Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Guardians of Middle-earth brings MOBA to XBLA and PSN]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/10/guardians-of-middle-earth-brings-moba-to-xbla-and-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/10/guardians-of-middle-earth-brings-moba-to-xbla-and-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/10/guardians-of-middle-earth-brings-moba-to-xbla-and-psn/#comments Guardians of Middleearth brings MOBA to XBLA and PSNMonolith Productions has one of the most varied histories in video game development. The studio first cut its teeth on first-person shooters, finding a cult hit in the popular No One Lives Forever series. Then, it was a vast experiment with The Matrix Online, before coming back to shooters with the Fear and Condemned series of games. And now, the company's trying to reinvent itself yet again with two licensed downloadable titles for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment: first Gotham City Imposters from earlier this year, and now Guardians of Middle-earth.

Guardians of Middle-earth is a weird one. It's a licensed Lord of The Rings title, starring characters from Tolkien's series. It's a MOBA game, similar to League of Legends or DOTA 2, featuring Tolkien's characters fighting it out across a battlefield full of AI-controlled troops. And it's a complicated, deep online multiplayer title, designed for competitive play.

"What's so weird about that?" you ask? It's being developed only for consoles.

Gallery: Guardians of Middle-earth (E3 2012)

Continue reading Guardians of Middle-earth brings MOBA to XBLA and PSN

JoystiqGuardians of Middle-earth brings MOBA to XBLA and PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dotae3e3-2012guardians-of-middle-earthmicrosoftmobamonolithmonolith-productionsplaystationplaystation-networkpreviewps3psnreleaseruth-tomandltim-coolidgewarner-broswarner-bros-interactivewarner-bros-interactive-entertainmentwarner-brothers-interactivewbiexblaxboxxbox-live-arcadeSun, 10 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DOTA 2 is free to play, 'DOTA Store' open now and selling beta access]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/31/dota-2-is-free-to-play-dota-store-open-now-and-selling-beta-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/31/dota-2-is-free-to-play-dota-store-open-now-and-selling-beta-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/31/dota-2-is-free-to-play-dota-store-open-now-and-selling-beta-a/#comments ImageValve confirmed tonight that DOTA 2, its upcoming MOBA and guaranteed Basshunter reminder, will be free to play. But don't worry, you'll still spend plenty of money on it, as Valve simultaneously announced an in-game DOTA Store, which will sell items created both by Valve staff and by users in the Steam Workshop. The store will sell items, but not heroes - "We believe restricting player access to heroes could be destructive to game design, so it's something we plan to avoid," the team said on the official site.

The store opened tonight, and offers a $39.99 "Early Access Bundle" of in-game items that also lets the buyer into the ongoing beta. It'll be free to play when the game officially launches this year, but you can buy access to it now. That's something to think about tonight.

Continue reading DOTA 2 is free to play, 'DOTA Store' open now and selling beta access

JoystiqDOTA 2 is free to play, 'DOTA Store' open now and selling beta access originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 May 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betadotadota-2dota-storefree-to-playpcvalveThu, 31 May 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard and Valve settle DOTA argument, Blizzard DOTA is now Blizzard All-Stars]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle-dota-argument-blizzard-dota-is-now-bl/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle-dota-argument-blizzard-dota-is-now-bl/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle-dota-argument-blizzard-dota-is-now-bl/#comments Blizzard has dropped a short-and-sweet press release (reprinted below) informing us that it has landed on a "mutual agreement" with Valve regarding the contested "DOTA" trademark. DOTA, of course, stands for "Defense of the Ancients," which is a fanmade map and mode for Blizzard's Warcraft 3, originally based on a Starcraft map. Developer "IceFrog," who's overseen the DOTA map since 2005, has gone to work for Valve on DOTA 2, while Blizzard has been working on its official variation of the game, previously called Blizzard DOTA.

The mutual agreement means that Valve will get the rights to use the "DOTA" trademark commercially, so DOTA 2's name won't change. Blizzard reserves the right for fans to use the trademark noncommercially, but will give up the DOTA name for its official variant. That game will instead be called Blizzard All-Stars, "which ultimately better reflects the design of our game," said Blizzard executive VP Rob Pardo. "We look forward to going into more detail on that at a later date."

Valve's Gabe Newell also gave comment, saying that Valve is "pleased that we could come to an agreement with Blizzard without drawing things out in a way that would benefit no one." Blizzard All-Stars doesn't have a release date yet, and DOTA 2 is due out next year.

