MMO Updates

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• Mythos returns as Mythos Global, closed beta starting December 1st
• World of Tanks dishes up Tanksgiving and the Update 7.0 trailer
• Perfect World explains third quarter financial performance
• Hyperspace Beacon: Freedom
• New War of the Immortals video reveals Enchantress class
• The Daily Grind: Have you ever attended an in-game wedding?
• The United States Army moves into Battleground Europe
• Wings Over Atreia: Tickets please
• Not So Massively: Grow a moustache for Movember
• City of Heroes announces 2012 loyalty program
• Documentary on Richard Garriott to premiere in 2012
• John Smedley gives interesting tweets on DC Universe Online
• World of Warcraft 'law enforcement guide' leaked, new commercial released
• Ignited Games' Rosh Online opens closed beta sign-ups
• Analyst downgrades Blizzard stock in anticipation of SWTOR launch
• Massively Speaking Episode 175
• Celebrate Aion's Shugo Showcase with free Supplements from Massively!
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Memory lane and the delights of anticipation

Mythos returns as Mythos Global, closed beta starting December 1st Posted: 22 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Mythos, Free-to-play Is Mythos truly becoming the game that would never die? It might appear so, as this twice-nixed title is being rezzed for another go-around with players. Will this prove to be the success where others have failed? While Frogster's European version of the game was recently canceled, Hanbitsoft and T3Fun are bringing it back as Mythos Global and are already gearing up for a four-day closed beta test next month. The test will commence on December 1st through the 5th, with keys going out through various media outlets in the near future. Hanbitsoft has plans for more extensive beta tests along with related in-game events. The Mythos Global website is now open with a place to sign up for the closed beta, unsullied forums for potential players to discuss the game, and an awe-inspiring copyright notice. Truly, you'll want to break out your Print Screen key just for the occasion. The game also has a more informative Facebook page with plenty of screenshots and videos for the taking. Mythos returns as Mythos Global, closed beta starting December 1st originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Mythos Global Facebook page, Mythos Global official site, VerticleWire

World of Tanks dishes up Tanksgiving and the Update 7.0 trailer Posted: 22 Nov 2011 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Trailers, Video, Events, in-game, Previews, War, Free-to-play, World of Tanks, MOBA Trust us on this: Never before has the word "fjords" been issued with such goosebump-raising intensity. But such is the World of Tanks and its passionate love for geography and the many, many ways that it can be blown to smithereens. Wargaming.net is pumping up the hype for Update 7.0 with a new trailer showing off the famous Fjords map, the new camouflage feature, and (of course) massive tank battles. Update 7.0 is currently in public testing for release in the near future. This week also will see "Tanksgiving" coming to the game on November 24th. During Tanksgiving -- November 24th through the 28th -- select tanks will receive double credits during matches. Wargaming.net promises even more to come with the event, but the studio is keeping its cards tight against its chest until the event arrives. You can watch the Update 7.0 trailer after the jump! Continue reading World of Tanks dishes up Tanksgiving and the Update 7.0 trailer World of Tanks dishes up Tanksgiving and the Update 7.0 trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: World of Tanks

Perfect World explains third quarter financial performance Posted: 22 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous It looks like Cryptic Studios is in stable financial hands according to a news blurb at Gamasutra. Parent company Perfect World Entertainment saw a rise in third quarter revenue compared to the same period last year. However, GamesIndustry.biz reports that PWE's net profits declined during the same period, primarily due to the Cryptic acquisition and the decision to temper in-game monetization activities in certain titles. "While focusing on further enhancing the content of our portfolio is necessary for our healthy long-term growth, this decision did slow our revenues for the third quarter on a sequential basis. But our third quarter results still represent solid year-over-year revenue growth of 22.4 percent," explained chairman and CEO Michael Chi. Perfect World explains third quarter financial performance originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

