At the Game Developer’s Conference, two unusual fliers surfaced. One was for the White Mantle and the other was for the Shining Blade. They had QR Codes which lead to the Guild Wars website. At first I dismissed this information. It was too ambiguous. However, more details have started to surface. Also, the presentation of these clues is deliberate. The Guild Wars community has been given a series of riddles. Is this just to build hype? Heh, probably… but perhaps there’s more to the mystery. By monitoring the clues, perhaps the community can better prepare for war. It seems that the White Mantle and Shining Blade will do battle.
Author: Photics
Nicholas The Traveler – Feathered Caromi Scalps
The weekly scavenger hunt continues. This time, Nicholas the Traveler is at the Ascalon Settlement. That’s in the North Kryta Province. It’s a mid-level territory, so the April 5, 2010 challenge is not so challenging. I like that. It’s refreshing. In about an hour, I had this one wrapped up. If found previous quests from Nicholas to be highly tedious, this week’s run might be more fun for you. After the Easter festivities, both in game and out, one might opt to enjoy the Spring weather. While ArenaNet is a West Coast company, this East Coast gamer is going to enjoy the extra time to go outside… sans laptop.
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April Fools Day 2010 – A Look at Guild Wars Past and Present
I’m not a big fan of April Fools Day. I don’t think it’s right to play tricks on people. Yet, when Guild Wars gets into their holiday mode, it’s usually pretty cool. Today, I logged into Guild Wars to see what ArenaNet cooked up. I watched the progress bar. New content was being downloaded. What could it be? The anticipation was building. My main (and only) character “TANK” was left in Gunnar’s Hold. The map was loading. I could see it. The zone was starting to load, but I couldn’t see the people? Oh, the game is still loading. OK… a few more seconds would do it… what would I see? What would ArenaNet do this year? Loading… loading… loading… AH HA… that’s cute.
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Photics: Fireball… Ready For Launch
With the iPad launch less than a week away, I’ve been pretty busy. Apple sent me an email about the grand opening of the iPad App Store. If I wanted my iPad App to be listed on the launch day, I had to meet the March 27 (8 PM EST) deadline. I made it… with about 30 minutes to spare. It was tough, but I’m pleased with the results. Actually, that’s not quite right… I’m actually amazed. I think Photics: Fireball is a fun game, but it also represents a dramatic shift in my life. Up until this point, I used to get excited about game console release dates. I would often be part of the “I gotta have it” crowd. But now I’m on the other side of the picture – as a game developer – with a launch date title ready to go.
Photics: Conquest – Artwork Preview
I’ve decided that I will be dropping the Guild Wars theme from my online role-playing game. Instead, I will be creating an original theme for Photics: Conquest. As long as the main content is tied to ArenaNet, there will always be limitations on what I can do with my game… like charging for premium access or breaking away from lore restrictions. Plus, I think it’s important to build something of my own. There shouldn’t be any confusion between two completely different games. However, that creates a significant problem. The Guild Wars artwork is beautiful. How will I be able to replace that? How can I keep my game professional looking, without the budgets of a “AAA” game studio?