GameSpot's Reviews: PlayStation 3 | Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 Review

GameSpot's Reviews All of the Reviews. Can you keep up?. PlayStation 3 | Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 Review 25 Jun 2011, 1:47 am It's hard to believe that Magic: The Gathering is almost 20 years old. The revolutionary collectible card game has had a massive influence on games, both tabletop and electronic alike, and it continues to drive at the forefront of an industry it established. For all of its popularity, however, it's not an easy experience to translate into video game form. While Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 doesn't offer all of the varied nuances and experiences that make the physical version of Magic so compelling, it does a serviceable job of translating the card game into a quick, easy-to-play format that casual players and veterans alike can enjoy--provided they can get past some of its caveats. Amount of things that will soon be going down: a lot. The rules of Magic: the Gathering involve players drawing magic power from varied sources, casting environment-altering spells, summoning creatures and fighters big and small, conjuring powerful magical artifacts, and using them to beat the crap out of each other. There's far more nuance than that, of course; there are several different "colors" of spells with varied strengths and weaknesses, as well as numerous types of monsters and items with distinct traits and abilities. Magic is a strategic and competitive game that requires a great deal of forethought and reaction. Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 simplifies things somewhat from the original card game by making the complex structure of Magic more palatable to newcomers and casual players. Rather than carefully choosing and constructing your deck of tricks card by card, you play one of several different preconstructed decks with distinct play styles, advantages, and drawbacks. As you play through the various single-player modes, you unlock new decks to use, as well as earn additional cards to augment each deck. Play itself is also streamlined and simplified, as DotP 2012 consolidates certain beginning and end phases of turns in the regular game into two "main" phases with a combat phase in between. While hardcore Magic players might balk at the changes--the inability to create a custom deck from scratch, in particular, will certainly turn off a few veterans--they help make the game a lot easier to dive into for a general audience. Don't get cocky; it's gonna get rocky! There are numerous play modes available in DotP 2012. In Campaign mode you battle computer opponents, earning new decks and additional cards as you progress. In between matches are also optional, clever puzzle challenges that set up an established game situation--usually disadvantageous to you--that ask you to make smart use of the game rules and card abilities to turn it around. Going through the standard Campaign mode will also unlock Archenemy mode, which is new to the 2012 edition of the game. In this mode, you and two computer-controlled players take on a single, highly powered opponent who can bend certain rules and play powerful, environment-altering "scheme" cards each turn. There's also Revenge mode, where the opponents you beat come back with bigger, more powerful decks. Unlike many other games in the card battle genre, there's no overarching story or any sort of dialogue with characters going on during the campaign; you just beat one guy and move on to the next. It's a bit of a disappointment because it would have been nice to interact, even superficially, with the world of Magic: the Gathering's interesting characters and settings. If you don't feel like trudging through the campaign, there is a quick-play mode that will let you set up a game against up to four computer opponents in a standard winner-takes-all competition. The variant modes are more interesting, however; besides Archenemy, there's also Two-Headed Giant, a two-versus-two team competition where you and a computer-controlled buddy (or a local player) combine forces and share a life pool while taking on an opposing two-player team. Competitive play against other human opponents is the biggest draw, however, and it's done quite well. You can play either standard or ranked matches against friends or random players in any of the available game variants (though Archenemy, due to its nature, is unavailable for ranked play). Getting a group of friends together to play good-natured matches against each other or collaborate in one of the team play modes is tons of fun, but going up against random opponents is still something of a crapshoot. A common complaint in the last iteration was that players would disconnect if they started to lose a ranked match. "Cord pulling" out of a match in DotP 2012 is now counted as a loss toward a player who disconnects, but there are still other ways to grief an opponent, including stalling for as much time as possible. Online bugs also seemed to be present in rare cases, as we encountered a match where the game simply stalled forever as a player tried to activate a card ability, forcing us to concede. The tutorials aren't much to look at, but they're invaluable for Magic newcomers. While DotP 2012 can be a lot of fun, much of the enjoyment you potentially derive from the game comes from finding Magic: the Gathering interesting to play. The graphics are merely adequate (don't expect any cool animations of the monsters you summon, for example) and the sound effects are nondescript and inoffensive. You also have to fight with the controls every step of the way as you attempt to enjoy the game. DotP's control scheme feels awkward and unnatural with a controller because highlighting certain cards to zoom in and read their effect information requires choosing it like a menu selection with the analog stick--except you actually need to use the right analog stick to choose certain cards for some reason. If your opponent is casting spells, it can be extremely difficult to highlight and read the effects of the spell in the limited time before it takes effect, which leads to cases where it comes into play before you can react. Pressing buttons a split second too early or too late can lead to missed plays and annoying dialogue pop-ups. As it stands, Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 provides a way to enjoy a simple game of Magic: the Gathering. Its limited customization options, serious control issues, and lack of extra flair keep it from being as interesting an experience as it could be, but you can still have a good time by getting a bunch of online or offline buddies together for games. And at $10, it's certainly more affordable than going to your local card shop and buying cases of cards. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's Reviews: PC | Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 Review

