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Hands on video footage of superhero MMO Champions Online
Gamers in that sweet spot where massively multiplayer online games and comic books intersect have long enjoyed playing City of Heroes, and are likely to well into the future... but clearly there's more room in the superhero game genre. Some MMO players are looking forward to a superhero-themed game with a different take on the genre than what's been done before. For them, the upcoming game Champions Online has some appeal. G4tv's X-Play recently took notice of this and interviewed Bill Roper, the Cryptic Studios Design Director, about what Champions Online has to offer gamers. The video interview, "Hands On: Champions Online", is in two parts. First Roper speaks with Adam Sessler, introducing the game concept, its setting, and creating your own personal nemesis in Champions Online as you progress. Afterwards Morgan Webb delves a bit more into the core game mechanics of Champions Online, such as how loot will augment your avatar, and the incentives to play in groups with other people -- one of the key reasons gamers jump into MMOs in the first place. Roper goes on to address the possibilities of gameplay on both PC and consoles. In fact, the gameplay shown throughout the videos is done with an Xbox 360 controller. Roper also reiterates the Champions Online release date, which he says is still slated for Spring 2009. If you'd like to see what all the fuss about this new superhero MMO is about, we've got both videos embedded for you below the cut.
Readers pick best webcomic: Avoiding Controversy
Although we prefer the alternative over the "official" comic, 2P Start's Avoiding Controversy was, by a narrow margin, crowned champion in this week's webcomic wrapup. Second and third place go to A Broken Clock (Penny Arcade) and Every Single Day (Cross Platform), respectively. A big thanks to those who have already sent in logos, but we're still hoping for a few more selections, preferably ones less flashy and more akin to the Joystiq aesthetic. Yes, we're bossy about these sort of things, but we'll be sure to show you the cream of the crop in the next week or so.As always, thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week! (Protip: It's best to use the comments field for that kind of stuff, or if you go via our tip line be sure to include "webcomic" in the subject.)
Cocotron: bringing Cocoa to Windows
Cocotron is a potentially exciting open-source project that "aims to implement a cross-platform Objective-C API similar to that described by Apple Inc.'s Cocoa documentation." What this means is that, in principle, Cocotron would allow an OS X Cocoa app written in Xcode to be easily cross-compiled for other OSes, particularly Windows.Of course that in principle still leaves open a bunch of practical difficulties. The guys over at Magnetism Studio (developer of FileMagnet for iPhone) have a great account of how they used Cocotron to port their Mac FileMagnet Uploader to Windows. Of course it wasn't as easy as pressing a button and having a Windows executable pop out of Xcode, but after suitable adjustments (particularly to get rid of Mac-specific code) it did make a Windows version possible. In any case, Cocotron seems poised to make cross-platform development a much less costly and time-consuming process for Mac developers.Cocotron itself is a free download and released under the MIT license.[via Daring Fireball]
Readers pick best webcomic: A New Creative Outlet
It was a landslide victory for wecomic wrapup newcomer Cross Platform, whose comic A New Creative Outlet took almost 40% of the vote. (Be sure to also check out the previous comic, Not-So-Secret Identities.) The site is still being prettified, so here's hoping we'll get permalink pages for each comic (hint, hint).Second and third place go to usual suspects Penny Arcade (The Origin of the CD Keys, Part One) and Digital Unrest (No Avoiding It). Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
Patches pose a problem for DC Universe Online cross-platform play
DC Universe Online Creative Director Chris Cao told MTV's Multiplayer blog that SOE hopes to support cross-platform play between PlayStation 3 and PC DCUO players, but isn't ready to commit to it just yet.Cao said that cross-platform play is still high on the priority list, but no definite promise has been made because delivering game updates to PS3 users is a very different process than delivering them to PC users. SOE is still trying to figure out how to do simultaneous updates on both platforms.We've heard about this problem before, of course. Funcom is facing something similar as it works to port Age of Conan to the Xbox 360. SOE is in a good position to deal with it though, since it is actually a part of the company that's responsible for the PlayStation Network authentication process. "I think if anybody is going to do it and make it simultaneously seamless for people it's going to be us," said Cao. "It's just that we haven't done it yet, so we don't like to promise what we haven't delivered yet."
Console MMOs from a reverse perspective: Can they succeed?
