Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[New Rusty Hearts dev diary delves into delicious design decisions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/05/new-rusty-hearts-dev-diary-delves-into-delicious-design-decision/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/05/new-rusty-hearts-dev-diary-delves-into-delicious-design-decision/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/05/new-rusty-hearts-dev-diary-delves-into-delicious-design-decision/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's time for another dev diary from the fine folks at Perfect World Entertainment, this time detailing the art of Rusty Hearts. We're sure that by now most of you have seen Rusty Hearts and its crisp cel-shaded anime style, but the dev diary goes into detail on what the team is aiming for with the art, and outlines the inspiration behind it.

The team is careful to note that while the overall vibe of the game is decidedly dark and gothic, that by no means insinuates that the world will be dull or muddled. Taking inspiration from popular anime such as Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist, Rusty Hearts aims to carve a niche for itself as a "living comic." For the full dev diary, hop on past the cut!

Continue reading New Rusty Hearts dev diary delves into delicious design decisions

MassivelyNew Rusty Hearts dev diary delves into delicious design decisions originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the earliest days of gaming, games were by their very nature pretty much abstract in graphics. The Atari 2600 couldn't really handle photorealistic human faces, after all. But even though we're now in the era when realism is not that far off, many games still employ intentionally stylized looks. LEGO Universe people look nothing like actual human beings, after all -- but they're not supposed to, representing instead the ubiquitous minifigures given motion and character.

Some players really don't like stylized appearances, feeling that they look cartoony or artificial. Others prefer them to realistic graphics out of a sense that the style makes the game stand out more. MMOs have run the gamut from the detailed and realistic humans of All Points Bulletin to the intentionally unreal graphics of Super Hero Squad Online. So what game has stylized graphics that you think really work? Whether or not you like the style overall, where do you feel they add to the game's atmosphere?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's your favorite use of heavily stylized graphics? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 May 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artart-stylecartoony-graphicsdetailsgraphicsopinionstylestylized-graphicstdgthe-daily-grindvisual-effectsvisualsTue, 24 May 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GenCon 2010: Fantasy fencing with 38 Studios]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/09/gencon-2010-fantasy-fencing-with-38-studios/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/09/gencon-2010-fantasy-fencing-with-38-studios/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/09/gencon-2010-fantasy-fencing-with-38-studios/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

One thing is for certain: When you are sitting in the crosshairs of Curt Schilling and R.A. Salvatore during an interview, it's easy to become bowled over by their collective intensity and passion, especially when it comes to their interest in games and fantasy worlds.

While GenCon Indy lacked its usual MMORPG presence this year, Massively was able to grab a few minutes of face time with 38 Studios' founder and lead writer as they passed through the convention. It was a bit of an odd interview, however, as two of the biggest topics -- 38 Studios' move to Rhode Island and any solid details about their top-secret MMO -- were off the table for discussion. Do not fret, as that certainly didn't stop us from trying to pry for a few hints along the way. Schilling and Salvatore were obviously eager to spill the beans about Copernicus, but they are still biding their time until the right moment.

Happily, the duo didn't mind us fencing with them for facts, and were quite open about their single-player RPG lead-up to Copernicus, their general philosophy of designing the MMO, and why they've waited so long to unveil it to the public. Read on, gentle gamers, for a few ripostes, parries and lunges with two of the biggest figures in the industry right now.

Continue reading GenCon 2010: Fantasy fencing with 38 Studios

MassivelyGenCon 2010: Fantasy fencing with 38 Studios originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, the news of Star Wars: The Old Republic was kept a secret (kinda) for a few years, and during that time we really heard nothing of the game itself. Yet here we are now getting a steady stream of useful information on a game that is not even predicted to launch this year. This week we have two examples of this from the team at BioWare: a look at the art style of the game, and an entertaining blog entry from Principal Lead Animator Mark How.

In the blog entry, How explains a bit about how enthusiastic the animation team is for getting every lightsaber battle exactly right. He reflects on how powerful the toys were to him as a child and how the work they will do with TOR can be 10,000 times better than anything we could imagine back then.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic Concept Art

Continue reading BioWare blog defines "stylized reality" in The Old Republic

MassivelyBioWare blog defines "stylized reality" in The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animatorart-stylebiowareblogconcept-artlightsaber-duelsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortorSat, 03 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Chronicles of Spellborn scores 8/10 in an early review]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/08/the-chronicles-of-spellborn-scores-8-10-in-an-early-review/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/08/the-chronicles-of-spellborn-scores-8-10-in-an-early-review/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/08/the-chronicles-of-spellborn-scores-8-10-in-an-early-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Although a great deal of the world is still playing the beta version of The Chronicles of Spellborn, continental Europe has had access to the retail copy since the 27th of November. Since Eurogamer has had a couple of weeks to put the game through its paces, they've posted a review. Now, we're sure you know the various problems with MMO reviews in general -- the two biggest being that most (good) MMOs are updated frequently post-launch, and that there's usually too much content to get through to provide accurate insight to all levels and areas of a game -- but it's worth nothing that this one comes with a rather healthy eight-out-of-ten score at the end.

The art style and environments get an approving nod in the review, and so do the action-based combat mechanics. The "Skill Deck", which is the replacement for the traditional action bar you might be used to from a huge number of other MMOs, is both praised and knocked for its complexity. The primary criticisms that the review levels against TCoS are that it can be a bit generic at times, and that it lacks the glossy polish that you see in big-budget titles. Obviously these complaints were not significant enough to stop the reviewer from enjoying the game, and we look forward to seeing how it shapes up by the time it's released to the rest of the world in January.

MassivelyThe Chronicles of Spellborn scores 8/10 in an early review originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acclaimartart-stylechronicles-of-spellborncombateueuropereviewskill-decktcosthe-chronicles-of-spellbornMon, 08 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST