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DayZ surpasses one million unique players
Less than a month ago, Arma II mod DayZ surpassed the 500,000-player mark. As of this morning, over one million of you have tried the game since its inception earlier this year. According to the counter on the mod's official website, players have killed over 22.5 million zombies and accumulated nearly 1,220 years of total play time since the game went live. DayZ is the brainchild of Dean "Rocket" Hall, and it transforms the modern military shooter Arma II into a post-apocalyptic sandbox infested with zombies and murderous fellow players. The object of the game is to survive as long as possible. Hall added injury effects as well as the need to eat and drink in order to heighten both the difficulty and the sense of realism.
The War Z gets a new website, 100,000 beta registrations in 24 hours
The War Z has a spiffy new website, but more importantly it also has more than 100,000 people banging on its closed beta doors. The newly announced zombie apocalypse MMO has generated a ton of interest in the gaming community over the last couple of weeks, primarily due to its survival simulation sandbox pedigree and its seeming similarity to white-hot mod darling DayZ. The War Z is currently in alpha, and the devs say that closed beta is "planned for the very near future." There's also a pre-order link on the new website, but as of press time it leads to a beta registration box. [Source: Hammerpoint Interactive press release]
Interview on The War Z outlines more on gameplay and design goals
If you've been waiting patiently for your zombie survival kit in the basement to stop gathering dust, you're probably very interested in how the upcoming title The War Z will play out. The game's billed as a persistent open-world zombie survival sandbox, but how will that work in practice? According to executive producer Sergey Titov in a recent interview, the key is making a game that has a wide enough set of tools for a single objective and then allowing players to make most of the actual gameplay. Titov elaborates that the game won't have any traditional quests or missions; instead, players are simply given the goal of surviving against hordes of zombies. Experiences emerge through interactions with environmental situations, such as dealing with "safe settlements" that have created hard rules to ensure the town's safety against zombies. Take a look at the full interview for more peeks at the game's development cycle, shooter style, and economic design. [Thanks to Joseph for the tip!]
Epic's Fortnite is a 'fresh and bubbly' co-op survival sandbox game
Epic Games kicked off our experience at Comic-Con this year with a panel about Fortnite, the oft-mentioned but not yet seen game that serves as the studio's followup to Gears of War. Producer Tanya Jessen, Lead Artist Pete Ellis, and Design Director Cliff Bleszinski talked at length about the game, revealing it to be a mashup of Minecraft, The Walking Dead and Team Fortress 2. It's designed and built in Unreal Engine 4, and destined for a PC-only launch.Jessen described Fortnite as a "co-op sandbox survival game" with three different elements. Scavenging will allow players to go out into the ruined world and find items and materials wherever they can. Building will let players first erect and then customize various structures of all shapes and sizes. Combat, the last part of the game, pits players against creepy yet "Looney Tunes-inspired" monsters attempting to take those structures down."This is not just a game for people who like shooters or RPGS," said Jessen. "It's a game for everybody." And according to Bleszinski, Fortnite is a big change internally from what the studio has been working on more recently. "It's been really fresh for us," he said. "We've had like six years of Gears and we've perfected the art of killing. Fortnite is serving as a fresh change of pace for us."%Gallery-160290%
DayZ shooter mod reaches 500k users
What do you get when you cross a hyper-realistic open-world shooter with a zombie-driven third-party mod? A certified phenomenon with more users than your average MMORPG, according to our friends at Joystiq. "Congratulations everyone, with your support through tough times, mistakes, troubles, and technical problems, we now have over 500k users," DayZ dev Dean Hall tweeted yesterday. The mod has taken the shooter world by storm with its blend of realism, unforgiving gameplay, and brain-munching undead. The project turns Bohemia Interactive's Arma 2 into a desperate fight for survival in a world ravaged by zombie apocalypse. While the mod isn't technically an MMO, its persistence and massive world are certainly MMO-like. DayZ is on track to overtake the sales of the game on which it is based. "Currently we're running 22,000 concurrent at full peak, and 10,000 off peak, which is pretty huge numbers considering the original data structure and system was designed to handle 100 concurrents and two servers," he said.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Handy tips for fishing and survival in Telara
In my last column about RIFT, I looked at a few highlights that were coming with Update 1.8, but because of the buzz surrounding the two new skills of fishing and survival, I wanted to delve into both a little more closely and perhaps even give a few tips I picked up so far that might be helpful if you're thinking of giving it a try. Whether you're an old salt or a greenhorn, and if you're curious about what exactly it takes to fish in Telara or what you need to build yourself a nice camp and a warm meal, this week's Enter at Your Own Rift might help!