Hyperspace Beacon: Freedom Posted: 22 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Launches, New titles, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon I was taken aback by BioWare's lifting of the NDA on Star Wars: The Old Republic last Friday. Few of us saw that coming. I highly suspect that wasn't when the devs originally intended to drop the NDA. I mean, really, when media sites were allowed to produce videos and livestream, there was bound to be some confusion. Perhaps BioWare couldn't contain all of it. Even on my end it was very confusing; there were weird stipulations on the embargo because BioWare didn't want parts of the story completely ruined. That's one of the reasons I kept my stream as simple as I could. However, now the gloves are off. SWTOR enthusiasts can write about anything they want. Unfortunately, unlike other people who can talk about the game now, I have only been back in beta for two weeks, and the characters I played previously have been wiped. I am happy to tell you that I have a Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor on Dromund Kaas and Smuggler on Nar Shaddaa with a peppering of other characters on various other planets. I have PvPed alongside one of the best PvPers I've ever met, and I have plenty to talk about in the coming weeks until launch. Beyond the break, I want to share with you my plan for the next three weeks until launch, and then when I'm done, I'd like to take your suggestions. As a teaser, I've added a few screenshots into the gallery below, pics of places my Smuggler has been over the last couple of weeks. I haven't labeled them, so maybe you can guess where he's been. Gallery: Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Adventures in Beta Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Freedom Hyperspace Beacon: Freedom originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New War of the Immortals video reveals Enchantress class Posted: 22 Nov 2011 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play There's a new War of the Immortals class video that's worth a look if you're into free-to-play fantasy MMOs, support mechanics, and scantily clad avatars. Perfect World Entertainment is highlighting WoI's Enchantress class, and the archetype seems pretty familiar in terms of utility. The Enchantress uses a harpsichord to strengthen her allies and weaken her foes, and the instrument also serves as a weapon "which can be lethal if you fall under her spell," according to the WoI website. Players who choose the Enchantress are also privy to a unique fox mount, and you can get a look at that -- as well as how the class plays -- in the video after the break. Continue reading New War of the Immortals video reveals Enchantress class New War of the Immortals video reveals Enchantress class originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WoI blog

The Daily Grind: Have you ever attended an in-game wedding? Posted: 22 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Last week Bree talked about in-game funerals, giving readers an opportunity to chat about those they'd attended. Several people mentioned in-game weddings, so in today's Daily Grind we're going to turn to that markedly more cheerful event. It's not uncommon at all for people to meet that special someone in an MMO, so the concept of celebrating that relationship in the game where it started doesn't follow too far behind. Quite a few developers have acknowledged that by providing wedding attire and accessories for the happy couples, with some even going so far as to provide a wedding system with in-game perks for those who have tied the knot. Whether it be a RP union between two characters or a ceremony for two players, have you attended an in-game wedding? Have you participated in one? Use that handy comment button below and tell us all about it! 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: Have you ever attended an in-game wedding? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The United States Army moves into Battleground Europe Posted: 21 Nov 2011 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Historical, Real life, Game mechanics, Patches, News items, War, Miscellaneous If you've played a first-person shooter, watched a movie, or even turned on the History channel over the past decade, you're probably very familiar with the iconic image of the United States military forces storming the beaches of Normandy. It's an appropriate image to keep in your head today, as Battleground Europe (also known as World War II Online) has introduced the American forces to the game's mixture. The latest patch, 1.34, adds a variety of American vehicles and troops for players to access in the war between the Axis forces and the Allies. Of course, the addition of the American forces isn't the only feature of the new patch. Several long-standing bugs have also been addressed, as well as several balance changes aimed at specific troop types. It should be a welcome patch for fans of the game, especially since it will finally be possible to take up the role of another nation in the fight. The United States Army moves into Battleground Europe originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch 1.34 patch notes

