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Warner Bros. invests in Korean publisher to 'co-develop certain online games' [Updated]
Unless you live in South Korea or are a massive fan of the F.E.A.R. series, chances are you haven't heard much about Korean studio Inplay Interactive. That's going to change right now, so prepare yourself. Inplay is a developer that's worked on F.E.A.R.: Origin Online and SNK All Stars Online but is now poised to rapidly expand its portfolio. Today, the studio announced that it has inked a deal with Warner Bros. to develop two of its most significant IPs into MMOs: Batman and Lord of the Rings. In turn, Warner Bros. will be both an investor and a shareholder of the company. [Update: We've learned that our original source was mistranslated. Warner Bros. has indeed invested in Inplay Interactive with intent to "strengthen the Korean development capability of online games to the world." The partnership "Intend[s] To Co-Develop Certain Other Online Games by utilizing Warner Bros. Properties," but the specific properties have not as yet been disclosed as originally reported. We apologize for the confusion.]
How to sell Hagara Pick Pockets to rogues
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen and Fox Van Allen aim to show you how to make money on the Auction House. Check out Fox and Basil's reboot of Call To Auction, and email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! There's a fairly simple way to make gold without professions: Sell summons to a pick-pocketable Hagara to rogues looking to get their legendary quest starter daggers, Vengeance and Fear. These are the most accessible rogue weapons, because aside from picking the pocket of the fourth boss in a raid instance, the quest can be easily completed with a 10k gold and a minimum amount of help. These daggers are the best entry-level options for rogues who PvP or PvE, available as soon as they hit 85 and are capable of completing the quest. If players are raiders, they'll probably get it for free just by being in a raid that gets to Hagara; however, if all they do is PvP or casual PvE through the Raid and Dungeon Finders, they won't be able to get the first leg of the quest finished. Within a few weeks, most rogues who want to start the quest will have started it. Until then, I've heard of non-raiding rogues paying as much as 25k for the opportunity to pick Hagara's pockets.
Encrypted Text: Turning murder into legendaries
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Feel free to email me with any questions or article suggestions you'd like to see covered here. Patch 4.3 is now live, and with it comes plenty of new additions. You can spend your time playing games at the newly revamped Darkmoon Faire, or you can play dress-up by transmogrifying your old tier sets. The developers buckled down and cranked out three new dungeons, complete with a plethora of new gear and valor point options. The new dungeons are also bristling with new lore moments and plot exposition, giving us insight into Deathwing's madness. But you're not here for that. You're not reading this post because you can't wait to hear what fashion style I'll be transmogging to. (A pirate, FYI.) You couldn't care less about tossing rings or commanding tonks on Darkmoon Island. Dungeon guides can wait. If you're as black-blooded as I am, then there's only one thing on your mind: Who does a rogue have to kill around here to get a pair of legendary daggers?
FEAR 3 review: Scores, not scares
It must be extremely difficult to truly scare a person who wants to be scared. Sure, at a mechanical level, fear is an involuntary reaction to the perception of threat -- but it's hard to upgrade fear to deep, inexorable terror without the element of surprise. FEAR 3's capacity for terror has been telegraphed by two predecessors, executive credits for acclaimed horror-makers John Carpenter and Steve Niles ... and also, the game has "fear" in the title. With a combination like that, fear shouldn't just be feared -- it should be expected. The most surprising thing about FEAR 3, however, is that those scares never come. For better and for worse, the franchise's latest outing has eschewed the horror classification in favor of a more action-packed, score-centric experience.%Gallery-121180%
The Daily Grind: Do MMOs play upon your real-world fears?
There's a friend of mine who suffers from extreme acrophobia -- the fear of heights. It's so bad, in fact, that she experiences anxiety attacks if she gets too far from the ground or goes flying in an MMO. This phobia's kept her away from certain zones in games if these areas utilize a lot of high-up places. I know of other people who experience a terribly common fear -- arachnophobia -- and struggle with the appearance of giant spiders in MMOs. You know, the critters that practically every online RPG is required to include by law. I've even heard of cases where Hunters in World of Warcraft chose spider pets to gain an edge in PvP, if they so happened to be fighting an opponent with that particular fear. It's a strange question, but here it is nonetheless: Do MMOs play upon your real-world fears? Do you struggle with parts of your game, or know others who do, because the devs happened to recreate a personal phobia of yours? 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!
