E3 2013 - Expectations

So its finally here again. E3 should be the most joyous time of the gaming year, but as of late E3 is more like an old drinking buddy. Its always fun at first, but you just end up feeling horrible and sad afterward. So with that being said lets get into my expectations for this years big party!

I fully expect us to get prices and dates for both the Xbox One and PS4. I think that is a given but I see it being $450-500 and a release date in November for both consoles. And finally getting to see the actual PS4.

I think Microsoft goes all out with the exclusives and top games. Im talking about new Halo, Forza, Witcher 3, etc. But I also see Sony doing the same, or at least showing tech demos of God of War, Resistance, maybe even an Uncharted.

Going out on a limb, with Microsoft announcing they will continue supporting the Xbox 360, I can really see them reworking for a new cheaper, smaller, 360. We’ve seen the PS3 and the Wii do it, and now its time for Microsoft to follow suit.

As much as I want to see it, I think Sony leaves the Vita out to dry. I think theyll try.....but with very little success.

3rd parties, Ubisoft and EA will have decent showings but I don’t expect them to blow anyone out of the water. Ubisoft stole the show last year with amazing showings of Far Cry 3 and Assassins Creed 3, and the surprise of Watch Dogs. But unless they have something else up their sleeves, I don’t expect them to have the same impact.

And now lets discuss the Nintendo Direct while we are at it. I think Nintendo has the biggest chance to win this week. New Smash Bros already confirmed, and a high chance for new Mario, Pokemon, and maybe even Metroid and Zelda? Please sign me up. I love the idea of the Nintendo Direct and with them skipping the big E3 press conference, I think they can have full control of how they want to set up their company not just through this week but throughout the rest of the year. Nintendo already set up the Wii U and the 3ds, so now this is all about the games and not just any games, first party Nintendo games. And they still have that held down ahead of everyone.

The Oversight of “Overstrike”

Its the summer of 2010, the gaming industry is in flux. The releases early in the year were just full of sequels and remakes like Bioshock 2 and Pokemon HeartGold/Soulsilver. And what was there to look forward to? Halo: Reach, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, and OMG a new Call of Duty! When suddenly a hero emerged, Insomniac Games announced that they were working on a brand new IP for PS3 and 360. Finally some new blood in the market. Something to look forward to, something to keep an eye on.

However we would have to wait. And then it happened, at E3 2011, “Overstrike” was revealed and the trailer shown was nothing less than charming and brimming with potential. The game was based around a squad of eccentric secret agents. The dialogue was witty and amusing. The animation style reminisced that of a Pixar film. The game looked to be a dark horse for the future. It isn’t just a another shooter. Its a 4 player co-op experience with likable and unique characters that, if done correctly, could grab the attention of the gaming world like “Team Fortress” or “Portal” did for Valve.

I followed the progression of the game, and I was looking forward to seeing more at the next E3. But E3 2012 came and went and no sign of this hidden gem. Then in late 2012, it was announced that “Overstrike” had been rebranded into “F.U.S.E”, a gritty action shooter with a team of misfit agents looking to prove themselves. When asked why this change was made, President and CEO of Insomniac Games, Ted Price, said that it was necessary to compete in the current market of shooters and they felt the game needed more “hard-hitting combat.”

However Insomniac Games lost the point. Combat wasn’t at the core of Overstrike. It was the perfect chance to show that big guns, and big explosions wasn’t the only way to make a game “enjoyable”. It was a chance to flip the Michael Bay style of game development on it’s head and get to a game that was driven by its story and its change of the current status quo.

Instead of a beautifully orchestrated mix of campy humor and Pixar art style, we were given generic shooter number 32 that would go unnoticed on the back counter or shelf of any store. “F.U.S.E” was finally released in May 2013 with mostly negative reviews, criticized for a confusing tone and uninspired style.

With just one trailer, the appeal of “Overstrike” went beyond the gameplay. It got us for care about the world and about the characters. As a message to game devs everywhere! This isn’t high school, fitting in should be the last thing you want. So please follow the clique. Trust your heart, not your wallet.

What makes a good MOBA?

League of Legends. DOTA 2. Heroes of Newerth. The list goes on and on. Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas, aka MOBAs, are the gaming industry’s hottest genre. But like the outburst of first person shooters during this console cycle, some MOBAs are a step above, and others fall of a cliff. But why is this? And what makes a good MOBA and what makes a bad one? Lets dive right in.

But first we need to understand what a MOBA is. The basic principle is simple, two opposing teams whose collective goal is to destroy their enemy's base to win, but defensive structures are in place to prevent this. A player controls a single in-game unit generally called a “hero” or “champion”. This is where it gets a little bit tricky. Weak CPU controlled units periodically spawn at each base and travel down predefined paths toward the opposing team's base. These are usually referred to as creeps. When a player kills or stands near a killed enemy unit/creep, it gains experience points which allow the hero to level up. When a hero levels up, they have the ability to learn more powerful skills and abilities. Each player receives a gold per second from their base, and can receive larger amounts by killing creeps/players, or by taking objectives/defensive structures around the map. Gold is used by heroes to buy a variety of different items that differ in price and impact, ranging for increased armor/health, damage, or other types of effects.

