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What's on your HDTV: Olympics, 'Bound,' 'Fear the Walking Dead'
This week we're kicking back and enjoying the second week of Rio 2016, complete with track and field action, at last. Other notable options for our TVs this week include Bound and Inversus on PS4, while AMC brings back Fear the Walking Dead Sunday night, and Netflix premieres a couple of documentaries with Fearless and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. On Blu-ray, one of my favorite movies is finally available on Blu-ray in the US: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Pick up 'Inversus' and other new PS4 indies this August
August is shaping up to be a big month for indie gaming for PlayStation 4 owners, with a smattering of titles hitting next month, like the creative puzzler Inversus. It's headed for the PlayStation Store on August 16th in all its monochromatic glory.
The Tattered Notebook: Auctioning raid loot, place bids now!
If you've spent any time in EverQuest II, you've probably seen auctions in public channels for fabled group and raid loot. And if you've walked past entrances to raid zones, you've probably seen the herd of semi-afk toons waiting outside, watching chat, and ready to zone in and loot at a moment's notice. Those who object to this practice have a few strong arguments. But the main one is that they believe in the philosophy of "earn it to wear it" -- that you should put in the effort and the time it takes to defeat a raid encounter in order to reap the benefits. They also argue that it cheapens the overall sense of value that raid gear has if "everyone else is wearing it." While I find that argument a bit dubious (and I have a little story to explain why), there are several strong arguments, both for and against the selling of loot rights. Read on for a closer look.
Fallen Earth dev interview with designer Brandes Stoddard
We're keeping our eyes open for information dealing with the post-apocalyptic MMO title Fallen Earth in development at Icarus Studios. Netherlands-based gaming site MMOZONE got a hold of Fallen Earth systems designer Brandes Stoddard, asking questions ranging from the game's PvP system to design decisions as they relate to the title's ESRB rating. Since there will be no classes in Fallen Earth, Stoddard explains what a typical group will look like -- a mix of melee and ranged combatants, he says, with others using their mutations to heal and buff. Stoddard also goes into how gear specialization will impart advantages tempered with drawbacks specific to those items in question. Mounts will also be a key aspect of Fallen Earth's gameplay. Since teleportation of any sort won't exist, characters will actually have to travel to visit other locations in the game's world. Despite the importance of these means of transportation (or perhaps because of it), it looks like it won't be possible to steal them from other players. Mounts, whether vehicles or animals, will be bound to their owners, and will require either energy or food to maintain. Fallen Earth's vehicles, in general, will only be available through player-crafting efforts. If you're interested in hearing what else Fallen Earth's system designer has to say about the game, check out the MMOZONE interview with Brandes Stoddard.
