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15 Minutes of Fame: e-sportscaster tracks WoW tournies
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about. First off, let's establish this for the record: yes, there are people out there who play World of Warcraft professionally. There are pro teams, well known player personalities and an entire tournament scene. And behind it all, there are podcasters – "e-casters" – reporting on every twist and turn.Meet JP McDaniel, a 22-year-old college journalism major and podcaster for ArenaCast. JP has combined the game he loves with school and work in what he hopes will be a springboard to a print journalism career in gaming. He's managed to roll his main up to 80 in the midst of podcasting, news updates, tournament travel and his studies. We talked with JP about his road into e-casting and his perspectives on where e-sports -- and competitive WoW, in particular -- are heading.
No love for Final Fantasy XI on PS3
Square Enix's MMO title Final Fantasy XI has been popular on PlayStation 2 for years, but despite its availability for Xbox 360 and PC, it seems FFXI won't be making an appearance on the PS3 anytime soon. While some of the older PS3 models boasted PlayStation 2 emulation, moving forward gamers purchasing the PlayStation 3 won't enjoy this backwards compatibility.Given this limitation, and the simple fact that many gamers are leaving the PS2 behind as they look ahead, why hasn't Final Fantasy XI migrated to the PS3? You'd envision this being the logical next step for the title, particularly given the new breed of console-based MMOs coming to PS3 -- namely, superhero MMO DC Universe Online, spy-centric The Agency, and of course Free Realms. As it turns out, Square Enix did intend to move up to the PS3, according to a recent report from Kris Pigna over at 1UP.
Final Fantasy XI Fanfest 2008 information overload
The 2008 Final Fantasy XI Fanfest has wrapped up and 1up.com has collected all sorts of information from it. From the looks of things, the future is very bright for denizens of Vana'diel. The new Level Sync functionality -- which lowers high-level players' level so they can play with friends -- is getting more updates in the future, as are many of the game's systems in an effort to enable everyone to play less time and receive more experience. Or in other words, the development team is working to make the game less frustrating for new and old players.The other big news to come out of the Fanfest was that in the coming year Square Enix will be developing the storyline brought into the game with Wings of the Goddess. Apparently players can expect loads of Cait Sith, a Gigas assault on Jeuno, and some type of sultry new villainess. We're curious how much of this is going to be incorporated into the trio of mini-expansions coming for the game.The player base in Final Fantasy XI may not be huge, but the group is incredibly dedicated. Plus, as one of the very few Japanese MMOs (and the only Final Fantasy one) the game garners many Japanese players who share their servers with North Americans. With these forthcoming updates, the servers are likely to surge with new and old subscribers.
It's-a Mario World: Mushroom Feast
Commence with the spending frenzy! Black Friday's door-busting sales and no-holds-barred consumer fistfights initiate holiday shopping today, and that means the annual limited-edition Nintendo swag is now being clawed from store shelves. As many of you know, this year is no slouch with two new DS Lite colors, one of which is a phenomenal Mario-red. No cause for alarm; some foaming at the mouth is to be expected. Almost harder to believe is DS Fanboy's current giveaway where one lucky reader will take it home free. The rest of us can bag it at Amazon.com while supplies last.ANYWAYS. We still have a gallery this week amidst all of the excitement. It started out as a series of photographs capturing every possible angle of the aforementioned DS Lite, but that didn't quite work. Instead, being so stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey and delicious pumpkin pie, we couldn't help thinking about what comprises Mario's diet. The short answer? Mushrooms. Lots of them. Seriously, what is it about fungus? Chomp down on our new gallery in which you'll taste a smorgasbord of 'shroom varieties Mario has consumed throughout his career. Yum. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
Player reactions to WoW zombie plague are both positive and negative
What do you do when a developer takes strides to do something dynamic and interesting in a typically static virtual world like World of Warcraft? Many people seem to be enjoying the rare chance to spread a zombiefying plague across lands both friend and foe. Others, however, are not happy at all. It seems as though in a world that's mostly static, many want it to stay that way.1up.com took a look at player reactions on the official World of Warcraft forums and what they found was a slightly mixed response. While our guess is that this is a vocal minority, some players are calling this temporary event a contradiction to the very notion of PvE servers. While that may be true if this were a permanent change, it's an event, and with the launch of war upon Lich King Arthas, we'd like to think that some people would be a bit more accepting of a one-time-only experience like this one. Oh well, at least it looks like most are enjoying their brain-eating moments.
Rumor: WiiWare sales for third-party devs in the hundreds?
