Stargate Worlds: Closed Beta Sign Ups Are A Go

I got an e-mail back on the 23rd to go register at their website but it was apparently being hammered by geeks and geekettes all day so...naturally in the AOC hype, I forgot to register until today when I was deleting my old, worthless mail.

If you're interested in applying for the closed beta (it's not guaranteed that you get a spot, but if you're a Stargate fan, why not give it a go), check out the following:

Stargate Worlds closed beta registration begins!

Apr 30, 2008 ~ Press Releases

StargateWorlds.com is now taking registrations for closed beta, publisher FireSky announced in a press release this morning!

Several gaming Web sites, including gameSlave, have already announced the news.

This is what devoted fans of Stargate and online games have been waiting for for over two years -- the opportunity to get an early look at the upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online game for the hit sci-fi franchise!

As was promised months back by Senior Community Manager "Khatie," Stargate Worlds Forum members got the very first chance to register last week. Our servers have been fighting to acquire the sudden influx of registrants. Now we're gearing up for more of the general public!

Here's some of what the press release had to say:

The select group of beta testers will provide feedback to the development team about their game experience while also providing vital insight into the performance of the servers. The closed beta will begin with a small core of gamers and gradually expand as more functionality is added. Beta testers will experience Stargate Worlds alongside the developers who also will be playing the game.

“A game is nothing without players. We’re fired up to finally get our game in the hands of the community,” said Dan Elggren, Stargate Worlds studio head. “We’re at the point where we need external testers to take Stargate Worlds to the finish line. Our devoted fans have helped guide us for more than two years through our forums. Together, we’re going to craft a balanced, polished, and most of all, fun game.”

Remember, a successful registration does not guarantee a beta tester slot!

Or if you don't want to do all that reading, just click on the link below to register:

https://register.stargateworlds.com/Registration/

Good ruck!

AOC: The Final Countdown

That's right, the times have officially been announced (there seemed to be a little mix up in the original time zone conversion deal).

According to the updated FAQs, game play begins:

May 1st, 2008 @ 9:00 AM PST

And so, my slothfulness begins anew. Sure it's capped but there are plenty of classes to try. Oh, and that little thing called a jobby job as well.

BTW: How many of you are calling in sick on May 20th?

Battlefield Heroes: Customisation/Latest Gameplay Video & Beta Info

It looks kinda' cute. But when it comes to FPSes, cute really belongs in "Hello Kitty Land."

Of course, since it's free, I'll be more than happy to try it out.

Speaking of trying it out, keep an eye on this page for the closed beta coming up May 6th, 2008:

http://www.battlefield-heroes.com/beta

Something Fishy Going on at Diablo3.com

One more day and we find out what the hell (OOOHHH, knee slappah pun intended) is going on with Diablo3.com:

In the past days there have been a lot of activity in the network sites after the countdown teaser. A few forum threads keep continuous debate between Diablo fans of what this announcement will be. I have given a few responses of what it is not, to make sure fans won't be thinking the wrong thing. We have made no claims and expect fans to not get caught up with the wave of speculations and rumors in the forums and the web to the point to believe them.

With that said, I will mention some of those I have ruled out since it seems fans haven't thoroughfully read all the forum posts in said thread.

Things the May 1 Announcement are not:
1. It is not an official announcement of Diablo 3
2. It is not about an upcoming Diablo novel
3. It is not a Network merge

Only Blizzard Entertainment may make an official announcement of games, unless we had a leak. However, we have no leaks. We know as much as you do whether or not there will or not be an announcement at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals. We do have our own set of theories such as the Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals ending the same day Diablo II was released (June 29 2000) and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion being released (June 29, 2001). We will all have to wait and see what happens.

I have been open commenting there will be new Diablo novels.... [Read More]

And now there's this new note:

I would like to take this time to remind everyone that Diablo3.com has its very own IRC channel on the irc.gamesurge.net network. The channel is #diablo3 . It would be a good idea to drop by and learn how to get to the channel in case the web site ever goes down... like... if... 200 gaming web sites suddenly linked to diablo3.com and 200 thousand visitors made our servers crash.

You can visit http://www.diablo3.com/cmps_index.php?page=chat for a web based chat room but I recommend downloading an IRC client such as www.mirc.com .

Once installed you need to type in /server irc.gamesurge.net at the command line then /join #diablo3

Server: irc.gamesurge.net
Channel: #diablo3

See ya there!

Oh noes, what's going on? Is everyone leaving Blizzard for Funcom!? What could it be!? And I swear, if it's a kid's show or that movie rumour again, I'm going to be pretty sad.

FREE VEGGIE CRISPS FOR EVERYONE!?

p.s. Fat gamers, I would like to recommend Flat Earth's line of dericious chips for you to eat instead of Ding Dongs. Right now my faves are the Tangy Tomato Ranch and the Farmland Cheddar. Don't worry, they're a gazillion times better than Sun Chips and half the Doritoes flavours out there.

Try them!

UPDATE: Here is the crappy ass update. Boo.

Apr 30, 2008 - 8:26 PM - by mockery Ahoy there, fellow Diablo fans!

Well, there's no point in beating around the bush any longer, so let's get right down to it. A few months ago we were contacted by Blizzard in regards to the Diablo3.com domain name. While they appreciate all the work that's been put into running this big Diablo fan community over the years, they still want the domain name. Hmm, I wonder why? Now before you get all up in arms about it, allow me to explain a few things.

First off, this fan site isn't going anywhere, it's just getting a new name: Diablofans.com! Blizzard is actually being really cool about it, giving us all the time we need to make it a smooth transition before we hand the old domain over to them. So be sure to update all of your bookmarks and point 'em to diablofans.com instead. Your user accounts will all still be perfectly functional and, along with this new site name, we'll soon have a big site redesign up and running as well. A new name, a new look. Huzzah!

Secondly, while Blizzard is indeed acquiring the diablo3.com domain name, they told me that this shouldn't be considered an announcement for the Diablo 3 game we've been waiting for all these years. They acquire new domains all the time. While this is true, I personally can't help but think that this is a confirmation of sorts that they're working on the next Diablo game. Sure, they can claim it's because they want to protect their intellectual properties 'n what have you, but I can't imagine they would all of a sudden be so interested in the diablo3.com domain if they weren't working on a new Diablo 3 game behind the scenes.

