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Rumor: Galactrix landing in October
Given the insane popularity of Puzzle Quest, DS match-three/level-grinding fans are going to line up as soon as they can for Infinite Interactive's follow-up, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. According to Gamestop, they'll be exploring the game's dramatic storyline and color-matching hexagonal gems this October. The retailer's website now lists Galactrix with an October 14th release date.Upon hearing this news, Eric's monocle fell right out and he sprang out of his leather chair, exclaiming "By Jove! I must arrange for delivery of this item immediately upon its release! To the phones -- post haste!" Alisha was more reserved, but we saw her teacup tremble a bit.%Gallery-16886%
Vicious Engine made available to Indiana University students
Developers Vicious Cycle Software have offered up the studio's cross-platform Vicious Engine middleware to students attending the Indiana University School of Education, giving those aspiring to a life of game development some helpful hands-on time with real-world tools. But don't go expecting the university to churn out the next Puzzle Quest or Dead Head Fred, as according to the school, students will be using the engine to make so-called 'serious games." Students' games will be "designed to teach various subjects of their choosing," and will be part of a larger university study on "how people learn through games." Even so, we imagine the experience will likely prove invaluable for those students wanting to eventually grease the wheels of game development with their sweat and blood.
DS Fanboy poll: Would you buy Puzzle Quest '1.5'?
The Nintendo DS has a long way to go before it can match the Xbox 360's online features and capabilities, but that doesn't mean we're any less jealous of the XBLA-only Puzzle Quest "1.5" add-on. In addition to a new story and arch-villain (Antharg, Lord of the Plague), the expansion pack will feature new spells, items, and quests. The upgrades we're extra envious about, though, are the new classes -- Bard, Rogue, Ranger, and Warlock.Seeing as the DS edition of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords doesn't allow for downloadable content, if the expansion pack were to come out for the DS, it would have to be on a new cart. We doubt D3 will bother with porting the game, but we're interested to find out if you'd buy a Puzzle Quest 1.5, provided that the game allowed you to migrate your old character, of course.%Poll-11365%See also: GDC08: Hands almost-on with Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
Nameless Puzzle Quest DLC needs your help
D3Publisher just announced a new Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords expansion that's set to release to the Xbox Live Marketplace sometime this Spring and it's packed full of goodies. It'll be an expansion comprised of four new Hero professions, new items, new spells, new quests, new monsters, a new enemy and the list goes on and on. It's an exciting piece of DLC for fans of Puzzle Quest, except there is one tiny problem. D3Publisher doesn't have a name for the DLC ... oops.So fanboys, that's where you come in. How they see it, Puzzle Quest fans are a knowledgeable and creative enough bunch to name the new set of DLC in their official Puzzle Quest DLC naming contest. Kicking off later today, you can head on over to the Puzzle Quest's official website through March 21st to recommend a name for the DLC. So, go ahead and get your creativity on, help D3Publisher and make the Puzzle Quest world a better place to live. We have faith you'll do the right thing.[Via Game Stooge]
Puzzle Quest getting XBLA expansion, fans asked to name it
Puzzle Quest was among our favorite titles released last year over Xbox Live Arcade, with the unlikely mix of casual puzzling and role-playing edging its way into several of our staff's top picks for 2007. Now publisher D3 has announced that the game will soon be getting what it calls a "tremendous amount" of new content by way of an upcoming downloadable expansion. There's just one problem -- it needs a name.The add-on, which promises a new villain in Antharg, the Lord of Plague, as well as new spells, items, and quests on top of four new hero professions (Bard, Rogue, Ranger and Warlock), is currently being dubbed " Puzzle Quest: 1.5," but that name is hardly appropriate. To this end, D3 is calling for players to submit name suggestions on the official Puzzle Quest website starting today at noon through Friday, March 21. Once a name has been decided, the expansion will be made available this spring over Xbox Live. We're already brainstorming our ideas -- might we suggest Puzzle Quest: The Addictioning?
WRUP: St. Patty's Day edition
Erin go braugh, laddie! Aye, it's St. Patrick's day weekend, which means that there'll be lots o' wearing o' the green and probably a little bit of celebrating and drinkin' (for those of age, of course). But being that this is a site about MMOs, there'll probably be a little game playin' as well. So What aRe yoU Playing in the world of MMOs this weekend?I've been taking the games easy lately -- been trying to make my way into Guild Wars (as a level 5 Necromancer-slash-Monk, but I'm a total newb, so that may not quite work), and while browsing around, I've been playing quite a bit of PMOG lately. With all the invites into the beta, I'm well on my way to level 4, though as a Bedouin, so I'll have to do some mining this weekend to get back to Destroyer status. And while I'm currently waiting for the site to die down, I can't wait to jump in on Warlords Online -- Massively's own Kyle Horner tells me it's just as addictived as Puzzle Quest, and boy did I love me some XBLA Puzzle Quest (can't wait for Galactrix, either).So what are you playing this weekend, in among all of the Irish celebrations? Leave a comment below and tell us what you're up to!Previously on WRUP...
