Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


[TGC 2011] Asura

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 07:10 AM PDT


A self-developed online game by one of Tencent’s studios, a new class was announced for Asura over at Tencent Games Carnival. Loosely translated as Deity Warrior, it looks like this class is a jack of all trades, being able to switch between the lance, sword and cannon whenever the yellow energy meter is full. He is also able to summon his loyal heavenly dog pet for the extra damage.

Yes, the game is inspired by Journey to the West, and if you had seen the series, this character resembles the deity Erlang, who has a third eye on his forehead, gave Sun Wukong a hard time and is also a relative of the Heavenly Empress. You may check out the other classes and videos here (link).

Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2011/11/tgc-2011-asura-new-class-revealed.html

Queen’s Blade Online (KR)

Posted: 28 Apr 2012 04:38 AM PDT



[More info] As with most Korean games, there is usually a spokesperson if budget allows. They can range from actress to actors, singers to athletes and most recently, politicians. Well, the most common is still models, and developer Liveplex (Dragona fame) confirmed that China car show model, 艾尚真 (Ai Shang Zhen), will be representing Queen’s Blade Online in Korea. This will be the first time a Chinese model is collaborating with a Korean game developer as a product spokesperson.



While I was skeptical at first, a quick google proved that she is more than capable of the task at hand, seeing that she has no qualms showing off some skin in her modelling career. Hopefully her cosplay photos of Queen’s Blade Online’s character are out soon ^__^




Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/04/queens-blade-online-kr-spokesperson.html

Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition’s Ver. 2012 Update Detailed

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 07:10 PM PDT

Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition Version 2012 is a very long title, no doubt, but what it is not is the name of yet another re-release of Street Fighter IV. As previously announced, it’s a huge patch being released — for free! — for the Arcade Edition of the game.

Arcade Edition was the third version of Street Fighter IV released following SFIV itself and Super Street Fighter IV, and is the only version this patch is being released for. It is said to be the final version of the game, and that seems to be proven by the large number of changes being made in this patch.

The entire roster has been tweaked. With almost 40 characters to update, the changelist is understandably quite large. Not every character has received an equal number of changes — Yun has been drastically altered while Cammy and Sagat each received only two alterations. The full changelist is now available here (PDF) for fighting fans to dissect.

The trailer above features a select number of the updates and provides a look at how they compare with Arcade Edition as it currently stands. You’ll be able to try the changes out for yourself when the patch is released on December 13 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and sometime after that on PC.

Any change to a fighting game — particularly one with as ardent a fan base as Street Fighter’s — is going to be greatly scrutinized. After taking a look at the changes, which have been in the works since at least August, let us know what you make of them in the comments below.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/super-street-fighter-iv-arcade-edition-ver-12-detailed

What Can Wii U Do? Rayman Legends Offers Hints

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 04:40 PM PDT

Remember the Halo Reach sniper rifle shot heard (and bounced) around
the world? The one that ricocheted in such a crazy way that it
actually went through the head of the very fellow who fired it in the
first place
? Bizarre as that situation may sound, it can serve as one of many crazy
ways to assassinate someone in Dishonored. During the tail end of
a recent hands-off demonstration, co-creative directors Harvey Smith and Raf
Colantonio briefly went quiet as a Bethesda staffer playing showed off a
particularly slick method of taking out multiple targets: Having the
player character, Corvo, slow down time before laying down a spring razor
trap and using his Blink ability to teleport a short distance
away just in time to see the trap detonate when time resumes
flowing at a normal rate. To get back to Reach’s unintentional
suicide, Smith explained, “Sometimes, when you activate Bend Time,
you can actually see the bullet in the air; you can actually then
Possess the guy who shot it and walk him around to the front. When
time resumes, the bullet kills him and he has this very shocked
expression on his face.”

