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Inside the animal internet
Halfway across the world, a goat is shivering. You know this because you've hooked her up to an accelerometer, which can measure tiny changes in her body movements. You also know the goat's heart rate, body temperature, how much energy she's using, when she's looking up or down and where exactly in her habitat she is at all times through high tech monitors. You have information about her immediate environment, things like temperature, humidity and altitude. With cameras, you can see the world from her vantage point. With acoustic sensors, you can hear her drink, feed and call to her goat kin.
Netflix wins an Oscar for sports doping documentary 'Icarus'
Netflix didn't take home any Oscars for its critically beloved film, Mudbound, but it did get a win for Icarus, an explosive documentary about the Russian sports doping scandal. The doc, directed by Bryan Fogel, premiered at Sundance last year, after which Netflix snapped up global distribution rights. Mudbound, meanwhile, was notably nominated four categories: Best Supporting Actress for Mary J. Blige; Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Original Song; and Best Achievement in Cinematography. The latter awards also marked the first time a woman (Rachel Morrison) was nominated in the cinematography category.
Icarus Online gets another Evil Desert trailer
Icarus Online, the fantasy MMORPG from Korea's WeMade Entertainment, has just released a new trailer focused on its Evil Desert expansion. Wait, didn't we just talk about this? Yeah, we did, but this is a different trailer -- and a longer one -- so we figured you might like to see it. Click past the cut to do just that.
Icarus Online releases trailer for The Evil Desert
We have to be honest and say we don't know a whole lot about Icarus Online, due to the fact that it hasn't been released over here and isn't in a language that most of us can speak. Those are barriers to education right there. But we do know it's getting a new expansion, and a trailer for that expansion is available just past the break. The expansion is dubbed The Evil Desert, and you can guess what the focus is from the title alone, really. It's not a benevolent tundra. From the trailer, it should feature new storyline quests, at least one massive new boss, and a lot of people speaking ominously whilst conjuring cards. Check out the trailer for yourself just past the break; it'll take only a minute of your time.
Watch the first 14 minutes of the Icarus Online Korean open beta
WeMade Entertainment's new fantasy MMO Icarus Online began its Korean open beta yesterday. ThisIsGame was there, and the site has published a 14-minute video detailing the tutorial, early gameplay, and a few cutscenes. The open beta client features five classes (Berserker, Guardian, Assassin, Wizard, and Priest) as well as a level 25 cap, the new Hakanas Ocean map, and a new raid. TIG reports that WeMade will add a dedicated player-killing area and an Archer class "after the OBT." Click past the cut to watch the gameplay clip.
Here's a new teaser for Icarus Online
It's been nearly a year since we've heard anything of note from Icarus Online, but now WeMade Entertainment has released a new trailer to celebrate the upcoming open beta for its dragon- and flight-based MMORPG. Steparu reports that the game now features five classes (Berserker, Guardian, Assassin, Priest, and Wizard), with a Ranger class rumored for release. Click past the cut for the new teaser plus a five-minute gameplay video.
Icarus Online preps for closed beta, releases trailer
We haven't talked about Icarus Online after its unfortunate journey to the sun last year, so it's definitely time to check in with this South Korean import. The flight-centric MMO is gearing up for closed beta next month, and players can sign up right the heck now if they want to participate in the beta. The first closed beta test is scheduled for May 2nd through 5th and will feature five classes and a level cap of 25. WeMade Entertainment has a new trailer showing off Icarus Online and its aerial combat, which your peepers may partake of after the jump. [Thanks to Steparu for the tip!]
Icarus Online G-Star trailer highlights aerial combat
Last week we heard tell of Icarus Online, a new Korean import from WeMade Entertainment. The initial trailer clocked in at a rather cryptic 29 seconds, so today we're happy to see a longer foray into gameplay proper. MMO Culture reports that one of Icarus' selling points is aerial combat, and the new G-Star 2012 vid reflects as much. Icarus Online is built on the CryEngine 3, and Steparu says that it features point-and-click combat on the ground and "non-targeting" combat in the skies. Head past the cut for the new trailer as well as a second video showing both ground-based combat and the game's UI.
Icarus Online's new website and teaser videos show off classes
Itching to dive-bomb a rival guild's castle from dragon-back? It will be possible in the upcoming fantasy game Icarus Online. And WeMade Entertainment just launched a new website filled with teaser trailers and screenshots to show off the new title and its five playable races: Beserker; Guardian; Priest; Assassin; and Wizard. Icarus Online will also have a political system that allows for guilds to become their own factions as well as own land and castles. Players can capture mobs out in the wilds and train them as fighting companions as well as mounts, then take those pets into battle against their foes during siege warfare. Get a glimpse of what's to come in the teaser trailer after the break, then head to Steparu.com for a look at the gameplay of each of the classes.
