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Massively and G4TV's The MMO Report
If you're a fan of G4TV's The MMO Report, you may have noticed a mention of a certain favorite MMO news site on the last two episodes. Why is that? We've teamed up with G4TV to provide the best MMO news to a wider audience. In this week's episode, host Casey Schreiner discusses The Secret World's viral marketing campaign, Global Agenda's upcoming launch and the obvious connection between Star Trek Online's newly-announced Cardassians and E!'s Kardashians. Look for the complete episode embedded below, and new episodes every Thursday night on G4TV's The Feed and X-Play.
New Assassin's Creed with 'multiplayer mode' due by April 2011
Well, this is a shock. According to a recent financial release from Ubisoft, we can expect a new "episode" of Assassin's Creed within the company's next fiscal year, starting April 2010. That includes this year. Want another shock? It's going to have an "online multiplayer mode." Considering the second in the series has already moved six million units, it's not a huge surprise, but this does seem pretty darn fast. Now before you get too excited, this doesn't necessarily mean we'll be getting Assassin's Creed 3 by next April -- the release stops short of applying a number, and the use of the word "episode" leads us to wonder if this will be some kind of DLC add-on [Update: Gamasutra says it was told by Ubisoft that the note in the release "refers specifically to an entirely new game and not content associated with AC2."] Heck, there's not even a platform mentioned. We're contacting Ubisoft for clarification as we speak.
Felicia Day says The Guild comic is coming in Spring 2010
Felicia Day told us back at BlizzCon that she was going to go undercover for a little while as The Guild's latest season wrapped up, but undercover for this woman seems to mean that she's only in two TV shows and prepping for a comic book release. She showed up in last night's Lie to Me episode, singing, and in this interview over at Newsarama from the Video Game Awards with Sandeep Parikh (who himself just showed up in Tiki Bar TV -- slightly NSFW, language) she says she's still working on the unfortunately canceled Dollhouse as well. So that's where Eliza Dushku got her addiction from. She also says that the Dark Horse published Guild comic book is due out in spring of next year -- Jim Rugg is working on the art right now -- and fans of The Guild may even get a little Christmas present from the show and Microsoft. We'll keep an eye out for that for sure. So even though we're in between seasons (and we assume that season 4 is upcoming next year, even though we haven't heard an official announcement on that yet), there's lots of Guild goodness to go around.
Tom Chilton talks about the in-game pet store
The guys over at The Instance podcast got a chance to talk to Blizzard's Tom Chilton about the recent decision to sell in-game noncombat pets for real money, and the interview is now up in the latest episode on their site. He talks first about the pets' development, and it sounds like they designed the pets thinking they'd be sold on a real-money store eventually. He says the price point was "arrived at by trying to figure out what it would have to be to make sense for us to spend time working on it." And he mentions the TCG and their loot prizes -- he says those were meant to be a bonus, and they ended up being a roundabout way for players to buy pets anyway, so Blizzard decided to go with this more direct plan. He doesn't say much about the future, but he does say that Blizzard is planning on doing some "pet and plushie" deals, where you'll be able to buy a plushie from the Blizzard store, and get an in-game pet with it. For the game specifically, he mentions the guild transfer service that's coming (we heard about that back at BlizzCon -- you'll be able to server transfer an entire guild rather than do it account-by-account), but otherwise he tells players that the pet store is just a "side project" -- right now, it's not taking away from development at all, and if it does grow, Chilton says Blizzard would hire more people rather than using current developers. We'll have to see what happens in the future.
The Guild season 3 episode 3 out now
After last week's shocking breakup, it's all up to Codex to put the pieces back together this week, as The Guild not only deals with the loss of one member, but tries to jump into a brand new expansion, even while some new wrinkles invade the guildies' lives. This season is starting to get some darkness to it -- not sure how it's all going to play out, but it's interesting to see our characters facing down some real-life struggles as well.As always, the episode is available for download over on MSN Video or in HD on Xbox Live. We've also put an embedded version right after the break, so you can click down there to see it as well. Enjoy! Like The Guild? We do, too! We chatted with all of the folks at BlizzCon, including Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, and Jeff Lewis and Michele Boyd. We also saw their panel, and the guys were nice enough to stop by our meetup as well. Stay tuned here every Tuesday for a brand new episode of season 3!
