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Stargate Worlds Trailer plus further details on classes, story, and more
This is the big Stargate Worlds debut trailer that appeared last night on the SCI FI channel. Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's IT Director popped by the Stargate Worlds forums and provided the following details about the video: The footage is CGI; however, it does use some in-game art assets and is intended to resemble the look and feel from the actual game. Two worlds are shown in the following order: Agnos and Anima Vitrus (new) Three races: Asgard and his drone, SGC Solider with improved body armor, female Jaffa solider with a staff weapon and Horus guard helmet Heavily modified P90 implies broad weapon customizations If that glimpse wasn't enough for the interstellar traveling junkies there is a very slight extended version over on Gamespot. The bigger news regarding Stargate Worlds comes from all the juicy details found in Gamespot's interview with Rod Nakamoto, CME's Senior VP of Product Development. Quick fact list from their exchange: Unreal 3 Engine and Big World back end Two factions Classes: Jaffa, Goa'uld, Asgard, human soldier, scientist, archeologist, and commando No vehicle combat or player controlled starships The MMOG will follow the events from SG1 but feature different stories: Replicator War, the Apophis War, the Tok'ra war with the Goa'uld, etc. Beta testing starts this spring and with the launch to follow in the fall 15 USD monthly subscription rate Possibility that SG cast members to do voice-overs Evolutionary Combat and Advanced AI The translation from the show to an MMOG might work well, certainly, better than other properties such as Firefly. I guess it also helps that you know Stargate Worlds is actually in development and Firefly MMOG will probably never see the light of day. No matter the content, I don't trust any MMOG that was only tested for a short period of time considering Stargate Worlds hasn't been in full production (announced in 2006) very long. It takes time to implement quality content, but maybe CME's Developers can pull it off. What do you guys think?
Top 10 MIA MMOs of 2007 - part 1
In the waning weeks of December, we've already started turning our eyes towards the new year. 2008 is already showing a great deal of promise for the MMO community, with the impending release of Pirates of the Burning Sea, Wrath of the Lich King, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Though most of these titles are still a good ways away from hitting retailer shelves, we've already got a pretty good idea of what's in store, not just in terms of assets and information that's already been released, but also from hands-on impressions and beta testing. In other words, as excited as we are, there probably won't be terribly many surprises as it concerns these titles. They're practically a given.As luck would have it, those aren't the only titles we'll be drooling over next year – this much we know. There are a number of games in development out there that have shown up on our collective radar screens over the past few months, but only as tiny blips. For the most part, they still represent riddles wrapped up in mysteries with a side of question mark. We've assembled a list of the top 10 MIA MMOs - those mysterious games that represent the future of the MMO... if only we knew what they were.In the first part of this feature, we'll take a look at the first half of the list.
Google almost certainly creating multi-user virtual world
World of Googlecraft? GoogleQuest? Pirates of the Google Sea? No, really. It could happen. Sort of.Apparently Google isn't satisfied with how massive it is already; the tech juggernaut might be developing a virtual online world. Okay, so it probably won't really be an MMORPG per say, but it could be something similar to Second Life. Rumors of the project have been gaining momentum for a while now, and we here at Massively are laying out all the evidence right here for you to see.
Stream Music from your iPhone to iTunes with Firefly Media Server
Mike Ter Louw has brilliantly managed to port mt-daapd, the Firefly Media Server, to iPhone. Firefly makes use of your iPhone's built in mDNS/Bonjour media service to stream audio to iTunes. Any iTunes. The one running on your home computer. The one running on a friend's computer. Wherever. Stream from your iPhone to a quality audio system. Here's how it works. Navigate to http://home.mike.tl/iphone/ with Mobile Safari. This adds Mike's repository to Installer.app. Then launch Installer, select Firefly and install it. Wait as the package builds your music database. This can take 5-10 minutes based on the size of your iTunes library. On your computer--or any computer you're visiting with--set iTunes to share music. Make sure your firewall settings allow communication and enable "Look for shared library" in your iTunes Sharing preferences. In iTunes, locate your shared library--it will be listed by the name of your iPhone. Select it and log in. Even if you're using 1.1.1, the media password still appears to be "dottie". Then just select a song and play! This, ahem, rocks. A lot.Update: TUAW Reader Jonathan adds: "Safari redirects to /beta/. I bypassed that by going into installer.app's sources page and manually adding http://home.mike.tl/iphone. Installer picked it up right away, and it's building my music database now. "
Jam Sessions lets you play show tunes
Fans of Firefly and Serenity (which, is all of you ... or else), we've got a nice little video for you. If you've picked up Ubisoft's Jam Sessions, then you too can play the theme song to Firely. It's actually quite simple. And, you don't even need to have a ridiculous haircut, either!
Firefly's glowPhone gets FCC'd
Okay, we figure we don't have too many regular readers in the 5 to 8 year old category (by all means, give us a shout out in comments if you fall in that range), so we're looking straight at the parents in the crowd with this one. As we found out a few days ago, Firefly Mobile's upcoming glowPhone is targeted at a very young demographic, and it's got the feature set to match; like the original Firefly, it lacks a traditional numeric keypad, instead offering dedicated Mom and Dad keys plus navigational and send / end controls. There are some games and wallpapers built in, too -- though they aren't detailed in the user's manual -- and a "Flashlight" feature glows all the keys simultaneously (hence the "glowPhone" name, we suppose). It's a dualband GSM set and it'll likely be offered through a prepaid service of some sort when it launches next month for $50, though it's unknown whether Firefly will again be partnering with AT&T for the offering.
AT&T gets Smart Limits, details emerge on two new Firefly models
Never been a better time to be a parent looking to equip their tykes with kid-safe phones and services, it seems. AT&T recently launched its Smart Limits service, a $4.99 monthly add-on that gives moms and dads a pretty unprecedented level of control over their little ones' mobile usage, including voice, text, and purchase allowances, daily usage schedules, allowed / blocked contact lists and internet usage restrictions. That's all well and good, but check this: the same Wall Street Journal article also sheds some light on a couple new Firefly models, one of which we'd seen not long ago up in the FCC's business. The glowPhone (pictured) seems to be the simpler of the two, targeted at ages 5 through 8 with a nice, low $49.99 price point when it drops in October. The more interesting of the two is the flyPhone, designed with ages 9 to 12 in mind with support for downloadable goodies and that crazy dynamic keypad we'd mentioned before. That one's gonna run $129.99 and will be available with a prepaid service of some sort, though there's no word whether Firefly's relationship with AT&T is going to continue when these hit the street.[Via mocoNews]Read - AT&T Smart LimitsRead - Wall Street Journal, "Keeping Junior on a Wireless Leash"
Firefly Mobile's flyPhone with dynamic keypad hits FCC
What's this, you say? Kiddies like traditional numeric keypads, too? For Firefly, that's been a problem -- its original model lacked all but the bare essentials necessary to get calls through to parents or authorities. Its new "flyPhone" candybar makes good on that indiscretion but goes one giant step further, offering a dynamic touch sensitive area that can change appearance based on the phone's current mode. Listening to music or watching a movie (yes, watching a movie on that little screen -- the manual says so!), for example, you get the appropriate controls; playing a game, you get directional buttons, and when making a call, you obviously get digits. The flyPhone also offers a camera, so all in all, it looks like this is a giant step up for phone-toting tykes everywhere. Actually, we kinda want one. Does that makes us weird?
Stronghold dev goes underground for Dungeon Hero
Firefly Studios (Stronghold) have united with Gamecock to fight evil hordes of dungeon dwellers in Dungeon Hero for PC and Xbox 360. You might be tempted to think of other dungeon-themed games from the past -- Dungeon Explorer, Dungeon Siege, Dungeon Capers, Dungeon Runners, even Double Dungeon -- but did they have "goblin cheese merchants, jailed troll miners and helpful imps just looking for peace?" We didn't think so.The press release for the game promises to be a fresh take on the dungeon crawler genre, offering HD graphics and an in-game world that is a "totally functional, living, breathing community in every way." No release date has been announced; trailer embedded after the break.%Gallery-3760%
Mii Spotlight: Pop culture goes Mii
The best sort of Miis seem to be made from those people who already look like walking caricatures -- the kind of people who have such distinctive features that you could guess their identity from seeing only their left eye, perhaps, or their signature grin. So it follows, of course, that iconic characters also tend to make for good Mii material, though not always, as we here at the Fanboy learned ourselves to our great chagrin ....
