tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38147373110646094952012-02-17T13:39:12.061+11:00Your guide to Console, PC, Hand-held and Tabletop role-playing games. A source for the latest news, commentary, reviews, previews, screenshots, artwork, industry break-throughs, rumours, hints and tips, with a healthy dose of fantasy/sci-fi pop-culture thrown into the mix.Australianoreply@blogger.comBlogger1661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-54255767424759592142007-06-27T18:18:00.000+10:002007-06-27T20:26:02.096+10:00

When you develop a concept for a website it's difficult to know how it's going to work until you try it out. Thus, I tried out my idea for a blog devoted to role-playing games, and I had a blast doing so. As I've grown more involved in the gaming community, however, I've realized there are a number of sites out there providing a similar service (RPG news and commentary).My goal in creating a

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-34258050003528680022007-06-20T11:37:00.002+10:002007-06-20T11:40:24.118+10:00

New gameplay footage coupled with tid bits of developer wisdom.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-61560964549262775782007-06-18T10:54:00.000+10:002007-06-18T11:00:32.596+10:00

The above trailer is from the second part of the game's prologue. You can watch the first part, too, though it's described as such:Flower petals getting carried away by the gentle breeze highlight this conversation between Polka and Chopin (in Japanese).The video above showcases the game's detailed rendering of interior spaces and a little more about the game's unique premise: it takes place

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-34937721613806208552007-06-17T15:41:00.000+10:002007-06-17T16:07:10.779+10:00

Via Xbox Collector comes a pic of this rare Mass Effect faceplate for the Xbox 360. It's being auctioned on eBay for the big bucks.It's interesting that the two upcoming RPGs receiving the most hype at the moment are Fallout 3 and Mass Effect: both sci-fi titles. I'd argue that BioShock, if you include that, is science fiction too. Coincidence? Trend?

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-50441184486359096832007-06-17T12:18:00.000+10:002007-06-17T12:39:41.556+10:00

Worthplaying has 12 new screens of Mass Effect. If we needed further proof that the character models are kick ass, we've got it. The screens also showcase combat, world environments, and a bar scene.But damn... those character models, eh?

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-66197964503243758232007-06-17T12:07:00.000+10:002007-06-17T12:17:41.569+10:00

Worthplaying has 23 new screens of FPS/RPG Hellgate: London. It looks sort of like the latest version of DOOM with character stats and levels. If you like shooters, that certainly isn't a bad thing.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-14695261948346463112007-06-17T11:55:00.000+10:002007-06-17T11:58:50.969+10:00

EA Mythic's face-lift of Ultima Online promises to feature advanced visuals and all new content. What about an all new game, eh?

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-91439654589178228542007-06-17T10:09:00.000+10:002007-06-17T12:04:40.432+10:00

With people hungry for detail on Fallout 3, it's no surprise that the information in the July issue of Game Informer has popped up on the web. NMA Fallout has scans and a transcript, but if you're able, I suggest you buy the magazine and tip your hat (and your wallet/purse) to Game Informer for securing this exclusive.The game will retain the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute system, perks and traits.The

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-29647360589774411232007-06-17T10:01:00.000+10:002007-06-17T10:09:00.340+10:00

Gene Bank and Enter Rapture updatesView plasmids and two new areas of Rapture at the BioShock official site.Loki: Unique Items and Customizable Weapons500 unique items to satisfy the pack rat in you.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-4331676653089016112007-06-17T09:31:00.000+10:002007-06-17T10:01:13.464+10:00

City of Heroes/Villains gamers look forward to Double XP Weekend v2One of the game's most popular in-game events is back.City of Heroes/Villains community interviewArt director Jay Doherty meets the people.LotRO Summer Festival, June 20th - July 10thSuggested drinking game: consume one real beer for every ale consumed in-game.Ryzom players allege misconductCSRs duck for cover.WarCry interviews

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-72363212205768378202007-06-15T13:15:00.000+10:002007-06-15T13:26:21.171+10:00

EA Mythic has proudly reported that over 200,000 players are signed up to the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning closed beta. Missed the boat? Snag a spot while you can. Though Warhammer is a tabletop strategy game its online iteration will a be a persistent-world RPG. [Via Joystiq]

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-64848858432671835712007-06-15T12:56:00.000+10:002007-06-15T13:00:40.286+10:00

It always bothers me when I see a console virtually devoid of RPG love. That's why this Japanese trailer for Chocobo's Dungeon on the Wii warms my heart.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-38210402052199064212007-06-15T12:30:00.000+10:002007-06-15T12:55:30.030+10:00

This Hellgate: London jeep joins a rather less threatening group of Hellgate VW Caddies dedicated to promoting the game by functioning as moving billboards. Not sure how many eye balls are going to pass over the vehicle while it sits out in the desert, though. So far, the fleet consists of hatchbacks, VW Caddies and now the Jeep. What next?[Hellgate: London fleet adds Jeep via Kotaku]

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-33142946499447746762007-06-15T12:02:00.000+10:002007-06-15T12:18:02.194+10:00