Play Warlords Online, the Puzzle Quest creators' MMO
Right now, stop what you're doing. (Unless what you're doing is open-heart surgery, in which case, what are you even doing here? He's crashing!) There's nothing more important now than for you to go play Warlords Online, a new massively multiplayer online game (MMO, on the streets) from Infinity Interactive, developers of Puzzle Quest.Basically, you'll be completing simple puzzles to earn gold, using that money to buy an army, exert your might and claim the world for your own. It's a little bare bones at the moment (not to mention the fact that the servers are getting slammed) but it reeks of promise. Seriously, there are stink lines of potential emanating from the monitor. Check it out for yourself and see if you don't agree.[Via Massively]
Puzzle Quest creators go MMO with Warlords Online
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Puzzle_Quest_goes_MMO_with_Warlords_Online'; We will admit to playing hours upon hours of Puzzle Quest, but the problem with that game is there's not persistence to your accomplishments. Sure, some versions have an online mode but it's just not the same as having the entire game designed around a dedicated online space. Well with the launch of Warlords Online -- the newest game to come forth from Infinite Interactive -- our Puzzle Quest MMO ambitions have been realized.
GDC08: Hands almost-on with Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
D3 Publisher's big surprise at GDC this year was the newly rebranded Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, the sci-fi spiritual sequel to the hit Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. We weren't able to play the game -- we were forced to sit tantalizingly close as we watched the PC version of the game (also coming to DS and Xbox Live Arcade) being demonstrated. The new game explores the question "What if people didn't have souls?" in the medium of match-three puzzle games. No, we don't know what that means either.Enjoy our gallery of spaceship concept art, screenshots, and this thing, and continue past the break for what gameplay details we could glean from the demo.%Gallery-16892%
Sci-fi Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is headed to XBLA
Today, D3Publisher and Infinite Interactive sent out word that the latest in the Puzzle Quest franchise, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will be releasing to the Xbox Live Arcade sometime this Fall. Details are light, but D3Publisher revealed that Galactrix will take the franchise into the sci-fi genre, nearly opposite of its older brother Puzzle Quest: CotW. D3Publisher also promise to include a "rich and detailed storyline and fresh gameplay elements" into the mix. Which is a good thing, we wouldn't want Galactrix to have a non-existent storyline or stale gameplay elements ... that gets a thumbs up from us. Feel free to browse the Puzzle Quest: Galactrix concept art, renders and screenshots in the super awesome gallery below.%Gallery-16881%
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (re)announced
We've known a Puzzle Quest sequel was coming out for some time -- turns out, we've known longer than we thought. In April 2007, D3 Publishers announced Galactrix, a "blend of puzzle, RPG, and strategy games" with sci-fi twist. This week at GDC, D3 announced it again (via Gamespot), only this time re-branded as Puzzle Quest: Galactrix. (You can view the old screenshots here.)The obvious gameplay difference from Puzzle Quest is the hexagonal board, adding to the board's complexity. Galactrix is due out this year for DS, Xbox Live Arcade and PC; a PSP version could not be confirmed.
Rock your DS's sound through the car stereo
We actually enjoy playing our DS in the car quite a bit. In fact, one of us even went so far as to enjoy playing Puzzle Quest at red lights while behind the wheel. It's a dangerous obsession that not only threatens our own lives, but those of everyone else in the world. It's the nature of the beast, we suppose. So imagine our surprise when we read this little piece and totally realized we could output our DS's sound to our car speakers, almost providing a surround sound experience. Sure, we have headphones for when we're trying to get our dual-screen on out in the wild, but sometimes they're uncomfortable. This just seems like an incredibly obvious thing we never thought of ourselves. We can totally picture playing Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents in this manner.
GDC08: Why are goal structures important to MMOs and VWs?
The following is a quite excellent session from the Worlds in Motion GDC track given by Erik Bethke, CEO of GoPets. The takeaway message is about what virtual worlds can learn from MMOs in terms of providing intelligent goal structures. Erik: How do we apply MMO goal structures to virtual worlds (and to almost everything)? Virtual worlders tend to hate games like WoW because they're not "erudite" enough but look at this screenshot (shows slide of a UI from a raid) and look at how complicated the user interface is. With 10 million people playing, is it hardcore or is it casual? I get really frustrated with arguments about UI: the raid screenshot proves that even this level of complexity can break through to a larger audience. Shows slide of quest-giver goblin in WoW: "virtual worlds are missing the little guys with exclamation points above their heads." Looking at other examples of goal structures: look at how successful Puzzle Quest got by combining Bejeweled with RPG elements. Look at Chore Wars -- suddenly I get excited about walking the dog (laughter). Even something like the LinkedIn registration process -- I logged in one day and saw that my "progress bar" was only at 40% and how can I live with that?! I had to level up in LinkedIn. I found out I needed to get testimonials from my contacts to get higher -- it was a group quest! I got pissed that I couldn't solo LinkedIn (lots of laughter).
