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A WoW player's guide to Warhammer Online
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/A_WoW_player_s_guide_to_Warhammer_Online'; Heard about Warhammer Online, but the thought of a whole new virtual world to get lost in frightens and confuses you? Worry not -- our good friends at Massively (like WoW Insider, but for all MMOs) have you covered. Just in time for the impending Warhammer Online release, they've posted a WoW player's guide to Warhammer Online. With their in-depth guide, you can take all that knowledge you've racked up about Azeroth and its inhabitants, and carry it right on over to Altdorf and the rest of the world of Warhammer.Need a class translation guide, or want the lowdown on what quests and crafting are like? Perhaps the biggest difference between WoW and WAR is a bigger emphasis on PvP of all kinds, and Massively's got the story for you on that as well. If you've been interested in checking out Warhammer at all (or if a few friends have mentioned they're switching), this guide will bring you right up to speed.Of course, even EA admits that Warhammer won't really be a rival to World of Warcraft, but there's no question that the game has already influenced how even Blizzard makes its games, so no matter how many players choose to cross over, there's no question the new MMO on the block is going to make a splash. The game comes out in just over a week on September 18 -- if this guide has piqued your interest, stay tuned to Massively for more on what's up with the game and its release.
Sony's BDP-S350 Blu-ray player hitting Canada this month
First came the US, then came the UK. Now, it's Canada's turn. Sony Canada has just announced that the BDP-S350 Blu-ray player will be made available "later this month" at Sony Style retail outlets, SonyStyle.ca and other authorized Sony retailers in the Great North. By this point, you should know all there is to know about this BonusView-packin', BD-Live-ready machine, and yes, the $400 price tag remains in tact.[Via Digital Home]
Poll: Did you purchase an HD DVD player post-format war?
While scads of HD DVD adopters took advantage of extended return periods in order to rid themselves of the defunct format, we wonder who ran out to acquire a player at rock-bottom prices? Even now, the cost of entry into Blu-ray is still ridiculously high, and it's not like we ever had any issues with the image / audio quality of HD DVDs. Rather than beating around the proverbial bush, we'll get right down to it: did you rush out to buy an HD DVD player soon after the format war concluded? Did you stock up on HD DVD titles at bargain basement prices? Are you still enjoying your HD DVD player right now? Tell us how your unit is faring after a few months of being shunned by everyone else, and don't even think of being shy. %Poll-17883%
Japan warming to Blu-ray, sales break six-figures in June
With royalty fees just around the bend for Blu-ray recorders in Japan, it seems as if locals are snapping up units left and right before the taxation is enacted. For the first time in a single month, shipments of recorders and players based on Blu-ray Disc broke the six-figure mark in June 2008 with 122,000 units. That's coming from data reported by the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), which shows a notable increase from the 82,000 units shipped in May. Analysts are expecting the numbers to rise further in the coming months, as the Beijing Olympics draw near and many Japanese citizens spend their mid-year bonus on high-def wares. Still, it's not like folks in Japan are getting any stellar deals; the cheapest BD deck there is Sharp's BD-AV1, which still demands around ¥44,800 ($420). Just imagine those sales figures if there were a few reasonably priced players to choose from.[Image courtesy of DayLife]
Massively previews Dungeons & Dragons Online's Module 7
Dungeons & Dragons Online continues to hold their own in a quickly-growing MMO world. When DDO first showed up as a licensed MMO of the grandaddy of roleplaying games, their main goal was just to meet expectations -- so many people have been a fan of the pen-and-paper game for so long that putting it into MMO form was no easy task. But since release, the DDO team has made improvement after improvement, and added so much content to the game that it's moved beyond the license to stand on its own as a very singular kind of MMO.Massively got a chance to sit down with the team and take a look at the latest update, Module 7, due out on June 3, and currently in public testing. In addition to some extended playtime with the new Monk class, we got to see updates to the lower level Three Barrel Cove area, a shrine to recently passed-on D&D creator Gary Gygax, and the new raid area under the destroyed Marketplace tent, as well as a few new monsters and raid bosses that can be found down there.To start your tour through Module 7, just roll a d20 and click on through. To jump to any section of the walkthrough (including directly to our exclusive video preview, if that's what you're looking for), hit the links after the break.%Gallery-23551%
Denon adds DVD-1800BD Blu-ray player to lineup
Denon has introduced the DVD-1800BD Blu-ray player to the low side (relatively speaking) of its lineup. As we've seen from high end makes lately, this unit continues the trend of a Profile 1.1 feature set at a price point that's sure not to "dilute" the brand luster. The DVD-1800BD is expected to ship in October with an MSRP of $749. Depending on whether you're a "glass half full" or "glass half empty" sort of person, it's $450 cheaper than the next-up-the line DVD-2500BTCI (pictured) or $350 more expensive than a PS3. Either way, it's pricey for Profile 1.1 player that does not have onboard decoding of DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD (but does output the bitstreams). We might cut this unit some slack if it were shipping immediately, but an October date makes us think this will be for Denon loyalists only.
