Joystiq

MechWarrior Online gets biggest map ever, new matchmaking system in latest update

Mike Schramm — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST

Free-to-play shooter MechWarrior Online has added a new update to the game, this one containing the biggest map yet. The environment is called Alpine Peaks, and features lots of cold, open areas, separated by some very tall high ground. In addition to the new map, the update also includes five new versions of a mech called the Trebuchet, which specializes in long range combat and carries medium weight.

Finally, the newest update also adds in what Pirahna Games is calling "Phase 3" of the matchmaking system, which will allow players of the same skill to find and compete against each other in a balanced way, despite what mech they're driving. The new system also allows for cosmetic holograms in the cockpit, so you can now show off any House Faction loyalties you happen to have. Us, we're partial to Winterfell, but -- oh wait, wrong setting. At any rate, the update is now live on the servers, so go get that Mech a Warrior-in'!

MechWarrior Online gets biggest map ever, new matchmaking system in latest update originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MechWarrior Online Founders' Program ends soon, open beta next week

Mike Schramm — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST

Joystiq got to see MechWarrior Online in its closed beta at PAX Prime a few months ago, and the game was coming along nicely: a little light on the fast-paced shooter action and heavy on the MechWarrior-based customization options and battle mechanics. Infinite Game Publishing and Piranha Games have announced that MWO is headed into an open beta next week.

Players interested in playing can sign up on the MechWarrior Online website to reserve a name right now, and anyone looking to spend a little money on the free-to-play shooter (based, of course, on the tabletop strategy game) can join the Founders' Program, which offers various tiers of premium rewards. The Founders' Program will finish up on October 14, with the open beta following soon after.

Continue reading MechWarrior Online Founders' Program ends soon, open beta next week

MechWarrior Online Founders' Program ends soon, open beta next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MechWarrior Online Founder's Program includes speedy Jenner mech

Mike Suszek — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:30:00 EST

The Jenner JR7 mech, seen above, is included in the Founder's Program for MechWarrior Online. The mech features a top speed of 118 km/h, a SRM-4 for firing missiles, and four medium lasers. Piranha Games describes the machine as light on armor, so using its speed and jumpjets to stay on the move is the key to victory for its pilots.

MechWarrior Online's Founder's Program is a three-tiered program in which players receive bonus content, early beta access, and in-game currency. The Jenner JR7 is one of four mechs exclusive to the Elite and Legendary levels of the program.

MechWarrior Online Founder's Program includes speedy Jenner mech originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mechwarrior reboot will be PC exclusive

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:41:00 EST

After being teased over two years ago, the return of Mechwarrior is apparently around the corner.

PC Gamer reports that it has the details on the reboot, which will be a PC exclusive title. It will allegedly update with more information in a few hours, with "one very big surprise," so we'll be sure to let you know then.

The franchise has been making its return to the game space, stomping along slowly like an Atlas mech, for several years, with Jordan Weisman's Smith & Tinker obtaining the rights back in 2007. This was followed by a tease of the reboot in 2009, with a trademark dispute shortly thereafter. Since then, things have been very quiet... until now.

Update: PC Gamer notes the game will be freemium and launch in the second half of 2012.

Gallery: MechWarrior Online

Mechwarrior reboot will be PC exclusive originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MechWarrior 4 is now free ... if you can get it [update]

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 02 May 2010 19:30:00 EST

Update: It seems the servers are back up to download the game right here. Enjoy!

Original post: So here's the thing -- we were all set to tell you about how MechWarrior 4 had been released for free, but apparently some people found out before we could tell you and now, well, the servers are down. Bigtime. As in, it might be a few minutes before they're back up. According to several tipsters, the 1.7GB file became available for download last night, but as of right now, MekTek (the game's host) is still suffering an outage.

That said ... hey! MechWarrior 4 has been released to the general public for precisely zero of your hard-earned C-Bills! If you managed to snag the file last night, we're hearing reports that MekTek has recovered the game's multiplayer servers. We'll let you know when the servers are back up.

