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New Champions Online preview hints at villains
The guys over at 1up.com have a great two page preview/interview covering Champions Online. The preview itself covers quite a bit, including Cryptic's time with the Marvel MMO, customization in Champions Online, combat, the Xbox 360 version and of course some hints at what we may see for villains. Overall the preview expands on a lot of these subjects, with quotes for Jack Emmert giving away a detail or two here and there.The big tease about the villains has really piqued our curiosity, as Emmert says, "But it's something we're thinking about in Champions: Is the gameplay experience the same for a hero and a villain? But that's part of our top-secret plan we're not talking about."A lot of people on the official forums have been clamoring for some kind of villain gameplay and Cryptic has previously shown they pay attention to the community. We would love to see the villain side play dramatically different from the hero side of Champions Online. The big question left to Cryptic is exactly how villains will be a different experience from heroes?
Print gaming journalism may be on its way out, says 1UP's Cox
We can still fondly recall those afternoons during our formative years when, while returning from school, we would notice a rolled-up, plastic sheathed bundle of gaming journalism joy poking out of our mailbox. We're sure it's an occasion that most of you can warm-heartedly remember as well, whether your poison was Nintendo Power or Electronic Gaming Monthly. Unfortunately, in a recent interview with the mighty Ombudsman, 1UP's Simon Cox spoke about the closing of Games For Windows magazine, and how EGM (as well as print gaming journalism as a whole) may have an expiration date.Cox explained that "dollars and eyes," particularly the beady, sunken eyes of PC gamers, are continually moving away from print media and towards internet publications, stripping the ink-and-papers of their subscribers, advertisers and, eventually, life. Cox remarked that while EGM still has a great deal of spunk, and is supported by a body of loyal readers, it too will eventually be crushed by the incipient, grim claw of new media. The fact that you're reading this right now may support his claim -- have your gaming news consuming habits changed over the past few years?
The saga of Mythica (and other tales of MMO death and delay)
To say that delays are common in the MMO production schedule would be a fantastic understatement. Warhammer Online and Age of Conan's now almost-comical dancing act away from a release date can probably be traced right back to last year's launch of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Rob Pardo's well-known mantra of "polish, polish, polish" finally has a sort of anti-hero poster boy; a sterling example of what not to do when making one of these games. But, of course, WAR and AoC are just the latest examples of this trend. MMOs have been delaying or dying off since the days of Ultima Online. Over at 1up they have a whole feature dedicated to notable game delays, and the Massive genre is proudly represented among those titles. At least, standing cheek-by-jowl with the likes of Daikatana and Sin Episodes, the MMOs on the list represent a lot of (wasted) potential. From the recent Gods and Heroes collapse all the way back to the on-again-off-again development of Ultima Online 2, the list takes in the long messy road of dead and dying MMOs. Probably the one I regret most is the 2004 cancellation of Microsoft's Mythica - a unique norse-themed instanced heavy fantasy title. Everyone that even knew about MMOs back then was very excited for it, as the designers and developers were very gung-ho about the creation of real storytelling experiences inside these crazy 'instance' things. Whole tiny pocket worlds! Amazing!Living the dream, of course, was not to be. At least the game's idea lives on - along with the likes of Auto Assault, Imperator, and the quirky title-that-never was: Middle Earth Online.
Age of Conan gets new ground
We're sure that when you think of Age of Conan, you think about ground texture optimization. If that's not the first thing that pops into your head, it should be. All right, so maybe it shouldn't be, but it's still rather important -- we promise. If you don't believe us, just go check out the new AoC developer blog at 1up.com for proof. We have to admit to being skeptical ourselves until we saw the before and after screenshots. Not only does the ground art look much better, it also takes up less system resources -- which is always a huge plus. We wonder if this kind of dedication goes into the other visual aspects of Age of Conan.Would we rather see talk about some other topics? Sure, but it's always nice to see some examples of how Age of Conan has been optimized to run smoother. With the release date only a couple months away, the stream of information continues to grow -- with an exception for the occasional trickle now and then.[via RPGDot]
1UP thinks the Force is with the BioWare MMO (again)
We cannot foresee the details of BioWare's MMO; shrouded in mystery they are. The biggest rumor has always been that it's based on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic IP. And what a ride that rumor has been. Just since the beginning of this year it's already been falsely confirmed once and denied twice.It's the most popular nonexistent game in the known universe, but is it really nonexistent after all? Oh no, here we go again! As our own Mike Schramm commented after the most recent denial: "If you strike this rumor down, it will only come back more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Prophetic words, those.A tipster sent 1UP an excerpt from an MMO script, allegedly from within BioWare. The script doesn't sound very MMO-like, but according to 1UP's Steve Watts, it resembles dialogue in previous BioWare works, and it's "set in the historical past of the Star Wars universe." Sounds like KotOR to us! 1UP poked LucasArts for a comment, and basically got the "no comment" comment.
