Page 2014 – MP1st

Home > News

City of Steam: Introducing The Free-To-Play Browser-Based MMORPG

by James Lara

January 2, 2013 3:09 pm in News

Recently featured in our list of upcoming 2013 multiplayer titles to look out for, I decided that we would go a little more in-depth with the newly introduced title, City of Steam. Who better to introduce the game than Yifei, a developer working at the indie studio, Mechanist Games.

“Hi guys, my name is Yifei and I work for an indie games developer, Mechanist Games. We’re working on City of Steam, a free-to-play browser-based MMORPG.

First off, I’d like to thank James and David for allowing me to discuss our game here.

To those that don’t know what City of Steam is (no surprise, we’re an indie developer, so getting widespread recognition is relatively harder for us), it’s a browser-based MMORPG featuring a mix of industrial fantasy and steampunk elements, lightweight enough to play smoothly on even non-gaming computers and accessible straight from your browser. Even then, thanks to Unity 3D and a lot of in-house tools, we’ve managed to still make it look quite impressive, and all stored in but a few megabytes.

City of Steam evokes an industrial age fantasy set in a mechanical world during an industrial revolution where the boundaries between science and magic have begun to blur, where humanoid steamtoilers patrol the streets and levianthan airships float just above the rooftops. City of Steam is set on the World Machine, a vast and ancient system of interlocking gears powered by unfathomable energies.

Media

[youtube id=”aRR6ENSr780″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”CK4GEmsvUX4″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”3qTQJUVvuu8″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

There are a lot of updates for City of Steam recently. We just finished our closed beta test and made a wrap-up for the events, and we are working hard to prepare the upcoming open beta test.

If you feel interested in joining our community, you can register from here.

We may be small, but we’re very receptive to player feedback too, and strive to openly discuss the development process. Feel free to drop me a line over on the MP1st Forums or below and I’ll respond to any questions you may have!”

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

Multiplayer Titles To Look Forward To In The New Year

by James Lara

2:41 am in Features

2012 has come to a close. We have survived the apocalypse and witnessed a photogenic guy win the hearts of millions, but with the new year finally among us, it’s time to look towards the more important matters at hand: what multiplayer titles can we look forward to that will be arriving in 2013?

Aliens: Colonial Marines

[youtube id=”qB4BPYS12-s” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Big Aliens fan here, and for me, this will probably be my first purchase of 2013. The recent releases of Aliens titles have been lackluster, but with Gearbox (the team behind Borderlands) developing this title, I have full faith that they will deliver. Plus, from what’s been shown thus far, the game is looking great in both the single-player and the multiplayer department. Expect more coverage of the title as we near its release.

City of Steam

[youtube id=”aRR6ENSr780″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

I was only made aware of this title recently, and by the looks of things, it’s shaping up to be one very impressive MMO Browser title. Yeah. That’s right. Its a game running from your browser, much like those silly old flash games we use to play back in middle school, only this one isn’t silly. Currently running in it’s closed beta, soon to be open, City of Steam is one browser title you don’t want to miss this year.

DayZ Standalone

[youtube id=”RSmRMd9XhsM” width=”618″ height=”378″]

While many are playing the Arma II Mod version of DayZ, creator Dean Hall is preparing a new standalone version to be released later this year. Many ask, “why should we bother when we can get it for free through the Arma Mod?” Well, while we don’t know exactly how much of a difference the final standalone version will be, we do know that the team is definitely working hard to make it so. News of a new engine, more content, and different server model should make the standalone version by far much more flexible and better performing than it currently is as a mod.

Arma III

[youtube id=”0tOSjYgGvHw” width=”618″ height=”378″]

If you’re looking for a military shooter simulator, then Arma III is for you. Using the latest Real Virtuality Engine from Bohemia Interactive, Arma III features new lighting, physics, photo-realistic locations and all sorts of other things to make this one impressive 2013 shooter.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots

[youtube id=”SW6tbzN_Za4″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

[youtube id=”vCHyCVPE7mI” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Seems that this title has gone completely into the dark this past year, though that may be due to the reports that it has jumped ships and moved into the next-generation of consoles. Nonetheless, we are still eager to hear about this title as both Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and 2 proved to be amazing titles when it came to multiplayer. Let’s just hope the game get’s the support it needs, come release. The target gameplay looks great, though it’s not actual gameplay.

Killzone: Mercenary

[youtube id=”W38ycjEvZQw” width=”618″ height=”378″]

This is probably my most anticipated title for the PS Vita next year. Taking the role of a Mercenary, you’ll be fighting against and with both the Helghast and the ISA. The only thing that matters to you in this war is money. The title looks absolutely great for a PS Vita game, perhaps sporting the best graphics yet. Gameplay for Killzone has always been fun, and while no multiplayer has been confirmed yet for Mercenary, one can only hope that it truly will be the best FPS experience on handheld. We expect to hear about the multiplayer later this year as Guerrilla Games set themselves to reveal more details about soon.

All Hail Scolar Visari!!

Bonus video of a fan-made, live-action movie.

[youtube id=”Vp9SQduS_r0″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

God of War: Ascesnion

[youtube id=”QmUVdPpyw5g” width=”618″ height=”378″]

If you missed my Beta preview from a couple of days ago, then go a give it a read. I am extremely satisfied so far with how the Beta is being handled. So, for those who had doubts about the Multiplayer, I say, at least give it a try, then come back and tell me you didn’t enjoy mashing your best friend’s head with a hammer. Be it whether you’re in it for the single player or the multiplayer experience, God of War: Ascension will be a must have 2013 title.

Crysis 3

[youtube id=”zBd-IE48oEU” width=”618″ height=”378″]

For one thing, I’m deeply impressed by the graphical input of this game, though the guys at Crytek need to be able to follow through this time. Graphics can only get you so far, considering that the story and multiplayer of the last title weren’t exactly as great as I had hoped for them to be. However, it seems that from all the previews and videos shown, Crytek has taken all criticisms of Crysis 1 and 2 and is crafting Crysis 3 with fine blend between the best features of both titles. Hopefully, it delivers.

