Posted 07/27/09 at 09:31:47 PM by Nathan Grayson

How would you like a chance to suit up and stamp out some crime before everyone with a decent rig and an eye for spandex starts doing it? If so, circle August 17 on your calendar, because that’s when Champions Online begins its open beta.

In addition, if you preorder the game from any number of outlets, you gain "guaranteed access" to the beta (we thought “guaranteed access” was implied in the term “open beta”), along with some other super-powered goodies that vary from store-to-store.  

The full game is set to confuse poor crowds of bystanders that just wanted to go bird and plane-watching on September 1 – barring any horrible bugs in the open beta, of course. Seeing as how GameStop’s preorder offer is early entry into the final version of Champions, though, we don’t think Cryptic’s too worried.

The full – and slightly lengthy – list of preorder bonuses is after the break.

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Posted 06/10/09 at 03:36:01 AM by Nathan Grayson

First there was BioWare. Then Obsidian. And now, as the next stop in what’s beginning to look like a tour of the whole Western RPG development scene, the Neverwinter Nights license may be landing at City of Heroes/Villains creator Cryptic Studios.
 
The rumor comes from Variety’s typically reliable Cut Scene blog, which cites a number of unnamed “sources.” Those same sources believe the game will drop off Cryptic’s increasingly productive MMO assembly line – which also includes Champions Online and Star Trek Online – in 2011. Apparently, the NWN MMO was the deciding factor in Atari’s decision to acquire Cryptic last year. Clearly, whatever form this game takes, it’s gonna be big.

Other than those unconfirmed whispers, not much else is known about the game.  So, if NWN Online is real – and not just some cruel joke cooked up by whoever it is that constantly produces bogus videogame industry rumors – would you be interested in playing it?

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Posted 07/28/08 at 07:37:34 PM by Nathan Grayson

Why are you a PC gamer? Why did you choose to support a less convenient, less unified machine even in the face of Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo's pickup-and-play offerings? Do you like the customizability the PC affords? The constantly evolving technology -- to gaze down from a heap of cast-aside PC parts and proclaim the superiority of your uber-machine? Or is the community? Do you relish being a member of a tightly-knit underdog pack, a group that's not afraid to bellow "We'll prove you wrong" to the gaming community at large?

How would you react if everyone suddenly acknowledged PC gaming's strength? If people turned around and realized that PC gaming isn't dying, would you still be so gung-ho about it?

Well, today, we have -- among other things -- one more outlet prostrating itself before the PC. How long before the unwashed masses follow suit?

Additionally, we have a treat for Trekkies, EA's Riccitiello admitting to another one of his company's screw-ups, and the longest hypothetical game title evar. Please insert disc titled "Read more" to continue.

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