One of the biggest changes that we see so far in the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront game is that it will allow for more customization options, when compared to the older games. After watching the reveal trailer we found out that it will offer customizable loadouts to give you a specific playing style and it will also offer emotes for your use. EA Star Wars tweeted out that not only will there be loadouts and emotes but you will also be able to customize your character heads. In the reveal trailer we see the Ishi Tib, Human Rebels, and the Sullustan, and all of these will most likely be customizable. However, we wonder if The Empire will be part of the customizable group. How will it work if they are customizable? It would not seem too real if you see a stormtrooper walking around with an imperial commander hat on. Many…
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BioWare Writer Talks Gay Romances and Sexual Diversity in Gaming
BioWare’s lead writer and developer for Mass Effect and Dragon Age, David Gaider, has decided to address the popular topic of sexual diversity in video games. Gaider is a 16-year veteran of the RPG studio and he recently wrote for Dragon Age: Inquisition. He began his interview by going over his reaction after he learned that BioWare’s 2005 RPG Jade Empire would allow gamers to have gay romances. “I remember hearing about when they made that decision to put it in and I was floored,” Gaider told Video Game Sophistry. “I mean, I’m gay myself, so I felt it kind of odd when I heard about it, how shocked I was because I just never thought that part of my life had a role to play in work. Like I said, it just wasn’t done. I didn’t even really consider the idea, so when they made that decision it was…
Creating the graphics of Star Wars Battlefront
DICE’s Technical Art Director, Ken Brown, received the news that he would be responsible for the upcoming design of Star Wars: Battlefront, he had mixed feelings. He was excited but also wondering how he could possibly create such a complex universe on screen. Once DICE told him their main goal was to replicate the universe as close to the original as possible, all of his worries vanished. “Doing it true to the source was the only way. Being respectful to Star Wars™ and doing it right was something I wanted to be a part of,” Brown says. Brown and his team have a hefty job of making Star Wars: Battlefront look as perfect as humanly possible. With the help of a technology called Physical Based Rendering and Brown’s passion to create this detailed world, Star Wars: Battlefront’s outlook is amazing. “From a rendering and a technical perspective, PBR refers to…
Yavin 4 Stronghold and Togruta Reveal First Look – SWTOR Dev Stream Recap
On 3rd of June the SWTOR Developer Stream showed to the gamers for the first time the new playable Species coming with Update 3.3 – Togruta. They also walked us through the new Stronghold on Yavin 4. Here are some of Vulkk’s notes. For more, check the video below. * The event was hosted by Community Manager Eric Musco and the Designer Tobby * There will be male and female Togruta. At this point the team is not ready to show Character Creation and details. * Togruta is targeted for release in Patch 3.3. Its date for now is 21st July 2015. * The new Yavin 4 Stronghold is very very big. Has decoration slots both inside and outside and many, many hooks. * The limitations related to GSH remain the same, meaning players with 4 Strongholds will have to deactivate one if they want to have Yavin 4. *…
Star Wars Battlefront tease reveals Han Solo following E3 gameplay pledge
A recent picture of Han Solo’s DL-44 heavy blaster pistol was posted by the official EA Star Wars Twitter account and the comment “Keep it on the DL… 44,” was posted along with it. The heavy blaster pistol is seen wielded by Solo in the Star Wars movies and it seems like it will be featured in Star Wars: Battlefront. Solo also used it in Battlefront 2 but it seemed to not be as effective against the Sith character roster. The only confirmed characters for Star Wars: Battlefront so far are Boba Fett and Darth Vader. However, DICE developers have told fans that they will be revealing more characters in the next few months. It seems possible that there will be more heroes at this year’s E3 event in June and it could possibly even feature Han Solo himself. The Design Director of Star Wars: Battlefront, Niklas Fegraeus, confirmed during…
Interview with BioWare’s Manager of Analytics – Stats and Game Design Decisions
Every now and then we get the privilege of hearing from representatives of BioWare quote player engagement stats in order to back up their game design. However, we have never been lucky enough to delve into the deep insight concerning their usage. If you have been curious or just flat out frustrated, Alex Tremblay from BioWare has all the answers you need in a recent interview. Olib: Can you tell us a little about yourself? Alex: Hi, my name is Alex Tremblay. I’m the Manager of Analytics here at BioWare Austin. I’ve been working on SWTOR since well before the launch of the game. This is the first time I’ve been asked to talk about the game and I have to say, I’m excited. Through data, I feel very, very connected to both our game and players, but rarely do I get to directly interact.