GTA V

[youtube id=”Vzue74y7A84″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

Not much is known about the multiplayer other than players of Max Payne 3 will be able to import their crew members into it. Whether it follows the same route as GTA IV or goes on a new, innovating route is all on the table, but we’ll make sure to keep the news flowing as long as it’s there.

The Last of Us

[youtube id=”8ZYkj0glnqs” width=”618″ height=”378″]

This is probably a title that you’ll want to play single player mostly, but since we haven’t actually seen anything from the multiplayer yet, that’s to remain untold. We expect it to follow the same route as Uncharted 2 and 3, and to offer both player vs. player and some unique co-op story/hoard modes.

Call of Duty “Next”

It’s a no brainer that a new Call of Duty title will be releasing. After all, it is annualized. The real question is, what can we expect this time around? Seeing that Modern Warfare 3 may have been the last in its series, it’s possible we can expect to see a completely new and fresh title from Infinity Ward (and others) this year. Though, Modern Warfare 4 wouldn’t be much of a surprise either.

Battlefield 3: End Game

This is the last DLC expansion for Battlefield 3, and is set to release in March 2013.

Battlefield 3: End Game delivers some of the most high-speed warfare to date across four vast maps. Race through enemy lines using the new dirt bike, bringing speed and agility to the Battlefield, or fight back aerial assaults with new lightweight AA vehicles. Coordinate lightning fast attacks and defenses in the return of the classic Capture The Flag game mode. In the skies, the new dropship introduces the ability to turn the tide with rapid deployment air drops of troop transports.

Battlefield 4

Once EA is finally through with the last of BF3’s DLC, they can hopefully start focusing on their next big installment announced late 2012. Not many details have been revealed other than its set in modern-day, like always. Either way, we expect big things from this one.

The Elder Scrolls: Online

[youtube id=”FzLoaHFE6D0″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

Yep, the Elder Scrolls is finally making its multiplayer debut with The Elder Scrolls: Online. While many are a bit worried about the end result of this title, I for one am very excited to get my hands on it.

DUST 514

[youtube id=”tASM8P6c16c” width=”618″ height=”378″]

We have been covering the Beta for some time now, and with a release set sometime in 2013, we expect DUST 514 to be an amazing free-to-play title for all PS3 owners out there.

AGENT

Where has this title gone? I’m not saying 2013 is the year it comes out, but we should be looking forward to this Open World Rockstar-developed title, a PS3 exclusive (from the current information, which is years old). Not much information is available, sadly, other than the fact it’s set in the Cold War era and takes players into “the world of counter-intelligence, espionage and political assassinations”.

Dark Soul’s 2

[youtube id=”2khuy3Idp7k” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Prepare to die again, and again, and again, and again, and (yeah, you get it). This is one of those titles that most will enjoy perfectly fine by themselves, but the option to play with three other people is still there. There is nothing like teaming up with your bros to take down massive dragons and other dangerous fiends.

Praise the Sun!!

Warframe

[youtube id=”KJr53KlguCQ” width=”618″ height=”378″]

A game built entirely on the use of teamwork, Warframe will have you play as ancient gun and sword weilding warrior known as the Tenno. This title, which is also in it’s beta, is already wowing us with it’s smooth frame-rates, immersive graphics, and high action gameplay.

That’s just just a small taste of 2013, as there are plenty of other titles not listed along with a bunch of unannounced ones, which we expect to see later this year.

So, the big question is, which title are you looking forward to the most?

Tags: Featured Next-Gen PC PS3 Xbox 360

James Lara

Home > Features

MP1st’s Multiplayer Experience of 2012 – The Winners

by David Veselka

January 1, 2013 8:17 pm in Features

The time has come to crown one title as the best multiplayer gaming experience of 2012.

While our wallets may not have been so lucky this year, our appetite for multiplayer gaming sure was. This year saw one of the best entries to the Call of Duty series yet while thousands of Xbox 360 gamers were reunited with another proper instalment in the Halo franchise. Borderlands returned with bigger, better and more bad-ass RPG FPS action while Medal of Honor also gave its authentic take on shooters a second spin in the rebooted series. PC gaming also took a mighty stand this year with titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Blacklight: Retribution, PlanetSide 2, Diablo III and Guild Wars 2. Similarly, the PlayStation 3 surprised us all with the touching and unique indie game, Journey.

Here’s a reminder of all the nominees:

[youtube id=”14wfrQK9so0″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

With so many amazing titles out there, we broke things down into five categories this year: General, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Wii U. Here are our winners for 2012.

MP1st’s Multiplayer Experience of 2012

MPE2012

Borderlands 2

For many, Gearbox Software’s Borderlands 2 has captured what true ‘multiplayer’ is all about: gaming with friends and having tons of fun doing it. It takes the best and most addicting elements of role-playing games with it’s class-based combat, skill trees, character progression, and randomly generated loot, but mixes in its own signature “bad-ass” first-person shooter action with some gorgeous visuals, a flavorful cast of characters and superb writing. Toss it all into the vast and open-ended world of “Pandora,” and you’ve got yourself an award-winning formula. That’s exactly why Borlerlands 2 wins MP1st’s Multiplayer Experience of 2012 award.

Congratulations, Gearbox Software and Borderlands 2!

MPE2012 – Xbox 360

Halo 4

Halo 4 does it all: high-quality, competitive War Games multiplayer with both public and private matchmaking featuring a ton of fun and addicting game modes, a rich and challenging campaign that can be played co-operatively with friends, a weekly running series of intense Spartan Ops missions that allow you to rank up your Spartan IV soldier, and a creative map-making Forge mode that allows players to share their masterpieces with others. Thanks to 343 Industries’ hard work and dedication to one of the most beloved FPS series of all time, Halo 4 is the definitive multiplayer experience on the Xbox 360 this year.

