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Tanks wreck everything in Armored Warfare gameplay footage
It's still baffling that Obsidian, a developer best known for roleplaying epics such as Fallout: New Vegas and Neverwinter Nights 2, is working on a free-to-play tank combat game dubbed Armored Warfare, though watching buildings be forcibly leveled by heavy artillery goes quite a ways toward easing that bewilderment. This latest footage was issued in partnership with publisher My.com, in preparation for the deluge of information Obsidian is preparing to release during the upcoming E3 conference. Though a harbinger of more to come, this gameplay footage is pretty self-explanatory. Thanks to its CryEngine 3 underpinnings, all of the structures in Armored Warfare can be blown to pieces - a feat perfectly suited for the game's roster of rolling metal beasts. While this footage tells us almost nothing about Armored Warfare's gameplay modes, or how its teams of tank commanders will square off, it makes a solid case for the destruction players will see once the free-to-play action game is officially available. Neither My.com nor Obisidian have established an official release date, though they hope to have Armored Warfare ready for the public at some point during 2014. [Image: My.com]
Armored Warfare accepting applications for closed beta testing
Guys, Armored Warfare is totally not a World of Tanks clone. Guys? Guys? C'mon, don't give me that look. It's not! Well, maybe it is a little bit. The question is, then, will it be better or worse than its competition? Armored Warfare is a "tanktical" (their words, not ours) shooter that features all sorts of heavy combat vehicles. One key difference between it and World of Tanks is that Armored Warfare's lineup is more current, ranging from the 1950s to present-era tanks and other armored trucks. Obsidian Entertainment is pushing Armored Warfare hard these days in preparation for its E3 showing. The title has begun to accept closed beta applications and has put out a new trailer that you can check after the break.
The Daily Grind: Do huge dev teams give you pause?
We recently discovered that the Skyforge dev team numbers nearly 300 people. Star Citizen's team is over 200. Those are pretty crazy numbers, even for alleged AAA games and even for full-featured massively multiplayer online things. Taking into account that budgets vary wildly from project to project and company to company, do large numbers of devs on an MMO project give you pause? Why or why not? 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!
Nearly 300 people are working on Skyforge
MMO Culture has posted part three of a Q&A with Allods Team and Obsidian developers. The subject is Skyforge, an upcoming sci-fantasy MMORPG that lets players become gods. Interesting interview tidbits include the size of the dev team (nearly 300 people), the lack of trash loot ("every item that you can loot in the game has its impact upon your character's powers"), and the level-free progression system. "A leveling system is hard to manage, that is why we decided to get rid of it. Basic specification of Skyforge heroes can be compared to gear score," the team says.
Skyforge discusses PvP philosophy and world space
As promised earlier this month, the team behind Skyforge has answered another round of community questions on the official forums. The highlights? Expect no Oculus Rift or gamepad support at launch. The game will not force players to participate in PvE or PvP. In fact, "with both types of activity you gain the same resources for character development." The optional PvP will have a mild death penalty: "By MMO standards, it is practically non-existent." The gameworld is made up of both large open spaces and small instances. It is not seamless, but it will encourage exploration. At one point during development, "the total area exceeded 50 square kilometers." The team is planning large guild battles of "at least 100 players." Flying and crafting are both in. Housing is a maybe: The "gods have their own piece of 'property' and it's larger than a hut." Community Manager Freitag also mentions that the Allods Team and Obsidian Entertainment will be monitoring player opinion and metrics during the beta for feedback on planned systems.
