The ROFLCOPTER

Diablo III releasing 'early 2012'

2011-09-24T15:39:00.000-04:00

Just three days ago, Blizzard Entertainment brought good news to Diablo III fans in the form of the launch of the closed beta for the action role-playing game. Now, the California-based developer has some less-than-wonderful information to share: Diablo III will not ship in 2011, as had been previously suggested. Instead, the game is now scheduled to find its way to stores in "early 2012," according to Blizzard.

Gamers will have to wait a little longer than hoped to get their Demon Hunter on.

Activision Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime explained that the studio was "hopeful" that the game would ship in 2011, but ultimately that launch window became impossible to meet. "This week we pulled together people from all of the teams involved with the game to decide whether we felt it would be ready before the end of December, and we grudgingly came to the conclusion that it would not," he explained.

According to Morhaime, the extra time will afford Blizzard the opportunity to add "further polish to a few different elements of the game" and open the beta to more users than was originally planned. Gamers interested in opting in to the beta for Diablo III can visit Battle.net.

Diablo III is the first title in the series since 2001's Diablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion and will add a variety of new features, character classes, and a new auction house system designed as "a new way for the company to pull revenues from the game."

DICE EXPLAINS WHY THERE’S NO COMMANDER IN BATTLEFIELD 3

2011-09-24T01:30:00.000-04:00

THE BUZZ: Dice has explained their reasons for not including a commander in the upcoming Battlefield 3.

Karl-Magnus Troedsson, General Manager at DICE, discussed the teams decision with Gamepur at the Eurogamer Expo. “When the dev team sat down and thought about this, the Commander role was a very important and hot topic in the studio I have to say, some people wanted us to implement it in the absolute same way as we had before; some of us wanted us to reinvigorate how we do it,” he said. “I don’t know how many people have tried to play as a Commander in Battlefield 2, but it’s kind of a strange experience. Everyone agrees that that actual role of the Commander is very, very cool. But the problem is that only one person per team could play it, and it was always the highest ranking one.”

“But even for the people that played as a Commander, the first thing they did was what? They ran off to a corner somewhere and lay down there and tried to hide so the Spec Ops guy wouldn’t find them when he was going to blow up the installations. There was something very cool about the Commander role and there was also something a bit flawed, we have to say.”

EGM’s TAKE: We believe that although the commander was a key part of Battlefield 2, the decision to remove it was a good move in terms of game balance on DICE’s part.

Forza Motorsport 4 Video Preview (Xbox 360)

2011-09-24T00:30:00.001-04:00

Battlefield 3 DLC mobilizing on PS3 first

2011-09-24T00:30:00.000-04:00

Microsoft has already launched its bid to capture the lion's share of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players, teaming with Activision to offer timed-exclusive access to add-on content. It's fitting, then, that Sony would be putting its weight behind Modern Warfare 3 rival Battlefield 3, announcing today that all expansions for the EA-published military shooter will debut on the PlayStation 3.

The lines of battle have been drawn.

Beginning with the Back to Karkand add-on, all Battlefield 3 expansion packs will have a one-week timed-exclusivity window on the PS3. Due later this year, the Back to Karkand expansion features multiplayer environments from the PC-exclusive Battlefield 2, such as Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, and the Sharqi Peninsula, all updated for the Frostbite 2 engine.

Yesterday, EA confirmed that a multiplayer beta test for Battlefield 3 will commence on September 29 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Those who preorder the PC edition of the game through EA's digital storefront Origin will be able to get into the action beginning September 27, as will those who preordered the Limited Edition of EA's 2010 military shooter, Medal of Honor. The beta window will close on October 10.

Players will be able to play the game's Rush mode on the Operation Metro map, set in the subways of Paris. The Rush mode has two teams fighting over key strategic points on the map, with one squad designated as attackers and the other ordered to protect the locations.

Battlefield 3--which EA says has been in development for three years--will sport both a single-player campaign and an online component, which can be played with up to 64 players (for the PC version only). It will also support co-op play for its campaign and will let gamers pilot jets, among other vehicles.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - A Hero's Guide to Amalur (Xbox 360)

2011-09-23T01:30:00.000-04:00

Exclusive Max Payne 3 Story Q&A

2011-09-23T00:30:00.000-04:00

Like most high-profile sequels, the debut trailer for Max Payne 3 stirred up quite a strong reaction from fans of the series when it was released last week. While the trailer answered a number of questions about the titular antihero, it seemed to result in raising even more questions in the process. Why is Max in Brazil? Is the game moving away from noir storytelling? Why exactly does Max think shaving his head is a good look? To answer some of those questions, we recently spoke with Rockstar VP of product development Jeronimo Barrera. So have a look at the trailer below and read on for Barrera's answers.

GameSpot: Now that we've seen the Max Payne 3 trailer, it seems pretty clear that things have changed for Max after the events of Max Payne 2. Can you bridge that gap for us? How much time has elapsed between the two games? How did Max end up leaving the department, and law enforcement, entirely?

Jeronimo Barrera: Quite a few years have passed between the events of Max Payne 2 and Max Payne 3. While we're not going to get into too much detail just yet, Max has [spent] most of that time drinking and trying to forget what he's been through. Much like Max's own state of mind, we're going to keep things a little hazy for now. We can, though, say that we feel his career in law enforcement in America was rendered pretty much impossible by the events in Max Payne 2. We wanted to make a game that would please fans of the originals and be accessible to newcomers. As the games are so old now, plenty of people who would like Max were simply not gaming back in 2003 (and, yes, we are depressed by how old we are getting!). There are, of course, plenty of great shooters out there, but the game's combination of urban and criminal setting, the cinematic third-person action that is at the heart of the game, and the really amazing character that is Max are still a pretty unique proposition.

GS: The most noticeable change from previous games is simply the new setting. Tell us about how Max ended up in Brazil, of all places. The trailer makes it sound like he's a hired gun now. Who is it that Max is working for these days? What is his employer's line of work?

JB: Max came to Brazil as a foreigner hoping to gain work as a freelancer in executive security--a job that is often the last resort for former/disgraced cops. But, of course, in true Max Payne tradition, nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Max finds his way to Brazil through an opportunity offered by Raul Passos, an old associate from his early days in the NYPD. Both he and Passos work as security for Rodrigo Branco and his family. Rodrigo is a real estate mogul, and his family is very connected to the political and social scene in Sao Paulo. Of course, Max has a lot of history in New York and a lot of bad memories he is hoping to leave behind. In Sao Paulo, Max encounters a city, which will feel both very alien--he does not even speak the language--and very familiar. It's massive, super modern with a massive contrast between rich and poor, big gang problems, political corruption, and huge buildings. Not that different from the New York he knew.

GS: The storytelling in previous games was very much rooted in neo-noir style and techniques. The trailer for Max Payne 3 suggests you might be moving in a different stylistic direction. Is that right?

JB: No, not at all right. The game is very true to the original games in terms of gameplay, aesthetics, and visual and narrative themes, although [it's] updated to take advantage of the past nine years of game development. For us, noir is not about a place (and if it were, that place would surely be Los Angeles, not New York) but about a particular visual style and a kind of story and characterization telling that has a certain hard-boiled cynicism, plenty of twists, and a sense of decay and depravity. Yes, it has moved from a wet or snowy corrupt vision of New York to a sometimes wet and equally corrupt vision of a booming modern-day Brazil, but I don't think they are otherwise that different.

The goal with the trailer was to set the scene for a new chapter in Max's story; one that would make sense both from a thematic point of view and from the point of view of Max's character arc. Staying true to each core element of Max was always a major focus, and that's actually something that we discussed with Remedy during development, and they've been extremely supportive of our work.

As we start showing more of the game, you'll see that we aren't moving away from those styles and techniques at all, and we've come up with what we think is an interesting interpretation of classic noir. Noir is about much more than location; it's a visual approach and a thematic style. It's also a huge part of what makes Max Payne unique.

Throughout development, we have always worked to maintain and evolve the elements that have made the Max Payne series so beloved and so groundbreaking. Through bullet time, Max Payne brought the gunplay of Hong Kong action movies into games in a way that had never been done before. This was in many ways more of a key element of Max even than its noir styling…its incredible movie-style action. And we have really worked hard to evolve this into something that feels incredibly visceral and fresh.

It wasn't just the gameplay that was unique and new: Max's iconic internal monologue and the use of graphic novel cutscenes were also signature elements of the game. All these things are present in some way or other in Max Payne 3, along with several other elements from the original games. Although all have evolved significantly since the last game, as it would be odd if they hadn't! What looked great in 2003 sometimes does not always look so perfect in 2011. Max was always about an incredibly rich cinematic style of both presentation and gameplay, and we tried hard to make sure it still feels very cutting edge.

GS: The trailer makes Max Payne 3 look very different from the previous games, which focused on gritty, urban shoot-outs in and around New York City. The new game looks a lot more colorful and seems to have a lot more variety in environments. Max looks like he'll be doing more work outdoors and even some jungle operations. Can you tell us more about that?

JB: While we've revealed the setting as Sao Paulo, the game stays true to all the fundamentals of the first two games, from the noir themes and visuals to James McCaffrey's iconic voice-over and even a version of the graphic-novel-style panels. Sao Paulo is the largest city in the southern hemisphere and every bit as dark, grimy, and at times depressing as New York. And while the favelas may be the most recognizable part of the city, the game explores a lot more of the surrounds, from the luxury high-rises of downtown to the favelas and beyond.

And while Sao Paulo may be a more colorful place in the daytime, it's a very different story at night. The game will live up to the heritage of Max Payne; it's as dark and as twisted as ever. The only thing we changed was the story, which now takes place over a few weeks, and there are some levels set in the day. This was only because the story we wanted to tell could not realistically be told in a single night. There are, however, enough rain-sodden, pitch-dark nights in the game to satisfy the most ardent fan of dark and wet locations.

Sao Paulo is an intriguing backdrop for Max, as it's a city with a lot of unique juxtapositions. There's vast wealth living side by side with real poverty and whole communities that are protected by guerilla forces. Many people are caught between a rock and a hard place--trusting corrupt lawmakers and police or placing their safety in the hands of drug lords.

The darkness and chaos of the city and its problems resonate well with Max's own inner demons. Alongside some amazing locations in Brazil, Max will also find himself in some familiar locations, but we'll share more about that later this year.

GS: While the first images of Max Payne 3 showed the new Max as being bald (and led many of us to believe that he might be much, much older and losing his hair), the trailer clearly shows a different image. Why does Max shave his own head?

JB: While a few years have passed, Max is not too much older than he was in Max Payne 2, and the scene of Max shaving his head comes at a pivotal point in the story that in many ways echoes similar moments in the earlier games. At that point, Max is very much out of his depth. Max has always been described as a man on the edge, and he's often confronted by lose-lose situations that are beyond his control. In a moment of desperation, he decides that the best way to confront his enemies is to change his appearance. Whether his motives are rational--or borderline mental--is up for debate! In his own way, Max is probably the most tortured and put upon of all game heroes, and we really wanted to show the impact of all that suffering and angst on his hard-bitten but lonely personality and how that suffering has impacted his behavior.

GS:Thanks for your time.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Exclusive Multiplayer Trailer (PlayStation 3)

2011-09-22T01:30:00.000-04:00

That Old College Try

2011-09-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

Rising up from their cities beneath the earth, the asura prove, time and time again, the old adage ”Difficulty is just another word for opportunity.“ From their humble beginnings among the ruins of the Tarnished Coast, the asura have risen to prominence. Their magical gates connect the major cities of Tyria, and their intelligence makes them an ally to be respected—or an enemy to be feared.

In the depths, surrounded by the very foundations of Tyria, a battle was raging.
Impact rocked the narrow passage, sending showers of earth and pebbles scattering along the uneven floor. Screeching, high-pitched sound filled the corridor, shaking more dust loose with every bone-jarring pulse and waver. Flattening his ears close to his neck, Dlixx dashed through the wreckage with his dicrystalline etherizer close at hand.
“I know you’re coming, Dlixx!” a voice shouted from up ahead, barely rising over the din. “I’m a sonographic engineer! Did you think I wouldn’t hear you? Ha!”
Dlixx saw the wave approaching before it hit him—a wobbly-looking motion in the air that signaled the solid wash of sound. He dove behind a boulder, but the assault struck him even as he leapt for cover. With a waft of terrible, howling, whining cacophony, the sound wave spun him end over end until he slammed against the cavern wall. “Whumph!” he grunted, but the noise of his protest was lost amid the din.
“See that?” the voice shouted again. “Nothing’s getting through my sonopath! Whoever holds it is immune to it, and skritt have delicate ears! You hear me? DELICATE…”
Dlixx rolled out into the hallway, etherizer pointed, focused, and ready. The ball of crystal at its end flared with a strange, pinkish gleam, and then a light shot toward the end of the hallway.
“…EAR…oh…ears…oomph…” The voice faded, and then there was the thud of an unconscious body hitting the stone floor.
Seizing his opportunity, Dlixx shoved the etherizer into his belt and raced forward. Leaping over barriers made of stone, debris, and broken furniture, he landed solidly over an unconscious asura woman, still twitching a bit from the effects of the etherizer ray. Hanging on her back above her was a half-cocked sonic generator, modified from bits and pieces of an original dredge rig.
“If I hadn’t had earplugs, that would have killed me. Not bad, Poizi.” Dlixx reached up and pulled the torque abjurer from the sonic generator, deactivating the device. He paused to breathe on the copper-colored abjurer and polish it against his sleeve as the machine wound down. Once the noise faded, he popped the earplugs out of his ears and smiled. “But not good enough.” He snapped the abjurer in half and peered inside curiously.
“No…” Poizi managed, her voice wavery with the aftereffects of his etherizer. “My sonopath will get me out of here. I don’t want to die…”
“I’m not taking your gadget.” Dlixx pushed the abjurer into Poizi’s pocket. “I came to get something else.” Carefully, Dlixx reached down and removed her left shoe. With cautious hands, he tucked it away into his knapsack. Pausing to stare at her, he bent down a second time and also took the long scarf Poizi wore around her neck. “This too, I think…” Dlixx muttered.
“Why couldn’t you leave me alone?” Poizi moaned, her eyes rolling in half-conscious annoyance. “Just go away!”
Dlixx stood, drawing his coat close around his body. “You’re a member of my krewe, Poizi,” he snarled. “Did you expect me to forget that?” With a dismissive snort, he turned, drew his dicrystalline etherizer into his hand once more, and vanished away into the dark passages of the earth.

Primordus

The coming of the Great Destroyer, the herald of the Elder Dragon Primordus, may have shocked the surface of the world, but it did far more damage below. Although a group of stalwart heroes had defeated the herald and forestalled the Elder Dragon’s awakening, its destroyers remained, and the damage they caused was titanic. The dwarves, responding to an ancient call, performed the Rite of the Great Dwarf and turned themselves to stone in order to fight their age-old enemy. Yet they were not the only ones to fight against the destroyers in the deep caverns beneath the earth.

Prior to the rise of the destroyers, the asura were the predominant race in the Depths of Tyria. They lorded their status over all others, and fought primarily against the skritt—creatures that the asura considered (then and now) to be hideous, dangerous vermin. The destroyers were the first enemy in generations that had not fallen easily to the combined intelligence and magical prowess of the asura. Their Arcane Council assumed it was simply a matter of time before the destroyers were annihilated by asuran skill and acumen. It was hubris that caused the downfall of their underground civilization; thousands of years to build, but only a handful of moments to vanish in the wake of the Elder Dragon’s power.

Yet the defeat of the Great Destroyer did not prevent the eventual awakening of the Elder Dragon, only delayed it. Approximately fifty years after his herald was defeated, Primordus awakened—this time, for good. Its minions now spread through the Depths, eradicating many subterranean races whose names are now only known through asuran records and tales. The races which survived the constant battles were forced to leave behind their deep-dwelling cities and rebuild closer to the surface. By this time, the asuran refugees had already established themselves on the surface, regrouping and recreating their culture in this new world, building the city of Rata Sum.

The Arcane Council

From time immemorial, asura have been builders and inventors, utilizing magic as other races used simple tools. Although not as old a race as the dwarves, they were a far more active one, spending their time on constant invention, experimentation, and the dissection of magic itself. According to the records of the eldest archivists of their race, there were at least six cities as large and grand as Rata Sum in the asura-dominated lands beneath the surface, though none survived into the modern age. While other races insist that the legends of such massive capitals as Quora Sum are far-fetched and exaggerated, the asura tersely reply that the other races are simply too dim to comprehend the grandeur they lost.

The asura are led by the Arcane Council, a brain trust that is said to be comprised of the best and brightest minds in the nation. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that most asura are far more interested in being inventors than bureaucrats, and the Arcane Council is all too often made up of those who ran the slowest when an opening was announced. The current Arcane Council rules from the city of Rata Sum, and is led by High Councilor Flax. Among his cabinet are prestigious inventors, well-known diplomats, and the deans of each of the three asuran colleges.

All asura begin as apprentices in their parents’ laboratories, assisting with various projects from the moment they can stand on their own (or lean against a crystalline transmogrifier). When they reach an age where they are arguing with their parents more than they are helping (usually fairly young), they are apprenticed to an asura master within one of the three colleges. That master is responsible for the student’s education up until the time they graduate and join a krewe of their own. Through this traditional apprentice system, adolescent asura gain a well-rounded education, and their advisors receive unpaid (if not always perfectly competent) laboratory interns. Even after they complete their indenture, asura hold a fierce loyalty toward their alma maters, often claiming that the magical theories of one are the basis of the other two.

Krewes

The cultural system of the asura is both highly organized and extremely flexible. Their society consists of individuals who come together to accomplish greater tasks. This is their krewe system: a project will form, and the leader will call together (or hire) those most useful or capable until the project is finished. An asura’s krewe is usually temporary; lasting as long as the project requires, and then breaking up when they have completed whatever task they were performing. These krewes often stay in touch, forming and reforming with individuals they know and respect, and avoiding those whom they don’t get along with or find substandard.

Because asura are judged by their reputation and craftiness, they often choose a specialty within their college training. An asura will seek to be well known as the foremost authority on that topic, in the hopes of acquiring a position on cutting-edge krewes, performing greater and more challenging tasks.

Earth rumbled and moved, displacing itself, churning in ever-growing spirals of shattered stone. Behind the gyratic earthcarver, Nimm pushed and grunted, struggling to shove the implement more quickly through the wall. It was larger than he, coiled to a point at the fore and flat at the rear like the stylized claw of some giant beast—or like that massive tooth the idiot norn worshipped up in the frozen mountains. Nimm scowled, shoving with all his might as the cone-shaped digging device rolled and rocked and did its work.
With each shove, the earthcarver dug forward and Nimm crawled after, not caring if the passage behind him was half-sealed with rubble in his wake. That would be a defense against anything sneaking up behind him. A genius idea! Phoo on the rest of them, those idiots in that cogs-cursed krewe. He was getting himself out!
A shudder rippled through the ground, shaking Nimm so badly that it tilted his trajectory three degrees to the south. He cursed and quickly flipped the earthcarver off to investigate. Had he overloaded the joint welders? Flooded the arcanolog? Nothing. Maybe the problem was with the talismantic stabilizer…
Another shudder. That one definitely wasn’t caused by his machine. Nimm pushed his goggles up onto his forehead, listening carefully, his black eyes narrowing against the single clean strip of skin across his face. “Poizi’s stupid sonopath,” he guessed. “Idiot. She’ll just draw attention! Better to sneak along and not be noticed…”
Turning the earthcarver on again, Nimm put his shoulder to the rear harness and shoved with all his might. With a mighty effort, he drove the spinning drill through the next layer of rock. As the stone cracked and fell apart, Nimm cheered—only to turn his cry into a scream as the rock, earthcarver and all—suddenly tipped forward with a burst of unimpeded speed.
“No!” he screamed, grabbing for the handles on the rear of the machine. “A cavern! My calculations must have been off—I should still be in pyromorphic stooooooone!” The sound of chittering rose and swelled beyond the opening as the ground crumbled beneath him, threatening to collapse completely. Forced to release the handles to save his own life, Nimm scrambled backward—but found himself quickly trapped by the rubble he’d left in his wake. Thick cracks splintered the foundation, and Nimm saw his fate spread out before him—a blanket of thousands of skritt, and all of the little monsters were staring up at the fresh new hole in their city wall. Across the big cavern, Nimm could see the twinkle of daylight. A way out!
But he’d never get there—even if he didn’t fall to his doom, there were easily a thousand rodent men in the way.
The stone cracked and groaned, Just as the last shards of rock holding him up collapsed, a rope—no, a scarf!—flumphed down to hang in the air beside him. “Poizi!” Nimm gasped, reaching for it with joy. He clung desperately to the thin thread of hope as the earthcarver toppled down to shatter on the floor of the skritt city-cave.
“Poizi!” Nimm scrambled up the scarf to a ledge farther up the wall. Crawling over the lip, he faced the asura there with glee. “You saved me! I knew that being on the same krewe still meant something to you, Poizi…” With a gasp, Nimm froze. “You!”
Dlixx smiled, leveling the dicrystalline etherizer. “If I shoot you with this, you’ll topple down into our vicious little friends. You know how clever they are when they’re all bunched up like that—and there’s never been as many of them together as there are here in Skrittsburgh, I’ll wager.”
Slowly, Nimm raised his hands in a gesture of submission. “Master Boikk didn’t know what he was doing, coming down here. We don’t have to end up like him!”
“I’m afraid we do. Now, give me your shoe, and I’ll be on my way.”
Gulping, Nimm shook his head. “I won’t help you. Whatever you’re doing, you won’t get away with it, Dlixx. One of us will make it to the surface.”
“One of us already has.” With that, Dlixx pulled the trigger, and the ball of crystal flared. Nimm’s body tensed, arching—but at the last moment, Dlixx grabbed the other asura by the belt and jerked him away from the open height. Below, a thousand bright eyes flashed viciously in the darkness, and a thousand hissing whispers echoed against the stone.
Leaning Nimm’s unconscious body safely against the cavern wall, Dlixx slid off Nimm’s left shoe and shoved it into his belt-bag with the one he’d taken from Poizi. “Only one member of the krewe left,” he muttered, checking a tracking light on his bracer. “No time to waste.”

