackshot MMO Review
• Guild Wars 2 – Pre
• Rumor
• Mad Men Vs. Metal Gear Solid 3
• Big City Racer MMO Review
• Legend of Souls (KR)
• WoW has lost nearly half a million subscriptions to Star Wars: The Old Republic
• World of Warcraft
• Epic Mickey 2 Promises to Build a Better Mouse

Blackshot MMO Review Posted: 24 Mar 2012 06:13 AM PDT Blackshot is a fast paced 3D tactical MMOFPS game. The game is set somewhere in the year 2033 after an apocalyptic nuclear war besieged the entire world. Like other MMOFPS games, gamers can play online in numerous game modes and maps. Defeat enemies, earn money and reach the game's highest rank of 'Commander in Chief'.       Publisher: TwoWar Playerbase: Medium Graphics: Medium Quality Type: MMO EXP Rate: Medium PvP: N/A Filesize: 750 MB Installer Website: http://www2.twowar.com/index.asp Pros: +Excellent ranking system [Plenty of Ranks]. +Interesting 'Tactic' skills. +Four genuinely different game modes. Cons: -Very few maps. -Very few weapons. -No character customization.   Black Shot is TwoWar's very own 3D Tactical MMOFPS. It seems like every single big MMO publisher wants to have their very own tactical MMOFPS game these days, but unfortunately even though there are many of these tactical shooter games, they're all far too similar. The game features several interesting features, such as its cooperative PvE game mode as well as its skill system, but those that have played Nexon's Combat Arms, Aeria's WolfTeam or any other MMOFPS shouldn't be too impressed with BlackShot, as the game doesn't bring anything too new to the table.     Blackshot Requirements Minimum Requirements: OS: Windows  XP / Vista CPU: 2 GHz Pentium 4 or better. RAM: 512 MB HDD: 2 GB Free Graphics Card: Nvidia Geforce FX 5700 / ATI Radeon 9550 Recommended Specifications: OS: Windows XP / Vista CPU: 3 GHz Pentium 4 RAM: 1024 MB (1GB) HDD: 2 GB Free Graphics Card: Nvidia Geforce 5700 / ATI Radeon 9550

Guild Wars 2 – Pre Posted: 24 Mar 2012 03:32 AM PDT [Pre-order page] The day has finally arrived, not the game’s launch, but for me to finally allow ArenaNet to take my money. Well, still about a month away, but pre-purchase for Guild Wars 2 will happen on 10th April 2012. After discussing for weeks and months with my brother on what classes we will play, we can finally put some theories into action. Better start saving up now, kids! Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/guild-wars-2-pre-purchase-details.html

Rumor Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:32 PM PDT This piece of news was just in minutes ago. According to a China software company call Meuu (me + you), it is currently working with Valve to port Dota 2 over to iOS and Android devices. The portable version for Dota 2 is currently undergoing development, with the engine being used to be Meuu’s own MoSource. In Meuu’s official company Sina microblog, the most popular social media outlet in China, Dota 2 portable will support single player, Bluetooth and Wifi modes. The Android version reportedly will be the marquee game for Nvidia’s Tegra Zone (link). The microblog post also stated Valve’s “Eric” deing the one who told industry insiders about the news. After a check, there is no business guy in Valve named “Eric”, but it should be pointing to Erik Johnson, one of Valve’s business development authorities (link). Seen below is a supposed photo of Dota 2 being tested on a tablet and the game’s app logo is beside Steam’s. Do note that this is just a rumor, and take it with a pinch of salt. Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/rumor-china-company-claims-dota-2-going.html

