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The Perfect Ten: Best in-game maps
I love me a good map. Seriously. When I was a boy and we'd go on vacations, I think I spent more time flipping through the detailed atlas in the car than looking out of the windows (and how sad is that?). Even today, I'm fascinated with a good map, as it allows my imagination to roam across lands quickly and imagine what they must be like. In MMOs, maps are one of the most important tools in your user interface. They help orient you, direct you to your next quest objective, allow you to plan a journey in the safest possible manner, and tantalize you with the potentials of unexplored areas. I started to think about how much we rely on a good in-game map when I was reading the Star Wars: The Old Republic dev diary on how that team is implementing their map system. I've found that in-game maps can be a mixed bag, depending on the game you visit. Some may look great but be functionally useless. Some may be uglier than dirt but hit the spot nevertheless. But the best are the ones that marry good aesthetics with practicality, and those are the ones I want to spotlight today. So without further ado, my favorite in-game maps from MMOs!
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup revisits the classics
Digital Unrest's Chris Simmons originally made this comic in April 2006, and we subsequently crashed his servers. The strip has bee remade this week with new art and, given that it never got a fair shot last time, we're going to throw it in again this week. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Chris. Here are our picks for the week's best game-related webcomic. Polling after the break; be sure to vote for your favorite!Orderly Debate (Digital Unrest)The World May Never Know (Fanboys Online)Bluetooth Headset (CAD Minis)For Your Consideration (Penny Arcade)Rupees Cannot Buy Hearts (MNC)The Fundamental Theorem of War (2P Start)Anguish (Penny Arcade)Giving Birth (Castle Vidcons)(Not game-related, but make sure you read PVP Online's five-part FoxTrot/Family Circus "tribute")
The Joystiq Weekend: January 5 - 7, 2008
This weekend's Family Circus strip was not included in this week's webcomic wrapup, but it's definitely worth noting for just how much the Nintendo Wii has hit the mainstream audience. Check out the highlights for this weekend:JoystiqueryBill Gates: live at his final CES keynoteToday's most political video and game: Kung-Fu ElectionWeekly Webcomic Wrapup resets for the new yearNewsStargate Worlds trailer offers chance for eternal fameMicrosoft faces class action lawsuit due to Xbox Live outagesHD DVD group cancels pre-CES press conferenceJapanese Smash Bros. commercials tease its nearing releaseGory MMO coming to the states in early '08Guinness book of gaming records coming in FebruaryCollege football players train on custom EA Sports simulatorSlim PSP to get Skype functionality late JanuarySony boasts PlayStation holiday sales numbersABC Television and MGM brings HD content to Xbox MarketplaceUK telecom company BT Group first to use Xbox 360 as set-top boxGPS for Sony PSP coming to USNew games this week: Harvey Birdman editionIron Chef game listed, then pulledStar Tropics, King of Fighters '94 arrive on Virtual ConsolePSP Dragon's Lair game needs publisherPostal devs lay Person of the Year award at Tallarico's feetBioWare, Pandemic creating 10 new franchises for EALittleBigPlanet coming in SeptemberThis Wednesday: Omega Five, Tron get digitized, sucked into Xbox Liveock Band Weekly: Iron Maiden, The Hives, Stone Temple PilotsCES 2008: Lode Runner coming to XBLANo More Heroes bumped up to Jan. 22SOE teams with Gamebryo for PSN game showsDevil May Cry 4 for PS3 gets achievements, required installationCES 2008: New titles join Games for Windows portfolioWisconsin politician proposes 1% tax on video gamesSierra's Prototype is first game with Neural-THX 7.1 surround soundSony's new $300, 16GB Memory StickNyko offering plethora of peripherals in early '08ESRB lists Street Fighter Alpha for PlayStation 3, PSPWii outsold PS3 3-to-1 in Japan during '07; Xbox pens memoir on neglectSkype skipping original PSP due to memory limitationsMS memo: Xbox 360 to have 'biggest year in video game history,' XBL surpasses 10m usersFable 2, Alan Wake and more confirmed for 2008Rumors & SpeculationRumor: Microsoft working on first party sequel for next Xbox consoleTrade group: Game industry growth to slow in '08Culture & CommunityConan eases writers strike boredom with Rock BandHow-To: Share your computer's internet with the XboxUK tabloid reports that the Queen loves the WiiDespite Guitar Hero skills, Bill Gates can't join U2Guitar Hero champ plays Guns n' Roses song with Slash on real guitarTop 25 pop-u-lar Xbox gamertagsWarren Spector wishes he'd made The Golden CompassLong-time freelancer leaves Gamespot over Gerstmann-gate
Wii enters the vortex of anti-comedy
Family Circus creator Bil Keane, in an effort to show that he's still alive and not a computer program that randomly generates new strips from elements of archival strips, decided to write about one of those TV game things that the kids have been talking about. And in the process, the Wii somehow has been made less funny.Here you can see the true-life observations that have drawn millions to glance at Family Circus casually whenever someone leaves the comics page of the newspaper lying on the table. Kids are often better with computer stuff than adults, even though they are small and uneducated! This is even true with "Wii Bowling!" Is that the right name? Wii -- that's the one that has bowling, with the little remote thing, right? The most amazing thing about this comic, to us, isn't that Family Circus accidentally wandered into something that is still relevant as of the last year or so, but that the lettering scheme was broken to maintain the proper capitalization of the word "Wii." Honestly, it carries the fetid stench of cross-marketing.
Family (Wii) Circus [update 2]
Okay, we admit, we photoshopped the caption -- which originally stated that Mommy and PJ were playing "Whee!" -- but the implications were too amusing for us to pass on this one. If any aspiring graphic designer wants to convincingly replace the baby with a Wiimote, we'd love to replace the graphic to the right.[Thanks, Nick Robinson][update 1: look at what Jander did! He even dropped the baby -- thanks, Jander!][update 2: Richard Lankford has done one better, with a flying baby. I actually laughed at a Family Circus strip -- thanks, Rich!]
