Dracozombie's week in gaming: August 15-21

Alrighty. Down one molar, but up quite a few articles, I'd say. Been keeping myself busy this past week, and I've been on-point pretty much the whole time. So much so that I'm actually posting my Sunday update on Sunday! (Gasp!)

Firstly, I'd like to say that I hate Examiner's basic publishing tool. I like to be able to edit HTML code - even if I'm not that good at it - and the basic tool negates this. Since that's all we can use during Examiner's current transitional period, my Examiner articles look a bit... off. Please excuse this. I'm hoping these transitional shenanigans come to an end soon.

Secondly, GamesCom was in full swing this week, meaning plenty of new images, trailers, artwork, and all kinds of game related jazz hit the web.

And with that, on to my week in gaming!

New York Console Games:

An interesting rumor hit the internet last week: the PS3, stoic paragon of unhackable gaming security (for developers, at least) was supposedly hacked by a mere USB mod-chip. I haven't followed up on the story, but many other sites corroborated the legitimacy of the product at the time. Read more about it here.

Valkyria Chronicles II has revealed it's pre-order bonus: two extra missions for the early birds who put money down on it before the August 31st release. Remember, Valkyria Chronicles II is being released on the PSP, unlike it's PS3 predecessor. Check out the article for more details.

Video Game Trailers:

With GamesCom in full swing, plenty of neat trailers have been released. BioWare's dark fantasy Dragon Age is hitting March of 2011 with a fully-fledged sequel. This cinematic teaser video, the "Destiny" trailer, gives us a pre-rendered taste of things to come in Dragon Age 2.

A while back the Japanese Metroid website had a video detailing the history of the Metroid series. This video has now been uploaded to the english website, with Samus' english voice actress narrating. Pretty neat stuff, so definitely check it out.

The Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep website has updated with the last of it's videos. This time we get the:

• The GamesCom trailer, called the "Launch" trailer. Pretty much the final trailer before the game's release in September.
• A multiplayer gameplay video, showcasing how you can play this incarnation of the game with other players.
• A mini-games trailer, revealing what you can do outside of the story proper.

Multiplayer Games:

Blizzard Entertainment has sued a private server for copyright infringement, and won an astronomical $88 million from the case. And I thought they couldn't get any wealthier. This server not only let people play World of Warcraft without having to pay a monthly subscription fee, but actually made a profit of $3 million from selling in-game stuff to players. It's crazy stuff, so be sure to read the whole article.

The last of TERA's new class-skills has been revealed on the official website. Lancers get a sexy bash and lunge attack, and Berserkers get a neat health-eating ass-kick attack. Plus, TERA was at GamesCom, and announced that they have a full dungeon-crawl as a demo, instead of the E3 demo they've presented for a while. Read up on it here.

TERA has also revealed it's GamesCom trailer, showcasing many of the newly revealed skills in some nice cinematic combat footage. With that, they also revealed the newest screenshots of the week: the Azarel Temple has been re-named to Azarel's Labyrinth, and we get two images of the area surrounding said dungeon.

And that wraps it ups for the week! The latest chapter of Kurohime was finally uploaded by Imangascans, and now I'm very eagerly awaiting the next one. I also learned of a Korean Manhwa called Legend of Maian, which I've been enjoying as well, though I admit I like Kurohime a quite a bit more.

And yes, no Civilization V or Ys Seven yet. I simply haven't published my Civilization interview yet, (but I will this week) and I haven't received my review copy of Ys Seven. I borrowed a copy from a friend and played for a bit (it's awesome) but the fucker demanded it back before long.

*Sigh*

C'est la vie.

Dracozombie's week in gaming: August 8-14 (update)

Had a pretty rough week, unfortunately. I cracked my molar several years ago, and it started acting up two weeks ago. The pain intensified last week, to the point where I was in and out of the hospital every other day. Fortunately, today (Monday the 16th) the doctors agreed they couldn't save the tooth (the decay was too extensive) and pulled it. So the pain is gone, but so is my tooth. I kinda miss it, now...

