2012年2月24日星期五
Steam offers From Dust refunds
Valve has reportedly begun offering refunds to customers who purchased From Dust following complaints over publisher Ubisoft's online DRM. According to Rock Paper Shotgun, customers were originally informed that the god game would only require a one-off online activation, before Ubisoft changed its mind and started demanding an always active internet connection to launch the title.Ubisoft subsequently apologised for the "misunderstanding" by announcing plans to launch a patch for the game that that will remove online authentication DRM entirely, but it now appears to have gone a step further by asking Steam to offer refunds. If true, it's a big move by Steam, which doesn't usually offer refunds unless they're requested prior to a game's release.A couple of readers forwarded emails from Steam to RPS. They read: "Ubisoft has just announced that they are working on a patch that will eliminate the need for any online authentication for From Dust. The patch will release in approximately two weeks. If you don't want to wait for the patch or if you haven't played the game, per Ubisoft's request, we will issue refunds for this title. If you would still like your purchase of From Dust refunded, please reply to this ticket." Tom Ivan
Sony 90 Percent of PSN Users Have Return
At the Sony shareholders meeting today, the company said that 90 percent of PSN users have returned since the service was hacked. Have you? [AV Watch Impress via はちま起稿]
Batman Arkham City vs Adam West classic
(Please note: This is not an official Rocksteady game mode!) CVG Staff
2012年2月23日星期四
Heroes of Might and Magic Online Review
By Jerrico Tan (JetSet), OnRPG JournalistMeant as a browser game for the Chinese market in 2008, Heroes of Might and Magic Online (or HoMMO for short) arrived to western shores as a standalone client game last June 2010. TQ digital, a Chinese game studio, based this game on Ubisoft’s best selling franchise – Heroes of Might and Magic III but this time added an MMO spice to it.For those who are unfamiliar with this long running franchise, this game is generally about the player being a hero of their race who sets out to become the ruler of their land with tactical prowess and castle management.When logging in for the first time, the game lets you select one of 8 factions. Each faction has its own town design with a unique set of racial units to choose from, and each of these units have their own tactical styles, thus spicing up combat quite nicely. For example, choosing the ‘Castle’ gives you human units that offer straightforward attack bonuses while the ‘Necropolis’ gives you undead units that specialize in devastating debuffs (one of these units even has a skill that can cut an enemy’s HP in half!).After choosing a faction, players must next create a hero that will provide commands to the selected faction units. They can choose from spell caster or melee type of hero. Both classes can choose the same illustrations/avatar pictures in the list, but their starting hero appearances are the same. You can customize your hero’s hairstyle and equip class specific armors later in the game.As I have said earlier, this MMO spinoff derived most of its elements from Might and Magic III. The classic hexagonal turn based battles are still here, but TQ added new kinds of exploration elements to it.The new kind of adventure element that separates this game from previous HoMM titles is the real time exploration. That means you can explore the beginner city of Harmondale and the rest of the world with your hero as an avatar. The realms outside the city are filled with wild creatures that can be farmed for items. There are also grinding types of quests that should be completed outside the city such as killing 8 wild beasts or reaching NPCs located at places in the middle of nowhere. You shouldn’t worry about finding the quests though because just like other Chinese MMOs (like Godswar Online), you can use the autopath feature to let your hero easily get to its required destination.The classic turn based world travel system is still here, but is now part of Episodic Quests that have to be completed for rewards. These quests can also be completed with friends through co-op. Supply items can also be collected here (all supplies that you have collected in the quests can be deposited when you’re back in the city).The city of Harmondale is the heart of the game. This is where you can sell and trade items, deposit looted supplies in quests, change your hairstyle and assign members for your army. Some special events (like trivia quiz contests) are held in the city daily. The main city is also the only place where you can gain access to your town.Your very own town is the only place where you can upgrade units, and each of them has their own respected houses. Players can only gain access to the higher-level units when your town has reached its house requirements. Fallen units from previous battles can also be used to upgrade its squad’s star level (raising star levels give great bonuses in the unit’s stats).Just like Might and Magic III, battles take place in a small arena with hexagonal tiles. Each player represents squads of visible units on each side of the screen. Ranged units can fire across the arena while melee units need to reach their opponents’ units first in order to attack. Heroes are on the side of the battlefield but can play an active role. They can only use spells learned in their spell-books (spells vary from powerful nukes to support buffs that can help your squads last even longer in battle).Another unique element in this MMO is its spell learning system. Proficiency points (which can be achieved through in-game battles) are needed to level-up your spells. Unlike the usual MMOs, higher spell-books are required to master spells.And lastly, through the game’s matchmaking system, TQ has perfected its PVP feature. Thanks to this, players are assured of having an even match against their opponents. Tournaments and ranking matches are held daily and winning players are greatly rewarded. These and many other features sum up to an MMO worth playing.But amidst all the features mentioned, there are still noticeable flaws and drawbacks. It takes a long while for a player who is new to Might and Magic to learn the game’s basics. The user manual is also misleading. The game was poorly translated in English and some game dialogues were difficult to understand (Gibberish characters always appear after texts which can be annoying). The graphics is outdated for its time (2008) and making it 2.5D clearly wasn’t enough to compete with other MMOs in the market. Non-paying players are also at a large disadvantage as there are no opportunities to obtain cash items, unlike other MMOsIn conclusion, TQ did a great job in making this a special MMO spinoff of Might and Magic III. Unfortunately, hardcore fans of the franchise might get disappointed about this one. The MMO elements that were added made it lose the Heroes of Might and Magic feel. Plus, the game itself is more about the growth of your hero and spells instead of town and unit management. Nevertheless, this is still certainly commendable since this game was developed by a totally different team and the game itself is meant for another audience.But despite all those issues, this unique Heroes of Might and Magic game is still one of the best strategy games around and is definitely worth a try. *Based on a highly acclaimed franchise. *Wide range of factions and tactical gameplay. *Great matchmaking system. *Easy to manage buildings and units.*Confusing game basics and misleading manuals. *Poorly translated interfaces/scripts. *Outdated graphics (for a client game).
2012年2月22日星期三
WRC 2 trailer and screens released
The latest WRC 2 media shower has poured in, soaking the internet in screenshots and trailer footage.The trailer itself is a fast-paced affair -as you'd expect - with rally cars whipping across all kinds of terrain and even, on occasion, flying through the air.Have a look at the movie, check out the screenshots below and then go and read our WRC 2 interview to find out more. Tom Pakinkis
2012年2月21日星期二
DICE No shooting civilians in Battlefiel
DICE has confirmed that Battlefield 3 players won't be able to shoot civilians. Speaking to RockPaperShotgun, executive producer Patrick Bach said the decision was made because the studio didn't want the game to become the subject of controversy."If you put the player in front of a choice where they can do good things or bad things, they will do bad things, go dark side - because people think it's cool to be naughty, they won't be caught," he explained."In a game where it's more authentic, when you have a gun in your hand and a child in front of you what would happen? Well the player would probably shoot that child. We would be the ones to be blamed. We have to build our experiences so we don't put the player in experiences where they can do bad things."Me personally, I'm trying to stay away from civilians in games like BF because I think people will do bad," Bach added. "I don't want to see videos on the internet where people shoot civilians. That's something I will sanitise by removing that feature from the game "We are trying to do something that is more mature. Mature not being gore - some people confuse the two. That's childish actually, to want more blood."DICE revealed last week that Battlefield 3 will support 24 players across all platforms in its Team Deathmatch mode, which won't feature vehicles. Tom Ivan
2012年2月13日星期一
Gears of War 3 The Best in the Series -
