Thursday, July 31, 2008

Dead Space Video Dev Diary #5

Giving us a peek behind the scenes today, the guys over at Electronic Arts have thrown together a new video developer diary for their upcoming Survival-Horror title, Dead Space. Running just over five minutes long, the video focuses on the game's atmosphere and the different ways of scaring the player. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Prefer a manual download? We have you covered:

GamersHellFileFrontFileShackStrategyInformerWorthPlaying

Dead Space is scheduled for release on October 21st, 2008.

Mount & Blade Release Date Announced

Spreading the good news tonight, Paradox and TaleWorlds Entertainment have announced that their upcoming Action-RPG, Mount & Blade, will begin shipping to stores across North America on September 16th and in Europe on September 19th. Unfamiliar with the game? Here's a short description from the press release:

Mount & Blade is a single-player, third- or first-person action/role-playing game with a focus on medieval combat. Developed by the Turkish development house TaleWorlds Entertainment, the beta version of the game has received acclaim worldwide from users impressed by the game’s realistic horseback combat, luscious graphics, and open-world sandbox gameplay. The latter enables players to roam the map freely in a medieval world that offers activities ranging from hunting down bandits, to trading for profit in the game's complex economic system, to becoming a commander and taking part in the wars, with the ultimate goal of becoming a great lord of the realm.

Bring on the mounted combat!

New trailer released for X3: Terran Conflict

New trailer released for X3: Terran Conflict

The German game developers at Egosoft are currently hard at work on what very well may be the pinnacle of the 10 year old X game series. The new stand-alone expansion is called X3: Terran Conflict, and is due in the third quarter of this year.

If you missed all the other entries in the series, X3 is space-sim game, featuring dog-fighting, trading, exploration, building and other space-game type stuff. The last entry in the series, X3: Reunion came out in 2005. It received many positve reviews as well as a fair share of critiscm. On the postive side of things, the game was praised for having a terrific amount of things you could do in a open-world environment, with well-done graphics; on the negative side, many said the game was realeased too early, and could have been more fun. 

The motto of the series is "Trade, Build, Fight, Think." This trailer below focuses on the 'build' aspect. Unfortunately, the trailer is only currently available via YouTube, so the quality could be better. Currently, the trailer has less than a 100 views, which perhaps does not bode well for the future of the series. 

Personally, this gamer was intrigued by the previous entries in this series but never picked up a copy of the game. Perhaps this could be a good time to jump in however -- it looks like Egosoft built upon a great (however rough) foundation in the way of X3: Reunion, and just spent many months adding stuff and rounding out the game in all sorts of different ways.

 

 

Ken Levine at Develop conference, aftermath

Ken Levine at Develop conference, aftermath

The Develop Conference mentioned Monday is over in about 50 minutes; one of the likely more anticipated parts of the expo was BioShock creator 2K's presentation, titled "BioShock and Awe: Immersing the Gamer in an Alternate World Without Drowning Out the Gameplay."

The dudes involved were Ken Levine (studio founder and creative director), Nate Wells (lead technical artist), Chris Kline (technical director and lead programmer) and Bill Gardner (level designer) 2K Boston Studio.

Among the topics covered were the design of the game, the company's hiring policy, and the BioShock film. So first up, Levine commented on the difficulties a game like BioShock had in making it through the rounds:

"In BioShock we tried to make the most engaging horror movie of all time. But two years before release, it would never make it through a focus group. I mean, try asking people if they want to play a first-person shooter in an objectivist art deco dystopia."

Regarding the lack of multiplayer, he feels there was essentially just no point. Just as well, I figure, BioShock is such a singular and satisfying experience in itself, even thinking about it as a multiplayer-supported title seems absurd (though the plasmid system would probably lend itself very well in the context of another game):

"If you're not going to come to the ball ready to compete with Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4 then just don't do it. Every marketing dept always says 'what about multiplayer?'...Take Two was a unique company because they'd been through the wars and they understood the artistic importance of something. The audience is not a bunch of mouth-breathing Neanderthals. The audience is ready for this sort of thing."

"Social, game and film literacy is really important. At the end of the day, extruding a polygon will only get you so far. Going art deco was not an obvious choice. You have to be more interested in the visual style of the game rather than satisfying gamers."

This I respect, and is in keeping with his choice to apparently go with creative control over salary, as discussed before.

The film: "Those guys are going to be respectful of what we did, but it's going to be a movie. Gore and John go for walks and they talk about things, it's an integrated process. It's amazing to see a guy like Gore who has an amazing vision and John who's got experience writing The Aviator... it's interesting to see people who aren't gamers see what they do with it. It's not like 'someone threw me this game to make into a movie. So much of BioShock was inspired by movies... the twist was inspired by Fight Club."

Levine also seems wise to the relationship between the gaming and film industries:

"The junior [movie] execs and agents are hardcore gamers, but to old Hollywood it's like 'we're going to get into games now.' It's the easiest thing to do for us to assume it's easy for them to make a good movie, and for them to assume it's easy for us to make a good game. It's like having kids, you have to forget about the pain you went through the first time. A healthy respect for each other's challenges will make for better games and better movies."

The aftermath of the whole thing, however: not so pretty. Regarding some rumours about members of the 2K BioShock team leaving due to personal dislike for him, in summary Levine said (in interviews), "I'm kind of a pretentious twat and maybe an asshole." You can find the interviews via the alt. source below and judge for yourself if you wish, as I'm staying far, far away from that one.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

DC Universe Online Making Of Trailer

Sony Online Entertainment has thrown together a new video developer diary for their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, DC Universe Online. Running just under five minutes long, the video focuses on character customization, level design, their physics engine and more. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. The video is also available for download at WorthPlaying.com. Stay tuned for more mirrors! ;)

Pirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering Launched

Spreading the good news today, Disney Online have announced that they've launched of a "Privateering" system for their hit MMORPG, Pirates of the Caribbean Online. With this new system you can pick a side in the epic battle, pillage and plunder the high seas, take on special quests and earning loads of gold, reputation points and even faction tattoos. To celebrate the launch, the devs have sent over the following screenies:

Pirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering LaunchedPirates of the Caribbean Online Privateering Launched

Space Siege demo and new trailer released today

Space Siege demo and new trailer released today

If you can't wait to get your alien shooting rampage started with Space Siege (coming August 22nd for the PC) you'll be happy to hear that a demo was released today. The demo is about 930MB's and can be found on Nvidia' s Nzone, and some other fine websites. 

Space Siege was made by Gas Powered Games, and designed by game-guy Chris Taylor. If you don't know him, he is an ex-Canadian veteran of the gaming industry, probably best known these days for determining the design parameters behind Supreme Commander and Dungeon Siege.

Space Siege does not look particularly ground breaking or original, but that does not mean it might not be fun. The game is pretty easy to describe: picture Diablo or Dungeon Siege, make the dungeon a interstellar space-ship and swap the bows and arrows with guns, the monsters with aliens, and there you go. Top-down, overhead view (like an old early nineties arcade shooter), light RPG elements, upgradable and swappable gear and armor, hordes of creatures to shoot, a couple of branching plot points, and you have a reliable (if unoriginal) game dynamic.

