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Grouping, procedural content and PvP in Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online's attendance of the New York Comic-con has happily resulted in some new information finding it's way to the internet. As such, Allakhazam has a good write-up of their time spent with Cryptic's Craig Zinkievich, and we've concentrated it down into the newest puzzle pieces of information. Firstly, players will always play planet content in groups of five, either with four NPCs or four friendly players. NPCs fill any gaps, so three friends could play together with two NPC allies trotting alongside them. Additionally, Cryptic says their goal is to truly encapsulate the spirit of Star Trek by allowing players to be the first to discover locations and planets. To that end, procedurally generated space content will compliment the manually created variety.The final new gameplay-related information is that PvP functionality already exists in the game now -- which is a promising piece of news considering the amount of balancing time required to make such a feature work properly. Lastly, it seems like a late 2009 or early 2010 launch date isn't entirely out of the question. While Zinkievich didn't give any actual dates, he did say the game could be coming sooner than expected, albeit sometime after Champions Online hits retail shelves.
DC Universe Online video shows open PvP gameplay as a villain
Most of the video footage seen of DC Universe Online to date focuses on the setting's iconic heroes and the role a player can take in assisting them. While taking down the bad guys in a game is fun, sometimes it's good to be bad, as the newest gameplay footage we've seen of DCUO from New York Comic Con shows us.We were pretty excited when we noticed this over at Limited Edition today and it's certainly worth a look if you're into the superhero games genre. The GameTrailers video is a walkthrough of an open PvP area, from the perspective of a psychotic clown with psi-blasts, blazing speed, and freakish strength. Need I say more? Check out the video embed below for a look at DC Universe Online's PvP mixed in with developer commentary on what you're seeing.
Hands-on with Prototype: being a super-powered badass
Within seconds, we were able to run along the sides of buildings, glide through the air, and take down tanks with the greatest of ease. Prototype, Activision's upcoming open-world super hero game, is undoubtedly an ambitious project. However, in spite of the game's diverse move set, the team at Radical Entertainment has managed to streamline the experience, presenting a control scheme that's instantly rewarding.There's nothing more emasculating than having to struggle with a control pad. The demo presented at Comic Con eased us into Alex Mercer's overwhelming power. Movement is quite possibly the most impressive facet of the game: absolutely nothing will ever get in your way. Want to take on a tank? Lock on and simply fly there. A building in your way? Simply run towards it ... and then up it, ignoring all effects of gravity.Traversing the landscape is thrilling, especially with so much happening on screen. Even without the massive mobs being rendered, the virtual NYC in Prototype is, from what we've seen, even more authentic than the one found in GTA4. The scale is appreciably larger; Times Square is appropriately filled with masses of panicked crowds. It's hard not to feel like you've been transplanted into a big-budget Marvel movie with the scope and scale of these visuals.%Gallery-44022%
Cryptic Studios tweeting from New York Comic Con
Among the MMO developers who will be at this year's New York Comic Con is Cryptic Studios, who are producing the much-anticipated titles Champions Online and Star Trek Online. Their studio's site announced that they'll be using Twitter at NYCC, so those of you out there who can't make the trip to New York (or simply aren't willing to deal with the East Coast winter) can follow what they're doing or announcing at their booth, and of course during the panels. The main twitters coming from Cryptic Studios are through http://twitter.com/CrypticStudios, but other members of the studio's team can be obsessively monitored as well: CrypticZinc Cryptic_chrono CrypticAwen CrypticFireCait Remotely stalking your favorite devs has never been easier! But if you're in town, you can check out the Cryptic Meet and Greet at NYCC on Saturday, February 7th, between 1pm and 2pm EST.
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Prototype slated for June release
Perusing the assorted New York Comic Con invitations in our inbox this morning, we stumbled across one particularly interesting line among the bullet points in an email from Activision -- a much more solid release date for upcoming T-1000 simulation open-world/action game Prototype. And rather than put words into the company's mouth, let's look right at what came from the press release:"Hands-on – fans get their first chance to play the highly anticipated open-world/action thriller, PROTOTYPE, planned for release in June."We can't say for sure if we're excited for the potential 12 hours of shape-shifting, open-world madness yet, but look for our first impressions later this week (though as the picture above confirms -- yes, you can shoot blood in all directions). If you're really jonesin' for some brutality in the meantime, check out the latest trailer from last month's CES.%Gallery-5779%
Writer Marv Wolfman signs up for DC Universe Online
Earlier this week we heard about a secret comic book "legend" joining the DC Universe Online development team. The silhouetted individual was supposed to be revealed at New York Comic Con next weekend. Of course, you didn't expect it to remain a secret until then, did you? The latest issue of Wizard magazine (via BigDownload) has let the Black Cat out of the bag: writer Marv Wolfman will be enlisting with previously revealed comic veterans Geoff Jones and Jim Lee and the rest of Sony Online. The creator of Blade and writer of Crisis on Infinite Earths will be expanding and adding to the narrative already written by Jones, while Lee is handling the art direction. Even though the surprise has apparently been spoiled, you'll still be able to enjoy a brand new playable demo at the convention. Look for the DC Universe Online panel on Saturday, February 7.
DC Universe Online flying into New York Comic-Con at full force
If you're planning on heading to the New York Comic-Con this year then be prepared to see DC Universe Online in full force. SOE is pulling out all the stops this time around, including the first-ever villain play via a new playable demo at the SOE booth on the show floor. Something else attendees won't want to miss will be the panel on Saturday, February 7th where a mysterious new creative team member will be revealed and opened to questions along with Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, SOE developers Wes Yanagi, Jens Andersen and Jared Carr.Immediately after the Saturday panel, SOE will be holding a fan event where the new villain-focused demo will be available for further play. Plus, Jim Lee and Geoff Johns will be on hand to speak about the game some more -- as if they won't have been pelted by fervent fan questions already. Still, the whole thing sounds like a ton of fun for anyone looking forward to DC Universe Online and the new superhero MMOs in general.Find full details after the cut. Did you enjoy this? We've donned our capes and tights to explore SOE's DC Universe Online in-depth. Come explore more of Metropolis and Gotham with your friends at Massively!
Get Champions Online swag and beta keys at New York Comic Con
Cryptic Studios will be showing off Champions Online at New York Comic Con (which takes place in February from the 6th to the 8th) and they want you to know that you will be handsomely rewarded if you are able to pay them a visit. Not only will there be new playable demos to explore, but fans will also be treated to swag, and the possibility of beta keys. The beta keys will be awarded to contest winners, but we've got no idea what the contests might be, so you'd best brush up on your feats of strength, eye-laser marksmanship, and flight dexterity, just to be safe. Here are the details for Cryptic Studios at NY Comic Con:Cryptic Meet and Greet: Saturday, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m., Room TBD*Champions Online/Star Trek Online Panel: Saturday 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Room 1A24 (view never before seen footage of STO)MMO Round Table: Saturday 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Room 1A24 *Check in at the Cryptic booth (#1341) for the super-secret room location. Oh, and if you happen to be looking for a job in the games industry, it sounds like Cryptic might have some folks at the show on the lookout for new recruits, so make yourself known!
Comic-Con 09: Warhammer Online pulling out all the stops
Get ready for WAR, comic geeks (it's a rule that geeks can call other geeks geeks)! Paul Barnett and Jeff Hickman of Mythic Entertainment will be leading a team of Warhammer Online developers and community managers to New York Comic Con '09 next weekend (Feb. 6-8), and by the looks of their ambitious schedule, it seems they really want to impress new and old fans alike. For a full list of NYCC events for the hardcore gamer, check out the official NYCC-09 gaming page.Their booth (#1449) will be set up all weekend and should he a hive of activity where attendees can chat with the WAR team, mingle with other players, nab some sweet swag, and check out the latest WAR gear. Saturday, Feb. 7 will be their busiest day, starting with Jeff and Paul hosting a presentation chock-full of goodies about Call to Arms, Bitter Rivals, and the two new careers (Room #1A08 @ 11:15AM). This will be followed by poster signings at 2:30PM, a MMO Round Table discussion at 5:30PM (Room #1A24), and a Dev Meet & Greet at 9:00PM (Dave & Busters Time Square). Not to be outdone, Sunday, Feb. 8 will feature an RvR competition starting at 12:00PM where teams of nine will battle in a best two out of three elimination match. Premade characters will be provided and the winners will earn "awesome" in-game items and renown as the first official WAR RvR Tournament champions.Further details below the cut...
Activision, EA headline increased game presence at New York Comic Con
The New York Comic Con has revealed a rather bountiful list of video game exhibitors taking part in this year's event. The game group is reported to take up 11,000 square feet, which represents a 50% increase from last year. The publishers attending with wares: Activision-Blizzard: X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Prototype. Atari: Champions Online, Ghostbusters: The Video Game, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, Ready 2 Rumble Revolution. Codemasters: Fuel, Damnation and Overlord 2 on Xbox 360. Overlord Dark Legend on Wii. Jumpgate Evolution on PC. Electronic Arts: Spore Galactic Adventures, Godfather 2, Dragon Age, Burnout Paradise, Battle Forge and Battlefield Heroes. Konami Digital Entertainment: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, Blue Dragon Role Playing Card Game. Namco Bandai Games America: Afro Samurai, Dynasty Warriors: GUNDAM 2, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 4 (with tournament), Splatterhouse, We Ski, Snowboard and "much more." SouthPeak Games: Velvet Assassin on Xbox 360. X-Blades on Xbox 360 and PS3. Roogoo: Attack on DS and Roogoo: Twisted Towers on Wii. TC Digital: The Chaotic TCG. Although there are no further details, Cryptic Studios, Mythic Entertainment, Rockstar Games, Sega, THQ and Ubisoft are also expected to attend. The NYCC takes place February 6-8 at the Jacob Javits Center. We'll have hands-on impressions of several titles mentioned when we attend the show next week.
Chris Metzen to attend NY Comic Con
Our friend Medivaldragon over at Blizzplanet brings word that the mind and man behind Warcraft himself, Chris Metzen, will be live at the New York Comic Con in just under a month. The con takes place in New York over February 6-8, 2009, and Mr. Metzen, the creative director and central creative force behind all of Blizzard's modern universes, will be signing books at both the DC Comics and Pocket Star Books booths (apparently for the promotion of WoW's comic books and novels). As Turpster is often inclined to say (along with many other Blizzard fans), "Chris Metzen is a god," so here's your chance to meet the deity himself.There'll be some other expanded universe notables there as well, including Jim Lee (who'll no doubt be promoting DC Universe Online as well) and Walter Simonson will be there, and there will likely be some other familiar faces, either signing books or just stopping by. Those of you in New York who are free, consider yourselves lucky and head on over there. And bring a camera -- if you can capture the elusive Metzen on film (random adventurers are always freeing him), send us the pics.
Cosplay in Valkyria Chronicles gear, get free stuff at NYCC
Are you a Valkyria Chronicles fanboy or fangirl? You have a chance of getting a free limited edition art book if you go to New York Comic Con ... dressed up as a character from the game. Sega has a huge presence at the show this year, with playable demos of MADWORLD and The Conduit on display.A recent blog post on Sega's website also notes that DLC for the game will be available soon. Stay tuned for more info.
Sega bringing the big guns to New York Comic Con
Click for more screens. Do you live in the New York area? Want to play The Conduit, MadWorld, and The House of the Dead: Overkill before they release? Well, you might want to head to the New York Comic Con, because Sega is bringing them to the show next year.The New York Comic Con takes place February 6-8 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Aside from the AAA titles, Sega also promises "zombie surprises," whatever that is. Disgusting, zombified limbs as souvenirs? We can only hope so.%Gallery-25003%[Via Joystiq]
Penny Arcade duo to appear at 2009 New York Comic Con
No longer content with their fans in Seattle, Penny Arcade's Mike "Gabe" Krahulik and Jerry "Tycho" Holkins are heading to the East Coast where all the really cool nerds hang out. PAX East is still quite a ways off, but there will be another opportunity to meet the webcomic duo in 2009: at NY Comic Con.New York Comic Con will take place from February 6-8 next year and promises an expanded focus on gaming, with companies such as 2K Games, Activision, Codemasters, EA, Epic, Konami and Ubisoft all participating in the show's festivities. The convention is being planned by Reed Exhibitions, the same folks that are also handling PAX East. Conspiracy? Perhaps. But don't think too hard -- do you really want to mess with these guys?
Video of CCP artist's Ambulation presentation available
CCP character artist Ben Mathis gave a 30 minute presentation at the New York Comic Con last month. He talked mostly about the forthcoming Ambulation expansion, which will allow EVE Online players to leave their cockpits and walk around the interiors of space stations with customizable, 3D avatars. Ten Ton Hammer has a Flash video of the entire session.We saw some of the presented content at GDC earlier this year, but there's some new stuff in this video, too. As we've noted before, CCP isn't holding back; Ambulation is very technically impressive. It's ironic that EVE -- a game focused almost entirely on spaceships instead of face-to-face interactions -- might soon carry the most advanced avatar creation tools on the market.Players will be able to customize every thing from body fat to the materials from which their clothes are made. Female avatars will have makeup customization options so powerful that the differentiation between lip gloss and lip stick will be noticeable. New animation blending technology will enable realistic transitions between disparate facial expressions. Infinite morph points will be available when faces are molded, thanks to creative use of shaders. CCP's ambition is astonishing -- let's hope the reality lives up to the promise in the end.
