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Leaderboard: Which convention reveal excited you the most?
So March's gaming convention madness is in our rearview mirror (although some coverage is still trickling in during the early part of this week). There were plenty of big reveals and plenty of smaller details, too, and chances are there was something that caught your eye from our GDC and PAX East coverage over the past two weeks. For today's Leaderboard, let's pit a few of the noteworthy reveals against one another to see which game excited the Massively commentariat the most. Vote after the cut. Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
EVE Evolved: EVE's Odyssey expansion could be incredible
When EVE Online's upcoming Odyssey expansion was officially announced last week at PAX East, the anticipation from players was almost palpable. Odyssey aims to follow in the footsteps of 2009's blockbuster Apocrypha expansion by revamping the exploration system and filling the void of space with thousands of new hidden treasures. We've been promised new ships, a new scanner mechanic with sleek new UI and additional functionality, and a rebalancing of industrial resources across the game. Though CCP is saving most of the expansion reveals for next month's EVE Fanfest and beyond, we can make some fairly educated guesses on what the expansion will contain from the press release and teaser site. It's pretty much a given that we'll get some kind of new exploration ship, and there's pretty strong evidence that moon minerals will be changing somehow. We're also almost guaranteed to get new faction battlecruisers, and the evidence is mounting that Jove space may finally be about to open for exploration. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the evidence for Jove space finally opening, explain why we desperately need a new scanning system, and make some educated guesses on what else the Odyssey expansion might contain.
PAX East 2013: A second hands-on with WildStar's Draken Stalker
Everyone at the completely fictional Massively office seems to have some kind of schoolgirl crush on Carbine Studios' quirky upcoming sci-fi title WildStar, and I can understand why. The setting is fresh, melding some aspects of our favorite sci-fi properties (cough Firefly cough) with a a healthy dose of fantasy and a not insignificant amount of witty comedy, and the list of features the game boasts is rather extensive. I mean, did you even see that housing trailer? Holy wow, guys. In spite of all of that, though, I was still a little cautious about giving in to the hype. After all, I'm sure there's not an MMO fan in existence who hasn't gotten super excited about a game and become a devoted fanboy only to have his hopes and expectations shattered when the game didn't live up to the hype. So I let myself be excited, but reservedly so, until I could get my hands on the game for myself to complement Eliot's earlier PAX hands-on with the game. As it so happens, on the last day of PAX East, I got to do just that. Though it was only a short 25-minute demo (thank goodness -- otherwise the lines would have circled the convention center), I think I was able to get a pretty solid idea of what we can expect from WildStar, and let me tell you right now, we can expect some great things.
The Mog Log: PAX East wasn't for us
Last week I promised to bring you all of the hard-hitting coverage of Square-Enix's presence at PAX East 2013 as it pertained to Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. So here's that coverage: Both games still exist. We good? Great. I'll spend the next nine hundred words or so discussing cats, then. Seriously, if you've been following this site or this column, you know everything from PAX East already. Of course, all of this underscores what I see as a simple fact: PAX was not meant for fans of Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. If you scan fansites and this site for coverage, you would not be blown away by any of this information, and that's fine. It's not actually for you, and I'm going to go ahead and say that it really shouldn't be for you because it would just be preaching to the converted.
PAX East 2013: Hands-on with Marvel Heroes
Gazillion Entertainment made a splash at PAX East, arriving with the big announcement that Marvel Heroes will be launching on June 4th. In addition, the team gave new details about endgame content, PvP, and special "ultimate powers" for each hero. During the convention, Massively had a chance to sit down with VP of marketing Leo Olebe and CEO David Brevik to get a look at the state of the game, including some brand-new content that the devs have just added to Marvel Heroes. What did we see during our hands-on with the game? Let's just say that rampaging dinosaurs and "Hulk Smash" were but the tip of the iceberg.%Gallery-184248%
PAX East 2013: SOE's Linda Carlson on the state of the community
How many times have you found yourself asking, "Why won't the devs just listen?!" For any loyal MMO fan, it can be extremely frustrating to see feedback seemingly get ignored, and sometimes it feels as if there's a huge wall separating the fans from the developers. Linda Carlson, SOE's Director of Global Community Relations, spoke with Massively at this year's PAX East to talk about SOE's efforts to break down that wall and improve the relationship between players and developers into something that's more collaborative, rather than contentious. Whether you're the most loyal SOE fan or someone who's vowed never to play another SOE game, you might be surprised at what she has to say.