In addition to the demo, a video was released today, featuring gameplay excerpts and Chris Taylor giving some insightful commentary -- such as this part at the 4:08  marker: "Blowing up stuff is kinda ah; kinda ah big part of the game...blow up a lot of stuff...and move out of the way here -- clever about, the way I shoot stuff," he says.

 

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Demigod Teaser Trailer

Hitting the web today is a brand new teaser trailer for Gas Powered Games' upcoming team-based Action/Strategy title, Demigod. Running just under two minutes long, the video features some impressive cutscenes and in-game action. Check it out:

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. Mirrors are also available right here at YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell) and WorthPlaying.com.

Demigod is scheduled for release in February 2009.

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Trailer

Also available for download today is a new trailer for Telltale Games' upcoming episodic Adventure series, Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures. The minute-long teaser introduces us to the game's main characters in humorous fashion. Sit back and enjoy ride:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:

GamersHellFileFrontShackVideoWorthPlaying

Let's hope they can duplicate the success of Sam & Max. :)

Develop Conference outline

Develop Conference outline

Another week, another conference. But hey, who's really complaining? This one's called the Develop Conference and Expo, and takes place in Brighton, England, a seaside town!

The conference starts tomorrow and will see over 1,000 industry professionals from all over the globe come together for three days. Indeed, it's no small thing: over 90 speakers and 60 sessions are planned, covering Audio, Art & Animation, Business, Coding, Game Design, Production and World Vision. Hence, Develop is pegged as 'the ultimate networking and education destination for game developers in Europe.'

But numbers are just numbers on their own. What's the goal here? Well, the entire conference is going to be focused around four new themes: Capitalise, Specialise, Inspire and Enjoy. The last is being taken 'very seriously' by Develop organisers Tandem Events, who believe 'networking is just as important as learning.' Andy Lane, event director at the company had this to say:

“We’re very excited about this year’s conference: the programme content and the calibre of speakers are second to none. But we’re also very privileged that the development community continues to see Develop as the most important event in Europe for meeting, sharing, learning, networking and having a good time."

Judging by the rundown below, it's hard to argue.



• 2008 Develop Conference keynote: BioShock and Awe: Immersing the Gamer in an Alternate World Without Drowning Out the Gameplay, presented by Ken Levine (studio founder and creative director), Nate Wells (lead technical artist), Chris Kline (technical director and lead programmer) and Bill Gardner (level designer) 2K Boston Studio

• Business keynote: The Broadening Imperative, Shannon Loftis, Microsoft

• Design keynote: Why the Future is Brighter than Ever, David Braben, Frontier

• Coding keynote: Halo AI Retrospective: Eight Years of Work on 30 Seconds of Fun, Damian Isla, Bungie Software

• Production keynote: Working Hard and Having Fun: How Naughty Dog Made Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, Richard Lemarchand, Naughty Dog

• Art keynote: Framestore and The Golden Compass: The Tools and Techniques of Visual Effects, Andy Lomas, Framestore



• Monday 28 July
20.00 Have I Got Games News For You
An evening of trivia and booze hosted by Aleks Krotoski and Keith Stuart from The Guardian’s gameblog

• Tuesday 29 July
18.00Icebreaker Drinks, Bar 106, sponsored by CCP Games
Kick off the conference in style. Everyone's welcome - just bring your conference or expo badge
20.00Develop Magazine Pub Quiz, Bar 106
A chance to knock back a drink and compete against game developers to find out who the brainiest team in games development really is.
20.00 GamesAid Charity Poker Tournament, Grosvenor Casino

• Wednesday 30 July
18.00 Post Conference Drinks, Bar 106
Unwind from the day’s sessions and catch up with old & new friends.
18:30 - 19:30 Never Mind The Polygons
A topical discussion of the videogames industry with a beer-fuelled panel of developers and industry experts. Come along to see the debate, have a chat, or just heckle.
19.00 Develop Industry Excellence Awards

• Thursday 31 July
20.00 The GamesIndustry.biz Summer Party 2008 (by invitation only)

Cryptic Studios secures rights to produce Star Trek Online

Cryptic Studios secures rights to produce Star Trek Online

Cryptic Studios brings gamers and Star Trek fans a bit of good news, today the company announces that they've sealed a deal with CBS for the rights to develop and publish Star Trek Online as a massively multiplayer online title for the PC and console, the information doesn't directly lead there in there in the release but through a bit of digging it seems that they're aiming this to be multiplatform. One can only hope that maybe Cryptic goes the extra mile and makes it cross compatible as well to really give a feel of a diverse universe.

The information on the title is currently quite limited with all the details really being in reserve for the annual Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas next month, on August 10th though they'll be doing a live global webcast for all to view on startrekonline.com. There will be a running registration right now for people to get in on it but I'm sure someone will have the debut video on the internet shortly after.

Cryptic currently has this to say about the game:

Powered by the Cryptic Engine, Star Trek® Online will be developed for both console and PC formats. With customizable ships and characters from the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets, ground, space and shipboard gameplay and unique options for player-generated content set in the Star Trek universe, Star Trek Online is the MMOG that allows you to boldly go where no one has gone before!

It sounds like there's a lot to expect out of the game, personally I think it'll be interesting to see how all these Sci-Fi franchises play together as they all arrive around the same time. In the meantime lets just enjoy the various teaser images they've released so far.

Cryptic Studios secures rights to produce Star Trek OnlineCryptic Studios secures rights to produce Star Trek Online

Monday, July 28, 2008

Spider-man: Web of Shadows Trailer

Getting our adrenaline pumping tonight, the guys over at Activision have released a hot new teaser trailer for their upcoming Action title, Spider-man: Web of Shadows. Running just under two minutes long, the video gives us a small taste of the game's storyline, visuals and in-game combat. Enjoy:

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. Prefer a manual download? We have you covered:

YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileShackWorthPlaying.com.

Stay tuned for more links! ;)

Blackshot Announced

Spreading the good news tonight, Outspark has officially announced the development of a new free-to-play military shooter called Blackshot. Due out later this Summer, you play a mercenary trying to make a name for yourself in a dangerous urban environment. Here's a little snippet from the press release:

“We’re thrilled to add an innovative, free-to-play FPS game to our lineup,” said Susan Choe, founder and CEO of Outspark. “Blackshot offers fast-paced action for casual gamers interested in a quick shootout, while hardcore players will love innovative features like the game’s player-versus-environment mode.”

Sound like fun? Then head over to the official website to sign-up for the closed beta test!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Rise of the Argonauts Video Dev Diary #2

Keeping things interesting this weekend, the guys over at Liquid Entertainment have released a new video developer diary for their upcoming RPG, Rise of the Argonauts. Running just under three minutes long, this latest video continues to explain the meaningful choices in the game and how they'll effect both the player and the storyline. Enjoy:

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. The video is also available for download right here at YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell) and WorthPlaying.com.

Rise of the Argonauts is scheduled for release this Fall.

