| BioWare Plans to Address Mass Effect 3 Ending Complaints Posted: 25 Mar 2012 09:33 AM PDT  The story below is spoiler-free. The discussion regarding the ending of Mass Effect 3 over the past two weeks has been unrelenting — although, in reality, it’s only a small percentage of ME3 players who are actually taking part in it. Petitions have been signed and, amazingly enough, complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission. While the endings have been defended by BioWare, the developer has also said it is listening to what fans are saying. Today it announced its intentions to partially acquiesce to the demands of those who are upset with the ending, but it sounds as if it’ll do so without completely giving in. Describing it as “incredibly painful” to hear fans are not satisfied with ME3′s endings, BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka has written a letter to players explaining where the developer goes from here. “Our first instinct is to defend our work and point to the high ratings offered by critics ? but out of respect to our fans, we need to accept the criticism and feedback with humility,” he said. “I believe passionately that games are an art form, and that the power of our medium flows from our audience, who are deeply involved in how the story unfolds, and who have the uncontested right to provide constructive criticism. At the same time, I also believe in and support the artistic choices made by the development team. The team and I have been thinking hard about how to best address the comments on ME3′s endings from players, while still maintaining the artistic integrity of the game.” The haters want a new ending. The defenders want BioWare to stay true to their vision and not change a thing. BioWare is instead doing something in between the two, a move which may appease both sides — or it could end up frustrating the both of them.
“Building on their research, Exec Producer Casey Hudson and the team are hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey,” Muzyka explained. “You’ll hear more on this in April. We’re working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we’ve received. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue.” The initial reaction to this earlier today was, in headline form, “BioWare Changing Mass Effect 3 Ending.” Looking at exactly what Muzyka actually said indicates that isn’t the case. From the sound of it, there will be an update or DLC packs which provide more exposition and answers to matters which weren’t wrapped up by the end of the game. (If BioWare does resort to providing what the complainers want but it does so with a premium DLC release, just wait for a whole new controversy to erupt.) If so, that’s a far cry from changing the ending, something I and many others are vehemently against. Fans may be deeply invested in the story of the franchise, and BioWare has to be pleased that gamers care this much about its story, but at the end of the day it is the developers’ game and how the story ends is their decision. This situation, in my mind, is not akin to Bethesda allowing players to continue playing Fallout 3 after the ending with the Broken Steel DLC. That was a matter of being cut off from continuing to explore an open-world game with the character you had built up. Mass Effect is much less about exploring and more about taking part in the story — the story BioWare has decided to craft; not the story some fans wish had been told. Like many others, I’m hopeful BioWare doesn’t stray from from its vision for the ending of ME3. I’m not against providing additional information — I’m fascinated by the franchise’s universe, or at least the one my Shepard occupies — but just because a certain segment of gamers are demanding it doesn’t mean the fate of the galaxy and its inhabitants should be any different. Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/bioware-address-mass-effect-3-ending |
| NYCC: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva Brings the Games to Film with Style Posted: 25 Mar 2012 06:13 AM PDT 1UP’s resident Batman expert, Thierry Nguyen, once told me that one of the most basic canonical facts in DC Comics’ style guide is that Batman always wins. Over in Japan, on the even more hardboiled side of things, you have Golgo-13, the emotionless sniper who never misses his shot. And now it seems Level-5 is making a serious bid to boost their own leading man, Hershel Layton, to those vaunted heights. With their new (or at least newly translated into English) film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, a new bit of fictive infallibility has come to light: Professor Layton always has the answer.  