Lichborne: 3 things death knights need in patch 4.1
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. Join World of Warcraft's first hero class as we head into a new expansion and shed the new kid on the block label. Now, before you get too excited about the title, we still don't know when patch 4.1 is dropping, much less when it's coming to the PTR, so don't think this is any sort of announcement. That said, it's never too early to wish and speculate. I won't deny it, I love death knights and I love balanced classes, but not everything I want for death knights is ironclad. A lot of what I want would probably turn them into horribly overpowered machines of death and destruction, powered by the tears of lesser classes. That said, as I've played my death knight day by day, there are a few things I've noticed time and time again, quality of life issues that could really use some TLC from the dev team -- things that I am relatively sure wouldn't overpower us if fixed up. This week, I'm going to discuss three death knight issues I've noticed in Cataclysm and how I think Blizzard should fix them with the next major content or class balance patch.
The Daily Grind: What's your MMO fear?
We all have fears in the game. They range from things that squick us despite our best efforts (such as giant spiders) to more personal worries (such as crippling anxiety that you're not the best tank). But some fears are even more primal than that. Some fears get straight to the heart about where the industry is headed, what the fate of your favorite game might be, or whether or not you'll have time for MMOs in the future. And while you can kill squick-worthy enemies, you can't kill anxiety. So what scares you about MMOs, either in general or in specific cases? Are you worried that your favorite game has passed the peak in terms of popularity or quality of content? Afraid that free-to-play games are going to become the dominant force in the market when you don't like them? Or do you have a deep-seated terror that World of Warcraft will always dominate the MMO sphere and block games you find more interesting?
EU Written Declaration 29 wants you to think of the children, hand over all your search results
Oh boy, the EU's back on the crusade path again. This time, the Brussels brain trust has decided it will end pedophilia, child pornography, and other miscreant activities by simply and easily recording everyone's search results. Because, as we all know, Google searches are the central cog by which the seedy underworld operates. Here's how Declaration 29 sees it: Asks the Council and the Commission to implement Directive 2006/24/EC and extend it to search engines in order to tackle online child pornography and sex offending rapidly and effectively. Directive 2006/24/EC is also known as the Data Retention Directive, and permits (nay, compels) states to keep track of all electronic communications, including phone calls, emails and browsing sessions. Describing the stupefying invasion of privacy that its expansion represents as an "early warning system," the European Parliament is currently collecting signatures from MEPs and is nearing the majority it requires to adopt the Declaration. Guess when Google does it, it's a horrible infraction of human rights, but when the EU does it, it's some noble life-saving endeavor. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is convinced that sifting through people's search results will produce concrete crime-reducing results, and Swedish Pirate Party MEP Christian Engstrom puts together a very good explanation of what Written Declaration 29 entails and why it's such a bad idea. Give it a read, won't ya?
Breakfast Topic: Fear ... so exhilarating
I'm going to come right out and say it -- I'm a big, fat scaredy-cat. I am (woefully) an easy scare. There is very little effort required in getting me to shriek at the top of my lungs from a sudden noise or make me feel just ... spooked. Enter WoW. Now, I realize it's just a game, but keep in mind that I'm the person who nearly cried the first time I saw The Grudge because I was so terrified. There have been more than a few instances where I've been creeped out (gigantic spiders, anyone?), but the one part of the game that actually made me uncomfortably frightened is going into Hrothgar's Landing, due north of the Argent Tournament Grounds. It's got everything I hate: lessened visibility, the feeling of claustrophobia (from the mists) and very deep and dark waters. It actually got to a point where I would abandon those dailies unless someone was with me, as I would just get too nervous to do them. Have there been any times when you have been genuinely scared in game? Does the Scourge make your skin crawl? Do Nerubians make your blood run cold? Or are you just afraid of the dark?
Video: FEAR 3's Paxton Fettel kills things with his mind
So it looks like the team at Warner Bros is sticking with the live-action ads for F.E.A.R. 3. Apparently it's just a thing it's doing, so you'd best get used to it. Anyway, the latest trailer for F.E.A.R.3 is all about telekinetic bad boy, Paxton Fettel. The actual gameplay segments of the trailer show off some of Fettel's abilities, including telepathic control of enemy soldiers. He can also lift soldiers in the air, making them easy targets for F.E.A.R.'s perennial protagonist, Point Man. He also glows a really pretty orange. After all, there's no reason to murder hapless goons without a little flair, is there?