Rise of the Argonauts Video Dev Diary

Giving us a peek behind the scenes today, the guys over at Liquid Entertainment have whipped up a new video developer diary for their upcoming RPG, Rise of the Argonauts. Running just under three minutes long, the video focuses on the choices you'll face throughout the game and how they'll effect your character. Enjoy:

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. The video is also available for download at the following website:

GamersHellWorthPlaying. Stay tuned for more mirrors!GameTrailers

Rise of the Argonauts is scheduled for release this Fall.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Street Fighter IV Ink Bleed Trailer

Kicking things off today, the guys over at Capcom have released a new teaser trailer for their upcoming fighting title, Street Fighter IV. Running a minute and thirty seconds long, the video features a nice mix of CG and in-game action with some sweet ink-splattering effects. Enjoy:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. The video is also available for download at StrategyInformer and WorthPlaying.com.

Splinter Cell: Conviction Delayed

Surprising no one, the folks over at Ubisoft have announced that their highly anticipated Stealth title, Splinter Cell: Conviction, has been delayed once again. Previously scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of the company's 2008-09 fiscal year, the game is now expected to ship in fiscal 2009-10, which runs from April 2009 to March 2010. A reason for the delay wasn't given, but the development team recently stated that the gameplay has "evolved" and that they'd be showing the game again in the coming months. We'll keep you posted on any new developments.

Source: Ubisoft's 2008-09 First Quarter Financial Report

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Frontlines: Fuel of War Patch v1.1.1 Released

Keeping our modems nice and toasty today, the guys over at Kaos Studios have released a new patch (v1.1.1) for their hit first person shooter, Frontlines: Fuel of War. Weighing in at 69MB, this update addresses some PunkBuster issues, key bindings, translation errors and a various other bugs. You can check out the full changelog right here or just hit any of the following mirrors to start downloading:

GamersHellFileFrontFileShackFilePlanetStrategyInformerWorthPlaying

So what are you waiting for? Grab it now! ;)

King's Bounty: The Legend Trailer

Keeping us entertained tonight, the guys over at Katauri Interactive have released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming Tactical-RPG, King's Bounty: The Legend. Running just under two minutes long, the video quickly introduces us to the game's playable races and each of their classes. Enjoy:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the abovet stream. Hit-up any of the following mirrors for a manual download:

GamersHellFileFrontWorthPlaying

King's Bounty: The Legend is scheduled for release this Fall.

MMORPGs: a study

MMORPGs: a study

According to a market research firm study conducted by Parks Associates, in order to keep the MMORPG realm thriving, more free games will be needed. Why? Not enough people are willing to pay a monthly fee to participate in the virtual worlds.

Over 2,000 online gamers were polled for the research, and the results were that only 'hardcore' gamers were interested in subscribing, while "social, dormant, and leisure gamers all show significant interest in a free-to-play, microtransaction-based model." Moreover, 14% currently not playing subscription-based MMORPGs would be keen on playing them if it was free, and 2% from the same group were up for the idea of paying.

The conclusion reached is microtransaction models (where players can purchase goods and whatnot in the game for what is typically a small fee) work best.

"World of Warcraft, with over 10 million players, exceeded expectations for subscription-based MMORPGs, but it's unlikely any other publishers will achieve the same in the near term using a subscription model," said Parks Associate's director of broadband and gaming, Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai.

Of course, this should raise the question "Why can WoW be so successful but not anything else?" Should then other developers be learning something from WoW, or offering their own equally solid and innovative take on the genre and charging monthly for it? Has the game crowded the market, and the only hope now for MMORPG devs to be successful a different model? Many questions, so feel free to debate.

I, for one, fully relate to those who don't want to pay a monthly fee. I'm pretty into games and all, but it's certainly not my life (not to imply everyone who pays for an MMORPG makes games their life). In either case, I'm not willing to pay a monthly fee for such a thing, but MMORPGs do interest me. The appeal is pretty obvious, but to some it's just not worth a monthly admission. I applaud the study, but I think the answer is more specific: we need good free MMORPGs. There are tons and tons out there (seems like more lately), but they all seem more or less mediocre, and judging from forum posts all over, the attitude is often this: give up on the idea of a solid one, comparable with say, WoW or Age of Conan. Mythos was looking great, but internal problems saw that get canned, so who knows if it'll see the light of day now, especially in good form. But the point is this: there seems to be a wide open gap for an addictive, innovative free MMORPG waiting to be filled. I'm thinking the only questions are when will it be filled, and who will fill it?

Tomb Raider: Underworld Cinematic Trailer

Also available for download tonight is a brand new teaser trailer for Crystal Dynamics' highly anticipated Action-Adventure title, Tomb Raider: Underworld. The two minute CG trailer features Lara Croft detonating an explosive in reverse slow-mo. Very cool stuff! Enjoy:

The above stream is courtesy of GameTrailers.com. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:

GamersHellFileFrontFileShackStrategyInformer

Tomb Raider: Underworld is scheduled for release on November 18th, 2008.

Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 Update Released

Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 Update Released

Spreading the good news today, Turbine has announced that they've launched a major content patch for their hit MMORPG, Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. Entitled "Book 14: The Ring-forges of Eregion", the update features a ton of bug fixes, gameplay tweaks, new quests, new instances, animation improvements, and a whole lot more!

Here's the official word:

WESTWOOD, MA – July 23, 2008 - Turbine, Inc. announced the details of the sixth content update for subscribers to The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. Book 14: Ring-forge of Eregion delivers the climax to the epic story from Volume I of The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO). The story takes center stage in Book 14 with several new storytelling mechanics combined with live in-world events that allow players to work together to be part of the rise and fall of Amarthiel at the Ring-forges of Eregion! This will unlock the prelude quests that will lead players to the Mines of Moria™, the first expansion pack to the 2007 PC MMO Game of the Year* scheduled to be released this fall. Book 14: Ring-forge of Eregion is now available to subscribers of The Lord of the Rings Online in North America and Europe.

“The Lord of the Rings Online is one of the only MMOs to successfully integrate story into game play,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online. “With Book 14 we continue to create new ways for players to experience the epic story in Middle-earth from the dramatic moments unfolding throughout the story to the new adventure instances that require players to work together across their server to unlock new content and advance the story. The live events planned in Book 14 will provide incredibly dynamic adventures for our players and set the tone for our journey this fall into the Mines of Moria.”

NEW FEATURES:

The Finale of the Epic Story – As the epic story of Volume I reaches its climax, Book 14 will take LOTRO’s unique storytelling to a new level. The story continues as Laerdan leaves for Mirobel, the Ring-forges of Hollin, to reforge the ring Narchuil. Players will set out after him and engage in an epic battle with Amarthiel’s minions that ultimately reveals the true enemy. The story will use several new storytelling mechanics and feature a series of live events hosted by Turbine’s Game Masters who will be playing the role of Amarthiel.New Battlefield Adventure Instances – Book 14 introduces a new style of gameplay for LOTRO through a series of 6-player experiences calling on the heroes of Middle-earth to hold the line against the invading forces of Angmar. Players across each world must complete a series of chained quests a certain number of times in order to unlock additional content for the entire server.New Animation Technology – LOTRO continues to improve the award-winning experience for players with major improvements to player animations and the introduction of new emotes for Monster Players.

