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Next Dragon Age DLC Pack Coming “This Holiday Season”

Nathan Grayson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:15:27 -0600

In our experience, DLC usually serves as the thin mint after a fulfilling game experience. Problem: At our current rate of progress, we’re on track to finish Dragon Age by next holiday season. But, for those of you who haven’t been diagnosed with chronic slowpoke syndrome, BioWare’s putting a fresh helping of content on your already stacked holiday gaming plate.

The new mini-arc “summons players to a new quest in which they will return to the fateful battleground in Ostagar where the Grey Wardens were nearly wiped out. Players will discover King Cailan’s top-secret political agenda and go behind enemy lines to revisit a place that many feared had been lost to history.”

It’s going for 400 BioWare Points, or $5.00. For now, BioWare’s keeping mum on release specifics, only saying to expect the DLC “this holiday season.”

Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re actually off to go fight the Blight at Ostagar right now. Oh man, that King Cailan is so dreamy. We sure hope nothing bad happens to him!

Stardock: Only 23% of Demigod Players Even Tried to Play Online

Nathan Grayson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:35:58 -0600

Single-player RTS campaigns are great and all, but matching wits with the CPU’s cold robo-logic is only enjoyable for so long. After the story’s curtains close, we dive straight into multiplayer and never look back. But – if Demigod’s numbers are any indication – we may be in the minority. See, according to Stardock, a pithy 23% of players even tried to march their troops across the information super highway in Demigod. In other words, many never even succeeded in playing a single online match.

“Demigod continues to sell thousands of copies weekly – enough to remain at retail during the Christmas season despite it coming out last Spring – but the number of people available to play online is typically less than 2,000 at a given time. This is in stark contrast to MMORPGs and FPS’s which tend to have very large online communities,” read Stardock’s report.

This, of course, is made all the more startling by the fact that Demigod doesn’t even have a single-player storyline. Future Stardock RTSes, however, won’t make the same mistake.

“Our conclusion is that strategy games that we make and publish in the future will support multiplayer but will not sacrifice the single player experience to do so,” Stardock noted.

Granted, Demigod was notorious for hobbling out the gate with crippling online issues, so that may have sent a few players back into the CPU’s cold embrace. Still though, the game’s been out since spring, so we doubt those early missteps are completely to blame.

Maybe we’re just so awesome at Demigod that we scared everyone else away. But, uh, we can’t play a match right now. We, er… have turkey in the oven! Yup.

(Phew. Only time of year that excuse actually works!)

Rumor: Third Developer to Heed the Call of Duty

Nathan Grayson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:36:54 -0600

Of all the crimes Activision could be accused of, extreme restraint isn’t one of them. If a property in its stable of games fattens its way into bonafide cash cow territory, you can bet that Activision will milk it bone-dry. But if you’ve ever tried chugging an entire gallon of milk, you know that people’s tolerance for the stuff is a bit lacking. Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero are already facing diminishing returns from consumer fatigue, and at this rate, it won’t be long before Call of Duty wears out its welcome – especially if yet another developer hops aboard Activision’s favorite money train.

The LA Times, however, is reporting just that. “Although Infinity Ward and Treyarch have produced sequels in alternating years since 2005, the publisher now has a third development studio working on future versions,” read the publication’s article on Modern Warfare 2’s launch.

As for this third mystery developer’s purpose, little is known. Speculation says that the series newcomer could be digging the development trenches on a Call of Duty MMO – something Activision boss Bobby Kotick has expressed interest in on multiple occasions. Or maybe Call of Duty: World at War’s ever-popular Nazi Zombies are finally getting their own game. We really have no idea.

Or – and this is crazy, but work with us here – maybe, after nearly a decade of working on the same series, Infinity Ward is ready to move on to greener pastures, and Activision’s called in a new team to pick up where the Call of Duty creator left off.

Naaaaah.

Hackers Create “Dedicated Servers” in Modern Warfare 2

Nathan Grayson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:46:08 -0600

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Modern Warfare 2’s adoring public has spoken and, well, Infinity Ward didn’t quite step up and deliver. Enter hackers. And so they said, “Let there be something like dedicated servers,” and it was… not so good. The long and short of it? Hackers like to cheat. Straight from the horse’s mouth:

“Thanks to AgentGOD and his great work bringing the developer console back into the PC version, a whole new wave of servers are possible with vast amounts of customisation. Things such as unlimited ammo, massive experience points (10000xp for a single kill), Field of View tweaks, speed and gravity adjustments and so much more,” reads a Youtube video description of the hackers in question.

“The best bit is, this is all ranked and on IWNet! I guess the game is no longer balanced to f*** the PC gamers over!”