The College of Statics

Those asura who join the College of Statics are builders, and they build to last, specializing in permanent structures and large-scale projects. These asura tend to be more conservative and cautious in nature; they believe in measuring twice, cutting once, and measuring again. They are thoughtful and analytical, and enjoy research as well as practical application. Prominent graduates of the college include the inventors of the magicomagnetic levitation stones, which the asura use as power sources for their larger structures. They refer to their college as a concrete thing, a living formation of rock and structure that is continually added to and subtracted from, by the works of alumni and students alike. These asura make construction golems, drilling machines, and anything else that solidly moves. They are the hubs within the Eternal Alchemy, the solid foundation of posts, supports and axels upon which the cogs can turn.

Creations of the College of Statics: positional relays, quasi-enchantment aligners, theosophy scopes, metasurvey incantations, cross-incantation braces, levitation buttresses.

The College of Dynamics

The asura of the College of Dynamics are best understood as the gizmo makers. Masters of swift, innovative problem solving, they tend to produce items that last only as long as they are necessary in order to make the next intuitive leap. They are energetic, enthusiastic, and impulsive, tending to start projects before researching the possible results. They love to figure out how other races do things in order to…appropriate…and improve upon that magical theory for their own purposes. An experiment is only a failure, their advisors say, if you don’t learn anything from it. When a member of the college speaks of his alma mater, they typically are speaking of the body of work, experiments, and thought that form a mental picture of the college’s achievements—the overall innovations that they have provided to the world. In the Eternal Alchemy, they are most often referred to as the tooth-gears and mainsprings of the universe.

Creations of the College of Dynamics: canoptic enhancers, lunographic fasteners, torque abjurers, enigmaticons, karmic pressure gauges, kinetic spellchurns, magiphysical armatures.

The College of Synergetics

Within the College of Synergetics, asura are all about shaping energy and building connections. Here you can find the more mystical thinkers, those who study the raw matter of magic itself and disdain the solidity of the functional world. They are often more philosophical in bent, and are very used to dealing with political and social theory. These asura are interested in how patterns form, how errors propagate, and how chaos forms rational systems. Unfortunately, this dedicated study to psychology also leads them to be more secretive—even among themselves—as they believe they know how everyone else’s mind works…and those minds are out to get them! Even the greatest of this college’s alumni can tend to be a little shortsighted, devising ethereal plans and constructing psychological reasoning without actually venturing out of their laboratories for concrete tests. When a member of the college speaks of his alma mater, they typically are speaking of the social structures they’ve created through their tutelage, their connections, and the body of asura who consider themselves a ”college” of like minds.

Creations of the College of Synergetics: quantagrams, di-polar spell matrices, conjuration vertices, prestimystic readouts, mojonic control rods, self-restricting enchant loops.

Tick…tick…tick…
Volla knelt by the spherical hydrocadabric distillery, pushing her long, coiled braids back as she tweaked the dials and reset the aura transversers. She hummed to herself, her body swaying back and forth as she checked and double-checked each one with the remote in her hand to be certain it was just right.
Dlixx’s hand squeezed tightly on the handle of his dicrystalline ethoriter. The bomb was complete, pretriggered, and she’d used more than enough crystalline pyretics to level the entire layer—but he was in luck.
She’d left her boots on the table near the door.
“Ten, ten… No, no. This one goes to eleven! There we are.” She grinned, showing long rows of razor-sharp teeth.
“All right, Volla,” Dlixx called out from the hidden aperture in the floor of the subterranean cavern, keeping his tone smooth and overly gentle. “Stand up slowly. Back away, toward me, and keep your hands in the air.” She spun—far more quickly than he thought was safe, and Dlixx winced. That distillery was explosive, by the Alchemy!
“Dlixx!” she squealed delightedly, shoving the remote into her vest. “I thought you were dead like old…uhm…what’s-his-name.”
“Master Boikk,” he supplied grimly. “No, Boikk’s just fine. He used a personal transporter the moment we stumbled onto the skritt city.”
“Personal transporter?” Volla mused, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Her coiled braids swayed gently around well-shaped and smoothly moving ears. “That’s a Snaff device, isn’t it? Hmph. Boikk was such an idea thief.” She raised a hand and stroked her ears lightly, letting the tips of her fingers press gently over her delightfully wide forehead…
“Eyes on the prize, Dlixx!” he snarled to himself, trying not to let her know he’d been staring.
Too late. Volla winked.
“Come on, Dlixx. You know full well it’s every asura for herself down here.” She took a winsome step toward him, and he could smell the intoxicating aroma of fuel oil and particulate ozone. “I could take you with me, if you like. We were on the same krewe, after all.”
Shaking himself out of it, he raised his ethoriter, again with a snap. “We were. But if I let you set off that distillery, we’ll be on the same dead krewe.”
“Come on. Climb on top of it with me. I’ve set up a jail platform.” She took another step toward him, her eyes brilliant and filled with a thousand complex mathematical equations. “A force bubble will surround us, the distillery will go off, and we’ll be shot straight up to the surface without so much as a scuffle on your broad…” another step, “cosmonetic…” another step, and now her lips were inches from his, “…toolbox.”
With a swift movement, Volla snatched the ethoriter out of his hand and stepped back. “Fool!” she said victoriously. “I win!”
“There was only room for one on that jail platform, wasn’t there, Volla?” Dlixx asked sadly as she backed away, still holding the weapon fiercely toward his face. “You never even considered taking anyone else along. When you set off that distillery, it’ll collapse the caverns. If the skritt don’t kill us, your bomb will!”
“Like I care!” she snapped. “I’m the genius here. Me, not you, and not those other simpletons. When I get back to Rata Sum, I’ll tell them how bravely you and all the others died when we discovered this massive infestation, and I’ll be sure to explain to Master Boikk that it’s in his best interest he give me the credit—or I’ll ruin the wither-brain for not realizing the rats were here in the first place!” Still holding his ethoriter, she grinned and leapt to the distillery platform as if she were standing atop the world.
“Now, all I have to do is press the button on my remote…” Volla fumbled in her vest.
“This remote?” Dlixx held it up.
“You!” She leveled the ethoriter and fired—and a lovely mist of lavender-scented vapor shot out, perfuming the room. “Give me that back! I can’t set off the distillery without it!” she wailed.
As pleasantly scented smoke filled the area, Dlixx yelled, “You never could tell the difference between a dicrystalline ethoriter and a dicrystalline etherizer, Volla!” Taking advantage of the mist and the distance between them, Dlixx snatched one of Volla’s boots from the table and dropped down through the aperture, fleeing into the caverns below.

The Inquest

Although not actually a college, the Inquest is the largest krewe in asuran culture, and is a relatively new organization.

Where traditional asura training goes through an apprenticeship at one of the three colleges, the Inquest has begun a system of corporate training that is structured rather like a series of progressive aptitude tests. When an asura can pass a test, she is immediately given the next, and her clearance among the Inquest is upgraded accordingly. This leads to a great deal of cheating, of course—both for and against the aspirants.

An asura never graduates from the Inquest, as they do from the other colleges of the asura. Once you join the megakrewe, you’re a member for life… even if the other Inquest members are forced to make sure that life is a necessarily short one. An aspirant is given a krewe assignment and expected to work on their individual task regardless of whether they understand that task’s purpose in the greater schema. They sacrifice their own desires for the greater good of the Inquest’s body of knowledge, like it or not.

The Inquest combines the strengths of the various college disciplines, but they use only what they need, abandoning deeper understanding of those theories in favor of a quick and profitable return. They are more than willing to burn out their young inventors, souring them on their work, rather than waste time with rest—an unprofitable accounting of time.

Unlike the three asuran colleges, which delight in sharing newly completed discoveries (if only to victoriously rub them in one another’s faces), the Inquest do not share their information beyond the Inquest itself. Indeed, they occasionally even go so far as to sabotage the promising research of college krewes that impinges upon what the Inquest sees as proprietary design.

Where the colleges see power as a useful tool toward understanding the Eternal Alchemy—the Inquest sees power as a goal in and of itself. Inquest founders looked upon the amount of knowledge lost when Quora Sum was wiped out by the destroyers, and judged such a signal drop to be complete anathema to their purposes. Gathering information in its pure, crystalline form is their intention, and they will stop at nothing less than the sum of all knowledge. Indeed, the ultimate goal of Inquest research is to achieve control of the Eternal Alchemy, and with it, all of Tyria.

Dlixx crouched at the base of the golem, slowly inserting each shoe into its canoptic non-abstract analyzation bay. Four shoes in all, one from each member of his krewe followed by his own, slid down the gullet of the mighty—if rough-hewn—stone defender.
“Pro-cess-ing,” the golem chirruped, its voice bubbling up, raw and scratchy, from the gleaming crystal epicenter. “Pro-cess-ing.”
“Un-der-stood. Targets ac-quir-ed.”
Dlixx stood up and patted the golem with a wide smile, wincing only slightly as his affectionate tap caused a shingle of stone to fall off. He quickly reattached it. “Come on, BeMM. Time to show your stuff,” Dlixx said, the golem stepping forward, its massive armaments aglow in the dimness of the underground.
By the time they burst out into the main skritt cavern, it was already a free-for-all. The wargolem’s crystals flashed and shimmered, bolts flying in every direction. It was a rabid explosion of destruction, uncontrolled and completely unhampered by any attempt at silly things like aiming or conservation of energy.
On the ledge above, Poizi and Nimm screamed. Bolts flew through them, striking them solidly, but where skritt toppled over, steaming and squirming, the two asura suffered no damage at all. “What’s going on?” Nimm howled, curling his hands around his goggles . “How’s he doing that?”
Poizi pointed to the entrance where Dlixx and BeMM stood. The wargolem’s arms spun wildly as rays radiated through the mass of skritt. “I don’t care! Just run!” Using her scarf to slide down into the huge cavern, Poizi and Nimm fled past the terrified, twitching rat-folk. Within moments, Dlixx saw them climb up the far wall and through the opening, into the sunlight above.
“So that’s why you needed the shoes,” Volla murmured behind him. Her voice sent shivers up his spine, even more than the howling and shrieking of the rodent men. “They’ve got our sweat in them. You used that matter—part of ourselves—to attune the golem’s rays so it wouldn’t hurt us. Inspired.”
Dlixx shot her a glance, but did not answer, a smarmy grin curling his lips.
“You could have gotten out anytime,” she pressed, stepping closer as pinkish rays flew all around them. “Why? Why help us? Because we were all on Master Boikk’s krewe?”
“You don’t stop being on a krewe till the job’s done. The job was to come down here, measure the resonant spellpower, and then return. We hadn’t returned,” Dlixx said and shrugged. “Krewe is krewe.”
“Was that your only reason?”
“That…” he agreed, “and the fact that now, every single one of you will be forced to praise the asura whose invention saved your lives.” He puffed up, spinning his dicrystalline etherizer around one finger with an expert touch. “Dlixx, inventor of the Better Mousetrap Mass-Trauma Wargolem, graduate of the College of Dynamics, bane of skritt everywhere.”
“Me.”

PlayStation Network hit with outages

2011-09-21T17:49:00.001-04:00

Following the PlayStation Network's massive data breach and six-week downtimebeginning in April, gamers are understandably skittish when it comes to downtime for Sony's online service. Alarm bells have sounded today, as Sony is currently experiencing unspecified technical issues that have brought PSN down.

PSN service restoration currently stands at TBD.

In a post to Sony Computer Entertainment America's Twitter feed, the electronics company acknowledged the outage but offered no additional comment on the matter. "We're aware that some of you are having issues trying to log into PSN. We're working to resolve the issue, and we'll update you here," Sony said around 9 a.m. PT.

Sony's European arm has reported similar network outages. "We're aware that PSN is currently unavailable and working with the technicians to find out when it will be restored. Apologies," Sony Europe said through its Twitter feed at around 8 a.m. PT. Three hours later, the studio offered an update on the situation, stating, "PlayStation Network engineers are working hard on restoring the service. However, we have no news on when it will be back online."

GameSpot has experienced hit-and-miss connectivity with the PSN this morning, with some editors' accounts unable to access the service and others experiencing suboptimal connection speeds. Sony had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment on the matter as of press time.

[UPDATE] Downtime notwithstanding, PSN users can breathe a sigh of relief, as Sony America has updated its Twitter feed to say that the service has now been brought back online. "PSN update: If you encountered issues logging in today, try logging in now. Apologies for the inconvenience!" Sony did not reveal a cause for today's network outages. (Because they were probably fucking hacked... again)

DICE EXPLAINS WHY OPERATION METRO WAS THE MAP CHOSEN FOR THE BATTLEFIELD 3 BETA

2011-09-21T15:43:00.002-04:00

THE BUZZ: Daniel Matros, Community Manager for Battlefield 3, has explained the developers’ reasons behind choosing the Operation Metro map for the beta.

“The Alpha was very important from a server side of view. Now we´re in Beta. Not only does the server side need to be tested but also the complete game client,” he said. This called for the team to pick just one map for the beta, Operation Metro, “we have already showed this map and made some big changes to it to enhance gameplay as well as get it more fluent than in the Alpha.”

He finished by saying, “If you feel that this isn’t the right map for you, then perhaps we don’t really agree on what maps we want to see. Other than that, I do hope people will have a great time playing it and will enjoy the Beta.”

EGM’s TAKE: We love the look of Operation Metro and we can’t wait to deploy on September 29th.

DETAILS ON REQUIREMENTS FOR EARLY BATTLEFIELD 3 BETA ACCESS ON EACH PLATFORM

2011-09-21T09:24:00.001-04:00

THE BUZZ: DICE has released the official entry requirements for early access to the Battlefield 3 beta on each platform.

The beta will run from September 29th – October 10th, however users who brought the Limited or Tier 1 Edition of Medal of Honor, or pre-ordered the game via Origin, will be able to access the beta on September 27th, 48 hours early. Here’s how to access the beta early on each platform if you meet those requirements:

Xbox 360

You will receive an email with instructions and your personal early access code.

PlayStation 3

The early access open beta will automatically appear for you in the PlayStation store, if you qualify.

Medal of Honor owners will receive an email with instructions and your personal early access code.

Origin Pre-Orders

You will receive an email from EA/DICE with instructions on your early access.

EGM’s TAKE: Don’t forget to check your email over the next week to ensure you don’t miss your code.

Do you qualify for early access?

The Real John Spartan

2011-09-21T09:02:00.003-04:00

Is Halo a rip-off of Demolition Man? In Demolition Man, the protagonist is a man named John Spartan, who gets cryogenically frozen and then is later thawed out when a threat arises that only he can pacify. In Halo, a man named John, who is a Spartan, gets thawed out from his cryogenic sleep in order to stop an alien menace that only he can quell. Both feature a female sidekick who annoys the protagonist at every turn, and has the ability to get inside the protagonist's head.

I could go on, but why bother? I've clearly made my point.

"But here's one difference... When Master Chief speaks, people can actually understand what the hell he's saying." lol

Gears of War 3

2011-09-21T06:57:00.000-04:00

Looks like Gamespot gave Gears 3 a 9.5 / 10 score. Are you serious? Am I the only one who does not enjoy Gears of War. The game doesn't allow you jump, the weapons are basic and the graphics aren't even the good (IMHO).

Personally I think it's just people over reacting like always.

Who knows, maybe my taste isn't that of a 15 year old. I enjoy a good RPG or even a better shooter (Battlefield over ANY other FPS).

Bah!!! I'm getting old. Where's my Atari 2600? Where's my Sashenka? *sigh* I miss her so dearly.

Diablo III Beta Gameplay Session (PC)

2011-09-21T06:54:00.001-04:00

Epic looking for studio to make Shadow Complex 2

2011-09-20T08:56:00.003-04:00

Earlier this year, the creative director at developer Chair Entertainment teased a sequel to the downloadable action game Shadow Complex, saying the sequel was a question of "if," not "when." It also might be a question of "how," as Cliff Bleszinski of Chair parent Epic Games told Gamasutra the company is looking for outside assistance to finish up a sequel.

Shadow Complex 2 was shelved for pretty simple reasons.

"Shadow Complex 2 is sitting there, it's actually largely designed, we just need to find a partner that will help us to finish it so we can bring it to market," Bleszinski told the site.

Chair Entertainment had begun work on the sequel but was pulled off the project in order to work on Infinity Blade, Epic Games' first offering on iOS platforms.

"We needed a flagship product for iOS, plain and simple," Bleszinski said of the decision to focus on Infinity Blade. "And we could have ported Shadow Complex, but it would have been a lot of work and it might not have been the right fit. And then Donald Mustard suggested Punch Out!! with swords with RPG layers and we were like, 'Yes!'"

When it launched on Xbox Live Arcade in 2009, Shadow Complex drew comparisons to Nintendo's Super Metroid line of 2D side-scrolling action adventure games. The game melds high-intensity shooting with exploration, as players gain new abilities that open up new areas, where more abilities can be found to unlock more areas, and so on.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Prestige Edition KIA

2011-09-20T08:54:00.003-04:00

History suggested that Activision would be offering a host of retail configurations for this year's installment in its blockbuster Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare 3. Not so, according to Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling.

Those holding out hope for a fully functional AK-47 BB gun in the Modern Warfare 3 Prestige Edition will be disappointed.

In a post to his Twitter feed today, Bowling confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will boast only one collector's-edition package: the $100 Hardened Edition. The game will also be available in a $60 standard-edition retail configuration on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, and it's due for release on November 8.

Out is the top-tier Prestige Edition. In previous years, the Prestige Edition of Call of Duty has cost $150 and included such perks as an operable remote-controlled vehicle modeled after the in-game RC-XD killstreak reward or a set of fully functioning night-vision goggles.

While the highest-end edition is on hiatus this year, Activision has upped the ante, along with the price, for Modern Warfare 3's collector's edition. The Hardened version of the game includes a free subscription to the Call of Duty: Elite platform, which features access to all pieces of downloadable content released for the game. The premium package also includes in-game exclusive themes, avatars, in-game markings, a field journal, and more.

Battlefield 3 Event: Early Deployment

2011-09-20T08:53:00.003-04:00

For those diehard fans of Battlefield 3, we have some exciting news!

GameSpot will be hosting a 48-player tournament at our downtown San Francisco office on Monday, September 26, and we want you to join us. We are reaching out to players and fans to check out our action live on the site. Our tournament play will begin at 5:30 p.m., and we hope to see many of your there. If you plan on making the trip to San Francisco, please visit the event page here get your ticket!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled Daily Report.

Start/Select - PS Vita Is Region-Free, Metal Gear Solid on 3DS

2011-09-20T08:50:00.001-04:00

The Gun Show - Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)

2011-09-19T09:03:00.001-04:00

Battlefield 3 TGS Gameplay Footage (Xbox 360)

2011-09-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

The Battle of Kyhlo – Jonathan Sharp on PvP

2011-09-18T01:22:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week Jon Peters talked about the core structure of PvP in Guild Wars 2. Today, I’d like to talk about the first map we’ll be revealing, the Battle of Kyhlo—a map you can play at the upcoming PAX and gamescom shows. Let’s break down the map, some general tactics and strategy, and how each class can help their team.

Key Map Locations

Capture points

Both teams will fight to control the 3 capture points:

The Windmill in the north
The Clocktower in the middle
The Mansion in the south

Every two seconds, each team will be awarded one point for every capture point under their control. By keeping control of these areas—and preventing your opponents from taking them—you will increase your score while denying the other team points. The game will end when a team reaches 500 points.

Team bases

The red team will spawn in the west base, and the blue team will spawn in the east base. This is where you will begin the game and—if you aren’t resurrected by an ally—where you will respawn after being killed.

