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PS All-Stars DLC Characters Kat and Emmett Detailed

by James Lara

January 9, 2013 7:26 pm in News

Its been a while since we last heard of the free DLC coming to PS All-Star, but Superbot Developer Daniel “Clockw0rk” Maniago, AKA Strider_Doom, has revealed some interesting notes on both Kat and Emmett.

KAT

Mainly a rushdown character, specializes in mobility. She probably has the best mobility of all the cast due to the different ways in which she can get around.
Her square attacks are her usual kick attacks.
Triangles are “gravity” themed moves, including her slide and gravity kicks!
Circle is “other” stuff, including gravity pull/push moves.
She’s a combo character! I like to compare her to a simpler Dante in terms of her combo ability. She has simple combos that build a decent amount of AP and more advanced combos that allow her to AP burst.
She has a really cool move with neutral Circle. She summons 3 pieces of random debris around her that she can hurl at opponents. The hurling has no startup, but she is extremely vulnerable while summoning. This move unlocks her advanced combos, as you can throw debris between attacks. For any of you MvC2 / COTA players, think Spiral’s swords.
Her level 2 super is sick. It’s kind of like a reverse Sir Daniel level 2, except she fires downwards instead of upwards. She also has a bit of control over when and where she fires the stalagmites.

EMMETT

The point of Emmett is to bring his build and battle style to PASBR. He can utilize different weapon loadouts which he summons with Triangle.
He can summon a turret to fire at opponents for extra AP. The turret is destructible, though.
He can also summon a Rift Extractor that generates AP, similar to PaRappa’s boombox.
His default weapon loadout is a standard rifle. He also uses a pistol in this loadout.
For close range battles, his Shotgun loadout is best. Fires quick, 30 AP per hit, and you can fire in multiple directions.
Long range battles are best fought with the Rocket Launcher loadout. The rockets don’t travel super fast, but they’re aimable and will travel the entire length of the screen.
Different loadouts will also have different grenades and mines to use.
His square attacks are melee based attacks that don’t change. They’re a bit limited, but rightfully so considering his other tools.
His level 1 super will change depending on which loadout you have, effectively giving him 5 supers total.
His level 3 is a transform super similar to Sweet Tooth. He jumps in his Hawk and goes to town! The Hawk has a machine gun, aerial mines, and melee attacks. What’s interesting is that Circle will activate Flight Mode in which the Hawk flies off the screen and goes for a quick bombing run.
Flight Mode will immediately end his level 3. Why wouldn’t you try to get some kills first before activating Flight Mode, you ask?! Well, the amount of “bombing” that the Hawk does will depend on how many kills you’ve gotten so far. So, if you’ve already scored 3 kills with the Hawk’s other moves, the bombing run won’t be as effective as it would have been if you activated at only 1 or 2 kills.

Along with these DLC characters, players will also be able to download the new map “Fearless,” which is a mash-up between Heavenly Sword and Wipeout. No release date has been set, but we can expect to hear about that real soon, but remember, once the DLC hits, they will only be free for the first two weeks of launch.

James Lara

A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.

Home > Features

Far Cry 3 Multiplayer Review

by James Lara

3:06 pm in Features

Patch Notes

PC

December 04, 2012
December 14, 2012
December 21, 2012

Xbox 360 + PS3

January 11, 2013

Review

If you’re one of the many followers of the Far Cry series, then you’ll know that it’s quite easy to get lost in such imaginative worlds that Ubisoft have created. Filled with dangers around every corner, beautiful graphics, and enjoyable gameplay, Far Cry 3 single-player is where it’s all at. It’s too bad the same can’t be said about the multiplayer.

Disclaimer

I’m going to come out and say this first before I get ran over an angered mass of comments: Far Cry 3 is, by far, one of the best single player games that I have played this generation. It’s pretty hard to produce a first-person shooter with some actual soul to it. Yet, the developers over at Ubisoft Montreal have gone above and beyond, and even corrected the many mistakes found in the last iteration of the series. The single player alone is “Game of The Year” material and well worth the purchase. Now, on to the multiplayer review.

This review is based on the Multiplayer Component only. While many games do have strong single player side, it is not always true for the multiplayer, or vice versa, and for that, we are only scoring the multiplayer portion of this title.

Gameplay

Being a fan of the past two titles, I can say that the controls feel better if you ignore some of the minor issues. The first thing you’ll most likely notice is the weighted control feel. Personally, I’m a fan of such feeling, especially that of the one found in Killzone 2 or Battlefield 3. Characters don’t feel like they are skidding on ice. The controls feel just right, though I will admit, at times, they do feel a bit clumsy. FPS players won’t have to worry about different control schemes either, as they have been set to today’s standards, with a few added actions. Gameplay and feel is just one of the few pluses of Far Cry 3’s multiplayer.

Things can get heated fast.

One of the added actions is self-healing. Unlike most first-person shooters today, Far Cry 3 doesn’t feature automatic or regenerative healing. Instead, if you take too much damage, you’ll be able to heal yourself. Edit: Regenerative health is featured in Far Cry 3’s multiplayer, though not always noticeable due to quick deaths. Similar to the single player, you’ll wrap bandages, inject yourself with syringes, and use other healing methods. I actually like this a lot as it adds more to the feeling of survival during multiplayer. This technique also works on downed players so that you can revive them, though it does seem rather pointless considering how quickly players can die (which we’ll get into later). Downed players, though, do have the option to struggle. A meter appears and mashing the correct button will cause the meter to decrease tremendously in speed.

