MMORPGs

Introduces Legendary ‘Weapons of Victory’ vehicles, Berlin and Normandy Maps and much more

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that the “Weapons of Victory” Update for the award-winning MMO WWII online game, War Thunder, is now live. The update, with the telltale number 1.70.1945, provides War Thunder’s 9 million players worldwide with access to over 40 new vehicles and three new maps thematically tied to the final stages of WWII.

The “Normandy” map provides a deadly mix of ambush points and terrain and is a true ‘battle for the hedgerows’ homage to the Allied push to retake northern France in June 1944. The “Hürtgen Forest” map features the challenging terrain of Western Germany faced by the US Army in the longest battle in its history. Finally the “Reichstag” map takes armoured combat to the hard fought streets of Berlin.

Also, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe, the development team has prepared an exclusive series of vehicles called “Weapons of Victory”. These are planes and tanks that each have an incredible, real histories. Players will be able to get them as part of upcoming May festivities by participating in in-game events and promotional activities.

Included in the line-up of six legendary fighters, is the RAF Spitfire Mk IXc that belonged to decorated pilot and the Siege of Malta’s ace, John Plagis. For the USAF, Ray S Westmore’s (21 confirmed kills) P51-D Mustang ‘Daddy’s Girl’ has been added. Ground Forces are represented by the US M-18 from the 805th Tank Destroyer Battalion, nicknamed “Black Cat”, as well as four other famous vehicles.

The non-premium version of the M-18 tank destroyer is actually part of the highly anticipated new line of American self propelled guns. The U.S. also gets the T34 Sherman ‘Calliope’ – a fearsome multi-rocket firing tank capable of delivering devastating offensive fire support. But that’s not all, of course: The United Kingdom also gets a whole new line-up of Fleet Air Arm from the trusty Sea Gladiator biplane to the fearsome Attacker FB.1 jet, with USSR, Germany and Japan also getting new tools of destruction. In total, a whopping more than 40 new planes and tanks are introduced in the 1.70.1945 Update.

Aircraft damage model was also updated. As a result of the new system, you will see significant changes in the behavior of aircraft in collisions, as well as during emergency landings. For example, it will be more difficult to harm a heavy bomber by ramming it while flying a light aircraft, and the correct execution of the “belly landing” will damage the aircraft just slightly with the possibility to fully repair it and return to battle again. To learn more about the changes in the damage model check the developer’s blog.

In the subsequent dot versions of 1.70.1945 Update, Gaijin Entertainment will also be adding weekly War Thunder Tournament events in which a skilled pilot or tanker can earn prizes and vehicle decals for notching up successful victories. Read more in devblog.

For more information, please visit the official War Thunder website.

Japanese Fleet Making Waves

Take to the high seas with World of Warships Developer Diaries #5: Japanese warships. In the latest installment, viewers can discover the history of the deadly and versatile Japanese warships stalking the oceans during the game’s Closed Beta.

The new dev diaries will check out the Japanese fleet, discovering what this nation’s Tech Tree has to offer and exploring how these vessels stacked up against the might of the U.S. Navy. Viewers can get to grips with Japan’s concept of qualitative superiority—outfitting vessels with as many guns as possible—and the design ethos that made their warships perfect for aggressive naval warfare.

The devs will also be analyzing iconic Japanese vessels such as the Mogami cruiser, which was equipped with lethal Long Lance torpedoes—enough firepower to blow anything out of the water. There’s also the most famous of all Japanese battleships: Yamato. The pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Yamato was one of the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, a true terror lurking in the deep.

All this great intel is capped off with tips and tactics from the developers themselves, ensuring that anyone at the helm of these legendary vessels utilizes them to the fullest.

More game info available via the official World of Warships website.

Players can gain exclusive warships and other great content

World of Warships is excited to offer players the chance to upgrade their gaming experience with a great selection of pre-order packages in the run-up to the Open Beta. Offered in these exclusive packages are rare warships, Premium Account, and Gold Doubloons.

Included in select pre-order packages are three powerful warships. The Japanese cruiser Yubari combines excellent maneuverability and a devastating anti-aircraft armament, making this ship a crack shot in any situation. When adding her speed into the mix, the Yubari is a vessel able to stalk the seas and turn anything the ocean launches at her into scrap.

The nimble American Sims destroyer is a jack of all trades; its high speed lets players dodge enemy fire and unleash its dual-purpose guns against destroyers and light cruisers. It’s no slouch defensively either; this vessel’s smokescreens and torpedoes can save friendly ships from the most dangerous situations.

Finally, the sneaky USSR Gremyashchiy, a destroyer capable of approaching battleships undetected, launching deadly torpedo strikes, and then making a swift retreat. Fast, agile, and maneuverable—she has it all—the Gremyashchiy is a watery assassin.

