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Mercenary Kings strategy guide could conquer your coffee table
Creative promotional house Off Base Productions wants to self-publish a premium strategy guide for Mercenary Kings, as the first in a series of guides for top-tier independent games. To make this happen, Off Base has teamed up with developer Tribute Games and they have until September 3 to raise $65,000 on Kickstarter. Three days in, the Mercenary Kings Master Codex project has $7,000. Today's market for strategy guides is different than the Nintendo Power days, and Off Base recognizes this. It envisions these guides as high-end, collectible pieces on par with fancy comic book compendiums, inspired by Japanese-style guides and fan-made projects such as the Mother 3 Handbook. Interested parties can snag digital versions of the Mercenary Kings Master Codex by pledging $5, and both digital and physical editions for $20. Throwing down $40 or more gets the limited edition variant cover, limited to 1,000 copies. Thrown into the rewards tiers are art prints, posters, patches, an artbook and more goodies.
Skyrim: Legendary Edition strategy guide crushes coffee tables
The Skyrim: Legendary Edition tome, an updated, premium version of Prima's strategy guide coinciding with the game's re-release, weighs over six pounds. Over 1,100 pages of information cover the popular RPG's intricacies, including its quests, local flora and fauna and sprawling geography. The book will be sold exclusively through GameStop, Best Buy and Amazon alongside Skyrim: Legendary Edition on Tuesday, June 4, in both hardcover ($50) and paperback ($30) versions. No matter which you choose, just know it will ultimately become as neglected and forgotten as everything else on this mortal coil; such is the toll of Skyrim.
Namco Bandai denies collusion with eBay reseller amid Ni no Kuni Wizard's Edition shortage
After some orders for the Wizard's Edition of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch started being mysteriously cancelled, Namco Bandai stepped forward to clarify that the special edition had been oversold, that the issue was caused by an error in its e-commerce provider's software and that said provider would be in touch to work things out.Shortly thereafter, Wizard's Editions were found on PlayCanada's eBay store, marked up to an astronomical $400 each. The Internet, being the Internet, quickly jumped to the conclusion that Namco Bandai and/or Digital River had entered into a clandestine agreement with PlayCanada, removing inventory from its official site in order to maximize profits through an eBay scalper."NAMCO BANDAI Games America is not, nor has it ever, worked with or in conjunction with the EBay seller known as 'PlayCanada' to sell units of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – Wizard's Edition at a price premium on EBay," Namco Bandai has told us."According to our records, this individual or group of individuals purchased Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – Wizard's Edition during the NinoStarter promotion period (August 2012); at which time, no limits were placed on how many units an individual could order. PlayCanada's claims that they officially worked with NAMCO BANDAI Games America to obtain their stock is entirely false."Namco Bandai is still attempting to make it up to fans who pre-ordered the Wizard's Edition and aren't going to receive one; every affected person will receive a 400-page hardbound strategy guide that includes a code for an in-game "Gold Hurly Familiar," as well as a $20 clubNamco voucher.
ArenaNet resumes digital sales of Guild Wars 2
A little over a week ago, ArenaNet brought a temporary halt to first-party digital sales of Guild Wars 2. At the time, the message was this: "Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We've said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales if we felt our high player concurrency may compromise player experiences. We have now reached that point." It seems like we may be beyond that point now, however. While there's no official statement from ArenaNet yet, the digital purchase page for Guild Wars 2 appears to be up and running once again. On the same page, players are being prompted to include BradyGames' official Guild Wars 2 digital strategy guide ($14.99) and advised to "make the most of [their] time in Tyria with this comprehensive guide packed with tips and tactics, crucial info, and detailed analysis."
SWTOR: Ten things you need to know about companions
For those of you who have never played a BioWare RPG before (or any single-player RPG, really), the concept of "companions" may initially strike you as strange. After all, in MMOs we're so used to jaunting off into the wilderness solo without some semi-intelligent NPC tagging along for the ride, so for a game to inform us that we not only will have them but will have to use them all the time may feel odd. If so, we're guessing you've never been into pet classes, either. Companions are one of the long-standing features of BioWare RPGs; they're both useful fighters who help keep you alive and persistent beings whom you get to know, develop relationships with, and affect in significant ways. In the past, BioWare companions have often been cited as the most memorable parts of the studio's games, from Baldur's Gate II's Minsc to Mass Effect 2's Mordin (to name two of my all-time favorites). Yet in MMOs, companion NPCs aren't that common, and if you're feeling a little bewildered at the thought of having one at your side at all times in Star Wars: The Old Republic, then we're here to lay out for you 10 reasons why companions are as useful as all get out -- and why you're going to love them like crazy before too long.