Nintendo (who publishes the Layton games in the U.S.) and Viz (who will be publishing the DVD) presented a limited screening of Diva for a small but enthusiastic audience at New York Comic-Con tonight. The timing is no coincidence, of course; Nintendo’s goal was to promote Professor Layton and the Last Specter, which launches for DS this weekend. It’s not just an empty connection, though. Hardly an empty cash-in, Diva is closely tied to Specter, set before Professor Layton and the Curious Village and featuring characters (such as Layton’s surprisingly badass lady assistant Emmy) who debut in Specter. With Diva, Level-5 has taken on no small challenge: To transform a series of video game that blends talky narrative and brain-bending puzzles in equal measures into something that plays well on the screen. Their efforts didn’t yield a complete success, unfortunately, as in its 11th hour Diva takes an improbable turn into bold heroics that feel out-of-place for the series. You may buy the idea that Layton can MacGuyver himself up a flying machine on the spur of the moment (it’s a puzzle of components, you see!). You may even accept that, as a proper English gentleman, he’s versed in the fine art of fencing. But the climax of the film goes a bit too far in making both Layton and his preteen ward Luke into action heroes, and it doesn’t really jive with, well, anything else in this particular universe. Setting aside that one hard-to-swallow sequence — though not lightly, because it’s at the very heart of the narrative — Diva really does adapt the games into film with satisfactory effectiveness. First, the animation studio (Toho, I believe) did a great job of capturing the European-cartoon-by-way-of-anime style of the games’ cutscenes. The distinctive warmth that lends the Layton games an aura of classic French animation is reproduced well, blurring the line between Japanese and European design and becoming something quite unique in the process. The closest thing I’ve seen is, perhaps, the Hayao Miyazaki-directed chapters of Lupin III, particularly Castle of Cagliostro. The film’s writers practically cop to this inspiration with the character of Detective Grosky, a Scotland Yard inspector whose doggedness is matched only by his bad luck — exactly like Lupin‘s Inspector Zenigata. Heck, there’s even a baroque castle with a crazy clockwork twist tied to the legacy of a young woman. Calling back to an animated classic is hardly a bad thing, though.  Besides, Layton isn’t Lupin, because he’s a genteel professor rather than a ruthless scoundrel, and it’s the hero that sets this film apart. There are two certainties in Layton’s life: Not only does he always have the answer, but no matter where he goes he always stumbles into puzzles, kind of like the way people were always dying whenever Angela Landsbury’s character on Murder, She Wrote was around. Even when someone else solves a puzzle, Layton always has a better solution or a more refined answer. The appeal of Diva is how effectively the game’s style — its overall style, not just its looks — has been translated into animation. The puzzle-solving element of the games is introduced in a deliberately conspicuous manner, almost like The Phantom of the Opera in its baroque, over-the-top (and quite literal) theatricality. More than that, though, the overall tale is a series of intricately nested plots, twists, and surprises. Although Layton’s constant murmurs of “But of course!” grow a bit hard to swallow as his deductions leap further and further into the fantastic, the story sells itself with confidence. And even despite the lapse into those jarringly uncharacteristic action tropes, the tale wraps up well, even managing in its final moments to be fairly touching (if a bit drawn-out). You rarely see a video game adapted as faithfully into cinematic form as Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. Naturally, it helps that the movie was written and planned by key personnel on the games, and that the games themselves are among the few series to still include traditionally animated cutscenes. Nevertheless, while it’s not quite as essential as the games themselves, it’s a generally excellent distillation of the Layton spirit into animation. Unlike most movies based on games, fans will love it without having to delude themselves that it’s good. Because it is good. Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/nycc-professor-layton-eternal-diva |
| ChangYou goes global with Unreal Engine 3 title Posted: 25 Mar 2012 03:34 AM PDT 
I am not really sure why ChangYou acquired this game for the global market, but I guess I have different views from their board. Touted as the first anime-styled turn-based MMO to be developed using the Unreal 3 Engine, Peach Garden (directly translated) is kind of a rarity in the current market. The last client-based and turn-based MMO I remember to garner some credits was Atlantica Online, which was released quite some years ago.
I did try Peach Garden during its early days (link), and I wasn’t really impressed with the combat. While one of the features is “Active Time Battle” which supposedly cuts down the timer in traditional turn-based games. i still find combat too slow for my liking given the slew of action titles being released in recent months. The game is developed in China by Playcool over a period of 45 months and reportedly cost USD 30 million to develop, an amount the gamers are questioning.
With that said, the game offers gorgeous visuals and quite an impressive class tree system which you can see below. I remembered the original tree branches down even more, perhaps they decided to keep some advanced classes back for now. Being a turn-based game, you can expect to recruit various other characters and tame creatures to battle on your side. I really feel it is a waste, since the turn-based genre ain’t doing too well even in China, where 2 popular ones (including Atlantica China) recently announced their closures. 
What about the West? Well, I think ChangYou did their research, so let’s see. ChangYou is having quite a quiet 2012 so far with a web-based card game, Sword Girls, as its only flagship title. Personally, I am waiting for their other Unreal Engine 3 title, DaVinci Online (link).
Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/changyou-goes-global-with-unreal-engine.html |
| Eve Online UK subscribers to save 20% on subscriptions from May Posted: 25 Mar 2012 03:33 AM PDT CCP today announced that UK players will finally be able to pay for their Eve Online subscriptions in pounds sterling. The change, which comes into effect from May 1st, will result in an estimated 20% price reduction versus the current exchange rate against the Euro. The regularly monthly subscription fee will be £9.99. "UK players have been an important part of the EVE community from the very beginning, organizing some of the very first player meets, being at the forefront of EVE's PvP alliances and expanding the EVE experience with such creations as the Clear Skies movie trilogy," says Jon Lander, senior producer for Eve Online. "The enthusiasm and creativity of these players has only underlined the importance of the UK market as we enter a very exciting time for the EVE Universe." In other Fanfest news, it's been announced that Inferno, Eve Online's next expansion, will be released in May and will feature many fixes and improvements to the game as it currently stands, including Faction Warfare, Low Security space and more besides. In a break from the norm, the update will be preceded with a large update in April and will be followed by further updates later in the year. April's release promises to include meaningful new content that helps set up Inferno, but we'll bring you more details when we get them… Find similar article at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/latest-pc-news/eve-online-uk-subscribers-to-save-20-on-subscriptions-from-may/ |
| Luna Plus Posted: 24 Mar 2012 09:33 PM PDT 
As a Free to Play gamer myself since the days of MapleStory’s beta phase, it really pisses me off seeing how game companies out there are trying their best to milk gamers dry. Back in March 2011, I posted about Luna Plus Korea getting shut down as the developer (Eyasoft) is taking a long hiatus (link). Subsequently, gPotato emailed me in June 2011 and asked me to remove their company name, after I mentioned the North American server might be affected (link).
And to no surprise, they promised that updates will still arrive for Luna Plus and Iris Online, another of Eyasoft’s game. After a check, the only noticeable game content update Luna Plus got was a party match-making system (link) in July 2011, which was followed by tons of Cash Shop updates leading to the closure announcement.How many of you actually fell for it? Iris Online is currently still active, I dare say it will follow suit soon.
Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/luna-plus-closing-after-milking-players.html |
| Wasteland 2 Kickstarter May Start an Admirable Trend Posted: 24 Mar 2012 09:33 PM PDT  The Wasteland 2 Kickstarter has already more than exceeded its goal of $900,000. With 25 days still to go, it’s approaching $1.5 million in pledges, a figure which will ensure the game lands on Mac and Linux in addition to PC. It’s nice to see a game like Wasteland that is nearly 25 years old get the opportunity for a sequel thanks to a new method of funding, but this particular Kickstarter may result in more than just a (very) long-awaited sequel being made. The latest update on the Kickstarter, written by inXile boss Brian Fargo, recounts a story of how Fargo was kind to a young neighbor of his 20 years ago. He used this as the launching point to talk about a Kickstarter initiative he’d like to help start which he is calling Kick It Forward. “And speaking of goodwill it occurs to me that we can harness the power of Kickstarter in a more meaningful way,” Fargo wrote. “Fan funding is bigger than me or Wasteland 2 as I have remarked before. The development community has come together to support us in ways that I didn’t think possible and our power as developers will ultimately come from us sticking together.” Noting that “both gamers and developers have so much more strength than they realize,” he said he will be pledging money made by his Kickstarter-funded game to future Kickstarters. This won’t be money that fans have donated — there’s no need to worry about seeing your money go to a project other than Wasteland 2 if you pledge. Instead 5 percent of profits generated by Wasteland 2, tentatively set for release in late 2013, will be sent to other Kickstarter developers. 
