Watch an indie developer program a feature in real time
Playing games can desensitize you to the fact that they’re really an amalgamation of number and letter strings, each of which was painstakingly placed in the proper order. This Matrix-like wizardry isn’t often seen in full, but Daniel Tabár of Data Realms has done us the kindness of offering a window into the intricate labor that goes into coding a game.
In a series of three videos spanning nearly five hours in total (!), Tabár walks us through his process for adding the Techs feature to the indie sidescrolling shooter Cortex Command. You might recognize the game from 2010′s Humble Indie Bundle 2—now see a fraction of all the work that went into making it.
Seize power with TERA’s intriguing political system
Do you fancy yourself a born leader? What if you could prove it, without the fake photo smiles, baby-kissing, or mud-slinging of real world politics? With TERA’s upcoming political system, you can set out on a campaign for control from the comfort of your butt-contoured chair. In this exclusive video, hear from TERA producer Chris Hager as he explains the ins-and-outs of taking office in an MMO. Whether you attain leadership through brute force or popularity, you’ll have a heck of a time working to please the people and get the server population on your side. But hey—isn’t that what politics are all about?
Diablo III interview—What diehard Diablo II fans can expect from D3
Change can be hard. When Diablo III’s aesthetic direction was first revealed, parts of the Diablo II community erupted with complaints, claiming that the graphics weren’t in the true spirit of the Diablo series. But what about the gameplay itself? As a hardcore D2 player, with plenty of alts, gear, and Stone of Jordans stashed away in the bank, I wanted to know what Diablo III would offer to players who consider themselves intimately familiar with D2′s mechanics. We asked D3′s senior technical game designer Wyatt Cheng and senior game designer Andrew Chambers about what parallels we could expect from the next installment. We were surprised by what’s actually making it into the game, and it’s great getting insight into Blizzard’s viewpoint on hardcore gamers.
MOBA hero spotlight: Smite’s Ymir
I’ve just become the frosty filling of an ice-wall sandwich. Josh and I are getting hands-on time with Hi-Rez Studios’ Smite, and we’re right at eye-level with the action thanks to the third-person camera angle. Through sheer coincidence, we’ve both chosen Ymir, the leader of the frost giants from Norse mythology, as the tank of our opposing teams. This astral plane isn’t big enough for two ice giants—may be the best frost titan win.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm interview—Blizzard breaks down Zerg lore
[SPAWN MORE SPOILER-LORDS!] With the taste Blizzard’s given us for the upcoming StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm expansion, we’ve been left with many more questions than answers. What happened to Kerrigan since the ending of Wings of Liberty? Why is she back to reclaim her matriarchal role at the head of the Zerg forces? How did Kerrigan get so smokin’ hot? We threw these questions (and more) at StarCraft II’s lead writer, Brian Kindregan. Come see what he had to say about the Queen of Blades, the Great War, and what exactly the Zerg are fighting for.
Public Service Announcement: free-to-play Bloodline Champions now on Steam
If there was ever a free-to-play game on Steam, other than TF2, that you needed to play, this is it. Funcom’s fast-paced arena combat game, Bloodline Champions, is now available to one and all on Steam, and we couldn’t be happier—the twitch-based, skill-shot focused arena fighter is a perfect fit for Counter-Strike and League of Legends fans alike. Weighing in at less than 1GB, it’s easy to pull down and jump in to see how its tribal theme and intense teamfights strike your fancy. We’ll have some Steam events in the near future to see who can take down the “amazing” team of my Alchemist and Josh’s Ravener.
Prepare for PvP in WoW’s upcoming battlegrounds
To many WoW players, PvP is the heart and soul of the game. The sweet satisfaction of slaying your target is just so pure, and killing in a new setting makes it even better. With that in mind, Blizzard’s announced four new battlegrounds in the Mists of Pandaria expansion, each with their own inspiration and objective. See what we’ll be playing nonstop once the gates to these stomping grounds open up.
Kung fu fighting (fast as lightning) with the new Monk class in WoW: Mists of Pandaria
With the reveal of the new Monk class in the next World of Warcraft expansion, Mists of Pandaria, Blizzard’s taking a whole new approach to combat. As the bruiser Monk class, available to every race except Worgen and Goblins, you’ll be flinging punches and thwacking enemies with impunity through the new content. They’ve even got an entirely new approach to killing mobs in WoW: absolutely no auto-attacking. Here’s everything you need to know about the class that let you live out your Pandaren Brewmaster fantasies.
