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I know we all like to idolize teachers, but in my experience the truly good teachers were few and far between in the government-run school system. In fact, out of my 12 year experience, I can only claim to actually having four good teachers (the rest were little different than the surly bureaucrats you meet at the DMV). Not surprisingly, two of the four had doctorates, with a third working on his doctorate at the time I was in his class. The fourth...well, I don't know much about him because he was my sixth grade(?) music teacher and I didn't take note of such things. Nonetheless, this man makes my list because he, too, managed to impart some wisdom that has stayed with me throughout the years.

One day, this guy comes in and plays a record (remember those? Lord, I feel old writing that! :D) of some Led Zeppelin hit that was all the rage at the time (Stairway to Heaven, maybe?). When the song was over, he asked us how we liked it. Naturally, we all said we enjoyed it and listened to it on the radio ourselves. He shook his head in understanding and loaded up a second record...this time of a Frank Sinatra tune. When it was over, the same question: what did we think of it? Well, being kids, we all squirmed during the song and said we hated it. Again, he shook it head in understanding. And then he said something that has stuck with me my whole life. He said:


"You can't listen to Frank Sinatra with Led Zeppelin ears."

Simple, but profound.

His point was that different types of music have different rules; that is what makes them stylistically different. To listen to Frank Sinatra and expect his music to follow the same rules as those of Led Zeppelin is folly. To do so perpetrates an injustice against the music and the listener: the music, because it isn't given a fair hearing on its own terms, and the listener because he will forever be trapped in one style of music due to his narrow rulebook.

I have never forgotten this lesson. Not only has it guided me through my own musical odyssey - one that started with pop music and has traveled a winding path through rock, hard rock, classical, jazz, alternative and, most recently, downtempo electronica (and who knows where next!) - but it has also guided me through literature, cinema and, yes, gaming (you knew I was going there sooner or later :)).

This recently came to me when reading Dr. Zaius' comment on my recent excursion into the weird gaming world of The Saints: The Third. The Dear Leader said:

"Your journey to the dark side is now complete."

:laugh:

This is something of a running joke between Don and me. You see, when Don plucked me out of obscurity, I was something of a...a....grog! Don't snicker, it's true! I was into all those old wargames: titles like TOAW, Harpoon (1 & 2), Combat Missionx1, East Front, West Front, TACOPS, Dangerous Waters...you get the idea. That was all I played; I knew little else.

Now, of course, it is quite a different story. If you take a look through my 170 blog posts (here alone :smoke:), not to mention the many reviews, previews, and interviews I have done, you will discover a...what do the politicians call it? Oh yeah: an "evolving position" on gaming. Now, if it is pixelated, I will give it a try.

What changed? Well, following the advice of my music teacher of so long ago, I learned how to play Starcraft 2 without using a Combat Mission mentality. In other words, I learned that each genre of gaming, like music, has its own rulebook. Once that clicked in my mind, a vast new world of gaming opened up. Titles that I never, ever would have tried just six or so years ago (Saints Row ? :)) are now on my hard drive, sitting comfortably next to titles my older self would have been more comfortable with, such as Panzer Korps. I like to think I am a better gamer for it. I know I certainly have had more fun because of this expanded rulebook.

Take, for example, my most recent passionate love affair: Team Fortress 2. This is a most instructive case of EGS: Evolving Gamer Syndrome. While I played the original so long ago - and loved it - I had no interest in TF2 when it was released back in 2009. Why? Because at the time I was reacquainting myself with the world of shooters - a genre I had lost contact with for a good many years. So I was playing Battlefield 2, Arma 2, and then Bad Company 2...you know, shooters that had more of a realistic approach to them. So when TF2 arrived with its Looney Tunes art direction, I was not interested in the least. I eventually did download the Free-2-Play version in 2010 - entirely due to the incredible hype surrounding it - but I didn't have a favorable reaction to it (according to Steam, it lasted a bare 45 minutes on my drive :laugh:). I mean, between the cartoony graphics, the weird weaponry, and the simplistic shooting mechanics, it never stood a chance. Gone! :skull:

Now, though...I love it! In fact, I am starting to fear a serious addiction. The very things I hated about it in 2010 - the cartoony graphics, the weird weaponry, and the simplistic shooting mechanics - are precisely what I have come to embrace.