1UP's letter grade conversion explained, analyzed
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/1UP_s_letter_grade_conversion_explained_analyzed'; Update 2: 1UP Vice President Simon Cox has contacted Joystiq to let us know there are some bugs associated with the current roll out of the conversion formula. Specifically, Cox said the full range of grades (including those marked with a dash in the chart) should have been used in the conversion, and will be when the bug is fixed by the end of the week We'll update the chart and this post when that happens.Update: Since there appears to be some confusion in the comments, a dash in the "Number" column on the chart means that there's no number score that corresponds to that letter grade.As part of a planned reorganization, 1UP today switched from its well-known 0-10 review scale to a school-style letter grading scheme. The changeover included a conversion of all existing review scores on the site from numbers to letters, but, as Editorial Director Dan Hsu told N'gai Croal, the site will not be publishing a simple conversion scale to figure out which old number ratings apply to which new letter grades, Hsu says they're keeping the scale close to their chest "because we want our readers to go with our new scoring system and not be constantly translating the new letters back to our old scores."Where's the fun in that? We compared some old numerical ratings to the new letter grades for ourselves and created the handy (if a bit ugly) conversion chart on the right. Read on for way too much analysis of the score conversion and what it means for evaluating 1UP review scores going forward.
Ziff Davis reorganizes, changes review scoring
With the recent departure of Editorial Director John Davison to start-up web portal What They Like, Ziff Davis has done some behind-the-scenes shuffling of the staff behind its gaming properties. According to a press release (partially re-posted on James Mielke's blog), the online and print sides of the operation have been merged together and re-split into three new groups: "Videogames," headed by Electronic Gaming Monthly's James Mielke; "PC games," headed by Games For Windows' Jeff Green; and "Video," headed up by GameVideos' Demian Linn. Each group will funnel content into Ziff's magazines and online properties, including 1UP.com.More apparent to the average reader will be the change to Ziff's grading system, from a 10-point scale to an A+ through F letter grade. The change isn't just on a going-forward basis either -- according to the release, "all previously scored games on 1UP.com will also be converted to the new letter scale." Historical revisionism at its finest!
NCsoft Prez Chris Chung talks shop with GI and 1UP
Game Informer and 1UP both recently had the privilege of sitting down with NCSoft President Chris Chung to talk about what direction he plans to take the company in 2008. Some of the things that Chung spoke about (and there was much overlap between the two interviews) were reminiscent of the comments that Richard Garriott made in his speech at George Washington University late last year. Garriott had talked about how NCsoft was looking to make their stable of MMOs more integrated with one another so that as players tire of one game and move onto another (a phenomenon referred to as "churn" within the industry), they can ensure that it will be another of their products. He also spoke briefly about NCsoft's current approach to console games, and he sounded considerably more tentative on the subject than we had originally been led to believe. He was complimentary of Sony's network model, and stated that he believed it was more in line with their policies than the competition. If we had to speculate, this would seem to indicate that Microsoft's Xbox Live service, which not only requires propriety features be included but also requires a subscription fee, was not their cup of tea. 1UP was more direct about this line of questioning, going so far as to ask out-right if City of Heroes was making its way to consoles. Chung refused to give a direct answer, but he didn't deny anything either, which is intriguing. It's an interesting interview, and sheds the NCsoft President (who only officially stepped into the role two weeks ago) in a favorable light.
Silent Hill 5 coming along nicely according to 1UP's preview
1UP has a pretty in-depth preview of Silent Hill 5 up which should dispel any misgivings you might have about the game's western development. Due for a fall '08 release the game seems to be coming along quite nicely and 1UP got a nice chunk of juicy details out of the developers. For starters, Silent Hill 5 will be a standalone adventure with a separate story and new characters. The game still promises to be a part of the Silent Hill canon, however, and not just in name. Some series mainstays are back, including the crawling fog, levels that transform from light and airy to grime covered and bloody and a permanent grain filter over the action. All of these things have been improved on for the next generation of consoles. New features will also be implemented into SH5, such as utilisation of the Havok physics engine to allow furniture to be accidentally knocked, alerting your enemy of where you are. The battle system will also have an overhaul, making combat a bigger part of the game than in previous iterations of the series. For the full lowdown on the game be sure to check out 1UP's preview for plenty more SH5 info.