Samsung's BD-P1500 Blu-ray player in stock, in the wild
Remember that April June release date that Samsung just threw out not even a month ago for its twice-delayed BD-P1500? Yeah, apparently that's not entirely accurate. A few shots here prove that the firm's latest BD-Live-ready Blu-ray deck is indeed hitting at least some store shelves already, with this particular one being spotted in a San Diego Wal-Mart. Better still, the price was pegged at $348, or a full $51 less than the published MSRP. In other words, keep a sharp eye out for this puppy -- it's probably worth the extra $50 over the Funai NB500.[Thanks, Rob] %Gallery-22778%
Player vs. Everything: The importance of morale
We've all been there. Any little thing can start it. Maybe the tank messes up and pulls two groups when he meant to pull one. Maybe the healer was distracted by his cat and some people die. Maybe the mage doesn't watch her aggro and the mobs take out the DPS. Something happens, and the group wipes. The seed of doubt is planted: Can this group really pull this dungeon off? Am I grouped with a bunch of idiots? How big is my repair bill going to be tonight? It's like watching a chain of dominoes. Sometimes, the group can laugh off a wipe or two. But if a simple mistake turns into a pattern of someone screwing up, or if luck goes against you and you have a few simple mistakes in a row, people start losing their morale. Suddenly, people aren't using their consumables (why bother when you're just going to die again?). The tanks and healers get frustrated and start getting sloppy. The DPS gets angry and starts getting cocky. Everyone thinks everyone else is a moron, and each pull is a little less likely to succeed than the last. Each wipe spirals you further down. Finally, people start having mysterious "emergencies" and have to leave the group (do a /who check to see them farming somewhere in 30 minutes). You might not realize it, but your group's morale is hugely important to your success.
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MMO MMOnkey: Short Circuiting Social Stereotypes with MMOs
I was playing Lord of the Rings Online one night when a player agreed with something mentioned in general chat by saying "Indeed!" Without rancor or hostility another player laughed at this stilted language and asked whether people really talked like that. Of course the question was answered with a chorus of "Indeed!" but in the ensuing conversation the player who had laughed said that he or she was from an economically disadvantaged area where the use of language like "Indeed" was wholly foreign. S/he was surprised to discover that language differed so radically among different socio-economic groups. And I thought, "Now, this is one of the reasons why MMOs are such interesting places." People categorize each other based on visual attributes like age, gender, hair and clothing style, and skin color. We also use political, religious, and social ideologies, musical, cinema, and leisure time preferences, and socio-economic class differences to divide ourselves up into different groups. The tendency to categorize and divide has more to do with the basic functioning of the human information processing system than bias or narrow mindedness on people's parts, and it is useful in allowing us to function effectively in the complex, dynamic, and often dangerious environment we call the real world. However, it does have it's drawbacks. It's long been known that people have a marked tendency to identify themselves with a group, identify people who are not members of their group as members of an out-group, and assign negative characteristics to the out-group. Moreover, we tend to spend most of our time with people who are like us. In other words, we hang out with people who look and think like we do and tend to think about people who are not like us in negative terms.
Giving players the control stick in EVE Online
We heard yesterday that EVE Online is set to start elections for the player council in May, and James over at Kill Ten Rats echoes pretty well the same thoughts that I (and others) have had about this whole idea: is it a good one?It's an interesting idea, to be sure, and if you listen to the people who had it (in our interview with them), it's a great idea. Instead of worrying about the vagaries of forum feedback and CM involvement, the devs are really hoping to have the game really run according to player concerns, allowing "emergent behavior" to appear on a vast scale. But there are lots of problems that could easily arise -- as James says, the players' roles aren't too specifically defined, so what if they decide to ban a corporation from the game, or purposely unbalance the economy?
