13 years ago
Guardians of Middle-earth skirts recertification with cloud storage
We’ve been talking a lot about Guardians of Middle-earth over the past few months, with a steady stream of character reveals and tutorial videos for the Tolkien-inspired MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) title. Though beyond the multimedia fanfare preceding its imminent release, Guardians of Middle-earth carries weighty ambition as the first true title of the genre developed specifically for consoles.
The MOBA is a notoriously delicate genre, requiring nearly constant post-launch supervision in order to maintain the balance of character power as player strategies evolve over time. That balance necessitates regular updates and patches, the kind of support that’s seemingly at odds with the “closed system” of a console, which normally requires any changes be vetted by the manufacturer’s certification process.
When we spoke with producers Bob Roberts and Ruth Pomandl last month, they briefly touched on their plan to issue real-time updates without needing to repeatedly pass through the lengthy and expensive, recertification process. In an interview with VG247, Roberts further explained the importance of fine-tuning character balance and how they intend to continue those tweaks after the title has gone live.
“We did also build a system for having a lot of our balance database saved in cloud storage, that you’re going to download every time you launch the game. It’s a very small, quick update that doesn’t have to go through certification, so we can update it every day, every week – however often we need to if we see critical balance issues.”
13 years ago
MOBA Mastery: Your training is complete
Over the last two months, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions have, like a sagely Mr. Miyagi, or a learned Obi-Wan, tried to teach us the ways of the MOBA. Today, those lessons are complete, as the final video in the “MOBA Mastery” series debuts in preparation for the December 5 launch of Guardians of Middle-earth. The multiplayer online battler pits teams of Tolkien-inspired heroes against one another, utilizing their varied skills and abilities to achieve control of the environment, and sweep the leg of their opponents.
The fifth, and final, video brings together all the elements discussed in previous weeks, culminating with team strategy and how a match unfolds. If you’ve missed any of the previous weeks, you can find week one, two, three and four, by hitting those links, and part five after the jump.
13 years ago
The state of mind behind State of Decay
We’ve all thought about it: the end of days. Life, as we know it, over. Our laws, our society, our grande vanilla rooibos tea lattes, all gone, and we’re left with a staggering view of a world that’s indifferent of our existence. There’s no shortage of inventive ways to envision that demise, but the destruction-du-jour is contagion, with a twist. Infected by a mythical super-strain, our bodies succumb to the infection, wither and die. Reanimated a short time later, they shuffle (or sprint, depending on your inspiration) across the empty remains of our cities, towns and suburbs, catering to the most basic of impulses — to feed.
But the true draw, the appeal even, of an undead apocalypse isn’t the madness of the moment, it’s the days and weeks afterward. The life after life-as-we-know-it; the fitful consequences of our actions in an existence without margins for error, and how we stack up against that uncertainty. Undead Labs, the Washington-based, zombie-obsessed, fledgling development studio wants to realize that future, virtually, and give you the keys to a whole new life in a State of Decay.
13 years ago
More MOBA know-how from Guardians of Middle-earth
Thanks to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions and their ongoing efforts of to get your MOBA skills up to snuff, the fourth video in their MOBA Mastery guide is available for your dissection. The video series, aimed at exploring the genre in broad strokes and progressively finer detail in preparation for the December 5 launch of Guardians of Middle-earth, continues to peel away another layer of strategy this week. Like an unending, informative, Tolkienian onion.
13 years ago
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD Revert Pack DLC hits December 5
After multiple setbacks, Tony Hawk fans will be able to finally get their mitts on the Revert Pack downloadable content. Launching December 4 for 400 MSP, the pack includes three levels from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3: Airport, LA and Canada. When playing each of these levels players will be able to perform a revert to keep their combos going a bit longer. Also included are professional skaters Steve Caballero and Geoff Rawley, plus newly announced Metallica band members James Hetfield (seen above) and Robert Trujillo (after the jump).
