dungeon-keeper
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17-year-old secret message found in Dungeon Keeper code
Just prior to the July 1997 launch of EA's classic labyrinth-building simulation Dungeon Keeper, a designer slipped a secret message into the game's executable code. That message remained secret until now. "I am writing this at 4AM on Keeper's last day," reads the all-caps text. "I look around the office and all I see are the tired, pale faces of the Keeper team. This project has destroyed the health and social lives of each member, so I hope you like the game. Amazingly, after sixteen hours a day, 7 days a week, for nearly 5 months, we still do. This game has been written with a passion I am proud to be part of ... I do not just hope you like it, I also hope you are aware of the huge amount of work we have all done." The hidden text then goes on to offer greetings to numerous people before the author grows too sleepy to continue. This discovery is especially timely, as the author of that text is none other than Jonty Barnes, current director of production at Bungie and one of the driving forces behind Destiny. "It's funny, I'm feeling similar with Destiny," Barnes told Polygon following the discovery. "Both games have taken absolutely everything I have to give. Both I'm very proud to be part of. Both have changed my life." [Image: EA]
Europe wants better safeguards on in-app iOS purchases
It appears the European Commission isn't thrilled with Apple's slow movement to provide more safeguards from accidental in-app purchases made on its devices. The administration issued a press release today discussing joint action from the firm and member states to enforce better protection for consumers in regards to incidental purchases, praising Google's proposed solutions to the issue. "Although, regrettably, no concrete and immediate solutions have been made by Apple to date to address the concerns linked in particular to payment authorisation," the European Commission wrote, noting that Apple said it will address the issues in due time, though it did not provide a time-frame for the changes. An Apple spokesman told Reuters that "over the last year we made sure any app which enables customers to make in-app purchases is clearly marked," and that it will "continue to work with the EC member states to respond to their concerns."
Gibeau: EA 'innovated too much' with Dungeon Keeper
EA's reboot of Dungeon Keeper rubbed new and old fans the wrong way with an aggressive approach to monetization – it's a free, mobile app heavy on microtransactions and shifty five-star rating schemes. The original game's creator, Peter Molyneux, dubbed the reboot "ridiculous," and in June, EA CEO Andrew Wilson called the situation "a shame." EA Mobile head Frank Gibeau this week told GamesIndustry that EA didn't do a good job marketing the game or communicating to fans what they could expect from a new Dungeon Keeper. "Brands ultimately have a certain amount of permission that you can make changes to, and I think we might have innovated too much or tried some different things that people just weren't ready for," Gibeau said. "Or, frankly, were not in tune with what the brand would have allowed us to do. We like the idea that you can bring back a brand at EA and express it in a new way. We've had some successes on that front, but in the case of Dungeon Keeper, that just didn't connect with an audience for a variety of reasons."
UK regulator rules 'free' Dungeon Keeper ad was misleading
The UK's Advertising Standards Agency upheld a complaint against EA today, ruling the publisher misled customers by promoting its mobile Dungeon Keeper game as "free." The British authority told EA to ensure future adverts are upfront about what limits there are to "free gameplay" and how in-app purchases affect it. The ad in question was sent via e-mail, and the ASA says it stated "GET DUNGEON KEEPER ON MOBILE FOR FREE!" In its response to the complaint, EA said Dungeon Keeper was free to download, in-app purchases were not required, and gameplay without in-app purchases wasn't severely compromised. The publisher noted Gems can be used to accelerate and boost progress, but added that while Gems can be purchased for money, the game awards them through regular interaction.
