A record breaker yes, but maybe not a record you were expecting?

In addition to it’s post-launch success The Old Republic can add a further commendation to it’s mantle… “Largest Entertainment Voice Over Project”.

Yes, and it’s official, Guinness official. No, it’s not official “after a few pints”, it’s in the Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition which helpfully re-prints the 200,000 lines of dialog voiced by the cast on pages 203 – 1718. (OK, maybe not the last bit)

This shows the dedication to getting it right at BioWare. The love for Star Wars, a cinematic experience primarily of course, and it’s focus on character and story.

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

- The RuneScape Wiki: The manual has now been moved over to our new, community-editable wiki. Even if you’ve never used or edited a wiki before, it’s really easy to do. Follow the link for details of the basic requirements for editing, and for guides on how to get started. 

- The Events Section: There’s a whole new section devoted to the organisation and advertisement of events. The Jagex Community Engagement team, clans and individual members of the community can put up details on the events feed and place a location pin into the events map to direct prospective attendees. 

- RuneScape News to the Fore: News, media and social networking activity feeds have been given pride of place on our new front page, ensuring that up-to-the-minute RuneScape information is readily available at all times.

For those not in the know, RuneScape is a non-linear fantasy free-to-play massively multiplayer online role playing game (f2p MMORPG) that has over 10 Million active users every month – with a mind blowing 160 Million registered accounts. It has been around for about 10 years, and is widely recognised as the most popular MMO to date.

If you’re interested in checking out the changes, or even giving the game a shot yourself, head on over to www.runescape.com

Filmed on location in Los Angeles, the trailer stars mega-popular YouTube show creators Tobuscus, SeaNanners, Katers17 and SMP Films.  They’re all featured prominently in action-packed vignettes that begin as live action scenes and play out as sequences in the game.  The video also showcases the level of self-expression at players’ fingertips with one of the deepest customization engines ever developed for a game.  It’s the inspiration behind the title, “Be All You Can’t Be.”

The release of the video trailer coincides with the launch today of a unique Facebook campaign for APB Reloaded.  Utilizing Fanrank, those who share the live action trailer and get their friends to join in the Free2Play fun in APB Reloaded will receive special in-game prizes. Later stages will introduce bigger prizes, new trailers, and ultimately a player museum of in-game and user generated content.  Visit http://tinyurl.com/7rcuhr8 to join and earn special prizing.

To get involved with APB Reloaded simply download the game from here http://www.gamersfirst.com/apb/?fbid=_-6njxZzLyE

With 500,000 new Dragons, Templars & Illuminati... Can you afford not to join?

Whilst “Star Wars: The Old Republic” might be the highest profile MMO launch this year (Decade? Millenia?) it’s “Secret World” that’s making all the running in terms of bringing something fresh, new and dynamic to the MMO marketplace.

And do you know what? MMO fans out there are backing it, in a very big way. Having just hit the 500,000 mark and with no let up in sight for new beta sign-ups this is certainly the MMO anyone interested in the genre should be all over right now.

Anyway, no time to chat, the Templar’s don’t run themselves you know!

Interested? Find out more at; http://www.thesecretworld.com.

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

And the winner is... Guild Wars 2!

Of all the mighty gaming titans at Eurogamer Expo 2011, Guild Wars 2 has been awarded the crown by the Expo’s creators.

A surprise to some, a joy to others, the announcement certainly chimes with what we were hearing & seeing on the show floor with existing fans delighted and many sceptics won over, it was the neutral gamer who often came away most impressed.

With everything from its; visuals, polish, scale, clarity, fun, speed, combat and choice getting rave reviews from many at the show the team won many admirers last week, and not only for their game, but also for their positive attitude and diligent presence on the show floor and behind the scenes.

We will, of course, be bringing you more on Guild Wars 2, oh so very, very soon!

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

The excitement is strong for this one...

EA / BioWare have confirmed that the launch date for their forthcoming mega-MMO; Star Wars: The Old Republic is now set for the 20th of December (2011) in the US and the 22nd in Europe.

So, we can all expect to be able to enrich those plodding “family Christmas” afternoons and evenings with some galactic fun of the highest order!

