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LOL Abuse in patch 3.0.2
The new achievement system that will be introduced with the 3.0.2 patch is going to make this game a bit more interesting. People will begin to do things just so they can have the achievement. In my opinion, this is great. It extends the game play and gives everyone something more to 'achieve.'What is not great in the eyes of some is the potential and actual abuse from the system that will result.Take for instance what happened when I created simple macro that did /lol, and spammed it for 60 seconds. I got a nice number of 258 "Total times LOL'd" written down in my achievements page, right there for everyone to see. This just opens up the door for abuse of the worst kind – lol abuse.What do I mean by lol abuse?
LOL makes a lot more sense now
This Gamasutra interview with Q? Entertainment's Reo Yonaga is interesting not just for the talk about the history of Tetsuya Mizuguchi's company (and the Sega UGA studio that preceded it), but also for little-known insights about Japanese gaming culture. For example, did you know that there were expansive, gaming bulletin boards populated entirely by women and children? "Because kids are so blunt, for WiFi games that involve rescue missions - you know what I'm talking about - crazy verbal battles break out. "The most interesting bit of the interview has absolutely nothing to do with Q. Yonaga describes the creation of Route-24's Archime-DS, known here as LOL. "I don't know how many months it took them, but the staff created that game by getting together every Saturday like you would for any extracurricular activity."LOL seems a bit less ridiculous as a side project that just ended up getting published than as a product created for a market. A multiplayer-only game with no premade content almost seems anti-commercial. But, as a "product of indie activity initiated by existing industry members," it seems very cool.%Gallery-18526%
DS releases for the week of May 26th
Happy holiday weekend to those of us in the US! Looks like everyone not in the UK has at least a few games to look forward to this week. We have some particularly exciting titles ourselves, including the much-anticipated Super Dodgeball Brawlers, but importers may also want to cast an eye toward Japan, as there's some excitement to be had there as well. LOL Looney Tunes Cartoon Concerto Super Dodgeball Brawlers USA Today Crosswords %Gallery-14440%
TurpsterVision: I am a real Barbarian
Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalise it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)It is a well known fact that Turpamania is running wild, but before Turpamania there was Hulkamania; arguably not as widespread and with as many Turpamaniacs, but our lesson has to begin somewhere. You see, Age of Conan was released today, and with that it conjures up images of the greatest barbarian of all time, Hulk Hogan – don't pretend like you don't remember all the words to his song, "I am a real Barbarian".Anyway, I digress: AoC has been billed as one of the four horsemen to herald the end of Blizzard's evil tyranny over the MMO market, but can any game, or any group of games, really topple the giant that is World of Warcraft? No, of course not, but that doesn't mean that they aren't great fun!
TurpsterVision: Why do we fall, sir?
Every Wednesday think "That is a day late!" and take the "T" from "That" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalise it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)In answer to the title of this week's episode, apparently it isn't so that we might better learn to pick ourselves up, it's because it is crazy fun! (Ed: Simple things Turpster, simple things.) After last week's trouncing I decided I would have to find a friendlier bunch of gamers to have a laugh with and try to have an insight on what playing their game is like. What I found surprised me. I wasn't expecting to see what I saw, the love and affection that these people give out, to complete strangers half the time, of all different shapes and cup sizes, it really warms the heart.Sure they get a lot of grief from gamers, mostly for it being a game, or for the amount of adults-only content continually poked at by the media. But I am not here to judge, I am here to review (Ed: Turpster, judge is a synonym for review.) On with the video! (Ed: Turpster, who is Ed? Aren't you just typing in brackets completely off topic?)
European dates for Etrian Odyssey, LOL, Pokemon Explorers
News of a European release date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl has dominated coverage of Nintendo's latest European release schedule, but there are a number of tasty morsels on the list for DS owners.For a start, the continent will finally be getting Atlus roguelike Etrian Odyssey, and it's about time -- lest we forget, the title made its U.S. debut last May! Notably, there are also dates (of varying specificity) for Race Driver: GRID (May), the new Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games (July 4th), New International Track & Field (Q2 2008), and Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? (June), the European version of Cooking Navi. "ArchimDS" appears on the list as well, though we presume this refers to LOL, or Bakushow as it'll be known in Euroland.Add all of those to this morning's Final Fantasy IV announcement, and Europe has quite the line-up of games to look forward to. Check past the break for the full list!
What the? Did IGN sneak onto my Okami boxart?
