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Two Worlds Goes Epic

Codrut Nistor — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:13:28 +0000

You know what’s the problem with epic games? I am not talking about the games company, but about those games with a very complex story, often requiring over one hundred hours to be finished. Their problem is not the time you have to spend finishing them, because it’s like going through a fairytale and seeing things you only read about back when you were a kid(well, depends on your age, of course), their problem is that most people who would really enjoy them to the fullest can’t find this time, or…they start playing in 2006, to finish in 2008!

Now, what about Two Worlds: Epic Edition? Oh, yeah, this is the cherry on the cake I always enjoy - special edition of such a epic gaming journey. Priced at $20, Two Worlds: Epic Edition for the PC is available across North America. Hooray!

As sales figures shown, and Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games is now pointing out once again,<-125×125 Button - right-> “Two Worlds was a phenomenal hit back when it was first released, and even now, the massive open-world is continually growing in popularity.”

For those new to Two Worlds, I think it’s enough to add this:”Luckily for potential new players and those excited for the release of the upcoming sequel, Two Worlds: The Temptation, the release of Two Worlds: Epic Edition gives them everything currently available in the world of Antaloor in a single, convenient package.”

So, what you will get with this Epic Edition is the original game, its two follow-ups - Tainted Blood and Curse of Souls, as well as eight multiplayer maps and a new town, known as Tharnburg, ready to be explored. Do it now, you may not find the time later!

Ubisoft Europe

Codrut Nistor — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:31:31 +0000

The fact that Ubisoft moved a lot of its operations in Europe is not something new, since notorious games like Silent Hunter 3 or the Blazing Angels series were developed by Ubisoft Romania, for example, but the idea was to use Europe’s talents for coming up with great products for the US market at a lower cost that usual. What’s that? Well, think again, because I also reconsidered my position - Europe is not Ubisoft’s biggest territory!

Who said that? Don’t worry, I am not claiming to be a seer, because I am not. This is coming straight from Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot, who spoke with GamesIndustry.biz about their new breakthrough in Europe. How was this possible?

“First, our money - the pound or the euro - is very strong and because of that the turnover from those countries is heavier than they used to be. So for Ubisoft turnover Europe <-250×250 Square - right->is actually more important than the US now, and by more than 5 per cent. It’s become a very strong market for us,” explained Guillemot at the Games Convention to GamesIndustry.biz.

Sometimes, I wonder how come I don’t manage to push my parents into computer gaming, but since we don’t meet too often, the last thing I’d wish would be seeing each other to talk about…the latest computer games! Sounds like a mad scenario? I know, but for some people, this could also be the truth, since Ubisoft’s CEO also said that “(..)there are lots of customers that want to play - because in Europe we love to play - the only problem we had was that the games were becoming more and more difficult to play. Now that there’s more accessibility, some accessories that are helping people to have fun, I think this market has no limit in the growth it can have if we can make sure that the people that are coming in are staying.”

You know what’s the funnies part? While Guillemot talks about putting game quality above financial schedules, Ubisoft Romania also released Silent Hunter 4, an extremely unpolished and buggy title. So…what does have this to do with game quality?

Bionic Commando News

Codrut Nistor — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:49:31 +0000

In the last few months, I saw various articles about a game called Bioni Commando, but I simply skipped them for most of the time. Those of you who were gaming already in late 1980s will surely call this “blasphemy,” but I think you have to excuse me - living in a Communist country at that time, access to computers was extremely limited, and while I had the chance to work with some early Commodore clones, I surely didn’t have the luck to get around a NES. Why a NES?

…well, because the Nintendo Entertainment System was one of the platforms for which Bionic Commando was released over 20 years ago! My first encounter with a NES happened in early 1990s, but I simply missed this classic game. Not that bad, since I can grab the new release from Capcom, a remake that already managed to sell over 130,000 copies!<-125×125 Button - right->

Currently, Bionic Commando Rearmed is available for the Xbox, PlayStation and PC, and most reviews gave it huge scores, usually above 9 out of 10. According to its producer, Ben Judd, the Bionic Commando is changing the gaming world once again.

