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Livin' on a Prayer

TheGameSupply
- Today, 09:53 AM - 0 comments

Whoa, we're half way there. You might be wondering why I'm spouting Bon Jovi lyrics. It's because much like Tommy who worked on the docks and Gina who worked in the diner all day, we at CCP are also half way there. Half way to bringing you Tyrannis, the next free expansion to EVE Online. I'm CCP Hammerhead, Lead Game Designer of EVE. Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear.

The Singularity Test Server should be updated with the latest in-development code by the time you read this. That means enterprising young hackers will be pouring over the latest code and raw game data in an attempt to theorycraft the latest scoop about Tyrannis. Well in the spirit of transparency and in an effort to manage your expectations I'd like to tell you about the Planetary Interaction feature which is coming in Tyrannis and which you will be able to spot bits of if you really dig around on SISI (SISI is the test server's nickname). This is a no holds barred trip into where we're going and what you can get a tiny glimpse of and then watch evolve over the next months.

But before we get into that I would be remiss if I didn't give a modicum of back story. Interacting with planets is something we've always wanted to do. We have even shown a rough prototype of planetary flight at the first FanFest. Well, a lot has changed since that first FanFest but our desire to explore these thousands of worlds has remained unwavering. The EVE universe is such a rich and interesting place it's been a shame we haven't been able to immerse ourselves deeper into it. Until today where we are witnessing the first baby steps out of space and into the place where the rest of the inhabitants of the EVE universe live. Steps which will soon be followed all the way to the ground by a link into DUST 514 and inside stations with Incarna. Our final destination being an all encompassing sci-fi simulator where you can experience any sci-fi experience you desire. But I'm getting ahead of myself; we're here to sing 80s tunes and talk about Planetary Interaction.

A little about what Planetary Interaction is; PI is a feature in which industrial minded pilots can now take advantage of the resources on planets which had previously been laying dormant. To do that one simply opens the planet browser, finds a suitable planet via a scanning interface then plunks down various things we have internally been calling PINs (planetary interaction node), links those PINs together and then configures routes for all of the stuff moving between the PINs. PIN is just a working title and we've got our highly trained sci-fi experts on the task of renaming everything so you should expect the name to change by the time they reach Tranquility. Our ultimate goal being to create a nice additional revenue stream for people that's wrapped up in a sexy UI with lots of sci-fi feeling content that eventually ties in seamlessly with DUST 514.

So now let me go a little deeper into the feature and tell you about what is and isn't going to be visible on SISI. I'll take it from the high level and move deeper into the granularity as I feel that's the best way to wrap your head around the game mechanics. The first thing we had to do was come up with a method of distributing all of the resources to the various planets. We need to do this both globally and locally. By that I mean we need the resources distributed so there is a landscape to the regions including risk vs. reward balance of hi/med/lo sec space then that the individual planets also have resources spread across them in a way that looks natural when viewed from the planet viewing UI. This system for distributing resources is getting close to ready on the back end but no authoring or balance work has taken place yet. So on SISI the most you will could possibly get today is "1" of certain test resources. We're currently using our special development server dev hacks to put resources where we want them for testing and balancing on our local servers.

Once the resources are in place it would be nice to have some tools to find said resources. Well we're working on that too. The way one goes about this is to launch a satellite over the planet they are interested in and using the new planetary scanning window to get a graphical result of where the specific resource is one is looking for. We use sexy colored spherical harmonics to represent hot spots for the best resources. The "scan planet" button currently only prints "mouseClicked" to the log so sorry you can't use it yet. You can Google image search for spherical harmonics to get a preview. Our version is so cutting edge it's only running on one computer in the whole world.

If your scanner worked or if you have fancy slash commands and GM menus you would be able to find a good spot to put down your Planetary Command Center. The PCC is your base of operations for all of your infrastructure on a given planet. Skills will likely allow you to have PCCs on multiple planets. After your PCC is down on a good location the next thing you want to do is start placing extractors in good locations based on your survey results. Extractor PINS pull the various resources from the planet be they solid, liquid or gas depending on which type of planet you're prospecting on. There isn't really anything to extract on SISI currently unless you're a dev but trust me, it's amazing.

When you've got an extractor and PCC placed you're going to want to do something with all those lovely resources and my recommendation to you is to add some storage PINS to hold your stuff while you're offline. Although you won't be able to move your stuff from the extractor to the storage without making some links. Links have (or will have) various levels of bandwidth. We've currently got only one test version and it's called Highway to the Danger Zone. Once everything is linked up your next task to use the route designer (GM only for now) to set the resource flows around you network of PINS.

By now you should have a network of PCC, extractor and storage PINS on your imaginary planet (because you've been doing this in your mind as you read the blog). You might be thinking it's time to get this stuff off the planet and onto the market BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Why waste valuable storage space in your rocket or space elevator (more on that later) when you can do some processing dirt-side and just send up the good stuff? I thought the same thing. This is why we have process PINS. All kinds of process PINS for all kinds of processes which use all kinds of schematics (subject to change of course). You will be mixing and matching various resources and commodities based on those schematics to come up with intermediate commodities to eventually create final products. Some final products can be produced entirely on one planet but most will require transport to other planets to be produced. Nothing on SISI is currently balanced and you most likely won't be able to get this far without dev hacks anyway but this would be a boring story if I just stopped halfway though so let's continue.

Are you wondering about the Space Elevator I mentioned earlier? I am at this very moment. We call our first test version Stairway to Heaven. The Space Elevator is the best way to move things off of a planet. It is so good in fact that many planets won't even have them and we're not even sure if players will be able to build them in Tyrannis. Wars have been fought over access to these Space Elevators. I know because I've seen it. It isn't the only way to get rid of your stuff though. Each command center can launch cargo rockets on occasion and there is a space port PIN that acts as an upgrade from the command center. There is also trade hub PIN which lets you buy and sell commodities from your neighbors on the planet. With a trade hub and a trade agreement setup it's possible to create more complex networks that facilitate more advance process trees. THAT MEANS MORE FUN AND PROFIT! But of course you can't do that yet on SISI as it's technology from the future that hasn't been invented yet.