MPE2012 – PlayStation 3

Journey

This year, Thatgamecompany surprised us all with this emotional indie PlayStation Network game. Filled with opportunities for exploration and an overwhelming sense of wonder, Journey is all about how you interact with others throughout your adventure. With no form of communication or indication of identity, Journey puts a unique spin on multiplayer gaming by allowing players to assist in each other’s adventure completely anonymously, creating a fulfilling sense of companionship. The audio landscape and artistic visual design also go a long way in making this one of the most unique multiplayer experiences out there. On the PlayStation 3, Journey has won our hearts and left us wanting more.

MPE2012 – PC

PlanetSide 2

Sony Online Entertainment’s free-to-play PlanetSide 2 does everything bigger and better. A true “next-gen” massive multiplayer online first-person shooter, PlanetSide 2 pits literally thousands of PC gamers against each other in epic combat on a grand scale for control of territory in a large, online world. From a wide range of class-based infantry combat to vehicular-based warfare, there’s not a whole lot to dislike about a shooter of this quality that is free-to-play. Though you may need some serious hardware to run it smoothly and to squeeze every ounce of visual glory out of it, it’s worth it. If PlanetSide 2 is anything to go by, the next generation of multiplayer shooters is looking very promising.

MPE2012 – Wii U

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

It’s Call of Duty… on the Wii U. It’s awesome. It also just so happens that Black Ops 2 is one of the best Call of Duty’s yet with completely revamped create-a-class system, a new approach to scorestreak rewards, competitive features, highly customizable private matches and a wide variety of game modes, including the ever-so-loved Zombies. If that’s not enough, you’ve still got all those extra goodies like Live Streaming, Theater Mode, CoDCasting, and the Emblem Editor. Lucky for Nintendo fans, The Wii U’s hardware is able to squeeze that little bit of extra HD goodness out of Black Ops 2’s already very smooth 60 FPS visuals. Black Ops 2 on the Wii U is not one to miss.

Multiplayer Experience of 2012 – Reader’s Choice

We asked you, our readers, what your favorite multiplayer experience of 2012 was. 4,289 readers voted and made your voices heard. Here’s how it went down:

[poll id=”16″]

Congratulations to Treyarch, Gearbox Software and 343 Industries for hitting the top three choices with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Borderlands 2, and Halo 4!

Now, it’s time for the after-match report. Do you agree with this year’s winners? Were there any that you found unexpected or, perhaps, predictable? Let us know in the comments. We want to hear from you!

Here’s to a new year filled with even more amazing multiplayer experiences. From all of us at MP1st, happy 2013!

Tags: Featured MP1st MPE2012 Multiplayer Experience of 2012 PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

Black Ops 2: Be a Better Teammate – Episode 4 – Finding Teammates

by BOSS JEDIZOHAN

December 30, 2012 2:26 pm in Features

In this week’s episode of “BABT,” I give you some advice for where to find reliable teammates.

[youtube id=”wZeY097SOKI” width=”618″ height=”378″]

As much as I’d like to think of myself as a beast of a player that can carry even the worst of teammates, I know that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Despite being pretty good at Call of Duty, I find myself constantly struggling to do well when playing solo because of teammates that are just playing for themselves and not as team players. Thankfully, we have a lot of great options for finding reliable teammates these days.

Hupit Gaming and MP1st are both great resources for getting in touch with other players and find people to play with when nobody seems to be online.

If you’re in need of some teammates, leave your info in this thread here on the MP1st offical forums.

If you still have trouble finding people to play with, check out Hupit Gaming’s website here as they’re one of the biggest and most popular resources for finding teammates.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to PTFO!

Tags: BABT Be a Better Teammate Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

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 Promotion Poster Reveals “Revolution” Map Pack and Weapon DLC

by David Veselka

1:56 pm in News

According to a recently spotted Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 promotional poster, “Revolution,” first piece of downloadable content making it’s way to Black Ops, will include four new multiplayer maps, one new zombie map, and one new weapon.

According to the images posted on the Call of Duty forums (later removed), this map pack will see a release date of January 29th, coming to the Xbox 360 first (most likely one month later to the PS3 and PC), and will include the following maps and weapon:

MP – Hyrdo
MP – Downhill
MP – Grind
MP – Mirage
Zombie – Die Rise
Weapon – Peacekeeper SMG

Season Pass holders will, of course, have access Black Ops 2’s first DLC at no additional cost while others will most likely be able to download the pack for a $15 USD price tag or 1200 MS Points, as usual.

If these images below are indeed real, this would mark a first for the Call of Duty series to include additional weaponry through DLC, a highly requested item for last year’s Modern Warfare 3 DLC. Interestingly, Infinity Ward Executive Producer Mark Rubin explained earlier why Modern Warfare 3 didn’t do weapon DLC, relating the issue to RAM. You can read more about it here. Perhaps, Treyarch found away around the issue?

Check out these shots and let us know what you think? Real? Fake? Would you welcome weapon DLC in Black Ops 2 with open arms?

Thanks, CI

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

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

MP1st’s Multiplayer Experience of 2012 – Staff Picks

by David Veselka

December 28, 2012 4:56 pm in Features

On January 1st, 2013, we will be awarding one title with the rank of the best multiplayer gaming experience of 2012. What makes this year’s choice so hard is not only the fact that there are a ton of amazing multiplayer games out there, but that MP1st is made up of many minds, all with different opinions and different gaming backgrounds. While you’ll soon find out what MP1st as an entity considers to be the top “MPE” of 2012, it would be unfair to let the diverse opinions of our staff go unheard.

But before revealing our picks, we’d like to remind you that in addition to the MP1st MPE2012 award, we will also be revealing the Reader’s Choice award on the same day. That means you have until the first day of 2013 to vote for your pick, which you can do right here, or on the right side bar.

