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Prince of Persia creator finds lost source code, cues delicate chip fanfare
No, we don't mean the modern interpretation and its moody sequels -- this is the 1989 original. Jordan Mechner created the first Prince of Persia game for the Apple II. However, the source code ended up lost in the sands of time -- until Mechner's dad discovered a box filled with 3.5-inch ProDOS disks. The creator's now attempting to transfer the code across to his MacBook Air and get it working on modern platforms. We just have to remember how to beat our evil reflection.
Do Japanese RPGs need good stories?
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs have to offer. I'm going to sum up all of the cliches about Final Fantasy XIII in one sentence: "The battle system is pretty good, but the story is laughable." Gamasutra's Christian Nutt even went so far as to compare the direction of the series to the Star Wars prequels. I wish I could disagree. For all that though, I'm willing to stick out Final Fantasy XIII-2's jaunt through time and space, banal anime archetypes and all. Whenever one of the cutscenes pop up, I just go and check my email. Either that, or I pick up a book. It's mostly the battles that keep me going. I'm also a big fan of putting hats on monsters, and Final Fantasy XIII-2 has that in spades. The dirty secret is that I've always been more fascinated by RPG battle systems than the story within the game. In many ways, a character's mechanical growth is a story in and of itself. When the game begins, your character is a scrub with a wooden sword and a few potions. By the end, they can call down comets from the heavens and instigate supernovas. That's what I call a character arc.
Atari follows up freemium Breakout Boost with paid Breakout Boost+
A little while back, Atari continued its releases of updated classic games for iOS with Breakout Boost, a freemium version of the classic brickbreaking game that offers updated graphics and a few new mechanics to go with them. This week Atari announced another title called Breakout: Boost+, and while the general trend on the App Store recently is to go more towards freemium, Atari has actually made a move away from it. Breakout: Boost+ is a paid title, currently available for 99 cents. The "plus" version includes 100 levels that aren't available in the free version, and it doesn't appear to have any in-app purchases. Other than that, the gameplay appears to be about the same, adding in power-ups and those improved graphics to the standard Breakout gameplay. It's an interesting choice; during a time when most games are dropping their price down to free to get the largest possible audience, Atari has followed up a free launch with a title that falls back on the old paid model while still leaving the freemium version available. TUAW asked Atari what the deal is. Atari CEO Jim Wilson tells us that this title is definitely not a relaunch, and the choice to offer a paid app doesn't necessarily reflect disappointment with the free version. "Breakout: Boost was a big success for Atari that generated over 2 million downloads," says Wilson, "and we plan to continue supporting the title, having released an update since launch to enhance the initial free levels." Presumably both versions will be updated going forward, so customers can either download the free version as a trial, or buy the paid version to get access to all of the content right away. This kind of experimentation definitely shows that Atari, a very traditional gaming company, is looking to grow its mobile offerings, especially on iOS. According to Wilson, "This latest release of Breakout: Boost+ is just one small step among many more to come that expands on our mobile games offering and an effort to keep iterating on our games to address consumer demands -- in this case, a call for an upfront premium download." It sounds like at least some of Atari's customers wanted the more traditional paid model rather than the freemium offering. It'll be interesting to see how these two apps do in the App Store going forward.
Verizon now selling original iPad for as little as $300
We've yet to see any sort of official announcement, but folks have been flooding various deal sites with reports that Verizon is now selling the original iPad for just $299.99 in-store. That's for the 16GB WiFi-only model, of course, but the 32GB and 64GB models have also apparently been discounted to $399.99 and $499.99, respectively. As you might suspect, however, there's also plenty of reports of Verizon already being sold out, so you might not want to waste much time if you're thinking about taking the plunge. MiFi sold separately, of course.
