gravity
Latest
Double Dragon 2 remake achievements suggest upcoming, belated release
Achievements emerged today for Gravity's 3D XBLA remake of Double Dragon 2, subtitled Wander of the Dragons, a bit surprising really since we haven't heard anything about the game in 18 months. The remake, based on the arcade version of Double Dragon 2: The Revenge, was originally earmarked for a September 2011 release, a window it missed somewhat. However, today's listing on Xbox360Achievements doesn't just suggest there's still life in the game, but also that it's due for release soon.Wander of the Dragon, developed by the Gravity-owned Barunson Interactive of MMO Dragonica fame, doesn't much resemble the original game, mixing up a more modern-looking style of beat-em-up with different character designs, as you can see for yourself in the video above - bear in mind that footage is of what was shown back in 2011.
Ragnarok Online 2 open beta denied to most of the world
Do you have your heart set on trying out the betalicious Ragnarok Online 2? Well, unless you are reading this from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, or Vietnam, you're fresh out of luck. While Ragnarok Online 2's open beta begins tomorrow, Asiasoft posted the news that it will be unavailable outside of those four countries "due to [its] license agreement with the game's developer, Gravity Co., Ltd." The open beta was previously scheduled to begin on December 27th of last year but apparently ran into unspecified problems. [Thanks to Anthony and Ville for the tip!]
Alt-week 12.29.12: the speed of gravity, disease-smelling dogs and catching asteroids
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days. 2012, we salute you. All in all, you've been a pretty good year. There's been highs, lows, and lots of inbetweens. Above all else, though, you've been generous in the alternative arena. Whether it's the discovery of certain particles, or activities in space, 2012 had it covered. What better way to finish it off, then, with a disease smelling dog, a plan to catch an asteroid and a growable hangover cure. This is alt-week.
Ragnarok Online 2 open beta begins
Ragnarok Online 2 crosses the open beta threshold for its English version today, as any and all players are welcome to give this MMO sequel a spin. The game is a reworking of the first title, and brings back the job system, professions, the card system, and pets. There's also a way to set up your character to act as a player vendor while you're offline. The open beta may be undergoing hiccups right now, as the official website is down and Wikipedia is reporting "connection problems." We'll be keeping an eye on its progress for those of you interested in this title!
Ragnarok Online 2 closed beta ended today, switches to open December 27th
For the past six days, Ragnarok Online 2's closed beta testers have been participating in what online game operator Asiasoft Online called a "wildly successful" CBT run. As of today, the closed beta is kaput; the studio has moved on to fixing the technical issues and squashing the in-game bugs folks encountered during that test in preparation for the upcoming open beta period. Starting on December 27th, players will be able to access the open beta, and shortly thereafter, the cash shop will be introduced. In a press release issued today, Sherman Tan, Chairman of Aisiasoft Online, expressed gratitude for the response and thanked all of the participating testers who contributed to improving the game. He stated, "The Ragnarok Online 2 [beta] launch has been one of our biggest successes and we are very humbled and encouraged by the overwhelming response from players who filled our game servers during the CBT period." To get in the open beta, visit the official site to download the free client. [Source: Asiasoft Online press release]
Ragnarok Online 2 schedules closed beta events
Starting today, Gravity's Ragnarok Online 2 is throwing several closed beta events as the studio tests this fantasy-themed sequel. The events take place from December 7th through the 12th, opening up the game during a good chunk of each day. To encourage players to test the title, Gravity has plenty of activities and rewards in store for loyal participants. Testers can reserve their open beta names, win costumes and titles, snag real-life prizes, and meet GMs in-game. If you're in the closed beta, definitely sound off below and let us know what you think about Ragnarok Online 2! [Thanks to Ivan for the tip!]
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Colour Bind
Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Melbourne developer Finn Morgan discusses the affects of color-coded gravity in Colour Bind, out today on Steam. What's your game called and what's it about?It's called Colour Bind (easy to misread, I know - it's "Bind" with no "l"), and it's a world where objects of a different colour fall in a different direction. Maybe red objects fall down as normal, but green objects fall up and blue objects fall sideways. You control a car thing that has to drive to the goal of each level, overcoming various obstacles and puzzles that are made possible by the weird outcomes of the fact that gravity is pulling different objects in different directions.What inspired you to make Colour Bind?It's kind of a silly story. I was walking through Melbourne during a traffic jam, and it occurred to me that, viewed from above, the shapes of the long lines of cars moving and stopping in streams would make interesting shapes for a 2D platformer. The cars in this scenario would have to have gravity pulling them away from the camera, but the character in this hypothetical platformer would need to fall "down" relative to the camera.Thinking about this situation, of different bodies being pulled by gravity in different directions depending on their "type," distracted me from that game and eventually turned into Colour Bind.%Gallery-162103%
Gravity Rush director makes reference to sequel
Gravity Rush won the "Games of the Year Division Grand Award" at this year's Japan Game Awards, held during the Tokyo Game Show. That's great news for the team at Sony who developed the Vita action game, but it leads to potentially great news for everyone who enjoyed it.Speaking on Twitter, director Keiichiro Toyama said he would "do his best on the sequel." It's not clear from his statement whether the sequel is in progress now or just an idea, and Toyama couldn't go into further detail, but we're certainly ready for some new environments to turn upside down.
