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More on the sound design for Guild Wars 2
Yesterday, the Guild Wars 2 sound team got to have a day in the limelight with a video detailing the process of making the sounds that go into the game. Today, the team is back in the spotlight, showcasing an equally-important but slightly different aspect of the audio game. This time, the video isn't showing off getting the sounds just right, it's showcasing getting the sounds to work correctly in the game world, rather than just playing a footstep effect every few moments. As demonstrated in the video, the team uses a complex dynamic layering system in which several different sounds can have varying levels of volume, frequency, and focus -- as demonstrated by a windmill, which has ten different sounds playing at intervals to create the illusion of wood and cloth slowly turning. Guild Wars 2 players might not find any tips about the gameplay just past the cut, but they will find a video that further explains how you make just the right kinds of noise in the game.
ArenaNet revealing Guild Wars 2 PvP and customization at Gamescom
Europe's largest game expo is getting ready for plenty of Guild Wars 2 goodness, as ArenaNet will be bringing its highly anticipated fantasy MMO to the Cologne convention that runs from August 17th to August 21st. In a new post on the company blog, Martin Kerstein gives us an idea of what we can expect from the NCsoft demo booth. The playable GW2 build will include all seven professions revealed thus far, the complete Charr starter experience, and a mid-level demo featuring powerful Orrian enemies (and Sylvari and Asura playable characters). Last but not least, gamers will finally get their hands on Guild Wars 2's character customization system as well as its PvP component. Hands-on PvP experiences will be available, and players can also watch exhibition matches between developers and select European players.
ArenaNet's Daniel Dociu wins award for digital art
Guild Wars 2 has had a distinctive art style ever since it was first announced, helping to solidify the game's image in the minds of fans. A big part of that has naturally been the vision of Daniel Dociu, art director for ArenaNet and overseer of the visuals for the project. So it should come as no surprise that Dociu has been awarded the Grand Master Award for Exposé 9, Ballistic Publishing's digital art annual for 2011. Both Dociu and concept artist Kekai Kotaki were featured in the pages, with both praised for their expressive and immersive artwork for the game. It might be a surprise to the readers of the magazine, but it's no surprise to the players who have been enjoying the work of these talented figures for years. Congratulations are in order for the award, one well-deserved considering the visual treat that Guild Wars 2 promises to provide.
The winds, they are a-changin' in Guild Wars
It's time for another major event in Guild Wars, one that's been heavily anticipated by the players -- the next installment in Guild Wars Beyond, centering around the lands of Cantha. There are changes afoot for the land, as evidenced by the title of the new multi-part event, Winds of Change. And if you want to start taking part in the history that will shape Guild Wars 2, now is a fine time to see what those winds are bringing. Players can start their newest adventure by speaking with Initiate Zei Ri at Kaineng Center, setting them down the road following the events of Guild Wars Factions. (Needless to say, you have to have finished Factions to take part in the new missions.) As was the case for the previous installment, the update brings with it new costumes for players to purchase so that the battle for Cantha's future can be done in style. Guild Wars players should get to work seeing all that the update has to offer, because the change starts now... and who knows how much will be different when all is said and done.
Massively Exclusive: Eric Flannum on GW2's Engineer
Unless you've been spelunking near the center of the earth for the past few days, you're likely aware that ArenaNet recently unveiled Guild Wars 2's seventh class. Chances are high that you're also aware of said class's affinity for turrets, guns, and various contraptions meant to rain death down upon any unfortunate enemies that cross its path. Today, Massively presents a new interview with Guild Wars 2 lead designer Eric Flannum. Naturally, the guest of honor at this Tyrian banquet of exclusivity is the Engineer, and Flannum (along with several other ANet dignitaries) provides us with a few tasty mechanical appetizers before getting down to the lore-centric main course. Bon appetit after the cut.