What has changed?

Me. Or, rather, my gaming rulebook. In 2010, I was guilty of playing Team Fortress 2 with Battlefield expectations.

Since 2010, however, I have continued to evolve as a gamer. So while around 2009 - 2010 I was still wedded to strategy games and shooters on the more realistic end of the spectrum, I have since moved on to much more imaginative, free-form gaming: artistically wild shooters like Borderlands, crazy third person action games like Prototype, and outright comedic titles like Saints Row: The Third. In other words, my rulebook has grown considerably. What was once rejected as undesirable is now embraced as a welcome friend. Imagine that.

I guess you can say that I have learned to apply the lesson of my music teacher to gaming. That is, I no longer expect every game to operate on the same level, according to the same rules. In fact, I would even go so far as stating that I am finding it increasingly difficult to embrace the very titles I once loved. While there will always be room in my rulebook for well-done titles that never deviate from the straight and narrow, I am finding that I am increasingly drawn to those games that break all the rules, that leave the strictures of reality behind. Perhaps my rulebook has burst its binding?

I hope so. I shudder to think how limited my gaming would have been but for my exposure to the wider, wackier world of mainstream gaming. While I guess I could have contentedly played the same types of games I had been playing circa 2006, I know that it would not have been anywhere as rewarding, enjoyable and, most importantly, as mind-expanding an experience as what this long march to the "darkside" has shown me over the years.

And it was all due to some words of wisdom from a music teacher so many years ago....

And Don. Don, too. :D:salute:

I think I have a new passion in life! :D



I never realized how huge this game is. I mean, I've come across plenty of news reports about TF2 "hats" and stuff like that, but I never knew the game had evolved from a popular F2P title to a cult that has spawned graphic novels, clothing, action figures and videos like the above. I mean, I am finding tons of stuff like this around the internet!

Yeah, I am very late to the party. Man, where have I been....:o

Anybody play TF2 around these parts?

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/04/lucasarts-disney/

Quote:
Disney Kills Star Wars 1313, Lays Off LucasArts Staff
BY CHRIS KOHLER04.03.133:08 PM

That noise you just heard was the other shoe dropping: Lucasfilm said today that it will cease internal game development at LucasArts, following the company’s acquisition by Disney in November.

“After evaluating our position in the games market, we’ve decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company’s risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games,” read a statement issued by Lucasfilm. “As a result of this change, we’ve had layoffs across the organization.”

Reached for comment by Wired, a representative said that internal development on announced games, like the next-gen shooter Star Wars 1313, had been ceased but that the company was evaluating its options as regards having those games completed by an outside developer. However, Kotaku quoted an anonymous source inside the company that said such options had already been explored, and Disney found no takers. So it’s looking quite unlikely that 1313 will ever come out.

Even though Disney said at the time of its $4 billion acquisition of the Star Wars company that it would “focus more on social and mobile than on console,” a Lucasfilm representative did say to Wired that future Star Wars console games were not off the table.

It’s hard to be surprised at this turn of events when Disney spelled it all out at the time of the acquisition. It’s moving away from internally-developed console games, having shut down Warren Spector’s studio Junction Point following the release of Epic Mickey 2, and towards social and mobile. There will still be Disney and Star Wars console titles, but these will be produced by external developers. Lucasfilm has been trying to turn the struggling LucasArts division around for many years now, with a musical-chairs game of ever-changing creative leads and executives.

I can see why Lucas, as a standalone company, would want to fix its games division. But Disney has no such need. It has a games division already, it doesn’t need to try to fix LucasArts’ problems. It’s sad when hundreds of people lose their jobs, but organizations that are no longer competitive need to die to make room for ones that are. If it’s Star Wars games you’re after, there’s no reason an external developer can’t handle them.

And if you’re nostalgic for the great old Lucas games of old, like Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion, this is good news for you. First of all, the people who made those games are already working at Telltale or Double Fine making exactly what you wish Lucas was still making. If you want a new Grim Fandango, a shift to a licensing-only model makes it more likely that Disney will look to cash in on that latent demand.