The Lord of the Rings Online is the ultimate interactive adventure. This award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy of all time. From the picturesque surroundings of the Shire to the upcoming expansion to Moria, the most fearsome underground realm ever imagined, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before. LOTRO is available for purchase at major retailers across North America and Europe. For more information or to download a free trial, visit www.lotro.com or www.lotro-europe.com.

Why are you still reading? Go launch the game's auto-updater already! :D

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Black Prophecy Debut Trailer

Also available for download today is a brand new trailer for Reakktor's upcoming Action-MMO, Black Prophecy. Running just under two minutes long, the video teases us with hints at an epic storyline and some impressive visuals. Enjoy:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:

GamersHellFileFrontWorthPlaying

Want to check the game out first-hand? Then head over to the official website to sign-up for the beta!

Project Origin Remnants Trailer

Hitting the web today is a brand new gameplay trailer for Monolith Productions' upcoming first person shooter, Project Origin. Running just over a minute long, the video introduces us to the new "Remnant" creatures and their 'puppet master'-like abilities. Very creepy stuff!

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. Prefer a manual download? We have you covered:

GamersHellFileShackStrategyInformerWorthPlaying

Project Origin is scheduled for release this Fall.

Games for Windows LIVE is Free

Games for Windows LIVE is Free

A lot of people have had some hate for Games for Windows LIVE, mainly because a lot of classic modes of operation were hindered and people had to pay to play to use all the features of the service, while Xbox fans may feel it's totally justified, it really isn't and many services on the net have been doing similar methods or options for quite some time now. As such the subscription service embedded into the titles was probably met with one of the coldest shoulders in gaming.

Times seem to have changed for MS though, gamers will be able to enjoy Games for Windows LIVE fore free now, no exceptions to the rule and cross-platform battles will be free as well. It seems this is a bit of a good faith move on their part that maybe a free service will entice companies to support their system a bit more as it enables many features without the developer time to code it manually.

The short version from MS:

• Games for Windows – LIVE makes great Windows games even better, now offering completely free online multiplayer including TrueSkill™ matchmaking

• 1 gamertag, 1 friends list, 1 list of achievements and gamerscore for your Windows-based PC & Xbox 360
• Experience cross-platform gameplay with Universe at War, Lost Planet: Colonies, Shadowrun, and more.
• Games for Windows – LIVE is available in every country and region supported today by Xbox LIVE®

This doesn't solve the issue of international player problems, LAN support and more, but it is a step in realizing that PC gamers are just going to not buy what they don't like. Hopefully they move to open the platform to a global market because many key regions are still absent from their coverage for PC gaming.

 

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

New Operation Flashpoint 2 Renders

Finally tonight, the folks over at Codemaster have released some new "target render" screenshots from their upcoming tactical shooter, Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising. These are basically the kind of visuals they're hoping to achieve with the game...let's hope they can pull it off! :D

New Operation Flashpoint 2 RendersNew Operation Flashpoint 2 RendersNew Operation Flashpoint 2 RendersNew Operation Flashpoint 2 Renders

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising is scheduled for release in 2009.

New Alpha Protocol Screenshots

Wrapping things up tonight, the guys over at Obsidian Entertainment have released a new batch of screenshots from their upcoming spy-themed RPG, Alpha Protocol. These latest shots show off the game's environments, detailed character models and some intense gun battles. Enjoy:

New Alpha Protocol ScreenshotsNew Alpha Protocol ScreenshotsNew Alpha Protocol ScreenshotsNew Alpha Protocol ScreenshotsNew Alpha Protocol ScreenshotsNew Alpha Protocol ScreenshotsNew Alpha Protocol Screenshots

Alpha Protocol is scheduled for release in February 2009.

Christian Game Developers Conference

Christian Game Developers Conference

Christians are gamers, too (apparently)! The community has stepped up since days of old though, and are having their own conference this year, titled the Christian Game Developers Conference. Speakers, workshops, expo time, all that good stuff, you'll see it there. Below you'll find a list of speakers, workshops, and panels.

Speakers

Jay Moore, The Strategery GroupKen Kavanagh, ClickToy InteractiveScott Wong, Brethren EntertainmentChris Skaggs, Soma Games

Workshops

Wisdom or Waste?, Tim ReddingtonHow We Can Fund Missions Via Entertainment, Ed ArmstrongCreating AI-Bots in Multiplayer Games, Laurene Wells of Heaven's Blessings Tiny ZooVirtual Team of Volunteers, Charlie MauckThe DevChallenge: Quickly Creating Value, Dan OldsCreatively Glorifying GodJerry Moore - Game Design.

Discussion groups & panels

Game EvangelismThe Life Cycle of a BugState of the Industry

Dan Olds' will be showing his latest film at the event, as well, titled "Song Man," which is described as such:

Song Man is the story of a young Jewish man, David, an out of work musician struggling with life, love, and faith, who's unaware that people all over the world are following his music and spiritual journey through the songs he writes; among them, a couple of contract killers trying to prevent him from claiming the inheritance that rightfully belongs to him. The film features the biblical card game "Prophecy", which Dan created and is published by Epos Entertainment.

Registration is still open to anyone who wishes to attend and can be done through the website found below; cost is $75 for two days or less or $90 for all three days. The experience is promised to be 'unique.'

Don’t miss this opportunity to gather with other Christian developers to discuss and pray over the exciting things God is doing in this industry!  July 24-26, 2008, Portland, Oregon.

Monday, July 21, 2008

WoW Achievements - Screenshots

Already heard about the WoW Achievement System? We got some screenshots to better illustrate the new feature. Looks like there will be easy ones you'll get by just playing, and ones that will turn your face blue while you grind - that is, if you want to get them all. Sounds like fun!

WoW Achievements - ScreenshotsWoW Achievements - ScreenshotsWoW Achievements - ScreenshotsWoW Achievements - ScreenshotsWoW Achievements - Screenshots

Space Siege Screenshots

Keeping things interesting this weekend, the folks over at Gas Powered Games have whipped up a new batch of screenshots from their upcoming Action-RPG, Space Siege. These latest shots gives us a quick look at the game's combat system, a handful of different enemies, and your little robot buddy "HRV". Enjoy:

Space Siege ScreenshotsSpace Siege ScreenshotsSpace Siege ScreenshotsSpace Siege ScreenshotsSpace Siege Screenshots

Space Siege is scheduled for release in this Fall.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Strategic Command 2: Patton Drives East Patch

Keeping things rollin' tonight, the guys over at Battlefront.com have released a new patch (v1.01) for their latest Strategic Command 2 expansion, Patton Drives East. Weighing in at a hefty 171MB, this update includes a huge list of bug fixes, gameplay tweaks, map editor improvements, and a new "Video Acceleration" setting for faster scroll speeds. You can check out the full changelog right here or just hit any of the following mirrors to start downloading:

GamersHellFileFrontWorthPlaying

Grab it while it's hot! ;)

Wrath of the Lich King Beta Begins

Wrath of the Lich King Beta Begins

The Beta Test begins! World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King has entered closed beta. Word is that the first invites should be rolling out soon, and the first build is up. Blizzard has also lifted the NDA so everything about Wrath of the Lich King is "fair game" - and there is bound to be tons of new information out and about.