Mad Men Vs. Metal Gear Solid 3 Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:31 PM PDT Knowing the fifth season of Mad Men is set to debut this weekend, I finally decided to check out the series. Coworkers, friends, online strangers, and even my wife have been singing its praises for years, so I wanted to see what I’d been missing all this time. Turns out the answer is, “an extraordinarily written television show.” By a complete coincidence, my Mad Men marathon led right up to my revisiting Metal Gear Solid 3 through its 3DS remake, Snake Eater 3D. Our minds like to find patterns and similarities where none may exist, so naturally I was struck by the fact that both pieces are set in the same time period: The first half of the 1960s. One week I was watching Don Draper and associates react to the Cuban missile crisis and the assassination of John F. Kennedy; the next I was watching Naked Snake slink through a Russian jungle in response to military maneuvers precipitated by those same events. Both Mad Men and Metal Gear Solid 3 stand as very different creations that offer wildly disparate takes on their settings, but they both share something in common: They represent some of the finest narrative work ever produced in their respective mediums. Because they’re set against the backdrop of the ’60s, the similarities and variances in their presentation offer a reference point of sorts for exploring the differing strengths and potential of film and games. I’ve isolated three of the most meaningful moments in both Mad Men and Snake Eater and placed them side-by-side with one another to explore how each work creates similar responses in its audience through radically different means. Of course, both mediums possess much broader range than contained in these two very specific works, so this is hardly a definitive exploration of the games-versus-film topic. It’s more of an isolated cross-section. The differences between the most powerful moments of Mad Men and Metal Gear Solid 3 say much about how games fall short of film as a narrative medium… and the other ways in which they accomplish things movies and television could never dream of doing. Mad Men: “Out of Town” Vs. MGS3: Undocumented Features The third season of Mad Men opens with ad exec and protagonist Don Draper traveling out of town with his firm’s art director, Salvatore Romano. Over the previous seasons, Salvatore has clearly been defined as a closeted homosexual who’s elected to repress his sexual preferences for fear of destroying his peers’ acceptance, or worse, his career in the gay-fearing world of the 1960s. But when a handsome hotel bellhop comes on to him, Salvatore finally gives in to his natural urges, thinking himself secure in the remote anonymity of another city far from everyone he knows. Or so he thought. Unfortunately, while escaping down the fire ladder in response to an inconveniently timed fire alarm, Don happens to spot Salvatore in the act. Clearly stunned by this discovery, neither man says anything to the other until their flight home. There, with his coworker a captive audience in an airplane seat, Don fixes him with an intense expression and insists that Sal answer him with complete honesty. Barely able to hide his anxiety at what’s to follow, Sal hesitantly agrees, and Don very pointedly asks him… about an ad campaign he’s drafted. The moment is fraught with subtext, as what Don doesn’t say is far more significant than what he does — though that’s not exactly meaningless, either, as the ad campaign itself centers around the image of a girl wearing nothing but a trenchcoat open to a surprised-looking man, her back to the viewer, accompanied by the caption “Limit Your Exposure.” Without directly stating it, Don signals to Sal that he knows the truth about the other man but has no intention of revealing it provided he’s discreet. Sal shakily mumbles, “That’s it,” acknowledging both the ad and Don’s unvoiced admonition. The scene breaks with Sal sagging in his seat, the tension escaping his body with the shaky, adrenaline-fueled relief of a near-miss. It’s hard to imagine any video game ever pulling off a moment like this, and certainly the Metal Gear series never has. At its best, the series’ cut scene direction, writing, acting, and digital assets simply aren’t up to the task of pulling it off. Even Quantic Dream, the people behind the recent Kara demo, probably couldn’t manage it; Kara’s tech is extraordinary, but the writing has all the subtlety of a steam train to the face. Yet this isn’t to say that Metal Gear lacks subtlety in other ways. Its victories — its nuance — lay in the marriage of game mechanics to narrative. Even as MGS3′s narrative suffers from the limitations of video game technology and its creators’ artistry, it benefits from the interactive nature of the medium. Its successes on this front stem not from misdirecting the characters and viewer — the series’ baroque double-crosses tend to be more comedy than drama — but rather by misdirecting the player. Take, for instance, your encounter with expert sniper The End. Your duel spans several vast, open areas full of blinds and hazards. The key to triumphing over The End isn’t to outshoot him, but rather to outthink him — to fake him out and beat him through patience. And yet, the easiest way to win the fight is simply to avoid it altogether. Long before you actually face The End, you observe him being pushed in his wheelchair by another character. A quick-witted gamer might notice that the characters involved in this cutscene briefly maintain their positions in “real” game space once the story sequence ends, leaving the elderly sniper momentarily vulnerable to a well-aimed shot from a distance. By preserving a sense of continuity between story and action, this sequence of Metal Gear Solid 3 allows the player to craft an alternate solution to a looming problem — and to its credit, the game doesn’t cheat those who try to pull a fast one here, instead rewarding clever gamers with a logical solution to unconventional thinking. This may not even be the most impressive of Metal Gear Solid 3′s undocumented features and opportunities, but it’s certainly a striking one. And, like its equivalent scene from Mad Men, it’s one fraught with unforeseen consequences down the road. In Mad Men, Sal eventually loses his job when the son of the firm’s biggest client — a selfish bully of a young man — comes on to him. Sal stands his ground and rebuffs him, and the client demands he be fired. Don (quite unfairly) terminates Sal for endangering the business, making a remark about “you people” that suddenly makes the viewer realize that Don didn’t approve of Sal’s sexual orientation before; he simply was willing to disregard his own bigotry so long as it didn’t affect business. Meanwhile, in MGS3, preemptively sniping The End transforms the area what would normally serve as home for that tense duel into a high-octane battlefield swarmed by parties of enemy commandos on automatic high alert… likely spoiling a stealthy player’s hopes for a low-profile playthrough. Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/features/mad-men-metal-gear-solid

