Battle of the Super-MMOs!
As if "City of Heroes" wasn't addicting enough just for it's costume creator alone, "Champions: Online" is apparently trying something new in the MMO realm: A "lifetime subscription" for $200 (plus the purchase of the commercial boxed game or a download of the client). I'm wondering if this could be "a thing" for some MMOs. Granted, Blizzard would have passed up a huge pile of cash if they did something like this, but then again, they've got a digital cash-mine going, so there's really no need for them to do anything else to divorce people from their money and lives.
If C:O were the only product Cryptic Studios were offering, I'd say they were nuts to do this. But they've got other games in the works, including the upcoming "Star Trek" MMO, so perhaps the costs and profits are spread around a bit, with more popular games picking up the revenue slack for ones with less broad appeal? Also, since several exclusive items come with C:O's lifetime membership, I'm betting the purchase of unique items, emotes, etc. will be a part of the financial structure. It kind of reminds me of the "free to play" games where you only start spending money if you want access to special things, places, and higher levels.
"Champions" will have competition in the form of "DC Universe: Online," but I had an interesting conversation with someone about it that makes me wonder how successful comic book MMOs from established comic books will be. He was thinking that C:O would be his drug of choice, and I remarked, "but DCU has Batman in it." I figured this was a trump card, since he's a huge fan of the Dark Knight in all his forms. "Yeah," he said, "but you can't be him, so what's the point?" I must admit, I'd never thought of that. Is DCU going to be like "Britney Spears' Dance Beat,*" the game where the ultimate goal is to be a backup dancer, not the star? It looks like an experiment in geek psychology will be underway. In the meantime, I still want to pick up "Arkham Asylum" when it hits stores.
* No, I've never played it, but its status as a game of disappointment was chronicled in this Daily Show clip featuring Lewis Black.
"G.I. Joe" is starting to win good reviews, but mostly from reviewers at "Ain't It Cool News," as I believe they aren't doing screenings for critics, just small-venue pre-showings. It's a summer action movie with an over-the-top premise, so they probably don't need critics that aren't into just sitting back and having a bucket o' eye candy. The more I'm seeing from the leaked material is that the COBRA guys look better (and more like their 80's counterparts) than the Joes do. Case in point: Destro's Mask. Now that's more like it. I think what truly bugs me about the Accelerator Suits is that it makes the Joes all look alike, with the exception of Snake Eyes (thanks to a ninja outfit) and Scarlett (thanks to being shaped like Rachel Nichols). I think I'm missing the oddball variety from the TV show that was given to the villains, but not to the good guys. Granted, we don't want Refrigerator Perry with his iron football mace, but some "Hi, my Codename is" stickers would be an improvement. But the capper for this film will be how good the inevitable ninja showdown will be. And since this is going to be a franchise, I wonder if they're going to kill off Storm Shadow or not?
Wildstorm comics loves us so much they sent us some "North 40" desktop wallpapers (available in this zip file, containing various sizes). They all look more or less like this.
The second issue of "North 40" should be out in stores soon, as my editor has sent me a photo of the preview copies in his hands as he grins, maniacally. Either he is taunting me, or the bits of the Necronomicon I had the artist insert are taking hold...
Things more non-euclidean than that await:
- I've been wanting to experiment with some LED lights (I have an old Pachinko machine that would look quite spiffy all lit up), so this printout-n-assemble resistance calculator should come in handy.
- And to show that the Evil Mad Scientists from the link above aren't all bad, they've posted a recipe for making your own Monty Python "crunchy frog" confectioneries. No word on "cockroach cluster" or "anthrax ripple," though.
- The following game is very juvenile, as you play a huge monster who devours little guys by grabbing them with a prehensile blob of snot. You have been warned. Gobtron is good, clean fun for the 12-year-olds we wish we still were. :)
- Weird Al has had another "internet leak" in the form of a song called "CNR" about Charles Nelson Reilly, who is still my favorite celeb guest star in any Chris Carter TV show.
- The geniuses who made "Bacon Salt" have done it again, this time in lip balm form.
- You get a lot of detailed and helpful advice when you cannot find the server.
- I just heard that a Lovecraftian text adventure with the blessing of Chaosium has been put on the net. Called The King of Shreds and Patches, it sounds very good to this old-school Zorker. Anyone have any experience with this particular downloadable?
- Let's finish off with some planetary defense: Defense Fleet pits you against incoming threats to your homeworld. Drag your ships to intercept and try not to let the planet get pasted, 'kay? All my stuff is there...