They both won’t stop spamming my inbox.

Turbine has to be the worst spam offender of any MMO company out there with Funcom coming in a very close second.  LotRO was already appearing in my inbox with free trials.  Now I’ll have their LotRO Store savings offers to go right along with those AoC free trails and the free shipping on diapers.

Activision is getting a little fed up with not getting their slice of the microtransaction or “pay to play” market. Apparently this era of gamers getting a free ride has been bad for business or something silly like that. I sentiment is not lost on me, as you know, since I despise the “free to play” (what a scam) market myself. There has been much talk from Activision and Bobby Kotick lately about services like Xbox Live and the idea of using microtransactions or paying for an online service via a subscription.

“I would have Call of Duty be an online subscription service tomorrow.” – Bobby Kotick re: if he had one wish.

Well Bobby, let’s talk about that. I’m not totally against the idea. I pay subscriptions to many things. I can even see your point about Xbox Live monetizing on every game out there instead of the publishers getting the money. That does seem a bit unfair to me that there’s a middleman at work. Let’s talk about this idea of monetizing the multiplayer of the Call of Duty franchise.

I would not pay just to play the game. That’s ridiculous and petty to access the online feature alone. I would pay for their service if there were bonuses included and if the services rendered justified a subscription.

- The subscription should cover ALL of their online shooters and not a subscription to just one title (Black ops, MW2, CoD4, etc all on one subscription)
- Really great platform connecting their games
- Map packs released for FREE and on a regular basis
- Content packs including more guns and attempts at expanding their titles regularly

“I think we could do a lot more to really satisfy the interests of the customers. I think we could create so many things, and make the game even more fun to play. We haven’t really had a chance to do that yet.” [Source]

Go on. You have my attention.

Summer can be a terrible time for gaming if you’re not in the know about what titles are coming out.  We’ve decided to start up a new segment here on the blog called “Game Watch” wherein we inform you on games coming out in the near future that you should look into or at least keep an eye on.  These aren’t going to be games like Cataclysm or StarCraft 2 because you have to be living under a rock not to know that they’re coming out.  These are perhaps lesser known games or simply games that we feel aren’t getting the attention we hope they deserve.

To kick things off, we have two titles that we think are definitely worth a look.

DeathSpank
Release Dates: July 14 XBLA and July 13 PSN
Price: $14.99

DeathSpank is an action rpg game designed by Ron Gilbert (guy behind Monkey Island and other stuff, google him) that is being touted as a Monkey Island meets Diablo.   It’s supposed to have a lot of witty dialog and plenty of gear drops like standard hack n slash games.  It’s available in singleplayer and local coop with a friend and is said to have about 15 hours of straight through play without taking into account any replayability.

There are a few videos available at sites like IGN and Gametrailers.  One in particular (featured below) shows the crazy weapons like the Chicken Cannon and the Demon Poop Hammer.  The video below also highlights how zany the game will be with the dialog styling of Monkey Island clearly apparent.  We’re hoping for a lot of laughing mixed into a game that can provide a decent amount of polished hacking away at baddies.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane
Release Date: July 28 XBLA
Price: $14.99

We blew so many quarters on the old arcade of Hydro Thunder and every one was well worth it. Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a remake coming out for XBLA that you can play with up to 8 people online or with others locally. The basic premise of the game is boat racing, but these aren’t just any boats. These are tricked out rocket propelled speed boats as well as several other types that you can choose from. The tracks each have a very unique setting ranging from tropics to Asgard… yeah, Asgard. The original arcade game had the best water visuals ever and if you watch the video below it’s clear they’re again bringing their A-game. The tracks are also very unique in that, unlike most current racers, there is more than one way to go. We hope that HTH will provide the same classic feel of the original but also be a unique addition to the racing scene.

Watch the videos on Gametrailers as well for some great ones.

NetStorm screenshot from NetStormHQ

Netstorm is easily one of the best games ever made.  Releasing back in 1997 it was very clear that this was a game decades ahead of its time.  Designed for multiplayer and facing Age of Empires left NetStorm treading water, but the impact it made is evident by the fact that I still consider it a favorite game and one worth blogging about over a decade later.

Real-time Strategy gameplay was at the core of NetStorm but there’s more to it that has remained untapped by any other release.  Each game would start with players getting their own floating island in the sky where they could build their main building and then begin harvesting crystals.  To reach other islands, and more resources, players would have to build bridges using different shaped segments.

Players could choose their element (Sun, wind, etc) and use units/buildings from this tree.  The more you won the more you got to unlock and gain access to.  This is rather unheard of since it creates a disparity between the veterans and newer players.  It didn’t take much to unlock enough units to be competitive with anyone though.

