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Michael Whelan forges a vision of Deathwing
If you're a fan of science fiction and fantasy, the name Michael Whelan is likely familiar to you. And even if the name isn't familiar, it's incredibly likely you've picked up a book with Whelan's art on the cover. Michael Whelan has been one of the world's premier fantasy and science fiction cover artists since 1980, with covers that grace the works of Isaac Asimov, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Anne McCaffrey and many more. In 2009, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in Seattle -- the first living artist to be included in a distinguished list of notable authors. Whelan was approached for a commissioned piece by Blizzard's Art Director, Jeremy Cranford. The subject? Deathwing. This month's ImagineFX magazine includes a two-page spread of the full painting, but Whelan has also featured a behind-the-scenes glimpse showing the full process behind creating this beautiful work of art on his official website. It's a fascinating look at what that process of creating a piece of art is actually like. There are a tremendous number of steps involved -- including, in this case, a detailed head study of Deathwing, shown above. The end result is a dramatic, bold, beautiful and very Whelan piece, but the post on Whelan's website includes all of the developmental pieces of art as well. Head to Whelan's website for the full story behind this gorgeous piece of art and an illustration of the work it takes to go from idea to finished piece. And if you're interested in a truly unique holiday gift, the head study of Deathwing is available for purchase, too.
Indie space sandbox Xenocell asks for launch funding
Xenocell is almost ready for launch, but it needs your help to get across that finish line! Wait, you say you've never heard of Xenocell? That's probably because it's a below-the-radar indie title that's only now starting to make itself known to the larger community. Xenocell is a scifi sandbox MMO in which players take on the role of marooned colonists who crash-land on an alien planet and have to rebuild society from scratch. Its fundraiser page says that the team needs $20,000 to help launch the title and support it through the first two months. We've got an overview video of Xenocell for you to check out after the jump and see if this game is worth supporting. [Thanks to Boris for the tip!]
MMO Blender: Eliot swings for internet spaceships
Honestly, EVE Online always depresses me. I know some of you really love the heck out of EVE Online, and that's great. The problem isn't that the game is bad but that it's a game which holds basically zero interest for me except for the fact that it's a game about spaceships that you play on the internet. That part interests me because it's almost a textbook description of the things that I find interesting. Throw in some giant robots and psychological horror and I'm completely sold. Move on to open PvP, corporate warfare, and shuffling through spreadsheets while playing the ore market, and you've lost my interest. This isn't a lamentation on the fact that games exist that aren't meant to please me. No, this is a lamentation of the fact that I want another internet spaceships game. I want my spaceships on the internet, but I want them to be my kind of spaceships. And so with all due respect to the existing contenders, I'd like to talk about my version.
Taikodom prepares for August closed beta
Earlier this year we were wondering what had happened to Brazilian sci-fi shooter Taikodom -- and if we'd ever see it at all. Happily, things are looking up in this department: Reloaded Games announced that the title is now on the verge of closed beta testing. CEO Bjorn Book-Larsson said that beta signups will commence shortly and the title will go into closed beta in August. If you're wondering what Taikodom is all about, Book-Larsson attempts to sum it up as thus: "The game is a cross between EVE Online, Risk, and a shooter/action game, and has some incredible first-person space vehicle battles, combined with the capability to build large strategic battleships. Players will be able to not only engage in some incredible head-to-head combat in space, but also control vast territory and engage in interstellar politics." Taikodom has taken so long in getting to beta because the team switched to the Unity3D engine halfway through its development. The title is slated to launch this year on the PC and Mac, with tablet and console versions to follow in 2013.
Leaderboard: Fantasy vs. sci-fi vs. contemporary setting
Whoa Nelly! We have ourselves a rootin'-tootin' genre standoff in this here Leaderboard! It all started when the various representatives from the major MMO settings got together for an early week brunch, and it ended with drawn swords, pistols, and ray guns. Every setting thinks it's the best, of course, and they all have the egos to back it up. Let's see whether we can't defuse this standoff today, shall we? Let's vote for the best genre setting for an MMO: fantasy, science fiction, or contemporary. By far, fantasy has the most MMO representatives and is pretty much the main staple of the industry. However, both science fiction and contemporary titles have been making in-roads, from The Secret World to Star Trek Online. Is it better to play in a virtual world that's the most similar to yours? Does a mythological spin on the Middle Ages resonate most strongly with our sense of adventure? Or does the far-flung future hold the most prospect in giving us an unlimited frontier? Make your vote known after the jump!
