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Syfy's 'most ambitious TV series to date' is based on 'The Expanse' novels
If you can believe it, Syfy may be getting back to its pre-name change roots. A notable addition to its plans for the next year is a new TV series based on a popular series of sci-fi books known as The Expanse. The first book Leviathan Wakes snagged nominations in 2012 for the Hugo Award for Best Novel and Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. Set 200 years in the future, it focuses on a ship captain and detective searching for a missing young woman, with a sprawling story and scope that have netted comparisons to both Star Wars and Game of Thrones. We'd be more than pleasantly surprised if it reached anywhere near those heights, but Syfy president Dave Howe is claiming this is the network's "most ambitious series to date." The books are written under the pseudonym James S.A. Corey by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who will be among the show's producers. Whatever happens with the show, we'll get the full 10-episode season Syfy ordered based on a script by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Children of Men -- sort of, Iron Man) who are the show's writers and executive producers. Whether it is anything like Game of Thrones it's at least a return to Battlestar Galactica-style scifi for the network instead of a new series of Celebrity Ghost Stalker Makeup Artists. Syfy alone is also working on new series 12 Monkeys, Dominion, Ascension and the second season of Helix, which combined with Netflix's Sense8 from the Wachowskis, Amazon's The After from X-Files creator Chris Carter and the return of Heroes on NBC next year make this an interesting time to be a sci-fi fan.
Epic Space Online presents space without borders
Let us introduce you to Epic Space Online, an MMO so epic, it says so right in the title. This indie game was developed by the Alpha Company and is currently available, although it's trying to get voted into the Steam Greenlight program for wider recognition and distribution. Epic Space Online takes place in a single shared, procedurally generated universe without any borders. Players can vie over territory, mine ore, deploy stations, make ships, trade goods, and even command giant carriers staffed by other players. The devs have promised weekly updates and features to keep things lively. You can check out the trailer after the break.
Firefly Online shows off the AFAS fighter
The titular ship class in Firefly Online won't be the only spacecraft players will encounter when the game goes live this summer. The arrogant Alliance have their own spiffy line-up of ships, and today Quantum Mechanix revealed the faction's first one: the Alliance Fast Attack Ship. The AFAS, also known as Shinigami, was created to counter gunboats such as the Firefly Series 3 military variant in the Unification War. It's a short-range attack ship that might not be as powerful as some of the other hardware in the Alliance's arsenal, but it's cheap and effective enough that they flourished even so. The AFAS is small, quick, has a decent armament of turrets and cannons, and operates in three-ship wolf packs. While the AFAS was mostly retired in favor of the follow-up ASREV, there are still a few in operation in the 'Verse even today.
Disney announces Star Wars: Attack Squadrons
There's a new online multiplayer Star Wars game coming to a computer near, near to you. Today, Disney Interactive announced that it's been working on Star Wars: Attack Squadrons, a space combat title for 2014. Star Wars: Attack Squadrons will put pilots into the cockpits of classic attack craft like the X-Wing and TIE Interceptor, fighting against each other in 16-player environments. Disney promised plenty of ships and iconic locations for the game. You can sign up for the beta that will start next year as well as check out screenshots and the announcement trailer below.
Warhammer 40,000 MOBA coming early next year
Still waiting for Warhammer 40,000 to break into the MMO space? Well, how about a MOBA instead? European developer Eutechnyx is hard at work on Storm of Vengeance for an early 2014 release. Storm of Vengeance pits the Dark Angel Space Marines against Orks in classic lane strategy. It looks to be based on the Games Workshop campaign of the same name. The MOBA will be coming to both PC and mobile platforms. Eutechnyx is a UK developer with a history of mostly creating racing games such as Auto Club Revolution and NASCAR The Game 2011.
Spacetime debuts Battle Command strategy MMO
Spacetime has a new MMO out that isn't saddled with the "Legends" moniker. The studio, which is now called Spacetime Games, announced the release of Battle Command for Android devices. Unlike Spacetime's previous games, Battle Command skews away from an RPG and toward a city-building RTS. Players will develop a futuristic base, pump out an army, and fight both the computer and other players in offensive and defensive campaigns. Alliances can be forged as well, linking players together in economic and militaristic support. The free-to-play title is currently available on Google Play.