So I hope you will join me in impatiently waiting for May and the launch of Tyrannis. Check out SISI now for a first glimpse of PI but also be sure to check back in 3 weeks to see all of the progress that happens during a single sprint. I know you can't be here with me wandering around the office bugging everyone to work faster but I can assure you that's what I'm doing. Should I sing Power Ballads until Tyrannis is out the door? Sing with me; YOU LIVE FOR THE FIGHT WHEN IT'S ALL THAT YOU'VE GOT WHOOOOAH WE'RE HALF WAY THERE!

Big hair bonus round: As a treat for everyone who read all the way to the end of the blog we've decided to give you a special something. CCP Nimbus, one of our QA engineers on the Planetary Interaction team drew up some concept art for the basics of how the UI and functionality in PI works. What follows is the unedited results of his labor. We hope you enjoy it and that it helps you visualize the complex structure of the PI feature.

* Instructions for downloading the test client and logging into SiSi can be found on the Singularity page in EVElopedia.

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Account Security

TheGameSupply
- Yesterday, 05:50 PM - 0 comments

RMT elements drain our resources with incessant account hacking. This is an Industry-wide problem and most MMOs are beset by non-stop issues with players' assets and hard work being stolen and sold off for real money by organized criminal networks, who will stop at nothing in order to profit.

Until last summer we experienced regular issues with mass hacking a couple of times a year, usually around Christmas and then again in the middle of summer. Nowadays, this is pretty much constant with hundreds of accounts being targeted every day. Many of those are old trial accounts or accounts that have been disabled for years and don't hold anything of value to the RMT types. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of accounts that do have assets and ISK that end up being cleaned out - even the characters themselves being sold off. The damages are sadly not repairable in some cases, regardless of valiant efforts by GameMasters to help the unfortunate victims. The cost in resources is high for Customer Support, with highly trained and experienced GMs working almost exclusively on hacking cases - good people whose time and talent would be much better spent on enhancing the gaming experience and increasing the quality of service we are able to give to our customers.

The methods the hackers use differ and constantly change but the result is always the same - your account is ruined. However, users can take steps to limit the chances of getting attacked and following is a list of things that can help make your accounts more secure.

Do not use the same usernames and passwords for different games

Every day, we see countless attempts to log in with pairs of usernames and passwords, amongst them many usernames that don't exist in our systems. Obviously, those non-existing usernames have been harvested from somewhere else. They have been gathered via keyloggers, phishing sites, trojans, hacked forums and whatnot and long lists of such username/password pairs are traded between RMT types for use against gamer accounts all over the place. A good way to avoid problems with this is to simply use different login details for each game.

The same should also go for third-party sites and forums as those are quite often targeted by the hackers to harvest login details. Login details for such third-party sites may or may not be encrypted so keeping separate usernames and passwords for your gaming accounts is the way to go.

Change your passwords regularly

If your login details have been harvested, a regular change of passwords may prevent attacks from being successful.

Use strong passwords

Passwords should be complex and difficult to guess. Using a mix of numbers and small/capital letters can reduce the dangers from brute-forcing and lucky guesswork on part of the hackers. Avoid using common dictionary words and keep in mind that longer passwords are less vulnerable than short ones. A minimum length of 16 characters with a mix of lower case, capitals and numbers is strongly recommended for heightened security.

Do not share your login details with anyone

If you give someone your login details, your security is only as good as his. If he is hacked, you are hacked - given that he won't simply use or sell your details himself.

Don't accept files from sources you don't know

A lot of the mal-ware on the Internet specifically targets gamer accounts. RMT in online gaming is a huge racket - your login details are a valuable commodity and the pitfalls are many. Keyloggers and trojans - all geared towards the destruction of your accounts lay in wait, poised to strike when you open that file or go to that website. Phising schemes abound and social engineering is rife, on an Internet that often seems without law or consequence. One cannot be too careful - it's not paranoia when they're really out to get you.

Regularly scan your systems for security threats with up-to-date anti-virus software

Protect yourself by running updated anti-virus software to find and fix security threats that may have found their way onto your systems. There are many such programs available, some free and some not free, but definitely worth spending time to set up and the money to purchase. It's imperative to maintain a virus scanner and Operating System by actively checking for new updates and applying them, especially for the virus scanner. Using a firewall is also recommended as an optional measure.

Also see this forum discussion for more suggestions on better security.

By following the simple steps above you can make your accounts more secure and limit the dangers of being attacked by hackers who are after your stuff. Please be sure that we are not sitting idly by either - we are currently working hard on account security upgrades to get this problem under control. There are several items on the menu and the we hope to implement the first countermeasures in the next few weeks. However, we urge all of you to step up your own security at home by following the suggestions listed above.

Together we will vanquish this evil monster!

- CCP Grimmi

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Retrospective: How was the CSM Summit in Iceland?

TheGameSupply
- 03-06-10 18:16 - 0 comments

In short, the answer to the question is nothing less than "The CSM4 summit in Iceland has been the best summit so far." The CSM1 summit was also very good, but for a different reason. Back then we were going in blind and much of the summit, although nowhere stated specifically, was about testing the theory and establishing work methods and traditions. The CSM2 summit was mostly about polishing and getting the small nuisances out of the way when it came to having the CSM and the CCP representatives talking together. After the CSM3 summit it was clear that further enhancements had to be done to the CSM as a whole, so we made several more steps there.

