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Bodycount preview: The journey
I'm going to take the mic here for a moment, readers, and tell you something personally: It has been fascinating to watch the development of Codemasters' FPS Bodycount. I originally posted the game's unofficial announcement early last year, saw a preview and talked to creator Stuart Black at last year's E3, saw the game in action after Black left the project and, finally, got to see and play it last week at this year's E3 conference. Long story short, I've basically had a front row seat on the development of this one, and it's been very interesting to watch it develop over the past 16 months. Black's original vision was not much more than just a demo level, a slick future shooter with a snappy female voice feeding orders in your ear. And from preview to preview, that vision has been prodded and poked by other developers, growing up into the game Bodycount has become. Unfortunately, much of what appealed in the initial vision has gotten a little muddied along the way. Some elements of that early demo are still in there (and there's a whole lot more besides), but Bodycount's gone from a lot of unique potential to a much more mundane reality. %Gallery-126207%
Codemasters website, store, and database hacked
Another day, another game publisher in a hacker's crosshairs. This time around it's Codemasters, and Eurogamer has the details on a security violation that compromised the company's website, EStore, CodeM database, and Dirt3 VIP code redemption webpage. The intrusion occurred on June 3rd, and Codemasters has sent out a letter to affected customers advising of the potential threat to their identity-related information. The article reports that no payment details or credit card info was pilfered, but encrypted passwords as well as Xbox Live gamer tags and personal data (including addresses and user names) were taken. Thus far no groups or individuals have claimed responsibility for the attack. You can read the full Codemasters letter at Eurogamer.
Codemasters informs users of website breach
Last Friday, some malevolent entity got into codemasters.com, and obtained access to information on the Dirt 3 code redemption page, the E Store, and the CodeM database. The publisher sent out an email today warning users about the site's code having been mastered. The hacker was able to access information including customer names, addresses, and email addresses (but not payment information), and passwords, along with Xbox Live Gamertags and IP addresses. Codemasters shut its site down immediately upon detecting the intrusion. A new website will launch later this year, with Codemasters planning to redirect to its Facebook page in the meantime. "Whilst we do not have confirmation that any of this data was downloaded onto an external device," Codies said in the email to users, "we have to assume that, as access was gained, all of these details were compromised and/or stolen." You can read the full email after the break ... right after you change your password anywhere that you had been using the same one you used on the Codies site. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Updates on migration issues for Lord of the Rings Online
It's been about a week since European players of Lord of the Rings Online began the migration over to Turbine's servers, and the transition has not been nearly as smooth as one could hope. That having been said, the team is working diligently behind the scenes to try to address the issues many players are experiencing, with community manager Sapience making a post today outlining the two major fixes coming up to try to alleviate the issues. The first fix will be a simple patch to the migration tool itself, which is expected to be live on Friday or shortly thereafter. The other fix will require some server downtime as the team works at fixing some database issues. Sapience also explains that Codemasters had previously flagged some accounts incorrectly with the database migration, and he promises that the players missing VIP time will be addressed sometime next week. While it won't remove the Lord of the Rings Online migration issues, it's at least a step in the right direction.
Dirt 3's Colin McRae charity DLC released, proceeds go to good cause
Codemasters has announced the first DLC for Dirt 3, and says that all proceeds from the sale will go to charity. The Colin McRae Vision Charity Pack is now available for the Xbox Live and Games for Windows versions of the game (for 160 Microsoft points / $2), and allows players to drive a Ford Escort Mk II with five different liveries. The PS3 version will be available as soon as the PlayStation Store returns. This was the car famously driven by Colin McRae, the original namesake of the Dirt series who died in 2007. All proceeds from the pack will go to the Colin McRae Vision Charity, which raises funds for worthwhile causes around the world in McRae's name. Codemasters says that this is the first of a few weeks' worth of DLC packs. Each will feature more cars and new tracks going forward.