Negative radiation pressure in light could make some tractor beams real, we're already sucked in
Developing a real, working tractor beam has regularly been an exercise in frustration: it often relies on brute force attempts to induce a magnetic link or an air pressure gap, either of which falls a bit short of science fiction-level elegance. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology's Mordechai Segev has a theory that would use the subtler (though not entirely movie-like) concept of negative radiation pressure in light to move objects. By using materials that have a negative refraction index, where the light photons and their overall wave shape move in opposite directions, Segev wants to create a sweet spot where negative radiation pressure exists and an object caught in the middle can be pushed around. His early approach would use extremely thin crystals stacked in layers to manipulate the refraction. As it's theorized, the technology won't be pulling in the Millennium Falcon anytime soon -- the millimeters-wide layer intervals dictate the size of what can be pulled. Nonetheless, even the surgery-level tractor beams that Segev hopes will ultimately stem from upcoming tests would bring us much closer to the future that we've always wanted.
Minority Report at 10: a look at technology from today to 2054
Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, based on the Philip K. Dick short story, opened in North American theaters 10 years ago today. It was preceded by the director's A.I. a year earlier, which was famously a pet project of Stanley Kubrick's for decades prior, and was followed up by Spielberg's version of War of the Worlds a couple of years later. Together, they formed an unofficial trilogy of sorts that represented a turn to darker science fiction for a director noted for his more optimistic excursions into the genre. Of the three, Minority Report was the best-received out of the gate, both as a film and as a detailed vision of the near-future unlike any since Blade Runner. That reputation has largely held up in the decade since (while A.I.'s has grown quite a bit), during which time it's also become a sort of technological touchstone. For all its bleakness, the future of Minority Report was one that we could recognize, and one that we were reaching towards -- at least when it came to the technology. Human-computer interaction would be more natural than ever, advertising would be everywhere and more personalized, and smart cars would deliver us to our smart homes. Today, it's almost as common for a new technology to be described as Minority Report-like as it is to be described as Star Trek-like. That was hardly just the result of good luck.
Ray Bradbury dies at 91, our world is that much poorer
It's a sad day for science fiction fans everywhere, as Ray Bradbury has passed on at the age of 91. We'll always know him best as the author of Fahrenheit 451, but it's really massive legacy in short stories that defined his role in technology. Collections like The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles made it a point to illustrate technology's impact and to never let our gadgetry trample human nature. Appropriately, for all of his ability to envision the future, he was actually rather cautious about embracing it: he only reluctantly allowed e-books and was worried the world was rushing too quickly towards devices. The irony of paying tribute on a technology website to this trepidation isn't lost on us, but we sincerely appreciate Bradbury's literary legacy -- he kept us honest (and entertained) in an industry that sometimes needs a reality check. He'll be missed. [Image credit: Alan Light, Flickr]
Sci-fi publisher announces Tor and Forge will go DRM-free with all e-book titles
Science fiction is often said to foresee the future, and today, that news couldn't ring more true. Tom Doherty Associates, a subsidiary of Macmillan and publisher of popular sci-fi and fantasy brands such as Tor and Forge, today announced that as of early July, all of its current e-books will be distributed without DRM restrictions. The company's president, Tom Doherty, revealed the shift as a long-time request of both its readers and authors -- which unsurprisingly, are a rather tech-savvy bunch. In addition to the move affecting all of Doherty's current sales channels, the move will allow the publisher to seek out independent e-book dealers that sell only DRM-free titles. While the move is unlikely to extend to the rest of Macmillan's properties anytime soon, just leave it to the sci-fi community to show others the way forward. Perhaps the future isn't gonna be so scary after all.
Breakfast Topic: Do you like a little sci-fi in your fantasy?
There were things about Burning Crusade that I really, really loved. Shattered planets in the sky, and ethereals running around ... it was not the same old fantasy thing. But as we talked to the community, certainly a lot of folks around the office were just like "I don't know man, I just wanna have gnolls and kobolds and run around in a pretty forest -- that's what fantasy is to me." -- Chris Metzen, BlizzCon 2011 Lore and Story Q&A I have read a metric ton of books in my lifetime -- I've always been a reader. When I was in elementary school, I started out with the classics, books that were on various best of all time lists. When I got to middle school, that's when I really started to home in on sci-fi and fantasy books. There was always something incredibly intriguing about science fiction, and fantasy was just a fantastic romp into things that by all rights simply don't exist and never will. But my favorite books were the ones that managed to seamlessly blend that fantasy feel with the futuristic feel of science fiction. It's not easy to take those two concepts and mesh them together, but I always loved finding an author who could pull it off. When Blizzard announced The Burning Crusade, I had no idea really what an expansion was -- when I learned it was a continuation of the story, I was delighted. When I discovered it was going to take place on another planet, I was intrigued. And the more I heard about The Burning Crusade, the more excited I was, because it seemed like this fantasy-grounded Warcraft universe I'd so fallen in love with was making that jump to the mesh of sci-fi and fantasy that I adore. The Burning Crusade still ranks as my favorite expansion largely for that reason. I loved the gorgeously alien world and bizarre technology and how it clicked in with what Warcraft was all about. So I was a little disappointed at Chris Metzen's statement during the Lore and Story Q&A at BlizzCon last year, and I wondered just how many people have a defined version of what fantasy is? What science fiction is? How many love seeing the two collide like I do? So I'm throwing the question out to you guys: Do you like a little sci-fi in your fantasy? Does the thought of axe-wielding barbarians fighting epic battles in space appeal? Or do you prefer your fantasy and science fiction separate, your Warcraft alien-free? World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
Rise and Shiny: Zandagort
Zandagort, a very independent browser-based MMORTS by Zanda Games, really holds a lot of promise. I want to get that out of the way first. Potential, unfortunately, has nothing to do with a player's current experience with the game. No one sits at his PC or laptop and says, "Man, I sure am excited about what this game could be, so I'll keep playing." But that very potential often makes me a little depressed. Potential for good also means potential for bad; if a game is unfinished and has the chance to grow, there's likewise a very real possibility that the game could fester, lose development love, or worse yet, die on the vine. There's no guarantee that even a "AAA" massive-budget game like Star Wars: The Old Republic or RIFT will last forever or even a good amount of time. Who knows? Usually with an indie game, if it isn't shining and picking up an audience relatively quickly, it just might be in trouble. Zandagort has an audience; I can see players in the outer reaches of space. I am not going to pass judgment on the number of players simply because indie budgets are often easily supported by a smaller playerbase, but I wonder what type of audience it is. I am open-minded and enjoy the occasional slog through an intense "spreadsheets-in-space"-style game, but Zandagort really wore down my patience.
The Repopulation populates pre-alpha
Above and Beyond Technologies, the studio behind upcoming sci-fi sandbox title The Repopulation, has been spending the last couple of months preparing new features for the game to show off at GDC 2012. Well, the wait is over as a new changelog post on the game's official site gives players a look at all the hard work that's been put into the game over the last two months. Oh, we're sorry, did we say changelog? We meant novel. The team has clearly been slaving away nonstop if the sheer number of changes and additions is any indication. If you're waiting to see these new features in action, though, don't worry. The studio says that some new video footage has been prepared that will be publicly released after GDC 2012. And to top it off, the post announces that the studio "will be opening Alpha testing in June." More information on that will be coming next week, so hang tight and read up, and be sure to stay tuned for our own MJ Guthrie's look at the game straight from GDC 2012.
Captain's Log: Operation Gamma
Like previous columns about The 2800, this is an overview and will contain spoilers. If you have not yet played this mission or do not want to know about what happens, stop right here! Episode three of Star Trek Online's featured episode series, The 2800, was released over the weekend, and developers at Cryptic Studios were able to give the players who enjoy flying small vessels their first new mission since The Vault in the Cloaked Intentions series. So jump into your shuttle (or fighter or captain's yacht) and join me as we head toward the Gamma Quadrant.
Latest Otherland trailer gives players a glimpse of the Net
Fans of Tad Williams' cyberpunk series Otherland, rejoice. The MMO adaptation of the series, which is being published by gamigo AG, has received a brand-new trailer showcasing many of the varied worlds you can visit on Otherland's Net. The trailer takes players on a tour of many of the game's interesting environments, which range from a medieval fortress to a Blade-Runner-esque metropolis. Fans also get a small taste of the game's combat set to some appropriately cyberpunk, wubwubwub-filled dubstep. To watch the trailer for yourself, just click on past the cut and log in to the Net. We'll see you on the other side.
Jump into Black Prophecy's past with gamigo's Nexus Conflict
The world of Black Prophecy hasn't always been like it is today. In the past, the Second Species Wars raged between the cybernetically augmented Tyi and the genetically modified Genides who fought for control of an area known as the Nexus, where universes collide. In a press release today, gamigo AG announced that its new title, Nexus Conflict, will allow players to take a trip back in time to participate in these wars not behind the controls of a fighter ship but on the command bridge of a colossal battle cruiser. Nexus Conflict is being billed as a "tactical real-time strategy game," and players will be able to run it right in their browsers thanks to the Unity engine. The title will offer both PvE and PvP missions, meaning that there will be something for the co-operative and competitive crowds alike. And of course, players will be able to customize their ships with a variety of upgrades in order to turn them into the biggest, baddest, planet-blowing-up-est starships in the Nexus. If this sounds like your idea of a good time, then just head on over to the Nexus Conflict official site (linked below) to sign up for the game's beta test, which is scheduled to begin in March. [Source: gamigo AG press release]
Captain's Log: Will two cloud bursts cure a drought?
