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PAX 2011: WildStar panel discusses playing with paths the Bartle way
Before Gamescom, WildStar was nothing more than a title without a hint of what the game would actually promise. But now that the game is being shown off, the combination of a unique aesthetic with a promise of uniquely focal gameplay has gotten a lot of people interested. The visuals, of course, have already been well-displayed by the trailers and preview shots, so this year's panel at PAX 2011 focused instead on the other half of the equation: the paths. The panel began with a brief viewing of the game's cinematic trailer to kick things off, followed by an explanation of the game's core design philosophy. As the team from Carbine Studios (Jeremy Gaffney, Eric DeMilt, and Mike Donatelli) put it, most games are built with a basic set of design assumptions that push players in a fixed direction determined by the designers. WildStar was built from the ground up to let players enjoy the game when they want to, with whomever they want, and most importantly however they want. The paths are the key to that system -- multiple overlaid playstyles that ensure you have your own play experience no matter what class or race you pick.
PAX 2011: TERA producers reveal server vs. server endgame content
This year's PAX Prime doesn't feature an En Masse Entertainment booth for TERA, but the company did host an informational shindig for journalists and fans at its offices in downtown Seattle over the weekend. Producers Chris Hager and Stefan Ramirez ran the show, and the presentation focused heavily on the action MMO aspects as well as the game's depth. The show started with a repeat of the recent Castanic healer video, and from there Hager and Ramirez set about profiling the game's mechanical aspects (including the combat, glyph, and crystal systems). The presentation was geared towards folks who haven't really kept up with TERA, as there wasn't much discussed that we haven't known about for a while. Aside from the action talking points, we also got bits about story, the details on the political and vanarch systems, and some info on the argons. En Masse also trotted out the first mention of its plans for server vs. server combat. The system is designed to provide additional endgame content via PvE and PvP. "It's going to have players from other servers coming to your territory, on your server, and invading your space," Hager explained. He went on to mention how guilds will need to ally with one another to repel the invaders, and if the alliance proves strong enough, take the fight back to the invaders' home turf. En Masse was very coy about the details on this new system, and we expect more information will be forthcoming as we move toward TERA's spring 2012 release date. Finally, we managed some quality hands-on time with the game during the event, so check in with us periodically this weekend and we'll bring you a detailed report. Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
Penny Arcade Adventures Episode 3 still alive, Zeboyd at the helm
After its abrupt cancellation last year, Penny Arcade Adventures: Episode 3 has risen from the ashes with developer Zeboyd Games taking control of the project. The studio is best known for its Xbox Live Indie Games and PC releases, Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death 7.RPGamer reports that, given the retro nature of Zeboyd's titles, Penny Arcade Episode 3 will take on a similar graphical style (think: the 16-bit Final Fantasy games); Alex Mauer will be providing the soundtrack. This marks the first game in the series not developed by Hothead, which left the project last year and went on to develop DeathSpank.Episode 3 is set to be released in 2012 on "as many systems" as possible. More information will be revealed at PAX East next year ... but that won't stop us from harassing Gabe and Tycho for information all weekend.
PAX 2011: SWTOR video guides us through the Eternity Vault
Who lies at the bottom of the Eternity Vault? Thanks to the commentary in the latest Star Wars: The Old Republic developer walkthrough, we now know that an ancient Rakata warlord named the Infernal One is held captive in this ancient prison. Director of Production and part-time superhero Dallas Dickinson explains that it took an army to take down this being the last time he arose, yet for some reason a group of eight can do it now. Yes, our characters are really that awesome in TOR. In the video, Dickinson guides us through the first two encounters: battles against two massive defense turrets and a rocket-launching gigantic droid. The turret encounter employs intense raid mechanics, like dual-tanking and crowd control, whereas the giant droid requires stay-out-of-the-green-stuff maneuvers and line-of-sight avoidance techniques. Beyond those two encounters, the Operation is a mystery. However, we catch glimpses of a couple of giant monsters and the final boss using the Force to toss giant columns around the room! After the break, check out the 10-minute video walkthrough and let us know what you think in the comments. And of course, you know SWTOR is at PAX, where we have just barely started our coverage of the event. Stay tuned here as we will feature more impressions and interviews in the not-too distant future. Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
Halo Anniversary adds 3 more maps, including PC version's 'Timberland'
Reports from the frontlines of Halo Fest, as relayed by Major Nelson, have revealed three new multiplayer maps for the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The highlight of the bunch is probably Timberland, the pine-studded arena from the PC version of Halo (original version pictured), suitable for 8 to 16 players. Next up is Prisoner, a symmetrical map with bridges designed for 2-8 players. Finally, a new Firefight map has been announced. Titled Installation 04, the map is based on the level "Halo" from the original game, which you might remember as the first level in which Master Chief set foot on the ring world (after crash landing). Update: We also learned of a neat new feature of the additional Firefight map while perusing Halo Fest: While you hold off the hordes of Covenant, you'll be aided by AI-controlled Marines, further simulating the level from the original game. Just don't, you know, kill them, or else you'll lose valuable points, and also probably fractions of your soul, because that's murder.