Divekick preview: The two-button brawler
Iron Galaxy Studios' Divekick, which started out as a purely independent Kickstarter success story, pokes fun at the aspects of the fighting genre that people both love and loathe. It competes well in the genre it trivializes, and it does so with both hands in its pockets.The build I played at PAX East used a fight stick with two buttons slightly larger than the palms of my hands. That underscores the key ingredient to Divekick: it introduces an appropriate level of depth for a fighter that only uses two forms of input. Smacking one button down would tell my character to jump in the air, while the other had them hopping backwards. Combinations of these buttons resulted in jumping in the air and kicking downward at an angle, or activating a character-specific ability when the "kick meter" filled up. Successfully kicking my opponent just once in the cat-and-mouse fighter won a round, with the match going to the first character to win five rounds.Instead of memorizing button combinations, the playing field is leveled for all combatants, as timing is everything in this game. I found myself adopting familiar fighting game strategies, attempting to lure my opponent in before nailing them with a quick hop and kick. Other times, I would close the gap between us with a high vertical jump and kick, a risky proposition given the amount of time available for my enemy to counter. Kicking my opponent in the head wasn't just satisfying, it was a tactic that carried over to the next round, as the player suffering the blow began the first four seconds of the round in a daze. The daze slowed their movements, giving me a clear, but not absolute advantage. %Gallery-184112%
PAX East 2013: How video games can save education
Quick! Choose the statement that best describes your high school education: A) School prepared me perfectly for everything I would experience once I got out into the real world. B) I feel that high school had one or two useful things to offer but otherwise was pretty useless. C) I feel that high school was completely pointless and had no bearing on my life today. If you picked B or C, you're in good company, based on the audience panel on games and education at this year's PAX East. During the panel, game developer and teacher Steve Swink gave a talk about both the state of education today and how video games can play a role in saving it.
Gemini Rue gets adventurous on iOS April 11
Gemini Rue, a gritty point-and-click adventure game that launched on PC in 2011, will come to iOS on April 11 for $4.99. For the first few weeks of release on the new platform, Gemini Rue will be available for the discounted price of $3.99.Wadjet Eye Games co-designer and CTO Janet Gilbert spent eight months adapting the open-source Adventure Game Studio engine to iOS in order to make the game as "touch-screen friendly as possible," studio founder Dave Gilbert told Joystiq at PAX East. Being a point-and-click adventure game, Janet expanded the hot-spots for select items in the game to make the experience less frustrating for iPhone users.Gemini Rue is the publisher's first game on iOS, and will serve as a test as to whether it will port more of the studio's titles to the platform. "If people buy this, then we could justify porting everything else," Dave said. "If it does badly then there's really no point, because this is our best-selling game on the best-selling platform, so that's the best way to gauge to see if it's worth doing."He added, "So if you want to see Resonance on iOS, buy Gemini Rue."