Apparently overheard by 1UP's Shane Bettenhausen at the recently concluded TGS08, third-party developers on WiiWare haven't been raking in the cash. Supposedly, they've only sold "hundreds" of copies of their digital wares, meaning it's largely been a bust for them. We're not sure how valid this is, hence the rumor label.When you think about it, how could stellar titles like LostWinds, World of Goo and Mega Man 9 sell only a few hundred copies? Perhaps the shovelware that is Protöthea and SPOGS Racing only sold a few hundred, if that, but we're thinking that the good games have done pretty well. Hey Nintendo, how about some sales data?Of course, this could all be moot. It's not like there's much of a source on this one (we've checked the latest 1UP show and the latest podcasts, but we haven't been able to find it there), so feel free to apply salt where needed. We're always looking for new games to enjoy. We've got plenty of other WiiWare reviews, if you're into that kind of thing.. If you're so crazy that you want to go to the store and buy something when you could be playing World of Goo or Mega Man 9, we can help with that, too.
LittleBigPlanet beta levels will be transferred to final game
People's opinions in polls be darned, Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans has apparently confirmed to 1UP that the user-created levels from the LittleBigPlanet beta will be transferred to the final game. Evans tells the site that they'll continue running the poll on the Official PlayStation Forums to gauge people's reactions to the news, but it appears this is now a done deal.The LBP beta ends this Sunday, the game will be out beginning the week of October 21st.[Thank Erick M.]
Shawn Elliot leaves 1UP, GFW Radio
Remember when the Podcast Rodeo told you that GFW Radio, The Brodeo, would continue to soldier on in the absence of fearless leader Jeff Green? It would seem that we were lying. Though it probably could have withstood the dissolution of its magazine and the loss of Green, the departure of Shawn Elliot was apparently more than it could handle. Our favorite philosophizing, rap master game journalist announced yesterday that he was leaving 1UP for 2K Boston (as if we needed another reason to creepy stalk poor KennyL). The final episode of GFW Radio is up now.Elliot joins a list of recently departed 1UP staffers that has become too long for us to remember. He'll be associate producing a mystery project at the 2K Boston: great news for the "us" two years from now, but absolutely bad news for us today. See you later, boss. Give Ken a back rub for us.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
GFW's Jeff Green leaves 1UP for Sims team
Jeff Green is the kind of game journalist we want to be when we grow up: Seasoned, funny and imbued with the perfect blend of skepticism and passion, even after 17 years on the job. Now, the former CGW and GFW editor and (just as importantly) GFW Radio/Brodeo cornerstone is leaving Ziff-Davis to join The Sims development team.We have too much respect for Green to use this as an opportunity to note all the high-profile names that have jumped the Ziff-Davis ship recently. We'll only say that we'll miss you Jeff, and we wish you all the best.[Thanks, Jonah]
Psychologists talk gaming addiction, online friendships
1UP's Scott Sharkey has written an article titled "Hook It to My Veins: Can Videogaming be an Addiction?" in which he provides anecdotal experiences with excessive gaming and conversations with two experts -- researcher/author Neils Clark and psychology lecturer Dr. Nadine Pelling. The conclusion is made pretty quickly: yes, video games can be an addiction. Big surprise there! But the details can be wishy-washy, it turns out. Virtual worlds are the subject of in-depth analysis. Clark borrows from a theory by J.R.R. Tolkien by suggesting that gaming addiction is about a conflict between what ought to be a primary world, and a secondary fantasy world. Gamers with a problem have difficulty prioritizing, or even acknowledging that the gaming world is secondary. Immersion is an important part of enjoying a game, right? But if you're thinking about how you need to make sure the primary world gets its due attention, then you're not immersed anymore -- so begins the problem.
Flagship Studios' founder finally speaks
If you've been wondering just exactly what happened with Flagship Studios over the past year or so, then you should really give a listen to the thoughts of Bill Roper, founder of Flagship. The poor guy pretty much spills his guts to 1up.com's Jeff Green about everything that happened and is happening with the people and projects from Flagship. It's a surprisingly lengthy interview, clocking in at eight pages. It's totally worth the read if you want a gritty insight into just how much went into not only Hellgate: London and Mythos, but the team that put those titles together.It's not often that we get such a wide and deep look into a developer. We're counting ourselves lucky that Bill seems to be such a open and forthcoming guy, otherwise we might have never known anything beyond rumors and speculation. If everyone previously involved with Flagship lands on their feet, it will be in no small part due to Bill Roper's efforts.
Blow explains dilemma of Braid's price to 1Up
Braid is great. Braid's 1200 MS point ($15) price, on the other hand, has been a point of contention. Designer Jonathan Blow sat down with 1Up and discussed what went into the decision of the game's price point and some of the tough choices that needed to be made. Blow explains if the game maintained sales among a niche audience at 800 points he would be "bankrupt or in debt." Then again, if Braid sells moderately well -- and if the buzz over the title keeps going, it should -- he says he could have stuck it out at 800 points and then the game would have probably sold even better. Check out the developer's dilemma in the video after the break.
Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop coming to Wii this winter
Famitsu sort of already spilled the beans on a Dead Rising-based Wii game, but Capcom got to fill us in this morning on the game's new title: Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, which we'd like to make fun of, but we find surprisingly precious. Capcom also related that you could expect the game on shelves this winter.1UP has some details on the pseudo-port from Famitsu, largely centered on the efforts to make the game more casually appealing. For starters, there's no more timer, you just complete missions and move on. There have also been tweaks to the camera and controls based on Resident Evil 4. And yes, you can expect some motion controls -- in exactly the ways you'd expect -- which you can read about here.%Gallery-28230%
Killzone 2 vehicles on display
The latest episode of The 1UP Show features an exclusive first-look at Killzone 2's vehicles. Every bit of info that comes out for this incredibly secretive FPS gets us a bit more excited, and this impressive preview from the 1UP doesn't change the trend. We're going hands-on with the game at E3 next week -- let's hope it plays just as well as it looks. [Thanks, frankym!]
The Digital Continuum: Square Enix's next MMO
This recent interview with the Final Fantasy XI team by James "Milkman' Mielky of 1up.com internet fame got me thinking about the next MMO to come from the Square Enix camp. There isn't much meat on them bones as far as the next project goes, but the interview does get the team to talk just a little bit about it. It seems as though one thing is clear: Their newest MMO won't be too similar to Final Fantasy XI. While the developer says that they've learned through mistakes and player response with their original game, it seems that they really want to try something different.I'd be decidedly surprised if Square Enix didn't make a new MMO somehow based in the Final Fantasy universe considering the popularity of the franchise. It's very possible that when FFXI producer Hiromichi Tanaka said, "-we're not going to make something that'll be exactly like FFXI" He merely meant that mechanically speaking the new game would be very different. Which quite honestly should be a given considering the somewhat esoteric and now archaic control/menu system featured in their first game. Also, it would be nice to play a Final Fantasy MMO that wasn't so harsh on players who died -- losing experience is a deal-breaker for many players these days.
Obama and McCain face stiff competition
If you live in the U.S., you probably know that there's a presidential election coming up this November. As it stands, you currently have a few front-runner options: John McCain, Barack Obama, or ... Mario and Luigi?Yes, the joke's been done before (especially because of the nine thousand Mario Party games out there), but now it's on a t-shirt. Yet, that's not where Nintendo stops interfering in politics.Supporters of presidential candidate (and popular Mii), Barack Obama, have made a ton of 1up themed paraphernalia endorsing the candidate. The "O" in "Obama" was replaced with the green power-up, and the slogan reads, "Obama: 1up for America." Check past the break (or just click here) to see the design made by the Leftique.Now all we need is some game gear for McCain, and Nintendo will have completely taken over this election.
These 1ups taste like beer
What better way to test your drinking limits than with a 1up stein? This way, if you drink too much, you'll have an extra life stored away that you can make use of.* It's too bad, then, that these nifty mugs aren't available to the public. Designed as a gift for Die Krieger des Lichts clients, only a select few will ever get their hands on these limited edition steins. Yet, if you do manage to nab one somewhere, somehow, we recommend skipping the beer and trying out some Mario themed drinks insead.Prost!*Note: Seriously, drink responsibly and legally. This public service announcement was brought to you by DS Fanboy.[Via Technabob]
Petition for the black bar of censorship in Age of Conan
Apparently people already want the black bars slapped on the chests of the fine ladies of Hyboria, as 1UP got wind of a petition being crafted to add a nudity toggle to Age of Conan.Now, obviously everyone anticipated that the nudity would be a hot button issue - the developers already added an option to turn off nipples in the game. The source post in the forums though does add a decent option - simply a switch to give ladies bras for players who would like to play the game without the nudity.1UP, however, went a step further and created some pretty funny ways of blocking out nudity in AoC. If you haven't dropped by yet, you should check it out. They have a considerable amount of fun with a simple black bar.[Via 1UP]
1up will have exclusive Gears 2 video on Friday
The headline says it all folks. 1up seems to have gotten their hands on some new Gears 2 footage, and come Friday we are going to be, by their own admission, blown away. We're thinking massive amounts of enemies on-screen and nice water, but whether or not we'll be privy to anything at all close to gameplay is unsure. Epic has proved before that their Unreal engine is up to the job, but gamers will want more than just a tech demo. For now it's just a waiting game till week's end. Oh, and the video won't go live till 10:30pm PST so those of you overseas or cross country may have wait until morning. Boo hoo.
What's in The Day?
Precious little information has been revealed about Reloaded Studios' upcoming sci-fi MMO, The Day. Jino Lee, the game's lead producer, recently sat down with 1up and revealed a bit more about what we should expect to see. Players choose to be the "nobly oppressed" or the "power-hungry dominators" and fight via PvP battles to literally control time. A third unplayable "bad guy" class, referred to as "The Arch Enemy," helps drive the story along. The Day involves something that hasn't been attempted before on such a grand scale: time travel. Players (even low level ones) will have the ability to jump through time and visit the near future as well as the distant past.