This is the Modem World: The brain modem is here
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology. Consider this headline: "Researcher controls colleague's motions in 1st human brain-to-brain interface." This. Happened. University of Washington nerds put an electrode-speckled cap on Rajesh Rao and attached it to a computer that was connected to the internet. They then put Andrea Stocco in another room on the other side of the University of Washington campus, plopped another electrode cap on him and connected that to a computer.
StarCraft Universe appeals to Kickstarter audience for help
Remember StarCraft Universe, the fan-made mod that turned the RTS into an MMO? The project is still going strong after two years, but its development team is in dire need of funds to push it over the hill and into open beta testing. The solution? Kickstarter, of course. Upheaval Arts hopes to raise $80,000 or more to finish the first act of the game and get it into public testing. Currently there are two races in the game (Terran and Protoss), although with stretch goals the Zerg are a possibility. The team has some respectable names attached to the project, including Composer David Orr and voice actors Danielle McRae and Eric Dieter. StarCraft Universe will require Battle.net to play and will be completely free to all. If you're concerned about Blizzard finally lowering the boom on this mod, well, don't. The team says that it's gotten the studio's approval: "While Blizzard is not directly affiliated with this project's production, we do communicate with them to submit bug reports and make technical requests. They have given their blessing/permission for us to launch this Kickstarter, and they are supporting our efforts by featuring SCU as an arcade highlight."
Warframe hosts open beta weekend
Dude, you have a futuristic pistol that can probably sever a building in half. Do you really need a sword as well? In any case, Mr. "Can't Make Up My Mind" up there and practically everyone in the universe is invited to checking out Warframe this weekend for the open beta. The open beta event begins on Friday the 15th at 12:00 p.m. EST and goes all the way until Tuesday the 19th at 9:00 a.m. Anyone can check it out during this timeframe provided that he or she registers on the official site (which is common sense, really). As a bonus incentive to seeing the marvel that is Warframe, all players who participate in the open beta will have access to an exclusive Braton Vandal weapon in the game's marketplace.
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!]
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.
Radiated Wasteland mutates into an MMO
The post-apocalyptic MMO genre is about to be one title richer, as Pixel Pandemic announced the creation of Radiated Wasteland. Radiated Wasteland will be a browser-based free-to-play title that is also being developed for Facebook. According to the game's backstory, the world has gone up in a cloud of nuclear smoke, and the only survivors have to fight mutants while struggling to survive through any means necessary. Movements, action, and combat will take place in a turn-based system, and players will be able to customize their characters with gear, skills, and perks. Pixel Pandemic describes Radiated Wasteland's world as "an ever-evolving organic virtual world consisting of thousands of tiles." The studio says that the game will offer co-op play in such a way that Facebook has yet to attain. [Source: Pixel Pandemic press release]
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]
City of Steam goes into alpha testing this July
City of Steam's been building up some strong word-of-mouth in the community, and we've been quite eager to get our hands on this steampunk MMO. The good news is that we just may have that chance come July, when City of Steam enters alpha testing. Mechanist Games recently announced that work on the game is progressing to the point that it's ready to undergo player testing. While there isn't an exact date yet, it's certainly enough to know that July will be a special month. "We're actually quite pleased that quite a few of those who participated in the sneak peek test told us that the game was already looking like an alpha build," the team writes. "Thanks and we would like to say we're quite proud of that fact."
Ex-MMO devs aim to fund space combat game via Kickstarter
They were part of the force behind many MMOs you've known and loved, including Jumpgate, Auto Assault, LEGO Universe, RIFT, and League of Legends, and now they're banding together for a new cause funded by crowdsourcing. They're the developers at END Games, and they hope to raise a quarter of a million dollars to create a multiplayer space combat game. Despite the team's legacy, however, this new title will not be an MMO. Titled Squad Wars, the proposed project will blossom into a frantic starfighter game that will pit squads of players against each other in the deadly vacuum of space. Instead of focusing on a persistent world, Squad Wars will offer packaged scenarios that will "ensure the most fun every time you login." END Games is also notable in that two of its members were founders of NetDevil: Scott Brown and Ryan Seabury. As of the time of this writing, END Games has $1,430 toward its goal, which must be attained by May 19th for the project to proceed.