Gears of War 3News (76)Previews (22)ReviewVideos (89)Screenshots (88)Cheats and Walkthroughs Gears of War 3News (76)Previews (22)ReviewVideos (89)Screenshots (88)Cheats and Walkthroughs By now you probably know that a little game called Gears of War 3 came out today. When a game with that much expectation comes out, people often wonder if it lives up to the hype. Well no need to look any further, because The Sess is about to tell you exactly why Gears 3 is not only the best game in the franchise, but also one of the better games he's played in recent memory. Now hurry up and watch this week's Soapbox so we can get back online and continue to curb stomp each other into tiny gooey bits. Sessler's Soapbox: Gears of War 3 is Awesome »Subscribe to G4's WEB SHOWS Video Podcast:
2012年2月12日星期日
Disney survey reveals Epic Mickey 2 - rep
Development on Epic Mickey 2 is in full swing it seems, according to an anonymous tipster who says Disney is doing market research for the title now. The source has told Destructoid that the Disney pole asks users to pick from a selection of titles for the game,福州装修公司, including Epic Mickey 2: Return of the Mad Doctor, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Epic Mickey 2: Mystery on Mean Street, and just Epic Mickey 2. This is backed up by a snapshot of one question that asks those polled to choose their favourite from a range of different box artworks for the game, which would suggest development on it is already pretty far along. According to the report, the game will have a two-player split-screen option with Mickey and his brother Oswald The Lucky Rabbit playable, while Mickey's paint and thinner powers make a return. It's being lined up for release on Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3, claims the source, making no mention of 3DS, Vita or Wii U. Warren Spector told press earlier this year that there was 'no shortage' of interesting challenges that could be tackled with a prospective sequel. And the original's 'strong' sales would certainly suggest a sequel is likely. Mike Jackson
2012年2月10日星期五
X-Play's Gears Of War 3 Comic-Con Gamepla
Gears of War 3News (57)Previews (20)ReviewVideos (72)Screenshots (88)Cheats and Walkthroughs X-Play's Morgan Webb has a few details about Gears of War 3from this past Comic-Con she'd like to share with you. The Epic third-person shooter will have multiple gameplay modes including campaign, horde and multiplayer. Gears of War 3 is an Xbox 360 exclusive slated for release on September 20th. Check out X-Play's coverage right now. Gears of War 3 Gameplay Preview »
2012年2月8日星期三
Star Wars The Old Republic An Introductio
By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor), OnRPG JournalistStarting today I will be writing a series of articles building up to the release of Star Wars the MMO. In this article I will be introducing this wonderful title that is coming in the end of 2011 and the confirmed release date is December 20 for the Americans and December 22 for the Europeans! Currently the closed beta is live and only a small amount of players are invited. There are several testing phases though so if you haven’t been invited yet, keep trying. Luckily my friend scored invites and was willing to share with me so expect some insider coverage in my next article! Star Wars is most likely the biggest fantasy/science fiction film series of all time. Made by George Lucas, the first trilogy started in the 70’s and 80’s, the second one was made in 1999 and the last movie released was in 2005. There was an MMO made during the reign of the follow-up trilogy that has since fallen out of style, leaving a hole in the hearts of Star Wars fans and MMO gamers everywhere. Star Wars The Old Republic, being developed by the legendary devs at Bioware, will return the Star Wars universe to the MMO genre with a whole new storyline.The setting is 300 years after the events of Bioware’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series. For anyone not familiar with these top titles, this series truly set the bar for every RPG game to come. The KOTOR series consists of the same classic Sith vs Jedi wars that made Star Wars famous in the 70s. The KOTOR series however takes place 3,500 years before the Star Wars films and the story is much more political and deep than the movies themselves. If you haven’t played these games yet I believe they are both available at a discount on Steam. If you care at all about story telling you will want to catch up on the tale before jumping into the upcoming MMO.Now back to Star Wars The Old Republic. The Jedi are held responsible for the success of the Sith during the devastating 28-year-long Great Galactic War and the Jedi have relocated themselves on the planet Tython. This is the place where the Jedi Order had initially been founded, to seek guidance from the Force. The Sith control Korriban, where they have re-established a Sith Academy. You enter this universe as a fresh recruit for one of these two warring factions.Now for the people that aren’t been familiar with the “Force” : The Force is an all binding power between organisms and energy. Some people in the known