Yearly Archives: 2014

DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE to Launch in Americas February 17

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball fans mark your calendars! BANDAI NAMCO Games and Osaka, Japan-based developer DIMPS is giving players a chance enter the Dragon Ball world with fully customizable avatars and change its storied history as DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE will be launching in the Americas on February 17th, 2015!

For our most avid fans, the game will be available in a limited “Day 1” Edition that will include an exclusive playable character in the form of Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta and two special Frieza Soldier’s Battle Suits offering players the chance to sport both Gold and Crystal  outfits. DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE will also feature characters from Dragon Ball GT along with a brand new World Tournament Budokai Tenkaichi mode where fighters will be able to gather and decide who the strongest warrior is in the universe. This brand new mode will be accessible through Toki Toki City and will allow players to take part in a massive frenzied brawl and crown a champion for special rewards!

Head over to the BANDAI NAMCO Games America press ftp site now (link below) to find today’s new batch of DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE in the “Dragon Ball Xenoverse” folder. DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE will be available on the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and via STEAM.

For more info, visit http://www.dragonballxenoverse.com/en/

Dungeon of the Endless: Now Available

Dungeon

Award-winning indie developer Amplitude Studios today announced its highly anticipated rogue-like dungeon defense game Dungeon of the Endless is available now for PC via Steam. The charming, yet brutally tough, genre-blending title is now complete and packed with robust features, from new spaceships (that affect strategy) to new jungle levels, a four-person cooperative multiplayer experience and a rich set of interweaving storylines. Dungeon of the Endless is available now on Steam: €11.99 for the Pixel Pack or €18.99 for the Founder’s Pack.

Watch the all new Dungeon of the Endless launch trailer HERE

Download the all new Dungeon of the Endless launch trailer and screenshots here.

“For nearly a year we have been listening to our community’s feedback on Steam and the relationship of creative support has been fascinating, challenging, and enlightening. The release is just a new milestone in this process,” said Romain de Waubert de Genlis, Creative Director at Amplitude Studios. “Dungeon is a totally different game for us, one that defies the definition of a standard rogue-like, and to a certain extent, categorization altogether. It’s equal parts rogue-like, RPG, tower-defense, and strategy game.”

Dungeon of the Endless constantly challenges gamers to re-think their strategies with little room for error yet with lots of room for growth.

For more info, visit www.amplitude-studios.com

Skara: The Blade Remains: Steam Early Access build launches today

Skara

8 Bit, the indie development studio based in Barcelona, Spain and London, UK, are today launching the Steam Early Access version of its revolutionary ‘multiplayer online versus’ (MOV), hack n’ slash em up which utilises Epic’s Unreal Engine 4, ‘Skara: The Blade Remains’.

In its Early Access form, Skara will cost pioneering gamers, £12.00/$19.00/€15.00 and will feature two vs. two battles, two game modes (‘Team Death-match’ and ‘Free For All’), one arena and one playable character. Constant updates and expansions are planned for every two weeks following the Steam launch with a dedicated forum set up in which early adopters can specifically contribute to the Early Access stages of development via votes and comments.

“We advise gamers to only purchase the Early Access version of our game if they truly understand what Early Access means”, commented Pablo Rodriguez, Creative Director at 8-Bit. “We want our audience to participate in the creative process of building Skara with us and we’re excited at how far we’ve already come. We acknowledge that we still have a way to go, but we also want people to join us on our development journey as we move towards full scale release”.

Early purchasers will ultimately have their up front payment refunded in virtual currency which they will be able to spend in the virtual store once it goes live at full launch. They will also be rewarded with exclusive armour, weapons and have their names featured in the game credits. 8-Bit are charging a nominal fee for the early access version to help with development costs, the final version which will be F2P on XboxOne, PS4 and PC, is due to release in 2015.

For more info, visit http://skarathebladeremains.com/

Extra Life 2014: Help Us Help Kids

Extra Life Logo_Blue

Hey, MMOHuts & OnRPG community! This is your senior editor speaking.