Or not so top-secret anymore, considering that details of how to unlock The Agency pre-beta sign-up screen are all over the place.Head to The Agency official site, click on the banner that says "Enter the Flash Site" and wait for it to load. When you see the logo in the top right-hand corner of the screen, click on the black bullet in the logo to leave your details and be notified about the beta.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-57787370144246566382007-06-15T11:32:00.000+10:002007-06-15T11:59:45.778+10:00

The news that The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS would be completely stylus controlled had some gamers skeptical. Just in time to allay their fears comes several new gameplay movies showcasing the game's controls in action. You can view combat controls (above), boomerang controls and exploration controls at GameTrailers.com.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-29663348522466156162007-06-15T11:13:00.000+10:002007-06-15T11:32:11.113+10:00

ActionTrip columnist Ure "Vader" Paul offers his ten most influential RPGs of all time. This is his list:10. Fable09. Final Fantasy Series08. Baldur's Gate Series07. Planescape: Torment06. Fallout05. Ultima series04. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic03. Diablo02. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind01. World of WarCraftYou can read his reasoning here. I've got to say, I'm really puzzled by the

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-8528492402069214432007-06-15T11:05:00.000+10:002007-06-15T12:01:56.194+10:00

EuroGamer interviews Assassin's Creed producer, Jade RaymondGamesXtreme previews Overlord for the PCIGN reviews Overlord (8.1/10)New Aztec Shaman and Egyptian Sorcerer trailers for LokiNew Hi Res version of the Legend: Hand of God trailerNWN 2 interview at Italian fan sitev1.4 patch for Two Worlds is now availableWorthplaying has 20 new screens of Heroes of Mana for the NDS

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-55717662472675424232007-06-15T10:34:00.000+10:002007-06-15T11:05:11.783+10:00

A new v1.4 patch has been released for Two WorldsCity of Heroes art director answers community questions at WarCryJust what you'd expect: costumes, costumes, costumes.EVE Online: Revelations II launch dateThe game's seventh free expansion will launch on the 19th of June.FreeRealms Q & A at GamasutraThings are going to be... different.Lineage 2 gamers in Aus and NZ will now pay differentlyMPOGD

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-67265477385185797312007-06-15T01:32:00.000+10:002007-06-15T02:04:09.485+10:00

Today sees the release of four new Mass Effect screens, all of them starring our new friend on the right, Mr. Toad Alien. The screens consist of Mr. Toad Alien in various intergalactic locations and in various states of body armour. Kinda like vacation photos.The character models for this game, as I've said before, are looking superb: both human and alien. Too superb for my video card, that's

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-9240713587523210742007-06-15T00:54:00.000+10:002007-06-15T01:28:40.193+10:00

World of WarCraft gamer Nicole recently put together these cute little guys, an Orc Shaman and a Troll Rogue. They took her an hour each to complete, but before you blow the dust off your grandmother's sewing machine, keep in mind that Nicole has been a self-taught seamstress since the age of 14. Don't let that stop you though: she's taking requests.Something tells me there's a solid business

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-76904499366705527152007-06-14T23:41:00.000+10:002007-06-14T23:55:24.273+10:00

As much as I love the D20 system, it has never quite done justice to the promise of gaming in the Star Wars universe. With this year being the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars franchise, however, it seems appropriate that this is also the year Wizards of the Coast might have got it right.According to Slashdot, the new Saga Edition core rulebook for Star Wars D20 is actually good. The rules have

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-83205956290569983962007-06-14T12:43:00.000+10:002007-06-14T13:02:51.240+10:00

Elizabeth at BioShock sub-site Cult of Rapture is showing off her hand-painted Big Daddy figurine, pictured above. No details on how we can get our hands on one yet, but it sure looks preedy.While we're on the topic of BioShock, here are all the previews so far, plus a new gameplay video at GameSpot.Feast your eyes on a new four-and-a-half minute BioShock gameplay video at GameSpot.As promised,

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-37562725172901634742007-06-14T12:29:00.000+10:002007-06-14T12:42:45.166+10:00

There's a new BioShock interview over at GameBanshee. Refreshingly, this time it's not Ken Levine in the chair. Instead, it's game's technical art director, Nate Wells. It's nice to see one of the developers willing to talk about the game's RPG elements without going on the defensive:GB: It seems as though BioShock is evolving into more of a FPS than a FPS/RPG hybrid. Does the game still have a

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-1451579437763304402007-06-14T12:09:00.000+10:002007-06-14T12:26:14.747+10:00

Spies. MMORPGs. Both are awesome. Both have the capacity to kill people. What happens when you combine one with the other? You get The Agency.The central premise of the game is that you play a spy. You start off as part of your chosen agency (like a guild, I guess) but powerful players will get the opportunity to start their own super-spy organization.Seems like it's going to have some pretty

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-65576697855796985172007-06-14T11:54:00.000+10:002007-06-14T12:08:56.492+10:00