World PvP, dungeon experiences, and quality of life in Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is a game that seemingly everyone is anticipating, helped along by the fact that very few people have gotten to play it and even fewer have played it extensively. So it's understandable that incGamers' recent interview with Eric Flannum and John Peters covers a lot of ground, ranging from dungeons to PvP to environmental interactions. While some of the questions posed by the interviewers aren't answered, there's a great deal of information for fans, starting with the clarification that dungeons do not have a specific "story mode." There's a series of events the player experiences with important world NPCs followed by the option to explore the dungeon. PvP is discussed a bit, with the free admission that while players in competitive arenas will be evenly matched, it's possible to be simply outgunned in open combat. The role of guards and other NPCs in the open combats is also clarified; NPCs act essentially as speedbumps rather than serious targets for player consideration. Guild Wars 2 fans should read through both pages of the interview to get a better idea of what's coming in the game as well as another confirmation that a closed beta is due before the end of the year.
Guild Wars 2's Johanson: MMO class trinity is "tired"
Have you ever wondered where all the hype comes from regarding Guild Wars 2? Sure, the original game was a financial success, and the sequel has NCsoft's considerable financial muscle behind it. When you get right down to it, though, ArenaNet is a company with one game to its credit, yet the firm still has the courage to openly challenge Blizzard as well as the rest of the crowded MMO market. In a new interview at Eurogamer, lead content designer Colin Johanson says ANet's success and confidence largely stem from a culture of creative fearlessness. How does this attitude translate into a next-gen MMO? Johanson says the best example is the dev team's willingness to scrap one of the themepark MMO genre's sacred cows: the holy trinity. "We're basically saying, listen, this as a core game mechanic is tired, we can do something better, we can do something more interesting than this," Johanson explains. The interview also touches on ArenaNet's release-it-when-it's-done mantra, and Johanson elaborates on why Guild Wars 2 has been so long in the making. "We're going to do all of this, we're going to make this the game that offers something for everybody, and we're going to get that right, and if it takes us a little longer to do that, the trade-off is totally worthwhile," he said. Head to Eurogamer for the full report.
Guild Wars 2 art director talks racial redesigns and making it as a game artist
Tap Repeatedly has posted the third part of its interview with Guild Wars 2 and ArenaNet art director Daniel Dociu. Unlike yesterday's segment, which focused on game art in general as well as Guild Wars 2's unique aesthetic, today's entry deals with everything from concept artists and breaking into the business to why ANet chose to revisit some of the game's racial designs (specifically the Sylvari). "For some races the early design didn't stand the test of time. You build and implement things, some grow on you and some tend to age poorly and beg for redesign," Dociu explains. He also touches on his relationship with the characters and creatures art team, noting that his contributions are more along the lines of managing creative energy and overseeing the big picture as opposed to creating assets, designs, and concept art.
Daniel Dociu talks Guild Wars 2 art direction
If you're looking for the latest art-centric news for ArenaNet's long-awaited Guild Wars sequel, look no further than Tap Repeatedly. Guild Wars 2 art director Daniel Dociu recently sat down for the second part of an interview that shines the spotlight on the forthcoming fantasy MMORPG's visual palette as well as the man responsible for overseeing it. The piece covers a lot of ground, including everything from GW2's painterly user interface to the company culture at ArenaNet (which was founded by a group of engineers but also boasts one of the MMO industry's premier artistic rosters). This is no accident, Dociu explains, and one of his goals as ArenaNet's art director is to ensure that game art is given the respect it deserves. "Too often in this industry art is an afterthought. More often than not the expectations are set too low. It isn't always regarded as an equally important component next to game design or technology," he explains. So what's up with the hand-crafted aesthetic that permeates everything from Guild Wars 2's client interface to its marketing materials? It's very deliberate, Dociu says, and it resulted in a marriage between talented artists and the realities of a finite budget. "We've unified stylistically the cinematics, user interface, and all visual branding... It all started because it was something we wanted to do, but we had to wait for the right moment and approach it from the resources angle."
