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Former HTC execs equip latest Kazam budget phone with LTE
Say hi to the Kazam Thunder² 4.5L Android smartphone. It's an LTE-enabled follow-up to the original low-cost Thunder (without the "squared" sign) that launched in Europe last year. The brainchild of two HTC execs who decided to go it alone, the 4.5L offers a low-res 854 x 480 4.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 400 processor, 8GB of expandable storage, 1GB of RAM and a widely copied screen replacement promise. We're missing the most important spec -- namely, the price -- but Kazam says the device should start arriving in select countries over the next few months. Meanwhile, the company has also added irksome mathematical symbols to its Thunder² 5.0 and Trooper² range, which have received minor spec bumps, but are still 3G-only. Honestly, we'd normally be helpful and lay out all the details, but there are only so many times we can press ALT-zero-one-seven-eight.
Google-powered machines lead DARPA's Robotics Challenge (video)
And you thought the Big Dog was scary? Okay, Boston Dynamics' quadrupedal, un-tip-overable 'bot still takes the cake, but SCHAFT (pictured above) deserves its own condo in the uncanny valley. And to think, they'll both be eating together at a cafeteria in Mountain View soon. That 'bot won DARPA's rescue-oriented competition this weekend by successfully navigating tricky terrain and clearing debris. Two other teams, IHMC Robotics and MIT, earned respective second and fourth places with variants on Boston Dynamics' Atlas machine. Other top-ranking entries included third-place Tartan Rescue as well as RoboSimian, Traclabs, WRECS and Trooper. The high scores are useful for more than just bragging rights. These top eight teams will receive DARPA funding as they move on to the Robotics Challenge finals in late 2014; they'll have a big (metal) leg up versus rivals that will have to pay to play. Congratulations to all, but if you don't mind, we'll be keeping our distance from Google headquarters until we know exactly what Andy Rubin plans to do with his new army of metal men and beasts.
Former HTC execs launch Kazam smartphones, with free cracked screen replacement and stock Android
Kazam is brand new to the smartphone scene and, as its founders Michael Coombes and James Atkins know well, making a dent it the market is pretty tough. The two former HTC UK execs announced the creation of the company in June, and they're now ready to announce the first devices. And, wow, are there a lot of them. In total seven models were revealed: two higher-end handsets under the Thunder line and five lower-end phones in the Trooper line. (We'd like to believe the latter moniker was chosen because Coombes and Atkins are huge Iron Maiden fans.) Of course, "high-end" here is a relative term. Specs for the Thunder Q5.0 are still a mystery, but the Thunder Q4.5 is powered by a 1.3GHz, quad-core processor from MediaTek and 1GB of RAM. The 4.5 in its title refers to the four and a half-inch screen up front that boasts a lowly 854 x 480 resolution. The various Trooper models (X3.5, X4.0, X4.5, X5.0 and X5.5) all lose a pair of cores and half the RAM, with the smaller 3.5- and 4.0-inch versions even opting for lower resolution displays. Obviously, Kazam isn't going to take on the Nexus 5, but that doesn't appear to be the point. The company is positioning itself as a consumer-friendly value brand. There are microSD slots for expanding storage and a removable battery in every device, and there's no heavily branded skin here -- just pure, unadulterated Android. Each device also has two SIM slots -- so there's your flexibility. But, the biggest marketing push is reserved for its support. Kazam Rescue instantly puts you in touch with a support rep that can remotely access your device to solve issues. And, get this: Kazam will replace the screen if you crack it within the first year -- for free! (iPhone owners, feel free to scream.) Does this prove, as Atkins claimed in the press release, that "Kazam is not about gimmicks or corporate bulls**t"? Not really, but it does prove the two industry veterans know how to identify pain points in the current field of phones and attempt to exploit them. There's still no word on pricing or release dates, but we wouldn't hold our breath waiting for a US debut.
