costumes
Latest
Behind the Mask: The art of costume contests
Costume contests are just part of the culture of Champions Online. When a game has huge potential for character customization, celebrating that aspect seems like a natural conclusion. Costume contests also provide an interesting method of wealth distribution; rich players tend to hold costume contests that anyone, even low-level heroes, can win. It's truly a level playing field. The real problem: Is it really? I've judged numerous costume contests, and they all end up with the same problems. Hivemind voting and kingmaking are real problems when it comes to fair treatment of potential candidates. Also, friendships between judges or contestants can create a sort of community bias that keeps a deserving hero from winning. I'm definitely not going to talk about costume design, but I can discuss how to create a judging and voting system that lends to fairer selection of winners. In the end, costume judging is subjective, but these methods avoid some of the big pitfalls in costume voting.
PSN's missing Super Street Fighter IV costume 'Catalog' add-ons explained
One difference between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Super Street Fighter IV can be hard to see: Opponents' DLC costumes are invisible to PlayStation Network players who haven't also purchased the outfits. On Xbox Live, there's a simple solution in free "Catalog" add-ons that install the DLC assets on a user's hard drive, in order to show them worn on online opponents who have purchased and dressed up in the alternate costumes. To date, the free updates have not been offered on PSN. They likely never will be -- and Capcom tells us why. "When you add new data to an existing product, there are significant costs to do so charged by the first parties," Capcom community shepherd Seth Killian explained in a forum post on the topic of the "invisible" PSN costumes. "On XBL, those costs were covered by Microsoft," and thus the Catalog DLC is free to download. "For Sony, those significant costs are not covered," Killian added. "The story is a bit more complicated because the costs of adding new data vary by region in some cases, and some additions are free, or free within a certain timeframe, etc., but the bottom line in this particular case is that Sony would [have] charged Capcom significant fees for distributing the new costume data to users that hadn't actually bought the DLC." The story is indeed more complicated: In a sense, the Catalog updates aren't free, since the only Xbox Live users that benefit from them are Gold members who play SSFIV online. And, of course, Gold subscribers pay a fee for that privilege, which in turn allows Microsoft to cover the costs of updates like the costume data. Do we sense a new Plus perk in the making?
Final Fantasy XI hopping along for 2011
The new year brings all sorts of things -- hopes for improvement, resolutions of behavior, and of course in-game events for nearly every game that's active. Final Fantasy XI is no exception, with this year's event focused around the wide-eyed rarabs that range across Vana'diel. And as with previous years, players can ring in the new year with some lovely new prizes, including the option to turn oneself into a rabbit of unusual size for a while. Running until January 17th, the event follows the format laid out by previous years, with players chasing a bounding rabbit across various zones to obtain various prizes. The team at FFXIclopedia has already begun putting together a guide for players looking to get the most out of the holiday; the biggest challenge for players will be hunting down the Celebratory Coney darting across the landscape. Take a look at the official announcement for the usual piece of in-game fiction, and enjoy the start of another year in Final Fantasy XI.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Love is in the air
Last week was pretty busy for me, but I rewarded myself this weekend by jumping into Hearts of the North with both feet. Once I finally made time to indulge and play through the line, I enjoyed it for the most part. I had mixed feelings about a few parts, and I'll address those in a bit, but the reactions of a portion of the Guild Wars community as a whole were much stronger. I think that Hearts of the North and everything surrounding it is a "love it or hate it" situation for many people. I've heard from many players who are ecstatic about all of this, and many who want nothing to do with it. So follow along after the jump and let's take a look at the ups and downs of all the new goodies in Guild Wars!
UPDATED: Win a new Guild Wars costume pack from Massively!
Yesterday's surprise reveal of Guild Wars: Hearts of the North came with some very exciting extras for Massively. First, John Stumme spent some quality time with us, giving us all the inside scoop on this new content. The second extra goes straight to you, our readers. You see, Hearts of the North includes all sorts of new costumes and headpieces for players. Here at Massively, we managed to get our hands on 10 costume packs, and we are in a sharing mood. We've got five Wedding Couple packs (which include the bride and groom attire) and five Wedding Party packs (which include the entire set of costumes). Would you like one for your very own? Then talk to us! What do you love about the new content? What are you looking forward to seeing in Hearts of the North? Let us know in the comments section below by 11:59 p.m. EST tonight and you'll be entered in a random drawing for one of these costume packs! Don't forget to check out our contest rules, and good luck! [Update: All winners have been chosen and emailed. Congratulations!]
The Daily Grind: When have reused graphics bothered you?
Reusing art assets in MMOs isn't done for style but for the continued sanity of the art team. Asking for 50 different variants on a sword design alone is pushing the boundaries of what can be done; asking for 500 different variants will have modeling artists throw their keyboards through a wall. I don't complain about that, but I'm really sad to see that the next latest and greatest armor for Final Fantasy XI's Dragoons is another reskin of the artifact armor, which looks blander and less interesting every time the artists slightly change which parts are purple and which parts are brown. Of course, for the most part we really do accept the slight reskinning and retexturing of game models as a matter of necessity. But there's always a point at which something makes you narrow your eyes in disappointment, one set of armor or another that you wish the art team had put together as an original graphic instead of yet another reuse of an old texture. So when have re-used art assets bothered you? Was it with a certain type of enemy appearing far too often? Armor or weapons that you seemed to be using for eternity? Or just a popular piece of equipment that everyone wanted reskinned ad infinitum? 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!
Star Trek Online's C-Store goes as basic as possible
With the recent announcement that players will get a chance to design the next Enterprise, Star Trek Online players might want a chance to go back to basics. This coincides nicely with Cryptic's giving players the option to go as far back to basics as is fictionally possible with the advent of the latest items in the C-Store. The original NX-01 Enterprise as well as the uniforms of the prequel series (and its mirror-universe counterparts) are now available for purchase. Although the various options are available for purchase individually, players who either can't get enough of the pre-Federation series or enjoy saving money can also purchase a value bundle with all of the uniforms and the ship for just around $15. As it turns out, the ship itself is a Lieutenant-rank ship, meaning that players can start flying it as soon as they start a character. Star Trek Online has quite a bit on its plate for the future, but that doesn't mean you can't put down roots in the past.
Costume design and hints of what's to come: Massively's interview with the Guild Wars team
Halloween may be over, but it lingers on in Guild Wars. The new costumes and the new Halloween masks can still be seen all over Tyria as players show off their latest dye mixes and combine the masks with various armor sets and costumes. The event resonates in another way too. We got so many hints and details on new and old characters in Tyria: we were introduced to the Lunatic Court, we met Mad King Thorn's ex-wife, and even Palawa Joko made an appearance. All of this seemed to hint at more to come, and fans were left wondering: is this the last we've seen of all this? We at Massively were anxious to know too, so we went straight to the source. Live Team Lead John Stumme, along with artists Susan Jessup and Kristen Perry, spent some time answering our questions about the thoughts and ideas behind the creation of the new costumes and masks. In between their answers, they managed to drop all sorts of exciting tidbits about what's coming in Guild Wars. Read on past the break to see for yourself!
More Angry Birds costumes (and a cake)
As requested, TUAW reader Amy sent us pictures of these homemade costumes designed to look like the characters in Angry Birds. You can browse through all of them in the gallery below -- again, I'm partial to the pig, but that bird looks pretty good as well. Reader Sheldon also dressed up as an Angry Bird, and included the legendary white iPhone with a screenshot on his costume -- twice the geeky references! And while it's not a costume, reader JT says he spotted this Angry Birds cake in Singapore. Never have the birds and their enemies looked so darn ... edible! Thanks to everybody who sent pictures in. I didn't see many Mac-related costumes out and about this weekend during Halloween. There were lots of video game and comic book characters walking around Hollywood last night, but no Steve Jobs or Newtons to be seen. Did you see any fun Apple costumes? Update: Here's some more reader Hanson created with his son. %Gallery-106395%
Homemade Angry Birds costumes take flight
We've seen Steve Jobs and an iPhone so far, and here come some Angry Birds costumes, from the hit iPhone game. These were all made by crafters (from what looks like fabric, felt, and plastic), and some of them look pretty elaborate. I like the pig costume the best, although dressing yourself in a costume shaped like a large yellow triangular bird has to win points for something. Very cool, and given how many Angry Birds fans there are out there, it'll probably nab a lot of candy on Sunday. Are you dressing up in a Mac- or iPhone-related costume this Halloween? Be sure to take pictures and send them in -- we'd love to see it. [via MobileCrunch]
Dress like Steve Jobs for Halloween with iWear
The guys at Scoopertino have the exclusive details on Apple's "next big product launch." According to them, "Apple is making a multimillion-dollar bet" that you'll want it, too. Apple is set to release their first ever clothing line, dubbed "iWear," which lets you dress exactly like Steve Jobs. The iWear line will consist of a mock black turtleneck, jeans, gray New Balance 991 sneakers, and a pair of non-prescription Steve Jobs-style glasses. Apple will push the new iWear clothing line with the ad campaign slogan: "Be Like Steve." If you haven't realized by now (and I hope you have), this is just another joke from Scoopertino, a Mac satire news site. Click on over to their site to read the whole article; they've got some great "quotes" from Apple's PR people and have really outdone themselves with iWear mock-ups (including a really funny tag with care instructions for your iWear jeans). And fret not: just because iWear isn't real, it doesn't mean you still can't dress like Steve for Halloween.
