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Ask WoW Insider: What makes a WoW hero?
Today's Ask WoW Insider brings us a philosophical question to ponder and stroke our beards over (should you play a male avatar, or perhaps a dwarf female). Jesper, editor of Outland Post, wonders what it takes to become a real hero within the WoW community: I am currently writing about the possibilities of becoming a hero within the WoW community, both IC and OOC. With anti-heroes like Leeroy Jenkins in mind, I am discussing on my realm forum and let players post comments about this topic. Have you guys written anything about this that I might be able to read? Yes, you can become a hero in-game by completing certain quests or downing certain bosses, but what special achievements, attitudes, or accomplishments make one respected on one's realm or in the WoW community at large? What are your thoughts? And don't forget -- Ask WoW Insider needs you! Send us your questions for your peers to answer, and we'll choose one to publish every week. Send your questions to ask AT wowinsider DOT com. Thanks!
HDTV Listings for January 22, 2007
What we're watching: 24 or Heroes? Many are debating that question tonight as each has a new episode airing at 9 p.m., not to mention fellow returnees Studio 60 and Prison Break. Luckily we came prepared with dual tuner DVRs, but for those who must choose only one, we hope you find solace in the knowledge that there is no wrong choice. (If you don't watch 24 then the the terrorists have won.)Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
Masi Oka loves his PSP
Time traveling Hiro Nakamura is a fan-favorite character in NBC's superhero drama, Heroes. Masi Oka recently spoke about his undying love for the PSP system, saving him from the more boring aspects of being an actor, like the constant waiting and traveling he must do. "That's all I do on planes, is whip out my PSP and just stay focused on it the whole ride through. I won't even get food. I'm not a big fan of flying, so the PSP system helps me."Oka takes advantage of all of PSP's capabilities, from games, to music to UMD movies. He's incredibly excited for the advanced Remote Play functionality with the PS3: "With PS3, I'm sure you'll be able to use the PSP system to play games down the line," said Oka. "It'd be cool to play Madden that way. I can't remember all of the plays, and when I'm playing against someone, I don't like the plays to be shown on the screen, but with a PSP, you could select plays for the PS3 Madden and not show anyone what you're thinking."The full interview is available at PlayStation.com. You can catch Hiro, being a hero, on Heroes on NBC. It returns next Monday at 9PM.
HDTV Listings for January 1, 2007
What we're watching: Happy New Year, and for us the highlight of the day is in just a few minutes when Michigan takes on USC in the Rose Bowl on ABC, but later on tonight we've also got the Fiesta Bowl featuring Boise State and Oklahoma. Not into football? Never fear, with three episodes of Heroes on NBC, a Northern Exposure marathon on Universal HD and Brokeback Mountain on HBO-HD there should be a suitable option for your HDTV viewing pleasure. Let's hope the rest of 2007 is as well-stocked with HD goodness as today is.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
It's (technically) Virtual Console Monday!
And you know what that means ... new games! Unfortunately, it looks like Nintendo has one hell of a hangover (we can't blame them, we were up till 6 AM ourselves), and they only managed to spit out two rather inauspicious titles: Baseball and Urban Champion, both for the NES. After five hundred points each, we maintain that both playing baseball and punching someone in the face are both far more enjoyable in real life in Wii Sports.And by the way, fellow fanboys, Happy New Year! Did your megaton party involve raucous Wii-playing? As you know, there was a more important countdown in Times Square around a month and a half ago, so if you played right through midnight, wish yourself a happy belated 2007 and check the ball-drop on your TiVo. Just kidding. We know you've already erased that to make room for the next episode of Heroes.
Joystiq on the Video Game Awards yellow carpet
Warning: video is NSFW Joystiq attended Spike TV's 2006 Video Game Awards last week, and here's the video to prove it. We literally had to shove our way into our designated spot at the press line and jockey for position with other outlets like Hustler and The Greater Cuyahoga News-Press. Once we were set, we asked the hard-hitting questions that have been on gamers' minds for some time. Some highlights: Joe Rogan literally going insane on camera talking about virtual reality Mark Ecko talking about Britney Spears' underwear allergy Samuel L. Jackson not popping us in the face One word of warning, the video isn't safe for work by a long shot. Joe Rogan uses some very colorful language near the end that has to be seen to be believed ... then again, maybe not. It is Joe Rogan after all. The 2006 Video Game Awards air tonight on Spike TV. Tune in if you want to see Sam Jackson drop some F-bombs, Stewie Griffin insult Sam, and Sarah Silverman insult every gamer in the world. The best thing about it is the Burning Crusade opening cinematic that premieres during the show. That and the skits about the motion-capture guy. Nothing is funnier than jokes about balls, right? Alternatively, you could also go back and start beating Gears of War on insane. The night is yours!