Continue reading Blizzard and Valve settle DOTA argument, Blizzard DOTA is now Blizzard All-Stars

JoystiqBlizzard and Valve settle DOTA argument, Blizzard DOTA is now Blizzard All-Stars originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 May 2012 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agreementblizzardblizzard-all-starsblizzard-dotadotadota-2gabe-newellnoncommercialpcrob-pardotrademarkvalveFri, 11 May 2012 16:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Minecraft spawns yet another epic game within a game: DOTA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/minecraft-spawns-yet-another-epic-game-within-a-game-dota/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/minecraft-spawns-yet-another-epic-game-within-a-game-dota/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/minecraft-spawns-yet-another-epic-game-within-a-game-dota/#comments
Image

Sometimes a game launches and players say, "Wow, this game has everything. I couldn't ask for more." Other times they say, "Wow, this game has nothing. I'm going to make everything in this game, even other games. I couldn't ask for more." This is an example of the latter.

JoystiqMinecraft spawns yet another epic game within a game: DOTA originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dotaMinecraftpcFri, 13 Apr 2012 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard taking Valve to court over 'DOTA' trademark]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/blizzard-taking-valve-to-court-over-dota-trademark/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/blizzard-taking-valve-to-court-over-dota-trademark/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/blizzard-taking-valve-to-court-over-dota-trademark/#comments Which giant company has the rights to the fan-created, community-promoted word "Dota?" That's up to the courts now. Blizzard has filed a Notice of Opposition with the US Patent and Trademark Office, seeking to block Valve's registration of the word. The word has been used exclusively in reference to a (mod of a) Blizzard game, the document explains. "By virtue of that use, the DOTA mark has become firmly associated in the mind of consumers with Blizzard, including to signify a highly popular scenario or variant of one of Blizzard's best-selling computer games, Warcraft III."

Valve, the document goes on to claim, hasn't used the word for anything yet. There's also a lot of history of Warcraft III, which is a really strange thing to read in a legal document. The case is in discovery now, with pretrial procedures taking place throughout this year and into next. We hope this court proceeding doesn't delay either of the games, as those companies are quite capable of delaying their games on their own.

JoystiqBlizzard taking Valve to court over 'DOTA' trademark originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzard-dotadotadota-2legalpctrademarkunited-states-patent-and-trademark-officeusptovalveFri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Riot Games' close calls with disaster]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/29/riot-games-close-calls-with-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/29/riot-games-close-calls-with-disaster/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/29/riot-games-close-calls-with-disaster/#comments Riot Games CEO Brandon Beck gave the closing keynote at last week's IGDA Leadership Forum in Los Angeles, California, and during the talk (in which he made the point that "Riot's secret weapon all along" has been its employees), he gave a few interesting examples of how Riot's staff had really gone the extra distance to turn League of Legends into the successful online phenomenon it is today.

His first example was about the matchmaking system -- originally, Riot struggled to make sure that players were matched up against each other in an interesting and effective way, and the company ended up bringing in not a game developer, but a programmer with a PhD in computational biology whose "thinking was radically different and compelling," according to Beck.

A month after this hire, the company had a whole new matchmaking system, and in the end, it turned out to be "too fair" -- the games were too close. Since "what players remember are the outliers," according to Beck, the team developed "snowball items," which were "risky purchases that rewarded flawless execution." That bit of gameplay mixed up the matches, and came to be the system the game uses today.

Continue reading Riot Games' close calls with disaster

JoystiqRiot Games' close calls with disaster originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brandon-beckdotaemployeesfree-to-playigdaigda-leadership-forum-2011league-of-legendslos-angelesmobapcpeopleriot-gamesstoreSat, 29 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard DOTA, coming soon to a new platform called Blizzard Arcade]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/#comments Blizzard DOTA was back on the floor of BlizzCon 2011 last week, after spending a year away from the spotlight being "completely rebooted." We played the game as soon as we possibly could, finding it to be a much more polished take on the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) gametype.

"Last year we had basically the style of the art, and the look that we were going for," says Samwise Didier, Blizzard's Senior Art Director. But as I said when I played the early version of the mod, the game itself wasn't quite as polished as the look and feel. "This year," says Didier, "we really focused on taking the DOTA-style game and really making it our own."

Blizzard has done a few interesting things to the gametype that has made League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth so popular. But the most interesting may just be how the company plans to release it. Blizzard is going to make sure everyone has a chance to check it out, even if they don't own StarCraft 2. "We haven't figured out the details," says Didier. "But there will be a free-to-play Blizzard DOTA on our Blizzard Arcade. We don't know how many heroes there will be, or how many maps, but we definitely want to make sure that everyone knows it will be free-to-play."

Gallery: Blizzard DOTA (10/21/11)

Continue reading Blizzard DOTA, coming soon to a new platform called Blizzard Arcade

JoystiqBlizzard DOTA, coming soon to a new platform called Blizzard Arcade originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzard-dotablizzcon-2011dotakerriganmobapcsamwise-didierstarcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarmthrallTue, 25 Oct 2011 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard DOTA teasers evoke some emotion]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/#comments

Our hearts beat with a combination of blood, Big Macs and Dr. Pepper. StarCraft 2's heart beats with millions of ruthless, juicy aliens, and as the above BlizzCon teaser shows, Sarah Kerrigan's heart doesn't beat at all. We're not saying she's heartless, but to be a strong female lead these days, not giving a crap about anything except revenge is sometimes necessary. Being a cyborg and making that distinction truly literal is just a bonus for game journos everywhere.

A teaser for the Blizzard DOTA mod for StarCraft 2 channels a markedly different emotion than vengeance -- watch the video and decide for yourself what emotion that may be, but for now we're going to call it "Valvey scorn."

Continue reading StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard DOTA teasers evoke some emotion

JoystiqStarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard DOTA teasers evoke some emotion originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blizzardblizzard-dotablizzcon-2011dotapcSarah-Kerriganstarcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarmSat, 22 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Super Monday Night Combat introduces 'Karl,' a new Pro]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/super-monday-night-combat-introduces-karl-a-new-pro/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/super-monday-night-combat-introduces-karl-a-new-pro/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/13/super-monday-night-combat-introduces-karl-a-new-pro/#comments Uber Entertainment recently showed Shacknews one of the new Pros that will be thrown into the mix in its upcoming free-to-play shooter, Super Monday Night Combat: The dreaded Karl. He's a monocle-toting mechanical man who resembles the Assault archetype from the first game -- a jack-of-all-trades; especially when those trades require him to see really, really well out of one of his eyes.

He's also a decommissioned reconiassance cyborg created by oblivious upper-class engineers, as well as a downtrodden divorcee, having recently split from fictional supermodel Jazelle Pivovarova. We now know and care more about Karl than most of our immediate family members. Sorry, guys, maybe if you all had endearing back stories and even-more-endearing eyepieces.

JoystiqSuper Monday Night Combat introduces 'Karl,' a new Pro originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dotakarlpcshootersuper-monday-night-combatuber-entertainmentTue, 13 Sep 2011 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Uber Entertainment explains Super Monday Night Combat's lessened lethality]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/01/uber-entertainment-explains-super-monday-night-combats-lessened/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/01/uber-entertainment-explains-super-monday-night-combats-lessened/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/01/uber-entertainment-explains-super-monday-night-combats-lessened/#comments Later this year or early next year, Uber Entertainment's going to try and thread a fairly dangerous needle. The studio, which saw success with its very first product, the XBLA and PC shooter Monday Night Combat, is trying to branch the franchise out into the increasingly populated free-to-play space. To do so successfully, it'll need to maintain its community's good will with some substantial -- but not too substantial -- changes.

"Super Monday Night Combat is going to be the same basic world," Uber Entertainment creative director John Comes explained to us at PAX last week. "We still have the same kind of lightheartedness, with the announcer and the mascot -- that same happy, fast, punchy game." The development team won't leave the formula entirely untouched, however. "Some of the balance has changed," Comes added. "Mainly, the lethality has been lowered a bit, which we've found makes for more frantic fights."

Gallery: Super Monday Night Combat (8/20/11)

Continue reading Uber Entertainment explains Super Monday Night Combat's lessened lethality

JoystiqUber Entertainment explains Super Monday Night Combat's lessened lethality originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betadotamonday-night-combatpax-prime-2011pcsteamsuper-monday-night-combatuber-entertainmentThu, 01 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: Dota 2 match replays online and available to watch right now]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/psa-dota-2-match-replays-online-and-available-to-watch-right-no/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/psa-dota-2-match-replays-online-and-available-to-watch-right-no/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/17/psa-dota-2-match-replays-online-and-available-to-watch-right-no/#comments
Just a matter of days ago, we had generally no idea what Dota 2 played or looked like, and now Valve has posted full high definition replays for most of the Radiant vs. Dire matches from its "The International" tournament going on at Gamescom. Just click "View (Replay)" on the tournament match page to watch. If you turn up the resolution and send it fullscreen, it's almost like you're actually playing the game.

The video confirms most of what we knew about the game itself: It includes "denying" (which DotA successors like League of Legends have tried to eliminate), all the old heroes are along for the ride, and it generally plays just like the old DotA, though with much better graphics.

Not shown in the videos are the game's extensive social features - that will apparently have to wait until we can get ourselves into the beta and check them all out.

JoystiqPSA: Dota 2 match replays online and available to watch right now originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>denyingdotadota-2gameplaygamescom-2011macmatchespcthe-internationalvalveWed, 17 Aug 2011 20:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Dota 2 beta registration now open]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/16/dota-2-beta-registration-now-open/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/16/dota-2-beta-registration-now-open/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/16/dota-2-beta-registration-now-open/#comments Dota 2 beta registration now open on Steam Valve has posted information about "The International" Dota 2 tournament going on at Gamescom this week, but a bunch of news about lucky Gamescom attendees playing the game isn't nearly as exciting as, you know, playing the game yourself. Along with the tourney schedule, Valve has opened up beta registration to the public for Dota 2. To sign up, all you need to do is head over to the Dota 2 page, sign into Steam and then click "Get on the List" to join.

Unfortunately, there's no information about just when the beta will be happening or even how players will be chosen to participate, but since there will likely be a lot of people watching the livestream from Gamescom this week, Valve is likely just grabbing names and Steam accounts of interested parties while it can. Here's hoping you get in and play - but not before we do.

JoystiqDota 2 beta registration now open originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betadotadota-2gamescom-2011macpcregistrationthe-internationaltournamentvalveTue, 16 Aug 2011 21:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Dota 2 Gamescom trailer ponders the nature of heroism [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/dota-2-gamescom-trailer-ponders-the-nature-of-heroism/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/dota-2-gamescom-trailer-ponders-the-nature-of-heroism/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/15/dota-2-gamescom-trailer-ponders-the-nature-of-heroism/#comments
The International is right around the corner, and in order to get you hyped up for the global public debut of Dota 2, Valve has a question for you: "What does a hero truly need?"

If you listen to the gorgeously animated wizard/wiseman in the trailer above, a hero's needs depend on their circumstances. Archers may need speed, warriors may need strength, and floaty lightning people obviously need floaty lightning. If you listen to the millions of people anxiously awaiting the start of Gamescom, however, the answer is "immediate, total and unending access to this game."

Update: Proving once again that it's impossible to keep something this big under wraps, the deep, dark bowels of the internet have regurgitated these purported in-game screenshots. It's important to note that the veracity of these screens is still uncertain, and that we won't truly know how the game looks until later this week. For now though, let your feverish, detail-starved eyes feast.

Gallery: DOTA 2 (Pre-Gamescom Leak)

JoystiqDota 2 Gamescom trailer ponders the nature of heroism [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dotadota-2Gamescomgamescom-2011macpcValvevalve-softwareMon, 15 Aug 2011 18:34:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends Dominion preview: The squared circle]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/league-of-legends-dominion-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/league-of-legends-dominion-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/04/league-of-legends-dominion-preview/#comments League of Legends recently reached a total of 15 million registered players. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that all of those players have played their matches on just two different maps, one made specifically for Defense of the Ancients-style 5v5 play, and one made for 3v3 combat (there are a few other maps in the game, but they're used for training, not full game modes).

That's about to change. Last week, Riot Games invited Joystiq over to its headquarters in Santa Monica, California, to see a brand new game mode for the online competitive title. It's coming along with what Senior Producer Travis George calls "the biggest update we've ever made for League of Legends," a new content release subtitled Dominion.

Dominion is a brand new gametype and is especially notable because all of the games in the growing DotA (or MOBA) genre have basically used the same premise: two armies of minions fight with equal strength across a series of parallel lanes, and player champions fight minions and each other to gain ground and win the battle. Dominion, however, is a brand new set of rules, combining elements of the DotA genre with scoring, much more akin to EA's Battlefield games or Call of Duty's Domination mode.

Gallery: League of Legends: Dominion

Continue reading League of Legends Dominion preview: The squared circle

JoystiqLeague of Legends Dominion preview: The squared circle originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championscompetitiondominiondotaleague-of-legendsmobapcpreviewriot-gamestravis-georgeThu, 04 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve to host 'The International' at Gamescom, a million-dollar Dota 2 tournament]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/valve-to-host-the-international-at-gamescom-a-million-dollar/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/valve-to-host-the-international-at-gamescom-a-million-dollar/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/valve-to-host-the-international-at-gamescom-a-million-dollar/#comments Selling virtual hats must have ended up being a fairly lucrative business venture, as Valve announced today that it will use the upcoming Gamescom trade show to host "The International," a Dota 2 tournament with a million-dollar first-place prize. Let that sink in for a second. A million dollars.

To put that in perspective, the first-place prize for Starcraft 2 at last weekend's Major League Gaming Pro Circuit was 5 percent of that at $50,000. According to Valve, "the 16 best Dota teams in the world" will compete in a "group stage, double elimination playoff format" competition over the duration of the show. The tournament will also serve as the controversial action-RTS' public debut, and what better way to get some attention than makin' it rain? When asked to comment, Gabe Newell paused briefly in quiet contemplation before eating a handful of real diamonds.