MechWarrior 4 is now free ... if you can get it [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 May 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mechwarrior 4 free release cleared by Microsoft

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST

After it was first announced in July of 2009, the free release of MechWarrior 4 has finally been cleared by Microsoft. The announcement comes weeks after MekTek, the studio behind the free release, revealed that the project was being held up by Microsoft's legal department. The delay resulted in financial trouble for the studio, which was actually paying out-of-pocket to maintain its servers.

MekTek believes that the revelation of the legal hold up -- and the subsequent news coverage and forum traffic -- played a role in expediting the release. The company has also thanked its partners Smith & Tinker, Virtual World Entertainment and Catalyst Game Labs for "pressing Microsoft to allow for the release."

MekTek advises fans to "stay tuned" for the impending free launch of MechWarrior 4.

Mechwarrior 4 free release cleared by Microsoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MechWarrior 4 free release 'held up' by Microsoft

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:16:00 EST

Way back in July 2009, Smith & Tinker announced that it was going to authorize MekTek to release MechWarrior 4 and all its expansions for free "soon" -- likely to drum up interest for the upcoming MechWarrior reboot. After nearly a year, the game remains unreleased. The reason for the delay, according to MekTek, lies with Microsoft. The group claims that the project is "held up at Microsoft" and it's currently "unknown" when the release will receive its "final go ahead."

The studio adds the unfortunate revelation that it's now in dire financial straights thanks to the delay. "Due to the demands placed upon us by industry lawyers to release the Mechwarrior 4 Free release we were forced to insure our Studio at a premium rate to meet the Microsoft standard," reads the announcement, adding that group's server fund has "run dry" and is currently being paid directly by staff. MekTek is asking for donations from players that download its MekPak 3.1 expansion. According to the announcement, MekTek would be able to keep the servers running for an entire year if all those who downloaded the expansion were to donate $5.

[Via Big Download]

MechWarrior 4 free release 'held up' by Microsoft originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: MechWarrior movie 'in development' at Eisner's Tornante

Christopher Grant — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:23:00 EST

Back in the pre-Joystiq days of 2003, cavemen spoke of preliminary plans for a MechWarrior movie, to be produced by Dean "Oops, I made Godzilla" Devlin who referred to the opportunity as "a real passion project" ... about giant robots. Of course, we know nothing ever came of that passion; however, with a reboot on the horizon, another MechWarrior film is "in development" at former Disney chief (and apparent Robot Jox fanboy) Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company, a trusted source told Joystiq.

Eisner owned the rights to the franchise through a series of acquisitions, series creator Jordan Weisman told Gamasutra last month: "WizKids bought FASA, and then Topps bought WizKids, and then [Michael] Eisner bought Topps." Perhaps seeing an opportunity to capitalize on the upcoming video game, our source tells us that a movie is "in development" and that the writer is one Mr. Michael Gordon, credited with screenplays for 300, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and an "in development" EverQuest movie.

As great as that sounds, a potential cloud may be looming over the production, with Robotech co-owners Harmony Gold sending cease-and-desist letters to outlets hosting the teaser trailer for the latest MechWarrior game, claiming some of the 'bots are a little too similar to Robotech's own. It remains to be seen if Harmony Gold will extend its claim to any film adaptation.

Continue reading Source: MechWarrior movie 'in development' at Eisner's Tornante

Source: MechWarrior movie 'in development' at Eisner's Tornante originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MechWarrior reboot could be caught in trademark dispute

Justin McElroy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST

If you were excited about the MechWarrior reboot being teased by Piranha Games, we've got some possibly unfortunate news. Apparently, IGN received a cease-and-desist order from Harmony Gold, the unfortunately named co-owner of the Robotech universe, regarding some imagery in a recent trailer teasing Piranha's project.

There's no relation between the two 'verses, but Harmony Gold claims that some of the bots in the trailer are a little too close to a few from Robotech. At this point, we don't know: 1) if those characters really are infringing on Harmony Gold's trademark; or 2) how difficult it would be to remove said characters from the game. So, there's still a chance this dispute may go away. We'll keep an eye on things for you.

MechWarrior reboot could be caught in trademark dispute originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smith & Tinker looking into homes for Crimson Skies, Shadowrun IPs

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

Smith & Tinker founder Jordan Weisman recently spoke about his plans for the other FASA IPs he licensed from Microsoft. In a recent interview with Gamespot, Weisman teased, "I think Crimson Skies is something we'd love to get some energy around, and we have some devious plans--we'll see if those materialize." Intriguing!

Shadowrun fans, however, shouldn't expect to be nearly as intrigued -- at least not anytime soon. "Shadowrun was recently...not treated well...shall we say, so the thought was let a little time pass before approaching that one again," Weisman admitted.

As for the beloved MechWarrior franchise, the series reboot is currently in development by Piranha Games for PC and Xbox 360. Smith & Tinker plans to farm out development of these old IPs to other studios over time, so if you're a fancy studio head with a clever idea for a Crimson Skies or Shadowrun revival, feel free to give Weisman a call. Like, now.

[Via VideoGamer]

Smith & Tinker looking into homes for Crimson Skies, Shadowrun IPs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mechwarrior 4 free on BattleTech.com 'soon'

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST

Big robots blowing each other up! The only way to make the prior sentence more masculine would be to repeat the word "bacon" about eight times. With that said, Smith & Tinker has authorized MekTek to distribute ~~bacon~~ MechWarrior 4, along with its expansions, for free. This likely has just a tiny bit to do with the recently announced MechWarrior reboot.

There is currently no release date, but Smith & Tinker states "the free download will be available soon!" Yes, YES! Now to stomp to the kitchen while making Mech walking noises and fry up some bacon!

[Thanks, Old Professor Zertoss; Via MekTek]

Mechwarrior 4 free on BattleTech.com 'soon' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New MechWarrior a reboot, called ... MechWarrior

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:56:00 EST

Teased earlier this week, a new MechWarrior is currently being forged by Smith and Tinker (founded by FASA co-founder Jordan Weisman) and Piranha Games. IGN was informed that this is not being considered MechWarrior 5, but a reboot of the series. The title will release on PC and Xbox 360, and should include a full single-player campaign, "as well as support for four-player co-op campaign" and multiplayer.

There is currently no release window scheduled for the game, nor is there a publisher -- those two things are typically co-dependent. Check out the MechWarrior reveal trailer after the break.

Continue reading New MechWarrior a reboot, called ... MechWarrior

New MechWarrior a reboot, called ... MechWarrior originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New MechWarrior teased by IGN site [update]

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST

With the subtlety of a grand piano falling down the stairs, IGN's Voodoo Extreme is teasing that a new MechWarrior title will be announced shortly. Allegedly in development by Piranha Games, it would be the first "official" MechWarrior game in nearly a decade. The site teases that Piranha may have a full trailer up later this week.

The last time MechWarrior popped up on radar was when the property was licensed to Jordan Weisman after the dissolution of FASA. If Piranha is actually developing a true Mechwarrior sequel, it would appear to be the studio's first mega solo project. We're currently attempting to get in touch with Piranha Games for more details.

Update: A representative for Piranha replied to our inquiry, "We can't share any details right now, but will get in touch with you as soon as we are able." "Can't" ... or won't? Weird. Still following up.

[Via ShackNews]

New MechWarrior teased by IGN site [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weisman licenses MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies rights back from MS (internet finally notices)

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Online, Business

On October 15th, Smith & Tinker, Jordan Weisman's new venture-backed startup, announced the licensing of the "electronic entertainment" rights to a number of Weisman's creations back from Microsoft. The deal, apparently done quietly (and ages ago in web-time), puts franchises like MechWarrior, Shadowrun and Crimson Skies back in Weisman's hands. Previously, these properties were managed and developed by FASA, another Weisman credit, which was sold to Microsoft in 1999 and dissolved several months ago.