First glimpse at Blizzard DOTA; may be entirely free-to-play via SC2 Starter Edition [Updated]
With a wink and a nod, Chris Metzen revealed a new trailer for the official Blizzard DOTA map for StarCraft II at this morning’s BlizzCon Opening Ceremony. This map may not have the same hype level as StarCraft II’s new multiplayer units, but Blizzard has wisely chosen to focus on another asset in their expertise: finding the humor in fights to the death. Alongside offering a new creep, lane, and jungling experience, Blizzard has hinted at “a way to play Blizzard DOTA for free, possibly by including it as part of the StarCraft II: Starter Edition.” Check out the four hero roles and the nitty-gritty of the raucous hero-versus-hero romp.
Composite images tease new MechWarrior reboot; robo-battle enthusiasts rejoice
If you’re a fan of the classic MechWarrior series—and something tells us you are—get ready for some intel that will make you motorized head spin. Recent tweets by @InnerSphereNews, the news source for the human homeworld of Terra, show a string of images resembling components to a gargantuan killing machine. Put all the pictures together, and you get most of an announcement for the long-awaited return of the MW series in 201X, alongside a Mech complete with shoulder-mounted rockets and laser-sighted machine gun fists. Could we be seeing the first glimpse of the new BLR-1G Battlemaster or PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk? No matter the Battlemech, we’re fervent with anticipation to hop back into the cockpit of a five-story, 100-ton weapon of mass destruction.
Check out Core Blaze, an action MMO complete with blue ice panthers
Call me crazy, but an MMO’s aesthetics can go a long way towards making it stick out from the rest of the pack. That’s how I first noticed Core Blaze, an action MMO in the same vein as Vindictus, being made by Taiwanese developer Gamania. This hack-’n'-slash RPG is quite the looker, using an appealing Chinese art style built in the Unreal Engine 3 to give your monster-slaying an extra coat of polish. Read on to see gameplay footage and a grip of sweet screenshots that’ll put the fear of Liang Qu in you.
Meet Heroes of Newerth’s latest fighters: Rhapsody and Master of Arms
With its recent transition to the free-to-play model, S2 Games is staying strong with Heroes of Newerth, releasing two heroes in the latest update for the second time in a row. This week, we welcome Rhapsody, a support-caster songstress, and Master of Arms, a gruff gunner with dual functions on all of his abilities. We’ve got some sweet tips on how best to play this dynamic duo, so be sure to check ‘em out before you head online.
Snag the new Gamer Power BTS11 on the cheap
We understand the plight of the college PC gamer: you need a new computer that can run your favorite games with ease, but everything’s too expensive from your parents’ point of view. But worry no more—iBUYPOWER’s got your back with the deal for their new Gamer Power BTS11, a desktop computer that’ll serve as your throne of gaming power when it’s not processing those terrifying term papers. You can grab the Gamer BTS11 from TigerDirect.com or iBUYPOWER.com for a mere $999 if you order it before September 30th; sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us. Check out the specs of this beaut’, then get ready to tell your parents that this costs less than most laptops.
Valve to hold $1,000,000 Dota 2 tournament at Gamescom
Is your jaw open right now? That’s probably thanks to Valve’s announcement of The International, the Dota 2 tournament taking place August 17 to August 21 at Gamescom in Germany. This will be the first look that the public gets at Valve’s reboot of the classic Warcraft III custom game, and they plan on kicking things off with an esports bang. Sixteen hand-picked teams from around the world will compete in a double-elimination tournament, with the winning team receiving $1 million. One. Million. Dollars. You may now do a Dr. Evil impression if you’re so inclined.
Batman: Arkham City pre-order skins look awesome
Warner Bros. Interactive, you are one sly devil. Pre-order bonuses are usually nothing to make a fuss over, but these retailer exclusive skins for Batman: Arkham City are a cut above. At the moment, they’re only confirmed for a UK release, but to miss out on these nostalgic get-ups would be a travesty. Check out which costume is which and where you can get them, then dig up all your old Batman action figures for reference.