The genre was started as a custom map on Starcraft: Brood War called Aeon of Strife (AoS). That opened up a remake of AoS for Warcraft 3 called Defense of the Ancients, better known as DOTA. Once the Warcraft 3 pro scene died down, the game was kept alive singlehandedly by DOTA. This continued until 2009, when League of Legends (LoL) was released as a stand alone MOBA. Once LoL showed the genre could be successful, Heroes of Newerth (HoN) and DOTA 2 were released and the 3 games became formed the centerpiece of the genre. This continued with Smite, Guardians of Middle-Earth, and as of late Infinite Crisis.

So lets now break down the 3 points of a good/bad MOBA.

The first topic, as with most games, is what is the hook? The look or feel of the game, the style of the world. Most of them choose to go with an organic, creative look. The heroes/champions are diverse and interesting, and all have unique back stories that fit into the lore of the game. LoL is the perfect example of this. No champion looks or plays like on another, and the animations are clean and voice actors give them all life. The game is just fun and interesting to look at and the soundtrack fits into each piece beautifully. While most take this approach, some work from established properties, such as Guardians of Middle-Earth, using Lord of the Rings, or Infinite Crisis, using the DC Comics Universe.

Second topic is what is going to keep you playing, and that is the game play. The controls, the game balance, and the overall fun. This is where Guardians of Middle-Earth takes the cake as an utter failure. The game was designed to be on a console, meaning of course, it is made to be played on a controller. However the game gets this very wrong. It functions in the same sense that Halo Wars did for RTS on a console. It could be that the genre just doesn't work without a keyboard mouse, or that the game just executes it poorly. LoL, HoN, and DoTA 2 are the cream of the crop in this regard. All 3 games have perfect mechanics, and are relentlessly balanced and changed by the dev teams to keep them competitive and fun. And of course there is the wild card. Smite takes the regular top down camera, and moves it down to a third person shooter style camera.

And finally the third part will turn the game into a lifestyle, and that is the community. Each community has a different feel and personality that can affect the way you enjoy the experience. The ones that really tend to take off are the ones that have an established professional scene. Once the game steps into the world of eSports, the fan base really takes off. Now some people enjoy watching the game just as much as playing it. This fuels the discussion of game balance and then adversely affects the game play.

All of these parts combined make a great MOBA, but then again there is no saying that one is better than another. And as we are starting to see more and more games pop up in the genre, it is becoming more important to pick and choose which one we spend our time with. So please when you are looking for a new MOBA to start playing, take these into account.

End Of The Beginning

For those you don’t know, The OnGameNet Starleague was a Starcraft tournament that has been held 3 times a year since 2000. OnGameNet is a cable gaming channel in Korea that specializes in Starcraft content. The OSL has been the most prestigious and renowned tournament in the community.

Only time will tell if the magic will carry over, but we can look back on the OSL with a smile and realize that what OSL meant to the Starcraft community was something special and should never be forgotten or taken for granted. Thank you OnGameNet Starleague for the past 12 years of memories, and cheers to the bright future.

In 1999, the Tooniverse Progamer Korea Open tournament was held by OGN. It was the company’s free foray into a televised Starcraft tournament. The event was generally well received and planted a seed in OGN, that there could be something more worth exploring.

The Hanaro OnGameNet Starleague began on Feb. 16, 2000. 16 players played in the 2 stage tournament, with the French-Canadian Protoss, Grrrr...., taking the title. Grrr... remains the only foreign player to ever win a professional Korean tournament. The ratings continued to grow throughout the event and set the stage for the event to be continued to be held. The OSL eventually evolved into a 40 player, 4 stage event that takes around 4 months to complete.

Including the Tooniverse Open, there have been 34 OSL tournaments spanning from 1999-2012. Each one providing new games, new memories, and sometimes even new stars. The OSL became the stage for legendary names. From Boxer to Flash and everything in between players shined in the spotlight and performed at a level that pushed Starcraft and E-sports in general to new heights.

The community coined terms that coincide with the OSL. The Legend of the Fall, a routine that a Protoss player will win the OSL in the Fall, has held true since 2001. A player who wins in their first OSL is known as a Royal Roader. Garimto, Boxer, Nada, July, Anytime, Savior and Jaedong have all received that name. The greatest honor was the Golden Mouse, awarded to any player who wins 3 career OSLs. Nada, July, Jaedong, and Flash are the only players to receive the trophy.

Each of Brood War’s legendary names and brightest have all competed in the OSL, so it is fitting that the last major individual Brood War tournament is the 2012 Tving OSL. The pre-game showmatch was played between Boxer and Yellow, bringing back the most legendary rivalry in history. And with Jangbi taking down Fantasy 3-1, winning his second OSL and completing the Legend of the Fall, we end the Brood War era with OSL and look toward the future with Starcraft 2.