Fishing, survival, and dragons: The Trion Team talks about RIFT's 1.8 update
As the Carnival of the Ascended draws to a close and the last of the piñatas and balloons are put away from RIFT's first birthday, Update 1.8 is just around the corner. It's full of new content, including the new raid zone Infernal Dawn, fishing and survival skills, and lots of game improvements. Massively took part in a roundtable discussion with Trion CCO and RIFT Executive Producer Scott Hartsman, Design Producer Hal Hanlin, and Producer Adam Gershowitz to get all the details on Update 1.8 and more. Read on for highlights!%Gallery-153032%
Enter at Your Own Rift: Fishin' and survivin'
One of the parts of the recent RIFT producer's letter that caught my eye was the hint that there will soon be more to do in game besides "stab" stuff. Maybe I'm mellowing in my old age, or perhaps it's because of my inner Bartle explorer player-type, but I'm enjoying activities in MMOs that don't involve mass slaughter all the time. Usually, that means crafting, but the inventory management that's required often leaves me cross-eyed by the time I'm done. With Update 1.8, RIFT will add two new skills to the game: fishing and survival. Non-combat activities have already been introduced in past updates, like the wedding instance, but these two new skills look to be fun games within the game, so I was eager to check things out. Join me as I don some hip-waders, pack up some flint, and head to PTS for a peek at fishing, survival, and a quick peek at the looking-for-guild tool.
Lay waste to the wasteland in new Grimlands shooter
Game publishers (and a few game news sites) have a funny habit of applying the term MMO to anything and everything under the sun. We've been keeping an eye on Grimlands for a while now, and while we're still not sure whether it's an MMO, it basically had us at post-apocalyptic. Free-to-play publisher gamigo says its upcoming wasteland shooter comes complete with "a comprehensive crafting system, guild towns, vehicles, and PvP content." Regardless of whether it is or isn't a full-fledged MMO in every sense, it looks like a good time, particularly in light of the new trailer that shows off a bit of ambiance and a bit of gameplay footage. Grimlands is a third-person shooter being developed by Drago Entertainment, and you can watch the full clip after the cut. [Source: gamigo press release]
I Am Alive trailer brings a gun to a machete fight
The latest trailer from Ubisoft's upcoming survival title, I Am Alive, focuses on the interesting combat system. With the game's emphasis on realism, fights are often tense and brutal, with the threat of a gun often the only thing between a peaceful situation and a gruesome machete attack. As you can see, I Am Alive's fights are more often about using your sparse resources wisely under pressure than simply lining up the right shot, or having a bigger weapon than your opponents. We think it's a good hook, and you'll be able to play it for yourself when the game comes out during Microsoft's XBLA House Party, starting February 15.