The details of how other projects would be selected or what would happen if they fail to reach their targets were not shared. There is plenty of time for those details to be worked out, though, and in the meantime Fargo said he would have a badge created which other Kickstarter projects can make use of to indicate they will also pledge a portion of their future profits to other Kickstarters. “Imagine the potential if another Minecraft comes along via Kickstarter and produces millions of dollars of investment into other developers,” Fargo said. “This economic payback will continue to grow the movement way beyond the current system. I hope others will join me with this idea and make this a true shakeup.” It’s hard not to like this idea — any project which succeeds on Kickstarter is doing so because of the fans’ support; there would be no profit to speak of in the first place if not for the generosity of the Kickstarter community. Generally speaking, the games being pitched on the site are a sort that publishers have no interest in (at least not without heavily modifying things so they are no longer true to the creators’ vision), so Kickstarter-funded game developers will have that in common and would hopefully want to support others in that position. While we may not have seen a Kickstarter for a new Shenmue pop up, there are a number of projects that still appear to be worthy of funding. If other developers were to begin kicking in to ensure these games are made, it would only improve the chances of gamers seeing more innovative titles that publishers are unwilling to take a risk on. Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/news/wasteland-2-kickstarter-kick-it-forward |
| Blitz 1941 MMO Review Posted: 24 Mar 2012 06:14 PM PDT Blitz 1941 is a 2D, historical, tank-strategy MMO set in 1941 during the German Invasion of the Soviet Union, where players take command of tanks and battle it out across several historical battlegrounds. Fight for one of the game's two factions – the Third German Empire or the Soviet Union. Blitz 1941 is published by the fairly small MMO publisher TwoWar, who also publishes the popular sea battle game Navy Field. Tank enthusiasts and Navy Field fans should find some substance in Blitz 1941, but few others will find themselves playing the game for more than a few days. 
Publisher: TwoWar
Playerbase: Low
Graphics: Low Quality
Type: MMO
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: N/A
Filesize: 168mb Website: http://www.twowar.com/games/blitz_index.asp Pros: +Unique gameplay and theme. +WASD Controls as well as point and click. +Historically accurate tanks and battlefields. Cons: -Controls very difficult to master. -Few maps. -Limited tank customization options. -Only one game mode. Blitz 1941 is a 2D, strategic tank battle game that plays a lot like Navy Field. The game is set during World War 2, and the game's two factions are Germany and the Soviet Union. Players pick a side, assume control of tanks that actually existed during the era, and fight it out across the battlefields of Europe. Players have the ability to further customize and even upgrade to superior tanks with money earned from winning battles. Unlike Navy Field, which has numerous factions, many game modes, and a healthy player-base, Blitz 1941 only has only two factions, one game mode and a tiny community. Blitz 1941 should be applauded for being unique, but the game fails to impress in nearly every regard.   
Blitz 1941 System Requirements Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 98 / ME/ 2000
CPU: Intel Pentium III 600 MHz
RAM: 128 MB
HDD: 200 MB free
Graphics Card: Any GeForce or Radeon Graphics Card
DirectX: 9.0b Recommended Specification:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 98 / ME/ 2000
CPU: Intel Pentium III 800 MHz
RAM: 128 MB
HDD: 200 MB free
Graphics Card: Any GeForce or Radeon Graphics Card
DirectX: 9.0b
|
| Yulgang 2 (KR) Posted: 24 Mar 2012 03:33 PM PDT 
I know, since last November at G*Star where Mgame officially debuted Yulgang 2, there has since been little news except for a short Closed Beta 1. As a sequel to one of the most famous Free to Play martial arts online game in Korea, there is no doubt high expectations for the title. Korean gaming website PlayForum paid a visit to the developer and find out how more about Yulgang 2′s current status.