Bodycount squeezes off six shots, demo on the way
Codemasters hopes to fill your daily requirement for explosions with these half-dozen new shots from Bodycount. Development on the new FPS, designed by Black creator Stuart Black, continues apace despite his departure from the project and Codies is confident enough in the work so far that a demo is incoming. Game director Andy Wilson tells VideoGamer.com that, "When people play it, they seem to really get on with it, so we want to put it in as many hands as possible." No word yet on a release date for the demo -- the full game is due "this summer" -- but at least we can count on there being one.%Gallery-125027%
The Daily Grind: Has an MMO made you sentimental?
It's a fact of life around the Massively offices that one can often find members of the staff engaging in sentimental gestures from time to time. Whether it be Shawn singing softly to his Tabula Rasa box or Larry lighting a candle to hold vigil for Darth Vader, we are no strangers to the pull of nostalgia and fond attachments. So we totally understand that MMOs can make one quite sentimental from time to time. I was reminded of this while reading a recent post at Contains Moderate Peril, where the author took part of a final parade across Lord of the Rings Online in Europe before the service was transferred from Codemasters to Turbine. While end-of-the-world events are often steeped in sentimentality, they don't have to be the only times where such expressions emerge. Has an MMO ever made you sentimental, and if so, will you share with the rest of the class? It's OK, we won't share it with your significant other, promise. 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!
Moving day: LotRO EU players begin transfer to Turbine's global service
It's the end of one world... and the beginning of another. Or at least that's how it feels for many Lord of the Rings Online players in Europe this week as Codemasters hands the operational baton over to Turbine. Codemasters devs and GMs gave their best wishes to the LotRO players they watched over these past few years with a huge "thank you" notice on the site. Once the transfer is complete, all LotRO players will fall under Turbine's global service umbrella. As part of the move, Turbine is offering EU players a limited-time chance to sign up for a year's worth of VIP status (which includes 500 Turbine Points a month) for £79.99 (or approximately $131.94). Currently the game is down for European players until the process is complete, which Turbine estimates will take between two to three days. Details about the account transfers can be read in the LotRO EU Account Migration FAQ.
Dirt 3's 'VIP Pass' can't be disabled for PS3 owners
WB and Netherrealm earned some goodwill from PS3 Mortal Kombat owners recently, by disabling the "Kombat Pass" and allowing players to fight online without redeeming the one-time-use code in the PlayStation Store (which is down). Unfortunately, such a concession won't be possible for Dirt 3. "We've looked into doing something similar for Dirt 3 but it's not technically possible," a Codemasters rep told Eurogamer. "It's hard-coded into the game." Removing the VIP pass requirement would involve a patch, the publisher explained, which would likely take longer to push through than it will take for the Store to come back online. An alternate solution to this problem (though not for Dirt 3, since it's already out) would be to cut out Online Pass schemes in general. We wonder if anyone has suggested that.
Dirt 3 slow-motion slides into release with launch trailer
This Dirt 3 launch trailer doesn't bother getting into the nitty-gritty of what makes this sequel so excellent. Not that it has to when it can simply flaunt the game's stunning good looks.
THQ takes on distribution of four Codemasters releases this year
THQ announced today that, through its THQ Partners unit, it would be handling the North American distribution of four of Codemasters 2011 releases. In fact, THQ Partners actually began its task today, with the release of Dirt 3 into the retail channel. The deal also encompasses distribution of Operation Flashpoint: Red River, Bodycount and F1 2011. The new Operation Flashpoint hits June 7, with Bodycount set for "later this summer." Financial details of the deal weren't disclosed, but it has been confirmed that Codies will continue to handle the marketing of all four titles in-house.
Trophies reveal mounds of Dirt 3 DLC
According to the DiRT 3 Trophies discovered by PS3Trophies.org, the upcoming rally racer has several downloadable content packs planned. All in all, Trophies have revealed four different DLC packs, including the "Mud and Guts" and "Power and Glory" car packs as well as the Monte Carlo and X Games Asia track packs, each with four additional trophies. Release date and pricing for the packs has yet to be revealed. PS3 Trophies tend to mirror Xbox Achievements for the same titles, making the DLC a likely bet for the Xbox 360 version as well.
Dirt 3 review: Pep rally
Dirt 3 really, really wants you to love rally racing as much as it does. It wants you to love the speed, the grit, and the cheers of the crowd just barely audible over the roar of your engine. It also wants you to love how difficult the sport is, how tough it is to keep your off-road vehicle on the road in muddy terrain. It's a good thing that it does, because it doesn't find any qualms with dropping you right in the middle of its world of drifts, revs, and ... zombies?%Gallery-99276%
Dirt 3 to feature $10 Online Pass for used purchases
Codemasters has added its name to the list of publishers who are attempting to keep their games out of the pre-owned bin by equipping them with one-time-use tickets to the internet. According to Eurogamer, new copies of Dirt 3 -- which arrives on store shelves tomorrow -- include a "VIP Pass," which unlocks five exclusive automobiles and enables the game's online multiplayer modes. Folks who purchase a used copy of the game with a code that's already been redeemed will have to buy the code on Xbox Live or PSN for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). The Online Pass scheme usually evokes some mixed reactions from the gaming community, but we always get stuck imagining even worse scenarios. Imagine this: What if all of the game's cars only had three wheels? Oh, what -- you want that fourth wheel? No problem, just put in that VIP Pass. Oh, you don't have one? Well, we hope you don't like winning races, Sparky.
Operation Flashpoint: Red River developer diary makes radical radial changes
Fans of previous installments in the Operation Flashpoint franchise are likely familiar with the radial command menu used to control teammates. In the latest dev diary for Operation Flashpoint: Red River, the creators give a look at how this once cumbersome system's been tightened up.
Dirt 3 trailer throws down in a Gymkhana battle
We've all done it: There's an empty parking lot, not another driver in sight -- why not tear it up? But what if there was another driver and a third party who, presumably, was responsible for setting up a series of intricate ramps and jumps? Well then, you'd have yourself a Gymkhana battle.
Dirt 3 trailer joins the superteam, probably fights some crime
We admit it -- before watching this Dirt 3 trailer, we thought that a "superteam" was something super heroes joined to unionize the crime-fighting process. Now we know that it's a thing that rally car drivers join, so that they can drive real fast together.
Turbine to take control of Lord of the Rings Online from Codemasters in Europe
Starting June 1, Turbine will relieve Codemasters Online of all duties pertaining to Lord of the Rings Online in Europe. At that time, Turbine will merge its US and EU branches into one "mega-service" called LOTRO Global Service. Turbine expects there to be a bit of downtime for the game during this transition and will offer exact details on that at a later date. Additionally, EU players will need to migrate their account on over to the new service -- exact details on how to do so are forthcoming. Turbine has published a pretty extensive FAQ on how this will all go down, so if you're currently using the Codemasters Online service in Europe, you'll definitely want to head on over and give it a read. Full press release is just past the jump.
Turbine assuming full control of LotRO in Europe
The LotRO Global Service is on its way. That's the short version of Turbine's announcement that it'll be taking over Lord of the Rings Online in Europe. Codemasters will continue operating LotRO until June 1st of this year, after which "Turbine is taking over full operations of The Lord of the Rings Online throughout Europe starting June 1, 2011. We're merging the US and EU services into one mega-service we're calling the LOTRO Global Service." This summary is at the head of a combined announcement and FAQ Turbine has provided to answer any questions players might have. A long list of those has been anticipated and answered, such as how EU players will migrate their accounts, whether characters and inventory will be affected, whether VIP and Lifetime accounts will be changed, and so on. You can check out all the details on Turbine's official announcement page.
Operation Flashpoint: Red River multiplayer footage breezes through a 'Fireteam Engagement'
This new Operation Flashpoint: Red River multiplayer footage offers a disciplined run-and-gunthrough of a four-player co-op mission.