Guild Wars 2 blog updates with Norn lore entry
The world of Tyria has long been possessed of deep and engaging lore, and the official ArenaNet blog has just updated with a bit more of the backstory that fans will be soaking up with the eventual release of Guild Wars 2. ANet's Ree Soesbee has penned a Norn-centric piece that offers a revealing look at the warrior race's affinity for the Spirits of the Wild. Soesbee's update focuses on four of the more important Spirits -- bear, snow leopard, raven, and wolf -- and features three story vignettes to go along with a bit of intro exposition in each case. Head to the official ANet blog for the latest update as Norn week comes to a close.
ArenaNet confirms Guild Wars 2 closed alpha and beta for 2011
Members of the Guild Wars nation are no doubt kicking up their heels tonight, as ArenaNet has let slip the barest whisper of information on a possible release window for its forthcoming Tyrian sequel. Guild Wars 2's closed alpha and beta testing will be happening in 2011, and "the feedback from these tests will determine when we will do public beta tests and ship the game," according to an update of the official Guild Wars 2 FAQ earlier this evening. Guild Wars 2 Guru points out that ArenaNet representatives quickly quelled any notions of a definitive time frame, but this small beta nugget is nonetheless the closest thing to an actual date of any kind thus far in the game's long development process. "The existence of friends and family closed alpha and closed beta this year has changed nothing about the release date. The release date continues to be: when the game is ready," said ArenaNet's Regina Buenaobra.
The Daily Grind: Would you play a game on the Guild Wars model?
Of all the myriad price structures and business models out there, Guild Wars has managed to largely hold on to one that's relatively unique. It's clearly not under the subscription-based umbrella, as there's no monthly cost to play. Yet at the same time, it doesn't really fall under the traditional free-to-play model -- the game didn't launch with any sort of item shop, and the current microtransaction shop is more akin to the supplementary shops seen in many subscription games like City of Heroes. ArenaNet has always been clear about their intended price structure and the intent for the game to support itself with full-priced expansions rather than a monthly fee. While there might be some debate about how sustainable the model is, it's certainly enticing for some players. So today's questions for you: would you play a game that balanced itself on the Guild Wars pricing scheme? If so, what game would be worth a $50 expansion every six months without a monthly cost? Or do you prefer the more prevalent pricing models found elsewhere?
ArenaNet co-founder Jeff Strain opens new studio
Remember Jeff Strain? His August departure from ArenaNet was big news, and we haven't heard a lot from him lately. We found out today what he's been up to, and we couldn't be happier. Jeff Strain has a shiny (slimy?) new project just officially announced today. Undead Labs is his new studio, which is already at work planning a zombie MMO -- more specifically, a zombie-console-MMO. To quote the Undead Labs site, "Zombie MMO! Hell yeah!" Of course, we already have a million questions, but he was kind enough to answer many of them well in advance. (Points to him for anticipating them and spelling it out right up front, and for making us laugh.) It's early days yet so we don't have a laundry list of specific details and screenshots, but the site already shows a departure from the traditional way of doing things when it comes to MMO development. A look around Undead Labs sets the tone right off, beginning with the aforementioned answers to questions, and continuing with a fairly amusing etiquette guide. Strain and Undead Labs look to be off to a running start with things, and we are going to be keeping a close eye on the impending zombie apocalypse.
The Digital Continuum: Rock Band, the MMO
At first thought, a Rock Band-inspired MMO may not sound like the greatest idea to everyone. I've actually entertained the idea for a long time now, only shove it aside as a crazy notion. But the thing kept popping back into the forefront of my mind so often that I couldn't discount it as happenstance. I've become enamored with the idea, because let's face it; a Rock Band MMO has the potential to ooze- no, to gush pure liquid awesome. ROCK >> %Gallery-33658%
Guild Wars: The best solo quasi-MMOG out there?
