MMO Updates

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• EA COO maintains confidence in BioWare
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Freakshow in City of Heroes
• Celebrating the dances of Guild Wars 2
• Lord of the Rings: Riders of Rohan delayed until October 15th
• The Daily Grind: What are your favorite fluff items?
• Lord of the Rings Online dev diary details Rune-keeper changes in Riders of Rohan
• TERA launches The Argon Queen patch, complete with events
• Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisitions Race fell on its face
• Massively Speaking Episode 213: Pirate sharks
• World of Warcraft series 75% off until August 27th
• Funcom layoffs confirmed as temporary [Updated]
• Guild Wars 2 paves the way for e-sports
• Undead Labs reveals State of Decay gameplay trailer
• City of Heroes' Nature Affinity powerset now available
• Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs
• CCP releases new DUST 514 screens, 'precursor' beta client
• Gamescom 2012: Hands on with LotRO's Riders of Rohan

EA COO maintains confidence in BioWare Posted: 22 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Star Wars: The Old Republic Some decry that EA has lost confidence in BioWare, citing the studio's difficult year that included the less-than-hoped-for performance of Star Wars: The Old Republic and that the move to free-to-play later this fall is a sign of failure. EA COO Peter Moore, however, directly refutes that saying, "They're doing great." Moore continued by giving EA's take on why SWTOR didn't do as well as expected, explaining that the world of gaming changed between the time that project started and now -- a shift from subscription-based to F2P. He then pointed out that changing business models was directly related to the desires of the player base stating, "We do exit interviews. When people say I'm churning out, I'm going to step away for a while, we ask them why. Forty percent of people said, I just don't want to pay $15 a month. I love the game, but I'm just not into the subscription business." EA President Frank Gibeau first revealed the 40% sub-related departure rate in a previous investor call. EA COO maintains confidence in BioWare originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Eurogamer.net

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Freakshow in City of Heroes Posted: 22 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Lore, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter There are three basic tiers that the villains in City of Heroes occupy. At the bottom you've got guys like the Hellions and the Skulls, chumps with just enough superhuman ability to deal with low-level heroes and villains. In the middle are groups like the Trolls and the Family, groups that either lack organization but have power or have organization but lack power. At the top are people like the Circle of Thorns or Nemesis, organized societies with villainous intent. The Freakshow are another ballgame because they're not organized at all, but they break to the top through sheer power. If you're going to be facing off against street thugs in the highest levels of the game, you'll be dealing with the Freakshow, and that's true of both villains and heroes. The gang is just a group of punks without any real goals or overriding drive, and yet they're a big enough force that even Arachnos has to deal with them from time to time. So it's worth looking at the group as a whole, since they're a bigger threat than they get credit for even if they don't have any sort of real goal. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Freakshow in City of Heroes A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Freakshow in City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Celebrating the dances of Guild Wars 2 Posted: 22 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, New titles, Previews, Guild Wars 2, Humor What's the most important thing about next week's launch of Guild Wars 2? Is it deciding which race/gender/profession combo you'll make for your main? Is it deciding which server you'll play on? Or is it figuring out which dance emote looks best on your character? Thanks to our own livestreamer extraordinaire, Richie Procopio, we have a look at each race's and gender's dance emotes in the game, which were just introduced with yesterday's stress test patch. Skip past the cut below to see the fun little video for yourself -- all in glorious HD! Even a Bookah like you knows that Guild Wars 2 is on the way, but it takes an Asura's intellect, a Human's charm, a Sylvari's wisdom, a Charr's passion, and a Norn's love of strong mead to dive into beta and make sense of a game this complex. Fortunately, we have all five on the Massively staff. Enjoy our previews, guides, and our weekly GW2 column, Flameseeker Chronicles! Continue reading Celebrating the dances of Guild Wars 2 Celebrating the dances of Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lord of the Rings: Riders of Rohan delayed until October 15th Posted: 22 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Launches, Free-to-play For those on their mounts, eagerly awaiting the charge into the lands of Rohan, Turbine has one word for you: Whoa. The studio announced that it is delaying the launch of Lord of the Rings: Riders of Rohan from September 5th until October 15th. Executive Producer Kate Paiz sent out the following letter to fans explaining the delay: We've had a very successful Beta program with some of the largest and most active beta player populations we've seen since Moria. The amount and quality of feedback on our largest expansion ever has been fantastic. Thanks to some great efforts from beta players, we've identified issues that we think need to be addressed before we can launch. In order to address those issues and meet our expectations for quality we're going to need more time. As a result, we've elected to delay our launch to October 15th. Paiz thanked players for their patience, and promised a gift for all those who have pre-purchased the expansion. This gift will arrive around September 5th in the form of 500 Turbine Points and a bag of consumables. Lord of the Rings: Riders of Rohan delayed until October 15th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Riders of Rohan update

