It’s a very merry half birthday for fans of new MMORPG on the block Rift, with developers Trion Worlds announcing a weeklong celebration to mark the first 6 months of the game’s life. Starting on August 25, Guardians and Kelari alike will be rewarded with special in game bonuses including extra XP and a (hopefully gift wrapped) surprise birthday present:
• Special Surprise Birthday Gift – Following the event, all active subscribers will receive a special in-game birthday surprise to commemorate the occasion!
• Bonus Experience – Your blood-lust is rewarded with bonus experience in both PvE and PvP
• Guild Bonus Experience – Swiftly level-up your guild with bonus XP granted for completing guild quests
• Big PvP Payouts – All warfronts and open-world PvP will grant extra Favor and Prestige
• A Plethora of Planarite – Sealing Telara’s rifts and combating the invasions will reward you with extra planarite
• Bonus Plaques & Marks – Increased chance for bonus Plaques of Achievement and Marks of Ascension in all dungeons and raids
Not a subscriber? No need to worry, there are goodies for you too. Namely one weeks free play for new or returning players, with no restriction on zones or levelling up. After the week is over Telara’s newest residents will have the option to purchase the game client for a reduced $4.99 (USD) if they pick up a subscription plan at the end of the week.
“We really wanted to do something fun and memorable for this amazing milestone,” said Scott Hartsman, RIFT Executive Producer. “What better way to say thanks than to kick the doors open and add even more rewards for our subscribers?”
It’s a great chance to check out a game that has already had over a million activations since release, and if it’s free, why not?
Konami has announced a new online service called myPES, which will allow players to upload scores and results from PES 2012 to their Facebook pages.
myPES was designed and produced with argonauten G2 (you can visit their website here), and is a Facebook application that will operate with PS3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. Players can compare match stats, set up leagues or groups with friends on Facebook, and upload results from games played both online and offline. There are also rewards for using myPES, including in-game bonuses for specific goals being reached and also ones pertaining specifically to myPES.
The app will need to be installed via Facebook, and then connected to PES 2012 via the Personal Data settings. Unfortunately, there is no report so far that the app will come to handheld or PS2/Wii gamers.
PES 2012 is slated for release on September 27 (October 14 in Australia) for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Wii, PSP, and PS2 will be released on November 8.
Nothing brightens up the darkness like knowing that Death is out there, climbing walls and wielding very large weaponry to kill denizens of the other world. To help make it even better, THQ has released a slew of new Darksiders II screenshots and in them we see large weapons, some combat, a zombie king and even Death jumping on his zombieish horse named Despair.
You can catch all of the sceenshots below and Darksiders II itself when it is released in the middle of next year for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and even the Wii U as the thing should be out by that point in time. No sign of the dual-wielding scythes this time however.
Many people are eagerly awaiting any news they can come upon regarding Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. It has been many many years since the original three games released on the PlayStation 2 and although there was an HD version of the titles released last holiday season, fans have been waiting to see where Sly and the gang will go from there.
At E3 we learned about the development of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and today we have some more screenshots from the title thanks to Gamescom which you can catch below. The development team behind this one is Sanzaru Games instead of Sucker Punch, but the title still looks like it will be very similar to what we experienced in Sly Cooper 3. But we’ll know for sure when Thieves in Time is released to the PlayStation 3 sometime next year.
Trackmania 2 Canyon is the latest title from Ubisoft owned Nadeo games. It’s a massively popular racing series, with nearly 10 million registered players. Despite no new releases from the franchise since 2008, there were still 700,000 people who connected in December 2010 – a huge credit to the developers emphasis on allowing players to create their own tracks and upload them to the world.
The full game is released on September 14, and has an updated game engine, better graphics and improved support for the online community. Players who pre-purchase it can get access to the beta, instantly opening up online multiplayer, the track and car editors, and the worldwide ranking system.
Gameplay
Online multiplayer is the only mode available in the beta, but it’s a whole heap of distraction until the full title hits! There are a couple of modes available, so players can either race head to head or jump into a lap time challenge. The servers at the moment are mostly lap time, and that’s where I have spent almost all of my play hours.
The set up is simple, race through a series of tracks and set your best lap time on each. Every track gets an allocated time slot depending on its length (usually 3-5 minutes) where you are free to restart and race as you see fit.
The driving feels fantastic, and damn it’s quick! I spent a lot of my first hour just flinging the car around corners and testing out the in game physics – which are perfect. The cars have a good weight to them and the handling is spot on – realistic without sacrificing playability. For all the simplicity of the controls (accelerate, brake, honk General Lee style horn) there is still a lot depth to the gameplay, getting the hang of drifting will do wonders for your times but there’s no way it will guarantee you a win. Some of the players here have been with Trackmania since 2003, and they are insanely good. There is an in game chat which so far is spam and troll free if you want to take a breather from the action, although it usually gets most use at the end of a session when the results appear.