A quick reminder of the nominees:

[youtube id=”14wfrQK9so0″ width=”618″ height=”378″]

So, without further ado, here are the MP1st “Staff Picks” for MPE2012. Make sure to stick around in the comments where there is sure to be some friendly smack-talk and fierce debate!

MPE2012 – Staff Picks

Santiago Garza’s Pick

With the year coming to an end, the time to choose the best game has come. This, however, is not really easy because there have been many awesome and really impressive games this year. With each year passing, multiplayer has become something more important – to a point where multiplayer-centered games have become the most popular and successful titles ever created.

My choice this year will go to Halo 4 because it was simply the best experience I’ve had in 2012. Not only did it feature an outstanding and emotive campaign, but its multiplayer (which was heavily modified by adding new weapons, specializations as well as different power-ups) is definitely better than any Halo multiplayer previously released. The Crimson DLC, which was just released a couple weeks ago, only made the experience better. The new vehicle, “Mantis,” just proved that it’s not only made to kill, but to cooperate in accomplishing the current objective, making the game even more fun by creating new ways to win.

Halo 4
Borderlands 2
Torchlight 2

James Lara’s Picks

This was a hard choice with all the amazing MP titles that have released, but I’m going to go with Journey. Playing a co-op match with another player has truly never felt so satisfying and meaningful. Playing with a completely unidentified fellow gamer for nearly four hours straight has left me with emotions that I cannot explain. With a beautiful art direction, an amazing score (first game up for a Grammy), and an immense world to get lost in, Journey has truly shown that gaming could indeed be art. While it’s not competitive (PvP) when it comes to multiplayer, the co-op is still, nonetheless, a true multiplayer experience.

Journey
Borderlands 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Joel Santana’s Picks

For me, no other game has shined more this year and has enveloped the epitome of the multiplayer experience than Borderlands 2. It delivers on its promise of being bigger, better and more “bad-ass” then it’s predecessor, all while still mainting the highly addicting gameplay we all loved from the original. This is why it’s my pick for MPE2012.

Borderlands 2
Journey
Halo 4

Jacob Kim’s Picks

Medal of Honor: Warfighter suffered heavily with its ill-timed release against two other FPS juggernauts, BO2 and Halo 4. It also has been criticized for its technical problems, generic campaign and its uninspired multiplayer. However, MOH:W still manages to pique my interest with its unique and fantastic gunplay, fireteam mechanic and the class system that offers different strategic elements such as the support actions.

Having good teammates such as my buddies Justin and Devin also increases the fun factor, allowing for some tense and hilarious games. Finally, the chance to play against the Danger Close developers with David and Todd in a nerve-racking round of Home Run was also memorable enough for me to justify my choice. In the end, I have many disagreements with the consensus that MOH:W is a mediocre title. Sadly, it is not enough to stop the already dwindling population of players and servers.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter
Halo 4
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Alex DiFiori’s Picks

For me, MPE isn’t just how well a game plays. I’m as interested in how much a game innovates as I am how it plays. It’s really easy to release a great game and copy/paste it year after year. It’s also really easy to see what everyone else is doing and copy the formulas that work and drop what doesn’t. To me, MPE means what game blew the doors off the hinges and said “IT’S PARTY TIME B**CHES!” It means what game took balls to make and release in a sea of same-ness and generic move here, shoot this, move there FPS clichés.

As much as I like and play BOII, despite how many late-nights I have put into Torchlight 2, and regardless of how beautiful Far Cry 3 looks, PlanetSide 2 is doing things that no other MP game is doing.

While most of the big MP games are stuck in the refine, innovate, or die rut, PlanetSide 2 is taking gamers to another world and handing over the keys to one of the most dynamic rides I have ever seen in an MP FPS game. From absurdly massive maps to incredibly intense indoor gunfights, high-powered tank battles to challenging and devastatingly cool air combat, and from colorful and gorgeous daylight to moody and atmospheric nighttime gameplay, PlanetSide 2 has it all. You will not find a more all-encompassing, dynamic, or in-depth MP game in this year’s roster of releases. Additionally, IT’S FREE. Yes, the year’s best MPE is free to play for anyone and everyone. Granted you might need a fairly high-end computer to run it, it’s still my choice for MPE of the year.

PlanetSide 2
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Blacklight: Retribution

Jorik De Waen’s Picks

It’s a close call between Guild Wars 2 and Blacklight: Retribution for me. While I had a great deal of fun playing Guild Wars 2, MMOs can’t capture me for longer periods of time anymore. Blacklight: Retribution, however, certainly did! Playing it gives me the same vibe I had when I discovered Team Fortress 2 back in the day. It’s fun, has a lot of depth and looks amazing. Best of all: it’s absolutely free! I definitely cannot recommend this game enough.

Forget CoD, Battlefield or any of those paid shooters. Even though BL:R is free to play, it delivers! When people talk about “the future is free to play,” this is what they mean. The unlock system is very satisfying for both paying and free players. BL:R offers at least as much depth and customization as Black Ops 2, while having high-end DX11 graphics up to par with the best in the industry. The gameplay is well thought-out and surprisingly fresh considering the amount of military shooters that are flooding the market lately. Since it’s absolutely free, there is no excuse for not trying this game!

Blacklight: Retribution
Guild Wars 2
Diablo III

David Veselka’s Picks

This one was a hard, yet very easy choice at the same time. A riddle? No. After the dust had settled following this Fall’s clash of the FPS titans, two titles emerged as my go-to multiplayer experiences on the Xbox 360: Battlefield 3 and Halo 4. One of these titles won last year’s MPE, and so I am left with but one choice: Halo 4 – a hard choice because I could argue Battlefield 3 still holds its place in my heart as this year’s MPE, but an easy choice because I’m not going to break the rules of our own competition!