Enormous levels of strategy and thinking ahead of your opponent were required.  Using bridges to trap and starve your opponent or using towers that countered what your opponent built meant constantly adapting.  It was really a mix of tower defense (but offense) and trying to maintain map superiority through twitch-like reflexes.

You can still play NetStorm (for free; abandonware) by downloading it from NetStormHQ but I can’t vouch for how it holds up to the past.  Personally, I’m waiting for something that I hope will be just as great….

NetStorm StarCraft 2 Custom Map

It’s one of many StarCraft 2 Custom maps that I’m following which show lots of promise.

Definitely youtube some videos of NetStorm if you never played to see what you missed out on.  Graev and I both hope that some day there’s going to be another NetStorm title from Activision or perhaps a game like it.

Any old NetStorm fans out there?

Posting on the Official WoW forums and likely the newer Blizzard forums for games like StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 will soon show your real name just like it does in-game with the Real ID friend system according to a Blizzard forum post.  Below that you’ll have the option to include your character’s name or handle.

Awesome idea.  No, that’s not sarcasm.  I think it’s a great idea for people to be held accountable for what they say online.  All over the internet there are far too many ways for people to hide behind anonymity that allows them to be someone other than the person they would be if their identity were attached.

I have been a forum moderator, assistant site administrator, and worn other hats that have in the past had me dealing with forum trolls.  I’ve been able to see their real names, IP addresses, and personal information that the people in the community have not had access to but it has always been against policy to reveal that information — I’ve even moderated on sites that do not let us reveal who the owner of a troll account is even if they’re a prominent member of the community by another name.  With a system like Real ID, what you say gets attached to your real name or at least the name you provide which is potentially fake-able, mind you.  People will have some level of accountability.

As for a privacy issue, I don’t believe it to be an issue at all. (I will recant this statement.  There is a degree of privacy invasion here.  To the point of it being an issue or that big of a deal is where I say it’s not that big of a deal). My real name is available all over.  In the real world we drop our name wherever we go to strangers we have never met.  The business world is all about giving out your name.  At game conventions I’ve attended it’s always been a scene of business cards and networking and at most your real name is on your credentials hanging around your neck.  Why is it an issue to have your name shown online to a forum?  If your address or some other way of locating you were listed then perhaps we would be entering into the realm of privacy issues.  (This is where the issues arise with people looking up names and finding addresses.)

Now, if you’re trying to hide the fact that you play video games and post on forums about games and don’t want the Google-foo to find you… can’t help you there.

Update:  While I think it is a good idea to remove the anonymity of online forums, I think all good ideas have their limitations.  This has gone from a good idea, with great intentions, to an idea that is hated by so many people that is simply can not be good for anyone.  Ironically, those who are against real names being used because people will seek out and expose their private information are the ones who are doing it to those who are innocent and undeserving of the invasions.  I fully expect Blizzard to withdraw the idea gracefully as it would be the right thing to do under these circumstances.  As such, I’ll go ahead and lock the comments section here since I believe we have enough commentary on the subject.  One day the world may be ready, but not today.

You get VOIP ads unless you pay to remove them.

The APB coverage here at Keen and Graev’s has been non-existent.  I got a “Key to the City” but apparently missed the playtime allotted.  Neither of us have been looking forward to the game for various reasons ranging from EA to bad memories of CrimeCraft to the simple design of the game.  There hasn’t even been any interesting news about the game to really comment on and I’m bored to tears of explaining why I think instanced lobbies are not a MMO.  Finally found something to comment on though!

When I was investigating the “My Account” section of APB’s website to learn more about it, it felt to me like the game is meant to be one of those arcade machines you need to keep feeding quarters into.  Even if it ends up costing about the same price to play 365 days a year as a $14.99/m game there’s a not-so-subtle “wanna buy a watch?” look to the whole way they’re getting you to play.  This is all an aside anyway but I wanted to go on the record for saying “meh”.

Seeing the link to the VOIP ads though really hit home how overboard they’re going with their pricing model.

The official details followed what quickly became a storm of horrific speculation about what this could mean for gameplay.

“You will receive a short audio ad once every 3 hours. HOWEVER ads will only be heard when first entering a social district.” Basically, you enter a new district (Lobby) and you get an ad played over your headphones.  When you change districts (apparently social, not combat) after the 3 hour timer has expired you get another ad.  What kind of ad? Don’t know yet.  I think that’s the best part of the whole thing since we don’t know if it will be a commercial for Big Macs and having it your way or how to get relief from that burning itch down there.