Wii Warm Up: Episodic
Having gone through the first three episodes of SBCG4AP now and having thoroughly enjoyed them, we were thinking about other episodic games out there. There's LostWinds and its near-promised second installment. There's Penny Arcade Adventures, Sam and Max (which we received all on one disc), and those Half-Life episodes, just to name a few.Are you a fan of episodic gaming? Have you taken the plunge, either through WiiWare, Steam, or the services of those other guys? Do you favor a smaller, more regimented gaming experience for less coin than the ticket price for a AAA title on the retail shelf? Thoughts?
Rock out with Strong Bad this Monday
Telltale Games has just informed us that the latest episode in the ongoing saga of Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People has been dated for release on WiiWare this coming Monday, October 27th. If previous episodes are any indication, this latest installment in the series is going to be quite fun. Look for it on Monday, where it'll be available for download at the usual price of 1,000 Points.%Gallery-33956%[Via press release]
Telltale dishes out new Strong Bad trailer, screens
Telltale has just sent out a press release, which was chock full of screens for the next episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. As you all know, we found the first episode to be quite good (although, we never did have our copy freeze on us), so we're looking forward to this month's new episode. Oh, and along with those lovely screens (check them out in the gallery below), we've also got a new trailer for you above this very post. Did you download the first episode? Enjoy it?%Gallery-30447% Strong Bad's Game for Attractive People isn't the only notable WiiWare title. Capcom's upcoming Mega Man 9 has managed to turn a few heads (and might have even gotten other companies to think about retro revivals). There's also the upcoming Tetris Party and Alien Crush Returns, both from Hudson. Oh, and let's not forget Space Invaders Get Even!
MMO episodes to mimic TV shows
Massively's recent ION Game Conference coverage featured an article on developing MMO's as if they were TV shows. This idea was introduced by FireSky's Joseph Ybarra, Senior VP of Strategic Operations. FireSky hopes to run with the concept of dishing up MMO content updates in episodes, with predictable development cycles of roughly six weeks. This marriage between MMO and TV production could also lead to developing 'pilot games,' which makes sense from a company perspective. After all, it involves smaller budgets and entails less risk. The developer can expend a small amount (by standard game development budgets) and gauge player interest. If that title proves to be popular, future iterations of the game could be developed with larger budgets, building upon the storyline of the previous episodes. Do you think that gamers would have more of a say in what the creators do with these stories than they do with TV shows, since an episodic MMO is an interactive medium? Would this be a welcome change in the MMO industry, as opposed to waiting for a few years for that next game?
WoW Insider Show Episode 35: Definitely penguin pets
On the show with me this past Saturday was John Patricelli (not Petricelli as I've been saying lately -- sorry again, BBB), Zach Yonzon, and Turpster, and the discussion went all over the place. As promised, we were able to sneak in a little bit of PvP talk (and just a smattering of Warsong Gulch arguing, unfortunately), as well as all the other biggest issues from the last week of Warcraft: We talked about the just-released patch 2.4.2 notes, as well as the undocumented changes, and what struck us from each. We took a look at this (revealed to be old) Wrath screenshots and why we expected them to be real. Zach commented on the Season 4 ratings and requirements, and let us know why he thought Blizzard was raising the bar in the Arenas. And we answered lots of reader email, including what we want to see in the Wrath collector's edition (we can haz penguin pets, please?), what listeners think about all the information that Blizzard has on us, and a couple more Warcraft jokes from last week. It's a fun listen, so either check it out over on WoW Radio's website or at our podcast page in iTunes (where you can also subscribe and get it automatically downloaded). And don't forget either that we do this every Saturday at 3:30pm EST over on WoW Radio, so mark your calendars to tune in next week for another great show.Update: Turpster reminds me that there was supposed to be a poll in this post, but we already did one. Go answer that one, and let us know what you're looking forward to in WotLK.
CSI finally returns to Second Life
According to CSI fan website CSI Files, April 2nd will see the second part of the 2-part CSI:NY/Second Life adventure, previously reported. The site gives a plot description based on script drafts, and cautions that the details could change at any time, but the investigation of the murder that began in 'Down the Rabbit Hole' will continue.From the plot synopsis, however, it doesn't sound like the show's characters will return to SL itself necessarily, but given that the assassin's identity was taken from a resident, there has to be some sort of connection. 'Down the Rabbit Hole' will re-air on March 26th, presumably to let viewers revisit the plot to avoid confusion.[Thanks, Elle!]
WoW Insider Show goes live tomorrow afternoon
The WoW Insider Show, our podcast is back live again on WoW Radio tomorrow afternoon at its usual time of 3:30pm EST. This week, myself (Mike Schramm), Turpster, and John Patricelli (our Druid blogger) will sit down and chat about all the craziness that has happened in the last Week of Warcraft. From how to be an Azerothian pacifist to the changes going down in Alterac Valley, it's sure to be a rousing listen. Join us, won't you?And don't forget to jump in and say something on the show yourself-- we'll also be live at irc.mmoirc.com in the #wowradio channel, so you can talk to us directly and give live input on the show, and we'll be reading emails from the email address: theshow@wow.com. If you've got a question or an insight to share, we're all ears.So make a note: tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, January 12th, starting at 3:30pm EST. It's the WoW Insider Show's 20th episode, live on the air!
Your Second Life as a CSI
Reuters has reported that there will be a collaboration between the popular CBS show CSI and the game Second Life. There will be two episodes of the series (airing October 24th and November 6th) that prompt viewers to continue the investigation themselves by jumping into a virtual world designed around CSI:NY. This isn't the first time that Second Life has been linked with a TV crime series, but this occasion casts a more positive light on the game.The news came from the creator of CSI , Anthony Zuiker, at the Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo. TechCrunch has since updated the facts, adding that a link from the CBS website will give three options for CSI fans to participate in. The first option for viewers is a series of forensic puzzles to solve. The second involves players visiting a crime scene in Second Life and then attempting to solve a murder. This second option is called "Murder by Zuiker", and Zuiker himself will judge participants solutions to the mystery and award in-game prizes to the top entrants. The last option will be to follow up on the TV episode's murder case as a crime scene investigator, with all their famous gadgetry at your disposal. Also noted in the TechCrunch article is that the airing of the episode coincides with the launching of an independant client for Second Life, OnRez, by the Electric Sheep Company. This is the first independant viewer that has been given the official nod by Second Life creator Linden Labs. Secondlifeinsider.com also has a ton of posts on CSI in Second Life, and the new client, so visit them for some detailed information and on-going coverage.
GTA IV episodes confirmed Xbox 360 exclusives
Take-Two has confirmed that the promised episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV on PS3 will not show up and is now an Xbox 360 exclusive. Questions arose regarding the episodic content earlier this week when the financial reports for Take-Two's fiscal year did not have the PS3 content present, but did have the Xbox 360. The game will still launch on both consoles Oct. 16 (Europe will receive it Oct. 19). Despite the Pachter effect, the release date for GTA is still locked and loaded for those dates.So, why did this happen? Could have been a nice sum of money dropped into Take-Two's mailbox, or there were development issues with the PS3 content. Although not earth shattering, it does differentiate the two console versions of the game now and adds another piece of straw to Sony's already cracking back.[Via Xbox360Fanboy]
Bioware supports episodic content
In an interview with CVG, developer Bioware stated they were supportive of episodic content for upcoming 360 game Mass Effect and other future titles. Bioware CEO Ray Muzyka also said they were planning episodic content for upcoming games Dragon Age and Jade Empire: Special Edition. Do you think the whole idea of episodic content is a good trend in the gaming industry or do you feel their effort should be put into creating a full fledged sequel? We can almost guarantee that if episodic becomes a hit you'll see developers pumping it out like crazy. Why would they create a whole new game when they can "tack on" other goods and cash in on a game that is already released? Go ahead ... voice your opinions.[Thanks, Jonah]
MTV partners with Amp'd to create exclusive made-for-mobile content
While consumers' love affair with mobile TV has been debatable, that hasn't stopped a number of firms from teaming up to deliver all sorts of multimedia to our diminutive LCDs, and now MTV Networks and Amp'd are partnering to bring exclusive, original made-for-mobile content to Amp'd users. Hoping to give customers (pre-teens, at least) something to actually get amped up about, the two firms announced at CES that they would be developing unique content, such as an elusive "episodic series," that would end up appearing on both MTV and Amp'd Live. It was also stated that MTV would "retain the rights to develop and cross-program the projects for television and other platforms," possibly suggesting that the content could leak over to other networks if the price was right. Although a "comedy" series -- Lil' Bush: Resident of the United States -- was recent ported from mobile to TV, this marks the first time that an Amp'd production will have the hefty wallet of MTV Networks / Viacom backing it, which essentially means that future content rolling out of Amp'd Live will hardly be suitable for marginally mature adults. Laguna Beach fuheva![Via mocoNews]
