Steampunk
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VR turns bumper cars into retro-futuristic steampunk tanks
We've seen VR headsets used on rollercoasters and in car-based Mario Kart games, but now Steampunk VR Scooter has brought VR headsets to the world of bumper cars. From the outside, players appear to be sitting in your standard bumper cars and wearing VR headsets. Inside the game, though, they're immersed in a steampunk world. Players ride "retro-futuristic" steam engines and compete against each other and robotic enemies, while navigating terrain complete with cliffs and abysses.
Complete your steampunk cosplay with a Samsung pocket watch
As the world's biggest watch show continues to pump out smartwatch variants from nearly everyone, at Baselworld, established player Samsung apparently wanted to pay lip-service to the horological items that came before watches got smart. It unveiled a handful of concept devices, including one Gear S3-esque device that houses a mechanical Swiss-made movement -- apparently instead of your smartwatch touchscreen. It also had three more typical Gear S3 watches with upgraded build materials -- classier Gear S3 smartwatches. However, my attention was drawn to the device on the far left: a hybrid pocket watch version of the Gear S3 that appears to pair two smaller watch faces with a compass, for bonus ... "innovation" points.
'This War of Mine' studio reveals a dystopian steampunk PC game
11 Bit Studios made a name for itself with This War of Mine, a powerful game about the civilian casualties of war, and now the company is back with a second experience that peers into the heart of humanity. Frostpunk is a dystopian look at society as it exists on an Earth that has completely frozen over. Humans rely on steam-powered machines, fighting the cold world with heat, and society as we know it has evaporated. People focus on survival, at times disposing of morality in order to continue existing. Frostpunk asks whether this societal change makes people stronger or weaker, more or less human.
Tattoo artist's prosthetic inking arm is better than a real hand
If you wanted to be a tattoo artist but lost your drawing arm, what would you do? JC Sheitan Tenet has an answer: get a prosthetic arm that's better than flesh and bone. He teamed up with artist Gonzal on a steampunk-inspired limb that integrates an inking needle, a pressure gauge and piping. It's a makeshift combo of a regular prosthetic, a sewing machine and a turntable, but it's reasonably light and easy to use -- so much so that you might prefer JC's mechanically-assisted output over that of a good conventional artist.
City of Steam is merging EU servers on December 22nd
If you've played City of Steam in the EU and thought to yourself, "Man, there are just too many servers for this game right now," the developers agree with you, which is why the server list is being consolidated down to a single server as of December 22nd. Characters will be automatically transferred, with character names getting server tags to make sure naming issues sorted out before they arise. Players on the current EU3 server will be receiving a compensation package that includes a 90-day subscription and a variety of other materials for character advancement. The five-characters-per-server limit will be enforced with prejudice; the staff is simply deleting the oldest or least-played characters on an account if the merge puts someone over five characters on the final server. So take care of that issue before it arises on the 22nd.
SteamWorld Heist taps Steam Powered Giraffe for OST
Some things are just meant to be together. Image and Form, the developer of steampunk platformer SteamWorld Heist, has partnered with the band Steam Powered Giraffe for the game's original soundtrack. Steam Powered Giraffe is a San Diego band, and its three members perform as steampunky, singing automatons, robotic motions and all. The SteamWorld Heist trailer featuring Steam Powered Giraffe's music is a testament to just how beautiful this union could be. At first, the deal was for Steam Powered Giraffe to compose a bonus song for the SteamWorld Dig soundtrack included in that game's Collector's Edition, Image and Form CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson says in a blog post: "Being [Steamworld] Dig fans, they promptly agreed. When James told me I nearly exploded with excitement, and in June we met at E3 and sealed the deal on the entire SteamWorld Heist soundtrack." SteamWorld Heist is due out in spring 2015 for 3DS and other unannounced platforms. [Image: Image and Form]
Black Gold's water-themed Bloodied Tides DLC arrives next week
Snail Games has today announced that a huge new update will land in Black Gold on November 24th. Bloodied Tides, the steampunk MMO's second DLC since its soft launch last summer, will up the level cap as well as add Aurek Brute and Upyrian Vampire races, a brawler class, a new 4v4 arena, tweaks to the time vial system, and a weapon engraving system. There's also a ton of water-themed content in the form of underwater dungeons, underwater maps, naval warfare, and aquatic battle carriers, which had better be as cool in practice as they sound, darnit. We've got the update's teaser video embedded for you below.
