Latest Blog Posts - Hellforge

Christmas Gamer of the Week

no.spam@gameriot.com (The Extremist) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:40:21 -0500

Just a quick mindless post on "Boxing Day", 2009. Saw this on Mashable today and just had to share it.

If you need an introduction to this memelet, check out the video below first, also courtesy of YouTube and Mashable:

And finally...

The Midnight Riders' Latest Hit Single

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:47:18 -0500

Valve's Midnight Riders have released a new hit single for this festive season entitled "All I Want For Christmas (is to kick your ass)". Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Bioware Reveals How Mass Effect 2 Handles Save Game Imports

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:39:25 -0500

A question that has been asked of Bioware time and time again is how Mass Effect 2 plans to handle the importing of old save games from the original Mass Effect playthroughs.

Though Bioware has remained silent on the issue for quite awhile – raising no small amount of doubt as to whether the feature would even be implemented – the silence was shattered today as Chris Priestly, the company’s community coordinator, wrote a detailed post about how the system would work in full.

Priestly also revealed that Mass Effect 3, the final episode of the Mass Effect trilogy, would also incorporate consequences from the previous games.

Save Game Import

Upon starting a new game from the main menu, players can import a character save from Mass Effect 1
The Player chooses which character to bring in. Bringing in more than one character is possible, this will create a second or additional profile(s), just like in Mass Effect 1.
For Xbox 360 players need to be signed into your profile that you used to play through Mass Effect 1.
On PC players will select the .MassEffectSave files to import.
The profile and save data must be present on the hard drive and not an MU.

* There is a limit of 11 end-of-game saves that can be imported into ME2. This means that if the player was to complete ME1 12 times, regardless of the number of unique playthroughs used, the 12th save will not be available for import, but saves 1 through 11 will be available.

At this point we have revealed that the save game import system will carryover all your decisions and plot decisions from ME1 into ME2. Did you save the Council? Who survived Virmire? And how did you handle your most ardent fan? We don’t want to list everything out and spoil the surprises we have in store for you, but rest assured you will be pleased when you see just how much carries over into Mass Effect 2.

Up until now we have only discussed the plot impacts of this feature, however, there are also certain gameplay perks as well. If you finished ME1 as a high level character you will receive greater bonuses than those who finished at lower levels. Ex, if you finished ME1 as a level 35 character, you will receive a bonus, but if you finished ME1 as a level 50 character, your bonus will be larger. That being said these bonuses will not put new playthrough characters at a severe disadvantage. For example, some of these bonuses include a monetary boost at the start of the game, or additional research resources for use at the Normandy’s Tech Lab. Another perk is if you finished the game as a Paragon or Renegade, part of your alignment will carry over making it easier to access certain dialogue options.

Finally, some technical information regarding the feature as well. If players start a New Game + after beating the game they will be able to re-use the same character import file they did for their first playthrough. Yes New Game + is making a return to Mass Effect 2! Additionally as mentioned above, make sure you are playing on your Xbox 360 profile that you completed ME1 on and that the profile and save data is present on the Hard Drive and not a MU. If you want to do a quick check and make sure you are good to go, load up Mass Effect 1 and see if the New Game + option appears. That will let you know your save game is ready for Mass Effect 2.

We are definitely excited to share this brand new feature with everyone, and remember what you do in Mass Effect 2, will have consequences in Mass Effect 3!

Source: Mass Effect Forums

Feature: Post Apocalyptic Settings in A Few Select Video Games

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:15:37 -0500

Like any popular medium, video games are rife with a number of discernable, unique settings that make them instantly recognizable. Video games are generally a little plain and even a little unimaginative, but a number of games manage to stand apart from the rest by being pretty cool in some way or another.

Few of these scenarios manage to truly capture the imagination as much as post-apocalyptic settings. Yeah, because everyone either dead or dying and you’re all alone (either literally or with a group of buddies) in this dangerous new world where one little mistake could end your life pretty quickly.

Interestingly enough, designers can apply the post-apoc setting right on top of a generic setting to make it a little less generic and a little more exciting, like putting the icing on top of a tasty, but otherwise bland sponge cake.

I’d like to say that post-apocalyptic settings are ‘very’ discernable, which makes them a little better than your average, run-of-the-mill variety of discernable settings. Post-apocalyptic settings as far as settings go – and they can be applied to all sorts of preexisting and otherwise generic settings if only to spruce things up and make things a little bit grim, like that aunt who shows up every year who puts her false teeth in a cup during Christmas dinner.

There’s nothing more generic than having some guy waving a sword around at some dragon looking like a pissed off tin-can with flailing appendages, so why not set it in a post-apocalyptic setting, where the dragon’s the Last of Its Kind and the sword you’re the only one capable of taking it out, or else the village behind you is doomed, and along with it, all of humanity, because it’s apparently the only village with a sizable population of people that’s capable of repopulating Middle Earth or whatever generic fantasy realm Sir Knight and the Angry Dragon live in.

Post-apocalyptic settings – by their very definition – present end-of-the-world scenarios. Ranging from the classic zombie apocalypse to nuclear holocaust, post-apocalyptic settings immerse the viewer, reader, or in this case the gamer in a world where survival is the primary goal – the prime directive, so to speak, and the only options available are fight or flight – fulfilling a primal need. I like to think of survival as a primal need, like wanting to eat, have sex and doing all the other things that make people happy. You can’t really do much of the latter without putting survival at the top of your list, really.

With that in mind, I’d like to explore a number of post-apocalyptic scenarios – both unique and popular – that represent the genre to the limits of its very definition. Why not?

Fallout 3

Imagine what it would be like if the 1950s never ended – a future full of flying cars, talking robots and strange imaginings. Imagine what it would be like if atom bombs fell upon the earth and decimated most of its population, leaving few survivors. Yeah, stuff got blown to bits and all that’s left are those concrete buildings and the dilapidated signboards that populate the urban environment.

Those who survived – the lucky ones, at least – did so by hiding in gigantic bunkers called Vaults. Buried behind tons of steel and earth, these Vaults finally open their doors a hundred years after the war with a bunch of ignorant Vault Dwellers gaping out like so many frightened rats, waiting for some invisible giant cat to suddenly pounce. Born within the confines of the Vault are clueless about what lies beyond those doors – large, sacred, metallic doors leading to a brave new world beyond – a single, poor schmuck steps out into the wastes. That would be you, in case you were wondering.

You are the first to step out into the world beyond the Vault, and it is to your surprise that other survivors, too, have emerged before you – many of them rebuilding some semblance of society. No kidding! Did you think you’d be the first? Fat hopes in being the first to climb Mount Everest, for a thousand others got there first.

Barter and trade exists, with bottlecaps and bullets the main forms of currency. Bottlecaps, huh? I guess recycling was a bad idea after all. It’s a strange world – frightening, even. I mean, bottlecaps? Come on. But seriously, radiation has taken its toll on the environment, causing horrific mutations in humans, and turning wildlife into feral monstrosities – all in tune with a 1950s pop-culture view of science. Yeah, people believed in some crazy stuff back then, and the whole idea was that when you get hit by a dose of gamma radiation, you turn into the Hulk or something. That’s the kind of crazy thing that defines the world of Fallout, and that’s what sets it apart from every other “bombs fell, everything died” scenario out there.

Zombie Apocalypse

A mysterious virus spreads throughout the planet, infecting and killing all whom it touches. Kind of like what Uwe Boll does to people’s acting careers.

Within two weeks, much of humanity is infected – and dead. You know, cause it’s a deadly virus. Very few survive – lucky ones, immune to the virus… because we wouldn’t have much of a story to tell if the mortality rate was a hundred percent. The infected ones become mindless automatons, slaves to their hunger for human flesh. They like brains, it’s managed to angle its way to the top of their diet for some reason. Don’t ask me why – it’s just something that’s been established over decades of b-movies and gory films. It’s a scenario that’s been told and retold since George Romero wrote Night of the Living Dead in 1968 – a story told with a supernatural twist way back in the day, and retold as a science fiction-based horror story by 28 Days Later and most recently in the comedy, Zombieland.

It’s an easy genre to take on, because you hardly feel bad about wailing on dead people with a cricket bat. It’s all of the primal violence without any of the guilt that tags along as excess baggage every time you have a violent thought.

Not one to be left out, many games have ‘me too!’d their way into the setting thanks to the popularity of science fiction-themed zombie-apocalypse games like Resident Evil and the more mundane but no less horrific Left 4 Dead. I prefer the latter, but it’s only because I have a well-known bias for Valve products and the only thing I ever appreciated about the original Resident Evil was its bad dialogue, but I digress.