Knaak works on more graphic novels for Blizzard
I don't think this is new news (though Blizzplanet has a note about it at the New York Comic Con a week or so ago, so maybe it came from there), but Richard Knaak is apparently working on a new World of Warcraft manga comic, called The Dragons of Outland. While Amazon still has the release date at June 17th, the date given for release at NY Comic Con is Fall 2009 (though that may be for Volume 2). Apparently the book will feature Jorad Mace, a Paladin who can be seen in Netherstorm right now, will touch on Malygos' insanity (which we may see firsthand in Wrath), and it will also be the continuation of the Netherwing quests storyline (which some fans aren't really excited to see in Knaak's hands).It does sound interesting, though, and it might be fun to see something in the books that's a result of player actions. In other WoW graphic novel news, there is another book planned as well, called Warcraft: Legends, that will have two stories in it. One will be called "Fallen," about a Tauren Hunter who's been featured before in The Sunwell Trilogy, and another story called "How to Win Friends and Influence People," written by Dan Jolley about a Gnome of some kind (who knew they were important enough to write about?).Legends is due a little sooner than Dragons of Outland -- Blizzplanet says it's expected in August of this year. So WoW graphic novel fans have a lot to look forward to.
Matt Woodward interview gives us a glimpse at Empyrean Age
Over at EVE Online's pavilion at New York Comic Con, one man would add to the hopes and dreams of thousands. Matt Woodward took a few moments of his time to talk to TenTonHammer on a subject close to the heart of many capsuleers. The subject? EVE of course, but most importantly, the expansion Empyrean Age. Take a few moments to put aside those evil schemes, dock, grab a Quafe, and tune in because the interview is packed with exciting hints at what is to come. Matt explains in the interview that Empyrean Age will have fighting, glory, new missions and reputation, and plenty of fleet battles. One of the points made by Matt is that "the big fight that is coming" will allow everyone to be involved in one way or another. Rewards will be given, the front will shift, and the design is being hashed out to bring empire, lowsec, and 0.0 players together to duke it out. The expansion is going to pack one hell of a punch and is long overdue in the minds of many EVE pilots. When the expansion finally does arrive, players will rejoice as new ways to destroy one another are introduced. To us, that smells like victory.
38 Studios continues its world domination
The motto of 38 Studios is quite ironic: "World Domination Through Gaming". This from the company that employs Curt Schilling, Todd McFarlane, R.A. Salvatore and every SOE employee they can get their hands on. We think they're getting the hang of the whole world-domination thing, but what about the direction of the company and their MMO project itself?In a recent interview at New York Comic Con, Scott Cuthbertson, Jeff Murchie, Steve Danuser and Rich Gallup described themselves as "right on track". They discuss some recent developments, such as their licensing of the Unreal and Big World Engines for use in their game. They also mention the fact that with McFarlane and Salvatore on board, it would be no surprise to see toys, comics, and novels about the world and its characters. As we stated in the most recent episode of the Massively Speaking podcast, let's hope all this hype behind the company and game can really hit it out of the park. Yes, I went there.
Warhammer Online tours America, unites people
It's not stating the situation too excessively to remark that people are excited about this game. Many are anticipating it with the same fervor mustered by religious zealots. Some use the phrase 'WoW Killer'. And all of this without even having played the thing at all.Well, there's news that might mitigate that last little bit: If you can't wait for the eventual open beta download, you can play WAR at a few events across the country! The list of events, with locations and dates, after the jump!
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows coming to Wii
Keep in mind, this is not the Wii versionTake note, webheads: a new Spidey game is being made for the Wii (along with those other systems nobody cares about). It's called Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and will once again feature the tried-and-true sandbox mechanic of a fully-explorable New York City. Other than that, we know that the game is being worked on by Treyarch and Shaba Games and will feature some kind of system that allows for customizable superpowers. Also, players will have some control in determining whether they want to be the boyscout do-gooder or a more selfish anti-hero type.Perhaps even cooler than the news of there being a new game is word that Activision will be holding auditions for folks to do the voiceover work in the game at their booth at the upcoming New York Comic-Con. The winner will be determined by open voting, which will go down at the game's official website here.
