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The Daily Grind: Are character bios due for revival?
One of my favorite things about classic MMOs is that they refused to give up on the "RPG" part of MMORPG. As in a tabletop game, in classic MMOs you were often given an opportunity to write a biography for your character, then import it into the game and attach it to your profile in some way so that other players could read it. In some games, having a superb character bio could snag the attention of a gamemaster and land you even more recognition in the form of a badge or achievement. It bothers me that these little touches are missing from so many modern MMOs. They don't take much effort on the part of the designers, and they sell the impression that creativity still matters, that your character is more than just a chat handle and a suit of armor. Are character bios due for a revival? Did you ever or would you use the option in your game of choice if you could? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
SWTOR gives Galactic Starfighter crew member bios
Whether you fight for the Republic or the Empire as a space jockey, you're going to need a good crew member at your side in Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Starfighter. BioWare's lined up two pages detailing the bios of eight crew members you can pick up for your adventures. The Empire crew members include Aven Geth, a human shield tech; MZ-12, a proud astromech; Salana Rok, a Chiss underworld enforcer; and Writch Hurley, a talented if incomprehensible engineer. Over on the Republic side, there's Kendra Novar, a good-hearted slicer; B-3G9, a mixed-up protocol droid; Oro Wogawa, an Ithorian engineering wiz; and Ashy, a Rattataki with a hair trigger. Check out their full bios and let us know which crew member you prefer!
Hideo Kojima talks life, influences at USC presentation
Legendary game developer Hideo Kojima took the stage at the University of Southern California last night to talk about his life as a game developer, and give a few thoughts on the current state of gaming and game development. During an interview moderated by Geoff Keighley, the creator of Metal Gear Solid spoke honestly about his past as the son of two pharmaceutical executives, his current work/life balance, and what he thinks the future of gaming looks like. Kojima told a few cute stories from his past -- he said that he started writing as a young man, and early on wrote a long story called "Survival Battle" that had everyone in its world fight at the age of 14, earning extra time in their lifespan for each victory. He said that in college, he was an economics major, and thus the "only oddball in my class that wanted to make movies or novels." His economics thesis even included a short story "to surprise my professor, and he was very surprised," said Kojima through a translator, "but it didn't help my grade much." Kojima also talked about his gaming influences, starting with the original Famicom, and mentioned titles like Super Mario Brothers, Xevious, and the Japanese text adventure Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken as early influences on his work. "I felt great potential in the medium," Kojima said about discovering video games, adding that the interactivity was what really drew him in early on.
Aegis Bio grows to 640GB of fingerprint-protected storage
Apricorn specializes in the fine art of making people believe their data is worth stealing and charging them for the privilege of protecting it. Its Aegis Bio range has now been expanded, both in number and in capacity, as the former ceiling of 250GB has been lifted with the introduction of 320GB, 500GB and 640GB variants. The 2.5-inch external disk validates user identity with that handy fingerprint scanner on top before allowing access to the otherwise 128-bit encrypted precious stuff within it. Prices of the new models top out at $160 for the most voluminous one, making them thrifty enough to buy even if you don't need secret agent-level security -- which, let's face it, you don't. Full PR after the break.
One Shots: Amarrian repentance
While the role-playing in EVE Online may not seem readily apparent, there is more of it going on than many may know about. With a rich history, many pilots look to the story of the empires to craft their own bios, or figure out how precisely they're going to interact with players from other empires in EVE Online. Today we have one such example that was sent to us a while back by occasional One Shots contributor, Dab. Since today's entry is longer, we'll simply say that if you'd like to submit your own screenshot to us, send it to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com, along with your name, the name of the game, and a description. And now, on with Dab's note -- be sure to read the bio after the break! "I have started a second account, and decided to go with an Amarr character -- and Amarr-only ships -- as any good religious zealot should. Seeing as the Amarr see themselves as the righteous superiors of the other races in New Eden, I came up with an interesting twist on a familiar bible quote for his bio. I submit it to you, along with this pretty cool pic of his Harbinger battlecruiser, the 'Repentance'." %Gallery-85937%
History Channel UK bringing HD Bio and Crime channels
Life and crime go together kind of like life and taxes, so it's fitting that The History Channel UK is bringing out HD versions of the Biography Channel and The Crime and Investigation Network to Sky's lineup. Between Bio's pledge to get serious about HD and the worldwide party that History is throwing, this gives Brits something to cheer about. If things go smoothly and the Sky EPG can spare a couple of slots, these two new offerings should be available by the end of the year.