Let me be honest. I never liked Halo’s multiplayer. Though I’ve always admired the sheer skill it takes to play Halo at a competitive level – to learn its mechanics and master its nuances – the idea of super-human, moon-walking, plasma nade-tossing Spartan soldiers with space guns that take forever to kill another player just wasn’t for me. Yet, somehow, what 343 Industries did with Halo 4, in my opinion, was make Halo cool again – a critical factor that I felt the series was lacking after being introduced to more visceral and grounded games like Call of Duty or Battlefield. I still haven’t quite figured out what makes Halo 4 so cool. Is it the true “next-gen” graphics, the in-your-face sound design, or the rock solid gameplay? Regardless, this is one multiplayer experience I’ll be playing well into 2012.

Halo 4
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Medal of Honor: Warfighter

That wraps up our picks for MPE2012! Who do you agree/disagree with? What are your picks? We want to discuss the best multiplayer games of 2012 in the comments below so make sure to stick around. Also, keep your sights on MP1st on January 01, 2013 for the ultimate “Multiplayer Experience of 2012” award as well as the “Reader’s Choice” award.

Remember to vote for your MPE2012!

Tags: Blacklight: Retribution Borderlands 2 Featured Halo 4 Journey MP1st MPE2012 Multiplayer Experience of 2012 PC PlanetSide 2 PS3 Warfighter Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Crystal Dynamics Introduces Multiplayer to Tomb Raider

by David Veselka

3:39 pm in News

On March 5th, Crystal Dynamics will be introducing multiplayer to the Tomb Raider series in this 2013 reboot of the beloved franchise starring the adventurous and daring Lara Croft.

Community Manager Meagan Marie writes on the Tomb Raider forums, “very exciting news to (finally) confirm to you guys! Lara’s on the February cover of OXM, paired with a big announcement.”

“Tomb Raider will include a multiplayer offering thanks to the hard work of our sister-studio, the hugely talented Eidos Montreal.” Hopefully quelling any worries of a half-baked single player experience due to the addition of multiplayer, Marie also writes that “the team at Eidos Montreal has been working away at the multiplayer while we focused everything on the single-player offering.”

This sort of approach seemed to work well for games like Mass Effect 3, which introduced multiplayer for the first time in the series. While the core BioWare studio in Edmonton focused on all things single player, a division in Montreal toiled away at the multiplayer experience, producing some very solid results without compromising the final product.

Are you excited to get your multiplayer on in Tomb Raider this March? Let us know in the comments!

Tags: Crystal Dynamics Eidos Montreal Featured Multiplayer PC PS3 Tomb Raider Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Get Black Ops 2, Halo 4 or Battlefield 3: Premium Edition for $39.99 on Amazon

by David Veselka

2:32 pm in News

In what looks like to be either a boxing week or post-holiday “Video Games Clearance Sale,” Amazon is offering some of this year’s biggest titles like Black Ops 2 and Halo 4 for a discounted price, even including the Premium Edition of Battlefield 3 (Battlefield 3 + a Battlefield 3 Premium membership) and many more.

According to Amazon, it appears the sale will end on December 31, 2012, so act quickly!

Here are a bunch of titles we found for $39.99 USD on Amazon, but keep an eye out, as there may be more.

Click the link to be taken to the game’s Amazon page.

Find anything you’ll be picking up?

Tags: Amazon Sale Assassin's Creed III Battlefield 3 Black Ops 2 Dishonored Featured Forza Horizon Halo 4 Hitman: Absolution Need for Speed: Most Wanted PC PS All-Stars Battle Royale PS3 Resident Evil 6 Warfighter Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 Premium – Celebrate the New Year With Double XP

by David Veselka

December 27, 2012 8:27 pm in News

Beginning January 1, 2013, Battlefield 3 Premium members on all platforms will have the chance to celebrate the new year with some ever-so-sweet double XP.

“Ring in the new year playing the new Aftermath expansion while scoring Double XP! All Battlefield 3 Premium members will get double XP across all ranked maps and modes!” reads Battlefield 3’s Faebook page.

DICE lists the start as follows (the event runs for a total of 144 hours):

Los Angeles 1AM January 1
Stockholm 10AM January 1
Paris 10AM January 1
New York 4AM January 1
Tokyo 6PM January 1
Moscow 1PM January 1

By now, Battlefield 3’s fourth expansion, Aftermath, is available to download for all Premium members, so now would be a good time as any to learn these new maps inside-out and get some good game time in the new setting.

If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out our Battlefield 3: Aftermath DLC review as well as the latest details coming from Battlefield 3: End Game.

Tags: Battlefield 3 Battlefield 3 Premium Double XP Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Diablo 3’s Team Deathmatch Gets Scrapped, Dueling Still a Go in Next Update

by David Veselka

3:33 pm in News

With Blizzard’s original player-versus-player plans not going as originally anticipated, Diablo 3‘s Team Deathmatch update will no longer be included in the upcoming 1.0.7 patch.

In an update to Diablo fans, Director Jay Wilson wrote,

We’ve been working really hard on the features, content, and systems for PvP in Diablo III and I wanted to take some time to provide an update on where we’re at. Of course, our goal has been to release our Team Deathmatch mode as soon as possible, but we don’t want to put anything out there before it’s ready. Right now, Team Deathmatch isn’t yet where we want it to be, and I want to provide some insight into where we are at in the development process.

Player-versus-player arenas were originally promised before Diablo 3’s release in the form of a future update. Having almost reached that point in time, it seems the decision has been made to cut what Blizzard feels is not up to the standards that Diablo fans have come to expect. Not entirely at a loss, Wilson explains the next few steps Blizzard will be taking:

First and foremost, if our original goal was to support dueling, then we’re not achieving that goal very well if we don’t actually give players a way to duel in-game. You’ve been asking us for dueling for a while, so we’re going to add it to the game soon. Dueling is currently scheduled to release with patch 1.0.7, which is set to hit sometime after the new year. (We’ll be providing details about that feature very soon, so stay tuned.)