In the former Resident Evil setting, you play the role of special agents whose task is to end secret experiments that turn people into zombies, and in the latter, your role is to merely survive. Like, in Resident Evil, there’s this evil corporation called Umbrella Corp that’s been turning people into zombies with some crazy experiments and it’s your job to stop them. In the latter, there’s all this backstory about CEDA (which is a lot like the real world FEMA) that nobody’s been able to really pierce through since Valve’s a little stingy on letting people in on the game’s backstory, if it has any.

Though unique and different in their separate ways, survival is one of the few things that the two have in common. And zombies, of course.

Gears of War

As the manual reads, and I paraphrase to speed up the pace, “In its ever expanding search for natural resources, humanity has colonized another world – one by the name of Sera. Sera contains a radioactive liquid known as Imulsion, which functions as a power source unlike anything we’ve ever had. The resulting economic shockwave from the discovery of this precious substance leads to a series of wars between the planet’s various nations, known as the Pendulum Wars. The war leaves humanity in ruins, and race of creatures native to the planet, laying previously dormant, sees it as an opportunity to destroy all that’s left of humanity.”

It’s the same old story, really. Humans need resources, so they colonize some country (or in this case planet) and end up fighting squabbling over it because nobody can decide who gets mining rights, or some such. It’s probably some veiled commentary about Afghanistan or something that I’d rather not get into.

It goes on to say that only one thing stands in the way of the Locust – the Coalition of Ordered Governments, or COG, arisen from the ashes of the wars that ravaged civilization. Cleverly named, no doubt, to back up the “Gears” in “Gears of War”. It’s no surprise that the elite soldiers tasked with the destruction of the Locust and the reclamation of Sera are called Gears.

There’s really not much for the humans to do, besides surviving the onslaught, driving it back, and taking control of Sera, or whatever’s left of it.

From the surface, it might seem like a typical “human versus aliens” scenario, but you’d be wrong to dismiss the setting. In fact, the portrayal of a post-apocalyptic civilization, though limited to the eyes of the Gear whom you play, is very well done thanks to the game’s rich visuals, sound effects and overall theme. It all really comes together. Say what you will about how it might not be as well thought out as the world of Fallout or anything else, but Epic Games (Gears’ designers) managed to really create an immersive, post-apocalyptic experience.

Diablo III

Set in the aftermath of the previous game, the world lies in ruins, due to the destruction wrought by the forces of hell. Twenty years have past, and most people can barely remember the events that culminated in the destruction of the Worldstone, and those who do, do not wish to reminisce. Yeah, I guess people are pretty forgetful like that, and who could blame them for not wanting to think about how some nasty little goblin jumped on their dad’s head to rip it clean off? I mean, you could only imagine what these people have been through, so can you fault them for wanting to just get on with their lives?

Rebuilding has only just begun, but a grim spectacle threatens to throw the world into chaos once again as cults dedicated to the Prime Evils sprout all over the face of Sanctuary, like so many plague blossoms on the skin of a dying man. Those poor bastards just can’t catch a break.

You play the role of one of the few heroes destined to save the world from its fate – driving back the forces of evil from whence they came. The motivation for every hero differs – for some, it’s a matter of righting wrongs; for others, it’s a matter of taking care of unfinished business. Talking about the Barbarian here – he’s the same old dude as the one in the previous game, but twenty years older and twenty times more agitated due to his old age. He’s just one of those old guys who doesn’t get mad – he gets even, like if Jesse Ventura had a long, white beard and a large claymore strapped to his back. I can almost picture it.

Diablo’s setting combines gothic fantasy fare with an apocalyptic mindset. Everything goes from bad to worse. The world goes to hell, and back, with heroes delivering the world to its salvation. Sh*t just got real with the Diablo setting the moment they cast it under a post-apocalyptic light. Yeah, post-apocalyptic settings are /that/ good, for serious.

Conclusion

I could keep going on about all the different post-apocalyptic settings out there, including Bioshock’s “post apocalypse under the sea” setting, or Dead Space’s “alien virus summoned by a Scientology-like cult wipes out humanity” spiel, but I think I’ll stick to what I’ve mentioned as a good representation of everything the broader post-apocalyptic genre is capable of.

In all, every post-apocalyptic setting shares the common theme of survival and rebirth. It’s a strong theme, and one that resonates deeply with the human spirit. It will be interesting to see at this point where else the post-apocalyptic setting could go. It’s just nice to be constantly reminded that everything we have will eventually come to an end; and from that end, there will always be something new... and why the hell not?

9 Days of “9”

Brought to you by “9”, a film from visionary filmmakers Tim Burton (The Night Before Christmas) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted). Own it on Blu-ray™, DVD, & Digital Download. For more “9” click here.

The Steam Holiday Sale

no.spam@gameriot.com (n00bie51) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:21:09 -0500

For the Holiday Sale, many titles, with their respective catalogs and deal packs they're included in, have been marked down on Steam until January 3. Go check them out!

First Round of Special Deals Ending Soon:
Grand Theft Auto IV ($7.49)
Mirror's Edge ($4.99)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl ($1.99)
Defense Grid: The Awakening ($2.49)
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising ($19.99)

Here are some solid deals, among others, I would recommend:
FarCry 2 - Fortune Edition ($9.99)
Torchlight ($9.99)
Fall Out 3: Game of the Year Edition ($37.49)

The Valve Complete Pack is available for $74.99.
Indie titles such as World of Goo and Audio Surf have been marked down 80%.

I'm definitely expanding my library within the next week or so. What about you?

Android Apps Round 2

no.spam@gameriot.com (Badkid) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:41:14 -0500

No girlfriend this time, Sorry guys duty called and I don't pass up bed with this woman.

ONWARD With Androids Magnificent Applications that I SUGGEST (Personally use)

Google Goggles: A visual search app. Instead of using words, take a picture of an object with your camera phone: It attempt to recognize the object, and return relevant search results. As of right now Google Goggles only supports Android 1.6 and higher.

Handcent SMS: One of the best messaging applications for your Android device. Lets you customize how you view your text and mms messages. Ever run into "image too large" problems with your Android stock messaging app? Well Handcent SMS resizes the picture for you. Must have alternative.

iMusic: Are you a music lover? Hate paying for mp3 downloads? This is the app for you. Unlimited downloads of FREE music. A must have for music enthusiasts with an Android phone.

Gmote: Phenominal application for the lazy at heart. Whether you don't want to get up to change the song on your computer, or would rather just be able to control your mouse from the couch. This application syncs with your computer via wireless router and enables you to stream music to the handset, control the song/video already being played on the computer or take control of your mouse to navigate. A must have application on your Android device.

Wheres My Droid: If you're an idiot (like me) who loses your phone this will spare you... (as long as it's not dead of course). This application lets you turn the ringer on and have the phone ring all by sending it a text message with your desired phrase.

TasKiller: Like to have the fewest processes running at once? Smart peoples favorite App for performance.

Pandora Radio: If you don't use this service and you like music... Well you should! I use it in my car with an aux cord for spectacular listening experience.

Dial Zero: Quickly dial the customer service numbers of over 600 companies and skip directly to a person. Don't wait through annoying voice prompts any longer. Dial Zero is useful, fast, and simple. AMAZING TO DODGE THOSE BASTARD MONOTONE SS!@#$!#!#! ROBOTS!

Amazon/ Pkt Auctions for Ebay / BestBuy Products Browser: Great for shopping period. Work well. Have successfully bought random stuff from all 3. (Bestbuy is more of a locator and price checker however it gives links to buying if need be.

Paypal app: great for doing anything paypal - Give me money?

Mabilo Ringtones - MILLIONS OF FREE Ringtones easily installed/downloaded

Scoreboard - like sports? Want to know the score? The end.

Ebuddy - Aim/msn/yahoo/google all instant messengers in 1 program for your phone. Easy!

MotoTorch LED - Simple Flashlight for your phone - BLINDING MOFO

Download Crutch - Lets you download ANYTHING TO YOUR PHONE to your SDcard. - portable Hard drive use

Caller ID-Faker: UNBELIEVABLE. ULTIMATE SCARE/PRANK CALL APP - MUST TRY TO BELIEVE

AND THE BEST FOR LAST

Nesoid, Snesoid, Game Boid etc...

Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Game boy Advance EMULATORS - Free and working well.

You can ask my Leaf Green Pokemon

Thats all for now, my ADD is kicking in.

Starcraft II Beta Announcement A Hoax, SK-Gaming Trolled

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:08:59 -0500

It would seem that the Starcraft fanbase is so starved for news breaks that it’s ready to believe any announcement pertaining to the Starcraft II Closed Beta.

