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Interview with World of Tanks' Mike Zhivets
Big guns. Thick armor. Exploding shells. Massive behemoths duking it out over territory. It's just another day at the (Omaha) beach in World of Tanks. Following the announcement of this free-to-play action MMO and a brief overview of how leveling will work in the game, we were eager to sit down with Wargaming.net to pry open the hatch on the details of this vehicle-based title. Happily, Mike Zhivets was kind enough to sit down with us and chew that fat regarding World of Tanks. Hit the jump to see why the game is based in the WWII era, how many types of tanks are on tap, and just how much damage can one tank pour out.
Preview: Crackdown 2
A hands-on preview of Crackdown 2 at TGS last week came with a catch: deathmatch only. No matter how much potential for greatness a game might possess, it's hard to gauge its true character when limited to a boring multiplayer mode. That's not to say that my time with Crackdown 2 was entirely boring -- it wasn't -- but simply playing the most generic mode of all didn't raise my enthusiasm beyond a mild passing interest. While I wasn't able to play the game's single-player campaign, I was shown a rough portion of it in action. Ruffian lead designer Steve Iannetta and producer James Cope showcased the game's new weapons and enemies (the mutated citizens of Pacific City that were simply referred to as "The Freaks"). Unlike the deathmatch portion of the preview session, this part was interesting. %Gallery-74365%
TGS 2009: Watch a Crackdown 2 deathmatch
One of the biggest surprises to come out of TGS 2009 is the presence of Crackdown 2 -- and it's playable! While the Ruffian Games developed sequel was only just announced at E3, Microsoft decided to let press in Tokyo step into an early build of the new Pacific City. Some textures were missing, and a few glitches popped up, but it was to be expected in what we were told was a game "roughly at 60 percent" complete. Stay tuned, we'll post our impressions soon, along with an interview with Ruffian lead designer Steve Iannetta. (Oh, and just in case you were wondering: we mopped the floor with the competition.) %Gallery-74365%
Joystiq hands-on: Uncharted 2's Deathmatch and Plunder multiplayer
Click to enlarge Joystiq recently attended a Sony Gamers Day event in Los Angeles, where we got hands-on time with a lot of upcoming titles that we can't speak about just yet. However, the event that capped off the day of gaming was our first hands-on time with a title that we know you're eager to see more of, along with a surprising (although not entirely unexpected) reveal: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has multiplayer. Not just any multiplayer, mind you, but three-player (!) co-op, plus five-on-five Deathmatch and a mode called "Plunder." The good news? It rocks. Randy took a long look at the co-op mode, but you couldn't pry me away from Deathmatch/Plunder with a crowbar. Read on to get the full rundown, including the weapons you'll be using, what Naughty Dog copied from Call of Duty 4, and why Plunder is much better than traditional Capture the Flag.%Gallery-51151%
Jae Hwan Kim on Exteel
Exteel is already six months into launch, and it stays kind of quiet not often talked about in MMOG circles. If you haven't heard about this one it's a free-to-play MMOG where players can take up giant robots and smash each other into bits like retro-rats. Several Massively readers even gave it the thumbs up in our launch post. As for recent news we covered the Trooper recently, and the new Last Stand battle mode that interjects a PvE element into the game. The latest information comes from Jae Hwan Kim, Exteel US Producer, in this interview with WarCry.A genuine concern exists regarding Exteel's well being and sustainability because the game is an Eastern esque MMOG supported by micro transactions. There is a lot more room for failure in the Western market for this type of MMOG. According to Kim, Exteel is doing great and broke a concurrency record last week which is always good news for any MMOG. Also in the interview Kim talks about a few new features coming soon such as the new Clan battle mode, NCcoin versus in-game credits, along with his quick thoughts on game balance. Be sure to check out the official Exteel website where you can download the relatively small client.
A look at Exteel's Frontliner Mech and battle modes
There just comes a time in every mechanaught's life when he needs a change. Whether it's a part upgrade or a full-blown makeover, we think we might just have the answer you've been looking for if you're an Exteel player in search of greener pastures, or wherever mechs graze.According to a recent NCsoft dev letter, the Frontliner is a prime choice if you're ready to make that leap from the Pinkett. It features several new offensive and defensive weapon choices to defeat your opponent. Plus it introduces players to the durability rating, which basically means you'll need to keep an eye on the status of your mech a little more-closely in order to repair at regular intervals.
