Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Online Pass Will Not Affect Battlefield Three Players


Recently EA has gotten a lot of fuss about their Online Pass and it’s inclusion in Battlefield 3. Within minutes people already sounded the end of EA’s attempt to destroy MW3 because they felt like they had to pay to play. In reality, you aren’t paying to play if the game is necessarily new. The only people that should have been concerend are players who share the same console with mulitple friends or family members. Since you get one code, does that mean only one of your friends gets to play Battlefield 3 online on his account? What about yours?I did some digging around and I found that it won’t be the case. You will both be able to play on your seperate accounts with one EA Online Pass:
As you can see everything should be fine. So forget about this whole fiasco and look forward to BF3 this year, especially after that awesome Caspian Trailer from Gamescom!
Battlefield 3 comes out in the US on Oct. 25, 2011.


Read more: http://gameolosophy.com/games/online-pass-will-not-affect-battlefield-three-players/#ixzz1VF4lpmOg

"PlayStation®Vita" Expands Its Entertainment Experience by Introducing Various Applications for Social Networking Services and Communications





TOKYO, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that it will introduce dedicated applications for Facebook, foursquare, Skype(TM) and Twitter*1 to PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) which will launch in Japan by the end of 2011, followed by the U.S. and Europe early next year*2.
PS Vita users will not only be able to enjoy the immersive rich gaming content but through the addition of these social networking services and communications widely used around the globe will also have an easy access and greater opportunity to enjoy communicating with friends by simply selecting the dedicated application. PS Vita, as the next generation portable entertainment system, will deliver an unrivaled entertainment experience, through close collaboration with various social networking services and communications.
The applications will be downloadable to PS Vita directly from PlayStation®Store at no charge. Users will be able to activate the application just by selecting the icon which will appear on the PS Vita home screen and enjoy easy navigation using the touch screen. Also, PS Vita's beautiful 5-inch organic light emitting diode (OLED) screen will allow users to enjoy photos and movies shared with their friends and acquaintances via Internet in visually striking graphics. Service profiles of each service are as follows:
  • Facebook - Facebook is a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers. The company develops technologies that facilitate the sharing of information through the social graph, the digital mapping of people's real-world social connections. Anyone can sign up for Facebook and interact with the people they know in a trusted environment. Over 750 million active users visit Facebook each month.
  • Foursquare - foursquare is a location-based service that helps users explore the world around them. Using PS Vita, users can "check in" at the locations they visit to meet up with friends, and share information about places. Users can also collect virtual badges for exploring new places, and can earn points to compete against friends.
  • Skype - Skype is software which enables people to communicate with others around the world using Internet-connected devices. Skype has more than 170 million average monthly connected users (for the three months ended June 30, 2011). Users of PS Vita will be able to use Skype to make free calls to others on Skype, as well as low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles virtually anywhere in the world.
  • Twitter - Twitter instantly connects people everywhere to what's most meaningful to them. At the heart of Twitter are short messages called Tweets, which are 140 characters or less in length. Users can follow celebrities, friends or other people they find interesting to discover what's happening around the world.
SCE will vigorously promote PS Vita towards the launch as the next generation portable entertainment platform and work towards expanding the portable gaming market.
*1 Services in alphabetical order.
*2 Details of the application's launch timing will be announced at a later timing.
PlayStation®Vita Product Outline
Platform Name     PlayStation(R)Vita
    Model number      PCH-1000 series
    CPU               ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-A9 core (4 core)
    GPU               SGX543MP4+
    External           Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth)
     Dimensions        (tentative, excludes largest projection)
                       5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors,
    Screen             OLED
    ------             ------------------------------------------------------
    (Touch screen)    Multi touch screen (capacitive type)
    --------------    ------------------------------------
    Main memory       512MB
    -----------       -----
    VRAM              128MB
    ----              -----
    Rear touch pad    Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
    Cameras           Front camera, Rear camera
                      Frame rate : 120fps@320x240(QVGA), 60fps@640x480(VGA)
                      Resolution : Up to 640x480(VGA)
    Sound             Built-in stereo speakers
                      Built-in microphone
                       Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope,
                       three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic
    Sensors            compass
    -------           ------------------------------------------------------
    Location          Built-in GPS (3G/Wi-Fi model only)
    --------          ----------------------------------
                      Wi-Fi location service support
                      ------------------------------