Killstreaks also make an appearance in the multiplayer, but work as a super-meter. To explain this a bit better, at the bottom of the screen, there is a meter with three bars. When one meter fills up, you’ll be able to use a killstreak. When the second meter is filled, you’ll have access to a new killstreak and same goes for the third. However, unlike other titles, you only get one killstreak. So if you have a level three streak, you can only use that level streak, not level two or one due to meter consumption. This is a really balanced way of doing killstreak as players won’t constantly be spamming them, due to consumption. There are a few different streaks out there such as a propane tank, which pretty much explodes if shot at. There’s another one that causes certain parts of the field to be contaminated with poisonous gasses, which harm enemies and confuse friend from foe, tricking you into shooting teammates.

As for the maps, the multiplayer boasts a total of 10 maps, and though all of them are jungle-themed , Ubisoft has done a great job of differentiating each from one another. In one map you’ll be fighting in nothing but jungle. Moments later, it’ll quickly shift its focus from outside to underground passages. In another, you’ll be fending off positions from high above crashed ships, while others battle in close-quarters on the deck of the ship. The maps are all created well, and support both close quarters and wide-open areas. It’s a great mix that many first-person-shooters fail to accomplish, considering that most just go with one or the other.

Sadly, the multiplayer doesn’t feature any online vehicles, and being a fan, I just can’t help myself but wonder why they really made that decision. To me, vehicles have always made Far Cry a Far Cry game, differentiating it from all those other FPS titles. It seems now that it has taken the “Call of Duty” route by sacrificing key gameplay components found in previous Far Cry games and replaced with fast paced action with little to no teamwork needed. I’m not saying that Call of Duty’s multiplayer experience is bad, but the direction of Far Cry 3 multiplayer does resemble it in many ways and lacks originality.

Customization

The online mode features custom load-outs with unlockables, similar to that of which you’ll find in Call of Duty. You’ll be able to customize your weapon, add mods to it, and even equip abilities known as Battle Cries, which are technically your “perks,” but they affect both you and your teammates. I found this to be a great addition to the gameplay. Unfortunately, I also found that the poor weapon balancing rendered custom load-out obsolete. In other shooters, custom load-outs were always great to have in order to help you get out of tight situations. If a sniper was sending rounds at me from across the map, the most reasonable thing to do would be to switch to a custom load-out with a rifle that is meant to deal with them. In Far Cry 3’s case, any weapon will do (except shotguns), considering the long-range in which most weapons are effective. This brings me to the balancing issues.

Death With Every Bullet

Weapon balancing has always been an issue with all first-person shooters, though I feel as if Far Cry 3 has no balancing to it whatsoever. We all hate those moments online where we spawn only to die a second later due to badly placed spawn points. Luckily, Far Cry 3 does not suffer from that; however, you’ll most likely die as often as if you did spawn in a poor spot. In multiplayer matches, it isn’t rare to see someone mow down an entire team with just a single magazine of rounds out of their assault rifle. At times, you wonder how it was even possible to die so quickly. Also, the aim-assist is just beyond annoying since it’s so generous to a player. Getting a head shot in Far Cry 3 is a breeze.

Did you just one-shot-kill me?

Game Modes

Team Deathmatch

I don’t really need to go into very much detail here, seeing that TDM is standard mode found in nearly all competitive multiplayer shooters: One team against another, battle it out until either team reaches the designated score or has the highest when the timer runs out.

Domination

Also another classic, this mode will have two teams battling it out for control of designated place nodes. Teams will earn points the longer they hold a node. Who ever reaches the targeted score wins.

Transmission

This is pretty much your re-named headquarters mode. Like Domination, teams will fight for control over specific nodes that appear in sections of a map. The longer it’s held, the more points the team gets, but only to a certain extent as the node will eventually deactivate and another one will activate.

Firestorm

Probably the only unique game modes in Far Cry 3 that truly makes use of teamwork. Each team is tasked with setting the other team’s two nodes on fire. Once this has been accomplished, the teams will battle it out against not only each other, but also the spreading fire from the nodes you set aflame, all while they head towards the designated radar dish for victory.

Co-op

Co-op: The only mode I could truly enjoy playing with others.

Thankfully, all of the issues I have with the player-vs-player multiplayer can’t be said for co-operative multiplayer. The co-op campaign takes place 6 months before the actual events of the main story of Far Cry 3. Featuring 4 players total – composed of a Russian hitman, an ex-cop, an ex-military soldier, and a Scottish thug – the co-op is surely a must play game mode. Blending all the positive elements found in the multiplayer, and mixing it up with some key single-player aspects such as scripted sequences, the co-op does a great job of standing on its own two feet. Though, yes, it takes place in the Rook Archipelago, events unfold on a different island than that of the main story. Players can expect this to be a much more linear experience; however, this shouldn’t distract you from the countless hours of fun that can be had with friends while taking down hoards of enemies, which disperse in waves as progress is pushed. The revive feature also seems to be far more effective as enemy NPCs, despite how quickly they could overwhelm you, won’t kill you quickly. Weapon load-outs also seem to be much more useful than in actual player vs. player modes. I feel that the contents of the PvP modes fit more naturally and are more balanced in co-op.