Lost Pages of Taborea: Guide to Pumpkin Festival
Runes of Magic has been around long enough now that holiday events are making a second round. In the wake of the Juice Festival's first appearance, the Pumpkin Festival is one of the events getting a second go. Legend tells us that before humans rediscovered the continent of Candara, the land of Kolydia was ruled by tyranny. On a cold winter's night, unknown assassins wearing masks succeeded in eliminating the unsavory rulers and the hoi polloi rejoiced. The people started celebrating that day by wearing masks which became rumored to bring good luck. Unknown years and another continent later, humans made do the best they could on the underdeveloped land. The tale is said that a farmer carved out a pumpkin and put a candle in it. After seeing this, the Eye of Wisdom thought it would be a great idea to mark the day for rest and celebration before Winter. The mask wearing was added to this, kids added costumes and trick-or-treating, thus the Pumpkin Festival was born. I don't have a photographic memory nor did I painstakingly write down all event-minutea from last year, but this year's festivities look to offer more activities. On top of that, there are plenty of costumes, holiday furniture and even holiday mounts to obtain or buy. The only problem is the absence of any source to help you traverse the ins and outs of what you can do and what you can win. Until now. Click past the break for help making your way through this year's Pumpkin Festival.
Dress up in new costumes with Super Hero Squad Online!
Children of all ages (yup, that includes most of the adults out there) have dressed up for Halloween as their favorite super hero. The Super Hero Squad Online from Marvel and Gazillion is giving out new costumes for the kids (and adults) this trick-or-treat season. We all know what the classic Spider-man costume looks like, right? Well, why not try the black costume? Or maybe a red Hulk fits you better? Whatever best helps you to hero up! Each costume is not just a cover to wear over your existing costume, but they are full-fledged heroes with their own emotes and superpowers that are different from any other hero. After the costume try-ons are over, go play the amazing online trading card game or save Super Hero City from evil. What? You haven't signed up for beta yet? Well, get over there an do it now, and while you're at it you can sign up your children, too. Gazillion is looking for a whole range of different testers! And if you haven't seen the "spooky" Halloween trailer, you can watch it by hitting "Read More" below. 'Nuff said.
Halloween comes to City of Heroes
Most people look forward to Christmas for presents, but City of Heroes players look forward to Halloween. After all, the celebration of all things ghoulish brings with it the opportunity for players to gain that most coveted of rewards -- an extra costume slot. The Halloween Event has run in Paragon CIty and the Rogue Isles for many years, and this year doesn't just bring the event to the new region of Praetoria, it gives all characters a chance to earn some new badges and take part in some new monster-themed activities. The biggest addition to this year's event is a tip mission that sends you on a seasonally-themed mission arc, which can be started by hunting for tips while wearing one of the many costumes offered through the event. (Other costume powers are confirmed to work too, in case you'd rather be a Rikti.) Of course, the classic elements from years past have remained intact, with players getting a chance to collect special Halloween salvage and build themselves an extra costume slot. Take a look at the event page for a rundown of all the new badges and the event features, and log in to City of Heroes before midnight on October 31st to take part in all the festivities.