Wings Over Atreia: Tickets please Posted: 21 Nov 2011 05:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia As we barrel through November and get closer to the holidays, my thoughts have turned to turkey, pie, rolls, pie, and candied yams... did I mention pie? It's not that I can't think of anything else (pie), but I always look forward to family, food, and free time during the upcoming holidays -- free time meaning more gaming and less working! Unfortunately, a few other things are slipping in and interrupting the thoughts of impending gluttony for many Aion players. Everyone deeply immersed in Atreia knows that two of the most frequent topics of discussion this past week (ignoring all troll comments, of course) have been Star Wars: The Old Republic with its impending effect on Aion and the reduction in arena tickets that went into effect after last Wednesday's maintenance. While Wings Over Atreia took a look at the forthcoming release of TOR last week, I might have altered my predictions a bit had the announcement about the arena tickets happened sooner than right before publishing. Could one event really affect the balance? Check out past the cut to examine the NCsoft's action, the community's reaction, and the possible repercussions. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Tickets please Wings Over Atreia: Tickets please originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: Grow a moustache for Movember Posted: 21 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Video, Contests, Culture, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Giveaways, Not So Massively, MOBA Last week Diablo III revealed details of the three followers players can hire, including their abilities and items. Dungeon crawler Path of Exile released patch 0.9.3, bringing some much-needed gameplay changes in the run up to open beta. League of Legends made some changes to its "draft" game mode and celebrated the release of the Fizz patch with a champion spotlight on this aquatic champion. Heroes of Newerth revealed its own new hero this week, with a hero spotlight on potentially overpowered melee damage-dealer Lord Salforis. Competitive Facebook MMO Dungeon Overlord officially released this past week following a long beta period. Meanwhile, Blacklight: Retribution is gearing up for its third closed beta session, due to run from December 1st to December 14th. Cartoonish team deathmatch game Brawl Busters honours cancer awareness event Movember this week by giving away free in-game moustaches. We have hundreds of moustache codes to give away, so grab a key to show your support for Movember. Finally, Rise of Immortals is launching a new contest with a top prize of a brand new Alienware laptop, and all you have to do to enter is play the game more than anyone else from tomorrow until December 21st. Skip past the cut for details of this week's biggest news from the world of MOBAs and other big online games that aren't quite MMOs. Continue reading Not So Massively: Grow a moustache for Movember Not So Massively: Grow a moustache for Movember originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

City of Heroes announces 2012 loyalty program Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Events, in-game, News items, Free-to-play, Promotions Paragon Studios has announced that, beginning next month, it will be introducing the 2012 Salute to Statesman Loyalty Program. As a part of this program, City of Heroes players will be rewarded with unique costume parts, emotes, and more just for staying subscribed to the game. All players have to do in order to get their shiny rewards is ensure that their subscription doesn't run out between December 1st and March 31st of next year. For the full details on the promotion, head on over to the official City of Heroes site. City of Heroes announces 2012 loyalty program originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: City of Heroes loyalty program announcement

Documentary on Richard Garriott to premiere in 2012 Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous He's the man credited with Tabula Rasa and Ultima Online. He blames other companies for ignoring the social gaming space. He runs his own company via robot, and he likes to remind everyone that he is a key element of the ultimate RPG. Oh, and he's been to space, and that's what the upcoming documentary about Richard Garriott is going to focus on. The documentary, Man on a Mission, will be chiefly focusing Garriott's efforts to be the first son of an astronaut to go into space. As the documentary explains, due to Garriott's nearsightedness, a career in NASA was always out of the question, but he never stopped wanting to follow in his father's footsteps. The documentary will premiere on January 13th nationwide, tracing his path to fortune through video games followed by his trip aboard the Soyuz spacecraft. If you're interested in seeing what you can expect from the documentary, you can check out the trailer just past the cut. Continue reading Documentary on Richard Garriott to premiere in 2012 Documentary on Richard Garriott to premiere in 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Man on a Mission Via: GamePolitics

John Smedley gives interesting tweets on DC Universe Online Posted: 21 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles, DC Universe Online DC Universe Online is one of the most recent games to make the business model change over to free-to-play, but that alone isn't an assurance of a game's success. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. And according to the latest Twitter posts by John Smedley on his feed, that pudding is exceptionally rich; Since the business model switch, the game's revenues have been up an astonishing 700% per day, with 53% of the revenue coming from the PlayStation 3 players. The playerbase is growing, as well, with about a 6% increase per day. Apparently, 85% of players are returning players, and it would seem that many of them are happy with what they see judging by the growth in both revenue and total population. Enough to purchase more characters, even -- extra character slots are one of the most popular items in the cash shop, with the Vanguard of the Heavens skin being the other most popular item. It's an interesting set of numbers, showing that the proof is most certainly in the pudding -- and it's quite a lot of pudding. John Smedley gives interesting tweets on DC Universe Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: John Smedley's Twitter

World of Warcraft 'law enforcement guide' leaked, new commercial released Posted: 21 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, MMO industry, News items Have you ever wondered what kind of dirt law enforcement officers would be able to dig up on you if they went to World of Warcraft developer Blizzard for information? Well, wonder no more. An 18-page document has been leaked to the internet thanks to the notorious organization known as AntiSec. The document is two years old, but it outlines what information Blizzard will disclose to law enforcement officers under given stipulations. And in completely and utterly unrelated news (well, Chuck Norris played a Texas ranger, so I guess there's some kind of connection), the game has revived its celebrity-laden advertisement series with a new commercial featuring none other than the hero of Barrens chat himself, mister Chuck Norris. As expected, the short clip is full of WoW-modified Chuck Norris jokes because apparently that horse hasn't been sufficiently flogged yet. To see the ad for yourself, just click on past the cut. Continue reading World of Warcraft 'law enforcement guide' leaked, new commercial released World of Warcraft 'law enforcement guide' leaked, new commercial released originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Kotaku, WoW Insider