Map Editor – The Double Edge Sword

I absolutely love the freedom given in the map editor. The map editor is just as it sounds. It allows you to edit the terrain, add objects, vehicles, zip-lines, etc. There are an endless amount of things that can be created and added to custom maps, which for any online shooter to have is an absolute dream, or at least one would think so.

Create whatever you want, just make sure there are no vehicles, AI, animals and other things when submitting.

I know Far Cry 2 had its faults, but the map editor and the way players could publish anything created within it makes me wonder why Ubisoft made certain decisions with Far Cry 3’s editor. If your map has AI, you can’t publish it. If your map has vehicles, you can’t publish it. It must also go through validation to make sure restricted items aren’t published. Now, one might wonder, why is this such a huge issue? It’s because we are told that we have complete freedom when it comes to creating a map, but then get hit with a wall of restrictions. What’s the point of being able to add AI, animals, vehicles, etc., if I can’t share it with anyone? Far Cry 2 gave us the ability to do so, so why has it been removed? It’s just absolute insanity that they would give us such a tool, only to make it almost pointless. I say almost because from time to time, if the playlist is actually working, you’ll be able to get into some custom maps, which aren’t too bad.

A Dull Leveling System

Like all online shooters out there, Far Cry 3 has a leveling system. You get XP from getting kills, doing daily challenges, and completing specific objectives in games. In total, there are 75 ranks, and while this may sound like one of those games where you’ll be spending a lot of time trying to rank up, it isn’t, sadly. Ranking up in this game is an absolute breeze. In fact, reaching the top rank can be achieved in a week of comfortable playing if the ranking system actually did work. What I mean by this is, in all my play sessions of the multiplayer on the PS3, my level kept showing up as something it was not. One day, I’d rank up to level 7 in an online match. The next day, I’m level 5. It’s glitched and is in need of patching. None of the stats are registering either. That aside, leveling up should feel steadily progressive, something a player should have to actually work for, but at the same time, isn’t to steep of a climb. Like mentioned, it’s easy to rank up and almost feels as if there is no progression to be gained besides the unlocks, which, as I mentioned earlier, feel pointless due to poor balancing and little survivability when getting shot.

Presentation

Generally speaking, the multiplayer graphics aren’t at all that bad, though not all the presentation is enjoyable to watch. Menu’s look great and are easy to navigate, and multiplayer matches are filled with just as many bright and vibrant colors along with dark and cold colors scattered in areas such as underground passages.

The one thing I can’t stand to watch are the kill-cams. In Far Cry 2, it would simply just point the camera in the direction of your killer. In Far Cry 3 however, they tried to create an all new way of looking at your kills. Whenever you’re killed, a stop motion of your killer, the bullet path, and yourself are created to show you exactly how you died. It’s all in outlines and, while in concept, may sound like a good idea, the actual end result isn’t. Visually, watching these cams become a nuisance or a sore to the eye. They just aren’t fun to watch at all, though luckily, there is a skip option, which doesn’t work at times.

The Community

Ubisoft, why you no listen!!

Looking at the playlist player count on the PlayStation 3 side, it seems that there are no more than 2,000 players playing at a single moment. Some game modes are so hard to get into because of the lack of players even playing those modes. I don’t see this being a multiplayer that’ll be played a few months down the road, though it might blow up if Ubisoft actually listens to their fans. One of my first reactions after playing the multiplayer was to immediately jump onto the forums to see what the heck was going on, and sure enough, there are pages of pages of complaints.

2.5 / 5

What could have been one of the best multiplayer experiences of last year turned out to be a big downer for me. I feel a sense of laziness as Ubisoft simply went the Call of Duty route, likening it to the same formula rather than give us old-time Far Cry multiplayer players another unique experience. It’s playable, but there are numerous and noticeable issues that need immediate attention. Maybe I’ll check it out in a couple of months after more patching, but for now, I’m going to keep enjoying the single player.

This review was based on the PlayStation 3 version of the Far Cry 3, patch: version 1.02, courtesy of MP1st staff members.

Tags: Far Cry 3 Featured PC PS3 Review Ubisoft Xbox 360

James Lara

Home > News

Borderlands 2 – Gearbox Acknowledges Bugged Weapons And Character Skills, New PC Patch Arrives

by Joel Santana

1:28 pm in News

For those playing Borderlands 2 who’ve been noticing some odd weapon behaviour in Gearbox’s popular FPSRPG, Borderlands 2. You’re not alone.

You may have noticed that weapons that shoot multiple projectiles at once, like shotguns, aren’t working properly, in terms of damage and damage bonuses gained from character skills or other sources of loot.

Mistakenly, a recent patch that hit Borderlands 2 a few weeks back accidentally changed how weapons that fire multiple projectiles at once work in terms of damage that they deal, which stems from the nerf to the amp shields. Basically, the amp shield fix corrected the additional damage dealt by amp shield to be divided among all the projectile of each shot.

Unfortunately, because of the recent nerf to the amp shield, a slight bug has surfaced that now divides any damage bonuses gained from character skills such as Gaige’s Anarchy skill and bonuses gained from various sources of loot to be divided twice across all projectiles from a shotgun or any weapon that can shoot multiple bullets at once.

Thankfully, after patiently waiting for a reply from the great folks at Gearbox, both Chris F., the Community Manager at Gearbox, and Randy Pitchford, the President of Gearbox, have taken time out of their busy schedules to address the concerns of the community members and have assured us that they’re aware of this bug and are looking into it. Chris F. has stated the following about this issue earlier:

Just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that we’ve been keeping a close eye on both this and related threads. While I’m not a designer (and thus can’t really speak to what’s intentional or not) I can tell you that all the specific details you’ve provided are extremely useful for the team that’s digging into this.

For a full list on what weapons and skills that are currently being effected by this bug, feel free to check out this lengthy and comprehensive list provided by the fantastic community over at the Gearbox forums.

In additional Borderlands 2 news, a new patch has just arrived for the PC platform that fixes a few issues, including the fix for the aforementioned bug, just a day after Gearbox acknowledging the issue. Patch notes can be found here, or by simply scrolling down:

PC Patch Notes

Update v1.3.1 (Released 1/9/2013)

Added support for text input using the gamepad for Steam’s Big Picture mode.
Fixed a bug causing players to sometimes get stuck in the “Whoops” mission of the Captain Scarlett DLC.
Deathtrap can no longer restore an enemy’s shields, even though it was hilarious.
Fixed a bug that caused off-hand weapons to sometimes deal improper damage while Gunzerking.
Addressed an issue where shotguns did not receive full damage boosts from skills and gear.

Thanks for the tip, Loot Turtle!

Tags: Borderlands 2 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

Joel Santana

Gamer for the past 20 years who loves anything ranging from RPGs, Fighters and of course FPS games. Author

Home > News

Far Cry 3 Outpost – The Multiplayer and Co-op Companion App, Upcoming Double XP Weekend

by James Lara

1:19 pm in News

Today, Ubisoft released a handy companion app for all you Android and iOS users that enables you to do many things in Far cry 3 multiplayer/co-op, including customizing loadouts and decrypting that encoded data.

Join your friends and get ahead in the game with the Far Cry® 3 mobile app for multiplayer and co-op. Earn advanced weapon mods for your favorite guns and customize your loadouts on the go! The next time you jump into a multiplayer match or co-op chapter, you’ll be ready to play.

Features

Decode the encrypted data you find in-game to unlock advanced weapon mods and earn bonus XP. Don’t wait until you’re playing the game to start decoding. Instead, decode on the go! Once you unlock a weapon mod, you can accept it, give it to one of your friends or sell it for more XP straight from your phone.
View and customize your loadouts so that you’re ready to play once you’re back in the game.
Keep track of your progress through the Daily and Weekly Challenges. Completing these challenges will earn you XP.
Check out your personal stats and the stats of your friends, including time played, level, top weapons, awards and more.
Keep track of the maps you’ve made in the Map Editor. You can follow the current tier placements and how many people have liked or favorite your maps.

Check out the rather odd commercial below:

[youtube id=”UyNRqyRCuhg” width=”618″ height=”378″]

The video above also mentions an “upcoming Far Cry 3 double XP weekend.” So, keep your eyes out for that soon!

You can download the iOS version of Far Cry 3 Outpost here and the Android version here. You can also visit the app’s official website here.

Tags: Far Cy 3 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

James Lara

Home > News

The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3 – Episode 3: “Cause and Effect”

by David Veselka

12:52 pm in News

Crytek and producer Albert Hughes are back with another episode of The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3, a series of short, cinematic videos using only in-game assets of the powerful CryEngine 3 meant to introduce the setting, weapons, characters and enemies of Crysis 3, releasing this February 19 on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Check out the slightly backwards Episode 3: “Cause and Effect.”

[youtube id=”2qFLtnSqS6Y” width=”618″ height=”378″]

You can catch the earlier episodes right here:

So far, we’ve seen some pretty amazing Crysis 3 moments. What are your thoughts on the series so far?

Tags: Crysis 3 Featured PC PS3 The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

MP Games You Might Have Missed – Payday: The Heist

by BOSS JEDIZOHAN

January 8, 2013 4:43 pm in Features

Welcome to this week’s installment of MP1st’s “MP Games You Might Have Missed.” This week, we’re bringing you PC and PS3 FPS Co-Op game “Payday: The Heist.”

[youtube id=”zk_SPwesTUw” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Fans of Left for Dead will probably be the most interested in Payday. They’re almost the same game in different clothes. But maybe you’re tired of killing hordes of zombies and are looking to take the fight to the Police as they try and stop you from doing what you do best, taking hostages and robbing banks.

What makes Payday such a fun game is how challenging it can be. Even on the lowest difficulty setting and when playing with it’s max of 3 friends, Payday still manages to throw enemies at you in creative ways that keeps you on your toes and cowering behind cover hoping to avoid that one last bullet at the brink of death.

That’s not to say that Payday is by any means a frustrating game. Outside of your AI teammates being mentally challenged, I find it to be a great shoot’em up, laugh and be merry kind of game. And if you’re playing with 3 friends, AI teammates are removed. Between the cornball voice acting and over-the-top gunfights and objectives, Payday will you keep you fighting for survival and laughing with your friends at how dumb the AI can be. Though they might be challenging, it’s fairly obvious that the developers didn’t want enemies outsmarting you, just having WAY more firepower than you, strength in numbers, and a penchant for not dying.