Anyway, the pain was kicking my ass hardcore, so I didn't write as much as I would have liked. Nonetheless, here is my week in gaming:

New York Console Games:

(Update) American McGee's Alice is a cult-classic PC title that was acclaimed for it's macabre, unhinged take on the Lewis Carroll stories "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass." Alice, Madness Returns is the sequel, set ten years after the events of the first title. I forgot to add this article preview at the time of the writing of this entry. Whoops.

My review of Arc Rise Fantasia went live. The verdict? Surprisingly good battle system (especially considering it's entirely turn-based) with a piss-poor localization. I honestly feel that Ignition (the publisher) cut some serious corners with their effort on the game. The dialogue is weak, and the voice overs are atrocious.

Video Game Trailers:

Bioshock Infinite hit the scene with it's impressive cinematic trailer, and let's just say that the new setting is fucking awesome. Bioshock has abandoned the underwater utopia of "Rapture" in favor of something fresher, and I think the decision is brilliant. Check it out.

Multiplayer Games:

Guild Wars 2 developers interviewed with a french (I believe) MMO website called "Univers Virtuels," and discussed a few elements of the game. They were extremely tight lipped, so we

get little more than snippets of info, but considering how secretive ArenaNet (the developer) has been on the subject of it's upcoming game, I assume any info is better than none. Right?

The badass Guild Wars 2 video, the "MMO Manifesto" promises everything from the kitchen sink to the second coming. I have to admit, It got me excited a bit. Guild Wars wasn't a major blip on my radar, but I feel compelled to keep an eye on it now. I hope they deliver.

The sexy TERA reveals it's screenies of the week, detailing the cities of Velika and Castanica. In addition, we get some super sexy skill reveals for the Sorcerer and Priest class. Sorcerer's get a powerful area-of-effect sleep spell, and Priests get a badass magical bolt combo. Last week saw the reveal of new skills for the Archer, Warrior, Slayer, and Mystic.

Blade & Soul, the sexy South Korean MMORPG from NCSoft, with artwork by the renowned Hyung Tae Kim, is promising a playable demo by the end of the year. They won't be at GamesCom this week, and they very likely won't be demoing at Tokyo Game Show, which leaves G-Star for the demo reveal. God, it's gonna be so sexy...

And that about covers it! My mouth feels like shit courtesy of the tooth-pulling, so I only wrote one article today, but I intend to write plenty this week. Expect to see some Civilization V, TERA, Ys Seven, and more this Sunday!

Dracozombie's week in gaming: August 1-7

I... forgot to post on Sunday. Again. Clearly, punctuality isn't my strongest point. Still, it's only Wednesday, so I'm not terribly late in posting this. And besides, I have writers block, so writing this out now may get my creative man-juices flowing.

I'm gonna try something bold and creative: a new, ass-kicking style for my "week in gaming" posts. Let's hope it looks good.

New York Console Games:

Ys Seven's official website is now open!

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Ys Seven's release is fast approaching, and fans of the action-RPG genre should definitely not miss it. To create a bit of hype before the August 17...
Keep Reading »

Multiplayer Games:

TERA Introduces New Class Skills & Screenshots of the Week

Monday, August 2, 2010

TERA's has revealed the latest in-game images of the Valley of Nihil, a desert region within the game world, as well as examples of newly developed skills being introduced in the already action-packed MMORPG.

Continue reading...

Richard Garriott Awarded $28 mil. in Lawsuit Against NCsoft

Monday, August 2, 2010

The Korean gaming giant NCsoft, responsible for Aion, Lineage, and the upcoming Blade & Soul, has been dealt a nasty blow by former employee Richard Garriott, of Ultima and Tabula Rasa fame. On a federal court jury in Texas awarded him $28 million dollars as a result of his lawsuit against NCsoft last year

Continue reading...

Final Fantasy XIV Impressions and Beta Key Giveaway

Friday, August 6, 2010

1Up's Michael Vreeland has posted his impressions of FFXIV. He touches on the character creation system, intro and low-level gameplay, combat system, and quests. Also, the Final Fantasy XIV community FFXIVCore is having a beta key giveaway, so you can actually get in and play the game for yourself.

Continue reading...

Blizzard to Stamp-out “Erotic Role Playing” in World of Warcraft

Friday, August 6, 2010

The town Goldshire in the role-playing server Moon Guard is apparently renowned as a hotspot for unrestrained, lascivious sexuality and zany shenanigans. What began as a complaint topic on World of Warcraft's customer service forum has resulted in a serious crack-down from Blizzard. They will now be policing the Goldshire for harassment and erotic role-playing.

