Just been sent a couple of videos for Crackdown 2!

Crackdown 2 “Fun With Friends” video shows off some of the new 4 player multiplayer, and 16 player PVP options!

And Crackdown 2 “Nothing Is Sacred” shows off some of the destructible environments, and other gameplay elements.

Crackdown 2 Out 9th July 2010 . Find Out More at www.xbox.com/crackdown2

The highly classified bio-augmentation procedure is a Spartan candidate’s final and most difficult ordeal before joining the ranks of the legendary soldiers. The dramatic interpretation of Carter’s rebirth as a Spartan embodies the themes of courage, sacrifice and honor in “Halo: Reach” and gives viewers a unique look into the origins of a central character in the upcoming blockbuster game.

Find out more at www.xbox.com/haloreach

Yes, it’s that time of year again! Time to take a look into our crystal ball and see what are our most anticipated upcoming MMORPGs are, and see how games from the 2009 MMO list fared. What’s been released, what’s been building up a fan base, and what’s now buried 6 feet under…

Last Year in MMORPGs

2009 saw a number of high profile MMOs take a long walk off a short pier, starting with Richard Garriott’s fun but flawed Tabula Rasa in Feb, and The Matrix Online was turned off in March.

Star Trek Online

Over the last 12 months only 2 of last years MMO list made it out into the world, and they both came from Cryptic Studios. First Cryptic released Champions Online in September 09 to a chorus of indifference. They followed that up by reskinning the Champions Online engine with some shiny Star Trek outfits, and released Star Trek Online in Feb 2010 (more fun than Champions, but still no where near as good as it should have been.)

Other MMO releases last year that weren’t on the ‘Most Anticipated’ list included Fallen Earth (post-apocalyptic MMOFPS), Aion (NCSoft’s fantasy epic developed for Western and Korean markets), and Darkfall (harsh, old school fantasy gameworld, complete with unrestricted PvP and looting). None of them jumped out at us and said ‘buy me’, but if any readers out there have strong opinions on them, and are interested in sending in a review, get in touch.

This years notable exception award goes to…

Just wanted to mention the notable exception of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer MMO and Firefly MMO from this years list. Although i’d still love to see either (or both of them), I’ve left them off the list due to Multiverse’s inability to produce even a single screenshot of a game that’s been in development since 2008… I did speak to a Multiverse rep about both games who told me that their deal with Fox stops gags them from talking about Firefly, and totally sidestepped the issue with Buffy. I rather suspect both games at this point are staked through the heart…

Top 6 Most Anticipated MMORPGs List 2010

6. Blizzard’s New MMO (position last yr – 6th)

What has Blizzard got up it's sleeve

Still not a lot know about Blizzards ‘next big thing’. We were hearing rumours last year that they might be developing WoW2, although I rather suspect that was the Catacysm update that our source saw. The Blizzard guys have since stated that it will be a brand new IP, which makes sense. Blizzard is unlikely to want to license something, and whatever they do produce, they aren’t going to want it to be something that’s upsets the cash taurean that is World of Warcraft. A number of rumours have it as being an MMOFPS, which would be an interesting shift for the developer. An FPS would be easier to push onto a console, and less likely to cannibalise the WoW player base. All we can do for the moment is wait and speculate. The chances are though, if Blizzard are making it, it’s going to be awesome.

Blizzard’s Website | Release Date: TBA

Warhammer 40k MMORPG

5. Warhammer 40K MMO (new entry)

2007 – Vigil Games announced they were making a Warhammer 40k. Woohoo! Post 2007 – *tumbleweed* *howling wind* i.e. nothing… However at a recent investors call, publisher THQ made reference to the W40k MMO, saying it was still in development, and due to be shown at this years E3. Final release is still a while off (2012), but as old school W40k tabletop gamers, it’ll be one GeekTown will be keeping an eye on.

Vigil Games Website | Release Date: 2012

4. LEGO Universe (new entry)

Lego Universe

We at GeekTown love LEGO. It really is one of the greatest toys ever invented. So the chance to combine our love of LEGO and our love of MMOs has to be jumped at. It’s the first MMO to be solidly aimed at children and parents alike. Although LEGO Universe is made by NetDevil, it’s designed to feel a lot like Traveller’s Tales LEGO Star Wars series. More of an MMO-Platformer than an RPG, it makes an interesting proposition to gamers looking for something new in their MMO. Lots of jumping. smashing and collecting items!

Along with the ‘auto-build’ option that’s utilised in the Traveller’s Tales games that builds pre-defined LEGO models, there also options at various points for the player to ‘free build’ with the LEGO pieces you’ve collected. Any free-build items are then turned into in-game models which can be places around your virtual house. There has also been talk of you being able to order the physical LEGO models of items build in game.

