There is a new FPS in the works called Kwari. What makes Kwari different from all other shooters is its monetary reward system. Players will have to deposit funds into their account, and then use those funds to play on Kwari’s servers. Anytime you kill someone, you take their money, and vice versa. All in all this sounds like a promising idea. I mean griefing someone for real money is like a dream come true. Apparently there is also a jackpot and some other interesting features, all of which can be read about on the website.


Now, obviously there is one thing wrong with this entire formula… What I want to know is whose going to code the anti-cheat system? I sure hope they won’t be using Punkbuster or VAC, as we all know how impervious those wonder programs are to attack. /sarcasm. Getting killed by people using aimbot in Counter-Strike is gay enough when money isn’t involved.

JacktR asked me an interesting question: Would Ultima Online survive if it were released today? I am of course talking about a next generation UO. Not a re-release, but a new game, with 3d graphics, pixel shader 3.0 vista directx10 support and all that jazz. What it would retain, however, is the game play which made UO so different. Open-ended game play. The capability to do anything, anywhere. A game which let the players create the economy, not the NPC’s. Player housing, a feature that seems perhaps trivial to todays MMO gamer, but a truly captivating thing to have experienced in Ultima Online. That unsettling feeling that the world around you was huge, unknown and dangerous, but that you and your loot were safe in your dwelling, probably. Massive Multi player Online Role playing games have seen enormous changes from these early days of UO. For a number of reasons I believe this change was inevitable, primarily due to how these games are marketed and who they are being marketed to. Considering also the unforgiving game design of Ultima Online in comparison to the more casual approach of today’s successful MMO’s. In todays market Ultima Online would have a hard time fitting in amongst the giant powerhouses that are World of Warcraft and Everquest.


Marketing plays a significant role in how MMO’s are designed since a games chance of success is greater when targeted for a larger audience. This means a developer will probably choose the safer, already established formula when deciding what elements go into a games design. When you look at the upcoming releases which are undoubtedly influenced by our lord and savior World of Warcraft, its unlikely to expect any diversity. For a developer to take a chance and create something different, would be economical suicide. How do you promote a game which goes against such successful niches set by the industry giants? Unfortunately you don’t. Proving this is Richard Garriott’s latest creation: Tabula Rasa. The man who fathered Ultima Online sees the futility of rebirth in the MMO world, and so has stuck to the beaten trail himself. Granted Tabula Rasa has taken a new approach in not only the lore department but also the combat, the core game mechanics remain true to the dominant MMO criteria.


So what happened to Ultima Online? There are two types of players in this world, those who play Street Fighter, and those who play Animal Crossing. Simply put, people are different. Some players find the competitiveness of Counter-Strike and Halo appealing, seeking glory or bragging rights by being the best of the best. The other type of player finds this constant battle exhausting, and finds much more reward from other tasks like leveling, crafting, solving complex puzzle scenarios or simply exploring. Of course there is a middle ground, those who enjoy a little from column A and a little from column B. However the majority it seems, tends to be players from Column B. This explains the downfall of UO. Yes you could craft, skill-up (level) and definitely explore in UO, but the heart of the game was in its player cohesion. Players were forced to exist together, friendly or otherwise. This resulted in an incredible community which was extremely rewarding, especially for those who sought conflict. However for the casual gamer, the world was harsh to say the least. The outcry was large enough that it forced the design team to make some changes. Enter Trammel. Trammel was a design implementation which actually cut game servers in two. One half of the server was FFA PVP, as it always had been, and the other new half was Restricted PVP. Trammel was the first real warning sign that things were changing. Gamers were now divided. The competitive bunch stayed on one side of the line, the casual gamers on the other. Players from Column A realized all of a sudden their world was shrinking, dramatically.


So the future seems dark for those of us waiting to relive the glory days. Would UO survive if it were released today? Not likely. In fact No. The games today lack any sense of pure player vs player combat. Those that have tried to introduce a true pvp world have failed miserably, Vanguard, Star Wars Galaxies, etc. The new one to probably let us down is on its way and due out 2008. Until then we can continue to waste our time.

I was reading a story on news.com.au about a body who was apparently performing some kind of stupidity and got his nuts trapped in a pipe. Honestly, at this point if you’re bathing in a room without properly covered walls and exposed pipes and you somehow decide fucking around is going to be cool and that your balls aren’t worth jack. You probably deserve to lose them.

Sadly this story ends with firefighters devoting time to save the boy and get the pipe off of his nuts. Hopefully the heat exposure on the pipe to cut it was enough to render him sterile, I mean shit, would you really want more of these kids running around free? Maybe in slavery yes, but not free. Fuck that.

[Source]

Lorl

Oh, My, God. 

Ok enough torture, ill leave you on a good note.

I’ve never seen Rod Stewarts daughter before, but she looks pretty sexy right here:

Crazy article from the LA Times.

The blood that stained the courtyard of the modest Thousand Oaks apartment complex had been washed away by Monday morning. In its place stood a makeshift memorial: A teddy bear and a few balloons. A Winnie-the-Pooh baby blanket. And a single rose for every year the young victim had lived.

Sev’n Molina, age 6, was hacked to death with a meat cleaver Sunday night, as his mother fought to save his life, terrified neighbors called 911 and the bravest among them tried to intervene in the grisly struggle.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Calvin Sharp, 27, and took him to Ventura County Jail, said Senior Sheriff’s Deputy Julie Novak. Sharp, a self-employed cab driver, is expected to be charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder — rare violent crimes in what regularly ranks as one of nation’s safest large cities.

