battlestar galactica
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NBC's Peacock streaming service may be free for everyone
With the streaming wars heating up -- Apple TV+ debuted today and HBO Max launch details were announced this week -- there are still some services that have a few cards to play before they start to roll out. Among them is Peacock, NBCUniversal's offering, which might very well be free for everyone when it debuts in April.
NBCUniversal's streaming service will be called Peacock
NBCUniversal has revealed launch details for its upcoming, ad-supported streaming service. Named Peacock, it'll be the exclusive streaming home of The Office (which you can still watch on Netflix through 2020) and Parks and Recreation. It'll debut this April with more than 15,000 hours of shows and movies.
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Free for All: Ten of my favorite in-game items
I love things. Truly I do. Only specific things, though. Over the last year I have doubled my efforts to catalog most of the best things in my life, from pictures and artwork to writings and songs I have played on. It's a sort of meta-hobby. As part of the effort I want to organize many of my favorite MMO in-game items, simply because I have played MMOs for so long and they are such a part of my life. I have a lot of favorite items, but some tend to stick out in my memory like a favorite smell or place. After I finished an initial list of MMO items (it was well over 50 items in the beginning), I was surprised at how much variety there was in the items and in the games I listed. I think it reflects my character a lot, but also shows that I am a sentimental plod most of the time. I cut the list down to these 10, but I am sure I will wish to adjust the list again in the future. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments section!
Battlestar Galactica producer/writer working with God of War dev
Michael Angeli, who co-executive produced 40 episodes of SciFi's Battlestar Galactica (in addition to having written seven of those episodes) is working on a new something-or-other with Sony Santa Monica, Polygon reports. The announcement was made by Angeli during yesterday's Battlestar Galactica panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Angeli told Polygon that he has been writing on the project for over two years, and that the game is a new property unrelated to Sony Santa Monica's God of War series. He also said that Battestar Galactica's presence on his resume was a factor in his being hired for the project. Whether that is indicative of the game having a sci-fi slant remains to be seen; we'd hire a Battlestar Galactica writer to helm pretty much anything.
How to get a Hopling pet
No, I still don't care about pet battles. But I do still think the Virmen are the second coolest race in Mists of Pandaria (just behind mogu, just ahead of mantid) and when I found out that it was possible to get a little virmen pet, I leapt on the chance. Above you see me standing with my new hopling pet. How did I get him? By completing the Stormstout Brewery achievement Ling-Ting's Herbal Journey, with help from both Wow Insider and Wowhead commenters. First off, commenter loopnotdefined tipped me off that you could complete the achievement after the dungeon had been cleared in yesterday's Stormstout Brewery tanking post. From there, I went to Wowhead, which had a guide to the location of the Golden Hoplings posted by Shirah2003, which was very helpful. Then I noticed commenter Savagekrosa had a handy macro for helping to find the hoplings, which I modified by making the hoplings my focus target, which puts a dot on my map giving me their exact location. So after a clear of the Brewery, I ran back to Auntie Stormstout, bought 5 of Ling-Ting's Favorite Tea, and went back through the place using the macro from Savagekrosa to find the hoplings. And now I'm the proud companion to a little virmen hopling of my very own. Thanks to everyone involved in making it possible, and whether you just want a new friend or are a pet battle fanatic, the hopling is waiting for you to come find him. Or her. Looks more like a her to me. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Amazon and NBCUniversal expand Prime Instant Video deal, let you stream Parks and Rec in one place
Amazon and NBCUniversal Cable & New Media Distribution today announced a deal that will expand the mega-retailer's streaming selection by hundreds of episodes, including the likes of Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Heroes and Battlestar Galactica. Prime users will be able to check out older seasons of those shows on their computers, iPads, Xbox 360s, PlayStation 3s and, of course, Kindle Fires. Non-Prime subscribers can also try out Prime Instant Video's 22,000 movies and TV shows for one month, gratis. More information and lots of excited quotes about the deal can be found after the break.