Ragnarok Online 2 trailer shows off upcoming Colosseum
Why settle for PvP or PvE when you can have a mixture of both, Colosseum-style? Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of the Second will be getting an update early next week that introduces a Colosseum where players will engage other players as well as monsters simultaneously. Besides the chance to earn a last-man-standing trophy from besting the entire field, participants can earn PvP points to use for purchasing PvP gear. Check out a preview of the Colosseum in the video after the break. Gravity's sequel to Ragnarok Online, Legend of the Second, is not available in NA or EU versions.
Colour Bind comes to grips with gravity on PC, Mac, Linux 'soon'
When we first got our hands on Puppy Punch Productions' Colour Bind at GDC this year, it looked much like it does now, in full, ready-for-release form. That's the thing about Colour Bind – it's not a feat in visual representation, but the ideas behind its physics-puzzle gameplay are outstanding all on their own, and flashy graphics would only serve to detract from its finesse. Colour Bind – now officially announced for PC, Man and Linux this year – has the player control a small vehicle and its gravity, along with the gravity of the surrounding terrain, by enabling different colors. The puzzles themselves are tricky in two layers: first in figuring out what to do with the gravity and then in the actual execution, as developer Finn Morgan describes in the above introduction video. Colour Bind is set to launch "soon" and includes more than 50 levels, local co-op and a level editor compatible with Steam Workshop.%Gallery-162103%
Ragnarok Online's War of Emperium event launches August 7th
Although Ragnarok Online recently introduced a classic server for fans who wanted to play the free-to-play fantasy game just like it was in the old days, that hasn't stopped Gravity Interactive from expanding and updating the game on the other servers. And one of those updates is the War of Emperium event that is set to launch on August 7th. In this new update, cracks in reality have appeared deep within the Halls of Abyss and an entrance to the Unknown Dimension has been discovered. Players will compete for these rare and coveted dimensional cracks. Producer Jason Koerperich states, "This WoE update is just the thing to spark that community competition! The new War of Emperium is a combined PvP and PvE mechanic that will pit players against each other in new ways." Players can keep an eye on the official facebook page for full details on the events as the week unfolds. [Source: Gravity Interactive press release]
Amazon drops free Gravity Rush in with Vita
We recommended Gravity Rush pretty enthusiastically. But we understand that not everyone has had a chance to play it, due to unfortunate factors like not owning it, and not owning a Vita to play it on.That's where Amazon comes in. Through August 4, any purchase of a Vita will qualify the buyer for a free copy of Gravity Rush. Amazon is also throwing in a screen cover, which you'd want anyway to keep the dangers of the world from reaching that precious screen.
Free for All: The old becomes new on Ragnarok's classic server
Ragnarok Online might seem very familiar to many of my readers. In fact, if you are from a certain age group, the group that grew up with the internet instead of watching it come into being while you were already living on your own, you might have played Ragnarok Online. I can often tell a Ragnarok fan as well. They're OK with the grind as long is it pays off in the end, and they usually have a pretty exact way of looking at MMOs. I have yet to find a Ragnarok player who is over 30 and who roleplays more than anything. In other words, Ragnarok has affected almost an entire generation of MMO gamers. Personally, I always enjoyed the graphics of the game when I got a few chances to play it, but the overwhelming world and gameplay was a bit too much, and I didn't really enjoy the entire experience. Well, good news for me! I can now roll on a brand-new, old-school server that promises to be more like something from the early days of the game. The best news? All players will start off on the same page. Want to know more? Keep reading because I sat in on a conference call with Ragnarok producer Jason Koerperich to talk about all of the changes.