Keys / Switches   PS button
    ---------------   Power button
                      Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
                      Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
                      Shoulder buttons (Right/Left)
                      Right stick, Left stick
                      START button, SELECT button
                                                         Volume buttons (+/-)
    Wireless
     communications   Mobile network connectivity  (3G/Wi-Fi model only)
                       IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1x1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure
                       mode/Ad-hoc mode)
                      Bluetooth(R) 2.1+EDR (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP)
                      -----------------------------------
    Slots/Ports       PlayStation(R)Vita card slot
    -----------       --------------------------
                      Memory card slot
                      ----------------
                      SIM card slot (3G/Wi-Fi model only)
                      -----------------------------------
                       Multi-use port (for USB data communication, DC IN,
                       Audio (Stereo Out /Mono In), Serial data
                       communication),
                      ---------------------------------------------------
                       Headset jack (Stereo mini jack) (for Audio (Stereo Out
                       /Mono In))
                       ----------
                      Accessory port
                      --------------
    Power             Built-In Lithium-ion Battery,
    -----             -----------------------------
                      AC adaptor
                      ----------
    Supported         Music
    ---------         -----
                       -- MP3 MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer 3, MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC),
    AV content         WAVE (Linear PCM)
    ----------        -------------------------------------------------
    format            Videos
    ------            ------
                       -- MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC), H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
                       High/Main/Baseline Profile (AAC)
                       --------------------------------
                      Photos
                      ------
                      -- JPEG (Exif 2.2.1), TIFF, BMP, GIF, PNG
                      -----------------------------------------

About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes and markets the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games with high-quality full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and distributes software and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI is an independent business unit of the Sony Group.
PlayStation and PSP are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc.
foursquare® and the foursquare® logos are registered trademarks of Foursquare Labs, Inc.
Access to a broadband Internet connection is required to use Skype. Skype is not a replacement for traditional telephone service and cannot be used for emergency calling. Skype, associated trademarks and logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.
Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc.
ARM and Cortex are trademarks or registered trademarks of ARM Ltd.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is under license.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

PS3 Sales Expected to Rise As Much as 30% on Price Cut


PS3 has two great things going for it this coming holiday season. One is Uncharted 3; the other is the just announced price cut to $249. Some analysts would say that the PS3 has been having a pretty hard time against the Xbox 360 in North America, but with the new low price, PS3 sales should spike nicely.
Speaking to IndustryGamers, Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter admitted that he was "surprised" that Sony led the price cut movement, considering he always thought Microsoft would make the first move, and now that Sony has slashed the price on PS3, he's expecting immediate results.
"Sales will definitely go up, probably by 20 - 30% per month compared to last year," he said. "If Xbox 360 sales suffer at all, I think they will follow suit."
That, of course, is the key question now. Will all the momentum that Microsoft has been seeing with Xbox 360 and Kinect suffer on account of a cheaper PS3 being offered? At this point, we would think that Xbox 360 would almost have to drop in price sometime this holiday season. Perhaps Microsoft could bundle it for even cheaper with Gears of War 3 - that would be a winning combination.
As for Nintendo, all eyes are on 3DS and next year's Wii U. For the Wii itself, Pachter noted Nintendo "doesn't have much room" to cut price again.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Wii U WiiPad controller patent reveals magnetometer, flash memory

The Wii U's tablet-esque controller may tout its touchscreen as its main selling point, but there's a lot more than meets the eye going into every one of Nintendo's resistive-screened revolutionaries. Patent diagrams for the WiiPad's schematics list off plenty of components you'd expect (touch panel, touch panel controller, camera, etc), however eagle-eyed patent trolls have pointed out a few less common additions to the hardware, namely a magnetic sensor and flash memory.

The "magnetic sensor," more commonly referred to as a magnetometer, measures your proximity to Magneto disturbances in a device's magnetic field. Magnetometers have been used in smartphones to find true north for GPS and compass applications, however the technology can also lend itself to touch-less, camera-less gesture input.

Flash memory, while mentioned, is not listed in any specific quantity, which makes inferring its purpose somewhat difficult. The memory is listed separately from the onboard CPU's internal memory, however, so its applications will likely be user-oriented rather than processor-oriented. For now, all we can do is wait, imagine, and dream. How many Miis will we be able to fit on this thing? All of them? The future is so bright.



Source

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Five Things Video Games Taught Me About Real Life


Life lessons from Super Mario Bros., Rock Band, Animal Crossing and more.