There are several packages available for players that include combinations of exclusive warships, Premium Account, and Gold Doubloons.

Pre-order packages can be purchased by the player for their account, or given to a friend as a gift. Closed Beta testers will have access to their purchased packages immediately. When the Open Beta commences, the packages will be credited to players once again.

Please note that buying a pre-order package does not grant a player access to the Closed Beta. All the packages are available at the Premium Shop:

• Premium Shop  (Europe)
• Premium Shop  (North America)
• Premium Shop (Asia)

More game info available via the official World of Warships website.

Highly Anticipated Fan-Funded RPG Released Today to Fans, Backers, and Gamers Everywhere

Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today released Pillars of Eternity, the role-playing game (RPG) that was funded by over 70 thousand backers more than two years ago. Pillars of Eternity, created in the spirit of the classic Infinity Engine titles like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale, and crafted by Obsidian with careful attention to fan and backer feedback, is now available for Windows, Mac, and Linux PC. Fans who backed Pillars of Eternity will receive it today, while new players everywhere can purchase and play it at pillarsofeternity.com.

To celebrate the launch, Obsidian and Paradox have also released a new trailer, welcoming the world to the realm of Eora.

Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today released the second part of “Road to Eternity,” a behind-the-scenes documentary that follows the creation of Pillars of Eternity, the fan-funded role-playing game (RPG) for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs. Pillars of Eternity, which releases worldwide this Thursday, March 26, 2015, was funded over two years ago by more than 70 thousand backers, a process that is shown in this new chapter of the documentary.

Watch Part 1 of “Road to Eternity” HERE.

Watch Part 2 of “Road to Eternity” HERE.

Pillars of Eternity is an RPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment, which features an original world and game system that evokes and improves upon the traditional computer RPG experience. Funded via Kickstarter in late 2012, raising $4.5 million through both backer pledges on Kickstarter and Obsidian’s own website, Pillars of Eternity has been a project of passion both for the development team and for the loyal fans who have made it possible.

For more information on Pillars of Eternity, visit the games official website.

Final Chance to Pre-order Obsidian’s Forthcoming Epic before March 26 Release

Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today announced that Pillars of Eternity, the fan-funded modern take on a classic role-playing game (RPG) set in an original world created by some of the best minds in RPG development, has reached “Gold Master” (GM) status, and is now ready for its release on March 26, 2015. Pillars of Eternity, originally called “Project Eternity” the 10th most funded Kickstarter ever and second most funded video game , has been in development for two and a half years, and is now ready to complete its journey, arriving on Windows, Mac, and Linux PC next week. The game will release globally via digital distribution, with backers receiving their digital copies as well.

Pillars of Eternity is an RPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment, featuring an original world and unique game system, Pillars of Eternity ushers in a renaissance for a much beloved style of role playing game. Funded via Kickstarter in late 2012, raising over $4 million through both backer pledges on Kickstarter and PayPal. Pillars of Eternity has been a project of passion for both the development team and the loyal fans who made it possible.

Pillars of Eternity is scheduled to launch next week, on March 26, 2015, and the game can still be pre-ordered until that time. Pre-orders also include two special in-game items: a Giant Miniature Space Piglet companion who will accompany players through the world of Eora, and the Gaun’s Pledge ring, which provides powerful support to heroes in times of peril. Pillars of Eternity can be pre-ordered by visiting http://buy.pillarsofeternity.com.

For more information on Pillars of Eternity, visit the games official website.

Source: Gamer’s Hell

Wargaming offers the fourth installment from a series of developer diaries for World of Warships, a free-to-play naval action MMO based on epic sea battles of the 20th century that will complete the “World of” war trilogy. In this video, the team take you on a journey with some of the iconic U.S. 20th century vessels that clashed across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. You can check out the roles warships such as the USS Michigan and Montana played in ocean warfare and discover how our team brought these vessels to life in World of Warships.

More game info available via the official World of Warships website.

Wargaming is excited to announce that preparations are underway for the World of Warships Closed Beta, which will begin on March 12. Applications open for Europe at 11:00 CET, North America at 11:00 PST, and Asia at 17:00 SGT. During the test, players will dive into online naval battles, sharing their feedback with the development team to improve the experience.

Held in December 2014 and January 2015, the two World of Warships Beta Test Weekends attracted over 75,000 users. Boasting 15,000 concurrent players, there were an average of 60 battle sessions played by each tester in only four days.
In the upcoming Closed Beta, players will have access to five original maps, taking them on a journey through arctic oceans to tropical archipelagos. On their voyage, 50 U.S. and Japanese warships are available for players to challenge the seas and enemy ships.