Post-format war, which Blu-ray player will you snag?
After what seems like ages, the deadlock between HD DVD and Blu-ray has finally been broken, and as you undoubtedly know, high-definition film lovers everywhere are now scrambling to figure out which BD player would suit them best. 'Course, the easy answer is Sony's Profile 2.0-capable PlayStation 3, but if you've got a higher-end home theater, things aren't necessarily that simple -- there are some pretty big audio codec issues to keep in mind. Either way, now that it's safe to commit to one format, why not check out what everybody else is doing and toss in your own vote at Engadget HD's poll? [Image courtesy of AV Revolution]
Poll: What Blu-ray player will you be picking up?
Following up on what was likely Engadget HD's most popular poll of all time -- which asked HD DVD early adopters to decide their next move after their beloved format crumbled -- we're out to see exactly what fencesitters and disgruntled converts alike are going to do now. It should be noted that while everyone and their grandmother has been quick to suggest the PlayStation 3 as the end-all solution, we can't help but remind audiophiles that Sony's latest console may actually not be the best choice. Granted, the constant flow of updates and its Profile 2.0 compatibility are definite pluses, but still, we can't say with a straight face that it's for everyone. So, dear readers, now that you can rest assured that the one remaining high-definition format will be around for at least a hot minute, which BD player are you eying?[Image courtesy of AV Revolution] %Poll-9995%
Harman Kardon hops on the Blu-ray bandwagon
Harman Kardon, perhaps emboldened by the recent changes in the format war climate, has announced support for Blu-ray. Talk is cheap, though, so the company will release a Blu-ray player in the £450 - £500 range (approximately $880 - $980) at IFA 2008 in September as proof of its commitment. We like Harman Kardon gear, but that's a bit rich for our blood. Luckily, the company is also going to be sprinkling Blu-ray across its lineup, right down to its HTIB systems. It's safe to assume that HK will maintain its high-end luster (with prices to match), so don't expect bargain sort of prices from the brand; but still, it's always better to have more competition in the game. And speaking of high end, HK showered some more love on Blu-ray by showing (and thus maintaining the promise of) the DVC 600 Blu-ray / HDD recorder first seen at IFA 2007. Supposedly, this beast will enable owners to capture "up to eight channels of TV," and it'll also boast a 1TB hard drive and an optional BD writer. Beyond that, specifics are a tad fuzzy, but we are hearing that it will include DVI, USB, a plethora of EPG modes and "the ability to remove advertisements from recorded programs." Per usual, mum's the word on price and availability, but this is one Blu-ray recorder that we hope makes it stateside.[Via Electronista]
GameTap releases Mac-compatible Player
The GameTap lite client has been out on the Mac for a while, but GameTap just finally released a new version of their full player, and it is now fully compatible with the Mac.Unfortunately, things aren't quite hunky dory just yet-- the Mac player will only play Mac-supported games, which leaves a large number of games completely out-- Sam and Max, Psychonauts, and any other games listed as "Windows" are N/A in the Mac player. However, any emulation titles are in, so Genesis, Neo Geo, and the old arcade games are all playable, according to GameTap's page-- you can get your Sonic on in OS X.This still doesn't help us with new games, of course, but it is awesome to have a huge library like that now available for gaming on the Mac. The GameTap player is now available for download over on their homepage, and while many games are available for free, a Gold subscription to play all the games is $60 a year.