SWTOR reloads Bounty Hunters and Troopers
The dev diary march to cover all of the changes to Star Wars: The Old Republic's classes continues, with today's twin postings focusing on the Bounty Hunter and Trooper. Bounty Hunters should have an easier go at it now, as BioWare's handing out Hydraulic Overrides and Chaff Flares to everyone. The team also redesigned the Kolto Overload skill to give the class a huge bump to survivability when it activates. Over on the Trooper side of things, the team's brought the class' resource mechanic in line with the Trooper's Bounty Hunter counterpart. All Troopers now get Hold the Line and Diversion skills, as well as a more survival-happy Adrenaline Rush. The smaller but still significant tweaks to the advanced classes are worth reading carefully if you play one of these classes, as there are plenty to note.
Hyperspace Beacon: All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part two
A few weeks ago, after many weeks of seeing new players in Star Wars: The Old Republic warzones, I thought it would be a good idea to post a little guide on the basics of winning Huttball. Interestingly, that article birthed a conversation about how some classes were better suited for the game, but more importantly, some players had given up on the warzone because they felt that their particular class didn't work in Huttball at all. Admittedly, certain classes do have more utilities that make them a better fit for the game, but I believe every class has its role in this particular arena. And more importantly, I believe that every class can have fun and feel useful. However, some players need a bit of training. Two weeks ago, I covered the Sith Warrior, Jedi Knight, Imperial Agent, and Smuggler classes. In this week's coverage, I'm going to take a look at two SWTOR classes that seems to be built for this game and two others that have more surprises than you might think: the Sith Inquisitor, Jedi Consular, Republic Trooper, and Bounty Hunter.
One Shots: Can you believe they put that in an MMO?
This is a screenshot of one of the most amazing things ever seen in any MMO. When I first saw it, I couldn't believe that it was actually happening. Is it a glitch? An easter egg? Has some disgruntled developer thrown this in to get back at his boss just before leaving the industry for good? Unfortunately, my character stepped in the way at the last second, but that shouldn't matter, right? Oh well. It was amazing, I swear! Do you have a picture of the one that got away? The very first thing you should do is not send it in to us at oneshots@massively.com, along with your name, the game, and a description of the scene, and we won't publish it. Bring back One Shots!
SWTOR: So you want to play a Trooper
Whether you're attracted to Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper class because of the iconic Stormtrooper/Clone Wars trooper look, the ability to dish out massive damage without any pamby-namby "Force" crutches, or the chance to hop on board a sci-fi military saga, you're in for a treat. While it may lack the grace of the Jedi, the sophistication of the Imperial Agent, and the swagger of the Smuggler, the Trooper gets it done with heavy armor, heavy firepower, and heavy quips. The Trooper a strong contender for just about any role in the game except for melee combat (and even there it has a few moves). It can heal, deal ranged damage, and tank alike, so I'm not surprised to hear that there are all-Trooper guilds forming up for the game. If you like having wide-open possibilities for your character's future roles, the Trooper is the way to go. The Trooper begins his journey on the war-torn world of Ord Mantell (alongside the Smugglers), where he's been recently recruited by the elite Havoc squad to tackle the toughest missions out there. You may not feel elite at the beginning, with light armor, an aged blaster rifle, and only a small handful of skills backing you up, but trust me -- by the end of your journey on Ord Mantell, you'll be ready to rock with the big boys.
SWTOR pits the Trooper against the Inquisitor
The second of the four-part Choose Your Side video series has been released over at Star Wars: The Old Republic, and this time it creates a hypothetical showdown between the Republic's Trooper and the Empire's Inquisitor. In it, four BioWare devs jaw about who would win in a fight and what each of these classes has going for it. These videos are proving to be a great way to get a better feel for classes' strengths and weaknesses, particularly in a PvP setting. On one hand, the Trooper is said to have an advantage in terms of health, armor and range, with plenty of tricks to keep the Inquisitor at bay and, er, dead. On the other hand, the Inquisitor's Force powers and double-bladed lightsaber may make for a completely unfair fight against the Force-less Trooper. The devs reveal a few tidbits about the two classes' philosophy while they're calmly laying out the smack talk. The Trooper comes off as a "shoot first and ask questions later" type of character, while the Inquisitor is portrayed as a mastermind pulling the strings from behind the stage. You can watch the full video after the jump!