Art imitates life, or life imitates art? Does anyone know? Maybe it's both. I don't want to open a new tab just to Google it. But listen – art can teach us things, and sometimes that allows art to bleed into our lives in surprising ways.

This has happened to me with quite a number of video games over the years. Oh, the lessons I have learned, kids. I could tell you a thing or two. Sonny boy. (Sorry, I just entered my thirtieth year and it has made me sort of hoary).

What follows, here, is an important list of five lessons I shouldn't have had to, but did, learn from videogames.

Lesson One: Sometimes a Girl That Plays Hard to Get Isn't Worth the Trouble (Super Mario Bros. series)
There's a theory that says Mario is not the best boyfriend in the world. I am not making fresh allegations, I'm just telling you what I've heard. Peach? She might have good reason for running off all the time, crying her eyes out to Bowser. And all the goodhearted lizard king can do is his very best to protect the wayward Toadstool until Mario starts hopping up on fire flowers and busting blocks (and heads). That guy's rampages around the Mushroom Kingdom are legendary. Just ask that Koopa who's been bouncing between two pipes since he first got kick-stomped in 1985 – he'll tell you.

But, there are two sides to every story. It's not as if the Mushroom Kingdom is all that easy a place in which to rampage. Moreover, Mario has had to do it countless times over the last 25 years. He's just chalked up a quarter century in the business of rescuing royal skirt and could easily be forgiven for staring at his stone-cold plumber's visage in the mirror while colouring in his ever more patchy mustache and asking himself, "What am I doing with my life?"

How many times has that ditzy princess made him chase her? Too many. Navigating what? Explosives, spiked pits, spiked shells, lava, bottomless pits, falling rock, poison pits, carnivorous plants, quicksand, Bowser's relentless minions... is it worth it? Doubtful.

But Mario's many clouds have had a silver lining for this particular gamer. If his wild adventures have taught me any real life lesson, it's that you should never chase a girl who only wants to see you suffer.

Getting crushed for love? Poisoned? For love? What is this, Romeo and Juliet?

Peach, blissfully aware of Mario's peril. Again.


Lesson Two: Don't Give Up Your Day Job (Rock Band)
Harmonix tried to trick me into thinking that if I bought a guitar and put pieces of metal into my facehole that I might truly be able to rock out. I mean, really, truly, rock out. Alas, it was all a pixel-soaked fantasy world.

For many 80s kids, and even more 90s kids, the allure of easy money makes us dream about shirking real jobs, and instead making it big being famous. Games like Rock Band are important shackles on those dreams. There can be only one Bieber, after all.

You know that noise a garbage disposal makes when it's broken? Like, when it gets jammed up with some kind of fibrous root vegetable, or you throw a small deceased mammal into it before your little sister finds out? Rock Band helped me realise that noise is not unlike how I sing. And you know when you pass a busker in the street and you turn to your friend and you grin knowingly at how bad his rendition of Wonderwall is? Yeah, that guy is better at the guitar than I will ever be.

The magic here is that as I am describing myself, you will start to see how easy it is to admit that you are rubbish at music too, and that it's barely worth the hassle. This is one of the reasons that the music genre is so popular; real music is hard work. In Rock Band, Guitar Hero and their ilk, hard work is swept out in favour of outrageous character upgrades and the ability to name a band after whatever body part you like.

But just because you can play Brooks & Dunn's stunning opus Hillbilly Deluxe on Expert doesn't mean you can flip off your boss and buy a Kombi. Not yet, anyway.


Lesson Three: Fruit Picking and Furniture Trading is Far From a Solid Financial Plan (Animal Crossing: WW)
Nook was rumbled some time ago. The fact that he's a pointy-faced little loan shark that deserves to be chucked in a river (curiously well stocked with fish, given its size) with sacks of Bells tied to his smock is pretty well known. But in Tom Nook, we learn a valuable lesson about debt.

Don't get in it. Especially don't get indebted to a raccoon with enough nous to correctly wear people clothes.

Michael Corleone was talking about the Mob when he said, "Just when I think I'm out... they pull me back in." You could say the same thing of Tom Nook and his strategy for selling debt. You pay off your first mortgage, he gives you a non-optional home upgrade. Etc.

