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Google Maps explains how it tackles review bombing
Machine learning systems examine content and look for patterns like a burst of one-star reviews.
Camelot Unchained's latest newsletter tackles player-built structures
Camelot's Unchained's latest newsletter is hot off the virtual presses. It's a lengthy read, too, so grab yourself a snack and a beverage before perusing the community Q&A section, a state of the build update, an art update, and a design discussion on the RvR sandbox's building system. "The world of CU, while it will have some important pre-built structures, leaves the dynamic creation, capture, and destruction of keeps and castles firmly in the hands of our players," City State says.
Shards Online returns to Kickstarter [Updated with the video]
Shards Online is back on Kickstarter, this time with a modest $50,000 goal and a promise to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to the final goal. The multiplayer sandbox made waves earlier this year thanks to its playable pre-alpha client and its unique multiverse built on player-run servers. We've got the new Kickstarter trailer and the abridged press release below.
Upload your face to this WWE 2K15 trailer
2K offered a new trailer for WWE 2K15 today, showing off a bit of the game's superstar customization options. The latest entry in the wrestling series from Yuke's and Visual Concepts allows players to upload photographs to 2K's servers, importing their likenesses onto the heads of custom wrestlers. Head past the break to check out the video, which also boasts custom tattoo and logo options in the game's creation suite. WWE 2K15 is already available on Xbox 360 and PS3, having launched last week. 2K's wrestling series will debut on PS4 and Xbox One on November 18 in North America and November 21 internationally. The game features a historical rivalries "2K Showcase" mode as well as a My Career mode similar to the publisher's other popular sports series, NBA 2K. Its $25 season pass includes three additional stories for the 2K Showcase mode. [Image: 2K]
Broforce gets level editor, Mad Max and Kill Bill bros
Broforce received a free "tactical update" today, adding new missions and characters to the side-scrolling shooter. The two new bros in the game are Bro Max, a spoof on Max Rockatansky from Mad Max, and The Brode, a take on Uma Thurman's character The Bride from the Kill Bill series of films. The game's new campaign missions are set in Eastern Europe. The update also introduced Steam Workshop support for the game, allowing players to create their own levels and share them with the game's bro-mmunity. Broforce launched on Steam Early Access in April and was a source of fun for Joystiq Streams around that time. The game is still in beta, available for $14.99 through Steam and the Humble Store. Head past the break for a brotastic trailer that shows off the new items delivered through the game's update. [Image: Devolver Digital]
Saints Row 4 SDK released, chaos expected to ensue
Developer Volition announced at PAX Prime that they have released the official software development kit (SDK) for Saints Row 4 on PC, allowing enthusiasts of virtual sandbox mayhem with the technical know-how to create ... pretty much whatever they want. This can only end well. Although Saints Row 4 was released in August of last year, Volition is keeping up support for the game with two projects, both due on January 27, 2015: Saints Row 4: Re-elected will port the base game and all the DLC released so far to Xbox One and PS4, while Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell is a standalone expansion that sends players literally into the bowels of Hell. [Image: Deep Silver]
Now you can get paid for making War Thunder content
Want to make a little real-world money from your War Thunder addiction? Now you can thanks to Gaijin's newly announced revenue-sharing initiative. In April of 2014, the devs released the War Thunder CDK which allows users to make their own content in the form of missions, locations, and vehicle skins. If any of these creations are selected by Gaijin for inclusion in the game's 1.43 update, the authors "will receive reasonable reward." You can read a more detailed FAQ on the initiative at the game's official website. We've also embedded a video dev diary with more details after the break. Elsewhere in the War Thunder universe, Gaijin is running a "Summertime Madness" promotion this weekend that features bonus RP gains and 30 percent vehicle discounts.
Trove: 'Let everything in the game be made by the community'
User-generated content isn't just a pipe dream of the Trove team; it's the central tenet of its design philosophy. In a new video, the devs talk about why allowing players to design the world, both inside the game and outside of it, is vital to drawing the community into it. One of the results of listening to player feedback is the creation of a new biome called Dragonfire Peaks, which is full of canyons, lava, and most likely heartburn. "We've taken the development cycle and pried it open for everyone to see," says Art Lead Brian Clarke. The team goes on to show off several player-made dungeons and talk about how the community has made better content than the dev team thought possible. We've got the video after the break, so check it out and see if you've got the Trove stuff! [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Shards backers can play as soon as Kickstarter campaign completes
Citadel is kicking off week two of its Shards Online Kickstarter with new incentives for backing the multiverse sandbox. Shards is different from other crowdfunded MMOs in that there is a "fully playable build available now," the company explains. As such, backers will get in the game "as soon as the campaign completes," and they'll receive three months of subscription time on top of their current pledge level, too. Citadel will also be hosting events for backers, the first of which will be livestreamed Saturday, May 24th at 4:00 p.m. EDT. Finally, the firm has announced a referral program that includes both in-game rewards and pledge-level increases for each new backer that you recruit. You can get all the details in the press release after the cut. [Source: Citadel press release]
SOE's new Player Server initiative debuting in H1Z1
Did you watch SOE's late-breaking H1Z1 livestream last night? Are you excited for the zombie survival sandbox MMO? Well, here's another nugget to chew on courtesy of CEO John Smedley and his Twitter feed. The game will feature private servers. Today I'd like to announce H1Z1 will be the first game to implement our new Player Servers. In addition to the traditional servers that we set up and run (what you've come to expect in MMOs), we will allow the players to come together in any way they wish and if they can get enough people together to vote for the server we will make it for them. At first this will be for specific pre-defined rulesets. Later we will expand past rulesets into adding more features. For example perhaps one community prefers to go more militaristic. So they add more military vehicles. So we're truly letting you, our players get exactly the kind of thing you're looking for. Mechanically this will allow players to buy pledge tokens in Station Cash to vote on a proposal. However, should the vote [succeed] we refund. [Thanks BabaGraPL!]