In the first of a promised series of articles concerning MMOs on a console platform, Jim Pwnage of Xboxoz360gamer.com gives us a discussion on the importance of communications to a cross-platform MMO. He starts off by making a general introduction to MMOs, seemingly directed at console gamers. If this is the future of the genre, we might as well get used to it.This first installment discusses how voice communication is essential to a console MMO. No one wants to be typing out their commands or guild chat on a console, and voice chat among 100+ people would be chaotic to say the least. So his solution is a way to join and leave smaller conversations more easily. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of massively multiplayer though? It's an interesting thought, and we look forward to the next part of this series.
SOE talks about the challenges of cross-platform gaming
In a recent article over at Gamasutra, Sony Online Entertainment's Executive Producer Matt Wilson explains some of the challenges they face with getting an MMO truly cross-platform. With the upcoming spy MMO The Agency being released on the PC and Playstation 3, they've run across some obstacles during development, but they're probably not the ones you'd expect.Wilson explains that it's not so much a technological problem between the two platforms, it's more an issue of regular updates. On the open platform PC, developers can release immediate updates and patches to correct problems, balance game mechanics or introduce new content. On the closed platform console, they would need to go through a certification process first. This could cause quite a problem for a genre of gaming that lives and breathes by its regular, immediate updates.
Turbine licenses cross-platform Havok engine for new MMO
Lord of the Rings Online developer Turbine has just announced their official licensing of Havok Physics, Havok Animation and Havok Behavior 6 for their yet-unnamed MMO project. As you may remember, Turbine stated intent for creating their next MMO on PC and consoles, which would fall in line with this Havok engine which includes support for multiple platforms including the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.The Havok 6.0 suite is a collection of development tools made specifically for programmers and artists to build "interactive character performances" that are said to respond to their physical environment in the game. With this advanced set of tools and the recent venture capital in hand, Turbine may indeed be on their way to making the first truly cross-platform MMO.
No cross-platform secret agenting in The Agency
Although it was dangled in front of us like a tantalizing carrot, it looks like you won't be able to get any cross-gaming action between PS3s and PCs out of Sony's upcoming spy MMO, The Agency. Last year, designer Hal Milton told us the developer weas looking at it, but in a recent interview with Eurogamer it looks like he's closed the door on things for good. You can thank Shadowrun for ruining it all."PC guys say, 'PS3 guys have aim assist and the controls nerfed for them'. And PS3 guys say, 'PC guys have a mouse and keyboard - it's all easier for them'. Even if it's not true." Not that we're complaining, because Shadowrun made us a bit mental. But this really needs to happen in a fun way sooner or later. Which title is going to be able to nail it down and make it work? Super Mario Crossover Party Platformer 2: Now With More Fun has our money.
The Agency will not feature PC-PS3 cross-platform play
While it was a feature touted when it originally debuted, it became increasingly clear that The Agency would unlikely have cross-platform play between the PS3 and PC versions. Now, it's official: the spy-themed SOE-developed MMO will definitely not have cross-platform play. The two worlds of the PS3 and PC versions will be kept separate. The reason? According to the developers, the imbalance between keyboard and mouse versus controller play."PC guys say, 'PS3 guys have aim assist and the controls nerfed for them'. And PS3 guys say, 'PC guys have a mouse and keyboard - it's all easier for them'. Even if it's not true," Hal Milton said. He also added, "a couple of members of our team gained a lot of experience working on Shadowrun, and no matter how well you fine-tune it, you end up with a player-base that's polarized." [Ed's note: Shadowrun is one of the few games that features cross-platform play between Windows and Xbox 360 systems.]