SWTOR's Georg Zoeller salutes the Trooper class
He won't play favorites between the choice of builds, but BioWare's Georg Zoeller is remarkably open otherwise when it comes to talking about Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper in action. In an interview on RepublicTrooper.com, Zoeller fields a number of questions about the Trooper's capabilities in combat, especially in regard to how a ranged class can function as a tank. After struggling with these unique problems, BioWare tuned the Vanguard (the Trooper's advanced tanking spec) to be a mid-ranged tank with visual effects to show when the class was warding off melee attacks. "Statistically, their tanking ability is based more upon absorption and shielding and less about avoidance, making them the slightly more predictable tanks (Medics love that)," he wrote. "Finally, they are visually very different when in action, as most of their abilities are themed around technical attacks " Zoeller said that all-Trooper guilds are entirely possible, given the flexibility of the advanced class roles, as Troopers cover the gamut of the Holy Trinity. He sees Trooper healers as being extremely desirable: "Commandos are the only medic class capable of increasing their target's mitigation and receptivity to heals. They are also the only Advanced Class that features a 'smart heal,' an auto-response heal that triggers on the target when they take damage."
A certain point of view: Jef's hands-on with SWTOR's beta
Hey Star Wars fans, what say we recap my recent beta experiences in The Old Republic? I know what you're thinking (because it's the same thing I thought after BioWare's marketing folks sent along an unsolicited invitation): Here comes a giant anti-themepark rant and zomgwtf call someone who cares! Surprisingly though, I had a decent time. I managed to get a Republic Trooper off the Ord Mantell starter planet and firmly entrenched in a few Coruscant quest lines, and I logged over 10 hours of gameplay in the process (in the comfort of my own home, mind you, and not under the watchful eye of a PR droid at a convention). To be frank, TOR's not half bad. It's had a lot of money thrown at it, there's a ton of what passes for modern-day MMO content, and if you're into that sort of thing, you'll no doubt enjoy yourself for a time.
BioWare devs talk SWTOR combat animations, answer PvP questions
Grab yourself a tall glass of blue milk, Star Wars fans, as BioWare has released a lengthy new edition of its Studio Insider feature to carry you through your Friday afternoon. The update features principal lead animator Mark How talking about -- wait for it -- animation! To be more precise, How tells us all about The Old Republic's combat animation, and he even tosses in an interesting video clip that features different stages in the development of a Jedi force leap and a Republic trooper full auto firing animation. How also gets into the challenges inherent in melding the lightsaber battles from the Star Wars films with the design limitations of an MMORPG. "Players do not enjoy having character control taken away from them because of an action or animation," How explains. "It was particularly challenging to develop animations that allowed for visually appealing combat while still allowing the players complete control over their characters." How successful were BioWare designers in this regard? That remains to be seen, but you can get a feel for their approach by reading How's blog. Finally, this week's Community Q&A feature continues the combat focus, and lead PvP designer Gabe Amatangelo has the answers to a few burning questions from the TOR faithful.
Hyperspace Beacon: Man in the mirror
On Friday, our friends on the BioWare community team gave us a second progression video for the Bounty Hunter in Star Wars: The Old Republic. As with anything on the internet, the video wasn't above scrutiny and complaint by followers. The complaints ranged from "we already have a Bounty Hunter progression video" to "why don't we have a Jedi Consular video yet?" But that doesn't hit on the real issue: There were no fiery explosions for the Bounty Hunter to walk away from in slow motion! He just can't be cool unless he turns his back on the destruction like he just doesn't frelling care. Despite the lack of carnage in the class progression video, we did glean insight into many of the class powers, some of which mirror its Republic counterpart: the Trooper. I know for marketing reasons and to keep from confusing the potential player, it's not a good idea to use the word "mirror" when describing The Old Republic classes. But it's hard to deny that the Imperial Bounty Hunter and the Republic Trooper are very much mirrored insofar as combat roles and abilities. After the break, I will explain to you what I see that is the same and what is different between the two classes. Then, in the end, I will let you decide whether the classes are truly mirrored or not.
Hyperspace Beacon: The hybrid
As many of you know, BioWare revealed the Trooper progression video for last week's Friday update. This surprised me because I was expecting a light update -- after all, E3 is next week, and Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to have a major presence at the expo. During the video, we witnessed many of the different Trooper abilities. The AoE of the gatling-like blaster, the heals from remote droids, the root from the carbonite grenade, and all the other abilities attest to the range of roles the Trooper can play in a group. The Trooper is not the only class that can possibly fill every role of the group dynamic. In fact, we know four of the eight classes have the choice of being full DPS, healer, or tank: Trooper, Consular, Bounty Hunter, and Inquisitor. There is much debate on what this means for group dynamics and boss fights as well. Although most of the community would agree that having these hybrid classes isn't going to stop anyone from buying or playing the game, they might have an impact on the staying power of the MMO. For me, it boils down to a couple of different schools of thought. On the Galactic Underground, an internet radio show, the hosts and the IRC audience spoke about the differences between a hard and soft trinity gameplay and which they preferred. For me, how the hybrid works depends on whether the game is set up with a hard or soft trinity. The definition of hard and soft trinity is a bit subjective. After the break, I will outline what I mean by hard and soft trinity and detail how I think the hybrid classes fit in Star Wars: The Old Republic...
SWTOR Trooper progression video lays on the hurt
With E3 just around the corner, many fans are surprised at the level of updates the community team at BioWare has given us these last few weeks. Some fans speculate that this level of activity could mean a large reveal during the expo for the highly anticipated MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. Last week, the developers gave us the Studio Insider about sound design, and just the week before that the Sith Inquisitor class trailer made its debut. This week the story is the Trooper progression trailer. SWTOR Troopers are divided into two major advanced classes: the Vanguard and the Commando. As demonstrated in the video, the Commando is there to deal high amounts of damage or call on medical droids to revive allies. The Vanguard displays his prowess as a fortified wall between the his comrades and Sith opponents. The full video is available after the break, so take note of the differences not only in the armor but in the abilities of the two advanced classes. It will be very interesting to see whether the fabled all-Trooper guild can be pulled off effectively.
Hyperspace Beacon: There is no try
Before getting to the meat of this article, I want to give a shout out to Sam, Musco, Kimi, Fo, and even Brandon of TOROcast. This week marked their 100th week of recording a podcast dedicated to Star Wars: The Old Republic. I am extremely excited for them; I know they put a lot of work into their show each week. The team there has created a community of gamers you will find no where else. Congratulations, guys -- I cannot wait for your 200th episode. Hopefully the game will be released by then. (Crap, I forgot I'm supposed to hate these guys. Nevermind what I just said!) As we get closer to the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I am suddenly hit with the fact that I will have to nail down exactly what I want to do when the game launches. I mean, I spend so much time talking about it that you'd think I'd have it narrowed down, right? Unfortunately, that's not the case. The more I talk about the game, the more I find that there are some really incredible things I can do when the game actually launches. What I figured I would do in this article is talk about some of the more off-the-wall ideas I'd like to try (I mean, do. Do or do not; there is no try.) Let me know if you think any of them are any good. Maybe you'd like to try them out yourself or even join me when the game launches. Follow me after the break and we'll talk about them.
The Perfect Ten: Predictions for The Old Republic
I'm going to share with you a deep secret about the Massively staff: Pretty much all of us hate Larry. Oh, as a person he's likable enough, and he showers regularly, so no complaints there. He even saved the President's dog once and earned the Merit of Patriotic Pooches. Women swoon at his feet, and men occasionally throw their billfolds at him just so that he can afford to live the luxurious lifestyle that he obviously deserves. No, we hate him for a different reason entirely. You see, Larry gets the privilege and honor of being the Star Wars: The Old Republic reporter in these here parts, which has earned him no end of envy from the rest of us. Whenever we're all talking about TOR, Shawn will come in the room and tell all of us to cut it out -- except Larry. "Larry, it's your job to talk about The Old Republic. Keep on truckin', pal! You're the best!" And then Larry sticks his tongue out at us and makes pretend lightsaber noises for an hour or so while we grit our teeth. But then I remembered: I have a top ten column! In which I can talk about anything! And if that subject so happened to be TOR, then for one glorious week I could actually talk about BioWare's upcoming MMO without fear of reprisal from upper management! So today is all about my predictions for The Old Republic. Nine of them will come true; one will not. Have fun guessing which one!