Now that the Revert Pack has an official date, we can’t help but look back to our recent poll about what levels should be included in future DLC. College and Kona were clear winners from Pro Skater 4, so as long as we’re on that note we’re hoping Jango Fett will be included, too. What levels and skaters (be the professional or guest) are you still waiting for?
13 years ago
Last chance to own over 50 spooky Minecraft skins; support a great cause
What’s better than new Minecraft skins? Halloween-themed Minecraft skins, of course. Oh, better than that? Halloween-themed Minecraft skins for charity? No? Halloween-themed Minecraft skins for FOUR charities?
That’s exactly what’s on the table in this, the final week, of Crafting for a Cause — the Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition event where all proceeds of the limited edition Halloween Skin Pack go directly to charity. Our friends over at PlayXBLA want you to know that Microsoft, 4J Studios and Mojang have selected four great causes, to which they’ll donate the full 160 MSP ($2) value of every pack sold.
In an amazing show of support, the Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition community has already purchased over $700,000 worth of the Halloween Skin Pack in the three short weeks this event has been running, but there’s still time to donate/get-your-hands-on-these-exclusive-skins. Each skin was handcrafted by the hardworking folks at some of the best development studios around, including: 343 Industries, Twisted Pixel, The Behemoth, Climax Studios, Rare, Tequila Works, Mojang and 4J Studios themselves.
In order to whet your appetite, XBLA Fans has lovingly compiled all 55 skins into easy to digest, alphabetically ordered slides for you to peruse at your leisure. Hit the jump for the goods. If even one of these great skins catches your eye, please consider purchasing the pack for 160 MSP before it’s too late! Crafting for a cause will continue to collect contributions until Monday, November 26. You really can make a difference!
13 years ago
The Walking Dead season finale launch trailer
Last week we got word that The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left would shuffle onto Xbox Live Arcade on November 21. In order to ease the anticipation, or maybe to crank it up, Telltale Games has released the above trailer for your…enjoyment? Note that the video contains strong language. If that’s not your speed, hit the jump to check out some screenshots from the upcoming season finale.
13 years ago
Magrunner pits magnets versus Cthulhu on Xbox Live Arcade
Life’s full of heated, bitter rivalries. Microsoft v. Sony. Chevy v. Ford. Pepsi v. Coke. Yet with the big names gobbling up most of the confrontational spotlight, 3AM Games has dared to strike out and ask the unlikely questions. Questions like, “Cthulhu and… magnetism?” The answer, it seems, is yes.
Magrunner, the first title from the independent studio, is a first-person action-adventure puzzler set in the near-future, developed on Unreal Engine 3. By harnessing the power of the Magtech glove, Magrunner aims to test your reflexes and your wits based on the simple principles of magnetism as you square off against the Cthulhu Mythos inspired by the works of the author, H.P. Lovecraft.
13 years ago
Mars: War Logs reveals first images from the martian surface
The first official screenshots from the upcoming sci-fi action RPG Mars: War Logs paint a pretty bleak picture. Developed by Spiders, best known around Xbox Live Arcade for Faery: Legends of Avalon, Mars takes place a century after a global catastrophe devastated the colonists of the red planet, who are now governed by perpetually warring corporations struggling to control the precious supply of water.
Players take on the role of Roy Temperance, a multi-talented renegade (the best kind of renegade) who’s story is intertwined within the “cyberpunk” narrative. By unlocking and upgrading dozens of perks and skills, players will be able to develop Roy’s fisticuffs prowess as he engages in real-time battles against the corporate overlords and the creatures of Mars. Players are also able customize their experience through equipment crafting and a decision-driven plot that will purportedly impact the future of Roy, the many characters he encounters and the very future of Mars.
Walking Dead player choice video posted for episode four (spoilers)
As the first season of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead nears its conclusion, the developer invites players to see how their decisions from episode four, Around Every Corner, stack up against the community as a whole, just as they have with the other three episodes. See the jump for more – but be warned, spoilers for episode four abound.