Star Wars universe are force sensitive; this means they are able to utilize the Force as an extension of their own will. With this power many things can be done and people are able to achieve different skills and abilities.The Force is balanced between Good and Evil. The Jedi are the peacemakers in Star Wars The Old Republic and the Sith prefer to use it more to their evil likings. The Jedi respect the universum and serve any living organism with any problem that might occur. The Sith however use the Dark side of the Force to manipulate powerful leaders and craft the Universe to their choosing. They get their power from hate, egoism and passion.Star Wars The Old Republic is going to be a MMORPG similar in the style of other currently Pay to Play released MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft. This is Bioware’s first MMORPG, and they are trying to make SW:TOR different from most MMORPGs while not straying too far into the unknown regions of development.Because Star Wars is a really known franchise in the world right now people have high hopes for the game to become a top seller. Bioware realizes this and knows that if they can provide the basics of a solid MMO with high production values, the brand will sell itself.As such the combat is standard MMO goodness but the storyline is intricate, giving players a wide variety of choices in progressing their own personal storyline. This is nearly unheard of in the MMO genre because of the difficulties in producing custom crafted storylines for literally hundreds of thousands of players without breaking game immersion. There are a lot of choices you can make between the Light side and the Dark side and your character will evolve to a different personage every time you make a choice. In essence they have crafted a MMO theme park like so many others, but one in which you can choose to take the soft core left track or go for the full on 360 degree loop on the right track!Another big feature Bioware is using to differentiate itself is Space Combat. Every character in Star Wars The Old Republic will obtain its own space ship; this ship can be used for Space Combat or travelling to other planets. The ship will also serve as your ‘home’ where many tools and resources can be stored. Every character that will help you and join you in your journey will take residence in your own Space Ship so you can easily find them if you require their help. There isn’t a lot of information released about the Space Combat, yet there are several videos you can find on YouTube regarding the Space Combat should you seek them out. There is no information however of what purpose the Space Combat will have so this is still one big mystery for everyone and I personally cannot wait to fly with my own ship in space and shoot some evil scum. There are many playable races and classes. Only a few of them are known so far, but I expect there might be even more added to this list in the future.ChissHumanMiralukaMirialenRattatakiSith PurebloodTwi’lekZabrakEveryone known in the Star Wars universe might remember a few of these and most of them are found in the KOTOR series or even the Star Wars movies.Republic Trooper Smuggler Jedi Knight Jedi Consular Bounty Hunter Imperial Agent Sith Warrior Sith InquisitorI’ll go into greater detail on the specializations of each class after I get a bit more time in beta to see their strengths and weaknesses.Bioware has given the following system specifications for Star Wars The Old Republic:Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4000 or better / Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.0 Ghz or betterMemory: At least 1.5GBRAM for XP / 2 GB or better for Windows Vista/7Graphics: ATI XT1800 or better /NVIDIA7800 or better / Intel 4100 or better. 256 MB minimum video RAM, shader 3.0 or better fully compatible graphics card.OS: Windows XP / Vista / Windows 7DVD-ROM: 8x or betterThe requirements are really not demanding that much of your machine and everyone with a computer that has been purchased in the last 5 years should easily be set to play this game.As stated above Star Wars The Old Republic will hit the shelves in December which is only 2 months away. Personally I was absolutely thrilled when my friend said he’d lend me his beta account and I definitely intend to buy the Collectors’ Edition of the game. Bioware has released details regarding the Collectors’ Edition and I must say this is most likely the priciest Collectors’ Edition I’ve ever seen, coming in at $150. I feel Star Wars The Old Republic will be bringing back the glory days of Star Wars Galaxies which is the previous MMO that was involved in the Star Wars Universe. With that game gone, this is the only way I can get my Star Wars MMO fix! I will continue making articles about my experience in the Star Wars beta so be sure to follow us on twitter and facebook to keep update on when my next article arrives!