The Daily Grind: What game do you wish you had time for?
There's no shortage of MMOs, and whether your tastes include big budget titles like The Secret World or EverQuest II or small-scale niche products like Glitch or Darkfall, these are the salad days in terms of choice. While you probably won't find many folks complaining about the genre explosion we've witnessed over the past few years, it is becoming harder to see it all, even though the free-to-play movement has removed many of the financial obstacles inherent in the game-hopping lifestyle. There's always one game (or two, or seven) that you never seem to have time for, despite the fact that it looks really cool and dammit you're going to make time for that starting... sometime. For me, that game is Fallen Earth, and I'm bummed out by the fact that I'm still saying that two years after its launch. What about you, Massively folk? Is there a game (or games) that you keep meaning to play? 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!
Fallen Earth partners with MAINGEAR for Play2Win contest
Are you in the market for a spankin'-new gaming rig? Of course you are. Well, GamersFirst wants to help you out. The company has partnered with MAINGEAR to run a contest that will reward one lucky winner with a shiny new MAINGEAR F131 gaming PC. But there's a catch, of course. In order to win the custom Fallen Earth computer, players must venture into the wastelands of Fallen Earth to collect MAINGEAR computer parts from unique resource nodes scattered about the world. Whoever has the most parts when the contest ends on December 14th will be declared the winner. Head over to MAINGEAR's website for the full contest rules, and then sign up to play at the Fallen Earth official site and get to scavengin'. [Source: GamersFirst press release]
Claustrophilia is an adorable game about being crushed to death
Many of our favorite geek heroes have been in situations where they were almost -- and we mean almost -- squashed to a juicy, pancake-y death. Luke, Han, Leia and Chewy were half-recycled, Indiana Jones has been inches away from rolling-pinnings and de-limbings on numerous occasions, and Bilbo was just about squished into troll jelly that one time. And now it's our turn! Claustrophilia, the second, less artsy-fartsy title from iCarus dev, Sir Realism, dares you to dodge sliding blocks of death in a game that looks as fun as it is frustrating. Claustrophilia offers 7 different game modes, local two-player matches and confetti. Snag it now for $5, if you're quick enough.
Fallen Earth's Halloween sale refunds all G1 Credits spent
Who amongst Fallen Earth's wasteland wanderers doesn't love saving money? No one, that's who. In light of that fact (and in celebration of Halloween), GamersFirst is providing a 100% rebate on every G1 Credit spent in the Fallen Earth cash shop from now until November 3rd. That mount you've always wanted? Snag it! Not satisfied with your character name? Change it! Those deliciously steampunk brass goggles you've always wanted? Rock 'em! Not only will you receive a complete rebate on all G1 Credits spent (that means everything is free, for the economically disinclined), but many everyday items have had their prices slashed as well. For the full details on what's on sale, head on over to the Fallen Earth official site.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Icarus
Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We at Joystiq believe no one deserves to starve, and many indie developers are entitled to a fridge full of tasty, fulfilling media coverage, right here. This week, Justin Scott drops some archeological drama with Icarus. Why did you want to make games? I love that feeling from creating something and having it come to life. When I was young I drew levels for Mario games. When I grew up I started getting heavily involved in Active Worlds (forget Minecraft and Second Life; AW got so many things right). My entire career is computer programming, which I learned because I wanted to make games. Some people make music or pictures, I make worlds.
Two years after the fall of the world: Fallen Earth's second anniversary
It's no secret that Fallen Earth is somewhat of a staff favorite here at Massively. While its combat system may not hold the same polish of other titles, it more than makes up for it in sheer exploration, incredibly deep crafting, an engagingly different game world, and the dark humor that seeps into every aspect of the game. In fact, Massively is what convinced me to give Fallen Earth a shot when it came out two years ago. At the time, I was just a regular gamer looking for something a little different than the elves-'n'-fantasy fare that 99% of MMOs were dishing my way. Fallen Earth's semi-familiar setting -- modern guns, post office boxes, motorcycles, sunglasses, giant mutated ants -- was at once familiar and foreign. It took me two solid tries to get into the game, but once I did, I was hooked. I've always felt bad that Fallen Earth never got more popular than it already is, although I can understand why. The post-apocalypse setting is enough to weird players out, and the paradigm shift from getting your gear via looting to building your own gear via crafting takes some getting used to. Plus, the troubles that Icarus Studios ran into early on didn't help matters any. Fortunately, the future looks bright for Fallen Earth, and as it celebrates its second anniversary, we should look back at this past year to see just how far this cult MMO has come. Clones, assemble!
