MMO Updates

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• PAX 2011: TERA producers reveal server vs. server endgame content
• WRUP: PAX for some, doom for others edition
• The Daily Grind: Which MMO supports guilds the best?
• Betawatch: August 26-September 1, 2011
• Wasteland Diaries: Why do I PvP?
• Storyboard: Talk about the passion
• Jagex CEO hints at why RuneScape hasn't come to consoles
• Materia system detailed for Final Fantasy XIV
• Black Prophecy preps for Episode 2: Species War
• One Shots: Giving it a little 'flare'
• PAX 2011: SWTOR video guides us through the Eternity Vault
• The Anvil of Crom Extra: An exclusive look at The Isle of the Iron Statues
• PAX 2011: Wakfu reveals the Pandawa class
• The Road to Mordor: The unfinished expansion
• Pitch Black hosting Prime livestream event this afternoon
• PAX 2011: Turbine lifts Rise of Isengard NDA, shows off LotRO and DDO
• RuneScape spices up minigames with better rewards

PAX 2011: TERA producers reveal server vs. server endgame content Posted: 27 Aug 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Lore, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA This year's PAX Prime doesn't feature an En Masse Entertainment booth for TERA, but the company did host an informational shindig for journalists and fans at its offices in downtown Seattle over the weekend. Producers Chris Hager and Stefan Ramirez ran the show, and the presentation focused heavily on the action MMO aspects as well as the game's depth. The show started with a repeat of the recent Castanic healer video, and from there Hager and Ramirez set about profiling the game's mechanical aspects (including the combat, glyph, and crystal systems). The presentation was geared towards folks who haven't really kept up with TERA, as there wasn't much discussed that we haven't known about for a while. Aside from the action talking points, we also got bits about story, the details on the political and vanarch systems, and some info on the argons. En Masse also trotted out the first mention of its plans for server vs. server combat. The system is designed to provide additional endgame content via PvE and PvP. "It's going to have players from other servers coming to your territory, on your server, and invading your space," Hager explained. He went on to mention how guilds will need to ally with one another to repel the invaders, and if the alliance proves strong enough, take the fight back to the invaders' home turf. En Masse was very coy about the details on this new system, and we expect more information will be forthcoming as we move toward TERA's spring 2012 release date. Finally, we managed some quality hands-on time with the game during the event, so check in with us periodically this weekend and we'll bring you a detailed report. Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered! PAX 2011: TERA producers reveal server vs. server endgame content originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WRUP: PAX for some, doom for others edition Posted: 27 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively meta, Miscellaneous This weekend, some of our writers are out enjoying the sights and sounds of PAX Prime in Seattle. On the other side of the country, some of our writers -- including the one penning this particular feature -- are preparing to get hit by a hurricane far outside of the realm where it has any business being. Tune in next week when Massively starts looking for a couple of necromancers to animate one group or the other, depending on how the weather and the convention goes. (PAX can get kind of crazy.) In the meantime, let's kick off another installment of WRUP! As always, the Massively staffers will tell you what they'll be up to over the weekend and answer this week's bonus question of how important appearance tabs are to games. So jump on past the break to see our plans, and let us know what you'll be doing in the comments! Continue reading WRUP: PAX for some, doom for others edition WRUP: PAX for some, doom for others edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Which MMO supports guilds the best? Posted: 27 Aug 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous In my opinion, guilds are the backbone of the social component of MMOs. Without them, games might as well be flopping on the ground, unable to move and in severe pain. Ever since MMOs first came on the scene -- and even before -- players have naturally gravitated to guilds as part of their gaming experience. At Massively, we love guilds so much we dedicate a weekly column to exploring their intricacies. Unfortunately, not all MMOs treat guilds the same; some receive a huge amount of support from the dev team, while others are given a skeleton framework and told to buzz off. Not every game has guild housing, guild ranks, in-game calendars, shared storage, perks, and other means of structure and support. If one were to consider all of the features that help guilds form, grow, and function, what MMO would top the list? Which game treats its guilds as members of royalty instead as sewer-digging peasants? 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: Which MMO supports guilds the best? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Betawatch: August 26-September 1, 2011 Posted: 26 Aug 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Massively meta, Betawatch, Miscellaneous 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. It's been a quiet week on the beta front this week, and for good reason -- PAX Prime is going on now and Gamescom just wrapped up, and who would want a game's testing phase to be overshadowed by such large-scale announcements? About all we can report is that Prime: Battle for Dominus has moved into its closed beta phase. However, it's functionally not all of that different from alpha, as anyone who wasn't part of the previous phase isn't getting an invite to this one. But there's still a substantial list, so go ahead and check the full rundown just past the break! Continue reading Betawatch: August 26-September 1, 2011 Betawatch: August 26-September 1, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wasteland Diaries: Why do I PvP? Posted: 26 Aug 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, PvP, Opinion, MMOFPS, Wasteland Diaries, Post-Apocalyptic Lately I've been asking myself, "Why do I PvP in Fallen Earth?" The game isn't designed around PvP combat; it's more of a sideshow. The factional conflict was what made me decide to try it out in the first place. But after getting to max level, I realized that there wasn't a true faction conflict. There were just sporadic skirmishes arranged by the same core of players. So what is it that motivates me to do it? What is it that motivates other PvPers to do it? I can think of a few possibilities, but even if I look at my best reasons as objectively as possible, they aren't even remotely good reasons. Yet I keep doing it. In this post I will take a look at what drives one to PvP in Fallen Earth. What are the benefits? What are the risk vs. reward factors? Are there objectives or goals? When I look at the cold, hard facts, I'm still not quite sure what motivates me (or the others who still hang around). After the cut, I'll go over all the potential reasons to PvP in FE (that I can imagine) and possibly narrow it down. Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Why do I PvP? Wasteland Diaries: Why do I PvP? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Storyboard: Talk about the passion Posted: 26 Aug 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous Two of the earliest columns I did for Storyboard were all about romance in roleplaying. If you've forgotten them, they can be found here and here, but if you don't feel like reading a couple thousand words just to continue with this column, the gist was pretty simple. In short -- don't. But since you're going to anyway, take the usual steps to avoid any sort of spilling drama. Actually, I should just make a column of usual tips to avoid spilling drama in roleplaying and save myself a lot of time. It's been more than a year since those were written, and to my great joy they're still relevant and useful. But at the same time, there's more to be said on the topic, albeit in bits and pieces. So (possibly against my better judgment) I'm diving face-first into the sea of love once again to talk about a couple of points that I either didn't discuss the first time around or only briefly touched on. Continue reading Storyboard: Talk about the passion Storyboard: Talk about the passion originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jagex CEO hints at why RuneScape hasn't come to consoles Posted: 26 Aug 2011 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Consoles, Miscellaneous Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard is one of the more quotable head honchos in the gaming business, and he didn't disappoint at the recent Edinburgh Interactive conference. Gerhard spoke in no uncertain terms about the difficulties inherent in bringing Jagex's long-running RuneScape browser MMO to game consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The problem according to Gerhard? Microsoft and Sony. "They said 'we cannot let the Microsoft community play with the Sony community,''' he explained, before offering his response and an explanation as to why RuneScape has yet to appear on a console. "We're not going to frame our community into boxes just for a few million more customers. Of course I'd love a few million more customers, but I just wouldn't do it [...] you almost become the disease you're trying to solve." Jagex CEO hints at why RuneScape hasn't come to consoles originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Materia system detailed for Final Fantasy XIV Posted: 26 Aug 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV Characters always wind up acquiring old and beloved pieces of equipment, ranging from a valuable dropped weapon to just a particularly nicely itemized ring. But with time, equipment grows obsolete or just no longer serves your needs. Normally, that means a trip to the nearest vendor, but Final Fantasy XIV is introducing a new system that turns your old gear into boosts for your new gear. The Materia system is coming with patch 1.19, and a detailed preview has been added to the official site. When the patch goes live, all equipment will have a "Spiritbond" value that rises from zero to 100% as you make use of the item. Once the value is at 100%, the item can be converted to materia that is subsequently attached to a new item, giving enhanced values to the new item. The system makes full use of combat, gathering, and crafting professions, and from the looks of the overview it will enable all three to make some significant gains in power. Materia system detailed for Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Black Prophecy preps for Episode 2: Species War Posted: 26 Aug 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Patches, PvP, Free-to-play, Black Prophecy Black Prophecy's next patch is upon us: Episode 2: Species War launched on the game's public test server this morning. This patch opens up the Warzone section of the starmap. Warzones are contested areas, and as each faction conquers a zone, bonuses are granted to members of that faction. If a faction controls adjacent warzones, then pilots are awarded experience bonuses as well. Tyi and Genide pilots, all-out PvP is heading your way. Get ready! The rules for conquering a warzone are simple. Each of these new zones consists of three outposts, a support sector, and a command center. Holding all three outposts simultaneously opens the pathway to the command center. Command centers have nine capture points with one active point at a time. If attackers control all nine points before 20 minutes, then the zone is theirs. However, if the defenders successfully prevent that from happening, they are rewarded for each capture point defended. Players of both factions gain points based on kills within the warzone sector. Check the the new official screenshots in the gallery below. Gallery: Black Prophecy Episode 2: Species War Black Prophecy preps for Episode 2: Species War originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Giving it a little 'flare' Posted: 26 Aug 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Free-to-play, One Shots, Allods Online We're getting a look at Allods Online in today's One Shots, thanks to Massively reader Eareth, who took a moment to snap a postcard-perfect screenshot in one of the early areas of the game: One of the things that first turned me on to Allods was the beautiful graphics. Everything is screenshot-worthy, and the lighting effects are just gorgeous. This is a shot of sunset in the fields just outside Nezebgrad, the starter Empire city. We're looking at the best MMO environments all this week. Do you have a favorite landscape, particularly eye-catching weather effect, or hidden jewel in an out-of-the-way location? Snap a screenshot of your favorite MMO area, tell us a bit about what and where it is, and send it to oneshots@massively.com. Next week we'll be revisiting another old favorite of One Shots: bug week. Whether it's unwanted guests in cutscenes, funny graphic glitches, or a prank you played on a buddy, we want to see. Send your screenshots in and we'll feature them in next week's One Shots! Gallery: One Shots: 2011 One Shots: Giving it a little 'flare' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX 2011: SWTOR video guides us through the Eternity Vault Posted: 26 Aug 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, New titles, PvE, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic Who lies at the bottom of the Eternity Vault? Thanks to the commentary in the latest Star Wars: The Old Republic developer walkthrough, we now know that an ancient Rakata warlord named the Infernal One is held captive in this ancient prison. Director of Production and part-time superhero Dallas Dickinson explains that it took an army to take down this being the last time he arose, yet for some reason a group of eight can do it now. Yes, our characters are really that awesome in TOR. In the video, Dickinson guides us through the first two encounters: battles against two massive defense turrets and a rocket-launching gigantic droid. The turret encounter employs intense raid mechanics, like dual-tanking and crowd control, whereas the giant droid requires stay-out-of-the-green-stuff maneuvers and line-of-sight avoidance techniques. Beyond those two encounters, the Operation is a mystery. However, we catch glimpses of a couple of giant monsters and the final boss using the Force to toss giant columns around the room! After the break, check out the 10-minute video walkthrough and let us know what you think in the comments. And of course, you know SWTOR is at PAX, where we have just barely started our coverage of the event. Stay tuned here as we will feature more impressions and interviews in the not-too distant future. Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered! Continue reading PAX 2011: SWTOR video guides us through the Eternity Vault PAX 2011: SWTOR video guides us through the Eternity Vault originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Anvil of Crom Extra: An exclusive look at The Isle of the Iron Statues Posted: 26 Aug 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, The Anvil of Crom Hey kids, it's time for another Massively Age of Conan exclusive! A couple of weeks back we took a look at Dead Man's Hand, a level 50-80 solo instance that's part of the new Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack. As you know if you've been reading Massively today, Funcom is getting ready to launch the Savage Coast content on September 8th (or August 31st if you purchase an early access pass). What you didn't know is the details on the level 80 solo instance that rounds out the content drop, and this extra edition of the Anvil of Crom will give you an inside look at the Isle of the Iron Statues instance from Funcom's perspective. Join me after the cut as we see how the devs drew inspiration from an original Robert E. Howard yarn and married it to some engaging modern-day MMORPG gameplay. Gallery: Age of Conan Gallery Continue reading The Anvil of Crom Extra: An exclusive look at The Isle of the Iron Statues The Anvil of Crom Extra: An exclusive look at The Isle of the Iron Statues originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX 2011: Wakfu reveals the Pandawa class Posted: 26 Aug 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Free-to-play No, it's not that MMO and its panda-people, but Square-Enix will probably forgive you if you get Wakfu's newest class confused with another game. As Square-Enix shows off its tactical anime MMO at PAX this weekend, the company is proud to announce the latest addition to Wakfu: the Pandawa class. One of the game's 14 classes, the Pandawa are tough fighters that fight best when completely and utterly sloshed. You read that right -- Pandawa change their fighting style depending on how much they've had to drink. Sober and they're great as a support class, but get them drunk and they'll open up a can of bamboo on your butt. Pandawa wield axes and use the art of the right-hook to deliver the pain. Square-Enix recommends putting these warriors on the front lines of any battle to smack groups of enemies around at the same time. Wakfu is currently in closed beta, and we'll be keeping an eye out for it at PAX. PAX 2011: Wakfu reveals the Pandawa class originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Road to Mordor: The unfinished expansion Posted: 26 Aug 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor This week I want to switch from the general optimism of last week's Lord of the Rings Online forecast and future suggestions to something that's been troubling me the more we read about Rise of Isengard. To put it frankly, it's coming across as an unfinished expansion. An expansion with promise, but one that needs a little more... oomph, for lack of a better grunt. More of an "it" factor, if you will. Am I excited about Isengard? Oh, most definitely; that's not in question. I'm looking forward to exploring new lands, to meeting new people, and to killing pretty much everything in sight. I wouldn't kill them, but they're refusing to give me that loot, see? I'm pumped for skill consolidation, giving Saruman a taste of rebellion, and a new book in the epic storyline. I'm not going to be complaining come September 27th, I can tell you that. And yet, I have to be up front and voice a few concerns that need to be said, even if it's just me being a worry-wart. I've been concerned that Isengard is not going to be up to the standards set by previous expansions, and perhaps there are forces of time, pressure, and external competition that have caused this to not measure up to true potential. Hit the jump and follow my convoluted line of thought, and see if you come to the same conclusion. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: The unfinished expansion The Road to Mordor: The unfinished expansion originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pitch Black hosting Prime livestream event this afternoon Posted: 26 Aug 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Livestream It's Friday, and if you're a fan of Prime: Battle for Dominus, you know that it's time for another dev chat livestream. Prime is a three-faction skill-based MMO set in a war-torn sci-fi universe of high technology and high adventure, but its livestreaming dev chats are a little less dangerous. Joining the fun is as easy as navigating to Pitch Black's Ustream channel and settling back with your favorite beverage. There's no need to sign up for anything unless you'd like to join the commenting crowd, in which case you'll need to register and log in with your Ustream account. Today's event kicks off at 3:00 p.m. EDT, and you can learn more about the game at its official website. Pitch Black hosting Prime livestream event this afternoon originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

PAX 2011: Turbine lifts Rise of Isengard NDA, shows off LotRO and DDO Posted: 26 Aug 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Turbine's two free-to-play star pupils are battling it out for their mother's attention at PAX this week, but mommy loves both equally. On one hand there's Dungeons and Dragons Online, which is releasing Update 11 on September 12th with the much-anticipated Artificer class; on the other hand there's Lord of the Rings Online, which has its third expansion, Rise of Isengard, coming out on September 27th. The studio is showing off both titles and their respective new content at PAX, and Turbine has announced that the NDA for Rise of Isengard has lifted as of this morning. So now beta testers can feel free to share their experiences and impressions of the expansion -- and we hope you do so in the comments section! We have several new screenshots from both Isengard and Update 11 in the galleries below, as well as a LotRO dev diary highlighting Dunland after the jump! Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Core Gallery Gallery: Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 11 Preview Continue reading PAX 2011: Turbine lifts Rise of Isengard NDA, shows off LotRO and DDO PAX 2011: Turbine lifts Rise of Isengard NDA, shows off LotRO and DDO originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

RuneScape spices up minigames with better rewards Posted: 26 Aug 2011 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Patches, RuneScape, Free-to-play RuneScape, the under-the-radar MMO that keeps drawing in the crowds in mind-boggling numbers, wants everyone to enjoy the title's many minigames. While they're fun for their own sake, we're not going to sneeze at the prospect of getting a shiny trinket or two while we play -- and RuneScape has quite a few new shinies on tap for dedicated minigamers. Jagex has added a "veritable bounty" of top-notch rewards for minigames, although these are only attainable by high-level players. These include five new sets of gear that can help boost one's skill focus (such as Runecrafting or Thieving), a cute and not-so-cuddly TzRek-Jad pet, new lunar spells, gear customization items, and more. For an infernal doggy, there's very little we wouldn't do, so we'll bet these rewards will be popular motivators. RuneScape boasts an impressive 10 minigames, including Castle Wars, Pest Control, and the TzHaar Fight Pits. RuneScape spices up minigames with better rewards originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMO updates

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• Blacklight: Retribution - Amazing game footage
• Crazy Shooting - Kart Riders with guns
• Razer Blade - Out to save PC gaming...?

Blacklight: Retribution - Amazing game footage Posted: 26 Aug 2011 10:31 PM PDT (Register for Beta) Ever since I last played Genesis AD, I was hoping to see more sci-fi or futuristic Free to Play MMO release in the English market. However, the wait is a long one until Perfect World Entertainment revealed Blacklight: Retribution some months back. Developed by Zombie Studio using the Unreal 3 Engine and implementing DirectX 11 system, the game is sure to give its competitors, perhaps even the big names like MW3 and BF3 a run for the money. GameSpot has also uploaded a new demo trailer not long ago, demonstrating the customization available for Blacklight: Retribution. I was told it has been some time since weapons can be customized in a Free to Play MMOFPS, hence there is much anticipation for the game. Before I forget, Perfect World, the game's publisher, will be at PAX Prime this weekend showcasing the game with playable demos. How I envy the attendees... Mecha orgy fest this coming winter, I can't wait! To add on, here is an older trailer from a few months back, displaying the DirectX 11 prowess found in the game. Free to Play for the win! More info can be found from my previous posts here (link).

Crazy Shooting - Kart Riders with guns Posted: 26 Aug 2011 06:20 PM PDT Yeap, those are the characters from Kart Riders. But in China MMO powerhouse, Shanda Games's Crazy Shooting, they have actually exchanged their karts for guns. The game went into Open Beta earlier yesterday, hence I decided to give it a try. There are several modes available, including the Free for All, Team Demolition, Zombie Mode and the monster rush Pirate Mode. If you look hard enough, I really suck at third person shooters (TPS). I have no idea why, but I managed to lose all the games I was in while recording the game footage. I blame it on the latency. That's all for this post. I hate third person shooters. Period.

Razer Blade - Out to save PC gaming...? Posted: 26 Aug 2011 10:32 AM PDT (Official site) Razer just revealed its solution to save PC gaming, and that is by introducing the company's first laptop, Razer Blade. The jokes are floating around most gaming forums now, with most stating at the price of USD 2,799, PC gaming is now buried for good given the system's specifications (link)... or something along that line. Just visit your nearest gaming forum and read all the jokes about this product. I mean, really.

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General gaming

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• Postcard from PAX: Jaffe's Captivating Keynote
• Postcard from PAX: Authentic Grandma Action
• Postcard from PAX: Innovative Fangirl Clothing
• Harmonix's VidRhythm Lets You Make Music Video Mash-ups
• This Week in the 1UP Community 8/22/11: GameStop Steals Spotlight from SNES 20th Birthday
• Postcard from PAX: No One Likes Retronauts Anymore
• Fictional VP Kevin Butler Leaves Sony for a New Job
• Dead Rising 2: OTR Sandbox Mode Kills the Timer, Stops Rushing You
• Postcard from PAX: Spending Too Much on Classics is a PAX Tradition
• Postcard from PAX: Spelunky has Multiplayer, Toys, Fans

Postcard from PAX: Jaffe's Captivating Keynote Posted: 26 Aug 2011 05:59 PM PDT If you look closely at that little speck -- or open your favorite image-editing program and zoom, enhance, etc. -- you'll see God of War and Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe delivering PAX Prime's keynote speech. To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect; Jaffe's games never did much for me. But his hour-long talk was surprisingly motivational, despite Jaffe's focus on the fact that many of today's popular games didn't move him as they once did. Oddly enough, a random viewing of the 1940 Jimmy Stewart film The Shop Around the Corner gave Jaffe an epiphany; he found it amazing that this 70+ year old movie could connect with him, even after decades of massive cultural change. He made it clear that games should have the same staying power -- all while admitting that the God of War series would likely be forgotten over the ages. All in all, a surprisingly humble admission from such a polarizing figure -- and even though he relied a little too heavily on F-bombs, I found it funny that said bombs were being dropped in a theater where The Shop Around the Corner could have originally played.

