MMO Updates

MMO Updates

The Mog Log: Nothing changes when you leve

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT

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Apparently, my not-really strategy of promising a column on a given topic in the following week has ensured that we're kept in a steady stream of interesting Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XI news, just enough that my plans for the following week are derailed. It does make the "next week" sentence a bit useless, but I'm not really complaining. So while I was going to talk about timing, this week we're talking about guildleves instead because Naoki Yoshida certainly wants to talk about the changes being made to guildleves.

I talked a while back about the place that guildleves have in the game's overall scheme of content -- namely, that they serve the role of effective repeatable content that fills in the gaps between memorable content. The funny thing is, for all the talk in both the producer's letter and the subsequent outline of changes about what will be altered, I don't think the real change is coming down on our end. I think it's just a change in production values.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Nothing changes when you leve

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Nothing changes when you leve originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WRUP: Elements edition

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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This edition of WRUP, when read, will provide +50 Resistance to the following elements: helium, carbon, cesium, chromium, sulfur, lithium, beryllium, erbium, rhenium, gallium, arsenic, and argon. On use, it will deal 250 beryllium damage to the target and 250 radium damage to you, with a damage-over-time effect that will tick for 100 points of resistable plutonium damage. While suffering from the damage-over-time effect, you will be immune to all other sources of elemental damage, but you can still die from loss of oxygen and nitrogen.

In addition to all of those marvelous elemental effects, this week's column will also lay out the plans of the Massively staff over the weekend. We will also take the opportunity to discuss whether we prefer digital copies or boxed copies of our beloved video games, most of which use vastly simplified systems of elemental resistances and interrelationships. Jump past the break to see what we'll be up to, and let us know your plans in the comments. (Also, Tom Lehrer.)

Continue reading WRUP: Elements edition

MassivelyWRUP: Elements edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What do you think of MMO dating?

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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When we talk about MMO dating, we're not talking about the creepy guy in your guild who hits on all the female characters until you kick him out. No, we're talking about genuine dating, forming a relationship with someone and eventually asking the other person out on a date, possibly even in-game. Lucent Heart is unique in some ways because it offers a similar function baked in to the client, but nearly every longtime veteran has at least one story of the couple that met via the game and wound up in a happy relationship.

On the one hand, if the key to making a relationship work is a shared interest, dating someone you meet via an MMO certainly seems like a viable approach. On the other hand, virtual relationships face a unique level of challenge even without introducing the possibility of a long argument over who should have rolled need on that last piece of gear. So what do you think about the idea of MMO dating? Is it a good idea with some problems or something that sounds nice but just doesn't work right?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What do you think of MMO dating? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Faxion Online celebrating independence with wings

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 08:00 PM PDT

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If you're not American, the fourth of July might not mean a lot to you -- but if you are a resident of the United States, it's a holiday of some significance. Of course, it's also significant if you're an angel or a demon in Faxion Online, as it turns out even the celestial realm will be celebrating the event. After all, every time a pyrotechnic display goes off in honor of a country's culture, an angel (or fallen angel) gets its wings, which should account for just about all of the festive appendages being dispensed for the holiday.

Throughout July 4th, players who log in to Faxion Online will receive the special wings for the holiday. If you're a little too busy with cookouts and parades to get online, however, there's still hope -- the wings will be available for players through July 6th. It's not a full-fledged holiday event, but it's a chance to get a little extra something out of the long weekend, and who could say no to that?

MassivelyFaxion Online celebrating independence with wings originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV outlines attack plans for patch 1.18

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 07:00 PM PDT

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Final Fantasy XIV's next major patch doesn't currently have an announced date beyond the ever-ambiguous "soon," but two of the central features will be the reworking of the battle system and the implementation of the auto-attack system. Considering the game's current balance around the Stamina gauge, players knew that there would be some rather significant gameplay changes for battle. A good portion of those changes have been outlined in a recent preview post, complete with promises about future updates to the system.

The three biggest abilities being changed are those whose functions depended on the Stamina gauge -- Speed Surge, Ambidexterity, and Chainspell. Speed Surge will be shifted into a straight haste effect for auto-attacks, Ambidexterity will allow for increased blocking chance rather than reduced action cost, and Chainspell will simply have its Stamina-reducing properties removed. There will also be changes to the various basic attacks that are purchased via guild marks, with recasts adjusted to make these attacks still relevant and useful. Final Fantasy XIV players should check out the newest preview to get a clearer picture of what the game will look like after patch 1.18 drops in the near future.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV outlines attack plans for patch 1.18 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Betawatch: June 24-July 1, 2011

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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Welcome to Betawatch, Massively's weekly report on the state of MMO betas. In each installment, we'll report everything from the latest open betas, closed betas and even alphas in one convenient place. Plus, we'll make sure to include as much info on each game's current status, including projected release dates (if known) and links to the sign-up forms to get yourself into that beta you've been seeking.

We've got two games heading into open beta this week. If you've been looking forward to getting your hands on Dragon Nest, the wait is nearly over. Nexon announced this week that the game will be going into open beta July 26th. Looking for something even sooner than that? How about a little Hellgate? The game's open beta kicked off last night, and the gates are wide open for monster-killing and bug-hunting.

Head on past the cut for the full list of this week's betas!

Continue reading Betawatch: June 24-July 1, 2011

MassivelyBetawatch: June 24-July 1, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wasteland Diaries: Playstyles

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 05:00 PM PDT

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Most MMOs have three playstyles. Well, that's incorrect; they actually have any number of play-styles with varying degrees of three types of play. PvE (player vs. environment) is the style of play in which the antagonists are a part of the gameworld itself. PvP (player vs. player) pits the players against each other. And RP (roleplaying) has the players vying for... whatever they decide they need to vie for. Most players engage Fallen Earth (or any MMO, for that matter) with a mix of the three.

Fallen Earth is a great setting for the RPers. Its vastness and its interesting-looking locales make for a variety of backdrops. The interesting locales usually make for some great locations for open world PvP. And there are hundreds and hundreds of PvE missions here, there, and everywhere. All three types of players can get a lot out of Fallen Earth if they approach the game properly. The purpose of this post is to help you along with getting what you can out of the game with your preferred playstyle. So without any further ado, click past the cut and read on.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Playstyles

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: Playstyles originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: A talk with the crew of The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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Buzz has been increasing about an intriguing independent film that looks to blend Tolkien love, geek pride, and Lord of the Rings Online fandom into one epic adventure. Called The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers, this movie is about a group of friends who undertake a journey to a convention in order to participate in a LotRO gaming competition (and stick it to some bullies while they're at it).

Many blogs, such as LOTRO Reporter and A Casual Stroll to Mordor, have promoted this up-and-coming film, and after seeing the trailer, we too became fascinated with what could be a fun movie that puts MMO gaming front and center.

One may not simply walk into Mordor, but with the right connections, one could phone the folks up there. We got on the line with three crew members for The Fellows Hip -- Ron Newcomb (producer, director and writer), Scott Mathais (producer and writer), and Shane McClung (producer) -- to see just what type of lovable insanity would cause a group of people to throw together such a movie.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: A talk with the crew of The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: A talk with the crew of The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upcoming Darkfall relaunch is 'a new game'

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 03:30 PM PDT

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How does a fresh start in the world of Agon grab you? The devs at Aventurine have been making noises about relaunching Darkfall for a while now, but in a new dev blog released earlier today, producer Tasos Flambouras gives us a hint at just how significant the changes are going to be.

"This relaunch is not an expansion. It's a new game we've been developing in parallel with the current version of Darkfall. The scope is massive, and it has been difficult to stay on schedule after several unexpected issues," Flambouras writes.

So, yeah. Whoa. In our best Keanu Reeves voice.

The blog features some further discussion about a new siege system and a political map for the current version of Darkfall, but frankly we're still recovering from the previous paragraph and unsure as to how it all fits together. Is this Darkfall II? Is the current version going away when the relaunch hits? Inquiring minds want to know, and we'll bring you the latest on this story as we learn more.