Fallen Earth dev diary talks economic changes, world events, and more
Earlier today we told you about the Fallen Earth devs answering a few of your free-to-play questions. Now it's time to dive a bit further down the rabbit hole courtesy of this month's state of the game update. Producer Marie Croall checks in with us to talk about the game's two-year anniversary celebration, which includes "PvP, PvE, and RP components." She also says that the event will be run at EU- and US-friendly times (though said times aren't specified as of yet). In terms of game updates, the major portion of the September recap concerns the ongoing economic changes. Inconsistencies dealing with recipe and component rarity have been dealt with, and the dev team has "redone the placement of most of the nodes in the game" to make the rarer nodes more of an incentive to enter PvP-enabled areas. Finally, Croall says that the release of the new world event system has been bumped back to coincide with the free-to-play conversion on October 12th. Grab your favorite wasteland beverage and read all the details at the official Fallen Earth dev blog.
Fallen Earth devs answer your F2P questions
You've got questions about Fallen Earth's free-to-play conversion, and the dev team's got answers. The latest Fallen Earth blog entry spills the beans on everything from what happens to existing subscriptions to character slots to various functionality limitations. Surprisingly, GamersFirst is allowing free-to-play customers to make use of the auction house, mail, and trading systems, but this may change "if gold farmers get totally out of control." There's also good news for pre-existing Fallen Earth subscribers who would like to convert to a free-to-play account but are worried about losing access to their alts. "If you had ever bought the game or paid for a subscription, those character slots were included with your game, so they belong to you regardless of the change in business model," writes Joseph "Linus" Willmon. Head to the official Fallen Earth dev blog for more.
Fallen Earth set to go free-to-play on October 12th
It's been two and a half months since we heard the news that GamersFirst acquired Fallen Earth and planned to implement a free-to-play business model. In those months, the question on everyone's lips was "When?" Tonight we finally get our answer: GamersFirst has released a new dev blog announcing an October 12th free-to-play conversion date, details of a "mostly-finalized structure of free accounts and Premium Subscriptions," and appreciation gifts for veterans. While the date and details are exciting, the Fallen Earth team is bringing more to the table for players. There is a new world event system coming as well as some celebratory events for Fallen Earth's second birthday. You can check out all the details on the Fallen Earth dev blog.
Proposed Fallen Earth F2P chart separates the scavengers from the commanders
While we didn't get much out of GamersFirst at PAX this past week about Fallen Earth's plans for this fall and the free-to-play conversion, it looks like news will find a way nevertheless. Creep the Prophet posted a proposed (please note that word) membership matrix for Fallen Earth when the F2P switch is triggered. Similar to other F2P charts we've seen, this boasts a variety of subscription levels, from the F2P "Scavenger" to the ultra-deluxe "Commander." The good news is that a majority of the game would, under this matrix, become simply free to all, including all zones, all levels, and skills. Free players will face a few restrictions, including crafting limitations, no access to global chat, only one character slot, and a slower rate of gaining XP and AP. The better subscription levels offer discounts to the game's store, faster progress in the game, monthly gifts, and a full range of features. Subscribers will also receive an in-game "aura," that will allow them to share some of these bonuses with their less-fortunate F2P brothers and sisters. No prices have been attached to this chart, and it could be subject to change between now and the F2P conversion, which should happen sometime between October and December.
New Fallen Earth dev blog talks fixing the economy
What does the Fallen Earth dev team mean when it says "fixing the economy?" The latest dev blog has your answer, and there's nary a tax cut, stimulus plan, or partisan political argument in sight. Instead, producer Marie Croall waxes on about what's wrong with wasteland supply and demand, with a specific focus on crafting component drops and rarity. The end goal is to "give value to basic, improved, and advanced recipes," and Croall hopes this will happen as a result of the team's manipulation of the market. "We had to, in some cases, actually create rarity where there was none or -- in the case of cooking components -- create common items where there were only rare and uncommon," she explains. Fallen Earth's cooking mechanic is also receiving special attention, due in part to the large number of required components and the lack of rare ingredients in the current game build. The dev team is also taking a hard look at consumable buffs, and Croall states that more details on the upcoming fixes will be available as the patch nears release.
