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The Art of Wushu: Getting yourself a bounty
We all know what side of the law I fight on in Age of Wushu: the bad guy side. However, there's a marked difference between being a professional criminal and an indiscriminate mass murderer. Being a criminal means that you need to be more discreet in which targets you kill. If I don't have a bounty, a kill that doesn't get me a bounty is pointless. Infamy is a resource, and if I ramp it up too much, I could be looking at jail time without even getting a bounty. Nothing is more frustrating than having to idle for hours in some out of the way place because my infamy shot up over 2000, but it's pretty easy to get there. Being selective in whom I kill helps prevent those kinds of mistakes.
The Art of Wushu: Rewarding good and bad deeds
Last time, I mentioned that I might talk about the new school instances in Age of Wushu's Infinite Scrolls expansion, but the truth is that very little is known. I haven't done them (I'm guildless and I'm not really looking), and the guilds that have done them are very closed-mouthed about what is in the dungeons. I've heard they're pretty easy, if it's any condolence. However, I do have something more fun to talk about, and that's killing other people. You guys may have noticed, but I like PvP a lot. Infinite Scrolls released a new system called Big Jianghu that rewards people for open-world PvP. I have wanted more consequences for PKing for a long time, so I was really excited about this feature. Unfortunately, as with many things in the new expansion, I was bound to be disappointed.
Age of Wushu elaborates on crime and punishment
While it is true that Age of Wushu has an open PvP world, that doesn't mean that players can wantonly sashay about inflicting mass murder upon others without consequence. And as beta has progressed, Snail Games has refined AoW's crime and punishment system. The color of names denoting wanted players has changed; names will first change from white to orange after players add to their infamy by performing murderous deeds. Name colors will then escalate to red and finally to purple if the killing continues. Other players can still place bounties on murderers at the orange level, and either NPC police or player constables (there can be up to 1000 per server) can collect on them. Depending on the severity of an offender's actions, different options are available once jailed. The lowest tiers -- orange and red -- can wait out the sentence, pay a hefty bribe to wipe their slate clean, or place wagers on a dice game to try and win their way out. Of course, they can also attempt a jailbreak with friends. The worst offenders (purple) are slated for death row and will be publicly beheaded if they can't afford the bribe or manage to escape. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Capture a Crow when the Darkmoon Faire's in town
If you're into battle pets, the Darkmoon Faire needs to be on your monthly to-do list. Outside of the variety of pets and mounts available in exchange for Darkmoon Prize Tickets, Darkmoon Island is home to a few wild battle pets, including the Crow. Here's a rundown of its abilities: Slot 1 Peck or Alpha Strike Slot 2 Squawk or Call Darkness Slot 3 Murder or Nocturnal Strike We have some basic Flying-type abilities here, and between Peck and Alpha Strike, the latter is usually recommended. Even with a slower breed of Crow, the Flying family passive grants 50% extra speed above 50% health, so you can expect that extra hit from Alpha Strike. In slots 2 and 3, you have two paths to choose from. If you're going up against an Elemental battle pet with the Crow (not recommended), Squawk and Murder may be better choices, but against any other type, Call Darkness and Nocturnal Strike will be your powerhouse combo.
Warhammer Online encourages murder most foul
In the happy, carebear world of Warhammer Online, we've reached the time of year when the clouds break to let in a ray of sunshine that warms the souls of all it touches and sprinkles hearts with... oh, forget it. It's Murder-o-Rama, aka the Night of Murder. Mythic's annual WAR bloodfest centers around players attempting to appease a gruesome Elf god by taking out contracts on each other's lives. From February 9th through the 22nd, players will try to complete Tome of Knowledge tasks by completing "Marked for Death" quests and killing those with a dripping red skull-and-crossbones over their heads. The rewards are worth the effort, though, with items like Lobbin' Noggins, Khaine's Caress, and a fun pike sporting your opponent's head that you can slam down next to a defeated foe. It's the yearly holiday your mother always warned you about, but you never listened then and you're probably not going to start now.