The harrowing attack at the Hillcrest Park Apartments began about 9:30 p.m. in the first-floor unit where the boy lived with his mother, Sandra Ruiz, 33. Sharp and Ruiz had been arguing, at least in part, about whether Sev’n spent too much time playing video games, neighbors said.

After the boy burst from the apartment into the communal courtyard, witnesses said, Sharp followed him, wielding the cleaver, and began hacking at the child’s head and shouting, “Die, die!”

Holy shit. Even I feel it would be in bad taste to report on this in a sarcastic manner. I mean this is pretty fucked up.

Something is wrong with our society. I guess something is wrong with all societies, but I can’t help but notice the increase of random acts of violence occuring within this last decade. Sure since the dawn of man there has been violence in all area’s of established cultures: gangs, diplomatic disagreements, religious wars, husbands killing their cheating whore wives; but this is completely different. It’s like people have gone completely fucking insane, and not that they have really lost their minds, but that they use the idea of insanity to rationalize violent outlashing. Whether its chopping up a 6 year old, pushing someone onto subway tracks, or the countless reports of violence across school campuses; this shit has just gotten out of control. In the words of Maynard James Keenan, “learn to swim”. We really could use a thinning of the herd right about now.

Family Members Die In Ferris Wheel Fall

What is it with Korea and its proneness to horrific accidents. I swear atleast once a week im reading about some Korean being mutilated in some random run-a-way trolley car fatality fest. And dont get me started on Iran, those guys go out of their way it seems to be disembowmulated by fast moving vehicles.

Favorite user submitted comments from Korea article:

ronboworld 01:22:31 PM Aug 14 2007“There are four condom sizes…..Large Medium Small and Koreans…HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA”

kcand5 01:22:05 PM Aug 14 2007 “The REAL TRAGEDY is that more Koreans were not killed in the accident.”

biged1970 01:28:23 PM Aug 14 2007“If their mothers wouldn’t leave them on their backs when they sleep they wouldn’t have pan heads.Stupid flat heads.”

This just in, Korean internet popularity at an all time low.

OVER THE WEEKEND ME AND JACK PLAYED CS FOR 14 HOURS STRAIGHT. I THINK MY RETINAS AND POSSIBLY MY MOTOR FUNCTIONING CEREBRAL VORTEX WERE DAMAGED. ALERT THE AUTHORITIES OR DON’T BECAUSE IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ILLEGAL TO OWN THAT MANY FAGGOTS IN ONE SITTING.

Oh also we got almost our whole team to join the Space Penis invasion. You too can join. Apply today

This video footage was leaked from Blizzcon07.  Stealthfully captured by our very own Urahara, with the “distract the wandering game dev’s assist” provided by yours truely.  I hope you enjoy the audio-less, sub-par video quality, as they may never let us back into Blizzcon again… haha

Haha I love the Guiness book of world records.  I mean if you wanna jump on a lion and take it off some sweet jumps, Guiness has a home for you.

“The record for the longest jump riding a lion is 2.30 meters (7 feet, 6 inches), achived by Askold and Edgard Zapashny (both Russian) of the Russian State Circus, Co. at the arena Perm’s Circus in Russia on July 28, 2006.”

Amazing, btw dont try this at home…. or this.

Even at this early stage, Starcraft II is looking to be an amazing game. Both Protoss and Terran were available to play in a preview Single player mission, or head to head in Multiplayer. The game play which made the original so successful remains unchanged for the most part. The addition of new units adds more diversity to the tactics and strategies available to the player. On the Terran side, there is the Viking; a unit which is capable of transformation, giving it ground or air capability. Also new is the powerful Thor, a unit so massive it must be constructed outside of the factory via an SCV. The Banshee, a new flying unit, unleashes an array of missiles on its enemies: highly effective against a squad of ground units. Finally, the Firebat unit has been removed; one of the less popular units from the original. The Protoss remain mostly unchanged since their debut in

Korea earlier this year. The Mother Ship unit has been toned down; its Black hole ability has been removed in favor of allowing the player construction of multiple Mother Ships. The Mother Ships Planet Cracker ability has also been reduced from multiple rays to a single less powerful ray.

The User Interface resembles the original but subtle improvements enhance the experience.  Notable additions include; capability to select an unlimited number of units, queue able commands for worker units, and increased resolution settings.

Other features include:

-Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game

-Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg

-New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race

-Groundbreaking single-player campaign

-Vibrant new 3D-graphics engine with support for dazzling visual effects and massive unit and army sizes

-Full multiplayer support, with new competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net

-Full map-making and scripting tools to give players incredible freedom in customizing and personalizing their gameplay experience

Queen Latifah’s break out TV role. I think.

I just read over at news.filefront.com that Rockstar plans to appeal the ban on Manhunt 2. The fact that the game was rated AO in the first place is appalling. There is nothing in Manhunt2 that is more disturbing than any other violent game/movie/or novel that has been released before it.

Anyhow i hope the game is released as it was meant to be and not toned down to soothe the general idiot public.

AT Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am Trailer

This game will be great. I own a playstation 2, and a wii, and a ds, and the ps2 definately hogs all my platforming time. Dragonquest, Guitar Hero 2, God of War 2, and now this gem…. Fuck Nintendo… lol.