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IGN and Gamespy preview WAR's Elven starting areas
Partners-in-crime IGN and Gamespy recently visited Mythic to get some hands-on time with a couple of the starting areas in Warhammer Online. IGN ended up with the High Elves, taking Swordmaster as their class, and Gamespy chose the Dark Elves and picked Sorceress. One of the things that Gamespy commented on was the close proximity of the High Elf and Dark Elf starting areas to each other. They also noted that some of the newbie quests deliberately brought the two races together, within striking distance, giving players the choice to either scowl menacingly, or jump straight into PvP. There was unfortunately no mention of a meet-up and subsequent rumble with their noble High Elven counterparts though. Both teams ended their playtime by participating in a public quest, and you can read all about it from either IGN's or Gamespy's perspective.
Rising from a lowly slave - Age of Conan's starting point profiled
With Age of Conan's launch ever-closer, more information continues to spill from the lips of Funcom employees. To continue the fan-priming, Gamespy has a look at Tortage Island - the first zone you'll enter in your AoC adventures. An escaped slave newly freed by a shipwreck, you'll brave steamy, treacherous jungles and dark dungeons just within your first dozen hours of life in Hyborea. The piece focuses on one of those dungeons, describing the mad crypts of the Onyx Tomb and the foul beings that inhabit its depths. A former treasure trove turned laboratory, the place is crawling with Scaleskin Lizard snakemen and some truly stomach-turning mummies. The screenshots of these vile beasts really don't do them justice; until you've seen one of the horrid undead lurching towards you with its entrails hanging out its hard to appreciate just how far they can go with that M rating.Glimpses of those tomb horrors, as well as other parts of the Hyborean landscape, are available in the new trailer the site is hosting. You can check it out below the cut. Make sure to stay to the end - the Lizardmen attack animations are incredibly creepy looking.%Gallery-9836%
A preview of D&D Online's sixth module
While the focus on much of the MMO community is on the reigning champ or the upcoming hotness, loyal fans keep smaller games not only afloat but flourishing. Turbine's Dungeons and Dragons Online is one such game tirelessly continuing development , despite the lack of mainstream media attention or general community buzz. Gamespy has coverage of the next release slated for the game, Module Six: "The Thirteenth Eclipse". It should be patched in before the end of the month.The video above nicely encapsulates the highlights of the next publish, which will offer the beginnings of a crafting system and the introduction of a demonic struggle to the continent of Xen'drick. The demon attack is especially interesting for fans of the Eberron setting; the fiends are invading from one of the mysterious outer planes, slipping into the world through a collision between the prime material plane and the Shavarath Battleground. Great stuff, reaching deep into the setting's lore. For a full look at the publish make sure you check out the written article. It's worth noting that this piece is just another in GameSpy's pattern of giving quality coverage to MMOs. Whether it's an interview with the FFXI team or a peak at Project Entropia's 2008 plans, they're doing top-notch work over there.
LotRO and TBC honored in GameSpy 2007 awards
GameSpy recently released the latest iteration of its annual best-of list. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar was ranked #6 in the best PC games of 2007 list. World of Warcraft's The Burning Crusade expansion also got some attention. It came in at #5 on the same list -- just an inch ahead of LotRO. However, LotRO also walked away with a bigger prize -- the title of PC MMO Game of the Year.Both LotRO and TBC failed to beat blockbuster first-person-shooter fare like BioShock and Call of Duty 4 in the overall PC list, but still, this was a pleasant cap to a strong year for both titles, especially LotRO, which saw promising sales figures and a warm critical reception right out of the launch bay door this Spring.TBC and LotRO are also nominees for various "gamers' choice" awards. The voting for those awards comes to a close today, and the winners will be announced tomorrow.
Unreal Tournament 3 multiplayer powered by GameSpy
IGN and Epic sent word this morning that Unreal Tournament 3 will use GameSpy's online technology for multiplayer match ups. The announcement makes sense, given that GameSpy joined Epic's Integrated Partners Program in August, marrying the company's technology with Unreal Engine 3 and permitting cross-platform play across both the PC and PS3. According to a statement, both versions of UT3 will leverage off of GameSpy's tools for multiplayer matchmaking, in-game and out-of-game messaging, tracking players stats, VoIP messaging, and online ranking and leaderboards. However, while interoperability between the two versions of UT3 is expected, this still has not yet been confirmed. The game is currently earmarked on our calenders for release for the PC on November 19, while the PS3 version remains something of a mystery.[Via press release]
Metareview: Burnout Dominator
We've had our eye on Burnout Dominator for a while now: it has pretty looks, and features new content made exclusively for PSP and PS2. But, we were worried: maybe the game looks too much like the previous Burnout games? Surely, explosive car gameplay can't get old ... or can it? Let's see what the critics had to say: IGN (85/100) thinks it ups the ante from previous Burnout titles ... almost: "The racing is just as adrenaline pumping as it's ever been, and possibly even more so than what we saw in Burnout Revenge as you need to be afraid of traffic once again. However, the lack of standard features and modes like Crash are a rather big disappointment." Gamespot (82/100) doesn't think Dominator revolutionizes the series, but thinks it's still good: "Burnout Dominator is more Burnout, and that's great. It may not have all the newfangled bells and whistles that you'd want from a sequel, but if you're a fan of the series who absolutely must have new tracks as soon as possible, Dominator should satisfy you nicely." GameSpy (60/100) thinks it's a clear step backwards for the franchise: "Rather than another true entry in the series, Dominator is a simple C-grade mashup." You've seen the footage, so you should be able to decide for yourself: does this throwback to the earlier Burnout games do it for you? At least one thing's agreed upon by all three of these critics: get the PSP version instead of the PS2. It looks more impressive, and has slightly more functionality than the console counterpart.
A scary, scary rumor (i.e. GameSpy sucks?)
The good folks over at GoNintendo are referencing an informal interview by one "Falafelkid", whom they claim to be as reputable as they come. He has apparently spoken with some GameSpy PR people (whom we have attempted to contact and failed miserably), who will be partnering with Nintendo to provide online functionality in upcoming games. The grim, grim news?Falafelkid: Just one last question to make absolutely sure I have got this right, please. If I have a friend roster in one game, that roster will not be available to me in any other game. I have to build up an entirely new list for each title, right?GameSpy: The answer to your question is yes, for the Wii friend lists are game-specific.Ughhhhh. We don't want to take this as fact, but the mere prospect leaves us depressed and in a need of a rainbow or something to cheer us up. The Wii maintains an internal friends list as is; why can't games simply access said list and use it universally across the platform? Why, Nintendo, why?
Nintendo teams up with GameSpy again for multiplayer Wii
If you've participated in an online game with your Nintendo DS, you've already enjoyed the fruits of this partnership, since GameSpy powered Nintendo's first major foray into online matches, but it looks like Nintendo and GameSpy are about to take things up a notch with the Wii. The pair have just announced that GameSpy middleware will power the multiplayer aspects of online Wii games, with current Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection features at first, but eventually friend rosters, matchmaking and ranking at last. It ain't no PlayStation Home, but it looks like Nintendo is finally ready to start seriously chasing online gamers. Pokémon Battle Revolution will kick things off on June 25.[Via Joystiq]
Reminder: Nintendo and GameSpy partner for online functionality
We already knew these two would be working together. Actually, we knew this since E3, so there's no news there. But, we assure you, there is some news in this story and it's the possibility of Nintendo moving away from the completely horrible friend codes system that many do not enjoy on the DS. No, the news is that Gamespy will incorporate friend rosters, matchmaking and ranking data into Wi-Fi compatible games, similar to the same online features many Xbox 360 fanboys enjoy. And we couldn't be happier ...