Note that the Beta is currently closed - the participants are either those with Blizzcon beta keys, or those picked at random from players who opted-in using the World of Warcraft account pages.

Blizzard's Beta FAQ (US)

Official Beta Forums (US)
Official Beta Forums (EU)

Read on for the initial Beta patch notes - supposedly they are still rough and incomplete, but boy they are long.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King: Beta

Welcome to the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Beta Test. The list below contains information on the current available content for testing and general information. This information is subject to change. Alpha testers should note that your characters have been temporarily locked out. In a few weeks time, we will unlock these characters and you will be able to continue to level them. Please visit the Beta forums to submit feedback and discuss the expansion development with others.

General

The continent of Northrend is now available! To travel there, visit one of four transportation masters in either Orgrimmar, Undercity, Stormwind Harbor,or Menethil Harbor.The floating magical city of Dalaran is now available!The Barber Shop has been implemented and you can now visit one of the Barber Shops in the major cities to change your appearance.The all new Achievement System has been implemented.Transportation between Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra can be found at the Tuskarr villages in those zones.The level cap is currently set to 77.Hit Rating, Critical Strike Rating, and Haste Rating now modify both melee attacks and spells.Spellpower:
+ All items and effects which grant bonuses to spell damage and spell healing are being consolidated into a single stat, Spellpower. This stat will appear with the same values found on items which grant -increased spell damage and healing- such as on typical Mage and Warlock itemization.
+ For classes which do not heal, they should see no change in the character sheet other than new tooltip wording.
+ Healing characters will see their bonus healing numbers on the character sheet decrease, however, all healing spells have been modified to receive more benefit from spellpower than they received from bonus healing, with a net effect of no change to the amount healed by their spells. Some talents have had to be rebalanced to accommodate this change, but the amount healed will remain roughly the same. In addition, some talents will provide only healing spell power.

NPC Transportation Locations

Horde:

Undercity to Vengeance Landing (Howling Fjord)Orgrimmar to Warsong Hold (Borean Tundra)

Alliance:

Menethil Harbor to Valgarde (Howling Fjord)Stormwind Harbor to Valiance Keep (Borean Tundra)

Known Issues

The current patch notes are incomplete, but will be more progressively more comprehensive in each patch.

World Environment Zones

The following zones are available for testing: Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, Dragonblight, and Grizzly Hills, Sholazar Basin, and Zul'Drak.

Dungeons

The following dungeons are available for testing:

Howling Fjord: Utgarde Keep (70-72)Borean Tundra: The Nexus (70-72)Dragonblight: Azjol-Nerub (72-74)Grizzly Hills: Drak-Tharon Keep (74-76)Storm Peaks: The Halls of Stone (77-79)

Classes

All Classes are available for play. Spells and talents will be available for testing past 70.

The Death Knight Hero class is now available for play.

Death Knights will now start with 0 talent points at level 55.Creating a new Death Knight will start you at level 55 in Eastern Plaguelands.The Death Knight start zone, Acherus, the Ebon Hold, is fully implemented and is located in the Eastern area of Eastern Plaguelands.

Druid

Brambles (Balance): Now increases the damage done by your Treants, and also damage caused from your Treants and Barkskin has a 5/10/15% chance to Daze the target for 3 sec.Celestial Focus (Balance): The stun proc now works with Starfall.Entangling Roots: Can now be used indoors.Faerie Fire (Feral): Now an 11-point talent, down from being a 21-point talent.Feral Charge (Feral) is now a 21-point talent, up from being a 11-point talent.Feral Charge (Feral): Can now be used in Cat form.Feral Instinct (Feral) no longer increases threat generated in Bear form, but now increases damage done by your Swipe ability by 5/10/15%.Focused Starlight (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.Force of Nature (Balance): Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes, down from 3.Hurricane: No longer has a cooldown (was 1 minute).Improved Faerie Fire (Feral): Now also works with spell hit, in addition to ranged and melee hit %.Improved Mark of the Wild (Restoration): Now a 2-point talent, down from a 5-point talent.Improved Tranquility (Restoration): Now also reduces the cooldown of your Tranquility spell by 25/50%.Mangle (Feral): Now increases the damage done by Maul in addition to Shred.Moonglow (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.Moonkin Form (Balance) no longer increases your attack power or causes you to regenerate mana off melee attacks, but now has a chance to cause you to instantly regenerate 2% of your total mana every time you critically hit with a spell.Nature's Focus (Restoration): Now a 3 point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Also moved to Tier 1, up from Tier 2. Now also includes Nourish.Nature's Grace (Balance): Now also reduces the global cooldown of your Wrath spell by 50% while in effect.Nature's Grasp (Balance): Can now be used and can proc indoors.Nature's Reach (Balance): Now also reduces threat generated by Balance spells by 15/30%.New Spell: Revive - Returns the spirit to the body, restoring a dead target to life with health and mana. Cannot be cast when in combat. (Ranks 1-7 added)Omen of Clarity (Restoration): Now a passive spell. Now also works for spells (healing and damage). Proc rate is roughly 6% with a 10 second internal cooldown.Primal Tenacity (Feral) now reduces damage while stunned by 5/10/15%, and reduces the duration of fear effects by 5/10/15%.Remove Curse can now be used in Tree of Life form.Soothe Animal can now be used on Dragonkin as well as Beasts.Soothe Animal is now instant cast.Subtlety (Restoration): Now a 3-point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Also moved to Tier 2, up from Tier 3. Also now only reduced threat for Restoration spells, and reduces the chance that your healing over time spells (Lifebloom, Regrowth and Rejuvenation) will be dispelled, rather than all Druid spells. Threat management for Balance can now be found in the Balance tree, within Nature's Reach.Survival of the Fittest (Feral): Increased to 2/4/6%, up from 1/2/3%.The mana regeneration penalty when in Bear Form, Dire Bear Form and Cat Form has been removed.Tranquil Spirit (Restoration) now also includes Nourish.Tree of Life (Restoration): 30% snare penalty has been removed.Tree of Life (Restoration): Can now cast Dispel Curse.Tree of Life (Restoration): You can now cast all Restoration spells (Healing Touch) in the form, but Tree of Life now only reduces the mana cost of your healing over time spells (Rejuvenation, Lifebloom, Regrowth and Flourish) by 20%.Vengeance (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.

Hunter

All pet families now have one unique ability. New abilities have been added for families such as bears and sporebats.Aspects now no longer cost mana.Avoidance, Dash / Dive and Cobra Reflexes are now pet talents instead of pet skills.Bite now has no cooldown, does the same damage and costs the same Focus as Claw, so works as a Focus dump.Clever Traps (Survival) has been renamed "Trap Mastery."Concussive Barrage (Marksmanship) - Can now proc from Volley attacks.Deterrence (Survival) - Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes, and now also increases your chance to resist spells by 60%. Now has a new spell effect.Every hunter pet can learn Growl, Cower and either Bite or Claw (never both).Hunter pets can now learn talents in one of three trees depending on family. Pets gain talent points starting at level 20 and earn an extra talent point every 4 levels.If a hunter tames a pet that is more than five levels beneath than the hunter's level, then the pet jumps to five levels beneath than the hunter's level.Improved Feign Death (Survival): Now also reduces damage taken during Feign Death by 15/30%.Loyalty, Training Points and the hunter Beast Training button no longer exist. Hunter pets can now learn all skills at their level. They will get new ranks automatically as they gain levels.Master Tactician (Survival) - Chance to proc increased to 10%, up from 6%.Monster Slaying (Survival) and Humanoid Slaying (Survival) has been combined into "Improved Tracking".New Talent - Improved Tracking (Survival) - Increases all damage done to targets that are being tracked 1/2/3/4/5%.Steady Shot now uses ammo. In result, its bonus damage has been slightly reduced. Players can notice a damage increase based upon what ammo they use.Surefooted (Survival) now reduces the duration of movement impairing effects by 10/20/30% (instead of resist % chance).Trap Mastery (Survival) has been removed.