Again, if you’re in that latter group, the LucasArts you’re so nostalgic for died a long, long time ago when the company cancelled its Sam & Max sequel and laid off the whole team. And then that team formed Telltale Games and eventually made The Walking Dead. The LucasArts that died today is not the one you loved, and it was never going to be again.

My good friend Les from Wasteland Interactive have just launched his ne wgame on Kickstarter. Worlds of Magic. A game totally inspired by masters of Magic. Go take a look.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...x-fantasy-game

Also I'm running a competition to win a copy of DoorKickers at my FB page...scroll down abit..like my page, Killhouse Games page, share the competiton post and type entered in the comments. Ends Firday. Winners announced on Saturday.

https://www.facebook.com/Tacticalwargame

Seriously:

Quote: STOCKHOLM – April 1st, 2013 – Paradox Development Studio and Paradox Interactive will soon bring Crusader Kings Z to the masses, the fifth expansion to one of 2012’s most acclaimed strategy/RPG games and inspired by zombies.

Crusader Kings Z adds a zombie invasion to the medieval Europe, as a way to make the Black Death come alive in a physical form. This is a world where gruesome death dominates Europe, when zombie armies pillaged towns and monasteries in their search for brains, slowly walking to wherever the promise of human flesh awaits them.

Expanded gameplay mechanics will allow you as a player to become a zombie ruler, rallying your undead hordes throughout Europe or a Zombie Survivor fighting for your dynasty’s survival.


Crusader Kings Z, the fifth expansion for the critically praised strategy/RPG, finally enables you to play as a Zombie ruler or a Zombie Survivor, with particular focus on the dreaded undead hordes and their tradition of pillage and devouring of flesh.

Crusader Kings II explores one of the defining periods in world history in an experience crafted by Paradox Development Studio, the masters of Strategy. Medieval Europe comes to life and undeath in this game of knights, schemes and zombies.

Crusader Kings Z will be available at All Hallows' Eve 2013,
so prepare yourself for a terrifying new experience.


Main Features:

Two separate possibilities for gameplay: Zombie Ruler or Zombie Survivor

Zombie Ruler
• Play as a Zombie ruler and ravage your weak neighbors. If you remain at peace for too long, your undead will grow restless...
• New gameplay feature: Devour your rivals and earn their traits through eating their brains
• New gameplay mechanics: Use plagues to spread your influence and expand your undead armies
• Your zombie ruler is strong, but plots may decapitate you or burn you at the stake, so be on your guard. Your heirs can only be chosen from the people you have infected personally, and not from anyone infected by your horde.

Zombie Hunter
• Experience a new and different type of game by playing as one of the great Zombie survivors
• As the head of a Zombie Survivor family, you must guide your dynasty through a world infected by zombies
• New seasonal effects will encourage you to expand to the northern parts of Europe where the winter will give you a breathing space for when zombies freeze
• Build fortifications with dozens of unique new buildings and expand your empire by controlling the sea lanes and coasts of Europe since zombies have a hard time crossing waters…
• Christians and Muslims can dispatch Holy Wars against the infected hordes.
• Experience feuds with other survivors and plot to seize their supplies and beans; many special events for characters in Crusader Kings Z

Crusader Kings Z also includes:
• New dark Zombie interface skin.
• Unique torn clothes and crude ship models created from whatever survivors can find in Crusader Kings Z CrusaderKingsZ_conceptart.jpg Attached Images

• CrusaderKingsZ_conceptart.jpg (89.2 KB)

http://worldoftanks.com/news/2175-zo...-swarm-battle/

From the creators of Homeworld...need I say more? :D



I love the artistic direction. Reminds me of the great, hand-drawn sci-fi art of the 70s-80s. Gamewise it reminds me of the 8-bit game, Kronos Rift.

There was a time when I played virtually every game I could get my greedy little paws on. Sims, shooters, RTS, RPG, action, and even the occasional flight sim -- I played them all! But somewhere along the line I starting spending less time gaming and more time doing other things. Burn the heretic.

I could use the old "real life got in the way" excuse, but in truth that would be a lie because I could be gaming more if I want. The truth is that I simply find today's game less compelling than those from previous years for a variety of reasons. Oh sure, there are still a few titles that fall into the category of must-play-at-any-cost, but far fewer than there used to be. And somehow that makes me a little sad.