Overall, I’d say Payday: The Heist is a solid purchase for people looking to party up and chew through challenging enemies late into the night. If you managed to make it through Steam’s winter sale with $20 left to spend (a miracle in itself), I highly recommend you consider it the next time you’re browsing the FPS bin. It goes on sale on Steam seemingly every other day and I’m sure you’ll find it comparably priced on the PSN. PSN Plus members get access to Payday for free, by the way.

Happy thieving and thank you for reading!

Payday: The Heist is available on Steam here and on the PSN here.

Tags: Featured MP Games You Might Have Missed Payday: the heist PC PS3

BOSS JEDIZOHAN

I've been a gamer since before most gamers were born. Now a full-fledged member of the PC Master Race, I'm enjoying all the best games from both AAA and Indie developers in glorious 1440p. Praise Gaben and may the Steam deals be ever syphoning funds from your life savings. Subscriber

Home > News

Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC Goes Official, Introduces New Zombie Game Mode and Much More

by David Veselka

4:38 pm in News

Treyarch memebers David Vonderhaar, Dan Bunting and Reza Elghazi walk Call of Duty fans through the first downloadable content pack to make its way to Black Ops 2.

Hitting the Xbox 360 first this January 29, Revolution will introduce four new multiplayer locations, a brand new multiplayer weapon, a new zombie map, and even a brand new zombie mode.

Hydro, Grind, Downhill and Mirage will have you fighting it out on a large, interactive dam set in Pakistan, a skate park in Venice, California, a snow-covered ski resort in the French Alps, and a luxury resort in China devastated by a passing sandstorm. For the first time, Treyarch is also putting a brand new multiplayer weapon in your hands with the Peacekeeper sub-machine gun, a cross between a deadly SMG and a powerful assault rifle. As with other weapons, it too will come with its out set of challenges so you can keep earning XP.

The new zombie map, Die Rise, will introduce elements of vertical elements as you fight for survival in a crumbling skyscraper. Prepare to be “Turned” in the brand new zombie game mode which will allow you to play, for the first time, as an actual zombie.

Black Ops 2 Zombies — The new zombie game mode, “Turned.”

For full details, check out the video presentation below:

[youtube id=”Ruv2xMLuaoA” width=”618″ height=”378″]

How are you liking the sound of Black Ops 2’s first DLC so far?

Tags: Black Ops 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 DLC Featured PC PS3 Revolution Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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Tomb Raider Multiplayer Gameplay Uncovered

by James Lara

1:47 pm in News

As Tomb Raider development reaches it’s final hours, the developers, Crystal Dynamic have finally shared some new multiplayer details in their latest dev video.

[youtube id=”QvoQGr6cpbk” width=”618″ height=”378″]

This will be the first time that Tomb Raider has ever featured competitive multiplayer. Tomb Raider is set to release March 5th, 2013 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

So, now that we’ve seen some gameplay, what are you’re thoughts?

Tags: Crystal Dynamics PS3 Tomb Raider Xbox 360

James Lara

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Top Black Ops 2 Player On Xbox 360 Harassed by DDOS Attacks, Resets Stats To Avoid Continued Assault

by David Veselka

January 7, 2013 9:04 pm in News

“Retrominano” was the top ranked Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 player, globally, on the Xbox 360. That is, until he had to reset his own stats in order to avoid continued Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks originating from somewhere in the U.S.

Being the top ranked individual in any field has a tendency to attract a lot of attention. Unfortunately, for Retrominano, being the number 1 Black Ops 2 player on the Xbox 360 generated some most unwanted attention from a harasser (or harassers) in the U.S. using DDOS attacks to keep him from being able to connect to Xbox Live for more than 10 minutes at a time.

According to Wikipedia, “a denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) or distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS attack) is an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users. Although the means to carry out, motives for, and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of the efforts of one or more people to temporarily or indefinitely interrupt or suspend services of a host connected to the Internet.”

Retrominano explains his situation to a friend through this message:

According to this Reddit post, Retrominano tried resetting is IP address numerous times, but to no avail. In the short amount of time he actually could play online, his games were constantly joined by his attackers harassing him over Xbox Live. Left with no choice, Retrominano reset his own Black Ops 2 stats order to avoid continued attacks.

He took this shot of himself after resetting his stats back to level 1.

This marks a sad day in gaming when one is attacked online for simply being the top ranked player in a videogame. What’s worse is that most average gamers have no means of defending themselves from such attacks.

What are your thoughts?

Via, Gameranx

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

DayZ Creator Explains Delay of Standalone Game, Closed Testing Imminent

by David Veselka

4:57 pm in News

DayZ creator Dean Hall updates eager fans with regards to the standalone version of DayZ, revealing where the development team is currently at and why the game did not meet it’s original launch time frame of late 2012.

In a blog post published earlier this morning, Hall wrote, “put simply, DayZ Standalone isn’t here because we had the chance to go from making a game that was just the mod improved slightly, packaged simply, and sold – to actually redeveloping the engine and making the game the way we all dreamed it could be. This blew any initial plans we had dictated to pieces.”

Hall hinted at a possible delay earlier when detailing the complexities of developing DayZ Standalone on a brand new engine and the team’s decision to adopt a new client-server architecture.