So, how was the fourth CSM summit different? Several key things were changed. First of all we had two days of CCP discussing current and future design ideas while we had only one for CSM3 and none for the first two. And not just discussing but brainstorming with the CSM. And not only that, because by having the CSM in Iceland so early in the development process of Tyrannis a subtle effect is noticeable in the overall design course EVE is on. Taking a conscious step backwards and have the CSM discuss macro designs and the general heading of EVE's development was taken.

Another change is that we had a dedicated secretary taking the minutes, instead of having the Secretary of the CSM taking them. That resulted in the minutes being published six days after the CSM was in Iceland! The minutes are available here. And it left the CSM secretary free to participate in the discussions as keeping up with 11 to 13 people is doable but leaves little room for the person to express itself.

As the minutes indicate there is solid progress going on with the CSM and you should all keep an eye on this space over the next weeks when we will give you further insight into it. Some quantitative data will be given out at a later date and the changes being made to the CSM will also be detailed.

But what did the CSM members feel about the summit?

Tim, aka Sokratesz commented that ''I was very skeptical initially, but the trip has convinced me that CCP has an active interest in the playerbase and is willing to listen. One of the best moments for me was when Noah [CCP Hammer] grabbed a pen to take notes during a heated debate between council members.'' He also noted that ''The goons weren't living up to their reputation. They were actually being useful''

Asher, aka Mrs Trzzbk states that "Making the CSM an official stakeholder in the development process was extremely significant. It will be in a much better position to address the long standing concerns of the player base while still remaining a valuable sounding board for CCP. From this, to our discussion with the GM department, to the sincere debates with CCP staff on features both large and small I believe we had an extremely productive summit."

Jason, aka TeaDaze: "I wasn't sure what to expect from the summit other than further debating the issues we'd already raised with CCP. I was pleasantly surprised that whilst we did spend over a full day on those issues that a large amount of the time was spent on discussion and feedback about current and future plans. I can see improvements in the CSM process but going forward it needs to gather even more support from the player base. If the stakeholder promise works out I think the CSM is in a good position to achieve something unique in the gaming world."

John, aka Zastrow, the only reelected member of the CSM has the word: "While there has been very little communication between CCP and the CSM between summits, at the summit it is very clear that CCP takes the CSM very seriously. For 3 days straight we sit down for all day meetings with the Executive Producer, Lead Game Designer, and a senior programmer and go over their proposals for the next expansion and our summit agenda."

Until the next blog!

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Player Perspectives: You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling

TheGameSupply
- 03-06-10 11:26 - 0 comments

This past week, I've been playing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Now I'll warn you now, this is my first Zelda game and this is also my first play-through (and I'm playing blind - i.e. no walk-throughs or outside help). I lived a very console-deprived youth. I had an original NES and a Sega Genesis, after which consoles were deemed too expensive in my household; my gaming was redirected back to PCs. Until a few years ago, I actually thought the little guy in green was Zelda. Although I am in a console-loving home now, I have a lot of gaming to catch up on, but, as you all know, MMOs can suck a lot of that time away.

I ended up playing Twilight Princess on a whim; my husband has been pushing for me to play Zelda, any Zelda, for a while now. After watching a friend play through some of Ocarina of Time, I finally acted on my husband's advice, chose Twilight Princess, and began playing. Although I often only pick up RPGs for a few hours before quitting, I've been consistent in playing a few hours almost every night. A few nights ago, I went through an interesting boss sequence, one which involved mounted combat, good timing, and foresight. It lasted several minutes, and when it was over, I leaned back in my chair with a huge grin. My arms ached, but it was fun, and the excitement of that entire boss fight lasted for a long while afterward.

It then made me realize something: I have rarely felt so enthused while playing an MMO; at least, not while playing PvE. PvPing has a natural way of giving you that mystical "thrill" video games are supposed to offer; that's simply due to the adrenaline from real time combat between two players. Let's set that aside for a moment, however, and look at the PvE a game offers - its quests, its environment, its dungeons and boss encounters. Where is the same excitement that a single player RPG can offer? Why are MMOs so dull?

Many have come to blame the boredom of MMOs on what's called the "theme park," a quest-driven landscape in which players always have some predetermined goal to achieve. It's fair to argue that this questing has become simply a different flavor of grinding. The problem isn't the questing grind itself, however. Quests are what drive the story of an RPG, even more open ended games like Oblivion or Fable. The problem goes even beyond the quest design to the game design itself. Quests and battles have become short, predictable, repeatable. The steps to the dance may be different, but whether you're fighting Heigan, Sartharion, or Sindragosa, the abilities you use, and the "rules of the game," are always the same patterned responses. And, worse than that, you'll be back next week to repeat the same pattern in hopes of the elusive golden trinket of awesomeness.

Part of the problem lies in an MMO game system's predictability. When I head into a new area in an MMO, I generally know a few things about my enemies. I know the aggro radius. I can see whether the creature is aggressive or not. I can even tell how its level and difficulty compare to my character. I know a general series of abilities that my character can use to defeat any creature, and I know the rest of my abilities should it offer certain responses (for example, a root for a creature that runs away, or a silence to interrupt a caster). I know how reliable the environment is (few environments offer surprises like traps or falling debris). I know that if a quest in the area wants me to collect 10 shiny baubles, it will tell me where to find them, and I know they will either appear on the corpses of the enemies I am told to kill as a portion of loot, or as an interactive object in the local environment. Get ye quest, kill, loot, return. Rinse, repeat.

If predictability is part of the problem, the other part is repetition. Single player RPGs offer a semi-linear pathway; there is a beginning and, after meeting certain conditions, there is an ending. MMOs, however, have to offer a persistent world; they can't afford to have an ending. Worse than that, however, is the fact that MMOs seem to be incapable of offering a "one-time" experience for a character. The death of a villain in an MMO is not final; it's merely a temporary death designated to help a character complete an objective. There is no sense of permanence; I can return to defeat the dragon as many times as I want, and it's the same story, the same fight, the same pattern every time. As the sense of permanence deteriorates, so does the sense of achievement; as repetition sets in, the fun fades. Voila: a recipe for MMO burnout.