Swashbuckling MMOArrPG Pirates of the Burning Sea has a treasure chest of screenshots stowed over at MMORPG.com - 222 screenshots, in fact, presumably captured by players duking it out in the exclusive beta version of the game.The game's arrival on your sandy shores is TBA 2007. Let's hope this is one Pirates of the... title we can actually enjoy.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-40737343246072910152007-06-14T11:43:00.001+10:002007-06-14T11:52:13.123+10:00

For years, Jeremy Soule has been the composer of choice for RPG developers. He's got some pretty illustrious titles under his belt, including TES IV: Oblivion, TES III: Morrowind, Dungeon Seige & Dungeon Seige II, and Knights of the Old Republic I & II.Jayson Napolitano of Music4Games.net caught up with Jeremy recently and has done the work of transcribing the audio interview here. It's long and

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-14996587425490004792007-06-14T11:28:00.000+10:002007-06-14T11:41:08.840+10:00

In Issue 10 of City of Heroes/Villains, the Rikti have returned in vast numbers. It falls to the gifted denizens of Paragon City to band together and deal with this threat.The first missions in the Rikti War Zone are for characters level 35+. The characters meet a new contact, Levantera, who introduces them to the U.N. security force, Vanguard. They’ll also meet Borea,

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-19632412832412627612007-06-14T11:15:00.000+10:002007-06-14T11:25:28.947+10:00

The LotRO content expansion Shores of Evendim is live and the studious little elves at LotRO Vault have catalogued all the new content at their Patch Tree.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-56610704747273914892007-06-14T10:59:00.000+10:002007-06-14T11:13:54.223+10:00

Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics to hit PSP on September 14EuroGamer tells us so.IGN has new Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics screensNice to see the PSP getting some RPG love.NWN 2: Mask of the Betrayer arrives October 12EuroGamer tells us that, too.NWN 2 final v1.06 patch releasedSomeone will probably find more bugs.Video Game Endings @ DestructiodCool article, also talks about KotoR, which is a bonus.VtM

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-90717246022300248662007-06-14T10:09:00.000+10:002007-06-14T10:58:34.725+10:00

EverQuest II update 36 previewYou get a dressing room. Because I'm not the only one who loves the paperdoll feature.LotrO: Shadows of Angmar interview @ GameZoneJeffrey Steefel steers clear of the 'secondary market' topic.Middle Earth Online Memories Pt. II is up at IGNYosemite Entertainment reminisce about a game that never was.The Guild Wars State of the Game column talks mid-liningIt all

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-36996686912365227912007-06-13T10:14:00.000+10:002007-06-13T10:32:22.683+10:00

BioWare makes an announcement about its use of complex event processing. By the end of the announcement, we're expecting a BioWare MMORPG in 2009.... BioWare has not announced the name or described the nature of its online game, but Dalton said it will be launched in 2009. Dalton said his firm wants to do more than match the state of the art represented by such online

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-53564120795907295312007-06-12T13:46:00.000+10:002007-06-12T14:01:40.048+10:00

With the release of the PC Overlord demo today, I'm hoping someone keeps track of downloads by PC users compared with downloads by Xbox 360 users. This would determine once and for all the answer to a timeless question: which group has a greater inclination towards the joys of evil despotism, as a whole? That is, if Google isn't already tabulating results as we speak...

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-74250908116341996182007-06-12T13:24:00.000+10:002007-06-12T13:45:05.203+10:00

Worthplaying has 13 new screens of Lair (or Rise of Lair in Japan) for the PS3. The game looks really nice, the dragons are fearsome, and the premise is one fantasy staple (the Dragon Rider) which has yet to be explored effectively in a game.Unfortunately, Lair isn't actually an RPG. Nope, it's not even an Action-RPG. It's just Action. Should I be covering it on RPG Blog? Probably not. But I will

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-41664261543090093932007-06-12T12:12:00.000+10:002007-06-12T13:18:57.935+10:00

I think I've finally worked out what an Action-RPG is. I mean, the term's not exactly self-explanatory.What does that make all other RPGs then? Role-playing games without any action?The conclusion I've come to is that they're role-playing games in 3rd person POV with lots of (non-turn based) fighting. This puts me at ease. It's quite distressing to have at least 14 Action-RPGs announced each day,

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-54888481196919226462007-06-12T11:22:00.000+10:002007-06-12T11:54:59.581+10:00

Ah, CVG and Knights of the Old Republic franchise rumours. In April, they told us BioWare were making a KotoR MMO. Now, their latest speculative offering (via Official Xbox Magazine) is KotoR 3 by Christmas, or, more generously, 2008.A Christmas release would fall two months after highly anticipated space RPG Mass Effect arrives on the Xbox 360. The very same platform CVG has its rumoured KotoR 3

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-91851939036144367172007-06-12T11:11:00.000+10:002007-06-12T13:23:58.492+10:00

The Guild 2 v1.30 patch has been releasedMany important changes. Such as: "The raw material 'Pig' and therefore also 'Pork' have been removed."Worthplaying has 28 new screens of Riviera: The Promised LandI'm pretty sure there's a cruise ship called the Riviera. Come to think of it, an RPG set on a cruise ship would probably be kinda cool. If there were wizards from an alternate dimension involved