Based on word from the supposedly reliable Luis ‘Paperkat’ Di Centa, SK-Gaming reported today that the Closed Beta for Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty was underway after he’d alleged that he received an e-mail from Blizzard Entertainment’s automated messaging service that went something like this:

"We're excited to have reached the beta-testing stage for the second Starcraft game, and we'd be grateful to have your assistance in finalizing the content. There are a lot of new things to test, the single-player campaign and a brand new multiplayer experience, and we look forward to receiving any feedback you can offer.

Read on to learn how to participate and thank you in advance for your support in helping us put the finishing touches on the game..."

Enterprising gamers, seeking official Blizzard validation posted the link on the official Battle.net forums. The post was given an immediate response by a Blizzard poster, Xordiah, who imparted the following words:

"This is not correct. We have not sent out beta invitations yet and there is no download availible. If you do get a mail claiming you made it into the beta now, be very careful and check back with your contact at Blizzard to avoid installing trojans."

Paperkat updated his Twitter account with the words “just trolled the internet” and a link to the SK-Gaming article.

Don’t trust the little birds.

Australia Lifts Aliens vs Predator Ban

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:03:57 -0500

The Australian ban for Aliens vs Predator has been overturned by the Classification Review Board on the grounds that the game is “science fiction”.

Now classified MA15+ with the warning “strong science fiction violence”, the Board explained that the violent scenes in the game, originally deemed too graphic for the Australian audience, would be allowed as they “Are not prolonged and are interspersed with longer non violent sequences”.

“The violence is fantastical in nature and justified by the context of the game, set in a futuristic science-fiction world, inhabited by aliens and predators,” the Board said.

The Board continued to stress that the context of the game served to lessen the impact of the game’s violent scenes because “the more contentious violence is randomly generated and is not dependent on player selection of specific moves.”

When the game was refused classification earlier this month, its developers – Rebellion Developments, based in the United Kingdom – refused to modify the content of the game, saying that they wouldn’t be releasing a “sanitized or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices.”

Their released statement lead to both cheers as well as objections from the Australian gaming community, some of whom sought to blame the ban on Michael Atkinson rather than the Australian government as a whole.

Whatever the case, Australia remains the only developed nation in the world without a mature rating for video games.

Source: News.com.au

Laughs 4 Dead 2

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:03:25 -0500

Seldom am I captivated by flash videos, but this Left 4 Dead 2 parody takes the cake with its accurate display of just about everything I love (and love slightly less) about the game.

Android Apps I Suggest!

no.spam@gameriot.com (Badkid) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:16:18 -0500

First of all, GET ONE OF THESE PHONES. I USE THE Motorola Droid on Verizon and it was the very best decision I made in a technology jump EVER.

I WON'T BE EXPLAINING APPS THAT COME WITH THE OPERATING SYSTEM.

1. Aloqa

Movies - Finding nearest theaters & what movies and show times
Food - Restaurants by location - peoples personal ratings and compliments/comments
Coffee - Starbucks and other coffee shops nearest - rating system as well
ATMs - By location/branch
Pizza - specifically oriented on best pizza or nearest pizza
Housing - Nearest homes/agencies around
Music - Upcoming bands/shows at all venues in your city/area
Last.fm - Upcoming bands/shows with a much better interface than the previous
Wikipedia - Radio stations/schools/history of your area
Bars & Clubs - Nearest ones around/ as well as reviews & ratings

Bottom Line - A MUST HAVE TO TRY NEW THINGS AND BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING

2. Twidroid - Free

...... Does everything twitter and has plugins for other apps like google maps to place your location in your tweets.

3. Dolphin Browser - The only real thing I can state about is this...

It's the Mozilla Fire Fox of Android browsers.

4. Qik

Video recorder that puts your phones resolution capabilities to the max!

Instantly uploads your video to your Qik account can be private or public by choice and does it seconds after your video ends. You have the choise to connect it to your myspace/facebook twitter or whatever the hell you may use!

It's sick.

5. Torrent-Fu

All you illegal movie/music downloaders with the bad ass phone listen up!!!!

This is a remote Torrent downloader for Utorrent, and it does exactly that...

However you can choose to scan barcodes of music/movies at stores and make yourself quite the download queue

It works magnificently at downloading products to your at home computer. I scanned 5 hollywood video rentals. went home 20 minutes later to find 2 of the 5 were completely downloaded.

More to come.... Girlfriends making me end my blog!

Diablo III’s Day & Night Transitions, Weather

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:02:42 -0500

It’s been very quiet on the Diablo III front, with new information about the game remaining both scarce and elusive. Thankfully, Bashiok, Blizzard’s community manager decided to field a few questions regarding the game’s myriad environments and diverse settings.

Asked if Act II would feature locales aside from the desert sands, Bashiok responded:

Act II has a variety of locations that aren't just sand blown desert. New locations and changing scenery keep things interesting. We're upping the ante, so you're not going to go into an act and it's essentially the same look and tileset the whole way through. We keep a theme but there's a ton of variation possible, even in a desert.

Bashiok also elaborated on the subject of day and night transitions, and how Blizzard plans to implement it into the game:

Hrm, I don't believe we've talked about Day/Night cycles before. It was something that was discussed early on and if I'm not mistaken they were actually implemented in some form at one time. Well, we don't use trueday/night cycles. What we do is progress the time of day as you advance through the story. So you'll be in a mid-day sunny, wind swept desert, and then you'll move into an area where it's maybe dusk, and then the next area will be night time. So you get that sense of passage of time, but it also allows us much greater control over the look and quality of each area and scene.

The visual quality of a "playable painting" isn't something we couldn't achieve with a day/night cycle, so it was pretty easy to decide to hand craft each area to support a specific lighting scheme. It also allows us to do all sorts of fun stuff we probably just couldn't justify if there was no guarantee it would be seen because a player may rarely or only briefly see it as the virtual sun made its rounds.

In contrast to games like Titan Quest, Sacred and Diablo II, Diablo III will not be featuring a consistent day and night cycle but will instead be implementing it as a visual and atmospheric component that will serve to compliment their locales, in the same way that Duskwood’s perpetual twilight in World of Warcraft serves to enrich the setting.

Infinity Ward Community Manager Sparks Anger Due To Absence on Forums, Preference for Twitter

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:43:44 -0500

It all started when a community moderator by the name of Cokra wrote a post on the official Infinity Ward forums to complain about the company’s lack of community presence on its own forums in a wordy, but pointed diatribe.

His argument, which was backed up by many members of the game’s community, was a complaint about how the company had been ignoring its forums despite pleas from the community moderators, both private and public, for the company to show some presence.

As the thread grew in traffic and word of the complaint got around the various Modern Warfare2-related blogs, Infinity Ward’s community manager FourZeroTwo (a.k.a. Robert Bowling) had no choice but to post a response. Though instead of addressing the complaint, he decided instead to profess his love for the Twitter social network, calling it “one of the most effective ways to get information from users, find out a problems (sic) instantly, and spread information the fastest to not only our community as a whole...”

He pointed out how the thread was a great example of why Twitter was a more effective medium than the company’s official forums because of how “90% of the posts” in the related thread had absolutely nothing to do with the topic they were supposed to be discussing.

FourZeroTwo wrote: “Nothing goes unnoticed. Even if we can't reply to everything, I and many of the team at Infinity Ward, do read everything. Including these forums.

However, Twitter has proven itself to be one of the most effective ways to get information quickly from users, find out a problems instantly, and spread information the fastest to not only our community as a whole (even if I post on Twitter, it spreads here quickly) but to news outlets so they can let even more players know (who don't check official forums).

This thread is a great example of why Twitter is an effective medium. 90% of the posts in this thread have absolutely nothing to do with the topic. Meaning someone who wanted to converse or talk about this issue, would have to filter through all the off topic posts. On Twitter, you get just the information you want, straight from the source, without the need to filter anything.

So, while you may not be a fan of Twitter. It has proved essential in helping us stay on top of important issues and communicate out to our audience. Information posted on Twitter spreads faster and to more users than forum posts ever have. It's a great communication medium. In addition, it's the fastest way to get updates out even when traveling or out of the studio thanks to it's mobile applications.”

Dissatisfied with the official response, community moderator Cokra posted a rebuttal, which earned him the removal of his moderating powers. He wrote:

"Are you freaking kidding me Rob?! You completely ignore almost EVERYTHING I talked about, discussed, or mentioned and instead decided to quote someone else to avoid all of those question/concerns. And when you did address myself in your reply you only replied to one singular thing and ignored everything else. Not to mention that is not, by a long shot, the only issue or concern we have brought to you, Infinity Ward, and now Activision. Why were half of our abilities and powers taken away with no explanation? Then ignored us consistently when we inquired about them.

