Image by kirainet via FlickrHope the Holidays are going well with everyone, time with family, friends and a little R&R. Life has been busy here, along with the Holidays I am the proud owner of new work hours. Naturally being thankful for being employed, but trying to adjust to the “Rabbit Hole”, I was hoping for the “Blue Pill”.
It's the overnight shift that I am trying to get used to and it's turned my world upside down. I have no doubt that I can adjust, millions of people have, it's just getting there. I miss my pod-casts and time on air and hope to be up and running again soon after all, new is just around the corner.
We are creeping up to the New Year and very soon the busy season will be behind us. I like new stuff because it's...well...it's new. The New Year is like a blank piece of paper, empty, unexplored newness to create whatever we are able to create.
The old piece of paper is marked with mistakes and corrections, our finest moments, accomplishments and the occasional “Oops”. The old paper is wrinkled from use and completely covered, no room for anything else, it's now old andused. It's what we do with the old that determines how we take care of the new.
Some will just toss the old paper away because after all, it's old. Others will smooth out the wrinkles, frame and hang it where they can use it for reference. I don't think there is a right or wrong way, only your way. Some are very confident on how the old piece of paper was used and shred it with the other unneeded documents on life. I fall into the paper hoarder crowd.
My file cabinet looks like someone eating with their mouth full, it's a small 2 door file cabinet with 3 decades of old paper. For me it has nothing to do with confidence, I just enjoy seeing where I have been. I can't wait for the New stuff, I cant wait to get used to the Rabbit Hole and I can't wait to see what my hobby, “Massive Multiplayer Online Games”, have coming in the new year.
Whatever your hobby, your get away, your R&R may be, I hope it's always fresh and new.
Due to Scheduling issues with work, we are needing to put the Live shows with GNET Radio and Blade Radio on hold. Holidays are a busy time anyway but with the new work schedule it makes it difficult to produce a live show.
When the dust settles we will be back in full flavor, sugar and spice, salt and vinegar, Rum and Coke. As time permits I will continue with the usual blurbage here at the blogspot.
Remember the game Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising? A game originally developed by Perpetual Entertainment? Yes, yes the same company that started to develop Star Trek Online, put Gods and Heroes on hold and then went bust. It's like an artist painting an emotionally beautiful landscape never to be seen or an author spinning tales that could capture your heart and soul but is never read.
Well in case you have not heard, Heatwave Interactive, a game development studio and online publisher located in Austin, Texas has obtained the rights to develop and release the property earlier this year.
I spent some time in the early beta under Perpetual and was excited where they were heading. My first impressions of the combat dynamics were 3 letters “OMG”. At the time of development, combat in our MMO verse was anti-climatic. We had decent enough combat animations which ranged from a particle flash to limited physics, the head bob, you know....Newtons Law or laws (To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction) there are actually three laws but I digress, this isn’t a physics lesson. Gods and Heroes had taken this to the next level for MMO's.
I had always thought that combat animations should be similar to the days of Tekken or Street Fighter, more excitement for the encounter. For me Gods and Heroes somewhat delivered that adrenaline rush.
See below for an early development example, courtesy of IGN
I realize there is more to any MMO than just combat animation or physics but I hope that Heatwave is adding and not subtracting as they continue to work on this property. I had the opportunity to participate in the “Gods and Heroes Dev Chats”
...below is the result
I will most definitely be keeping an eye on this as well as trying to participate in the Beta. Plus I will be covering this on Wednesday nights Show on GNET as well as my Friday show with Blade Radio
Art's Closet on Blade Radio aired live Nov 19th 2010
-Emily Diehl-
ArenaNet's Community and Content Manager Emily Diehl is leaving ArenaNet to go to Undead Labs. (Undead Labs, the studio founded by a few ex-ArenaNet employees,)
She started at the studio in 2006 as a member of the systems design team.
Since I’ve worked closely with many of you on this site, I wanted to let you know that my last day at ArenaNet will be this Friday, November 19. Starting next week, I’ll be heading over to join my friends at Undead Labs, working on their unnamed zombie game.
For folks that know me, it’s no secret how much I love horror stuff. The first movie I ever remember seeing was Night of the Living Dead (when I was four), and I’ve been obsessed with horror ever since. I love Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 with a passion, but in this case, having the privilege to work on a zombie title is fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine.
Izzy is Game Designer on GW2 but was already part of the team on the first episode. Yeah, remember. He was the one who got most of the players raging about class balancing in GW.
Hearts of the North is the next installment of Guild Wars Beyond, an ongoing campaign that expands upon the Guild Wars storyline and lays the foundation for the upcoming Guild Wars 2. It began yesterday! Hearts of the North, the next phase in Guild Wars Beyond, tells the story of the union of Gwen and Keiran Thackeray. You'll reunite these legendary heroes and help prepare for their wedding through a series of all-new quests and missions. You can even dress for the occasion in one of our elegant new wedding costumes! http://www.guildwars.com/heartsofthenorth/
-ZAM-
ZAM is proud to announce the launch of our new Guild Wars 2 community site! Check it out for forums, news, information and more!
My name is Jeahr, though some older members of the Guild Wars community may also know me as JR. I've been involved with the fansite business for many years, and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to work with ZAM on opening this site. Guild Wars 2 is a game I'm incredibly excited for, and we're hoping to provide the best experience for every community member here.
-Star Trek Online News-
Enterprise Bundle in the C-Store
Buy all four Enterprise-themed extras and save 20 percent! This pack includes theFederation NX Class Starship Replica, Federation Costume Pack: Enterprise, Federation Costume Pack: Enterprise Mirror Uniforms - Circa 2160, and the Federation Costume Pack: T'Pol.
Turbine Point Cards are prepaid cards that you can purchase at your local Target, Best Buy or GameStop retailers. WHAT?? WAIT PAID GAME CARDS FOR FTP??
Get your cards at GameStop, Best Buy or Target today and receive FREE Turbine Points with every purchase. The $10 card gives you 120 FREE points, for a total of 750 Turbine Points. The $25 card gives you 450 FREE points, for a total of 2,000 Turbine Points. These offers are valid only while supplies last at participating GameStop, Best Buy and Target retailers, so don't wait!
Last year, an investor named Erik Novak broke the record for the largest single expenditure in a virtual world, paying $330,000 for a space station in Project Entropia, an online science fiction world where the economy for laser rifles and body armor ultimately comes down to U.S. dollars. But now a group of investors has set a new record, operating in the same game, paying $635,000 for Entropia mogul Jon Jacobs' "Club Neverdie." More than half of that, $335,000, came from a single investor.
The club's previous owner was earning $200,000 a year by taxing every virtual transaction that occurs within the confines of the game space. Panasjuk and the other investors hope to be able to start turning a profit with similar numbers.
-Die2Nite- Game review English-language beta of free to play zombie apocalypse survival game
« A little after midnight, a deathly silence fell all around you, as if all life had suddenly come to a halt. The night was icy cold... Then you saw them, dozens of them... hundreds even, meandering towards you... Their hands grasp you, grab you, pull and claw at you... Then they drag you with them throughout the night, to be devoured in the small hours. »
Yes...Dead, dead and eaten ...
BETA
A Real-time multiplayer browser game – It's the kind where you log in throughout the day to check your status and perform actions – Reminds me of Zynga games, Facebook games.
Originally a French game that was praised by said press.
I spent hours searching for salvage out in the desert, and when I finally came back I came back empty handed and the gate was closed.
..yep and in order to get in ..you have to frantically post on your communities forum to get in.
You get dropped into a village with a randomized name with several other players from your time zone, and the goal is to survive. Every night the village gets assaulted by zombies, and every day you head out into the desert to scavenge for items. Items them to build anything from walls to guard towers to workshops.
Your village has a wall around it and can only be entered through a main gate, which in turn can only be opened or closed from the inside. If somebody closes the gate too early, the stragglers have no choice but to leave a frenzied posts on your town’s forum to try and save themselves from becoming a late-night snack. If nobody remembers to close the gate, Your town ends up a drive thru.
You can die.The whole town can die.
This is why the size of the player base is so perfect. When there’s only 40 of you, you’re all important. For one thing, new players aren’t added after your village is created, and for another thing any dead players become more zombies. Also, in a group that small it’s easy for anybody to rise up and become leaders by giving advice and issuing orders on your town’s messageboard, and anyone trying to be a lone wolf and look after themselves (taking items from the town’s supply dump, say, or stealing) will not only make a noticeable impact, but it’s a relatively easy process to turn enough of the town against them to get them banished, or even hung.
COLONY OF NIGHTS WITHOUT END (2)
No news from our 7 courageous citizens who ventured into the World Beyond yesterday. If in doubt, pillage their house...
It should be noted that last night, some citizens report having seen EvilG opening the gates just before the attack. There are also some who say that it wasn't entirely accidental... Result: 7 deaths.
- The Crow
“What am I playing”
Priston Tale II the 2nd Enigma
Unreal Engine
April 12 2010 Game Bridger unveiled today the name of its new free-to-play games portal, GamerKraft
Due to the Holiday, We will not have a live show or a Podcast for this week but will return in pure Wardrobe fashion the following week.
We have been busy in our 4X4 world, and I want to take this opportunity to share the news. Along with a live show and recorded Podcast with our friends at GNET Radio, we have added more Closet time with another project.
Over the last few weeks Art's Closet has also been found at Blade Radio. Blade Radio has been the Internet Radio Station for Guild Wars over the last several years and are beginning to branch out into other games. Currently, Blade Radio has entered into Star Trek Online and of course will be catering to Guild Wars 2 upon release.
At Blade Radio, our format is just little different. We host a three hour show with weekly segments: Every Friday at 12pCST
“Gaming News” - Commentary on random news topics from the gaming world.
“It's a Gamers Life” - A lighthearted look at the life of Gamers, in and out of the game.
“Twin Journey's” - 2 Halfling brothers who just don't know what game they’re in (Halfling Skits)
“Closet Mail Bag” - Listener e-mail
“Closet Rock Block” - This segment varies from playing music to talking about it.
The management at Blade Radio are working on an area to host “Art's Closet” with a Blog and per-recorded shows. When everything is finalized all links will be found here.
This Blog will continue as well our relationship with GNET Radio, we are just branching out.
I want to wish everyone a happy holiday filled with good times, good food and family fellowship.
Image by kirainet via FlickrHope the Holidays are going well with everyone, time with family, friends and a little R&R. Life has been busy here, along with the Holidays I am the proud owner of new work hours. Naturally being thankful for being employed, but trying to adjust to the “Rabbit Hole”, I was hoping for the “Blue Pill”.
Image by FadderUri via Flickr