Teenage killer confesses crime in World of Warcraft chat, sentenced to life in prison
Two teenage boys who raped and murdered a fellow classmate in Victoria, British Columbia recently received a sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole for 10 years. They weren't very smart about covering it up, however, as one of the killers confessed his crime to a guildmate in World of Warcraft chat. He did so because he assumed that those chat logs were less likely to be saved. Kruse Wellwood and Cameron Moffat spent time planning the assault beforehand, and Wellwood even mentioned his desire to do the crime to a guild friend in WoW. Following the 2010 crime, Wellwood logged back in World of Warcraft to talk about the murder to his online girlfriend in Halifax, sending her links of the news reports as proof of his story. Amazingly, his girlfriend mildly chided him to "just don't do it again." The in-game chat logs were part of the mountain of evidence collected by the police. The pair pleaded guilty to the crime.
Teen kills disabled girl, plays DDO to "forget"
While video games have long been used as an escape from life, there are few instances where that sentiment is more tragic than a recent crime in Seattle. On August 17th, 18-year-old Tyler Savage led police to the body of a developmentally disabled teenage girl, whom Savage admitted to killing then raping. After hiding the body, Savage went to a neighbor's house and logged into Dungeons & Dragons Online. Savage wanted to be a video game tester, and told the police he spent many hours gaming every day. He claimed that playing DDO helped him to forget his crime, a crime to which he has since pleaded "not guilty." Detectives are trying to figure out if he was trying to enact a game fantasy in real life, although Savage's defense attorney claims that this is "pure speculation." Savage's victim was a participant in the Special Olympics and had known him for two years. If convicted, Savage could receive the death penalty.
Patch 3.3 PTR: Patch notes updated
Horray! Another update to the patch 3.3 PTR patch notes. This one is nice and small. Usually, when the note updates become smaller and smaller, it's a good indication that the patch is getting closer to being done. But, we also haven't seen any itemization of this patch yet -- so there is obviously still a bit of work to do. However even then, items don't exactly change very much in the PTR, they are mostly set via formulas devised well ahead of time. So we'll see... nice to see things shaping up though. All the updates to the patch notes are as follows: Druids: Gift of the Earthmother: Redesigned. This talent now increases spell haste by 2/4/6/8/10% and reduces the base global cooldown of Lifebloom by 2/4/6/8/10% instead of its previous effects. (This was just reworded, nothing changed, according to Blizzard.) Paladins: Sanctified Light (changed reverted based on update to Lay on Hands) Murder: This talent now provides a flat damage increase of 2/4% against all targets, instead of only targets which do not appear in Icecrown. Victory Rush: This ability is now trainable at level 6. (This was just corrected, nothing new.) Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.
Blue Toad Murder files for December 17 release
Relentless Software is prepping the first episode of its PSN adventure game, Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle, for a December 17 release. The studio's first self-published game is inspired by classic murder mysteries of yesteryear, with players having to figure out "whodunnit." The first screenshots of the game showcase interrogations and puzzles, making good on our wish for a game "like Professor Layton meets ... uh, murder."Unique to the Blue Toad Murder Files is the promise of "one to four player co-operative gameplay." Our interest is certainly piqued by that feature, and we're hoping it'll amount to something a bit more significant than one person holding the controller while three other people yell in their ear.%Gallery-74684%
Man gets life in killing over 'stolen' PlayStation 2
Former Fresno State student Jonquel Brooks was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, for the 2007 shooting of four men -- one of which died in the altercation. On May 7, 2007, Brooks was approached and accused of stealing a PlayStation 2 system from one of the four men. Police did not find the stolen PlayStation in his apartment, defense lawyer Jane Boulger said. The argument eventually turned violent when Brooks fired shots, striking two of the men and killing another. Following the incident Brooks, 21, fled from the scene -- later surrendering to authorities. During his trial, Brooks claimed the shooting was in self defense, but prosecution argued he immediately resorted to the most extreme measures possible. According to prosecution, Brooks was known for "flashing a gun" and "dealing drugs." At sentencing, the mother of the deceased (Brant Daniels) forgave Brooks, calling him "a good kid who made a wrong choice." Fresno County Superior Court sentenced Brooks to 25 years to life for the first-degree murder of Daniels. Brooks was also sentenced to 25 years for using a gun and a combined 59 years and four months for the attempted murder of the other three men involved in the altercation. Following the conviction, Brooks was remorseful, saying that he prayed for the "forgiveness" of Daniels' family and friends. [Photo Credit: AP Images]
Daniel Petric sentenced to 23 years in prison
Daniel Petric, the teenager who shot and killed his mother and injured his father after being cut off from his precious Halo 3 back in 2007, received his sentence today, MSNBC reports. Judge James Burge sentenced the boy to 23 years to cries of mercy from the boy's surviving father, who stated that Daniel "still does not understand why he did something so terrible."Daniel's sentence is actually a lot lighter than it could have been, as the prosecution was pushing for the maximum sentence of life without parole. The defense's argument was that Daniel was so young and so addicted to the game that he could not be held accountable. Petric, only 17 years old, was even younger when he committed the crime, and the judge's lenience is likely tied to his belief that young Daniel was addicted to the point of delusion.[Thanks, Aaron]