Single-player gamers generally find fault with MMOs because they find them dull and lifeless. Perhaps they're right on that account. The MMO gaming experience has devolved into a game of numbers, far more so than any other genre. While every game possesses its own methods of min-maxing and power gaming, the MMO has made number-crunching "the way." If you don't adhere closely to recommended specs, talents, rotations, or reach certain measurable performance standards, you are the outcast: the noob who needs to L2P, the player who "sucks," the underachiever, even if your methods procure a fun way to play.

What MMOs need is genuine innovation: not just a new way to kill ten rats, but a complete rethinking of character development and environment interaction. MMO developers need to reach into the great big bag of tricks the rest of the video game industry uses, at the least; more ideally, they should be inventive, creative, break away from the mold that we can carry with us from MMO to MMO. The problem with the industry needing innovation is that while the players can chant that mantra until they're hoarse, the responsibility lies in the developers' hands to provide it. Until they take that responsibility seriously, players are left waiting either empty-handed or entertaining themselves with the same-old.

Every time I find myself getting wrapped up in a single-player game, I feel that tiredness of the genre creeping in again. I wonder if MMOs will ever be fun again. Heck, sometimes I wonder if they were ever fun in the first place. I wonder if the industry is killing itself, and whether they'll ever care enough to make a change. Like most of you, I come back because MMOs have a unique pull on my gaming habits, a draw that makes them the "game of choice." There's no denying, however, that the genre needs a serious kick start, an injection of fun that's been lost in translation for a long time. Whoever brings it first will be well remembered in our history.

Column By Jaime Skelton MMORPG.com

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Portal 2 Info Released!

TheGameSupply
- 03-06-10 01:43 - 0 comments

Portal 2 Info Released!

Officially released details on Valve’s sequel to Portal were scant. Fortunately, retailer GameStop comes through with some major details, including the addition of a two-player cooperative campaign mode and all-new characters.

Gametops’s description of the PC and Xbox 360 game indicates that Portal 2 is due later this year—the online retailer lists an October 26 release date—bringing with a cast of “dynamic new characters” and “never-before-seen areas of the Aperture Science Labs.” And yes, as hinted at earlier, players will be reunited with GLaDOS.

The only details on Portal 2’s multiplayer mode from GameStop are that it will feature its own unique story-driven campaign. The “new mode forces players to reconsider everything they thought they knew about portals,” requiring players “to not just act cooperatively, but to think cooperatively.”

Here’s the full product description.

Coming this holiday. Portal 2 is the sequel to 2007’s Game of the Year and draws from the award-winning formula of innovative game play, story, and music that earned the original over 70 industry accolades. Features single and multiplayer co-op modes. The single-player portion of Portal 2 introduces a cast of dynamic new characters, a host of fresh puzzle elements, and a much larger set of devious test chambers. Players will explore never-before-seen areas of the Aperture Science Labs and be reunited with GLaDOS, the occasionally murderous computer companion who guided them through the original game. The game’s two-player cooperative mode features its own entirely separate campaign with a unique story, test chambers, and two new player characters. This new mode forces players to reconsider everything they thought they knew about portals. Success will require them to not just act cooperatively, but to think cooperatively.

http://kotaku.com/54...liar-characters

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Tips & Tricks: How Not to be a Noob at Battlefield Bad Company 2

TheGameSupply
- 03-06-10 00:31 - 0 comments

Video is NSFW.

Pixel Enemy's Mark Remo teaches you 10 easy ways to transition from Modern Warfare 2 to the EA published, DICE developed Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Pay attention solider!

Visit www.pixelenemy.com for ongoing coverage of Battlefield Bad Company 2 and for Counterpoint - The Video Game Shoot-out Show, Season 2 coming soon!

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Rollback Nvidia Drivers

TheGameSupply
- 03-04-10 21:02 - 0 comments

Rollback Nvidia Drivers This is a pretty urgent thing to report because it could damage or potentially completely ruin your video card if it's ignored. The latest NVIDIA drivers, 196.75-WHQL released on March 2nd, 2010 are causing issues with the video card fan control while playing Blizzard (and other) games. This is caused by the Automatic Fan Speed feature being broken in the latest drivers.

The games included are: World of Warcraft, StarCraft II Beta and Warcraft III. If you play any of these games (which I'm pretty sure you do if you're reading this website), you'll want to roll your drivers back to earlier versions until this is fixed, unless you want to replace a video card within the next few days.

To find out what version drivers you're using:

- Right-click on your desktop
- Click NVIDIA Control Panel
- When the Control Panel opens, in the bottom left corner there should be a "System Information" link; click this
- Your Driver version should be in the Details portion

Quote from: Datth (Source)
We're getting reports where users are getting intermittent low FPS after installing these drivers. It seems that it is related to the fan control included in these drivers not working correctly and is causing the video card to overheat on 3D applications. This will affect Warcraft 3, World of Warcraft and StarCraft 2 Beta. Please uninstall the drivers and revert back to the older ones.

Windows XP: http://www.nvidia.co...96.21_whql.html
Windows XP 64-bit: http://www.nvidia.co...96.21_whql.html
Windows Vista/7 32-bit: http://www.nvidia.co...96.21_whql.html
Windows Vista/7 64-bit: http://www.nvidia.co...96.21_whql.html

More information can be found on threads such as these:
http://forums.nvidia...howtopic=161525
http://forums.nvidia...howtopic=161503

Stolen from guild forums thanks Melna.

Admin note: I use: http://www.guru3d.co...?page=rivatuner To manually set both core speeds for GPU's and for fan speed.