The Daily Grind: How dependent are you on internet guides?
Allow me to indulge in my old-timey voice. Back in the day, we didn't have no dang internets to hold our hands through every twist and turn of them videotronic games. No, we got through by the pluck in our spines, the sheer focus of 10-hour gaming sessions, and the frantic calls to our friends begging for help to pass a level. OK, even by those early days, we were pretty weak when it came to tough spots in games, but still -- it was nothing compared to what we see today. Times have changed, but our desire to bypass difficult sections of games has not. If we can't cheat our way past it, we'll gladly leap to any aid that presents itself, whether it's a strategy guide, a walkthrough, or an elaborate database devoted to cataloguing every step of every quest in our MMOs. Today is an honesty check for you: How dependent are you on spoilers to get through quests when you get stuck? Do you try to puzzle things out for yourself, or is your first instinct to tab out and look up the solution? For bonus discussion, does this mean that it's impossible for devs to really surprise us anymore? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Phat Loot Phriday: Strategy Guide
"You know, Throgg," Lolegolas said. "I have to admit that you've vastly improved. I understand it's very difficult for plate-wearing people to avoid fire, given the magnetic qualities possessed by Azerothian flame. But in the last few weeks, you've done a remarkable job not jumping into local bonfires." "It is this," Throgg said, holding up a book labelled WoW Insider. "This is a Strategy Guide. It tells you important stuff like, 'Do not stand in fire,' and, 'There is cool video called BLIND.' It's also got some of the best hair care tips in Azeroth." "I'm not sure that really qualifies as loot, Throgg," Lolegolas said as he drew a nail buffer across his fingernails. "And certainly not any kind of awesome loot." "Little elf," Throgg said, "you're the one who brought it up. I'm more surprised you're not all, 'Oh my god, you can read?' Where did you learn commenting skills?" "I learned it by watching you!" Lolegolas cried plaintively. Strategy Guide Type: Off-hand 3 Intellect Improves hit rating by 3 (0.92% @ level 25) How to get it: Win a Rumble in the Lumber ... Mill How to get rid of it: The strategy sells for 12 silver and 26 copper. %Gallery-96786% Phat Loot Phriday brings you the scoop on some of the most ... interesting loot in the World of Warcraft, often viewed through the eyes of the stalwart Throgg and indelible Lolegolas. Suggest items you think we should feature by emailing gray@wow.com.
Call of Duty: Black Ops guide to include 'Nazi Zombie Coverage'
The thing about a Nazi zombie is that it tends not to re-die until it's been utterly obliterated. So, it's totally plausible that the Nazi Zombie scourge continued to pester ill-fortified strongholds long after World War II. Considering Treyarch's commitment to historical entertainment, the developer could definitely get away with reintroducing the evilest undead into the Cold War setting of Call of Duty: Black Ops -- and BradyGames' strategy guide could devote a chapter to surviving the persistent threat. In fact, product descriptions for the guide on GameStop and Play-Asia highlight "Nazi Zombie Coverage" (in addition to the typical tactical advice; e.g., "Did you know? Aiming down the sights will increase the accuracy of your shot"). Presumably, the Nazi Zombie coverage will detail the "Nazi Zombies" mode in Black Ops, which has yet to be announced by Treyarch. Nazi Zombies was first hinted at for Black Ops last month by a retail listing. The popular minigame was introduced in World at War and later became a standalone iPhone game. "Zombies in World at War was a huge success and we were blown away by how well the fans received it," Treyarch producer Dan Bunting told us in a May interview. Update: According to statements made by Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia in the new issue of Edge (via CVG), the developer "continued to evolve [Nazi Zombies] after World At War. There was a dialogue going on with some of our hardcore community, and we were able to interact with the community and evolve -- we did that with our zombie lore." Should we be on the lookout for Soviet Zombies now? Treyarch still isn't saying for sure; though community manager Josh Olin recently tweeted: "If Zombies have anything to do with our top-secret Co-Op mode, then it's a safe bet there will be a trailer for it eventually ..."