“Basically, we have set a standard in digital gaming. Consumers voted with their dollars. They have sent the message loud and clear - We are tired of meta-emulated crap; we want the titles of yesteryear to be paid the proper respect; we want them done right, and if the price is right, we’ll buy. The bar has been raised,” said Judd.

So…what’s next? I hope we won’t have to wait another two decades for the next breakthrough version, but I also hope we won’t get a new Bionic Commando quickly pushed into the market next year, just to destroy all our hopes for a better one…

Gold Farming!?!

Codrut Nistor — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:20:05 +0000

If you’re wondering about the link between gold and games, probably you never played a game involving Gold as a resource, no matter if it’s about Age of Empires or some MMORPG. Anyway, here’s something to help you - we’re talking about the so-called “gold farming,” a general term usually used to point player attempts to acquire items in a game by exploiting repetitive elements of its mechanics, like killing various creatures. Why “farming?” Well, this is sometimes done using bots or automatic clickers, but when talking about the financial gains of such gaming procedures, the numbers look pretty impressive, as we’re going to see next…

In most cases, if you’re going to look for “gold farming” on the Internet, you’ll end up facing pages with tips and tricks for World of Warcraft, but it gets much deeper than just that. Anyway, we’re not going to talk about a specific game, as I was saying earlier, because this is all about the numbers. If you ever had the crazy idea that games only involve spending money…your world is going to be turned upside down right away, believe me!<-250×250 Square - right->

According to a research conducted by the University of Manchester, quoted by GamesIndustry.biz, gold farming “could be worth as much as USD 500 million,” and if this is not impressive, I guess you met King Kong when you were a kid, and instead of running scared, you simply said “Hi, monkey! What’s up?” and moved on…

In the report written by Professor Richard Heeks it is mentioned that gold farming employs over 400,000 people, earning an average of $145 per month. If we sum it all up, we can figure out that the “gold farming industry” is worth over $500 million, since I am sure we’re talking about more than 500,000 people “farming” on the Web.

Interviewed by the BBC, Heeks said “I initially became aware of gold farming through my own games playing but assumed it was just a cottage industry. In a way that is still true. It’s just that instead of a few dozen cottages, there turn out to be tens of thousands.” (a teacher who’s also a gamer! awesome!!!)

At last, it should be noted that, in most cases, MMO players sell in-game currency for real money, going against the terms of service they agreed with when starting to play the game, and also risking their accounts. Well, it’s nothing new how far could go some people for money… but would you spoil your turn your gaming experience into a hunt for cash? I wouldn’t!

Meet Maria Sharapova!

Codrut Nistor — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:28:51 +0000

You know why some chicks playing tennis are worth watching, no matter how bad or boring could turn to be a match? If you don’t, look at Anna Kournikova. If you still didn’t find out why, then maybe you should start watching chess, because tennis is surely not your thing! Anyway, as a final hint - take a look below, and try to imagine what could be the link between tennis and gaming. Without any help, I couldn’t guess that either, but since I know the whole story already, here’s what you should know…

…since it happens a lot for various celebrities to step in and help promoting a certain game, why not add some hot tennis chicks into this human equation? How? Well, by offering Top Spin fans a chance to meet Maria Sharapova, of course! Here’s an excerpt from the official press release: <-125×125 Button - right->”2K Sports announced today that top-ranked tennis star Maria Sharapova will be autographing copies of Top Spin 3 for Wii home video game system at the Nintendo World Store on August 25. From 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., fans can meet Maria Sharapova and have her autograph their copy of the most authentic tennis experience available for Wii.”

As you can see above, the whole thing is expected to happen between 12PM and 1PM on the 25th of August, at the Nintendo World Store, in Rockfeller Plaza, New York, NY. Probably you missed it, but that doesn’t really matter for now - if it happened now, it will probably happen again, and if someone would ask me, I would really like to meet Maria Sharapova dressed as a Dark Elf. How would you like to meet her? Don’t answer “naked,” please!

Finally, I should also add that Top Spin 3 has been rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, so you’re all free to take the tennis ball and give it a spin with Maria!

PS2 Madness!