Ignited Games' Rosh Online opens closed beta sign-ups Posted: 21 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play Ignited Games, creator of the side-scrolling MMORPG WindSlayer 2, has announced that its newest title Rosh Online: The Return of Karos will soon be entering closed beta. Rosh Online puts players in the role of a hero (surprise!) who must attempt to break the curse of darkness that is slowly overtaking the land of Asmara. In order to do so, players must seek to become the mythical Karos warrior. For more information on the game, and to sign up for the imminent closed beta test, head on over to the game's official site. [Source: Ignited Games press release] Ignited Games' Rosh Online opens closed beta sign-ups originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analyst downgrades Blizzard stock in anticipation of SWTOR launch Posted: 21 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Business models, Economy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic Zomg, the sky is falling in Azeroth! OK, not really, but World of Warcraft is heading for troubled waters if you believe an analyst at Lazard Capital Markets. According to a report at Gamespot, Atul Bagga downgraded Activision-Blizzard's stock from "buy" to "neutral" due to the results of a recent online survey that pointed to restlessness among a certain subset of WoW players. Whether the perceived wanderlust has to do with the game's age (it turns seven this month) or the deafening hype bandwagon that is gathering steam due to next month's Star Wars: The Old Republic debut, the numbers indicated a possible loss of between 900,000 and 1.6 million WoW players following TOR's launch. Analyst downgrades Blizzard stock in anticipation of SWTOR launch originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamespot

Massively Speaking Episode 175 Posted: 21 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Podcasts, Culture, Opinion, Massively Meta, Humor, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous Massively Speaking Episode 175 is back this week on its new day as hosts Justin and Rubi discuss the week in MMO news. Topics include RIFT's Patch 1.6, Lord of the Rings Online's Update 5, League of Legends' impressive player stats, and Star Wars: The Old Republic's beta NDA lift. They also discuss the new One-Shots-esque community screenshot thread on our Enjin forums, so take a peek and add your pics! If you'd like to give our new livestreaming position a shot, check out our call-out post. 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. Massively Speaking is the official podcast of Massively.com. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster and Community Manager Rubi Bayer, Massively Speaking takes on the week's biggest news and dev interviews with plenty of opinion, rants, and laughs thrown in for good measure. Join us every Wednesday afternoon to listen in and see what we'll say next! Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 175 Massively Speaking Episode 175 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Celebrate Aion's Shugo Showcase with free Supplements from Massively! Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Contests, Giveaways As you may know from Dillimayznyerk's frantic shouting on the recent trailer, Aion's Shugo Event Showcase is officially underway. The double XP is great, sure, but how about a little something extra? NCsoft has given us a pile of Felicitous Socketing Supplements, previously sold for a limited time in the NCsoft store, to help celebrate the event. And as always we're passing them on to you, our readers. We have 10 prize bundles, each containing one Fabled Supplement and one Eternal Supplement (valued at $9.99 each, so about $20 per prize!). All you have to do to enter is let us know how you're planning to take advantage of the Shugo Event Showcase. Will you be chasing Crafting XP? How about Gathering XP? Will you be logging into Aion in the hopes of snagging some of the additional prizes floating around? Let us know here in the comments by noon EST tomorrow, November 22nd. Once the deadline hits, we'll choose 10 winners and send out prizes. It's important to note that the codes we've been given are only valid on the NA servers, so you need to be playing there in order to use them. Ready to enter? Hit that comment button and let us know your plans! Celebrate Aion's Shugo Showcase with free Supplements from Massively! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Flameseeker Chronicles: Memory lane and the delights of anticipation Posted: 21 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, real-world, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles The clock is ticking -- 2011 is winding down (less than six weeks left!) and Guild Wars 2 fans everywhere have closed beta on the brain. This news has been out there for a very long time, but just to eliminate any confusion, I'll go straight to a recent quote from Martin Kerstein: "We will enter CBT before the end of the year, and depending on the results we get from it, we will decide on Open Beta and Launch." The phrase "small closed beta" has also been tossed around, so I seriously doubt ArenaNet plans to go all BioWare on us and start slinging hundreds of thousands of keys in every direction. (Of course, Star Wars: The Old Republic is exactly one month out from launch at this point, and Guild Wars 2 is definitely not.) That doesn't stop us, the fans, from having a pile of questions. When will the beta start? How many people will get in? How long will it last? Will it be ongoing or weekends only? What is the development team hoping to focus on? Only time will tell, but it doesn't stop us from waiting, wondering, and anticipating. (Aside to the developers: I'm out of town this Wednesday through Sunday. Please don't do anything then.) There's a lot to look forward to, but at the moment we're in the lull that comes after new information has been revealed, dissected, and discussed to pieces. We're waiting for whatever comes next, so I'm going to take the opportunity to look in the other direction: back. Follow along after the jump to join me on memory lane. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Memory lane and the delights of anticipation Flameseeker Chronicles: Memory lane and the delights of anticipation originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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General gaming