As for what fans can expect next, Hall states, “the plan from here is straightforward. We will be releasing a closed test imminently, during which approximately 500-1000 people will assist in ensuring our architecture is correctly functioning. This closed test will be focused purely on architecture, not the game design. Once we have confirmed fixes for issues arising from the closed test, we will then reschedule an internal date for our public release.”

He also writes that current improvements to the game include an overhauled inventory system, UI changes, and progression in art and map design.

Thanks, Kotaku.

Tags: Bohemia Interactive DayZ Featured PC

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

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[Updated] Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC Detailed by Amazon UK

by David Veselka

January 6, 2013 11:52 pm in News

As we anxiously await for an official statement regarding Call of Duty’s Black Ops 2’s first content pack, Amazon UK has seemingly outed all the details, revealing everything you need to know about Revolution.

According to the Amazong UK listing, “Revolution is the first downloadable content pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, containing four of the most exciting Multiplayer maps, a thrilling new Zombies map and for the first time ever, a new weapon –The Peacekeeper SMG.”

Releasing first on Xbox Live this January 29, it will include:

Hydro–This large map allows you to use the dam and water to your advantage to block paths and stop enemies.
Downhill–A medium-sized map based in the French Alps complete with snow, chair lifts, and a strategically placed lodge.
Grind–Set within the locale of the Venice, California boardwalk, this small skate park map is sure to deliver fast and frenetic Call of Duty action.
Mirage–This Gobi Desert multiplayer map utilises sand dunes to provide different levels of elevation and a sanctuary in the centre as a natural chokepoint.
Zombies – Die Rise–The Zombie apocalypse has invaded China, turning down town into a dilapidated and dangerous MC Escher painting.
Peacekeeper SMG–This impressive sub-machine gun fills the open weapon slot in your load-out with power and accuracy.

These details prove earlier reports describing the new zombie map, Die Rise, to be fake. However, it’s unclear whether Revolution will include additional achievements/trophies or not.

As expected, Amazon lists the DLC at 1200 Microsoft Points, or free for season pass holders.

Screen Shot 2013-01-06 at 9.15.00 PM — Listing on Amazon UK

Thanks, Jesse Mills and Dalton6551, for the tip!

Update

HMV’s Facebook page now lists similar information regarding Black Ops 2 Revolution:

Activision have announced the first DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be available from January 29th*

The Revolution Pack will include five new maps and a new SMG gun with its own challenges and specs:

Map 1 – Mirage – A town set in the aftermath of a sandstorm with sand dunes scattered in between buildings with one structure directly in the center; perfect for sniping and creeping up on enemy players.
Map 2 – Downhill – A Ski Lodge in the French Alps with both an accessible interior and working Ski Lift for transport up the mountain for the perfect cover (or death trap).
Map 3 – Hydro – This large map is perfect for long distance killing and with working flood gates to block paths/take our enemies, could be the best map in the DLC.
Map 4 – Skate – This more compact map sees players use ramps and bowls for cover along the Venice, California Boardwalk.
Map 5 – Die Rise – A new Zombies map set atop buildings that are literally falling apart.

The pack will be available on January 29th on Xbox 360 for 1200 MS points or purchase Call of Duty Black Ops II Season Pass for 4,000 MS Points and get all Four DLC packs and SAVE 800 Points (You also get Nuketown Zombies and Exclusive Playercard).

*The Revolution Pack will be available on Sony PlayStation PS3 & PC from February 28th.

Tags: Black Ops 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 DLC Featured PC PS3 Revolution Xbox 360

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Megaman Gets Rebooted In This First-Person-Shooter Mod

by James Lara

January 5, 2013 7:30 pm in News

Ever since the famed Legend Keiji Inafune, creator of Megaman, stepped down from his mantle at Capcom Games, the studio hasn’t released a single Megaman title and has cancelled all known production on any known projects (Legends 3). This has disappointed many fans (including myself).

However, one group, who calls themselves Cutstuff, has taken up arms to deliver gamers with a whole new Megaman experience.

This first-person shooter mod has been in the works for nearly 2 years, with a few releases here and there. The latest released this past December and featured many new tweaks, along with maps from Megaman 8. The mod boasts a completely new look at the classic Megaman titles and even adds, for the first time, an 8 player-death-match mode.

[youtube id=”73CSQidJH54″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

You’ll be able to download this amazing fan-made mod from Cutstuff’s official web page.

Thanks, Examiner.

Tags: Featured Megaman PC

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Minecraft Player Attempts To Recreate Planet Earth in 1:1500 Scale

by David Veselka

6:50 pm in News

Minecraft builder lentebriesje plans to recreate planet Earth in glorious 32-bit. Pretty cool, right?

He plans on doing so using a tool called WorldPainter, an interactive graphical map generator for Minecraft. He hopes to recreate each continent as accurately as possibly while still keeping each playable.

PC Gamer took some in-game shots of the California coast and the English Channel below.

You can check out the full gallery of images here showing off Europe, North America, South America and Australia – all continents that are currently downloadable.

You can follow lentebriesje’s progress through his blog post.

Thanks, Polygon.

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Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC Confirmed by Call of Duty Mobile Site, New Banner Surfaces and Zombie Details

by David Veselka

January 4, 2013 11:56 pm in News

Earlier this week, the first sightings of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s first DLC were reported thanks to a promotional poster that was displayed prematurely at a GameStop retailer.