Personal story time, kiddies. I went out this morning to run some errands and pick up Okami, when, as I was leaving the Target, I noticed something weird about the boxart. I didn't recall us posting it on the site, so I spent some time glancing at the cover. It was then I noticed something very weird around Ameratsu's mouth: an IGN watermark."No, I didn't just see that," I told myself, as I placed the game back into the plastic bag the cashier put it in. Then, when I got back to the office, I checked a second time. And there it was again, sitting right where it was when I first spotted it. I quickly got online to see if anyone else caught this and lo and behold, our cruel overlords had reported on a thread at NeoGAF all about this. So yeah, now I feel like I want to return it. I know the watermark shouldn't bother me (it's pretty lultastic), but ... but it just does.%Gallery-16485%[Via Joystiq]
DS Daily: OMG LOL, amirite
Skip, the creators of Chibi-Robo, surprised us last year with Archime-DS, one of the most bizarre games on a system known for bizarre games (seriously, its most popular games are about doing math and walking dogs). Then Agetec surprised us by announcing plans to (sort of) release it in the U.S.! It's about the weirdest and most simplistic concept for a game we can think of, basically a chat client with a configurable timer and a voting mechanism.We normally don't like to rely on our friends to create a game's content, but at the same time we can't deny that Pictionary is fun -- and LOL is even more freeform than Pictionary. It's designed with the idea of voting on the best answer to player-submitted questions, or best prompted drawings, but you can kind of do whatever you want. There's definitely the possibility of fun to be had here, but do you think you'll be able to get past the strangeness of the game to seek it?%Gallery-18526%
Europeans get to LOL with Bakushow
We won't bombard you with more details about LOL (we can really only LOL so many times in one day), but news just rolled in that Rising Star would be bringing the game to Europe. Instead of being called LOL, though, it will be titled Bakushow, which means "big laugh" in Japanese.There's no word yet on whether Rising Star will follow in Agetec's footsteps and make the game available online only, but even if it is available in stores, we're sure it won't be the easiest game to find. Rising Star also gently reminds us that "Billy No Mates need not apply," since this software includes no single player mode. You probably already knew that, but we just wanted an excuse to write "Billy No Mates."If that doesn't deter you, we've added some new screens to our gallery (for the love of all that is holy, we get it, you can ask people to draw pandas!) should you feel so inclined to check them out.%Gallery-18526%[Via press release]
Look Online for LOL
Skip and Route24's LOL is seemingly a very freeform game. It has no prescribed content, just an open canvas with which you can design your own trivia or drawing game -- or anything else you want that involves sending pictures and text between DS systems. It provides the infrastructure and a timer, and that's pretty much it! But LOL is defined as much by its constraints as it is its freedom, in that it is a strictly multiplayer-only game. Don't have any friends around? It doesn't work. Now it seems there's another restriction: according to Agetec's product page, LOL will only be available online when it is released on May 30th. This has the effect of ensuring that what was once going to be just a bizarre game will be a very expensive bizarre game within a year's time. Also found on the product page: new screens (in our gallery!) and the boxart, with the ESRB "Game Experience May Change During Online Play" notice. Online play?%Gallery-18526%[Via Siliconera]
TurpsterVision: Battle of the Beards
Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalise it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...) I really hoped that I haven't peaked as an MMO reviewer, because this week's episode, complete with costumes and musical accompaniment, might be the best TV yet.This week our friendly co-lead blogger, Mike Schramm, punished me by having me review what many regard as an absolutely terrible game.With that said we invite you to join us after the break to see if Turpster can survive against such a title and hopefully answer the question on the lips of players around the world: Can Turpster really sing? I fear the answer to that question is no, but that doesn't stop him from trying!
A multiplayer-only drawing game? LOL!
"If the game is boring, you are boring." That's how Agetec is choosing to market a localized version of Skip's bizarre Archime DS, a multiplayer-only game that is entirely dependent on user-generated content. And we mean entirely.LOL DS is little more than a networked drawing pad. One player issues challenges to the others and determines a time limit. It is then up to the other players to fulfill that challenge using drawings or words. The group then votes on a winner, who is then the leader of the next round. And that's LOL!Is this emergent gameplay, or no gameplay? It's a very bold move on Agetec's part to release this, much as it was for Skip to release it in Japan.%Gallery-18526%[Via press release]
Laugh at Agetec's new DS game, 'LOL'
"If the game is boring, then you are boring." So says the motto of Agetec's newly announced DS game, "LOL." Billed as a "unique, free-form gaming experience," our first reaction to LOL is to erupt with laughter. A veritable LOLcano if you will, like the one we LOLlerbladed down whilst on LOLiday in MongLOLia. "As long as you are a fun-loving person with a little bit of an imagination, there should be no reason you find LOL to be anything less than a great time with your friends," says Agetec producer, Hiro Fukuoka. Indeed, you'll have to imagine most of the gameplay come this May, as LOL consists entirely of players writing and sending "challenges" to each other in the form of on-screen messages. The answers to the challenge (remember, the "crazier the challenge, the more fun everyone will have") are then shared between participants who then choose a winner amongst themselves. If they can find one.So confident is Agetec in the power of imagination that it hasn't even bothered to include a single-player mode. "We decided not to include a single player mode in the game because that would defeat the purpose," says Mark Johnson, seemingly unaware of the purpose's execution-style offing at the hands of Pictochat years ago. "LOL concentrates on the comedic joy of using the imagination of everyone in the room." You'll probably have to lock the door though, LOL!%Gallery-18396%
TurpsterVision: An Episode of Great Impotence
Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalise it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)It's that time of the week again folks! For some people out there they have been going through withdraw symptoms since my absence on this week's WoW Insider Show. Have no fear, for Super Turpster is here! I have tried to make it up to you guys, even though my schedule is whooping my butt. Thanks to all the folks from last week who voted Bard, you all win a "Turpster-Patented-Internet-High-Five".I find it very tough in this job to ever be fair to an MMO; I only get a week to play it and produce the review. It's always tough to get a sense of how fantastic it is past the starting zone. That in mind, I do urge all of you out there to try every MMO you can get your hands on. There is so much more out there than just World of Warcraft (Blasphemy I hear you scream!) Then again on Massively I feel like I am preaching to the choir!Enjoy the show this week; it was a close shave getting it up in time...in more ways than one! (Join us after the break to find out if Turpster is really allowed to make such horrid innuendo.)
