MMORPG News

MMORPG News

Jade Dynasty: 3rd Anniversary Interview

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 06:30 PM PDT

3rd Anniversary Interview

Jade Dynasty is celebrating its third birthday this month and we managed to catch up to Community Manager Matthew Pecot to talk about the game, where it's been, where it's going and more. Read on!

Guild Wars 2: Are You Ready for August 28th?

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 06:57 AM PDT

Are You Ready for August 28th?

According to a brand new YouTube video from Guild Wars 2 / Arena.Net, the official release date is now set: August 28, 2012!

MechWarrior Online: New Video Developer Diary Debuts

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 06:10 AM PDT

New Video Developer Diary Debuts

The MechWarrior Online team has released the first in a series of video developer diaries that will give players insight into the development process. The first deals with the pillars of development that the team is utilizing. Check it out!

The Secret World: Make or Break Features

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 07:20 PM PDT

Make or Break Features

There are things that players want to see or need to see when first entering any MMO and The Secret World is no exception, particularly given its ostensible title as the thinking man's MMO. See what things we believe Funcom must deliver on in order to make it big when it launches next week. Have thoughts? Leave them in the comments.

General: Funcom Snags LEGO Mini-figure Licensing for New MMO

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 05:41 AM PDT

Funcom Snags LEGO Mini-figure Licensing for New MMO

According to a new press release on the Funcom site, the Norwegian game developer has secured the rights to LEGO mini-figures. The ultimate plan is for a new MMO with the LEGO team and Funcom working together to create "maximum accessibility".

Jade Dynasty: Screenshot of the Week: Winner's Announcement!

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 03:33 PM PDT

Screenshot of the Week: Winner

After poring over your awesome screenshots we're now ready to announce the three winners for our Jade Dynasty Screenshot of the Week contest!

The Secret World: Get Your MMORPG.com T-Shirt For The Secret World!

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 03:08 PM PDT

Get Your MMORPG.com T-Shirt For The Secret World!

MMORPG.com has a very special gift for our community! We are giving out MMORPG.com branded t-shirts that you can redeem for your character in The Secret World! Get your key now while supplies last!

Rift: New Conquest Trailer Released

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 01:38 PM PDT

New Conquest Trailer Released

Trion Worlds and the Rift team have sent out a brand new trailer celebrating v1.9 "Conquest". Conquest brings a host of new features into the game including the new 3-faction PvP mode, a barbershop where players can change their look and much more. Enjoy!

Continent of the Ninth Seal: C9 Early Access Beta Key Event

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT

C9 Early Access Beta Key Event

Want to join Early Access? Want to enjoy C9 before Open Beta Test and experience new contents? Don't worry we've got the just thing for you. With 1 Beta Key you could get 5 more Beta Key! As a Beta key holder, you'll have the chance to experience C9 before OBT and new contents including 'Witchblade'!

PlanetSide: Gameplay with Matt Higby and Tramell Isaac this Thursday!

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 12:44 PM PDT

Gameplay with Matt Higby and Tramell Isaac this Thursday!

This Thursday (6/28), our own Rob "Grakulen" Lashley will play some Planetside 1 while chatting with Planetside 2's Matt Higby and Tramell Isaac about the ways in which PS1 influenced PS2, and what we can expect from the highly anticipated sequel. The stream will go live at 930pm EDT, and run for as long as the trio can keep their eyes open!

Lord of the Rings Online: Concept Art Shows Off Rohirrim NPCs

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 10:23 AM PDT

Concept Art Shows Off Rohirrim NPCs

Turbine and the Lord of the Rings Online team have released a whole bunch of new concept art shots from the upcoming Riders of Rohan expansion. The concept art features Rohirrim NPCs, including townsfolk and other NPCs, as well as the twin Argonath statues along the great river. Check them out in our Lord of the Rings Online screenshot gallery.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Legacy Perks and Group Finder Thoughts

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 03:29 AM PDT

Legacy Perks and Group Finder Thoughts

Now that Update 1.3: Allies is available on live servers, we're weighing in with our thoughts on some of the updates key features. In this week's Star Wars: The Old Republic column we'll be talking about the update's new Legacy Perks and Group Finder features. Read on!

SMITE: Hi Rez Responds to Hindus Upset with Deity Inclusion

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 09:42 AM PDT

Hi Rez Responds to Hindus Upset with Deity Inclusion

A group of Hindus has lodged a complaint with SMITE developer Hi-Rez Studios about the inclusion of several deities withing the game. SMITE includes Kali, Vamana and Agni. The group maintains that using images of important deities hurts devotees of Hinduism.

