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ArenaNet releases Edge of Destiny Guild Wars novel
Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for that discerning Guild Wars fan on your list? ArenaNet may have just the thing in the newly released Edge of Destiny, the second novel tie-in to the popular gaming franchise. Penned by J. Robert King, the book takes place prior to the events chronicled in the original Guild Wars novel, Ghosts of Ascalon, and approximately five years before Guild Wars 2's time frame. The novel features the exploits of an adventuring company that you'll meet in the new game, including Rytlock Brimstone (a charr warrior), Snaff (an asura inventor), and Caithe (a mysterious sylvari). You can grab a copy of the novel on Amazon, or sample the first chapter at the official ArenaNet blog.
Hyperspace Beacon: Life in the Force
"Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts," was the sage advice Qui-Gon Jinn gave to Anakin Skywalker just before the Boonta Eve podrace. On the surface, this appears to be a common statement heard from Jedi. After all, Obi-Wan did say something similar when training Luke Skywalker: "I suggest you try it again, Luke. This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct." However, not all Jedi believed the same thing. Obi-Wan's statement in Revenge of the Sith seems to suggest that Sith are single-minded, in contrast to a Jedi's open-mind: "Only the Sith deal in absolutes." We roleplayers do not have all the answers to canon and character development, but there are many of us who study our character philosophy deeply. Despite this, our Jedi characters tend to come across as stiff and one-dimensional. By contrast, Sith characters seem to have personality and variety. Of course, there will always be the Sith who are all broody and who stand in the corner of a cantina being "evil." However, if a Jedi developed a personality other than that of a sage monk, he was automatically labeled a "gray Jedi" -- or even "dark Jedi" if his personality was extremely vivid. I would like to question this philosophy. Is there more than one way of thinking among the Jedi, like Obi-Wan suggested? Are the Sith absolute? And most importantly, are the Jedi in Star Wars: The Old Republic going to be as one-dimensional as the Council members of Episode I? Follow me after the break to read my thoughts, then please, comment to discuss this further. Spoiler Alert: I am going to talk about some specifics from the Decieved novel, but I will not give away the ending.
SWTOR devs answer your questions and release a preview for Deceived
It's Friday again. That means the community team at BioWare has been working frantically all week to give you a tidbit of Star Wars: The Old Republic that will leave you satisfied yet still aching for more. With the release of Jedi and Tython impressions earlier this week, it was going to be hard to top the plethora of information streaming from that event. However, the team has come very close. We start with the monthly Friday update in which developers answer player questions: Studio Insider. On top of the behind the scenes article about building Coruscant by World Designer Eric Young, Director of Production Dallas Dickinson answered 10 fan questions. The questions that stood out to this reporter were the PvP related questions, and the interesting one was a question about leveling with just PvP. Dickinson stated, "We're big fans of multiple gameplay paths -- we don't want to force you to do one thing to advance. That means you'll level up whether you're playing PvE or PvP." The teaser of information doesn't stop there. The Official Star Wars website released chapter two of Deceived, the novel by Paul S. Kemp, to the public. This portion of the book leads the reader through Darth Malgus' attack on the Jedi Temple as seen in the SWTOR trailer. If the book intrigues you, Massively was able to review an advanced copy of the book, and chapter one is also available for your personal review. It's an exciting SWTOR weekend!
Hands-on with SWTOR's next book: Deceived
The Star Wars universe probably has the richest and most collaborative lore of any fictional world. Literally, thousands of artists and authors have taken George Lucas' creation and turned it into the books, movies, paintings, comic books, and video games we know today. Paul S. Kemp, an author and corporate lawyer from Michigan, added his name to that list with his first Star Wars book, Crosscurrent. On March 22nd, 2011, Kemp's second Star Wars book will hit the shelves. Deceived will also be the second book to deal directly with the lore leading up to LucasArts' and BioWare's MMORPG (maybe you've heard of it): Star Wars: The Old Republic. The wildly popular Deceived trailer for SWTOR shows us how a Sith named Darth Malgus led the assault on the Jedi Temple during the Sacking of Coruscant. Darth Malgus and his Twi'lek companion rather quietly walk through the front doors of the temple to be surrounded immediately by Jedi who are rather uncertain about what to make of the situation until a stolen transport full of Sith warriors comes crashing through the main hall. A battle of light and dark ensues, which culminates with Maglus facing off with and killing Jedi Master Ven Zallow. As with everything Star Wars, we only get a piece of the actual story with the trailer. This four minute trailer is the spark which eventually turns into the forest fire. Deceived tells the immediate and personal effects of this battle on Darth Malgus, his Twi'lek companion, a Smuggler, and a Jedi Knight. The novel hardback will retail for $27 U.S. ($31 Canadian) when it releases, but Massively received an advanced copy of Deceived. Continue reading to scoop up our impressions of the latest in what looks to be a series of SWTOR-related novels. (Oh, there maybe a couple of spoilers to tease you in there, too.)
Crysis 2 adapted for 'Legion' novel in March 2011
Vindictive aliens descend upon New York. A malicious plague cripples the shaken city's human inhabitants, who can only fall backwards into the outstretched arms of a cyborg saviour. (He had to put his guns down for just a moment.) So, pretty out there material for a video game, but perhaps the gloomy premise could be better explored in an older medium? Set to debut in March 2011 under the Del Rey banner, Crysis: Legion will adapt Crytek's upcoming first-person shooter into a novel, written by Hugo Award-nominated author (and ex-marine biologist) Peter Watts. Watts' characters and tone haven't been known to elicit smiles -- if you want a sample of his dark science-fiction you can read Blindsight online, thanks to its Creative Commons license. Peter Watts is the second well-known sci-fi author to be associated with Crysis 2, which is being written for the high-definition screen by Altered Carbon's Richard Morgan. Watts will be seen as the real genius, though -- he's getting Crysis to run on a Kindle.
Mongoliad apps out now on iPhone and iPad
We've been following the Mongoliad project by author Neal Stephenson ever since it was announced last May, and the iOS apps for the project have finally been released on the iOS App Store. The apps are free, but you'll remember that the project is actually a subscription-based universe of fiction, so while there are some free things to read in there, you'll have to buy a membership or a subscription if you want access to everything. You can do so from directly within the app -- it's about seven bucks for more than a novel's worth of material, so it's not a bad price at all. If you already have a subscription, the app will let you access the content you've got from anywhere, and/or download them so you can read offline. Even if you're not a fan of Neal Stephenson (and you probably should be -- read Snow Crash, and then read The Diamond Age, because they're both terrific), the model itself is quite interesting. We've seen a few other publications decide to publish subscription content on iOS devices, but this is the first time we've seen a fiction author publish a novel as a subscription app. It's the kind of model that should really appeal to authors with the right audience -- we'll have to see what the response to The Mongoliad turns out to be.
Pandigital's 9-inch Novel now on sale... as a QVC exclusive
Those wily shoppers at QVC have beaten the world once again in securing an exclusive on Pandigital's 9-inch Novel tablet. You'll recall that we weren't exactly overwhelmed with joy after handling the 7-inch Novel, and sadly this new slate looks like nothing more than a growth spurt, bringing as it does the same resistive touchscreen, B&N ebook store access, 2GB of integrated storage, and 802.11b/g WiFi highlights. Admittedly, QVC throws in a 4GB microSD card and prices it at an affordable $214, but we're always wary of Android devices that neglect to state which version of the OS they're running. Hit up the source link if you're more courageous -- or if you just want to watch the longest infomercial of your life.
Pandigital Novel PRD09TW e-reader hits the FCC
Pandigital may have not exactly hit a home run with its first Novel e-reader, but it looks like it might already be coming back for another try with a new model. That device recently hit the FCC with the model name PRD09TW, and it seems to be mostly identical in appearance to the current Pandigital Novel, with the notable exception of four buttons along the bottom. Unfortunately, there's no specs to be found, but it does appear to boast a 7-inch 9-inch screen (here's hoping for capacitive this time around), and the test reports do at least reveal the presence of WiFi. What's more, as the folks at Wireless Goodness have noted, a 6-inch E Ink-based reader from Pandigital has also hit the FCC alongside this new Novel, although it's not clear if it's actually a new model or just an early version of the company's Novel Personal reader (the only different is a slight change in button placement). In fact, the same could be said of the PRD09TW, but the current Novel did already hit the FCC back in May.
Original Uncharted novel in the works from Del Rey Books
Would the action-packed plotline of the Uncharted series be quite so thrilling without all that pesky interactivity? We'll get our chance to find out next fall, when Del Rey Books publishes Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth, a novel based on a completely original Nathan Drake adventure. We're praying that the book's title is alluding to an eventual meeting between Drake and the Goblin King. The novel will be penned by Christopher Golden, whose work includes a handful of comic books and novelizations based on Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- he even wrote the script for the two video games based on the latter of those two franchises. He certainly sounds qualified to write an Uncharted book, though we suppose that depends entirely on how he'd fill out this sentence: "Nathan Drake drove the [form of motor vehicle] off of the [tall surface], causing a [adjective describing size] explosion."
Fallen Earth takes part in NaNoWriMo
November, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is National Novel Writing Month and host to an annual challenge -- write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It's a tall order that not everyone can manage, but the Fallen Earth development team contains at least one hopeful. Director of Content Development Wes Platt is working on his novel, and he's looking to the game's players to help make it a collaborative effort every step of the way. With an official thread on the forums, Platt is both posting his progress as he goes and taking suggestions from players as to where the story should head next. He also has posted his NaNoWriMo profile page so that players also taking part in the contest can track his progress and cheer him along. Fallen Earth fans would do well to take part in the crafting of the story -- it's not just the first novel for the game, but a novel written in a month's time.
Homefront novel announced, part of 'vast transmedia strategy'
The Homefront novel, which was passively mentioned last week during THQ's Montreal Studio presser, has officially been announced, with an "early 2011" publishing date. Written by John Milius (Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now) and Raymond Benson (Metal Gear Solid and James Bond novels), the novel is designed to flesh out the world of Homefront, which finds United States citizens dealing with a North Korean occupation. The novel is part of the "vast transmedia strategy" for the franchise -- according to THQ's Danny Bilson -- so expect the standard graphic novels and coloring books to follow. Okay, maybe not the latter, unless it's bundled with a big red crayon for all the blood. Although no further transmedia projects have been announced, let's be clear about how ambitious THQ can get in these situations: Red Faction is getting a TV movie on SyFy that could potentially turn into a full series.
Massively Exclusive: RuneScape Betrayal at Falador excerpt
It's not every day you get to read a novel on Massively, so grab a cup of your favorite beverage, curl up next to the fireplace (assuming it's relatively chilly in your neck of the woods) and prepare for something a bit out of the ordinary. We recently interviewed RuneScape novelist T.S. Church about the impending re-release of 2008's Betrayal at Falador. Now that the mass market edition of the book is hot off the presses, we're pleased to bring you this exclusive excerpt in order to whet your appetite for all things RuneScape. Turn the page for more.
The future of the RuneScape novels: Massively's interview with T.S. Church
I had a lot of fun recently reading and reviewing Betrayal at Falador. This RuneScape novel was published in a very limited format a few years ago, and this month it's being re-released in paperback on a much wider scale. I enjoyed the opportunity to read the book and give my perspective as a RuneScape novice, but the follow-up was even better. Author T.S. Church spent some time chatting with me about the the characters, his plans, and the world of RuneScape. Church was very open and forthcoming about the story so far and gave plenty of exciting details on what's to come. Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say.
Halo: Cryptum novel by Greg Bear launching in Jan. 2011
Halo: Cryptum, the first Halo novel in a planned trilogy exploring the Forerunners, will be published in January 2011. Announced in April of 2009, the novel will be written by acclaimed, hard science fiction author Greg Bear, who is best known for his novels Eon, Darwin's Radio and The Forge of God. Bear's trilogy will be the first major work to take on the story of the Forerunners, the species responsible for the Halos and controlled galactic genocide. An unabridged audio book will also be available at the same time as the novel, so go ahead and play Reach while your ears read the book. The full cover of Halo: Cryptum can be found after the break.
RuneScape's Betrayal at Falador: Impressions of a newbie
The first RuneScape novel, Betrayal at Falador, will be released October 12th. If you were a RuneScape fan a few years back, you may be a little confused, seeing as how this novel came out back in 2008. That version was a limited release hardcover, and fans have been hoping for a wider publication since then. This version is a mass-market paperback, so if you missed the tale the first time around, you're in luck! If this is all news to you -- Runescape fan or no -- follow along after the cut to see what my first impressions of the novel are.
Neal Stephenson's digital publishing platform adds a dash of Wiki to novel-reading
It's not surprising that this man -- the one responsible for some of our favorite sci-fi reading material -- has a vision of how books will work in the future. Neal Stephenson's company Subutai has developed a new digital publishing platform upon which The Mongoliad has just debuted. It feels like a cross between a Wiki, a glossary, and a serial novel. The first chapter of the epic fantasy novel about the Mongolian conquest is available to read online for free, but in order to access extra material and edit documents in the "'Pedia," you'll need a paid subscription. iOS apps are currently going through Apple's approval process; an Android version is also in the works. Stephenson and the Subutai team -- which includes writers Greg Bear and Mark Teppo -- promise to have a new chapter for subscribers out every week. [Image credit: jeanbaptisteparis' flickr]
TUAW Tips: Designing covers for the iBookstore
For budding novelists, one of the most exciting things about Apple's iBookstore is the chance to self-publish their writing and have it potentially available to the 100 million people that own iOS 4 devices. A novel is a daunting task, and once the writing is done, the hard part is over ... kinda. There are still two things you need to do: get your book on the iBookstore and make sure it has a compelling cover. We've told you before how to go about self-publishing on the iBookstore, but one thing that many writers are left pondering is what to do about the cover for their novel. Cristina Lopo, owner of the London-based graphic design studio Loop Box, gave me some advice when we met at a book reading a few weeks ago. "The old saying is 'Don't judge a book by its cover,' but unfortunately, books are judged by their covers -- at least at first, and especially on the iBookstore. The cover is what is going to get people to click on your book to learn more about it when they are scrolling through a list of 25 books on a tiny iPhone screen." Click "Read More" for more tips on cover design for the iBookstore.
Former SAS op Chris Ryan handling Medal of Honor prequel novel
EA has tapped British author Chris Ryan to write a prequel novel to Medal of Honor, which will use in-game missions as the basis for "an authentic and respectful account of an elite soldier fighting in Afghanistan." Ryan is the author two bestselling novels, in addition to The One That Got Away, a narrative account of his time as a Special Forces operative on the Bravo Two Zero patrol in Iraq. Presumably he'll use both his combat experience and storytelling prowess to do the game franchise right. Hopefully his first line will be better than the one we came up with: "They loaded their guns carefully, knowing that soon, they'd be shooting a lot of people." The creatively named Medal of Honor: The Book will be offered as a bonus with preorders of the game from UK retailer HMV, but we're not sure if it will be available for sale elsewhere -- we've contacted EA for comment and will update if we hear more. We sure hope it sees print in the US, if only to find out what a former British operative thinks of the Medal of Honor, a uniquely American military decoration.
Pandigital Novel review
It's our guess that the Pandigital Novel has been turning quite a few heads at retailers across the US during the last few weeks. How could it not? It's got a full-color, 7-inch touchscreen, 2GB of on-board memory, runs a skinned version of Android and is priced around $180 (depending on where you're shopping). Oh, and it's got access to Barnes & Noble's e-book store. About one-third the price of the iPad, we sure can see the attraction, but after attempting to read an entire novel on it we can't help but wonder how it found its way past product development and into the stock rooms of Walgreens, Bed, Bath & Beyond and JCPenny, to name a few. Hit the break for our full review and to see just exactly we're talking about. %Gallery-99816%
A Dust 514 novel may be in the works
Development studio CCP Games has been in the news a lot this year with their ambitious MMOFPS project codenamed Dust 514. When it's released, Dust will actually tie into the studio's current MMO EVE Online. Dust players will hire themselves out to EVE players as mercenaries, their combined aim being to dominate territories on a planet's surface. The first steps toward this unique integration of two MMOs in the same concurrent universe came with EVE Online's Dominion and Tyrannis expansions. Dominion gave EVE players a new Sovereignty framework, which will later be adapted to include planets as strategic points of interest. In the recent Tyrannis expansion, the planets of EVE began producing resources worthy of domination, ensuring that players will fight over them once it becomes possible.
