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New iOS releases: Chaos Rings Omega, Ticket to Ride, more
This mid-week (as with most recent weeks) brought a slew of new and notable iOS releases. Here's the roundup: Square Enix released Chaos Rings Omega, the sequel to its popular original RPG for iOS. It's premium priced at US$11.99 (no kidding) on the iPhone and $14.99 on the iPad. Days of Wonder released an iPad version of its popular board game Ticket to Ride for a much more reasonable $6.99. Card battler Orions gets a sequel on iPad for $2.99. As mentioned in yesterday's Daily iOS App post, Casey's Contraptions is now available. It's a terrific Rube Goldberg style iPad game for $2.99. Puzzler Push Panic got a free version on the App Store this week. Nom Nom is an interesting new $0.99 title where you have to align shapes to try to bounce food into the mouths of waiting animals. Burney is another new $0.99 game (with a free version available) that has you guiding an orb of fire through 45 platforming-style levels. There are lots of new games to play this week. Quite a few of them are iPad-only, though that's probably just a coincidence.
Acer changes its logo, hopes to start afresh
Over in Acer HQ, it's out with the old and in with the new. Having bid ciao to former CEO Gianfranco Lanci, the Taiwanese company is now slapping a fresh coat of paint and a softer typeface upon its corporate identity. The new Acer green is lighter and brighter and the more rounded new shape looks a lot safer for kids to play around with, should the occasion ever arise. We doubt this will make a big difference in the company's push to be "more like Apple," but hey, at least we now have a visual marker to distinguish the products that came before this shift in strategy from those that come after.
Colbert has an iPad 2, already wants the iPad 3
Stephen Colbert can finally eat and sleep apparently -- he was able to pick up his own iPad 2. And as you can see in the video below, he's thrilled with it. Sure, it's mostly just because it's new (it doesn't really do much his old tablet doesn't do), but his excitement is essentially boundless. Boundless -- until it hits a boundary. We agree with Stephen: the new iPad 2 sure is great. But, um, won't the iPad 3 be greater?
OpenFeint sees giant spike in Christmas users and downloads
Here's some more evidence that the App Store had a really amazing holiday weekend last week. OpenFeint has announced that it saw a 184% spike in new users on Christmas Day last week, the largest single day in the service's history for new users. Over the four days around the holiday, OpenFeint reportedly added more than 1.4 million new users to the service. Downloads were also really high, with 5 million OpenFeint-enabled games downloaded over the holiday weekend. That includes Android games, which saw 73% growth, and iOS games, which spiked by 187% over the weekend. That's a lot of new games and new players. We've heard other evidence already that last weekend was really busy for the App Store. Apple hasn't released any stats so far (and we've got a line in to EA to try and find out if it can share any of its download figures from the weekend), but we can tell you with some certainty that last weekend saw plenty of new traffic for the App Store and its apps.
Motorola's new logo: it's red
Been wondering about what impact Motorola's January split into two distinct entities will have on your humble consumption of consumer electronics? Well, after attending Moto's big Christmas do in London, we seem to have uncovered one of the biggies: the Droid maker is switching to a crimson new brand identity from the start of the new year. They won't tell us much more than that, but we can only surmise that the slight chromatic deviation will be in an effort to distinguish between the Mobility arm, which will make all the pocketable things we know and love, and the Solutions group in charge of the less glamorous business hardware. We're sure there'll be some reshuffling of middle management and other structural reorganizations taking place, but we've got the big story right here: the stationery, it is a-changing.
Choose My Adventure: Singing the skill grind blues
Well, here we are folks, smack dab in the middle of our Darkfall run for Choose My Adventure. With three weeks down and three weeks to go, I have to be honest: I feel pressed for time. There's so much to see and do in this game that six weeks simply isn't enough to really do it justice (to say nothing of the fact that it's not nearly enough time to build a competitive character in terms of the skill grind). In any event, I'll do what I can to give you an accurate read on the game, and as my first couple of columns have admittedly erred on the side of fresh-faced enjoyment, today's entry will touch on a few of the game's less than savory aspects. In addition to that, I'll recap a few of my gameplay highlights from the past week. Join me after the cut for a look at my Darkfall present and future as well as a video diary of my adventures thus far.
Rock Band Reloaded out now on App Store, Puzzle Quest 2 out soon
Two big sequels have hit the App Store in the past day or so -- as the holidays are here, more big name titles will be forthcoming for sure. First up, EA has released Rock Band Reloaded, a new version of the popular Rock Band music game series for iOS. This one plays generally the same as the first game as you have to tap certain notes on the screen as they slide down the board, but there are quite a few new options, including new songs (15 now, more free tracks coming soon, and more available via in-app purchase) and a new vocal mode that allows you to sing into the iPhone's microphone. The game is also updated for Retina Display, and it has awards and achievements to earn, though strangely, EA hasn't embraced Game Center quite yet. The iPhone version is $4.99, and the iPad HD version is $9.99. And Namco should have Puzzle Quest 2 on the App Store, though at the moment I can't find it out there. The puzzler/RPG title is terrific (I really enjoyed it on Xbox Live Arcade), and it looks like Namco has decided to go with a full release for $9.99 rather than going episodic as they did with the first title. Either way, the game is great -- hopefully it'll be back out on the App Store soon.
Choose My Adventure: Special treatment, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the gank
Well, so much for the theory that the Darkfall community has banded together to ensure I only see the good side of the game. This past week was an interesting one, and despite an encounter that most players would probably consider griefing -- as well as various and sundry inconvenient ganks -- I remain enamored of Agon. Aside from recurring instances of the Darkfall version of "special treatment," much of the week was spent leveling greatswords on my public main and crafting/harvesting on my private alt. In between there was a NEW-sponsored PvP event, a kracken run, and various dungeon excursions, not to mention more exploring than I've done in my last three MMOs combined. Finally, I'm also beginning to see the grind that a lot of current and former subscribers complain about. Join me after the cut to see how I dealt with it as well as a recap of week two. %Gallery-108450%
Choose My Adventure: The Wayback Machine
Whew. Well, my first week in Darkfall has come to a close and, at the risk of fanboying it up, holy cow was that fun! It's hard to believe this is the same game that I was unable to purchase on launch day (and unable to play for more than a few weeks at a time over the course of 2009 due to a lack of interested friends). Darkfall isn't so much a game as it is a lifestyle -- and as far as MMOs go, it's a really nifty time machine. In six days and a little under 30 hours of play time, I've managed to move across the map from my racial homeland to my clan city and to assist in taking down two Gardorocs, a Dark Dragon, more deadly wraiths than I can count, and a couple of giant stone dudes whose name escapes me at the moment. I've also gotten a good start on skilling up my spell-casting, archery, and greatsword abilities, and I even did a bit of crafting and gathering. In true Darkfall tradition, the first mount I made was promptly shot out from under me by a gaggle of the game's frightening mobs. And in case you're wondering, yes, I also got ganked. Though it's only happened once (so far), it was a doozy. Join me after the cut for a rundown of the week's mayhem and an earnest attempt at maintaining my objectivity. %Gallery-108019%
Choose My Adventure: Swiftsnout theCrotchety
Aaaaaaooooooooooooo... er, sorry. I was just getting into character a bit early, I suppose. Welcome back, loyal readers and Aventurine subscribers alike, to Choose My Adventure. With the past couple weeks' worth of voting formalities behind us, it's time for the main event. As we speak, I'm rolling up a brand-spanking-new Darkfall character, the better to suffer at the hands of my new PK overlords -- and hopefully get a good look at the world of Agon prior to writing about it over the next six weeks. Join me after the cut to see the results of last week's voting and get a sneak peek at what I'll be doing first.
New Xbox 360 4GB ships August 3rd for $199, Kinect standalone priced at $149, bundle coming this holiday for $299
Amazon Germany just couldn't keep a secret. Microsoft's just announced that a shiny new Xbox 360 Arcade replacement -- with 4GB internal flash memory, a matte finish, and built-in 802.11n WiFi -- will be shipping August 3rd for $199.99. A stark difference in capacity to the current 250GB model, but at least it's cheaper. Looking ahead to November, the standalone Kinect, it's coming for (yeah, you guessed it) $149.99 with Kinect Adventures. Act surprised, Microsoft would really like you to. As for the pièce de résistance -- that'd be the 4GB console, Kinect sensor, and game -- that's due out "this holiday" for $299.99. Press release after the break, pretty pictures just below. Update: Looks like the Britons will be paying £129.99 for Kinect. %Gallery-97791%
The Daily Grind: Do you get game wanderlust?