As of now, Infinity Ward has yet to respond to our questions about potential plans for anti-cheat measures. We imagine the trigger-happy developer has something in store for the infinite rocket-firing, gravity-defying scum, though.

If not, well, imagine that a bunch of Unreal Tournament’s colorful combatants decided to travel back in time and take over our world. Because that’ll make getting obliterated by lightning-fast, nigh-invincible super soldiers a little less frustrating.

EA Shuts Down Developer of Mercenaries, The Saboteur

Nathan Grayson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:58:37 -0600

As part of a restructuring plan that involves – among other, less heartbreaking things -- laying-off 1,500 employees, EA recently placed nearly all of Mercenaries developer Pandemic on the chopping block.

Studio founders Josh Resnick, Andrew Goldman, and Greg Borrud are leading the mass exodus, with roughly 200 former staffers in tow. Pandemic’s still-twitching remains will be moved to EA’s Los Angeles studio, where games under the Pandemic brand name will continue to be developed.

If it’s any consolation, though, the development community is doing a great job of making sure Pandemic’s fine folks land on their feet. Among others, Gearbox is inviting former Pandemic employees off the cold streets and into the perpetually warm state of Texas.

As always, we wish the best of luck to everyone affected by this unfortunate turn of events.

Modern Warfare 2 Breaks Record for Biggest Launch in Entertainment History

Nathan Grayson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:37:58 -0600

Surprising absolutely no one on the entire planet -- since damn near all of humanity was counting down the milliseconds until the game was clasped between their grubby mitts – Modern Warfare 2 now officially holds the record for biggest launch in entertainment history. We’re not just talking games, either. Books, movies, and music – none of them stood a chance against Activision’s not-so-secret weapon.

Last year, Grand Theft Auto IV stole the show, moving 3.6 million units and raking in $310 million – all after a mere 24 hours. Modern Warfare 2 also lured $310 million from the safety of gamers’ wallets, but sold 4.7 million units. On top of that, Modern Warfare 2’s day-one sales came only from the US, Canada, and UK. GTA IV’s numbers, meanwhile, stem from a worldwide launch. Thus, all things considered, it’s a photo finish, with Modern Warfare 2 sporting slightly longer legs.

So, on a completely unrelated topic, what’s everyone playing this weekend?

Blizzard Presentation Says Diablo III’s Not Coming in 2010

Nathan Grayson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:20:47 -0600

The elevator up from hell sure is taking its time. We imagine that Mass Effect’s Shepard -- even with his eternal patience for cramped spaces, boring music, and upward mobility -- would be cursing up a storm by now if he were aboard that infernal machine. So just imagine how poor old Diablo must feel – especially now that the not-so-loveable lug may have a “few years” left before he finally surfaces.

A recent Blizzard presentation listed Diablo III as arriving in the “next few years,” along with StarCraft II’s expansions and Blizzard’s next massively multiplayer cash cow. In store for “next year,” meanwhile, are StarCraft II and WoW: Cataclysm. The bottom line? No loot-grabbing and Satan-stabbing until – at the earliest – 2011. Unless, of course, Diablo III goes into full-on beta mode next year, but we’re not getting our hopes up.

Honestly Diablo, at this point, we’re thinking you should’ve taken the stairs.

Why Have All These Games Suddenly Changed Their Names to “Edge”?

Nathan Grayson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:21:58 -0600

Ever made a joke about how you’re going to trademark some ludicrous idea and sue the pants off anyone who comes within two inches of it? Well, for Tim Langdell, it’s no joke. He currently holds trademark dominion over the use of the word “Edge” in relation to any videogame product. There’s just one problem, though: Langdell hasn’t created a game since the early nineties. Now, nearly twenty years later, he sits atop his trademark throne, sicking his lawyers on such household names as (but certainly not limited to) “Mirror’s Edge,” “Edge Magazine,” and – most recently – indie game “Killer Edge Racing.”

Slightly less recently, EA attempted to strip Langdell of his precious trademark once and for all. And now, other developers are following suit, with indie developers currently leading the charge. The result? A hilarious protest campaign, wherein countless indie games have, in some way, changed their titles to “Edge.”

For instance, Fez is now Fedge, Critter Crunch is now Critter Credge, and Canabalt is now Canabedge. Also, a (huge) number of new games have been announced by a multitude of indie devs, like Edgeform: On The Edge of Insanity, EeeeeEEeeeEEEeeEEEEeEEEEEdge! A Feckless Disregard For Poopieheads, and – our personal favorite -- Edgeward McEdgington.

Now if only all protests were this well thought-out…