Also, we are tired of these complete rehash statements about the web team and most of all these sympathy statements you are trying to use to exempt yourself from actually doing anything or responding in a decent fashion. When will you ACTUALLY respond to us? When will you ACTUALLY give us the explanation we deserve? I mean hell, we've worked for you for absolutley nothing, dedicated many many hours of our time to keeping these forums in some semblance of order. We have given much more than asked of us, and not for you or IW by a long shot, but for the community, and you don't even have the decency to acknowledge us for MONTHS and then when you weakly do you ignore almost every issue, pawn off the same mediocre response, try to play funny, and then try to play the sympathy card again.

This isn't the beginning and it's far from the end. It's the middle. It started with Sparky, with J.RHy@n, and this had been going on for months before we ever came along. Those two held the forums down for a very long time while the game was actually being developed. They had the powers to do what was necessary and they, too, had their powers taken away with no explanation. They also had zero communication such as we have had. This is far removed from the time for trial and error, waaay beyond that. The forums are a complete disaster, and for what reason? What reason at all?! Because you don't trust us? Haven't we earned that trust by our actions as moderators, by sticking around ALL of this time despite the complete lack of support, and by dedicating a substantial amount of time here to "hold down the fort" while you are away? All while having absolutley no expectations of being rewarded or reimbursed?

Please, give us the answers, explanations, and the damn common courtesy we deserve and have more than earned."

As a response, FourZeroTwo brushed the issue aside by saying that “nothing online is worth getting that worked up over” and that “the web team is aware of the issues”. He finally closed the thread by saying that the topic had no place on a public forum. The following was his response in full:

“We completely appreciate all the time you've put into helping clean up the forums for the community, but you sound like you need a MUCH needed vacation from the duty. You sound like you're about to have a heart attack, and I can promise you that NOTHING online is worth getting that worked up over.

The Community Moderator position was designed to be volunteer work to help address spam as they could. It is not meant to consume your life. It's a hard, thankless, and daunting thing to take on, but you really shouldn't let it get to you like this.

As far as site issues, there is nothing further to comment other than the web team is aware of the issues and are looking into it. I'm sorry if that response doesn't meet your standards but there is nothing additional to add at this time.

To Foxhound as well, there are no additional moderation powers to give. As I stated above, the Community Moderator role is a limited one and we won't be giving any more access to user profiles than is currently available. The role of a community moderator is purely to delete spam as they see fit, lock threads, and help point people in the right direction with questions / looking for answers. All of which can be done with current powers.

That said, none of this is really relevant to the topic at hand and has no place in the public forum.”

All of the related forum topics have been surgically removed from Infinity Ward’s official forums as of the time of this posting, no doubt as way to censor the issue and to prevent it from being discussed any further.

Left 4 Dead 2 DLC: Not Passing This One Up

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:54:23 -0500

Newly announced is a DLC for Left 4 Dead 2 titled “The Passing”, which takes place directly after the events of the Dead Center campaign. Our four intrepid survivors navigate through a small town in rural Georgia where they cross paths with four familiar faces: Zoey, Louis, Francis and Bill.

The new campaign will be available in cooperative multiplayer and single player modes in addition to a new co-op mode, with information that has yet to be disclosed. The new campaign includes a new “uncommon” class of zombies, similar to the ones present in the five existing campaigns, and adds a bunch of new maps to the current versus modes. A new melee weapon and a new firearm will also be added to the game's arsenal.

“The Passing will become the most important campaign in the Left 4 Dead story, as all the Survivors are being called together in one campaign,” said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. “It will also be a huge offering of new gameplay content, with something new for every game mode plus a new uncommon common and weaponry.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the two teams of survivors make their way through the game, and it’ll be even more curious to see if the story of the original survivors is extended beyond the upcoming DLC in future updates.

“The Passing” is set for a release on both the PC and Xbox 360 platforms, though the pricing and release date have yet to be announced.

Slapnuts' Top Five: Biggest Gaming Disappointments of 2009

no.spam@gameriot.com (Slapnuts) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:45:13 -0500

My end of the year Top Fives are back for your reading pleasure. As the year wraps up there is a bunch things I like to cover including Game of the Year, a look in to next year, the biggest stories of the year and today's edition "Biggest Gaming Disappointments of 2009".

Last year Spore took home the title largely in part to the massive DRM fiasco and a near total lack of fulfillment from a game that had almost limitless potential. This list isn't limited to specific games or anything along those lines. Gaming trends, platforms, Publishers and developers are all on the radar. Disappointment obviously goes hand-in-hand with a failure to meet expectations. While items on the list may have been financial successes it possible for them to not meet consumer expectations no matter how many dollars they bring in.

5. Tony Hawk Ride

What the hell happened here? How does one of the greatest alternative sports series fall from such great heights? It wasn't an overnight feat as things have been dropping off since the underground series but Tony Hawk Ride was not the answer we consumers were looking for to revitalize a franchise that took a two years off to get back on track.

It seems the game sold better than expected moving over 100k units since launch but have you played it? I demoed it at Best Buy and I couldn't get over how awkward it felt. Now I realize am not a skate boarder by any means but that was what was great about the series, it wasn't just for skate boarders and it reached mainstream gamers. This one is just awkward to play, expensive and a far cry from the joys of Tony Hawk Pro Skater. The look Tony has there checking out the board is the same one I had when done, "wtf?".

4. Nintendo Wii

Yes the Wii is back. I know some of you think I crap on it too much but it was slightly better than last year except this time sales are dwindling as well. My biggest gripe this time around is once again the software. The best selling console of this generation can't seem to put out more than a handful of great games in a year. I spent time with SMB Wii, Punch Out, Metroid Trilogy (rereleases) and Tiger Woods. There were a couple other alright games but by and large the year's software was flat and uninspiring. I'm not asking for Mario and Zelda every year (though I wouldn't complain) but it would it hurt Nintendo to drop some A-list titles that grab gamers and not just the casuals?

Sales wise the Wii has seen better days. Down for the year compared to the last it still sells alright but its best days are behind it. The PS3 has out-sold it numerous times this year and the 360 once or twice as well. Things turned out ok in November thanks to Mario but the Wii is losing that long-term appeal. MotionPlus hasn't really taken off either and that was quite a misstep on the Big N's part by not packaging with all the remotes and consoles.

3. 3D Realms and Duke Nukem

End of the year lists without Duke Nukem are like parties without alcohol, something just doesn't seem right. Duke has had a rough few years thanks to diminishing expectations of Duke Nukem Forever ever coming out but it all came to ahead this year thanks to 3D Realms and their failures. After years of expectations news broke that 3D Realms was nearly shutting down. They are down to a minimum staff now, released the DNF development team and they insisted on holding on to Duke's rights even thought they didn't have the money to continue to work on DNF.

These guys haven't created a game in 12 years... how long could Duke Forever really take? Unfortunately we may never know even though footage has turned up in the past two years, new screenshots and artwork. At this point is anyone really itching to play a new Duke game all things considered? From the looks of things it almost seems like they needed to start again from scratch and well, we all know how that turns out as they have done that a couple of times now. It seems Duke Nukem Forever, as long as it sticks with 3D Realms, can probably be taken off the year-in-year-out vaporware list as it is most likely never coming out.

2. Modern Warfare 2 on the PC

Everyone knows how this turned out. I realize the game sold an ungodly amount of copies but that doesn't mean Activision and Infinity Ward didn't make some serious missteps on the path to release. They basically took one of the top FPS franchises on the PC and turned it in to a blatant console port. If I am not mistaken there was a mention of "console" in some menu or error somewhere on the PC version. If that isn't a sign then I don't know what is.

Between PC dedicated servers being gone, a crappy lobby system (regardless of platform), a 9v9 limit, a lack of console commands or tweaks and the ability to ban or kick cheaters you may as well have bought this on Xbox 360 so you could at least have more people to play with. We have seen the "consoleization" of PC gaming happen at a gradual pace in recent years but Infinity Ward basically moved us forward a good five years and said "accept it". I hope this isn't what the future holds for other mainstay PC franchises in the future.

1. Delays galore

Even excluding practically dead games like Duke Nukem there were a ton of games moved out of this year for various reasons and quite a few that are still missing in action.