WoW Moviewatch: Battlestar Gnomeregan
Let's hit the wayback machine here. And I mean the wayback machine -- we're talking all the way back to January 2007. That's five and a half years ago, folks. Not only was a new science fiction series featuring a man named Adama and his trusty cohorts tearing up the TV channels, a polluted town called Gnomeregan was in desperate need of heroes. In our little world, that's how this Battlestar-styled trailer came to be. Just remember the next time you join a dungeon group, that warrior might have a little toaster in him. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
Battlestar Galactica Online inches toward 10M players, hands out swag for anniversary
Battlestar Galactica Online has quietly but surely expanded its reach across the cosmos, netting nearly 10 million registered players as the title hits its first anniversary. To celebrate the dual achievement, Bigpoint is dishing out goodies to all of its players over the next week. From today through May 6th, Bigpoint is handing out in-game gifts and bonuses to players. Players need to log in each day to grab these prizes, however. In addition to distributing freebies, BSGO is increasing the daily merit cap and offering special deals for its item shop. Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz sees Battlestar Galactica Online's first year as both a success and the beginning of a great run: "We are thrilled with the tremendous growth of BSGO and how the game has performed over the past year. We're excited to move forward with this momentum, celebrate our achievements, and reward all of our players in the community who helped us get to this point." [Source: Bigpoint press release]
Syfy begins production on TV side of transmedia 'Defiance'
Science fiction TV channel Syfy (Really? Still calling it that?) has reportedly begun production on the pilot of Defiance, that previously announced huge transmedia property in conjunction with Trion Worlds. The idea is that there will be both a TV show and an MMO, and that narratives and actions from each one will intersect in some way with the other. The pilot will star Dexter's Julie Benz, 24's Mia Kirshner, and True Blood's Grant Bowler, and feature writing by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, and music by Bear McCreary, who all worked together on the popular Battlestar Galactica series.The show will take place on a destroyed future earth, where "human and alien survivors of a universal war" have to work together to build a new society. Trion Worlds (creators of Rift and End of Nations) is putting the MMO together, and both the game and the TV series are expected out in Spring 2013.
Bigpoint teases Battlestar Galactica Online carrier ships
Bigpoint has let us know that it's about to kick off what it calls "space trials" for some new carrier-class ships in Battlestar Galactica Online. The craft will be visible on the Kobol beta server today in both Colonial and Cylon variants. Carriers function as support and supply vessels and can also serve as mobile outposts with repair and recharge capabilities. What's that? You say you want to pilot one of these shiny new vessels? Well, this is Bigpoint, so you'll need to enter a lottery via the community forum for your chance to jump in the cockpit of BSGO's latest and greatest. If you're not up for that, the ships will be available to all players on all servers after the completion of the trial period at the end of this month. You'll need to be level 40 (and in possession of nearly 500,000 in-game cubits) to get one for yourself.
Battlestar Galactica, as retold by a 16-bit RPG
Feel like reliving the bizarre twists and turns of Battlestar Galactica without, you know, actually having to watch it again? College Humor has put together a handy (and fake) retro RPG that handily condenses the series' most memorable plot points (and holes). Oh, and: Spoiler warning. Duh.
Battlestar Galactica Online adding new ships this month, surpasses 5M registered players
Bigpoint just can't seem to stay out of the news today, and whether its the incendiary pay-to-win remarks of an executive or an update to its Battlestar Galactica browser MMO, there's a lot of interesting buzz swirling around the company of late. The devs are adding a new line of fleet recon ships to Battlestar Galactica Online, and the craft will enable both Colonial and Cylon players to jump directly to their targets while "in proximity of an erupting battle." The ships will debut in mid-September and are modeled on the Raptor and Heavy Raider craft from the beloved Syfy television series. Bigpoint's latest press release also mentions that the Brimir-class carrier will be "available this fall, though its size, complexity, and impact on game balance must be optimized before its general release." Finally, the company is trumpeting some new metrics, and the release says that BSGO has surpassed the five million registered player mark. [Source: Bigpoint press release]
Battlestar Galactica Online unveils new Brimir Class Carrier
Bigpoint Games has announced that Battlestar Galactica Online will be welcoming a new addition to its fleet of ships this fall. The new arrival comes in the form of the Brimir Class Carrier, a rather hefty tier 4 ship. The ship is a relic of earlier Colonial designs, most of which were eventually replaced by Battlestars. The Carrier, however, brings its own unique surprises to the table. Its heavy armor allows the Brimir Class Carrier to survive enemy onslaughts while it deploys squadrons of strike craft to overwhelm opposing ships. Whether these strike craft will be controlled by AI or players is to be determined, but players will be able to send their strike craft after specific targets. The novel fleet support vessel will be available for purchase with cubits (in-game currency that can be earned via gameplay or bought with cash) coming this fall.
Battlestar Galactica Online sheds "beta" tag
Bigpoint announced today that its game Battlestar Galactica Online has dropped its "beta" tag and is now wearing the big-boy pants of a fully launched game. Since its open beta release less than five months ago, the game has garnered over three million registered users, so it's probably safe to say the game is indeed ready to move out of beta. What does this mean for the future of the game? Well, it's simple really: It means that the BSGO team is shifting its focus away from optimization and patches and will instead be zeroing in on adding new content and features to the game. For more information about Battlestar Galactica Online, or to sign up to give the game a go for yourself, head on over to the official site.