Xsyon architecture gallery shows off unique player-made structures
Xsyon's PR machine is shifting into high gear of late, and the post-apocalyptic sandbox title from Notorious Games has released another batch of screenshots. This isn't your typical 10-screenshot blast, either, but rather an entirely new gallery section on the official website devoted exclusively to user creations. Notorious is intent on showing off what it calls player architecture, as Xsyon is one of the few games on the current MMO market that actually allows for unique creations in terms of buildings, structures, and even town layouts. You can see a few of the choice shots in our Xsyon gallery below, but you'll need to head to the game's official website to see them all. [Source: Notorious Games press release] %Gallery-118587%
Minecraft Pocket Edition update tentatively scheduled for Feb. 8
In early December, Mojang's Daniel Kaplan announced via the Mojang blog that the developer was working on an update to Minecraft Pocket Edition in order to address player concerns that the experience was too different from its desktop counterparts, specifically the distinct lack of any survival or crafting elements. While the crafting system will require UI redesigns, Kaplan says that the first update, currently scheduled to go live on February 8, will make backend changes to "support the survival aspects of the game." It doesn't sound like any survival elements will actually be implemented this time around, but rather that this update will serve as the "foundation" for survival elements that will be added in later. The update also includes "neat looking animals and new blocks," as well as doors and fences, so now might be a good time to start building the farm you'll be furiously defending once the survival elements are patched in. [Thanks, Austin!]
Help for the lost: a fabric antenna to keep you from being a castaway
Doesn't look like much, does it? But the next time you're lost at sea, you just might be thankful you've got it. That little square of fabric is actually a flexible antenna designed for the Cospas-Sarsat distress signal network, a Cold War-era system built to help pinpoint missing ships, planes and people. Designed to be sewn into a life vest, the antenna broadcasts an emergency beacon at a low frequency for greater range; in field tests, that helped rescuers find it within minutes. It's also tear- and water-resistant, which you'll be grateful for when you're being tossed around like a ragdoll in a sea of whitecaps. The technology was developed by the European Space Agency in partnership with a Finnish company. Next on their agenda? A round, floating companion for the marooned, codenamed Wilson.
Shank 2: Back for more
Klei Entertainment's Shank was a lovable, uncomplicated indie beat-em-up. The game's protagonist went on a murderous rampage using whatever he had lying around, including guns, a big knife, a chainsaw, and a few other items. It's probably no surprise that the recently announced Shank 2 is more of that kind of thing. The backgrounds are nicer and more colorful, Shank's enemies are more varied, and the controls are refined. It's a better, cleaner Shank experience. The indie charm is still there, and the whole game is more polished. Oh, and there's one big feature that will probably make the game for fans of the series: An endless online co-op survival mode.
Allods Online's Undaunted update coming October 11th
The latest Allods Online press release features the words "more dangerous enemies" in both italics and a big, bold capitalized font. As such, we're thinking that gPotato is keen on highlighting the fact that the game's latest update is going to give players quite a challenge. We'll find out for sure on October 11th, as Allods' Undaunted update brings new bosses, more astral demons, and "a harrowing survival mode" to Astrum Nival's $12 million free-to-play opus. The patch is geared toward high-level players, but never fear newbs, you haven't been forgotten. Undaunted features a "refreshed" new player experience as well as a streamlined UI that gPotato says makes it "easier than ever to take charge of the action." [Source: gPotato press release]
MOTOFONE F3, the zombie apocalypse survival phone (video)
You can never be too prepared. Whether you're being chased by brain sucking zombies, hunted down by ruthless killer robots, or -- more likely -- the victim of an earthquake or other natural disaster. There's only one phone you really need, and that's the MOTOFONE F3. Forget your smartphone and its fancy pants features, forget the internet -- when the apocalypse strikes your survival might depend on a durable handset with great battery life and just the basics, which is exactly what the MOTOFONE F3 delivers. Introduced in 2006 for developing markets, it makes and takes calls, sends and receives text messages, beeps and vibrates, stores and recalls your most important contacts, and includes an alarm clock -- that's it. Of course, these specs describe almost every simple phone launched since SMS was added to the GSM standard. What makes the MOTOFONE F3 unique is that it uses a segmented e-paper display which sips power and remains legible in both direct sunlight and dark back alleys, along with dual antennae for superior radio performance. Battery life is absolutely incredible, with over 2 weeks in standby and several months powered off. Motorola also designed the handset to be light (68g), thin (9mm) and strong -- it's resistant to shock, dust and moisture, with a sealed keypad and speaker (which is extremely loud). The best part? You can pick one up online, unlocked, for as little as $25. Check out our gallery below, and whatever you do, don't be like our protagonist in the zombie apocalypse video after the break -- don't leave your SIM at home. Psst... yeah, we know this phone's ancient, but every now and then we like to reach back and have a little fun. And, you know, escape a looming zombie horde. %Gallery-131641%
The Daily Grind: What was your favorite experience as a tank?