Bioshock 2, Bayonetta, Battlefield 2, Max Payne 3, Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Star Craft II, Heavy Rain, God of War III, Final Fantasy 13, Gran Turismo 5 and more. These are all titles that we were either dated for 2009 or had reasonable expectations for this year. All of them have been pushed in to next year and that just includes the games that have been announced. These are just B-list games either that we can do without but some of the most anticipated games on all their respective platforms.

And of course this doesn't include the game at the top of my list which we still have nothing but a couple pieces of art for, Valve, where the hell is Half-Life 2: Episode 3? I am all for taking time to develop quality games but I guess I would rather have no date than a tentative date that doesn't come close (I am looking at you Square-Enix). But in the case of Episode 3 we literally have nothing after the cliffhanger ending of the last one this really irritates me.

These are my biggest gripes of the year as a concerned gamer, a blogger and a consumer. This officially wraps up my "biggest disappointments in gaming for 2009". Cross your fingers for 2010 and hope we have plenty of things to ***** about next year as well.

As always feel free to offer up your choices and thoughts.

Sci-fi author and Crysis 2 writer Peter Watts beaten, arrested at US border

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:07:04 -0500

I typically limit Hellforge’s coverage to video games and tangentially related subjects, so this article might be slightly different from our usual coverage. I feel the need to cover this issue because it involves Peter Watts, a science fiction author and video game writer for whom I hold much admiration and respect.

Peter Watts, a Canadian citizen, was subject to a beating and arrest by U.S. border guards on Tuesday when he was detained by the aforementioned authorities at the U.S.-Canada border. On top of the beating and pepper spraying that he received, he was additionally charged with “assaulting a federal officer”, a felony rap that carries a mandatory 2 year sentence in a federal prison, if convicted.

Defending against this charge will cost him more money than he can afford, and losing it may cost him his entire life. That this circumstance is ****** up would be putting it lightly.

Peter Watts, who has previously worked on Homeworld 2, is currently serving as a writer and art consultant on Crysis 2 and is the author of the Hugo-award-nominated science fiction novel, Blindsight.

Science fiction writer David Nickle wrote on BoingBoing:

Hugo-award-nominated science fiction author Dr. Peter Watts is in serious legal trouble after he was beaten, pepper-sprayed and imprisoned by American border guards at a Canada U.S. border crossing December 8. This is a call to friends, fans and colleagues to help.

Peter, a Canadian citizen, was on his way back to Canada after helping a friend move house to Nebraska over the weekend. He was stopped at the border crossing at Port Huron, Michigan by U.S. border police for a search of his rental vehicle. When Peter got out of the car and questioned the nature of the search, the gang of border guards subjected him to a beating, restrained him and pepper sprayed him. At the end of it, local police laid a felony charge of assault against a federal officer against Peter. On Wednesday, he posted bond and walked across the border to Canada in shirtsleeves (he was released by Port Huron officials with his car and possessions locked in impound, into a winter storm that evening). He's home safe. For now. But he has to go back to Michigan to face the charge brought against him.

The charge is spurious. But it's also very serious. It could mean two years in prison in the United States, and a ban on travel in that country for the rest of Peter's life. Peter is mounting a vigorous defense, but it's going to be expensive - he's effectively going up against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and he needs the best legal help that he can get.

He's got that help, courtesy of one of the top criminal lawyers in the State of Michigan. We, Peter's friends and colleagues here in Canada, want to make sure he gets the help he needs financially to come out of this nightmare whole.

The need for that help is real. While Peter is a critically successful science fiction writer, he is by no means a best-selling author. Without help, the weight of his legal fees could literally put him on the street by spring.

We can't let that happen. So there's going to be fundraising.

We're going to think of something suitable in the New Year - but immediately, anyone who wants to help can do so easily. Peter's website, rifters.com, has a link to a PayPal account, whimsically named the Niblet Memorial Kibble Fund. He set it up years ago for fans of the Hugo-nominated novel Blindsight and his Rifters books, to cover veterinary bills for the cats he habitually rescues from the mean streets of Toronto. Peter has made it clear that he doesn't want to use the veterinary money to cover his lawsuit. But until we can figure out a more graceful conduit for the legal fund, that's the best place to send donations for now. Just let Peter know that the donation's for his legal defense, and that's where it will go.

Here's the link to the backlist page on Peter's website, rifters.com, or you can just send a PayPal donation to donate@rifters.com.

The link to the Niblet Memorial Kibble Fund is in the middle of the page. The page also links to Creative Commons editions of all his published work, which he's made available free. Peter would approve, we think, if you downloaded one or two or all of them. Whether you make a donation to the legal fund or not.

To anyone who wants to take the side of the border guards on this, just ask yourself if someone who runs the “Niblet Memorial Kibble Fund” for stray cats is capable of assaulting a group of armed guards.

Please help to spread the word.

Update: Peter Watts has posted a personal account of what transpired on his site.

Dead Space 2 Amps Up The Immersion Factor

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:30:40 -0500

It’s hard for me to really talk about Dead Space 2 as I’ve yet to complete the original game, but needless to say, I plan on doing it at least sometime before the sequel makes its way into my hard drive and into my heart (heh).

Any fan of horror games (and owner of a modern console) will be able to attest to the veracity of Dead Space’s immersiveness, and Dead Space 2 looks to dial the whole experience up a notch with the combined infusion of character design and brand new horror.

According to the latest issue of GameInformer, Dead Space 2 will pit players back in the role of Isaac, who will have a speaking role this time around. With more overall depth to the character, players will be able to relate better to Isaac’s situation and the role he plays.

He won't just be a man with no opinions doing everything he is told to do, he does have a mind and will, even if a big part of that is now a bit twisted in the head. He is seasoned in fighting the necromorphs and he is a veteran at fighting them, even put in charge of necromorphs by the people just because he survived the attack, people around him looking for a savior will turn to Isaac just because he lived. Isaac is out to make a difference, but can he stand the pressure put on him along with his continuously twisted mind? Apparently we're going to have to make the call, Isaac's judgment is not in the right light, his mind is still twisted from the first experience he had, and it's only getting worse.

Some of the details in the print preview are a bit spoiler-ish to anyone who has yet to finish the original game, but you’ll be happy to know that Isaac’s journey will take him through desolate shopping malls, schools and churches, where Isaac will be seeing the infection from its very origins.

Mass Effect 2 All-Star Cast Revealed

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:14:53 -0500

BioWare’s scifi-themed RPG sequel Mass Effect 2 will be featuring an all-star cast of voice actors, with Emmy Award winner Martin Sheen leading the ensemble. Other notables include Shohreh Aghdashloo, Seth Green, “Chuck” actors Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin (also of Firefly fame), Michael Dorn, Keith David, “Battlestar Galactica” stars Michael Hogan and Tricia Helfer, and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix).

“Emotionally engaging narrative is a key design pillar for BioWare, and the top-notch voice talent in Mass Effect 2 helps drive this goal,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. “Credible, powerful personalities are vital to delivering a compelling story experience in BioWare’s games, and we have assembled an amazing ensemble cast that surpasses the very high bar set in the original Mass Effect!”

Esteemed actor Martin Sheen stars as the mysterious Illusive Man who commands Cerberus, a secretive paramilitary organization dedicated to protecting human interests in the galaxy. Yvonne Strahovski plays deadly Cerberus operative Miranda Lawson, who has been genetically engineered for superior mental and physical traits. Returning to the cast from the original Mass Effect is Seth Green as Joker and Keith David as Admiral David Anderson. And rounding out the vocal roster are Tricia Helfer as EDI, the voice of the new Normandy; Carrie-Ann Moss as Aria T’Loak, the crime lord who rules the planet Omega; Shohreh Aghdashloo as Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay; Michael Hogan as Captain Bailey; Adam Baldwin as Kal ‘Reegar; and Michael Dorn as Gatatog Uvenk.

Why We Bother with Ultimate Weapons

no.spam@gameriot.com (ruthchildress) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:18:31 -0500

When you think of Final Fantasy, one develops a sense of identification wherein bishounens reign supreme, difficult boss battles, precious items and warring countries - there is always conflict and without it, Square would probably settle for a Final Fantasy that involves cooking and harvesting plants. Just kidding, Tetsuya.

Looks familiar right? For Final Fantasy developers, obtaining each and every one's ultimate weapon is the key to victory. This happens to be Cloud's Ultima Weapon and could only be obtained by beating (how redundant can you get?) Ultima Weapon. You see, later titles such as Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX and X reduces your gaming experience to weapon hunting - forget about levels, it's time to tame a Chocobo or gather some requisites, it's weapon forging time.