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NPD: Online Gaming Hours Rise 10 Percent In U.S.

TheGameSupply
- 03-03-10 15:43 - 0 comments

It's a general assumption that online gaming and digital downloads are on the rise in the U.S., as broadband penetration spreads and the install base of internet-enabled consoles grows, but NPD Group has estimated just how much online gaming has grown in a new report.

The research firm said Tuesday the average number of weekly hours U.S. gamers spent playing games online rose 10 percent since 2009, as detailed in NPD's Online Gaming 2010 report. The report also said an average of 20 percent of all games purchased by online gamers were acquired digitally, which is up 19 percent from the similar 2009 study and 18 percent from 2008.

But while online gaming hours are up, 54 percent of gamers age two and older personally play online games -- down from 56 percent in 2009 and 55 percent in 2008.

Nevertheless, NPD's latest survey said that gamers spent eight hours per week on average playing online games, up from 7.3 hours a year prior, making up for the slightly fewer actual players playing online games.

NPD analyst Anita Frazier said in a statement, "While the percentage of the population that reports playing games has declined slightly, this study details other metrics which point to both stability and growth in both online and offline gaming."

In addition, it appears that online gamers regularly purchase games, even in a tough economy. The report said that 71 percent of online gamers purchased or received one game over the 2009 holiday season, or calendar Q4. Buying habits between 2008 and 2010 didn't significantly change among online gamers either.

"This suggests that online gamers’ purchasing behavior may not have been impacted significantly by the recession and may bode well for future pockets of economic weakness," NPD said.

The ubiquitous PC is the most-used platform for online gaming activities, the report said. Eighty-five percent of online gamers said they used the platform for online gaming. But it's the Xbox 360 that rules online gaming in the family room, NPD said, as for the third year in a row it is the leading home console for online gaming with 48 percent of online gamers saying they take console online for gaming.

PlayStation 3 and Wii are about even in terms of online gaming usage, with 30 percent of online gamers saying they use the consoles for online gaming. The PS3 actually increased 10 percentage points from 2009.

NPD said Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 racked up the most hours among respondents, with 7.3 hours per week, 6.6 hours, and 5.8 hours, respectively.

Written by Kris Graft. Gamasutra.com

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Blizzard Plans More Diablo Games Beyond Diablo III

TheGameSupply
- 03-03-10 10:10 - 0 comments

Activision Blizzard released its Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended on 31 December 2009 to inform investors of several strategies to milk [increase the revenue] of all the franchises across their portfolio.

While not all players know much of finances, NASDAQ, or Exchange Commission babble, this fiscal year report slipped an interesting clue at what's cooking behind the neosteel-reinforced walls of Blizzard Entertainment.

The overview section of this Activision Blizzard investors document might imply the Irvine studio has more than one Diablo game on its tinker table. In short, Diablo III might not be the only Diablo game in development, or there are early plans for more in the future. Here is an excerpt from the report released on March 1, 2010.

"Blizzard has released two expansion packs to World of Warcraft; World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. Blizzard is currently developing new games, including a new expansion pack to the World of Warcraft franchise , Cataclysm , StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, which will be released with the new and improved Battle.net, and [sequels] to the Diablo franchise."

There is another quote that commits to produce more MMOs in order to retain the customer base and to prevent them from moving on to one of the competitors.

In the past, players have theorized Blizzard would never cannibalise their own MMO flagship, World of Warcraft, but more than cannibilise, they would be retaining and recycling their own subscribers; while at the same time cross-promoting their porfolio of games through the new Battle.net built from the ground up to interlace all their game communities into a single solid one with social-networking in mind. Here is another quote from the Activision Blizzard report:

"To remain the leader in the MMORPG category, it is important that we continue to refresh World of Warcraft or [develop new MMORPG products] that are favorably received by both our existing customer base and new customers."

Blizzard Entertainment is currently developing a Next-Gen MMO that hasn't been officially titled nor unveiled. It's likely to be announced in a future Blizzard Worldwide Invitational. Both Starcraft II and Diablo III were formerly unveiled there, and Blizzard offered a playable demo at BlizzCon.

The nature of the Next-Gen MMO is unknown, but Blizzard has stated its experience and gameplay differs from what players are accustomed in World of Warcraft, enough to make them two different beasts that would hardly compete with each other.

Blizzard Entertainment is currently developing five games:

1. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
2. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
3. Diablo III
4. Untitled Next-Gen MMO
5. Brand-new IP game (unofficially confirmed to IncGamers a few months ago to be using the World of Warcraft engine for testing purposes until they hire a programmer to craft its own engine. Some might speculate it's a third MMO).

Blizzard Entertainment, among other things, is known for expanding the experience immersion of their customer base by licensing their IPs and co-developing the stories. Blizzard's Creative Design team, led by Chris Metzen and Mickey Neilson, and companies such as Pocket Books, TOKYOPOP and Wildstorm work together to bring the WarCraft, StarCraft and Diablo universes to the novels, mangas and comic books markets.

These are not products based on stand-alone stories separate from the games. Blizzard actually make these stories tie-in with the games' upcoming content. Once these novels go on sale, months later the developers introduce the characters and plots of these books into the game.

The WarCraft: The Sunwell Trilogy by Richard A. Knaak introduced five new characters: Kalecgos, Anveena, Jorad Mace, Dar'Khan, and Tyrigosa. Characters who debuted months later in the World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade expansion.

The same author introduced another character from said manga known as Trag Highmountain into the WarCraft Legends manga series -- a Undead Tauren Death Knight. Months later, Blizzard Entertainment introduced that character as an NPC in the Argent Tournament content patch.

World of WarCraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden was a tie-in with the Burning Crusade expansion introducing many of the characters, locations and plots to be found in the game. The Developers were inspired by the novel to develop some quests, and even the Talbuk mount -- made up by the writer -- was introduced into the game.