On a final note, I want to thank all of you guys who've made this community so strong over the years. It's only going to get better around here and I hope you'll all stick with us. One of the nice things about this whole name-change ordeal is that Blizzard really appreciates the fact that we're a dedicated fan site and we'll be working with them much more closely in the future to bring you the latest Diablo game news.

It's funny, I've had so many offers over the years from people who wanted to pay a lot o' cash for the diablo3.com domain name and I wasn't even willing to consider then. I set out to have a great Diablo fan site because I simply loved the Diablo series. Fortunately, with the help of some great people on the staff and fans like you, we accomplished just that. But when Blizzard came around asking for the domain, I was excited about it both as a Diablo fan and for their recognition of all the work we've put into the site. Fortunately for us, the diablofans.com domain name was available and it fit perfectly in line with the intentions of this site, so I registered it and here we are. Diablo3.com will still be active for a few more months so everybody can have a chance to get used to the new Diablofans.com domain. After that, it will simply point to the Blizzard.com homepage... at least until they're ready to use it for something more worthwhile. One of the nice things about the new diablofans.com domain is that it's all-encompassing. Instead of the site just being for people waiting on Diablo 3, it can serve as the main hub for *all* current and future Diablo games. Isn't it nice to know you'll always have a place online you can call home? Hey, even Diablo's demon minions need a place to hang their hats too.

Alright, that's all the news for now. I'm sure all of this news is gonna get the Diablo 3 rumor mill running like a mad banshee... so have fun discussing the announcement with your fellow Diablo fans!

AOC: Be Prepared & Patch Early!

Just as an FYI, if you want to go ahead and patch the game before the actual OB period starts, the patch servers are working.

I kinda' recommend it if you have a slooooooooow or iffy connection to begin with as I'm sure they'll be getting hammered on May 1st. I have a pretty good connection and while I started downloading the huge ass patch at 450-500, that dropped pretty quick to around 150. (Leave it on over night as it took about 30 or so min.)

Don't say I didn't warn you!

And now, to go finish my work.

p.s. Got everything done on my part including my account registration. Some people were having trouble figuring out where to do this so go to:

https://betaregister.ageofconan.com

And put in your beta key and create your account.

Additionally, don't be shocked if you get a "black screen" with music playing when you first launch the game. What you want to do is go into your AOC folder, find the Simple Configuration EXE, execute it and tick off full screen mode. Relaunch your game and it will show up in windowed mode. You can then go back to re tick the full screen mode.

Enjoy!

Age of Conan: A Tasty Movie Treat

Okies, I found this linkie link to the original Conan movie made in 1982. It's a mutilation of the novels but who the fuck cares. (Actually I do a little as Howard's writing is actually very very good.)

Just a little something to whet your appetite for B B B B Beta! Plus, it's an awesome blast from the past.

Don't know how long it will be up so enjoy it while you can.

<3

Grand Slam Theft Auto IV

Moar hookahs to get my health back for my face! Can't wait to play it!

Grand Theft Auto receives acclaim

Grand Theft Auto IV is expected to sell six million copies in a week.

Highly-anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV has received a string of near-perfect reviews ahead of its worldwide release on Tuesday.

The game is expected to break records for the fastest-selling game of all time and many shops are opening their doors at midnight for gamers.

The game has been classified as 18 in the UK and Mature for US gamers.

In the US, regulators have reminded parents that the title is not designed for children under 17 years old.

In a joint statement the ESRB and the National Institute on Media and the Family urged parents to check ratings on games for their children.

It said: "With the latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series... parents need to be reminded to make sure their kids are playing games appropriate for their age and level of maturity.

"It is critical that parents consider the assigned rating carefully."

GTA IV is set in a fictional New York.

The GTA series has proved incredibly popular and almost equally controversial in the last few years.

More than 70 million copies of the franchise's titles have been sold worldwide but the series has also been criticised for glorifying violence.

In 2005 the developers Rockstar were criticised after hackers found a way to play a normally inaccessible sex "mini-game" inside the title Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

The mini-game, dubbed Hot Coffee, was never designed to be played by gamers but was unlocked by hackers.

Controversy over Hot Coffee resulted in the title being re-rated in the US for adults only, and games being withdrawn from sale so that stickers with the new rating could be applied.

Reviews for Grand Theft Auto IV have been unanimous in their praise.

UK-based games website Eurogamer called it "game of the year" and handed it a 10 out of 10 review score, while the New York Times said it delivered a "new level of depth for an interactive entertainment experience".

MMORPG: AOC Beta Key Raffle 4/28/08 (Enter Before That!)

Don't want to splurge for that FilePlanet account? Know that lady luck is on your side?

Then enter the MMORPG AOC Beta Key Raffle!

MMORPG.com Age of Conan / FilePlanet Giveaway!MMORPG.com and FilePlanet have partnered to bring you an exciting new contest!

From April 24, 2008 to April 28, 2008 @ 9PM EST we will be accepting entries into a random drawing where we will give away 100 FilePlanet premium accounts. Combined with the fact that FilePlanet is giving away beta accounts to their premier members this contest prize will get you into the Age of Conan beta test!

For more information on Age of Conan, please visit this link: http://www.ageofconan.com/ or the MMORPG.com gamespace page!

Check out the details and sign up for the contest here!

Random Musings & Fall Out 3

Why am I looking for cover in "Call of Duty 4"? Damn you "Rainbow Six," you've ruined me!

Meanwhile, if you haven't downloaded the "AOC" beta yet, make sure you have 24GBs of room otherwise you, your War Rhino and your computer are going to be very very sad.

Meanwhile, I read an article on Game Watch about "Fallout 3" from Bethseda (makers of "Oblivion") that rekindled my interest in the game and possible Fallout MMO. There was a playable demo at Zenimax Asia, and apparently, the press was...impressed (gushing?) to say the least. *hiss* Of course, Bethseda would not allow any photography from the event so all we have is ze ancient teaser trailer to fall back on.