Dell's Mini 9 vanishes from retail site as red Studio XPS 16 returns (update: Mini 9 is on the outs)
We don't want to point fingers, but at the same time Dell's Studio XPS 16 red option suddenly returns -- now a "Merlot" instead of once-axed "Crimson" -- the Mini 9 conspicuously goes missing from the company's website. Coincidence? We think not. It's a regular murder mystery, and it looks like we have our prime suspect here, caught... erm, red-lidded. Catching the killer, though, won't bring it back, but at least its younger brother, the Vostro A90, still seems to alive and kicking. Update: We just got off the phone with a Dell customer service rep who told us the same thing a handful of our tipsters heard: the Mini 9's being phased out, with its official "End of Life" possibly as soon as Monday. Shed a tear for our 2008 netbook of the year. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] Read - Merlot red Studio XPS 16 Read - Dell.com search for "Mini 9" Read - Refurbished Laptop stockroom
First Bad Company 2 trailer light on gameplay, heavy on death
Light on gameplay but heavy on murder the first trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 got "world exclusive" status on this week's GameTrailers TV (after the break).Showcasing the cycle of "smoke a cigarette, kill a dude, get killed yourself" in a MadWorld-esque aesthetic, we can't help but wish for actual gameplay footage from the game -- the first Bad Company 2 screen was madness! We'll expect to hear more from publisher EA and developer DICE as we near E3 2009 in June. More on murder, that is.
Teen on trial for murder, defense takes aim at stress & video games
Prosecutors at the murder trial of Daniel Petric claim the teen shot both of his parents, killing his mother, because they would not allow the 16-year-old to play Halo 3. According to the prosecution, Daniel Petric, who now stands trial at 17-years-old, was forbidden to buy the 'M' rated game Halo 3 by his parents Mark and Susan Petric. In response, the teen secretly purchased the game but was caught as he returned home prompting his parents to place the game inside of a lock box, which also contained a 9mm handgun. Mark Petric, a minister at the Life Assembly of God in Wellington, Ohio, survived the shooting, which occurred the evening of October 20, 2007, when his daughter and her husband interrupted the horrific incident taking place. In his testimony, Mark Petric recalled Daniel sitting both him and his wife down saying, "Would you guys close your eyes. I have a surprise for you." Daniel Petric then opened fire on his parents. Lawyers for Daniel Petric claim the teen had been under a large amount of stress due to a snowboarding accident which left him housebound for a year leaving him nothing to do but watch television and play video games. During testimony, Daniel Petric asked for his father's forgiveness and expressed his regret in the shooting which led to a heart-wrenching exchange that ended with his father exclaiming, "You're my son ... You're my boy."It's difficult to form an opinion about this situation because the parents of Daniel Petric did exactly what should have been done, regulate their son's gaming habits. Regardless of your opinion, the Petric family story is a tragic one.[via Kotaku]
Murder linked to Advance Wars forum
Details are still very sketchy on the murder of a 20-year-old British man, allegedly killed by someone he'd met on an Advance Wars forum. The BBC reports Matthew Pyke, who ran the forum, is suspected to have been stabbed to death at his home in Nottingham by a man currently in custody with German police. The 21-year-old suspect, whose name has been withheld by authorities, is currently in Frankfurt for an extradition hearing.All the German police will say at this point is that the two men "got to know each other through the internet" on Pyke's Advance Wars website. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Outrage! UK media up in arms over DS games
It's rare to see DS titles being held responsible by the mainstream media for society's ills. Usually, such treatment is reserved for home console releases, but in the last 24 hours two DS games have triggered a bout of misguided bleatings, both from British papers that amazingly aren't the Daily Mail. That's right, readers: two titles. Welcome to a special, double edition "Outrage!" post. Double the horror! Double the controversy! Double the irrational fear!We'll start with the obvious one, then. We sensed there'd be a backlash against Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars as soon as we saw these shots, but even we were impressed by the speediness of The Sun's error-strewn report. Next to an incorrectly captioned picture of Grand Theft Auto III, the paper reveals how a game about selling drugs will soon be playable on the "family-friendly" Nintendo DS, and remarks that, "Experts predict the final edition is unlikely to feature explicit criminality." They're in for a surprise, then.Next up in the stocks is a far more surprising scapegoat: the rather innocent Advance Wars. According to the Daily Telegraph, police investigating the stabbing of a 20-year-old who was also a massive fan of the game (to the extent that he ran an Advance Wars fansite) are now investigating whether the killer was a fellow "internet gamer." Of course, that's just one of several potential links being examined by the authorities, but the newspaper still leads with the Advance Wars angle. Why? OUTRAGE!Source: Grand Theft your child's INNOCENCE [Via Game Politics]Source: Advance Wars: Murder Weapon [Via Game Politics]%Gallery-21950%
The Daily Grind: Are the stakes too low in modern PvP?
Player vs. Player gameplay has undergone a drastic change in recent years. Games like Meridian 59 and Ultima Online didn't pull any punches. Anyone could kill anyone anywhere, and the penalties could be quite severe. When you died In Meridian or UO, you dropped all of your gear. The person who killed you could steal whatever he or she pleased.Of course, in games like that, gear wasn't quite such a big deal. In Meridian a sword would wear out after a few of hours of use anyway. But combined with stat and skill losses, death in the games of the 90s was comparatively harsh. Now, in World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online, the stakes are lower. You have absolutely nothing to lose by dying in PvP in WoW, and AoC and WAR's designs aren't much more aggressive.But here's a question from a veteran of the oldschool: with stakes this low, does PvP really matter? Will it really get you sweating? Will you really care that much about winning or losing? Some oldschool folks will argue that PvP is boring and meaningless now that death has been de-clawed. Maybe we should go back to the barbarism of the old days. What do you think?
PSP may have helped police catch multiple murderer
The last story we posted on, it appeared a PSP lead to a violent crime. We now have an even more violent story coming out of London; however, this time the PSP might have helped catch the murderer. The Sun reports that two 23-year old French post-graduate students shown above, Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez, were "bound, gagged and stabbed to death" in an apartment in London on Sunday night. The police believe they were tortured for the PIN numbers to their ATM cards. Bonomo was stabbed 196 times and Ferez was stabbed 47 times. Fortunately, the police did have clues. They "established that two Sony PSPs are missing and believe they were taken during the incident on Sunday when the two men were killed." They also released one of the PSP's serial numbers, SO1-0613169-C. Today, a 21-year old man has been arrested in connection with the murders. It is unclear whether the serial number released helped solve the crimes, but it is good to hear a culprit has been apprehended in these grisly murders.[Note: Due to the tabloid nature of the Sun, here is the BBC's take.]
Case Closed: The Unexpected Localization
Here's a slightly random announcement: this September, those of us not in Japan will be treated to a Detective Conan (or, as it's known outside Japan, Case Closed) game, after publisher Nobilis snagged the rights to publish Marvelous' Meitantei Conan: Tsuioku no Gensou "all over the world."Case Closed: The Mirapolis Investigation will see pint-sized manga detective and bespectacled, precocious sod Jimmy Kudo return to locate clues, attend crime scenes, collect evidence, and tackle mini-games. His aim? To finally catch a shadowy figure who crashes the opening of a new theme park with a series of crimes.Truth be told, this is one for the kids (much like the Japan-only DS game), but Nobilis is doing what it can to keep the hardcore fans happy: the original Japanese anime voices, for example, will remain intact. Grab your magnifying glass and sleuth your way past the break for both a TV spot and trailer for the Japanese version.
Man kills neighbor over missing PS3
Edward Keith Stoddard Jr. really likes his PlayStation 3. So much, in fact, that if you were to touch his PS3, he may just kill you. Such was the fate of his neighbor, Douglas F. Abrams, who Stoddard believed had taken his console. During an argument over the missing system, police say Stoddard shot Abrams, fatally wounding him. When cops showed up on the scene, Stoddard surrendered and was taken to Land O'Lakes jail (no, really) in Dade County, Florida. It's okay to love your console, people -- just don't get jealous if it drops by the neighbor's house for some tea.[Via PS3Fanboy]