Mage

Arcane Focus (Arcane) is now 3 ranks and increases chance to hit and reduces mana cost of Arcane spells by 1/2/3%.Counterspell now costs 9% of base mana.Frost Armor, Ice Armor, Mage Armor and Molten Armor are no longer Magic effects and cannot be dispelled.Invisibility now makes the caster invisible after 3 seconds, reduced from 5 seconds.Magic Attunement (Arcane) now also increases the range of your Arcane spells by 3/6 yards.Polymorph now costs 12% of base mana.Portal spells now cost 18% of base mana.Prismatic Cloak (Arcane) now also reduces the fade time of Invisibility by 1/2 seconds.Slow Fall now costs 6% of base mana.Teleport spells now cost 9% of base mana.

Paladin

All Auras now affect all party and raid members within the area of effect.Anticipation (Protection) moved to tier 1, now increases chance to dodge by 1/2/3/4/5%.Avenger's Shield (Protection) cast time reduced to .5 seconds, duration increased to 10 seconds.Avenging Wrath no longer causes Forebearance, damage increase reduced to 20%, now increases healing done by 20%.Blessing of Freedom renamed Hand of Freedom. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.Blessing of Light and Greater Blessing of Light removed. Their effects have been folded into all relevant abilities.Blessing of Protection renamed Hand of Protection. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. All ranks now cost 6% of base mana.Blessing of Sacrifice renamed Hand of Sacrifice, is now only 1 rank and transfers 20% of the damage taken to the caster, duration reduced to 12 seconds, cooldown increased to 2 minutes. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.Blessing of Salvation renamed Hand of Salvation, now reduces total threat on the target by 2% per second for 10 seconds while also reducing all damage and healing done by 10%. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.Conviction (Retribution) now increases critical chance with all spells and melee attacks.Divine Intellect (Holy) moved to tier 2, increases total Intellect by 3/6/9/12/15%.Divine Intervention cooldown reduced to 20 minutes.Divine Protection and Divine Shield now cost 3% of base mana.Divine Purpose (Retribution) now reduces chance to be hit by spells and ranged attacks by 1/2/3%.Divine Strength (Holy) moved to tier 1 in the Protection tree.Greater Blessing of Salvation removed.Hammer of Justice now costs 3% of base mana.Hammer of Wrath is now considered a Retribution spell, moved from Holy, mana cost reduced, missile speed increased, now usable on targets below 35% health.Healing Light (Holy) moved to tier 2.Holy Shield (Protection) cooldown reduced to 8 seconds.Holy Shock (Holy) range changed to 20/40 yards when used on enemies/friends respectively, cooldown reduced to 6 seconds.Holy Wrath is now instant cast, causes a 3 second stun, cooldown reduced to 30 seconds, radius reduced to 10 yards.Illumination (Holy) moved to tier 3.Improved Concentration Aura (Protection) moved to the Holy tree.Improved Concentration Aura moved from the Protection tree to tier 4 in the Holy tree.Improved Devotion Aura (Protection) moved to tier 4, reduced to 3 ranks, now increases armor of Devotion Aura by 17/34/50% and increases all healing done to units affected by Devotion Aura by 1/2/3%.Improved Hammer of Justice (Protection) now reduces cooldwon by 10/20/30 secs.Improved Righteous Fury (Protection) threat bonus folded into base spell, talent still reduces all damage taken by 2/4/6%.Improved Sanctity Aura (Retribution) renamed Sanctified Retribution, now causes all units affected by Retribution Aura to cause 2% more damage.Improved Seal of Righteousness (Holy) moved to tier 1, renamed XXX, now affects Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Vengeance and Seal of Corruption.Improved Seal of the Crusader (Retribution) renamed Heart of the Crusader and the effects now apply to all Judgement spells.Judgement of Justice will no longer prevent Fear effects, only prevent NPCs from fleeing (e.g. at low health).Lay on Hands no longer drains all mana, cooldown reduced to 20 minutes.Pure of Heart (Holy) reduced to 2 ranks, now reduces duration of Curse and Disease effects by 25/50%.Redoubt (Protection) moved to tier 2.Repentance (Retribution) mana cost changed to 9% of base, duration increased to 1 minute (10 second PvP duration), now usable against Demons, Dragonkin, Giants, Humanoids and Undead.Retribution Aura damage increased and now gains damage based on Holy spell power.Righteous Fury now increases threat caused by Holy damage by 90%.Sanctified Light (Holy) now also increases the critical chance of Holy Shock.Sanctity Aura (Retribution) removed.Seal of Justice/Judgement reduced to 1 rank with all the effects of the previous rank 2, the Judgement effect no longer prevents Fear.Seal of the Crusader has been removed. The effects of Judgement of the Crusader have been folded into all relevant abilities.Seal of Vengeance damage over time effect duration increased to 18 seconds.Spiritual Focus (Holy) moved to tier 1.Stoicism (Protection) moved to tier 2, now reduces duration of Stun effects by 10/20/30% and reduces chance your spells will be resisted by 10/20/30%.Toughness (Protection) moved to tier 3.Turn Undead (ranks 1 and 2) removed. Turn Evil now granted at level 24, mana cost changed to 9% of base.Unyielding Faith (Holy) moved to tier 2.