Codrut Nistor — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:26:10 +0000

Ever had a car or motorcycle accident? If you didn’t have “the chance” of experiencing such a thing, then you can take my word for it - it’s not like in the movies! Sometimes, you know what’s going to happen a few seconds earlier, and while everything starts to flow in slow motion, you start building possible end scenarios, try to dodge or move to get away as clean as possible, or pray and wait for salvation from above, depends on the one involved. I had one car crash, and I was hit three times by cars while riding a bicycle, and I am still in one piece, although once I was close to being turned into a poster on a tree, but I wasn’t doing any crazy things in any of these situations, thinking about some PS2 game…

…that pushed one PS2 player who also had a fast bike to go on a road rage and finish the crazy trip under a car! Fortunately, the guy survived, his bike was destroyed, but this makes me wonder how far could go this PS2 madness? Looking at the entire industry, there’s even worse - I don’t know if you remember, but GTA 4 was pulled back from Thailand because some looney killed a taxi driver, “inspired” by the game.

Before I give you all the details I know about today’s looney, here’s what I think - gamers are not like empty pages of a book, waiting to be filled with the “commandments” of some violent game, so this whole “GTA made me do it!” approach is nothing more but a castle made of sand to me. <-336×280 Large Rectangle - right->I can also go out and kill someone, and then claim Satan told me to do so, but that wouldn’t bad this fictional character from appearing in movies, games, and so on!

Anyway, back to the story - according to the KSL-5 TV station, a 27 year old riding a fast bike led the police on a chase at speeds over 100mph, ending up on I-15 under a Ford Expedition. He got lucky and survived with only a bad case of road rash, while his bike caught fire, but here’s the most incredible part - he told the police that such behavior always works in video games!

The guy riding the bike, Daniel Savino, claimed he was inspired by the racing games he plays on the PS2, but I am sure all those games have a warning coming with them, regarding the driving style depicted there. What the… am I not open minded enough? Inspired by video games, 27 years old, no helmet, no shirt, and out of it alive, after going with the bike under a Ford Expedition! And I used to call myself “lucky” sometimes…

Ehem…27 years? Welcome to the real world, boy! Thank your guarding angel for getting out of it alive, or simply thank your incredible luck, if you don’t believe in such things as angels.

Final lesson: don’t blame the games, blame the ones who believe they’re Superman’s reincarnation!

Video Game Statistics

Codrut Nistor — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:00:31 +0000

If you’re looking for video game statistics, you have a lot of chances to grow old going through all the interesting stuff you’re going to find, believe me! A few days ago, we were talking about a very important question - “Are Video Games Harmful?,” and after laughing a little when seeing the results of those studies we talked about back then, now we’re getting really serious, because it’s all about money. To be more accurate, we’re going to talk about US games sales data released by NPD for the month of July, 2008. Ready or not, here we go…

Since it’s all about the numbers, then let’s see the video game statistics for July, shall we? Here they are…

1. NCAA Football 2009 (360): 398,000
2. Wii Fit (Wii): 370,000
3. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS): 310,000
4. Wii Play (Wii): 284,000<-125×125 Button - right->
5. NCAA Football 2009 (PS3): 243,000
6. Soul Calibur IV (360): 219,000
7. Mario Kart Wii (Wii): 175,000
8. Rock Band (Wii): 166,000
9. Soul Calibur IV (PS3): 156,000
10. Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution (360): 148,000

Even more, when talking about the video game statistics for July, we should also remember that sales topped the $591 million mark, a 41 percent increase over last year’s same period. The sales for 2008 so far got really near to the $5 billion mark, but didn’t manage to reach it before July’s end.

Other than the above, I think the numbers speak for themselves. After all, it’s sales that push game series forward or into oblivion. I am sure most of us remember at least one or two great game series that were discontinued simply because they didn’t arrive at the right time, in the right place, and the public wasn’t ready for them yet…

Silent Hill: Homecoming

Codrut Nistor — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:51:27 +0000

I can’t remember if I told you this already, but I see no problem in (eventually) repeating myself, so here’s my confession: I am not crazy at all about horror movies. OK, so why would I watch one? If your best friend comes to your place, you have some beers, you chat for a while, and then he suddenly tells you about a horror movie you have to see, what would you do? The trailer was enough to convince me watch Silent Hill, and I must confess I liked it a lot. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the time to try any of the games, especially since I tried only a few horror survival games, and all became boring really fast, or there was something that made me go away after playing only for a few minutes. Anyway, here’s a new game in the Silent Hill game series - Silent Hill: Homecoming, and a few details about it!