But like I said, Nook's evil genius is not news. What's even more startling than his method for burying you, though, is your own method for digging yourself out: collecting fruit, amassing odd furniture, and selling everything you have ever owned like a drug addict frantically raising funds for their next rush.

But there is no rush. Just a cold, impersonal exchange with a pelican and another paltry subtraction from that insurmountable six-figure sum.

Tom Nook - the face of evil.

Pears, oranges, watermelons, peaches... three at a time. Cherries. It doesn't take you long to realise that in this wild world, it's hard to get by just upon a smile. And you're not going to get your debts paid back in any hurry. I remember the moment I looked up from my DS, into the swirling tunnel of my future and voted no on fruit picking.

A friend of mine went fruit picking once, for a summer. He got food poisoning and spent so long hunched among the capsicums relieving himself that he got a mean sunburn. True story. But even that didn't put me off like Tom Nook's reign of tyranny did.


Lesson Four: I Love American Football (Madden series)
Who'da thunk it? I mean, here's me, a natural aptitude for sports not dissimilar to that of a parched lichen nestled in a toxic slag heap, strategising and making plays and actually caring about how far a yard is.

Football's DNA had always been a little bit alien to me. The game is little played in the South Pacific, after all. NFL is somehow three hours long, despite each quarter being 15 minutes. Coaches seem to do a lot of clipboard waving between those things they called plays. And a lot of drawing, too. The guys in helmets seemed to get it, even if their sage-like nodding was in strange juxtaposition to their brutish objectives and obscene pants.

When I came to the Madden series it was the final year of last millennium; I got Madden 99 for the N64 because one of my friends had it and he was the competitive type. I am talking elbow drop onto the kidneys while you're sleeping because he lost, competitive. I wasn't about to go around to his house and get beaten up and down the turf every weekend, so I was going to have to put in some hours myself.

But what happened was far more than thumb-numbing proficiency in a fake version of a bizarre and complex foreign sport.

What happened was ESPNlightenment.

I started to get it. Play by play, yard by yard, I started to appreciate how American football came together.

From there, I never looked back. There aren't many sports I will sit down and watch for hours, but American football is most certainly one. The Super Bowl ads don't hurt much, either.


Lesson Five: Life Would Be So Much Easier With a Jetpack (Scribblenauts)
One of the flaws of the delightfully imagined Scribblenauts was that too many of the levels could be solved if you just conjured a jetpack. Essentially, this meant that even people who were very baked could play through the game quite easily.

Don't do drugs.

Okay, I am sort of cheating now. I could just as well say a fantastic life lesson would be that the daily commute would be a lot faster if you had spinnerets in your wrists. I get it. But if you take a minute to think, how many situations could you potentially have improved if you had a jetpack?

If jetpacks are good enough for worms, they're good enough for us.

Are you thinking of them? There are lots, right?

While you're doing that, I'm gonna go tell Mario that she's just not that into him.



