July 2009, What Happened to Shadowbane?

Last time that I checked, Shadowbane was set to close down on July 1st, 2009. It's July 3rd and I can't seem to find any obituaries or any official info on what happened to the game.

The Shadowbane websites no longer exist (that I can find) and the MMO news aggregation sites are quiet. I guess Aeria Games didn't come in to save the game.

Is this truly how Shadowbane has gone out, without even a whimper?

Snap Links for Firefox 3.5

Snap Links is one of my favorite Firefox add ons. With a single click and drag, multiple links can be clicked at once. With Firefox 3.5 rolling out, it was time to find a new version of Snap Links.

After digging high and low, I finally found a compatible version in Snap Links Plus.

Enjoy!

Update: 3 Aug 2009 - This works with Firefox 3.5.1.
Update: 31 Oct 2009 - This works with Firefox 3.5.4.
Update: 11 Nov 2009 - This works with Firefox 3.5.5.
Update: 20 Dec 2009 - This works with Firefox 3.5.6.

Battlefield Heroes Commentary Part II

In Part I, I outlined how Battlefield Heroes is a bit different from the classic Battlefield series.

I'll start by saying its not my fathers Battlefield.

At a casual pace, the game is great. There are experience levels, customizable characters, and achievements (known as missions). They all provide great incentive for casual players to get the most out of a short play session.

The game is free to play, but supported by micro-transactions. It costs "battle funds", which are purchased with real money, to customize a Hero. There is everything from hats to shoulder monkeys to momentary game bonuses. Different versions, at different costs, last anywhere from a week to permanently. This allows a player to choose a crazy outfit for a week, at a cheaper cost, without the long term commitment attached.

On top of "battle funds", there is dual-currency in the form of Victory Points. Victory Points are earned via in-game mission completion and winning matches (don't worry, losers get a small amount as well). Victory Points are used to purchase weapons and extra goodies for use in game. However, these weapons/upgrades are no permanent and in order to maintain them, the player needs to continually earn Victory Points to afford the weapons they like.

This is a very smart currency system in my book. It allows for the game to be supported by the fans, without destroying outsiders ability to come in and enjoy the game. Raw, real money spent does not buy any immediate advantage for a player.

Plus, there is no need to ever pay real money for anything if a player decides they don't want to. There is no negative to this play style and only means a slight loss of uniqueness, but when bodies are dropping a dime a dozen, that monkey on that Gunner's shoulder isn't doing much anyways.

Stay tuned for Part III: The Conclusion!

Battlefield Heroes Open Beta, NDA Lifted, Commentary Abounds

Battlefield Heroes, free-to-play shooter extraordinaire, is now in open beta.

As of today, EA Digital Illusions CE has opened their newest game, Battlefield Heroes, for public play according to CinemaBlend Games. Users confirmed this morning on the Battlefield Heroes forums that a beta key is no longer needed to enter the free-to-play cartoon shooter.

Secondly, the NDA has been lifted, so I can finally talk about the game I've been playing casually for the last few months.

I'll start by saying its not my fathers Battlefield. For starters, its quasi web-based. Hit up their web page and hit the big old Play Now button. A browser plug-in download and installation later, the game downloads and from that point forward only the web page is of concern.

Heroes has its own unique style. The graphics are definitely cartoon inspired, but without this style, the game would be one giant "WTF dude"! Personally, I enjoy the cartoonist approach as I did with Team Fortress 2.

I also say "WTF dude!" because the game contains, as defaults, some of the craziest things Battlefield players have ever come up with. For example, wing riding on airplanes is automatic with no effort needed from the player. Character abilities include punching tanks and sending them flying through the sky and the showering of half a dozen grenades with the single stroke of a hot key.

There are three Hero classes at the core of the game:

Soldier - Classic Brett Favre. Never misses a game, is a son of a bitch to take down, and throws as many OH MY GOD touchdowns as interceptions.

Commando - Classic rogue from any game ever created. Knives, sniper rifle, and stealth. Do the math.

Gunner - Classic Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Predator days. Hold that trigger down until it goes click, click, click, and nothing exists within a hundred paces.

I have love for this game, but under that love is a little bit of hate. However, that will have to wait until my next post.

A Tale of Two Marks

Well, yesterday was a pretty crappy day to be a Mark in the news.

Mark Jacobs was pretty much fired as head honcho of Mythic. Not for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning's dismal subscription numbers, but for telling the truth about MMORPGs and how they generally can be considered failures when they merge servers.

As Electronic Arts gathers both its Mythic and BioWare studios into a single group, Mythic GM and co-founder Mark Jacobs is leaving the company.

Mark Sanford, should probably be fired as Governor of South Carolina. Not for having an affair, but for skipping town to hide it and lieing about it along the way.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- The governor of South Carolina, a rumored 2012 presidential contender, tearfully confessed to having an affair with a woman in Argentina, dealing the latest blow to a struggling Republican Party.

So one Mark getting canned for being right and being unable to do anything about it. Another Mark that should be canned for the opposite. Strange world we live in.