Ragnarok Online classic server coming on June 29th
If you're a Ragnarok Online fan who is prone to nostalgia, you'll be happy to know that Gravity Interactive has just announced a new initiative bound to put a smile on your face. The firm is gearing up to deploy a new classic server that uses all of "the original game settings and physics." Gravity says that the Ragnarok community has been asking for a throw-back shard for years. Now that it's here, fans of the 10-year-old title can choose between the current version and "its more simple and classic form." Ragnarok originally launched in Korea in August of 2002 before coming to North America in June 2003. The new server is scheduled to go live on Friday, June 29th. [Source: Gravity Interactive press release]
Gravity Rush DLC detailed, buy on PSN this week for Military pack
If you didn't pre-order Gravity Rush on Amazon, you still have a shot at getting the "Military" DLC pack, with a new costume and new missions, for free. Purchasing the game on PSN during launch week (this week!) will get you that DLC for free. The PSN version is also slightly cheaper at $35.99. If you miss the DLC, it'll be released on July 24 for $3.99.On June 26, you can get the "Spy Pack" for $3.99, adding two side missions, two challenge missions, and a "spy costume" ... which is a Catwoman suit. With a tail and everything. Sure. On July 10, you can get the "Maid Pack" with two more side missions, two more challenge missions, and another frustratingly inappropriate costume.
Gravity Rush review: Disorient Express
Gravity Rush for PS Vita is a particular kind of superhero simulation I can't recall seeing before: not only is it an excellent approximation of what I imagine it's like to be a superhero, it approximates the life of a new superhero, with all the awkwardness that entails.Protagonist Kat, who wakes up with no memories and a starfield-patterned cat companion that allows her to alter her personal gravity, is not terribly graceful with her abilities, as befits someone who just gained the power to fall in any direction. She is, however, immediately willing to help save her new friends from mysterious "gravity storms" eating away parts of the town, and the "Nevi" monsters that start creeping in, and her enthusiasm makes up for the growing pains.%Gallery-156045%
Ragnarok Online update introduces the town of Port Malaya
It's been over a year since we heard anything from Gravity Interactive's long-running title Ragnarok Online, but today, the silence has been broken. The studio has announced the game's newest content update, which will allow players to visit the paradisiacal Port Malaya, where "the water's always warm and the monsters are always dangerous." Players level 100 and up will find plenty to do in the new port town, such as "dozens of new quests, including an entire suite of daily tasks to perform." New dungeons also await in Port Malaya, and with new dungeons comes new gear and a new tattoo system that will grant players permanent buffs. Players will need all the power they can get to square off against the myriad new MVP Monsters that inhabit the wilds of Port Malaya. More details on the update can be found on Ragnarok Online's official site, so head on over there and set sail for Port Malaya. [Source: Gravity Interactive press release]
Gravity Interactive announces free-to-play Maestia fantasy title
Gravity Interactive has announced the latest addition to its WarpPortal online service. The new game is called Maestia: Rise of Keledus, and it's scheduled to debut later this summer. Gravity says that the game, which is being developed by ROC Works, is "an eternal struggle for power and righteousness in a world where friends and enemies are not easily discernible." Maestia features instanced dungeons, guild and faction PvP, and traditional questing and crafting systems. Huge world bosses and epic class-based mounts round out the feature set, all of which is available via a free-to-play business model. You can view a ton of screenshots and a comprehensive features list at the official Maestia website. [Source: Gravity Interactive press release]
ISS ready for new zero-g experiments, students asked to float ideas
Those secret space experiments you've been scheming? They may never happen if you try to go it alone. Fortunately, the space science group NCESSE can get you a ride, having started the countdown for its fifth wave of microgravity experiments aboard the International Space Station. US and international students from grade 5 up to university level can submit ideas until September 12th, 2012, with final culling by December 7. The mini-labs -- which can include experiments in seed germination or crystal growth, for example -- are set to be ferried aboard a SpaceX flight in April 2013. Three similar missions have flown nearly 60 student experiments already, with a fourth set as soon as the Falcon 9 craft deigns to go. If you've got a flat-out good idea being prevented by big G, hit the source to see how you could get it fired off to the ISS.
Gravity Rush's love affair with the 'bande dessinee' art style
Gravity Rush's art draws heavily from the Franco-Belgian comic book style bande dessinee, which is marked by exaggerating elements that the reader should pay the most attention to. For Gravity Rush, this means creating a large, lush world with multiple, vertical layers and buildings, done with a line drawing method that makes structures more easily recognized, art director Yoshiaki Yamaguchi writes on the PS Blog."The direction we chose to use for the game's graphics conveys the necessary information with exaggeration that matches the player's sensation," Yamaguchi says. "Taking that into consideration, we also wanted to use line drawings, the characteristic of BD and the simulation of beautiful air effects. I think the broader the game art expression becomes, the more interactive a game becomes."The hue of the sky and concept of a living background, as Yamaguchi has previously gushed about, look to bring Gravity Rush's art full circle, even in its initial stages in the 2008 concept video above.