2012年2月7日星期二
Halo Reach gets Anniversary gun with upda
Microsoft's detailed an upcoming Halo Reach title update set to introduce a Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary weapon to the Bungie FPS.The update, which is targeted for release in October, will see the return of the monstrously overpowered Halo: Combat Evolved Magnum pistol, which will be supported in special, classic playlists.In addition, the update will introduce several multiplayer fixes including a change to Armour Lock which sees the power absorb a level of damage based on the amount of remaining energy a player has, diminishing its effectiveness. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! Active Camo's duration has been reduced and the ability to block sword attacks using any weapon other than another sword has been disabled, says Microsoft."And for fans of precision firing, reticle bloom is now configurable, delivering increased accuracy when firing in rapid succession," it adds.The update will also enable Halo: Reach players using an Xbox 360 4GB console without a HDD to utilize Campaign and Firefight matchmaking, which previously required a HDD. Andy Robinson
2012年2月6日星期一
Need For Speed The Run Limited Edition D
Need For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (9)Screenshots (19)Cheats and WalkthroughsNeed For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (10)Screenshots (19)Cheats and WalkthroughsNeed For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (1)ReviewVideos (9)Screenshots (19)Cheats and WalkthroughsNeed For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (7)Screenshots (5)Cheats and Walkthroughs Need For Speed: The Run will have everything connoisseurs of racing games demand. That is, unless you demand the world's most elite cars, you're going to have to splurge and buy Need For Speed: The Run Limited Edition for those. Need For Speed: The Run Limited Edition Trailer » NFS: The Run Limited Edition will come with the finest advancements in automobile technology with cars like the Lamborghini Aventador, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the Porsche 911 Carrera S. Your sweet new rides will be exactly what you need to race from San Fransisco to New York. $25 million dollars are at stake after all.Need For Speed: The Run, both standard and Limited Edition, are available now for pre-order. NFS: The Run will be released on November 15, 2011.
2012年2月3日星期五
Video interview Insomniac on 'imaginativ
With the likes of Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 and Uncharted 3 the dominant names on every gamers' mind, it sounds like it's going to be a cold winter for any title that isn't a sequel to some superpower series. Overstrike isn't one of those, but creative director Brian Allgiar believes the fact that Insomniac's latest doesn't sit atop a well established franchise could actually help the new kid on the block, along with some other key factors. "It's a brand new IP. It's going to be coming out at a time when we think a lot of sequels are going to be coming out so it's a very fresh, new experience for players," Allgiar told us in our video interview."We're focusing on co-op, which is a big trend right now, people love to play games together, and we're specifically focusing on an a-symmetrical co-op experience."While it's a brand new IP, Allgiar hopes that the same old Insomniac qualities will see it through:"Overstrike definitely plays to Insomniac's strengths, it's got imaginative weaponry, it's got engrossing characters and storylines. It's also got a sense of humour and it's heavily based on action." Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! See Overtstrike in action - and more details on how it plays - via this here link. Tom Pakinkis
2012年2月2日星期四
Stephen Merchant 'I'm not sure I can fac
Comedian Stephen Merchant has said he doesn't know if he can face voicing Portal 2 star Wheatley again in the future, because the Valve voice work was "one of the most tiring things I've ever done." Speaking in an interview with FMV, the Office writer said he really wanted to do a good job for the acclaimed puzzle sequel and so he was shouting and leaping about "for hours at a time.""It seemed like a fun thing to do, but in actual fact it was one of the most tiring things I've ever done," he explained. "I was standing in a recording booth shouting down imaginary corridors and falling out of make-believe ceilings. For hours at a time. "And I really wanted to do a good job so I was shouting and screaming and leaping about. The thought of doing it again seems so daunting I'm not sure I can face it."Merchant concluded that despite the negative points he's "thrilled people have enjoyed the game so much."One Portal voice star who will be continuing a career in games is GlaDOS actress Ellen McLain, who is now working on a mysterious new game with Valve. Andy Robinson