1. Closed Beta 2 is currently being prepared, with over 100 staff working day and night to perfect the game. 2. Enhancing game’s visuals. As an in-house developed game engine, the development team can keep updating the system to accommodate their demands and stay close to the original artwork. Satisfaction rate is now around 70% of the vision set, with specs for both low and high end computers in the works. 
3. Improved new players guide. Players will not learn the basics of Yulgang 2 via quests in the actual game world, rather than an instanced “beginner zone”. Although not stated how the new target system is like, the previous auto-select feature will be gone as players from Closed Beta 1 complained about it being inconvenient.
4. 2 new classes will be added in Closed Beta 2, which are the previously revealed, the Assassin and Sorceress. The faction system found in the prequel will make its debut as well. 
5. There is currently no date yet, but the developer promised to address all concerns from Closed Beta 1 players and implement new content for Closed Beta 2.
Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/yulgang-2-kr-closed-beta-2-being.html |
| Heroic 3 Kingdoms (CN) Posted: 24 Mar 2012 09:33 AM PDT 
MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena if you do not know, and games such as League of Legends and Dota2 fall into this category. In an attempt to enter the MOBA market in China, one of the largest games publisher and developer, NetEase, revealed its very own entry – a Unreal Engine 3 developed game based on Romance of the 3 Kingdoms, loosely translated as Heroic 3 Kingdoms.
What is so special about this game, since MOBA tends to follow the standard 2-lanes template? Well, for the main map, there are 3 lanes in this game, staying true to the 3 Kingdoms storyline. Seen in the supposedly leaked map layout below, the darker blue spots represents the item merchant in the wilds, the green spots represents low level mobs while the red spots indicates high level mobs.
There is currently no actual screenshot yet, but with its first Closed Beta hitting 6th April, I am guessing more information will be released soon. Heroic 3 Kingdoms currently boasts high AI mobs and new maps, but none are currently shown. And by the way, the characters are a physical re-imagination of the actual Three Kingdoms heroes. Panda again, yeah I know…
Find similar article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/03/heroic-3-kingdoms-cn-first-unreal-3.html |
| Darksiders 2 Builds a Bigger, Better Sequel Posted: 24 Mar 2012 09:32 AM PDT
It’s hard not to marvel at
Jonathan Blow’s chutzpah. Braid,
his 2008 XBLA puzzler, played with the concepts and consequences of
time travel through its mechanics as well as narrative. After high
sales and
quite a bit of accolade, Blow used most of the money he made off of
Braid to help finance his next project, a first person exploration game
called The
Witness. While a decision like
this would seems cripplingly frightening, you have to applaud the
confidence that Blow has in his art. This confidence is part of the
reason why The
Witness is my most anticipated game of 2012,
and after sitting down with Blow during GDC,
it remains at the top of my list. Although the game
still has a ways to go, Blow is confident that the final portion of the
game is the single best thing that he’s ever designed. Coming from the
man who created one of my favorite video games of this generation, it’s
safe to say that my anticipation for The Witness grows with every new
look. In preparation for its release, I’ve
compiled a list of five ways to ready yourself for the title, some of
which Blow himself alluded to while others contain connections that
I’ve made from what we learned about the game. Dear Esther Upon first viewing the
screenshots for The Witness, the immediate comparison to Myst
sprang forward. They’re both environmental puzzle games played through
a first person view and set on an enigmatic island. Blow even admits to
drawing inspiration
from the PC classic. But instead of replaying Myst
for the dozenth time, try something a little more modern. I suggest Dear Esther,
a Half-Life
2 mod created by British
developers thechineseroom. The mod was first released 2008, but just
last month received a full-fledged remake that improves on the original
in every way possible. The game places you in the role of a nameless
wanderer who explores the expanses of a dreary island. Narration in the
game is delivered via snippets of letters sent to a woman named Esther.
There are no puzzles or combat scenarios whatsoever, so the game ends
up becoming equal parts ghost story and walkabout. From what we’ve seen
from The Witness, both games share a similarly lonesome tone that
emanates from a mysterious island lost in time. Dictionary of the Khazars Find similar article at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3186903 |
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