Two Bosses Enter: Illidan vs Kel'Thuzad
Two bosses enter... but only one will get to leave in WoW Insider's series of fantasy deathmatches. We've scoured the instances of Azeroth and Outland looking for the most interesting bosses Blizzard has to offer us and picked out a group of 32 to pit against one another until we come out with a single winner in the end. And the best part -- you get to tell us who wins.This is it. Thirty-one deathmatches later it's down to the final match. In one corner, The Lord of the Outland, the Betrayer of Azeroth, and one of the baddest bosses of the Burning Crusade: Illidan Stormrage! In the other corner, the Archlich of the Plaguelands, the right hand man of Arthas, the final boss of the floating city of Naxxramas: Kel'Thuzad! Read on to learn more about each boss and cast your vote.
Two Bosses Enter: Sapphiron vs Kel'thuzad
Two bosses enter... but only one will get to leave in WoW Insider's series of fantasy deathmatches. We've scoured the instances of Azeroth and Outland looking for the most interesting bosses Blizzard has to offer us and picked out a group of 32 to pit against one another until we come out with a single winner in the end. And the best part -- you get to tell us who wins. We're down to the Final Four. First up, two bosses of Naxxramas face off. Will the undead frost wyrm Sapphiron be able to take down his partner in crime, The Archlich of the Plaguelands Kel'Thuzad? Want to learn more about these two bosses and voice your opinion on who would win in a fight? Keep reading
Two Bosses Enter: Princess Huhuran vs C'thun
Two bosses will enter... but only one will leave in WoW Insider's fantasy deathmatch series. We're pitting two of Azeroth's raid bosses against one another in a battle that your votes get to decide -- until in the end we're left with a single boss as the ultimate champion. Be sure to check out our brackets for a full round-up of our ongoing fight schedule!) This week two Ahn'Qiraj bosses face down, faithful lieutenant Princess Huhuran turns against her master, the Old God C'thun. The battle of AQ commences! Read on to cast your vote on who makes it to the Final Four!
Two Bosses Enter: Illidan Stormrage vs The Twin Emperors
Two bosses will enter... but only one will get to leave! Every week at WoW Insider, we pit two of the baddest bosses in the World of Warcraft against one another in a fantasy death match -- in the end to emerge with a single boss of bosses, victorious above all others. And the best part? You get to tell us who walks away the winner and who doesn't get to leave our arena at all. Today, the terror of the Black Temple, Illidan Stormrage throws down against Ahn'Qiraj's double trouble, The Twin Emperors. Who will survive to move on to the Final Four and who will face defeat at the hands of a superior foe? Read on for the details and the chance to cast your vote
Freshening up the battleground with new ideas
This idea has been floating around ever since we all realized there were two new opposing reputations in the Burning Crusade-- an Aldor vs. Scryer battleground. It would definitely be a fresh change of pace to line up alongside the opposing faction and have a chance to face off against your own friends and guildies. Of course, there's lots of coding work that would have to be done (as well as a little lore work-- Aldor and Scryer aren't exactly in open war at this point), but it would be a cool addition to the current battleground options.And the forum thread that mentions the idea is actually full of great BG ideas-- a Team Deathmatch BG, multi-team CTF, and even an escort battleground. There's already that kind of thing in AV (you can run the quests that summon an NPC for you to follow around more than escort), but it would be neat to have a BG where you had to get an actual player from one place to another. Or maybe they could do it with an NPC-- run it in the Caverns of Time, and have the player escort someone in the history of Warcraft. Like Durnholde, but with players instead of an instance.The other neat tidbit from this thread is that Ommra winkingly mentions siege engines as something she'd (he'd?) like to see in the BGs. So whatever news comes out about what's new in the battlegrounds, it's a pretty good bet that siege engines are almost upon us.