The art of the bad CoX character bio
City of Heroes has a feature missing in some other games: a space to write your character's biography, or 'bio' as it is often called (not to be confused with the other meaning of bio, which causes characters to go afk in the middle of raids and the like, with fatal consequences). Some players ignore this altogether, or use it to write insightful comments like 'people actually write stuff here?' Others prepare touching or funny character histories.Some, however - a gifted few - come up with that shining jewel of the CoX experience, the Incredibly Bad Character Bio. There are far too many players out there who take guilty pleasure in spotting them. On certain communities that we will not mention, the most spectacular examples are screengrabbed and posted for the amusement of others, with the relevant names blocked out, so as not to cause undue embarrasment. This is not an exercise in elitism. Truly awful bios are a thing of beauty and a joy forever. But bad character bios don't just happen. There is an art to them. Let us give you some hints.
Biography Channel gets serious about HD
When the Bio Channel first went HD late last year, we were pretty skeptical about the appeal of giving its content the stretch-o-vision treatment. But coming off of a 25-percent gain in viewership year-over-year, it has made the commitment to shoot all new content in HD. To kick things off, Bio has announced that four new original series and the return of "I Survived" will be getting the HD treatment. The new shows include: "Female Forces," highlighting female police in Naperville, IL; "Why I Ran" which will bring interviews with the perps of high-speed police chases; "The Chris Isaak Hour" with live performances and interviews of musical artists; and "Shatner's Raw Nerve" with William Shatner interviewing folks and attempting to set them off (prime directive be damned). To be fair, five series in HD won't exactly fill the programming grid, but it's a start. And there's got to be replay value in watching William Shatner prod his victims guests, right?
EVE Online writing contest at BattleClinic
BattleClinic is running an EVE Online contest, as a tie-in to go along with their exclusive Faction Warfare Enlistment Debrief, written by 'Sergeant-Major Illivia of the Federal Defense Union.' But, as BattleClinic notes, "no one seems to really know who the hell Sergeant-Major Illivia is." And that, all of you aspiring fiction writers, is the basis of the contest. Sergeant-Major Illivia needs a biography, no longer than four paragraphs, completely original, and set within the EVE universe. If your writing makes the cut, the prizes offered include The Art of EVE, a 60-day EVE Time Card, and a 1GB EVE USB FlashDrive. Check out the rest of the rules and conditions over at BattleClinic, but remember the deadline for your bio submissions will be Friday, July 11. And for the love of the Amarrian God, don't begin with "It was a dark and stormy night..." Via EVE Online
Meet the Team: Zack Stern
In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories. Name: Zack Stern Job Position: Contributing Editor Past Experience/Education: I worked as an editor at Gamers.com in its (brief but glorious) 2000 heyday, and have since contributed to dozens of technology and gaming publications. Recent articles have appeared in PC World, PC Gamer, Maximum PC, Official Xbox Magazine, Mac|Life, Wired Test, Make, and many more. Life outside of the 'Stiq: I'm an improviser, photographer, videomaker, and cook. Those all blend together into a delicious, sometimes metaphorical hooch. Why I'm blogging: I'm entrenched in old media but want to maintain a presence online. The two styles inform each other; knowing their similarities and differences makes me better at both. First game experience: I used to play Chinese checkers at my grandparents' house growing up, and the pinball machine at my mom's ad agency was better than day care. Favorite games: Prince of Persia, Myth, Deus Ex, Pikmin, Kururin Paradise, Portal, Rock Band Compact Flash or SD? Compact Flash. There's more to come every Tuesday and Thursday.