Razer unveils $2800 'Blade' laptop
How long was Razer waiting to use that product name? Today, with its "PC Gaming Is Not Dead" countdown elapsed, the company unveiled its "Blade" laptop, billed as "the world's first true gaming laptop." What must Alienware think about that? The "Blade" uses the UI from Razer's "Switchblade" concept -- a set of ten adaptive keys and an LCD touchscreen built into the keyboard, which can be used either as a touchpad or to display in-game information. What it doesn't use from the Switchblade is the compact form factor. This laptop has a 17" LED-lit screen and weighs around 7 pounds. That's light for a gaming laptop, but heavy for a thing you're carrying around. It packs a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and an Nvidia GeForce GT 555M with 2GB of video memory. All those big numbers bring another one: the Blade will retail for $2799.99 when it launches in North America in Q4 of this year.%Gallery-131790%
The Daily Grind: What are you looking forward to at PAX Prime?
It's something of a tradition here at Massively when there's a major convention just around the corner to ask our readers what they're looking forward to seeing. We like to know what other people are interested in, after all, and while we can certainly attest to our own excitement, that's nothing compared to what you'd like to see. Heck, if you're not quite sure what there is to look forward to, we've even got a handy-dandy guide to all of the stuff promised to be on display. So what are you looking forward to for this incarnation of PAX Prime? There's a heavy MMO lineup, ranging from current darlings Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic to the much-discussed newcomer WildStar. Which of the many exhibitors are going to have you watching the news, or possibly traveling all the way out to Seattle? Or are you just not all that interested in all the proceedings? 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!
The Xbox 360 PAX deserves, but not the one it needs: Custom Batman: Arkham City console
One lucky PAX attendee will be able to walk away with the custom console above. Warner Bros isn't saying much on how you can win this custom Batman: Arkham City Xbox 360 at Seattle's to-do, though the Facebook page announcing the promotion does offer hope to those who aren't Seattle-bound: Xbox will apparently be giving away the same console at an unspecified later time. Feel free to glide on into our gallery below to drool over the thing. On one side, Batman; on the other, Joker. Way in the back, envious that they can't win this thing for themselves: the Joystiq staff. %Gallery-131727%
PSA: Visit OnLive at PAX, get a free OnLive console
OnLive has announced a tasty little scheme for PAX. Anybody who heads over to the site and signs up for a PlayerTag can snag a free OnLive console. All you have to do is show up at the OnLive booth during the Seattle show this weekend and tell them your PlayerTag. Simple. Recently, OnLive added a slew of social features to its games streaming service, including Facebook achievement posting and group chat. It also found itself dominating headlines all over the web when game retail giant GameStop pulled OnLive tokens from sealed copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution on PC.
Massively's guide to PAX 2011
What can be said about PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington that hasn't been said already? Everyone knows that it is the largest public gaming event in North America. Attendance totaled 67,600 last year, not including press and exhibitors. And this year, even more gamers will descend on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The latest and greatest games -- released and unreleased -- will be available for public consumption. Developers will mill around the showroom floor, answering your questions. Not to mention that no one will look at you funny because you play video games! This year, MMORPGs really stand out in the crowd. Seattle native NCsoft has a huge presence at the convention, borrowing a theater just to showcase its games. BioWare comes armed with its heavy-hitter, Star Wars: The Old Republic. And free-to-play titles like Firefall, Lord of the Rings Online, and Wakfu promise to strut their stuff at this year's PAX. Punch past the break as Massively outlines the must-see booths for MMO fans. And don't forget the panels, including a couple of MMO spotlights for PAX Dev, the gathering of fans and developers at Sheraton Seattle Hotel on the 24th and 25th.