EA's CEO on lessons learned from mobile Dungeon Keeper
With Dungeon Keeper's frequent ultimatum of giving into micro transactions or waiting hours to make another move, EA's mobile revival of the evil lair builder didn't win over many fans, new or old. Its reputation as one of the least player-friendly examples of free-to-play gaming was rampant closer to its launch, and discontent was widespread enough for EA CEO Andrew Wilson to hear about it. Speaking with Eurogamer about the mobile successor, Wilson described the situation as "a shame" and said EA had "misjudged the economy." Wilson outlined two overarching types of feedback that EA received from the situation: staying as true as possible to a revived series' essence rather than purely going for new players is important, and that "when you're thinking about any business model, premium, subscription, free-to-play, value has to exist. Whether it's a dollar, $10, $100 or $1,000, you have to [deliver] value, and always err on the side of delivering more value, not less." Achieving that sense of value can be tough, particularly in a series like Battlefield that offers purchasable content in season passes and deluxe editions on top of a $60 base price. Just as long as those pools missing from The Sims 4's launch aren't eventually sold to us in a water-focused expansion, right? [Image: EA]
Original Dungeon Keeper free in GOG.com Valentine's Day sale this weekend
Dungeon Keeper Gold is available for free on GOG.com this weekend. The 1997 PC strategy game that includes the Deeper Dungeons expansion joins 29 more games on the distribution service's Valentine's Day sale, with Dungeon Keeper 2 discounted to $1.49. Those looking to redeem the freebie offer will need to click the deal banner on GOG.com's home page by 5:59 a.m. EST on Sunday, as the game's landing page still lists it at $5.99. Among the other deals on GOG.com this weekend, players can pick up System Shock 2 for $1.49, Guacamelee Gold Edition for $3.74, PixelJunk Monsters HD for $1.59 and PixelJunk Shooter for $2.69. The free copy of the original Dungeon Keeper surely beats the mobile, free-to-play version EA launched this year, which was deemed "ridiculous" by Peter Molyneux for its heavy reliance on microtransactions. Dungeon Keeper was also criticized for diverting in-app ratings that were fewer than five stars on Android. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Molyneux on new Dungeon Keeper: 'This is ridiculous'
EA's received hefty doses of criticism following the launch of its free-to-play mobile version of Dungeon Keeper, thanks in particular to the game's reliance on microtransactions. One person voicing displeasure with the game recently is Dungeon Keeper's original creator, Lionhead Studios co-founder and current 22 Cans head, Peter Molyneux. "I felt myself turning round saying, 'What? This is ridiculous. I just want to make a dungeon. I don't want to schedule it on my alarm clock for six days to come back for a block to be chipped,'" Molyneux told the BBC. "I don't think they got it quite right, the balance between keeping it familiar to the fans that were out there but fresh enough and understandable enough for this much bigger mobile audience." EA quietly safeguarded itself against poor reviews for Dungeon Keeper on Android in particular, as it was revealed last week that anything less than a five-star review was diverted to a feedback form within the app. Given Molyneux's penchant for the, shall we say, unconventional, if he's calling you 'ridiculous', something somewhere has gone terribly wrong. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Dungeon Keeper Android makes it difficult to rate app less than 5 stars
Players who did not enjoy EA's free-to-play Android version of Dungeon Keeper found themselves unable to voice their displeasure in the days following its release, as Pocket Gamer discovered that the game actively discourages less-than-perfect ratings via Google Play. After playing Dungeon Keeper for several minutes, an in-game pop-up requests a Google Play rating, giving players the option of submitting either a 5-star vote or a rating of 1-4 stars. Choosing the "5 Stars" option lets users proceed through the ratings process normally. Selecting the "1-4 Stars" option prevents users from submitting a rating at all, instead confronting them with a request for direct feedback – a result akin to voting in a Pawnee election. Players can still rate Dungeon Keeper directly via Google Play, however, and nothing prevents users from submitting a lower rating after pressing the in-app "5 Stars" button. The game currently sits at an average rating of 4.3 stars out of 5. Speaking to Eurogamer, an EA Mobile representative defended the tactic as a method to encourage detailed player feedback. "The 'rate this app' feature in the Google Play version of Dungeon Keeper was designed to help us collect valuable feedback from players who don't feel the game is worth a top rating," the representative said. "We wanted to make it easier for more players to send us feedback directly from the game if they weren't having the best experience. Players can always continue to leave any rating they want on the Google Play Store." [Image: Electronic Arts / Pocket Gamer]
GOG weekend sale is full of winners from the distant past at low, low prices
"As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master" – Commissioner Pravin Lal ... and there's never been a game quite like Alpha Centauri since.This weekend, GOG has Alpha Centauri, Dungeon Keeper 1 and 2, SimCity 2000 and Populous 1 and 2 for $3 apiece.If dated graphics don't bother you, we expect you to be done extracting the fun out of these games sometime in 2015.