SWTOR GUIDE – Marauder Annihilation and Sentinel Watchman (Patch 3.2.1)
Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen This is the 3rd Guide for Sith Marauder Annihilation and Jedi Sentinel Watchman Disciplines I make in a never-ending struggle to always cover the latest changes with my favourite class. We all know Patch 3.2.1 can easily be called “The Broken Marauder and Sentinel”, but in every evil and sadness, there’s goodness and positivity! In this over 35 minutes long video I have shared everything I could think of. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be added or maybe even corrected in the future if test results show better approach. I have structured it in 3 major parts: – Overview of the Changes to the Advanced Class in Game Update 3.2.1 – Gearing and Stat Priority, Skill Priorities (rotation is a bad word :P) – Personal Opinion, Analysis, Suggestions, Tips and Tricks It is the longest video guide I have ever produced. Even though some of the basics…
Maybe it should not be called Star Wars: Battlefront?
EA and DICE seem intent on breaking my heart. First there’s the announcement that their upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront title won’t feature any prequel content. Understandable. Then there was the neglecting of a single player campaign, Galactic Conquest Mode, space battles, and drivable AT-AT walkers: basically unforgivable. But I still held out hope. “This is a Star Wars Battlefront title, I have to believe…” Recently, DICE announced that the new game title will be replacing the class system of the older Star Wars games that have unlockable weapons and gear. We want you to ask yourself a question, what parts of this new Star Wars game makes you think it’s a Battlefront title? The title of the game, that’s it. Besides the fact that you will be shooting things in the Star Wars setting and landscape, this game does not have any features that made fans fall in love with…
Sims 4 Patch Adds More Star Wars Costumes
After The Sims 4 was released in September of last year, it was criticized for having little content, which includes toddlers, swimming pools, and family trees. After a few updates quite a bit has been added to the game, making it the game it was hoped to be. The latest patch fixes bugs, and adds new features, including several new Star Wars costumes to celebrate Star Wars Day. The new Star Wars costumes that have been added to the game are Boba Fett, Aayla Secura, and Darth Maul. You will find these new costumes under “Styled Looks” in Create a Sim.
How DICE used Photogrammetry to Capture Every Last Detail for Star Wars Battlefront
After DICE visited the Lucasfilm Cultural Arts Museum and some of the original filming location for Star Wars, the studio artists had many pieces of inspiration for Star Wars: Battlefront. The crew had one mission and that was to return to the places where the Star Wars franchise all began. During their time they captured the basis for hi-res 3D models for the game and this was anything from huge redwood trees to Stormtrooper helmets. The major component during this process is called photogrammetry. “Photogrammetry is essentially the technique of processing still images to produce a high resolution 3D mesh,” explains Andrew Hamilton, Lead Environment Artist. “There are a number approaches to this, but they all involve taking photos of a subject in real-life and running it through photogrammetry software.” The software is given the images and then makes referenced points that are all based on the angles of the…
BioWare celebrates its 20th anniversary
BioWare celebrated its 20th birthday on Friday. Many fans were thanked via Twitter but I think we should be thanking them for making some of the best RPG’s in history. Can you believe it’s already been twenty years since BioWare began? Time definitely does fly by and we are looking forward to more of their amazing talents in the Star Wars gaming realm. What are some of your favorite BioWare games and memories from playing them?
STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT LEAKED INFO. CLOSED ALPHA, NEW 40-PLAYER GAME MODE & AI CONTROLLED AT-AT
I got in contact with an insider who got to play EA’s upcoming game Star Wars: Battlefront, and we got some nice or not so nice info from his play session. I couldn’t get a screenshot or an unreleased asset from the game to back this leak, so take it however you want. Keep in mind that things might drastically change nearing release as these pieces of info are coming from a really early build of the game. It was said that a closed alpha test was done directly after the game’s second reveal at the Star Wars Celebration. This close alpha test was only done for a few EA employees and it ran for a week. This makes one believe that there will be a public alpha test held in Q3 2015 if they did decide to have one, and also a public beta test about a month before…
Star Wars: Battlefront does not have classes or squads
The new Star Wars: Battlefront game will be leaving out a few typical features that you find in most multiplayer shooter games. It will not have any squads or classes. During a recent interviews that was published in OXM and was reported by Gamesradar, the design director Niklas Fegraeus states that players will be able to choose the equipment they would like to use instead of only given a few choices. New gear is guarded by XP, but you will be able to share what you unlock with your Partner. What this enables is two friends always purchasing different unlocks in order to put together their resources. Also, a higher-level player could give a new player access to their top-choice weapons in order to help the partnership. Partners will be replacing Squads, giving you only one person to help you along the way. Star Wars: Battlefront just might be a…
Star Wars: Battlefront Gameplay Debuts at E3, New Multiplayer Mode Revealed
For those of you that feel like you have ants in your pants for more information about Star Wars: Battlefront, we have some great news. June 15th is the official date that developer DICE will be releasing the very first gameplay footage to the public. It will be done through publisher Electronic Arts’ briefing that will be happening at E3 in Los Angeles. The designer for Star Wars: Battlefront, Niklas Fegraeus, announced this news on the games website and he also teased about DICE having “great plans for E3” overall. During the Star Wars Celebration in April, DICE showed a demo for Star Wars: Battlefront in a private area. E3 will be showing the gameplay footage to the open public as long as there are no leaks before then. The only thing that has been shown to the public is a CG trailer. While this trailer did impress us, there…
SWTOR Basics – Gearing for Leveling, Basic Comms Usage, Fleet Vendors
SWTOR Basics guide for newer players. How to use the Basic Commendatinos, Gearing tips for leveling, Fleet Vendors location and contents, 12x vs Normal Leveling plus many more Tips and Tricks to help and guide you through your journey. Since this is a “Basics” video most of the things you will see and hear may be familiar to the veteran players. However, if you have a few minutes, stay around, watch and listen. You may discover a fact or trick you didn’t know or perhaps add to the information I shared. Some of the bullet-points covered in the video are: ♦ Location of the Basic Comms vendors on both fleets ♦ Vendor names and changes in Patch 3.2 ♦ How to best use basic comms for gearing with and without 12x ♦ Difference between orange shells and normal gear. How and what to use ♦ Crafted gear vs vewndor mods ♦…
A Surprising Episode VII Cameo Revealed
Now that the actors playing most of the main characters in The Force Awakens have been revealed, we’re starting to get a little more information on the more minor players that we’ll get to see this Christmas. Don’t want to know who might be showing up in The Force Awakens? Read no further! Last year, there were rumors that Daniel Craig would show up somewhere in the movie, and The Daily Mail has quoted Simon Pegg as saying that Craig will play a stormtrooper. They also quote “an insider” who stated that “Fans will love trying to work out which covered up character is him”—though a cameo in a mask isn’t much of a cameo. Whether he’ll be a stormtrooper of any consequence or if we’ll see his face for a moment wasn’t discussed, but the fact that James Bond will be wearing the white armor is pretty cool! Although…
See What Star Wars Could Have Been Like
Like any work of art, Star Wars went through a number of versions before it become the story we all know and love. And if you’ve ever wondered what Star Wars was like when it was first born in George Lucas’s imagination, you’re in luck. The Star Wars is a graphic novel interpretation of Lucas’s rough draft vision of what would be A New Hope (it was originally published as eight Dark Horse comics). You’ll see a lot of the characters you’re familiar with—Luke, Han, Leia, 3PO, R2, Darth Vader—but in drastically different versions. Luke is in his 60s. Han is an alien. R2 can talk. The story itself is quite different, as well. Although some parts of the plot remained unchanged into the final form of the movie, there are some that were cut completely, and a few that were significantly changed. Lightsabers are all over the place in…
Star Wars Battlefront Won’t “Feel Like or Play Like” Battlefield, Discusses Space Combat
Some Star Wars fans have been concerned that Star Wars: Battlefront will be no more than Battlefield with a Star Wars theme. According to DICE producer Jesper Nielsen, this is not the case at all. Mr. Nielsen goes by “TheBikingViking” on Reddit. Nielsen responded to Star Wars fans on Reddit about the concerns over similarities between games. He stated that they may share some similarities, but they will stand out alone from each other well. Nielsen addressed a concern from a gamer who felt he was “robbed” by purchasing Battlefield Hardline. “I simply don’t get the Battlefield re-skin comment; from what we’ve shown, in what way does it look like Battlefield? Are you seeing tanks, lots of destruction, etc? This will not feel like or play like Battlefield. That’s never been our intention. Its fine you’re disappointed. Ok, so from what you’ve heard and seen, the game is not what…
Boba Fett to Get Standalone Movie?