The wallet-destroying 1UP scarf
The life-giving properties of the 1UP mushroom should never be underestimated, so as winter begins to tighten its chilly grasp around our exposed necks, what could be better than a whole chain of the little green buggers to keep you toasty warm?Etsy user UrbanPrincess crocheted this one-of-a-kind scarf, but we fear that its $150 price tag means that she's targeting a rather limited demographic -- namely, rich Nintendo fans. Seriously, has she seen what we get paid the amount of stuff we want this Christmas?[Thanks, Sakura!]
1UP asks for your input on game of the year
After one of the most hectic release schedules in recent years, finally just about every big game is out, and the 1UP network are running their 2007 1UP Awards. The awards are voted on by readers of the site, and print magazines Electronic Gaming Monthly and Games for Windows. The games are first broken down in to categories, like "Best Action Game", and there's a final "Game of the Year" category with pre-selected titles.Among all of the other superb games on the lists, there are a couple of MMO nominations. In the "Best Multiplayer Game" category, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar are included, and both of these appear again in the important "Game of the Year" section. These games have each already won some awards this year at the Golden Joysticks, with LotRO taking best PC game, and WoW:TBC getting online game of the year.In both of the areas they are competing, there is stiff competition for the two MMO entries, but if you feel that one of these games deserves to be acknowledged then head on over to the 1UP Awards page and cast your vote.
Ziff Davis staff holds impromptu GameSpot rally
A number of Ziff Davis staffers (including a few writers for 1UP, arguably GameSpot's biggest competition) recently crafted an uplifting banner and marched to the GameSpot offices just two blocks away. The demonstration was a response to the recent unexplained firing of GameSpot contributor Jeff Gerstmann. After hearing the rumors that Gerstmann was fired due to pressure from advertisers following his lackluster review of Kane and Lynch, the ZD staff decided to show their support for their fellow gaming journalist.Patrick Klepek, news editor for 1UP, stressed to us that the rally was not intended to mock Gerstmann or the GameSpot staff. He said he recognizes that "even though 1UP and GameSpot are competition, what's happening over there includes industry-wide ramifications, when the dust finally settles." That is, assuming that the rumors of shady dealings surrounding Gerstmann's termination from the company prove to be true.While 1UP's status as GameSpot's lead competitor might raise concerns that they're just fueling the anti-CNET fires that have been popping up around GameSpot's forums, it's our opinion that this was a sincere showing of solidarity and good will among video game writers. We certainly hope that GameSpot's staff gets the message.
1UP Show CX
This week's 1UP Show video ... podcast ... show ... thing-with-people-talking-and-also-footage-of-games takes a break from the constant Rock Band coverage to talk about new games on some weirdo handheld system with two screens. If, instead of reading about Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings and Dementium, you'd like to watch and hear about them, this is a prime opportunity for that!The discussion about categorizing Revenant Wings for a country with few strategy games is particularly interesting. As is the pronunciation of "Ivalice" -- who knew? The real star of this video, of course, is Game Center CX, the current obsession of every retrogamer who can get it and read the text. There's video! Oh, Game Center CX. We will continue to read and watch things about you for as long as we can. Fun fact: Ray Barnholt, who leads the discussion of the game, is also largely responsible for bringing the show to the attention of the American enthusiast audience with his exhaustive guide.
Contra 4's 99-extra-lives cheat doesn't come easy
Has Contra 4's grueling difficulty kept you from even seeing its second stage? The Konami code, while useful, only upgrades your weapons instead of rewarding you with the extra mans you need to die-n-gun your way past enemies and their scattered shots. During the throes of one of his many deaths, GameFAQs poster Empty2002120141 stumbled upon a neat, albeit elaborate, trick for getting 99 free lives in Contra 4. First, you'll need to make sure you currently have zero lives. Next, you have to die at either the exact moment or right after you kill something that pushes your score up high enough to get an extra life. Those who've pulled off the trick suggest trying it with the first level's mini-boss. This should work across all three difficulty modes!We're not sure if WayForward programmed this as an intentional cheat or if it's actually a game glitch, but it sure sounds helpful (if you can actually execute the maneuver). [Via GameFAQs]
1UP talks turkey games
What better way to spend Thanksgiving than talking about turkeys? And by turkeys, of course, 1UP's referring to those massively-hyped titles that ultimately fizzled.We can't say we agree with all of the choices presented, though 1UP's criteria suggests that the games featured aren't necessarily "bad," but that all of them "fell short of expectations."Still, given the sheer number of games out there, there are bound to be bigger, badder turkeys hiding in the bushes. Any more main-course nominees?