F.E.A.R. 3 trailer piles on the cheese
Dear Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Look, we get what you're trying to do here with this F.E.A.R. 3 trailer, but you aren't getting the desired result. The live-action portions don't make the world more believable -- in fact, they do the complete opposite. It just comes off as hokey and low-budget. Did you really watch this before sending it out? Bush league, guys. The gameplay portions of the trailer, however, are more our speed. There's slow-mo gunplay, creepy monsters and plenty of that wonderful ragdoll physics we've grown to love. That's the winning formula! Please keep that in mind for next time. Sincerely,
FEAR 3 trailer: Is it a boy or a girl?
You ever pass by an argumentative couple and think, man, some people just shouldn't have kids? Sure, that may be an overly judgmental conclusion, but, you know, maybe some people just shouldn't. Case in point: Freaky, telepathic demon women and their obsessed possessed partners. Of all the shouldn't-have-kids candidates, you'd think demon women would be at the top of the list. Alas, having already given birth to F.E.A.R. characters Point Man and Paxton Fettel, Alma is pregnant again and set to have her third child in F.E.A.R. 3. They say that the third time's the charm, but something tells us this kid doesn't have a bright future.
F.E.A.R. 3 announced, John Carpenter crafting cinematics
Hot on the heels of rumors of a new title in the first-person franchise, Warner Bros. has made F.E.A.R. 3 official. The shooter is scheduled to release this fall on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Freaky devil child Alma is back once again, along with "Point Man," the protagonist from the original F.E.A.R., and even the villainous Paxton Fettel. While the single-player campaign tasks players with controlling Point Man once again, a new "divergent co-op" mode allows a second player to take control of Fettel. The press release also notes that F.E.A.R. 3 will feature "an evolved cover system." F.E.A.R. 3 is being developed by Day 1 Studios, the developer behind the console ports of the original F.E.A.R. as well as the more recent Fracture. Warner Bros. has also enlisted the help of horror director John Carpenter and writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night). Niles co-wrote the script for the game, while Carpenter "provided his expertise in crafting the in-game cinematics." And yes, it's been confirmed that the game's logo is, in fact, F.3.A.R., officially opening the door for its inevitable sequel: F.E.4.R.
Rumor: F.E.A.R. 3 to be revealed by Spanish magazine as 'F.3.A.R.'
Alright, folks, story time -- about five days ago, a tipster sent us the three box shots in the gallery below, claiming they were asked to take part in a survey that essentially revealed the existence of a third game in the Monolith-developed F.E.A.R. series. Further, the game's title on the boxes didn't read "F.E.A.R. 3," but rather "F.3.A.R." Fast-forward four days later and one of the box shots turns up on gaming forum neoGAF as an image (sans box) alleged to be from an unnamed Spanish magazine, with the words "próximo número" ("next number" literally, or, in this case, "next issue") cascading down the left side. Normally we wouldn't tell you about any of this, except for the fact that when we contacted publisher Warner Bros. Interactive for comment, we were told by a representative, "We have no info to share at this time." While that's certainly not solid confirmation, the fact that WB didn't outright falsify the images strikes us as notable to say the least. We'll let you know if the publisher decides to be any more candid, but for now we're leaving this one firmly in the rumor bin. %Gallery-88961%[Thanks Jan!]
Best of the Rest: Dave's Picks of 2009
Resident Evil 5 I've long been a fan of the Resident Evil series, and while the campaign here has problems and should never be played solo, the Mercenaries mode is what kept me coming back. Those action-packed levels spent trying to survive while running low on ammo and health were some of my most chaotic, yet highly enjoyable, experiences of 2009.
Blood Pact: Meet the minions, part 3 - the succubus and crowd control, page 1
Blood Pact is your weekly warlock digest brought to you by Dominic Hobbs. "A succubus is a devourer of souls, destroyer of hearts, tempter of men. A creature of profound evil and of singular mind. It cannot be brought into our world without a stimulus." ~ Gan'rul Bloodeye Previously in 'Meet the minions' we have looked at the imp and the voidwalker as well as how to manage your minions and your threat. In this installment our demon of choice is the succubus and the game mechanic is crowd control; fear, seduce, howl, banish and a svelte demon with wings. But before I delve in I need to clarify something to Blood Pact readers. For a while now I've had a demon trying to whisper words of doubt into my ear. He's been telling me that Blood Pact readers want PvP info in the column, that they cry out for it, they yearn for it, they need it; and that I can't deliver any. It's true that my knowledge and experience of PvP pretty much extends as far as being able to smell it early enough to avoid it. Don't get me wrong, I love researching for Blood Pact but in this case I'm not going to try, and for two reasons. First, nobody who cares about warlock PvP wants to have me school them on it, and second we have some first rate PvP experts at WoW.com who can do it better. So I've sent the demon packing (literally; don't be surprised if you find more than the normal number of broken biscuits in future packets) and have started a campaign to convince our arena and battleground columnists to get with some lock love. So enough with the preamble, lets get on with the show.