According to the poster, the DLC, titled Revolution, would come packed with four new multiplayer maps, one new zombie map, and a new weapon. You can read more about it and check out the poster here.

While it still has yet to be officially announced by Activision or Treyarch, Call of Duty’s mobile website seems to have mistakenly confirmed the DLC earlier today. For a brief period of time, the title “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Revolution” was on display on the front page, shown below. It has now been removed and instead features the an older trailer.

Additionally, CI was recently sent this banner by an anonymous reader clearly displaying the DLC title, as well a couple of soldiers and zombies.

The incoming Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC, if legitimate, is reported to release on January 29 and will most certainly come included in the Black Ops 2 season pass or at $15 USD or 1200 MS Points for non-season pass holders.

Lastly, a user on the Call of Duty forums has allegedly gotten a hold of information regarding the Zombie map, Die Rise, including three new achievements or trophies that are rumored to be included in the Revolution DLC. These should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as nothing has yet to be confirmed.

I Can See Clearly Now – In Die Rise, clear all the fog.
Don’t Rock the Boat – In Die Rise, complete an entire cycle in the wagon without it being damaged.
Anonymous! – In Die Rise, kill a zombie using only the Black Hat.

He went on to describe the map, which you can read in detail right here.

Keep your sights on MP1st in the coming days for more Black Ops 2 DLC details!

Tags: Black Ops 2 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 DLC Featured PC PS3 Revolution Xbox 360

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Crytek Kiev: “There Won’t Be Any Mediocrity In Free-to-Play” In The Future

by David Veselka

6:37 pm in News

Warface producer Peter Holzapfel and the team at Crytek Kiev have their sights on a bold future, one where free-to-play titles that don’t require a dime out of your pocket meet the standards and quality of $60 triple-a games like Call of Duty and Battlefield.

Speaking with VG247, Holzapfel mentioned, “from our perspective, in the future there won’t be any mediocrity in free-to-play because those [mediocre] games will just not be successful. There will be so much variation, but right now you would rather spend $60 on a retail title because the quality is higher, than waste time with a mediocre free-to-play title.”

Holzapfel, producer on Warface, a free-to-play triple-a FPS built on the CryEngine 3, plans to introduce the title to Western audiences with a price tag of $0, where the only form of monetization comes from the purchase of in-game ‘convenience boosters’ and other aesthetic options.

“The ecosystem [in Warface] is still being tested for Western territories,” Holzapfel explained, “so it’s not really set in stone. But the plan that we have for it is that any item you buy in the game can be bought with real currency, or in-game currency.

“That way, if you want to get away from the grind you can get fast access to items by paying real money, but again, every piece of equipment will be available for in-game money as well, so you can actually reach any piece of equipment that you want in-game.

“There are also certain convenience issues on top of that as well, such as experience boosters and set boxed bundles which will give you early access to certain weapons. You can also pay for ‘resurrection points’. In co-op you can either wait for your team-mate to revive you – which enters into the social aspects of working together as a team – but if you want to jump directly back into the game you can use a ‘resurrection point’”

But, couldn’t putting all this effort and amount of resources into a free-to-play title that isn’t guaranteed to make a cent of profit pose a risk for a development studio like Crytek Kiev? Holzapfel seems confident this won’t be the case.

“Since there’s no real barrier to free-to-play – people don’t have to go to the store to buy their game, pay $60 up front – then there’s no risk attached to it, and what we like about it is that it’s very much the full product, there’s no need to try and convince gamers through trailers, marketing or anything else on that side.

“With traditional games you can kind of ‘trick’ players into buying the game. But then after an hour they might say, ‘OK this is actually not that cool’, after having spent $60. But with free-to-play it’s like ‘OK, this product has to be good’ or no one will play. So to us, we’re making a cool game for a bigger audience.”

Currently, Warface is reported to have over five million registered users in Russia, while as of August 2012, over 500,000 people have pre-registered for the the closed beta in the UK and America, according to Eurogamer.

You can check out the latest gameplay footage from Warface below:

[youtube id=”JrzefT64rR0″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

Hard to believe it’s a free-to-play title, right? What do you think? Would you play a game like Warface?

Tags: CryEngine 3 Crytek Crytek Kiev Featured Free to Play PC Warface

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Crysis 4 Might Not Be a First-Person Shooter

by David Veselka

5:16 pm in News

What if I told you the next Crysis game might not be a first-person shooter? According to Crytek producer Michael Elliot Read, it’s still up in the air.

In an interview with Dusty Cartridge, Read said, “Crysis was always intended to be a trilogy and I think that over that time we’ve built a really cool universe. We haven’t really gone in and said ‘Hey let’s put Nano suits and clown suits and stuff and completely violate and sell our IP.’ We’ve done a fairly good job at maintaining that, so I think in terms of the universe, we have a lot more life left in that to go back and try some unique stuff. Whether it’s FPS or not I have no idea, but there’s definitely a future in the franchise.”

Considering the original Crysis has become one this generation’s staple FPS games, a step away from the genre would certainly be a bold move for the series. As it happens, this was also something Crytek Co-Founder Cevat Yerli had expressed interest in earlier when he said, “we want to make [Crysis] something much more radical and new we are looking at it as a bit more of a long term thing.”

If the Crysis series were to move away from the FPS genre, where would you like to see it go?

Thanks, Polygon.

