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Wargaming.net releases World of Warplanes video dev diary
Anxious for an update on World of Warplanes? If so, Wargaming.net has just the thing in the form of a new video dev blog that features gameplay footage and talking head interviews with various project principals. The clip resides on Wargaming.net's YouTube portal (and we've also got it for you after the cut, below). It's entirely in Russian, but fortunately it's also packed with sub-titles for the rest of us. Much of the info is a recap if you've been following the game for some time, but there are some interesting tidbits regarding aircraft prototypes (i.e., avatars that are quite different from the usual Mustang, Spitfire, and Sturmovik suspects found in most flight sims). The dev diary also tells us that while WoWP will initially ship with 20 planes per nation, the roster will gradually expand up to 100 aircraft for each faction.
PAX East 2012: World of Warplanes impressions
Much like its predecessor, World of Warplanes is not a game with an ambiguous title. This is a game about planes, and not the sort that flies cargo from one point on the globe to another. If flying around and getting into aerial dogfights sounds like an unappealing concept to you, well, you can pretty much just exit stage left when you hear the name. But the lack of subtlety in the name, however noteworthy, doesn't really say much about the game itself. Is it fun to play? Does it succeed in what it sets out to do? Really, is it just World of Tanks up in the air? I can't speak to the last one, but I can say that it definitely delivers on its stated design goals. This is a game all about maximizing the rush of an aerial fight and striking a balance between crafting an in-depth flight simulation and providing accessibility to those new to the genre.%Gallery-130862%
World of Warplanes is adding dragons for that extra kick of historical accuracy
In a press release from early this morning, Wargaming.net has announced that it's adding dragons to its upcoming World of Warplanes. I'll just let that line sink in a bit before I continue. Yes, the studio is adding dragons; there's a video and everything (included past the cut). According to the release, the "initial tech tree will include 12 dragons and will eventually expand to more than 60 creatures. Each mystical animal will have its own peculiarities and strategic employment. Players can upgrade several key characteristics including fire intensity level, color, number of claws, horns, wingspan and skin thickness." Now, I should remind you what this Sunday is, so you can put two and two together, but it's an interesting thought nonetheless. Will we see more early April Fool's jokes today? Stay tuned!%Gallery-151846%
GDC 2012: Wargaming.net on World of Warplanes, clan wars, and taking over the world
Wargaming.net had a huge presence at this year's GDC, and why not? The firm is growing at an exponential rate, and we're not just talking about the fact that it has World of Warplanes and World of Battleships coming down the pike. CEO Victor Kislyi told me that over the past year the firm has expanded to include 700+ employees and a global presence that features development centers in Kiev, Ukraine, and Russia. The firm's flagship World of Tanks title currently boasts 18 million players worldwide, and it is paving the way for the second and third entries in a World War II trilogy. Its clan wars mode is also the starting point for a grand vision of military combat at the squad level.
GDC 2012: Wargaming.net reveals first World of Warplanes gameplay trailer
Wargaming.net is kicking the tires and lighting the fires of its newest World War II-era action MMO. World of Warplanes is currently in alpha testing, and the firm has just released a new trailer featuring plenty of PvP footage from the upcoming game. If you're into horsepower, dogfighting, or fast-paced action gameplay, you'll want to click past the cut as soon as possible and check out a minute and a half of what Wargaming.net calls "pure adrenaline." And don't forget to check in with Massively later this week for our World of Warplanes coverage from GDC 2012. Massively sent four resolute reporters to San Francisco to bring you back the biggest MMO news from this year's GDC, the largest pro-only gaming industry con in the world! From games like The Secret World to PlanetSide 2, we're on the case, so stay tuned for all the highlights from the show!
TUAW's Daily iPad App - Warplanes: A History of Aerial Combat
Gameloft recently released a new iPad book-app, Warplanes: A History of Aerial Combat (US$6.99). This app is follow-up to Gameloft's earlier book-app, War in the Pacific. This latest offering includes detailed information on 43 historic war planes including popular bombers like the B-52, fighters like the F-15 and reconnaissance airplanes like the SR-71 Blackbird. You can view a 3D model of the plane, browse vintage photographs, read detailed specs and even watch a video of the plane in action (though not all planes have a video). The app opens to a home screen with clickable images of all the planes and is organized as reference guide, not a chapter book that you read. The content is organized nicely and there is a lot of information for users to comb through, especially if you are new to military aviation. Besides background information, there is an interactive cutaway diagram of each plane and a rotatable 3-D model. The 3D model is a bit disappointing as you can only move it left and right. You cannot spin it to see the top and bottom of the plane. %Gallery-128298% The photo gallery for each plane is also inconsistent. When you click on gallery, sometimes you get a nice slideshow of pictures for each plane. Other times, you open a grid of images for all the planes, not just the one that you are viewing. The latter is a tease as you see fifteen thumbnails on the screen, but only two or three are for your selected plane. Overall, the app is geared towards the beginning aviation buff or the more experienced aviator who wants a quick reference guide. It's not for the seasoned aviation veteran looking for a lot of stellar pictures and heart-pounding video of the planes in action. This media-rich content which would look great on the iPad is lacking. I would love to see more images and, especially more videos of the planes in various aerial maneuvers. More planes would also be a welcome addition as 43 entries only scratch the surface of historic military planes. It is also worthy to note that the book-app is heavily weighted towards US planes and jets. There's a rich history of early World War I and World War II propeller planes that's missing.