But as I mentioned before, we are going back to the drawing board on a new replacement for Team Deathmatch, something that feels more appropriate for Diablo III. And as we stated previously, regardless of when we release it, it’ll be a free addition to the game. Team Deathmatch provided us with the foundation that we needed and served us well. Hell, it may even still be added in some form in the future. For now, though, we’re going to first be looking at new modes that play up to the strengths of the character classes, focus on objectives beyond just defeating other players, and possibly even integrate PvE elements and rewards.

You can read the entire update on their official website.

Wilson also write that further news can be expected in the next few days.

Were you looking forward to Diablo III TDM? Do you think Blizzard made the right decision in cutting it from the next update? Let’s hear it below.

Thanks, Polygon.

Tags: Blizzard Diablo III Featured PC PvP Team Deathmatch

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Unreleased Halo 4 Armor Abilities Discovered In Game Files

by Joel Santana

3:04 pm in News

Neogaf community member, Nowise10 has allegedly stumbled upon a few goodies in Halo 4 in the form of two unreleased armor abilities that didn’t quite make the cut when Halo 4 went gold.

The armor abilities in question are none other then Hacker and Teleport. The former allows the person who uses the ability to cancel and disable any other armor ability in use by enemies such as the jet packs and turrets. As for the latter Teleport ability, it allows the player to simply teleport a short distance in the direction that they’re facing.

Having coded them into the game, this user in the video below was able to see what Hacker and Teleport are all about. According to the captured footage, the Teleport armor ability seems to be bugged and can randomly kill the person who uses the ability at any given time. See them in action right here.

[youtube id=”p2RI45IjeFI” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Currently, there is no official word regarding why these armor abilities were cut and if we will ever see them in a future update to Halo 4.

Would you replace any of your current armor abilities with Hacker or Teleport, had they been released? Let us know in the comment section below!

Tags: Armor Abilities Featured Halo 4 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

Dead Space 3 Demo Gets a Release Date, Will Include Co-op

by James Lara

2:33 pm in News

Dead Space fans, prepare yourself for next month. Today, EA has announced that the Dead Space 3 demo will be coming to both the PS3 and Xbox 360 January 22nd, 2013.

The demo will include co-operative play, where players will get a chance to go through the demo portion as either Isaac Clarke or his new companion, Sergeant John Carver.

In the demo, players will be thrust into deep space terror when unwilling hero – Isaac Clarke – and all-new co-op companion – Sergeant John Carver – crash land on Tau Volantis, an unforgiving ice planet teeming with Necromorphs. Dead Space 3 takes the franchise’s core elements of suspense, horror, action and sound and introduces them to all-new elements – including co-op play – that allows players to work together to take down the most ambitious Dead Space experience yet.

For those who own an Xbox 360, you’ll be able to get into the beta one week early (January 15th) by signing up on EA’s Dead Space 3 Demo Page.

Dead Space 3 is set to launch February 5, 2013 for North America. If you don’t remember, the devs behind Dead Space 3 dropped it’s competitive multiplayer from the 2nd title and decided that co-op would be the best approach this time around. So while there’s no PvP, you’ll still be able to enjoy a multiplayer experience through it’s co-op mode.

That leaves the question, do you think co-op horror works?

Tags: Co-Op Dead Space 3 Demo Featured PS3 Xbox 360

James Lara

Home > News

Naughty Dog Has Some Exciting Things Planned For Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Next Year

by James Lara

2:24 pm in News

Wishing every gamer a happy holiday, Naughty Dog has revealed that they have some big news to announce at the start of 2013.

On the Uncharted 3 front, we recently announced our holiday items and we’ll have even more content inbound in the New Year. Additionally, we have some very exciting information about multiplayer around the start of next year. Get ready for all the big news by checking back to the PlayStation blog and Naughty Dog blog once 2013 hits.

Wonder what it could be? Speculation has been circling the net, suggesting that it’ll most likely be some new DLC. I would like to think that, perhaps, maybe the team will be going the Killzone 3 route and offer Uncharted 3 Multiplayer as a free-to-play title next year. What do you think?

Oh, and we do expect to hear about some more The Last of Us Multiplayer news before the May 7th release. Don’t forget to watch the latest trailer below.

[youtube id=”W01L70IGBgE” width=”618″ height=”378″]

Tags: Featured Naughty Dog PS3 The Last of Us Uncharted 3

James Lara

Home > News

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive PC Update Adds Commend and Report System, More Bug Fixes

by James Lara

2:02 pm in News

During the Holiday break, Valve released a brand-new Counter Strike: Global Offensive update for the PC, including a new reporting system, many tweaks and bug fixes and the addition of some “holiday cheer.”

Check out the full patch notes below:

Added the ability to commend and report players from the player details view that can be accessed in the scoreboard.
Commend: Have you been playing with someone nice? A great teacher, a friendly teammate, or a strong leader? Let them know by commending them! Commendations are anonymous, and you are limited to three every 24 hours. When you have been commended, you’ll see an icon on the main menu that will tell you why (and how many times) you were commended.
Report: Sometimes you’ll find an especially naughty player. In this case, you have two options: mute, and report. Reports are also anonymous, but they are unlimited – you can report and mute as many players as you’d like. We store all of the reports that are submitted, but players will not be told when they have been reported.
Number of competitive wins, and unique commendations are now shown in the main menu along with skill group.
Competitive scoreboard will show number of competitive wins needed to display your skill group if you have not displayed it yet.
Fixed movement on ladders ignoring the walk button. Now climbing ladders while holding walk is slow and silent, which fixes previous exploit of being able to climb ladders at fullspeed without making sound.
Fixed failure to fire after weapon switching away from a reload and back (fake-reloading).
Whitelisted tv_password convar to set GOTV password.
Reduced fps in main menu when not connected to a server from 300 fps to 120 fps to help with laptops and desktop video cards doing excessive work. Exposed fps_max_menu convar to control fps in main menu.
Added one more minute of grace period for players to reconnect to their competitive match before a cooldown for failing to reconnect is assigned. Cooldown for failing to reconnect is now assigned after player has remained disconnected for at least 4 minutes, not counting the round of disconnection and not counting the round in which 4 minutes grace period elapses.
Fixed Hammer crash on exit.
Added some holiday cheer.