GameSpot's Reviews All of the Reviews. Can you keep up?. PC | Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 Review 25 Jun 2011, 1:48 am It's hard to believe that Magic: The Gathering is almost 20 years old. The revolutionary collectible card game has had a massive influence on games, both tabletop and electronic alike, and it continues to drive at the forefront of an industry it established. For all of its popularity, however, it's not an easy experience to translate into video game form. While Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 doesn't offer all of the varied nuances and experiences that make the physical version of Magic so compelling, it does a serviceable job of translating the card game into a quick, easy-to-play format that casual players and veterans alike can enjoy--provided they can get past some of its caveats. Amount of things that will soon be going down: a lot. The rules of Magic: the Gathering involve players drawing magic power from varied sources, casting environment-altering spells, summoning creatures and fighters big and small, conjuring powerful magical artifacts, and using them to beat the crap out of each other. There's far more nuance than that, of course; there are several different "colors" of spells with varied strengths and weaknesses, as well as numerous types of monsters and items with distinct traits and abilities. Magic is a strategic and competitive game that requires a great deal of forethought and reaction. Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 simplifies things somewhat from the original card game by making the complex structure of Magic more palatable to newcomers and casual players. Rather than carefully choosing and constructing your deck of tricks card by card, you play one of several different preconstructed decks with distinct play styles, advantages, and drawbacks. As you play through the various single-player modes, you unlock new decks to use, as well as earn additional cards to augment each deck. Play itself is also streamlined and simplified, as DotP 2012 consolidates certain beginning and end phases of turns in the regular game into two "main" phases with a combat phase in between. While hardcore Magic players might balk at the changes--the inability to create a custom deck from scratch, in particular, will certainly turn off a few veterans--they help make the game a lot easier to dive into for a general audience. Don't get cocky; it's gonna get rocky! There are numerous play modes available in DotP 2012. In Campaign mode you battle computer opponents, earning new decks and additional cards as you progress. In between matches are also optional, clever puzzle challenges that set up an established game situation--usually disadvantageous to you--that ask you to make smart use of the game rules and card abilities to turn it around. Going through the standard Campaign mode will also unlock Archenemy mode, which is new to the 2012 edition of the game. In this mode, you and two computer-controlled players take on a single, highly powered opponent who can bend certain rules and play powerful, environment-altering "scheme" cards each turn. There's also Revenge mode, where the opponents you beat come back with bigger, more powerful decks. Unlike many other games in the card battle genre, there's no overarching story or any sort of dialogue with characters going on during the campaign; you just beat one guy and move on to the next. It's a bit of a disappointment because it would have been nice to interact, even superficially, with the world of Magic: the Gathering's interesting characters and settings. If you don't feel like trudging through the campaign, there is a quick-play mode that will let you set up a game against up to four computer opponents in a standard winner-takes-all competition. The variant modes are more interesting, however; besides Archenemy, there's also Two-Headed Giant, a two-versus-two team competition where you and a computer-controlled buddy (or a local player) combine forces and share a life pool while taking on an opposing two-player team. Competitive play against other human opponents is the biggest draw, however, and it's done quite well. You can play either standard or ranked matches against friends or random players in any of the available game variants (though Archenemy, due to its nature, is unavailable for ranked play). Getting a group of friends together to play good-natured matches against each other or collaborate in one of the team play modes is tons of fun, but going up against random opponents is still something of a crapshoot. A common complaint in the last iteration was that players would disconnect if they started to lose a ranked match. "Cord pulling" out of a match in DotP 2012 is now counted as a loss toward a player who disconnects, but there are still other ways to grief an opponent, including stalling for as much time as possible. Online bugs also seemed to be present in rare cases, as we encountered a match where the game simply stalled forever as a player tried to activate a card ability, forcing us to concede. The tutorials aren't much to look at, but they're invaluable for Magic newcomers. While DotP 2012 can be a lot of fun, much of the enjoyment you potentially derive from the game comes from finding Magic: the Gathering interesting to play. The graphics are merely adequate (don't expect any cool animations of the monsters you summon, for example) and the sound effects are nondescript and inoffensive. The major advantage of the PC version over its console counterparts, however, is its easy-to-use, mouse-driven controls. With a simple move of the mouse and a click, you can play cards, pause the game to plan a counterattack, check the illustrations and text of cards, and get detailed information on game terminology. While these controls improve the interface substantially, they don't entirely make up for the rather plain presentation. As it stands, Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 provides a way to enjoy a simple game of Magic: the Gathering. Its limited customization options, serious control issues, and lack of extra flair keep it from being as interesting an experience as it could be, but you can still have a good time by getting a bunch of online or offline buddies together for games. And at $10, it's certainly more affordable than going to your local card shop and buying cases of cards. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's Reviews: Xbox 360 | Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 Review