MassivelyUpcoming Darkfall relaunch is 'a new game' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke of Mount Deer announces Chinese open beta, releases new screenshots

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 03:00 PM PDT

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ChangYou announced today that its most recent in-house-developed MMORPG, called Duke of Mount Deer, will be entering closed beta in China on July 22nd. The game takes place within the martial arts fantasy universe of Louis Cha's novel The Deer and the Cauldron (which should help to explain the somewhat bizarre name).

Duke of Mount Deer boasts "beautifully rendered, cinematic quality graphics" as well as the ability for players to move from server to server at-will in order to play with friends and hunt down their enemies. Players are able to choose one of six classes, each with its own signature weapon, and set out on adventures with hundreds of other players. For more information on this upcoming title, head on over to the official site, and be sure to check out the gallery below for more screenshots.

Gallery: Duke of Mount Deer core gallery

MassivelyDuke of Mount Deer announces Chinese open beta, releases new screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Firefall dev blog introduces super-secret surprise mystery writer!

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 02:30 PM PDT

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Mark Kern, CEO of Red 5 Studios, sits down with players today for a nice fireside chat in the not-quite-June Firefall developer diary. The focus of the dev diary is on the story Red 5's upcoming MMOTPS. Mr. Kern explains that the Firefall team really wants players to be invested in the game's story, and he goes on to discuss how the folks at Red 5 intend to make them give a darn.

So how exactly are they going to do that? Well, as Mr. Kern points out, a large part of a good story is a good writer. And contributing to Firefall's story will be none other than the esteemed Orson Scott Card. That's right, the creator of the legendary Ender's Game series -- alongside his daughter, Emily Janice Card -- will be contributing to a free upcoming Firefall manga that will help to set up the story prior to the game. Udon Entertainment (of Street Fighter comic fame) will be providing the artwork for the manga, so it's sure to be a must-read for any Firefall fans. To see the whole dev diary, which includes some words from Mr. Card himself, head on past the cut.

Continue reading New Firefall dev blog introduces super-secret surprise mystery writer!

MassivelyNew Firefall dev blog introduces super-secret surprise mystery writer! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: A 'charming' group

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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Today's One Shots image comes to us from inside Charmers Caldera in RIFT. Joshua and three of his friends ventured into the area to take on one of RIFT's bosses:
It's always a good idea to bring some fashionably "cool" clothing when delving into the middle of a volcano. We were rockin' some stylish threads (and plates for the Warrior). I'm wearing the purple lizard-bird headdress that is common for fledgling level 50 Mages. Being deep in the Charmers Caldera, we were lucky that our gear was fire-proof, and for the boss we were about to face, lightning-proof.
We're approaching the end of gear week, so if you've got some great armor or weapons to show off, send them in soon! We're also preparing for next week, which is pet week on One Shots. Have you got a great pet companion in your MMO of choice? Send it to oneshots@massively.com, tell us a little about what the game is, the pet, and how you acquired it, and we'll feature it here on One Shots!

Gallery: One Shots: 2011

MassivelyOne Shots: A 'charming' group originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lineage II releases new dev diaries

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 01:30 PM PDT

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Lineage II has long been NCsoft's forgotten MMORPG, at least outside of Korea. While City of Heroes is experiencing a resurgence of interest following its F2P announcement and Aion is poking along at the same steady pace it's been enjoying since release, Lineage II recently went live with a huge and game-altering update that barely registered in terms of the Western MMO psyche.

The title nonetheless has its devoted and its die-hards, and it's also got significant dev resources still attached -- and those devs are cranking out the fixes and the content updates. While we're talking about updates, the official Lineage II website boasts a couple of new ones, starting with a nod to Player Appreciation Week as well as a Goddess of Destruction-focused blog by Sace (Lineage II's community manager).

You can also check out the official Goddess page for more info on the upcoming mega-patch.

MassivelyLineage II releases new dev diaries originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Storyboard: To say nothing of Elim Garak

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT

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As usual, my promise of what would be in this column has been foiled, this time largely because my previous plan will require a bit more refinement. It happens. Last week's column also provoked some interesting discussion, some of which will fit well in a future column. But today, I'm going to go in a completely different direction and talk about something we've encountered at least once or twice before: the guest star.