We gamers are a fickle bunch. Perhaps you're a veteran player of Guild Wars and have always loved the game, even when you knew the sequel was coming. But you saw the recent Ranger reveal, and when you logged in you were suddenly struck by an overwhelming urge to play Guild Wars 2 immediately, not this crappy old game that you hate and is terrible. It's not that you're actually dissatisfied with the game, but the promises of new shiny things have left you feeling an urge to pick up and go somewhere new. The allure of something new and good can be a powerful intoxicant, and it can bring people into strange new locations. Do you find yourself wanting to head off into a new game despite there being nothing wrong with your current main game? Are you tempted to try out newer titles on a regular basis, even if you know you'll end up going back? Or do you convince yourself not to go anywhere when you'll just turn around in the end?
The Daily Grind: I would like to have been there
Launch day, whether it's for a new game or just a new expansion, is usually a pretty crazy time. Everything is new and untested, which means that some builds and classes will be overpowered, some elements of the game aren't working as intended, and there are going to be bugs. But even with all of that, there's something that only can be found in that rush toward the new classes, new level cap, new areas, or even just to see the most of the world in a short span of time. The game is never new again, after all. With our current amount of knowledge about every facet of a game's release schedule, not to mention plenty of open and closed betas to get pre-launch information, we're generally able to be there for any game we want on the ground floor. Still, there are probably games from yesterday that you missed for whatever reason, or games that you didn't play then that you can't play now. What game do you wish you had been involved with from the beginning? Is it a game whose updates massively changed how it worked, a game that didn't last as long as you'd like, or one that's still going but just wasn't on your list back then?
Steve Jobs featured in Icons art exhibit, wins award at MWC
His Steveness was honored twice recently. First, he showed up in a piece of art featured in a New York exhibit. "Icons" is a set of portraits that shows off Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, and of course our own iCEO. The art itself isn't that original (a takeoff on the old Warhol pieces), but the idea, I guess, is to enshrine the modern icons of the Internet in the same way we did back in the 60s with movie stars and musicians. Jobs also won an actual award at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. He wasn't actually at the conference (don't you know Apple only does their own thing these days?), but he was still dubbed "Mobile Personality of the Year." Show host Stephen Fry didn't have anyone from Apple handy to give the award to, but he'd promise to get it to the right place. Two more achievements for Jobsy to place on his already crowded mantle.
Incoming newbies, but why?
I think this is an interesting post by Grancran over on the official forums. We've already talked about how Blizzard is revamping the newbie experience in upcoming releases (including the next patch and the expansion), but he wants to know: for whom? Sure, there are going to be lots and lots of people going through the starting experience again when the expansion rolls around, both because of the new class combinations and the new races, but all of those people have already played the game. Why update a tutorial system when the majority of gamers have already played WoW? It's an interesting question. Neth answers pretty tamely, saying that we were all noobs at one point, and that they want to make the starting areas as welcome as possible. But the question remains: is Blizzard expecting an influx of new players at some point in the future?
Darkfall gets its own analog of EVE University: Newborn on Agon
The settings of Darkfall and EVE Online are worlds apart, but there is some common ground between the titles. PvP combat permeates both sandbox games, and given a potentially hostile environment when starting out, it's always good to have a helping hand. EVE Online players have training corps like EVE University to show them the ropes in what can sometimes be a brutal game. Darkfall now has an analog of EVE University called "NEW" which Syncaine recently pointed out on his blog, Hardcore Casual. NEW is short for "Newborn on Agon", a North American server clan that provides training in most any facet of the game for those willing to learn. Although Darkfall can be harsh to newer players, NEW provides a (comparatively) safe environment where players can spend 30 days learning what interests them, or developing the skills to succeed in the game once it's time to move on. The clan is politically neutral and owns the city of Hammerdale, contributing to NEW's potential to become a haven for new players. Also, some of Darkfall's major alliances support the idea of NEW which could be beneficial in the long run. It's great to see things like this happen in sandbox MMOs, and hopefully Darkfall will continue to see its players establish lasting institutions in the game.
