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Luigi’s Mansion: The Unboxing

The Zelda Timeline

Guild Wars 2 is one step closer to being in the hard drives of gamers. Today ArenaNet announced on their blog, that the Guild Wars 2 closed beta will “aggressively ramp up” in size starting in March and April. That will lead to Guild Wars 2′s release later this year. I know my fellow Asura Necromancers are excited that the wait is nearly over. For those not familiar with Guild Wars 2, it’s an upcoming MMO that wants to break free of the genre’s conventions. Guild Wars 2 will have action oriented combat, a more natural quest system, and no monthly fees. Plus it’s beautiful. Check it out in action below.

I’ve never been able to get into an MMO. Even MMO’s that seem geared directly at me like Star Wars The Old Republic or DC Universe Online haven’t gotten me very interested. Guild Wars 2, though, has me anxiously awaiting it’s release. You can get information on the game at it’s official website.

Have you ever looked at something, noticed a recurring theme or element that you recall from your previous experience and knowledge, and then dismissively thought or exclaimed: ‘oh, that is just like -blank-’? Of course you have. We all do it. Practically everything you see, do, or experience possesses some sort of recurring pattern or theme that has been seen throughout history. When you saw Avatar, part of you felt like you had heard the story some place before. The graphics and 3D effects were able to partially lull your mind to sleep, but you still couldn’t help yourself from subconsciously trying to decide if the plot was more of a rip off of Pocahontas or Furngully. If you played through Darksiders, you would have been hard pressed not to draw similarities in the gameplay to Legend of Zelda. As you read through your favorite book series, or watch one of those horrific reality television shows, you feel like you almost know exactly what is going to happen more than half the time. Recurring themes pop up everywhere, whether we recognize them or not.

I bring this up because I see this complaint coming up again and again in reference to video games. The most relevant example, for me personally, would be with my experience in Bioware’s new MMO, Star Wars The Old Republic. Both in the game’s general chat, and in the media, the game is constantly compared to Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft. People accuse the game of being far too similar in formula, play style, and general mechanics to Blizzard’s online behemoth. Similarly, games like Killzone, Halo, or Resistance Fall of Man all share very similar game mechanics, general play style, and plot devices. They all have you running through war zones and rubbled environments, throwing grenades and shooting at anything that moves, all while trying to save the human race from aliens. Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 both had you trying to prevent a domestic crisis or attack in the United States from groups of Russian terrorists, and you can hardly even tell the game boxes apart without the title. In five years, people will think back on them as ‘just another shooter.’

So now we come to the heart of the matter. With the latest trend of sequels, downloadable content, and expansion packs, gamers are complaining that everything seems too similar. And they are right. But you also have to wonder if comparing the similarities in a game, song, movie, or any other type of art with works that have come before it is really a valid complaint, or merely a limitation or constraint of a genre. When a game ‘copies’ a solid, popular, or well implemented mechanic from a previous title, should this be something we criticize? Is it wrong for game developers to be inspired by their competitors in an attempt to give audiences what they want? Or is it simply a sound business policy?

I would argue that audiences should never become fully trusting of repetition, and always be wary of the ‘cookie cutter’ style of art, lest we become content with mediocrity. Yet, by the same token, I would also argue that repetition and similarity is a common, and natural part of creating works of art (which I most certainly consider video games to be) that shouldn’t be used to discredit a work, so long as the end result is enjoyable. If history has taught us anything, it is that something cannot come from nothing. If similarity or repetition is a bad thing, then we should only read one fantasy book, play one first person shooter, level up one MMO character, have sex only for reproduction (ouch…), listen to one love song, and eat only one potato chip.

But what do you think? Do you agree? Or do you despise games, movies, and other art that is similar to things you have seen, played, or otherwise experienced in the past? Does a game have to dynamically change and come out with something groundbreaking and new in order to be a true masterpiece? Is that even possible anymore? Vote in the poll and leave a comment bellow to let us know what you think! Don’t be shy.