Continue reading...

And that about does it! This looks absolutely ghastly on the publishing tool, but doesn't look too bad on the published page. I'll probably adopt this for future posts. And yes, I didn't do anything for Video Game Trailers. I've had a damned toothache that hasn't let up, and a splitting headache since last Monday, so my work has fallen behind a bit. Hopefully my Dentist's visit tomorrow will alleviate this somewhat and let me kick ass with writing.

Dracozombie's last two weeks in gaming: July 18-31

Umm... well, I forgot to write in my blog last week. I know I said I wouldn't not write, but unfortunately, I did. Lucky for you, I'll post double the normal amount of ass-kicking gaming content in a single post! I know, I spoil you. But there is no such thing as "too much of a good thing," I say.

New York Console Games:

I posted my hands-on preview of Mafia II, which I play-tested a few weeks prior. I have to say that, despite the awkward faces/lip movement, the game looks fantastic. Good combat, good voice acting, interesting story, and great look.

The weekly Japanese comic and game magazine Shonen Jump, revealed some interesting info on Namco's popular Tales series. Tales of Graces is headed to PS3s, a new Tales game is in the works (also for the PS3), and more.

Video Game Trailers Examiner:

I updated this column like mad these last two weeks, LOL.

The Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep website updated with some awesome gameplay demonstrations:

• The Shotlock system
• The Dimension-Link system
• Command Board system

The mobile Kingdom Hearts title, Coded, is getting a graphical face-lift. As you can see by the awesome trailer, the gameplay is perhaps the most varied of any in the series.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, the newest and sweetest clash between the legendary companies, has revealed two new characters in the fighting universe. Amaterasu, (yes, mother-fucking Ammy, goddess of the sun in wolf form and heroine of the awesome Okami), and the thunder-god badass Thor.

San Diego's Comic Con revealed some cool stuff, but the Street Fighter Vs. Tekken trailer raised more than a fair share of eyebrows. Yes, Street Fighter. Yes, Tekken.

Speaking of Okami, the DS sequel Okamiden has recently revealed a new gameplay trailer, and is so over-the-top cute I can't say much other than... damned, that's cute. Really, though, Chibi is the cutest puppy-wolf-god ever.

Halo: Reach, the latest and greatest title in the acclaimed Halo series has released it's launch trailer, and the game looks pretty damned sweet. The scale is incredible, so don't miss it.

MultiplayerGames.com:

TERA, the awesome action MMORPG from South Korea is being published by En Masse Entertainment in North America. However, it is being published by Frogster Entertainment in Europe, known primarily for their free-to-play titles.

DC Universe Online, the action MMORPG from Sony Online Entertainment and Warner Bros. Interactive, is (or rather, was) accepting registration for their beta later this year. They are also offering ass-loads of pre-order goodies should you decide to reserve the game.

Heroes of Three Kingdoms, based on the heavily romanticized "Three Kingdoms" era of Chinese history, entered open beta testing on July 27th.

Frogster took notice of the negative press from European TERA fans, and made a formal address on TERA's official forums to explain what exactly they would be doing in collaboration with En Masse and Blue Hole regarding localizing the game.

The Vindictus article I wrote a few weeks back got some good attention, so I was asked to whip up another article on the subject. Fortunately, the official Vindictus website uploaded some character and gameplay trailers for the game, which you can watch on Multiplayer Games.

San Diego's recent Comic Con revealed a crap-storm of new of stuff. TERA unveiled a few new game-enriching mechanics: The Glyph System, achievements, and an improved user-interface

Dracozombie's week in gaming: July 11-17

Still haven't come up with a decent title. It'll come to me, eventually. Anyway, another week has come and gone. I feel as though I didn't really do much during the week, which is weird, since I also feel like I've been pulled every-which-way these last few days.

New York Console Games:

Last week (July 10, 2010) saw a Dragon Quest IX event at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center. This week saw a new event at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Called the Wii Games: Summer 2010, Nintendo invited players to join in the summer spirit and compete in some video game tournaments.