Teac's HD-R1 recorder stores audio on CompactFlash
Scouting a 1U, rackmountable two-channel audio recorder? What about a solid state version? If you just so happened to answer yes to the previous questions, Teac's got you covered. The outfit's HD-R1 Recorder relies on CompactFlash cards to store up to 24-bit / 48kHz PCM or MP3 files and can be controlled remotely via LAN or RS-232C. Additionally, the unit touts a USB port, mic preamps, phantom power, RCA, XLR, Euroblock and S/PDIF inputs, and the blue-backlit display is a nice touch, too. Teac has apparently been busy showing its new toy off at Inter BEE 2007, but those tempted by the above specs can secure their own for around $1,100.[Image courtesy of Sweetwater]
Easy macro for getting your coordinates
Here's an awesome tip from amib over on WoW LJ. Sometimes, we all could use a little location check from time to time. While I usually am OK with finding quest coordinates, every once in a while, I'd just kind of like to know where I am. So here's amib's tip-- a macro that will easily and simply tell you (no addons required) where you are in game./script px,py=GetPlayerMapPosition("player")/script DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(format("( %s ) %i,%i",GetZoneText(),px *100,py *100));(As commenters have noted, the formatting is weird here on the blog-- it's meant to be two lines, both starting with script. The other line breaks will need to be taken out.)Just put that on a button, call it "Where am I?" or something like that, and then click it to get your current ingame coordinates in the chat channel. Considering how poor my addon-updating abilities are, that's perfect.Of course, there are lots and lots of addons floating around that will do this even better-- showing your coordinates and cursor coordinates in the window, and all kinds of other ways. But if you only use coordinates every once in a while, and never remember to update your addons, this little macro could be pretty useful to have.
Polling players on new content
There's an interesting discussion going on over on the forums about whether or not Blizzard should conduct player polls. Antiquity from Lightning's Blade can't see why they don't-- it's an easy way for them to get quick feedback about different aspects of gameplay. But Nethaera disagrees. She says (and I can see her point as well) that polls are commonly inaccurate, which is definitely true, and while she doesn't exactly come out and say it, she seems to be implying that Blizzard would rather hear player feedback in terms of discussion rather than in numbers. Just hearing that 70% of players will use voice chat doesn't tell the whole story-- more important to know would be the reasons players would use voice chat, and in what situations they would use it.So it's not really likely that Blizzard will implement in-game polling anytime soon-- for now, they're content to get their player feedback from the forums (and, I suspect, from sites just like this one).However. We here at WoW Insider have no such compunctions, and we love to hear your feedback in terms of numbers just as much as in the comments. And I especially like Antiquity's poll suggestion, so here it is. Yes, this isn't really a solution to what he wants-- he wants to hear in-game voices, not forum voices or WoW Insider reader voices. But it is an interesting question, and I would like to see what you all think.%Poll-3190%(I did leave off the "All of the above" choice-- if that was on there, I don't see why everyone wouldn't choose it. This way, you're forced to choose your preference.)
Daewoo shows off Blu-ray Profile 2 player at IFA
Straight from IFA 2007 in Berlin comes Daewoo's surprise entry into the Blu-ray camp with the company's first player, the DBP-1000. Interestingly, even though Daewoo is probably more well-known for their Trutech ODM devices -- or even their autos -- this player supposedly supports the full 2.0 Profile for Blu-ray Disc, including BD Live internet functionality, picture-in-picture, and local storage. Pricing and availability are nowhere to be found, but it won't be soon enough for Blu-ray fans to see players with that interactive functionality built-in like competing HD DVD players have. Another picture after the jump.
Cog grinds its way to .06
Shaun Martin drops a note that Cog, an open source audio player that plays pretty much every format you'd want to play (I don't know if I'd ever need to play anything in Monkey's Audio but sure enough, it's there) has hit version .06. The release features a brand new UI (with two pullout drawers-- one that browses the filesystem for music, and another that pops up to show info on the playing file), plugin support, preferences (including builtin global hotkeys, which I really enjoy), and everything else you'd expect in an audio player-- Growl support, Last.fm support, gapless playback, and more.The only little flaw I can find is that there seems to be two Help menus-- maybe the Cog guys just want to be extra helpful. At any rate, if you're looking for a quick and free little open source audio player as an alternative to Apple's iPhone Activator, Cog will probably turn your gears.
Breakfast topic: Baleeted!
What's the highest level character you've ever deleted?I haven't deleted many characters at all-- when I first started playing I was on Cenarius, and I still have about nine alts all there just sitting around, never realizing that I probably won't be back. Now, I'm on Thunderhorn, and pretty much all the characters I've started I've kept. Oh, there's been a few level ones that I created for fun, and I believe I made it to level 12 or so with a dwarf Hunter before I realized I didn't ever want to play Alliance again, but I think that's it-- I just can't bring myself to throw away any characters I actually spent time on.But looking at the thread, I'm probably the exception. Lots of players toss their maxed-out characters all the time, either because they're frustrated with a class change, need extra room, or are just leaving the game for good.So what's the highest character you've deleted and why?