Black Gold's Campaign of Ashes arriving a week early
Earlier this week Snail announced that Black Gold's first major update would debut on September 10th. As of this morning the firm has changed its mind, according to a press release that says Campaign of Ashes will instead release a week prior on September 3rd. The update features a new skill surge system, new high-level gear, new battle carriers, and more.
Black Gold Online announces its first major content update
The first major update to Black Gold Online is going live on September 10th, and it's not going to be all sunshine and lollipops. The name alone kind of makes that obvious; a title like the Campaign of Ashes doesn't bring to mind pleasant undertakings. It brings to mind a new region of the game, plenty of new open PvP, and new missions and quests for players. Which, as it turns out, is exactly what the update will provide. Of course, that's not the extent of what the update is offering to players, who can look forward to a higher level cap, a new "Skill Surge" system, more equipment, and more content across the board. The update also ushers in an improved interface and a variety of performance upgrades, making the game run more smoothly while being that much easier to play. It's only a couple of weeks until the update goes live, so active players should get ready now.
Royal Quest begins early access... for a price
Royal Quest, an MMO "full of magic, technology, and alchemy," opened the doors to its early access test yesterday. While the game promotes itself as being free-to-play, this only applies starting the second week in August. Before then, anyone interested in checking it out needs to purchase one of the DLC packs. Players who hop into the game will be assigned a regional server (out of three available) based on their location. To access the website's comments and forum, players have to level up a character to 5. Royal Quest is being developed by Katauri Interactive (King's Bounty) and is only being offered through Steam for English users. Among other options in the game, players can own pets, eventually move into their own castle, and engage in special PvPvE zones in the game. [Thanks to Dystopiq for the tip!]
Black Gold bumping level cap, adding cross-server PvP and more
Black Gold is entering its second month of open beta, and Snail Games wants you to know that significant changes are on the way. Said changes include a level cap bump to 45, a new tier of skill upgrades, cross-server PvP functionality, and more. How much more? Well, you'll just have to click past the cut and read the full press release, won't ya? [Source: Snail Games press release]
City of Steam previews its 2.7 update
City of Steam has another update in the works, and it's going to make you look good. How, you ask? Well, partly by adding a new and expanded wardrobe system that will improve categories and free up storage space for your cosmetic outfits. The interface is still rough, but it's also a step toward giving players more options and power when it comes to character appearance. What else is coming? There's a new Lucky Wheel option in the works, allowing players a chance to spin and win all sorts of great prizes whether they're playing for free or not. The Mercenary system is also being revised, with appearances being improved, new mercenaries being added, and an improved interface for organizing and managing the soldiers of fortune. You can check out the full patch preview, which sadly for players does not yet include a targeted release date more specific than "soon."
Black Gold Online enters open beta today
Snail Games is opening up the coppery patina doors to open beta for its steampunk MMO Black Gold Online today. Interested players can hop in at 5 p.m. EDT (2 p.m. PDT) for a chance to win exclusive in-game items. You can choose to play as either the mechanized Kingdom of Isenhorst or the magic-based Erlandir Union in a war to gain control of a crystallized energy known as Black Gold. "The open beta lets anyone join who is eager to explore and battle throughout our unique bilateral land of steampunk and fantasy," says Jim Tsai, VP of Snail Games USA. "The open beta's massive activity data and player feedback will be leveraged to put the final touches on one of this year's most anticipated MMORPGs prior to its launch later this year." You can find out more about the open beta events and in-game items on the official site. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Black Gold opens up character creation before open beta
Are you looking to start playing Black Gold Online's open beta? The servers open up completely on June 20th, but veteran players will be able to access the character creator starting today at 5:00 p.m. EDT. That means that you can just jump right in on the 20th, and you can earn a few extra prizes along the way for starting early. All players who make a character early will have access to a special gift pack to help jump-start their adventures in the game. They can also take part in a contest to create the most attractive character, the best likeness of a celebrity or other real individual, and the most hideously ugly character possible. Everyone who's not a veteran will have to wait until the 20th and won't be eligible for these special rewards; if you've been involved in the game's testing up until now, you'd best get in and start creating today.