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-71626558199960276632007-06-12T10:05:00.000+10:002007-06-12T11:05:54.983+10:00

.hack //G.U. Vol. 3: Redemption MMO [PS2] announced + 10 screensThe game's title is about as convoluted as its premise: an MMO where you play an MMO player. No word on whether that MMO player is also playing an MMO player.There's a new Age of Conan dev blog at 1UP.comSend thanks to Ole Herbjørnsen for it.Lawrence Liberty talks Dungeons & Dragons: TacticsSays there could be room for MMO play on

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-19117983638303121512007-06-11T23:53:00.000+10:002007-06-12T00:23:44.290+10:00

Collector's Crate will be a semi-regular feature on collecting role-playing games, retro/obscure RPGs, and role-playing memorabilia. Before we dive in, though, I'd like to know the shape of your role-playing game collection. If you're willing to share, that is (via the comments in this post).If you've got a particular collection you think is impressive then take a photo and send it my way. It

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-12462183498662331982007-06-11T23:44:00.000+10:002007-06-11T23:49:16.617+10:00

The best posts from another week at RPG Blog:Mass Effect and the Uncanny ValleyJeanne d'Arc: too vengeful to write headlineCommunist Zombie MMORPG AttackWhy BioShock is a role-playing gameOh what could have been: Diablo for the Game Boy

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-32975747932855999592007-06-11T10:14:00.000+10:002007-06-11T10:22:56.204+10:00

Feast your eyes on this steampunk inspired keyboard and monitor setup. It's the work of the aptly named Hieronymus Isambard "Jake" von Slatt of Steampunk Workshop.Now all we need to do is load up Arcanum and dissolve into a pool of steampunk RPG bliss.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-91711418373937365812007-06-11T10:01:00.000+10:002007-06-11T10:13:17.538+10:00

Eurogamer has done a post-preview interview with Ken Levine. It's been a while since I've seen someone receive such adoring treatment from the gaming media, indicating that expecations for BioShock are sky high.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-9402625687449218042007-06-11T09:30:00.000+10:002007-06-11T10:00:24.775+10:00

Worthplaying previews Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground [PSP]Eurogamer slaps Loki with a 5 out of 10 scoreBioWare's Diamid Clarke looks back on Jade EmpireWill Assassin's Creed be ported to the DS?Worthplaying previews Overlord

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-61305004814459337962007-06-10T13:04:00.000+10:002007-06-10T17:25:27.430+10:00

Ken Levine is BioShock's creative director, and BioShock is his baby. He's adamant that the game he is creating is not, in any way an RPG. In fact, he's wont to hammer this point home at every available opportunity. Here's a snippet of the GamersWithJobs preview in which he does just that:These plasmids let you modify and slowly build your character in a way not-dissimilar to an RPG. But don't

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-20689813114886309202007-06-10T12:14:00.000+10:002007-06-10T12:37:29.383+10:00

Firing Squad spoke to Obsidian Entertainment's lead designer, Kevin Saunders, about the upcoming Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer expansion pack.The interview hints at an innovative feature which will influence both roleplay and combat, whilst being vague enough that it's difficult to guess what such a feature could be.FiringSquad: What other new features will the expansion pack have?

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-23938392301339519322007-06-10T11:28:00.000+10:002007-06-10T12:13:39.916+10:00

GameDaily has a short and sweet overview of Fallout 3's development so far, spanning from Interplay's death to the recent trailer release.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-41083338236938294172007-06-10T10:44:00.000+10:002007-06-10T11:28:05.814+10:00

Today has brought the announcement that Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II are set to hit the PSP on June 26. This is Square Enix's celebration of the Final Fantasy franchise's 20th birthday. I can think of a better way to celebrate: a new game, maybe?And remember kids, these games are not remakes, they're remastered from the originals. Worthplaying has 38 screens and a write-up of the new

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-68203911416620495182007-06-09T10:44:00.000+10:002007-06-09T11:06:58.020+10:00

Past and Present Online has screenshots and a picture of the development cartridge, though it seems like the server's overloaded at the moment. Above is gameplay footage of Diablo for the Nintendo GameBoy.And to think my child self was stuck playing Donkey Kong when I could have been killing skeletons and what not.[Spotted at Joystiq]

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-4614793338027438722007-06-09T10:26:00.000+10:002007-06-27T00:26:50.596+10:00

Via 1UP.com: Assassin's Creed is set to arrive on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this November.The game is lugging around the 'Action' tag with a few extra elements. CVG asked the game's producer, Jade Raymond, about this last November:Does the game include RPG elements where you can improve the Assassin's abilities?Jade Raymond: Yes. One of our designers is a massive RPG fan and one of our goals was to

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-38025323073207747822007-06-09T10:01:00.000+10:002007-06-09T10:25:35.695+10:00