Video from Sony's NGP panel: Uncharted Portable, Little Deviants, and augmented dino-reality
In order to show developers precisely what NGP is capable of – and to break up the fifty plus slides used in the one hour presentation! – Sony shared three live demos of NGP software and we dutifully recorded them. Apologies for the poor quality of the NGP screen – the combination of the bright OLED screen being captured on video, piped to a conference center projector, and then in turn captured by our camera has resulted in some ... less than stellar video quality. But you will be able to glean the input mechanics and the style of gameplay (or in the case of the augmented reality demo, dinosaurplay). Check out videos of Little Deviants, Uncharted Portable, and augmented reality after the break. %Gallery-118245%
TUAW's Daily App: Helsing's Fire
Helsing's Fire is an interesting little title with a pretty original gameplay premise. The idea is that you place torches in an area full of objects and walls, and you have to target or hide certain creatures with that light. The backstory of the game is about the adventurer Van Helsing and his fight against the undead, but it's more of a strategy title; the idea is to line up the light and shadows in just the right way in order to conquer various monsters on the playing field. While it doesn't start out very tough, more gameplay features slowly get added (eventually you have to match color attacks with certain colored monsters, and you only get a set number of attacks per stage, so you have to plan things out pretty carefully). And while the backstory is really just a frame for the gameplay, it's got a fun edge to it; it's a nice satirical spin on the old "fighting Dracula" theme, and there are a few fun celebratory fist bumps in between stages with Helsing and his assistant. For 99 cents, Helsing's Fire offers up a good bit of original gameplay that spans 90 different levels. A survival mode and full Crystal integration add some extra fun as well, so the game is well worth the buck.
4N wristwatch delivers digital time in a mechanical fashion
Given how simple we've made timekeeping over the years, it was inevitable that luxury watches would have to move into more esoteric lands in order to exude the appropriate sense of wonder when witnessed by those who can't afford them. You might call that the Xperia Pureness effect. Ergo, quite aside from its platinum or 18-carat gold construction options, the 4N watch tries to grab the spotlight with its quirky disc-based mechanism, which rotates numbers (four numbers, hence 4N) into position to display a digital readout of the time. The fact that all three discs -- built out of aluminum or a titanium alloy -- and the MVT01 movement are exposed to the eye earns geek cred from us, while the limited run of only 16 units should ensure the desired exclusivity for the watches' future owners. As the old saying about price goes, if you have to ask, you can't afford one.
Giroux Daguerreotype is world's first mass-produced camera, about to become the most expensive one too
If you thought that shooters like Olympus' E-P1 or Leica's M8 had old school aesthetics, think again. The real old school -- we're talking 1839 here -- was all about wooden boxes and brass lens protrusions, as you can see above. The double box design of the Daguerreotype lets you achieve focus by moving the smaller inner box away from the front-mounted 15-inch lens. Exposure times can take up to half an hour, though, so you might wanna budget for a sturdy tripod as well. Speaking of budget, if you know the meaning of the word you're not probably not the target audience here, as a May auction in Vienna is set to start at €200,000 ($280,000), with predictions placing the final sale price closer to €700,000 ($980,000).
Hands-on: The Behemoth's 'Game 3'
There's a part of me that likes examining games' sub-superficial levels -- the lingering inspiration behind the art, gameplay, story and all the rest of its aggregate components. Behemoth's Game 3 is difficult to dismantle in this manner, largely due to the fact that, even when compared to past entries in Behemoth's bizarre repertoire -- it's an unabashed labor of madness.It could also be due to the fact that the speed at which I was forced to play the Game 3 PAX demo could best be described as blistering. Still, it didn't take much time to get what the game's core components are all about: Frantic multiplayer platforming action, the likes of which you haven't seen since Super Mario Bros. 3.
Hands-on: Heavy Rain introduces Scott Shelby
I don't think I'm being too cynical or jaded when I say that it's hard for me to get legitimately excited for video games anymore. I love playing video games, and I heartily appreciate the good ones -- but the games that fill me with keep-you-up-at-night anticipation are few and far between. After playing Heavy Rain for the first time on the show floor at PAX, something tells me my slumbers will soon be interrupted by Quantic Dreams' upcoming ... well, for lack of a better term, interactive movie.
Space Invaders father Nishikado calls today's games improved, recycled
Games have come a long way since joystick jockeys first spent hours dropping quarters into Space Invaders. Now on the heels of Space Invaders Extreme's XBLA debut, series' creator Tomohiro Nishikado has spoken out on the state of games today, observing that originality has suffered despite advances in technology."I think the focus on unique concepts and gameplay has waned with the evolution of technology," commented Nishikado in a recent interview. While the iconic game designer praised new tech for allowing developers to create most anything they can imagine, he called out the industry for churning out "replicated gameplay formats and concepts," adding that "people are growing tired of playing the same thing." We'd be hard pressed to argue the point, though with games like Noby Noby Boy and Rhythm Heaven (a game Nishikado calls "excellent"), we still think there is a spark of originality out there. What about you?