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• Skyward Sword: The Director/Producer Postmortem
• Akira Yamaoka, Goichi Suda on Grasshopper's Leap to Social Games
• Bayonetta Designer Providing Soul Calibur V Costumes
• Review: Minecraft Officially Releases, Apparently -- And is a Great Game After All
• Fortune Street is Truly a Game for Our Troubled Times
• What Metal Gear Solid 5 Could (and Should) Be
• Watch Zelda: Skyward Sword in Full HD
• Max Payne 3 Special Edition Only Available Until January 15
• Kojima Doesn't Have Much to Reveal About MGS5 Right Now
• How Japan's Earthquake Changed its Developers

Skyward Sword: The Director/Producer Postmortem Posted: 22 Nov 2011 06:56 AM PST It seems fair to say that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a success for Nintendo, what with the largely positive reviews it's been getting (including the requisite 40/40 from Famitsu). Following up on last week's interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, the Japanese magazine sat down with Skyward Sword producer Eiji Aonuma and director Hidemaro Fujibayashi to discuss the game in further detail -- here are some of the highlights: - Plotwise, Skyward Sword is a prequel to Ocarina of Time, telling the story of the origin of the Master Sword. This came about despite the fact that the game's Wii MotionPlus support came along long after plot details were finalized. "It's funny," Aonuma said, "but Fi, the sword-spirit who appears in this game, was something we finished up before we decided this would be a Zelda that used Wii MotionPlus. We already had her as a sword spirit beforehand, and during our announcement at the 2009 E3 show, her design was modeled after the Master Sword. At the time, though, you used her in a completely different way gamewise than you do now. The MotionPlus swordplay was something that was completed later on, and as a result the game's story and action gameplay came to both focus more on the Master Sword. It wound up coming together pretty well."

Akira Yamaoka, Goichi Suda on Grasshopper's Leap to Social Games Posted: 22 Nov 2011 05:30 AM PST Grasshopper Manufacture, the Japanese developer responsible for offbeat titles like Shadows of the Damned and the upcoming Lollipop Chainsaw, is looking to get into social and smartphone games in a more serious way, something that president Goichi Suda touched on a bit during the Tokyo Game Show two months ago. In this week's issue of Japan's Famitsu magazine, the company revealed a bit more about their plans -- including the launch of a new social-exclusive studio. Grasshopper Universe, a joint venture between Suda's company and Japanese social-game distribution giant DeNA, is part of GHM's effort to adapt itself better for the mobile marketplace. "We released Frog Minutes [above] for the iPhone and iPod Touch on March 30 of this year and we were proceeding along with plans for other smartphone titles when DeNA opened up talks with us," Grasshopper's Akira Yamaoka told Famitsu. "We're originally a console game company, and the experience we use to make games and come up with ideas is very different from the way companies specializing in social games handle things. We figured that we could come up with things that are more fun if we worked together."

Bayonetta Designer Providing Soul Calibur V Costumes Posted: 21 Nov 2011 05:34 PM PST Just before this year's Tokyo Game Show, Namco announced that in addition to their internal Project Soul development team, three external developers were helping create Soul Calibur V -- CyberConnect2 on the story, and Creative Intelligence Arts/Forcewick Sound Design on the audio. And now they're adding one more to that list, with Bayonetta character designer Mari Shimazaki contributing costumes. Namco calls her a "guest costume designer," keeping the terminology they use for "guest characters" like Ezio in SCV. Shimazaki told me via email she originally met SCV's art director at a party, mentioned she was looking forward to the game, and then when she became a freelancer, found herself called in for a meeting. She has three designs in the game -- the primary costume for new character Leixia, and the alternate costumes for Tira and Ivy.