New noncombat pet found in Zangarmarsh
I'm no noncombat pet completist (I am proud to have gotten Willy on my Shaman, but all of my other alts run with storebought pets), but the aptly named mfirefly of WoW_Ladies has uncovered a pet I've never seen before. Firefly must have come in with patch 2.1 (or was it in with the expansion, and I just haven't seen it till now?): It's a [Captured Firefly] that drops from the bugs in Zangarmarsh. How... cute?She says she got this "very rare" pet after 586 Bogflare Needler kills, which seems like a lot, but then again, it might be worth it: the flavor text on the pet says "Still flying..", which is a great reference to the super fun and canceled-before-its-time Joss Whedon TV show that this little guy seems to be named after. If you don't want to kill bugs for the rest of your life, the pet is BoE, so you might keep an eye on the Auction House as well. Grats to mfirefly for such a cool pet!With all the crazy pets that are coming out lately, can anyone really be a noncombat pet completist any more? Is there anyone out there that really has caught them all?
Firefly: Streaming to iTunes with DAAP
Make blog recently posted about how to run an iTunes DAAP server in Linux with Firefly. Firefly (né mt-daapd) provides an open-source digital audio server that supports iTunes-compatible streaming. With it, you can stream your media from a Linux platform to any other computer that's running iTunes. Best of all, it transcodes in real time. This allows you to stream file formats not normally supported by iTunes, such as OGG and FLAC. Full disclosure: I occasionally write for Make.
AT&T and Verizon kick kid phones to the curb
In an announcement sure to make tweens scream and parents sigh, both AT&T and Verizon Wireless have seemingly simultaneously decided to stop featuring their respective kid-centric handsets. Folks interested in Verizon's Migo will now be shown LG's 3450L flip-phone instead, as the company claims that its texting abilities and Chaperone capability will lend itself to being an effective youth-oriented option. As for AT&T, its Firefly mobile will now be sold solely online, but there was no mention of what the carrier planned on offering when paranoid parents showed up looking for a highly controllable device in-store. Of course, both of these phones should remain available in other mass market channels for those still interested, but we're sure your nine-year old kid will be lobbying for something a bit more sophisticated in a few months anyway.[Via PhoneScoop]
Why the Firefly MMO won't work
Michael Zenke, the editor of Slashdot Games, explains on GameSetWatch why he believes a Firefly MMO "just won't fly." The Firefly universe isn't violent enough for an MMO. There just isn't enough fighting going on and killing rats won't cut it. Because "life is precious" in Firefly, it's going to be strange that an emphasis needs to be put on combat, which is important to an MMO -- thus the non-combat portions will be "waylaid and pushed outside the scope of the original launch." Joss Whedon's Firefly was clever and witty. How do you put that into something "narratively dead as a quest in a MMOG"? Um, you aren't one of the Serenity crew. Here's hoping that Firefly ends up working, for the simple fact that it would be nice to have a successful sci-fi MMO where your existence isn't ship-bound. Joss Whedon's "'verse" didn't even get a full season to develop, not to mention that although the series was incredible, the movie Serenity is a mixed-bag for fans. In the end, maybe Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, with its seven seasons of potential plotlines and characters, would have been a better option for an MMOG. See also: Firefly returns as MMORPG
Firefly returns as MMORPG
Half of coding an MMORPG is hiding the statistics. Wired News reports that the criminally unappreciated Firefly is set to return as a massive, online role-playing game, thanks to an agreement between Multiverse and Fox Licensing. A charming collision between Western settings and futuristic technology (think live-action Cowboy Bebop), Firefly was a show marked with witty writing and memorable characters, but marred with abysmal ratings and a quick cancellation. Fox Licensing's Adam Kline believes that "Multiverse can deliver an experience that will remain true to the original series, while enabling a whole new level of personal involvement for fans."Though hardcore Whedon fans are sure to be overcome with seizures of delight upon hearing this news, two crucial points need to be taken into consideration. The first -- Multiverse only develops the technology and tools necessary to create an MMORPG. For Firefly, they'll be hiring a team of seperate developers to realize their vision and not just do, as they say, "a reskin of World of Warcraft or Star Wars Galaxies." The second -- the massively multiplayer aspect of the genre implies that each player will have a unique character, with the show's core cast making celebrity-like appearances at best. Is Firefly's universe alone compelling enough for its own game? Looks like we'll have to wait until gorram 2008 before we can answer that one.[Thanks PapaZeb, adg1034]