Battlestar Galactica Online launches private 1v1 battles
Bigpoint broke all the conventional rules when creating Battlestar Galactica Online as a browser-based MMO. Now, the developers are continuing to improve on this unique title by giving players the ability to challenge other players in PvP matches. These instanced matches can be 1v1 duels or ranked dogfights with members of the same or opposite faction, adding a little bit more excitement in the search for Earth. If you're into PvP for the pure sport of it, you can duel any consenting player of any faction, rating, ship size, or class in a private 1v1 match. However, if your into the rewards or you want to prove that you are indeed the best, join in the ranked matches. The game's matchmaking system pairs up players of similar arena rating, ship size, and class in their own private portion of space for a battle to the death. The top 100 on the Top Gun Leaderboard will be recognized with a special icon above the pilot and ship name. And when you're playing BSGO with the three million other registered players, check out the two new star systems in the Veil Sector: Nilfhel and Muspell. These two areas contain high-level NPCs for you and your allies to conquer. For more information, visit the official website, or better yet, just play the game. It's free!
Battlestar Galactica Online passes one million player milestone
Bigpoint's browser-based Battlestar Galactica Online is a certifiable hit according to a new press release touting the fact that the title recently surpassed one million registered players. The milestone comes a scant six weeks after the launch of BSGO's open beta period and dovetails nicely with the news that the game is getting an engine upgrade as well as new ship content. "There is always a risk when you translate a well-known IP into another medium. We built what we believed was a recipe for success; a fantastic gaming experience inspired by an iconic show, with the added benefit of being a free-to-play title," explains Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz. Head to the official Battlestar Galactica Online website for more info on the game and the new upgrades.
Battlestar Galactia Online gets a face-lift and more
Battlestar Galactica Online has already made headway in the MMO community because of its quality, yet it is completely playable in-browser. In an announcement today, the team at Bigpoint decided to give the players a taste of what is to come in the next update -- and it's all about rewards. First up, the developers apologized for taking so long with the update; the delay is due to their upgrades to the Unity engine. In the update blog released today, they said, "This was a big step forwards for the game, and Battlestar Galactica Online is now better looking, smoother and more stable than ever before." Unfortunately, as a result of all the time spent on upgrades, not all the big bugs have been addressed, but the team promises to get right on those. So what was implemented? Merits are the PvP currency for BSGO, and with them you can buy either the Viper Mk VII or the Cylon War Raider. You can also gain the much-desired ability to command a Battlestar or Basestar. Secondly, you may now exchange water for cubits. The team is certain this one will be a hit among players. Lastly, rewards such as XP and loot have been scaled according to player level: higher-level players will now receive fewer rewards for low-level "easy" kills. For the full story, jump to the developer update on the official website.
Battlestar Galactica Online was BigPoint's biggest game launch
Though the series has been off the air for a few years now, the popularity of Battlestar Galactica is still very much alive in the hearts of Sci-Ficionados across the world. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry, BigPoint CCO Nils-Holger Henning said that the launch of its free-to-play MMO based on the intergalactic television series has had "the best start we've ever had with a game in Bigpoint's history." He expects the title to rake in over €1 million in revenue per month. Henning attributed the success of Battlestar Galactica Online to community involvement, saying, "They've been so interested in the brand and what's going to happen with the game." Sure, that's one possible solution. Personally, we think people are flocking to the game after witnessing mankind's defeat in Jeopardy at the hands of an unfeeling computer, and want to start figuring out how to best fight them in space. This future is real, friends -- it's time to get educated.
Bigpoint says Battlestar Galactica Online's launch is company's best ever
Bigpoint's Battlestar Galactica Online is a major hit according to company CCO Nils-Holger Henning. In a new interview at GamesIndustry.biz, Henning relates how BSGO feedback has given developers and executives a read on community reaction to the free-to-play title. "The feedback we've had, the activity inside of the game -- from the user behavior -- shows us that we're building one of the next blockbusters in Bigpoint's portfolio." What exactly does that mean? Henning defines a Bigpoint blockbuster as having potential revenues of over 1 million GBP (approximately 1.626 million USD) per month. Henning chalks up BSGO's success to the recognizable brand and the sizable fan base associated with it, as well as the company's efforts to play up the advancements in browser technology. "We've been working with games-related websites more, going for the hardcore gamers, and showing them what's now possible in the browser," he explains. Finally, he cites BSG producer Ronald Moore's involvement as a positive and explains how Moore's stamp of approval allowed Bigpoint to "stay close to the series."
The Perfect Ten: Phases of pre-launch hysteria
One of my private theories about MMO players -- one I'm now making public -- is that we all have the collective memories of goldfish. It's the only way to explain why we go through the same exact phases each and every time an MMO nears launch, all the while acting as though this has never happened before. In a way, it's kind of cute. You're cute, MMO community! Really, it's just one of those events during which everyone starts rational yet slowly but surely slides down into the multi-colored stomach of hysteria. It's why MMO communities pre-beta tend to be tight, intelligent and excited, but from beta through launch they lose their cool and become a morass of screeching monkeys, flinging poo every which way in a vain effort to be heard above the noise of the zoo. Mind you, I've been one of these monkeys, so I'm not excusing myself from this metaphor. So if you're wondering why the blissful excitement of anticipating a game has fractured under the weight of inconsolable insanity, I'm here to walk you through the 10 phases of how and why this happens for most major MMO launches.