GameSpot's Reviews All of the Reviews. Can you keep up?. Xbox 360 | Magic: the Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 Review 25 Jun 2011, 1:48 am It's hard to believe that Magic: The Gathering is almost 20 years old. The revolutionary collectible card game has had a massive influence on games, both tabletop and electronic alike, and it continues to drive at the forefront of an industry it established. For all of its popularity, however, it's not an easy experience to translate into video game form. While Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 doesn't offer all of the varied nuances and experiences that make the physical version of Magic so compelling, it does a serviceable job of translating the card game into a quick, easy-to-play format that casual players and veterans alike can enjoy--provided they can get past some of its caveats. Amount of things that will soon be going down: a lot. The rules of Magic: the Gathering involve players drawing magic power from varied sources, casting environment-altering spells, summoning creatures and fighters big and small, conjuring powerful magical artifacts, and using them to beat the crap out of each other. There's far more nuance than that, of course; there are several different "colors" of spells with varied strengths and weaknesses, as well as numerous types of monsters and items with distinct traits and abilities. Magic is a strategic and competitive game that requires a great deal of forethought and reaction. Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 simplifies things somewhat from the original card game by making the complex structure of Magic more palatable to newcomers and casual players. Rather than carefully choosing and constructing your deck of tricks card by card, you play one of several different preconstructed decks with distinct play styles, advantages, and drawbacks. As you play through the various single-player modes, you unlock new decks to use, as well as earn additional cards to augment each deck. Play itself is also streamlined and simplified, as DotP 2012 consolidates certain beginning and end phases of turns in the regular game into two "main" phases with a combat phase in between. While hardcore Magic players might balk at the changes--the inability to create a custom deck from scratch, in particular, will certainly turn off a few veterans--they help make the game a lot easier to dive into for a general audience. Don't get cocky; it's gonna get rocky! There are numerous play modes available in DotP 2012. In Campaign mode you battle computer opponents, earning new decks and additional cards as you progress. In between matches are also optional, clever puzzle challenges that set up an established game situation--usually disadvantageous to you--that ask you to make smart use of the game rules and card abilities to turn it around. Going through the standard Campaign mode will also unlock Archenemy mode, which is new to the 2012 edition of the game. In this mode, you and two computer-controlled players take on a single, highly powered opponent who can bend certain rules and play powerful, environment-altering "scheme" cards each turn. There's also Revenge mode, where the opponents you beat come back with bigger, more powerful decks. Unlike many other games in the card battle genre, there's no overarching story or any sort of dialogue with characters going on during the campaign; you just beat one guy and move on to the next. It's a bit of a disappointment because it would have been nice to interact, even superficially, with the world of Magic: the Gathering's interesting characters and settings. If you don't feel like trudging through the campaign, there is a quick-play mode that will let you set up a game against up to four computer opponents in a standard winner-takes-all competition. The variant modes are more interesting, however; besides Archenemy, there's also Two-Headed Giant, a two-versus-two team competition where you and a computer-controlled buddy (or a local player) combine forces and share a life pool while taking on an opposing two-player team. Competitive play against other human opponents is the biggest draw, however, and it's done quite well. You can play either standard or ranked matches against friends or random players in any of the available game variants (though Archenemy, due to its nature, is unavailable for ranked play). Getting a group of friends together to play good-natured matches against each other or collaborate in one of the team play modes is tons of fun, but going up against random opponents is still something of a crapshoot. A common complaint in the last iteration was that players would disconnect if they started to lose a ranked match. "Cord pulling" out of a match in DotP 2012 is now counted as a loss toward a player who disconnects, but there are still other ways to grief an opponent, including stalling for as much time as possible. Online bugs also seemed to be present in rare cases, as we encountered a match where the game simply stalled forever as a player tried to activate a card ability, forcing us to concede. The tutorials aren't much to look at, but they're invaluable for Magic newcomers. While DotP 2012 can be a lot of fun, much of the enjoyment you potentially derive from the game comes from finding Magic: the Gathering interesting to play. The graphics are merely adequate (don't expect any cool animations of the monsters you summon, for example) and the sound effects are nondescript and inoffensive. You also have to fight with the controls every step of the way as you attempt to enjoy the game. DotP's control scheme feels awkward and unnatural with a controller because highlighting certain cards to zoom in and read their effect information requires choosing it like a menu selection with the analog stick--except you actually need to use the right analog stick to choose certain cards for some reason. If your opponent is casting spells, it can be extremely difficult to highlight and read the effects of the spell in the limited time before it takes effect, which leads to cases where it comes into play before you can react. Pressing buttons a split second too early or too late can lead to missed plays and annoying dialogue pop-ups. As it stands, Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 provides a way to enjoy a simple game of Magic: the Gathering. Its limited customization options, serious control issues, and lack of extra flair keep it from being as interesting an experience as it could be, but you can still have a good time by getting a bunch of online or offline buddies together for games. And at $10, it's certainly more affordable than going to your local card shop and buying cases of cards. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

DreamStation.cc: Atlantica Online Adds New Mercenary, Morrighan the Valkyrie

DreamStation.cc PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC news, reviews, interviews, podcast, and discussion forums. Atlantica Online Adds New Mercenary, Morrighan the Valkyrie 25 Jun 2011, 5:41 am New mercenary coming to Atlantica Online in June 29 update. Atlantica Online, the real-time strategy MMO from Nexon, is bringing players the highly anticipated new mercenary, the Valkyrie, coming in a content update for the month of June. The deadly and versatile Morrighan is a female Valkyrie defended by the heavens. She wields a godly sword and shield that deals devastating damage to foes while sealing her enemies' physical attacks. The Valkyrie also uses heavenly power granted to her by the gods to imbue her sword with holy energy, increasing allies' attack speeds, which provides players with a keen competitive edge in battle. Brand new interface changes will also be featured in this month's update, including an item history system which will allow players to see everything about their gear, from when it was created to everyone who owned it. Great new game enhancing features have been added to shake up core game play. Colosseum League has been completely revamped, giving exceptionally skilled lower level players a chance to attain glory against Atlantica veterans. Even players who want to take a quick break can now gain experience just by sitting down. To celebrate the summer, Atlantica Online will be hosting a massive in-game festival. This includes a Fourth of July celebration featuring mercenary and weapon giveaways, new event dungeons, fireworks and some limited edition patriotic items. Tons of exciting surprises, gifts and even in-game feasts await old and new players this summer. To learn more about Atlantica Online and to download and play for free, visit http://atlantica.nexon.net/. Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