Halo: Reach strategy guide gets six covers for six Spartans
If you're planning to pick up Halo: Reach next week, you may also be preparing for the inevitable question, "Would you like the strategy guide with that?" If so, you'd better be prepared to say "no" up to six times. BradyGames has revealed six different covers -- one for each of the Spartans in Noble Team -- for its $35 hardcover limited edition Halo: Reach strategy guide. For those of you who were planning to purchase the guide, prepare to be surprised. The covers will be hidden behind the guide's dust jacket, so you won't know which Spartan you got until you unwrap the book. We've been thinking about it for a while, and we're really hoping we get Donnie. Er, Kat. We meant Kat. %Gallery-101799%
Joyswag: God of War 3, guide & Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
Update: Congratulations to our grand prize winner, Chris W., and our 4 first prize winners! Read any good books lately? We've got a couple you might be interested in: Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition and the God of War III Signature Series Strategy Guide. We're giving away 5 copies of each, courtesy of Guinness World Records and Brady Games. Plus, one lucky reader will also win a copy of the God of War III game! To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment with the correct multiple-choice answer to the following trivia question: At the launch party for God of War II (in April 2007), Sony made headlines for which controversial display: (A) Scantily clad women dancing in cages (B) A headless goat (C) A model of the Parthenon desecrated by graffiti (D) A boneless chicken You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person. This entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Wednesday, March 31. At that time, we'll randomly select 1 grand prize winner from the eligible commenters who answer correctly to receive the God of War III game (ARV $59.99), the God of War III Signature Series Strategy Guide (ARV $19.99) and the Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition book (ARV $14.99); and 4 first prize winners to receive the God of War III Signature Series Strategy Guide (ARV $19.99) and the Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition book (ARV $14.99); check your emails! For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here. Oh, and if you're stumped by the trivia question above, this hint should help you choose the right answer.
Demon's Souls replacement guides ship next week
If you were among the unlucky number of gamers to suffer printing issues on the Demon's Souls strategy guide, we have some good news. Atlus has announced that the replacement guides will begin shipping this Monday, February 8. Late last year, after discovering that many Demon's Souls collector's edition guides had "unusual cover ink wear / fading" problems, Atlus opened a replacement program. Thankfully, the company didn't deprive gamers of their guides in the meantime, requiring that only the cover be sent as proof of the defect. It's a good thing too, because that game is effing hard. Seriously, look at that thing up there. You're supposed to kill that? With a sword? Hard!
Atlus replacing damaged Demon's Souls strategy guides
Is the print wearing off of the cover of your Demon's Souls strategy guide? It's not entirely because you've been holding it for hours with your sweaty hands, desperately thumbing through the few pages in a feeble attempt to improve your in-game performance. Atlus announced that the cover to the guide, included with the Deluxe Edition of the RPG, is conducive to "unusual cover ink/wear fading." And because Atlus knows that you've grown attached to your security blanket strategy guide, the company will only ask you to send in the cover and first page if you'd like a replacement, and not the whole book. Full details on the replacement program will be posted here.
Forza 3 game guide gets the green flag from Amazon.de
Amazon.de (Germany) may have jumped the gun by listing a Forza Motorsport 3 strategy guide and becoming the latest entry in a laundry list of development-related rumors for the racing sequel.According to the listing, the 192-page guide is produced by Prima Games (the same company behind guides for the first two Forza titles) and will ship on September 30, 2009. The listing isn't confirmation that Microsoft is developing a new title in the Forza series, but if the long rumored title does exist, we'd expect Microsoft to wave the green flag during its E3 media briefing on June 1.[Via VG247]
Capcom's printable Street Fighter IV training manual is awesome
Still not sure what the difference between a Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku and a Tatsumaki Sansora Kyaku is in Street Fighter IV? Well, Capcom has come to the rescue with a printable and totally free training guide. Originally distributed to video game reviewers, it's now available to all in PDF format and not only features character biographies and move lists, but a ton of awesome artwork, including the image you see above this block of text. It's well worth the $15 you'll have to shell out for a new printer cartridge when you're done, so head on over and print it out (Warning: PDF link).%Gallery-21918%
Deals are slim for Wrath of the Lich King at retailers
We've got our first Wrath of the Lich King deal to report, and unfortunately, it's less than impressive. Apparently, if you buy the expansion at Best Buy next week, you'll be able to pick up a strategy guide for the game at 25% off. It's not a great deal, especially since Amazon is offering the guide at 34% off, with or without the game (and since you're a WoW Insider reader, you likely won't need the guide anyway). But it is a deal, and it is for Wrath, so there you go. We'd love to have better deals for you (folks like me who buy Gears of War 2 at Circuit City this week are picking up free gift cards and such), but nothing yet.There is good news, also, for people who are buying the expansion through Amazon -- apparently they're offering release-day delivery in some places, so even if you picked up the game at the online retailer, you could have it at exactly the same time (well, a few hours later, since there are midnight releases going around and shipped games usually don't show up until midmorning at least) as everybody else. That way, you won't miss a minute of the lag and frustration-inducing camping that will surely ensue just after launch.If you hear about a deal or a special sale on Wrath next week, let us know. We've all spent way too much money on this game already -- every cent we can save is worth it.