The premise of Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground [PSP] is kinda strange. You're a 'dungeon designer' who's moved to a new town, purchased many acres of land, and aims to build a dungeon so grand that monsters will flood to it. Monsters which can then be killed for loot. By you.The idea that large groups of carnivorous monsters choose to live in dungeons in which there's no real source of food that

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-62333072749898485002007-06-09T09:50:00.000+10:002007-06-09T10:01:47.773+10:00

A new Hellgate: London movie showcasing all six classes has been dug up from a Korean site and hosted at Filefront for the enjoyment of the masses.[Spotted at RPG Watch]

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-58827667450820669162007-06-09T09:36:00.000+10:002007-06-09T09:50:36.643+10:00

IGN PC previews BioShockRPG Vault has new screens from Sword of the New WorldCall for Heroes: Pompolic Wars [PC] has gone goldOverlord demo released for Xbox Live, expect PC demo next weekLoki developer interviewed at GameSpot

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-18562736559968693852007-06-08T22:10:00.000+10:002007-06-08T22:37:42.640+10:00

The Three Hundred project is Sean Howard's attempt at coming up with 300 completely unique game ideas in 300 days. I posted previously about Sean's idea for the smallest RPG ever, but I like today's idea even better: game mechanic #030, Communist Zombie Mud.It's not literally communist, but it does turn the current model of MMORPGs on its head. Rather than hoarding items and experience for your

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-52665573155807737882007-06-08T13:13:00.000+10:002007-06-08T13:30:56.055+10:00

Gamecock Media group announced today that Firefly Studio's Dungeon Hero will hack 'n slash its way to the PC and Xbox 360 somewhere near the beginning of 2009.So, why are the developers calling it an 'authentic' dungeon crawler?The first dungeon-based game to realistically depict underground life, Dungeon Hero promises all the danger, intrigue and daily routine of an actual subterranean community

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-10986563210057483492007-06-08T12:51:00.000+10:002007-06-08T13:07:54.626+10:00

Via Wired, Game | Life: World of Warcraft v2.0.1 is barely over two weeks old, but some guilds have already seen fit to trample all over the new raid content introduced in the massive update. Case in point: European guild Nihlium downing uber boss Illidan just yesterday, with Curse following hot on their heels.As a response, Blizzard is going to up the difficulty level through what is perhaps the

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-19209640261946013322007-06-08T10:55:00.000+10:002007-06-08T11:28:07.998+10:00

Flux over at IncGamer's Hellgate: London portal attended this year's HGL Community Day and returned with lots of neat images and much to say about the game. Many thousands of words, in fact.The preview is in four parts and incredibly detailed, so much so that casual observers of the game's progress might be intimidated. Those of you who're eagerly awaiting this title will probably read the whole

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-52182656205451420352007-06-08T09:58:00.000+10:002007-06-08T10:52:20.623+10:00

World of WarCraft official site opens new Item Search featureRPG Vault has the second part of its Phylon interviewIGN has some more screens from The WitcherRTS/RPG/FPS hybrid The Wall announced for PS3 & Xbox 360Dungeon Hero announced for the Xbox 360Warren Spector's Junction Point Studios site has relaunchedGameShark has an interview with The Witcher's Michael MadejGameAlmighty interviews

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-23517427099736155492007-06-07T22:55:00.000+10:002007-06-07T23:10:49.522+10:00

From Sci Fi Wire:Transformers producer Tom DeSanto has secured the film rights to NCsoft and Cryptic Studio's video game City of Heroes, Variety reported. The plan is to adapt the massively multiplayer online role-playing game into a live-action feature and then transition it to television in some form, the trade paper reported. The movie revolves around a group of superheroes who live in Paragon

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-82464254386602690632007-06-07T22:40:00.000+10:002007-06-07T22:54:41.938+10:00

I don't know who did it. I don't know who thought of the idea. There are more photos, if you'd like to see the Hellgate: London Volkswagon Caddy from four different angles.I am all for RPG-themed cars. Youbetcha. However, the Need for Speed Underground player in me looks at this creation and thinks... Surely flames on a black background would look better than flame on red? And the wheels...

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-90753937248804739002007-06-07T15:46:00.000+10:002007-06-07T16:05:32.167+10:00

EVE Online developer CCP and White Wolf Publishing merged last year. Soon after they did so, they announced a World of Darkness MMO which was to begin development.We've heard little to nothing since then. Eurogamer recently interviewed Magnus Bergsson (Marketing Director for CCP) who had this to say:Speaking of a release date, Bergsson said, "We don't know yet. We're not really hiding any

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-90264627085337986932007-06-07T14:59:00.003+10:002007-06-07T16:08:05.028+10:00

Sometimes I like to prove I'm not the only blogger on the web talking about RPGs.Spoiler @ AFK GamerFrodo gets spoilt in LotRO.Gameplay: Silverfall Demo @ Cathode TanDeath and underwear in Silverfall...One with the other @ The Game ChairNeil talks Deus Ex nostalgia.Born to run @ Kieron Gillen WorkblogAppreciating the under-appreciated in City of Heroes.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-38006470692631338392007-06-07T13:20:00.001+10:002007-06-07T13:47:49.457+10:00