On the flip side, I find that I'm choosier about what titles I spend my gaming time with. These days a game has to do more than simply look like it might have potential in order to lure me in. It has to actually look well made AND interesting. There are only so many hours in a day and I don't want to waste my gaming time being someone else's unpaid beta tester. Call me hard to please.

Sim City 5 was high on my list, but EA's abominable handling of that classic series has led to many a negative review and generally put me in a foul mood. I came to Diablo III late, but that title did little to lift my spirits. And now I'm hearing the latest Starcraft expansion is mediocre. Guess I'll have to keep waiting for Rome Total War 2.

So what am I currently playing? Sins of a Solar Empire, mostly. And the original Supreme Commander. I know, my slip is showing.

The next chapter in the Red Orchestra francise is a Pacific based WWII shooter. Several other games have visited this Theater before, but I played them and came away unimpressed. Still early, so we shall see. http://risingstormgame.com/

Umm...yawn?



Nothing in that vid impressed me. It looks like a campaign expansion for BF3, rather than an entirely new entry to the BF franchise. Yet another scripted campaign; yet another series of hanging by your fingertips/having big objects fall on you; yet another bump in graphics to no good purpose. Boooring. About the only thing that caught my eye were the squad commands - reminds me a bit of Op Flashpoint...but, of course, Op Flashpoint had an open, sandbox campaign. Guess DICE was too busy bumping up the graphics to really offer anything new in terms of a SP campaign.

I find it ironic that the early comments on this video are all along the line of "this is going to kill COD!". Umm...how? As we've seen over the course of BF3 development, BF is slowly morphing into COD. Scripted campaigns with over-the-top action sequences; EA/DICE pumping out new BF/Medal of Honor entries to the series every other year; DLC that is dripped-dripped-dripped out to get every last dollar from the fanbase before rushing off to the next entry to the series. I know PC gamers like to pretend that BF3 is a proper PC game (I say pretend because BF2 was the last true PC entry to the franchise), but barring graphics, EA's handling of BF is now almost indistinguishable from how Activision is handling CoD. While BF3 was quite the jump from BF2 (but not that big a jump from Bad Company 2), BF4, based on this vid, seems to be an almost indistinguishable step.

I'll keep an open mind, especially since I haven't seen anything of the all important MP yet, but the SP campaign is not making me excited.

If BI can get their act together by putting together a decent MP component into Arma 3 (I mean an MP mode that has lots of public servers with standard gameplay modes like conquest, etc. that CoD and BF players will instantly recognize), I think there is a big opportunity for that game to become the new, preferred FPS experience.

Here I am again, in another gaming lull. I really have come to hate these post-Christmas gaming doldrums over the past few years. Not only are they so boring, but they get me to make rash purchasing decisions out of desperation. A few years back, for example, I found myself spending good money on the awful GTA4. Three hours on my HDD and it was gone...along with my money. I know...it was a stupid decision from the get-go, but I was desperate!

And now I have done it again. :o

But don't be too quick to do a face-palm as this time I did try to fight off the doldrums by returning to some long abandoned games, and I did make some good progress as a result (finishing three campaigns, with a fourth underway!). But I am a gamer: like a vampire, I need a steady supply of fresh game blood to keep me going! So I suppose it was inevitable that I would jump on the first new game experience Steam would jingle in front of my eyes with one of their sales. And, once again, it happened to be a vulgarity-laden gang-fest that I sneered at upon release. This time, it was Volition's Saint's Row: The Third.

But here's the kicker: unlike Rockstar's sloppy console port that takes itself far too seriously, I am finding Saint's Row: The Third to be quite the enjoyable trip! Well, I did once I made a crucial change....

SR3 has a strong Sims element to it in that you are given a fantastically diverse selection of customization elements - from facial features, to clothing and tattoos - with which to craft your character. Now, this being a game that tried extra hard to market itself to the 18 through 20-something crowd resulted in some predictable results: community characters that ranged from buck-naked buxom chicks :D, to your Hollywood/gaming archetype that involves some latter-day Achilles complete with 2% body fat and abs of steel. Truth is: even I started to design such a character as this. I mean, this is a game that is ostensibly about urban street warfare, so going with a "Fitty Cent" type of design (ugh, I just cringed as I wrote that :kotz:) seemed to make sense.