Trebuchet

All PvP maps in Guild Wars 2 will feature what we call “secondary mechanics.” For the Battle of Kyhlo, the secondary mechanic is the trebuchet. Each team will have a treb that can be used to bombard enemies anywhere on the map—including the three capture points. The trebuchet attacks will cover a lot of ground and knock enemies back, so learning to use them well can be instrumental in winning a game. Each team’s treb can be destroyed by the opposition, and when this happens, a repair kit for the corresponding trebuchet will spawn.

Repair kits

If your team’s treb is destroyed, you can retrieve the repair kit, carry it back to the trebuchet, and use it to get the weapon working again. You can’t destroy or interact with the other team’s repair kit, but you’ll want to harass any foes carrying a repair kit back to their trebuchet. Weapons and skills are disabled for any player carrying a repair kit, so you’ll also want to protect the person carrying your team’s repair kit.

Importance of the Trebuchet

The power of artillery

The trebuchet has a huge area of damage and it also knocks back. It can be used to interrupt enemies trying to finish off your allies, or resurrect their teammates. The trebuchet can easily turn the tide of a fight where your allies are outnumbered.

Trebuchet control

You want to destroy your enemy’s trebuchet and protect your own. If either is destroyed, a corresponding repair kit will spawn, and they will need to get this bundle in the map, and then bring it back to the destroyed trebuchet. Be sure to escort your repair kit back to the treb if the enemy is stalking your trebuchet man, or be sure to keep them from repairing their own treb.

Map Strategy

Choke points

There are many gates and narrow passages throughout the map. If you have a character with strong area-of-effect skills, try to catch multiple enemies in these choke points. It will increase your effectiveness and ensure you’re getting more bang for your buck.

Line of Sight

Try to hide from enemies by breaking the line of sight. You can use structures to your advantage by hiding behind them, and by staying behind walls when sneaking up on an enemy. This is particularly useful when you’re trying to assault a capture point: Instead of heading directly into the area, approach it stealthily and you may catch your enemy off guard.

Destructible objects

There are many buildings and props that can be blown up. The major props (buildings and massive water pipes) can only be destroyed with trebuchet shots, but smaller props, such as barrels and crates, can be blown up with player skills. Paths that were closed at the beginning of the game may open up through the course of a match, so always be on the lookout for new shortcuts.

Mobility

Some skills will give you a boon called swiftness, which temporarily increases your base movement speed. Other skills allow you to leap forward, and these can be used to help you move quickly through the map.

“You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run.”
—The timeless Kenny Rogers

Flanking

Be sure that you don’t run into a 1v2 or 1v3 just because the enemy is holding a capture point you want to take. Instead, back off and go to another point, or wait for backup to arrive before advancing. Try to flank your enemies when they have a superior position, and be sure to press the advantage when you have them outnumbered at a certain location.

Professions

Now that we’ve covered some general tactics for the map, let’s break down each of the classes and look at how they can use their unique skill sets to best help their team achieve victory.

Warrior

Warriors are great at assaulting capture points and enduring long battles. They want to build adrenaline during a fight and then use it to explode for great effect. By using a shield, they can prolong their survivability in a fight, and they can also bring many utility skills that help them to remove conditions and absorb damage. Conversely, warriors can focus on offense by choosing to dual wield and bringing utility skills that augment their damage output.

Pro tip: You can combine the utility skills Fear Me and Bull’s Charge to fear someone away from you and then charge them from behind, knocking them down!

Guardian

Guardians excel at helping allies—especially in tight spaces—and holding positions against enemies. Guardians have many defensive skills which allow them to slow down the rate at which they take damage, and others that allow them to deflect or reflect projectiles. While you can roam throughout the map looking for enemies, it’s usually best to choose a position and help your allies at that location as your defensive prowess comes at the cost of mobility.

Pro tip: In a heated battle, you can activate your virtues, giving yourself and nearby allies aegis, burning, and regeneration. You can then recharge your virtues by using the utility skill Meditate.

Thief

Thieves can dish out a lot of single-target damage, but they don’t like to get caught in huge fights. Instead, they love to be stealthy, sneaking around the map and looking for enemies moving from one location to another. By using stealth skills, the thief is able to harass and skirmish with his foes without having to commit entirely to a fight: he can jump into an enemy team, pick off a key or injured target, and get away without taking damage. But be advised: The thief is not as durable as some of the other classes, so prolonged fights can be risky.

Pro tip: You can use the healing skill Withdraw and the utility skill Roll for Initiative to move around the map by quickly turning your camera around and “retreating” in the direction you want to travel. But don’t try this if you easily get motion sickness!

Engineer

The engineer has a couple of area-of-effect bundles that allow for great damage against multiple enemies. The engineer loves to set up at a capture point with mines and turrets, making the most of these gadgets. With the mine kit and a bit of preparation time, you can set up a strong defense at any control point. When you’re on the offensive, try using the grenade bundle. All of your grenades have an area of effect, so with careful placement, you can deal with multiple enemies at once.

Pro tip: Use Smelling Salts to help allies revive faster. You can also use it just before you go down to quickly revive yourself! Self-administered CPR, anyone?

Ranger

Rangers excel at long-range damage, and are able to skirmish with enemies using their mid-range weapons. Having a pet allows the ranger to excel in 1v1 fights, as the pet can help the ranger rally if they go down. The ranger is also able to control capture points and choke points by putting traps in these key areas, and catching enemies as they hit the traps. Rangers can turn fights to their advantage by luring foes into their traps.

Pro tip: You can have multiple buffs on you at once that help you stack damage. Use the utility skills Sharpening Stone and Lightning Reflexes to quickly dish out a lot of damage. But beware: If someone is blocking or reflecting attacks back at you, you’ll need to wait until they are vulnerable again to do this or you will be one sad panda.

Elementalist

The elementalist is very versatile and is able to flow in and out of different attunements in order to adjust to the battlefield. While they are somewhat squishy, they can use many skills to protect themselves and their allies, reflect projectiles, and hinder their opponents’ plans. They are at their best when helping an ally hold an area or assault a capture point, and they are good in 1v1 fights. They are somewhat weak in large battles, however, so be careful when trying to hold a point against multiple foes as an elementalist.

Pro tip: You can start the cast for the earth skill Churning Earth and then use the utility skill Lightning Flash to quickly close the distance to your target. If you time it right, it’s a great combo!

Necromancer

The necromancer is able to outlast and defeat foes through attrition if they have time to build up life force. Doing so allows you to use the Death Shroud mechanic to prolong your life in battle. But beware: If you do not have a lot of life force, you will be squishy. Try to bring main-hand weapons and utility skills that help you increase your life force.

Pro tip: Use the skill Dark Pact on the main-hand dagger and the utility skill Well of Darkness together, and your opponent will be immobilized inside of a blinding well for 3 seconds. Just make sure you immobilize them inside the well.

Come play at PAX and gamescom!

If you get a chance to attend PAX or gamescom, come and play Guild Wars 2 PvP. Pew-pew the opposition. Crush those enemies. Hear the lamentation of the pwned. If you see us on the show floor, come and talk to us— we’d love to hear your thoughts about this brand-new map for Guild Wars 2 PvP.

See you there!

Battlefield 3 - Guillotine Xbox 360 Gameplay Trailer (Xbox 360)

2011-09-18T01:00:00.000-04:00

Heron Prior on Animating the Asura

2011-09-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

My name is Heron Prior, and I’m the animation team lead for Guild Wars 2. Today, I’m going to talk a bit about the asura and explain some of the thinking and processes that went into bringing this character to life. Although they posed some unique challenges, the asura ended up being one of the animation team’s favorite races to work on, and we’re excited for players to get a closer look.

The Asuran Challenge

Guild Wars has always had a very distinctive art style. The world Art Director Daniel Dociu and his team have created is fantastic and idealized, yet at its core there has always been a strong foundation in realism. As animators, part of our job is making sure the motion of the characters fits within that larger vision. It’s not always easy: game characters are required to do ludicrous, often impossible things as a matter of course, but wherever we can, we still try to retain some semblance of plausibility. With this in mind, we realized the asura were going to present some difficulties.

For the asura, these challenges broke down into two basic categories: game mechanics and presentation. Fortunately, the answers to one question tended to drive the other, and it all came together more or less organically.

Tiny Acrobats: Game Mechanics

Given their size, it would have been easy to limit asura to magic and ranged classes, and that’s probably what most other games would have done. But in GW2, race has no bearing on your choice of profession. That means the asura not only need to be able to fight, but to hold their own against even the largest melee fighters.

There were other considerations we had to take into account for gameplay reasons. All playable races have to have absolute parity—meaning they must run at the same speed, jump the same height, and strike enemies from the same range. From this, we knew that the asuran running movement would need to be mostly airborne, with their feet touching the ground for only a frame or two with each step. Likewise, asuran jumping and dodging would need to look very exaggerated. These requirements led us toward a more acrobatic, gravity-defying style, and influenced many of our decisions when it came to giving the race its personality.

Big Personality: Presentation

We had shown asura previously, in Eye of the North, but in very limited form. All of that would need to be redone, and nothing was set in stone. So the next question we needed to answer was: who were the asura, and what sort of personality did we want to build into their movements?

At the most basic level, asura fill the “little guy” archetype of fantasy gaming, but that’s pretty boring from an animation perspective. Fortunately, our writers have been very busy and very creative when it comes to the asura. From previous titles, background lore, and even novels, we know the asura are highly intellectual and often arrogant —a race of engineers, scientists, and mad geniuses, utterly convinced of their own superiority. These qualities gave the animators much more to work with, but still left several different possibilities. Luckily, all these considerations took a back seat to the asura’s one, true defining characteristic:
they look completely ridiculous.

If we hadn’t already known from the gameplay considerations, just looking at a lineup of the playable races would have told us there was no way the asura could be presented in any kind of realistic fashion. Given that this was already a break from the rest of theGuild Wars characters, my advice to the animators was just to go for it. Anyone who was going to choose an asura as his character was probably onboard already.

With the more cartoony nature of the asura in mind, one of the animators added some basic squash-and-stretch controllers. “Squash and stretch” is one of the foundational animation principles every animator learns in school, yet one we’re seldom able to use in games. In the case of the asura, it adds a looseness and fluidity to the actual shape of their bodies, which helps to accent things like jumping and landing.

Another key to the asura’s presentation happened early on, when several animators starting giving them an awkward, clumsy feel. This is a bit of sticking point with some players, but it achieves a couple of things we wanted to do. The asura aren’t just short–they have the proportions of two-year-olds. Their awkwardness emphasizes that connection, allowing us to make them endearing rather than just arrogant. Just because the asura take themselvesseriously doesn’t mean everyone else does.