Postcard from PAX: Authentic Grandma Action Posted: 26 Aug 2011 05:55 PM PDT Two things struck me as odd about Good Old Games' booth on the PAX show floor: one, that they were doing well enough to afford such an elaborate setup (hey, dealing in retro games isn't exactly the most profitable business model), and two, that they hired a kindly old grandma to dispense cookies and perhaps valuable folk wisdom for those that stuck around. I didn't grab any cookies -- my stomach was currently occupied by a horrible pastry hastily consumed in line for the keynote speech -- but I was pleased to see Good Old Games showing the youth of today that senior citizens can be active members of today's workforce. And if that kindly old woman had any hand in the recent GOG re-released Dungeon Keeper 2, there's an unsolicited shoulder-rub in her future.

Postcard from PAX: Innovative Fangirl Clothing Posted: 26 Aug 2011 05:27 PM PDT While walking the showfloor, I came across this woman waiting to use the bathroom. She spent eighteen hours making holes in each corner of the cards, and then connecting them all. I wonder if she got any papercuts. Wait, those are Pokemon cards, right? Magic: The Gathering cards? Either way, I salute her.

Harmonix's VidRhythm Lets You Make Music Video Mash-ups Posted: 26 Aug 2011 04:57 PM PDT More VidRhythm Videos When word made it out recently that VidRhythm was coming to iOS devices, Harmonix was quick to correct those who called it a game. The Rock Band and Dance Central maker wasn't willing to explain exactly what it meant by that, but it's much clearer now. IGN has word on what VidRhythm is, and it's essentially an app that allows you to easily create a strange sort of music video. It's almost like the iOS app I Am T-Pain that takes your singing and autotunes it. The difference is that VidRhythm throws in video and limits your contributions to very short clips that are then synchronized and put together to make a song. "Multi-track a capella videos and other kinds of synchronized 'video music' can be really entertaining," explained Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos. "It's a young medium with a ton of potential, and there's been a recent groundswell of creative activity in this area in pop culture. There are a lot of people out there now making video music, and some of the best videos have become big YouTube hits.

This Week in the 1UP Community 8/22/11: GameStop Steals Spotlight from SNES 20th Birthday Posted: 26 Aug 2011 04:29 PM PDT GameStop certainly stole the thunder from right beneath the Super Nintendo's feet. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you should know that the SNES turned 20 on Wednesday! However, most of the community was more interested in the craziness that had to do with GameStop opening new PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution in order to remove OnLive codes. The video game retailer apologized to its patrons by giving out free $50 gift cards to those affected.

Postcard from PAX: No One Likes Retronauts Anymore Posted: 26 Aug 2011 04:23 PM PDT Man, the auditorium for the live Retronauts panel is almost completely empty! We are doomed. Oh, wait, they haven't let the crowd in yet? Whew. Never mind, then.

Fictional VP Kevin Butler Leaves Sony for a New Job Posted: 26 Aug 2011 04:22 PM PDT Fictional Sony vice president Kevin Butler has revealed on Twitter that he has left his position for a new (also fictional) startup, Economy Flooring. Butler is a character played by actor Jerry Lambert. He debuted in a commercial for MLB 09: The Show in 2009 and has since appeared in several dozen commercials, most a part of the "It Only Does Everything" ad campaign. Each time he's seen, he has a new job title, typically the vice president of a non-existent department. He's been the VP of "Soiling Oneself in Excitement," "Apologetic Apologies," "Yes We Canada," and the "Director of Rumor Confirmation." He even showed up during Sony's E3 press conference last year much to the delight of those in attendance. A Twitter account is kept in his name, and it's on there that a pair of unusual tweets were sent out earlier today. The first reads, "A man can only be made VP so many times, KB's off to be PRESIDENT of my uncle's new upstart company." That was followed by another that stated, "Thanks for all the well-wishes. Yes, as president of a flooring company I'll be hiring but please no job apps yet. Commercials? We'll see..."