You can view huge high-quality versions of both the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows box art at the Cult of Rapture (though the Games for Windows art is exactly the same as the above box art, except it says, um, Games for Windows).Irrational Games' creative director Ken Levine has answered reader questions over at 1Up. Here's some of the interview:At the last GDC, Warren Spector said, "Games are

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-54428107606990265962007-06-07T13:10:00.000+10:002007-06-07T13:19:50.597+10:00

Worthplaying has 18 new screens of Folklore for the PS3. I'm a big fan of high fantasy, and as such, I really like the look of this game. It's full of vibrant colour, wierd monsters and strange locales.Heck, if I had a PS3, I think I'd buy it.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-41008298684145616562007-06-07T13:02:00.000+10:002007-06-07T13:10:20.322+10:00

Eye of the North is the first expansion pack for MMORPG Guild Wars. The expansion promises some immersive new dungeons, showcased in the trailer above and in 7 new screens over at Worthplaying.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-67445822982678583322007-06-07T12:47:00.000+10:002007-06-07T13:02:34.121+10:00

The first is Overlord's 'Gnarl' trailer and the second is the first in a series of 'Six Minion Commandments'. Like a lot of RPGs, Overlord places much roleplay emphasis on morality. The game's morals are unique, however, in that your choices range from being bad to being really bad. The game is set to hit the PC and Xbox 360 sometime in the future.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-35604432608051947042007-06-07T11:59:00.000+10:002007-06-07T12:46:47.663+10:00

Content update for LotRO dropping June 13Pre-order retail copy of Sword of the New World get 10k (in-game) dollarsFirst German update/patch for Loki releasedPlayHGL has an interview on Hellgate: LondonEurogamer previews Two WorldsIGN reports Square Enix isn't interested in the Xbox 360

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-89616714498809136932007-06-06T23:23:00.000+10:002007-06-06T23:57:07.120+10:00

Joan of Arc: thought she communicated with saints, convinced the King that she did, led the french military, wore men's clothing, fought in battle, cut her hair short, turned the tide of the war against the English, was imprisoned and burnt at the stake for witchery. Cue multiple films of varying quality - 37, in fact.Joan's now been given a new lease on life with (dubious) thanks to Level 5,

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-27350528774855462172007-06-06T12:07:00.000+10:002007-06-17T11:01:40.481+10:00

UPDATE: This post has links to scans and a transcript of the article.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-26926833590614343002007-06-06T11:49:00.000+10:002007-06-06T12:07:15.108+10:00

There are about a million different mirrors with which to download higher-definition versions on the official site, our you can go lower definition and watch the trailer squashed down into YouTube form.I'll admit, I've been looking forward to this one for a while. It doesn't show gameplay, which is a bummer, but for a game due in Fall 2008 perhaps they simply haven't sorted all that out yet?

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-63954300487937386722007-06-06T11:39:00.000+10:002007-06-06T11:46:54.462+10:00

Here's a new trailer from Tabula Rasa, an upcoming sci-fi MMORPG. Worthplaying has lots of screens, too.It looks interesting, but I just... don't like the name, you know? It simultaneously makes me think of tabouli and the Egyptian desert. Not aliens.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-22398275676626389492007-06-06T11:22:00.000+10:002007-06-06T11:37:37.389+10:00

There's a new dev diary and screens for the Silverfall PSP portLoki developer interviewed at Pro-GBluesnews has a hands-on preview of Call for Heroes: Pompolic WarsCVG has previewed OverlordIGN has previewed combat in Two WorldsThe Official Guild Wars Wiki is now up

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-29130403564338111302007-06-05T20:25:00.000+10:002007-06-05T20:59:10.550+10:00

Gamers With Jobs has just posted Julian "rabbit" Murdoch's preview of BioShock, and it weighs in at almost 4,500 words. The folks at Irrational Studios played through the game as Julian watched, and Ken Levine, the game's creative director, answered some of Julian's questions. The preview is full of detail, acute observations, and some great writing. If you're following BioShock, you'll kick

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-11648833229094649222007-06-05T20:16:00.000+10:002007-06-05T20:25:36.410+10:00

So, the countdown to the Fallout 3 teaser trailer countdown has ended. What do we get? The above image. Why? Why make us refresh again and again like that, Bethesda?My theory: this is Pete Hines' revenge for all our teasing.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-9305519430837091512007-06-05T18:04:00.000+10:002007-06-05T18:27:29.382+10:00

Casey Hudson, project director on Mass Effect, told Wire magazine that designing aliens for the game was easy: it was the humans who'd given them the most trouble.Hudson said BioWare had found it difficult to get Mass Effect's human characters to look like more than just sinister mannequins. To counter this effect, they worked on "the reflection of light on the eyes and suble eye movements."To me

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-84610432268542929092007-06-05T17:47:00.000+10:002007-06-05T18:03:58.729+10:00

