Ragnar’s Realms

Today,  

Filed under: Machinima, WoW Moviewatch

(Warning: If you haven’t seen Tales of the Past III, this video could be considered a spoiler. Approach with caution.)

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. I hope Martin Falch takes that to heart when he sees this nearly three minute cinematic cut of his movie. DragonstarDT took all of the exciting bits about TotP3 and put them to music, creating a short video that gives you a vague idea of what the movie is about. With over 750,000 downloads of the actual machinima, it certainly needs no trailer boost. However, if you haven’t seen it yet, this trailer might entice you to give it a watch!

[Via Warcraftmovies.com]

Previously on Moviewatch …

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

(Link)

Today,  

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Arcade

Today is Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday and just as promised, Mutant Storm Empire is available for purchase today. For a cool 800 Microsoft points you’ll be able to pick up the game, practice the art of “Blastikkidoo”, enjoy sixteen levels of craziness and participate in some Xbox Live multiplayer. Mutant Storm Empire promises fun, destruction and explosive explosiveness, so go ahead and enjoy the frenzy. We know we will.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

(Link)

Today,  

Filed under: News

A long time ago, we reported that references to Skype were hidden in the PSP’s system code. Looks like these hints may become something more at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Sony CES website has a brief mention of Skype in their text (see picture, above). Will we see a new firmware revision that takes advantage of this oh-so-desirable feature? We hope so.

[Thanks, Jorge H.!]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

(Link)

Admin wrote: 

Filed under: News, Game announcements

It’s true! Command & Conquer is officially headed into the FPS tactical realm with today’s announcement of Tiberium for the Xbox 360. And actually, all the rumors we’ve heard about Tiberium ended up being correct. It’ll feature its own unique blend of FPS gameplay that mixes in some tactical combat strategy, a deep and engaging plot and weapons that are explosively fun. It’ll be a lot like C&C, but in FPS form. Oh joy! Click the jump link to read the full press release and start pondering what Tiberium will be like on the 360. Just imagine ion cannon strikes. We’re sure they’ll boom really good in first person.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

(Link)

Today,  

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, News items, Features, Guides

Here at WoW Insider we cover the many aspects of World of Warcraft. Over at our sister site, Massively, we give the same in-depth coverage to all MMOs. And many of those stories cover Warcraft in one way or another.

Here is a compilation of posts from Massively this past week that will feed your need for all things WoW.

Playing by different rules: should mobs be subject to interrupts?
Chris Chester explores the reasoning behind different combat rules between players and mobs.

WoW tournament resurrected at Dreamhack, $75,000 in prizes
The WSVG may be dead, but the Dreamhack convention in Sweden is hosting a 3v3 tournament and you won’t believe the 1st place cash prize amount.

Guildcafe merges with Uberguilds
Guild site hosting meets community building tools. Is it any better than Guildportal?

WoW is the “train driving PC gaming,” says John Carmack
The creator of Quake and Doom talks about the enormous influence of MMOs in bringing new gamers to the PC gaming. But will the PC retain its dominant status for MMOs in development?

This just in: games are TiVo-licious
Discovery Channel is running a retrospective on video games and an upcoming episode is dedicated to MMOs, including our beloved WoW.

Building a better MMOusetrap: Buildings, barrens and beyond (Part 2)
Dave Moss continues his weekly feature exploring MMO mechanics. This week, he continues with a column about the function and design opportunities of in-game cities.

Industry panel says MMOs are just getting started
A Harvard Business School panel discussion on MMOs included Blizzard’s team leader Mark Kern. See what he has to say about the future of online gaming.

Gamer Interrupted: How to turn your wife into a gamer
Our very own Robin Torres has moved her Azeroth Interrupted weekly column to Massively as Gamer Interrupted. By popular demand she gives you tips and strategies to entice your significant other to join you in your passion for gaming.

How WoW works
Amanda Rivera points us to a site that covers the basics of the game. Though many of us are veterans of WoW, there are sure to be a few tidbits in there that you never knew.

The Escapist explains how your guild can avoid a “failure cascade”
One small problem in your guild can leave it decimated in a short amount of time if you don’t address it immediately. The Escapist delves into the problem and offers solutions.

Darkmoon Faire dazzles London
The World of Warcraft trading card game tournament comes to London and top players compete against Blizzard Community Managers. Who won and who took a dirt nap?

The coming of mudflation
Mike Schramm explores why mudflation may not be a bad thing. Other than being able to 5-man Onyxia.

MMOGology: Roleplaying is dead
Marc Nottke continues his weekly column, this time exploring how MMO’s do away with the RP aspect that made its Pen and Paper predecessors so entertaining.

Seagate shuts the gate
After certain Seagate hard drives were discovered to have an account stealing program inserted at the manufacturer, the company remained tight lipped about the details. Until now.