Star Trek Online FAQ hints at cross-platform play
It's the first question everyone has when confronted with an MMO targeted for both PCs and consoles: "Will console and PC players be on the same servers?" Lucky for us, the MMO nerds at Cryptic expected your (frankly) predictable inquiry and met it with the following response, helpfully contained on Star Trek Online's official FAQ page: "We would like that to be the case. There is nothing technologically keeping us from making it so." The more astute amongst you will undoubtedly taken note note that the above response is not technically the same as "yes" but it perhaps gets us one step closer to having an MMO besides Final Fantasy XI that actually plays across platforms.Until then, we'll toss Star Trek Online into the same pile as other MMOs that are considering cross-platform play but have yet to actually deliver it: The Agency, DC Universe Online, Age of Conan, and Cryptic's own Champions Online. Wanna make it off that list, Cryptic? Make it so. %Gallery-28626%
Podcast interviews two Star Trek Online guys, gets lots of new info
Star Trek gaming podcast Hailing Frequency interviewed Cryptic Studios Chief Creative Officer Jack Emmert in the wake of the big Las Vegas unveiling of Star Trek Online. The two part interview is available in both audio and video, and it's one of the best sources of details beyond the unveiling video itself at this point.There are a lot of reveals and hints in the interview. Some examples of interview topics: post-launch plans for user-generated content, an economy without a monetary currency, and details about starship combat. Emmert speculates that cross-platform play and non-region-specific servers are possible, but that no final determinations have been made. Listen to the interview for more!Hailing Frequency also spoke with STO's new community manager, JR Sutich, who is better known to folks in the MMO community as Razor. He was a regular writer at WarCry before he started with Cryptic. That interview, also available in both audio and video, deals exclusively with the game's community and forums.
Export your Yojimbo database to a Tiddlywiki
You've got all your iStuff inside Yojimbo (hands up who loves Yojimbo and I'll count, starting with me), but for some reason you need to get it on to another computer, perhaps one running a different OS. What to do? This AppleScript takes your entire Yojimbo library (well, everything except the PDFs) and exports it to a Tiddlywiki that you can carry around and view on pretty much any computer. I say "any computer" but iPhone users shouldn't get too excited just yet. Apparently, the standard Tiddlywiki doesn't display that well on an iPhone. But, ooh, wait: what do we have here? Thanks to Jon for the tip.
Cross-platform multiplayer free on Xbox 360 [update: limited-time only]
When Microsoft recently flipped the switch to turn Games For Windows Live into a free-for-all, several cross-platform multiplayer games apparently brought their Xbox 360 denizens with them. That's right, all three cross-platform titles (Shadowrun, Universe at War: Earth Assault and Lost Planet: Colonies) can be played online by any Xbox 360 user with a high-speed internet connection -- freeloading Xbox Live Silver account holders specifically -- according to a thread on Xbox Forums. Of course, the catch is you've got to have a copy of one of the participating game discs. So when Joystiq went to verify the reports, we realized our chest-o-games only contained the good ones. Any far less snobby readers care to shout out a "yea" or "nay" on the matter? [Update: X3F's Xav de Matos has confirmed that the Xbox 360 version of Lost Planet: Colonies can be played online using a Silver account.]In the interim, we've contacted Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, who told us we can expect Microsoft to issue an official statement shortly.Update 7:10pm: And we've heard back from a Microsoft rep who tells us, "Last week we announced that we were taking off the Gold-only restriction for multiplayer gaming over Games for Windows- LIVE. For a limited time, we are offering free online multiplayer on Xbox 360/ Games for Windows titles that offer LIVE cross platform play. This promotion won't last, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of it while they can." You heard the man, go take advantage of it!
Back To My Mac alternative: TeamViewer
Back To My Mac got you down? After the 10.5.3 update, all BTMM is telling me is what I already know -- my Comcast-supplied router is old and doesn't support NAT-PMP or UPnP. iChat Screen Sharing works, but really needs someone on the other end of the connection to activate it. Yeah, Timbuktu has been available for years, but who knows what Motorola is going to do with it in the future? MacHelpMate is wonderful for supporting clients, but what if I just want to access my own Mac when I'm on the road?TeamViewer is a popular GoToMyPC-like app that was Windows-only until May 28th, when the Mac client was announced. The application is free for personal use, which is nice for those of us who want to get "Back to our Macs" but can't get BTMM to work or don't have .Mac accounts. I gave the freebie service a test last night, accessing my home iMac from my MacBook Air over a Sprint Mobile Broadband connection. Setup was simple: I installed the application on both Macs, then wrote down the ID and password generated by TeamViewer on the iMac. I left TeamViewer running on the iMac, then went out to dinner. While enjoying a few beers, I popped open the MBA and fired up TeamViewer. I told it to connect to my iMac, gave it the ID and password, and was rewarded with complete control of my machine at home. TeamViewer works well for remote control, file transfers, and blasting presentations out to co-workers. For commercial use, TeamViewer sells licenses varying from $249 for six months, or an unlimited license for $1399. If you're a system admin who needs to control both Macs and PCs remotely, TeamViewer may be the app for you. Download TeamViewer here and see if it works for you, too!Note: Quite a few commenters (and our own Mike Rose) also recommend LogMeIn as a free/paid option for remote control of both Macs and PCs.