DreamStation.cc: Uncharted Waters Online Epic Sea Feud Announced

DreamStation.cc PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC news, reviews, interviews, podcast, and discussion forums. Uncharted Waters Online Epic Sea Feud Announced 25 Jun 2011, 5:38 am Global Player Kill battle kicks off huge weekend event. SEOUL, South Korea - June 23, 2011 To welcome new players and reward veterans, CJ E&M today launched a new tournament for their seafaring MMO Uncharted Waters Online™. Dubbed the Epic Sea Feud, this event is a massive battle that will introduce players to the PK (Player Kill) system. The Feud pits six nations against each other for three straight days of conquest and cannon-fire. Best of all, this promotion stacks with the recently-unveiled 200% bonus EXP event. With big prizes on the line and rewards for every player, now is a great time to dive into the Waters. The Epic Sea Feud stars the 6 strongest nations as they sail headlong into battle. Spain, England, Venice, Netherlands, Portugal and France will all square off for a ferocious fight. Battles will rage for 3 days straight, with 3 hours of daily battle time allotted to time zones around the world. Winning nations will earn fame while gaining strategic control of allied ports and their nearby oceans. As an added incentive, key players who lead their team to victory will be rewarded with Court Rank. All participants, regardless of outcome, will complete the Epic Sea Feud Quest and receive both Ducat currency and Battle Fame. Epic Sea Feud details: Location: Allied Port: Tunis Port Offensive: France with England and Portugal as her ally Defensive: Venice with Netherlands and Spain as her ally Time: 1st Round: June 23th 7:00pm – 10:00pm [PST] 2nd Round: June 24th 7:00pm – 10:00pm [PST] 3rd Round: June 25th 7:00pm – 10:00pm [PST] Epic Sea Feud rewards: All weekend long, log on for the following bonuses and buffs. • Double Experience: level up twice as fast! • Sailing consumes 50% less water and food • +1 to all battle skills • 100% success rate for Body Language skill Uncharted Waters Online is known for its historical content and methodical, strategic gameplay. The new PK battle system speeds things up with aggressive attacks and hostile takeovers. Without disrupting the game's balance, the new Sea Feud lets players discover a brand new way to enjoy Uncharted Waters Online. The first Epic Sea Feud event saw strong player participation, but due to the restricted time schedule, players from some regions had difficulty meeting the schedule. Upon request of North American players, Netmarble adjusted the schedule to serve them better. For more on the Epic Sea Feud, visit the promotion page: http://global.netmarble.com/uwo/guide/gettingStarted.asp?mCode=6&sCode=4 For detailed information about the game and update, visit the homepage:http://global.netmarble.com/uwo/ Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's News: Star Wars: Galaxies signing off Dec. 15

GameSpot's News All of the News. Can you keep up?. Star Wars: Galaxies signing off Dec. 15 24 Jun 2011, 11:09 pm When LucasArts formally announced Star Wars: The Old Republic in October 2008, it said its already-extant massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Star Wars: Galaxies, would continue. However, with the former game confirmed for launch later this year, the elder MMORPG's number is finally up. As of December 15, Wookiee speeder-bike accidents are expected to drop off rapidly. According to a statement on the official website for Star Wars: Galaxies, the game's last day of operation will be December 15, 2011. The shutdown will include both the main game and its ancillary card-trading titles, according to Galaxies' operator, Sony Online Entertainment. "The shutdown of SWG is a very difficult decision, but SOE and LucasArts have mutually agreed that the end of 2011 is the appropriate time to end the game," the companies said in a statement. "We are extremely grateful to all of the SWG fans. We have had the rare opportunity to host one of the most dedicated and passionate online gaming communities, and we truly appreciate the support we've received from each and every one of you over the course of the past eight years." Star Wars: Galaxies launched in July 2003 to warm reviews. However, the game came under criticism from players in 2005 following some unpopular "New Game Enhancements," forcing SOE to backtrack from the changes. In September 2009, the game reflected a drop in its subscriber base by reducing its number of servers by nearly half. For more on Star Wars: Galaxies, read GameSpot's review of the game. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's News: Shenmue, Virtua Fighter creator leaving post at Sega

GameSpot's News All of the News. Can you keep up?. Shenmue, Virtua Fighter creator leaving post at Sega 24 Jun 2011, 8:12 pm Legendary designer Yu Suzuki is continuing to loosen his ties to his employer of nearly three decades. According to a Gamasutra report, the creator of seminal series like Virtua Fighter and Shenmue plans to leave his current post at Sega. Yu Suzuki, future Sega advisor. "In 2008, I established YS NET, my current company," Suzuki told Gamasutra. "I'll be leaving my current job at Sega this September, and after that point, I'll remain on as an advisor." This won't be the first time Suzuki's role with Sega has diminished. In 2009, Suzuki "retired" from his position as a creative officer for R&D for the publisher, instead managing just the R&D efforts for the AM Plus division. Sega won't be the only company receiving Suzuki's advice. Earlier this month, Tokyo-based studio Premium Agency announced that it had secured Suzuki's services as advisor and executive producer of game development. The company is currently working on smartphone games and a Kinect-enabled fighter. After joining Sega in 1983, Suzuki quickly established himself with a succession of arcade classics, including Space Harrier, After Burner, and OutRun. However, the developer grew more experimental in later years, devoting time to projects such as the Ferrari F355 Challenge arcade game. The monstrous machine was eye catching, with three screens to provide players with better peripheral vision, but its laserlike focus on simulating driving a single model of car in painstaking detail limited its mass appeal. Then there was the ambitious Shenmue series. Although it attracted a hardcore fan base, the first two Shenmue installments were not commercially successful, and a planned third game in the series never materialized. Although it has been more than eight years since the North American release of Shenmue II, Suzuki has said he still wants to make a third game in the franchise. Watch this video in High Def You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's News: Marathon coming to iPad for free