A very, very merry (& very, very early) Christmas from all of us here and throughout the Galactic Empire…

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

You’ve mentioned previously that the game will feature 6 vs 6 vs 6 battles, so clearly there is this team vs team vs team aspect to the game. Will there be a guild-like superstructure that is going to sit on top of the 6 vs 6 vs 6 multiplayer?

Yeah, in our plan there absolutely is. To be quite frank the key to having a community come and stay in is “I want to come back and play with my friends”. That’s the glue that keeps people coming back, so that is something that we will have. Right now we’re looking at the concept of guilds and the concept of clans and trying to find a way to marry them because in some ways our game is very much a dynamic action first person shooter, while in other ways it is an MMORPG. So we are trying to marry these features.

Is there a lot of passion for Warhammer in the team? Do you often get out the kits and tables and play the actual games?

There’s actually a Warhammer table right next to my desk. As well as the giant Warhammer table we have a gaming room, we have painting nights… and days. To be quite frank, I really like the 40K tabletop, but I love Warhammer Fantasy Online. Almost everybody at the studio has a relationship with the tabletop in some way; we have four members of staff that used to work for Games Workshop, so we have a lot of in-house love and knowledge, and we visit Games Workshop frequently. They’re one of the most focused companies in terms of the focus, their passion, and dedication to what they do, about making miniatures, about the hobby itself. It’s inspirational, and it is very much in-line with what Bioware represents in terms of cultivating the fans and the customers and the hobby and the love: it’s about the respect for that that we are trying to keep intact.

How are Games Workshop at telling you about what they are going to do with the lore?

We have a great process by which we submit everything: art, sound, script, words, website, video, everything goes through Games Workshop. They are very good at going “that is not our IP”, or letting us know when changes need to be made – “that’s not orkish enough!”, I’ve seen that written on a note! It’s actually a process that has been going on for a while now, we’ve been working with them for six or seven years, so we’ve got it pretty much down to a science now. Obviously for really big things we’ll go out and see them. I’ve been to Mecca, and it is beautiful – I’ve seen them making the miniatures, I couldn’t take pictures but it was beautiful, let me tell you.

You’ve said previously that you are sharing assets with Warhammer Online, is that all you’ll be sharing between the games?

Warhammer subscribers will be treated like VIPs in our game because these games are so related. We’re taking a franchise view, so, like I said, assets, bugs, a lot of things can be shared in terms of development. When it comes to treating subscribers they are going to be treated as VIPs. In some ways we think this (free to play) game could be an entry level point for Warhammer Online. So when someone comes in and says “you know what, this is cool, but I want more, I want something complex, something richer” then they can become a subscriber. They will get access to Warhammer Online plus whatever we decide to give to Warhammer Online Subscribers. We haven’t finalised what it is yet, but we want to do them right because they have been loyal to us for so long, and we really value those guys. I’ve been working on Warhammer Online for about five years, so it is a huge part of my life, so it is very important to me to preserve the community and make sure that they’re happy as they can be.

Are you going to ask the community what types of heroes to include in the game through competitions, or promotions?

Wow, you’re really good, that sounds like something we would like to do, wink wink (laughs). Probably, yeah.

Free to Play has emerged as this whole new branch of EA – do you work with the guys at Need For Speed World or Battlefield Heroes and compare notes?

Absolutely. I’m on my second trip to Sweden (where Dice, makers of Battlefield, are based) this year and I went to Vancouver about a month ago. You hear people say “oh EA they’re so big, grumble grumble”, but what they don’t realise is that because it is so big there is such a wealth of resources, and such brilliant minds (to work with). I went to Sweden and I just wrote for three days because I kept finding people that wanted to tell me everything that they had experienced on Battlefield Heroes and Battlefield Play For Free. They were so willing to share what not to do and what worked really well, so that’s one of the best things about EA. As the big company we can go talk to other (game developers) and have a relationship. So Need For Speed, we’re sharing a room with them right now, and we’re constantly jostling each other. Obviously it is a big company, so not everybody is connected, but when there needs to be (a connection) I can grab my lead designer and tell him to go talk to another lead designer and make sure that they’re able to have a conversation.

Are we to expect at some stage the announcement of a HeroLog, like Need For Speed’s Autolog, which allows you to integrate with all of your friends?

(laughing) Warlog? You know I actually like the name Autolog even though it has the word auto in it. I think Autolog is one of the most tremendous features, and I would love to announce that we are using it… but we aren’t yet. It is a great feature, and we want to use Autolog. Not to pimp another game, but I don’t know if you have seen SSX, where you can vote down other people that you’re sick and tired of seeing? What a great feature to have, because you always have the one friend that is always beating you… We haven’t actually coalesced the leaderboards and social side of things yet, but because we’re able to talk to those guys we want to take the best of what they have got and make it all work together.

How can people get involved with the game?

The game is in sign ups for beta now, with the beta coming very soon. The way to sign up is go to www.wrathofheroes.com and sign up for the beta. We’ll start inviting people in to the beta within the next few weeks.

You heard the lady – if this sounds like something that might interest you, head over to the site and sign up for the beta, it is free afterall. We aim to bring you more coverage of this game over the coming months, so, as ever, keep your eyes on newbreview.com.

Planetside 2; now with extra freeness...

John Smedley, SOE President, has revealed that Planetside 2 will be based around a F2P cost model.

Whilst no surprise, in this age of F2P growth, it is still very welcome news for all you MMOFPS fans.

The original Planetside being one of the pioneers of the MMOFPS genre, this sequel has a lot to live up to. And signs, so far, are good.

So, put away your wallet, and keep an eye on us for further news on this.

- Richard “Rax” Burley
@Raxous

The excitement is strong for this one...

International pre-order is now available for the biggest MMo launch of 2011, Start Wars: The Old Republic.

By visiting the game’s pre-order site at http://www.swtor.com/preorder you can find the relevant options and possible avenues for gaining access to them.

Whilst the Collector’s edition is suitably replete with extras it is interestingly not available from Origin, EA’s own digital download store? One can only imagine this will change, as keeping retailers happy is completely understandable, but penalising those wanting (or needing) a digital only copy seems an unlikely move for a community minded company like EA.

No mention yet of availability on Steam…

- Richard “Rax” Burley

Wait? What? Seriously? Awesome!

The now legendary “Hellgate: London” is due to rise from the ashes of… well… itself shortly!

One of the most talked about MMOs of it’s day it spectacularly failed to deliver on it’s many promises at launch and rather than a true FPS MMO we got a rather uninspiring, chaotic & extremely buggy offering.

Having played the beta and then the live offering before throwing in the towel when it really didn’t deliver, at all, we are excited to see what HanbitSoft, T3 Entertainment and Redbana do with their promised full conversion of Hellgate: London to free-to-play, microtransaction-supported.

Following a closed beta between June 3-5 development will continue apace with a PC launch sketched in for later in 2011. Here’s hoping for a true FPS MMO this time round and not just another “Action RPG”…

Will this be a triumphant phoenix emerging from it’s own ashes or another goose crashing and burning into Hades… only time will tell…

 

The nice thing about gates is they close and they open. They close and they open.

HanbitSoft and company expect to open up the retooled Hellgate: London for a brief closed-beta window between June 3-5. The team expects to release more information on how to gain access to the beta test through the game’s official website. A full launch for the PC is expected to follow later this year.

Often likened to a postapocalyptic Diablo, Hellgate: London melded fast-paced shooter action with role-playing game item collection and character development. The title was created by Flagship Studios, which was cofounded by one-time Blizzard North executive Bill Roper.

For more information on Hellgate: London, including a post-shutdown postmortem, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

Lucent Heart, the award-winning online MMORPG adventure from leading publisher Gamania is to begin its quest in the UK and mainland Europe this summer.
 
This free to play game has enjoyed enourmous success in Asia, winning multiple awards in Japan where it is considered one of the most authentic anime MMO’s currently in play.
 
Based in the beautiful land of Acadia, Lucent Heart tells the story of two sister deities: Theia, the goddess who bears the powerful Lucent Heart, and Cadena, her corrupted sister who was led astray by the Dark Goddess Hecate. Although Hecate has been sealed away for many years, the Dark Goddess Cadena and her minions will stop at nothing to keep peace from returning to Acadia. As the Goddess Theia searches for her sister, eager to restore the goodness within her, Cadena uses her dark magic to strike out against humanity, sending hordes of monsters and chaotic disasters upon the land. Long ago, the Goddess Theia asked you to help restore peace to the land. Do you have the courage to bear this burden?
 
Lucent Heart distinctively combines its anime style with inspiration from the zodiac and greek mythology. When players develop their own characters, they don’t simply decide between a Warrior or Mage specialing in crafts or quests, the players’ entire adventure will be influenced by their zodiac star sign. Each day, Lucent Heart announces a horoscope prediction specific to every player, which foretells how their character’s abilities, such as their fortune in battle or love, will be affected. With the power of the zodiac influencing their quests, regardless how players approach the game, their destiny is not always in their own hands. The question is: will players be brave enough to enter this world and embrace the Lucent Heart?
 
Lucent Heart will be Gamania’s first game launch into the UK, and mainland Europe, and with it, their unique take on in-game social interaction reaches a new level. Like many online MMORPG’s, players travel the lands meeting new players. Some will become friends, some enemies, but Lucent Heart demands a little more than that. Invited by the love-god Cupid, players can be matched up by, amongst other things, compatible star signs. This match-making process brings together players from all backgrounds where lasting friendships, and sometimes love, can blossom. If love blooms even further, players can marry in-game with a full church wedding inviting all of their friends!
 
Lucent Heart will shortly begin its Sneak Peek Beta testing in March 2011 so, if there are players brave enough to see how their destiny will unfold, they can “Like” Lucent Heart UK on Facebook where they can see, hear and feel the magic of Acadia and be the first to experience the power of Lucent Heart!

Bungie + Activision = Destiny

So, what next after the hugeness that was Halo?

Well for Bungie at least it looks set to be Halo MMO… sorry, I mean a totally new concept of a space set shooter… wait for it… MMO tentatively titled “Destiny”. We presume there will be some sort of points based system with unlockable equipment and achievements, co-operative play (maybe small squads of say… erm.. 4 players)… and the like… and if you’re wondering how we Reach that conclusion then you’ll just have to erm… meet us at our next Waypoint and ask? (*sigh*)…

Despite the violently unsuprising nature of this announcement it sounds like it may well be a keeper… as Bungie put it themselves… “World of Warcraft in Space”… we really don’t know if we should laugh or cry!

Reprising her role from Batman the Animated Series, Arleen Sorkin returns as the Joker’s deranged love interest Harley Quinn.

It is hard to imagine anyone but Arleen Sorkin lending their voice to Harley Quinn

Fans of the DC animated universe will also rejoice to hear that Corey Burton will reprise his role as Braniac from Superman the animated series, and Justice League. Will Wheaton, most famous for playing Wesley Crusher in Star Trek The Next Generation, will voice Robin and other famous TV face Dwight Schultz – Howling Mad Murdock from The A-Team – will play The Flash.

“The addition of these actors to our existing cast reaffirms our commitment to gamers to deliver the most fun and authentic DC Universe experience possible,” said Sony Online Entertainment executive producer John Blakely.  “They’re all experienced and talented performers and we’re excited for players to hear their work when they encounter them in the game.”

DC Universe Online is due for release early in 2011 for PC and Playstation 3. Stay tuned to The Newb Review for more coverage on this game as and when we get our hands on it!

The full press release goes on to say:

“Planet Michael will offer fans around the globe an innovative interactive gaming and social experience that celebrates Michael Jackson’s life as an artist and humanitarian. This is just the first of a virtual reality universe of connected planets tied to licensed franchises produced by SEE Virtual Worlds.”

“The new planet, currently slated for launch next year, will be an immersive virtual space themed after iconic visuals drawn from Michael’s music, his life, and the global issues that concerned him. At its core, Planet Michael is a massive social gaming experience that will allow everyone, from the hardcore fan to the novice, to connect and engage in collaborative in-game activities with people worldwide. Entire continents will be created that will celebrate Michael’s unique genius in a way that underscores his place as the greatest artist of all time. Michael’s long-time fans will feel at home, as they find themselves in places that seem familiar and yet unknown at the same time, and new generations will discover and experience Michael’s life in a way never before imagined.”

“Planet Michael is one of the first themed planets that SEE Virtual Worlds will publish for the Entropia Universe, a vast dynamic 3D environment created and provided to end users by MindArk PE AB.  The Entropia Universe features several existing planets and combines a revolutionary cash economy with cutting-edge graphics. Although Planet Michael is a free-to-download world without monthly subscription fees, the real world in-game economy features gameplay monetization that allows players to take on dozens of different occupations and, in certain instances, contribute to a charitable cause at the same time.”

“When we first approached the Estate and talked about creating Planet Michael, one of our primary goals was to build an interactive environment where fans from all over the world come together to affirm Michael’s life-long dedication to fostering global friendships,” said Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Virtual Worlds. “In building a space worthy of those global connections, we envisioned a magical, enjoyable place that will capture that zest for fun and life that was at Michael’s very core. Throughout his extensive career, the King of Pop was well-known for his visionary contributions to music, dance, fashion, entertainment and philanthropy, and it was critical that we somehow incorporate all of those elements into the game.”

“No artist unified the world like Michael Jackson, so it is fitting that in Planet Michael his fans will be able to join together in such a unique way online to celebrate his music, his artistry and his devotion to helping those in need,” said John Branca, co-executor for The Estate of Michael Jackson. “Michael was always exploring creative new ways technology could enhance the experiences of his fans, and for that reason we are thrilled to be working with SEE Virtual Worlds to build a global interactive experience that befits an artist as innovative as Michael Jackson” added John McClain, co-executor of the Estate.

For game updates and to register to become a part of Planet Michael, please visit: www.planetmichael.com

Unlike most Final Fantasy games Final Fantasy XIV is an online only multiplayer game due for realease on Playstation 3 in March of next year, with a PC version arriving some time before that.  Square Enix has not revealed how much a subscription to the game will cost, but rest assured we’ll inform you as soon as we find out!

Stay tuned to The Newb Review for our continuing coverage of this years Tokyo Game Show!

“Well, MMOs like WoW fill this idiom, don’t they?” You may well ask. My dear friends, I would argue that they do not. I agree, they present a level of escapism: who can claim they aren’t escaping when they run around the lush fields of Azeroth as their chosen muscular Night Elf or ludicrously buxom human mage? However, escapism is a misnomer when the developers insist on emphasising human interaction within their game world.

In order to truly succeed in MMOs like WoW, you have to organise yourselves into groups to wade through dungeons and especially to defeat the larger enemies. However, the game world is plagued with exactly the same cretins and morons as the real world. In fact, games such as WoW seem to be havens for the feckless; a concentration of brainless knock-holes that ruin the experience for everyone with either petty squabbling, or moronic behaviour.

Despite their shortfalls, MMOs have become spectacularly popular. The financial viability of releasing your very own massively multiplayer game seems to have seduced almost every developer out there. MMOs are essentially a licence to print money. I mean, who wouldn’t love to have a game where players wilfully hand over wads of cash to continue playing?

The added benefit of the monthly fee is that players become more invested in the game world than they would otherwise. Players will think not only of their enjoyment when they think of moving on to other games, they will also consider how much time and money they have ploughed into the game. This is the primary reason for WoWs continued success: why would you leave when you’ve already spent so much time and money developing your ‘level capped’ creation?

I count 20 people on screen - that makes £160 a month just from these guys...

Perhaps the most harrowing fact about MMOs is the extent to which they are seeping across genres. Whilst RPGs have been traditionally the only successful MMOs to date, faster broadband has meant that other genres could soon be equally as aflicted. Anyone sharing my fear of having to pay for a game several times over with monthly subscription payments will feel the same chill down their spine when they hear a Call of Duty MMO has not only been planned, but is currently in the making.

I implore you, gamers of the world: don’t be seduced by the enticement of continually added content. Don’t ignore the fact that you will be paying many times more than the box price to play the game within it. And most of all, don’t ignore the fact that the game world will be littered with the same idiots you avoid in the real world. Say no to MMOs.

MMO = Massively Multiplayer Online – a video game capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players interacting simultaneously.