The leaderboards are updated in real time, allowing you to keep track of in game times as well as overall world records. It’s brilliantly integrated and provides a great motivator to shave off that extra few tenths of a second (or in my case, lets you know that being last in a competition full of guys setting close to world record times isn’t so bad). Even without the competition element it’s just rewarding in itself – the gameplay is so fun it really doesn’t matter if you’re losing.
What may disappoint some is that there are no collisions between cars, but I think it’s a very wise choice given the style of the gameplay. With so many on track simultaneously, challenge would quickly turn to frustration as a dozen cars try to hit the same apex, or land one of the many jumps. Sure it would be fun to have a massive pile up, but no one would ever get anywhere. It keeps the focus on your driving skills rather than smashing stuff up. Saying that, smashing your own car is possible, and it’s pretty cool to see your bonnet go flying off as you barrel through a jump.
There are plenty of awesome moments to be had with this game, like a simple drift made sublime when you manage to slide through the tiny archway slap in the middle of it, or the huge leaps, requiring absolute perfection in the run up cornering so you have the speed to make it to the other side. Picky levels can be frustrating but there are spectacular crashes to be had as you come screaming round a corner and clip a well placed pillar, sending you spinning off track and into the canyon below.
The user made content is definitely Trackmania’s biggest selling point, and a clever way to ensure the longevity of the game. Every track is made from the included level editor, and the creativity on display already is pretty amazing. There are all sorts of combinations out there, sporting tunnels, high speed jumps, anti gravity wall runs and even a bit of platforming for good measure. Whilst it can be difficult to figure out where the heck you’re supposed to go, for the most part the published tracks are challenging and fun. Fortunately there is a level rating system which combines with the in race chat to make sure any dud tracks don’t last long in the listings.
The in game track editor is included in the beta. The full game will have a simplified version for the track building newbies, which left me with the advanced one for the moment. It’s only when you go into this and try it for yourself that you begin to understand the level of work that goes into building these tracks. I couldn’t even build a proper bridge, yet there are levels out there so complex and imaginative that it can sometimes take a minute to figure out what the heck just happened when you flew off that jump. Hopefully the basic editor will help get the uninitiated into Trackmania’s massive create and share community when the full game is released.
Also in the editing mix is the Car Painter, which allows you to do anything you like to the base car of the game. The stickers and brushes at first seem a bit basic, but if you put your mind to it you can manipulate them into anything you want using the scaling and rotation tools – there’s a full colour palette to play with too. There is currently only the one car model in the game, so it’s a nice touch that gives you a bit more ownership over your racer.
Presentation
The game looks stunning, and is easily one of the best looking racers I have ever seen. The realistic style adds to the sense of immersion, already pretty high thanks to the tight controls and great physics. Nadeo have always said that they try and keep their games optimised for everyone, and I had no trouble with graphical display or lag.
Other players are visible on track although they will disappear when a certain number is reached, and from what I’ve seen you can have around 20 players racing before this happens. A high number of vehicles can be a bit distracting, especially at the beginning of a session when all of the cars are in the same spot – you can lose sight of your own racer for a few precious seconds.
In terms of sound there is nothing particularly spectacular going on, cars crunch convincingly when they slam into barriers and the background music is fairly unobtrusive. There only seems to be one backing track, so hopefully there will be a bit more variation when the full game is released. Menus are clear and easy to navigate, and in race displays manage to handle a huge amount of information without ever getting in the way. Happily the rankings system is fully up and running, with Ladder Points that improve your overall standing awarded at the end of each course. You can see any track records you hold in-race and your worldwide ranking will show up at the end of level screens. From the game homepage you can see how you fare against other players from your country and state and there’s even a ranking table for countries- Poland rocks at this game!
Closing Comments
Trackmania 2 Canyon is fantastic fun. For a beta there are surprisingly few hiccups and the graphics and gameplay are incredibly well done. The editing tools are a great selling point which combined with the already enormous fanbase should ensure a huge amount of fresh and creative content . Nadeo also have a shooter and an RPG coming to join the ‘Maniaplanet’ and I for one can’t wait to try them out.
Now here is something interesting to consider. Do you ever get sweaty hands while you play your favourite game? It could be while you are in a middle of an intense multiplayer game or boss battle. If the answer is yes, then this might be the solution.
The guys at Bluemouth Interactive are introducing two new game controllers, one for the Playstation 3 and one for the Xbox 360 (which is officially licensed by Microsoft), are going to keep your hands cool and sweatless during those intense moments. Both controllers will feature:
• Patented Air Flo™ technology keep your grip cool!
• Built in fan with two speeds circulates up to 3.41 cubic feet of air per minute!