What is up Platform Nation and fellow Star Wars The Old Republic fans? Got another episode of The Holoterminal to share with you today. In Episode 8 I cover some tips that might help you level faster once you start getting to the later planets and levels in the game. I also go over some of the repercussions of the last patch, going over the changes to slicing and the rewards received from warzones, along with some slightly disturbing incidents and rumors that have been popping up in the forum community. Unfortunately, my co-host Brian Webb wasn’t able to make it to the show this time around, but he should be back next time.

If you are a new viewer, or haven’t seen any of my previous episodes, The Holoterminal is an on going video podcast series devoted to BioWare’s first MMO, Star Wars The Old Republic. In them I try to give you honest and informative insight into the game from a player’s perspective, along with a bit of light-hearted comedy.

Thank you for watching, see you next time!

 Ep. 8- Tips & Rumors

Welcome back everyone! New comers, happy to see ya. Last night, me and my good friend Brian spent our evening putting together three more short videos for your enjoyment that I would like to share with you today. We have a lot of fun putting these together for everyone in the Star Wars community, and we can get on a roll once we get a rhythm going (and a few beers). In the Holoterminal videos we try to provide you with honest and informative commentary about The Old Republic. In episode five we show you a compilation of gameplay footage, including a little space combat, while discussing security keys and how to go about setting them up on your phone, along with the news from the latest patch notes; and of course, we throw in a bit of good natured humor for you to chuckle over.

 Patch Notes Rock Out

In episode six I try and give you some pointers for keybinding options for not only SWTOR, but for other MMO’s as well. Just the other day me and a friend of mine were wondering why modern MMO’s don’t come with a professionally crafted (and optional) set of keybindings for each class in the game. Think about it, wouldn’t it be nice to at least have the option for not only your current skills, but the skills you would gain in future levels to be already bound to an optimal layout that was crafted by the developers themselves? Or if not the developers, how about bringing in input from some of the more ‘renowned’ MMO players out there? Well, sadly I am not a renowned MMO player, but I do have a fair amount of experience in the field. So be sure to give this short video a look.

Keybinding Tips

Finally, episode seven covers some of the general details about the game’s Legacy System, and its future. I was excited when I first read the dev post on the forums regarding this system some months back, and here I try and clear up any questions about it. It is basically a reward system that applies to every character you have on a given server. Be sure to watch the video to find out more!

The Legacy System

Thank you for watching, see you next time.

Welcome back Star Wars junkies, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Today I have another Star Wars Old Republic video for you from The Holoterminal, along with some general discussion of the game. If you have been listening to me podcasting here in Platform Nation, you know that I have been consumed by this game. I seem to remember predicting this storm some months back, yet the reality is proving to be far worse than some might have realized. And though we may be caught in the midst of the storm my friends, it feels oh so good to ride the wave. In the video bellow I show you some of the player versus player combat in SWTOR through the eyes of a Jedi Knight, as I chop my way through the Voidstar Warzone. As always, I provide you with commentary, where I discuss my first impressions of Bioware’s ambitious MMO along side my good friend Brian Webb. Be sure to stay until after the credits if you want a nice chuckle.

I will be having more guides and update videos coming down the pipe soon, so be on the look out for those. Thanks for watching, and happy holidays to everyone in the Platform Nation community!

What’s up Star Wars fans? The time is finally upon us, and this week marks the official start of the Early Access period for Star Wars The Old Republic. Several weeks ago, I published a beginner’s guide here on Platform Nation that was designed to help new players in their first days in BioWare’s new MMO. After seeing the positive reaction the article received, I have taken the liberty of creating a more complete video version for everyone to enjoy. In the guide I give you tips on quick travel locations, map options, specialty and commendation vendors, datacrons, companions, advanced class training, and more. Be sure to check it out, and while you are on The Holoterminal channel, be sure to subscribe and check out my other videos!