Blame it on my contrarian nature, or blame it on my sense of real life, but I just couldn't complete my young action hero. So, instead, I designed one more reflective of modern day America. You know, a mid-forties looking character who is overweight and dresses in variations on corporate casual (see the top screenshot) :). Let me tell you something: this instantly made SR3 a heck of a lot more fun, and here's why:

Saints Row: The Third has some truly fantastic action set-pieces. I mean, really fantastic. Call of Duty fantastic! But unlike CoD which takes itself too seriously at times, SR3 has a wonderful sense of whimsy that gets you to swallow the over-the-top antics that might otherwise just get you to roll your eyes. Now, replace your standard Hollywood-esque young hipster action hero with a paunchy 40-something, and those action sequences become even more epic. :D This effect is especially pronounced seeing how SR3 renders whatever character you design directly into its set piece mini-movies (like a BioWare game).

[Some minor mission spoilers ahead]

Take, for example, my new favorite action sequence of all time (yeah, that is quite the thing to say!). After being taken hostage by a rival gang, you manage to escape and find yourself parachuting to earth after jumping out of a massive cargo plane. On the way down, you snag Shaundi, your hot female cohort, in your arms. It is all going swimmingly until that big cargo plane starts looming in the distance and you realize the pilot intends to ram you! "What's the plan?" asks Shaundi? The plan is awesome sauce: you drop Shaundi into free fall (with her crying out "you #&@#! ass&#%!" :)) and shoot out the windscreen of the incoming plane moments before it hits you. You then proceed to fly through the plane, from cockpit to tail - all the while popping off rounds at stunned gang members as you zip past like a bat right out of hell. :laugh: Once again you find yourself falling out the open cargo ramp and sailing on down to snatch Shaundi, popping open another 'chute right in the nick of time. If that sounds awesome, just imagine that cut-scene being rendered not with a trite 20-something Hollywood action hero, but with someone who in all likelihood is suffering from a mid-life crisis (hmm...maybe that explains it :D). Wicked cool! :cool:

There are all sorts of these really cool actions sequences throughout the game. Another favorite: you have to provide covering fire from a helicopter as one of your gang members runs a mission. At one point in the task, you lose sight of the car you need to protect and order your helo to land on a nearby apartment building roof. Without so much as a pause to think things over, your character - MY character - runs from the helo, ties a rope around his waist and hitches it to the roof, and throws himself over the side so as to get a better vantage on the action below! Now, if you don't think seeing a Tony Soprano stand-in hanging from an apartment building roof, sniper rifle in hand, is not awesome, there is something wrong with you!

I just couldn't help but to cheer on my character during these wonderful action sequences. Seeing us older guys get the glory made for a wonderful change of pace from the youth-centric action heroes Hollywood and gaming has been shoving down our throats for years.

Changing my character to an older feller impacted more than the action sequences, too. Again, this being a youth-centric game, most of your in-game "homies" (ump...almost threw up typing that) are twenty-somethings themselves. Personally, I had a hard time believing that this criminal mastermind organization, one so powerful that the gang leaders are bona fide celebrities, was being run by kids who couldn't even put a coherent sentence together without lapsing into profanities. But with an older hand leading the show...now things change. Now it is kinda believable that the out of control youngsters are being directed by an older, more experienced stable master, so to speak.

Making my character older also changed the personal dynamics with my crew. Seeing how Shaundi et alia are half my age, suddenly the game isn't about a bunch of friends running amok for the heck of it, now the Third Street Saints have become more of a family, with me as the father figure. I actually find myself working extra hard to get my "kids" out of trouble, such as during combat situations. I sure hope no love interests are developed during the course of the game's central campaign...that could be awkward. :D

It really is interesting how a single change to a game's central character can alter the entire flow of a story.

Be that as it may, the actual gameplay of Saints Row: The Third is really packed with stuff to do. As I indicated above, the central campaign, while goofy (think of it as a crazy mix of The Godfather meets The Venture Brothers), certainly has some riveting set-pieces (and some wonderful tongue-in-cheek, if ribald, humor). But besides that, there are all sort of side quests and activities that really keeps things jumping. For example, last night while I was driving around Steelport, looking to score some money, I happened to stumble across a rival gang's hangout. Time to muscle in on their territory! I knew I was going to need backup, so I called in Shaundi for help.