Guest stars are players who aren't as reliable as clockwork -- they show up every so often when real life, personal motivation, and various other circumstances align. Sometimes it's a case of the player not really wanting to show up on a regular basis, but more often it's a combination of external pressures and obligations. So when someone wants to be present more often but isn't, how do you make sure to get the most of the times when she is around? And if you're the guest star, what can you do to make your transitions in and out of presence as painless as possible?

Continue reading Storyboard: To say nothing of Elim Garak

MassivelyStoryboard: To say nothing of Elim Garak originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funcom shows off new Secret World location video

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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Funcom has released a new location video today showing of the Savage Coast (no, not that one). We're talking about the The Secret World's Savage Coast, and the two-minute clip takes us on an atmospheric journey around the waterways and backstreets of Kingsmouth and Solomon Island.

Along the way, we see glimpses of previous location reveals including the Kingsmouth lighthouse, Innsmouth Academy, the Accursed Woods, and Atlantic Island Park. According to the clip's narrator, evil has always lurked in and around Solomon Island, and Funcom's editing results in many classically influenced scenes of dread and foreboding.

The video finishes up with a few seconds of combat, intercut from a variety of group and solo encounters. While there's not a lot new here, the production values are so high that we can't help but be creeped out and anxious for the next reveal. Check out the full clip at CryGaia.net.

MassivelyFuncom shows off new Secret World location video originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic reintroduces the Bounty Hunter progression

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 11:00 AM PDT

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Those wondering whether Mandalorians would be involved the in the Bounty Hunter storyline need look no further than the latest progression video released for Star Wars: The Old Republic. In it, the BioWare community team displays the class armor progression but also shows us parts of the Bounty Hunter story. Based on the image above with the Mythosaur-like skull, it could easily be said that Mandalorians throw some sort of tournament for your character to participate in. You can decide whether this is a class story you are interested in by watching the character progression video after the break.

Also, as with all the progression videos TOR as released thus far, we see five possible looks for the character beyond the initial set of armor. Most importantly, we bear witness to many of the powerful gadgets in the Bounty Hunter arsenal. Powertechs appear to specialize in short-ranged AoEs like the carbonite blast and flamethrower, whereas the Mercenary is clearly about ranged power with his dual pistols and wrist-rockets.

The full progression video follows after the break, and to read more about the Bounty Hunter, be sure to visit the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website.

Continue reading Star Wars: The Old Republic reintroduces the Bounty Hunter progression

MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic reintroduces the Bounty Hunter progression originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG News

MMORPG News

General: Community Spotlight: Your Favorite Dev Studio

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 05:53 AM PDT

In this week's Community Spotlight, Community Manager Mike Bitton shines the light on a thread that expounds the virtues of many different developer houses. Take a look to see if your favorite made the cut, and be sure to chime in with your thoughts.

General: Enter To Win A CyberPower Gaming Laptop!

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 11:38 PM PDT

MMORPG.com has partnered with CyberPower and Bigfoot Networks to bring you a very exciting sweepstakes contest event! From now until August 2, 2011 @ 9PM EST you can enter for a chance to win a very powerful gaming laptop featuring a mobile gaming network adapter by Bigfoot Networks!

Firefall: New Video Diary With a BIG Surprise

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 11:32 AM PDT

Red 5 and the Firefall dev team have a terrific new video diary about the story behind the game including the announcement that Orson Scott Card is working with the team to build the back story! The video also contains some terrific game play footage so check it out!

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Bounty Hunter Progression Video

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Bioware and Star Wars: The Old Republic dev team have released a new trailer showing off the Bounty Hunter progression through skills, equipment and advanced classes.

