team
Latest
Breakfast Topic: Best 2v2 team
With Arena season starting today, I'd like to hear your ideas for the best 2-person team. Yesterday, Etek suggested Warlock and Priest, which would be nice for longevity -- Priest heals Lock, therefore Lock can DPS forever; or if the Priest is shadow, as would probably be optimal, Shadow Weaving will help the Lock's DPS, and Vampiric Embrace will still keep him topped off. Another good combo that comes to mind is Paladin and Warrior. With nine classes, there are 81 45 [thanks, Dave et al.] different possible teams of two. Which do you think will come out on top? Of course, there'll probably be some aspect of rock-paper-scissorsness (caster duos are going to fare worse against Rogues, for instance), but I suspect certain duos are still going to be stronger in general than others.
Dish Network eying deal with Microsoft for HTPC TV cards
We figured they'd come around, and sure enough, it looks like Dish Network is now the one in talks with Microsoft to bring satellite programming to the media PC. After DirecTV began this same journey, finally inked a deal with Gates and Co., and actually started playing nice with Viiv-enabled PCs, Dish Network couldn't just stand around hoping that its fabulous deals on the ViP622 HD DVR would be good enough. According to a brief, albeit informative, interview that DBSTalk had with Dish, the company is reportedly "working with Microsoft" to bust out HTPC TV cards, which could steal the thunder from the uber-pricey CableCARD and give DirecTV's rendition a run for its money. Of course, there's "no set timeline" just yet, and if you already had a hunch what the holdup was, you'd likely be correct -- apparently, "DRM issues" are still lingering, and until both companies come up with a solution that "satisfy the copyright holders," we'll all be parking it on the bench waiting for this to move forward.
First pics of the LG KE850-based Prada cellphone
While it was but a week ago that we got word of a forthcoming mobile from LG and Prada, the first round of "official photos" (read: blurred almost beyond recognition) have already surfaced, and it will purportedly be based on the mysterious LG KE850. Foregoing the typical LG-branding, this black beauty looks to have Prada's fingerprints all over it, and instead of the typical keypad, it'll reportedly sport a touchscreen display that "changes based on the application being used." Moreover, the handset will feature a predictable minimalist design, boasting an all black color scheme and a simple black / white contrasting interface. Although we don't know a great deal about the feature set just yet, it supposedly only has a minimal amount of onboard memory, and while prices have "yet to be confirmed," we're led to believe the pricetag will be quite a bit lower than we're all secretly expecting when it hits "five European countries" in March / April of next year.
Shadowrun has online party system, further damages Epic's claim [update 1]
Xbox 360 Fanboy has done us the good service of plucking the juicy details out of Major Nelson's recent blogcast featuring Shadowrun Lead Designer John Howard. What we learn is that the development team is implementing a friend-linking party system for its online Live Anywhere launch title. It's about time. No studio has attempted this since Bungie debuted its 'Party System' in Halo 2 (back in 2004).Epic would have you believe that the lack of support for party systems is Microsoft's doing. But with Halo 3 and Shadowrun both confirmed to support this feature, Epic's excuse isn't holding up. Our guess is that a Gears of War team-play patch for ranked games (and maybe an apology) is definitely in the works.Update: Shadowrun forgoes TrueSkill for 'party' play, Epic told the truth
Today's hottest game video: Army of Two
Today's hottest video again hails from the rocky peaks of GameTrailers; a trailer for Army of Two is that site's most watched file. This action-shooter's video shows a single army (of two) engaging a variety of enemy situations. Apparently berating your teammate and slapping him is a situation for which two-person armies are trained. (Didn't they watch Patton?) At least we also see the cooperative moments -- partly offsetting these in-your-face-to-the-extreme antics -- like when one soldier drags his injured buddy away from the fire-fight. Watch the video after the break.
Clans still possible for Gears of Wars ranked matches [update 1]
Mark Rein maintains that Microsoft prevented the developer from implementing clan support (e.g., Halo 2's Party System) into Gears of Wars' ranked multiplayer matches. But, in a recent interview with Gamer Andy, Epic's VP did hint that team support could still be added, stating vaguely, "In the future we might roll out some additional functionality."In the meantime, a tedious workaround does exist. If one member hosts a ranked match, it's possible for the rest of the clan to grab spots in the match via the custom search menu. Of course, this method will become more difficult as the Gears player base grows and you and your teammates' TrueSkill ranks begin to differ.Update: Gamer Andy contacted us to clarify that his conversation with Rein was not an interview. According to Gamer Andy, Rein's comments did not hint at future clan-play implementation. The cryptic statement about upgrading functionality was just an offhanded remark delivered to steer the conversation toward a new direction (i.e. away from concerns about Gears' multiplayer).See also: Gears of War's ranked matches smell rank[Via 1UP]
Sonic and the Secret Rings details
In absolute defiance of the game's title, the Sonic Team has come forward to reveal some details about these so-called "rings". It seems as though Sonic is the one and only playable character, speeding through an Arabian setting in at least 70 separate missions. Despite the plethora of levels, however, the game is estimated to take only around ten hours for the average gamer to complete. Medals and unlockables will extend the playtime for those perfectionists out there, however, and no less than 30 minigames are planned to be included as well. Also discussed is the evolution of the game. Originally, the Sonic team wanted to make the gameplay far more active than it currently is, in the traditional 3-D style utilizing the nunchuk attachment. However, the team noted that the gameplay was too "strenuous", which most likely signifies that the controls were tiring players out before long. So, the decision was made to switch to the current, on-rails version. Sonic and the Secret Rings is currently scheduled for a March 2007 release.
Busted: Meet the Joystiq E3 crew
GamerScoreBlog posted some pics chronicling the embarassing amount of time (from a media ethics perspective) the Joystiq crew spent on or near the Xbox 360 Blogger Bus. Did I say crew? Maybe it was just me eating those Peanut M&Ms. For the people who don't know who the hell we are, try to match names with faces. Here's a hint: I'm the good-looking one.
PS3 price and launch window per PSM
Team Xbox, a website not dedicated to the PS3 in the least, has posted some details that were scraped from the latest issue of PSM, the unofficial Playstation Magazine. In regards toward what the price for the system will be, PSM states "According to Sony, the price of the system 'will not retail for under' about $425 Japanese yen. Since game consoles are typically a little cheaper here in the U.S. than in Japan, it's reasonable for us to expect to see a price tag of $399." Also, the piece states that the console will be launching during early November with a simultaneous release of Sony's online gaming service, which will allow for players to engage in online multiplayer for free. Lastly, the mag supposedly says, something far less believable than the previous statements, that original PS and PS2 games will be able to be played on the console in 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. [Via Joystiq]