GameTap VP of Content: Episodic games should reflect TV shows
Rick Sanchez, Vice President of Content at GameTap, outlines his thoughts on the potential of episodic games. After defining episodic content -- regularly scheduled chapters of a game that can stand alone -- he focuses on why this method of game design fits the market.Sanchez says that the production and life of episodic games could reflect a TV show. When looking for a publisher, developers could create an episodic pilot of a game, like the TV pilot season allows producers to attempt a variety of shows at a relatively low cost. A publisher could order a series of episodes based on the game pilot, and even more episodes could be schedule based on consumer purchases and feedback.Sanchez also notes that the casual gamer could support the bite-sized style of episodic publishing. We sometimes avoid -- or don't complete -- 60-hour games because we don't have the time. While we're not casual gamers, we prefer frequently playing a game for a short duration. Does the pick-up-and-play aesthetic inherently relate to gameplay -- like Katamari Damacy or Tetris -- or can chapters of a first-person shooter also fit that ideal?
Telestream releases "Episode"
Telestream (aka the "Flip4Mac" people) announced the 4.2 release of its "Episode" compression software for Mac. Episode provides compression solutions for both the desktop (from $395) and for workgroups (from $6500) for media distribution on the web, podcasts, and DVD. Version 4.2 adds VC-1 HDV and 5.1 surround sound support, WMA Pro Audio and (on the proper machines) real-time HD encoding. The higher-end solutions offer field-order control plus multi-server job queuing and reprioritizing.
3D Realms discusses Steam, episodic games
Gamasutra interviews Scott Miller, the head of 3D Realms, about PC game download services, episodic content, and other current industry issues. Miller wants Valve to spin Steam off into its own company, because he wants to work with a download-only service instead of a competitor. He thinks that an independent service will take Steam's place because he -- and we assume other developers -- don't like giving Valve a cut of the profits and a glimpse into private sales numbers.Miller also thinks episodic games could work, but they're not yet succeeding because of delays between releases. He prefers spending the time to ship a single game with an ending instead of three short cliffhanger episodes staggered over a year or two.We think he's spot-on in these assessments. Steam seems to be succeeding because Valve's great games have carried the service. Sure, other developers have signed on -- especially recently -- but Miller makes a simple argument why Valve's company can't dominate the whole download industry.We're also excited about the potential of episodic games, but few have been released on a regular schedule. And even then, how long can gamers wait between episodes? Sam and Max episodes will be released each month -- is that the right length, or still spaced too far apart?
Free CDX adventure game released with BBC tie-in
The BBC History website has launched the first episode in its multi-part adventure game, CDX. Acting as a companion to the current BBC series, Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire, the game's story follows a character who supplies a Roman dagger to the BBC TV production. Bad things happen, including memory loss (required in an adventure game), as you unravel the plot.Previous games, Death in Sakkara and The Seven Noble Kinsmen are also available; these were also released alongside BBC TV shows, and all of their episodes are online to play.We're interested in CDX for its production values and episodic bent. In our initial overview of the game, the graphics, sound, and pacing seem strong. We keep thinking of the episodic trend being suited to commercial titles, with Sin, Half-Life, Bone, and others coming out; but episodic gaming seems even more suited to Flash, where you can play without any software installation.We also like to watch the intersection of marketing and gaming as the two sides mix more frequently. CDX has some puzzles that can best be solved if you've watched Ancient Rome, so the TV tie-in is obvious. There's a balance to strike between overt questions about the show versus questions that can also be solved by other means; CDX seems to satisfy that area, although it only took a minute for us to find a blatant ad to watch Ancient Rome. Still, when the gameplay is compelling, we'll put up with a lot. When do you tolerate game tie-ins to other products or unrelated products being advertised in games? Is your patience different for free games?See also: Should the BBC be doing games?[Via Jay is Games]