Rusty Hearts' closed beta swings into phase 2
It's an exciting time for the hyper-kinetic Rusty Hearts, as the title is not only moving into its second closed beta phase today but ramping up for a blockbuster appearance at this week's PAX. Perfect World is upping the ante for potential testers, offering a free costume item for those who log into the game in the first 12 hours. This costume piece will persist through open beta, so there's no worry it's going away anytime soon. Rusty Hearts' closed beta phase 2 is also increasing the amount of content available in the game, including a complete town restructure, a fine-tuning of the PvP system, the ability to compare yourself to other players, a side quest system, a revamp of the skill tree, advanced crafting, and unique cosmetic looks for crafted weapons. If you don't have the pleasure of attending PAX, the Rusty Hearts dev team has a present for you anyway: the full PAX walkthrough video that will be on display at the convention. You can check it out after the jump!
Faraway coming this fall, backed by Indie Fund
Little-Eyes' iOS game, Faraway, in which a shooting star loops around other stars to trace constellations, has was first announced in early 2010, and has had no hint of a release date until now. The website gives the game a "Fall 2011" release date -- and also features the lovely trailer above, which is "all coded, no video editing," according to creator Steph Thirion. Helping the game get to that release window is the Indie Fund, which announced today that Faraway is the fifth game to receive its support. It also announced that Faraway will be playable at PAX, sharing booth 878 with Spelunky. That sounds like a pretty good booth. You should maybe think about checking out that booth.
New Faraway video trailer, game coming to PAX
After an extended wait, here's some news on Steph Thirion's long-awaited iOS title, Faraway. I played it at GDC last year, and it's won several awards since then. Thirion then worked to refine and update the gameplay. It looks like he's satisfied, because a brand new, amazing Faraway trailer posted on the official website. Thirion says the game will be playable at PAX in Seattle this week, and an iOS release will be announced soon. He's gotten some financial support as well. Faraway has been selected as the fifth project supported by the Indie Fund, a funding source meant to offer indie game developers a little extra help with getting their games together. It's good to see that this one is headed back towards the spotlight -- I really liked it when I saw it last year, and was a little disappointed to hear that it had been delayed. Hopefully Thirion's put together the game he wanted to make, and we'll see a full release on iOS soon.
Ubisoft bringing the big guns (and the tiny, hidden blades) to PAX
Ubisoft isn't messing around at PAX Prime this year, evidenced by the fact that the company is bringing just about every game it's currently working on to the show -- and even some that are already out. Here's the full list: Assassin's Creed: Revelations From Dust Just Dance 3 Might and Magic Heroes VI Might and Magic Heroes Kingdoms Rayman Origins Rocksmith Shoot Many Robots Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier TrackMania Canyon In addition to having games to play, Ubisoft is also looking for attendees to pre-order upcoming games by hooking them up with exclusive goodies. A pre-order of Future Soldier will net PAX attendees an exclusive gun skin, a Revelations pre-order gives you an Altair avatar, Just Dance 3 has a neon watch, Rayman Origins has a custom T-shirt, and pre-ordering Rocksmith gets you an exclusive guitar strap. Attendees can also check out the Assassin's Creed panel in the Main Theatre on Friday at 6pm PT. There, Ubisoft will show off single-player footage of the game, hopefully adding to what we've seen come out of Gamescom.
Kirby returns to Dream Land on Oct. 24, after a stop at PAX
Nintendo's announcement of its PAX offerings includes a surprise bit of news. Kirby Wii has officially had its name changed to Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and it's been given a release date of October 24. Hey, another Wii game to look forward to -- how about that! Nintendo will be showing off Kirby's latest Wii outing at PAX, along with Kirby: Mass Attack, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Fortune Street, Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and Kid Icarus: Uprising. Nintendo's PAX lounge sounds pretty amazing even without the games: the two-floor lounge in the North Galleria will offer giant Pokedex 3D cards, a Dragon Quest-themed "monster friend mash-up" photo booth, and a fully Kirby-themed area with Kirby beanbags and pink cotton candy.