Smith has previously described Dishonored as an action-stealth title in
terms of its overall genre, but he cites titles like Far Cry 2, Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex as examples of what he,
Colantonio, and the rest of the developers at Arkane are going for with their new creation: An
open-ended game driven more by systemic interaction than by
scripted spectacle. In other words, they want to simply provide a
suite of tools, and objective, and then let players go at it. Corvo has
a number of tools — including gear such guns, daggers, traps, grenades
and weird steampunk treasure detecting devices as well as more supernatural
abilities such as Bend Time, Possession, and Windblast — and his task is simply to find his targets and neutralize them. This can be as simple as
stabbing someone in the face; as odd as possessing fish and mice to
navigate through the sewers below until you find said target before
possessing him to make him jump out a window; or as elaborate and
non-lethal as arranging to have his identity stolen in order to condemn him to work in the very same salt mine that he owns.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187043

Nintendo Adopts Retail Game Downloads for 3DS and Wii U

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 04:40 PM PDT

3DS eShop

After hinting that the capability was already in place to do so, Nintendo has announced plans to begin selling digital versions of retail games for 3DS starting with New Super Mario Bros. 2 this August. To date, the only games available through the system’s eShop are smaller experiences specifically designed for release through it; larger titles like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are only found on game cards at retail.

The news was made official as part of a financial results briefing conducted by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. With the company officially posting its first annual loss in the three decades it’s been in the videogame business, Iwata was fixated on outlining how things would be turned around in the year ahead. Aside from no longer selling the 3DS at a loss (which is expected to be the case by the end of September), delivering new software, and releasing the Wii U, a digital push is beginning — one that won’t rely only on selling games to those who regularly visit the eShop on their own.

In addition to selling games at retail as it always has, Nintendo will begin offering downloadable versions of its games at retail. Consumers will be able to purchase a 16-digit code than can be redeemed on the eShop for a digital version of the game. Nintendo was seeking a way not to cut retail out of the equation; back in January Iwata said, “There must be a solution other than positioning digital distribution as an enemy to wholesalers and retailers.” During this week’s briefing, he talked about needing to expand the digital business beyond those who are visiting the eShop. Although the connection rate of the 3DS is higher than that of the DSi and consumers are returning to the eShop more regularly, Nintendo thinks it can leverage retail as a way of introducing new consumers to the concept of digital software.

It’s unclear if every Nintendo-published game will be made available in this fashion. Iwata was not specific on the subject, but Joystiq was told by Nintendo that the “majority” of first-party games will be. That also goes for the Wii U, which Iwata announced will have have downloadable versions of its games available at their respective launches.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Iwata specifically identified New Super Mario Bros. 2 and the new Brain Age, tentatively called Onitore, as two 3DS titles that are guaranteed to have digital versions. He also spoke about other games which 3DS owners may want to play on a daily basis, like Nintendogs and Animal Crossing, as a sort that would make sense to have easy access to right on the system without having to carry around game cards. This is one area where traditional game handhelds are lacking compared to phones and tablets — whereas every game you own on an iPhone or iPad is with the device wherever it goes, 3DS owners have to lug around their game cards. Vita solves this by having all of its games available digitally, although that is an imperfect solution as these games, sold through the PlayStation Store, rarely if ever go on sale. That means even people like myself with a desire to own digital versions of games still tend to purchase physical ones.

Nintendo believes it has found a way to resolve the pricing problem. While it’s suggested that the physical and digital versions be sold for the same price, thereby allowing consumers to choose which version they would prefer, retailers will be free to discount the downloadable game codes just as they do the physical games. In theory that means you won’t be charged extra simply because you want to have your game collection loaded right on the system, aside the cost of SD cards needed to store the games, of course.

This all sounds like great news. It’s very much a welcome option, and the sort of thing that will encourage 3DS owners to bring the system with them wherever they go. And the possibility for downloadable games to go on sale alongside their physical counterparts is one way the digital setup of the 3DS can trump the Vita.

One of the drawbacks is similar to purchasing digital games on other platforms — you won’t be able to share them with others. Iwata specifically stated downloaded games will only be playable on the hardware it was purchased on. For some that may be a deal-breaker, and it continues to highlight the need for Nintendo to develop an account system similar to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

Nintendo digital business expansion slide

But at least it will be an option to download games when they’re first released. Sony has embraced the practice to some extent on PlayStation 3 and entirely on Vita; Microsoft, on the other hand, remains stubborn on the subject. Speaking with MCV, Xbox Live UK product manager Pav Bhardwaj recently indicated retail games will continue to be made available through the Games on Demand service only once several months have passed since their release at retail.

“It comes down to choice,” he said. “The customer has the choice of going to retail on day one if they really want to buy a particular title, or to wait a couple of months and buy it full price from the Xbox Live Marketplace.”