Dead Rising 2: OTR Sandbox Mode Kills the Timer, Stops Rushing You Posted: 26 Aug 2011 03:29 PM PDT One of the appeals of the Dead Rising games is having a huge environment to explore that's filled with all sorts of stores and places to visit. One of the things that can get in the way of the fun is the countdown timer that constantly pushes you along to get on with the next mission rather than give you the space to hit golf balls at zombies for 15 minutes straight. While some gamers are still upset that Dead Rising 2: Off the Record even exists in the form that it does, it will be bringing with it a much welcome addition in Sandbox mode. When playing in this mode, you're free to explore the world without having to worry about a timer, the impending arrival of the military, or that daughter of yours and her need for Zombrex. Challenges scattered around will give you something to do if you don't want to purely walk around aimlessly, and by doing them you'll get money that can be spent at the pawn shop and elsewhere. Examples cited in today's announcement include "vehicle-based challenges" and "zombie massacre challenges." Pictured above is one that has you trying to stick a Servbot mask on as many zombies as possible. Off the Record is a disc-based expansion of sorts for Dead Rising 2. It brings back the star of the first game, photojournalist Frank West, and adds what sounds like a lot of new content. There's the new amusement park area called Uranus Zone, and new weapons, combo weapons, clothing, food items, vehicles, and bosses, plus a new story.

Postcard from PAX: Spending Too Much on Classics is a PAX Tradition Posted: 26 Aug 2011 03:21 PM PDT One thing you can always count on at PAX is the inevitable presence of Pink Gorilla (formerly Pink Godzilla, which changed when Toho or whoever owns Godzilla now took offense of the lawyer variety). A well-known Seattle area game shop, Pink Gorilla specializes in import software and classic rarities; when those two specialties overlap, people like me can't help but salivate at best, walk home impoverished at worst. This year is no different, and for once -- given the absolutely atrocious exchange rate between the dollar and yen the days -- Pink Gorilla's import markup seems pretty modest. So when you see things like, say, a gem mint copy of the exceedingly rare Recca: Summer Carnival '92 for Famicom... ...and the price is $375, you have to realize that you're looking at an amazingly hard-to-find 8-bit game in better condition than you're ever likely to find it even in Japan. A beaten up copy of this particular game goes for about 25,000 yen over there, which is about $325. It may seem strange to say this about a game that costs nearly four c-notes, but this is a pretty good deal. If you're into sealed, perfectly preserved games, that is. Me, not so much. I like playing them. And the appeal of Recca is definitely in the playing -- it's a masterpiece of 8-bit programming, a blisteringly fast shooter that does things with the NES hardware you never knew were possible. Seems a waste to leave it in the shrink-wrap.

Postcard from PAX: Spelunky has Multiplayer, Toys, Fans Posted: 26 Aug 2011 03:03 PM PDT Derek Yu, an indie developer who recently discussed his affection for Metroid games, is showing off the Xbox Live Arcade version of his cult hit Spelunky at this year's PAX. It's a brilliant little game that deftly combines two of the most damnably difficult classic game concepts imaginable -- Tim Martin's Spelunker and the entire roguelike RPG sub-genre -- to create a cool randomized action game that's as hard to beat as it is adorable. Yu himself was buried behind a small throng of fans eager to try out the new multiplayer features that are being added to the Live port of the game. Like The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Spelunky's multiplayer seems to walk a delicate line between cooperation and competition, as players need to work together to overcome the game's ruthless difficulty while still working to come out on top. It appears the different characters available for multiplayer can be swapped in to replace the default spelunker hero in the solo game as well. Yu is also selling a set of eight Spelunky miniatures, which -- as you can clearly see in these quick snapshots -- are completely adorable. I came to PAX this year determined not to buy anything, but these are putting my steel resolve to the test. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to squeeze through the masses surrounding Yu in order to inquire to about a release date for the game, but by all indications it's still TBA. On the plus side, the PAX demo makes it plain to see that all this time is being put to good use.

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