GameSpot's News All of the News. Can you keep up?. Marathon coming to iPad for free 24 Jun 2011, 7:30 pm Gamers who owned a Mac in the mid-1990s likely have fond memories of Marathon, a sci-fi shooter many consider the spiritual ancestor to Halo. Today, both games' developer, Bungie, confirmed that Marathon is coming back to a new Apple platform--the iPad. Marathon will soon be available for the iPad for free, thanks to a big fan. Via Bungie.net, the company revealed that Marathon for the iPad will soon be available and was ported over by a rabid fan of the series. In an in-depth Q&A, Bungie interviews software developer Daniel Blezek, who has spent his spare time porting over the game since the iPad was released in April 2010. Originally set for release last fall, the game will be available shortly on the App Store--and it will be completely free. According to Blezek, the iPad version of Marathon will run at 30 fps and will feature a set of onscreen controls adapted from the original keyboard commands. It will have a virtual left joystick for motion, with an "action" button underneath it. The right thumb will have primary and secondary fire controls above a button, which switches weapons. Though the original Marathon had no aiming reticle, the iPad version will have it as an option. First released in 1994 for the Mac, Marathon is set during the year 2794 on board the huge starship Marathon, which is en route to colonize far-off worlds. Players assume the role of a security officer on board the ship who must repel an invasion by races of hostile aliens known as the S'pht and the Pfhor. The defense is complicated when Durandal, one of the artificial intelligences on board the ship, becomes "rampant," prompting him to take increasingly unstable--and homicidal--actions. Marathon's arrival on the iPad will mark the second time a game in the classic series has been brought to a current-generation platform. In 2007, Marathon: Durandal, an updated version of Marathon 2: Durandal, was ported to the Xbox 360 by independent developer Freeverse. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's News: Solatorobo hunting DS this fall

GameSpot's News All of the News. Can you keep up?. Solatorobo hunting DS this fall 24 Jun 2011, 11:45 pm In 1999, CyberConnect2's Tail Concerto launched in North America, giving gamers a 3D platformer in a world populated by mech-riding anthropomorphic cats and dogs caught in racial strife. More than a dozen years later, the developer is returning to the premise to create a spiritual successor to its PlayStation original, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter for the DS. XSEED Games today announced that it has reached an agreement with Japanese publisher Namco Bandai to bring Solatorobo to North American stores this fall. Don't ask how they determine ownership of the robots. Similar to its predecessor, Solatorobo is set on a chain of islands floating in the sky and inhabited by anthropomorphic cats and dogs that use mech suits in their day-to-day lives. Unlike Tail Concerto, Solatorobo is being billed as an action role-playing game. Players will assume the role of the adventurous Red Savarin and his mech Dahak as they embark on a journey that begins with a stolen file aboard an airship. In addition to mech-assisted combat, players will partake of minigames for a variety of activities like fishing and flying. CyberConnect2 makes more than games about mech-riding anthropomorphic critters. The developer is also working on the over-the-top action game Asura's Wrath for Capcom and has spent the last decade producing numerous entries in the Naruto and .hack series. Solatorobo debuted in Japan last October and is set for release in Europe this July. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's Previews: PC | Guild Wars 2 Hands-On Preview - Engineers, Dungeons, and Underwater Combat