Source

Friday, August 12, 2011

Top 5 Features: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim



With the biggest releases of the year fast approaching, I decided to come up with my own personal top features list for each of the big titles releasing later this year, starting with Skyrim. While there is a slew of new features in Skyrim to talk about, I have narrowed it down to the 5 I believe are the most important additions to the title to help it in the gameplay department. So without further ado, here is what I believe to be the top 5 features in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
1. Improved Menu System
This category covers the new and improved menu system that includes the map, stats menu, inventory and hot key system. The first one worth mentioning is the inventory system which greatly decreases the clutter in the menus and makes them easier to navigate. On top of that if you feel like examining items all you have to do is select it until you reach the item viewer where you can see a fully fleshed out 3D detailed model of the item you chose to examine. It has been stated that this will come into play for things such as puzzles and clues. Elven armor never looked more beautiful…
The stats menu has you looking to the stars and viewing the multiple different aspects of your character that you have been working on as well as the perks associated with them. Gone are the specializations of yesterday that had you picking several main strengths among the crowd, replaced with a new system that has all stats starting even and letting you work on any skill at any time and improving that one. As you progress in a certain skill or skills you will be able to purchase perks to enhance your abilities in that certain area. Archers may get a slow time option while people using a sword and a shield may get a shield bash that disarms your opponent. Started out as an archer but want to dip into swordplay or hand to hand? Go ahead and punch a dragon in the face with your bare fists and level up that new skill you want to work on.
The map is set to the down button and has your character looking to the Earth where the map will zoom out and give you a 3D model view of the world of Skyrim allowing you to set waypoints and fast travel to various locations. The new hot key system has you going into a side menu in game and going through a list of your favorite weapons allowing you to choose them on the go without having to contort your fingers awkwardly to hit the the corner hot key weapons you have set. All of these will make for a more streamlined Elder Scrolls game and help improve the experience through simplicity and attention to detail.
2. Dragons
You can’t make a top features list for Skyrim and not include dragons in it. They are probably going to be the smartest and most interesting enemy you face in the game. With the new A.I. system and the behavior patterns set for dragons, every encounter you have with them will likely play out differently than the one before. They are well aware of their environment, they have aggressive tactics and their sole purpose is to hunt and kill anything that moves…ESPECIALLY the Dragonborn. That means every dragon in the Skyrim province wants to make you a toasty chunk of meat for its next meal. You. Are. A. Delicacy. It has already been shown through the multiple videos released that they will react differently to what is around them. Guards are snatched up and eaten and they will change their tactics depending on whether combat is taking place on the ground or in the air. It will definitely make for some awesome and intense engagements. You can always amp up the danger and go fisticuffs on the dragons face if your feeling ballsy.
3. Job/Economy System
Being able to go to one of the many cities or villages in Skyrim and get a job in one of the various professions there has the potential to add quite a few hours onto the games lifespan. The ability to invade one of the many villages and cities in the game and destroy their main source of income also adds a slew of possibilities into the gameplay and open up opportunities for quests related to destroying a towns income. Possibly for the Dark Brotherhood or a new unannounced faction? What happens when a dragon comes along and decimates a town and its population? I for one look forward to some answers and seeing the multiple possibilities the job and economy systems will bring into the game world.
4. Improved Character Models
I think I speak for everyone when I say that the worst part of Oblivion was the character models. They looked more like primal goblin-monkeys rather than actual people. I always played my game in first person just so I wouldn’t have to look at the hideous character I had to make. Now I can enjoy Skyrim in the third person perspective thanks to the improvements made to the character models. This goes hand in hand with the new animation system used for the third persona perspective to add more realism to the movement and various animations so it doesn’t look like your character is doing some sort of weird floaty run. This all leads into my final top feature in the game which is…
5. The Creation Engine
None of this would have been possible if Bethesda had not taken time to create an entirely new engine for the game. Now that we have seen in various videos the power that the engine is capable of, fans such as myself are already thinking of what this engine could bring into the Fallout series. But back on topi for now. The Creation Engine is what fuels the A.I. of the various inhabitants of the game world. It is what causes animals to react to your presence, it gives dragons their personality, it gives you a dynamic weather system, it is the life blood of the game. None of these new features and improvements would have been possible unless the team at Bethesda put all of their hard work into creating what will surely be one of the best games seen by this generation of gamers.

Pre-order Skyrim for $47.99


We know you’re buying . We also know that spending sixty dollars on a video game is heart-breaking (goodbye, money! I’ll miss you!). So let’s save twelve bucks.
If you pre-order Skyrim on Newegg, you can get the game for $47.99. Simply click which version of the game you’d like to purchase, add it to your cart and toss its respective promo code when you check out.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

BioWare bringing Dragon Age franchise to Google+





Bioware have today announced that they're bringing Dragon Age to Google+, starting with Dragon Age Legends, the free-to-play RPG you can also play on Facebook. This is one of the first titles to hit Google+, which is taking aim at Facebook with social games; hopefully, with more dragon slaying and less farm maintenance.


Bioware today announced that Dragon Age Legends, EA's popular dark fantasy Play4Free RPG is now available on Google+. Developed by BioWare San Francisco (formerly EA 2D) Dragon Age Legends is available today and is the only game of its kind on Google's new real-life social project. Dragon Age Legends extends the award-winning Dragon Age franchise and reinvents it for social play on Google+. The game blends accessible and engaging tactical combat, progression and exploration in the Dragon Age universe, and is perfect for co-operative and competitive gameplay across players' Google+ Circles and Hangouts.

"We're very excited to be among the first games launching on Google's new social project. It's an honor to join Google in celebrating the birth of their gaming platform on Google+ by expanding Dragon Age Legends to an even wider audience," said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-founder of BioWare, and General Manager of the BioWare Label at EA. "Dragon Age Legends raises the quality bar for social network games. By bringing the franchise to Google+, we're able to connect and entertain millions of existing and new fans within the rich, immersive Dragon Age universe!"