Big City Racer MMO Review Posted: 23 Mar 2012 06:13 PM PDT Big City Racer is a 3D racing MMO where players can race around various European cities. Play on different weather settings, race against other players or train in single player mode. Big City Racer is a an easily accessible MMO with simple keyboard controls.     Publisher: Vanilla Live Games Playerbase: Low Graphics: Medium Type: MMO EXP Rate: N/A PvP: N/A Filesize: 340 mb Website: http://www.bigcityracer.com/ Pros: +Three weather conditions for each track. +Round and Sprint version available for each map. +Small download, easy to get started. Cons: -Very low player base, difficulty to find a game. -Dated graphics. -Poor crash and overall physics effects. -Only 4 maps.   Big City Racer is a simple racing game published by a European studio. The game doesn't have the same depth as Need for Speed World Online or Heat Online, but offers simple gameplay and has low system requirements. Players can race across the cities of Europe with up to eight participants per match. While the total number of maps is sparse, Big City Racer allows each one to be played under three weather settings. Each track also comes in two forms. The standard lap based game mode is the most common, but players can play sprint mode where cars must race from one end of the track to the other. Big City Racer has an assortment of cars for purchase and players can customize them using decals, rims, windows, and neon lights. Tracks - Vienna, Paris, London, Berlin Weather - Sunny, Rainy, Sunset

Legend of Souls (KR) Posted: 23 Mar 2012 03:31 PM PDT Korean developer CR-Space (now called Neowiz CRS after the acquisition) can really milk the martial arts genre to its maximum worth, seeing how its previous titles are all of the same genre. If you do not know, CR-Space is also the developer of Martial Empires (link) in Europe, while known as Seven Souls Online (link) in North American. Just a joke, someone mentioned “Why the heck would I play the game with just seven souls online?” Legend of Souls will inherit a couple of features found in Seven Souls, such as the gambling system which made headlines in Korea back in the days, which was really why the game was labeled as “adult”. Players will be choosing from 8 available weapons with the usual features such as fast combat, gorgeous skills, chain combos, guild battles and stuff. The first beta test will run from 5th April to 9th April with 5 areas and 29 levels of content ready. Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/legend-of-souls-kr-new-adult-martial.html