VC Monday: Plus Four!
Nintendo promised something like ten a month, but at this rate, we'll be seeing sixteen. Nintendo dropped yet another four vintage goodies on us at noon EST today, and here are the pickings: Ice Hockey (NES) - a much-loved hockey sim that, unfortunately, is beginning to show its age. Where is the ever-revered NHL '94 for SNES? Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis) - If Jack Thompson had been as retarded in 1993 as he is now, he'd certainly have gone after this game. Much-lauded for its frenetic and gleeful gut-ripping gameplay, GH is considered one of Sega's best games. Check this 2-D shooter out. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Sega Genesis) - some beans are falling, or something, and you have to match them...whatever. We got Columns last week, didn't we? Alien Crush (TG-16) - a rather odd pinball-sim involving scary aliens with a multitude of eyes. If you're into the pinball scene, go for it, if not, settle for some extraterrestrial orange soda. (Zing!) We still, of course, anxiously await the previous announced Toe Jam and Earl. We wantsssss it!
Heroes gets a new name
Forget Heroes -- we don't need no stinkin' heroes. Looks like Suda 51's latest is going through a rechristening and will sport a name not unlike the old name, just without all that messy implied hope. The forthcoming Grasshopper title will now be called No More Heroes. We're at a loss for which title is a better choice. Here we have a game rife with murder and mayhem, with light sabers katanas and a city named Santa Destroy ... it's hard not to see heroes in that!
New name, details for Suda51's Heroes
Japanese magazine Famitsu has published new information on the upcoming Wii game from Suda 51's Grasshopper Studios (Killer 7, Contact). Once called Heroes, the new name for the title is No More Heroes. Unlike Killer 7, you can roam freely around the Santa Destroy, a city purported to look more Westernized with a name so god awful we cringe typing it.In No More Heroes, you play assassin-wannabe Travis Touchdown (*cringe*), who fights with a beam katana. Sword fighting, however, sounds pretty hands-off: you position the Wiimote either up, down, or centered to indicate one of three fighting stances. Fighting is then accomplished via repeatedly tapping the A button. Repetition reprieve comes from shaking the control to build up an energy meter (Dragon Ball Z, anyone?) and swing the controlling following on-screen prompts. We're a bit dismayed by how the control scheme is described, but we'll await a hands-on impression before we make any judgments. When will a game designer figure out how to implement a fun-but-accurate sword fighting simulator?Suda 51 is hoping to sell one million copies worldwide, so expect a US release. No More Heroes is due out Summer 2007 in Japan.[Via Evil Avatar]See Also: Suda 51 reveals Heroes (Wii) game trailer
Heroes of Mana gets flying ship
Famitsu updated their website with some information pertaining to Heroes of Mana. Revealing the protagonist's airship, it turns out that utilizing it will become a critical aspect of the game. The aircraft will be present in battles and it is up to the player to defend it and ensure its safe escape once battle is complete. Translation isn't the best, so we do not have the name of the ship or any more information regarding its use in the game.See also: TGS 2006: Heroes of Mana trailer excites
Apple posts new iPod shuffle ad
Apple premiered a new iPod shuffle ad today (I saw it while watching Heroes). There are no dancers in sight, in fact all you see are torsos putting on different pieces of clothes and attaching an iPod shuffle to them. All of this whilst Who's Gonna Sing? by The Prototypes is playing in the background. The ad ends with the slogan, 'Put some music on.' Oh, so clever Apple!
Heroes and Apple
Apple is known for savvy product placement deals, particularly on TV. Its prominence in Aaron's Sorkin's "Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip" is both well planned and widely known (in 2003, Sorkin helped promote PowerBooks in an Apple product introduction video). Macs, particularly laptops, have also appeared extensively in shows like "Veronica Mars". So why was I so surprised to see Apple credited on a recent episode of NBC's "Heroes"? Because as far as I know, I have never seen an Apple product on that show. Yes, the show is available at the iTunes store, where it sells well, but have any of you readers seen actual Apple hardware placements in the show itself? Let us know in the comments.
Medal of Honor hype on IGN
IGN has a huge blow-out on the upcoming PSP Medal of Honor Heroes. They have one written-by-a-marketing-team write-up that features profiles of the in-game characters: Generic McAmerican, Jimmy Paterson, William Holt and John Baker. Snore... The other is an interview with the game's producer, Peter Choi. It very similar to a previous interview, but it's great to know that he understands some of the things PSP fans are looking for from a game: 32 player online (Infrastructure) multiplayer. I can't stress enough how awesome that sounds. "The game is also optimized to have very short load times, which is hugely important for gamers on-the-go." (Yes!) "User Hosted Server feature along with official EA Nation Server games, are both fully customizable and have very detailed leaderboards and stat tracking." (Yes!) If all that hype wasn't enough for you, then you might want to check out the newest trailer for the game. It looks a lot like the previous videos, but with even sharper, prettier graphics.