Review: Minecraft Officially Releases, Apparently -- And is a Great Game After All Posted: 21 Nov 2011 05:30 PM PST Minecraft, one might have noticed, is kind of a big deal. If you're the sort of person who reads about videogames on the Internet, which seems like a safe assumption, it would have taken a directed force of will to avoid hearing about it by now. So you probably already know that it's a sandbox style game that takes place in a procedurally generated world made up of one-meter blocks that can be mined and crafted to create everything from a simple sod house to a scale replica of the starship Enterprise. Or an automated pooping butt. Or a gigantic mechanical player piano. Or a scale recreation of most of Middle Earth. Or... yeah, the sense of awe at the outrageous feats of engineering players have cobbled together is only eclipsed by the sales of the game itself and the subculture that has sprouted up around it. Almost two years ago Minecraft went from a weird indie project with a cult following to a million-seller that's still earning nearly $200,000 a day in sales, and that was before the game was officially released. This game that one guy slapped together has now become the nucleus of a massive fandom -- one that just enjoyed its first major convention in Vegas over this past weekend. Hell, some guy made an entire concept album about the game's iconic suicide-bombing creepers. This last Halloween you may have even encountered your first Minecraft costumes in the wild, and when you open your door to see a kid wearing a hand-painted cardboard box creeper mask making that blood curdling "SSSSSsss" sound, there's really nothing to do other than dump the entire candy bowl into their bag while kicking yourself for not being Notch -- who is one can only assume is spending his days swimming like a tophat-wearing duck in an Olympic sized swimming pool filled with Euros.

Fortune Street is Truly a Game for Our Troubled Times Posted: 21 Nov 2011 05:25 PM PST I was pleasantly surprised when I sampled Nintendo's upcoming Wii party game Fortune Street last month at New York Comic-Con. Despite being a multiplayer title starring Mario and other game mascots in a virtual board game setting, Fortune Street is the furthest thing from Mario Party you could imagine. The few minigames it contains are generally automated affairs that play themselves in a few short seconds: no button-mashing or stick-twirling required. Rather, Fortune Street has far more in common with Hasbro's Monopoly than with the usual minigame collections that have shown up as multiplayer releases over the past decade. What I didn't realize based on my NYCC hands-on is that it's even deeper than that. Fortune Street is playable in both standard and simplified modes, and at public events Nintendo has been demoing it in the latter mode. With the training wheels taken off, Fortune Street is kind of ridiculous. Like a real "grown-ups" board game such as Risk or Monopoly, a single match can take hours. I recently played a demo with other members of the gaming press -- including IGN's Audrey Drake -- and two hours wasn't enough for us to complete a game. And that wasn't even on one of the more complex boards!

