Microsoft sold 28,116 units of the Xbox 360 in the week ended August 10, compared with 10,705 units of the PS3,
driven by the August 7 launch in Japan of Namco Bandai's "Tales of Vesperia" role-playing game, Ascii Media
Works said.
[READ]
EA: Take-Two offer expires Aug. 18
Two weeks ago, Electronic Arts announced that its bid for Take-Two Interactive was in compliance
with the Federal Trade Commission's requests for information. As a result, the megapublisher said
it was further delaying the deadline for its $2 billion bid for its rival, which enjoyed the biggest
game launch of all time in April, courtesy of Grand Theft Auto IV. EA promised that it would take no
action before August 21, six months after it first announced its buyout plan on February 24.
[READ]
E3 2008: EA CEO confirms KOTOR MMO
John Riccitiello tells Conde Nast Portfolio that BioWare's mystery massively multiplayer project is a
third installment in the Star Wars series.
[READ]
Age of Conan ships 1 million
Unrepentantly bloody fantasy RPG lays claim to the title of "biggest MMO launch since World of Warcraft"
after topping best-seller lists in the US and Europe.
[READ]
No 'Force Unleashed' Multiplayer on PS3/360
While the Wii version will have an awesome multiplayer duel mode, the PS3 and Xbox 360
versions won't be getting any multiplayer component.
[READ]
Activision CEO: Economy pressuring console price drop
Bobby Kotick says the US financial situation may prompt Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to
drop the price of their products.
[READ]
No PC 'Madden '09' Coming
EA Sports' new top dog Peter Moore said in a recent interview that there will be no Madden
09 for the PC, due to piracy and the onrush of awesome plasma screen televisions, which is
what the game is built to optimize.
[READ]
Shrinking January game sales predicted
In a note to investors, Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson
predicted that last month's software sales will wind up down 5 percent
from the $549 million posted for January 2007, due to a combination of factors.
One main reason for the expected decline is that the NPD Group's reporting period
for last month was four weeks long, whereas the previous year's reporting period
encompassed an extra week.
[READ]
UK gov't to act on game ratings
As the legal battle over the release--or not--of Manhunt 2 in the UK continues,
The Guardian newspaper on Saturday claimed that the government is planning to introduce a
"legally enforceable cinema-style classification system" for video games.
[READ]
Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO Announced [ 21.10.08 ]
After much speculation and verbally violent discussion the announcement has been made that Bioware and
Lucasarts are developing an MMO called Star Wars: The Old Republic.
You can check out the announcement video at
Gamespot. Here is the official blurb in the setting:
The true Sith have spent centuries building their strength in the depths of unknown space. The Sith Emperor patiently planned for the day when his Sith Empire would repay the Jedi for the humiliating defeats of the past. In that time, generations of Sith have come and gone, working hard and devoting their lives to the dream of vengeance.
With dark discipline and meticulous execution, the Sith’s first assault on their enemies succeeded to near-perfection. They sliced through the Jedi and their defenses as if they weren’t even there. Though their aggressive advances were eventually slowed, the Sacking of Coruscant settled any questions about whether the Sith were victorious.
In the years since the treaty, the twelve-member Sith Dark Council has overseen the consolidation of the Empire’s new domains and the restructuring to put practical matters in the hands of the Imperial military so the Sith Lords can plan for the future. The Sith Lords’ focus has now turned to recruiting and training new acolytes to increase the Empire’s power. When the final battle with the Jedi comes, the Sith Lords plan to be prepared. There will be no mercy.
In the vaulted halls of the Sith Academy on Korriban and in the deep tombs of the great Dark Lords of the past, potential Sith must face arduous tests to prove their worthiness. Even if they survive this deadly training, though, their greatest challenge lies in the cruel competition of their fellow acolytes, as each vies for the favor of their Masters. Ultimately, only the strongest will become Sith; the others will simply die trying.
We'll have to see how it all pans out, but here are some
points of interest I took away from the video:
Bioware has a lot of experience playing MMOs. LOL.
This is really KOTOR 3,4,5,6. The SRPG series is dead.
Normally MMOs don't have a lot of story, this will focus on story. I'm really wondering how they are going to make this work.
Companion characters with dialog. They'll have to have them saying things like "I iz so l33t" and "U iz lamerz" to fit in with the rest of the world.
More story content than every other bioware game put together.
Personal story, affected by your choices. How does this work? Do your choices affect everyone else and they affect your's?
No schedule. Years away?
**** you Galaxies players
The True Sith are dead. (Thank goodness)
I guess it is time to hug KOTOR 1 and 2 and go back to playing them. :)
Helpful Tutorial Vids and Stealing Free Pub [ 09.06.08 ]
As mentioned over at Lucasforums,
there is a new
YouTube channel dedicated to modding the KOTOR series. There are
only a few tutorials posted currently online, but it has the potential to be a great resource for modders. I've added
a link on the tutorials section.