Since we first heard about the Star Wars spin-off movies, there’s been a great deal of debate over what they’ll be focused on. We didn’t know if we’d be getting films on Han Solo, Boba Fett, the Death Star (looks like that rumor was right), or some combination of these and others. Now that the Rogue One teaser is out, speculation has already started about the next standalone movie, and a few people have been saying that it’s likely to focus on Boba Fett. This seems like an obvious choice for Disney, as Fett has one of the strongest fan followings in the Star Wars universe—people love him, and a Fett movie would almost certainly be a success. An interesting rumor that’s going around (it surfaced back in 2014 on Latino Review) is that Lawrence Kasdan didn’t like the idea of Boba being a clone, and has proposed a story…
Battlefront a “Unique” Beast of a Game Set to Sell 9-10 Million Copies
The upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront is one of the most hotly anticipated games of the last few years, and while the developer has apparently spared no resources in its creation, EA are expecting to cash in big time come November 17, when Battlefront is scheduled to be launched on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. According to CFO Blake Jorgensen, the sales estimate on the title is some 9-10 million copies, in EA’s 2016 fiscal year alone (which wraps up in March 2016). Obviously, the long-term potential for the title is much greater. Jorgensen also sought to allay potential fears tied to the actual launch of the product, fears which have been somewhat justified since the problem-ridden, botched launch of Battlefield 4. According to Jorgensen, EA have learned their lessons then, and there aren’t any such unpleasant surprises to be expected with Battlefront. In other Battlefront news: DICE have made…
Star Wars Battlefront will let players play as a female Storm Trooper
According to DICE’s general manager, Patrick Bach, Star Wars: Battlefront will have the option for the player to play as a female Stormtooper. “Male or female characters are separate from customization,” Bach said. The design team wanted to stay true to what the fans would want to be able to customize. “You can’t do it in crazy ways. You can’t have a pink Darth Vader,” he said. “You want the Stormtroopers to look like Stormtroopers,” Bach added. When you look back to the time of the Palapatine’s ruling there were females included as Stormtroopers, and this choice falls in line with the established canon. “Our customization is tilted toward what makes sense,” Bach told us. Seeing that Stormtroopers, no matter what sex, where the same uniform, we could have seen female Stormtroopers in games before without realizing it. Star Wars: Battlefront is giving gamers the choice from the beginning and…
Why Star Wars Battlefront Snubbed The Prequel Trilogy
DICE decided to let fans know why Star Wars: Battlefront will not include the prequel trilogy of movies. Jesper Nielson, Star Wars: Battlefront’s producer, spoke up on Reddit and told fans why the game doesn’t include the prequels or Clone Wars. “Sometimes you have to make choices, and those choices may be hard. We are the ones making the game and have to making hard choices sometimes. One of them was to focus solely on the Original Trilogy. The reasoning I’d rather have someone like Figge comment on” The reason for this may have something to do with DICE being on a strict time constraint. Star Wars: Battlefront really needs to be released this year because of all the hype surrounding the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens. If the game became delayed to 2016, sales wouldn’t be as great. Mr. Nielson decided to also talk about the Star…
SWTOR Ziost Ending and the 2 New Boss Encounters
Today after a little bit of a delay Bioware launched the 12x Epic XP Boost. A bit earlier the remaining Story content on Ziost became available for players to explore and complere. Players now have access to: ♦ A couple of new Cinematic Cutscenes showing the end of the Patch 3.2 Ziost Story Arc and a daily area on the new planet with a few quests; ♦ New World Boss called Worldbreaker Monolith; ♦ New Operation Boss called Colossal Monolith with Story and Hard Modes available for both 8 and 16 players. In the videos below you will see the updates through the eyes of Vulkk (Sentinel, Republic Light Side). Ziost Republic Story ENDING Apocalypse on Ziost. The Emperor Vitiate is determined to eraze every creature or plant standing on his way. This epic conclusion of the Ziost Story Arc builds up the tension and prepares us for the greatest…
The amazing ‘Star Wars Galaxies’ Jedi mode that never was
Raph Koster, creative director for the 2003 MMO Star Wars Galaxies game began his discussion on the problems that the design team were up against was this: “Well, my opinion is Jedi are evil.” Many fans decided to give up on the game back then because a third major patch added a Jedi as a character. The problem is that Jedi’s are too powerful and rare to be successfully added in. Before the game ever launched, the design team went over many ways to make a Jedi playable in the game and Koster said that there was one solution, “the crazy idea I still wish we had done.” Inspired by Diablo’s Hardcore mode, the system was “that affectively gave a different way to play the game. A method that kept Jedi rare, powerful, and yet allowed everyone a shot,” Koster stated. However, this solution was not a solution after all….