War Thunder's 1.39 update adds player-generated content and more
Gaijin has published War Thunder's 1.39 update. The patch introduces new aircraft including the F-82 Twin Mustang and the F-84 Thunderjet. There's also a new Kursk map and associated missions for War Thunder's various game modes. What else is new in 1.39? How about PvP ladders, progression adjustments, and AI behavior tweaks? The devs have also enabled Ground Forces tank battling functionality on the main game server, although currently said functionality is limited to closed beta testers and special events. Finally, the War Thunder CDK enables creative players to build missions, locations, and even unique planes, according to the 1.39 teaser trailer. Click past the cut to watch it!
Ultima, WAR, DaoC vets form Citadel Studios, announce player-driven Shards title
What do you get when you combine the dev talents of Derek Brinkmann, Chris Ondrus and Tim Cotten? Apparently you get a new firm called Citadel Studios which is building an Ultima Online-inspired "game that will enable players to customize their experience and change the face of player collaboration forever." The project is codenamed Shards, and it draws on the dev trio's experiences building Dark Age of Camelot, Warhammer Online, UO, and classic Elder Scrolls RPGs. "We left our soul-crushing, corporate jobs to make the games we'd actually play," says Brinkmann, founder and CEO of Citadel Studios. "Ultimately the community will dictate what Shards becomes, because we're not just providing a game but also a platform for players to express their creativity." Citadel's press release is light on game-specific details, but it states that the company is "ignoring the modern online gaming imperative to squeeze every last cent from every player." Shards will "give players more power than ever before, without constantly asking them to take out their wallets." The firm has released a brief teaser trailer which you can watch by clicking past the cut. [Source: Citadel press release]
Star Citizen passes $40 million, details player-driven Galactapedia
Star Citizen has officially cracked the $40 million crowdfunding mark. Cloud Imperium boss Chris Roberts penned another celebratory letter, which details the two backer-voted star systems unlocked as a result of surpassing the magic number. Roberts also unveiled the newest stretch goal, which features multiple rewards including a Gladius fighter craft, a mobiGlas rig, and an updated Observist portion of Star Citizen's Galactapedia. The Galactapedia is arguably the most interesting development, as it will "integrate directly into the game universe and respond in real time as players steer the course of SC's world." "We envision making the news with an impressive feat in the Galactapedia as a major goal for many players," Roberts writes. "If you're the one who finally defeats the Dread Pirate Roberts, charts a new Jump Point or makes the Advocacy's Most Wanted list, your actions will become memorialized for all time in the Galactapedia! What's more, the Galactapedia will be available both inside Star Citizen and through the RSI website."
5 things I'm amazed WoW still doesn't have
World of Warcraft's tenth anniversary is this year, and with that milestone we've seen a lot of changes, additions, and growth -- the game now spans 90 levels (soon to be 100) and sprawls across the original two continents, Outland, Northrend, Pandaria and places like Deepholm. We'll be traveling to an alternate dimension soon. The game has auction houses, flying mounts, the Brawler's Guild, Proving Grounds, dungeons, raids, scenarios, transmogrification ... a lot has been changed and added over the years. Yet there are some things WoW never did that I admit, I expected it to do before now. With the level 90 boost incoming, they added one I was wondering about (and which our own Adam Holisky basically predicted based on what other games were doing) but there are still features other games have had over the years that WoW doesn't. Some have seemed like real no-brainers, while others might just be based on my own weird ideas. None of these are things I necessary want or think are good ideas, they're just things I expected. 1 - User Generated Content When I read up on Neverwinter's user generated content, I immediately found myself wondering why World of Warcraft hadn't taken a bite out of that. The Warcraft RTS was so infamous for player created maps that it spawned a whole sub-genre of games (if you play League of Legends now, that game wouldn't exist without the original Defense of the Ancients mod to Warcraft III) and yet, we've never really seen anything like that in WoW. I understand why Blizzard might want tight control over the game's story and content, but even something where players could submit generated content to be evaluated has never manifested, and I'm kind of astonished. To be honest, after Neverwinter announced its Foundry, I expected something like it for WoW, but I was wrong.