The Repopulation broadcasts its first public gameplay footage
Drips and drabs of information about the sci-fi sandbox The Repopulation have been coming in, but as with any title in early development, it's never enough to satiate the masses who want the whole scoop. So consider today's bounty of the first gameplay footage and a lore piece as an appetizer to tide you over until the main course. The gameplay video demonstrates one of the core features of The Repopulation: its city-building system. During the 12-and-a-half minutes the video runs, fans can check out how cities are put together piece by piece using a wide variety of tools and fellow player cooperation. The devs also take this opportunity to discuss the UI, controls, and how alliances work in the game. The team also posted a lore piece called Leesa's Story on the site. The vignette introduces the titular character, a cook who also happens to be a cook, and her misguided adventures going duck hunting. The Repopulation is currently accepting signups for its alpha testing, which begins in June. You can watch the full video after the break. [Thanks to J.C. for the tip!]
Star Conflict blasts into beta
Star Conflict may not be the MMO on everyone's tongue right now, but give it time -- it might just catch on. The gestating title from Star Gem Inc. has passed through the beta barrier and is looking for testers to help take it to the cosmos and beyond. Star Conflict is a free-to-play PvP-based game in which players team up to launch fully armed spaceships at each other in the hopes of winning a game of galactic chicken. It's set over 3,000 years from now, when factions battle over a discovered planet containing important ancient technology. Players begin their careers as wealthy mercs who have enough money to buy a few ships and outfit them the way they want. From there, players will join one of six factions and engage in instanced PvP maps. Star Conflict has several game modes in which factions look to extend dominion over each other. You can sign up for Star Conflict's beta today, and be sure to check out the first teaser trailer after the jump and let us know what you think! [Thanks to our tipster for the heads-up!]
Randall Bills talks about shaping the future of MechWarrior Online
For die-hard MechWarrior fans, it must be a relief to know that the upcoming MechWarrior Online is in good hands of people connected with the board game. One pair of hands in particular belongs to Catalyst Game Labs' Randall Bills, who is deeply involved with the MechWarrior and BattleTech franchises, and he emerged to participate in a very lengthy interview about the game and his love of multi-ton mechs. Currently, Bills says that he fills two roles on the team: continuity editor and fiction content manager. In the former, he helps to inspect what the developers are working on and give them feedback and notes from his well of expert knowledge on the subject. In the latter, he's spearheading the team responsible for writing the lore behind the online game universe. So what would Bills like to see happen in MechWarrior Online? Orbital insertions ("That's a level of action and immersion that would take MechWarrior Online to a whole new level.") and physical attacks ("It shouldn't work very well and be hard to pull off... but when you do pull it off it should be a move everyone in the game talks about for some time to come."). As for what he's most excited about in the upcoming MMO, he's just glad that he'll be able to emulate the board game in a virtual environment: "To know that I can jump in a light 'Mech and do exactly what you can pull off in the board game (and just as important, what the fiction depicts for the universe) with a true melding of multiple tactics to achieve victory... that'll be a truly spectacular geek-out moment to experience." Look for our own upcoming interview with the MechWarrior Online team coming soon.
Post-apocalyptic L.A.W takes us from sketches to art to screen
Good-looking graphics don't just magically appear overnight in MMOs, delivered by the FedEx equivalent of the leprechaun community. The look and design of a game is a lengthy process full of revisions, abandoned doodles, and brainstorming -- something we end-users tend not to appreciate. Consider today your education, then, as the team behind the post-apocalyptic L.A.W -- Living After War released a whole crate of images with the intent of showing us how the iterative process works. In the gallery below you can check out different versions of the same buildings, vehicles, and mobs at various stages of their making. From sketches to concept art to in-game models, these screens are a great crash course in understanding how involved the development team has to get to make these games a reality. %Gallery-135873% [Source: ProSiebenSat.1 press release]
SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 lore entry
Ah, SOE. What ever are we going to do with you? In a week that saw BioWare drop its guard on press information and Blizzard announce the impending arrival of six million kung fu pandas, what do you do to keep PlanetSide 2 in the public eye? You release another backstory snippet! That's backstory. For a shooter. OK, now that we've reached our snark quota for the next several posts, we can tell you that today's reveal is part four of the ongoing PlanetSide 2 lore updates, and it concerns the holovid diary of one Thomas Connery (no relation to Sean as far as we know). This Connery is a commander in the Terran Republic, and his journal entry is somewhat alarming due to the fact that he seems to be lost in space with no oxygen-rich planets in his general vicinity. Check it out for yourself at the official PlanetSide 2 website.