Three glorious years, over five million boxes sold. Guild Wars has come along way in that time, and it's no surprise that NCsoft's darling is still managing to stake out new players. Shamus from over on Twenty-Sided is one latest victim, in his post: Guild Wars: Massively Single Player, Shamus delves into Guild Wars with fresh eyes and posits about why it's a great single player experience. Of course, solo players use their own henchmen and heroes to help unfold that epic story. When EverQuest reigned king long before WoW, soloist proponents were booed away with a common message: "Go play a single player game, MMORPGs focus around grouping and solo content has no place here." Today, most MMOGs offer solo play but in such a way that progression is meaningful, but grouping is still encouraged for the best rewards.
Tim Sweeney's beef with Intel and PC gaming
Are PCs good for gaming? The short answer is yes, Tim Sweeney (of Unreal fame) is wrong because computers play many of the best games the platform has to offer without much struggle. Games like The Orange Box, Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, The Sims 2, Company of Heroes or The Lord of the Rings Online all run fairly well without too much muscle behind them. His primary complaint (and ours too, actually) is that integrated graphics chips which are installed on the computers that stores like Best Buy sell, are in no way capable of playing the newer games sold at the very same stores. Intel is largely to blame for this, but of course if you've ever looked into buying a brand new video card, then you know they're not the only culprits of PC gaming's issues.
Sid Meier mentions possibility of a Civilization MMO
Be sure to take this one with a grain of salt, but Sid Meier is apparently very interested in making a Civilization MMO at some point in the future -- according to a recent interview. However, Sid basically goes on to say that he doesn't think that sort of game is his next project, as he's interested in doing some more single-player games (Alpha Centauri 2, please?) before tackling something else.We've got to admit it though, the concept of an MMO where you start your very own civilization and slowly expand it over time sounds intriguing to say the least. Aside from all sorts of design hurdles, there are some very exciting ideas in the concept. The easiest method of doing a massively Civilization game would be to take a few notes from Guild Wars in terms of subscription-style. That way, a player could work on their civilization for as long as they wanted, take a break for however long they felt like and then come back for expansions or just because they felt like it -- all monthly-payment free.[via MMORPGdot]
Guild Wars 2 to be bigger and badder than Guild Wars
Prepare to have your mind blown away by design insights that normally don't leave the developer think-tank. James Phinney, the game design team Lead on Guild Wars, shares the genesis, methodology and reasoning for a Guild Wars sequel and the outline details why a traditional campaign or expansion won't work. The gist and core reason why is the Guild Wars team wants to develop a Guild Wars sequel that is closer to a MMORPG while the original Guild Wars is a CORPG. Some major differences that will distinguish Guild Wars 2 from the original is less instancing making the world more persistent with improved freedom of control to move (jump!) around and explore; a higher level cap as the original is capped at level 20, there might even be no level cap; a realm-versus-realm like PvP system. To get all these features in Guild Wars the game would have to be radically altered -- a sequel is the best solution opposite to a "new game experience" that would only end up butchering the original Guild Wars. After mulling over the list, everything proposed looks outstanding. I'm definitely more excited about Guild Wars 2 than Guild Wars, I would love playing a Guild Wars game that was more like a MMORPG with no monthly subscription cost. You heard me right, no monthly subscription cost for a MMORPG.Guild Wars 2 takes place roughly 250 years after the Eye of the North expansion, presumably the last Guild Wars expansion pack. The Guild Wars 2 open beta is currently scheduled sometime for the 2nd half of 2008.
Guild Wars expansion, sequel announced
NCSoft subsidiary ArenaNet has announced two new Guild Wars titles: a full-blown sequel and an expansion for the original that serves to bridge the full games together. Guild Wars 2 will follow in its predecessor's footsteps by foregoing a subscription fee but feature a fully persistent world. Little else is known; the current planned release date is second half 2008.An expansion for the original Guild Wars was also announced. Entitled Eye of the North, the expansion will unlock exclusive items and weapons in Guild Wars 2 for those who continue with the series. In the meantime, Eye of the North will feature more of everything, including weapons, titles, items, armor sets, 18 dungeons, 10 new heroes, and 150 new skills spread across the ten professions. The expansion is planned for a holiday 2007 release.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