The APB Defense Force is going to raid my comments section screaming at me that RTW needs some way to pay for their servers or that you can just turn your volume down if you don’t like it.  That’s all true.  I think this way is really bad marketing though and it highlights my suspicions about this being a fail boat preparing to set sail.  There are better ways to charge a buck than to force people to hear VOIP ads unless they pay a premium.  This just alienates people regardless how minimally invasive these ads are in the game.  APB is being defended as a “pay to play game” and I’ll even give them a nod that their point system and buying days of gametime is indeed pay to play.  If it’s pay to play though, there isn’t a need to jerk people around like this.  If your game can stand on its own then charge people what it is worth and be done with it.

If I can find a way to try the game on a trial account then I’ll let you guys know what I think about the actual gameplay.  I really can’t see myself paying any money though when there are this many red flags before launch.

My Wookie Marksman

A few friends and I have been playing Star Wars Galaxies on a classic server that is all pre-CU/NGE.  I was skeptical at first about whether or not it would be the same (feel the same, provide that experience I remember soooo fondly, or even be populated with people).  It was a total shocker to see a community playing that reflects exactly what I remember from years ago.  There are people everywhere — feels like almost as many as when it first launched — and they’re friendly and going out of their way to help.   The same feeling and spirit of the game have been captured and I’ve really been having fun running missions and working on my crafting.

SWG skills system is the best of any MMO

Playing SWG again and having a positive experience is both a blessing and a curse.  There are three things this game captures that make it unique: Its Crafting, Skill Progression, and Sandbox Community atmosphere.  The crafting is fantastic.  I have a crafting character and starting him out felt like this enormous mountain that I had to clime.  I took my time though and went out surveying for minerals and making weapons and clothes.  Slowly but surely I’ve worked up to placing harvesters out on various planets collecting resources that I need to continue developing him into a Tailor that makes clothing.  Then there’s the crafting system itself with resource quality, resource scarcity, as well as the depth of the crafting system that makes it so customizable and involved to the point that one could be only be a crafter and be satisfied.  Playing a game with these qualities is a blessing, but realizing they exist in a game made back in 2003 (and since changed) is frustrating.

The skill progression is something that I’ve spoken about before.  As I’ve said, this is the system that I would use for my MMO if I ever make one.  Each character starts out with 250/250 total skill points that can be allocated into branches of skill trees.  Taking a basic profession like “Novice Marksman” will take 15 points; then moving up various trees such as Rifles or Pistols costs 2, 3, 4, then 5 for the top tier.  In order to spend those points in the tiers you

Cantina packed with people

need to actually be gaining experience in what it is you’re using — like going out and shooting something with a rifle will give rifle experience that you can use in order to allocate those skill points.  If you don’t like what you spent your skills on then unlearn them and all you lost is the time spent gaining the experience since you’re refunded your skill points.  It’s simply fantastic to mix and match classes/professions and make your character how you want.

The magical touch that brings everything in SWG together is the sandbox community atmosphere.  The world is entirely player driven.  There are Cantinas but they’re empty shells without players in them to dance and play instruments.  There’s a market but it’s empty without people selling.  Items in the world do not exist without players making them.  All around there are people taking up roles within the community that each connect to one another and create a harmonious environment.   This rewards people for wanting to just play music in the Cantina all day because there are people who just want to go out and hunt.  The hunters need to come back and watch/listen to entertainers for their stats to recuperate or to receive a special entertainer buff.  Hunters need to sell their resources like Hides to make a profit and crafters need those goods to make the armor and weapons the hunters need.   The community brings the world alive.

This particular server is still undergoing development in what appears to be a “beta”, much of which I’m still trying to figure out.  Housing isn’t in yet and there are still a few bugs to be worked out but overall it’s nearly perfect.  If only SoE would make an official server pre-nge/cu… they would get my $15/month instantly.

Sony wraps up the last of the big three console press conferences and we’ve just finished watching.  Our commentary below will give you our insights into what was announced and shown.  Microsoft really failed to bring anything and Nitendo set the bar high with a lot of exclusive games and some brand new surprising announcements.  Read on to find out where Sony landed at this year’s E3.

Killzone 3 - Showcasing a lot of action and good graphics.

PlayStation Move (Enhanced by Move) and/or 3D

Crysis 2
Mortal Kombat
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Tron Evolution: The Video Game
Gran Tourismo 5
and more…

PlayStation Move

It looks like a glowing icecream cone and there isn’t much more to this idea of “move” other than an alleged improvement upon the Wiimote.  Sony may be improving upon the motion technology for a hand-held device and how it integrates into the games, but where is the necessity in the core gaming for motion controls like this?  Baseball games, little big planet, and other games offer a few neat tricks for motion but you don’t see it being used on games like Killzone 3… it’s being used in games designed for motion gaming.   Is that a bad thing?  Lets see what games they’re making to utilize it…

Lots of commentary and our thoughts on Sony’s Motion Games as well as a few of their surprises.  Read (more…)