With Microsoft suddenly short on internal development teams, the most action the FASA catalog has been seeing is a polite dusting off ever few months before being re-shelved. While Weisman and co. have yet to detail the projects, a job listing calling for online game expertise suggests MMOs could be in the works. A posting on the Smith & Tinker website assures fans that "our goal is to surprise and delight old fans, while welcoming new fans to these fantastic worlds."

[Via Gamasutra]

Weisman licenses MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies rights back from MS (internet finally notices) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chromehounds review: it ain't pretty [update 1]

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Reviews, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace

Gamebrink has posted an import review of the much anticipated Chromehounds. Bad news: it looks to be sub-par at best. Neither a slow and methodical mech sim, nor a fast and arcadey shoot 'em up, Chromehounds can't seem to make up its mind. From the review:

"The first thing you'll probably think to yourself when you start a game of Chrome Hounds is, "Wow, this is really slow." No matter which type of Mech you choose to pilot you'll always feel like movement around levels is way too slow. That along with the fact that it's usually the case that the more weaponry you have on your Mech the slower it moves, and you've got all the ingredients for boredom. Now I guess this would be fine if the actual process of aiming, moving, and firing required a lot of micro-management thus making it a simulation type game but Chrome Hounds unfortunately has very limited controls."

Ouch. The review does note that the much hyped mech customization is very deep. Unfortunately, the online portion -- ostensibly where you'd be using your custom mech -- is not easy to navigate. The online persistent war is great in theory, but finding people to play with can be a chore apparently. ~~What's that you say, you just want to play a quick deathmatch game? Too bad, because it's not an option~~. If you want to have a good time online you'll need five buddies who can be online whenever you are, because that's the only way to play.

Also, the music selection is pretty slim. That is to say, there is exactly one piece of background music. On the plus side, um, the graphics are pretty good. Gamebrink's advice: if you've got Live Gold, give it a rental. If not, skip it.

For my part, I wish it weren't so. Anyone still going to give it a try?

Update 1: it looks like Gamebrink completely failed to mention other online modes, which do in fact exist. Good thing, too, because I actually enjoyed the demo. And, for what it's worth, Famitsu scored the game 33/40. Not bad. My apologies for linking what I assumed was a well informed review. Ken and Chris G. sicced the ravenous weasels on me last night and I have learned my lesson.

Chromehounds review: it ain't pretty [update 1] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mech Assaults DS, charges filed

Ludwig Kietzmann — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: News

Though we spotted this about a month ago, Majesco Entertainment has officially revealed some concrete information regarding a DS version of MechAssault, now subtitled Phantom War instead of Shadow War. Personally, we would have gone with Spook Hostility, but we understand that mech fans would prefer if Majesco took this seriously.

Judging by their standard PR list of features, they are. Developed by Backbone Entertainment (they worked on the PSP's Death Jnr), the game allows you to commandeer over 20 types of vehicles, upgrade weapons, engage in four-player wireless combat and just generally obliterate anything you can aim your guns at. The only point of worry may come in with the use of the touch screen: "The touch screen lets players intuitively 'touch' the cockpit controls to hack into giant 'Mechs, eject pilots, switch weapons and check battle techniques."

That sounds a lot like "There's an in-game menu at the bottom screen," a design that may prove to be irksome in the heat of battle. We thought that aiming via the touch screen (just like in Metroid Prime: Hunters) would be far more intuitive and closer to the dual-analog control of the Xbox titles. Still, we'll wait and see what the exact control scheme is before we stomp on a game that, at the very least, promises giant robots for our puny portable.

[Thanks mandarin!]

Mech Assaults DS, charges filed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Feb 2006 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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