Just park that anywhere, Shaundi

Let's go in guns blazing!



Things got hot and heavy, especially when one of the rival gang's cars exploded, sending the wreck flying and killing a bunch of them!


That'll learn ya!

Having accomplished what we set out to do, Shaundi and I stole one of the rival gang's sedans, and speed on out of there. The rival gang wasn't that happy about what we did, so they gave chase. But Shaundi was riding shotgun, so it was okay.

They shot out one of my right side tires! No problem, I cranked up the radio to hide the noise (nothing like listening to classical music while in a car chase! :laugh:)

I thought it was entirely appropriate that a thunderstorm came in while we were fleeing. :)

Having given the enemy gang the slip (and changing vehicles), I resumed cruising around looking for trouble. As I passed one corner a fan wanted a photo of me, so I obliged him:


Say 'gangsta!'

Later that afternoon, I found some real estate the Saints could invest in:


Smile, Shaundi

I really wish there was more of an economic element to SR3's gameplay. As you can see, you can buy real estate to generate money and exert control over parts of Steelport, but there isn't any real downside to it - no operating costs, or negative effects. For example, a few hours after I bought this shop, I get a call on my cell that the very same gang we just hit in that alleyway was attacking my new gun shop! So I sped on over there....



Kids: don't try this at home

When I arrive, I see that the other side came packing for trouble. I'm gonna need more than Shaundi this time! So I called in my most recent recruit, the Russian bruiser Oleg, along with some generic recruits from the gang:



Notice the cop running away? LOL! There's gonna be trouble!

And trouble we had! At one point, they even brought in a chopper...which I took care of with a grenade launcher:



The fight was going my way...until this guy showed up:



They brought in a bruiser of their own! :D Next thing I know, I am knocked out...only to awaken outside the local hospital. I was hoping that I would have lost the shop as a result of failing the mission, but no. It appears that you just lose out on the monetary reward and XP points. Shame. It would make for more interesting gameplay if you had to fight to keep what you own.

The next day I get another cellphone call (these are random events, btw) telling me that a rival biker gang wants to challenge us to some action. I didn't like the look of the seedy place, so I called Shaundi again (her mouth, while profane, can be hilarious at times, and she is a great help in a fight):




We eventually taught those uppity motorheads a lesson. Check this out:



During the fight, I managed to knock one of the female bikers on the chin and take her as a human shield! :D That's rubbing their face in it!

Then SR3 got into a bit dark territory. I learned that the local police force was putting too much pressure on my gang operations, so something needed to be done. I don't like the idea of shooting cops in a game....To console myself, let's make up a fiction that these were corrupt cops....

So I scoped the scene:



There are those corrupt cops standing on the corner, probably robbing granny of her social security check for protection....:whist:

***CENSORED***

Out of some degree of tastefulness, I didn't take any screenies of the actual violence against the cops. I did, however, take this screenie of a rival gang who just happened to drive by and decided to get in on the action!


I like how they are trying to sneak in!

Before I knew it, there was a three way fight going on! :D It didn't take long before the rival gang actually replaced the cops as the primary threat! At one point they even tried to run me over!




Bam! Headshot through the windowshield! Don't mess with me! :ar15:

This fight really got out of hand, with all sides bringing in more and more men and equipment (see all the purple jackets and cars in the above shot? I like how your gang will respond on its own to help you out). Eventually, things got too hot and I had to get out of there. Unfortunately, the cops were still in this fight and bringing in heavier and heavier equipment, including an armored vehicle! I was desperate and resorted to my UAV...what? You don't have one? :) One of the things I like about this game is that if you want to get all crazy, go right on ahead!




If you look closely, you'll see the wreckage of the armored vehicle blasted into the side of the building center bottom.

We hightailed it out of there and laid low in one of our "cribs" (urp...).

To be continued....

Hearts of Iron III collection-$6.24. Get it while it hot!

I did a search here and it surprised me that CoH was not listed. And if it is, then my 44 yr old eyes missed it. This game is very well done, and although my meager system can't process the graphics very well, it has enticed me to buy a new rig just to play this. Graphically it is eye candy, and the online capability is just plain fun, as long as you have an equally competent opponent, mostly on your side rather than the opposition.