He’s right that it is a choice, but it’s hardly an optimal one. It’s a choice in the same way, “Would you like to eat pizza or a pile of garbage?” is a choice. A real choice would be allowing consumers to decide whether they want to buy a retail or digital version of a game at launch — having to wait months hardly makes the digital route an attractive option. Bhardwaj claimed the current model is successful, and there are people willing to pay full price for a downloadable game six months after it’s released at retail, leading him to ask, “So why change something you don’t need to?”

Nintendo, on the other hand, talked about providing consumers with a choice, and based on these early details, its plans appear to do a good job of that. Offering codes at retail gives even those without a credit card (or those hesitant to use one online) the opportunity to buy digital games. Assuming the prices are competitive with retail games and there isn’t much of a concern about being able to redownload games if the need should arise, I could see myself buying many of my 3DS games this way. Wii U downloads will be a more complicated matter with the system not being equipped with a hard drive; downloading games that fill up a DVD onto an SD card may not be particularly ideal. But, once again, more options are certainly better than none.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/3ds-wii-u-retail-game-downloads

Republique Adds PC and Mac Versions as Kickstarter Deadline Looms

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 04:40 PM PDT

It has now been a few weeks since the Kickstarter for République, the debut title from Ryan Payton-led studio Camouflaj, was first announced. After a strong start, pledges began to come in more slowly and it was looking as though the game’s lofty $500,000 goal would not be reached. The project has now been readjusted in a way that may help it to pick up the remaining money it needs before the May 11 deadline.

Money pledged to a project on Kickstarter is only handed over if its target is reached. $500,000 is a lot for any Kickstarter, particularly one that involves an iOS game. The biggest videogame projects so far, like Double Fine’s adventure game and Wasteland 2, have been PC games. It’s unclear what the market really is for an iOS game geared toward the hardcore. The high-end price for games on the platform in most cases is only about $7; République was asking for at least $10 before backers would be rewarded with a free copy of the game.

After several weeks, the Kickstarter had not yet reached $100,000. In response to this and fan feedback imploring Camouflaj to port the game to computers, PC and Mac versions were announced yesterday. Given the nature of the game, it seems like a fine fit on computers just as it is on touchscreen platforms like iPhone and iPad. But this won’t be a simple port — as the video above talks about, the developers want to tailor these versions of the game to the system. The press release notes it will feature new gameplay, controls, and story elements designed to take advantage of “the unique strengths of the PC and Mac platforms.”

“Kickstarter is great because it gives us a direct connection to those interested in our game and allows us to have a dialogue with them,” said Payton, who is a former employee of 343 Industries and Kojima Productions. “The community told us they want République for PC and Mac, and we’ve listened. This is a big win for everybody.”

Republique

I had been hopeful the success of the iOS game’s Kickstarter would lead to a wave of hardcore titles being created for iPhone and iPad. The inability of République to garner $500,000 in pledges doesn’t bode well for that happening, although it’s still possible the game turns out to be a huge success and leads to that result anyway. The Kickstarter failing to attract the desired amount of cash is hardly an indication the market for hardcore iOS games does not exist; it could simply be that those gamers are unaware of Kickstarter, unwilling to donate for a game they won’t see for more than a year, or looking for something different than this particular game.

This is not to say no one is interested in the game. At the time of yesterday’s announcement, the Kickstarter had $95,000 in pledges. Over the last day that has shot up to a total of $120,048 from 3,213 backers. With two weeks still to go, there remains plenty of time for computer game players to take notice and pledge enough for the game to reach its goal. If that happens, the iOS versions will be released during summer 2013 and the PC and Mac versions “shortly after.”

Camouflaj is not talking about the possibility right now, but presumably with work already being done on the game (unlike many other Kickstarters), alternative funding will be found if the goal is not reached. The game is going to cost upwards of $1 million to make, so it’s not as if Kickstarter was being relied on entirely to get the game made.

