eletronic-arts
Latest
Hyperspace Beacon: Podcast race
For a game that has yet to release, the number of people who closely follow Star Wars: The Old Republic astounds me still. If you follow the Twitter feed, you will practically see a new fan site pop up daily. Granted, a good chunk of these sites fizzle away as quickly they are built -- it's kind of the nature of the beast. Running a fansite takes a lot of work, and most people who set out to make a fan site are not ready to make that kind of commitment. Having run fan sites in the past, I can tell you that even when you think you're ready, you're not ready. Although it's not unique for a game to have a podcast revolving around it, Star Wars: The Old Republic is gifted with a very large audience, and with that an exorbitant number of fans willing to devote time to making a podcast. We have already mentioned the podcasts of Darth Hater, TOROcast, and Mos Eisley Radio in the past, but since then there has been slue of new podcast that are giving these other guys a run for their money. After the break, I will introduce you to some of the newer shows that I enjoy or maybe one of those those who I believe has really stepped up the game since the last time I've talked about them. Start up the holoprojector and follow me!
Hyperspace Beacon: Man in the mirror
On Friday, our friends on the BioWare community team gave us a second progression video for the Bounty Hunter in Star Wars: The Old Republic. As with anything on the internet, the video wasn't above scrutiny and complaint by followers. The complaints ranged from "we already have a Bounty Hunter progression video" to "why don't we have a Jedi Consular video yet?" But that doesn't hit on the real issue: There were no fiery explosions for the Bounty Hunter to walk away from in slow motion! He just can't be cool unless he turns his back on the destruction like he just doesn't frelling care. Despite the lack of carnage in the class progression video, we did glean insight into many of the class powers, some of which mirror its Republic counterpart: the Trooper. I know for marketing reasons and to keep from confusing the potential player, it's not a good idea to use the word "mirror" when describing The Old Republic classes. But it's hard to deny that the Imperial Bounty Hunter and the Republic Trooper are very much mirrored insofar as combat roles and abilities. After the break, I will explain to you what I see that is the same and what is different between the two classes. Then, in the end, I will let you decide whether the classes are truly mirrored or not.
Redefining MMOs: More developers weigh in
In 2009, the staffers of Massively were more than aware of the changes happening in the MMO industry. The game was changing; technology was allowing the MMO to step out of its turn-based comfort zone and take on new challenges. We began to see the MMO-shooter, the MMO-RTS, and the MMO-does-that-even-fit-in-a-genre. The staff penned a series of articles called Redefining MMOs. Have things changed in two years? On the surface, I'd say no. We still can't figure out exactly what an MMO is. If you ask six different people the same question, you'll get six different answers (if not more). In fact, while I was at PAX East, I did just that. I spoke to six different designers: three from the most anticipated games of this year, two from studios that have been doing this MMO thing for a long time, and one from a studio that refuses to label its game as an MMO. After the break, find out what developers of Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, City of Heroes, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and Firefall have to say about the new definition of MMOs.
SWTOR Trooper video kicks some serious -- shut yo mouth!
Troopers aren't in it for glory. They are protecting the Republic. They are protecting freedom. And according to the newest trailer from Star Wars: The Old Republic, the Troopers' duty is to defend the people and the principles of the Republic no matter the sacrifice. Today, Gamespot posted the latest class video from SWTOR, this one highlighting the Republic Trooper. Videogame voice-over legend Jennifer Hale lends her talent to this exciting trailer, which briefly outlines the Trooper's role in the overarching Star Wars story. The video showcases the incredible weapons and devices the Troopers use to defeat their enemies, even ones as powerful as the Force-wielding Sith Warriors. If you weren't interested in playing a Trooper class in The Old Republic, you may be now. Take a look after the break for the full video and pop over the SWTOR website tomorrow for the official update from BioWare. For freedom; for the Republic!
Squier Stratocaster for Rock Band 3 set to tour March 1st for $280
We've been waiting on this one for quite awhile... and well, we've got awhile longer. Fender has come clean with the price and release date of its Squier-branded Stratocaster for Rock Band 3 will hit the road on March 1st for just a penny shy of $280. The six-stringed warrior -- which also serves as a MIDI controller and a real instrument -- has far and away been our favorite method of playing the rhythm game's new pro guitar mode, and though the button-laden Mustang is available now for just over half the price, it really doesn't compare to the real thing here. Even the January 1st pre-order seems a ways off -- guess we'll be brushing up on our keytar skills in the meantime.