In the end, the combination of gameplay requirements and presentation choices led us to a sort of acrobatic-yet-clumsy character. This seems like a contradiction at first, but I think it worked. When I look at an asura—particularly one with the larger weapons—I see a character setting events in motion that are larger than himself, or unleashing forces almost beyond his control. If he were less arrogant, maybe he’d hesitate or hold back, but that just doesn’t seem like the asuran way.

Take a look at this short video clip for some examples of how the asura move in Guild Wars 2.

Take One for a Spin

Characters like the asura are fun to animate, and I think that shows through in the work everyone did. Being able to play around with the more cartoony elements was a nice change for the animators, and allowed them to push things in ways they usually aren’t able.

Some players will undoubtedly scowl and grumble that the asura have been reduced to comic relief and the race has been ruined. Instead, we feel we’ve brought to the forefront something that was always at the core of their collective personality. These are the smack-talking creators of the “Genius-Operated Living Enchanted Manifestations” after all. So, set aside your preconceptions and take an asura for a spin. We think you’ll come to love the little guys as much as we do.

TGS: Battlefield 3's Campaign Carnage

2011-09-17T04:20:00.000-04:00

DICE has already shown off sections of Battlefield 3's multiplayer and co-op modes, and today on the first day of TGS the game that would topple Call of Duty finally had its campaign mode put into the eager hands of the press. Well, roughly 10 minutes of it anyway.

Apparently taking place about halfway through the game's campaign, the single-player demonstration kicked off on the outskirts of Tehran in Iran, on top of a hill at the break of dawn. I stepped behind the rifle sights of Sergeant Blackburn of the US Marines, just one of the several different soldiers that the player will take control of over the course of the game.

Smoke blanketed the sky above and anti-aircraft fire emanated from the horizon and disappeared into the heavens. On the signal of a fellow soldier myself and the half dozen or so of the rest of the platoon stormed down the hillside, with the objective of securing an apartment block at the bottom. After legging it past mortar rounds that erupted in the earth, toppling trees and leaving craters in the terrain courtesy of the Frostbite 2.0 engine, I was then tasked with setting up a mortar and launching an illuminating round into the skies above the apartment to make our approach clearer, and enemies easier to spot.

After receiving a boost over a tall wall from a fellow soldier the action started properly, as a handful of enemies on an overpass opened fire and were met by several carefully placed rounds from my assault rifle. Once down into a shallow canal, it soon became apparent that crouching and going prone is pretty essential in order to survive Battlefield 3's campaign skirmishes – if you stand tall and out in the open you're going to eat more lead than a pencil sharpener.

Once out of the canal the US marine squad mounted an attack on two machine gun nests guarding the rear of the targeted apartment block. Again it was time for the Frostbite 2.0 engine to do its thing, as a couple of well-placed grenade tosses violently tore the sandbagged nests apart like wind through dandelion spores. After taking down a few snipers shadowing the windows of the apartment block my squad finally made its way to the back door, at which point one of my fellow marines tossed a cheeky grenade through the doorway and the group of enemies inside were explosively evacuated out through the windows – one of them who was clearly standing too close to the blast remained on fire long after the explosion had rung.

Once into the apartment block there was time for an obligatory cinematic door breach which allowed me to savour a shotgun blast to an insurgent's face in slow motion, before finally rendezvousing with a convoy of hummers on the other side of the apartment block at which point the demonstration ended.

I had fun playing this short stretch of Battlefield 3's single-player mode, but to be honest it didn't quite blow me away as I'd hoped. Certainly after watching the early videos of the game that involved levelling tall buildings with rocket launchers and seeing seismic waves ripple through bitumen-covered roads, this Tehran level was comparatively sedate. I was impressed with how well the game looked given that it was actually the console version of the game rather than the PC, although because of the early dawn setting most of the game environment was bathed in darkness so it was hard to get a true representation of the visual fidelity on offer.

However, this was just 10 minutes of the game, and as Battlefield community manager Daniel Matros stressed to me, Battlefield 3's campaign is all about building tension and releasing it – and there's every chance that the level immediately after the one I played is some massive action set piece that features fighter jets and razed city blocks. (Matros also pointed out that "the Frostbite 2.0 engine doesn't really have any limitations - we could have earthquakes in every level of the game if we wanted to, but we're trying to tell a story so the events need to fit the scope of it.").

Certainly it seems to be how DICE intends on differentiating Battlefield 3's campaign from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's:Battlefield 3 is trying to deliver the authentic experience of being a soldier and the more deliberate pacing to each conflict that comes with it, whereas Modern Warfare 3 is like getting into the passenger seat with a coked up Charlie Sheen at the wheel – it's got one speed: go.

Matros agrees: "We don't want these huge explosions all the time, we don't really go for those kinds of gimmicks. We really want the experience to be atmospheric, we want the player to be really swept up in the experience."

Which method you'd prefer is up to you, but at the end of the day both the campaign modes in Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 are intended to be the gateway drugs that lure you into their respective online modes, and clearly that's where this particular blockbuster FPS showdown is going to be won or lost. Bring it on.

Is Catwoman Getting Her Own Arkham City DLC Episodes?

2011-09-17T04:00:00.000-04:00

Earlier in the year, we reported that Batman: Arkham City would feature the seductive Catwoman as a playable character alongside Batman and Robin. If that didn’t get you excited for the game…

The limited collector’s edition of the strategy guide to Arkham City reveals some interesting stuff. Aside from the standard “find all the collectibles, tips to beat the bosses, etc.” that’s in every strategy guide, the pre-order form offers exclusive coverage of Catwoman’s DLC content - 4 episodes worth. That means you get to whip dudes in the face 4 more times! There’s no confirmation on the behalf of WB, DC or Rocksteady, but then again, they may have been planning to reveal this since they’ve revealed practically everything else about the game.

Something also worth noting is that Arkham Asylum had DLC in the form of challenge maps, where the Dark Knight had combat and stealth missions. Whether these episodes fall into the same category or are story-based remains to be seen, along with finding out if this treatment is exclusive to Catwoman, or if the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder will get some DLC of their own. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear anything.

Batman: Arkham City swoops into stores on October 18 for the 360, PS3, and PC. You could go and pre-order the limited collector’s edition of the strategy guide, or you can inevitably come to RipTen for a video series of Achievement/Trophy guides! Your pick.

9 Minutes of Uncharted on Vita

2011-09-17T02:18:00.000-04:00

More Uncharted: Golden Abyss Videos

Nintendo eShop Update: Mega Man vs. MotoHeroz

2011-09-17T02:00:00.000-04:00

It's another light release week for Nintendo's various download shops, as only four new games have debuted today -- but strong quality should make up for lacking quantity. The September 15 eShop Update sees the launch of the highly-anticipated MotoHeroz for WiiWare, the debut of Mega Man on the 3DS Virtual Console and two more representatives for what have become staple genres of DSiWare -- tower defense and playing card conversions.

So ready for some reviews? Let's-a go!

REVIEWS

Defense of the Middle Kingdom

Tower defense continues to dominate DSiWare as Arc System Works andAksys Games have teamed up to bring yet another great example of the genre to the DSi, DSi XL and 3DS.

Defense of the Middle Kingdom is fun, focused and just the right degree of challenging. It adapts the history of ancient China into a cutesy-styled defense game, as you place chibi-looking individual commander characters (representing entire armies) onto a grid of spaces surrounding walking paths on the touch screen. Enemies will then appear in waves and follow those paths to try to approach your off-screen fortress -- it's up to you to make sure your forces are positioned well enough to repel their advances.

Upgrade, resupply and retreat options for your units are included and accessible at a tap (while time pauses for you to make your strategic decisions at your leisure), and you can also compliment your fighting men with environmental traps placed on the screen -- everything from toxic swamps that poison your foes to meteor strikes that fall from the sky.

Almost all of that is traditional tower defense design, of course, and Defense of the Middle Kingdom does little to deviate from the basic foundations of the genre -but what it does, it does well. I would have loved to see an in-game tutorial teach you how to play instead of pushing that responsibility onto the impersonal, text-heavy Operations Guide, but that too is a forgivable fault for how much fun you'll have once you get into the rhythm of the action. Tower defense fans? This is another winner on DSiWare.

DSi Shop: 500 Points | 3DS eShop: $4.99

Final Fantasy XIII-2 getting a custom PS3, DLC

2011-09-16T02:04:00.000-04:00

When Final Fantasy XIII came out, Square Enix launched the game in Japan alongside a limited-edition version of the PlayStation 3 Slim featuring a pink image of protagonist Lightning on a white version of the hardware. It turns out Lightning will strike twice with Final Fantasy XIII-2, as the publisher today announced another specialty hardware bundle sporting the star of the game.

This is the second custom PS3 configuration to feature Lightning.

The Final Fantasy XIII-2 Lightning Edition ver. 2 PS3 will launch December 15 in Japan alongside the standard Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. The console features a different pink image of Lightning, this time emblazoned on a black 320GB version of the hardware with the game's logo. It will be available in limited quantities at launch and will sell for ¥37,960 (about $500).

That wasn't the only Final Fantasy XIII-2 news from the publisher. Square Enix also confirmed that it is working on downloadable content for release after the game's launch. However, it did not offer details as to what form that content would take.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is set for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America by the end of January, with a European launch early in 2012.

Dino Hunting in Primal Carnage

2011-09-16T01:59:00.001-04:00

Have you ever wanted to play as a T-Rex? Then you should probably pay attention to Lukewarm Media's Primal Carnage. In online multiplayer matches human mercenaries are pit against dinosaurs to see if guns or claws and teeth are deadlier.

Each side gets five classes, all with unique abilities. Human players control their characters from a first-person perspective, while dinosaur are controlled from a third-person perspective. When the game launches, you'll be able to select between a Pteradon, Compy, Dilophosaurus, Raptor and T-Rex on the dinosaur side. The humans classes include a sniper, machine gun commando, a trapper, a pyro with a flamethrower, and a pathfinder class that heads into fights with a dog that can detect dinosaurs.

Makes a lot of sense, right? The answer is yes. Here's what it looks like:

Max Payne 3 - Debut Trailer (PlayStation 3)

2011-09-16T01:58:00.000-04:00

Minecraft Beta 1.8 Walkthrough (PC)

2011-09-16T01:56:00.002-04:00

Gears of War 3 Video Review (Xbox 360)

2011-09-16T01:55:00.001-04:00

Hey Bookah! Smart Asura Answers to Stupid Questions

2011-09-15T10:44:00.002-04:00

The asura are known throughout Tyria for their analytical approach to life and the pragmatic way they handle problems. Who is better suited to dispensing doses of wisdom to the cranially challenged than an asura advice columnist?