Reviewing the WAR strategy guide
Can we even begin to list the ways in which a printed MMO strategy guide is worthless? We think not, yet they still seem to sell, and Gamestop employees still seem to get us to buy one with that crazy retail faux-bargain voodoo of theirs. So in a recent post by Syp over at the Waaagh blog, he turns his regrettable purchase into an actual review of the Warhammer Online Prima Strategy guide.As you might guess, he doesn't have many nice things to say about these guides. Admittedly, it's just not feasible to create a static guide for an ever-changing game. However, Syp does highlight one aspect of the guide that is semi-useful: the career sections. Apparently, it's the only place "with charts that try to detail abilities, morales, tactics and mastery paths," although they're painfully out of date already. If you've purchased any of these guides, let us know what you think. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Revised PotBS Prima eGuide comes with reptilian pal
Flying Lab Software and Prima Guides have put the word out that a revised version of the Prima Pirates of the Burning Sea eGuide is now available. The guide was updated to fit with changes that were made to the game in Build 1.4, and contains handy information like the stats of all ships, strategies and tips, career guides, and a look at the new Buccaneer class.But things like "information" and "strategies" aren't all that you will get with your purchase -- we know that you expect more, and so does Prima. President of Prima Games, Debra Kempker, said, "Continuing in a new tradition of in-game items, we were able to once again offer exclusive content -- something we hope to keep doing in the future." The in-game item you will receive with the PotBS eGuide is the shoulder-lizard you see at the top of this post, a very stylish accessory for any Caribbean adventurer. The eGuide (and shoulder-lizard) will be available from the Prima Games website for $19.99 and is only available in digital format.
Okami guide also IGN'd?
Apparently IGN is the place to go for high-resolution Okami artwork. BradyGames' Okami strategy guide is also marred by IGN branding -- but a different logo, and in a different place. At first, we thought this was a windup from a tricky Kotaku commenter -- then we looked at the cover on the Brady Games website. Not only does the little D-pad-esque IGN logo appear next to Amaterasu's mouth, this watermark also features "IGN," and you can just see the ".COM" at the end there. Okay, so the Kotaku commenter is absolved -- now we kind of think this must be a joke on the part of the person who made the preview image for Brady's website. If not, we can look forward to some decorative slipcovers.[Via Kotaku]
The VC Advantage: Planet Motavia Travel Guide
People who bought Phantasy Star II upon its original Genesis release knew what they were getting into immediately upon opening the box. This Phantasy Star II Hint Book was the first warning that the game was brutally hard (well, that and the Phantasy Star name, which was equally foreboding for Master System gamers). The 110-page Hint Book, clad in ALARM YELLOW (actually kind of a subdued yellow) was players' official notice that Phantasy Star II was the kind of game that you needed a hint book for.We didn't have GameFAQs back then -- if a dungeon was complicated, we usually got lost; if a boss was challenging, we usually died. Sega's thoughtful inclusion of a hint book provided a nice alternative to assured failure: possible success -- with a side of failure.We've excerpted the hint book for your perusal. Check it out if you just downloaded the Virtual Console version of Phantasy Star II and want help getting started, or if you'd just like to see the state-of-the-art in strategy guides circa 1990. If that's not enough (and it isn't), check Phantasy-Star.net for more transcribed information from the book!%Gallery-20193%
WordJong has an intimidating strategy guide
A preview copy of WordJong just arrived at the expansive DS Fanboy office complex, and the item that Destineer included with the game was fairly daunting. We weren't sure if we even wanted to try the game out, if it came with this 400+ page strategy guide. After all, we haven't spent our lives avoiding PC strategy games just to start having to read giant manuals now. We thought we were getting a nice little puzzle game.We finally summoned up the courage to crack the tome open. Check after the break for an example page!