Both nation’s cruisers are great, nimble vessels that have the upper hand against enemy destroyers, and even deal a significant blow to ships of the same class. Japanese battleships are fierce attacking ships, which, thanks to their thick armor, can also offer other vessels on their team excellent cover. Destroyers from both nations are perhaps the most maneuverable of ships, and are perfect for scouting, offering backup, and carrying out deadly torpedo strikes. The fourth and final class are aircraft carriers, initially represented by American warships. These types of ships are unmatched at attacking the enemy and providing reconnaissance—ideal for the more tactical player.

Crews (represented by warships commanders) play an integral role in gameplay. With each level, Commanders gain points that can be spent on a variety of skills divided into several ranks and categories. Players can choose to improve the Commander to best suit their play style from increasing a ship’s resistance to certain damage to decreased reloading times.

In addition to personnel training, Modernizations allow players to develop a ship’s combat capability. There are numerous Modernizations available, such as increasing a weapon’s durability or ship’s resilience to fire and flooding.
For those that enjoy working together as a team to conquer the seas, they can join forces with two other players in Divisions.

In the future, World of Warships will add Japanese aircraft carriers and U.S. battleships. Achievements for many accomplishments in battle as well as customization options will also be introduced to the game.

To learn more about World of Warships and become involved in the Closed Beta, visit:

• http://worldofwarships.com (North America)
• http://worldofwarships.eu (Europe)
• http://worldofwarships.asia (Asia)

ESL developers are preparing to integrate Wargaming.net’s latest technological development, Battle API (Application Programming Interface), into their online ESL Play platform. As the world’s largest esports company, this is set to significantly improve the esports experience for World of Tanks players from all around the globe. Since ESL and Wargaming.net partnered in 2011, ESL World of Tanks players have secured themselves well over one million dollars in prize money. Battle API integration represents just the latest step the two companies have taken towards paving the way to a higher standard of esports events and user experience worldwide.

ESL will be the first external company to integrate Battle API into their leagues and competitions. Once integrated players will also be able to earn themselves in-game credits and battle experience when taking part in both online and offline competition. This is due to the integrated Battle API negating the need for ‘Training Room’ use.

The Battle API will be built into the World of Tanks game itself and will communicate with the ESL Play platform to automise actions such as in game invites, score postings and bracket updates. This form of game integration also allows for a more meaningful post-match analysis with statistics such as the number of shells shot, shot accuracy and amount of damage dealt available for use just moments after a game is over.

For more information please visit www.eslgaming.com.

Gaijin Entertainment today announced that Update 1.47, titled “Big Guns”, for the award-winning MMO WWII online game War Thunder is now live. Now War Thunder’s eight million players worldwide have access to a slew of new and improved features, including map improvements, graphical enhancements and additional armored vehicles and aircraft. To see the full list of new improvements and features, check out the official patchnotes.

The name Big Guns signifies the arrival of the biggest vehicles from WWII to War Thunder: the formidable bomber B29 Superfortress, with a wingspan larger than some modern airliners, and the super-heavy tank, Pz.Kpfw.VIII Maus, which weighed an incredible 188 tons. Additionally, the USSR gets the early version of the legendary Il-2 Sturmovik, which has the most detailed armor modelling (30 individual components) on any plane in a flight sim to date and sets the new standard for future aircraft in War Thunder.

Overall, 14 new planes and tanks join the War Thunder arsenal. Plus, with Beta-testing for the American tank line-up now complete, all players can use more than 30 US WWII tanks in high intensity battles.

War Thunder ground battles become even more realistic with the addition of different terrains. Now tanks move faster over roads, but drift more and slow down when they hit mud or soil. Adding even more realism, the tanks actually slow down and start to chew up the earth, carving deep grooves in the tank’s path, and of course this off-road driving affects the vehicles’ appearance, leaving them covered in dirt and dust. Tank warfare becomes even more tactical now, as the straightest route isn’t necessarily the fastest one!

Update 1.47 also sees the implementation of in-game items, which players can obtain in a number of ways, including daily login bonuses, special gifts, winning battles and through the in-game store. Players can use them immediately or store them for future use. Examples include boosters for research points for individual players or for the whole team, discounts for particular vehicles, chances to get premium planes or tanks and much more. Wagers are special items that allow players to set some conditions (e.g. several victories in the row) and get a huge reward if they succeed.

Of course this is not the complete list of new features that Update 1.47 “Big Guns” yields, as there are binocular views and driver cameras for more realistic tank game modes, operable canopies for aircraft, night lights and contrails for planes and improved performance and graphics quality for low-end PCs. For more details and to see the complete list of new and improved features, please check the developers blog and patchnotes.

Check out the latest trailer here.