I also added a link to an interesting interview with Chris Avellone,
writer for Knights Of The Old Republic II:
The Sith Lords video game as well as the writer for several other Star Wars projects.
Speaking of YouTube, JediWarrior2007 happened to use my stormtrooper mod when making a video walkthrough of the Endar
Spire level at the start of KOTOR.
"To be specific, there's no multiplayer in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, because there is on
the Wii, PSP, and DS. As far as specific reasons are concerned, we don't really like to get into the reasons
why we don't do things because I don't think there's really a satisfactory answer that people would really be
happy with. So, there isn't multiplayer and that's kind of how it is..."
And apparently SP is short. Lucasarts is playing a dangerous game, since they are hinging everything on
this game right now...
KOTOR: Jedi Robe Model Released [ 01.05.08 ]
Just a few odds and ends relating to modding and the KOTOR series. First is a hilarious and very informative
walkthrough for KOTOR II: The Sith Lords.
In addition to the great takes on the game, there is lots of info
regarding content that was cut from the game (which was a heck of a lot).
David Gaider, who was a lead writer for KoTOR I for Bioware, was kind enough to
answer some questions for
those of us at Lucasforums. There is a lot of great stuff there about lost content, plots from the game, and
general insight. It's a great read if you are a fan of the game like I am.
I get a fair amount of questions regarding various aspects of modding. One thing that often gets overlooked
is how to build a team for larger projects. Personally I've only done a few team projects, but there is lots
to consider when trying to succeed where so many other teams fail. The Valve Developer Community has a nice
wiki with some insight on the subject of building a
Successful Mod Team. It is worth taking a look if you are
considering doing a larger mod.
One thing that every modder enjoys and often strives for is for others to enjoy what they create. I have
been fortunate enough to have had good reception for the work I have done. Recently, I have come across
videos containing stuff that I have done. For example, here is a vid using my clone trooper mod...
I always welcome the free pub!
KOTOR: Jedi Robe Model Released [ 16.03.08 ]
Many of the mod requests I have received are for robes that are a close approximation of the Jedi robes
seen in the prequel Star Wars films. This mod takes the Jedi robe model created by Xavier2 and adds 23 new
robes, each with unique new textures. Some of the robes are based on movie and Expanded Universe sources,
and others I simply dreamed up.
These robes replace the original versions that come with KOTOR. Instructions are included with the mod to
allow players to associate different looks with different robes to suite their tastes.
Darth Talon Mod Voted Among Best of 2007 [ 11.02.08 ]
My Yuthura Ban to Darth Talon Conversion has been voted by the KOTOR community
one of the top mods of 2007, coming in at #4. I'm always greatful that players enjoy my stuff, and thank you to everyone
that gave this mod a vote! Be sure to check out the other mods mentioned, as there are some great ones there.
I have been lucky enough to have had mods that have been mentioned on these lists in past years. In 2006 my TSL
Imperial Knight mod came in at #8. In 2005 the Republic
Commando mod was voted #5 that year. Also in 2005 my Movie Jedi Robes and Armours
mod for TSL came in at #2.
Darth Talon Mod Appears on YouTube [ 29.11.07 ]
I love free publicity, and Shem has given me some by posting
this video on YouTube. It is the confrontation with Yuthura and
Uthar in KOTOR. This particular clip uses my Darth Talon mod. Thanks for the free pub, Shem!
"LucasArts and BioWare Corp. today announced that they have entered into an agreement to create an
interactive entertainment product. The product, details of which will be unveiled at a later date,
will be developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, and will push the boundaries of the gaming
market by utilizing the strengths of both companies to deliver an innovative, high-quality experience.
“LucasArts has a deep commitment to developing compelling stories and characters for the unique medium
of interactive entertainment, and we have been searching for a developer that shares this value. We
found this in BioWare,” said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. “Through our previous collaborations,
we know that BioWare has an impressive ability to blend gripping stories with technological advancements,
and we believe that our upcoming product will deliver an experience that will span the traditional
boundaries of video game entertainment.”
“BioWare’s mission is to deliver the best story and character-driven games in the world, delivering
powerful emotional experiences to our fans.” said Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer, BioWare Corp.
Added Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare Corp., “The collaboration with LucasArts allows us to combine
our passion for creating high quality and innovative experiences with those of a company dedicated to
bringing only the finest games to market."
We'll have to wait and see what all this results in, but I'm sure it can only be good things!
EA buys Bioware and Pandemic Studios [ 12.10.07 ]
Normally I would just throw such a news item on the side of the page, but I feel that this
is a big enough event to warrant more attention. It seems that
EA is aquiring Bioware and Pandemic Studios. The big question is what happens to these development houses and the
kind of products they will produce in the future. Given EA's track record, I doubt that this move will sustain
or improve games made by these companies.
