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PAX East 2010: First Look At APB (All Points Bulletin)

1 April 2010 | 2 Comments » | iTZKooPA

Electronic Arts has been trying to reproduce the success of Ultima Online ever since the behemoth was released onto the unsuspecting masses over a dozen years ago.  The publisher has bankrolled numerous MMOs since, from space-faring expeditions to gear-head adventures, and alternate realities.  Most of the games did not come close to meeting expectations.  Electronic Arts hopes that APB (All Points Bulletin) will get the company back on track in 2010.

All Points Bulletin is being designed by David Jones and the company he founded, Realtime Worlds.  You may not have heard of Mr. Jones – no, he didn’t strike up a conversation – but you’ve definitely heard of his games.  Jones designed the original two Grand Theft Auto games, and, more recently his company created Crackdown (but not the upcoming sequel Crackdown 2).  Even more fascinating is that he created Lemmings years before.  Proving that his mind can work its magic across more than one genre.

The booth for APB at the PAX East was split in two, one side representing the criminals, and the other providing law and order in the GTA-style MMO.  I gazed upon the relatively sparsely populated world (the game was being shown on the closed beta server) as Chris Collins, the APB Community Manager, launched his spiel about the game.  He reiterated time and again that APB is being designed around three pillars, or the “three Cs” as players were told, Creativity, Conflict and Celebrity. Continue Reading

PAX East 2010: First Look At Monday Night Combat

30 March 2010 | 1 Comment » | iTZKooPA

When I was getting the lay of the land of the Hynes Convention Center I was caught off guard by Monday Night Combat.  I was minding my own business, following up on appointments and seeing what the con had to offer, when I was struck by this colorful class-based shooter and its sizable booth.  To be entirely honest, I had never heard of the title, so I strolled up to an official looking person to find out some details.

The XBLA title obviously took some cues from Team Fortress 2.  Not a bad thing considering it is one of the most successful class-based shooters out there.  That being said, Uber Entertainment is going its own way with Monday Night Combat, including moving things to third person.  As the name may suggest, its world is a mockery of the ad-based football show that is Monday Night Football.  Perhaps that is why each character contains at least one well-animated melee move.  The demo showcased the Crossfire multiplayer mode, one of a handful of modes, that forces two teams of six to assault each other’s home base.

You can see some of my success in the full interview below:

Monday Night Combat is heading to XBLA sometime in 2010.  It’ll cost some amount of Microsoft Points…The closest I could get to a concrete number was that “it will be priced similar to offerings of this magnitude on the platform.”  That leads me to believe Monday Night Combat will set you back either 1200 ($15) or 1600 ($20) Microsoft Points.

PAX East 2010: Fallen Earth Patch V1.4 Preview

29 March 2010 | 2 Comments » | iTZKooPA

My sit down with Dave Haydysch did not begin with complaints regarding cell reception or gazing at the screen of a GM.  No, we had a far simpler first conversation.  It turns out that the company is not only working on the most amazing mobile application for a video game ever, but also another immense patch for Fallen Earth.  Patch v1.4 has two main components to it, the addition of PvP by way of Blood Sports and the new PvE lands of Deadfall Point.

Players have been asking for PvP since time began and v1.4 is going to deliver a fleshed out experience thanks to the bankers of Fallen Earth.  The entrepreneurial-minded folks have devised four different ways for players to tear each other apart, all in the name of making a buck.  Players simply copy their DNA into the banker database – free of charge – and then they can participate in any of the four PvP modes thanks to clones.

Deathmatch and team Capture the Flag subscribe to the standard FPS game modes.  Survival is every-man-for-themselves as the soul goal is to not die.  Therefore killing isn’t rewarded, other than it means you did not die.  Assault is the most unique game type to Fallen Earth.  It pits teams against each other.  One is forced to run a gauntlet of monsters as the other teams tries to stop them.  Every mode caps out at 16 players, either in 8v8 teams or solo.  All of this is available without leaving your current line of progression, thanks to a handy queue from anywhere system.

Rewards include monetary gains, as well as marks to purchase additional PvP-centric gear.

Players that would rather see the fruits of their labor, and not that of greedy businessmen and women, should head out to Deadfall Point.  In this not-so-desolate area, players will be greeted with six new instances and 130 new missions.  Many of which are tied to the new faction, Sheva’s Favored and spread across a land the size of half a sector. You’ll want to be sure to complete them though, because v1.4 will also be raising the level cap from level 46 to level 50.  New crafting recipes, weapons armor and two new mounts (one of which can be seen in our random chat video) round out the offering of new content.

Last, but not least, is a technology upgrade to the tools the developer uses to make those gorgeous landscapes.  Dave showed off the ability for level designers to actually work with the terrain, instead of getting something to look like terrain.  Gone will be hard or jagged edges pulled and stretched across the ground under out feet.  The structures will appear more rounded, weathered, and natural.  Following the precedent set by the earlier graphical update, the sculpting ability will make every bit of landscape in the game prettier, not just the new stuff.

Patch V1.4 is set for release in the same time frame as the amazing mobile application, Q2 2010.  It is certainly shaping up to be a patch that has a little something for everyone.

LoreHound.com’s Haiku Contest

29 March 2010 | 19 Comments » | iTZKooPA

Ahh, the haiku.  This classic poetic structure allows almost anyone to amuse and entertain.  It enables the writer to be short and sweet, while still getting their point across.  It is also quite possibly the easiest idea to teach; three lines comprised of a maximum 17 syllables.  That’s all we expect from you, Lore Hounds.

Three measly lines of creativity.

Your entry (feel free to do more than one) can cover a wide range of topics.  Fair game includes what you expect from us, gaffes made in the recent video coverage, games we enjoy and play (WoW, STO, GA, DDO, etc), your feelings towards the site layout or even a rant on how stupid this contest is (ex. Best. Idea. Ever).

You can submit your haiku to our Twitter, or leave a comment on this very post.  Be sure to leave a legitimate e-mail address in case you win!

We’ll be selecting whichever haiku entertains us the most come next Monday,  April 5.  Here’s what you can win:

1st Place: Lord of the Rings Online Collector’s Edition

2nd Place: Sandbox Tiger loot card

3rd Place: Slashdance loot card

PAX East 2010: Free Wireless – The Hard Way

26 March 2010 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

My hotel is fickle about the release of the Internets.  First off, there is no free wired access, something many hotels “feature.”  There is wireless, but it’s far from reasonable, and it likely sucks.  At $13 a day I said “nowai” and decided to grab access to the tubes the fun way, by being a gigantic nerd.

Here’s what’s going on in the above picture.  My desktop is tethered to a hacked iPhone, not the most impressive feat.  Said iPhone is then connected to a switch, that I had the forward thinking to bring, which links up not one, but two netbooks to the world wide web.

The command center, along with help from those hounds back home, will be delivering you all of the goodies of PAX East with none of the hassle or traveling.

Packing For PAX East

25 March 2010 | 2 Comments » | iTZKooPA

We’ll be covering a wide variety of gaming and MMOG news from PAX East as part of our opening flood of content.  I am based out of Philadelphia, so I’ve decided to take a road trip rather than be molested by TSA screeners and forced to take my shoes off.  In light of the trip I’ve packed the essentials and avoided bringing the distractions.