In Final Fantasy IX, one must possess a Golden Chocobo in order to claim Zidane's (again!) Ultima Weapon - it's located in the foamy seas of the now destroyed Forgotten Continent. Gold chocobos can't be bought and the only way to get one is to complete a mini-game called Chocobo Hot and Cold and collect all the Chocograph pieces. That will span for at least a day if you're the patient and resilient one.

Remembering my total game experience with Final Fantasy VIII, I was totally lost on how to get Squall's Lionheart. Sorry about that and, Dissidia was the perfect game that showed an easy alternative in equipping the said gunblade - just go into Ex Mode.

Apart from these, each support character holds stronger weapons than those of the lead. Gaming essays and reviews will often indicate more powerful and devastating weapons such as Freya's Dragon Hair - the corresponding skill attached to it, Dragon's Crescent will single-handedly kill a random enemy depending on how many dragons the party has slain.

Anyway, I'll update my post on what's the deal with these monster bashers. I know the question has not been answered - I'll bring a more intensive discussion the next time I post my blog.

Diablo II 1.13 Patch Goes Live on Public Test Realms

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:27:45 -0500

At long last, Blizzard has finally released the much-anticipated Diablo II 1.13 patch which fixes complaints ranging from the weaknesses of Werebear druid builds and Fire-based amazons and the difficulty throughout the game. The new patch also adds much requested features like blit scaling in windowed mode for Widescreen users and character respecialization.

Check out the list below for the full details.

“We traveled for an eternity...” - Marius

Travel no longer my friends - the Diablo II 1.13 Public Test Realm is LIVE!

Q: How do I begin testing on the PTR?
A: When you start Diablo II change your Battle.net gateway to “ClassicBeta”. When you log in the 1.13 patch will be applied to your game and you can begin testing the changes made in the patch. Since it's a new realm you'll need to create a new account.

Q: I don't see the ClassicBeta realm in my gateway list!
A: Log into one of the other gateways first, then back out and the classicbeta realm will appear.

Q: What if I want to play the normal game again?
A: Simply choose any of the other (non-PTR) gateways. Your game will be reverted to version 1.12 and you’ll be able to play on the live realms as normal.

Q: Where are my characters?
A: The PTR realm is separate from the live realms so your current characters aren’t carried over. You’ll need to create a new character to begin testing. But, cheats are enabled and you may use the following cheats by typing them into chat while in a game:
Gold # - Will provide the amount of gold specified
Level # - Will increase your level to the number specified
Waypoints 1 - Will activate all waypoints. You must still reach an act before that act’s waypoints will be unlocked with this cheat.

Q: What happens to my characters once the PTR testing period ends?
A: They remain on the PTR realm to be removed once the test ends. Characters on the PTR realm won’t transfer to the normal realms.

Q: How long with the PTR run for?
A: As long as we deem necessary to ensure the patch and changes are solid.

Q: Where can I give feedback and what kind of feedback do you want?
A: All 1.13 PTR feedback and bug reports should ONLY be posted in the Diablo II Test Realm Forum here: http://forums.battle.net/board.html?forumId=20601702&sid=3000

• All post should have a subject line that clearly describes the bug or feedback being given
• Use the search feature to ensure a thread doesn’t already exist before posting
• When reporting a bug include as much information as you can, including steps to reproduce it if possible
• Any non-constructive posts may be deleted and the poster’s privilege to post revoked
• This is a chance for you to ensure the 1.13 patch includes changes and balance tweaks that you think would lead to a better overall experience. Getting the information to us in a clear and logical way helps us understand your view and makes it easier for us to collect feedback for any potential updates to the 1.13 patch before release.

Q: What is the new "Mystery" mentioned in the patch notes?
A: It's related to the respec system implemented in the patch and can grant additional respecs beyond the three given for completing the Den of Evil quest in each difficulty. You'll have to play to find out how though.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Patch 1.13
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

A new Mystery has been revealed!

- Players of Hell Difficulty Realm games are hereby warned once again,
that a series of new and challenging tests await you! The answer lies
within Diablo's Bosses, which span across the world from the Den of Evil
to the Throne of Destruction...

Major Bugs

- Fixed an item dupe bug.
- Video improvements for Intel Mac machines with OS 10.5 or greater.

Minor Bugs

- Uber Mephisto now checks for both Uber Baal and Uber Diablo to be killed before spawning summoned minions (Before he would only check for Uber Baal).
- The game will no longer stop and then restart the game music after the window loses and then regains focus.
- Fixed an issue where the game window would minimize when running in windowed mode when it lost focus.
- Fixed an issue where the game window wouldn't center properly when it was created.

Specific changes/improvements

- Respecialization is now possible! Completing the 'Den of Evil' quest will now additionally reward 1 free respec which can be saved. Players who have already completed this quest should receive 1 free respec in Hell difficulty.
- Increased the drop rate of high runes.
- Support for blit scaling in windowed mode. The game can now be maximized to the largest 4:3 resolution supported (hooray widescreen users).
- Some rare drop items now have an orange color. i.e. Runes and items required for Uber Tristam.
- Modified the gold bank limit to be a flat cap not bound by level.
- Nightmare/Hell WilloWisps champions/uniques have had their damage greatly reduced.
- Removed the requirements to create a hardcore character.
- Greatly reduced the explosion damage dealt by Fire Enchanted monsters.
- Uber Mephisto and Uber Baal's summoned minions no longer give experience.
- Removed Oblivion Knight's Iron Maiden curse.
- Hellfire Torch Firestorm proc rate has been reduced to 5%.
- Users can now toggle the display of text over the Health and Mana globes by clicking on the bottom area of each orb.
- Updated two Act 5 mercenary names to Klar and Tryneus.
- When creating a single player game, pressing the 'Enter' key now automatically creates a Hell difficulty game if possible.
- When creating a game, each difficulty button is now bound to a unique key: Normal 'R', Nightmare 'N', and Hell 'H'.
- The 'Enter Chat' Button in the battle.net waiting room is now bound to the 'Enter' key.
- Added the windows system buttons to the game window (MIN, MAX, CLOSE).
- Added new command line parameter '-nofixaspect' which allows users to not fix the aspect ratio to 4:3 when maximizing windowed mode. This lets the game 'stretch' to fill your monitor.
- Added support for '-sndbkg' command line switch. This enables sound in background.
- Added support for '-nosound', '-window', and '-windowed' command line options.

Revised Skill balance for Player Character classes

Amazon

-Immolation Arrow - Increased radius of Explosion effect by 33% and Immolation effect by 50%.
-Immolation Arrow - Explosion effect damage increased by 20%.
-Immolation Arrow - Increased base duration by 33%.

Assassin

-Shadow Master - Increased resistance range per point from 5-80 to 5-90.

Barbarian

-Whirlwind - Reduced initial mana cost by 50%.
-Masteries - Changed critical strike chance from 0-25 to 0-35.

Paladin

-Blessed Hammer - No longer ignores resistances of undead and demons.

Druid

-Werebear - Damage bonus increased by 15% across all ranks.
-Werebear - Increased health by 25% and armor by 1% per point.
-Shockwave - Synergy from Maul adds 5% damage per point.

Necromancer

-Blood Golem - Removed negative shared life effect (player no longer loses life when golem takes damage).
-Corpse Explosion - Increased base damage dealt from 60% - 100% to 70% - 120% of corpses health.
-Poison Nova - Increased base damage by 15%.

Sorceress

-Firewall - Synergy receives 1% damage per point of Inferno and Blaze and 4% per point of Warmth.
-Blaze - Synergy receives 2% damage per point of Firewall and 4% per point of Warmth.
-Hydra - Increased base damage by 15% per rank.
-Hydra - Increased base speed of Hydra projectile.
-Hydra - Reduced cooldown by 25%.
-Lightning Mastery - Reduced overall effect by 15%.

Ron Perlman Talks about Fallout Movie

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:49:06 -0500

The recent DVD release of Mutant Chronicles comes with a set of commentary by the film’s actors and creators, including Ron Perlman, who mentions his work as a narrator in an “action heavy video game”, which he believes is being made into a movie, in which the tagline is “War never changes.”

There’s no telling if the Fallout movie is in actual production at this stage, but it should be noted that Fallout license owners Bethesda Softworks applied for the Fallout trademark earlier in 2009 for “Entertainment services in the nature of an on-going television program” and for “motion picture films about a post-nuclear apocalyptic world”.

Given the fact that Ron Perlman’s narration has been a key aspect of every Fallout game thus far, there’s little doubt that the actor would be one of the first individuals approached to lend his performance to a movie based in the Fallout setting.

Thanks Ausir!

