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The Daily Grind: What was your favorite PAX revelation?
While many of the Massively staffers weren't able to make it to Seattle for the recently concluded PAX Prime event, all of us followed the coverage smorgasbord in anticipation of learning just a little bit more about all of the new MMORPGs coming down the pipe. Whether it was Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, TERA, or Rift: Planes of Telara, the convention featured a little something for all of us. The question of the day, dear readers, is all about you. Were there any juicy PAX revelations that tickled your fancy? Did anything change your mind, make you more or less excited, or come completely out of left field? Inquiring Massively minds want to know.
Torchlight 2 will offer free mod tools, full mod support in multiplayer
A lot of people have been making a big deal out of multiplayer in Torchlight 2 -- and rightfully so -- but not so much talk has been about modding. The first game had a substantial mod community, thanks in part to Runic Games offering mod tools for free to all players. And during my demo of the game at PAX, a Runic rep confirmed that the company will once again freely distribute mod tools to the public. But because of the addition of multiplayer, I was concerned about how mods will be shared now. The rep confirmed to me that players will be able to use the new multiplayer framework to find games incorporating mods but, better yet, all XP earned in these games will stay with your character. I was promised persistence across all games, be they mods or standard games. One final interesting tidbit: all loot dropped in multiplayer games will be client specific. This means that the items you see in your game are only in your game. No need for mad dashes to grab all the high-level loot drops! %Gallery-99869%
PAX 2010: It's clobberin' time with SHSO's PvP online card game
Massively has taken a swing at Marvel's Super Hero Squad Online several times in the last few months, now. So, on our trip to PAX, the boy-in-grown-up-shoes, Jay Minn, could not wait to show us the newly announced PvP portion of this dynamic game. Minn, who is the Director of Games for The Amazing Society, turned in to a giddy imp and directed me to a computer station that had a burning Human Torch on the screen, all prepared to fight some bad guys. Even though PvE wasn't what I was there to cover that day, Minn just had to show me anyway. "Click on a bad guy," he told me, "and good things just happen." I obliged; the Torch lit up and chased some bad guys away! At that point, we were told we had to move on to the PvP portion of the demonstration. Marketing people can be such spoil-sports sometimes. The giddy grin returned to Minn's face as he gave me instructions on how to get into the online card game. In the lower right-hand corner simply sat an icon that looked like fanned-out cards. As part of the demo I was able to pick my opponent, and since I just love seeing the Ol' Canucklehead Wolverine get beaten down, I picked him for my enemy. And who is the best Marvel superhero? Spider-Man, of course. I had to choose him as my character. Hero up with me after the break to find out the details of my adventure through this shiny and lively online card game.%Gallery-101337%
PAX 2010: TERA's David Noonan talks story, endgame
You might think that BioWare has the market cornered when it comes to story in upcoming MMORPGs. As we found out at PAX Prime 2010, however, TERA is also focusing on delivering an interactive narrative experience to complement its action combat gameplay. Our own Rubi Bayer managed to corner En Masse Entertainment lead writer David Noonan for a little one-on-one time regarding TERA's extensive storyline. Noonan also dropped an interesting nugget or two regarding the state of the title's endgame. Read the full interview after the cut and be sure to check out our gallery below. %Gallery-101708%
PAX 2010: Selena Gomez is Wizard101's new damsel in distress
She plays a fledgling spellcaster in Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, but soon Selena Gomez will be taking it to the next level. KingsIsle just announced that Gomez will be coming to the magical world of Wizard101 as a princess in distress who needs a bit of saving. The actress-musician agreed to be featured in Wizard101 as a sort of cross-promotion for her latest album. The story goes that nefarious forces have kidnapped Gomez from our world into the layered realms of Wizard101, and she must be rescued and returned to Earth so that she can finish her epic video. As our world is part of the spiral (Earth is just non-magical, hence why Professor Ambrose is so startled when player characters arrive at Wizard City), this crossover doesn't break the lore of the game. Instead, KingsIsle hopes that the popular star will appeal to its core tween demographic. Hit the jump for even more juicy tidbits from PAX Prime!
PAX 2010: Stepto's Law of Xbox Live ban protests
During the Xbox Live Enforcement panel at PAX this past weekend, director of policy and enforcement on Xbox Live, Stephen Toulouse (a.k.a. Stepto), recited "Stepto's Law" for the audience. The complex formula is used to determine the validity of a complaint issued by a banned Xbox Live user. The law goes like this: "The more convoluted, overwrought and lengthy the protest of innocence, the probability of it being bullshit approaches one." Toulouse feels that his law "tends to be almost 100 percent accurate of Xbox Live," but of course there can be exceptions to the rule -- er, law, in this case.
A pair of new Dragon Age 2 screens, care of PAX
Two new screens from Dragon Age 2 have been passed along from BioWare, one of which showcases dudes with anteater masks. Sure, that may not be the technical term for said masks, but we're totally going with it. %Gallery-101585%
Hyperspace Beacon: PAX holo-journal
You are reading your guide to Star Wars: The Old Republic and beyond! The scoop on EA-BioWare's next great MMORPG is brought to you here in the Hyperspace Beacon. As everyone should know at this point, Penny Arcade Expo exposed players to the latest video game experiences this past weekend in Seattle, Washington. Three representative from Massively attended this extraordinary event. Contributing editors Justin Olivetti, Rubi Bayer, and I braved the cross-country travel to the "sleepless" city. Although we were there to get interviews and impressions of all MMO games, we each had our own specific games that we wanted to see in action. Justin came to see Lord of the Rings Online. Turbine was demonstrating its free-to-play model. Rubi wanted to see DDO and, of course, Guild Wars 2. In fact, we could barely tear her away from GW2's booth for more than five minutes at a time. And I had one goal in mind for the weekend: play Star Wars: The Old Republic. Follow my daily adventures in SWTOR at PAX after the break.
Red 5 Studios pulls the wraps off Firefall
Red 5 is no longer standing by, and in fact has launched its first salvo of proton torpedoes at a crowded MMO market by announcing the long-awaited Firefall title at last week's PAX Prime. The game, a massively multiplayer team-based shooter, will feature microtransactions and sport a free-to-play business model. Red 5 made headlines earlier this year by laying off 30 developers, but looks to be back on its feet after a $20 million cash infusion from The9, a Chinese MMO publisher best known for Atlantica and Soul of the Ultimate Nation. Firefall's developer roster features a number of Blizzard alums, as well as lead designer Scott Youngblood of Tribes and Tribes 2 fame. Check out the official website as well as a lengthy trailer after the cut.
PAX 2010: A taste of the cosplay
What's up now, Comic-Con? PAX really brought it this year in terms of cosplay. There were street fighters, Spartans, zombies playing Rock Band and quite possibly the best Tali and Garrus we've ever seen (above). Hit up the gallery below and check 'em all out!
Xbox 360 Fancast 179.5 -- PAX Prime 2010
It may be a holiday here in the US, but the show must go on! This isn't a traditional episode -- instead, we're just talking PAX Prime 2010, answering some questions from Twitter and addressing some fanmail. We're trying to keep it casual, you know, so pull up a chair, grab a frosty beverage and kick it with your X3F buddies below. Enjoy! Oh, and we'd like to thank @_misterd_ for releasing the butterflies in the wonderful chop above. [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in Zune Marketplace (MP3). [RSS MP3] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Hosts: Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander, @xandersliwinski) and Dave Hinkle (KnifefightYaDad, @davehinkle) Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. Break: "Bandages" by Hot Hot Heat.
Aion: Assault on Balaurea podcast
Compared to the rest of us, only a lucky few get the pleasure of attending Gamescom or PAX, so NCsoft has released a video podcast to let the rest of us in on what's been talked about. Featuring several members of the Aion dev team, this podcast highlights some new features of the free expansion, Assault on Balaurea. Touched on in the video are pets, the increased level cap, the new zones, new flight mechanics, and the new instances (including solo ones!), along with the new Twitter integration -- Right from the UI, players can now tweet, include up to ten of their favorite screenshots, and brag about their in-game exploits without ever tabbing out! Whet your appetite for tomorrow's launch and glide past the cut to watch the podcast.
Flameseeker Chronicles: PAX 2010 travel diary
It's Sunday night and PAX is over. My iPhone and laptop are screaming for mercy. It's been a wild ride, I have the Con Crud, my feet hurt so much I keep checking to make sure they're not stumps, and all I want is to turn the clock back to last Friday so I can do it again. I had appointments and interviews with so many different game studios, and I was excited about every single one of them, but you guys know I was making Guild Wars 2 a top priority. I squeezed in time to indulge at every opportunity and have a lot to say. When I was spending time with Guild Wars 2 this weekend, something struck me over and over. Every employee whom ArenaNet could possibly spare from the office was there in force. I asked at one point and was told that every person wearing that white shirt was an ArenaNet employee. They were out there doing everything they could to spend time with the fans, and more than one developer told me that it was a huge thrill to finally be able to share all of this with people who love it as much as they do. The inability to share all of this exciting news has been as frustrating for them as it was for us, but it was for a good cause, and I think every fan at PAX this weekend agreed it was worth the wait. With that in mind, it was an easy decision to share my weekend experiences and photos with you guys for today's Flameseeker Chronicles. Follow along after the jump while I go find more Nyquil.
PAX 2010: Hands on with Rift: Planes of Telara
The dungeon portal loomed ahead as a developer pushed a headset into my hands. "You heal," he said to me then moved on to the other four players standing next to me. "You tank. You three DPS. Don't worry too much; you're all a little over-leveled for this dungeon. Let us know when you're ready." I hardly heard him as I frantically tried to memorize the full array of skills in front of me, rearranging my hotbar to put my heals up front and center. "Ohh, you're a druid," another Trion Worlds developer said over my shoulder. "They're fun -- they get a faerie pet that heals your team as well." I followed his pointing finger and clicked on the skill to summon what appeared to be a cross-breed between Tinkerbell and a Troll doll. Fun times. The developer who pulled me into the live demonstration at PAX Prime took up his microphone and directed everyone around the booth to look up at the big screen and watch a team of total strangers jump into a mid-level dungeon. Welcome to Rift, I thought nervously. There's nothing like diving in head-first with your potential humiliation on public display.
DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue's virtuous thongs: explained!
When DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue was first introduced, we were baffled by the mysterious origin of the game's various undergarments of legend. Now that we know where they're from -- thanks to this latest trailer, care of PAX -- well, we're just as baffled. Head past the break and see for yourself.
'We bought Duke Nukem.' Franchise rights transferred from 3D Realms to Gearbox
Just two days after revealing its stewardship of the Duke Nukem Forever title at PAX, Gearbox Software just revealed that it has actually purchased the Duke Nukem brand. Gearbox president Randy Pitchford told an audience at PAX this afternoon that they're not just making sure Duke Nukem Forever makes it to store shelves, but they've actually purchased the entire Duke Nukem IP. "We actually bought the brand," Pitchford told fans. "We bought Duke Nukem." A press release timed to go out with the announcement has some more information. Here's the big picture quote: "Gearbox Software announced today that it has acquired the full intellectual property rights of the 'Duke Nukem' brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms." Even more interesting: "The first product to be available under the Duke Nukem brand will be the long awaited Duke Nukem Forever." Naturally, if they're buying the brand you can imagine DNF won't be the last game to feature the Duke. Pitchford made a point to say that Alan Blum, the creator of the Duke Nukem franchise, is now with Gearbox. "He's on the 10th floor with his team," he said. He also wanted to explain that this franchise couldn't simply have been purchased by anyone. "I didn't buy it from [3D Realms]," Pitchford said. "They sold it to me." In the press release, 3D Realms' Scott Miller said, "Gearbox was handpicked as the new home for Duke Nukem because of their continued passion, commitment and long-time heritage with the brand and 3D Realms." So, Duke Begins then?
Free Borderlands update will raise level cap, rebalance main game
We've got bad news and good news. First, the bad news: The new Borderlands DLC pack – that's Claptrap's New Robot Revolution – won't include the two most requested features. Those would be a new level cap and a rebalancing of the main game to accomodate the new level cap. And neither of those will be included with the latest DLC. Now the good news: They are being included in a free update for the game across all three platforms, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford told a live PAX audience that his studio resisted making it a part of a DLC pack since, if they included those features, "you'd have to buy every previous DLC" to get access to said features. So, instead, Pitchford said they were going to release a "free update to Borderlands that will both rebalance the original game around the level cap and increase the level cap for everyone." But Pitchford said the studio still struggled with how high to raise it. On the one hand, Gearbox didn't want to match the 11-point upgrade that many people paid for with the "General Knox" DLC, but on the other the devs didn't want it to be too low, like 5-points. Instead, they came up with another number. "With the current level cap at 61," Pitchford teased, "we realized if we added 8 levels ... " The audience groans. So the new level cap is 69 and it will be released sometime around the October 12th Borderlands Game of the Year Edition release.
Sonic Colors preview: Wisp you were here
We can all agree that Sonic Unleashed had some pretty deep lows -- specifically, the Werehog. But the daytime segments in the game showed promise; almost a return to form. These areas of the game, for the unaware, combined Sonic Adventure-like 3D free-running elements alongside more classical, 2D elements from the series' past. It was easily the highlight of that game. And Sega knows it, which explains why Sonic Colors is pretty much nothing but those portions of gameplay. That alone would make for a pretty serviceable Sonic game, but Sega has also added Wisps: small alien creatures who imbue Sonic with one-time-use powers.%Gallery-95227%
Bit.Trip Beat DLC on iPhone/iPad will be Bit.Trip Void tracks
You know how we told you about DLC for the iPhone and iPad versions of Bit.Trip Beat a few days back? During an appointment with developer Gaijin Games here at PAX, CEO and designer Alex Neuse confirmed the exact nature of the DLC tracks: they're Bit.Trip Void songs! He informed Joystiq that the tracks weren't actually being developed by Gaijin Games, but were instead being crafted by the iPhone/iPad version's publisher, Namco-Bandai. Neuse is looking forward to trying the new tracks, as you'd imagine -- it's not every day you have an opportunity to be stumped by your own game, you know? %Gallery-101131%
PAX 2010: Wrassling the FFXIV community with Square-Enix
It was hard to miss Final Fantasy XIV at PAX Prime this year -- its booth loomed large, white and sprawling right inside of the main exhibition hall doors. As players poured in to get their hands on this imminent title, Massively pulled aside Square-Enix's Yasu Kurosawa and Sage Sundi for a chat about managing the global community. Sage deals with more of the global aspect across multiple regions, while Yasu is Square Enix's North America representative and is tasked with bringing the community's voice back to Japan. Unfortunately, we were limited from discussing gameplay aspects of FFXIV, but the pair were open about the challenges and difficulties of handling a community worldwide, especially in regions where the game's developers are not linguistically fluent. Read on for their thoughts on the subject.