Kingdom Under Fire's new direction
The official web site for Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom is now live, and while the scantily-clad warrior babes remain, the addictive mix of action and strategy that has defined the series is being replaced by a hack-and-slash RPG. If you were turned off by the disappointing Ninety-Nine Nights, you might say Phantagram has done the smart thing by giving Blueside a little creative freedom to experiment with "never-before-imagined innovation and fresh ideas" (from the web site). 2006 has also been a banner year for RPGs, not to mention the fact that 30% of Joystiq readers prefer role-playing adventures. So why not ride the wave?There are some potential pitfalls: random dungeons, branching stories, and characters who get tired aren't all that innovative. There's also Blueside's inexperience with RPGs, and the imminent risk of diluting the franchise. On the flip side of the coin, you have KUF's rich fantasy world to play in and the impressive production quality that highlighted KUF: Heroes. Do you think Circle of Doom will be another Champions of Norrath, or a Seven Sorrows?And despite N3's shortcomings, Phantagram hasn't necessarily become gun-shy. This RPG diversion is supposedly just a side quest in the series, and the Korean developer is currently working on another KUF sequel of the more familiar action-strategy variety -- after they finish the PC version of Circle of Doom.
TGS 'best of' round part two: you asked for it
A smattering of additional game videos from the Tokyo Game Show, culled together from what you wanted to see added to our best of list. Videos are embedded after the jump.
Updated Heroes trailer is no less bizarre than the last
Back in July, we posted a "leaked" trailer of Heroes for your viewing pleasure. The link has since been taken down, at the request of the publisher. At TGS, however, Suda 51's newest masterpiece was once again brought into the light. Anyone who's played their previous title, Killer 7, knows exactly how surrealistic these games can be, and this newer trailer does nothing but highlight the fact. Despite the "anybody pick up and play" design Nintendo seems to love so dearly, the Wii is accruing a rather impressive collection of extremely mature games. Between Heroes, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Sadness, and the Orb/Thorn/Darkess combo from Crossbeam Studios, those of sounder mind and matter should be more than happy ... not to mention the ridiculous plethora of first-person shooters coming our way.
HDTV Listings for September 25, 2006
What we're watching: Finally an HD premiere from The CW, as Runaway, a series about a whole family on the run from the law begins tonight. Also airing for the first time is Heroes on NBC, as everyday people gain supernatural powers. Slightly less fantastic but still extraodinary is the return of the NFL to New Orleans, with the Saints home opener vs. Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip received good reviews for its premiere episode and is back with number two, along with the whole CBS lineup bookended by new comedy The Class and CSI: Miami. If Heroes doesn't fulfill your sci-fi urge, there's still Star Trek: Enterprise on HDNet and Doom on Cinemax.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
TGS 2006: Heroes of Mana trailer excites
In the latest trailer for Heroes of Mana, a lot of cool animation and music whet our appetite, even if it is lacking in actual gameplay. We love RPGs on the go, and while we wait like crazed madmen for a certain last fantasy, we can still muster excitement over the latest Mana title to hit our shores. One question, however, we must ask: why do the characters all look like they're Padaung with the rings off?As always, the video is embedded into the post, after the break.[Via Go Nintendo]
Farming fun without the cow patties
Harvest Moon Heroes producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto posits that a farming sim is far more entertaining than actual farming, and we're forced to agree -- unless you're one of those freaks who actually enjoys yard work and such. However, if you want to get close to the real thing without breaking a sweat or sliding around in the byproducts of pork futures, then the Wii version of the long-running Harvest Moon franchise is just what you need. In designing the latest installment in the series, Hashimoto says they worked to walk a fine line between work and play. After all, if the game is too much like work, then why play? Why not trundle into the backyard, shovel in one hand and spade in the other, and make your own garden? Harvest Moon Heroes works to get as close to that as possible, albeit without the added bonus of fresh tomatoes or peppers. But it sounds like the game will be a perfect illustration of the Wii's ability to translate the gaming experience into reality, or at least a semblance thereof. Sounds like a sign a great things to come.
Heroes of the Pacific sequel coming to the Wii
Unless you're one who owns multiple consoles from the last generation or enjoy gaming via the PC, it's likely you've never played Heroes of the Pacific. While the game had some interesting segments, it was lacking in the kind of gameplay critics laud. According to Australian blog The Age, a sequel is in the works for next-gen consoles, including the Wii.According to the post, IR Gurus have completed 6 months of pre-production on the sequel Heroes Over Europe, which is to be published by Red Mile Entertainment. Sadly though, nothing is said about the Wii version of the title specifically, leaving us to speculate on how the Wiimote will be utilized.