Continue reading Valve to host 'The International' at Gamescom, a million-dollar Dota 2 tournament

JoystiqValve to host 'The International' at Gamescom, a million-dollar Dota 2 tournament originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-million-dollarsdotadota-2gamescomgamescom-2011germanymacpcpro-gamingtournamentValveMon, 01 Aug 2011 18:35:00 EST<![CDATA[New Dota challenger Rise of Immortals goes into open beta]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/new-dota-challenger-rise-of-immortals-goes-into-open-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/new-dota-challenger-rise-of-immortals-goes-into-open-beta/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/new-dota-challenger-rise-of-immortals-goes-into-open-beta/#comments Petroglyph Games' Rise of Immortals has entered into an open beta, meaning that you can now try out this new entry into the growing Defense of the Ancients-based (sometimes called Moba) genre for yourself. Register an account on the official site, download the game client and you're good to play. Winning, on the other hand, will probably take longer than that, as these games aren't known for their smooth learning curves, especially if you're not familiar with the premise.

We got to see this one back at GDC, and played it during the closed beta period. The game does bring some innovations to the genre, including a player-level progression system and a map that's designed specifically for a three-person PvE experience. Unfortunately, the polish just isn't there yet, especially when compared to more established titles in the genre like the very popular League of Legends.

But then again, that's what a beta's for, right? No word on how long the beta will last, but given that it was supposed to start even earlier this spring, you can guess it'll probably be around as long as it needs to be.

Continue reading New Dota challenger Rise of Immortals goes into open beta

JoystiqNew Dota challenger Rise of Immortals goes into open beta originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betadotaopen-betapcpetroglyph-gamesrise-of-immortalsroistrategyTue, 05 Jul 2011 22:05:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends shows off new champions, spectator mode at E3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/11/league-of-legends-shows-off-new-champions-spectator-mode-at-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/11/league-of-legends-shows-off-new-champions-spectator-mode-at-e3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/11/league-of-legends-shows-off-new-champions-spectator-mode-at-e3/#comments Riot Games' League of Legends is one of the biggest free-to-play titles around -- it started off as a spiritual successor to the old Defense of the Ancients mod, but has since grown, strictly by word of mouth and organic growth, up into its own industry. Riot hasn't actually announced player numbers for the title yet, but this is a huge game online, consistently landing in the top spots on Xfire and other services' most-played lists.

If you've never played (and why not? It's free!), the basic structure of the game has you controlling a champion on a real-time strategy-style battleground, and Riot has been releasing one of these new champions every few weeks for quite a while now. In the game's booth at E3 last week, we got to hear about three of the upcoming new champions, as well as brand new feature to the game designed to get even more players involved: A spectator mode.

Continue reading League of Legends shows off new champions, spectator mode at E3

JoystiqLeague of Legends shows off new champions, spectator mode at E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>championsdotae3e3-2011league-of-legendsleonamagma-chambermobapcriot-gamesryan-scottskarneryorickSat, 11 Jun 2011 21:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard Dota still on the way, has undergone 'some massive overhauls']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/blizzard-dota-still-on-the-way-has-undergone-some-massive-over/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/blizzard-dota-still-on-the-way-has-undergone-some-massive-over/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/blizzard-dota-still-on-the-way-has-undergone-some-massive-over/#comments Blizzard Dota, the Defense of the Ancients-style official mod that was shown off at last year's BlizzCon, is still a work in progress, according to lead producer Chris Sigaty. The other three mods shown last year were released a little while ago to the community, but the Dota mod, which pits all kinds of Blizzard franchise characters up against each other in a real-time battle, needed a little extra work, apparently.

"We basically put it back up in the shop and did some massive overhauls to some things, which I'm not going to go into specific detail about," Sigaty told Joystiq at a press event last week. "But yeah, we are working on Blizzard Dota, and we do intend to launch it at or around the time of Heart of the Swarm, but the official details will be online later."

Will the mod eventually require the upcoming Heart of the Swarm expansion to play? Sigaty's got nothing yet: "We're not even talking about the business level decision of it at this point." But rest assured that, somewhere on Blizzard's Irvine, CA campus, there are still developers fighting over who'd win in a fight, Thrall, Diablo, or Tychus Findlay.

