Joystiq

World Bank: Gold farming aids poor nations

Justin McElroy — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:30:00 EST

Sure, it may get old being hassled by semi-English speakers in World of Warcraft selling their virtual gold for real-world cash, but were you aware they were doing their part to bring economic parity to the globe?

It's true! A new report from the World Bank says that gold farmers in China and Vietnam bring money into their economy at an even better rate than farmers of cash crops. The study estimates that 98 cents of every dollar made from gold farming stays in the nation where the work was done, an impressive number compared to the 7 cents made from the coffee industry.

By cutting out middle men, poorer countries are using the $3 billion virtual goods market to funnel cash from the West into their own impoverished nations. Plus, you don't have to spend time combing Winterspring for Thorium Ore. Everybody wins!

World Bank: Gold farming aids poor nations originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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April Fools: Paradox expands Vietnam theme to King Arthur series

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:40:00 EST

Magicka's Vietnam-themed DLC has apparently been a huge hit with the folks at Paradox Interactive. Such a hit, in fact, that the company is now theming the upcoming King Arthur sequel in the same way -- nothing quite says "Knights of the Round Table" like napalm! Furthermore, the sequel to Sword of the Stars will receive similar treatment. "A wise journeyman once told me, 'Don't stop believing,' and that's exactly what we're doing here," company head Fredrik Wester noted in the announcement.

Okay, okay, the folks at Paradox are just having a laugh on this day of days to have a laugh, but you'll excuse us if we stand fully in support of the idea. Heck, it sounds like a much better idea than the publisher's East India Company game themed around the Opium Wars of the 19th century. Who greenlights this stuff?!

April Fools: Paradox expands Vietnam theme to King Arthur series originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magicka: Vietnam is seriously coming out April 12

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST

Okay, we're starting to believe that Paradox Interactive and Arrowhead Game Studios' upcoming expansion to their successful, arcane action-RPG, Magicka: Vietnam, is not the most elaborate hoax ever pulled on the gaming industry. See, we were operating under that assumption, but earlier today the creators revealed 10 screenshots for the add-on, and gave it some formal release details: It's coming to "all major digital distribution channels" April 12 for $4.99.

We're excited to check out this bizarre-sounding addition to Magicka -- especially after perusing the gallery below -- but we're going to temper our excitement for another 36 hours or so. Tomorrow would be an awfully appropriate day for the developers to reveal that we all done got goofed.

Gallery: Magicka: Vietnam (3/31/11)

Magicka: Vietnam is seriously coming out April 12 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magicka: Vietnam expansion announced (no joke!)

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:20:00 EST

Well, this is certainly unexpected. We guess Magicka publisher Paradox Interactive wasn't kidding when it said developer Arrowhead Studios would be "a bit daring" with the title's first expansion. Said add-on was revealed today -- and it will take the game's magic-mashing protagonists and drop them into the war-torn jungles of Vietnam. Just check out the debut trailer after the jump!

We've got an appointment to check out Magicka: Vietnam today at GDC, and we'll make sure to let you know if it's just as bizarre as we're assuming it is. Update: Vietnam was not on hand, but we talked about it with Arrowhead. Stay tuned for our coverage.

Continue reading Magicka: Vietnam expansion announced (no joke!)

Magicka: Vietnam expansion announced (no joke!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vietnam requests ISPs block gaming after 10PM

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:00:00 EST

Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communication wants internet service providers to pull the plug on online games from 10PM to 8AM (ICT) by March 3. The move follows increased gaming restrictions by the government, allegedly due to real-life crime originating from online games.

Deputy Minister Le Nam Thang said the government will continue to inspect online gaming nationwide and shut down ISPs that violate the request. So it's not an option. It's an order.

Vietnam requests ISPs block gaming after 10PM originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam launched with latest trailer

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST

Tomorrow marks the debut of the first major expansion to Battlefield: Bad Company 2, with the Vietnam War acting as the backdrop for a whole new set of classes, weapons, and maps. Today ... well, today there's a trailer for it. We do what we can, folks.