WoW has lost nearly half a million subscriptions to Star Wars: The Old Republic Posted: 23 Mar 2012 03:31 PM PDT World Of Warcraft subscription numbers have been in decline since its peak in late 2010 with 12 million subs, with around 10.3 million recorded in November 2011. Following Blizzard's recent admission that BioWare's launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic impacted WoW subscription numbers still further, Wedbush Securities's Michael Pachter told NowGamer.com this number is likely to be in excess of 400,000. "I think SWTOR has around 1.5 million paying subscribers," says Pachter. "My best guess is that 1/3 of SWTOR subs came from WoW (around 500,000), with probably 20 per cent of these continuing to pay for WoW." "That suggests a loss of 400,000 subs, offset by whatever number Blizzard signed up in the last two months with its Diablo promotion and Brazil expansion. I would guess the decline will be around 200,000 subs when they report." That said, Mists of Pandaria, WoW's forthcoming expansion, could turn Blizzard's fortunues when it launches later this year. "Blizzard will keep marketing and adding content, and the expansion pack this fall should drive many people back. Other than SWTOR and boredom, there isn't much on the immediate horizon to impact subs, so I think the number stabilizes at around 10 million," said Patcher. [Via: NowGamer.com] Find similar article at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/latest-pc-news/wow-has-lost-nearly-half-a-million-subscriptions-to-star-wars-the-old-republic/

World of Warcraft Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:31 AM PDT [Source] According to website CVG, Blizzard Entertainment is currently working on the next expansion (number 5) after Mists of Pandaria while the next-next expansion (number 6) is already being pitched and planned. To add on, Blizzard COO Paul Sams claims to know what the team will be doing for not just these 2, but for “multiple expansions ahead”. Hit on the source for the full article. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is currently in the Closed Beta phase. And I just read that the auto-attack function was restored, as Blizzard initially meant for the new class to be a button-mashing one. Guess someone hurt their fingers while doing that. Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/world-of-warcraft-2-new-expansions-in.html

Epic Mickey 2 Promises to Build a Better Mouse Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:30 AM PDT It’s hard not to marvel at Jonathan Blow’s chutzpah. Braid, his 2008 XBLA puzzler, played with the concepts and consequences of time travel through its mechanics as well as narrative. After high sales and quite a bit of accolade, Blow used most of the money he made off of Braid to help finance his next project, a first person exploration game called The Witness. While a decision like this would seems cripplingly frightening, you have to applaud the confidence that Blow has in his art. This confidence is part of the reason why The Witness is my most anticipated game of 2012, and after sitting down with Blow during GDC, it remains at the top of my list. Although the game still has a ways to go, Blow is confident that the final portion of the game is the single best thing that he’s ever designed. Coming from the man who created one of my favorite video games of this generation, it’s safe to say that my anticipation for The Witness grows with every new look. In preparation for its release, I’ve compiled a list of five ways to ready yourself for the title, some of which Blow himself alluded to while others contain connections that I’ve made from what we learned about the game. Dear Esther Upon first viewing the screenshots for The Witness, the immediate comparison to Myst sprang forward. They’re both environmental puzzle games played through a first person view and set on an enigmatic island. Blow even admits to drawing inspiration from the PC classic. But instead of replaying Myst for the dozenth time, try something a little more modern. I suggest Dear Esther, a Half-Life 2 mod created by British developers thechineseroom. The mod was first released 2008, but just last month received a full-fledged remake that improves on the original in every way possible. The game places you in the role of a nameless wanderer who explores the expanses of a dreary island. Narration in the game is delivered via snippets of letters sent to a woman named Esther. There are no puzzles or combat scenarios whatsoever, so the game ends up becoming equal parts ghost story and walkabout. From what we’ve seen from The Witness, both games share a similarly lonesome tone that emanates from a mysterious island lost in time. Dictionary of the Khazars Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3186901

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