JoystiqBlizzard Dota still on the way, has undergone 'some massive overhauls' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 May 2011 03:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-dotachris-sigatydotamodsofficialpcStarcraft-2starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarmstarcraft-2-wings-of-libertyTue, 31 May 2011 03:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Rise of Immortals preview: Potent Dota-bles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/rise-of-immortals-preview-potent-dota-bles/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/rise-of-immortals-preview-potent-dota-bles/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/rise-of-immortals-preview-potent-dota-bles/#comments

The Defense of the Ancients mod for Warcraft 3 has spawned no less than four retail titles now (Heroes of Newerth, Demigod, League of Legends, and Valve's upcoming Dota 2), and Las Vegas' Petroglyph Games is throwing its hat into the ring with another, called Rise of Immortals. Petroglyph, which has its roots in EA's Westwood Studios and is also working on an MMORTS for Trion, showed the game to me at GDC last week and, while it's safe to say that the growing "MOBA" (multiplayer online battle arena) genre is probably well covered already, they are planning to put a few new twists and turns on the still-developing formula.

The most central of these is more of an emphasis on PvE -- while League of Legends or Heroes of Newerth is centered around five players battling it out with five others online, Rise of Immortals plans to make playing versus the environment a viable goal, with levels that spawn monsters to fight and even award persistent items for you and your team. There are some other innovations, too, and Rise of Immortals seems like it will be an interesting experimental entry into this quickly evolving genre.

Gallery: Rise of Immortals (3/8/11)

Continue reading Rise of Immortals preview: Potent Dota-bles

JoystiqRise of Immortals preview: Potent Dota-bles originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dotafree-to-playgenremobapcpetroglyphpetroglyph-gamesrise-of-immortalsThu, 10 Mar 2011 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Dota 2 FAQ has Icefrog talking AI bots, replays and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/03/dota-2-faq-has-icefrog-talking-ai-bots-replays-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/03/dota-2-faq-has-icefrog-talking-ai-bots-replays-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/03/dota-2-faq-has-icefrog-talking-ai-bots-replays-and-more/#comments Icefrog himself has answered a set of frequently asked questions on Dota 2's official website, clarifying and detailing a few concerns players have had since the game's official announcement. Much of the questions revolve around players leaving games -- Valve has not only implemented an AI system to take over for missing players, but players will be able to have a "friend of similar skill level" jump in and take over if necessary, or simply jump into current games that are missing players. The bots will also be customizable, so if you want to play against an AI that tests a specific part of your game, like "denying, last hitting, and harassing," there will be specific configurations to challenge those.

Replays are also mentioned -- players will be able to examine games in progress from all sorts of angles, watching charts and graphs in real time as the game goes on. There will also be "commentating and editing" features for replays, and the game will make extensive use of the Steam Cloud, keeping keyboard preferences, replay files and other settings available from any computer.

Icefrog also says that there won't be any changes for the sake of change in the actual gameplay, and that he will continue development on the original Warcraft 3 mod "for as long as the community wants," but that Dota 2 "represents the long term future for the game." In that sense, Dota 2 sounds like a very direct translation of the original game, though Valve is sparing no expense in adding metagame features to make it a smoother experience for everyone.

JoystiqDota 2 FAQ has Icefrog talking AI bots, replays and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aidefense-of-the-ancientsdotadota-2icefrogpcreplaysvalveWed, 03 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard's Pardo: 'DOTA' belongs to community, not Valve]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/blizzards-pardo-dota-belongs-to-community-not-valve/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/blizzards-pardo-dota-belongs-to-community-not-valve/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/blizzards-pardo-dota-belongs-to-community-not-valve/#comments Intra-industry sniping is, as any commenter will tell you, the fuel that powers the engine of gaming blogs. Imagine our disappointment, then, upon seeing Blizzard's design VP Rob Pardo being completely reasonable when he explained to Eurogamer why he thought Valve trademarking the word "DOTA" was a misstep. "DOTA" is, of course, short for "Defense of the Ancients," a WarCraft III variant created by the game's fan community. Valve recently announced it was working on a sequel to the mod, prompting them to file a trademark for the acronym (but not the full title) earlier this year.
"To us, that means that you're really taking it away from the Blizzard and Warcraft III community and that just doesn't seem the right thing to do. Valve is usually so pro mod community. It's such a community company that it just seems like a really strange move to us... I really don't understand why [they would do it], to be honest."
Pardo's sentiment echoes that of two of the original mod's designers, Steve "Pendragon" Mescon and Steve "Guinsoo" Feak, who spoke out against the trademark in August. Blizzard, for its part, is clearly undeterred by Valve's claim, as evidenced by the fact that it's currently fashioning a StarCraft II mod called "Blizzard Dota."

JoystiqBlizzard's Pardo: 'DOTA' belongs to community, not Valve originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-dotadotadota-2modspcrob-pardostarcraft-2valveMon, 25 Oct 2010 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[StarCraft 2 mods preview: ParodyCraft]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/starcraft-2-mods-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/starcraft-2-mods-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/starcraft-2-mods-preview/#comments Blizzard announced that it will be continuing to support StarCraft 2 and its community with the release of four developer-created mod maps. All four of the maps were on display at BlizzCon 2010, and all but one are parodies of existing gameplay concepts. In creating these mods, StarCraft 2's developers said during a panel on Friday that they were aiming not only to show off what the game's editor can do, but to put really push its limits to see where they had work to do on it.