Continue reading Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam launched with latest trailer

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam launched with latest trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vietnamese government implements restrictions on online games

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Citing increased real-life criminal activity originating in the online space, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communication has placed a number of tight restrictions on massively multiplayer titles. These include bans on any and all advertisements for online games, as well as regulations forcing ISPs to shut off service to gaming cafes and retailers after hours.

More drastic is the Ministry's decision to stop allowing any additional online games to come into the nation until further legislation on the matter can be considered. Man, that's harsh! Why can't they follow China's example, and just regulate the content of these games instead of -- oh, wait. Vietnam is doing that as well. Awesome.

Vietnamese government implements restrictions on online games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops reveal trailer gets the GT Pop-Block treatment

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:30:00 EST

Outside of a UK game retailer listing a handful of details about this November's Treyarch-developed Call of Duty: Black Ops, all we've been given so far in terms of solid information on the game is a trailer with a slurry of quick cuts and some muffled dialog. Thankfully, GT Pop-Block has taken apart said trailer piece by piece, highlighting several standout points. What we found most interesting was that, rather than an astronaut seen briefly near the end, it's actually an SR-71 pilot in a full pressure suit, just before heading into sub-orbit (Pop-Block believes this could be a recon mission).

Additionally, as you might have already suspected, various elements in the trailer heavily suggest Vietnam and Cold War themes -- an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, possible Vietcong troops, scientists vacating an exploding Russian complex, and the presence of a UH-1A Huey helicopter (first used in 1962 during the Vietnam War). Oh, and hey, that dude you see above? Yeah, he's probably pretty important to the story. He also totally gets to fly a helicopter, which seems to be player-controlled. See for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops reveal trailer gets the GT Pop-Block treatment

Call of Duty: Black Ops reveal trailer gets the GT Pop-Block treatment originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Call of Duty 7 coming in November

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST

According to a "senior UK trade source" who allegedly spoke with CVG, the next Call of Duty game from Treyarch will be set in Vietnam and arrive at retailers this November. "It's going to be November again - just as with World At War and Modern Warfare 2," the source was quoted as saying.

We heard as much back in May of last year, when Treyarch was said to be looking for "Vietnam War era tunes." Add to that the fact that Activision's Noah Heller explicitly said Treyarch would no longer be working on WWII-based Call of Duty games and you've got yourself a more reasonable sounding rumor. We've asked Activision for comment and will keep you updated as we hear more.

Rumor: Call of Duty 7 coming in November originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Koei 'nams new studio location

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:30:00 EST

Koei Tecmo has discovered a clever way to combat rising game development costs -- Japanese gaming blog AndriaSang recently turned our attention to a Japanese newspaper article that explained the company will be opening a studio in Hanoi, Vietnam in mid-September. The lower labor costs in that area should reduce the overall price of game development for the company. As ninjas are extremely expensive to render accurately, we're sure it's a much appreciated discount.

Though the new studio (which will initially be staffed by 20 to 30 locals) will be named "Koei Tecmo Vietnam," the original newspaper report states it will be a subsidiary of Koei rather than the recently merged Koei Tecmo Holdings. In other words -- Koei's gettin' some action on the side. Scan-duh-lous!

Koei 'nams new studio location originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Next Call of Duty possibly set in Vietnam

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:00:00 EST

Treyarch's Noah Heller mentioned shortly before the release of Call of Duty: World at War that the developer was probably going to lay off World War II for a while, leaving many to wonder what the stage of operations for the next CoD would be. If a report from That VideoGame Blog proves accurate, Activision may be taking the franchise to a much groovier era -- the 1960s. (Anno Domini, that is -- though who are we to assume 1960 B.C. wasn't equally groovy?)

TVGB is reporting that an anonymous, "trusted" source informed them Activision's been looking to license "Vietnam War era tunes, as well as Cuban, African, and Soviet Union music." The source mentioned that Heller (and, assumedly, Treyarch) is involved in the aforementioned license hunting. As with all rumors spawned by anonymous tipsters, we encourage you to take this rumor with a two-ton boulder of salt -- just to be safe, we've contacted Activision for a comment.

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Continue reading Rumor: Next Call of Duty possibly set in Vietnam

Rumor: Next Call of Duty possibly set in Vietnam originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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