Behind the Curtain: Sex sells
Should in-game brothels be allowed? Columnist Craig Whithers explores the issues surrounding the controversial idea.

Skill leveling: manual or automatic?
Akela Talamasca explores the pros and cons of leveling skills, including WoW’s push button system.

The9 buys shares in … itself
The Chinese carrier of WoW had a surprising stock plummet and used the opportunity to buy back its own shares. Smart move or bad business?

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

(Link)

Today,  

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Online, Business

The European PSN will receive two updates next week due to the PlayStation Day press event being held in London. The two updates will occur on Tuesday and Thursday, and we’ve also placed what is known to be part of these updates after the break.

We contacted Sony America to find out if it had any special update plans for next week and we were told it would be business as usual. Check out PS3 Fanboy’s coverage of PlayStation Day next week.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Continue reading Double Euro PSN update next week

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

(Link)

Today,  

Filed under: Raiding, Guides

Phew there’s a lot that goes into raiding! We’ve covered the three steps in getting ready to raid, introspection, preparation, and application, and then we gave you a raid speak glossary of terms you will need to know. But, you may ask, what can I expect on my first raid?

First, we have to make a couple of assumptions for simplicity’s sake. Realize that these may not be the case, and I might very well digress into discussing other situations, but by and large I will stick to these assumptions. The first assumption is that you have applied to a raiding guild that has previously been running content and been accepted. Yes, your first raid might very well be with your own guild (I know mine was.) But the experience of a totally new group in a raid situation is vastly different from the experience of a seasoned group accepting a new member into their established routine.

The second assumption we will make for purposes of this article is that your first raid will be in Karazhan. This again might not be the case, but if you are entirely new to the raiding scene, then a ten-man instance like Kara is the place you will start to build your gear for the 25-man raid encounters. Yes, casters build their own Tier-4 equivalent gear, but like I said, these assumptions are meant to simplify the process so we can introduce a new raider into the fold.

Okay, now that we have the basic premise of our discussion laid out, let’s get down to brass tacks. Your first raid experience will actually start hours, and possible a day or two before the first pull. The first thing you will most likely do is sit down and talk with your class leader, or raid leader if a class leader isn’t assigned. In this discussion you’ll get information about how the raid pulls groups of mobs, their kill order, basically any standing procedures they might have. A meeting like this will probably only last a couple of minutes and can be pretty informal. If this meeting isn’t set up by the leader in question, please ask for it. This is a huge step in alleviating a lot of the first time “I have no idea what is going on” moments.

The next step in alleviating said moments is to prepare for the raid. As you are starting in Karazhan, some YouTube research may not be vital, but it is certainly advised. If your guild has already made videos on how they approach each encounter, then start your research there. Please, please read up on the bosses before you enter. I know, there is a certain part of you that wants to be surprised. Believe me, I’ve been there. But learning about the encounter from the vantage point of your corpse is not the way to learn it, trust me. (Let’s just say Void Reaver and I didn’t exactly get along the first time we met.) WoW Wiki has some great pages detailing the various stages of each raid boss fight. My god, you say, I have homework? Yep, but you will thank me for it when you do step into your first raid and live to tell about it.

Like I said, the meeting and the research may happen days before your scheduled raid. Plan to log in an hour (two is better) before the raid is scheduled for invites. Here’s what the day of your first raid should look like:

1. Prep Time: Before you log into the game, check to make sure your mods are updated. Mod makers are notorious for tweaking their applications just enough so that they require a new version, and you want to have the newest version of every addon the raid uses. For a list of commonly used raiding mods, check out our Learn2raid article on preparation. Once you have all your mods in place then it’s time to log in and grab reagents, repair, do anything you might need to do before the raid starts. If you play a mage you will also need to spend some time conjuring food and water for the group, at least until Patch 2.3 rolls around. This is also the time to grab any IRL snacks or drinks you may need. You’re going to be sitting in one spot for several hours with only a few AFK breaks (which are best reserved for bio breaks.)
   

2. Travel: Being that this is your first raid, you want to be in Deadwind Pass to summon others as a sign of good faith. Yes it’s annoying to spend that time flying, but since you’ve logged in early (and you did, right?) you can show how with-it you really are by being at the instance before invites begin. Heck, if you are one who likes to prepare ahead of time, you can grab reagents and such the day before, travel to Karazhan and be there when you log in. How’s that for being on time?

3. Invites: At some point before the raid the raid leader will start inviting people. The time for invites varies, and some guilds provide a bit of leeway in case you run a little late. Other guilds, however, will replace you immediately if you are not there for invite time, so once again, early is the key.