Eve Online: Dominion

no.spam@gameriot.com (bilingue) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:15:37 -0500

I have neglected news about Eve and for those interested, Dominion is Eve's newest expansion. CCP has also created a new trailer to bring back those veterans and still appeal to new players. Dominion represents Eve's 12th free expansion, empathize in the word FREE and features some of the following additions:

Sovereignty changes
Infrastructure System
New Ships and Combat improvement
Better Fleet Controls
Upgraded Planets
Exploration and PvP Tutorials
Among Others. Click here for a full list.

For those new to Eve Online, remember Eve's universe is ruthless. If space MMO is not your thing, keep an eye open for Dust.

DOMINION represents the type of conquest never realized by pretty words and poetry. It is true power born from the broken hulls of a thousand starships, the genes of the ambitious and the hubris of the greedy. EVE's 12th free expansion offers the power of control to anyone bold enough to seize it, bringing you the tools for you to rally legions together and carve out your own space.
Will your ambitious new Alliance rise up to the challenge and stake their claim, evolving territory to suit it's needs? Will your established empire hold fast against the fleets that press at your borders, hungry for the wealth you protect? Will you call old friends to your side and convince them to join you once more in battle? Or are you the clever entrepreneur who sits clear of the danger and fuels the war from the periphery?
DOMINION enhances the tools of communication and evolves the dynamics of war, altering the very way in which pilots interact with each other through warfare or cooperation. The vast riches of sovereign authority await for those bold enough to seize them amidst a beautiful, deadly universe of possibility.

-Dominion Official Website

Dominion Trailer

Diablo III: Jay Wilson Discusses New Skill System

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:17:56 -0500

The boys at DiabloFans were given a chance at a second interview with Blizzard after it was revealed that the site’s previous owner, Mockery, had somehow “lost” his interview with Diablo III lead designer Jay Wilson.

Armed with questions submitted by the fan community, the site’s new administrator, Sixen, covered a variety of topics in their new, but shorter interview. Wilson provided elucidating responses to the questions he was asked regarding the Monk, the skill tree system and class-specific quests

DiabloFans: On the topic of the Monk, can you tell us if the skill trees have been named yet? So far they're listed as "Unnamed Skill Tree 1 - 3". Can we expect to see any more of his skills unveiled soon along with his female counterpart? Also, can tell me a little bit more about the new skill system?

Jay Wilson: In regards to the female counterpart, she'll be released soon. As far as exact dates go, I really can't talk much about them. A little news about the Skill Tree system should actually go up on our Twitter page pretty soon. About that, we've decided to remove the tree-type architecture and we are moving into a purely skill-based system. This new system is still in the development stages and if it does not work, we still have plenty of options to fall back on. Right now, we're just trying different things and getting a feel for the few ideas in regards to the skill system that we have going on right now. It differs from the World of Warcraft/Diablo II type hierarchical styles and is more of a skill pool/path than a tree per se.

DiabloFans: Will there be class specific quests in the game? If so, can you explain how they would work?

Jay Wilson: We are still discussing whether or not we would like to include class-specific quests in the game mainly because of the simple fact that it may not really fit in with the fast-paced play-style known to the Diablo series. While this is definitely something we would like to consider, we just haven't agreed on how just yet. However, we would like to do something in regards to character specificity. We are looking into having different dialogues and experiences for the same quest or interaction for each of the classes. Each character will react differently and have different responses for different scenarios. For example, the Barbarian may do or say one thing in response to what an NPC has to say, whereas a Witch Doctor will treat the encounter in a complete opposite manner.

The rest of the interview can be read here.

New Guild Wars 2 Trailer

no.spam@gameriot.com (bilingue) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:22:35 -0500

The folks over at Massively have released the newest Guild Wars 2 trailer. So far, the game looks impressive. For some reason I can't stop thinking about Chronicles of Narnia after watching it. Be sure to visit (and bookmark) the official Guild Wars 2 webpage if you are following this game.

Fans of Felicia Day will have something to be happy about. She is the voice of Zojja in the trailer.

"Ignorant clods," snarls Zojja the Asura, leaving us with no question as to the Asura race's feelings about all of this. Brain over brawn is her philosophy, a feeling shared by most of her fellow Asura, and she has no patience whatsoever for those who don't share it.

-Massively

Final Fantasy XIII's cover gets a dose of Lightning's thigh

no.spam@gameriot.com (Slapnuts) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:54:27 -0500

The recent announcement of an official Final Fantasy North American release date was certainly welcome news considering the long, long wait those of us have had anticipating the release of the latest entry in the series from Square Enix. March 9th may still be three months off but rest assured that the Final Fantasy XIII chatter is going to start kicking in to high gear.

First up is the big reveal regarding the games cover. FF13 is due out in Japan on the 17th for those of you who can't wait until March and don't mind a little importing and Japanese. In order to have a game out in a mere couple of weeks there has to be a cover right? Below is the PAL territory cover which has been confirmed as being the North American covers as well. Remember, in Japan there is no Xbox 360 version.

Looks like Lightning is a bit more leggy on the 360 thanks to the art cropping and difference in box sizes between the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. She will be a bit more hefty on the 360 as well, packing multiple discs within all that gear.

As much as I have liked Dragon Age so far there is little question that this RPG is far higher on my anticipated list. Nothing comes close on the RPG front, not Mass Effect 2 either. March is going to be awesome with both this and God of War III.

A new Japanese trailer dropped last week as well and if you missed it you can view it below courtesy of Gametrailers. The trailer features some new characters including this game's "Cid" at 2:08.

Sumotori Dreams of Electric Sheep

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:07:23 -0500

If you consider clumsiness almost as close to godliness as cleanliness, you may enjoy this strange little game by the name of Sumotori Dreams. Weighing in at a ginormous 96k , Sumotori Dreams is a true test of your gamer prowess.

Watch a video of Sumotori Dreams and grab the game here to experience it firsthand.

Robin Williams on Online Video Games

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:30:16 -0500

The star of classic films like "Hook", "Bicentennial Man" and "Mrs. Doubtfire", Robin Williams also happens to be a gamer. Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on the the Late Night show, Williams talks about his experiences with online gaming in Call of Duty and how he named his daughter Zelda after the video game.

Mass Effect 2: Samara Revealed

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:01:17 -0500

BioWare has revealed a brand new character named Samara will be joining the crew of the Normandy to fight alongside Commander Shepard against the Collector incursion into Citadel space. Samara, an Asari, is said to be a lawless vigilante who lives by her own strict code of honor, carrying an infamous reputation for ruthlessness and efficiency in dealing justice to the scum of the known galaxy. Bearing the title of justiciar, Samara joins Shepard when he visits the Asari homeworld of Illium.

Mass Effect 2: Tali'Zorah Joins The Crew

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:11:17 -0500

Tali’Zorah has been confirmed to return to Commander Shepard’s side in the upcoming Mass Effect 2, joining Jacob Taylor, Mordin Solus and Miranda Lawson as one of the team’s good guys (thus far). She returns to his side as Shepard and the crew of the Normandy head to the Quarian Flotilla where they find Tali on trial, whom despite Shepard’s protests and her accomplishments in the first Mass Effect, is exiled from her people.

Check out the video.

Dragon Age Fan Launches Web-Based Codex

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:39:22 -0500

A redditor by the name of squidgy has come up with this fantastic little application called the Dragon Age Codex, which any fan of Dragon Age to read and catch up on the in-game lore. I’d recommend reading this only after you’ve played the game, unless you don’t mind being spoiled.

If anything, just avoid the Characters section because it contains spoilers for the different variations of the game’s ending.

Check it out here.

Spot The Follies: Game Informer’s Top 200 Games of All Time

no.spam@gameriot.com (Sol Invictus) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:39:09 -0500

Game Informer has released its list of Top 200 games of all time to commemorate the magazine’s 200^th issue, with a list of every game from Pong to Modern Warfare 2, across every platform. Amusingly enough, games like Ultima VII, Dragon Age, and the entire Monkey Island series are missing from this list, no doubt to accommodate all of the Mario and Zelda games released throughout the years.

Behold.