Developed by Konami, this new game is the sixth in the series, and is expected to drop by in November on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as Windows PCs. According to the official press release, this new version introduces a new hero who’s trapped inside the town, trying to find his brother.<-125×125 Button - right->

“The sixth installment in the landmark horror series, Silent Hill: Homecoming introduces Alex Shepherd, as the latest hero to become trapped within the mist-shrouded town. Alex has returned to his hometown of Shepherd’s Glen to investigate the sudden disappearance of his younger brother Joshua. Alex must face the darkest of horrors in order to find his brother.”

The PC version was just announced, and this is very good news for those into Silent Hill, especially since Konami promises this is going to be “identical in all respects” to the game console players will be enjoying in about three months from now…

Fallout 3 Info

Codrut Nistor — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:30:08 +0000

If you were too young to play Fallout or Fallout 2, and you’re into serious simulations of the real world, combined with role playing action, then Fallout 3 is surely a title you don’t have to miss! No, skip that, they call it “post-apocalyptic RPG,” and I think this sounds much better than “simulation.” Anyway, no matter how we label it, Fallout 3 is headed this way, and the release date is no longer a mistery, as you can find out in the latest press release from Bethesda Softworks!

To make a longer story shorter, here’s what Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks has to say about Fallout 3:”We are very excited to let gamers get their hands on Fallout 3, the latest chapter in this beloved and highly acclaimed franchise.<-180×150 Small Rectangle - right-> To meet the huge demand for this title by our fans worldwide, we are planning one of the biggest launches of any game released this year.”

The press release continues without revealing much about what should you expect, but I think the screenshots are showing the visual delight we should prepare for already…

“Considered to have “one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C. however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.

Hailed as one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Fallout 3 has already won numerous awards including Best of Show from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2008, a selection voted on by an independent group of journalists from 36 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry.”

Now, the Fallout 3 info we’ve been waiting for: the release dates for the game are October 28, 2008, in North America, and October 31, 2008, in Europe. These being said…start the countdown timer, what are you waiting for??!

Settlers, Reloaded!

Codrut Nistor — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:16:40 +0000

Do you miss Settlers? I am not talking about a TV series, but you’re close with that one. It’s a game series, and if you missed it until now, you may want to grab one of those games in the Settlers series…or get to the World of Zellians! This is a whole new game that was just announced by Gameinvest, and I think going from Settlers to it could be a very interesting transition, but starting with it and then checking out the Settlers series could also be a very pleasant gaming experience. Anyway, let’s see what’s the catch with World of Zellians, shall we?

Yesterday, Gameinvest announced that “is creating a beautiful and expansive world for multiple platforms this fall with World of Zellians.” Expected to become available for Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, this game is “a strategic life simulation game where players must create, manage and grow a prosperous new civilization while caring for the well being of the community.” As you can see in the screenshot above, the cartoonish graphics could either send you into the “game for kids, I’ll pass” gang, or help you enjoy better a game that tries to stand out of the crowd.<-180×150 Small Rectangle - right->

According to Gameinvest founder and CEO Paulo Gomes, “The concept of creating a balanced society in World of Zellians is truly engaging and challenging, and we are designing this experience to be fun and accessible for all audiences – from casual to core gamers. As the ruler of this society, players will be responsible for developing the community as well as providing a positive influence in the world – creating a very challenging and interactive gaming experience.”

Apart from taking care of the daily needs of the Zellian society, you’ll also be in charge of protecting your citizens from the evil god called Zorm, providing a positive force to bring hope and happiness, and gain areas of influence that are controlled by Zorm’s darkness and fear. Interesting enough? Well, the screenshots look nice, and the fact that we’ll get this game on all platforms it’s also a plus, but until we’ll get our hands on it, there’s plenty of time to enjoy Settlers…or dream about a better Zellian world!