Company of Heroes

Has anyone played this?

I've played this one for a couple of days now and am really liking it. At this early stage I'm guardedly optimistic. The game does seem to break the grindy WoW model, and there's a lot I like about it. I suspect Mr. VanOrd at Gamespot was not being overly generous by giving it a 9 Editor's Choice score.

1) Almost everything you do gives you experience. Like to explore? Experience. Like to craft? Experience. You even gain experience for reviving people. It's a game that never seems to waste my precious gaming time.

2) The combat engine may not be a huge step up from other MMO's, but you can attack on the fly, hit numerous enemies and use special dodge moves, making the combat much more fluid, dynamic and exciting. Also, fighting with other people on a moment's notice is a rush!

3) The game looks absolutely beautiful. I'm hard pressed to think of one that looks better.

4) Even if the area is designated for lower levels, GW2 adjusts your character to the level of the region your playing in. This has a number of benefits, like how your drop loot will always be appropriate to your level. Also, it goes a long way towards preventing high-level players from lording over noobs in the beginning regions.

5) The community seems on the whole nicer and more helpful. As one review put it, this is at least partially due to the removal of the specialty-based system where your party is only as strong as its weakest link. The system in GW2 is blameless, which alleviates a lot of the stress and pressure for noobs and casual players. In the chat you never see those annoying and tiresome "LFG 2 tanks, 2 dps, one healer for ravenous bugblatter beast of Trall dungeon" messages. lol

6) The story maybe doesn't have all the elaborate cut scenes of games like SWTOR and Secret World, but it is very good, big and epic, and doesn't make you read too, too much. I loath having to read too much text in games. ;) Also, the fact that you can actually see and hear your character talk makes it a lot more engaging. I love how you kind of create your own story as you go, and get the feeling that no two people playing the game will have exactly the same story. It's hard to explain in a few words how they pull this off, you would have to experience it for yourself to see what I mean. In any event I never feel like I'm in a hero assembly line like other mmo's.

7) I love the crafting and buying and selling on the exchange, and they give you interesting things to do when you aren't exploring, questing, and fighting.

8) It's no accident that I've often thought of Skyrim when playing GW2, as the soundtrack is done by none other than Jeremy Soule who did the Skyrim soundtrack.

9) It doesn't seem to be pay-to-win, nor do I detect the developer making cheap cash grabs for your money. By contrast, Cryptic/Perfect World is notorious for all their subtle and not so subtle cash grabs in Star Trek Online and Neverwinter.

Anyway, it's a huge world to explore with tons of content, and I've only just scratched the surface, nor have I yet done the big World War PvP's. It will be interesting to see how GW2 hold up over the long haul. BTW, as a minor complaint, not sure I like the name Guild Wars. To me it sells the game short, and fails to give it the epic feel it deserves, unlike names like Lord of the Rings or Elder Scrolls. I suppose since the first GW did so well, they wanted to keep the name for brand recognition.

Hmmm...
Quote: REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced that John Riccitiello will step down as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective March 30. The Board has appointed Larry Probst as Executive Chairman to ensure a smooth transition and to lead EA's executive team while the Board conducts a search for a permanent CEO. The Board will consider internal and external candidates with the assistance of a leading executive search firm.

Mr. Probst has played a leadership role at EA since 1991. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Board since 1994, he previously served as the Company's CEO from 1991 to 2007. As CEO, Probst successfully grew the Company's annual revenues from $175 million to approximately $3 billion, led EA into new platforms such as mobile, online and other emerging markets and expanded its international presence to more than 75 countries.

"We thank John for his contributions to EA since he was appointed CEO in 2007, especially the passion, dedication and energy he brought to the Company every single day," said Mr. Probst. "John has worked hard to lead the Company through challenging transitions in our industry, and was instrumental in driving our very significant growth in digital revenues. We appreciate John's leadership and the many important strategic initiatives he has driven for the Company. We have mutually agreed that this is the right time for a leadership transition."

On behalf of the Board, Lead Director Richard A. Simonson stated, "As we begin the CEO search, we are fortunate that Larry, who has a proven track record with our employees, partners and customers, has agreed to assume a day-to-day leadership role as Executive Chairman. He has 16 years of experience as CEO of EA and a deep understanding of the Company's strategy, management team, business potential and industry trends."