Funcom: "maze of challenges" ahead for cross-platform Conan
Age of Conan is not the first MMO to release on consoles as well as the PC. Phantasy Star Universe and Final Fantasy XI were among the vanguards there. Unfortunately, the existing precedents haven't made it look easy. There are a lot of issues to consider. Will Xbox Live (or the PlayStation Network, if the game ever lands on Sony's shores) download regulations prevent prompt bug patching? Will PC users be forced to use voice chat, or will 360 users be forced to buy keyboards? How does one design a user interface that will be equally effective with a console controller and a keyboard/mouse combo?According to Funcom Project Manager Jorgen Theraldsen, these and other questions have been at the forefront of the development team's thoughts since the beginning. In an interview with MMORPG, he revealed that AoC's combat system has gone through nine iterations throughout Funcom's quest to make it appealing to console users. He admitted that the team still faces "a maze of challenges." At the same time, he assured PC users that the game will not be simplified or held back to make things easier for 360 players. A fine balance, that.Choosing between the two platforms is probably easy, but many potential players only have one or the other. Funcom will have to keep them all happy if this is going to work. That won't be an easy task.
Rumor: .Mac relaunch to coincide with iPhone 2.0?
A little birdy told us about some unusual happenings at Apple. According to our anonymous tipster, .Mac will undergo a complete revamp that will coincide with the iPhone 2.0 launch (which everyone expects to occur at WWDC 08). We posted about the .Mac push e-mail coming to iPhone 2.0 last night, but according to our tip, that's not all .Mac users are going to get. According to our little birdy, .Mac could undergo the following changes as soon as next month: Full over-the-air syncing including calendars, contacts, and email (similar to Exchange) .Mac syncing on Windows This makes sense, since why would Apple make using an iPhone with Exchange a better experience than when it is paired with .Mac? If these rumors turn out to be true, then the $99 price tag on .Mac could seem a whole lot more worthwhile in the coming months.
The problem with cross-platform MMOs
Darren over at The Common Sense Gamer has brought up an interesting reason for cross-platform MMOs to never happen. The reason is that patching and updating on PCs is an easier-going process than on a console, because consoles are closed platforms with certification processes for any new incoming software updates. This is a headache for developers to figure out and possibly for the players too, since many may have to wait for the console certification before a PC version patch can go up.
Lost Planet: Colonies - details and Akrid gameplay
Continuing our coverage of Capcom's Digital Day event is gameplay from the upcoming Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Colonies Edition. Colonies is the Platinum edition of the best-selling title Lost Planet: Extreme Condition adding new characters, multiplayer maps and modes. The most exciting of which is the ability to play as the Akrid, the enemy monsters from the single-player game, in various modes along with a ton of other announced features.Gamers who have an old save file and are thinking of pinking this one up to continue your Lost Planet adventure should be wary. Capcom has stated that the game is not compatible with the previous release. Colonies has been built for cross-platform play with Games for Windows Live in mind so we assume the code had to have been changed, sure that doesn't make sense for single-player game but anyone interested in this version would be in it for the multiplayer if they've already played the original. But on the lighter side of the news, the game will feature 1000 fresh gamer points to be acquired. Check out Akrid gameplay after the jump.Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Colonies Edition is set to release on May 27 on the Xbox 360 and PC.
Huxley's character creation in action
We won't lie when we say Webzen's upcoming first-person MMO Huxley had dropped off our radar, and when new details came out about their Real Time Worlds developed All Points Bulletin (APB) we thought Huxley got the quiet ax. Well, while details are still light on the title we do know that the game is still slated to come out between now and the next leap year. However, the latest news comes to us from a Game Trailers user who swiped some footage of the character creation menus. In the video, the user goes through some of the various options available for those interested in creating a female warrior within Huxley, which is actually comes Stateside in 2009 for the PC and Xbox 360. We were joking about the leap year thing.[Thanks, Chris]