This weekend, I’ll be participating in Extra Life. You may have already seen some information around on the ‘net about this, especially since some major gaming companies are supporting the event this year, so if you already know about it, just skip one paragraph ahead.

Extra Life is a yearly charity event, a marathon where gamers all around the globe commit 24 hours of their gaming time to help raise awareness and money for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. These hospitals are really important – they give kids a place to get better with quality care, and they give families hope. Many of them, like the hospital I’m raising for, serve their communities regardless of a family’s ability to pay. There are millions of kids chronically ill worldwide, and for some, CMN hospitals are the only place to go for help.

This is my third year participating, and I’d love your support. Here’s a few ways you can help:

  • Donate. All donations are tax-deductible and every penny goes straight to the hospitals. No one else gets a cut of your kindness.
  • Share. Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr – however you get around. Let people know what Extra Life is, and point the way.
  • Watch. You can hang out on Twitch all day and find plenty of streamers who are marathoning. (I’ll probably be streaming, at least in part, too!)
  • Learn. Find out more about Extra Life, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals in your area, and why kids need this kind of support.
  • Join! You can still jump in this year and participate. Or if you’re not into last minute things, prepare to join in and start raising money for next year!

Extra Life has helped raise millions for local children’s hospitals, and I’m proud to be part. So please, come support the gaming community as we help kids through games.

You can find my donation page here, and learn more about the event here.

Thanks for your support!

-Jaime Skelton (MissyS), Senior Editor

New USSR MiG Fighters Take Flight in World of Warplanes

Warplanes Update 1-6

Wargaming today announced the launch of content update 1.6 for its massively multiplayer aviation combat game World of Warplanes. The update adds a new line of Tier 5 and higher Russian MiG fighters as well as revamps the currently existing plane roster by adding a new multirole class of warplanes for ultimate player freedom and customization.

Known for their breakneck speed and power, the Russian MiG line of jets helped define an entire era of aircraft combat. Starting at Tier 5, the new line of aircraft includes the MiG-3, MiG-9 and the legendary MiG-15bis, one of the world’s first swept wing jet fighters to be ever produced and find success in the skies of battle.

Update 1.6 will also see major changes in the creation of a brand new class of warbird—the multirole fighter. Made specifically for players looking for fighters with a balance between both air and ground combat, the new multirole class will allow them to outfit planes with armaments balanced between high caliber guns and ground destroying bombs and rockets. Previous aircraft in the fighter class, as a result, have now been designated as pure aerial combat dogfighters, which will also benefit from new balance changes for both cannons and machine guns.

Lastly, the El Halluf map will see its boundaries extended, providing a more ample landscape for battle.

SWTOR Shadow of Revan Press Preview

By Eric Kandel (Misanthropologist)

 

SWTOR_Shadow_of_Revan_Screen_02

The team at the helm of Star Wars: The Old Republic has a question for you:

 

Do you like Revan?

 

For the majority of their fans and followers, the answer appears to be a resounding YES. This a good thing, chiefly because the most prominent subject of the upcoming SWTOR expansion, Shadow of Revan, is… yes, you guessed it. Revan.

 

At a recent press event, a few members of the SWTOR (the ever-noteworthy James Ohlen among them) gang sat down to talk a bit about their reflections on the past and their goals for the future. While there was a lot of <REDACTED> and “Soon™”, what specifics we were able to coax out of them seem promising for devoted followers of the franchise.

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The panel began with the usual introductions, the usual recital of player metrics, and the usual vigorous pounding on the Star Wars canon encyclopedia. We were assured that the game remains as true to its roots in the original intellectual property as ever, that the game has survived its transition into the world of F2P dazzlingly well, and that all the people in charge are big, big Star Wars fans. This is standard fare for the team, they like to ride in with trumpets and fanfare, and while it seems a bit rehearsed at times, there’s definitely a lot of vigor put into the performance.