I played all four of the mods, from the complex Left 2 Die to the silly-but-addictive Aiur Chef. All of them, along with their textures and assets, will be released inside the StarCraft 2 community for free, available to play by anyone who owns the game.

Continue reading StarCraft 2 mods preview: ParodyCraft

JoystiqStarCraft 2 mods preview: ParodyCraft originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiur-chefblizzardblizzard-dotablizzcon-2010dotaleft-2-diemodspcStarcraft-2starjeweledSun, 24 Oct 2010 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dota 2 detailed, includes all 100+ characters and new social features]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/13/dota-2-detailed-includes-all-100-characters-and-new-social-fea/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/13/dota-2-detailed-includes-all-100-characters-and-new-social-fea/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/13/dota-2-detailed-includes-all-100-characters-and-new-social-fea/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Valve's newly announced Dota 2 will bring back all of the WarCraft 3 mod's hundred-plus heroes, and bring some new social features in as well. A writeup over at Game Informer says that Valve is updating its Steamworks system specifically for the game, and in addition to including in-game features like the ability to point out and recommend certain strategies and items for beginning players, veterans will get rewarded for helping outside of the game as well, by writing and editing strategy guides and tips. There will also be an in-game coaching system available with voice chat and screen sharing, all designed to help a wider audience adapt to the hardcore world of "action RTS" gameplay.

As for gameplay, there will be still only one map to play on, though there will be different match types available, some added after launch. "Denying" is in -- DoTA remake League of Legends decided not to include the controversial mechanic in its gameplay, but Valve's version will let you kill your own creeps to prevent the enemy from getting XP. And AI bots will be available, but not for a full singleplayer experience, just to fill in when human players drop out or aren't around.

Graphics will of course be updated -- GI says Valve has "a sizable art team" working on the game, and there are other design tweaks as well, like the environments getting the saturation tuned down so players can focus on the gameplay. Characters will have all new voicework, too, and not just toss out one-liners in certain situations, but sometimes even interact when they have a past with one of their teammates or opponents (we already know who one of those voices will be). And Valve promises the game will get the same community support as its other titles like Team Fortress 2, including possibly more hat-related shenanigans.

It all sounds quite fun. Too bad we have to wait until 2011 to actually sit in Ventrilo Valve's own voice chat, and play Dota.

JoystiqDota 2 detailed, includes all 100+ characters and new social features originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defense-of-the-ancientsdotadota-2game-informericefrogmacpcvalveWed, 13 Oct 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[DotA developers voice concern over Valve's 'DOTA' trademark]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/dota-developers-voice-concern-over-valves-dota-trademark/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/dota-developers-voice-concern-over-valves-dota-trademark/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/16/dota-developers-voice-concern-over-valves-dota-trademark/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A couple of the developers who helped evolve the popular Defense of the Ancients mod are concerned with Valve's recent DOTA trademark filing, as well as its implications for the future of the game. Steve "Pendragon" Mescon and Steve "Guinsoo" Feak, who helped with the creation of DotA Allstars and now work at Riot Games on the free-to-play DotA-inspired League of Legends, believe DotA should remain a "community-owned product that modders, independent developers and game fans can continue to modify and play as often as they'd like."

Mescon said he understands why Valve would want to make a DotA-inspired game, but told Joystiq that he was "surprised that [Valve have] decided to try to trademark the DotA name, because it goes against what [he] and others believe DotA means to the community." He suggested that by trademarking the name, Valve is attempting to take ownership of the name and "exercising control over its future." Mescon believes the "DotA name should remain the property of the community at-large, as it always has."

Despite these issues, Mescon said, "We are actually really interested to see what they can do with this genre because we are excited to see companies of Valve's caliber to enter the space that we've been working in for the last few years."

We contacted Valve for comment on this piece, but as the company has yet to officially announce the game, we'll just have to continue following this story as it develops.

JoystiqDotA developers voice concern over Valve's 'DOTA' trademark originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defense-of-the-ancientsDOTAdota-2DotA-AllstarsmacpcvalveMon, 16 Aug 2010 09:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve files 'DOTA' trademark]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/valve-files-dota-trademark/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/valve-files-dota-trademark/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/11/valve-files-dota-trademark/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A few days after voice actor Jon St. John (best known as Duke Nukem) tweeted about doing work on Valve's unannounced Defense of the Ancients, Superannuation has noted a trademark filed by the publisher with the US Patent and Trademark Office for "DOTA."