Dragon Age Legends for Google+ will put players back into the Free Marches, the primary setting of Dragon Age II. Alongside their Google+ friends, players will take on challenging quests within an engaging storyline, earning loot, sharing rewards and growing their kingdom. The game includes a gratifying character customization and upgrade system that allows players to defeat demons and Darkspawn to become a legendary hero within the Dragon Age universe, as well as exciting player versus player combat in the Guild arenas, enabling players to prove their mettle against their friends' armies.

Does it have a virtual farm somewhere in the game?

No?

I'm in.


Source

League of Legends : Behind the Scenes With Dominion

Riot Games has released a new behind the scenes video featuring a look at the Dominion game play feature, a brand-new capture-and-hold game mode. The video features in-game footage and developer interviews. Check it out!



League of Legends: Dominion features:
  • Capture-and-hold gameplay: Summoners battle it out for control of five unique strategic targets, capturing points from the opposing team and defending them against enemy intrusion.
  •  An all-new map: The action in Dominion takes place in the Crystal Scar, a highly contested, war-torn mining village featuring stunning new art crafted specifically for the new map.
  • Fast-paced action: Dominion is an accelerated version of classic League of Legends gameplay – matches last around 20 minutes, so gamers can enjoy a rapid-fire alternative to the more strategic, measured pace of Summoner’s Rift.
  • Non-stop combat: From beginning to end, players will enjoy unrelenting skirmishes as they vie for control over the map – in Dominion, Summoners can expect an onslaught of one-on-one and small team fights.
  • Down-to-the-wire victories: Matches of Dominion are competitive until the very end – late-game comebacks are possible and the outcome is always in question.
  • Completely free: Like classic League of Legends, Dominion is completely free-to-play for new and veteran Summoners alike.  Players will be able to use all their existing masteries, runes, champions and skins on Dominion.

Trion Adopts Free-To-Play Revenue Model


Trion has announced that its upcoming MMORTS, End of Nations, will be run using the free to play revenue model. Free players will have access to the entire game with no level cap. Trion will be offering a premium subscription to those who choose to purchase it. The item store will contain, according to the FAQ, a wide range of convenience items.
Every End of Nations player will have full access to all the heart-stopping action-packed strategic warfare that the game offers, including massive scale battles of over 50 players, a huge persistent world, and customization options to make every army and unit unique. Gamers can play in the solo campaign, in co-op mode with up to 50 other players, and in “Conquer the World” multiplayer in giant conflicts of up to 26 vs. 26 for global control of the massive persistent world. There’s no time limit on access, and all players can play for free.

“Wii U Will Benefit Fifa” : Rutter


EA sports continued their positive feedback on the Nintendo Wii U with Fifa Producer David Rutter revealing he and his team has a number of ideas on how to utilise the Wii U’s features,”I’ve got a few ideas about how Wii U will benefit FIFA, It’s certainly an exciting opportunity as far as hardware is concerned. It’s a pretty cool piece of kit. I’m looking forward to getting involved with it in some way, shape or form”, said Rutter. As Fifa 2012 comes out  this year and the Nintendo Wii U does not, it is highly likely Fifa 2013 will be a  major title for the Wii U.
I’m an avid Fifa player, so I’ve listed below some possibilites for Fifa 13 on the Wii U:
  • Substitution Control- As Fifa is now, you have to pause the game to make a substitution which can be an annoyance given the position of the ball. Using the Wii U controller you should be able to make quick substitutes without pausing the game.
  • Tactics- You can currently change your teams’ mindset (attacking,defensive,neutral) without pausing the game, once again using the Wii U controller there is an opportunity to go into more depth with regard to tactics.
  • Stats and Fatigue- I’d like to see more detail on both of these on the Wii U controller.
  • Some form of use for Wii controller
  • Set plays- In Fifa 2008 you could create your own set plays, I’d imagine this feature will come back in more depth with different tactics on the Wii U controller.
The thing about Fifa is it is definitely a game to be played on a television screen when you play multi-player, nothing beats a group of friends sitting around raging and celebrating over games against each other. Playing Fifa purely through the Wii U controller is not an idea I’d like at all, however playing Fifa game-play on screen while different content (subs,tactics and stats) on controller would be a great addition.



Source: "Wii U Will Benefit Fifa" : Rutter