KOTOR: Yuthura Ban to Darth Talon Conversion Released [ 19.08.07 ]
Yuthura Ban is the one of the main Sith at the academy on Korriban in KOTOR. This mod changes
her appearance to that of Darth Talon, a Sith from the Star Wars: Legacy comics. This is a full
body replacement which gives Yuthura Sith tattoos similar to Darth Maul. It also gives her a new
body that has patches of armour plating.
This mod only affects the appearance of Yuthura, but included is a disquise item that will change
the appearance of any player character to Darth Talon. You can find out more about the Legacy
comics at the Dark Horse website.
Mass Effect
is probably the one game that would make me go out and buy an XBox 360 soley for it. It looks simply
spectacular, and comes with the Bioware track record.
Here is a
recent video detailing some of the aspects of the game, specifically
character creation. It looks as though the options are endless.
A Look at Some Games Coming Down the Pipe [ 13.08.07 ]
Some initial views of some of some anticipated Lucasarts games are slowing starting to pop up.
Eurogamer has a
preview of Star Wars: Forced Unleashed that gives some hints as to
what players can expect. They report that there is a lot to like, but also some disappointing aspects, such as quite
a short experience and will likely not compete with the JK series in the lightsaber department.
C3 News has a short video from Comic-Con 07 of
Lego Indiana Jones from Traveller's Tales. Fans of the Lego SW series
should find a lot that is familiar, and enjoy their take on the Indy series.
Carth Armour on the Way [ 19.06.07 ]
I have another small mod that is almost completed. I have only worked on it sparingly, but it will allow Carth to
wear Republic military gear like other Republic soldiers. There will be both a helmeted and unhelmeted version. This
mod will be for KOTOR only. Hopefully I'll get off my ass and finish it sooner rather than later...
L0rdReV@n88's ARC Trooper Mod [ 14.04.07 ]
L0rdReV@n88 has created an ARC Trooper mod for TSL based on the textures from my clone trooper mod. You can
find the mod over at knightsoftheoldrepublic.filefront.com.
Running KOTOR on Vista & Force Unleashed Tech Vids [ 01.03.07 ]
There has been lots of complaints about being unable to run the KOTOR series games (and a lot of other things
for that matter) in Windows Vista. In most cases this is likely due to compatability issues. I've added some
steps that might address some of these issues. You can find them in the Tutorials section
here.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
is of course the new game coming from Lucasarts that will be the first Star Wars game to take
full advantage of the next gen consoles. It promises over the top force powers and the chance to play as
Darth Vaders apprentice in the timeframe between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. There are some
demo videos
showing some of the new technology that will be used in the game.
KOTOR & TSL: Imperial Officers Released [ 27.02.07 ]
More stuff for both KOTOR and TSL games. This mod replaces the uniforms for the Sith officers in both games
with new ones modeled after the Imperial officers seen in Star Wars episodes 4-6. For the KOTOR, an additional
admiral uniform replaces the one worn by Saul Karath.
There are two types of basic uniforms included. The main one is the more common grey naval uniform. The second
is the black stormtrooper officer uniform. I tried to maintain some level of accuracy, so each uniform has accurate
insignias for their rank bandages on their chests.
You can download the KOTOR version of this mod here.
A new portrait for NWN has been added. It is based on the awesome samurai piece created by Harvey Tolibao. The
colour scheme is a bit different and more stylized than most NWN portraits, but hopefully players will
still find it appealing.
You can get the mod here in the Neverwinter Nights section.
NWN Links Added [ 12.01.07 ]
Added some links relating to Neverwinter Nights. Some contain general information about the game and others cover existing mods as well as tutorials and info for creating custom content. I'll be adding more links related to this game and others in the future.
If you have a link that you would like to see added, please feel free to contact me.
Happy New Year! [ 01.01.07 ]
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from Warped Productions! I hope everyone had an enjoyable festive season
with friends and family.
As a side not, just a little housekeeping around here. The site news from 2006 has been moved to the archives, and
we are more or less starting fresh for 2007 on the news page. So if you are looking for something that was posted
in the past year, you can still find it here.
Also, my mods have been mirrored at kotorfiles.com as well as been reviewed. Some have even been honoured with
being featured mods. Thanks to Shem for taking the time to post them!
My control of the Internet is spreading...
TSL: Imperial Knight Armour Mod Released [ 21.12.2006 ]
This mod adds armour, belt, gauntlests, gloves, and lightsaber based on the Imperial Knights from the
Star Wars: Legacy comics from Dark Horse. These items are usable by most NPC characters
as well as the PC.
The Imperial Knights
were an order of Force-users loyal to Emperor Roan Fel of the
New Galactic Empire in 130 ABY. They were fully trained in the ways of the Force,
but the New Jedi Order saw them as Gray Jedi, as they swore loyalty to the Emperor
above all else, including their devotion to the will of the Force.
You can check out the announcement video at 
A new portrait for NWN has been added. It is based on the awesome samurai piece created by Harvey Tolibao. The
colour scheme is a bit different and more stylized than most NWN portraits, but hopefully players will
still find it appealing.