New Guild Wars costumes bring players a spooky new look
Guild Wars' Khrysten the Costume Maker might just end up shoveling Moa manure with Kun Shao if she's not careful. She spoiled a surprise for the community yesterday by unexpectedly offering players two new costumes: Raiment of the Lich and Lunatic Court Finery. It was a strange offer, since those costumes weren't in the store yet. Khrysten may have jumped the gun, but that's been remedied with the arrival of the two new costumes in the NCsoft store. The costumes are $9.99 US total for all available pieces, and only here until November 21st.
BlizzCon 2010: Costumes and crowds
WoW Insider has been working the lines this morning and was able to chat with Hogger, Jaina Proudmoore and so many of our favorite WoW characters at BlizzCon 2010. We'll be updating the gallery as we get more pictures. The first few are just from the line before the opening ceremonies. More crazy great costumes and the people behind them as the event continues! %Gallery-105820% BlizzCon 2010 is upon us! WoW Insider has all the latest news and information. We're bringing you liveblogging of the WoW panels, interviews with WoW celebrities and attendees and of course, lots of pictures of people in costumes. It's all here at WoW Insider!
City of Heroes unveils a trailer for the next super booster
The sixth Super Booster for City of Heroes is coming, and it's going to be a very different experience from the previous boosters. The first five numbered boosters were very direct in their theme, with each one focusing on a different origin type. This time around, the pack is focusing on all five origins, with new capes and auras to show off just where your character comes from. It's dubbed the Origins Pack, and a trailer has just been released to show off all of the unique new effects players can enjoy. Embedded after the cut, the video features a quick walkthrough of the five new capes and 10 new auras added with the new pack, with the auras featuring intensely unique effects that suit each different origin. Each aura and cape has additional uses, as well -- it's hard to imagine that a Radiation-themed villain wouldn't want the Toxic Fumes or Atomic aura, just as an example. The pack is tentatively set to release on November 3rd, but until then, players can enjoy the trailer and start thinking about their next costume changes in City of Heroes.
Star Wars Galaxies ramps up for the Galactic Moon Festival
Even if you're in a galaxy far, far away, that's no reason to get away from the festivities that Halloween brings. It's time for Star Wars Galaxies to host the Galactic Moon Festival once again, an event wherein mystical Jedi warriors and proud Wookiee soldiers can pretend to be fantastical, made-up creatures like ghouls and vampires. And while there's a touch of thematic disconnect there, if there's one thing we MMO players seem to love, it's a good holiday event. Starting on the 21st of October, the Galactic Moon Festival features everything you could want in a holiday celebration -- cosmetic costumes, minigames, and plenty of little treats for players to acquire over the course of the event. Aside from a variety of rewards to be earned via a particularly terrifying costume, there are new pieces of cosmetic clothing to be purchased, from the elegant Z'zopheratu's jacket to the adorable Rotta the Huttlet backpack. Take a look at the full preview to see what's coming for Star Wars Galaxies with the festival.
Capcom explains how new costumes will interact with Super Street Fighter IV
Let's face it -- once those new Super Street Fighter IV costumes come out, the game's community will be split into two age-old castes: The haves and the have-nots. How will these two groups be able to play against one another, when one sports fancy duds the likes of which the other has never seen? Capcom recently explained that players without the DLC who play against a character using a new costume will still be able to fight against said player, though it will appear as though they're wearing their default costume. This switcheroo can be prevented by downloading a free "Catalogue" add-on, which will allow players without the DLC to see the new outfits on other players. The Catalogue will come in two chunks, the first half arriving on Oct. 26 -- the same day as the first batch of costumes -- and the second on Dec. 21. This add-on has only been announced for the 360 so far; we've contacted Capcom to see if PS3 players will have access to it as well. [Thanks, Christian!]
NYCC 2010: The City of Heroes Issue 19 panel
It's the end of the convention season, and City of Heroes fans on the East Coast managed to get one last treat -- another chance with the development team that had long been anchored firmly on the other side of the country. The team's panel in March at PAX East saw the revelation of several new facts about the game, including the first announcement of Kinetic Melee and Electric Control, and the panel that closes out the year at New York Comic Con contained several interesting new facts as well. Melissa Bianco, David Nakayama, and Jesse Caceres were all in attendance, with the panel overseen by community representative Tia Parurahi. With Going Rogue having been out for nearly two months, this panel focused on the upcoming Issue 19 and what the changes mean for the game, as well as how much the development team is ramping up production to improve the game all around.