The Trailer:

*slobber*

Hurry up May 1st! I'm getting ancy for some a mind numbing gaming session!

p.s. I was a dirty traitor and also picked up the "Warhammer Online" pre-order. BAD BAD GAMER!

AOC: Beta Keys on EBAY *snicker*

I can't believe people are stupid enough to bid $300+ for a fuckin' beta key you could get for $6.95 by SUBSCRIBING TO FILEPLANET.

But these people are:

Stupid Beta Key Buyers

I hope they realize that the game at the most only costs $89.99 for the collector's edition....

Actually fuck that. I hope they end up getting the key only to have EIDOS/Funcom revoke it. SUCKAHS!!

**UPDATE** The auction has been removed but suffice to say, the last time I checked that stupid ass beta key was going for $300 odd bucks.**

AOC: FilePlanet Beta Keys Available NOW!! (HURRY!)

I just snapped mine up and started the 12.59 GB download.

HURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY!!

Get ye to Fileplanet!!

And check out the FAQs about the game here.

Here's the official blurbage from the Age of Conan site:

Incoming! Open Beta Keys Spotted!!!
Posted: - 23.04.2008

Unless the heavens fall and cruel Hyborian gods says otherwise, the first batch of Open Beta keys will go out in a few hours!

First Come, First Served!

That is right, your first chance to get the coveted Beta spots are soon here, and at first 5000 lucky winners will be chosen. As soon as you get a key you will be able to download the game, but please be aware that the keys are given out in waves. This is done to secure optimal download speeds for the client. Clocking in at almost 13 Gigs, it's a healthy size for any game! The good folks at Fileplanet know through experience how to handle such downloads in an optimal way, and this means that the keys and downloads will go out in batches. As soon as the first batch of 5000 calms down, the second wave will be initiated, and so forth and so on, until all the 50,000 keys are out. So, if you want a spot in the beta and were not lucky first time around, please make sure to check your mail and the Conan Fileplanet mini-site from time to time.

Should you be able to get hold of a key, please be aware that you SHOULD choose the download location which is the closest to you (if on the west coast of USA choose a west coast location etc.). If you start to download on your "first and best" choice, and get a slower than anticipated speed, you should know that cancelling the download means you will be only bumped back in the queue. So, please make sure to check this thoroughly prior to inititing download.

Oh, in conjunction with Fileplanet and IGN we also have some cool prizes and whatnot for you all. More info to come soon!

We wish all of you the best of luck in getting hold of a key, and we hope to see you in Hyboria very soon.

AOC: Update From GoGamer about Mounts and In-Game Items

As I mentioned in my previous post, I e-mailed GoGamer today to see what was going on with their Mount situation and just received a note from them:

Hello,

Unfortunately, Eidos decided to only give GameStop the exclusive in-game items you mentioned and not to us. Obviously, we are not very happy about that and we complained to Eidos profusely. We also tried in vain to get an exclusive item for us. However, we were told that was not possible. We here at GoGamer don’t think it is fair to our loyal customers who are being punished for simply not shopping at Gamestop. Feel free to let Eidos and Funcom know how you feel about it in the Conan forum or via email. As you noted, we have dropped the price $5 to offset the cost of the early access program and we have secured the Conan Guide book for everyone who has pre-ordered with us. That may not be much comfort, but we appreciate everyone who has pre-ordered with us and stuck by us on Conan.

We apologize for any inconvenience on the in-game items, but unfortunately it was simply out of our control.

Thanks for the email and your business.

Thank you.

It's okay, GoGamers, I forgive you. I do appreciate their service so far so I'll prolly order my Collector's Edition from them anyhow and then steal someone's War Mammoth code. SUCKAHS!

Age of Conan: Pre-Ordering Options (And A Minor Rant)

So I decided to finally plunk down cash money and pre-order AOC today. (Yes, I was waiting for more info to make my decision this time after being burned like a dericious marshmallow by Vanguard.)

Of course, now the problem is, who do I fuckin' buy from?

There are three pre-order in game items. A War Mammoth, a War Rhino and an...Amazon Recurve Bow...of which the bow I could give a shit about. Of course, Amazon.com is offering the bow and naturally, their game costs $11 less for the Collector's Edition (which I'm getting for the art book.)

Right now it looks like Gamestop is doing the Mammoth and Bestbuy the Rhino (but only if you pre-order instore.) But Gamestop doesn't seem to be offering the Collector's Edition...HISS!!

So now it's more hassle figuring out where to buy what.

Anyhoo, if you're like me trying to figure out which one is worth it, check out this thread from the official AOC boards about what retailers are supposedly offering what. Also, check out this thread about the different items and what they do.

I'm leaning towards the in-store Bestbuy after my terrible ass experiences with fuckin' Gamestop, but I do prefer GoGamer after seeing them in action with the Hellgate London launch debacle.

So many choices, so many choices.

Meanwhile I've e-mailed GoGamer about their mount choice so hopefully I get something back about it soon.

Make sure you check what your retailer's offering before you buy because mounts be preciouses!!

p.s. Athelan confirmed that you can apply more than one order's codes to the same account, so it looks like some folks are ordering from everyone to get all the items. Gotta' catch 'em all! (But not me, because I'm cheap ass.)

GI Joe: Moar Characters Revealed

We got a laugh out of some of these (read: Storm Shadow.) Why is Storm Shadow so metro? WHY? Shouldn't he be playing "Starcraft!?"

Sienna Miller doesn't look too bad as the Baroness but I think she's doesn't fill out the suit as nicely as the animated version.


Check 'em out!!

Video Game Addiction Linked to Asperger's Traits

According to this article from the Discovery Channel, we gamers are all unagreeable and introverted. Silly researchers, just wait until "Age of Conan" comes out. Then I'll show you introverted!

April 22, 2008 -- People who spend hours and hours playing video games exhibit the same personality traits as people with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

Unhealthy Addiction?

The new research fuels concerns that video games could further alienate an already isolated group of people and increase mental health problems like depression.

In the study, John Charlton of the University of Bolton in England and colleagues examined nearly 400 gamers, most of whom were male, and questioned them about how much they played video games. The researchers didn't specifically study people with Asperger's syndrome.