Eternal Sonata is a game which takes place in a dream during the final 3 hours of world-famous music composer Frederic Chopin's life. The premise is original, and so are the visuals: these 30 new screenshots show-off a whole lot of anime-style cell shading. That screenshot on the left? In-game graphics. Those of you who like your anime (and own an Xbox 360) look to be in for a treat.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-16684942148456435892007-06-05T17:35:00.000+10:002007-06-05T17:46:29.940+10:00

When we think about the aspects of RPGs that we like - the things RPGs have over other games - most of us will list the importance of story and characters among these. That's why when I see game developers or those in the game media writing about, well, writing in games, I can make an educated guess that most RPG fans will be interested to hear what's being said.EDGE has a feature on the

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-21212749375152744082007-06-05T16:55:00.000+10:002007-06-05T17:35:16.901+10:00

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-74312233805474255082007-06-05T16:40:00.000+10:002007-06-05T17:30:47.500+10:00

RPG Vault interviews Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology [PSP] developersFilePlanet offers subscriber-only access to Sword of the New WorldIGN gets hands-on with upcoming MMORPG Tabula RasaMusic-biz RPG Shady O' Grady's Rising Star patch v1.07 availableWorthplaying has 5 new screens of The WitcherNew screenshots of Theseis at IGNNew Sacred 2: Fallen Angel screens at Strategy InformerNew NWN2:

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-13034713668355400812007-06-04T11:06:00.000+10:002007-06-04T11:18:44.008+10:00

Worthplaying has 16 new screens of Hellgate: London. The game promises a completely randomized first-person RPG experience, where no level, no loot, and no monsters are the same twice.While this sounds like an interesting concept, and it does add replayability to the game, it might mean that a player's first-time experience with Hellgate is not what it could have been. There's a difference

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-42787399737841698332007-06-04T10:52:00.000+10:002007-06-04T11:01:12.069+10:00

Hellgate: London now has an alpha siteComputer and Video Games previews The WitcherIGN previews Guild Wars: Eye of the NorthUpdated (v1.30) trial for Dawnspire: Prelude

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-23358022975131344112007-06-03T19:31:00.001+10:002007-06-03T19:39:10.212+10:00

Deus Ex vs. BioShock: the moral question of children in gamesAlter Ego: Avatars and the gamers behind themBlogging UltimaForget Wii. Here's a truly wee roleplaying game

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-36351285113592208072007-06-03T18:31:00.001+10:002007-06-03T18:37:09.801+10:00

A live action parody of the Final Fantasy games, dodgy special effects and all. Enjoy!

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-64137787303004340822007-06-03T15:15:00.000+10:002007-06-03T15:21:15.586+10:00

[click to view full size]

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-50443330802658941982007-06-03T11:31:00.000+10:002007-06-03T12:29:13.653+10:00

That's May's winning comic at the World of WarCraft community comics archive. I like it because it follows a theme I've written about before - the difference between MMORPG avatars and the players behind them.You can view the competition's honorable mentions too, and follow the links to look through the other hundred-something comics they've got.There are draw-backs to a game having 8 million

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-40175759248733108112007-06-03T10:26:00.000+10:002007-06-03T11:26:35.504+10:00

RPG Gamer has interviewed Nao Zook, a representative of NIS America. Here's en excerpt from the interview:(Reader Question) Any chance of Disgaea on the Nintendo DS?Nao: Let me just say this... you can look forward to it!The Disgaea PS2 game Hour of Darkness - a strategy RPG, and we can expect Disgaea for the DS to be the same - was famous for its multiple endings, repeat playthroughs, and a

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-75578682887672182662007-06-03T10:05:00.000+10:002007-06-03T12:31:41.895+10:00

Worthplaying has six new screens of MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, all set in a dark, swampy locale. The June issue of the game's monthly eZine (Clan of Conan, heh) has also been released. It's an overview of Age of Conan news and media from the last month, but it has some new content as well: this issue, it's a feature on the weapons and armor available in the game.UPDATE: Just

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-82847311809555775332007-06-02T11:15:00.001+10:002007-06-02T11:26:14.960+10:00

It seems Blizzard have decided that the best way to get people to buy a game is to let them play it, but not quite *all* of it. That's the philosophy behind their 10 day free trail of WoW expansion: Burning Crusade for all World of WarCraft players who've not yet upgraded.My favorite part of the terms of use:... any characters you play during the trial can only advance up to one experience point

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-4712329209087859472007-06-02T10:47:00.000+10:002007-06-02T11:04:37.993+10:00

Ingredients1 PS31 Japanese PlayStation Network accountResult1 download of the FolkSoul [FolkLore] demoFolkLore impressed the gaming media at the Sony Gamer's Day event and the demo comes with the recommendation of PS3 Fanboy, who's already played it through twice. Why go to the trouble of starting a Japanese PSN account to get it? The release of a demo outside Japan is probably several months off

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-13489929445896412562007-06-02T10:27:00.000+10:002007-06-02T10:47:03.112+10:00

GameSpy has two new videos of online Action-RPG Age of Conan, one titled 'Frost Swamp' and another titled 'Inventory'.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-67596910464980894262007-06-02T09:58:00.001+10:002007-06-02T10:26:05.466+10:00