PAX 2013: Hands-on with Smashmuck Champions
MOBAs are all the rage these days, with dozens of the things cropping up like weeds in my neglected back yard. As a result, it can be hard for me to pay attention to all of them, and with new ones being announced on what seems like a monthly basis, it's hard to figure out which ones are worth keeping an eye on and which ones can be safely relegated to the realm of ignorance, so as a result I tend to just shrug and say, "Oh, another MOBA," and carry on with my life. But then came Smashmuck Champions. The bizarrely named game was probably my surprise hit of this year's PAX East convention, largely because I had absolutely no expectations when I walked up to the booth. "Another MOBA," I figured, "that's going to play the exact same as every other one (and that I'm going to suck at, also just like every other one)." Yawn. Man, was I wrong (about the first bit, anyway). Kiz Studios, the studio behind this new entry into the multiplayer online battle arena... well, arena, has taken the tower-attacking, top-mid-bottom-ganking, minion-farming genre made famous by games such as DotA and League of Legends and turned it on its head. Sure, the general MOBA feel is still there, but it's definitely not like any MOBA I've seen before. But as we all know, "different" doesn't necessarily equate to "good," so why don't you click past the cut and find out whether Smashmuck Champions is worth your time?
Interview: Talking Hearthstone with the developers
Want to know more about Blizzard's new digital card game, Hearthstone? During PAX East 2013, we spoke with Hearthstone Lead Designer Eric Dodds and Production Director Jason Chayes to learn some additional information about the game. During the 20-minute interview, I asked the developers several questions, some on behalf of the lore nerds, others for the collectors among us. We discussed some of the game features planned for launch, as well as the possibility of implementing e-sports capabilities later. Also touched upon were the game's visual aspects, like the art work and animated game boards. And for those of you with a history playing other strategy card games like Magic: The Gathering, I learned a bit more about Hearthstone gameplay and how the Forge works.
PAX East 2013: Hands-on with The Repopulation
Ever since its successful Kickstarter campaign, The Repopulation has been progressing along at an impressive pace. And if PAX East was any indication, the game shows no signs of slowing down as it approaches beta and zeroes in on a launch date. This weekend, I had a chance to speak with lead developer Joshua Halls, who took the time to walk me through the sandbox MMO and give me an update on what's new and what's still in the works.
Charlie Murder preview: Anarchy in the XBLA
For the second year in a row, I spent far too much time playing Charlie Murder at PAX East. As part of the Indie Megabooth, Ska Studios' exhibit belonged to a larger group, one of dozens of in-development, independent games, and this year it was directly across from Supergiant's high-profile premiere, Transistor. Still, Charlie Murder stood out. Its gritty punk rock style caught my eye – again – and the co-op, beat-em-up gameplay was so gripping that it almost made me late for a following appointment.Charlie Murder is a punk game from conception to execution, with a soundtrack composed and performed by James and Michelle Silva, the duo of Ska Studios. No, it's not a ska soundtrack.Charlie Murder is a side-scrolling beat-em-up with heavy RPG elements, including character customization, loot and unique ability upgrades. It stars five playable characters, each with disparate strengths and powers, and all of them making up the in-game band Charlie Murder.%Gallery-183786%
PAX East 2013: SOE's Dave Georgeson on EQ Next and the future of online gaming
If there's one pastime that MMO fans share, it's making predictions. Which games will succeed, and which ones will struggle? Which will go free-to-play, merge servers, or even shut down? And will there ever be an MMO that's crowned as the WoW-killer? But what about the bigger picture of online gaming in general? We've seen it come a long way over the past decades, and it's not always easy to see where it's headed. SOE's director of development of the EverQuest franchise, Dave Georgeson, sat down with Massively at PAX East this year to prognosticate on the future of online gaming. And of course, part of that future includes EQ Next, and while he still can't talk specifics, he did shed some light on the philosophy behind the game's design, with some hints about what players might see when it's revealed at SOE Live this summer.
PAX East 2013: An interview with EVE Online's Jon Lander
The next expansion to EVE Online was announced during this year's PAX East. Odyssey will usher in to the game a host of improvements ranging from better exploration mechanics to a redistribution of resources, ensuring that players have plenty to do with their internet spaceships over the summer. But what are the longer-term impacts of these changes? What can players expect from this expansion and more moving into the future? How does all of this play into the soon-to-launch DUST 514? I'm admittedly not a regular EVE Online player, but I was on the show floor for the big announcement, and I had a chance to ask CCP executive producer Jon Lander a few questions after the presentation. The first one was the one that sprang to mind after viewing the announcement (which you can do as well with the video just below): Is this an expansion meant to add something new to the game, or is this meant to fix things that are broken?