Tags: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Featured PC

James Lara

Home > News

Borderlands 2 One-Day Sale Now Live on Xbox LIVE Marketplace

by Joel Santana

1:32 pm in News

Ahoy, vault hunters! For those who have have been eyeing up the Borderlands series on the Xbox 360 for the past few months but have been waiting for a great deal to present itself, today is your lucky day.

Microsoft now has the original Borderlands as well as Borderlands 2 and it’s season pass at a discounted price for today only as part of their Countdown to 2013 End of the Year Sale.

As for how much it is actually discounted by the Microsoft one-day sale, we got you covered:

Countdown to 2013 End of the Year discounted prices

Borderlands (Games On Demand)

Original price: $20.00 USD
Discounted price: $10.00 USD

Borderlands 2 (Games On Demand)

Original price: $60.00 USD
Discounted price: $40.00 USD

Borderlands 2 season pass

Original price: 2,400 Microsoft Points
Discounted price: 1,800 Microsoft Points

For those who are going to be too busy spending time with family and friends today to get on your Xbox, you can still take advantage of this deal by heading over to the official Xbox website and purchasing these items from the marketplace there.

Tags: Borderlands 2 Bordlerlands Featured Sale XBL Xbox 360

Joel Santana

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

Home > Features

Happy Holidays From MP1st!

by David Veselka

December 24, 2012 2:41 pm in Features

From all the staff at MP1st, we’d like to wish each and every one of you the awesome-est of holidays.

2012 has been a great year for us thanks to you guys, and what better way to wrap it up by discussing/contemplating/arguing over which multiplayer experience was the best multiplayer experience of this year? So we’d like to remind you – if you haven’t already – to vote for your favorite “Multiplayer Experience of 2012” in the right side bar and share your thoughts with everyone else right here!

Shortly after the holiday break, we’ll be trowing at you some of the MP1st staff’s favorite picks, leading up to both the Reader’s Choice award as well as MP1st’s ultimate MPE2012 award on the first day of 2013.

To keep you busy until then, we suggest checking out Steam’s Winter Sale where you’ll find entire franchises like Call of Duty, Mass Effect and Portal between 25% to 75% off, as well as some hot flash sales and other daily deals.

So, again, happy holidays to all our readers and we look forward to seeing you in the new year. We’ve got lots of exciting things to share with you and a ton of games to cover!

Featured image by Scotchlover.

Tags: Featured MP1st MPE2012 PC

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Happy Holidays From Rockstar – New Grand Theft Auto 5 Screenshots

by Joel Santana

10:26 am in News

Just in time for the holidays, Rockstar Games has released some brand-new screenshots for their upcoming open-world epic, Grand Theft Auto V. These screens truly shows off the beauty that we can expect once it arrives for your platform of choice this upcoming spring.

Any who, without further interruptions, here are the new Grand Theft Auto 5 screens for your viewing pleasure:

gtav_shot003122412_1280 — Submarine for some deep sea exploring?

gtav_shot005122412_1280 — All three playable characters together

383605_10151395528605097_647622022_n — Jaws 4

gtav_shot004122412_1280 — Just taking a normal cruise with your bros

Now Cruising with my dog. — Now just taking a normal cruise with your dog.

What are you most excited to see in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto? Let us know in the comment section below!

Tags: Featured GTA V Images PS3 Screens Xbox 360

Joel Santana

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

Home > Features

God of War: Ascension Multiplayer Beta Impressions – Insanely Fun, Brutal, Addictive, But Unbalanced

by James Lara

December 23, 2012 11:51 pm in Features

When Santa Monica announced that the God of War series would be receiving Multiplayer, I had my doubts. The game, up to this point, has been known for its amazing single player story. To add an MP element to a game dedicated to single player seemed like the wrong move and angered many fans. With the Beta finally underway, my doubts have now been replaced with anticipation.

The intro of the game starts you off with a default warrior. Like Kratos, you are nothing but a mere mortal – that is until you pledge allegiance to any of the four gods. The Beta only has two available, whom are; Ares, The God of war, and Zeus, The God of Olympus. Despite being able to select which God you’ll side with, the actual lobby has the option to switch between the two – each of them having different levels and unlocks.

GoW Ascension — Warriors are completely customizable once you have gained a few levels.

I am extremely impressed with the leveling up system. Like any multiplayer game out there, you’ll level up with XP earned through matches, kills, and completing other objectives. Once you gain a level, you’ll earn unlock points, which are used towards new armor pieces (head, body, and legs), weapons, relics, and items. Things get a little bit more in-depth once you discover that even certain things like weapons have their own leveling system. This shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing that the single player has upgradeable weapons as well. There’s plenty to unlock just in the beta alone, and I can’t imagine how much more will be available in the final release. But for once, it feels nice unlocking new things in a multiplayer.

However, this is where I see a huge balancing issue. When I started the beta at the exact time it launched, I had no issues with balancing. Everyone was the same level, had the same amount of armor, etc. I could kill multiple opponents with a fair amount of challenge. Now, if I were to restart my character, that would be a completely different story. Joining a game at level one vs. level 10 opponents is hardly fair, considering the amount of armor and better weapons they have access to. Things can easily become lop-sided. Though I liked the leveling system, some balancing between what kind of players you’re matched with would be nice in a future update. Dodges and the counter system do help with this, but it certainly isn’t enough at times. Your best hope is to try to level up as quickly as possible.

For those who played any of the God of War titles, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting yourself into in terms of gameplay. For those who have not, shame on you! Well, no. But I do suggest playing them as they are great titles. Anyway, you can expect this title to play very much like a hack-and-slash except for one giant difference. One thing that has been remarked about the God of war series is the fact that the combat system is just mashing buttons. In truth, this style of play won’t get you very far in the Multiplayer; at least it didn’t for me. At a low level vs. higher levels, it’s wise to stay away and be on your guard. Once you’ve leveled up, you’ll want to perform combos on your opponent. Combos play a huge role in the Multiplayer and can definitely decide the turn of the battles. As said before, there is a leveling system and it’s wise to make use of it, as better gear means staying alive a lot longer.

Total "badass" moment. — Total “badass” moment.

But, how do I feel about the gameplay? Well I absolutely love it. It has a strong feeling of the single player mode thrown perfectly together with multiplayer elements. It runs perfectly smooth with fast-paced combat around every corner – not to mention all the blood, one of the best things about God of War. In one of the two game modes available (Team Favor of The Gods), you and 3 others go up against 4 other players on an arena, battling to regain control of the map, which has a giant Cyclops chained to it. Besides your normal weapon (sword or hammer, currently), you’ll be able to pick-up available ones on the field such as a hammer or a spear. These pick-up weapons are very powerful and can be used to your advantage when performing combos. For me, this mechanism is always fun to have in any game, as it quickly turns into a race to see who can kill who and for what.

Overall the Beta shows many promises, and though it needs work (thus Beta), I can definitely see this being a multiplayer title to be on the lookout for in 2013. Santa Monica, you guys keep doing what you’re doing. We have complete faith in you guys and trust that the final build of multiplayer will end up being just as great as the Single Player.

Tags: Beta Featured God of War: Ascension God of War: Ascension Multiplayer PS3

James Lara

Home > News

Warframe – Watch 10 Impressive Minutes of Slashing and Shooting

by James Lara

10:58 pm in News

I’m not one to be easily impressed by most free-to-play titles, but after watching some gameplay footage of Canadian developer Digital Extremes’ Warframe, it quickly shot up to a must-play title of 2013.

[youtube id=”KJr53KlguCQ” width=”618″ height=”378″]

So what is Warframe? Well, if the video above didn’t give you an idea, this will:

“Warframe is a cooperative free-to-play online action game set in an evolving sci-fi world. Join your friends in player-vs-enemy raids across the solar system and master the power of the Warframes. Stand alone or fight together against enemies that threaten your world.”

As explained on the official website.

Here’s some background information about the story, which plays a part to the co-operative multiplayer.

They were called Tenno. Warriors of blade and gun: masters of the Warframe armor. Those that survived the old war were left drifting among the ruins. Now they are needed once more.

The Grineer, with their vast armies, are spreading throughout the solar system. A call echoes across the stars summoning the Tenno to an ancient place. They summon you.

Allow the Lotus to guide you. She has rescued you from your cryostasis chamber and given you a chance to survive. The Grineer will find you; you must be prepared. The Lotus will teach you the ways of the Warframes and the secrets to unlocking their powers.

Come Tenno, you must join the war.

Warframe is currently in Beta and is only for the PC. To get a chance to participate in the Beta, make sure to visit their sign-up page. You’ll also be able to learn a lot more about the title there, including factions, abilities, and other ways to participate in the beta.

Tags: Digital Extremes Featured PC Warframe

James Lara

Home > News

Borderlands 2 Developer Explains Limited Backpack Space, New Big Game Hunt Images

by Joel Santana

December 22, 2012 1:47 pm in News

After hearing the cries of the community as to why the backpack space in Borderlands 2 is a lot more limited in terms of loot space than the original Borderlands, Gearbox developer Botman has decided to come fourth and address the Borderlands 2 community on this issue in a rather lengthy but very informative post.

You can read it in it’s entirety here or check out the highlights below.

Regarding the backpack issue, here’s what Botman had to say:

So, here’s how the number of slots in your backpack came about. Designers felt that the number of backpack slots in Borderlands 1 made it more difficult for new players to decide if a new item was better or worse than things the player already had. UI designers were concered about not being able to sort and display a large number of item in an efficient manner in the UI (this becomes even more of an issue in split-screen on consoles).

BTest stats indicated that people tend to carry around weapons that weren’t used much. Borderlands is not a game about collecting a large number of items and keeping them forever. The size of the backpack was reduced and when play testers felt that it was too small, the size was increased. More play testing was done by focus testers and developers and the size was tweaked accordingly. Designers and developers were happy with the size of the backpack at the time that the game shipped.

The size of the bank was set using similar criteria, but one of the design decisions (despite things said by Randy early on) was that the bank was only supposed to hold weapons that were “super special and rare” to the player. The bank should only hold the “best of the best” items that you’ve found while playing the game.

All of this is not to say that these things will never change in the future. With DLC and updates we can changes these but I do not know if, or when, that might happen.

In addition, Botman has also stated that he will address the rest of the Gearbox developers regarding ways that they can increase the backpack space for at least the hardcore players. This could be done via the use of more Eridium and making the upgrades cost more and more until they cost 99 Eridium, which is currently the limit cap for how much Eridium you can carry.

If they do happen to come up with a way to implement a bigger backpack space, it’s possible that we will see it in a update around the fourth add-on expansion for Borderlands 2.

For those who wanted to take a look at what type of scenery Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt is going to provide, check out these images below:

If Gearbox was to implement a new way to increase the cap of the backpack space on Borderlands 2, how would you like them to implement it? Let us know in the comment section below!

Tags: Backpack Space Borderlands 2 Featured Images Limited PC PS3 Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt Xbox 360

Joel Santana

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