GameSpot's Previews All of the Previews. Can you keep up?. PC | Guild Wars 2 Hands-On Preview - Engineers, Dungeons, and Underwater Combat 24 Jun 2011, 5:00 pm Guild Wars 2 is shaping up to be a very different experience from its predecessor. While both online role-playing games, the original Guild Wars was heavily instanced and tailored for the individual, whereas its sequel will be one giant, persistent world driven by hundreds of dynamic events. We're going to break out of the cookie-cutter formula of other MMOGs, said ArenaNet studio head Mike O'Brien during our visit to the developer's scenic Seattle-based studio. While we were there, we got our hands on the recently announced engineer profession, played through the game's first dungeon, and made waves while exploring under the sea. We've got a lot to report, so let's dive in. We get a guided tour of the underwater mechanics in Guild Wars 2. Watch this video in High Def A good engineer has the right tools for any job. And as we discussed in our previous coverage, Guild Wars 2's engineer does as well. Where other professions rely on swords and sorcery to get the job done, the engineer has a different set of equipment for every occasion. Most of the time, this means using a long-range rifle or shorter-range pistols to gun down foes. But when that doesn't cut it, extra firepower comes in the form of kits--unique items that temporally replace our character's existing skills with kit-specific ones. These included sets of grenades, landmines, and a flamethrower. While playing with explosives sounds great in theory, it's even better in practice. We experienced this firsthand in the Ascalonian Catacombs dungeon. This dungeon will be the first that players encounter in the game and includes many throwbacks to the original Guild Wars. You remember King Adelbern? It turns out the past 200 years haven't been so kind, reducing the good king and his subjects to an army of angry ghosts--the most powerful of which were former skill trainers. Its layout was a (mostly) linear pathway through numerous packs of ghosts, a trio of boss encounters, and the final battle against King Adelbern. We brought our rifle to bear against the king's spectral servants. This weapon packed plenty of punch and discharged with a satisfying crack. Its first two skills, hip shot and net shot, damaged and stunned our targets, respectively. The last three skills--blunderbuss, overcharged shot, and jump shot--could be combined to make a stylish combo attack. Using the jump shot, we propelled ourselves toward an enemy before hitting the foe with the blunderbuss skill, which does additional damage at close range. Then, we triggered the overcharged shot, which dealt high damage and blew our character back out of melee range. Engineer is credit to team. After dealing with the ghosts and disabling a few traps, we ascended a stone-cut staircase into a small arena. All was calm for a moment before (you guessed it) another pack of ghosts ambushed our group. Against such overwhelming numbers, we activated our grenade kit to help even the odds. This replaced all our rifle skills with different types of grenades, including flash, freeze, poison, and shrapnel. When we selected which grenade we wanted to throw, a green circle would appear on the ground to indicate the location of our weapon's area of effect. However, we took little time to aim and instead lit up the battlefield with a variety of colored explosions. And don't worry, everything worked out in the end. Once all the enemies were silenced, King Adelbern materialized. After a brief cinematic sequence, he challenged us to best three of his strongest (undead) warriors. Our first enemy, a ranger, fought at range with a bow and arrow, as well as in melee as a wolf. Neither worked particularly well for him, and he fell without much trouble. The second pitted our group against two lovers who grew stronger when they were together. With a bit of luck and a lot of landmines, we managed to keep them apart throughout most of the fight. Unlike the versatile grenades, the landmines come in only one variety: explosive. Each of our five skill slots represented a different mine, which we could detonate all at once or individually. The third and (semi)final boss fought with an army of undead minions. For this fight, we went back to our old standby--the grenades--though the deadly flamethrower kit would have been a better choice. In addition to looking cool, this flamethrower can deal damage to multiple targets with the fire blast skill (which created a rolling ball of fire) or the napalm skill (which burned and blinded targets). Once this foe was blasted into ectoplasm, we returned to the arena to face King Adelbern. The king decided to forgo any fancy tactics in favor of a straight fight against our group's strongest. To help back him up, we activated our med kit, which let us drop medical kits all over the battlefield for our allies to pick up. Ultimately, not even the king could stand against our teamwork. Our demo wasn't just dark dungeons and angry spirits. We also got our feet wet while playing with the game's underwater mechanics. Though exploring underwater can be a nightmare in some games, ArenaNet is committed to making these areas as painless as possible in Guild Wars 2. There was no oxygen meter to fuss over, and our mobility wasn't hampered just because we left the surface. In addition, our character gained a whole new set of skills while underwater. He could fire torpedoes as a standard attack, as well as deploy mines, timed charges, a giant net, and a grappling hook to drag enemies closer. Engineers don't have to worry about petty things such as ammunition. The more we see of Guild Wars 2, the more excited we are to get our hands on the final game. As we were finishing up, ArenaNet dungeon lead Kevin Millard explained the differences between a dungeon's story mode and its explorable mode. In brief, story mode is what we played today, whereas the explorable mode opens up new areas and challenges within an existing dungeon after you complete its story mode. Playing the new engineer profession was an interesting experience. With all the different kits and abilities at its disposal, this profession certainly felt like one of the most complex--and interesting--to use. We'll be sure to bring you more details on the game leading up to its release later this year. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's Previews: PlayStation 3 | Uncharted 3 Post-E3 Q&A