Meet the Team: Ross Miller
In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories. Name: Ross Miller Job Position: Features Editor, Webcomic Guru, Master of Ceremonies Traitor! Past Experience/Education: This is my first game journalism gig. Education-wise, I'm finishing undergraduate degrees in Telecommunication Arts and Math, and a certificate in New Media, at the University of Georgia. Life outside of the 'Stiq: Still schooling. I also get a kick out of playing drums and guitar, simultaneously, and obsessing over LOST. Beyond that, there's no time left. If only I had a time-turner or could Facebook friend Hiro Nakamura. Why I'm blogging: Don't like wearing clothes to work. Or ever. First game experience: Parents had two Atari 2600s and a shoebox full of games. I remember spending weeks on E.T. and that really bad Pac-Man port. Favorite games: Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, Fallout 2, Starcraft, Smash Bros, Portal, Rock Band "Ya know, you kind of look like ...": Gordon Freeman, Adam Savage, Rivers Cuomo, Elvis Costello, Jonathan Coulton, Nintendo Wii Fanboy's JC Fletcher More to come every Tuesday and Thursday.
Meet the Team: Justin McElroy
In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories. Name: Justin McElroy Job Position: Blogger and host/producer of the Joystiq Podcast Past Experience/Education: I've been writing about video games since I started reviewing them for The Herald-Dispatch when I was 12 years old. Besides Joystiq my work has appeared in Computer Games Magazine, The Escapist, Gamezebo, Gamers With Jobs: Press Pass and GameDaily. Life outside of the 'Stiq: I also have a degree in theater that I occasionally utilize. And, as you can tell with a quick Google Image Search, I love exercising. But my favorite (usually) non-gaming activity is hanging out with my wife Sydnee. Why I'm blogging: It's not very hard. First game experience: My earliest gaming memory is playing H.E.R.O. on the Atari 2600 at my friend Eric Near's house. Favorite games: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Seaman, Spider-Man 2, Quest for Glory series, BioShock, Phoenix Wright series, Fugitive Hunter, Portal. More to come every Tuesday and Thursday.
Five tips to minimize raiding downtime
I'm a rather avid raider, putting in a solid 20 hours a week on my Warrior. One of the major things about the time spent raiding is that it can be very precious. There is only so much time that 24 other people, plus appropriate class substitutions, can be available each week. It's critical that the time spent raiding is used well.Unfortunately, using raiding time well is about as much of a challenge as is downing Illidan. In preparation for this article, I've spent the past three weeks keeping track of the down time in raids. We raid Sunday through Thursday nights, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. We experience a downtime of about 51 minutes for each raid, which is about 20% of the time. Down time is defined as the time that my character is standing still, not attacking, not moving, and not being MDed to.Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I'm not really sure. Tip #1: Chain pullingPersonally, I do my best at the main tank to chain pull and push the trash through as fast as possible. This works out 99% of the time, however the 1% of the time it doesn't work out can grind the raid to a halt. Case and point: The trash to Supremus isn't too bad, and is a lot of packs where the MT, OT, and Pally tank each have some mobs to tank. There are also some ranged dragons that the Warlocks tank. These pulls can go very fast, and are very predictable. Pulling slowly we can do this in about 40 minutes, while chain pulling each group, we can push through in 15.Tip #2: Fully self buffed, all the timeIt doesn't take much to buff yourself. Every class has some buff they can apply to themselves, be it food buffs, spell buffs, or shouts. The key here is that you can find a minute or two to always buff at least yourself, if not others. Although, it might not always be possible to buff others as you're going along - and that's okay with most raid leaders for trash pulls.
The Biography Channel to go HD on November 28th
DirecTV signed a deal that'll make it the first HD provider to carry the Biography Channel in HD. No word if anyone else will carry this simulcast of the original Bio, but from the very start, half of their primetime programming will be produced in HD; and by the middle of next year, 65% of all the programming will get the HD treatment. In the meantime, SD programming will be upconverted to the "the enhanced format" -- which we're pretty sure means stretch-o-vision.
DS Daily: Official sites
The official website is just part of marketing a game these days -- nearly everyone's got one. One other thing is the same as well: they almost always have the same content! Character bios, screenshots, wallpaper, and the occasional trailer ... and while they're usually fun to dip into, can't we have something more? Some games go the extra mile and offer different types of content, like mini demos, but usually the best you can hope for is a site with frequent updates. Does this work for you, or do you crave something more? What are some of your favorites?[Shirt found here, but bloggers are everywhere.]