The more time a person spent playing video games, the researchers found, the more likely they were to show three specific traits usually associated with Asperger's syndrome: neuroticism and a lack of extraversion and agreeableness.

Charlton suggests that people with Asperger's may be more vulnerable to becoming addicted to playing video games because it allows them to escape into a world where they can avoid face-to-face interactions.

"Our suggestion is that people with Asperger's might be prone to addiction to MMORPGs [massive multi-player online role playing games]," said John Charlton in an email. Charlton is a researcher at the University of Bolton and a study author.

"It is definitely not true to say that playing games can cause Asperger's syndrome."

People with Asperger's typically find social situations stressful. They often can't make eye contact and fail to pick up social cues, like boredom, in other people. The condition tends to isolate children and can trigger depression, which according to researchers, video games may encourage.

The exact cause of Asperger's is unknown, although researchers suspect there is a genetic component. Treatment for Asperger's usually consists of improving social skills and breaking repetitive behavior, the very things video games discourage.

"I worry about the mental health of these kids," said Eileen Costello about children who spend many hours playing video games. Costello is a pediatrician and author of the book "Quirky Kids," about children with disorders like autism and Asperger's.

"Video games don't prepare them for interacting with real people," she said. "You can't walk into a college interview and say that you are really good at playing Xbox."

Ace Combat 6: DLC Plane Designs

...I'm not sure why you'd waste money on this but...for 400 MS points it's yours!! Yay!! (Crickets.)

You can check out all the colours available here, but so far the Razgriz collection is looking the best!

Movies: The Forbidden Kingdom (Oooocha ooocha)

I don't normally go to movies anymore (i.e., waste precious precious gaming greens on anything other than stupid ass games), but somehow I got suckered into watching "The Forbidden Kingdom" in a real live theatre. Thankfully, I didn't have to pay, or else I might have been sad.

Now, I love Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and of course, "Journey to the West" is one of my fave novels. But the only Monkey King wannabe there should have been was Jackie, the Water Demon Yuen Biao and the pig naturally Sammo in their prime. Fuck, I'd even let Anita Mui be the monk. (RIP.)

Anyhow, the movie is kinda' like "the Neverending Story," without a flying dog dragon, racing snail or sneezing turtle whore. Bastian's role is played by some kid named Michael Angarano and really, the writers should have found a way to kill him off or not put him in at all (like write "Sky High 2" and have his schedule be conflicting.) That way Jackie and Jet could have made a real movie together instead of being the sidekicks, because I actually enjoyed when the two of them were working together.

The folks in the theatre seemed to love the movie and were laughing their asses off, but I was more focused on not eating all the popcorn. I guess it's meant to be a kids/family movie and my sorry ass is just too old anymore. (Wahaha.) The occasional references/nods to other legit Kung Fu movies like "Drunken Master" and "Bride with White Hair" were definitely nice though. :) I didn't notice a blooper reel though like most Jackie movies have.

I do know that a cam copy is going around there somewhere if you know where to look....

FilePlanet/IGN AOC Open Beta Starts May 1st, 2008!

Wahooo!

It's right on their front page!

Beta Signups Start NEXT WEEK!

All users can register now for the Age of Conan beta event notification list. You do not need to be subscribed to register and get instant email notification when beta signups begin.

Beta signups will require a FilePlanet or Founders' Club subscription and begin next week!

Howevah, follow the link and:

Age of Conan Beta Coming SOON on FilePlanet!
We're proud to announce that FilePlanet.com will be hosting the beta for Age of Conan. Stay tuned for information, we can't wait to play!

Register for Instant Notification of the upcoming Age of Conan beta on FilePlanet. All FilePlanet users can register for notification; you must be a FilePlanet Subscriber / Founders’ Club member in order to sign-up for the Beta. Be notified by Comrade or by E-mail....

ONE MOAR WEEK. I gotta finish up all my work!

Also, here's the official word on it:

Heads will Roll as Age of Conan moves into Open Beta
Posted: - 17.04.2008

Open Beta exclusively available through FilePlanet.com and partner IGN sites.

50.000 aspiring barbarians may enter Hyboria on May 1st 2008.

Funcom, Eidos and IGN are proud to announce that Open Beta for Age of Conan will start on May 1. The Open Beta will be hosted exclusively by IGN’s popular game download site, FilePlanet.com, as well as being offered through partner IGN sites such as Gamespy.com, Tentonhammer.com and Warcry.com. The application pages at FilePlanet.com are now open for registrations, and gamers from across the world can sign up. As 50.000 gamers prepare their Hyborian assault, rivers of blood are about to flow, and it’s exclusively available through FilePlanet and IGN partner sites.

“When we started development of Age of Conan four and a half years ago we truly wanted to move away from the standards of the MMO genre. We wanted to bring something new, exciting and fresh to the gamers,” said Gaute Godager, Game Director on Age of Conan. “As we get ready to show everyone what Conan’s savage world is all about, we need final stress testing. Teaming up with the Beta Masters at IGN was a perfect opportunity for us! We simply couldn’t ask for a better partner for this crucial stage of our Beta.”

“The IGN and FilePlanet audience has consistently told us that Age of Conan is one of their most anticipated games of the year, and we are very pleased to partner with Funcom and Eidos on the Open Beta,” says Senior Vice President of Consumer Products at IGN, Jamie Berger. “The Funcom team has developed a truly unique, visceral gaming experience that players will have to see to believe.”

Funcom would like to point out that the primary function of the Open Beta is to stress test Age of Conan prior to launch. This means that Funcom will not make the entire game available to the Open Beta testers, and a level 13 cap will be applied. The Beta experience will still give hours and hours of entertainment, and complete class and culture variety, while at the same time giving Funcom the needed focus for an Open Beta.

You are required to be a FilePlanet member in order to sign up for the Open Beta. Preloading of the client will start prior to the launch of the Open Beta, and applicants will receive more information should they receive a beta key. The Open Beta will start on the 1st of May at 1500 GMT / 0900 EST.

Freebie Time: Rising Eagle

Need to waste some time but don't want to splurge on it? Fileplanet is offering a free download of the indie shooter, "Rising Eagle" to everyone.