Nintendo partners with GameSpy for enhanced online play
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Nintendo_partners_with_GameSpy_for_enhanced_online_play'; In a press release sent out today, GameSpy has announced it will provide "multiplayer technology" to publishers developing games for the Wii. The middleware allows the same online functionality found in DS games but will include friend rosters, matchmaking, and ranking data similar to Xbox Live. It's about time! Looks like Nintendo is finally willing to share their online service with 3rd party developers.Nintendo has had a toe in the online world since Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection launched in 2005, but game-specific friend codes and the lack of a central hub have made the service a cumbersome experience. Could this mean the end of friend codes and the beginning of a beautiful online experience?
Who you gonna fight as in The Warriors?
Rockstar's latest is coming out real soon. This PS2 port has already earned one rave review from GameSpy: its budget price, and immediately available Armies of the Night mode, pushed it to a pretty fantastic 4.5/5 score from them. "The Warriors is that console generation's best pure brawler," GameSpy notes. Sounds exciting, no?To get a better feel for the violence that'll end up in our handhelds, Gamespot has covered the various characters and fighting styles in the game. You'll be able to read up on thugs like Cleon, Swan, Snow and Ajax. Having missed the PS2 original, I have to admit that I'm pretty excited for this Tuesday's big release. Are you?
Gamespy says good things about Crackdown
Crackdown seems to be the game everyone wants to figure out, leaving us to ask ourselves a bunch of questions. Can the game hold its own? Is the Halo 3 beta attached to it solely because it sucks so bad? Why is there no crack in Crackdown? We all got our hands on the demo and the truth is, we're thinking this game could be worth the $60 by itself. Now more good news comes from the Gamespy camp where they got to play a preview build of the game and it looks like they enjoy it. Gamespy says that the game isn't reinventing the wheel when it comes to sandbox games, but does things well enough to keep the experience fun, fresh and unique. Maybe it's leveling up of one's super powers or maybe it's just because we aren't forced to be thugs in the game. Whatever it may be, Gamespy goes out and says "this title is shaping up to be a solid purchase, Halo 3 beta invite or not" ... we really hope so. Read Gamespy's full preview after the jump.[Thanks, Jonah]
First Family Guy gameplay video released
I gotta say the Family Guy game is looking pretty darn sharp with its cell-shaded graphics, and IGN has just released the game's first video, showing off those gorgeous good looks. However, don't get too excited yet because this video has been added to all IGN channels its being developed for. Still, even if it's not the PSP version, it should still look very comparable. Gamespy had the privelage to play an early build and said the gameplay tends to get boring, but the visuals and storyline are very good. Family Guy, which will be published by 2K Games and developed by High Voltage Software is set to ship Oct. 16.
Superman Returns looking bizarre
In a move seemingly inspired by Ultimate Spiderman's villainous gameplay, EA is including the famed super-clone Bizzaro as a playable character in Superman Returns. Bizarro Jerry is surely pleased. Of course, the mere hint that a Supes game doesn't suck is the clearest indication yet that we're all living in an alternate universe.[Via VideoGameJocks]
Gamespy previews Contact
Gamespy is running a preview of the game Contact, the collaborative effort of Grasshopper Manufacturer (Killer 7) and Marvelous Interactive (Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town), adapted for localization by Atlus. One of the upcoming WiFi-compatible games eliciting the most interest, and for good reason, Contact tells the tale of an extra-terrestrial professor who crashes to Earth and meets a boy named Charlie, whom he enlists to aid him in repairing his ship. By encountering others in his travels and befriending them, Charlie then brings them into this world and can enlist their aid to accomplish said goals. The preview is a good piece, chock full of information on the game's interesting WiFi implementation and other goodies. In connecting with friends, your character becomes a NPC in their game, complete with your own scripted dialogue and look. The game is currently scheduled for a July release in America.
Independent Games Festival finalists in-depth
Gamespy has taken a detailed look at every one of the Independent Games Festival finalists, in advance of GDC next week where the awards ceremony will take place. If you've the time to go through the list in its entirety, you might be surprised at the range of games that have been under your nose all along.Gamasutra and GameDev.net have also been running interviews with some of the creators of these games, allowing interested players or designers to get a feel for the process of independent design and find out more about the games themselves. The latest Gamasutra interview is with Ominous Development (behind game Strange Attractors); GameDev.net posted six new interviews yesterday.