GameSpot's Previews All of the Previews. Can you keep up?. PlayStation 3 | Uncharted 3 Post-E3 Q&A 24 Jun 2011, 7:20 pm Naughty Dog turned the Electronic Entertainment Expo on its ear back in 2009 with a show-stealing demo of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. We all remember how that particular story went: boy meets helicopter, helicopter tries to kill boy, boy escapes collapsing building. This year, Naughty Dog brought along another exciting demo for the upcoming sequel Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, but it was impressive for altogether different reasons. We had a chat with game director Justin Richmond to explore some of the details of Uncharted 3's E3 showing that might have been overlooked by the hustle and bustle of the big event. If you haven't seen the Uncharted 3 E3 demo, go on and hit the play button! Watch this video in High Def GameSpot: Now that the dust has settled from E3, let's talk about the demo that you guys brought to the show. The Uncharted 2 demo from a couple years ago was one for the ages, with that incredible helicopter chase through a collapsing building. What made you guys decide to showcase what was, for the most part, a more subdued, stealth-oriented demo for Uncharted 3? Justin Richmond: We really wanted to show off something that was different from Uncharted 2, but that was also impressive and interesting in its own right. That opening shot of Drake standing on the cruise ship as the rain pours down and waves pitch around him was something that resonated strongly within the studio. As a result, we decided to use that as the starting point to the demo would we ultimately show at E3. I think the level shows off some really amazing stuff, including new features (underwater swimming, for example) and technology (all that flooding water and the rolling ocean). While the demo is more of a slow burn than the collapsing building, it shows off some amazing stuff we simply could not have done in last game. GS: In terms of the public response you got out of this demo, were there any surprise reactions that you guys weren't expecting going into E3? JR: Anytime we do a public demo or release assets or information on what we're working on, we always want to keep our fans happy and have them chomping at the bit for more. If we accomplish those goals, we have done our job. During E3, I was really excited to see how well the cruise ship demo was received. To be honest, it's always a pleasant surprise to have people react so positively to something you have spent so much time on, especially as we are so heads down when in the middle of development, so we don't get an opportunity to see this kind of reaction until we've shown it to everyone in a very public way! GS: Were there any aspects of the E3 demo you think might have been overlooked amidst the general hullaballoo of the show? JR: With much of the focus at the show being on the single-player, I think many people may not know about the hands-on multiplayer demo we were showing on the floor to anybody and everybody who attended E3. All three days, the line to play was insane, with people giving us all kinds of positive feedback about how much they enjoyed the game. We are really excited for the rest of the world to get its hands on Uncharted 3 with the upcoming multiplayer beta, which starts on June 28 and runs through mid-July. We are really proud of all the improvements and additions we have made to our multiplayer game, expanding on the success of our Uncharted 2 multiplayer experience. We have added tons of new systems, customizability, and gameplay features that provide a multiplayer experience that is unlike any other title out there. Don't miss this beta; it is going to be awesome. GS: One of the big themes from the demo was the devastating power of water. We saw it in the crashing waves, the constantly moving floor of the boat, and eventually that huge flood at the end. Can you talk a bit about the process behind deciding that water would play a bigger role in this game and the technical challenges of implementing that vision into the game? JR: The decision came about organically. After Uncharted 2, Jacob Minkoff (lead designer) wanted to try creating a dynamic environment that was moving while you were on it. He came up with the idea of the cruise ship. Out of that, came the necessity of water. Water is obviously immensely tricky to render realistically in video games. We spent a ton of time developing systems to make sure that the level both looked and played how we wanted it to. The boat is actually being driven by the ocean, so it will never play the same way twice. Drake reacts in real time to the sway and pitch of the boat, as well as having to deal with enemies. Then, in the hold, the level actually rotates 90 degrees in real time, the water sloshing as it does so. All of these systems alone are tricky; making them interact with each other in a realistic way was even more difficult. GS: While Uncharted is very much about those big scripted, cinematic events, there's generally quite a bit of freedom with how players can approach enemy encounters. Is there any other way the E3 demo might have unfolded depending on the player's combat strategy? JR: Obviously, some of that demo was scripted, but the vast majority of it was player controlled. Depending on how the player chooses to play, the fight in the hold can progress completely differently. The boat will eventually flood to the point where it flips, but the player is in full control the entire time. Also, certain events were not shown in the demo that exist in the full game, so there is actually even more gameplay in the sequence than the demo let on. Players are going to get a real treat when the full game comes out. Don't worry, that water won't mess up Drake's hair. GS: You guys also showed a behind-closed-doors demo set with Drake and Elena trying to break into a cargo plane. There definitely seemed to be more of an unspoken bond between those two. Can you talk about where Drake and Elena are as companions--or maybe just as people--and the effect that will have on the story? JR: With every game, we try to expand upon our characters and their relationships. I don't want to give away anything, but you will definitely see even more of Drake and Elena and how they have grown as characters over the course of the Uncharted series. Obviously, this is a sequel, and it is not like the clock has been reset. Drake and Elena have been through a lot, and Uncharted 3 will put them through even more. Players should come away from this game with an even deeper understanding of these characters and how they relate to each other. All I can say is wait and see. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

DreamStation.cc: Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, Highly Acclaimed Action RPG, Coming to North America

DreamStation.cc PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC news, reviews, interviews, podcast, and discussion forums. Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, Highly Acclaimed Action RPG, Coming to North America 24 Jun 2011, 8:21 pm Critically Acclaimed Action RPG from CyberConnect2 and Namco Bandai Games Headed Stateside on Nintendo DS. Torrance, Calif., (June 24, 2011) - XSEED Games, an independent-minded publisher, today announced a partnership with Namco Bandai Games that will bring the highly-acclaimed Action RPG title Solatorobo: Red the Hunter to North America on the Nintendo DSTM handheld system. Developed by celebrated Japanese game studio CyberConnect2, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter (also known as Solatorobo: And Then to CODA) is viewed by many as the spiritual successor to the classic RPG adventure, Tail Concerto, which drew praise in the late 1990s for its anime-style artistic elements and distinctive anthropomorphic animal characters, traits which are shared by Solatorobo. Under the exclusive agreement, XSEED Games will have sole publishing rights to Solatorobo: Red the Hunter in North America when it releases this fall on Nintendo DS. "We are extremely excited to bring Solatorobo: Red the Hunter to all the fans who have been clamoring for this amazing game since its initial release in Japan," said Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games. "Solatorobo delivers a fresh new style of game for the popular handheld which consists of an extremely unique and detailed world, resulting in an experience that is both rich in story and of a high visual fidelity rarely seen on the Nintendo DS platform." Released in Japan last October, Solatorobo (literally translated "sky and robot") takes place in the Shepherd Republic, a series of floating islands that are populated by two distinct races of anthropomorphic dog- and cat-people. While very human-like in their nature, both of these races have evolved to use specially-built robot mechs (or Robos) in their everyday lives. In the game, players follow the story of the dog-like Red Savarin, a young adventurer and hunter who has set off with his Robo companion Dahak on a quest to retrieve a stolen file of the utmost importance, only to be thrown into an altogether deeper adventure along the way. As the story of Solatorobo: Red the Hunter develops further, Red and Dahak will travel throughout the Shepherd Republic, meeting new characters along the way and uncovering the truth behind a mystical artifact he has discovered. Currently in production, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter will be released this fall in North America by XSEED Games for Nintendo DS. XSEED Games will release more product information in the coming months. Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's News: 'Games at Google' now hiring