After the most tumultuous year in Star Trek Online's history, we stand on the cusp of the game's second anniversary and full-blown evolution to free-to-play. Early F2P entrance for former subscribers was opened last Thursday. And now, unfortunately, loyal subscribers have been informed that the anticipated flood of new story-based content might more accurately be described as a trickle. In his most recent Dev Diary #11, STO's acting Executive Producer Stephen D'Angelo outlined his future hopes for the game in 2012. As players are wont to do, we read between the lines and noticed not what was contained in the blog but rather what was blatantly missing: a detailed outline of future playable content.
Ask Massively: The first one hundred words in the Merriam-Webster dictionary edition
A, aah, aardvark, aardwolf, Aaron, aaronic, ab, aba, abaca, aback, abacterial, abacus, abaft, abalone, abandon, abandoned, abase, abash, abate, abatement, abatis, abattoir, abaxial, abbacy, Abbasid, abbatial, abbe, abbess, Abbevillian, abbey, abbot, abbreviate, abbreviation, Abdias, abdictate, abdomen, abducens, abducent, abduct, abduction, abeam, abecedarian, abed, Abel, abelian, abelmosk, Abderdeen, aberrant, aberrated, aberration, abet, abeyance, abeyant, abhor, abhorrence, abhorrent, Abib, abidance, abide, abiding, abigail, ability, abinito, abiogenesis, abiogenic, abiological, abiotic, abject, abjection, abjuration, abjure, ablate, ablation, ablative, ablaut, ablaze, able, abloom, abluted, ablution, ably, Abnaki, abnegate, abnegation, abnormal, abnormality, abo, aboard, abode, aboil, abolish, abolition, abolitionism, abomasum, abominable, abominate, abomination, aboral, aboriginal, aborigine. When you're done drenching yourself in glue in celebration, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively, in which we discuss walking in ships and stations. If you'd like to have a question answered in a future edition of the column, leave it in the comments or mail it to ask@massively.com.
Behind the Mask: Science, technology and fantasy
Last week's Behind the Mask generated quite a bit of controversy over fantasy and the suspension of disbelief. This week, I'm going to follow up. We'll cover how the Champions Online universe deals with fantasy in its lore and why realism is important. We'll also cover how fantasy elements can use realism to expand -- rather than subtract -- your options for roleplaying. Last week, we only covered weapons technology, but there's a lot more to any fictional setting than just weapons. Everything from communications and transportation to food production is important to discuss, and while we can't touch on everything, we can look at the hows and whys of the superhero genre.
Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond prepares to plumb the depths of space for adventure
While NASA's shuttle mission may be over and the International Space Station's future in doubt, there is one place that space exploration is moving forward: online. Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond is looking more promising by the day, especially now that the team has secured almost $40,000 via Kickstarter to help fund the project. So why did NASA agree to an MMO of all things? Daniel Laughlin, project manager of NASA's Learning Technologies, sees the two as having a lot in common. Talking with Universe Today, Laughlin said, "Based on the existing literature as well as my own experiences gaming, an MMO was the logical choice for a game project for NASA." While NASA is partnered with the development team, the space agency is not funding the game -- hence the use of Kickstarter to raise money for Astronaut. It takes place in 2035 as mankind is just starting to colonize the solar system, and it promises to use real physics and technology to simulate these efforts. Khal Shariff says that players should expect a lot of crafting, use of proper gear, and missions that flow together for a bigger storyline. Interestingly enough, it seems that even NASA has room for a few new heroes. "We have protagonists in the game, and I won't say much about them, because I don't want to spoil the opening scene of Chapter One," Shariff said. He hopes that players will enjoy the melding of science fiction with science fact: "We want you to sit down and curl up with one session and have a feeling like you had when you read the best short science fiction stories, especially like those of Clarke. There is plenty of adventure to plumb."
New Bounty Hounds Online trailer shows off man versus machine
If you're not one of the lucky people who got in to our Bounty Hounds Online beta giveaway, you might be sitting around wishing for another dose of the game's visual style. It's certainly a rarity to see the sort of heavily mechanized futuristic setting that the game puts forth, after all. But you're in luck -- there's a new trailer available that shows off more of the gameplay as well as several of the game's mechanized companions. Highlighting several mercenaries going toe-to-toe with an enormous walking tank, the trailer shows off some of the game's promised action and versatility, complete with transforming animal companions and a whole lot of firepower. Players will be taking part in the clean-up operation on a planet at the heart of an interstellar war, with other mercenaries acting as simultaneous allies and threats. Check the trailer just past the break for a fresh helping of science fiction action in all its screaming explosive glory.