Tips from the manual
Guynumber from Area 52 brings up a good point: why did Blizzard even bother putting game information in their original manual? Surely, they must have known that they'd be changing the game quickly, and while of course they'd have had no more idea than we had that some things so big would change (no ammunition, anyone?), they could have at least kept in mind that patches were coming.Curious, I pulled out my old original manual. Here's some tips straight from the original release of World of Warcraft, when Magister's Terrace was a twinkle in a dev's eye, and Icecrown was just a level in Warcraft III, that aren't applicable any more: Pallies are only available to Alliance races and Shamans are Horde only. As Guymember points out, the manual says you will lose significant experience on death (but not so much as to lose a level). Only the Priests, Shamans and Paladins have resurrection spells. Attack Rating increases your chance of hitting a target with a weapon. As a first level priest, your maximum skill level in holy magic is five. As you cast holy spells, your holy skill will max out until you level up and the cap increases.
Point/Counterpoint: Is WiiWare a disappointment?
We've had WiiWare here in the U.S. for a little over a month, and already gamers are forming pretty solid opinions on the budding download service. Prior to launch, WiiWare was one of the most anticipated features the console had on offer ... and now that we have it, is it everything promised, or is WiiWare a disappointment? That's the question on the table between two of our bloggers today, so get ready to take sides and let your own voice be heard. plctext It burns us!
One Shots: We thought it was spring
As we haven't heard anything from the Guild Wars crowd in a while, we thought it would be fun to show off a lovely screen from GW. This picture is of a landscape captured from the original Guild Wars, with lovely fall foliage all around. (Sadly, no stick people, because that would have been hilarious.) Do you have some screenshots from your favorite game? It can be picturesque, funny, full of folks, barren of life, odd, full of battle and spell effects -- we take them all! Just send them to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com. Without your screens we're left to our own devices and while we're also playing all over the place, it's only one side of the story. We'd love to see yours too!%Gallery-9798%
WoW Insider Weekly
Another week has come and gone, and the fact that it's Saturday again means that it's time to run down our weekly features from the past week, all wrapped up in one jumbo-sized post for your perusal. We've got lots of original content, and don't tell anybody I told you this, but our columnists told me they made it all just for you.Blood Sport: Rock, paper, scissors?Our brand new PvP columnist lays out who beats who in PvP (and it's up to you whether you agree with him or not).Arcane Brilliance: Gears of war, part II sure thought this column was about my favorite Xbox game before Halo 3, but instead Amanda adeptly lays out something way more useful: what kind of gear to hook your Mage up with.All the World's a Stage: WTF is IC - OOC? WTB RP! OK THX, CU L8RDavid tells you how to do out-of-character correctly.Officers' Quarters: Loot whores-- are you their pimp?Scott's column about dealing out loot is super insightful, but doesn't his title sound like something on the front of a womens' magazine?Azeroth Interrupted: Reader mail -- how to tell your friends about WoWYou're playing what? What's a Night Elf? Is that different from a Day Elf?/silly: Anything else would be uncivilizedArt's comic really gets ahead of itself.The Light and How to Swing It: Maximizing Paladin DPS, part 2Chris breaks down how to be a great Shockadin.Guildwatch: Taking a holidayDid your guild do anything fun for Halloween?Encrypted Text: How to be evilThe real benefit of playing an Undead Rogue -- messing with people's heads!Know Your Lore: Uther the LIghtbringerThat goody two-shoes loser -- whoops sorry, I was still stuck on the Encrypted Text 'tude.Totem Talk: The Fury of Drek'tharIf all Shamans were as uber as Drek, we wouldn't have anything to QQ about.WoW, Casually: A new column for the playtime-challengedOne of the best things about WoW is that there's lots of fun to be had in just a little time. Robin shows you how.Blood Sport: Perfect balance, the PvP pipe dreamVims breaks down (with graphs!) whether it's even possible to balance nine classes perfectly.The Care and Feeding of Warriors: Leveling up 1-20A.k.a. getting your new Warrior ready to shoot through the 30s in patch 2.3.Ask WoW Insider: Is there a class/spec truly viable for both PvP and PvE?I'm biased, but if you want to heal in PvP and PvE, resto Shamans rock.Phat Loot Phriday: Speedy Racer GogglesA reader request shows off a pretty special and rare item.
DS Daily: On sequels
It seems as though every time a game is anything except an utter failure, someone decides that there should be a sequel (or six), with the exception of a few RPGs. Luckily, Square Enix pretty much has a lock on the RPG sequel, or we'd probably see more of those as well. From there, games often turn into full-fledged franchises, with a new title every year or so. So what do you think? Are we seeing too many sequels and franchises and not enough originality? Or do you actually prefer something familiar?
GripShift remixed on PS3; PSP owners to get sequel
IGN blogger chubigans had the chance to talk to GripShift executive producer, Mario Wynands. Gripshift joins a number of games, such as Tekken: Dark Resurrection that are making the leap from PSP to PLAYSTATION 3. The "racing platformer" will feature some obvious improvements, such as HD visuals and real-time lighting, on the next-gen console.However, PSP owners need not fret that they're being ignored. Mr. Wynands states, "It is definitely our intention to produce a full sequel of GripShift for PSP." While a sequel is exciting, what gets me truly revved up is the potential for a new original IP, something the PSP is certainly not unfamiliar with: " For PSP in particular, it's been interesting. We've certainly seen some great new IPs hit the handheld, made possible by the PSP being powerful but relatively cheap to develop for in comparison to console and also with a solid user base in place... We intend bringing more original IP to the PSP platform."For the rest of this lengthy and revealing interview, head over to Club IGN.
DIY Xbox 360 controller only slightly bigger than the 'Duke'
This controller is just a couple of millimeters larger than the Xbox's original controller, so if you're looking for a throwback to that, or something that can double as the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, then look no further. Sibling site Xbox 360 Fanboy has posted a link to instructables.com, where you can learn how to make one of your very own to hold and to love, and to use as a bed.When we say massive, we really mean massive. There is no doubt that they could have also housed a couple of 360s inside this thing, hooked it up to two TVs, and made a Gears of War/Halo 2 gaming machine all in one.. A controller at each corner of the box, embedded plasma screens, surround sou ... okay, granted that's taking it a bit too far.In a day and age of miniaturization, it's nice to see someone maximizing things. We'd really like to see a DS Lite this big, aw yeah.
EA's Larry Probst denies PSP gamers original games
Newsweek's N'gai Croal (awesome name) had a chance to talk to Electronic Arts' CEO, Larry Probst. Love them or hate them, EA is a major player in the industry, and their games have the power to move hardware units. Croal asked Probst about making original games for the PSP, something that seems outrageous to the CEO: I'm not so sure that I agree with the premise that we're strategically focused on building original product for the PSP. "That's news to me. It's more likely that we would target platforms like the PS3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii if we had an original in mind. Our strategy on PSP has typically been to take the franchises that we build on other platforms and exploit them on the PSP."Croal points out the success of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories as one reason why publishers should look into making exclusive games for the handheld. However, Probst believes that without more units out there, the chances of original PSP games from EA is slim. Like the rest of the sane world, he notes that Sony should lower the price, and maybe even make a redesigned console, in order to reinvigorate sales.Check out the rest of the interview to see Probst's other PSP thoughts, and why Nintendo matters.See also:Fun = DS, not PSP, says EA execEA makes a lot of money on PSP[Via Joystiq; Image via Games Blog]
Bidder ends up with 3 PS1s, not 1 PS3
This proves that you need to read everything on every eBay auction before you hit that bid button, to the tune of $900. Obviously the buyer has only himself to blame, but check out how the seller tried to slant this, "HOT ITEM! Not PRE-ORDERED..HAVE IN HAND...All are American Systems. THERE IS NOWHERE TO FIND EVEN THE 20GB SYSTEMS THIS CHEAP....BUY THESE INSTEAD!" Why even mention the 20GB systems in the ad? He clearly wanted some PlayStation 3 attention, and got it in a big way. Imagine how the bidder felt when he realized he punked himself for three original PlayStations, probably not even the PSone consoles. These can easily be picked up for around $100 or less, so bye-bye PS3 money. He could've bought three PSones and a PS3 for that dough.Of course, seeing as how the winning bidder has zero feedback and is a new account, we're pretty sure he was the punkee and not the punker. As long as someone got punked here, we're good.[Via Digg]