Dear Hey Bookah,

As an engineer, I enjoy tinkering with gadgets and gear, like my new Lemonade Turret. The trouble is, my lemonade ends up tasting like gunpowder and machine oil. What am I doing wrong?

Signed,
Arid in Ascalon

Hey Arid Bookah!
You’re doing nothing wrong!
Only the small-minded and pedantic would insist that rotary-delivered lemonade taste like previous, outmoded versions! Turn your mind to proper marketing, I say! You don’t have a lemonade turret; you have fresh, lemon-scented ammunition! Brilliant!
When life gives you lemons, shoot them back at life at high velocity.

Dear Hey Bookah,

I’m a handsome young human warrior who has fallen in love with a cute girl, but she only wants to love me for my mind. How can I convince her that my muscles are as cool as my brain?

Signed,
Lonely in Lion’s Arch

Hey Lonely Bookah!
You poor, poor, doomed thing.
In any battle between brains and muscle, brains will be the ultimate victor. You may be good for lifting heavy objects, but she will ultimately throw you over for the first genius that can calculate the differential vector of a curve that comes her way.
Take heart, though. If she wants you for your mind, she can’t be that smart to start with.

Dear Hey Bookah,

Grawl keep eating all my cabbage crops! I didn’t know they even liked cabbage. What can I do to keep these things out of my yard?

Sincerely,
Hungry in Hoelbrak

Hey Hungry Bookah!
I’d recommend scattering land mines randomly throughout the field and mounting automatic flame protectors with motion-sensitive hair triggers at all corners.
Then spray the remains with a virulent plague virus.
Oh, you want to eat the cabbages yourself? Do I have to think of everything?

Dear Hey Bookah,

I’m a human elementalist who runs with a couple of Blood Legion charr warriors. These big tough charr always complain whenever I attune to water – they say they don’t need the healing and that the humidity makes their hair frizzy. What can I say to convince these charr that water magic is good for them?

Signed,
Exasperated Elementalist

Hey Exasperated Bookah!
What is this “runs with” nonsense?
Charr are larger than you are, and therefore dumber (this is a proven fact – this is why asura are shorter than you, and far, far smarter). You should not be “running with” the Blood Legion. You should be driving them before you, more terrified of your mystic spray bottle than of any foe they face.
If that doesn’t work, I know where you can get a Lemonade Turret for cheap.

Snarky Little Geniuses – Angel McCoy on Writing the Asura

2011-09-15T10:39:00.000-04:00

Hi! It’s Angel Leigh McCoy, wordsmith on the Guild Wars 2 design team, and I get to tell you about the work we’re doing with the asura. The races of Tyria are each unique, in their own special-snowflake way, and the asura are the flakiest of all—which is why we love them so much!

Meet the Asura

Asura are diminutive, vibrant geniuses with chips on their shoulders. We first met them in Guild Wars: Eye of the North, but their history might surprise some people. Before 1078 AE (~250 years before GW2 present day), the asura lived underground, building their civilization in dark caverns. They rarely came out, and few other races encountered them.

Then, Primordus, the Elder Fire Dragon, stirred and awoke evil creatures that lived even deeper underground: destroyers. When the destroyers swarmed forth from their pits, they drove the asura up and out, into the light of day. Many of you may remember helping save the asura in Eye of the North.

While grateful to be alive, the asura had a difficult time with the transition from subterranean society to surface dwellers. Fortunately, they’re more stubborn than an ettin gnawing on a dolyak bone. They refused to be victims, and instead, leveraged their strengths to create an even better and bigger home for themselves. They built Rata Sum—a city that takes one’s breath away—and have honed their “alchemagical” knowledge beyond that of any other race.

Most asura use big words (like “alchemagical”). With the asura, we writers have a license to make up words, combine words to create something fantastic, and use existing words in strange new ways. As a result, we’ve developed intimate relationships with our dictionaries and thesauruses.

The asura talk like the little smarty-pants they are. Completely lacking in humility, they show off their genius at every turn and even exaggerate it whenever possible—you might say they have a Napoleon complex. An asura doesn’t speak in layman’s language unless absolutely necessary for communication with “lesser beings.” Why use a short word when you can once again prove your superior intelligence by using a word those around you don’t understand?

Interconnectivity

Do asura have families?

Well, of course, they do. They have children, parents, and grandparents. They have the crazy uncle that nobody talks about. They have the elder brother who can do no wrong, and the great-grandmother who has gone deaf. A black sheep in the family affects everyone’s reputation, so family tensions among asura run hot.

They affectionately call their children “progeny” or “offspring.” Parents have high expectations for their progeny and will go to extraordinary lengths to see that they rise above their peers. Often, an asura’s offspring will be forced to follow in their parents’ footsteps, even into joining the same krewe.

Speaking of krewes, do asura have jobs? Yes! An asura works on a team, called a krewe, and is loyal to it. The asura are often competitive and jealous, even to the point of sabotaging one another. There are no social taboos against inter-krewe espionage.

As a matter of fact, it’s expected. Imagine how fun it is to write scenes between competing asura! Snark, snark, snark!

And More Snark!

Sit back and watch the sass fly! A side effect of asuran intelligence and self-confidence is that they’re masters of the zinger. They don’t suffer fools lightly and don’t believe in sparing feelings. Workers expect to get snide comments from their krewe bosses, and progeny expect it from their parents. Teen asura, of course, give it back as good as they get it—it’s part of growing up.

This verbal abuse may seem mean-spirited, but the asura don’t see it that way. They don’t take it personally. Their competitive natures drive them to greater heights of achievement. Remember, asura have survived against terrible odds, including their tiny statures. They’ve earned their attitudes, and a certain amount of bravado keeps them from being victims. With their jibes, they’re telling it like they see it, and if you can’t take the heat, get out of the laboratory.

Heroism

Self-absorbed as they can be, the asura understand how dangerous the dragons are. They have decided that they will save Tyria from the beasts, even if they have to do it by working with other, inferior races. They’ve learned that you can’t put out a fire with a single drop of water, and a krewe makes no progress if the genius in charge isn’t supported by an army of lab assistants.

In contrast to asuran heroes, there are those who will resort to any means possible—even evil—in order to fight the dragons. These asura gravitate toward the Inquest, an organization that doesn’t have the same moral compass as most heroic krewes. They will stop at nothing, even going so far as to experiment on other sentient races, to find a weapon that will destroy the Elder Dragons.

With their short physiques, big words, and even bigger egos, if you still can’t imagine how awesome it is to write for the asura, I’ll leave you with a tease. Two words: asuran pirates.

Excelsior!

Guild Wars 2 - Asura lore updated

2011-09-15T10:35:00.000-04:00

"Brain, not brawn, will change the world."

The diminutive asura are the smartest people in Tyria. Just ask them; they will tell you. Once, they were the undisputed masters of a powerful underground civilization, but were driven to the surface by the Great Destroyer, the herald of the Elder Dragon Primordus.

Since their arrival on the surface, however, this long-eared race has prospered. Initially squatting among the ruins along the Tarnished Coast, their mastery of arcane forces have allowed them to regroup, rebuild, and tame this new, savage world. Now their mystic technology is found across the continent, and other races view the asura with a respect they feel they deserve. Yet even as they succeed, their accomplishments are threatened by internal conflicts, personal pride, and individual greed.

Still interested on the Asura? Head over to the official ANET site and read more about these little people.

Medal of Honor Disk REQUIRED to play Battlefield 3 BETA

2011-09-15T10:26:00.003-04:00

THE BUZZ: DICE says you will need the Medal of Honor disc, not just the code, in order to play the Battlefield 3 beta early.

A code came with the Limited Edition of Medal of Honor that allowed early access into the Battlefield 3 beta, however many fans thought that all you would need is the code and have since traded in their copies. This was a bad move! DICE revealed, over on the official Battlefield 3 Twitter account, that in order to access the beta early you will need both the code and disc, as the beta is accessed from inside the game. When a fan asked if the disc was required, this was the reply:

“Yes you will need the disc, you will have to play it off of there ^CT”

EGM’s TAKE: While this is bad news for fans who traded in their copy, it’s not disastrous, simply pick up the game before the beta launches, or even rent a copy, and you will be good to go.

Do you still have your copy of Medal of Honor?

Syndicate remake 'was always going to be an FPS' - Starbreeze

2011-09-14T01:30:00.000-04:00

Reboots of classic PC franchises are in style these days, but for every Deus Ex: Human Revolution that tries to hew close to a series' established formula, there's a Fallout 3 or an XCOM, that overhauls the formula, much to the consternation in diehard fans. Despite that potential blowback, the developers of Electronic Arts' new first-person shooter Syndicate reboot didn't think twice about rocking the boat, according to anOfficial Xbox Magazine story.

Developer Starbreeze is trying to pay homage to the original Syndicate with its FPS revamp.

"It was always going to be an FPS," Syndicate director Neil McEwan told the magazine. "The original nub of the idea was to take that viewpoint from the original game and zoom into the Agent's head, and play that part. A closer experience, to become one of those Agents."

Despite that, McEwan said the team is consciously trying to pay homage to the source material, adapting the original game's weapons and tools like the Persuadertron for use in the context of a shooter. The game also features a four-player cooperative mode and levels inspired by some of those in the original Syndicate and Syndicate Wars. Despite that, there is little doubt that the new Syndicate will be a significant departure for the series.

As designer Rickard Johansson told OXM, "I don't want people to stop playing the old games, but time has moved on."

Nintendo confirms 3DS analog pad accessory

2011-09-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

TOKYO--Earlier today Nintendo Japan held a press conference outlining a product roadmap of new Nintendo 3DS and Wii titles. Strangely, though, there was no mention of the widely rumoured (and practically confirmed) right analog stick attachment for the stereoscopic console.

Say hello to the Nintendo Expansion Slide Pad.

While the house of Mario is yet to officially confirm the existence of the add-on itself, a posting on theofficial Nintendo Japan website not only confirms it's real, but spills all of the details. According to the listing, the peripheral will be called the Nintendo Expansion Slide Pad and will be available on December 10, 2011, for ¥1,500 ($19.46).

The Nintendo Japan website also lists six games that will support the Nintendo Expansion Slide Pad: Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Resident Evil: Revelations, Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble, Dynasty Warriors VS, and Monster Hunter Tri G.