The Nexus Telegraph: Party like a WildStar at PAX East
The WildStar afterparty at PAX East was a lot of fun. The part where I managed to injure myself in the process? Not so much fun. This is not the first con at which WildStar had a presence, but this year it was not just a presence but the presence. You literally couldn't walk down a hallway without seeing some of the promo art. WildStar videos were on display all over the monitors throughout the convention center, and the afterparty consisted of approximately everyone. For those of us who have been following the game for a while, the convention provided a lot of information. For people who had literally never known it existed until this weekend, it had a huge impact, and I think it drew in a lot of surprise converts. So let's talk about all the fun there was to be had during the event and discuss how I was dumb enough to put myself out of commission for the entirety of Sunday.
PAX East 2013: ArenaNet on Guild Wars 2's near and far future
This year's PAX East is the first one to take place in a post-launch world for Guild Wars 2. Last year, one of the big rewards for panelgoers was scoring a beta key; this year, anyone can grab a copy right now without a problem (just a fee). Consequently, the game hasn't had quite as much presence this year. But the team at ArenaNet decided to do something different this time around by sending out two of the designers to sit down and just answer questions from media representatives. Before the palaver began in earnest, we were given a brief recap of the game's current state and the overall design focus. At the moment, we know that the game's developers are not looking to release a major expansion, focusing instead on more immediate content releases on a short schedule to make the game as good as it can be. While they don't like to use the term sandbox, they want the game to be a living world where people have a reason to be out in the world instead of stuck in small, instanced areas.
BioWare Edmonton and producer Casey Hudson working on 'a whole new fictional universe'
During a panel this weekend at PAX East, Mass Effect producer Casey Hudson revealed that his team at BioWare Edmonton has started work on "a whole new fictional universe." Other details weren't shared, except that Hudson said that he and BioWare's Senior Creative Director Preston Watamaniuk are going to be "building something new" together.Hudson oversaw Mass Effect 3 as an executive producer, and he says he'll still serve that role on the next Mass Effect title. But that game is being developed at BioWare Montreal, so Hudson's team at BioWare Edmonton has moved on to something completely new. Hopefully we'll hear more about it soon.
Seen@PAX East: PopCap plays tricks
PopCap's PAX East booth was carnival-themed this year, and featured a magician that decided to attempt a "social experiment" Saturday. Stepping down from the small stage, he instructed the crowd to gather closely around the Plants vs Zombies developer's booth, then stood among them. After a brief explanation, he incited a loud, manufactured applause from the crowd before taking the stage and starting his short, but charming routine.The magician believed that by kicking off the presentation with a cheering crowd, those passing by would naturally stop and join the audience. He was right; the video above shows a few folks gathering near our spot on the left side of the stage, but the total crowd gathering around the booth might have doubled in size from the time before the enigmatic performer began his instructions.
Borderlands 2 getting new class, level cap raise in the next few months
The new Vault Hunter for Borderlands 2, teased at SXSW, has been revealed at PAX East. Krieg the Psycho will be the game's sixth playable class, and you can see a quick teaser of what he looks and plays like in the video above. He's primarily a melee character, but has a few ranged abilities and can skill up in the Bloodlust tree (focused on combat bonuses), go insane with the Mania tree, or break out fire-based attacks with the Hellborn tree. Krieg is part of the Psycho Pack, which will be available in May for $9.99, or 800 Microsoft points. On April 2, Borderlands 2 will get the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade pack ($5, or 400 MSP), which will raise the game's level cap from 50 up to 61. Unlike the Psycho Pack, it will be part of the game's Season Pass content and unlock a third playthrough in the "Ultimate Vault Hunter mode." Finally, Gearbox teased the game's last piece of campaign DLC at its panel, which it simply said was due out sometime in June. %Gallery-183718%