However, there was an instance in which Blizzard Entertainment planned to release the StarCraft: Ghost FPS game and its novel tie-in StarCraft: Ghost Nova simultaneously -- as revealed by its writer Keith R.A. DeCandido in an en early interview with me. The game was postponed on March 2006, a few months after our interview, but Blizzard decided to release the book later that year.

Pocket Books launched StarCraft: The Dark Templar barely a couple days after Blizzard Entertainment officially announced StarCraft II at the 2007 Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals in Seoul, South Korea. There are some extraordinary parallels between these novel tie-ins and upcoming or current games and expansions.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King by Christie Golden hit the New York Times Bestselling List twice on April 2009, just a few months after the expansion was released. The content of the book was a tie-in with the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. While it mostly retold the WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos and WarCraft III: Frozen Throne from the point of view of Arthas, there were mentions of characters introduced in the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King expansion such as Matthias Lehner (Arthas Menethil's child self), Marwin and Falric, and a vision of the future [divined by Arthas the Lich King] where he heard laughter from the depths of the Great Sea, and a posterior cataclysm.

Four months after this book was on sale, Blizzard announced at BlizzCon 2009 the World of WarCraft: Cataclysm expansion, highlighting the new underwater zone and a new revamped Azeroth shaken to its core after the earthquake caused by the emergence of Deathwing from the Elemental Plane of Earth: Deepholm. Can you see the parallels and tie-ins between the novels and the games?

Blizzard continues to awe fans with their game/book's plot tie-in marketing strategy. A few days ago, Blizzard and Pocket Books launched World of WarCraft: Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak, marking the return of Malfurion Stormrage and the revelation and semi-conclusion of an old and long-overdue plot intrdouced in the World of Warcraft MMO since 2004: the Emerald Dream's Nightmare. This novel story is set after the Patch 3.3: Fall of the Lich King and before the World of WarCraft: Cataclysm expansion, narrowing the gap between both expansions.

There's a new book expected later this year titled World of WarCraft: The Shattering by Christie Golden which reveals the plot that leads to the World of WarCraft: Cataclysm.

Back in 2004, the early Alliance quests in World of WarCraft revealed the King of Stormwind was missing. On 2008, his whereabouts were revealed not in-game, but in the Wildstorm and DC Comics World of WarCraft comics book. Shortly after, King Varian returned to his throne in the game demonstrating how clinical Blizzard Entertainment is about making the stories and continuity in printed media and the MMO to be one and the same.

A new Starcraft II tie-in novel titled StarCraft: Heaven's Devils is expected in April 2010 by William C. Dietz.

Blizzard Entertainment is going to make a game announcement anywhere within the next two years to reveal what the Next-Gen MMO is about. If the marketing trends between games and novel tie-ins are to be considered, the fact that three manga and one novel based in StarCraft: Ghost are scheduled -- a game postponed four years ago -- that should mean something.

TOKYOPOP's schedule: StarCraft: Ghost Academy Vol. 1 launched on December 2009, Vol. 2 (August 2010) and Vol. 3 (Spring 2011). Pocket Books plans to release StarCraft: Ghost Spectres in November 2010.

Might the upcoming Next-Gen MMO be a resurrected StarCraft: Ghost Online? That certainly fits an MMO much different than the World of WarCraft MMO's fantasy genre and gameplay style, as hinted by Rob Pardo not long ago. Pardo has mentioned several times in the past two years he is confident they will reestablish development of StarCraft: Ghost. It's just a matter of when.

The Activision Blizzard Form 10-K Annual Report adds a new equation to the enigma that is the Next-Gen MMO. The report used a plural implying there is more than just Diablo III in their development pipeline. Are they refering to a Diablo IV or a Diablo Next-Gen MMO? While people will always deny that possibility, one has to remember WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos and World of WarCraft were in development simultaneously by two different teams before both games were officially announced.

Back in August 2008, Jay Wilson told MTV the following statement:

"We also tried to focus a little more on bringing characters back, and not just from ‘Diablo II’ but from ‘Diablo I,’” he said. “We feel like a lot of the focus is on ‘Diablo II’ but ‘Diablo I’ started it all and has a lot of really good stuff on the gameplay side and on the character side. So people can expect to see characters from ‘Diablo I,’ more characters from ‘Diablo II,’ and characters from some of the books. We’re definitely going to bring a few of them in.” And while “Diablo III” ends the trilogy, fans needn’t worry — it’s not the final curtain for “Diablo.” “We’re not saying this is the end of the ‘Diablo’ universe, but we are trying to bring this storyline to a close,” Wilson said. “It’s not just ‘Diablo III’ — we’ve got plans beyond.”

It is highly possible there are plans for Diablo IV or an MMO, if the Diablo game goes the route seen with WarCraft III / World of WarCraft.

WarCraft III and its expansion Frozen Throne introduced the new lore that would set the groundwork for the MMO quests, rich characters and locations.

Diablo III will heavily use material such as characters, plots and locations not only from the original Diablo game and Diablo II, but from the novels too. The Diablo universe is no longer a battle between the High Heavens, Sanctuary and the Burning Hells. Back in 2006, Richard A. Knaak introduced the groundwork for Diablo III and beyond with Diablo: The Sin War trilogy.

During a public Q&A I organized to ask the author details of this trilogy he slipped a massive hint that Diablo III was in development at the time -- nigh two years before its official announcement.

How much of the book is creation of yours, and how involved is Chris Metzen behind the canon storyline of Diablo: The Sin War Trilogy? Do you think the ramifications of this book impact the storyline of Diablo 3 the game?