Exact specifics on how the Nintendo Expansion Slide Pad connects to the Nintendo 3DS are unknown at this stage. Interestingly, though, the Nintendo Japan website says that the peripheral will require one alkaline battery to operate, which suggests it will run off of its own power source.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Does It Work (PC)

2011-09-14T00:30:00.000-04:00

Modern Warfare trial to begin May 7

2011-09-13T04:20:00.000-04:00

The drama surrounding Activision's high-profile firings of Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella has largely died down, and soon the legal wrangling will also come to a head. West and Zampella's legal representation at LA-based legal firm O'Melveny & Myers have confirmed that opening arguments in the multimillion-dollar lawsuit will begin May 7. The case is expected to last about five weeks.

The fate of the Modern Warfare brand will be decided next year.

Initially filed shortly after the duo was fired in March 2010, the suit seeks to claim royalty payments that West and Zampella believe Activision owes them following the highly successful launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In April, West and Zampella amended the suit to add fraud chargesagainst the publisher.

"We're extremely pleased to have a firm trial date and the opportunity to let a jury decide Jason and Vince's claims that Activision cheated them and 40 other Infinity Ward team members out of the millions of dollars they earned for creating the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare mega-franchises," an O'Melveny & Myers representative told GameSpot. "Activision has taken a lot of cheap, false shots at Vince and Jason and has tried to delay the case and drive up their cost of enforcing the promises Activision reneged on. But come May 7, 2012, Activision will have nowhere to hide."

Activision had not responded to a request for comment on the matter as of press time.

However, beyond the performance-based payout and any other court-awarded monetary damages, West and Zampella are also seeking to gain co-ownership of the Modern Warfare brand. If successful in court, West and Zampella would have the right to create and release both old and new installments in the Modern Warfare franchise.

Activision, of course, is not taking these allegations lying down. In March, the Call of Duty publisher succeeded in adding Electronic Arts to its $400 million breach-of-contract countersuit against West and Zampella. That suit stems from the duo's formation of a new studio, Respawn Entertainment, under the auspices of EA, poaching many former Infinity Ward developers in the process.

Saints Row: The Third Deckers.Die Mission Walkthrough (Xbox 360)

2011-09-13T02:00:00.000-04:00

Hard Reset Video Review (PC)

2011-09-13T01:00:00.000-04:00

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Video Blowout

2011-09-12T17:46:00.000-04:00

There was probably a point during the past week where you said to yourself, "I really hope Bethesda releases some new videos of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Also, I love dragons." Well, it would seem that someone at Bethesda peered directly into the inner workings of your brain and decided to release a group of new videos featuring the epic role-playing game in action. Enjoy!

Watch an Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Video Demo

2011-09-12T17:18:00.001-04:00

If you've been following along with preview coverage of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and noticed nearly every story is filled with reckless enthusiasm, here's your chance to find out why. Bethesda has released footage of the entire demo of the next entry in its role-playing franchise. As has been said in many an article throughout 2011, it looks incredible.

In case you've never played an Elder Scrolls title, they are open world, single-player games set in a vast fantasy settings. You quest, craft items, battle through dungeons for powerful gear and make a name for yourself within beautifully detailed fantasy worlds. Be a hero, sneak and steal, or toss fireballs at everyone you see, it's up to you. Also Skyrim has dragons, lots and lots of dragons, which I think we can all agree is awesome.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution ships 2 million

2011-09-11T11:32:00.005-04:00

Deus Ex: Human Revolution paints a grim picture of a dystopian future, but the present is looking pretty swell for the Square Enix action game. Yesterday, the industry-tracking NPD Group declared it the best-selling game of August at US retail, which was followed up by the publisher today announcing that it has shipped 2 million copies of Deus Ex worldwide.

Square Enix asked for this.

It has been just over two weeks since the game launched in North America, Europe, and other PAL territories. Still more shipments are in the cards, as Deus Ex is scheduled to debut in Japan next month.

For Human Revolution, developer Eidos Montreal said it wanted to stay true to the spirit of the original Deus Ex, allowing players to choose their own approach to each level. Depending on the augmentations players choose, they can go through each part of the game with a focus on combat, stealth, hacking, or even social interactions.

Rage Wasteland Legends: Water Service UK Trailer (Xbox 360)

2011-09-11T11:32:00.001-04:00

Battlefield 3 Guillotine Gameplay Teaser

2011-09-10T04:00:00.000-04:00

CHECK OUT NVIDIA GPUDIRECT FOR VIDEO AND MORE AT IBC 2011

2011-09-10T02:30:00.000-04:00

FEATURED POST

It’s the first day of the International Broadcasting Conference 2011 (IBC), in Amsterdam. Over 48,000 film, video and live broadcast professionals, and 1,300+ exhibitors from more than 140 countries have converged on the show to see the latest and greatest in video production technologies. NVIDIA is here with PNY at booth #7.J38 to demonstrate the power of the GPU and our just-announced GPUDirect for Video API.

Starting today, we are demonstrating new advances in interactive on-air graphics fromPerceptive Pixel, using their 82-inch multi-touch display and interactive graphics. We’re also showing off a GPU-accelerated particle simulator for Autodesk Maya. And, video editors will want to check out our GPU-accelerated video editing demo showcasing Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 andSony Vegas Pro.

Earlier today, we announced NVIDIA GPUDirect for Video, which reduces the latency in moving video to and from a GPU when using video I/O cards. NVIDIA GPUDirect for Video is a free API that will allow 3rd party hardware companies to interface more directly with NVIDIA Quadro andTesla professional GPUs to deliver video with the lowest possible latency. This technology is aimed at those who want to import video and export the video as fast as possible. The classic use case is broadcast graphics, but the medical imaging, manufacturing and defense industries are also ripe to take advantage of faster video processing.

How GPUDirect for Video works (click to enlarge)

Digital Video Systems GmbH (DVS) will be showcasing this new technology using their Atomix LT two-channel 3G hardware board and NVIDIA Quadro GPUs at their booth (#7.E25).

For those of you at the show, you’ll find more than two dozen NVIDIA partners on the show floor (download our PDF show guide here) demonstrating broadcast graphics, editing, compositing and effects, stereo production, and encoding and decoding solutions powered by NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics solutions based on the NVIDIA Fermi GPU architecture.

If you are at IBC, come visit us in Hall 7, stand J38.

The GeForce GTX 590 is here! Official Release

2011-09-10T01:00:00.001-04:00

This is a little late, but it's always nice to watch the latest technology from Nvidia. Sorry ATI, I'm an Intel/Nvidia fanboy. :D

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Missing Link DLC Teaser Trailer

2011-09-10T01:00:00.000-04:00

Already there's DLC coming for Deus Ex. I knew they were going to release DLC, but it's almost saddening that DLC comes out almost a week later. Shouldn't they just release it ALL with the fucking game? I know that's been said 102 times.

My new (NES) shirt...

2011-09-09T15:41:00.003-04:00

I just picked up this official Nintendo shirt from GameStop's PowerUp Rewards program. I love my NES controller shirt.

The ROFLCOPTER

Diablo III releasing 'early 2012'

DICE EXPLAINS WHY THERE’S NO COMMANDER IN BATTLEFIELD 3

Forza Motorsport 4 Video Preview (Xbox 360)

Battlefield 3 DLC mobilizing on PS3 first

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - A Hero's Guide to Amalur (Xbox 360)

Exclusive Max Payne 3 Story Q&A

Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Exclusive Multiplayer Trailer (PlayStation 3)

That Old College Try

Primordus

The Arcane Council

Krewes

The College of Statics

The College of Dynamics

The College of Synergetics

The Inquest

PlayStation Network hit with outages

DICE EXPLAINS WHY OPERATION METRO WAS THE MAP CHOSEN FOR THE BATTLEFIELD 3 BETA

DETAILS ON REQUIREMENTS FOR EARLY BATTLEFIELD 3 BETA ACCESS ON EACH PLATFORM

The Real John Spartan

Gears of War 3

Diablo III Beta Gameplay Session (PC)

Epic looking for studio to make Shadow Complex 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Prestige Edition KIA

Battlefield 3 Event: Early Deployment

Start/Select - PS Vita Is Region-Free, Metal Gear Solid on 3DS

The Gun Show - Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)

Battlefield 3 TGS Gameplay Footage (Xbox 360)

The Battle of Kyhlo – Jonathan Sharp on PvP

Key Map Locations

Importance of the Trebuchet

Map Strategy

Professions

Come play at PAX and gamescom!

Battlefield 3 - Guillotine Xbox 360 Gameplay Trailer (Xbox 360)

Heron Prior on Animating the Asura

The Asuran Challenge

Tiny Acrobats: Game Mechanics

Big Personality: Presentation

Take One for a Spin

TGS: Battlefield 3's Campaign Carnage

Is Catwoman Getting Her Own Arkham City DLC Episodes?

9 Minutes of Uncharted on Vita

Nintendo eShop Update: Mega Man vs. MotoHeroz

Final Fantasy XIII-2 getting a custom PS3, DLC

Dino Hunting in Primal Carnage

Max Payne 3 - Debut Trailer (PlayStation 3)

Minecraft Beta 1.8 Walkthrough (PC)

Gears of War 3 Video Review (Xbox 360)

Hey Bookah! Smart Asura Answers to Stupid Questions

Snarky Little Geniuses – Angel McCoy on Writing the Asura

Meet the Asura

Most asura use big words (like “alchemagical”). With the asura, we writers have a license to make up words, combine words to create something fantastic, and use existing words in strange new ways. As a result, we’ve developed intimate relationships with our dictionaries and thesauruses.

Interconnectivity

And More Snark!

Heroism

Guild Wars 2 - Asura lore updated

Medal of Honor Disk REQUIRED to play Battlefield 3 BETA

Syndicate remake 'was always going to be an FPS' - Starbreeze

Nintendo confirms 3DS analog pad accessory

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Does It Work (PC)

Modern Warfare trial to begin May 7

Saints Row: The Third Deckers.Die Mission Walkthrough (Xbox 360)

Hard Reset Video Review (PC)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Video Blowout

Watch an Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Video Demo

Deus Ex: Human Revolution ships 2 million

Rage Wasteland Legends: Water Service UK Trailer (Xbox 360)

Battlefield 3 Guillotine Gameplay Teaser

CHECK OUT NVIDIA GPUDIRECT FOR VIDEO AND MORE AT IBC 2011

FEATURED POST

The GeForce GTX 590 is here! *Official Release*

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Missing Link DLC Teaser Trailer

My new (NES) shirt...

The GeForce GTX 590 is here! Official Release