Obsidian hopes to have next Kickstarter before end of year
Obsidian still needs to solidify its plans for another Kickstarter, but the RPG studio is gathering its armies for its next crowdfunding quest. "My hope is that we'll get one going before the end of the year," said Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart to CVG. "I think we've got a good idea. I'm not going to share anything, but a few times in my career I have these things where I say, 'hey, that's a cool idea!' and I've generally been right. So I think this one's going to be a cool thing." Obsidians' Project Eternity, now known Pillars of Eternity, collected $3.9 million in loot back in 2012. The game currently has a launch window of winter 2014, missing its intended April launch. It'll certainly be interesting to see if Obsidian can repeat its previous success or if backers have gained a +2 helmet of skepticism. [Image: Obsidian]
Skyforge posts Q&A on character development and more
The Skyforge team today selected and answered 10 community questions on the official forums ranging from "when's beta" (effective answer: no comment) to "how will names work" (answer: given name plus surname). Perhaps the most interesting tidbits focused on character development: The team confirmed that you can switch classes on the fly "whenever you like" and that because of this mechanic, you're unlikely to need alts. Moreover, says the team, "character progression in the game is not level based," and "players will always have ways to advance their characters further." The free-to-play sci-fantasy MMORPG's full Q&A is available on the official forums. The developers have promised to post more answers every two weeks. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Skyforge shows off the Paladin class
After revealing the Cryomancer a few days ago, the Skyforge team is showing off the second class that was spotlighted during its GDC demo: the Paladin. In addition to the usual fighter abilities you'd find with a Paladin, Skyforge's holy warrior wields a powerful artifact that is used to both inspire allies and threaten enemies. "The Paladin is capable of performing devastating attacks and engage in prolonged battles with abilities such as the Righteous Blow, Seal of Light, Punishing Bolt and Celestial Shield," the forum announcement states. "The Paladin is one who not only inflicts damage on his enemies, but also protects his friends, making him an excellent brother in arms!" [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Skyforge gives a glimpse into The Factory
Skyforge is looking better and better, as the team released a new set of pictures today for the upcoming MMO that focus on the title's industrial side. The three new pictures showcase the high-tech Factory, a large installation that's recently seen a riot by intelligent robots. Players will no doubt be asked to go in and quell in the microchip insurrection. "Cleaning up the plant is not an easy task," the devs teased. "Lives of the personnel are the price of a failure." You can take a peek at the Factory in the gallery below. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Skyforge releases new screenshots of Dankit Island
Skyforge: Is it sci-fi or fantasy? Who cares -- it's pretty. Obsidian and Allods Team have just released brand-new screenshots of the upcoming MMORPG; they feature a location named Dankit Island, which is so pretty that it's obviously home to evil, rat-like creatures called Virth. Naturally, players will be saving Dankit Island from said evil. That's just what players do. Enjoy the screens! [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Obsidian unleashes free-to-play tanks in Armored Warfare
Following the flatulence-laden release of South Park: The Stick of Truth, developer Obsidian Entertainment has revealed a new explosive game. Armored Warfare is the company's first foray into the wild world of free-to-play games and features modern tank battles. Armored Warfare is being published and distributed by Russia-based My.com, publisher and developer of free-to-play mobile games. The team-based PC title will feature player-vs-player and player-vs-environment gameplay and is expected to launch a closed beta sometime in 2014.
Obsidian behind new Armored Warfare MMO
From the here's-something-you-don't-see-everyday files, Obsidian -- known primarily for its roleplaying games -- is lending its name to a new MMO shooter thing called Armored Warfare. The game's website bills it as "a new free-to-play massively multiplayer online tactical military video game that puts you in control of some of the most incredible, modern destructive machines to grace a battlefield." Eurogamer speculates that Armored Warfare may be an extension of Obsidian's deal with Russian megapublisher Mail.Ru, which also includes the Skyforge partnership wherein the former company lent its name and its expertise to the Allods Team's latest sci-fantasy MMO project. In any case, you can watch the World of Tanks-style Armored Warfare announcement trailer after the cut.
Allods Team and Obsidian unveil Skyforge announcement trailer
Obsidian is getting into the MMO business, as we initially reported almost a year ago. Now, the famed RPG maker and developer Allods Team have officially announced the Skyforge project to western audiences via a new video. Yes, that's the same Allods Team responsible for Allods Online, and it's also worth noting that the game is bankrolled by My.com which is a subsidiary of Russian publishing giant Mail.Ru. Skyforge is a free-to-play sci-fantasy MMORPG "set in a brand new universe of gods and heroes who use futuristic technologies to fight off incredible creatures and protect their planet against space invasions," according to the announcement post on the game's official forums. You can view the trailer after the cut. [Thanks Feodor!]