TurpsterVision: London is HELL!
Every Tuesday think "T" for Turpster and take the "a" in "day", capitalize it, remove the little bit in the middle, turn it upside down and you get a "V". Put the two together and you'll have TV for TurpsterVision -- the best Internet video podcast on Massively! (Never mind that business about it being the only video podcast on Massively...)Welcome back to TurpsterVision! I'm lovin' it that you could join me for my second show; not a lot of people realize this but the video below is a live stream to my camera and I have to act out the episode multiple times a day for you, the lucky viewers. This week I have decided that it is finally time to find out which is truly the best MMO out on the market. If you want to find out, join us after the break to see what you should be playing!
We totally believe you, New Duck Hunt video
Yeah, we know, most of you guys are going to be skeptical of this video, which appears to depict a "New Duck Hunt" game for the Wii that imitates the original completely in every way except for 3D graphics. You think that the story given along with the video (that a Hudson employee's kid found an unlabeled disc in his father's desk that turned out to be a near-final New Duck Hunt) is dubious at best. You cynics think that this is some kind of hoax, right? A simple 3D animation played on the TV while a guy waggles randomly? Open your hearts, people! You've all been on the Internet too long if you can't believe a mysterious, suspicious video of an unannounced, yet complete, game. [Via Game|Life]
Wii prototype auction is disappointing
eBay seller funky_fruits put one of the rarest items we've ever seen on eBay: a one-of-a-kind Wii prototype system, complete with pre-production controller. Produced well in advance of the final system's design, this item features unique properties like "Sensor Bar port for detection of anyone coming within 5m of Nintendo Wii™ prototype - automatically vaporises intruders," "Accessory port on bottom of Wii Remote which can also control your TV and VCR," and "Wireless Free."How could we possibly be disappointed by an item that is so powerful that "Everything is just shoved into memory because there is so much of it - blinking fast"? Because the auction has been ended early by the seller. Nintendo must have gotten to him and threatened to vaporize him like they did the 10 scientists who originally created the system while living in a deserted Japanese airfield.
Wii Warm Up: Punniversary
This week, as part of our extended Wii anniversary celebration, we had a look at some of our favorite Wii puns found in other sites' (and our own) Wii-related coverage. But there's no way (no Wii, lol) we could possibly highlight every Wii pun on the Internet. There are too many and most of them are extremely (extWiimely, rofl) awful. But within the context of awful puns, some of them are fun.Now's your chance to step in and prove your expertise about a very specialized subject. What's your favorite Wii pun? We're sure you've seen a couple that we didn't mention.
Seriously, Project Gotham Racing 3 is not a PS3 game
Alright, this is getting ridiculous. For the third time in almost as many months, a sports model from Project Gotham Racing 3 has becoming an unwitting spokesmodel for Sony's PlayStation 3. Having already been mistaken for Gran Turismo HD and used to promote the PS3 in a KIA ad, Microsoft's exotic car racer now finds itself inside Dutch magazine, Mediamarkt, as posted in the Bizarre Creations forums. The depicted Saleen has likely been in those pages before... just not in an article discussing the PlayStation 3's future. Is this indicative of some deeply rooted desire for a multiplatform excursion for the series? Perhaps it's some subtle commentary on the lack of distinguishing features in the racing genre? We'll ponder these questions and more once we've finished our race in the Forizmo demo. Or whatever.[Thanks, v]
Archime DS screens: enjoy them alone while you can
Savor your solitude; once Archime DS actually gets released, your enjoyment of the game will hinge on the participation of the masses. Or at least the people you've shared friend codes with.These screenshots mostly show example play sessions-- one player writing a question, and then everyone voting on the best answer, or each player's version of a panda drawing. Since most of the content in this game is created on the fly, previews seem a little hollow. We can't really preview what you and your friends will draw, you know?We trust Skip (Chibi Robo, Giftpia) to make a compelling experience, but this program does have the air of non-gameness about it. It's not a training game, but it's not a traditional game either. It's in the "toy" category of non-games along with Jam Sessions and Electroplankton, we suppose.