Priest

Circle of Healing (Holy): Now works on any targets in the caster's raid, and is now a "smart" heal and chooses the lowest health targets to heal first within it's range. Also now has a 6 second cooldown. Also no longer will heal summoned Snakes from Hunter's Snake Trap.Enlightenment (Discipline): Now also gives 1% spell damage and 1% heal per point.Focused Will (Discipline): Now increases healing effects on you by 3/4/5%, down from 4/7/10%.Force of Will (Discipline): This talent now increases your spell damage by a flat amount, rather than increasing your spells by a %. (Now increases school %, rather than selected spells damage %). In other words, your spell damage gained from this talent is now reflected on your character sheet, rather than the skill tool-tips.Holy Fire: Cast time reduced to to 2 seconds, down from 3.5. Damage increased roughly 60%. Duration for the damage over time effect reduced to 7 seconds, down from 10. Holy Fire now has a 10 second cooldown.Improved Inner Fire (Discipline) - Now also increases the bonus healing on your Inner Fire spell by 10/20/30%.Improved Shadow Word: Pain (Shadow) - Now increases damage done by your Shadow Word: Pain by 5/10%, but no longer increases the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain.Levitate now costs 3% of base mana.Lightwell (Holy): Cast time reduced to .5 sec, down from 1.5 sec. Charges increased to 10, up from 5. Now breaks from any attack that hits you for 30% or more of your total health. Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes, down from 5.Mind Control now has only one rank and costs 12% of base mana.Mind Soothe now has only one rank, costs 6% of base mana and has no max target level.Mind Vision now costs 3% of base mana.New Talent: Improved Spirit Tap (Shadow) - Gives you a 50/100% chance to gain a 50% bonus to your Spirit after gaining a critical effect chance from your Mind Blast or Shadow Word: Death spells. For the duration, your mana will regenreate at a 25% rate while casting. Lasts 8 sec.New Talent: Twin Faiths (Discipline) - Increases your damage and healing by 1/2/3/4/5%.Pain Suppression (Discipline): Cooldown increased to 3 minutes, up from 2.Power Infusion (Discipline): Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes, down from 3.Psychic Scream now costs 15% of base mana.Searing Light (Holy): Now also increases the damage of your Holy Nova and Penance spells.Shackle Undead now costs 9% of base mana.Shadow Focus (Shadow): Now a 3 point talent, down from 5. Now also reduces the mana cost of your Shadow spells by 2/4/6%.Shadow Resilience (Shadow): Now reduces physical damage taken by 2/4%, but no longer reduces the chance to be critically hit by spells.Shadowform (Shadow): Now has an innate 30% threat reduction. Now has a shapeshift UI.Silent Resolve (Discipline): Now a 3 point talent, down from 5 points.Spirit Tap (Shadow) - Talent reduced to 3 points, down from 5. Now also leads into "Improved Spirit Tap"Wand Specialization (Discipline) has been removed.

Rogue

Blade Twisting (Combat) now cause all damaging melee attacks to have a 10% chance to daze for 4/8 seconds.Deadened Nerves (Assassination) now reduces all damage taken by 1/2/3/4/5%.Fleet Footed (Assassination) now reduces duration of movement impairing effects by 25/50% rather than increasing resist chance.Gouge is now only 1 rank and causes damage based on attack power.Kick is now only 1 rank and no longer causes damage.Nerves of Steel (Combat) now reduces the duration of all Stun and Fear effects by 15/30%.Pick Lock and Disarm Trap no longer require Thieve's Tools.Premeditation (Subtlety) duration increased to 20 seconds.Riposte (Combat) now slows the target's melee attacks by 20% instead of disarming them.Setup (Subtlety) chance to gain a combo point increased to 33/66/100%.Vanish no longer requires the reagent Flash Powder.Vile Poisons (Assassination) reduced to 3 ranks, now increases damage of poisons and Eviscerate by 7/14/20% and increases dispel resistance by 10/20/30%.

Shaman

All totems are now considered on the "Physical" school, and no longer magical spells.Ancestral Knowledge (Enhancement): Now increases your Intellect by 2/4/6%, instead of increasing your total Mana by 2/4/6/8/10%.Call of Flame (Elemental): Now also increases the damage of your Lava Burst spell by 2/4/6%.Call of Thunder (Elemental) now also increases the critical strike chance of your Thunder spell.Concussion (Elemental) now increases the damage of your Thunder and Lava Burst spells.Convection (Elemental) is now a 3-point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Now lowers the mana cost of Thunder and Lava Burst.Earth's Grasp (Elemental) is now a tier-1 talent, up from tier-2.Elemental Detestation (Elemental) is now a tier-2 talent, up from tier-4.Elemental Focus (Restoration): Now also can proc off Lesser Healing Wave and Healing Wave, and can be used on all healing spells.Elemental Fury (Elemental) now requires Elemental Focus as a pre-requisiteElemental Precision (Elemental): Chance to hit reduced to 1/2/3% from 2/4/6%, but threat reduction increased to 10/20/30% up from 4/7/10%.Enhancing (Enhancement) Totems is now a Tier 1 talent, up from Tier-2.Flametongue Totem is now a flat spell damage totem. All ranks have been modified.Frostbrand's snare effect has been increased to 50%, up from 25%.Ghost Wolf's mana cost is now 13% base.Grace of Air Totem has been removed. (Agility has been rolled over into Strength of Earth Totem)Improved Fire Totems (Elemental) is now (again) Improved Fire Nova Totem. It now has a 50/100% chance to stun all targets for 2 sec.Improved Lightning Shield (Enhancement) is now Elemental Shields, and is in Tier-1.New ranks have been added of Water Shield, starting at level 20. (Level 20, 27, 34, 41, 48, 55, 62, 69)New Spell: Earthliving Weapon - Imbue the Shaman's weapon with earthen life. Increases healing done by x and each heal has a 20% chance to proc Earthliving on the target, healing an additionaly over 12 sec. Lasts 30 minutes.New Talent: Cleanse Spirit (Restoration) - Cleanse the spirit of a friendly target, removing 1 poison effect, 1 disease effect, and 1 curse effect.New Talent: Elemental Shields (Enhancement): Increases the damage done by your Lightning Shield orbs by 5/10/15%, increases the amount of mana gained from your Mana Shield orbs by 5/10/15% and increases the amount of healing done by your Earth Shield orbs by 5/10/15%.New Talent: Mental Dexterity (Enhancement) - Increases your Attack Power by 33/66/100% of your Intellect.Rockbiter ranks 5 through 9 have been removed. Windfury Weapon is intended to replace Rockbiter at level 30.Shapeshifting will no longer cancel Water Walking.Shield Specialization (Enhancement) - Now a 2-point talent, and increases the chance to block with attacks by 10/20%, and increases the amount blocked by 5/10%.Stoneskin Totem now increases armor instead of reducing physical damage.Storm Reach (Elemental): Now also increases the radius of your Thunder spell by 10/20%.Strength of Earth Totem now also increases agility.Tranquil Air Totem has been removed. (Threat is being addressed by modifications to the base threat of players and/or "baked" into tanking abilities.)Unleashed Rage is now raid wide.Windfury Totem is now a flat 20% melee haste totem. All ranks have been modified.Windwall Totem has been removed.Wrath of Air is now a flat 10% spell haste totem.