More about The Old Republic's Trooper class revealed
Bioware has posted new information about Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper class, including a writeup of the melty-faced Weequay demolitions expert named Tanno Vik (a companion character in the game), some details on the BT-7 Thunderclap assault ship for Troopers, and a new video promoting the duties and sacrifices that a Trooper must-- look, you get to kill Sith with big guns! Want in? Bioware has also revealed that Zabrak players will be able to choose the Trooper class, which means we might see horned, Darth Maul-style characters running around in Stormtrooper suits. Such is the fate of the galaxy ... in an MMO.
Trooper info explodes from Star Wars: The Old Republic
Yesterday, Gamespot delivered us a surprise Christmas present of the Trooper classes trailer. So it comes as no surprise that the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website launched a whole slew of information this morning about that Republic class. First, we have the Weequay, Tanno Vik, who impressed his military instructors by always planting explosives where they would do the most damage. The Republic army considered him for the Special Forces division, but his attitude and disregard for authority always held him back. Vik will eventually run into you and become a part of your crew if you pick the Republic Trooper class. We have already learned that the Sith Inquisitor can be played as a Zabrak, but the team at SWTOR has now officially announced that this species will be available for the Trooper class as well -- even though we played one at PAX already. This determined and confident species fits right with the other hard-nosed characters of Havoc Squad. Lastly, we can take a look at the Rendili Hyperworks BT-7 Thunderclap. This is the Republic's elite rapid assault ship. The shape reminds this reporter of his T-16 back home, except much, much bigger and more guns. To get the full scoop on this assault class, check out the article on the official website and don't miss the updated Trooper class page. For the Republic!
SWTOR Trooper video kicks some serious -- shut yo mouth!
Troopers aren't in it for glory. They are protecting the Republic. They are protecting freedom. And according to the newest trailer from Star Wars: The Old Republic, the Troopers' duty is to defend the people and the principles of the Republic no matter the sacrifice. Today, Gamespot posted the latest class video from SWTOR, this one highlighting the Republic Trooper. Videogame voice-over legend Jennifer Hale lends her talent to this exciting trailer, which briefly outlines the Trooper's role in the overarching Star Wars story. The video showcases the incredible weapons and devices the Troopers use to defeat their enemies, even ones as powerful as the Force-wielding Sith Warriors. If you weren't interested in playing a Trooper class in The Old Republic, you may be now. Take a look after the break for the full video and pop over the SWTOR website tomorrow for the official update from BioWare. For freedom; for the Republic!
Hyperspace Beacon: Testing the SWTOR waters
If you didn't know already, just over a week ago three writers from Massively, including me, traveled to Seattle, Washington for PAX Prime. During that time, besides catching the flu, we were able to catch a glimpse of some of the games that have yet to be released. We were able to play games like TERA, The Force Unleashed II, Guild Wars 2, RIFT, End of Nations, and many, many others. Some were pretty good; others, not-so-much -- but most seemed very polished and perfect for presentation. Of course, you all know I was there to see Star Wars: The Old Republic. I caught a lot of it. There were six of the eight classes available for demo at the gorgeous LucasArts booth. (BioWare did have a booth there, too, but the team was displaying some small game it was trying to get off the ground called Dragon Age 2.) Visitors had a chance to try out the smuggler, trooper, agent, bounty hunter, and both Sith classes. Because of the enormous lines that constantly encircled the booth, I was only able to play three of the classes: smuggler, trooper, and Sith inquisitor. For this edition of the Hyperspace Beacon, I will give you my impressions of the gameplay for those classes. However, I want to take a slightly different look at them. At E3, Massively's editor Seraphina Brennan was able to give her impressions of the smuggler class -- she covered the mechanics and so on. Although I will touch on the combat mechanics, I have decided to focus on some of the features BioWare is famous for: cinematics, character development, and overall storytelling. Follow after the break, and I will give you an honest breakdown of how SWTOR measures up to its predecessors.