Kickstarter pledges can be as a little as $1, although to reap any rewards, the minimum is $10 in this case (that gets backers a free iOS copy of the game). There is now more of an incentive to bump that pledge amount up slightly higher; those wanting a PC or Mac copy have to pledge $15, and $20 is required for those who want a PC/Mac and iOS copy. That should help to drive up the average being donated — already almost 550 people have opted for one of the latter two options. With the game looking very promising at this early stage, hopefully those pledges continue to come in and Camouflaj can create the game it envisioned from the start.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/republique-adds-pc-mac-versions

Diablo 3 Launch Events

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 04:36 PM PDT

Diablo 3 will launch on Tuesday 14 May to quite some fanfair. Here's the lowdown on the Diablo 3 Oxford Street HMV launch event, London:Diablo 3 Launch Events

Blizzard developers Julian Love and Leonard Boyarsky will be on-had to sign copies, including Collector's Editions, "attendees will have a chance to participate in organized activities and win great prizes," reads the Blizzard events page. That's not to be sniffed at: Oxford Street HMV midnight launches have a history of giving away some very tasty prizes, from rare and sought-after in-game goodies to expensive electronics.

Blizzard will host similar events across Europe in Berlin, Stockholm, Paris, Warsaw and across the world in the U.S., Southeast Asia, Korea and Taiwan.

Find similar article at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/latest-pc-news/diablo-3-launch-events/

Dead or Alive 5 Brings the Concept of Desperation Moves Into Real Life

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 10:36 AM PDT

Remember the Halo Reach sniper rifle shot heard (and bounced) around
the world? The one that ricocheted in such a crazy way that it
actually went through the head of the very fellow who fired it in the
first place
? Bizarre as that situation may sound, it can serve as one of many crazy
ways to assassinate someone in Dishonored. During the tail end of
a recent hands-off demonstration, co-creative directors Harvey Smith and Raf
Colantonio briefly went quiet as a Bethesda staffer playing showed off a
particularly slick method of taking out multiple targets: Having the
player character, Corvo, slow down time before laying down a spring razor
trap and using his Blink ability to teleport a short distance
away just in time to see the trap detonate when time resumes
flowing at a normal rate. To get back to Reach’s unintentional
suicide, Smith explained, “Sometimes, when you activate Bend Time,
you can actually see the bullet in the air; you can actually then
Possess the guy who shot it and walk him around to the front. When
time resumes, the bullet kills him and he has this very shocked
expression on his face.”

Smith has previously described Dishonored as an action-stealth title in
terms of its overall genre, but he cites titles like Far Cry 2, Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex as examples of what he,
Colantonio, and the rest of the developers at Arkane are going for with their new creation: An
open-ended game driven more by systemic interaction than by
scripted spectacle. In other words, they want to simply provide a
suite of tools, and objective, and then let players go at it. Corvo has
a number of tools — including gear such guns, daggers, traps, grenades
and weird steampunk treasure detecting devices as well as more supernatural
abilities such as Bend Time, Possession, and Windblast — and his task is simply to find his targets and neutralize them. This can be as simple as
stabbing someone in the face; as odd as possessing fish and mice to
navigate through the sewers below until you find said target before
possessing him to make him jump out a window; or as elaborate and
non-lethal as arranging to have his identity stolen in order to condemn him to work in the very same salt mine that he owns.

Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187042

General gaming

General gaming


Republique Adds PC and Mac Versions as Kickstarter Deadline Looms

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 03:37 PM PDT

It has now been a few weeks since the Kickstarter for République, the debut title from Ryan Payton-led studio Camouflaj, was first announced. After a strong start, pledges began to come in more slowly and it was looking as though the game's lofty $500,000 goal would not be reached. The project has now been readjusted in a way that may help it to pick up the remaining money it needs before the May 11 deadline.

Money pledged to a project on Kickstarter is only handed over if its target is reached. $500,000 is a lot for any Kickstarter, particularly one that involves an iOS game. The biggest videogame projects so far, like Double Fine's adventure game and Wasteland 2, have been PC games. It's unclear what the market really is for an iOS game geared toward the hardcore. The high-end price for games on the platform in most cases is only about $7; République was asking for at least $10 before backers would be rewarded with a free copy of the game.

Nintendo Adopts Retail Game Downloads for 3DS and Wii U

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 01:32 PM PDT

3DS eShop

After hinting that the capability was already in place to do so, Nintendo has announced plans to begin selling digital versions of retail games for 3DS starting with New Super Mario Bros. 2 this August. To date, the only games available through the system's eShop are smaller experiences specifically designed for release through it; larger titles like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are only found on game cards at retail.