Continued in part 2…

Thanks for watching!  I hope to see you in game!

That’s right, EVE Online’s fifteenth free expansion, code named ‘Crucible,’ is now live! Like those before it, this new expansion offers an impressive list of changes and updates for fans of this dark and gritty sci-fi MMO. While developer CCP is still clinging to their foolish pursuit of walking in stations (which has boiled down to ‘walking in captains quarters’ for now), this expansion also makes some great updates to the core gameplay; which is what true fans of the game tend to care about. Some of these welcome changes include drones that will at least attempt to return to your drone bay before you warp off, a ‘loot all’ option, more detailed kill mails (for gloating purposes), UI scaling options, and some ship balancing. I am most excited about the drones update, as I honestly can’t remember how many drones my Gallente pilot has left behind in the cold reaches of space. Visual updates, which are always welcome, also include new warp effects, new space nebulas (backgrounds), engine trails for leaving space tracks, and new station-themed captain’s quarters.

New Teir 3 battle cruisers!

For a full run down on whats new, you can take a look at the Crucible features page. As a former EVE player, I have to say that this expansion has one of the most impressive lists of features I have seen in some time. It might not be enough to differ me away from Star Wars The Old Republic later this month, but the prospect is very tempting. EVE is not for everyone, but for those brave few, it can be one of the greatest games in existence. Although, I have to say that CCP seems to focus on improving the wrong sections of their game a lot of the time. Why would you attempt to come out with a completely separate (and completely useless) walking in stations system when the game’s mission system still has you running the same fifteen randomly assigned missions over and over? Missions and PvE has never been one of the main selling points in EVE to begin with, but there is no reason not to improve it. I love PvP pew pew as much as the next space pilot, but sometimes you just want to do something different, and walking around in a captains quarters or playing chess on a station isn’t exactly what I had in mind.

New nebulas

If you have never tried out EVE before, there is really no better time than the present, as the game has taken tremendous strides since its first inception. Plus, its not like the game is particularly expensive or doesn’t offer trial periods. A fifteen day trial period really only begins to scratch the surface of this incredibly in depth game, but it’s a start. The game demands a certain level of patience and commitment that is simply beyond most gamers, but there is a reason this game is still around. Just don’t expect it to be anything like WoW, or you will be sorely disappointed. For those EVE veterans out there, this new expansion is a great reason to hop back into the game.  Even if EVE doesn’t interest you, if you like dubsetp and awesome space ships, check out the launch video bellow because it is simply awesome.  Check it out!

EVE Online.com

Just a few weeks ago our very own Steven Artlip (Steve519) was absolutely floored by his time with Firefall during PAX Prime 2011. It’s come to the point where almost all the staff at Platform Nation has been won over by his enthusiasm and plan to squad up once the free massive multi-player shooter is released.

Red 5 Studios recently released a video highlighting their fifth Battleframe, Dreadnaught.  Each Battleframe serves as a separate class that you can play within the game and the Dreadnaught plays like the equivalent of a heavy gunner found in other squad based FPS games. Firefall also gives the Dreadnaught a whole suite of cool abilities to use while out on the battlefield. The abilities that are found in Firefall make it seem more like MMORPG than a shooter, and that is a mix I’m looking foward to getting my hands on.  Check out the trailer for the Dreadnaught below and don’t forget to enter for a chance to get into their beta at the Firefall Beta Registration Page.

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online is going to get a little bit spooky this Halloween. Have the perfect Halloween, with some new alternate costumes for your characters, and some new Halloween-inspired levels and gameplay with the new content. You can expect two alternative costumes for each of the characters.

If you aren’t familiar with Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, it’s a free-to-play browser-based MMO placing you in control of popular Marvel characters, such as Spiderman and the Hulk. With huge game worlds and missions for you to play and explore with your friends, you can explore from The World Tree to the sky of the Daily Bugle and many more Marvel locations.

Check out the Halloween trailer below: