GDC used to be an event for purely for game makers. Today, it’s an event that game lovers around the world pay attention to. The once-insular event has become one of the go-to sources for insights into the world of game-making, but also more than a few unexpected announcements and big news breaks. The week has been good to us and we’re devoting our whole column to the biggest news, from the inside the event and out.
General: Why VR Matters to Me
Gareth Harmer, aside from being a fantastic dresser, writer for MMORPG.com, and all around proper British gentleman, is also a prolific blogger. Over on his personal blog, Mana Obscura, he penned an interesting take on Virtual Reality and why it clicks with him. We’ve republished that blog here for you today, in the wake of all this week’s VR news from GDC.
Crowfall: Siege Perilous Overview Prepares for Late March Deployment
The Crowfall team is getting ready to unleash Siege Perilous into pre-alpha testing and to help introduce players and fans to the new system, a new blog post has been published on the official site. Siege Perilous is the name of the next round of testing that will grow into the castle siege system over time.
General: Space-Themed Shattered Skies Ready to Launch Closed Alpha
Shattered Skies is a survival open world shooter with an alien space theme going on. Closed alpha is slated to begin by the end of March and will feature a single price with no microtransactions, season passes or paid expansions after — all content will be unlocked solely through game play. Players will take on alien monstrosities and other players in a quest for dominance.
Epocylipse the AfterFall: The Confed – Equality Achieved by the Ambitious
The latest faction reveal has been posted on the Epocylipse: The AfterFall site. This time, the Confed takes center stage, a group driven by purpose and a group built on the foundation of order in the chaos.
Heroes of the Storm: Lost Cavern Introduced – a Single Lane Teamfight Map
Blizzard has unveiled the next map to be added to the Heroes of the Storm rotation that is a fundamental departure from the current maps. Unlike the others, Lost Cavern will have all action taking place in a single land without map objectives, hearthstones, starting area heals and the like removed to keep the action focused.
Black Desert Online: The Tip of the Iceberg is Huge
I’m going to level with you guys. I still don’t know what the frak I’m doing in Black Desert Online. I’ve played/logged well over 90 hours since head start and I haven’t even gotten to the first major city. My twitter followers laughed at me when I remarked how big and confusing Heidel seemed. If there’s one reason I think BDO is having such a wonderful effect on my beleaguered MMO-playing heart, it’s because the game really does make you learn how to play all over again.
Diablo 3: Some Legendary Gems to Be Overhauled in v2.4.1
A new design journal has been published on the Diablo 3 site that lays out some forthcoming design changes to legendary gems in the game. The article begins with a discussion of gem basics, what role each fulfills and how some have slipped through the cracks as far as being worth using. To address this, several gems will be undergoing significant changes in the next patch.
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Visions in the Dark Revealed for April 7th
The next chapter in Star Wars: The Old Republic Knights of the Fallen Empire has been revealed. Called Visions in the Dark, the story sees players on a path to confront Emperor Valkorion for the first time since becoming Outlanders. Along the way, dark secrets will be uncovered. Successfully completing the challenge will earn players a powerful new weapon “inspired by some of the greatest Force users in the galaxy”.
General: One Piece Treasure Cruise Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
Mobile RPG One Piece Treasure Cruise is puttin’ on the green for St. Patrick’s Day that sees a special event enter the game that will run through March 18th.