War Thunder Golden Battles event starts March 9
If you haven't played Gaijin's War Thunder World War II combat simulator in a while, it's a good time to return and check out some of the changes implemented over the last couple of months. Beginning Sunday, March 9th, players may receive up to 600 pieces of premium in-game currency per day as part of the Golden Battles promotion. Your second, fifth, and seventh victory over opposing players will each count for 100 golden eagles, and the event takes place twice per day. Gaijin has also released its plans for the next update, including a huge upgrade to the game's player generated content capabilities. If you're new to War Thunder, click past the cut to view a video detailing the game's 1.37 update.
SOE's Smedley: Sandbox gaming is 'at the core of everything we're doing'
John Smedley's got a new blog, and he's kicked it off with an explanation of SOE's decision to make sandbox MMOs going forward. If you're already a sandbox fan, much of what he says is restating the obvious, from the belief that content-driven themepark models are unsustainable to the notion that MMOs should be showcasing player-generated content tools like Star Wars Galaxies' storytelling suite or Lord of the Rings Online's music system. Even if you're not a sandbox fan, it's still worth a read if only to understand why the company that created the ultimate grindpark is turning its back on content treadmills in favor of emergent, player-driven worlds. "We're going to take the idea of sandbox gaming and we're putting it at the core of everything we're doing," Smedley says. "We'll obviously still be making awesome stuff for players to do, but we're going to aim very high in terms of letting players be a part of the game systems. The more emergent sandbox style content we can make the less predictable the experience will be."
Blade & Soul adds first player-designed costume
When you think of player-generated content or in-game assets, chances are that Blade & Soul isn't the first title that springs to mind. Maybe it should, though, if a new video at MMO Culture is a portend of things to come. The fantasy martial arts MMO recently added its first player-designed outfit, which for now is only available via ongoing Korean internet cafe events. The get-up is called the Ethereal Fairy costume, and the source links below feature some images and a bit more info. We've also embedded a video after the cut if you'd like to see the outfit in the finished game.
GTA 5 getting beach vehicles and job creation tools in November
In addition to its announcement of a delay in issuing the "stimulus package" for GTA Online, Rockstar revealed that the first content update for Grand Theft Auto 5 will arrive in November. First announced in September, the Beach Bum Pack and first part of the GTA Online Content Creator will launch next month. The Beach Bum Pack offers four beach-themed vehicles, two new weapons and over 300 items. The content pack gives players more customization options like hairstyles and tattoos as well. Additionally, Rockstar plans to open the ability to create, publish and rate custom race and deathmatch jobs for use in GTA Online. Lastly, the developer noted that GTA Online Social Club weekend events will begin next month, granting players bonuses and "event crate drops" for participating.
PlanetSide 2's Player Studio functionality now live
We told you last week about PlanetSide 2's foray into the player-generated content realm courtesy of SOE's Player Studio initiative. Today we're happy to tell you that the update is live! US-based players may "download sample geometry, learn how virtual items are constructed, and try designing items." SOE says that players can even pen an item name, description, and rationale for fitting their creations into the lore of the neverending war on Auraxis. Approved items will be placed in the PS2 marketplace alongside SOE-created items. A portion of the proceeds will be shared with the player content author.
Hi-Rez's Todd Harris argues Tribes: Ascend is a 'complete' and 'content-rich' experience
We reported earlier this week that Hi-Rez decided to stop updating Tribes Ascend in favor of user mapmaking tools because the studio feels that the Tribes experience is "complete" as-is. In a follow-up interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Hi-Rez's Todd Harris has now discussed the development hiatus in more detail and answers some tough questions on extant issues with game balance. He argues that not only is the game complete, but it's already feature-rich and a bargain for the price. Since launch, we added 54 new weapons. We added a new game mode, a new leveling system, custom servers, server browser, shielded base assets, 29 new maps – all free – and all that in a brief period of time. We also added an option for people to pay one price and get all the weapons. I don't know of any other free-to-play game, other than our own SMITE, that has that option. It's free-to-play, but it does have a twist. You can get all the gameplay elements for the price of a normal game. It's fairly complete in its content. Harris also tells RPS that a new tutorial would be only a "modest improvement as far as new people sticking with the game"; instead, he says, he hopes to facilitate community resources. But mostly, he appears to believe the game has already found its audience. "The days of major changes in the game are behind us," he says. What about insinuations that the studio bit off more than it could chew? Harris explains that the studio has three small teams working on multiple games and has learned "learned the value of focus." According to Harris, Tribes has supported itself commercially and profits were always returned to the game's development. Even so, the studio is focused on the MOBA space: "SMITE is doing well enough that it's justifying a large amount of resources on it . . . we see the biggest studio opportunity on SMITE."