Ys' Official Facebook page uploaded some new images for the upcoming Ys Seven title for the PSP. Being an avid Ys fan, this is definitely something I look forward to. This game introduces all new concepts to the series, particularly the three-person party mechanic. Ys Seven is scheduled for release on August 17th, so give it a look-see if you own a PSP.

MultiplayerGames.com:

Bioware is officially testing it's upcoming MMORPG based on the Star Wars mythos. Star Wars: The Old Republic is undergoing small focused-group tests, and will branch out into larger scale tests as the year progresses.

Runes of Magic, the very well-known free-to-play MMORPG, is introducing a relationship system. Marriage is at the core, but friendships and family ties can also be established. Runes of Magic is also introducing a video-tutorial system to help newbie players get into the game.

I did another piece on Allods Online and it's stupid fucking cash-shop nonsense. The game's player-base ran the hell away because the game is now without a doubt pay-to-win. I also wrote an article for MMOsite on the subject, but it was too opinionated and actually got taken down. Self-pwnage?

There is a bit of TERA info out: an interview reveals some info on the jumping mechanic and crafting. I also put up the most recent (at the time) screenshots of the week, which publisher En Masse puts on the official website weekly.

Vindictus, the upcoming free-to-play MMORPG is holding it's closed beta on July 22. The game is heavily action-based, and very awesome-looking. For a free-to-play title, Vindictus looks like it will offer some great gameplay. Sign-up for the beta test ends on July 19th, so you may still be able to get in!

Dragon's Call, a free-to-play browser-based MMORPG, had a bit of controversy go it's way: A player learned that the word "Gay" was banned/flagged by the World Chat system. In essence, you couldn't say the word in-game. Which pissed off the player, who threatened to sue.

Lastly, Free Realms, the ridiculously popular online virtual world, is offering a lifetime membership to it's players. Shell out $29.99, and you can get premium access to Free Realms. Considering how the damned game is growing at a rate of about a million players a month, you may want to check out the game and see what all the hullabaloo is about.

I haven't written anything for Video Game Trailers, and that's pretty fucking sad. I need to get back on-point.

A week in the life of Dracozombie...

I've been so bad to this poor blog. This is the one and only place I can really cut loose and talk about the games I love in a way that won't get me in trouble, and I haven't posted in the poor girl in well over two months. For shame, Gabriel. For shame.

So I came up with a kick-ass idea!

Since I'm so busy writing everywhere else, I'll re-cap what I wrote every Sunday here on The Gaming Gab. Not only is this a shameless self-promotion, but I can (hopefully) benefit from an SEO boost with links going every-which-way to all my writing sources. And I'll actually be using my fucking blog! Whoamfg!

All I need to do is come up with a catchier title...

Anyway, here is last week, (July 4- July 10), in gaming:

New York Console Games:

I wrote a review for Toy Story 3: The videogame. The game itself is pretty good, especially considering it's a movie-tie-in game. Check it out if you get the chance.

I also wrote a preview for a surprisingly bad-ass Dragon Quest IX event at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center. Plenty of people showed up, and the game itself looks sweet.

Video Game Trailers:

The awesome Vanquish E32010 trailer. Like the love-child of a first-person shooter and a third-person action game, Vanquish looks fucking amazing. Platinum Games is on a roll.

The Last Story finally revealed it's debut trailer. I don't wan't to get to excited yet, but The Last Story looks fucking great. It's like Sakaguchi (the father of Final Fantasy) is showing Square-Enix what an action-RPG should look like. And it's for the Wii. A pwn-some A-RPG on the Wii? Inconceivable! And yet...

Multiplayergames.com:

Uploaded the E3 2010 demo-walkthrough for TERA, a fucking incredible action-MMORPG from South Korea. In a genre with few action-intense games, TERA is going in for the kill.

Wrote about Allods Online's ridiculously ass-backwards patch. The developers have replaced one stupid, player-deterring gameplay mechanic with an even stupider player-deterring mechanic.

TERAFans hosted some sexy-as-fuck armor renders for the demonic "Castanic" female characters in TERA. My weak, tempted manliness couldn't resist, so I had to write about it.

And that about wraps it up! Join me next week for more of Dracozombie's week in gaming! (It's a working title, please STFU).