Puzzle Quest sequel cited in D3 press release, coming 2008
Last year's Puzzle Quest was a surprise hit/addiction that eventually landed on every platform in existence. So it's with little shock that a recent press release from D3 Publisher, which announced Adam Roberts as the new European Managing Director, mentioned a forthcoming sequel to the game due out this year.The revelation is found in the last sentence of the release, "The company will also be releasing video games based on Aardman's popular Shaun the Sheep character in 2008, alongside the eagerly-awaited follow-ups to the best-selling Ben 10 and Puzzle Quest." Wait a second, more Ben 10 and Shaun the Sheep, too? O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! We've contacted D3 for a statement.
More awards, more snubs for the DS
It's something we've talked about a few times but still don't understand -- what does it take for the best-selling game system in the world to get a little attention? Alright, alright, we're over it. And at least the Game Developers Choice awards have a special handheld category, and we're extraordinarily pleased to see Contra 4 glowing brightly on the list. It's probably not going to win, but we're happy to see we're not the only ones who love beefy dudes with weapons. Maybe this time next year, we'll see some DS games breaking out of handheld-only categories, since there is so much complete awesome slated for the system in the coming months. We can't be the only ones who think DS titles can go toe-to-toe with their console brethren. In the meantime, check out the nominees for best handheld game after the break.
Best of the Rest: Zack's Picks of 2007
Phase (iPod)A must-have game on the iPod? Yep. I'm as surprised as anyone. Apple's music player puttered through Tetris remakes, solitaire, and other obvious clones until Phase established some gaming muscle. (And sure, Musika gets some credit for being unique, but it's more visualizer than game.) Developed by Harmonix, Phase is a simple Guitar Hero-style beat-matching game. Tap a fifth-generation (video) iPod, Classic, or recent Nano's left, center, and right buttons in time with the music and on-screen prompts. Slide a finger around the wheel to catch falling dots. And that's it. The game becomes so much more because of its quirky visuals and ability to sync to your own songs. Nearly any genre works, especially music with a percussive bass line. While the console rhythm games let you buy new track downloads, Phase's unlimited replay with your own songs makes it a no-brainer for a portable music player.
Best of the Rest: Griffin's Picks of 2007
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Wii)For a port of a two-year-old game, RE4: Wii Edition didn't have a whole lot going for it. It had the same extra features as the PS2 port of the game, not-so-updated graphics, and slightly lower reviews than its original iteration -- and yet, somehow, just by changing how the game is controlled, Capcom created an entirely new adventure. When the peculiar controls for the Wii were first announced, this is the type of interactivity that I imagined from the future games for the system -- responsive, accurate, and realistic. The only way they could have made the gunplay feel any more natural would have been to package the game with an actual gun, which you shot at the on-screen zombies. Once.
Best of the Rest: Alexander's Picks of 2007
Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (PC) Please, make the addiction stop! Civilization IV: Warlords, the first expansion for Civ IV, made my "Best of the Rest" last year and Beyond the Sword tops this year's list. The funny thing is I'm not a Civ fanboy, nor am I even that great of a player (Full Disclosure: I still play on Noble level), but Civ IV is a game I can come back to over and over again. Beyond the Sword added much-needed mechanics for culture-prone and passive-aggressive players, with enhancements in espionage and other concepts "beyond the sword." Oh, and just to keep last year's tradition going: Firaxis (2K, Take-Two), please get the rights to Alpha Centauri back from EA and give us a sequel!
Best of the Rest: Justin's Picks of 2007
Dead Head Fred (PSP) Though he may have been on a small screen, Dead Head Fred (voiced by Scrubs' John C. McGinley), had more character than 90 percent of the leads in this year's crop of console games. If you haven't played it, do yourself a favor and track it down. It's excellent stuff.
Best of the Rest: James' Picks of 2007
Pac-Man Championship Edition (XBLA) If not worthy of a Top 10 spot, then certainly Pac-Man deserves Joystiq's 'Comeback Player of the Year' award. I covered Pac-Man CE's overblown launch in early June, but it wasn't until I became a devoted player at home that I realized the sheer genius of the first true Pac-Man sequel since 'the Ms.' hit the maze in '82. Designer Toru Iwatani managed to scrape off a quarter-century of rust and fashion a remarkably relevant game that held me down during an otherwise punishing summer drought. Geometry Wars might be the most celebrated, but Pac-Man CE is Xbox Live Arcade's true star.