Maybe you have a sword and shield, maybe you have a really high Dodge rating, maybe you have durable force fields. Whatever your qualifications for the role, you take up the mantle of the tank to keep the rest of your party safe against your enemies, whether they're gang members in DC Universe Online, vicious beasts in Final Fantasy XIV, or enemy starships in Star Trek Online. Whatever your game of choice, if you've played MMOs for a long enough stretch, you've had opportunity to tank. Of course, part of tanking is that you wind up with stories, in no small part just because it's such a vital job. You can't fake the experience -- you have to get in close and take the blows for the party members who can't survive them. So what was your favorite experience as the party's meat shield? Was it a specific run, a specific group, or was there an entire game that made tanking feel like the most enjoyable thing in the world? 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!
Undead Labs talks about environments and the undead
The upcoming zombie games from Undead Labs are aiming to give players a feeling of genuinely surviving in a world ruled by shambling corpses. To make that work correctly, players are going to need lots of little touches here and there to reinforce just what has gone wrong and what sort of threat living humans are facing. In the most recent set of questions and answers from the development team, more elements of the environment and interaction with same are spelled out, giving prospective survivors an idea of what to expect. While the game isn't planned to be an ornate physics simulator, there will be a practical limit to how much an individual can carry -- and while vehicles can carry more, the problems of noise and fuel will place some limits on stacking an SUV to the brim with heavy weapons. Hunting wildlife and handling aquatic environments will both be issues in the game, with the obvious caveat that humans drown far more easily than zombies. There are a lot of other interesting tidbits in the full rundown as well as some valuable takeaways that aspiring survivors would do well to internalize.
Xsyon devs talk farming, crafting and PvE vs. PvP
If sandbox MMORPGs are more ambitious than their themepark counterparts, it follows that the former are also more susceptible to bugs, performance problems, and general player discontent. Xsyon is no exception, and the post-apocalyptic world-building title from Notorious Games has traveled a rough yet familiar road since its March release. According to a couple of recent posts on the Xsyon boards, better times are in the offing. Notorious is in fact expanding its dev roster, and new game designer/programmer Danathur throws the community a few bones in his introduction post. Aside from providing a bit of detail on his new duties, he also addresses the ongoing war of words between PvE and PvP supporters vying for the future of Xsyon. "We do not want to create a massively multiplayer first person shooter. On the other hand, conflicts and managing them (not only by violence) [are] the real challenge and where the most fun will come from in the long term," he explains. Danathur goes on to say that both crafting and combat will become more expensive in short order due to the enabling of item stats and decay. His sentiments echo those of lead designer Jordi Grau-Davis, who posted earlier this week to announce the new dev hires and to give the community a feel for Xsyon's development roadmap. "We are going to evolve Xsyon to include farming, contested expansion totems and revamped combat. The goal is to provide more daily activities to tend to and something to fight over," he wrote.
Arcane Brilliance: The mage survival guide, part 2
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Arcane Brilliance for arcane, fire and frost mages. This week, we continue our discussion of ways to avoid dying horribly. This week's tip: Roll a death knight. Yes, the sad reality of being a mage is the ever-present threat of a swift and ignominious demise. We're like every character in The Walking Dead: We could go at any time, and our only consolation is that God willing, we'll be able to blow up a few zombies on our way out. Last week, we discussed a few methods for surviving to pew pew another day, namely aggro drop and damage mitigation. This week, we turn our attention to two other lifesaving techniques: movement and crowd control. Just remember as we go forward that every time a mage survives a fight, an angel punches a warlock in the face. Have I used that joke before? I may have. Doesn't make it any less true. Angels hate warlocks. So does Jesus. And me. And, I pray, all of you.
