Review: Star wars: Battle Pod

For those that haven’t seen this arcade machine yet, check out the [videos]

Machine wise this is pretty much is a almost sound proof enclosure with a projector using a concave screen with 5.1 sound sound and a fan to move air around you (and to keep the machine from smelling)  along with all the standard hard points to allow the machine to stand up to the riggers of the public.

Game play wise, this is really nothing more than an upgraded version of the [Star Wars Arcade] from Sega.   

Having a screen large enough to see in your peripheral vision was pretty cool, but just a gimmick since none of the action happens on the sides of your vision.   The controls where pretty responsive and something you’d be used to if you’ve ever played an arcade game with a throttle and flight stick.

At 15.8 credits (I played it at my local [Dave and Busters]) I would wait until 1/2 price Wednesdays to even check it out. 

All and all it was a ‘cute’ machine, though I was left feeling very disappointed.  A) it’s a expensive game since you are paying for the experience which isn’t much more then what you would get playing any sit-down game with a shell.  Sega’s ‘Turbo’ would be an [example]
B) It feels like nothing more than an HD update to a game that’s already been in arcades for a while, so not much new their.  and C) Once you beat a level, you need to PAY again in order to continue.    So yeah, you get about 3 minutes of game time and then need to pay the 15.8 credits to continue.   EABOT!   (Eff a bunch of that.)

Console Wars.

Star Wars: The Old Republic preorders now available | Crave – CNET

There’s little doubt this will be one of the biggest Star Wars games in recent memory, picking up the pieces from the recently marked-for-death Star Wars Galaxies MMORPG. Galaxies, run by Sony Online Entertainment, had an incredible rise in popularity, only to fall from grace after a series of changes to gameplay. Could SW:TOR refresh a stagnant MMORPG market, one that has been dominated by World of Warcraft for years?

via Star Wars: The Old Republic preorders now available | Crave – CNET.

Possible ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ Collector’s Edition Details

OK.. so what goodies can you get with the collector’s edition VS the regular?

1) Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue
2) Game discs in collectible metal case
3) The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural annotated by Satele Shan
4) Old Republic galaxy map
5) Exclusive Music of Star Wars: The Old Republic CD
6) High-Quality Collector’s Edition Box
7) Flare Gun: Fire flares into the air
8) Training Droid: Hovers at your side for combat assistance
9) HoloDancer: Project your own holographic dancer
10) HoloCam: Keep visual records of in-game adventures
11) STAP: Sleek and unique in-game vehicle
12) Exclusive Mouse Droid: Spun-ky droid to join your adventures
13) Exclusive Collector’s Edition Store: Unique in-game vendor with a dynamic assortment of items

Sooo.. for about 150 Euros (about $220 US) you get.. pretty much jack and shit.     No way I’d pay for the this edition.

via Possible ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ Collector’s Edition Details Game Rant.

Some Star Wars Galaxies Servers Shutting Down

via 1UP RSS feed by Steve Watts on 9/15/09

Next month several servers will be shut down in Star Wars Galaxies, part of an overall move to slim down servers after allowing characters to transfer. Kotakupasses along the word from the Star Wars Galaxies forums, which state that the free character transfers have essentially made some servers underused. As of 5 p.m. (PST) October 15, the following servers will be shut down:

• Corbantis
  
• Europe-Infinity
  
• Intrepid
  
• Kauri
  
• Kettemoor
  
• Lowca
  
• Naritus
  
• Scylla
  
• Tarquinas
  
• Tempest
  
• Valcyn
  
• Wanderhome
  

Of course, with The Old Republic looming on the horizon, this may be the first sign of things to come. Servers are regularly cleared when they become unused, and Star Wars loyalists are likely to at least give BioWare’s effort a try.

Bioware gives first look at gameplay footage for upcoming Star Wars MMO | Geek.com

Bioware gives fist look at the new Star Wars MMO!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Bioware gives first look at gameplay …“, posted with vodpod

KOTOR MMO in development for over a decade?!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or just don’t care) then you already know that BioWare announced they are in development of Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO last week (with no release date yet)

However, did you know that the game has been in development for over 10 years? 

Ray Muzyka from BioWare while speaking in San Francisco last week stated: “We’ve been thinking of making an MMO for probably over a decade,” he said. “At BioWare we tend to have long-term plans.”

This can explain why there never was an KOTOR 3.  Bioware shifted the idea over to the MMO field.   Ray goes on to say “ ‘People ask us why we didn’t do KOTOR 3?’ For us this is KOTOR 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9: it’s that big in terms of the amount of content. It’s that ambitious in terms of the scale, and the interactions of the players with the world and the universe.”

 

ST: TOR could be one hell of an ambitious game.  and something to watch.