Faxion Online: Earn Your Wings

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 09:58 AM PDT

In celebration of the US 4th of July holiday on Monday, Faxion Online devs are giving all players who log into the game a chance to win their wings! The best part is that the give away isn't confined to Monday only but will continue through July 6th.
Posted by Shri Krishna

General gaming

General gaming

Professor Layton Movie Getting U.S. Release

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 09:59 PM PDT


Habitual tea drinker Hershel Layton is the star of a series of handheld puzzle games, sure. But in addition to the Professor Layton series, he and his top hat have been adapted for manga and an animated feature film. The latter, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, was first released in Japan in December 2009. It isn't something you'd necessarily expect to ever make it out of Japan, yet an English version was created for British markets and was released last year. It's also seen release in other parts of Europe, and soon those in North America will have the opportunity to see it without having to resort to importing or pirating it thanks to Viz Media.

As revealed at the ongoing Anime Expo 2011 in Los Angeles, the feature-length animated film is on its way to North America, Anime Your Way reports. For the cynics who assume it's not any good, it was actually fairly well received and did well enough that Professor Layton developer Level 5 has already commissioned a sequel and would like to have a new movie out annually.

A new Layton title for smartphones, Layton Royale, was recently announced. There are also two more games, one for DS (The Last Specter) and one for 3DS (The Mask of Miracle), that are out in Japan and have yet to be localized in the U.S. And, lest we forget, Layton is also to be featured in a new game collaboration between Level 5 and Capcom alongside Phoenix Wright -- whom himself is getting a movie of his own, albeit a live-action one.

Weekend Deals: Steam Summer Sale and 4th of July Goodness

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 06:17 PM PDT

Steam summer camp sale

With Independence Day coming up on Monday, what better time is there to spend copious amounts of money on cheap videogames in an attempt to stay away from the sun? Direct2Drive has a month-long summer sale going with new deals every day; The Witcher 2 for $37.45 is among the best offers right now if you weren't able to pick it up on Steam while it was on sale yesterday. You can also pick up either of the first two BioShock games for $7.95 or Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for $9.95.

GamersGate has the most recent Civilization game, Civ V, for $16.98, which is a terrific price for a terrific game. Perhaps even better than that is Impulse's $9.99 offer for the complete edition of Civilization IV.

And of course there is Steam's ongoing summer camp sale. Today's daily deals aren't quite as excellent as yesterday's, but Just Cause 2 is a lot of fun, particularly for just $4.99, or you can dive into five classic Grand Theft Auto games for $7.49. Each of them offers up dozens of hours of content, so I can't even imagine where that deal would rank on my imaginary dollars-to-potential-hours-spent-playing scale.

Duke Nukem is Now Almost Old Enough to Drink

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 05:42 PM PDT

Duke Nukem anniversary

It was this day 20 years ago that the world was introduced to Duke Nukem. Although the series is best known for its first-person shooter offerings, it began as a Commander Keen-like side-scrolling action game.

Duke has starred in more than a dozen games since his debut, including titles on PC, N64, Game Boy, PlayStation, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and more. He's best known for either the perpetually-delayed Duke Nukem Forever or his FPS debut, Duke Nukem 3D, which was released in 1996. (The XBLA version is pictured at the bottom of this post.) The game is what really made Duke Nukem a well-known name; it stood out with its interactive and destructible environments, ill-mannered and crude protagonist (voiced by Jon St. John), and no shortage of strippers.

Duke Nukem I

Shuttered Black Rock's Final Game Was Similar to League of Legends

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 05:02 PM PDT

League of Legends

We learned earlier this morning that the developer of Pure and Split/Second, Black Rock Studio, was being shut down by owner Disney Interactive Studios. When layoffs struck the company in May, a source leaked that it had previously begun work on Split/Second 2 and Pure 2, but both were canceled.

It struggled to find what to do next, although Eurogamer reports what it had been in pre-production on before its shut down was a free-to-play game called Champions Alliance. It was to be similar to Riot Games' Defense of the Ancients-inspired free-to-play game, League of Legends (pictured above).

"The idea was that you had to do PVP and PVE to gain XP to somehow escape," a source told Eurogamer. He or she also said, "The game was intended to be released quite quickly, in beta anyway, in about six months or so."

The Original Crysis May be Headed to Consoles

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 04:18 PM PDT

Crysis

While Crysis 2 came out on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, its predecessor has remained a PC exclusive since its release in November 2007. It doesn't look like that will remain the case for much longer.