New iMac, Mac mini, MacBook ads spotted
As we and others have posted over the past few days, there is a rumor that a new or redesigned iMac, Mac mini and MacBook models are coming very soon. Now, this week brings reports of Google ads supposedly touting the rumored Mac mini, iMac and MacBook models. These ads have been spotted in several European countries, in Dutch and in a few other languages. They read as follows:"Apple's Nieuwste MacBook®" "store.apple.com/nl/macbook Dunner, lichter en krachtiger! Gratis bezorging. Bestel vandaag."Which translates to: "Apple's Newest MacBook ®" "store.apple.com/nl/macbook Thinner, lighter and stronger! Free delivery. Order today. ""Apple Store: New iMac""store.apple.com/nl-store Ultradunne 20 & 24 inch modellen. Vanaf slechts €1099. Apple Store"Which translates to: "Apple Store: New iMac" "store.apple.com/nl-store Ultra thin 20 & 24 inch models. From only € 1099. Apple Store""Apple's Nieuwe Mac mini"store.apple.com/nl-store Sneller en betaalbaarder dan ooit. Vanaf slechts €499. Bestel meeten."Which translates to:"Apple's new Mac mini ' store.apple.com/nl-store faster and more affordable than ever. From only € 499. Buy assay. "Again, this points to yet more reasons why there could be new iMac, Mac mini and MacBook models coming soon. These new models are expected to be released before October 9th, so keep a look out.[via AppleInsider]
Runes of Magic celebrates Chapter II release
The Runes of Magic community has been waiting a long time, and now, Chapter II: The Elven Prophecy has arrived! With new raids for the community to enjoy; new elven characters; new Druid and Warden classes; and a few different contests to participate in, you'd think that Frogster Interactive and Runewaker Entertainment would have more than enough to celebrate! Well, it turns out that not only have they managed to release a huge new chunk of content extremely smoothly, they've also managed to attract 1.9 million players to their game since the initial launch a scant six months ago. With the continual focus on improvements, the gifts to the player-base in the form of the occasional diamonds, armor sets, and the like, we're not too surprised. Runes of Magic is a F2P that seems determined to make their mark. With an expansion, almost 2 million players, and a bunch of free fun for their player-base, we're curious to see how the next 6 months go for them. In the meantime, we'll be in Taborea, leveling our Druids and Wardens. Gallery: Runes of Magic: The Elven Prophecy Gallery: Runes of Magic: The Weeping Coast
If you only watch one 8-bit Lego animation today, make it 8-bit trip
Rymdreglage's 8-bit trip (see it after the break!) combines an original chiptune composition by Daniel Larsson with a ridiculously amazing Lego animation by Thomas Redigh to create a memorable tribute to the Commodore 64 and NES. The video is composed almost entirely of Lego pixel animation, with stop-motion nods to International Karate, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., and Pac-Man. The Pong sequence is especially jaw-dropping, featuring the proto-game playing on the interior of a spinning structure as it constantly destroys and rebuilds itself. The animation, according to the video's YouTube description, took 1,500 hours, and it shows. More work by Rymdreglage can be found at the duo's website. Not right now, though, because the Internet has crushed the site with its love. [Thanks, Darric]
Warrior Epic set to launch on the 19th
After going back into closed beta no less than three times to work out pre-launch bugs and continue to polish the game, the folks at Possibility Space have announced that the time has come for the launch of Warrior Epic. This free-to-play game will be available at 5pm Pacific on Tuesday the 19th for everyone to get their warrior fight on. Jeff Lujan, Founder and Chairman of True Games remarked on the launch. "Our beta testers have given us a lot of great feedback and we are confident that the game is now reaching a point where we can provide the Warrior Epic community an engaging and compelling experience." What we're waiting to see more of is this "intriguing death mechanic" we've heard about that will allow players to become free-roaming spirits that can be bound to weapons to increase stats. Should be interesting!