Tags: Crysis Crysis 3 Crysis 4 Crytek Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

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Defiance PC Beta Coming January 18, Beta Key Giveaway

by David Veselka

January 3, 2013 7:51 pm in News

Defiance, an open-world action shooter by Trion Worlds tied to the upcoming TV show of the same name, will be entering its beta stage on the PC this January 18.

Those participating in “Advanced Mission Beta 1” will play the role of a genetically enhanced, part treasure hunter, part mercenary known as an Ark Hunter. You will be transported to a futuristic San Fransisco bay area where your mission is to recover valuable alien technology to sell to the highest bidder.

Participating in the beta will grant players “full access to the tutorial, the expansive terraformed terrain of Mt. Tam, the Waterfront competitive multiplayer map, and the fierce Shadow War open world competitive multiplayer and Arkfall massive co-op boss battles.”

For a better look at Defiance, check out this introduction trailer below and make sure to visit the official website.

[youtube id=”gN-f7DmnAw4″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

To participate in Advanced Mission Beta 1, you can either sign up here for a chance to enter, or better yet, you can grab one of many beta keys that we’ll be giving over the next few weeks leading up to the beta.

Getting your hands on one will be easy. We’ll be giving away PC beta codes daily from now until the 18th. All you need to do is make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook and keep your sights on our forums!

You’ll be able to get your hands on the full retail release of Defiance April 2013 on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Tags: Advanced Mission Beta 1 Beta Key Giveaway Defiance Featured Giveaway PC PS3 Trion Worlds Xbox 360

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Tomb Raider Multiplayer to Include Team Deathmatch, Character Loadouts and Interactive Maps

by David Veselka

5:40 pm in News

First details of Tomb Raider’s recently announced multiplayer have surfaced, revealing the inclusion of games modes like Team Deathmatch and “Rescue.”

According to users on the Tomb Raider Forums who have gathered information from the latest issue of OXM, Crystal dynamics acknowledges that fans are wary of such changes to the Tomb Raider franchise. They ensure, however, that “creation and execution are coming from the right place.” We reported earlier that Eidos Montreal would be helming the multiplayer side of things, allowing Crystal Dynamics to focus on the single player alone.

Additional details describe Team Deathmatch as a mode pitting surviving members of Lara’s team against “Scavengers,” a group of hostile natives. Gameplay will include lever-based traps, climbable surfaces, destroyable environmental elements, and weaponry like the bow and arrow.

Rescue, on the other hand, will have survivors collecting med-packs and delivering them to rotating destinations while the Scavengers attempt to reach a certain number of kills.

Hints were also dropped about a mode called “Cry For Help,” which will supposedly place a lot of emphasis on “discovery and collection.”

Additional details gathered by forum user, miss.haggard:

Players will be able to “select from a deep roster of characters” with “different stats and loadouts,” including a “primary firearm/bow, sidearm, grenade style projectile,” and a “climbing axe that serves as a melee.”
XP gained can go to altering stats and purchasing more advanced characters.
Lara will not make an appearance in multiplayer, though players can choose identical characters as teammates.
Some single player actions have been sped to better fit the multiplayer.
There is a map called “Wind Chasm,” a tropical environment with traps and vantage points.
The bow can be used to distract enemies.
There are quick-time events.

From what we know so far, Tomb Raider’s multiplayer sounds like a mix of both familiar and new elements. What do you think? Let’s hear it in the comments!

Tanks, Gematsu.

Tags: Crystal Dynamics Featured PC PS3 Tomb Raider Xbox 360

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Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition Reaches 5 Million Copies Sold

by David Veselka

4:55 pm in News

The Xbox 360 version of Mojang’s popular indie sandbox hit Minecraft has ended the year of 2012 with a bang.

According to Mojang business developer Daniel Kaplan, Minecraft: Xbox 360 edition has sold more than 5 million copies by December 31, 2012. He writes on Twitter, “On the last day of 2012, Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition hit 5 million copies sold! Crazy! Amazing! Great way to end the year. Thanks!”

Putting things into perspective, the Mac and PC versions have sold 8.7 million copies as of today. Rounding up numbers from each platform, including Mac, PC, Xbox 360 and mobile, the entire franchise has sold more than 17.5 million, of which 453,000 were sold last Christmas Day alone.

Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition showed promising signs early on in its life cycle, proving profitable in only an hour after release, selling more than 1 million copies within a week and even kicking Modern Warfare 3 of it’s high perch on the list of most-played Xbox LIVE titles last October.

What version of Minecraft are you playing?

Thanks, Gamespot.

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Battlefield 3 Premium Double XP Event Underway, MP1st Servers Up and Running

by David Veselka

January 2, 2013 3:25 pm in News

Battlefield 3 Premium members across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC are currently enjoying double XP across all ranks maps and modes until the 7th of January, 2013.

To celebrate this event, and just the new year in general, we’re throwing up a couple of servers for the week to get us MP-heads playing together. So far, you can join us on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 by searching “MP1ST OFFICIAL.”

For full server details and to leave your thoughts, suggestions and feedback, make sure to drop a line on our forums so we can better suit your needs and maybe even organize a tournament or two.

We’ll be rocking some of the brand new Aftermath maps, so make sure you have that downloaded or that you are a Battlefield 3 Premium member, which you’ll need in order to earn that double XP regardless.

See you on the Battlefield!

Tags: Battlefield 3 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

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