The Daily Grind: What are your favorite fluff items? Posted: 22 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous If you ever happen to be grouped with me, be warned! The second we pause for a small break, bio or otherwise, you better believe I will be busting out every last piece of fluff that I have stashed in my bags for such an occasion. I'll be shooting off fireworks, unleashing pets, throwing down campfires, setting loose fireflies, jamming to my new boombox, and generally breaking every noise pollution ordinance on the planet. Because I love my fluff. Do you? Love your fluff, I mean? Sometimes we find or craft items that have no greater purpose in the game to amuse us, and sometimes we carry those around for special -- or everyday -- occasions. Today I want us to stop being so gear-focused and instead just jaw about what fluff items are our favorites. The discussion will commence starting... now. 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: What are your favorite fluff items? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lord of the Rings Online dev diary details Rune-keeper changes in Riders of Rohan Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Classes, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Lord of the Rings Online's upcoming expansion, Riders of Rohan, is less than a month away, and players can certainly expect a plethora of changes and updates when it hits. In today's LotRO developer diary, Turbine shines the spotlight on the game's Rune-keeper class and highlights some of the skill and trait improvements and changes that Rune-keeper players can expect in the expansion. For starters, Rune-keepers will be receiving five improved skills: Improved Scribe's Mark, Improved Rune of Restoration, and Improved Armour of Flame/Winter/Storm. Meanwhile, the abilities Flurry of Words and Mystifying Flame are receiving some minor adjustments, and the traits Linnod of Peace and Rune of Endurance are getting nicely upgraded. Some players may be befuddled by the extremely minor changes, but the dev diary notes that the devs "don't feel that Rune-keepers are in need of major changes at this time," so it seems as if Turbine feels that the class is in a pretty good place right now. For the full details on the changes and upgrades, go check out the full dev diary on the LotRO official site. Lord of the Rings Online dev diary details Rune-keeper changes in Riders of Rohan originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Lord of the Rings Online developer diary

TERA launches The Argon Queen patch, complete with events Posted: 21 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, TERA, Dungeons Are you ready to face new challenges in TERA? Challenges like the new battlegrounds, new raids, and new max-level dungeons? Then you'll be happy to know that the game's latest patch, titled The Argon Queen, has brought all of these to the table. Players can now queue for instanced PvP at the level cap, square off against dangerous foes in raid groups, and test their mettle against three new top-tier instances. This coincides nicely with the addition of new tanking skills and mechanics for Warriors and Lancers. Of course, players will need to be in full fighting trim to face off against the eponymous Argon Queen, and that means everyone needs to be up to the level cap. To facilitate this, all characters will be receiving special buff items via item claim to increase experience earned and damage dealt for an hour. These rewards will go out once per day until the Argon Queen arrives on the scene. Instance drop rates are also improved for random group matchups, encouraging players to get out and gear up... you know, if the trailer for the update just past the cut didn't get you in that mood anyway. Continue reading TERA launches The Argon Queen patch, complete with events TERA launches The Argon Queen patch, complete with events originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes, Argon Queen promotions

Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisitions Race fell on its face Posted: 21 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, PvE, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon If you were looking for part two of the Huttball guide, know that I will finish it up next week. Today I have a more timely topic I wish to discuss. I love live events. These nuggets of content give a static themepark game a sense of life as well as a break from the daily grind. Star Wars: The Old Republic is eight months old, and the newest content is approaching its two-month birthday. The game needs a refresher. A live event was certainly well-timed and much-needed. Unfortunately, live events, like any game content, are a bit of a gamble, especially if you've run a live event in the past. No doubt, players will compare the current live event with the previous one or the best one, and if the current one doesn't exactly match up to the standard of events of the past, then players are certainly going to feel cheated. And despite my continued love of the game itself, I have to admit that the latest live event, The Grand Acquisitions Race, fell short of all expectations. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisitions Race fell on its face Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisitions Race fell on its face originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively Speaking Episode 213: Pirate sharks Posted: 21 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Podcasts, Guild Wars, MMO industry, News items, Guild Wars 2, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, RIFT, Final Fantasy XIV, Miscellaneous, Pirate101 Oh to be a pirate shark in today's world! To sail the high seas with impunity! To be at the top of the food chain for both above and below! To make your dentist quake with fear for once! If I t'were a pirate shark, the world would be my oyster, and I its king. Oh happy times, that would be. Arrr. Also, podcast! Today we wrap up a week full of conventions, take a look at a certain beta, and talk about what big nerds we are. 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 213: Pirate sharks Massively Speaking Episode 213: Pirate sharks originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

World of Warcraft series 75% off until August 27th Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, News items, Promotions Blizzard, in a move that we're certain has nothing to do with an upcoming high-profile game launch, has decided to cut, slash, and otherwise mutilate the prices for World of Warcraft and its many expansions. The World of Warcraft Battle Chest, which includes the original game and the Burning Crusade expansion, is on sale for a paltry $5 US, while the Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm expansions are reduced to $5 and $10, respectively. If you have somehow managed to resist playing WoW for the past however-many years, now's the perfect time to succumb to the temptation and give the game a go, especially considering that patch 5.0 goes live in a week, and Mists of Pandaria soon after that. Surely you don't have any other plans for the 28th, right? If you wanna capitalize on the savings, though, just head on over to the Blizzard store, but do so quickly! The sale ends on August 27th. World of Warcraft series 75% off until August 27th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 75% Off World of Warcraft -- This Week Only

Funcom layoffs confirmed as temporary [Updated] Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, MMO industry, The Secret World, Legal Apparently having suffered a mediocre launch with The Secret World and a severe dip in its stock value, Funcom has announced temporary layoffs to its staff. The layoffs are part of a company-wide cost-cutting strategy in response to TSW's failure to hit expected sales scenarios, which Funcom predicted in a press release earlier this month. The layoffs appear to confirm parts of the anonymous tip we referenced in our Secret World column last Thursday. Funcom Director of Communications Erling Ellingsen confirmed the layoffs to Gamer.no, stating that operations on Funcom's three MMOs will continue and that The Secret World's revenue model will continue as planned. Unconfirmed reports put the layoffs at 50% to 60% of the studio's workforce. "We're in the middle of the process and we can not go into more detail now," Ellingsen said. On its Twitter feed, Funcom posted the following: "Thank you for your warm thoughts and support. More information to come soon." [Update: Funcom has made a new statement to Massively in light of the layoffs, stressing that the layoffs are temporary. "As we announced in the stock notice that went out on August 10th, Funcom is in the process of reducing operational costs and this process includes temporary layoffs as well as other initiatives. As we are currently in the middle of this process we can not provide any further comment at the present time. Rest assured however that we have long-term plans for the company and that we remain fully committed to all of our games. We aim to provide more information soon."] Funcom layoffs confirmed as temporary [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Filmpolitet, Eurogamer.dk, Teknofil.no

Guild Wars 2 paves the way for e-sports Posted: 21 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, PvP, Guild Wars 2 What you'll see in Guild Wars 2's competitive player-vs.-player combat at launch is only the tip of the iceberg, says ArenaNet Systems Designer Jonathan Sharp. The PvP team has e-sports on the mind, according to Sharp, and the system's only going to grow from here. "We looked at sports when we were designing Guild Wars 2 from day one," Sharp said. "If you walk through the office on a given day, there are people watching streaming. We're watching and we have plans to do some of that stuff." The game will release with free tournaments but will soon have paid versions with gem rewards as well. "It's more of a case of putting money on the line and somebody's going to get some really cool stuff," Sharp said. The e-sports aspect of the game will be expanded into daily, monthly, and yearly tournaments as well as customizable ones. And yes, spectator mode is still forthcoming, although it's not quite ready for prime time. Even with the system expanding, ArenaNet wants to keep it simple and easy to understand for all. The team is striving to keep the rules of PvP consistent, giving players ways to express their personality during matches. The devs are hopeful that visual cues in combat will help players understand what's happening on the battlefield. Guild Wars 2 paves the way for e-sports originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: PC Gamer

Undead Labs reveals State of Decay gameplay trailer Posted: 21 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Horror, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Consoles, Sandbox Undead Labs has been working in relative secrecy for going on two years now. All we knew about the firm's cryptically (and temporarily) titled Class3 was that it had something to do with zombies and that it was coming to the Xbox 360. Now, thanks to a new trailer, we know that the game is officially called State of Decay and it's also coming to the PC. Whether it's an MMO or simply a precursor to the rumored Class4 MMO is still undetermined. All that said, the trailer shows off plenty of open-world third-person shooting action, zombie-centric gore, and even a muscle car and the requisite rusty old pickup truck. Undead says that State of Decay is set in an "open sandbox world [that] develops in real-time" and that gameplay involves "designing and fortifying your home base." Click past the cut for the full video. Continue reading Undead Labs reveals State of Decay gameplay trailer Undead Labs reveals State of Decay gameplay trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

City of Heroes' Nature Affinity powerset now available Posted: 21 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, City of Heroes, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Promotions Paragon Studios wants you to know about the new Nature Affinity power set for City of Heroes. The support and healing set debuted today alongside an explanatory video featuring designer Phil Zeleski. The Nature Affinity set allows players to buff up teammates prior to a fight and then hang back and heal during the fisticuffs proper. The set makes use of buffs, debuffs, heal-over-time effects, and the new stacking bloom effect that boosts targeted heals. The set is now available in the Paragon store, and you can check out the full video after the break. Continue reading City of Heroes' Nature Affinity powerset now available City of Heroes' Nature Affinity powerset now available originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs Posted: 21 Aug 2012 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Video, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, The Secret World Although the majority of MMOs are level-based, some games are bucking the trend. The Secret World, EVE Online, and Age of Wushu are three titles that eschew the standard system in favor of offering players a more open gaming experience. In a recent interview, GameSpot talked with developers from these games about level-free MMOs. Why should games forgo the popular trend and throw levels out? To give players freedom and allow them to play they way they want is the reason cited by both Funcom Lead designer Joel Bylos and Tyler Rawlins, Marketing Associate for Snail Games. Bylos sums up Funcom's design philosophy like so: "You should not be playing a game to get to the top level. You should be playing a game to have fun." He also admitted that The Secret World changed from level-based to skills mid-development when the team decided that the genre had grown stale in that sense. Kristoffer Touborg, lead game designer for CCP, noted how players get to participate in the gaming experience for EVE even without being in the actual game thanks to the title's far-reaching meta experience. Are skill-based systems on the rise? Watch the full video after the cut to find out. Continue reading Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs Funcom, CCP, Snail devs talk skill-based MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GameSpot Via: TSW Twitter

CCP releases new DUST 514 screens, 'precursor' beta client Posted: 21 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox CCP has released some new DUST 514 beta screens today, and the firm has also flung open the gates via the start of its PlayStation Plus subscriber beta exclusive. The promotion runs through September 4th, so log into your Plus account and download the client if you're itching to unleash your inner space marine. Today's beta update also ushers in the "Precursor" client, which includes the first real-time DUST/EVE Online integration, new environments, and keyboard/mouse support. More info is available at the official DUST 514 website. [Source: CCP press release] Gallery: DUST 514 CCP releases new DUST 514 screens, 'precursor' beta client originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gamescom 2012: Hands on with LotRO's Riders of Rohan Posted: 21 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Interviews, MMO industry, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage In a small room at the center of WB Games' business headquarters at Gamescom, Lord of the Rings Online Live Producer Aaron Campbell is sitting with a broad smile behind his 27-inch screen. "I love those orange skies," he says, excited. "It's something new we've put in this expansion. It looks beautiful!" He takes visible pride in his work. It's a contagious cheerfulness that would dominate our entire Gamescom sit-down with Turbine this year as we took a look at LotRO's upcoming fourth expansion, Riders of Rohan. Continue reading Gamescom 2012: Hands on with LotRO's Riders of Rohan Gamescom 2012: Hands on with LotRO's Riders of Rohan originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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General gaming

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• The Essential 100, No. 66: Command & Conquer: Red Alert
• The Essential 100, No, 67: Ms. Pac-Man
• The Essential 100, No. 68: Parappa the Rapper
• The Essential 100, No. 69: Virtua Fighter
• The Essential 100, No. 70: Deus Ex
• Injustice: Gods Amongst Us Aims to Deliver a Classy DC Fighter

The Essential 100, No. 66: Command & Conquer: Red Alert Posted: 21 Aug 2012 06:46 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF AUGUST 20 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART TWO The Essential 100, No. 66: Command & Conquer: Red Alert Cover Story: Westwood Studios' classic RTS pushed an entire genre forward with Cold War kitsch. C ommand & Conquer's roots run deep in PC gaming. It didn't come into being as the first real-time strategy game, but it was one of the first to really matter, neatly mixing easy-to-grasp point-and-click gameplay, full-motion video, and a sly sense of humor to become the one of genre's true megahits. Its follow-up, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, largely followed in its footsteps, but with a key difference -- Westwood Studios was ready to have some fun. I still vividly remember that first time I heard about Red Alert. I was in an amusement park arcade playing Street Fighter III as a friend of mine breathlessly described Red Alert to one of our companions.

The Essential 100, No, 67: Ms. Pac-Man Posted: 21 Aug 2012 05:12 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF AUGUST 20 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART TWO The Essential 100, No, 67: Ms. Pac-Man Cover Story: Proof that love comes in many forms. T here are only a handful of games that I'll truly never forget. That's not to say that countless experiences won't stick with me; on the contrary, I have no doubt that my favorite games will stick with me until the day I die. But when I talk about never truly forgetting, I mean that the muscles in my body will forever be programmed to shift into the rhythm of that game on a moment's notice. At no point will I ever find myself asking, "Wait, what button do I use to jump?" Personally, the ultimate game that meets these criteria is Ms. Pac-Man. Obviously, much of this has to do with the deliciously simplistic interface developed by the original Pac-Man and perfected by his better half. Moving the joystick to control your onscreen avatar was, and still is, an intuitive action for any and all generations of gamers. As much as I cherish recent experiences like Grim Fandango, Resident Evil 4, and Dark Souls, the fact remains that each title requires a mental and physical refresher after you've been away from the game for an extended period of time. Not so with Ms. Pac-Man.

The Essential 100, No. 68: Parappa the Rapper Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:31 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF AUGUST 20 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART TWO The Essential 100, No. 68: Parappa the Rapper Cover Story: If you want to know why Sony ruled the 32-bit generation, the proof is in the puppy. F ans of the original PlayStation during its most productive years loved the system not just for AAA games like Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, and Soul Reaver, but for wilder, weirder experiences that couldn't be had elsewhere. Thanks to Sony's dirt-cheap media format, publishers could take risks on properties that would have bankrupted them in cartridge form, and we Americans benefited from this newfound freedom with a steady stream of creative, offbeat games. In this midst of all this, Parappa the Rapper stood as the ultimate test as to how much purely Japanese video game strangeness a foreign audience would tolerate; after all, the game starred a hip-hop slinging puppy who often suffered from the uncontrollable urge to poop (as do we all, to be fair). And Sony planned to publish this themselves?

The Essential 100, No. 69: Virtua Fighter Posted: 21 Aug 2012 02:01 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF AUGUST 20 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART TWO The Essential 100, No. 69: Virtua Fighter Cover Story: Sega's three-dimensional fighting series took the genre into the unknown. W hen you look back at the list of games released in 1993, it's hard not to get wrapped up in a little tearful nostalgia. Secret of Mana, Doom, and Mortal Kombat 2 all lived on different hardware, but each title left a dent in their respective genres. The same can be said of Virtua Fighter, the first fighting game ever to pit players in a 3D polygonal arena. It's important to note that 3D doesn't carry the same meaning today that it did in 1993. For the wistful gamer of yesteryear, the term indicated a game which used rendering techniques to compose a three-dimensional space using geometric shapes and not flat 2D sprites. Up until 1993, sprite-based graphics dominated the video game business. The one exception was Sega's Virtua Racing, an arcade based on formula one racing game released in 1992. As a successful proof of concept, Virtua Racing would lay a foundation for subsequent 3D polygonal games, and sparked a creative renaissance period for Sega's arcade business.

The Essential 100, No. 70: Deus Ex Posted: 21 Aug 2012 11:05 AM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF AUGUST 20 | THE ESSENTIAL 100, PART TWO The Essential 100, No. 70: Deus Ex Cover Story: A unprecedented journey into player agency and cyberpunk dystopia. M oral dilemmas. Branching plot lines with multiple endings. Deep weapon and skill customization. With developers attempting to diversify and embolden gaming experiences, all of these things have become rather happenstance features for games of all genres. Modern titles like Borderlands, Crysis, Metal Gear Solid 4 and even open world titles like inFamous show how a number of genres, especially first person shooters, have ingested all these properties into their play experiences. But such was not the case in June 2000 when the first Deus Ex released.

Injustice: Gods Amongst Us Aims to Deliver a Classy DC Fighter Posted: 21 Aug 2012 09:44 AM PDT Injustice: Gods Amongst Us is a pretty interesting title, and not just because it stars DC superheroes and villains -- often overlooked in the shadow of Marvel. The first thing I noticed about it is that the stages are definitely bigger than those of any other fighting game I've ever played. But NetherRealm Studios is not just working on size: the team is trying hard to make the arenas highly interactive, something that gives Injustice an unexpectedly unique vibe. Each level can in fact be actively used to create spectacular custom combos, adding to the variety of the gameplay without taking anything from each fighter's traditional move-set and personal attacks, that seem in fact to rival the scope of the team's previous creation, last year's popular iteration of the Mortal Kombat series. The version of Injustice shown to the press at Gamescom didn't include the latest revealed character, Catwoman, but did a great job at explaining what you can do with two of the game's interactive backgrounds, the Batcave and Metropolis. In most fighting games, being cornered is a disadvantage, but Injustice helps even the least skilled players get out of sticky situations with some interactive elements hidden in the backgrounds in order to keep a constant stream of action on-screen. For instance, Nightwing can bounce on a cab parked on the edge of Metropolis to leap back to the center of the stage. Different characters will use the same item in different ways; for example, Superman slams the same cab on the heads of his enemies with his superhuman strength for an improvised extra attack.

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