A listing for an Xbox 360 version of Crysis showed up today on the Korean game rating board, as noted by a member of the MyCrysis forums. Since then, an EA Korea representative has supposedly confirmed (via Kotaku) that the game is coming to 360. No release date was announced.

The ESRB's website (as pictured below) also now shows an Xbox 360 version of Crysis, as well as a PlayStation 3 version, to go along with the PC game. Crysis Warhead, a PC-only spin-off, is still shown with PC as its only platform.

LittleBigPlanet Dev Moving on, Will Work on "Some New Ideas"

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 03:23 PM PDT

LittleBigPlanet

Having worked on nothing but the LittleBigPlanet franchise since the studio's inception in 2006, Media Molecule is ready to work on something new for a change.

While it won't be completely abandoning the series it made its name on, the company has said it is looking to develop something different, although it wasn't specified it that meant a new or existing IP. At Gamelab 2011 in Bareclona, Spain, studio director Siobhan Reddy said, "We're stepping away from LittleBigPlanet to focus on some new ideas," according to Edge.

The U.K.-based developer followed up with a reassuring tweet for LBP fans that stated, "Loyal sackfolk - please be reassured that we will always be involved with LBP, at least a bit, and there's lots more fun yet to come!"

This Week in the 1UP Community 6/27/11

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 03:06 PM PDT

Happy 4th of July! With the 3-day weekend just around the corner, enjoy the sun with a tall glass of lemonade in hand and this week's batch of community-driven content!

Pac-Man 2: An Uncommon Sequel

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 03:05 PM PDT

Feature

Gamers often pine for innovation in an industry starved of creativity. However, when a truly original title is released, the same players will retreat to more familiar territory? and the unlucky publisher will be left wondering where that hunger for new ideas went. Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures is one example of a game that dared to be different, and suffered the consequences. It distanced itself from every convention established in the 1980 original, leaving fans bewildered and furious. They expected a faithful sequel to the action-packed arcade game they obsessed over for much of their childhoods. What they got instead was a lost episode of the Pac-Man cartoon series.

However, there's one thing these fans always seem to miss. Pac-Man 2 was released in 1994, when the retro revival movement was still in its infancy. Old-school gaming was a playground for only the nerdiest of nerds, and emulation was well beyond the reach of early 1990s technology. Beyond that, the world at large just wasn't ready for a Pac-Man sequel played straight. This was the age of Final Fantasy VI and Street Fighter II. Mainstream players had come to expect depth and purpose from their games, and a "real" Pac-Man sequel, no matter how well designed, just couldn't provide it.

The Rise of Characters: Gaming's First Protagonists with Personality

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 03:04 PM PDT

Feature

Pac-Man

In the 1970s, there were video games, but no video game characters. The paddle in Breakout, the ship in Asteroids, the tank in Space Invaders... these were mere extensions of the player, tools and weapons which ceased to have purpose when the controller was put down. However, as graphics improved and developers grew more creative, games became a storytelling medium, with worlds that existed outside the player's influence. An early example was Pac-Man, released by Namco in 1980. This arcade hit introduced gamers to a hungry yellow orb and his pursuers, four brightly colored monsters with their own distinct personalities. Not much was revealed about these characters in their debut, but Namco would fill in the blanks and even give Pac-Man a family in later installments.

A Real Ladies Pac-Man: How Namco's Yellow Dot Won Over Female Gamers

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Feature

It's easy to look back at Pac-Man -- a game in which a yellow circle eats dots in a maze and chases ghosts around -- as some kind of strange fever dream, coming from the same weird mindset in Japanese game development that created a world where a fat plumber eats mushrooms and jumps on turtles. The truth, though, is that every minuscule detail that went into the making of the original Pac-Man was laser focused on just one thing: attracting women.

Japanese game centers in 1979 were dank, smelly dens of vice just for adolescent boys, a place only the bravest girls dared enter. The air reeked of cheap cigarette smoke, and all of the loud, flashy games catered to one specific theme: violence, be it against aliens, tanks, or -- on some of the stranger, lower budget games -- unidentifiable blobs of color.

Posted by Shri Krishna
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