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GodsWar Online talks pet system in new dev blog
Pets are on their way to GodsWar Online, and the IGG team has a new dev blog designed to give players a preview of the upcoming content. Unlike the pet systems in most MMOs, every creature in GodsWar will be tamable -- yes, even those terrifying medusa and hydra bosses (that said, due to the size of some of the game's critters, player pet versions will be necessarily scaled down). IGG also plans to add new pets to the game to compliment existing monsters, including the cerberus, griffin, tyrannosaurus, and more. GodsWar will also boast new pet talents and skills, and you can read the full dev diary after the cut. While you're at it, don't forget to peruse our GodsWar gallery for the latest screenshots. %Gallery-80994%
New image of Olympus E-PL2 leaks, shows off macro spotlight
We've already seen leaked images of the Olympus E-PL2, the much talked about follow up to the E-PL1. The Micro Four Thirds is expected to boast a new 14-42mm f/3.5 - 5.6 kit lens, a 'direct movie' button, a high-resolution 3-inch display, and an optional Bluetooth model. From the new image above, however, we can see that there will also be an optional 'Medusa' version of the cam with a closeup spotlight for all those insane macro shots you'll undoubtedly be taking. The adjustable LED will also not require an extra battery, so this is one add-on we'll definitely be seriously considering.
The siege continues as DDO launches Update 8
Massively has been hinting that Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 8 would be out soon, and now it is here! We knew Turbine would not let us down. The siege on Lordsmarch Palace rages on in the Attack on Stormreach. A green Hag controls monstrous forces in this ever-expanding plot. Adventurers launch on four different death-defying quests stretching on, over, and under Stormreach, battling the evil armada from Droaam. Take defensive positions against an Ogre General and his army in the Assault on Summerfield; sneak out in the darkness of night and sabotage Droaam mine-laying ships in Blockade Buster; counter a sneak-attack in the tunnels under Lordsmarch Palace courtyard in Undermine; finally, battle through ruins just outside Stormreach where the villainous army is opening a portal directly to Droaam. Beyond the expansive new quests, Update 8 features four unique cosmetic armor sets with 11 unique appearances each. If classic good-vs.-evil fantasy warfare is your thing, you will want to head over to the official site and download the patch now! (Well, after you peek at the gallery, of course.) %Gallery-110491%
Rise and Shiny recap: Mytheon
Each week Rise and Shiny asks you to download and try a different free-to-play, indie or unusual game, chosen by me, Beau Hindman. Some of the games will be far out of your gaming comfort zone, and some will pleasantly surprise you. We will meet each Tuesday and Friday night at 9 p.m. EDT (8 p.m. CDT time) followed by this column the Sunday after. I welcome any suggestions for games, either in the comments or at beau@massively.com. I'm a simple man. I need a strong cup of coffee in the morning, walks with my two dogs, a kiss from my wife -- and giants. Lots of giants. Mytheon is a perfect game for a simple man like me. It installs easily and the controls are basic. It is by no means perfect, but I am not sure that it is trying to be. Like me, it's simple. It wants you to control miniature armies of centaurs, cyclopses and skeletons, and it wants you to kill things while controlling that army. See? Simple.
Three-port Medusa HDMI 1.3 hub is oh-so-tiny
For those with an eye for finding niche peripherals, they'll notice that there actually are quite a few HDMI hubs out there to select from. Still, we've yet to come across a three-porter sexier and more compact than this. Codenamed Medusa, the three-port HDMI 1.3 hub you see above is about the width / length of a Rubik's Cube and enables a trio of HDMI devices to be connected. Unfortunately, we're not sure if this one will have any real switching capabilities, but you will find Deep Color and CEC support, of course. No word on a price just yet -- after all, it is still in the final stages of development -- but it should go on sale worldwide in under 30 days.[Via Engadget Spanish]
Blizzard's itinerary lists 'Medusa Demo' for the weekend
We have less than 24 hours before Blizzard is set to make their major announcement, and there has been speculation galore as to what new game they'll reveal. According to the developer's itinerary, as reported by 1UP, following the announcement, there will be a showing of the "Medusa Demo."Knowledgeable readers (or savvy Googlers) might recall that Diablo II featured an item entitled Medusa's Gaze, but wouldn't that make the codename too easily identifiable? Surely Blizzard is sneakier than that.A 1UP commenter named merc84, however, came up with the tenuous connection to Medusa and this quote by the infested Sarah Kerrigan: "I am the Queen of Blades. And my stare alone would reduce you to ashes." According to mythology, Medusa's stare could turn you into stone, so you could read Kerrigan's quote as a parallel to the mythology.With the announcement being made in Korea, a.k.a. the Starcraft Capital of the World, the odds of Starcraft 2 being unveiled seem a lot greater. Here at Joystiq HQ, however, we're still holding out for an original IP or, better yet, a Lost Vikings first-person shooter (with sneaking gameplay elements, of course).
Analyzing Medusa in gamer mythology
In his recent Retronauts feature, 1UP's Jeremy Parish examines the disparate interpretations of Medusa throughout early gaming. Discarding most of the intricate histories of the Gorgon sister, most game designers chose instead to focus on the two (obviously most important) aspects of Medusa: her serpentine hairdo and (sometimes) her stone-inducing gaze.Pariah gives a number of examples, with pictures, of Medusa in gaming before transitioning into a discussion on the Castlevania series and its insistence on making Medusa a flying head maneuvering in a sinusoidal pattern.One of the tales of Medusa that we haven't seen game designers capitalize on: when Perseus beheaded Medusa, Pegasus the winged horse and Chrysaor the giant sprang forth, presumably the offspring born of an night of passion between Poseidon and Medusa. [Via Wired]