Defeating the anxiety of running your first instance
One of my favorite WoW blogs, HoTs and DoTs, has a great post up about Dungeon Groups 101 -- the very basics of running instances. You may think that there's nothing more basic to the game than getting in an instance with four people and taking down a few bosses and trash, but you'd be surprised. Even in a social game like this, one of the first hurdles newbies have to deal with is joining a group to play together. They worry that they'll do things wrong and that other people will make fun of what they're wearing or playing, and that worry keeps them from enjoying my absolute favorite part of the game. Cassandri's writeup is an excellent read for anyone who feels that way (and feel free to pass on this post to any friends or relatives you know who've been too leery to join an instance yet). She does do some basic knowledge stuff in there, just hints on the classes and what they can all do -- and our WoW Rookie posts will help out with that stuff too -- but more importantly, she says what lots of new players need to hear: that messing up in an instance isn't that big a deal, and that playing together with others (which is the reason why we're all playing an MMO rather than a single player game in the first place) is more than worth getting past any anxiety around joining a group. I've read a lot of comments like the one Cassandri quotes in her post, too, and I'm here to tell you: if you haven't run an instance yet, it's time to stop worrying about what it'll be like and give it a try.
Steam Weekend Deal: F.E.A.R. 2 and Reborn DLC
If you've been too frightened by the prospect of Alma's return (or too frightened by the prospect of dropping $50+ on her new game), know that this weekend's Steam deal is none other than F.E.A.R. 2 and the recently released Reborn DLC. If you fall into the former grouping, we suggest you draw the shades, turn off your computer for the weekend and even take the phone off the hook just to be safe. However, if you're in the latter group, now's the time to pounce as Valve has slashed 50% off of the price of each, offering them at a reduced $24.99 and $4.99, respectively. You can't be in both groups though – if you spend the weekend hiding, you'll miss the deal which is available for "this weekend only."
Shifting Perspectives: Leveling 51-60
Every week, Shifting Perspectives examines issues affecting Druids and those who group with them. This week, we haul ourselves to Outland and are shocked to discover that +spellpower sometimes comes on leather.The above video is the result of an idle question I was asked recently by a friend: "So how much damage would you guys do in caster form meleeing?" I started to answer and then realized I had no idea. The notion of actually hitting something with a weapon is utterly foreign to the class. We have claws and a can of celestial pain for that nonsense if provoked, but still, the question was pretty interesting, particularly because after seeing Prinnygod's comment from last week I started to wonder about all the different ways you could level as a Druid if you deliberately avoided Cat and Moonkin. Sure, you'd be a gibbering wreck at the level cap, but that's beside the point. Blizzard once had a talent called Weapon Balance in the Balance tree that improved our melee damage with weapons by 10% -- they were expecting us to hit things. I wondered how that would have worked out if Druid talent trees had never been overhauled.So I took my main to the mobs outside the Argent Tournament and smacked stuff while running a stopwatch. What you'll see here is a level 79 Frostbrood Whelp with 12,600 health which took me 34.4 seconds to kill, with two global cooldowns devoted to casting a Rejuvenation and then a Lifebloom. I'm currently on a Feral (Bear) spec and thus wearing gear that does help one's melee damage, mind you, but that still works out to a godawful 366.28 DPS. The moral of our little story can be found at the end of the video. Master of Arms is going to be a real trip.
FEAR 2's 'Reborn' DLC priced at $10
FEAR 2 is almost ready to be Reborn with new DLC, which Eurogamer notes will set you back 800 or $10. The addition of Reborn to the supernatural FPS is so momentous, it warranted a demo last week. The single-player add-on, set to be available on Xbox Live Marketplace, PlayStation Store and ... the internet for PC, joins the free, slo-mo multiplayer update scheduled for September 3rd. Don't let Thursday sneak up on ya.