1. The Legend of Zelda [NES, 1987]
2. Super Mario Bros. [NES, 1985]
3. Tetris [PC, 1984]
4. Grand Theft Auto III [PS2, 2001]
5. Half-Life 2 [PC, 2004]
6. Doom [PC, 1993]
7. Metroid [NES, 1986]
8. Final Fantasy III [SNES, 1994]
9. Super Mario Bros. 3 [NES, 1990]
10. Ms. Pac-Man [Coin-op, 1981]
11. World of Warcraft [PC, 2004]
12. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past [SNES, 1992]
13. Super Mario 64 [N64, 1996]
14. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare [PS3/360/PC, 2007]
15. Final Fantasy VII [PS, 1997]
16. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! [NES, 1987]
17. Chrono Trigger [SNES, 1995]
18. Resident Evil 4 [GameCube, 2005]
19. Metal Gear Solid [PS, 1998]
20. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time [N64, 1998]
21. Super Metroid [SNES, 1994]
22. Contra [NES, 1988]
23. Galaga [Coin-op, 1981]
24. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night [PS, 1997]
25. Street Fighter II [Coin-op, 1991]
26. God of War [PS2, 2005]
27. BioShock [360/PC, 2007]
28. Diablo II [PC, 2000]
29. Half-Life [PC, 1998]
30. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [360/PC, 2006]
31. Tecmo Super Bowl [NES, 1991]
32. GoldenEye 007 [N64, 1997]
33. Super Mario Kart [SNES, 1992]
34. Sonic the Hedgehog [SEGA Genesis, 1991]
35. Starcraft [PC, 1998]
36. Civilization [PC, 1991]
37. SimCity [PC, 1989]
38. Mega Man 2 [NES, 1988]
39. Halo: Combat Evolved [Xbox, 2001]
40. Gran Turismo [PS, 1998]
41. Resident Evil 2 [PS, 1998]
42. Pokemon Red and Blue [GB, 1996]
43. Final Fantasy X [PS2, 2001]
44. EverQuest [PC, 1999]
45. Final Fantasy Tactics [PS, 1998]
46. Grand Theft Auto IV [PS3/360, 2008]
47. Super Mario World [SNES, 1991]
48. Deus Ex [PC, 2000]
49. Guitar Hero [PS2, 2005]
50. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty [PS2, 2001]
51. Super Mario Galaxy [Wii, 2007]
52. Pac-Man [Coin-op, 1980]
53. Battlefield 2 [PC, 2005]
54. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [Xbox, 2003]
55. Ico [PS2, 2001]
56. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves [PS3, 2009]
57. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 [PS, 2000]
58. Mass Effect [360, 2007]
59. Adventure [2600, 1980]
60. Arkanoid [Coin-op, 1986]
61. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening [GB, 1993]
62. Star Wars: X-Wing [PC, 1993]
63. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask [N64, 2000]
64. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas [PS2, 2004]
65. Fallout 3 [PS3/360/PC, 2008]
66. Zork [PC, 1980]
67. Soul Calibur [DC, 1999]
68. Double Dragon [Coin-op, 1987]
69. Dr. Mario [NES, 1990]
70. The Sims [PC, 2000]
71. Age of Empires [PC, 1997]
72. Mortal Kombat II [Coin-op, 1993]
73. Rock Band 2 [PS3/360, 2008]
74. Tomb Raider [PS, 1996]
75. Super Bomberman [SNES, 1993]
76. Mario’s Picross [GB, 1995]
77. Ninja Gaiden [NES, 1989]
78. Command & Conquer [PC, 1995]
79. Kingdom Hearts [PS2, 2002]
80. Final Fantasy II [SNES, 1991]
81. Super Mario Bros. 2 [NES, 1988]
82. Left 4 Dead [PC, 2008]
83. Okami [PS2, 2006]
84. Shadow of the Colossus [PS2, 2005]
85. Metroid Prime [GameCube, 2002]
86. Super Smash Bros. Melee [GameCube, 2001]
87. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness [PC, 1995]
88. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn [PC, 2000]
89. God of War II [PS2, 2007]
90. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [Wii, 2006]
91. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal [PS2, 2004]
92. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault [PC, 2002]
93. Skies of Arcadia [DC, 2000]
94. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker [GameCube, 2003]
95. Silent Hill 2 [PS2, 2001]
96. Counter-Strike [PC, 1999]
97. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [SEGA Genesis, 1992]
98. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City [PS3/360, 2009]
99. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time [PS2/Xbox/GameCube/PC, 2003]
100. Portal [PC/360, 2007]
101. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind [PC, 2002]
102. Heroes of Might & Magic III [PC, 1999]
103. Donkey Kong [Coin-op, 1981]
104. Batman: Arkham Asylum [PS3/360, 2009]
105. System Shock 2 [PC, 1999]
106. Resident Evil [PS, 1996]
107. Gears of War [360, 2006]
108. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots [PS3, 2008]
109. Crash Bandicoot: Warped [PS, 1998]
110. Halo 2 [Xbox, 2004]
111. Tetris Attack [SNES, 1996]
112. Final Fantasy XII [PS2, 2006]
113. Earthbound [SNES, 1995]
114. Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri [PC, 1998]
115. Command & Conquer: Red alert [PC, 1996]
116. Advance Wars [GBA, 2001]
117. Fallout [PC, 1997]
118. Team Fortress 2 [PS3/360/PC, 2007]
119. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory [Xbox, 2005]
120. Mega Man X [SNES, 1994]
121. Lemmings [PC, 1991]
122. Panzer Dragoon Saga [Saturn, 1998]
123. NHL ‘94 [SEGA Genesis/SNES, 1993]
124. Warlords [Coin-op, 1980]
125. Shadowrun [SNES, 1993]
126. Twisted Metal 2 [PS, 1996]
127. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee [PS, 1997]
128. Metroid Fusion [GBA, 2002]
129. Homeworld [PC, 1999]
130. Kingdom Hearts II [PS2, 2006]
131. Pilotwings [SNES, 1991]
132. Quake II [PC, 1997]
133. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II [PC, 1997]
134. Borderlands [PS3/360/PC, 2009]
135. Final Fight [Coin-op, 1989]
136. Star Fox [SNES, 1993]
137. Madden NFL ‘99 [PS/N64/PC, 1999]
138. Call of Duty 2 [360/PC, 2005]
139. Wolfenstein 3D [PC, 1992]
140. Diablo [PC, 1996]
141. Civilization IV [PC, 2005]
142. Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle [PC, 1993]
143. Assassin’s Creed [PS3/360, 2007]
144. Burnout 3: Takedown [PS2/Xbox, 2004]
145. Unreal Tournament 2004 [PC, 2004]
146. Power Stone 2 [DC, 2000]
147. Super Castlevania IV [SNES, 1991]
148. Super Mario RPG [SNES, 1996]
149. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos [PC, 2002]
150. ActRaiser [SNES, 1991]
151. Fable [Xbox, 2004]
152. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht [PS2, 2003]
153. Asteroids [Coin-op, 1979]
154. LittleBigPlanet [PS3, 2008]
155. Crackdown [360, 2007]
156. Gauntlet [Coin-op, 1985]
157. Devil May Cry [PS2, 2001]
158. Pong [Coin-op, 1972]
159. Battlefield 1942 [PC, 2002]
160. Thief [PC, 1998]
161. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved [360, 2005]
162. Far Cry [PC, 2004]
163. Robotron: 2084 [Coin-op, 1982]
164. X-COM: UFO Defense [PC, 1993]
165. Peggle [PC, 2007]
166. King’s Quest VI [PC, 1992]
167. Doom II [PC, 1994]
168. Tempest 2000 [Jaguar, 1994]
169. Braid [360, 2008]
170. Ridge Racer [PS, 1995]
171. Bully [PS2, 2006]
172. Ikaruga [GameCube, 2006]
173. Lode Runner [Apple II, 1983]
174. Gunstar Heroes [SEGA Genesis, 1993]
175. Dig Dug [Coin-op, 1982]
176. Castlevania [NES, 1988]
177. Tekken 3 [Coin-op, 1997]
178. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney [DS, 2005]
179. NBA Jam: Tournament Edition [Coin-op, 1993]
180. Max Payne [PC, 2001]
181. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 [PS3/360/PC, 2009]
182. Samurai Shodown [Neo Geo, 1993]
183. NFL 2K5 [PS2/Xbox, 2004]
184. Vagrant Story [PS, 2000]
185. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island [SNES, 1995]
186. Marble Madness [Coin-op, 1984]
187. Infamous [PS3, 2009]
188. Planescape: Torment [PC, 1999]
189. Kid Icarus [NES, 1986]
190. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay [Xbox, 2004]
191. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater [PS2, 2004]
192. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem [GameCube, 2002]
193. Jak 3 [PS2, 2004]
194. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 [DC, 2002]
195. Ultima [PC, 1981]
196. Call of Duty [PC, 2003]
197. NHL 09 [PS3/360, 2008]
198. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow [Xbox, 2004]
199. Tactics Ogre [PS, 1997]
200. Beyond Good and Evil [PS2/Xbox/GameCube, 2003]