Legends
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Ghost of Tsushima's co-op multiplayer mode is getting a standalone release
On September 3rd, Sony will release a standalone version of Ghost of Tsushima's Legends multiplayer mode.
DC Universe Online expanding Legends PvP with Last Laugh DLC
DC Universe Online's fourth DLC pack is on the way. As you're probably aware, it's called Last Laugh, but what you may not know is that it's focused on PvP. New iconic characters are making their way to the game's Legends mode, including DC stalwarts like Power Girl and Amon Sur. Up to this point, much of Legends PvP has focused on what creative director Jens Andersen terms the Bat family. Characters like Batman, Bane, Two-Face, Robin, and the Joker are all mainstays. Now, though, players can step into the tights of both Kryptonian and Lantern heroes, and they can do so on the new Fortress of Solitude Legends map. That's not all, of course, but you'll need to head to Games Radar for more details plus a nifty video.
Slash looks back at working with Activision on Guitar Hero
Real-life guitar hero Slash was in Los Angeles last week promoting a new music game called BandFuse: Rock Legends. Speaking to Joystiq, he shared some insight on what it was like to work with Activision for the immensely popular Guitar Hero series. "A lot of kids tripped out," says the former Guns and Roses guitarist, "because they were under the impression that the character in Guitar Hero was just that character. So a lot of kids trip out that I was actually a real person."Once they found out that he was an actual person who was in an actual band, however, Slash says Guitar Hero was surprisingly effective at winning new fans. "It opened up the doors of a demographic that was way younger than me," he says. "I had no idea that would happen." He couldn't speak to the lawsuit that claims the game took advantage of his GnR connection, but he does say the game has inspired a much younger generation to check out classic rock.As for interest going the other way, Slash says he hasn't found the time for video games -- not even his own. "I couldn't play it," he says, "because I was actually in the game and it was too surreal."
The Lawbringer: What WoW can learn from other microtransaction models, part 2
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Mathew McCurley takes you through the world running parallel to the games we love and enjoy, full of rules, regulations, pitfalls and traps. How about you hang out with us as we discuss some of the more esoteric aspects of the games we love to play? Two weeks ago, The Lawbringer took a look at the EVE Online currency model, what happens when value is dictated by the players, and the successes and failures that Blizzard can learn from when moving forward the revenue model for WoW or any other secret MMOs in the pipe. This week, part 2 discusses the batch currency model, where players purchase one set of currency and earn another. While WoW is not likely to move to this type of currency in the near future, Diablo 3 has already embraced it with the real-money transaction auction house, which eschews a purchased currency for, well, currency. The prime example in recent gaming history of the successful batch currency model is Riot Game's wonderful League of Legends. I've been a Defense of the Ancients fan since the early days of the mod, and the fact that such a simple concept has evolved to a genre in and of itself is remarkable. Combined with the fact that there are 15 million accounts, millions playing all over the world, and a ridiculously successful microtransaction model for customization and convenience items, League of Legends has got the world captivated. But why is World of Warcraft not something that could benefit from selling its own currency, or, rather, why would Blizzard never let it happen? Let's find out.
Shift 2: Unleashed 'Legends' and 'Speedhunters' DLC will be free on PC
We here at Joystiq never play the console superiority game; play on the platform you like, man. Oh, but when it comes to Shift 2 Unleashed, it would appear the PC is the superior platform -- at least, in a getting things for free kind of way. EA has announced that the Legends and Speedhunters packs, both $10 pieces of DLC on consoles, will be released free of charge on the PC. Beginning June 30, PC players can download both packs for free from EA's new digital distribution hub, Origin.com. Race on past the break for a video primer for the free DLC and a breakdown of what you'll get.
Shift 2 'Legends' DLC brings some classic cars out of the garage
Are the newfangled autocontraptions in Shift 2 Unleashed a little too modern for you? Not a fan of all the vehicular bells and whistles fastened to your 21st Century whips? EA has announced a DLC pack that should give you the sweet, nostalgic release you crave. On April 24, the game will receive 14 retro cars and five equally retro tracks -- most of which hail from the 1960s and '70s. You can pick up the new rides and venues for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Check out the full list of new-old content included in the "Legends" pack after the jump -- and while you're back there, why not check out the DLC's announcement trailer?
Alter-Ego: Nine tips for PvP in DC Universe Online
First things first: I'm going to admit openly that I'm not even close to the world's best PvPer, as anyone who has ever faced off in PvP against me can tell you. Up until recently, I tended to be the ultra-carebear player who generally avoids PvP combat altogether (outside of EVE Online). However, by ignoring PvP in DC Universe Online, one also ignores a decent chunk of the game's content. Between the open-world Green Lantern ring wars, quests to take on heroes or villains of a certain level range, Arena matches, and Legends play, there's a lot to do -- not to mention the challenge of playing on a PvP server. Worse still, PvE players will find their quest logs become cluttered messes full of PvP-related quests that can't be dropped -- an annoying prospect at best. So with this in mind, I've compiled a handful of general tips for those PvE fans who don't tend to mess with PvP in DC Universe Online as well as players who have only dabbled in it. Are there I-win-button tips behind the break? Not really. However, it's good solid advice that's helped me improve my skills from utterly noobtastic insta-death to holding my own. If that sounds interesting to you, then join me behind the break for the list!