The news was made official as part of a financial results briefing conducted by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. With the company officially posting its first annual loss in the three decades it's been in the videogame business, Iwata was fixated on outlining how things would be turned around in the year ahead. Aside from no longer selling the 3DS at a loss (which is expected to be the case by the end of September), delivering new software, and releasing the Wii U, a digital push is beginning -- one that won't rely only on selling games to those who regularly visit the eShop on their own.

What Can Wii U Do? Rayman Legends Offers Hints

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 11:33 AM PDT

With today's leak of a trailer for the rumored Rayman Origins sequel Rayman Legends, Ubisoft has unintentionally shed some light on a handful of new features Nintendo's enigmatic Wii U deliver to gamers this holiday season.

Besides boasting a new rendering engine, Legends looks a step up in terms of visual fidelity compared to Origins. Much like its predecessor, Legends will play out as a side-scrolling platformer, though its coop multiplayer will boast online connectivity and a number of social features, such as beating your friend's time on a level or sending them challenges to complete.

Dead or Alive 5 Brings the Concept of Desperation Moves Into Real Life

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 10:16 AM PDT

With the recent release of Ninja Gaiden III, things aren't looking so good for the post-Itagaki era Team Ninja. With its not-so-glowing review from 1UP mirrored in countless other opinions on the game, the once-golden property has lost a little bit of its luster as of late.

This pressure seems to be the inspiration for Tecmo Koei to pull out all the stops for the next of its key properties in the pipeline: Dead or Alive 5. Much like Ninja Gaiden III, this will be the first Dead or Alive title without the direction of the series' creator, Tomonobu Itagaki. Introducing an enhanced and more dynamic system for interacting with the environment, DOA5 gives the impression that developer Team Ninja aims to ratchet up the cinematic flare of each encounter in the fighter's upcoming iteration.

MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Rift: Infernal Dawn

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 12:33 PM PDT

Infernal Dawn

Caedryn the Dwarf is still plugging away in Rift but with a whole new set of objectives with the arrival of the v1.8 "Infernal Dawn" update. See what he's discovered and then leave your thoughts in the comments.

City of Heroes: Saturday Marks 8 Years of Super Hero Glory

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 11:06 AM PDT

Saturday Marks 8 Years of Super Hero Glory

Paragon Studios is proudly announcing that City of Heroes will officially turn eight years old on Saturday, April 28th. To illustrate how far the game has come, the team has posted a pair of videos. Check them out!

TERA: Head Start Weekend Begins Saturday

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 10:52 AM PDT

Head Start Weekend Begins Saturday

While TERA doesn't officially launch until May 1st, players who preordered the game will see their journey begin starting Saturday, April 28th. Beginning at 8:00 a.m. PDT, players can log into TERA servers and begin playing.

General: RTSGuru.com | Novus Aeterno - An Ambitious MMORTS Rising

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 10:06 AM PDT

RTSGuru.com | Novus Aeterno - An Ambitious MMORTS Rising

Novus Aeterno, an independently developed MMORTS is aiming high with its impressive list of features. Find out about the game and just why it might be a significant step in the genre. Find out more at RTSGuru.com.

Guild Wars 2: NA Digital Editions Sell Out

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 09:10 AM PDT

NA Digital Editions Sell Out

The Guild Wars 2 Facebook page has been updated with the news that all keys for the digital edition of the game in North America have been sold. According to the post, the number of keys available was limited to ensure that participants would have a smooth, lag-free experience.

Iris Online: Lost Temple of Atlantis Update Live

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 08:54 AM PDT

Lost Temple of Atlantis Update Live

Iris Online players will want to head into the game to check out the latest Lost Temple of Atlantis update. The patch includes new zones, new items, new quests, a level cap increase to 75, and the Lost Temple of Atlantis dungeon.

Brick-Force: Open Beta Event Arrives

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 08:49 AM PDT

Open Beta Event Arrives

Brick-Force players have all been gifted a special code to share with unlimited numbers of friends who want to get into the sandbox shooter to check it out for themselves. This is the first open beta type event for the game currently in development by Infernum Games.

Divina: Closed Beta Preview

Posted: 26 Apr 2012 11:53 PM PDT

Closed Beta Preview

We recently had a chance to check out Gamania's upcoming free-to-play MMO, Divina, and today we're delivering our full report.

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