RPG Vault has several new screens of upcoming MMORPG Sword of the New World.... they've also interviewed ClockStone developers about new Action-RPG Avencast.Worthplaying has a couple of new screens from Action-RPG Legend: Hand of God.... and five new screens of evil and evil-er Overlord for the XBOX 360 and PC.... and two new (rather drab) screens of NWN 2: Mask of the Betrayer.Dragon-riding PS3

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-37501468649289106402007-06-01T12:40:00.000+10:002007-06-01T12:45:11.161+10:00

Today marks the start of a (hopefully) daily feature called Eye Candy. The eye candy will either be concept art (like today's impression of Chinatown in Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines), or a screenshot, or some other game-related prettyness. As long as it's role-playing, as long as it's visual, you'll find it here.Click the above image to view it full size.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-4711222400193336652007-06-01T11:57:00.000+10:002007-06-01T12:13:58.516+10:00

NCsoft has launched its first free title, Dungeon Runners, a light-hearted fantasy MMORPG available for complete download at the game's website.Free users will be able to play the game in its entirety. For $4.99 a month, however, members will receive log-in queue priority and access to the highest tiers of loot - not available to free players.It will be interesting to see whether this experiment

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-53241486447059412682007-06-01T11:48:00.000+10:002007-06-01T11:56:18.100+10:00

Details are pouring out about Auran's new MMORPG, Fury, with a new trailer and screens released today. Watch the trailer above, then check out 11 new screens at Worthplaying.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-57672866310285273012007-06-01T11:33:00.000+10:002007-06-01T11:48:10.231+10:00

Michael Zenke's started a new column over at 1UP called 'Massive Update', a freaking huge news round-up of what's been happening in the world of MMOs.This week's feature has the low-down on the EVE Online scandal and Blizzard's lawsuit against Peons4Hire, plus a whole lot of other info.It looks to be worth keeping an eye on. Let's hope the formatting is fixed up next week, though, or that eye

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-36300981047841227552007-06-01T10:12:00.000+10:002007-06-01T11:11:26.859+10:00

RPG Vault previews Dreamlords, a massively multiplayer strategy with RPG elements.The Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising site is offering you the chance to be part of its exclusive beta test.GameSpy has 7 new screens of 'deep fantasy' RPG Sacred 2: Fallen Angel.WarCry has a personal profile of Kevin Saunders, Lead Designer on NWN 2: Mask of the Betrayer.

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-50466948750993093492007-05-31T23:36:00.000+10:002007-05-31T23:54:03.661+10:00

Sean Howard has been receiving a lot of (deserved) attention for his Three Hundred project, in which he aims to write up 300 original game mechanics in 300 days.Today's mechanic is number 22: Tiny Quest. The mechanic would be an entire RPG game the size of a banner advertisement, used to advertise a website.My criteria was that it had to be both a game and a banner. That is, it's primary purpose

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-37887511797608046062007-05-31T14:54:00.000+10:002007-05-31T22:45:31.052+10:00

Eurogamer spoke to Turbine executive producer Jeffrey Steefel yesterday about the development of a "secondary market" for Lord of the Rings Online. The term "secondary market" refers to the exchange of game characters, items and coinage for real-world money."The 'secondary market' is a huge topic of conversation across the industry, and we're watching it really closely," Steefel told Eurogamer. "

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-8834321774342781812007-05-31T14:20:00.000+10:002007-05-31T14:25:55.797+10:00

RPG fans who've managed to get their hands on a DS are getting spoilt today, aren't they?

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-57963164916609873262007-05-31T14:02:00.000+10:002007-05-31T14:17:47.552+10:00

"It used to be fine to make an RPG that was just wandering around and hacking things up with the player having very little effect on the world around them. Why play that game now if you could just play a MMO?"Feargus Urquhart has warned RPG developers that they need to focus on what makes the genre unique or risk losing out to the exploding MMORPG industry."I think those of us that make non-MMO

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-37099517732649021812007-05-31T13:47:00.000+10:002007-05-31T14:01:34.097+10:00

And not just metaphorically hit, as in arrive, but we're talking a real, ninjitsu-style punch. The game is Naruto: Path of the Ninja - the first Naruto title to make its way onto the Nintendo DS for North America.Careen Yapp, VP of licensing and business development, said: "Some of the best elements from all the Japanese Naruto RPG releases will be utilized to create an

Australianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3814737311064609495.post-30772936902403777392007-05-31T13:18:00.000+10:002007-05-31T13:47:23.492+10:00

IGN PC interviews Andrew Edelstan, developer of upcoming Action-RPG, Fury.ArenaNet is working on the first expansion for the Guild Wars series, Eye of the North.Blizzard has released the 'Black Temple' update for World of Warcraft.New Legend: Hand of God screens at the game's official site.Eurogamer previews FFXII: Revenant Wings.WarCry interviews Kevin Saunders about NWN 2: Mask of the Betrayer.

Australianoreply@blogger.com