DCUO preorders available for North America, more to come
DC Universe Online fans, are you ready to preorder? You'll have to think carefully about what retail outlet you use, because preorders are available for those in the US and Canada, and there are special bonus items depending on where you place that order. Quite a few bonuses are up for grabs: an exclusive 2v2 arena battle in which you will play as Batman (Yes, you will actually be Batman), the first issue of the DCUO comic Legends, a Batman figurine, and a variety of in-game weapons. The collector's edition includes even more extra goodies. If you're not in NA, sit tight because there are preorder options for Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, all labeled "coming soon." Check out the official preorder page on the DCUO site for all the details. Updated: DCUO didn't stop with the preorder goodies! Open beta signups are now available, and we got a first look at The Joker. VIsit the site to sign up for beta, and check out the gallery below for a first look at DCUO's newest familiar face! %Gallery-97782%
Exhibit B, Q or X: 'Legends' concept art from canceled Pandemic project
Following Pandemic's closure last November, several "secret projects" previously handled by the EA-owned studio slipped further into obscurity. While Mercs Inc. is apparently still in the works at EALA with the help of former Pandemic staff, "Project B" and "Project Q" (code names once used by Pandemic) were reportedly canceled -- and the status of a third mystery game, "Project X," is unknown. The not-to-be Wii racer, The Next Big Thing, was supposedly Project B or Q, and the recently unarchived project, Legends, is likely the other of the two. Former Pandemic artist Dorian Compo has posted alleged concept art of the so-called Legends project on his self-promotional blog. "This is a project I worked on for a while, but then it was canceled -- not sure why, because it would've been awesome," Compo writes alongside the series of art stills, which depicts a fantasy-type sky world complete with various aircraft designs. More recently, Compo posted a set of "tarots" bearing a Mercs Inc. logo and said the game was also "canceled." While providing a seemingly erroneous update, perhaps Compo was merely suggesting that the particular version of Mercs Inc. he had once worked on is no more. [Via superannuation]
Read Warcraft: Legends for free until March 17th
March 17th marks the release of Volume 3 of the Warcraft: Legends manga series, and Tokyopop is offering a pretty slick deal to build some hype around it. As of March 6th, Tokyopop has started putting the entire series thus far online to read for free, one chapter per day This will last through the 17th when the last chapter of Volume 2 is posted. They will not be putting new chapters up on the weekend, so despite the fact that we were a bit slow to notice this campaign of theirs (sorry!), you haven't missed anything yet. The first chapter is still the only chapter currently available, and another will be going up sometime tomorrow.If you're not familiar with this series, Warcraft: Legends is a series that brings multiple stories from many different authors and artists. It's not one solid story arc like The Sunwell Trilogy (for example), but a number of different stories about the denizens of Azeroth. Each chapter in a volume is a different story, though some of the stories span multiple volumes. Some of them are epic tales that tie into the more famous Azerothian figures (Lich King/Scourge, Richard Knaak's characters), and some of them are just about random Azerothian adventurers getting their adventurin' on. If you don't like one of the stories, odds are that you'll like one of the others.
[UPDATED] Tokyopop Warcraft Manga out today
Not to be confused with the World of Warcraft comics from DC Comics and Wildstorm Studios, Warcraft: Legends from Tokyopop hits the stands today. The four part graphic novel series is a compilation of stories featuring the talents of Richard Knaak and Jae Hwan-Kim -- the creative team behind the Sunwell Trilogy manga -- as well as other tales from Mike Wellman, Dan Jolley, Carlos Olivares, Troy Lewter, and Brian Yang. [UPDATE: Although Tokyopop's site says that the item is available now, clicking on the 'Buy Now' option leads to an Amazon page that says the title will be released on August 12.]Each graphic novel will contain several stories told in parts across different volumes. Knaak and Kim bring an interesting twist to the saga of Trag Highmountain, a character introduced in Warcraft: Shadows of Ice, who returns as an Undead. Other tales include How to Win Friends and Influence People, about an odd Gnome engineer named Lazlo Grindwidget; and An Honest Trade, about Nori Blackfinger, a master weaponsmith who might have sold his wares to the wrong sort. A preview of the comic can be viewed at Tokyopop's site.