 

After the opening ceremonies were out of the way, we began to gnaw on the bone that would prove to be the day’s main course: “What do SWTOR players want?” This question, more than any other, dominated the conversation and has apparently informed all the team’s major decisions going forward. The answer, they say, is two-fold: fans want more of the old personal stories that formed so much of the game’s original allure, and they want KOTOR 3.

SWTOR_Shadow_of_Revan_Screen_09

KOTOR, for those who don’t know, is one of BioWare’s older RPGs, Knights of the Old Republic. It’s their homegrown installment in the Star Wars extended universe. Many people would argue that SWTOR is its spiritual successor in many ways, and, over the years, many people have. The fact that this is the answer the developers have drawn from the community suggests that they have, in fact, been listening to the community. Kudos to them.

 

Revan (again, for those who don’t know) is the protagonist of the original Knights of the Old Republic. Revan is to KOTOR as Shepard is to Mass Effect, essentially, and his name has cast a sizable shadow over the franchise. With multiple cameos in SWTOR, up to and including his own personal cult of devotees, and an entire novella devoted to him, Revan may very well clock in as the Old Republic’s biggest star and most recognizable name. He will be the driving force behind the story of the upcoming expansion, and all the many prominent NPC characters attached to him can be expected to make a very generous showing as well.

SWTOR_Shadow_of_Revan_Screen_11

So, where does that leave us? The developers have asked their question and gotten their answer, but how will they address it? What steps do they plan to take to furnish their devoted players with their most fervent desires? The first and biggest answer was, “You’ll see.” There was a lot of vague talk made about implementing a lot great, big new steps in the future, but very little in the way of specifics. There were knowing smiles, nodding heads and firm looks into the camera, but not much explanation. Hopefully, it will suffice to say that there are big plans on the horizon. Much talk was made about “the next big step” in the universe. Take that as you will.

 

What specifics we do know, though, are this: personal class stories are returning in a big way. Old actors and writers have been rounded up and locked into their respective booths to make them happen. The team promises that these stories will resolve any old loose ends that might have been left behind, bring closure to their players, and focus on how these characters then define themselves, and their roles, in the galaxy to come. Again, vague, but one of the greatest criticisms of the whole personal story concept was that it took such a monumental investment of resources to make it work. That the team is apparently willing to pony up that kind of capital suggests a very respectable degree of commitment to giving their players what they want.

SWTOR_Shadow_of_Revan_Screen_10

In the first great expansion for SWTOR, there was space combat. Indeed, игровые автоматы вулкан players had been demanding a more engaging form of the game’s airborne dogfighting since its release. That was delivered, and in remarkable form. Next there was player housing, featuring the tremendous guild ships, which had also been a much-requested feature and, again, delivered in remarkable form. Now, it seems, that the players have been demanding story. Once again, the team has stepped up to the plate and they’re pointing quite confidently at the fences. A new planet, a dramatic plot centered around one of the franchise’s most beloved characters, and the return of one of the game’s most sorely missed features?

 

They may hit this one out of the park yet.

TOME: Immortal Arena Takes Part in Raptr Extra Life Weekend Livestream

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The TOME: Immortal Arena development team will livestream KIXEYE’s upcoming brawler MOBA this weekend for a good cause.

 

KIXEYE joins Raptr in its quest to do good with gaming by supporting its Extra Life marathon livestream session this weekend, featuring TOME: Immortal Arena.

 

Tune in to see KIXEYE’s unique approach to the MOBA genre with TOME: Immortal Arena’s focus on fast action and less laning, played by members of the KIXEYE crew, while participating in this great, gaming-for-good cause.

 

DETAILS:

DATE:              Saturday, October 25th
TIME:              1:00-2:00PM PDT
WHAT:             TOME: Immortal Arena livestream with key members of the KIXEYE team
WHERE:              Raptr Twitch Channel
WHY:               Help Raptr reach their $10K Extra Life donation goal!

 

Visit http://www.extra-life.org/ for more information about this organization, and everything they do to benefit kids. #ExtraLife2014

 

Thanks very much, and stay tuned for the next page in the TOME: Immortal Arena playbook!