Warlock

Aftermath (Destruction) - Now a 2-point talent, down from 5.All demon abilities and spells will automatically be learned as pets gain levels. Demon Master trainers will be removed.Blood Pact now works raid-wide (not just in party).Cataclysm (Destruction) - Now also increases your chance to hit with Destruction spells by 1% per point.Curse of Recklessness will no longer prevent Fear effects, only prevent NPCs from fleeing (e.g. at low health).Dark Pact: Tooltip updated to be more consistent with other similar effects.Demon Armor - Now increases healing done by spells and effects by 20%, but no longer has in-combat health regeneration.Demon Skin, Demon Armor and Fel Armor are no longer Magic effects and cannot be dispelled.Fel Armor - Now increases your spell damage equal to 30% of your total Spirit, but no longer increases healing done by spells and effects by 20%.Fel Stamina (Demonology) has been merged with Fel Intellect into Fel Vitality.Howl of Terror now costs 15% of base mana.Improved Curse of Weakness (Affliction) is now "Frailty" - Increases the amount of attack power reduced by your Curse of Weakness spell by 10/20%, and increases the amount of armor reduced by your Curse of Recklessness by 10/20%.Improved Enslave Demon (Demonology) is now a Tier 5 talent, up from Tier 4.Improved Lash of Pain (Destruction) and Improved Firebolt (Destruction) have been merged into one talent, Demonic Power.Improved Shadow Bolt (Destruction) - Now increases damage by your next Shadow damage spells by 3/6/9/12/15%, down from 4/8/12/16/20%.Mana Feed: Tooltip updated to be more consistent with other similar effects.Master Demonologist - Felguard (Demonology) - Now increases all damage by 1/2/3/4/5%, and reduces all damage done to you by 1/2/3/4/5%.Master Demonologist - Imp (Demonology) - Now increases Fire damage by 1/2/3/4/5%, and critical hit chance with Fire spells by 1/2/3/4/5%.Master Demonologist - Succubus (Demonology) - Now increases Shadow damage by 1/2/3/4/5%, and critical hit chance with Shadow spells by 1/2/3/4/5%.Master Demonologist (Demonology) - Most effects have been altered.New Talent: Demonic Empowerment (Demonology) - Grants your Summoned Demon power for a short time.New Talent: Eradication (Affliction) - Your Corruption, Siphon Life and Curse of Agony ticks have a 5/10/15% chance to increase your spell haste by 20% for 8 sec. This effect has a 10 second cooldown.New Talent: Molten Core (Destruction) - Your Shadow spells and damage over time effects have a 5/10/15% chance to increase the damage of your Fire spells by 10% for 6 sec.Pyroclasm (Destruction) - Now also includes Conflagrate.Shadowfury (Destruction) - Can now be cast while moving. Stun duration increased to 3 seconds, up from 2.Soul Link (Demonology) is now an 11-point talent (used to be a 31-point talent), but the 5% bonus damage from this talent has been removed. In addition, the damage absorbed by Soul Link is now 15%, down from 20%.Soul Siphon (Affliction): Now also increases the damage of your Drain Soul.Suppression (Affliction) is now a 3-point talent, down from 5. Now increases your chance to hit with Affliction spells by 1/2/3%, down from 1/2/3/4/5%.Unstable Affliction (Affliction): Silence effect reduced to 3 seconds, down from 5.

Warrior

Anticipation (Protection) now increases chance to dodge by 1/2/3/4/5%, moved to tier 2.Challenging Shout cooldown reduced to 3 minutes.Death Wish (Fury) no longer makes you immune to Fear effects.Death Wish and Sweeping Strikes have swapped locations in their respective talent trees.Defensive Stance now increases threat by 45%.Defiance (Protection) removed, replaced by Incite and moved to a new location on tier 2.Hamstring now only has one rank and no longer causes damage.Improved Bloodrage (Protection) now increases rage generation of both the instant and over-time effects by 25/50%.Improved Disarm (Protection) now reduces the cooldown of Disarm and Shield Break by 5/10/15 seconds and increases damage taken by disarmed targets by 4/7/10%.Improved Shield Block (Protection) now has 2 ranks and reduces cooldown of Shield Block by 5/10 secs. It no longer increases the number of blocks.Iron Will (Arms) now has only 3 ranks, reducing the duration of Stun and Charm effects by 10/20/30%.Last Stand (Protection) cooldown reduced to 6 minutes.Mace Specialization (Arms) can no longer trigger more than once per 6 seconds.Mocking Blow now only has one rank and causes weapon damage, cooldown reduced to 1 min and can now be used in Defensive Stance.Overpower now only has one rank and no longer causes any bonus damage (i.e. weapon damage only).Poleaxe Specialization (Arms) now also increases critical damage done by Axes and Polearms by 1/2/3/4/5%.Pummel now only has one rank and no longer causes damage.Shield Bash now only has one rank and will cause damage based on a % of AP.Shield Block now increases chance to block and amount blocked by 100% for the next attack. Cooldown increased to 30 seconds.Shield Slam is now available to all warriors, starting at level 40.Shield Specialization (Protection) moved to Tier 1, now increases rage by 2 on a successful block.Sword Specialization (Arms) can no longer trigger more than once per 6 seconds.Toughness (Protection) moved to tier 3.

Professions

The following tradeskills are available to train up to 425: First Aid, Herbalism, Mining, Skinning, Enchanting, and Leatherworking.

User Interface

The /cower emote now has an animation.Macros and key bindings are now saved server-side so there is no longer a need to reconfigure them when logging in using another computer.Shift-clicking to loot mail: You can now hold Shift and click on mail in your inbox to automatically loot any items and gold without opening the mail. This default behavior can be changed via Auto Loot Mail in the Interface Options (Controls).

Combat Log Changes:

The combat log now differentiates between a spell failure due to resistance and spell failure due to missing the target. Where once both events reported as a resist; a spell missing the target is now reported as a miss.Overhealing is now reported in the combat log.When a source of damage is entirely prevented (by a shield block, a full resist, or a damage shield like Power Word:Shield, the prevented amount will now be displayed.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Champions Online Gameplay Trailer

Also available for download tonight is a brand new gameplay trailer for Cryptic Studios' upcoming superhero-based MMORPG, Champions Online. Running just over a minute long, the video features a handful of characters laying a beating on some unfortunate foot soldiers. Enjoy:

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. The video is also available for download at GamersHell and the FileShack.

New Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 Shots

Finally tonight, Turbine has sent over six new screenshots from their upcoming Lord of the Rings Online content patch Book 14: The Ring-forges of Eregion. These new screenies show off the improved Minstrel animations and the continuation of the epic questline. Enjoy:

New Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 ShotsNew Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 ShotsNew Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 ShotsNew Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 ShotsNew Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 ShotsNew Lord of the Rings Online: Book 14 Shots

Ubisoft support releases a renamed NO-CD crack by Reloaded..?

Ubisoft support releases a renamed NO-CD crack by Reloaded..?

A bit of a wacky story turned up on the Internets today.

To help users deal with a DRM-related technical problem (surrprise surprise) found in the Driect2Drive version of Rainbow Six Vegas 2, it seems that, unbelievably, the Ubisoft support team posted a NO-CD crack made by the evil piracy group Reloaded, in order to deal with the problem. It seems like a pretty sloppy fix indeed: they merely renamed the crack r6vegas2_fix.zip and released it as there own work-around, giving no credit to the shafted Reloaded group. But a curious forum-goer named Twingo delved into the assembly code of the .exe file with a hex editor and found Reloaded tags, proving suspicions that the fix offered by Ubisoft was one and the same as the one released by the mega-illegal sea-dog 'warez' group.

Any mention of the issue on the official forums are getting immediate lock-downs by moderators.

One forum community manager had this to say on the forums: "The file was removed from the site over a week ago now and the matter is being thoroughly investigated by senior tech support managers here at Ubisoft. Needless to say we do not support or condone copy protection circumvention methods like this and this particular incident is in direct conflict with Ubisoft's policies."

It is indeed a sad state that PC gaming finds itself in when even a company's interneral support staff use a cracked .EXE for their own game, to get around problematic and annonying DRM. It seems like often the only people that DRM prevents from playing the game are the ones who actually bought it.