4. Buffing: Once everyone is at the raid and inside the instance (in our scenario inside the room I call Horsehead Hall) then the buffing will begin. If you have spells that provide additional benefits to the group you will be expected to use them. For Karazhan most likely there will be only one of your class in the raid, so you will need to buff both groups, but be prepared in larger 25-mans to pay attention to your assigned group. Note also, that your job will be to keep an eye on the members of the raid at all times and keep the buffs up. If a member of the raid dies or is replaced, rebuffing before you are asked is an excellent way to show you’re a raider who pays attention.

5. First Pull: Each raid is going to handle pulling differently, and heck, some guilds won’t even start with Attumen if they are far enough along to have the instance on farm. This means that you have to keep your eyes open and apply what knowledge you learned in your prep meeting. You will notice that a practice raid moves quickly, assigning loot with predesignated systems, and spending the minimal down time possible. Things will be moving incredibly fast. In the case of Karazhan, the first trash mobs run on a 30-minute timer, so the haste is necessary, but you will find that the raid moves much faster than a 5-man group largely because they know each other, have done the fights many times before, and are very good at what they are doing.

6. Trash mobs: Before each boss in Kara there are about 8 or so trash mob pulls. The strategy for each group varies depending on the mobs within it, so pay attention and you’ll do fine. It might take a group or two to find your rhythm, but usually if you keep your eyes open and know your class inside and out, you’ll have little trouble.

7. Boss: What makes Kara so fun is the variety of boss fights. Each boss has a gimmick, some element of gameplay that makes them unique. Since you have already done your research (either through watching videos, reading up on the strategy, or both) then simply acting on your knowledge is your best bet. Now, the first time you fight a boss, even with understanding of the encounter, you are liable to mess up. It’s okay to die, this is your first raid. What you want to do though is learn from your mistakes so that the next time you, say, get garroted by Moroes, you will learn to scream your name over vent for healing.

8. Loot: Your first time in a raid you’re going to be eager to get a nice piece of epic gear, but prepare yourself for the possibility of getting nothing. If you are like me, you’ve created a shopping list of the items you want off various bosses in the instance. Notice that list does not include every boss. And even with the bosses you do want loot from the percentage can be pretty low on the item you need. Add to that whatever loot distribution system the guild may have, and it all adds up to one word: patience. Be patient and you will get your loot. That’s the beautiful thing about raiding. You will be back there again, and the next time the dagger drops, it may very well be yours.

Well, that’s about it. Once you are done with one boss, you repeat steps 4-8 with the next one. Rinse and repeat. The raid will fight a selection of bosses, or if they are particularly speedy may clear the instance. In either case you will get some great experiences, get to fight some amazingly inventive boss fights, and get the chance at some sweet gear. Congratulations, you have just learned to raid.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

(Link)

Admin wrote: 

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3

After double checking our Men of Metal Gear Solid pinup calendar (April is Raiden’s month) we thought some of you had gone crazy. The Metal Gear Online beta is live now? Oh no, it couldn’t be. You see, it’s only the 16th and, as we all know, it won’t be available for download until the 17th. But evidently the PSN gatekeepers have let this 741MB download loose a day early so, if you’ve got a preorder voucher for the beta (see above), you may want to get downloading. Or not … you still won’t be able to snap your buddies’ necks until the beta kicks off on April 21.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

(Link)

Admin wrote: 

Filed under: Machinima, WoW Moviewatch

Snacky’s Journal, the award-winning series by Stone Falcon Productions, may be coming to a close soon. Jun Falkenstein, the creator of the series, has taken on a job directing a sci-fi film. However, she released this teaser for Snacky 4 yesterday.

It looks like Episode 4 may bring Snacky a girlfriend! This preview is short and sweet, but shows much promise, as Snacky and a lady friend are checking out Mechanistriders. How do you think the series will end?

[Thanks, Drewbie!]

Previously on Moviewatch …

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

(Link)

Today,  

Filed under: News, Downloads, Fan stuff

With the recent release of Rainbow Six Vegas 2, many gamers are discovering the wonders of the game’s multiplayer. Far fewer gamers were able to score the Best Buy Gun Code that was on the sticker of the game’s box at Best Buy stores. The sticker has a code on it (a button code, not a marketplace one) that unlocks a free gun in the game. The instructions for that code are as follows: Enter the follow button commands at the Main Menu of Rainbow Six Vegas 2: (Hold RB) Down, Down, Up, Up, X, B, X, B, Y, Up, Up, Y.

The second RSV2 freebie we got wind of was a map brought to us by Comcast. This is again unlockable from within the game and visiting the marketplace is not required. To access the Comcast Bonus Maps, select Extras from the game’s main menu. then select “Comcast Gift” and enter the code “Comcast Faster” when prompted to do so, and you should have access a map called “Comcast Event”

[Via Joystiq & HushedCasket]

Permalink | Email this | Comments

---

(Link)