GameSpot's News All of the News. Can you keep up?. 'Games at Google' now hiring 24 Jun 2011, 6:16 pm Search-engine giant hiring product manager for "brand-new business" involving gaming; forging partnerships with developers, courting early adopters part of the gig. Google has been toying with a games presence for quite some time. Its Web browser, Google Chrome, got its own game store in May 2010, with the company investing $100-200 million into Farmville dev Zynga two months later. Just weeks later, rumors surfaced that the company was trying to bring social games to its own, as-yet-undefined, gaming service. It appears Google will soon be getting into games. Now, a job listing has surfaced, which indicates that Google is definitely planning to get into the games business. The posting, which is for a games product manager at the company's expansive Mountain View, CA headquarters, touts a "rare opportunity to grow a brand-new business--Games at Google!" According to the description, the position will be a strategic one, with duties spanning both "designing a great user experience and building out key partnerships." This will include developing relationships with external developers, as well as working "directly" with early adopters of Google games, whatever form they might take. The listing also references a "team of gamers" that will help the company craft its gaming strategy. The extent of Google's gaming strategy is unclear, as the company has not formally announced how it plans to tackle the entertainment platform. As of press time, Google had not responded to requests for comment about its gaming plans. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's News: Sony laid off security staff prior to PSN data breach, claims lawsuit

GameSpot's News All of the News. Can you keep up?. Sony laid off security staff prior to PSN data breach, claims lawsuit 24 Jun 2011, 6:20 pm The PlayStation Network may be up and running again after April's massive security breach and the subsequent month-long outage, but the incident is leaving some longer-term reminders for Sony. For instance, the company is now dealing with a handful of lawsuits over the breach, including one filed this week alleging that Sony laid off network security staff just weeks before the breach, and ignored previous smaller-scale hackings that demonstrated security holes. The PSN is back up, but the story's not over yet. The complaint accuses Sony of negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and violating the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act by not properly securing customer information. To help make its case, the suit cites a half dozen former Sony Computer Entertainment America and Sony Online Entertainment employees as confidential witnesses, many of whom were employed with their respective companies until March of this year. The confidential witnesses attest that Sony kept vastly different security standards for its own information and that of its customers, using out-of-date software, substandard encryption processes, and no firewalls when it came to customers' data. Additionally, the suit points out that Sony was warned in early April by hacking group Anonymous that it had become a target for cyber attacks, and notes that in late March "a substantial percentage" of Sony Online Entertainment's Network Operations Center, the group responsible for preparing for and responding to security breaches, had been dismissed in a round of layoffs. (SOE customer information was also compromised around the time of the PSN hack.) As for previous hacks, the suit notes widespread hacking of Modern Warfare 2 made the game "unplayable online" in January, and refers to unspecified reports in May 2009 that unauthorized copies of customers' credit cards were e-mailed to an outside account. The suit is being brought by a trio of Sony customers, two of whom were PSN members at the time of the massive security breach. The third plaintiff was a member of Sony Pictures' website and had his personal information made public when the site was hacked earlier this month by LulzSec. They are attempting to get class action status for the suit, so that it may cover all US users of PSN and Sony Pictures' site at the time they were hacked. The group is seeking monetary damages with interest, attorneys' fees, and appropriate credit monitoring services for all members of the class. Sony has already launched a program to provide affected PSN users with 12 months of complimentary credit monitoring. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.

GameSpot's News: Big in Japan June 13-19: Zelda 3D

GameSpot's News All of the News. Can you keep up?. Big in Japan June 13-19: Zelda 3D 24 Jun 2011, 7:15 am Even with a new entry in Sega's popular Yakuza series, the top two spots of Media Create's Japanese sales chart for the week of June 13-19 were occupied by offerings from Level 5 and Nintendo. Taking first place was Danball Senki for the PSP with 166,187 units sold. The action role-playing game is about a boy named Ban Yamano who controls a customizable LBX robot and has to battle other kids with LBX robots. As a bonus for customers, the game comes with an AX-00 model that gamers can assemble from scratch. Remote-controlled robot action is the flavor of the week on the Media Create chart. Settling at second place is the remake of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which sold 164,110 on its debut in the sales charts. A 3D version of the Nintendo 64 original, the game includes extras like modified Master Quest dungeons and a Boss Challenge mode. Also making its debut is the adventure game/visual novel Steins; Gate Hiyoku Renri no Darling for the Xbox 360. The title allows gamers to affect the direction of the game via the choices onscreen, as well as use phone triggers to make choices through answering random phone calls and clicking on highlighted text from phone text messages. Unlike the past Steins; Gate title with dark overtones, the game's story is lighthearted and contains romantic elements. While the PSP has seen a boost in hardware sales to 31,741 units from the previous week's 26,681 systems sold, it wasn't enough to top the 3DS. Driven in part by the release of Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendo's new handheld topped 40,000 units sold for the week. JAPAN GAME SALES WEEK OF JUNE 13-19 Software Rank/Title/Publisher/Platform/Unit Sales 1. Danball Senki / Level 5 / PSP / 166,187 2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D / Nintendo / 3DS / 164,110 3. Yakuza: Of the End / Sega / PS3 / 53,775 4. Steins; Gate Hiyoku Renri no Darling / 5pb / Xbox 360 / 31,666 5. Steins; Gate Double Pack / 5pb / Xbox 360 / 11,041 6. Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D / Capcom / 3DS / 9,062 7. Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 Professional / Square Enix / DS / 7,997 8. Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS / Nintendo / DS / 6,609 9. Wii Party / Nintendo / Wii / 6,556 10. One Piece Unlimited Cruise Special / Namco Bandai / 3DS / 6,549 Hardware 3DS – 40,649 PSP – 31,741 PS3 – 16,081 Wii – 6,678 DSi XL – 5,464 DSi – 5,322 Xbox 360 – 2,875 PS2 – 1,346 DS Lite – 109 PSP Go – 55 Watch this video in High Def You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.