Rift: Summerfest Arrives

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 09:36 AM PDT

Summerfest Arrives

Rift players have a new world event in which to participate now that Summerfest has arrived on all Rift servers. Players have lots of traditional summer events in which to participate and earn friendship bracelets to later trade for swag.

CABAL Online: Six Years and Counting

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 09:32 AM PDT

Six Years and Counting

Cabal Online players both past and present will want to head into game as devs pull out all the stops for the game's sixth anniversary celebration. Game masters will be hosting all sorts of events where players can score both in game and real world swag for participating.

Elsword: Chung Blasts His Way Into the Game

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 09:27 AM PDT

Chung Blasts His Way Into the Game

Elsword Online players have a new character to check out now that Chung has entered the game. According to devs, Chung is an imposing brawler with a big canon to back up his fists.

Firefall: 500,000 Beta Registrations & Growing

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 09:18 AM PDT

500,000 Beta Registrations & Growing

Red 5 Studios has announced that it has scored over 500,000 beta registrations for its inaugural game, Firefall. According to the team, this represents a significant and important step for the building of community.

The Secret World: Location Preview - The Shadowy Forest

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 08:59 AM PDT

Location Preview - The Shadowy Forest

Funcom has partnered with MMORPG.com to bring our readers exclusive first looks at locations throughout The Secret World. In our latest edition, we head to Transylvania to preview The Shadowy Forest. See what you think and then leave us a few comments!

Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin Preview

Posted: 26 Jun 2012 11:23 PM PDT

Seekers of Adoulin Preview

Square Enix recently announced the next expansion to its very popular Final Fantasy XI. Called "Seekers of Andoulin", the expansion is set to bring some nice new features into the game. We've got a preview of what players will find. Check it out!
Posted by Shri Krishna

General gaming

General gaming

A Scythian Abroad: Superbrothers on Sword & Sworcery's Japanese Remixes

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 06:36 PM PDT

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1UP COVER STORY

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1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 25 | VIDEO GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL

A Scythian Abroad: Superbrothers on Sword & Sworcery's Japanese Remixes

Cover Story: We heard some cool S&S tunes reworked by our favorite composers and we wondered what's up with that.

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apybara's Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP grabbed attention (and rave reviews) last year by reinventing the graphical adventure genre for iOS. Its minimalist design and droll sense of humor helped it stand out from countless other competitors on the platform. But what really sold the game was its amazing soundtrack, at once wistful yet epic. For the game's Japanese release, the game's creators have teamed up to push their soundtrack to the next level by collaborating with nearly a dozen big-name Japanese game composers (including Silent Hill's Akira Yamaoka and Castlevania's Michiru Yamane), who have in turn reinterpreted the soundtrack in their own inimitable styles. The results are nothing short of amazing, and Sword & Sworcery co-creators Jim Guthrie and Craig Adams (as well as our friends at 8-4, who localized the game for Japan) have plenty of interesting things to say about the game, its music, and the collaborative nature of localization.

1UP: What was the inspiration for the original music direction in Sword & Sworcery? The soundtrack's ambient/electronic/folk feel isn't really what most people would expect from a game with that sort of 8-bit minimalist look.

Symphony Turns Your iTunes Library Into Your Worst Enemy

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 05:45 PM PDT

1UP COVER STORY

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1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 25 | VIDEO GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL

Symphony Turns Your iTunes Library Into Your Worst Enemy

Cover Story: An interesting new indie shooter promises to pit players against their own taste in music.

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nce upon a time, there was a PlayStation game called Vib-Ribbon. The concept behind Vib-Ribbon embodied simplicity: Players controlled a strange-looking rabbit on a journey through a landscape defined by music. The more complex the tune, the more challenging the level design. Best of all, the entire game (with its simple white-on-black vector graphics) fit entirely in the PlayStation's RAM, so once it loaded into memory you could swap the game disc for your choice of audio CD and challenge yourself to complete the game with your own music library.

Vib-Ribbon never came to America, because we are not allowed to have nice things. Fortunately, more than a decade later, a team of two working under the name Empty Clip Studios -- Francois Bertrand and Matt Shores -- have translated the D.I.Y. music game spirit of Vib-Ribbon into something that will feel instantly familiar to modern gamers weaned on the likes of Geometry Wars: Symphony.

Five Underwhelming RPGs with Overwhelming Soundtracks

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 04:42 PM PDT

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1UP COVER STORY

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1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 25 | VIDEO GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL

Five Underwhelming RPGs with Overwhelming Soundtracks

Cover Story: These games might not have made a critical splash, but their music will be remembered for years to come.

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ince the earliest days of console gaming, RPGs have typically featured the best soundtracks of the medium. You can blame Final Fantasy's Nobuo Uematsu and Dragon Quest's Koichi Sugiyama for causing us all to have higher expectations for the musical component of the latest grindy, stat-heavy 60-hour RPG, since their unassuming, initial compositions started a healthy trend that continues to this day. And while a disturbing number of us (at 1UP, anyway) can name our favorite Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy VI songs without so much as looking at a single track listing, some obscure-yet-fantastic compositions exist outside the realm of acclaimed and Square-branded RPG classics. Since video game music composers rarely have control of anything outside of their own work, a solid soundtrack can often get lost amid a sea of negative game reviews and the terrible reputation that follows. You might have been warned away from some of the following games, but their stunning soundtracks should provide just enough of a reason to suffer through an underwhelming experience -- or to hit up a reputable CD import shop.

Tales of Legendia


2005 | PlayStation 2 | Composer: Go Shiina

OP-ED: Calling Gamers "Insatiable" Ignores Why Nintendo's E3 Disappointed Them

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 04:17 PM PDT

Wii U Pikmin

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime thinks gamers are insatiable. He said as much in an interview conducted as this year's E3 came to a close that has only just begun to make the rounds this week. He may have a point, and at times gamers undoubtedly are impossible to please. That being said, this can't be a blanket excuse used any time gamers ask for more. There are times when their appetite is justified, and Nintendo's E3 showing was arguably one of them.

"One of the things that, on one hand, I love and, on the other hand, that troubles me tremendously about not only our fanbase but about the gaming community at large is that, whenever you share information, the perspective is, 'Thank you, but I want more.' 'Thank you, but give me more.' I mean, it is insatiable," he told Kotaku. "And so for years this community has been asking, 'Where's Pikmin?' 'Where's Pikmin?' 'Where's Pikmin?' We give them Pikmin. And then they say, 'What else?' For years, this community have said, 'Damnit Reggie, when you launch, you better launch with a Mario game.' So we launch with a Mario game, and they say, 'So what's more?'"

The Magic of FM Synth

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 02:28 PM PDT

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1UP COVER STORY

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1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 25 | VIDEO GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Magic of FM Synth

Cover Story: A history of the world's coolest brand of chiptune and its many personalities.

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ack before chiptunes were known as chiptunes, video game music came from a couple of primary electronic sources with their own labels. Pulse code modulation (PCM) was the main technique that gave us the sonically simple sounds of the NES and its 8-bit brethren, and indeed was the foundation of electronic sound in computer systems.

On the other end of the spectrum was frequency modulation (FM) synthesis, a technique that used the basic concept of FM to create more complex tones than PCM. Synthesized music via analog electronics reached the mainstream in the late 1970s and the 1980s, lending a distinctive science-fictiony sound to pop and rock music, but FM synth was designed to be digital; sound produced through programmable integrated circuits. As you'll find out, as FM synth seeped into consumer electronics, video games saw a brilliant new movement of music creation that transformed the "bleeps and bloops" of PCM into richer compositions that intended to bring game music closer to the stuff at the record store (however slightly), but ended up carving out a wonderful little niche in the world of chiptunes.

Professor Sakamoto: Real-Life Game Music Superhero

Posted: 27 Jun 2012 12:39 PM PDT

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1UP COVER STORY

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1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 25 | VIDEO GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL

Professor Sakamoto: Real-Life Game Music Superhero

Cover Story: Japan's most intriguing musical prodigy has built a career around memories of chiptunes.

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alaryman by day, part-time musical superhero by night; this is the 8-bit and beyond pitch perfect prodigy known as Professor Sakamoto. You may not have heard of this Japanese underground video game legend, but we're about to change all that. Possessed of superpowers that enable him to sightread/hear/perform any piece of music, he's acquired the staggering ability to perform a nerd's dream library of game music from memory, which he does regularly in nightclubs around Tokyo.

But his repertoire isn't just limited to aping other people's tunes; he's released a number of albums, EPs, singles, and even a book, and his fanbase is growing. We recently caught up with the elusive, caped, Famicom-helmet-wearing superhero to take photos of him all around Shibuya, Harajuku, and Omotesando, before settling down for a lengthy chat that explores his origin, inspirations, and influences. We also talk about games. If you love music and you love games, you're going to love Professor Sakamoto.
Posted by Shri Krishna
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