Firefly launches DC and Looney Tunes-themed handsets
If the standard translucent blue is boring your tyke to tears, Firefly Mobile has a handful of new variations of its child-oriented handset that might just be what the doctor ordered. Through a deal with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Chicago-based Firefly Mobile is now peddling versions of its pod-shaped Firefly wrapped in Superman, Supergirl, and Tweety Bird designs. The Tweety Bird version is weirding us out a bit (click through to see what we mean) but we're sure they'll be a hit with the little 'uns this holiday season. Look for the phones in stores now or online at Firefly's site for $90 a pop.[Via Slashphone]
Imaginarium's Mo1 kiddie phone
The Imaginarium Mo1, which seems destined for Spain, doesn't appear to sport any unique features that distance it from the young'un mobiles that've launched here in the US: limited keypad, comprehensive parental controls, kid friendly design. It also packs tracking functionality (though we're not sure how we feel about 6-year-olds -- part of the target demographic -- being allowed to wander off far enough for their parents to require such a feature), and in our humblest of opinions, it's a little neater looking than either of our domestic offerings. Look for it this December for a reasonable sounding €59 (about $75) -- if you're on the other side of the pond, that is.[Via Mobilewhack]
Firefly reruns going high-def on UHD
Thanks to series creator Joss Whedon's insistence in shooting on film and in widescreen cult favorite Firefly has made an excellent candidate for the HD treatment and it is finally going to get it. The entire short-lived series, originally shown on Fox, will begin airing in 1080i September 24th on Universal HD. The movie adaptation Serenity was one of the first HD DVDs available, now we just want to know how long until we get a boxed HD DVD release?After this addition you may want to re-evaluate your most wanted network, we can see Universal HD moving up a few lists right now. This show brings it just a little closer to that HD Sci-Fi network so many people would like to see.[Thanks, Edgar]
Gigabyte's Keroro phone for youngsters
If you're under the age of 12 -- or at least possess the mentality of a 12 year old, as some of us here at Engadget do -- you've gotta be bummed that Japan seems to get all the cool kiddie phones. Sure, we get the Firefly and Migo in these parts, but we don't have any, you know, frog-themed handsets. Gigabyte's new limited-issue Keroro phone celebrates Japan's Keroro Gunso cartoon, better known around here as "Sgt. Frog," and considering the target demographic, the brightly colored slider doesn't seem to be a half-bad device. Besides sporting a miniSD slot with a bundled 128MB card, camera, and what appears to be a mammoth speakerphone on its back, you get a boatload of Keroro-themed swag. No word on pricing, but only 2000 units are planned, so Sgt. Frog fans best get on the horn with their importers post-haste.[Via Mobile Mentalism]
Lexar recalling 66,000 defective JumpDrives
Here's a new one for you: we've all seen product recalls stemming from overheating batteries, defective CCDs, and faulty power cords, but this is the first we've heard of a USB thumb drive being called back for "posing a risk of burns to consumers and property damage." Actually, Lexar -- in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission -- is recalling a total of five different models when all is said and done: the 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB flavors of the JumpDrive FireFly and the 1GB version of the JumpDrive Secure II. According to the CPSC, 66,000 of the faulty units were sold between April and May of this year -- check the Read link for specific serial number ranges -- and although so far no injuries have been reported, consumers are advised to stop using affected models immediately. As usual, the company will hook you up with a new model free of charge if you ask very nicely; as for us, we're probably gonna hold onto ours and use them to brand new interns with the Lexar logo as part of our geeky hazing ritual.[Via The Inquirer]