We're following up with Valve again for an official response, but you know how this one goes. It's okay, Valve -- you can talk to us. There's no shame in working on DotA. We're okay with it, nobody is judging you -- we'll still give you bro hugs and use Steam even after you come out with it.

JoystiqValve files 'DOTA' trademark originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defense-of-the-ancientsDOTAdota-2IcefrogpctrademarkValveWed, 11 Aug 2010 18:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Duke Nukem voice actor recorded for Valve's 'Defense of the Ancients']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/duke-nukem-voice-actor-recorded-for-valves-defense-of-the-anci/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/duke-nukem-voice-actor-recorded-for-valves-defense-of-the-anci/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/06/duke-nukem-voice-actor-recorded-for-valves-defense-of-the-anci/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We heard a while ago that Defense of the Ancients creator Icefrog had been hired by Valve to work on something that would make DotA fans excited, and now voiceover artist Jon St. John - better known as the voice of Duke Nukem - has tweeted that he visited Valve in Seattle to do some "recording for DotA." Interesting. There have been a few DotA-style games released already, including the popular League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth, but if Valve's collaboration with Icefrog is actually called Defense of the Ancients, it could be even closer to the classic game than any of the full-scale competitors.

Of course, the original DotA was a WarCraft 3 mod based on an original StarCraft map, but with Valve on board, this would presumably be a standalone title with plenty of Icefrog insight. We've contacted Valve to see what's up and just how close that announcement might be, and we'll let you know if and when we hear back.

[Thanks, Mark B.]

JoystiqDuke Nukem voice actor recorded for Valve's 'Defense of the Ancients' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defense-of-the-ancientsdotadota-2duke-nukemicefrogjon-st-johnvalvevalve-softwareFri, 06 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Heroes of Newerth free to play this week]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/03/heroes-of-newerth-free-to-play-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/03/heroes-of-newerth-free-to-play-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/03/heroes-of-newerth-free-to-play-this-week/#comments Maybe you're a fan of the developer behind Heroes of Newerth (S2 Games, creators of the Savage series) or "Defense of the Ancients," the Warcraft 3 mod that inspired it, but haven't tried it for yourself. Maybe you've been waiting for just the right nudge to push you out the plane door and send you plummeting into HoN's waiting arms. Consider this your shove: S2 is running a free-to-play event from now until Monday, August 9 and registration is live right here.

Still clinging to the edge of the plane like an obstinate gremlin? We've got a little more persuasion for you in the form of an exclusive trailer after the break.

Continue reading Heroes of Newerth free to play this week

JoystiqHeroes of Newerth free to play this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dotafree-to-playheroes-of-newerthpcs2-gamesTue, 03 Aug 2010 15:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: League of Legends, Season One]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/20/preview-league-of-legends-season-one/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/20/preview-league-of-legends-season-one/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/20/preview-league-of-legends-season-one/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Riot Games' League of Legends has been winning accolades and fans since it released last year for a few different reasons. It's a highly polished version of Defense of the Ancients, the company has supported the game with continuous updates and new content, and oh yeah -- it's a free-to-play title.

Lately, Riot has been working on a major update they're calling "Season One," designed to make the game a little more compatible with competitive play, as well as implement some of the most requested features for the game. The update should be out within a few weeks, they told us, but on the floor of E3, we got to see some of the new tweaks in action.

Gallery: League of Legends Season One (E3 2010)

Continue reading Preview: League of Legends, Season One

JoystiqPreview: League of Legends, Season One originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defense-of-the-ancientsdotae3-2010league-of-legendsleague-of-legends-season-onelolpcriot-gamesseason-oneSun, 20 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[We're sitting here in Ventrilo, playing some DotA, running around creeping, the opponents we're sleeping]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/25/dance-with-basshunters-dota/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/25/dance-with-basshunters-dota/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/25/dance-with-basshunters-dota/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

When we first saw Basshunter's awesome "Anna" video we longed to bring it to Joystiq, but it just wasn't game related. The 21-year-old DJ phenom has corrected that situation with his release of "Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DotA" (from his second album, entitled LOL <(^^,)>) an infectious dance number about playing Defense of the Ancients, a custom map for real-time strategy game Warcraft III.

If your last name starts with A through M, you can play this video today. If your last name starts with N through Z, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. (Sorry for the restriction, but if ya'll played it all at once, it'd melt the icecaps, it's so hot.)

PS: This song is supposedly #2 on Sweden's pop music charts.

[Via the secret Plusmail society.]

JoystiqWe're sitting here in Ventrilo, playing some DotA, running around creeping, the opponents we're sleeping originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Sep 2006 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>basshunterdotaMacPCvideowarcraftwowMon, 25 Sep 2006 21:25:00 EST