Daily iPhone App: Tiny Heroes
Tiny Heroes is a fun one from David Whatley, the mind behind the popular GeoDefense titles for the App Store (who's also, incidentally, speaking later on this week at the 360iDev conference going on here in Denver). This one is tower defense as well, but it's got a nice Dungeon Keeper-esque twist on the genre. Instead of defending from the invading hordes, you must shut down heroes, attempting to invade your dungeon for loot. The look and feel is a lot of fun, and the interface is smooth and well-done, very reminiscent of Plants vs. Zombies (always a good thing). As you move through the game's levels, you get more and more tools to stop the little heroes, including fun things like mimic chests and spike traps. There are over 50 levels in the game right now, with more coming later, and of course Game Center and OpenFeint integration extend replayability as well. Tiny Heroes is a lot of fun -- it's only available on the iPhone (right now) for US$2.99.
EA games now on GOG, starting with Privateer, Dungeon Keeper, and Ultima Underworld
During CD Projekt's ongoing streaming press conference, the publisher revealed that Electronic Arts is going to join the roster of companies opening up their vintage catalogues to the DRM-free retro store Good Old Games. The first announced games include Wing Commander Privateer, Dungeon Keeper, and pioneering first-person RPGs Ultima Underworld 1 and 2. And those three are available right now for $5.99 each! Three more EA classics" are coming before the end of June, and then "over 20" more games from the publisher are coming this summer. Unfortunately, System Shock and Syndicate aren't part of the agreement right now, due to rights issues. But, a GOG spokesman said, "never say never."
EA says Dungeon Keeper MMO still underway
A year and a half ago, EA Games announced plans to make single-player game Dungeon Keeper into an MMO. After the initial announcement -- which was met with no small amount of skepticism -- things were pretty quiet on that front for a long time. EA recently confirmed that plans for the Dungeon Keeper MMO are still underway. Chinese developer TQ Digital Entertainment has been tapped to develop the project, and we've got a few details on what we can expect. A playable Demon race has been confirmed, with more to come in the future. The game, which will be in full 3D, will offer players the chance to build an underground dungeon empire. You can check out the full story at MMO Culture. [via Kotaku]
Massively week in Review
Joystiq's sister site Massively.com has all the news you'll need about MMOs. Here's the best, brightest, and most interesting stuff from the last week, all in one convenient place for your MMO minute. EA licenses Dungeon Keeper MMO, for ChinaElectronic Arts has licensed out the Dungeon Keeper property as an MMO to Chinese-based developer NetDragon Websoft with the intent to eventually bring it overseas. Warhammer Online 1.0.6 patch adds new classes, tidal wave of updatesToday, Mythic brings us Black Guards and Knights of the Blazing Sun! For those who didn't finish the full Heavy Metal event, don't worry, the classes will become available to everyone next week. DC Universe probably coming early 2010/late 2009, says comics writerMost intriguing was his up-front information on the game's launch window. According to Johns, the developers are aiming to release the game in "early 2010, it could be late 2009." Read on into the brief interview for the goods. Richard Bartle responds to "torture quest" issueA few days ago we ran a report on Richard Bartle's take on a torture quest in World of Warcraft, the Art of Persuasion. Since then, the discussion has exploded and some have taken Bartle's quotes out of context. Because of this, Bartle has created a follow-up post to clarify some of the points that may have been misinterpreted. NCsoft clarifies its rationale for closing Tabula RasaLast week we spoke very briefly with NCsoft's Director of Public Relations David Swofford about the company's decision to close Tabula Rasa. He reiterated the basic statement we heard from several sources surrounding the call: this was all about the bottom line.
EA licenses Dungeon Keeper MMO, for China
"So I've got a great idea!" says executive Bob at Electronic Arts, "Lets license out the Dungeon Keeper property for an MMORPG!" John, who happens to be a puppet on Bob's hand, says, "That's a brilliant idea, old chap!" The apparently British imaginary friend makes an awkward smile. Bob continues, "We'll give it to a Chinese developer who can release it all over the Asian markets." John the British puppet responds, "Wonderful, will you bring it to Western markets?" Bob replies with, "Who cares?" and they both laugh -- at least in Bob's twisted mind.This is honestly the only sequence of events that, in our minds, makes sense when considering the fact that Electronic Arts has licensed out the Dungeon Keeper property as an MMO to Chinese-based developer NetDragon Websoft with the intent to eventually bring it overseas. While we're sure it'll do fine in the eastern markets, it just baffles the mind to think that EA is taking an RTS title originally designed for the west -- the original game was steeped in British humor -- and having an eastern developer create an MMO out of it that will more than likely appeal primarily to easterners only.