E3 2014: Hands-on with Black Gold's PvP
It can be hard to demo an MMO at E3. Some studios stick a bunch of journalists together and have us try an instance, which can be fun or, if the worst of us ends up taking a key position, it can be rather frustrating. Other studios let you into a questing area but, to be brutally honest, these usually feel pretty stale compared to the nearby console games that let you do more than kill 10 goblins. Snail Games broke from the mold by letting us PvP in its upcoming Black Gold Online MMO, and while there were some issues, I felt a bit more confident about the title than I did last year.
Black Gold Online brings mechs to PvP battlegrounds
When you head to the PvP battleground in Black Gold Online, don't be surprised if you're the only chump walking around on two legs while everyone else is lording over you in mobile fortresses of steel, iron, and beastial flesh. In a new dev diary, Snail Games elaborates on the Battle Carrier system in Black Gold's PvP. Players will be able to choose and customize their own walking mech or creature out of over 100 models. The Battle Carriers come in five varieties -- Raid, Assault, Siege, Aerial and Anti-air -- and each of them are strong against some and weak against others. Producer Kee Zhang promised that no one Battle Carrier will dominate the landscape in PvP: "The idea of using a battle mount, with its own damage and attacks and such, came into the mix pretty early. The real light-bulb moment came when we thought of this 'Rock, paper, scissors' assortment -– every Carrier has advantages and attack bonuses over certain other Carriers, and in turn is vulnerable to another. It makes teamwork and strategy a must."
Snail Games announces mobile titles, Black Gold Online open beta date, E3 lineup
Snail Games has announced its lineup for this year's E3, and along with the expected expansion to Age of Wushu and showing off some Black Gold Online, the publisher is also revealing three new mobile titles. Heroes of Gaia, Puzzle Heroes Saga, and Taichi Panda are all set to release on iOS and Android platforms at a yet-to-be-announced date. Age of Wushu's fourth free expansion, Tempest of Strife, is now available but will be showcased at the Snail Games E3 booth as well. And then there's the highly anticipated Neo-Victorian steampunk MMO Black Gold Online which will begin open beta on June 20. Watch for our own coverage of Snail Games and all other MMO goodies from this year's E3 next week. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Argo Online slides into open beta
Bhagpuss over at Inventory Full pointed out that Argo Online has transitioned from closed to open beta in the past week or two. The steampunk post-apocalyptic MMO is now accepting any and all players who want to give this title a try. The open beta patch includes the opening of the in-game arena. Argo Online was formerly run by Alaplaya in 2011, killed, and then subsequently resurrected by the current operators, UserGames.
City of Steam preparing to overhaul crafting
City of Steam is, well, full steam ahead for its upcoming 2.6.1 patch. Mechanist Games said that the big focus of the patch will be an overhaul to the crafting system to make it easier to understand. The studio will be converting catalysts into a "valuable" substitute and will replace the Spiremarks currency with Bound Electrum when the update lands. Currently, the game has finished its first cross-server PvP bout and is challenging its playerbase to the aptly named Tower of Peril dungeon.
Massively's first impressions of Black Gold Online's beta
Do you prefer a steampunk or fantasy flavor in your MMO? With Black Gold Online you don't have to choose! And for those who vehemently dislike one or the other, you're welcome to express that distaste on the battlefield; Snail Games' upcoming free-to-play game features realm versus realm warfare that pits machine against magic. With these two different genres represented, the game looks to please a broader spectrum of players than the traditional single-genre titles that populate the MMOverse. The question is, will it succeed? Even though we've perused available news and watched a variety of videos about everything from the various classes and different races to action combat to guild vs. guild systems, nothing beats getting into the MMO and experiencing it for yourself. Closed beta for Black Gold Online began mid-May, so I jumped in to get a taste of what awaits players when the game hits open beta this summer. What I found is that while the game excels in some areas, it comes up short in others. Here's a run-down of my first impressions.