Paradox Interactive to publish Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian Entertainment announced a partnership with Paradox Interactive to launch Pillars of Eternity. Paradox will handle the marketing and distribution of the PC game, which is slated to launch by this winter. Formerly known as Project Eternity, the game earned $3.9 million on Kickstarter in October 2012. The game was originally expected to land this spring before suffering delays. Obsidian launched South Park: The Stick of Truth earlier this month, following Paradox's announcement of Hearts of Iron 4 and Norse mythology-inspired RPG Runemaster in January. [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
UK Charts: South Park - The Stick of Truth is top in class
South Park: The Stick of Truth may be censored on UK consoles, but that isn't going to stop Brits from respecting its authoritah. The long-delayed RPG ousts Thief to debut in the top spot this week, and that's Obsidian's first UK No.1 since Fallout: New Vegas in 2010. Alright, the developer only released Dungeon Siege 3 in the interim, but it's still a decent achievement. The only other new release in this week's charts places way lower, and that's Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures in 21st. Also, there's a big second-week plummet for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which is damned from 10th down to 24th. Otherwise, it's all eyes on next week to see which of Dark Souls 2 and Titanfall to see which will keep UK tills the busiest. [Image: Ubisoft]
Metareview: South Park - The Stick of Truth
There may be friendly faces everywhere, but the South Park: The Stick of Truth launch trailer is prolifically NSFW, and it's slightly spoiler-y - but it's also pretty great. The game's not bad, either, according to our three-and-a-half-star review, which said, "If you can also forgive the repetitive nature of combat and some uninspired quests, it's worth taking up arms – or dildos – for The Stick of Truth's hilarious, disgusting adventure." Of course, we're not the only kid in the class. Head below the break for a sampling of what others had to say on The Stick of Truth.
I'm sorry, Dave, I can't let you see that scene in the South Park game
A leaked image shows what European console players see instead of the scenes censored out of South Park: The Stick of Truth. Clearly, Michaelangelo's David is not impressed. The text below (see the NSFW full image below the break) describes in blunt detail what players aren't seeing, and that comprises seven scenes removed from the EMEA Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, each around 20 seconds long. In Australia it looks to be the same deal, except the still image is of a crying koala instead of David. When asked about the EMEA censorship, an Ubisoft spokesperson told Eurogamer "this was a market decision." As Eurogamer notes, Ubisoft's decision may be tied to ensuring the game was fit for release in Germany, where stricter guidelines on games are enforced. The Stick of Truth brings its mix of indelicate humor and Obsidian roleplay to retail shelves this week: first North America on March 4, then Australia March 6, and Europe March 7.
South Park: The Stick of Truth censored in a whole lot of the world
Seven scenes have been removed from the console versions of South Park: The Stick of Truth in the EMEA region, which covers the not so small continents and areas of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. That's in addition to the game's censorship in Australia, where the often prominent Classification Board deemed certain scenes had to be modified if the Obsidian RPG was to be rated for sale. As BT.com spotted, Ubisoft sent out a document to publications this week that confirmed 7 scenes, each around 20 seconds long, have been removed from the EMEA console versions of The Stick of Truth. As you can imagine given the often controversial nature of the TV show the game is based on, the scenes are NSFW reading, and some readers may be sensitive to their descriptions. We've included those descriptions below the break.
The trials of being the new kid in South Park
It's tough being the new kid in town. In South Park: The Stick of Truth, you have to put up with Cartman calling you a "douchebag" and demanding you pay exorbitant dues just to be part of his crummy little kingdom.
Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity 'looking good' for winter 2014
Pillars of Eternity can now be expected by winter 2014, Obsidian revealed in a forum update. The developer announced its delay last week following its initial projected launch of spring 2014. It was delayed due to the increasing scope of the game following its generous funding. The game formerly known as Project Eternity was funded on Kickstarter in October 2012, earning a whopping $3.9 million. Junior Producer Rose Gomez's forum post this week noted that the developer will not pursue any more stretch goals for the project, which still accepts pledges on the game's site. Project lead Josh Sawyer also noted last week that the developer wasn't planning on announcing a specific release window after its delay, saying that because Obsidian isn't a publisher, it didn't "have to." He added that "virtually nothing good comes from us releasing a date before we're very confident in it." [Image: Obsidian Entertainment]