New WarCraft: Legends front cover
Richard Knaak, author of several great Warcraft books include the War of the Ancients and the Day of the Dragon, will be writing the script for the upcoming new Warcraft Manga "Legends." We've previously covered this when some sketch cover art was released at the New York Comic Con 2008, but we haven't seen the final front cover until now.The first manga story line he wrote about Warcraft revolved around the events leading up to patch 2.4 in the Sunwell Plateau. I picked up all three of the books in a archived version over Christmas, and it was quite a good read. I'm definitely looking forward to picking this one up, and according to a Blizzplanet page, the release date is scheduled for August 1st, 2008.The artwork pictured to the right (click for a higher resolution image) looks pretty cool, and appears to be an Orc Rogue. Since the book is called Legends, we can assume it's about some legendary figures in Warcraft. I would take a wild guess that the Orc pictured is Thrall, but I could be wrong, and feel free to disagree with me.[Via WorldOfWar.net]
Questionable Soulcalibur Legends for Wii goes gold
When we first took remote in hand to try out Soulcalibur Legends for the Wii at E3, the whole incident compelled us to throw away our clothes and take a shower while trying to wash ourselves clean of the experience altogether. But the filth would not come off. Granted, this was of an early build, but given the state of things, our hopes for the fighter-made-action game were left irrecoverably gutted.Now, however, Namco Bandai sends word that the game has gone gold, and while we have trouble caring, Wii owners on the lookout for something original (regardless of quality) can look forward to getting dirty themselves November 20. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
More Soul Calibur Legends details
Gaming mag Famitsu has revealed some more details about the upcoming Wii exclusive Soul Calibur Legends. We assume that the creators of this action title felt that choosing a main protagonist from the existing fighters would cause unnecessary flamefests, so they felt fit to introduce the sixteen year old Iska. Among playable characters are Taki, Mitsurugi, Ivy, and Siegfried (Nightmare), though interestingly, no one mentioned Iska himself. Traditionally, the A and B buttons have mapped to horizontal and vertical slices, respectively. In true waggle fashion, Namco has felt fit to physically map these actions to the Wiimote. We're wary; the recognition will probably be fine, but seeing as how at least two-thirds of all moves in previous Soul Calibur titles involved the use of one (or both? What the heck?) of these actions, this might wear out its welcome very, very quickly. Also, the nunchuck is shaken for "evasion," whatever that means (guard impact?).The title will allow for tag-teaming against a boss, as a second player can join in for cooperative fun. There's traps and obstacles and all that lovely goodness as well; for some more minor details, check out the in-depth IGN report. With the announcement of the true Soul Calibur 4 for the PS3 and 360 yesterday, are you guys still excited for this?
Taki's back in Soul Calibur Legends
We knew that in addition to Siegfried and Ivy, Soul Calibur Legends would feature other playable characters from the series. Everyone's favorite underdressed ninja, Taki, is joining the roster, to help the other two battle wave after wave of wimpy-looking mummies and three-foot-tall ninjas. Astaroth is also visible, though it's not clear if he's a player character or an enemy.Of course, now that we think about it, putting a female assassin in the game hews even closer to Death By Degrees territory. Well, Soul Calibur was always better than Tekken, so maybe the spinoff action games will follow the same pattern!
Joystiq hands-on: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
After previewing Call of Duty 3 and seeing the trailer for Flags of our Fathers for the umpteenth time, we wanted a diversion from the battlefields. Returning to Activision in search of something that would allow us to shed our daily mundane identities and to become heroes that weren't dressed in fatigues, we encountered our friend the receptionist again, still holding a grudge from our earlier victory. She led us into a dark room that had the villainous look of a secret lair. We had entered the realm of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.The green glow of Xbox 360 rings of light around the room looked like laser-activated booby traps, but we managed to evade them and press on. After a short briefing we were off to hand pick our four fellow heroes. You pick from tons of playable characters, although some of them are unlocked as you explore areas and find more heroes. Putting The Thing, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, and the Human Torch on our team got us a Fantastic Four bonus (it was a no-brainer, we admit it), but we couldn't figure out any of the other combinations. We spied Deadpool and Spider-Woman on the Wii version -- which are probably the two unique characters that only the next-gen systems will be serving up. There is an extremely Nick Fury-esque shoulder holster on one of the silhouetted locked characters, and our fingers are itching to play the cigar-chomping, insult-hurling leader of the Howling Commandos.
More details on Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
Approaching the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the trailers released for the PS3 installment in the Untold Legends franchise, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, looked very polished, but we didn't really get any solid facts on the title. Well, we do know some things now, such as potions are completely gone from the game. Also, it looks like item drops are going to be drastically scaled back, with far less super strong weapons dropping from baddies. The new motion-tilting controller's capabilities are also being looked at for things like dodging, but nothing official has been said. Finally, the game will also feature downloadable content following release, such as new chapter endings, characters, and arenas.
Untold Legends game footage
Some small snippets of gameplay footage (see: two) for the upcoming PS3 title Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom are available for your gawking pleasure over at IGN. The game's graphics are looking very nice at this stage of the game, showing some polished detail on the enemy models and giant-hammer-wielding-hero-guy as they run around in a grassy field littered with rocks, doing what enemies and hero-guys do. Who else is looking forward to this one?