SWTOR lore expands with more biographies
The fourth pillar of story has just widened its base this morning as BioWare announced three more supporting characters to the line-up. An Alderaani noble, a tight-lipped Sullustan, and an Imperial super-spy brand the front web page of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Who are they, and what role do they play in the world arc? The Alderaani known as Bouris Ulgo "gave us pants" according to Daniel Erickson's joke at the PAX presentation. However, the truth is Ulgo is the self-proclaimed King of Alderaan. What role does the House of Ulgo play in the conflict on this independent planet? That is yet to be discovered, but we do know Ulgo has gone mad since the return of the banished House of Thule (not the one from the EverQuest expansion -- it confused me, too.) Diab Duin is the Sullustan diplomat Supreme Chancellor entrusted to keep the secret of Aeten II. It is possible the Chancellor believed this quiet pessimist would be over-looked by Imperial spies and assassins, but one this is for certain: the secret of the stygium crystals is safe with him. When one has risen to the the upper echelons of Imperial Intelligence, he loses his personal identity and becomes known only by his code name. In this case, we are talking about the "Keeper." Every unscrupulous deal of assassination or territorial infiltration is controlled by the Keeper. If he fails at his job, the Empire is quick to replace him. To find out more about these spies and nobles of the SWTOR universe, check out their biographies on the official site.
The Force is with SWTOR testing
Many rumors have been floating around regarding Star Wars: The Old Republic's beta testing status. What's being tested, exactly? Who's conducting the testing? This week, another one of those rumors has been let out of the proverbial bag. The rumor we've received from several tipsters says that -- although BioWare is not moving to an open beta -- the team is moving to another phase of testing this week. The deals of what is involved in this week's testing are sketchy at best, but multiple sources have reported to us mentioning they are testing. Providing more info than that would surely break their NDA, and we wouldn't report on that anyway. Blaine Christine, the Live Producer for SWTOR, is the man in charge of testing, as he told us at PAX. He has his work cut out for him with the number of fans banging at the door to get into testing -- as evident by the number of tweets to @swtor asking to sell or do strange things in return. However, there is only one way to get into game testing: Register at the official website, go click the account button at the top, click the radial button which states, "Yes, I would like to be considered for testing," then follow the instructions on how to allow the site to snag your system information. We wish you luck getting into any form of testing that BioWare is conducting, and we wish BioWare luck in this current phase. May the Force be with you. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
SWTOR finds a companion for the Jedi knight
In SWTOR's Deceived trailer, there was an odd shot of the Jedi leader giving a signal to an astromech droid. Per usual, the writers at BioWare do not put anything into their trailers without a specific reason. This past Friday, that little droid was revealed to be a companion for the Jedi knight class, named T7-O1 (tee seven - oh one). This little bot calls back to both T3-M4 of Knights of the Old Republic and, of course, R2-D2 of the Star Wars movies. In fact, his attitude is very similar to R2-D2's. According to the companion page on SWTOR's official site, he considers his owners to be more like partners and less like masters. T7-O1 was activated over two centuries before the Treaty of Coruscant and has yet to be memory-wiped in that whole time. He remembers every organic he has ever worked with, from the petty smugglers, to Senator Oodora of Manaan, to Captain Nico Okarr, and to Jedi Master Ven Zallow, whom we witnessed being killed by Darth Malgus in the previously mentioned trailer. For your Jedi knight character, you can expect this droid to be an invaluable source of information. His surveillance, cartography, and data-slicing skills are unmatched. BioWare has not revealed where your Jedi knight will meet T7-O1, just like every other companion mentioned for this game, but rest assured, he's waiting for you somewhere in that galaxy far, far away.
KOTOR MMO confirmed by Electronic Arts
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/KOTOR_MMO_confirmed_by_Electronic_Arts'; We've had plenty of speculation -- lots and lots of it -- but now we've got confirmation from Electronic Arts chief executive John Riccitiello that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is indeed getting a massively multiplayer online iteration. Portfolio.com has the story. The article quotes Riccitiello as saying, "... the one that people are dying for us to talk to them about -- in partnership with Lucas, coming out of BioWare, which is, I think, quite possibly the most anticipated game, full stop, for the industry at the point when we get closer to telling you about it." When directly asked if this was confirmation of Knights of the Old Republic Online, the executive said simply, "yes".You can commence the freaking out now.