Essentials:

  • HD Camcorder – I hear viewers these days demand video content.  Not just any video content, but of the newfangled “high definition” variety.  Lore Hound’s got you covered, and I even remembered a spare battery and memory cards.  Heck, there’s even a tripod!
  • Camera – I don’t think the cosplayers would like me following them around with said camera.  Better to snap a photo and move on.
  • Netbook & Desktop – Writing and editing on the go…and stationary!
  • Nintendo DS – Complete with a fresh copy of The World Ends With You.  A handheld of some kind is a requirement at PAX.  Where else have you seen 20+ Pictochat rooms?
  • Paper & Pens – Believe it or not people still use those archaic things.
  • World of Warcraft: Stormrage – Who knows, maybe I’ll have some downtime.
  • Snacks – One thing I have learned about myself at these shows is I hardly make time to eat.  I want to see everything, talk to everyone and document everything.  Portable snacks, like apples, granola bars and crackers, get me from breakfast to dinner.  And second dinner.
  • Miscellaneous – Voice recorder, microphone, backup electronics equipment, business cards, hygiene products, hotel reservations and directions to the convention center.

Distractions:

  • WoW authenticator – There’s already a dozen companies waiting for me to play games.  I shouldn’t have any need – or time – for my WoW authenticator while I take over Boston.
  • Non-gaming Girlfriend – Sorry honey.  Just like I don’t understand Real Housewives of Local Metropolitan Area, you don’t understand Penny Arcade Expo.  We’ve tried to make a go of it before.  I have the scars to prove it.
  • Costume – I’m only going to be posing for pictures and videos for the Lore Hounds (that’d be you).

Shit, I forgot clothes.

There we go.

Blizzard Plushies: Are They Worth It?

24 March 2010 | 1 Comment » | iTZKooPA

Everyone knows that I am a sucker for in-game pets.  I’ve spent countless hours farming for some, grinding for others, avoiding ninjas for more and dumping assloads of money for still more.  Achievements are Juggynaut’s thing, non-combat pets are mine.  Basically, I’ll go to the ENDS OF THE EARTH for some cute, cuddly creature.

Despite this infatuation with small animals – perhaps that is why I selected a gnome? – I didn’t break down and purchase either of the introductory pets.  Lil’ KT and Pandaren Monk have everything I want – coolness (literally in Lil KT’s case), custom animation and interactivity – but they also possessed a hefty $10 price tag.  I couldn’t convince myself to drop cold hard cash on them.  It turns out all Blizzard had to do was add an in-real-life item to gawk at.

Now the question to ask is, “Are they worth it?”  Check the above video to find out.

Last but not least, here is your gratuitous plushie-on-a-bed screenshot.

Look who found a pair of new friends.

MMOGs Heading To Facebook In Full Force

24 March 2010 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

It strikes me as ironic that days after Activision CEO Bobby Kotick admitted that his company is hot and bothered by the success of Facebook games a pair of recent MMOGs will be getting a presence on the social networking site.  Sure, World of Warcraft has its own application – one that I refuse to use – but Fallen Earth and Runes of Magic will be taking it a step further.  Fallen Earth, LLC and Frogster Interactive are producing entirely new products set in the respected universe of the games.

Runes of Magic: The Challenge is being developed as a whole new game for the platform.  The app will utilize network gaming and viral communications to instill a sense of “adventure, exploration, and strategy elements” upon players.  RoM: The Challenge is being designed by Frogster to lure Facebookers to the free-to-play game by awarding cards with key codes for in-game items.

Fallen Earth: Faction Wars appears to have a different end game.  Icarus Studios is developing the title as a stand-alone game with no cross contamination to speak of.  But that doesn’t mean the game will stray from its big brother.  Faction Wars will have players fighting over nine “conflict towns” as they develop their characters via missions, crafting and even PvP.  The same classes and factions will be present, but the characters created will not be tied together in any way.  It appears that the game is nothing more than a marketing tool.

Obviously, both games are marketing tools, the companies are just executing the final push differently.  RoM is giving Facebookers a reason to check out their game – the in-game loot – while FE seems to be content with just spreading the brand.  There’s merit in both approaches but one thing is for certain, expect a ton of additional status update spam on the likes of Farmville’s scale.

Would you like to see the games more linked, possibly even importing characters (assuming security isn’t an issue)?  Or can we truly become too saturated?

RoM: The Challenge and FE: Faction Wars are both due out in Q2 2010.  Perhaps we’ll see more of them PAX East this weekend.