"This is a pure collaboration between myself and Chris Metzen/Blizzard. All that is written is passed by him and the others there. This will be canon and has adjusted earlier info. The ramifications here will be used for any future project ... and I ain’t writing for a dead game. I am not writing for a dead world ... but a world with dead. ‘nuff said!"-- replied Knaak, Oct 2006.

Here is an excerpt straight from the Diablo: The Sin War trilogy which reveals there are more worlds out there beyond Sanctuary that might be open for exploration during the battle between the forces of angels and demons.

"The gateway was nearly complete, and then the voices struck him from all directions. You cannot! You cannot! You cannot! At the same time, the gateway disintegrated despite his best efforts to keep it from doing so. Filled with an unaccustomed anger, he confronted the voices. This is my burden! This is my duty! You have no say in this, none of you! There was a moment of silence, and then, together, they responded, But we do ... this goes beyond Sanctuary now. Beyond all of us who stand sentinel.

The dragon Trag'Oul grew wary. How so? How can that be?.

Their words struck him as nothing else could. Because the war is coming to Sanctuary, and if you interfere with what the Balance demands, it and all existence may be forfeit."

They left him, then, all the others who stood guard as he did over their separate worlds, left him with the knowledge that it was his Sanctuary whose imminent fate might decide theirs. -- The Veiled Prophet, page 168.

Whether the Next-Gen MMO turns out to be StarCraft: Ghost Online, Diablo: Sanctuary Online or something else, one thing is clear. Blizzard Entertainment is the best at what they do enriching their worlds with tie-in novels.

Upon reaching Blizzard Entertainment today for an official statement concerning the 10-K Annual Report's slip (i.e. and [sequels] to the Diablo franchise) Blizzard's response is:

We appreciate the interest, but we don't have any new announcements to make. For the Diablo franchise, our full focus is on Diablo III.

Source: Activision Blizzard 10-K Annual Report

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Blizzard Authenticator Accounts Compromised

Mordred
- 02-28-10 16:39 - 0 comments

A new virus spawned on the internet a few days ago and seems to be the first trojan capable of hacking a WoW account protected by an Authenticator.

It was confirmed by Blizzard a few hours ago.

Quote from: Kropacius (Source)

Quote

After looking into this, it has been escalated, but it is a Man in the Middle attack.http://en.wikipedia....e-middle_attack

This is still perpetrated by key loggers, and no method is always 100% secure.

Basically, what the virus does is fairly simple after you're infected :

The next time you log in World of Warcraft, the game asks for your Authenticator code.
The virus intercepts it, send it to another server, and sends a wrong one to Blizzard = You get an error.
The people behind the virus now have a few seconds/minutes to use the "real" code while it's valid to change your password / empty your account / guild bank.

How to check if you're infected

Just search for a file named "emcor.dll" on your computer, it is most likely located in "C:\Users\(Your user name)\AppData\Temp" but I suggest that you check everything just to be sure. If you do find the file, delete it and make sure you update your anti-virus to prevent any further problem.

To be honest, if you found this file your account is probably already compromised.

What does it mean exactly?

Yes, you can get hacked even if you have an authenticator, the chances are MUCH lower but you're not invulnerable.
It definitely isn't an excuse to not have an authenticator. We're talking about a single virus here and the authenticator will save your ass 99% of the time.
Get a decent anti-virus, buy an authenticator, you'll be safe.

http://www.mmo-champ...n-deathcharger/

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Consignment service for TheGameSupply.net

TheGameSupply
- 02-26-10 15:00 - 0 comments

Looking to sell your World of Warcraft account? Don't want to mess with the scams and issues that can go along with it? Let our consignment service take care of this for you.

Utilizing advanced verification methods, we have cut fraud down to under 1% of total sales on TheGameSupply.net. Now you can also benefit from our processes as we offer a public consignment option. We will list your account on our site using our advanced armory systems. These can be viewed on TheGameSupply.net .
As a seller we will guide you with pricing your account according to current market pricing, and offer our substantial customer base, and monthly traffic to help to sell your account. The listing will be public on site, and you can link it to potential buyers. There is a full shopping cart there, and we will process all payments for you. Once the account has sold and the transaction is complete, we will issue payment to you.

As a seller you will be asked to provide the same verification information that we ask of those that are simply selling to us. These requirements can be viewed on site here: Verification Info.

Alternately, once verified, you can set up an auction for your character here in our marketplace. Click here to view Marketplace. We can process and guarantee payment for you there as well.

The fee for this service will be an adjustable % based upon account value, and if you have used our services before. For more information on this, please contact us via live chat on site. Click here for live chat.

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First Screens Of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine

TheGameSupply
- 02-26-10 05:49 - 0 comments

Taken from: http://kotaku.com/54...0k-space-marine

It’s been nine months since THQ officially announce the Warhammer 40K action RPG Space Marine, and we’re finally getting the first screenshots for the game. Are they worth the wait?

Announced in May of last year and shown in footage form at E3 a month later, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine seems to be a title that THQ and developer Relic are taking their own sweet time on. As evidence to that, these are the first two screenshots that have surfaced for the action RPG.

I’d say that if the game’s visuals are this gorgeous, Relic can take as much time as they need to make sure the game plays as good as it looks.

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Starcraft 2 Beta Protoss Overview

TheGameSupply
- 02-25-10 14:40 - 0 comments

Not a bad overview of Starcraft 2 Protoss. Kind of long, enjoy:)

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Macrotransactions

TheGameSupply
- 02-24-10 13:18 - 0 comments

gPotato’s Allods Online stretches the meaning of “microtransaction” – and misses the point

Allods Onlinehas been something unusual – a ‘free to play’ MMO from Russia’s Nivalthat rivals many subscription-based games for its polish and level ofgameplay. It’s gotten a lot of good press and positive reviews…until last week. In fact, in one day, the buzz from the beta testerswent from “this game is awesome” to “they’re crazy if they think we’llplay this”.

What happened? gPotato released their “item shop” and players went ballistic.

Item shops are how the great majority of free toplay games actually make money. The idea is simple – start playing, getinterested in the game, and then buy something that makes the gamebetter, or easier, or whatever. This model is, to put it mildly,successful. Players generally don’t mind seeing “free to play” gamesas, more specifically, “free trials”. If they really like a game, manydon’t mind paying a little extra to play it more. Not all players do –free to play games are especially popular with kids who simply can’tafford subscriptions or things in item shops – but enough do to makethe scheme profitable.

So, Allods’ using anitem shop wasn’t seen as that surprising. What was surprising was theprices. Most players at first thought the item shop, when it first cameout, had to have a translation error, or too many zeroes in the prices,or something. There was no way, players thought,that gPotato seriously thought players would pay $20 for a backpack, or$1 for half an hour’s worth of 100% PvP effectiveness, or in the mostoutrageous example, the top tier of item-enhancing “runes” that cost$7,000. You might think that was a typo. Allods’ players certainly did.It literally seemed as though gPotato had simply taken the prices thatRussian players, who were already playing a released version of thegame, were paying, and multiplied by 10.

It wasn’t a typo. gPotato came out and said, well, you can still play for free! Free to play, woohoo!

Wewanted to make clear that beyond the introduction of the item shopnothing has changed in Allods that wouldn’t allow you to enjoy the gamejust as much as you did during closed beta. You can still enjoy theentire game without ever having to spend a single cent. Additionally,many of the items available in the item shop are tradable in-game,appear through a number of quests, and can be auctioned off by otherplayers.

…but if you want a level 10 itemrune, it’ll cost you $7000. Apparently, this already sold for $700 inthe Russian version of Allods, so it’s not like there isn’t a precedentfor really high-priced gear – gPotato just decided to grab thepalladium-encrusted diamond ring. At those prices, after all, theydon’t really need to sell that many!

Just incase the point hadn’t been driven home, a patch then promptly went liveon the Russian Allods servers that effectively made the game lessfree-to-play – making sure that, gPotato’s promises to the contrary,the newly pricey item shop gear would be even more required. As Keen,who has been the main source of news about this issue on his popularblog (which until, oh, this past week was one of the premier sources of positive buzz for the game) put it:

Today the patch notes for 1.0.07.07 were released for the Russian Version. Guess what was in these notes? Game breaking changes to the cash shop… the math was done and we’re looking at over $50 / month in order to participate in end-game PVE… Mounts were also added but require you to purchase food for them from the cash shop in order for them to work their best…

Patch1.0.07.07 will be the end of the game for pretty much everyone and notby choice. We’re all very confused as to what is going on right now. None of us can afford to pay $50-$75 per month to PvE at level 40. None of us understand why the game that was literally pure gold is nowstruggling to hold on for dear life and how it all happened at once…

Notewell: when the most visible blogger writing about your game writesthings like this? This is what community managers refer to as anightmare scenario. Usually while drinking heavily.

Monday, gPotato posted again:

Wewant to make clear that this is something we are not taking lightly. Weare not sitting and waiting just to see how many dollars we’re going tomake over the next four weeks. It is very clear to us that players arealready disgruntled with the situation and we are actively working onnew pricing options to accommodate the masses. However, we ask theAllods community to please be patient with the situation! Adjustmentslike this cannot happen overnight.

Thisprobably is as close as you’re likely to see to “Uh… boy, did we goof.”The associated “please post here to give us feedback, even thoughyou’ve already posted 900 other threads giving us feedback, we’rereading this thread TO DEATH” thread in the official forums had the following plaintive cry from a no doubt very, very frazzled community representative:

Weare reading this on an hourly basis and relaying the feedback andsuggestions to those who can make such decisions and changes. Let meassure you that I know tensions are high right now, I know many of youfeel as though the game you love is being run into the ground, andchanges need to be made. We are working on it, I promise.

So – that’s the situation as it stands. My comments?

It seems pretty obvious that there is a fairly big disconnect between the people talking to the players and the people making decisions. Note the key phrase above: “relaying feedback to those who can make changes”. Because,let’s face it – changing the price of an item in a shopping cart isn’trocket science, and it doesn’t require weeks of planning. If yourmarket research (helpfully supplied by your market threatening toresearch other games) tells you your item shop gear is overpriced, youcut the price. Simple. Effective. Would eliminate the player’s fearsimmediately. So why hasn’t it been done?

Because whomever is making the decisions doesn’t understand how free to play games work. Which is fairly surprising, since this isn’t gPotato’s first free to play title. Yet apparently someone forgot how to design a player experience.

Yousee, for games that have item shops with, for better or worse,“essential” gear, it’s priced to be the equivalent of a monthlysubscription fee. If a hardcore player purchases, say, experienceenhancement or drop enhancement gear so that they can play the game asintended (instead of the radically slowed version available to freeplayers willing to skew far into the time side of the time-over-moneyparadigm) then the game developer knows exactly how much that averagehardcore player will need, and prices their gear accordingly. Theydon’t want to price them out of the market, because they need those hardcore players to make the game profitable.

Although there’s certainly room for high ticket vanity items (Simutronics, for example, sells developer-officiated player weddingsin their text MUDs for quite a hefty sum of change) simply jacking upprices of items that are supposed to be impulse buys defeats the entirepsychological purposes of a “micro-transaction”. If you have to thinkabout it, it’s probably not really an impulse buy. A $2 backpack wouldbe an impulse buy for many players. A $20 backpack, not so much.

Whichtells me, again, that there is a disconnect in play between the peoplewho are dealing with their customers (and designing the experience forthem) and the people who are setting the prices. And if that disconnectisn’t resolved quickly, there won’t be much need for people to dealwith their customers.

Author: Scott Jennings from: mmorpg.com

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