According to the mini description:

Rising Eagle: Futuristic Infantry Warfare redefines the pace and gameplay of multiplayer tactical shooters. Set in 2040, gamers participate in the conflicts of tomorrow in urban and open field infantry combat. Equipped with exoskeleton suits, C&C systems and an obscene amount of fire power go visit your dream locations: Paris and China, and then blow them to pieces! (You can bring your buddies too).

Apparently, busting into the market was a bit rough for Invasion Interactive and server pops were low. The game doesn't look that bad, but it is a bit primitive graphically:

But then again, it's free, so check it out if you have time to waste.

Rainbow Six Hotness!

I'm too lazy to get a webcam to paste my mug on my character, so I'm just using the stock Chink pictuah. From what I hear though, it actually works really well with the XBOX version. Too bad you can't pick sexy voices as well. The chick variant is kinda'...old.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2: Online Updates

So, a couple of us finally go our online shit working by opening the following ports:

Support Answer

The problem isn't completely fixed however, as for some folks, no matter how they set up their routers, their ISP is still blocking their ability to connect to UbiSoft's servers. Unfortunately, it looks like if opening all these ports doesn't work, it's time to make a phone call to your ISP.

Bummer.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (PC): MOVE IN!! HUSTLE!!

Alright, I'm not gonna' lie. It's not as pretty as the other games out there and the online multi-player is a total gamble as to whether you can connect or not, but I stayed up until 3 AM yesterday having a blast playing the damn thing. (Well fuck, I finally found a server I could connect to with a friend after all, so I had to take advantage of that, didn't I?)

You see, the problem is, right now the online play sucks ass. It's fun when it works--stress on WHEN, IF, GOD FORBID IT EVER WORKS--but more often than not, it doesn't. One of the reasons I picked up the damn game is because a few of us were hoping to set up online games and do a bit of coop terro hunting. Of course, that didn't work really well when one of us couldn't connect to the UBI server at all, and the two that could connect to the game server couldn't connect to each other. So we ended up having to play single player pretending it was co-op. Pretty sad, yes, but when the apparent self-fix is to get rid of every single firewall in existence what can you do?

On the other hand, the single player is pretty good. Control yourself and two minions against well armed terrorists threatening to blow Vegas sky high, and if you're lucky, the minions, aka, douchebags, don't throw a flash bang into the back of your head stunning you and getting you kilt (oh, was that too specific and revealing?) Take cover behind walls and other solid objects, shoot around corners or peek out and blow the terro bastards to high heaven with an incendiary frag. This is not the type of game to become an hero at by running out and mowing down dozens of baddies at once. Nope, you gotta' take your time and set up to kick ass, gain experience, all in order to unlock the precious precious pink camo set. (Oh yeah, you can also unlock weapons and other shit, but who the fuck cares when you can be pink.)

According to the boards, Ubi's working on a solution but I ain't holding my breath. I'll just consider it ANOTHER $50 lesson against optimism. But that won't stop me from racking up experience towards unlocking all the armour, weapon and outfits, whilst waiting ever so patiently for AOC.

Laffs From Overseas: Full Contact Tetris

This is what people in the "real world" hard at "work" send me. Ahhhh. Good times!

And here are the remaining parts if you want to see more stupid human tricks performed by the Tokyo Stars Team versus the Country Bumpkin Team:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 Tunnels vs 99
Part 5 Tokyo Stars vs 4th Rate
Part 6 Tunnels vs Actors

The actual show is part of the Brain Wall series.

PotBS: So Long Guadaloupe and Hola to Populated Servers

I haven't accessed my account in like...urm...forever since I haven't felt the need, but it is a little sad to know that my poor little server is finally bidding adios to ze world. According to the recently released MMOGChart, PotBS only had 65K subscribers anyhow (and mostly from Sony All Access Passes) so I'm not that surprised since even at its peak back when I was playing, Guadaloupe (one of the more populated less populated servers) just wasn't as happening as Blackbeard, Roberts, Rackham and Antigua....

Anyhoo, read more here:

Character Transfers are Now Live!

04.14.08 by Aether

On Tuesday, April 15th, from 1:30a Pacific Time, there will be a brief, rolling outage in order to enable server transfers for your characters. [note: this outage is now complete]

When Pirates of the Burning Sea launched on January 22nd, we introduced our customers to 11 new game servers. Through feedback from our players and evaluation of our server populations, it has become clear that key game features require populations of higher density in order to function at optimum levels. When you take into account both the disparity in player time zones and the delayed launch of our title in some countries, we were spreading our overall population too thin. Also, in more recent builds, we were able to improve our server technology to allow for an even larger population than we were originally equipped to handle.

Providing our customers with the best game play experience is our first priority. Condensing our populations will lead to a richer, more vibrant game play experience for all involved, and our customers whole-heartedly agree. The character transfer option will not be available to our Australian customers on the Invincible server.

How is this going to work?

Tomorrow morning, during our usual maintenance period (1:30a Pacific), we will be restarting the servers in order to activate a configuration change. Each server will likely be down for only a half hour [note: this outage is now complete]
. When the servers are back up, you will be able to follow the instructions at this link to move characters from one server to another.

What servers can I transfer to?

Players will be able to transfer their characters to any of the following servers:

• Roberts
• Blackbeard
• Rackham
• Antigua

At the same time that character transfers are activated on Tuesday morning, we will be disabling the creation of new characters on the following servers:

• Bonny
• Guadeloupe
• Kidd
• Morgan
• Bellamy
• Bonnet
• Hornigold

How many transfers do I get?

You can transfer as many characters as you have but each character can only be moved once. We highly recommend you discuss your plans with your society and group mates before moving your characters. You do not have to transfer all of your characters to the same server; however you will still be limited to characters of one nation per server. You can transfer characters to Roberts, Blackbeard, Rackham, or Antigua. You are also welcome to transfer characters between Roberts, Blackbeard Rackham or Antigua, if you like.

What happens when I transfer a character?