'Go Home Dinosaurs!" is latest title from Slam Bolt Scrappers studio
Fire Hose Games, developers of PSN's Slam Bolt Scrappers, are back with Go Home Dinosaurs!, debuting at PAX this weekend. The studio describes the game as part of the tower defense genre, but players fit together puzzle piece-shaped weapons powered by adorable, fuzzy creatures who are defending against dinosaurs. Players also level up their characters and gain new abilities by collecting and trading cards. Go Home Dinosaurs! sounds hectic, but if it's a controlled chaos, which was lacking from Slam Bolt Scrappers, the studio may have something stronger in its sophomore effort. We'll have more on the game this weekend, check it out in the Indie Alley and next to the PAX 10 in booth 6408.
BioWare announces PAX 2011 plans for The Old Republic
Are you going to Penny Arcade Expo? Is the Force strong with you? If you answered yes to these questions, then holster your blasters for just a hot second while we give you the skinny on BioWare's plans for Star Wars: The Old Republic at PAX 2011. For those of you interested in just getting your nerf-herding hands on The Old Republic for some one-on-one time, all you have to do is swing by booth 914, where demos will be running that allow players to experience content from each of the game's four origin worlds as well as letting players drop into the Alderaan Warzone for some Republic vs. Imperial action. If you want to go more behind the scenes, don't fret! At 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 28th, BioWare and LucasArts will be overtaking the Paramount Theatre for a Star Wars: The Old Republic panel. New reveals! Question and answer sessions! Live demonstration of the endgame Operation, the Eternity Vault! All of this and more can be yours if you manage to weasel your way in. And lastly, if you're more of a social butterfly, BioWare will be hosting a community meet-and-greet at the Grand Hyatt Seattle hotel. The soiree begins at 7 p.m., so dress your fanciest and don't be late!
The Road to Mordor: Not all who wander are lost
These are exciting times for Lord of the Rings Online, for sure. The Fellowship -- and hundreds of thousands of groupies following in its wake -- has moved south, and we are growing ever closer to Mordor and Mt. Doom. In a month, Middle-earth will grow significantly with the addition of Rise of Isengard, and level-capped players will suddenly have a whole new buffet of content to devour. It's also a good era for exposure for the game, as plenty of people will get to see the expansion at Gamescom and PAX, not to mention those already in the beta proper. While we haven't heard anything about the game's finances or player numbers lately, there's no reason to believe that it's not still going strong. That said, I want to take a step back today, as I sometimes do, and look at the larger picture. How is LotRO positioned against the current competition and the heavy-hitters yet to come? What does Turbine need to be working on over the next year or two? Are we just wandering aimlessly, or is the path laid out for journey for a long time to come?
Orcs Must Die players at PAX Prime get Cardboard Tube Samurai skin, comic book
Robot Entertainment is not only bringing tower defense title Orcs Must Die to PAX Prime later on this week, but the company is providing a show special as well. At the booth in Seattle during the show, they'll be giving out special codes for the game's War Mage character, designed after Penny Arcade's own Cardboard Tube Samurai, to visitors who sign up for the company forums. The first 200 people to play the game each day of the show will also pick up a prequel comic book from the company. The rest of us, at home, who can't play the game live on the floor of PAX? All we get is to wait until the game comes out later this year on XBLA and PC.
New Global Agenda Recursive Colony content playable at PAX Prime
Citizens of Dome City, we have a special public service announcement. Hi-Rez Studios announced today that Global Agenda players will have a very special opportunity at the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo. Attendees will have the opportunity to preview the new content that will be coming to Global Agenda. We don't have much in the way of details insofar as what this new content includes, however. What we do know is that it will be part of the game's upcoming patch 1.5 Recursive Colony update, which includes new Open Zone quest content as well as new instanced co-op missions. Keep an eye on Massively, and we'll be sure to keep you updated on all the Global Agenda news from PAX when it happens.