• Illuminated vents
• Ergonomically designed for comfort
• Dual rumble motors
The Playstation 3 will cost $39.95 while the Xbox 360 will be sold for $49.95. Check out the trailers for the Playstation 3 controller and Xbox 360 controller for more information. Also, check out the controllers below. They actually look nice. Expect a review soon.
Earlier this year, Person 3 Portable was released for the Playstation Portable in Europe and the PAL territories. The release was only a physical release, with no sight of a digital release at launch. However, that is going to change as Ghostlight, the publishers of Persona 3 Portable, will launch a digital version to the PAL Playstation Store on September 7th.
The price of the game will be £27.99/€34.99 (AU$44.65). However, for the first two weeks of the release, interested consumers can pick up the game for a discounted price of £23.99/€29.99 (AU$38.29). If you are a fan of this game and missed out on purchasing it, then this is your chance to pick it up. It is also the perfect opportunity to add it to your digital collection for your PSP and Vita (if you decide to purchase it).
There is no doubt that PopCap are the reigning champions of casual gaming, but they didn’t get that way without doing their homework. PopCap recently partnered up with Goldsmiths University to conduct a study on how parents feel about gaming in general, as well as casual titles, and the final results are quite intriguing to say the least.
During a survey penned by the developer, 32 percent of parents claimed to actively play computer games with their kids, with 80 percent of that number claiming that this game time was quality time, and one in three three reported greater bonding with their children as a result of playing these games. One in five parents claimed that playing computer games have helped their children develop a better understanding of technology.
I’m not a parent, but I can actually say the video games I grew up playing taught me quite a bit when it comes to understanding technology, as when you are a kid and you want to play a game, you will absorb any amount of information to do so.
This study also helped debunk the myth that video game play comes at the cost of ‘healthier’ pursuits, with a 3/4 of parents claiming their computer game-playing children also exercise regularly and eat healthily. A third of parents believe that their children are able to concentrate better thanks to playing casual games, while 53 per cent believe that their children have improved problem solving skills thanks to playing casual games.
This is yet another interesting tidbit, as the mainstream media usually try to tear down and blame video games for just about everything, so hopefully more parents will start using certain games as a tool for education rather than just a form of recreation. We are a long way from that day I’m afraid, but maybe someday we can actually see this method be applied to better get kids involved with the devices they will be using for jobs later in life.
The study also shows that the growth in casual games has resulted in children as young as two becoming proficient in the use of smartphones and other tablet devices, and over a quarter of parents (27 percent) reported that their children borrowed their smartphone every day to play casual games. These findings pretty much go with what I stated above.
PopCap & Goldsmith each released a statement based on the study:
Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Reader in Psychology at Goldsmiths said: “These findings are important because they highlight the social benefits of playing videogames. Previous research has tended to look only at the individual effects of video games, but in the era of social networking games appear to play a vital role in enhancing social relationships. The fact that both parents and grandparents are using games to connect with their children and grandchildren, and quite successfully, suggests that video games can improve social skills and make a key contribution to both effective parenting and child development.”
Cathy Orr, Senior Director of International PR, PopCap said: “As technology becomes even more consumer-friendly, we at PopCap are delighted to see videogames playing an increasing role within family leisure time. Videogames are becoming as popular a mainstream lifestyle entertainment as movies or music and finding a place in family life alongside traditional parlour or board games – or in many cases, providing a new videogame format for family favourite board games. PopCap has conducted a lot of research to prove that casual games are not only extremely fun but can also aid stress relief – undoubtedly a positive for family members across the board!”
You know, I really respect PopCap for pooring in some funds to launch this research, as they are actually trying to teach parents that games are not all about blood, guts, and zombies. We all have seen facts come out already on how gaming can lead to smarter kids that are quicker to adapt with new technology, and this study just emphasizes that point even further.
I wonder how many times I’ve written that I want November to come as quick as possible simply because that means that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be out faster. Probably way to many times to count actually, and this latest batch of screenshots makes me want it all the more. That is because Bethesda saw fit to release screenshots of nearly every race and even a couple of the female gender that will be playable in the game.
Some of these we have seen before, but the best thing here is, that we can see the new engine that Bethesda is using at work and you know what? These races all look amazing. The Khajiit and Argonians truly look like beast and lizardmen which means that those may be the highlight classes to play as, simply for character customization alone. What race is your favorite looking? Check them out below and let us know what you think.
Dishonored is a game being developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda and it looks to have some crazy things involved. Today Bethesda released a handful of new screenshots for the title, including some stealth gameplay and some potential combat.
At the moment there has been no actual screenshots of the main character Corvo in combat, but there is plenty of combat about to be entered as you can see below. We have one screenshot where three enemies are charging at him and another with a pair of officers standing on mechanical stilts with what appears to be bow and arrow type weaponry. Very strange… Check out the screenshots below and Dishonored sometime in the middle of 2012.
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