Fable 2, Alan Wake, Too Human, Halo Wars not cancelled either [update 1]
EGM's Shane Bettenhausen has caused quite a ruckus as of late by suggesting in the latest 1UP Yours podcast that a high-profile first-party Microsoft game has been canceled. The first game confirmed to be alive was Banjo-Kazooie 3. Now, the developers of Fable 2 and Alan Wake have both chimed in to say their games are also still breathing. We wonder if all Microsoft developers wouldn't benefit from a role call meeting, where attendees are told to simply raise their hands if their project was canned.Of course, that's assuming any project was canceled at all. Bettenhausen originally said, "a big Microsoft first-party title that has been in the works for a very long time, that people are very excited for, sounds like it's being canceled." That's far from a confirmation, although there may be some merit to a project being in trouble. Bettenhausen responded to the proliferation of his statement in the comments to one of his blog posts (search for "egmshane"), but only to confirm the game in question was neither Alan Wake nor Banjo-Kazooie.IGN's Matt Casamassina silenced (most) of his critics by providing video footage to prove he did, in fact, play a DS version of Halo. C'mon Bettenhausen, at least give us a riddle or some enigmatic limerick to analyze.Update: As noted by GameSpot, the developers of Too Human and Halo Wars have also chimed in to say, "It's not our game!" Read - Is Alan Wake canceled?Read - Is Fable 2 canceled?
Retronauts, 1UP Show celebrate Mario
The eternally excellent Retronauts podcast returned last week for a Mario-centric episode. In our opinion, Retronauts is the best retrogaming podcast on the Internet (the best podcast on the Internet? Maybe!), and is rarely worth missing. The panel in this episode is especially great, as it consists entirely of snarky, animated people who happen to know everything about games, ever. Of course, the availability of Super Mario Bros. 3 on the VC and the upcoming release of Galaxy have us all in a Mario mood, so we can all enjoy this episode even more (if we can hear it over our own hyperventilating, a symptom of Mario Madness).If that's not enough Jeremy-Parish-talking-about-Mario, check out the latest 1UP Show video (easily accessible at the top of this very post), which features, in addition to Super Mario Galaxy video footage and a ton of discussion, a brief West Side Story-esque musical interlude from Parish about receiving the game in the mail.
1UP weighs evidence for and against the KotOR MMO
The gaming community has been a-buzz with all sorts of speculation since LucasArts and BioWare announced that they'd be partnering up for a new project. The most popular theory: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is going massively multi-player. This theory isn't a total shot in the dark, but it's not without its flaws either, and if you're looking for conclusive answers, you won't yet find any. But maybe you just can't let it go. Maybe you can't wait until LucasArts and BioWare officially say something one way or the other; the possibility of a KotOR MMO is so cool, it nags at you, even if you won't get to play it for two long years. 1UP feels you. That's why they've written up a succinct overview of everything we know (and don't know) so far.You'll still be left wondering, but hey, at least it will be a sort of informed wondering, if that makes any sense at all.[Via TenTonHammer]
1UP editor pokes fun at GamesRadar 'copying' features
Back in March, GamesRadar, believing in a Louis XIV fashion that heavenly bodies orbit around them and not visa-versa, accused IGN of stealing their ideas (for the second time) in a story entitled "IGN: officially out of ideas? PART 2: Are they really just copying us, again?" It seems, however, this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black as Scott Sharkey – 1UP editor and lifelong fan of Johnnie Walker – posted an entry on his blog drawing similarities between an article he wrote, "Videogame Breast Exam," and a similar GamesRadar piece, "Best in breast."Sharkey's response to the possible copying? Making fun of GamesRadar's "Wah-Wah IGN copied a Top X Games on a Console Feature" story, utilizing the <strike> command to its fullest capacity. We giggled the most at his altering the email address from "areignrippingusoff@futureus.com" to "crybaby@growaf***ingpair.com." However, this didn't tickle the funny bone of a GamesRadar editor, who posted a response on NeoGAF."I have a multitude of potential snarky responses, one of which implies that I could buy 1up and EGM with the change under my sofa, but instead of silly faux rivalries, let's all play some ehcks-bawks thr3-sicksty at my house and have a good time." The real question is if Sharkey wants to hang out and drink beer in a glass house?
Not the 1UP Show visits the Star Wars PSP launch
A terrific episode of the Not the 1UP Show chronicles the launch of the Star Wars Battlefront PSP. Obviously, tons of Star Wars nerds came geeked out in their favorite cosplay, trying to get their hands on this limited edition system. We really love the Star Wars-esque presentation of the video, and think it's a great way to end your work week. Enjoy!