When you initiate a transfer, most of your character’s data will be transferred to the new server. Information that will be transferred includes approved User Content, purchased User Content, character level, inventory (including economic items, mission rewards, and server victory rewards), money, ships, mission progress, skills and outfitting. They will keep the same structures in the same port. Any items a transferred character has listed in the Auction House will appear in the same port as an expired listing and will need to be re-listed.

There are a few pieces of character information that will not move with a character. Both the Friend and Ignore lists will be empty after the copy. The character will not be in a society on their new server. Personal unrest or contention points the character has earned will be cleared as well. It is important that these specific data points not carry over, in order to make certain that they not disrupt the destination server’s data.

Important: On the server the character is being transferred from,the character will be deleted and their auction listings expired.

This whole process generally takes a minute or two. You can begin playing your character on your new server as soon as the process reports it has completed.

What happens to my society?

In addition to resetting your friends list, if you are a Society Leader, transferring your character to a new server will reset your Society list as well. In order to assist Society Leaders with the task of keeping track of Society members, we have created the /dumpsocietyinfo command. Society Leaders using this command will create a file containing a list of your Society members titled societyinfo.csv,which can be found in the Pirates of the Burning Sea directory in your My Documents folder.

How long will I have to transfer my characters?

You will have over a month to decide which server you would like to transfer to and activate the transfer. It is important to us that our community is able to discuss the logistics of relocating their characters.

We want to allow societies some time to weigh their options and for everyone to evaluate their options in order to find the server that us the best fit. At the end of that transition time, Bonny, Guadeloupe, Kidd, Morgan, Bellamy, Bonnet, and Hornigold will be disabled until such time as there is a need for more servers.

Additional questions and concerns can be shared by joining in the discussion on our forums at this link.

Best,
Aether

Read More - Discuss

Movies: DreamWorks to make 'Ghost' in 3-D

According to Variety Online, "Ghost in the Shell" may be bombing at a theatre near you sometime in the future. I keed I keed. And as the Swedish Chef loves to say, it'll be in "THREE DEEEE~~~."

DreamWorks to make 'Ghost' in 3-D

Spielberg fights for rights to Japanese thriller

By MICHAEL FLEMING, TATIANA SIEGEL

DreamWorks has acquired rights to the Japanese manga "Ghost in the Shell" with plans to adapt the futuristic police thriller as a 3-D live-action feature.

Story follows the exploits of a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime.

Created by Masamune Shirow, "Ghost in the Shell" was first published in 1989. It went on to generate two additional manga editions, three anime film adaptations, an anime TV series and three videogames. The second anime film, "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence," was released in the U.S. by DreamWorks in 2004.

Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are attached to produce and brought the project to the studio. Jamie Moss has been tapped to pen the adaptation.

Universal and Sony were also chasing "Ghost in the Shell," but Steven Spielberg took personal interest in the property and made it happen at DreamWorks.

" 'Ghost in the Shell' is one of my favorite stories," Spielberg said. "It's a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks."

DreamWorks prexy of production Adam Goodman said "Ghost in the Shell" is a property "that epitomizes 3-D live-action motion picture possibilities."

Avi Arad is at the forefront of comicbook-based material, having produced the three "Spider-Man" films, the three "X-Men" movies, the two "Fantastic Four" picss and the upcoming "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk."

Moss' writing credits include "Street Kings," which bowed Friday, and "Last Man Home," in development at Universal.

Books: "The Electric Church" by Jeff Somers

Every so often I do something called "reading," and find something interesting. (GASP! What!? Who the fuck reads anymoar!?) Anyhoo, yesterday I finished up "The Electric Church" written by Jeff Somers, published by Orbit books and adorned with a sexy ass cover by Jae Lee, and wanted to give it a mini recommendation, especially to those of you into sci-fi and cyberpunk.

Not to mention Jeff Somers is from NJ and fellow NJ denizens have to support one another!

You can read the first chapter at Orbit Book's website below:

http://www.orbitbooks.net/the-electric-church-extract/

The book description from Amazon:

In the near future, the only thing growing faster than the criminal population is the Electric Church, a new religion founded by a mysterious man named Dennis Squalor. The Church preaches that life is too brief to contemplate the mysteries of the universe: eternity is required. In order to achieve this, the converted become Monks -- cyborgs with human brains, enhanced robotic bodies, and virtually unlimited life spans. Enter Avery Cates, a dangerous criminal known as the best killer-for-hire around. The authorities have a special mission in mind for Cates: assassinate Dennis Squalor. But for Cates, the assignment will be the most dangerous job he's ever undertaken -- and it may well be his last.

Or learn more about it at the official website:

http://the-electric-church.com/

Pirates of the Caribbean: A Sad Confession

In a moment of desperation, I noticed some mail I received from Disney of all places and opened it. No, I hadn't been rick-rolled, but instead, I got a promotional note about "Pirates of the Caribbean." A couple months ago, I would have scoffed at the offer (and now that I think about it, I did.) But, desperation being desperation, I signed up. I figured, fuck, it's free and it's a game right?

So the installation process wasn't bad at all. It's a smaller game and in about 15 minutes on my connection I was greeted by familiar music. Here come the cinemtics!!! And apparently I've been jailed aka, moved on to the character creation screen. The faces and figures are very cartoony and more simple than PotBS for example, but there's decent customisation to differentiate you from another avatar (mainly through clothing). But the nice thing is that your simple little character is then featured in a number of "cut scenes" a la "Final Fantasy XI" which makes the experience a lot more immersive than other games. (And by the way, Captain Purple Penis, sorry bitch, but if you don't want to pick your name from the pre-approved list, you'll have to actually wait for your name to be approved by a live person. Until then, you're Swashbuckler Lv.1 suckah!)

Anyhoo, after character creation, a Johnny Depp wannabe (it certainly sounds like him but I doubt they got the real actors to do the voices) sloshes his and your way out of jail and into the tutorial section where you meet all the major "Pirate" characters (Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, Barbarossa etc) and swash buckle your way to your very first sloop (which you name out of another list of pre-approved prefixes/suffixes.)

From what I can tell of the game now, it's not instanced like PotBS, and you actually see other folks fighting on land and sea. The land combat is simple and actually more fluid than PotBS, and the sea combat even more simple...as in, you shoot a left or right broadside from your little dinghy. I must admit it was kinda' fun to actually be able to dodge a barrage of cannonballs with some fierce maneuvering, but not so much fun running into a big galleon which throws fiery ammo at you. *snurf*

According to the tutorial, if you're lucky enough to have friends in the game, you can pilot your vessel (say it like in "Red October") while your friends take control of the guns. Of course, my friends were like, "Fuck that! I ain't playing no Disney game!" so I was all on my lonesome while those fuckers played "Call of Duty." Anyhow, it seems that you get an hour in the boat during which you are judged and given a rating, like "Seaman" or something depending on what you sunk.

Quest wise, it's kill and loot, search and dig, point and shoot and bring back X number of Ys. Nothing too spectacular, but honestly, I haven't seen anything more original than that in the other games I've played so I can't really criticise it. There's no crafting from what I can tell, but at the same time I'm using the limited access deal (the trial size pretty much), so I don't get to use any Voodoo (magic) either, nor do I unlock all the weapons, all the boats and all the games.

So, after my first day, my thoughts are...that it's no "Pirates of the Burning Seas," in regards to looks and serious business status (though seeing how underwhelming PotBS is doing right now, that's not entirely a bad thing), but probably better suited for a more casual, less PvP oriented player who's a fan of the series, it probably ain't bad at all. It might even be a good stepping stone MMO for graduates of "Toon Town," as Disney provides for a number of parental controls on chat and content. The monthly sub is $9.95, but I think for your first month it's only $4.95. Still, for the hardcore player, that month should be enough to finish up the game's story line, and that's a helluva better value for a month's play time versus $30+ for a 2 hour movie night if you find yourself enjoying the trial.

As for me, I'm glad I tried it, but I very much doubt I'll plunk down any amount of plunder for it. Not with "Rainbow Six" coming out on PC tomorrow! Wahahah.

AOC: The Open Beta Rumour Mill

So friends, as you know, I recently found out my FilePlanet account was active, so I've been poking around the site lately. The past few days, there's been a suspicious looking link to the "Age of Conan" mini site lately, with an url which reads:

http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/ageofconan/


Now, there's been some speculation on the vast intranets that this is some sort of implication that beta keys to AOC will be distributed through "FilePlanet." (If you notice, all the beta giveaways have been under the promotions subsection.)

So what do we think? Should we get all excited and check FilePlanet every freakin' day? Will "Rainbow Six Vegas 2" and "Dreamlords" be enough to tide us over if it really is all wishful thinking? And why the fuck did Bret Michaels pick Ambre over Daisy!?

Meanwhile, I must go on to my next post and make a startling confession...!!

Dreamlords: The Reawakening Open Beta Sign Up

I've been a little slow lately but apparently, if you have an IGN/Fileplanet free account, you now have access to the "Dreamlords: The Reawakening" Open Beta.

DREAMLORDS: THE REAWAKENING BETA

Now Open to All Users

The last Dreamlords Era went out with a bang (literally - the entire world was in flames!) and the Lockpick team devoted their efforts to developing and launching the next Dreamlords phase, called "The Reawakening." We've been working closely with the Lockpick team and now we present to you, our FilePlanet readers, the exclusive chance to get in and beta test the next Era of Dreamlords!

What is Dreamlords?
Dreamlords is an MMO that combines web-based gaming with RPG character development, RTS battles, and an emphasis on long-term strategy. It's a unique title in the MMO space, and one to try if you're looking for something fresh. Players take on the role of Dreamlords, who each control a "Patria," a small fragment of the world whose residents build and develop their land to further their Dreamlord's plans.

Those of you who are new to RTSes or looking for a change of pace to the sloooooooow RTS side, give it a go. It surprisingly, isn't really all that bad for people like me who are too spastic for a real challenge, but it prolly isn't for SRS BUSINESS RTSers.

Spellborn Finds Its NA Publisher?

According to the front page of their official website:

TCoS Project Update!

THURSDAY, 10TH OF APRIL 2008 :: POSTED BY *MIRAGE* :: 68 COMMENTS



Hello Community members !

Today, we would like to share an important update with you about The Chronicles of Spellborn.

After we attended the GDC in San Francisco, TCoS and Frogster have been in contact with different parties regarding the distribution of Spellborn in the USA.

Recently, one major MMOG publisher has signed a letter of intent as a potential partner for the release of The Chronicles of Spellborn in the USA, assuming a time of six months so that Spellborn can be successfully introduced to the US public.

Frogster and we, TCoS Devs, decided to use this extra time to improve our server architecture as well as apply further polish and balancing.

Thanks to this additional development time, we will make sure that the flow of the gameplay and the performance correspond to the high quality expectations for the game even with high numbers of players.

The launch of Spellborn is now estimated to take place in Autumn 2008, simultaneously in Europe and in the USA.

Our current Beta planning remains the same, and our tester pool has been increased by one hundred community members recently, ramping up towards bigger numbers as more testing needs arise.

To conclude, we will make sure to reveal the USA partner as soon as a final deal is signed, but in the meantime, keep on being active and helpful to the community, for it’s your best chance to participate in the Beta test and make Spellborn an even better game!

For the Oracle !

*Mirage*

To read on the full Press Release, click on "Read more".

Click on the linkie and you find the follow:

TCoS Project Update!
THURSDAY, 10TH OF APRIL 2008 :: POSTED BY *MIRAGE* :: 68 COMMENTS

New Release Schedule for Spellborn
Results of closed beta and potential US publisher

Berlin, 10th of April 2008: After a first review of the beta tests of The Chronicles of Spellborn, which began at the beginning of March, the Dutch developers have decided to make a revision to the server infrastructure. At this time, the game-play mechanics and graphics of the game client have already matched the high demand for quality. These have been mostly completed and will now be thoroughly optimized and polished. In reworking the tools and the network code, Spellborn NV now wants to ensure that the flow and performance of gameplay live up to the general expectations. At the same time, the developer will lay the foundation to allow for quick expansion of the game, with new content and updates, once it is released.

Meanwhile, Frogster Interactive has found a renowned MMOG publisher to be a potential partner for the release of Spellborn in the USA and has already signed a letter of intent. For a successful market introduction, the potential licensor will require a lead time of six months at least. As a consequence, both Frogster and the developers of Spellborn NV have decided to initiate the revision of the server architecture and to use this time to prepare for a coordinated worldwide release of the game. Considering the new strategy, Frogster assumes a launch of The Chronicles of Spellborn in autumn 2008. Nevertheless, the developer will continue the current closed beta tests for the time being. Just yesterday, Spellborn NV has expanded the circle of accredited testers by one hundred committed members of the community to balance and optimize the gameplay even more.

What lies hidden, must be found
With The Chronicles of Spellborn players enter into an impressive online scenario with scenic landscapes, majestic cities and the remnants of an ancient civilization. Alone or with a party of allies, PC adventurers step into a huge fantasy realm consisting of varied shard worlds floating in the magic Deadspell Storm. Those who want to prevail in the staged combats of The Chronicles of Spellborn need to apply their mighty arsenal of spells, melee and ranged attacks skillfully. Battles with bloodthirsty creatures, hostile peoples and human opponents in PvP battles are waiting. An innovative and tactically challenging combat system with shooter-like controls and rotating skill deck provides a fresh breath of air for the dusty MMORPG genre. Thanks to the largely extended Unreal Engine 2.5 The Chronicles of Spellborn boasts stunning 3D graphics, spectacular effects and countless elaborate details. Depending on the current closed beta test, the game will be published in Autumn of 2008. More information, images and videos can be found on www.tcos.com.

So what they're trying to say is...be on the look out for a release date about mid-October/early-November? Wouldn't that be a precious precious birthday gift! XD

The AOC PVP Weekend (Sign Up Deadline 4/16/08)

Did you sign up yet?

Funcom, Eidos and GameSpot Reveal Unique Age of Conan PvP weekend
Posted: - 09.04.2008

15,000 gamers get exclusive Age of Conan access from April 18th to April 20th

Durham, USA – April 9th, 2008 – Eidos and Funcom is proud to announce a unique Beta partnership with GameSpot.com, one of the world's biggest gaming websites. In a highly exclusive event, 15,000 gamers from across the world can log in and play Age of Conan, non-stop, from Friday April 18th to Sunday April 20th. The unique PvP weekend allows lucky gamers to test a limited part of the PvP functionality of Age of Conan, and the two different PvP mini-games Capture the Skull and Team Annihilation will be available.

To make the weekend even more interesting Eidos and Funcom also includes the engaging Age of Conan character creation system, allowing players to create avatars with strong personalities. All 12 classes in the game, including the barbarian, can be picked and tested, with Funcom transforming each character into a fully specced level 20 death machine. In PvP lobbies players can then chat and socialize, prior to entering PvP matches. Participants are urged to test different classes, and offer any feedback on the forums. There will also be forums on GameSpot.com where people can talk about the event, and Funcom staff will be present to gather feedback.

“The battlefields of Hyboria are craving new, fresh blood,” says an enthusiastic Game Director/Producer Gaute Godager at Funcom. “Throwing newcomers into a fully specced level 20 PVP character is naturally a challenge in this most unforgiving of all MMO environments, but I am confident the players will rise to this challenge. We have spent years fine-tuning the combat system in Age of Conan, and allowing GameSpot readers to be the first to get a small glimpse of this is something we really look forward to.”

The unique PvP weekend marks an escalation in the stress testing for Age of Conan, and aspiring barbarians can now sign up on GameSpot’s website. The 15.000 lucky winners will be then contacted by email on Wednesday the 16th of April, and then they can then start downloading the game. The servers open at 1600 EST Friday the 18th of April and close at 1600 EST on Sunday the 20st of April. Funcom would like to point out that the PvP weekend is still a part of the beta testing process, and that it is a part of the planned stress test escalations towards launch. As of such it is not fully representative of the final product, and players are asked to treat it accordingly. Stress traffic issues may therefore occur.

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received more than twentyfive covers on high-profile gaming magazines across the globe and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the official "Best Online Game" award at the Games Convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft's Games for Windows line-up, and a showcase title for nVidia. The game is set to launch in several territories on May 20th, 2008.

For more information on Age of Conan – either in English, German, French or Spanish – visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com where you also can access the respective community websites.

To sign up for the unique PvP beta weekend please go here.

To post on the Conan PvP weekend forums please go here.

To see what GameSpot has previously written about Age of Conan please go here.

Dreamlords: The Awakening

Don't know how many of you out there are Fileplanet subscribers (I just found out I am as I guess I never canceled my account from way back when), but if you are, and you're in the mood for something just a little different to waste your time, check out the closed beta of Lockpick's fantasy RTS "Dreamlords: The Reawakening."

I've been trying it out the past couple days and it ain't bad. It's not crazy RTS like "Starcraft" or "Sins of the Solar Empire," so I guess right now it's more RTS light, but for people like me who are stupid and hate sacrificing zerglings, it's kinda' addicting. I mean, yeah at first I was like, WTF is going on? but after a bit of getting schooled by my guildie, I got into it.

The downloads only 700MB so it's not graphic intensive or anything, and half of the time you're focusing on your web browser to mind your lands ("patriae.")

I started a purple aura'd Nephilim, which are the ranged casters/attackers, but you can pick from the goodie goodie two shoes cleric race the Covenent, and then the wolf people ish Thul, who are goons (a la Eric Lindros.)

Check it out! XD

I'll try to take a crappy screenshot and post it soon!

Attention Nerdlings: The Spike Star Wars Marathon is Upon Us!

And there's even a lame ass countdown for it!

If you haven't seen the movies yet (even the cruddy "prequels"), and you're too cheap/poor to rent/buy/watch them illegally, then check it out:

Spike TV Star Wars Fest

It's like the 12 Days of Bond, only with 6 movies. No word yet if they'll be showing the Star Wars Christmas Special. (MmMMm, Wookiee babes in aprons baking cookies.)

Aion: Character Customization Vids

Another day, another visit to the doctor.

But before I go...here's a couple interesting videos that have been making their round so late!

The Elyos Expanded Customization:

The Asmodian Expanded Customization:



It's not Perfect World, but the characters look pretty slick.