What Metal Gear Solid 5 Could (and Should) Be Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:28 PM PST Feature Share it: Tweet What Metal Gear Solid 5 Could (and Should) Be 1UP editors ponder the future of Hideo Kojima's mega-series. By: 1UP Staff November 21, 2011 Jeremy Parish, Editor-in Chief You know what I'd like to see for Metal Gear Solid 5? Nothing. Don't get me wrong; I've been following -- and a fan of -- the Metal Gear games since before the original game came out for NES. I love me some Metal Gear. But at this point, and MGS4 will back me up on this, the series just has too much baggage. Why not just start over with a clean slate and a new series and let Kojima and his folks work their magic without having to worry about an insanely convoluted backstory that was never meant to be concluded? Oh, right... money. Fine. If Kojima has to go ahead with a fifth chapter, I only see two ways for it to work. One, jump way far into the future and leave behind the legacy cast. Maybe make the game about Olga's kid Sunny, all grown up into an idiot savant secret agent who sings about eggs while she snaps necks, but leave everyone else behind. Alternately, let's take the series way into the past and focus on The Boss (aka The Joy) and her work with Cobra Unit in World War II. Or, hell, stop the flirting and cockteasing and just let Metal Gear make out with Assassin's Creed already. Find some way to combine the two series' ridiculous story lines into one. (Suggestion: The Apple is nanomachines!) Whatever the case, Metal Gear Solid 5 shouldn't be about the Snakes. Not Solid Snake, not Liquid Snake, not Naked Snake, and definitely not Solidus. Their story is done. The Patriots' story is done. Here's an idea, though: Why not get back to basics and make a Metal Gear that's about, you know, Metal Gear? The series' big deal used to be the mad threat represented by a compact, self-contained nuclear delivery system. Before the AIs named after dead presidents and social manipulation and impossible continuity, Metal Gear was about a simple deadly threat. I'd love to see that kind of clarity of purpose in the series again. Bob Mackey, Features Admiral If you'd like to see the direction the Metal Gear Solid series should go, look no further than Peace Walker; though the game's admittedly built with on-the-go play in mind, it managed to shake off most of the baggage that clung to the series for so long. Simplified controls, a dialed-back story, a nearly bottomless toy box full of weapons and gadgets, and several multi-layered RPG systems built for endless tinkering -- all of these elements brought Metal Gear far above the fan-pandering torture that nearly sunk Solid 4. Given that MGS4 tied up every loose end (and turned Solid Snake into a human Hot Pocket), the series has an unprecedented amount of breathing room; and since the Metal Gear timeline stretches across 50 years, Kojima and his team now have the ability to dip in and out of this history at their leisure. So why shouldn't they? So, where could Metal Gear Solid go with its fifth official installment? Honestly, it'd be fantastic to see remakes of the original two Metal Gears, even if Kojima repurposed a great deal of these games' content for the original Solid. But instead of putting the spotlight on Snake, why can't the Metal Gear team instead show us the story of Outer Heaven through the eyes of Big Boss himself? It'd be the perfect send-off to a character they've been progressively developing since Metal Gear Solid 3, not to mention a fine opportunity for Metal Gear fans to experience a plotline currently trapped behind a thick mesh of outdated mechanics and primitive storytelling.

Watch Zelda: Skyward Sword in Full HD Posted: 21 Nov 2011 04:06 PM PST Watch Zelda: Skyward Sword in full HD We push Zelda to the limit. By: 1UP Staff November 21, 2011 Earlier this year, we brought you a look at classic Wii and GameCube games rendered in HD thanks to the Dolphin emulator, which has the ability to change the internal resolution of games on both platforms. The software doesn't just upscale games like the PS3 does to PS1 titles, it changes the graphical fidelity of the game itself. This time around we wanted to see what The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword could have looked like on better hardware. There are two videos presented below, and on the following pages we have our screenshot gallery. The difference is striking, though perhaps not as much so as Wind Waker or other classic GameCube titles.

Max Payne 3 Special Edition Only Available Until January 15 Posted: 21 Nov 2011 02:43 PM PST Max Payne 3 will at long last be out next year, and coming with it is a Special Edition that devoted fans of the series can drop some extra cash on. The biggest component of it is a TriForce-created, 10-inch statue of Max Payne with his pistols drawn. Joining that are a pair of art prints showing Max's vices -- pills and bullets, namely. You also get a bullet keychain, the soundtrack for the game, and some in-game content in the form of two DLC packs.

Kojima Doesn't Have Much to Reveal About MGS5 Right Now Posted: 21 Nov 2011 01:50 PM PST Although it was teased that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima would soon share details on both Metal Gear Solid Rising and Metal Gear Solid 5, it turns out he doesn't actually have a great deal to share, at least when it comes to the latter subject. Ahead of its upcoming issue, the Official PlayStation Magazine U.K. has published some quotes from Kojima online, and it largely sounds like the sort of thing we've become used to hearing from him in recent years.

How Japan's Earthquake Changed its Developers Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:18 PM PST Feature Share it: Tweet How Japan's Earthquake Changed its Developers By: Matt Leone November 21, 2011 On March 11th, Japan experienced the biggest known natural disaster in the country's history as a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Tohoku, leading to subsequent tsunami waves, aftershocks, and nuclear power plant explosions. In the days following, Namco's Kazuhiro Harada remembers looking at the data collected from Tekken arcade cabinets linked across Japan, and seeing clusters of locations flatline. In some cases, the buildings housing these machines lost electricity; in others, they fell apart. Back at Namco's office, his team experienced frequent blackouts, regularly shut off equipment due to power conservation efforts, discovered that their arcade cabinet manufacturing factory collapsed, and saw fellow employees question whether they wanted to continue making "fun" entertainment products.

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