Hands-on: Ratchet & Clank's online multiplayer
I competed against various members of SCEA, High Impact Games, and other members of the press today in Rachet & Clank: Size Matters' Infrastructure multiplayer mode. Having become comfortable with the controls in single-player certainly helped the experience quite a bit, as I was raking up the kills, quickly becoming number one in the leaderboard (that position was unfortunately lost over time). The online interface is easy enough, and seems unchanged from the multiplayer beta that I participated in months ago. However, there were a few glitches in the process: some games were simply impossible to join, unless it was through the game's Quick Game option. Also, typing messages in the chat room is quite a troublesome burden, simply because of the game's reliance on the PSP's default on-screen keyboard. I found it quite easy to accidentally disconnect from a room while chatting, so I opted out altogether.The actual online gameplay was smooth, and surprisingly responsive. There wasn't any noticeable lag, and the graphics were on par with the impressive single-player graphics. The weapons are varied, as they are in the story mode, and can be upgraded through secret power-ups scattered throughout the level. However, the variety in weapons reveals that the game might not be too well-balanced, as certain weapons easily outclass others. One game ended in quite a bit of frustration, due to a camping sniper. While these kind of problems are common with online multiplayer games, it was surprising, and somewhat distressing to see.Also, each game is limited to four players. After an hour of play time, I have to admit that this simply isn't enough to enjoy the multiplayer potential. Levels seem slightly too large for only four players, especially in objective-based modes, where you will only have one partner. Personally, I found the objectives of Iron Lombax mode to be unclear. It would've been helpful to have more guidance to the next objective, a la Unreal Tournament.Ratchet & Clank's online multiplayer is not going to redefine online gaming. However, it is still an impressive effort, especially for a portable system. It's nice to see the developers include such a solid, but imperfect, experience ... and have it playable worldwide via Infrastructure. You'll be able to log-in and fight when the game ships next week. Expect a complete PSP Fanboy review soon. And don't forget to read past the cut to see all the multiplayer modes available in the game.
Today's hottest game video: UT3
Unreal Tournament 2007 3, in trailer form, earns our nod for today's video. We have our own, internal Joystiq tiffs about the UT-versus-Quake debate (this writer likes UT), and we're looking forward to this release to compare against the aging Quake 4. This trailer, also available in HD, makes the UT3 wait seem even longer. Must ... play ... soon.See the video after the break.
Californians can celebrate Veteran's Day with Medal of Honor
If you live near Alameda, CA, you may want to check out GamePro's Medal of Honor: Heroes tournament. You don't need to have a copy of this well-reviewed PSP-exclusive WWII FPS, but you do need to bring your system. All participants will get a free copy of the game and a t-shirt, making this event totally worth your time. If you're able to survive the 32-player multiplayer matches, and make it to the end of the tournament, you'll find yourself winning a subscription to GamePro (boo!), Shure E2-cn earphones (yay!), and more. If you're interested, head over to the registration page.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
A few steps away from Sega's booth at DigitalLife was Konami's. I got a chance to talk to Matt Knoles, product manager for Konami, and play a few rounds of multiplayer from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Although Matt couldn't reveal anything new to you guys, the ability to go hands-on with the game was exciting. Four PSPs engaged in the battle, and I got into the control scheme very quickly. It was relatively simple to move around, lock on and start firing away. It was a great deal of fun, but I worry that the multiplayer may be a bit too shallow. The gameplay was fun, easy to pick up, and graphically very impressive, but at the same time, it felt unrefined. It wasn't hard to find yourself fighting with the camera, and entering first-person view seemed to give you a distinct disadvantage in the game.I previously questioned whether or not controlling the game using the PSP's analog nub would be effective. The answer is: yes. But, I think it will work much better in Portable Ops' crucial single player story mode, where the pace should be slower, and the game should be... well, stealthier. A slower pace will certainly make the controls much more forgiving. However, the production values of the multiplayer game are so amazing, that I believe that the game should be quite amazing when it comes out in December.The PSP met the Blue Screen of Death for this unfortunate player.
IGN editors fight to the death in Medal of Honor
Those jerks at IGN think they're all fancy, being allowed to play the upcoming PSP-exclusive Medal of Honor's massive 32-player Infrastructure multiplayer mode. Here's what they had to say:"It actually runs well with the maximum number of people playing. EA hosted a 32 player deathmatch event for members of the press recently to prove just that. The process of signing in and getting started is simple and relatively pain free."Unfair. I wanted to be part of their party too! Well, it looks like us gamers have a lot to look forward to. According to IGN, the game featured a respectable framerate and very little lag, even with 30+ players in the match. The server did fail once during the test, so hopefully, EA will be able to work out all the kinks before the game ships in less than two weeks.
Red Steel multiplayer details
Ubisoft has been kicking ass this year. In fact, they have been kicking so much ass that colossal EA is feeling a little threatened by their presence. One of the most impressive Ubi titles coming for Wii is Red Steel. Though we are all about those cracked-out rabbids, being a ninja is way cooler. Red Steel is looking to be one of the best Wii titles and we have the details on the multiplayer modes. Multiplayer is divided into three separate modes aptly named:
