Stratics Central

Starting today, Rite-Aid drug stores will be carrying a new kind of prepaid game card, called the ONE Power-Up Game Card.
For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of prepaid game cards,
check your local corner store (7-11, Rite-Aid, CVS, etc.) and you'll
likely see stacks of them. Pick one up in cash, and you can redeem the
card on that game's site and play without using a credit card. The
concept is great for those without credit cards like minors, or those
who are worried about credit card security. But one of the downsides
for most prepaid cards is that they are limited to a single developer
and are one-shot deals.

In a report to be released later this week, a company called Absolute Quality (a subsidiary of gaming services company e4e) has completed a bio-sensory study of how "engaged" gamers really are when they play.* The study concluded that while game developers get the biggest reaction out of cutscenes, exposition, and scripted ecnounters, their target audience does not and prefers the simpler gameplay aspects of "running and gunning". Using a wireless headset from EmSense that scans subjects brain waves (EEG), visual reactions, and the like from dozens of sensors, the test involved subjects playing through a game, with moments of emotive activity being recorded and tagged with the in-game action that they correspond to. According to Absolute Quality, the system measures "objective and continuous emotional and cognitive responses." 

Continuing our post-GDC review coverage, I had a chance to sit down with Bryan Davies and André Herbst for a review of the upcoming semi-massive multiplayer shooter Parabellum. Developed by ACONY and published by K2 Network and GamersFirst, Parabellum combines FPS gameplay familiar to most gamers from classics like Counterstrike, and marries it with some of the latest developments in MMO games.

The raging flood of programmers, designers, crackberries, iPhones, and wide-eyed students that flood the annual Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco has once again receded, and amidst the devastation (and post-con SARS) Stratics survives to bring you the low-down on the latest and greatest in MMO news. We took some time out from the convention to sit down with Mindfuse Games CEO Joseph Waters and studio director Isa Stamos for an introduction into the world of Gatheryn.

This post comes to you live from the floor of VGXPO in Philadelphia, PA. I spoke with the PA Jedi, a group of lightsaber enthusiasts from Pennsylvania who had a booth up at VGXPO, about their impressions and expectations for the upcoming KOTOR MMORPG. The PA Jedi are more into choreography than sparring, but they do use real world fighting techniques to enhance their stage shows.

This column on gold farming and the law was written by Age of Conan Stratics columnist, Dan "SWATJester" Rosenthal. While specifically addressing the impact to the Age of Conan player in his summary, gold farming touches on every MMO game that we enjoy.

"Gold Farming", "Power Leveling" and "RMT" are terms that, until recent times, had not been part of most MMORPG players' lexicons. Now, however, they're common phrases for nearly anyone in a vast array of games and virtual worlds. Last week, a federal district court made an important ruling that will affect millions of MMORPG players. Our weekly wrap-up will discuss that and other pending cases, and what they'll mean for Age of Conan players.

Last week, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, issued an order in the case MDY Industries v. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (Vivendi Games was also a part to the case, on Blizzard's side). The order granted summary judgment to both MDY and Blizzard on various issues, but in essence was a huge legal victory for Blizzard. The 27 page opinion involves a lot of complex legal issues, but luckily we're here to give you the summary of what it means for you as a gamer, and for the industry as a whole.

Continue reading the entire column here.

Irvine, Ca. - June 25th, 2008 - K2 Network, one of today's most popular free-to-play online game publishers and social portals for gaming enthusiasts, announces that Nocturnal Sonata, the newest expansion for Sword of the New World is now available.

The update introduces the land of Caebolan (pronounced SAY-boh-lan) once a beautiful region rumored to be a holy land hiding the path to the city of El Dorado. After a huge explosion, Caebolan is now a barren wasteland littered with relics and remnants of a lost and ancient civilization. The entrance to this new land is blocked by a powerful titan that must be conquered in a massive world event; multiple clans working together is the only way to unlock Caebolan.

Hot off the press, we are proud to bring you some images from the Requiem: Bloodymare beta.

Check out what's in store for Requiem: Bloodymare at their official site here.

Role-playing: a phrase that conjures up images of lonely teenage boys sitting around a basement, casting magic missiles at the darkness. But it goes well beyond anything the Dead Alewives1 showed us: role-playing games, both "traditional2" and electronic, have become a multi-million dollar industry, and a core facet of both hobbyists and gamers alike.

Before I truly get started, a definition is in order. Just what is role-playing? And, specifically, how does it apply to online gaming? Role-playing, for the purposes of this article, is the act of taking on a persona, or role, within the confines of a game or virtual world. It is the act of remaining conscious of that persona while progressing through the virtual world. Role-playing is an exercise in exploring identity and characterization, and has multiple levels of meaning. Role-playing has its roots in childhood games (Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, Playing House, etc) and invokes the imagination at different stages.

In the world of Requiem, seemingly safe forests might turn out deadly when Nightmare strikes – every night – and even the most fearless warrior thinks twice before setting foot in the many mines and catacombs of Ethegia.