Mr. Riccitiello stated, "EA is an outstanding company with creative and talented employees, and it has been an honor to serve as the Company's CEO. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and after six years I feel it is the right time for me pass the baton and let new leadership take the Company into its next phase of innovation and growth. I remain very optimistic about EA's future — there is a world class team driving the Company's transition to the next generation of game consoles."

Business Outlook

EA expects that its revenues and earnings per share for the current quarter will be at the low end of, or slightly below previously issued guidance provided in its press release dated January 30, 2013. Actual results may be materially different and can be affected by many factors, including the levels of usage of the Company's digital products, initial sales of new products that will be released before the end of the quarter and other factors detailed in the Company's annual and quarterly SEC filings.

EA will announce its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 results on May 7, 2013 and will host a conference call at 2:00 pm PT (5:00 pm ET) to discuss the results.

Tactical Intervention has gone into open beta:

Quote: TACTICAL INTERVENTION Open Beta
OG Planet now offers access to open beta testing of Tactical Intervention, the new first-person shooter from Counter-Strike co-creator Minh "Gooseman" Le. Open testing is expected to run from now until March 25th, followed by the game's official launch on March 28th. As noted on the game's Facebook page, testing is currently only offered in North America.

As soon as I learned there were no iron sights I lost interest. What is it with this recent PC obsession with not having iron sights in a shooter? When Fallout 3 was released, I recall nothing but complaints and moans about how the game wasn't "a real shooter" because you could not aim down your weapon. But when it comes to Counter-Strike GO, or now this, suddenly not having iron sights is a popular design decision. Huh? :hmmm: Even Call of Duty has iron sights....

Seriously! Way to go, Matrix/Slitherine! And rumors are it is going to be turn-based!

Quote: Slitherine (www.slitherine.com) and Games Workshop (www.games-workshop.com), two giants in their respective specialist markets, have signed a deal to produce a strategy video game set in the popular Warhammer® 40,000® universe.

"This deal represents yet another testament to our continuous aim to reach new audiences, without losing sight of who we are and what we do best", said JD McNeil, Chairman of the Slitherine Group. "It's all about creating strategy games that are targeted to a particular audience and addressing a very specific need in the market. The Warhammer 40,000 setting is a perfect fit for the style of strategy games that we make and will be very popular with fantasy and science fiction fans alike. Joining forces with Games Workshop will allow us to bring an wonderfully deep and appropriate IP to the Turn Based Strategy genre”.

Details of the deal including the content and features of the game have not yet been announced, but development is already underway on multiple platforms, involving the best talents in design and development available to the Slitherine Group.

Jon Gillard, Head of Licensing at Games Workshop said: “Slitherine are clearly established and successful masters of their genre of games, and there are many fans of their work here at GW. It’s a pleasure to work with such like minded individuals who share our passion for strategy games of all types”. Woohoo! :vsign::hurray:

I always ask myself and come to the conclusion of Gameplay > Graphics. Sure in a perfect world I would want both but that doesnt always happen. Aion SWG AOC SwTOR name all the MMO and still I end up back playing Ultima Online. **** graphics but a simplified gameplay that surpasses even the most complicated and indepth games out today.

This UO server has been up for just over a week and is going strong with new players starting every day. A 15 year old game that is still able to draw people in and get them addicted from day one. They've got the most features of any UO free shard out there and the dedicated staff has created the most balanced world possible! Here are just a few of our many features:

Insta-Hit and Pre-Casting
UO:R Style Factions
Automated Duel/Tournament Arena's
Champion and Paragon Spawns
BOD's and Plant System
No Mounts
Lotteries
and much more! Check them out at www.uoimmortalis.com, visit the IRC channel and forums to meet the community and learn more!

Hey guys, I am a multimedia designer from Ireland doing my last year of college. I am doing my dissertation on "The development of narrative in computer games".

I was wondering could you take 5 -10 minutes out of your day to fill it out for me, it would be massively appreciated.

Here is the link.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KUt...nMTDE/viewform

Thanks in advance. :)

Anybody tried it yet? What do you think so far?