LEGO Universe Website | Release Date: Winter 2010

3. DC Universe Online (position last yr – 4th)

Robin, Batman, Batgirl

With the disappointing Champions Online released, Marvel Universe Online canned, then revived, but stuck in development hell, and the fun but ageing City of Heroes/Villans being the only other kid on the block, the market is wide open for a new superhero MMO. And what better Universe to set it in than DC’s world of Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, et al.

I’ve always been more of a DC than a Marvel kid, and a massive Batman fan, so the chance to take on missions from the Dark Knight himself really cannot be missed! Release date is currently set for May 2010, and I really can’t wait. My only real misgiving about this game is it’s being published and developed by $ony Online Entertainment… Yes, your correct, i still haven’t forgiven them for the whole Star Wars Galaxies fiasco…

DC Universe Online Website | Release Date: May 2010

2. Stargate Worlds (position last yr – 1st)

Stargate Worlds

Things were worryingly quiet over at Cheyenne Mountain. Stargate Worlds was originally scheduled for a 2008 release… Then 2009… Then in Feb 2010 they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, although they claimed development on SGW would continue… Then they announced Stargate: Resistance – A third-person shooter. Okay… not exactly what we were expecting, but hopefully it’ll help keep the lights on at Cheyenne Mountain while SGW continues it’s ever delayed development.

It’s such a shame SGW is struggling, as it seems like the perfect setting for an MMO. Lot’s of worlds to visit. Combat focused story environment. Lots of factions and archetypes to pick from. As massive Stargate fans we live in hope that SGW will ride through the rough patch it’s in at the moment, and live to see the light of day.

Stargate Worlds Website | Release Date: UPDATE: Cancelled!

1. Star Wars : The Old Republic (position last yr – 3rd)

SW:tOR

We loved KotOR. Despite it’s missing story lines, we loved KotOR 2. And of course we love Star Wars. We also love Bioware’s games. If you believe the hype, Star Wars: The Old Republic will be the ultimate MMORPG to end all other MMORPGs.

Every class has it’s own unique plot lines. Ever character is fully voiced by real actors (making it the largest voice over project in the history of gaming, radio, tv or cinema). You can be Jedi, Sith, bounty hunter, smuggler, or a number of other Star Warsy archetypes. Each class will support on-the-fly customisation, rather than the tradional MMO tank, healer, Damage dealer etc… making grouping much easier, as your no longer stuck looking for that one specific class to fill the hole in your team.

You’ll have NPC companions (like in KotOR) that stick with you as you level through the game. Some may even become love interests. And NPC interactions won’t be your usual one-way ‘go here, do this’ instructions or just a bunch of text. SW:tOR will utilse a system more akin to Bioware’s Mass Effect/Dragon Age engine, where it’s more of a conversation, and the answers influence your narative.

I think the thing that excites me most about SW:tOR is that Bioware have hit on something that most current developers miss or choose to ignore because it’s hard to do. Just letting a bunch of people play together does not make an MMORPG. An MMO, sure, but not an RPG. Bioware seem determined to put the focus firmly back on the RPG elements. It’s a massive task with some huge hurdles to overcome, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Bioware.

Star Wars : The Old Republic Website | Release Date: Spring 2011.

What do you think?

So that’s our list. What are the MMOs your most looking forward to? Are there any games you feel should really be on the list.

We’d like to know, so just leave your thoughts in the comments, or contact us here!

After some extremely inventive hints from Valve, they have officially announced Portal 2 is coming Christmas 2010.

Buy your own 'The Cake is a Lie' T-Shirt!

Along with the rest of Orange Box, Portal got the number 1 spot in our top ten games of 2007, for being a unique and brilliantly inventive first person puzzle game. For those of you that haven’t played it (shame on you! Go and download it from Steam this instant!), you play Chell, who wakes to find herself in an Aperture Science research lab run by an AI computer called GLaDOS.

GLaDOS manoeuvres Chell through a number of testing room utilising a ‘Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device’ aka ‘portal gun’, which allows you to fire a portal entrance onto a surface, and an exit onto another. The test start off relatively simple, but  become increasingly harder… and more dangerous…  GLaDOS (wonderfully voiced by Ellen McLain) gives you encouraging remarks as you as you move through each room, even promising that there will be some yummy cake for you when you’ve completed your tests. Except in one room, you manage to get into a background area of the facility, only to discover the walls roughly scrawled with the phrase ‘The cake is a lie‘. It looks as if all might not be as happy and cheerful as GLaDOS would have you believe…

There’s not been any real detail released on Portal 2 yet, but i think it’s fair to say, given the work of complete and utter genius that was the Portal end credit song, there’s a fair chance GLaDOS will be making an appearance.

I like it when people advertising a game go that extra step in their promo material, and the powerful short documentary “How far would you go?” is an interesting way Quantic Dream have come up with to help launch their new PlayStation 3 title Heavy Rain.

Directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Neil LaBute, the seven minute short was filmed in London, LA & Paris and asks leading luminaries, ‘How far would you go to save someone you love?’. Examining the role of emotional decision-making in storytelling, the documentary explores the central theme of Heavy Rain, giving the documentary its title. Respondents to the question include: Nic Roeg, Hanif Kureishi, Nicholas Hoult, Samuel L Jackson, Stephen Frears, Peter Bogdanovich, Jean Marc Barr, Chris Weitz & Ben Chaplin.

I was a massive fan of Quantic Dream’s previous game, Fahrenheit (also known as Indigo Prophecy), as it’s one of the first games to really live up to the fabled ‘interactive film’ moniker. Like Fahrenheit, Heavy Rain takes many of its cues from film-noir thrillers, and decisions taken within the title are emotionally charged with added importance. The smallest of actions can have drastic and unforeseen consequences. The gameplay focuses on story, emotional involvement, and the player’s decisions and interactions, rather than high-scores, combat and competition.

Heavy Rain‘s writer & director David Cage states ‘In Heavy Rain you don’t watch the story, you play it with unprecedented responsibility over the fate of the game’s characters the whole DNA of the game has been created to provide an emotional experience unlike any other. It dares you to tackle subject matter and themes rarely touched upon in video games’.

Neil LaBute commented on the experience of creating the documentary, “It was fascinating to sit and listen to the intimate thoughts of so many people that I’ve admired-both professionally and personally-for years. Constantly surprising, each of ‘the witnesses’ were refreshingly candid as they discussed creative elements from their work and how deep the emotion of love runs through their own lives. I thought a simple approach– shot in a stark ‘interrogation’ style–would mimic both the style of the game Heavy Rain and would also be a very successful way of capturing a series of snapshots from the lives of these fascinating working artists from around the world.”

You can find more on Heavy Rain and “How far would you go?” at www.heavyrain.com.

We’re back after an extended Christmas break! Partly due to the UK going through a new ice age (click for the rather impressive Nasa satalite image of the UK snow!), and partly due to one of the games in this list…

There are some noticeable exceptions in this Games of 2009 list as i’m only covering games I’ve personally played. Hence no Left 4 Dead, Borderlands or Modern Warfare 2. All good games so i’m told, but i just haven’t got round to playing them yet so i didn’t feel it was right to include them.

What No MMORPGs?

Regular readers may also notice the distinct lack of MMORPGs in the list this year, which is rare for GeekTown given we’re traditionally big MMO players. Problem is, there really hasn’t been anything on the MMO front that’s grabbed us. We played a bit of WoW (which is as good as ever). Dropped into the Shire in LotRO (which just gets better every update), and tried a few new MMOs such as Champions Online (which was okay, but not great). 2009 was not a strong year for new MMOs. I am expecting that to change in 2010 though, what with Star Trek Online due soon, the potentially genre altering Star Wars: The Old Republic possibly appearing before the end of the year, and the arrival of WoW:Cataclysm, things are really looking up for MMOs future.

GeekTown’s Top 5 Games Of Year 2009

5. Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PC, PS3, XBox)

Who ya gonna call?

As someone old enough to remember the original Spectrum Ghostbusters game, I was over the moon to hear they’d finally got round to making a new game based on the franchise. You take on the role of ‘Rookie’, a new recruit to the Ghostbusters team, helping trap ghosts around New York city. As an 80′s kid and Ghostbuster fan, really what’s not to love about a game that let’s you strap on a proton pack and fight paranormal activity with all 4 of the original Ghostbusters team, voiced by the original actors. It also looks like the renewed interest in the franchise from the game could help spur on a genuine Ghostbusters 3 movie.

Braaainnnns

4. Plants vs. Zombies (PC)

This was another great little game from the guys over at PopCap. Like their other runaway hit Peggle, PvZ kept me entertained far longer than any ‘casual game’ should. It’s essentially a tower defence game, where your house is being invaded by zombies, and your only defence is your wide variety of exploding/shooting/energy giving plants. By placing the plants strategically, you fight off wave after wave of the zombie horde to stop them coming to eat your brains. Simple, funny, and horribly addictive.

3. Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC, PS3, XBox)

Joker (Mark Hamill)

I’ve always wondered why it took someone so long to make a decent Batman game. It seems like such an obvious pick as a franchise, its just surprising it took till 2009 for someone to actually make a decent go of it. But what a superb job they did. Not only did it have some of the best hand to hand combat seen in any video game, it had a great, engaging story, and brilliant voice acting (bringing in the Animated Series cast in to voice the lead characters was a stroke of genius). The sequel is currently in development, and it’s really going to be one to watch out for.

2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

Uncharted 2

Uncharted 2 follows on from the events of the first game, with you once again taking control of Nathan Drake, this time on the search for Marco Polo’s lost Treasure. Like it’s predecessor, Uncharted 2 has great storytelling and character development, with a wonderfully twisty turny plot that keeps you wanting to play ‘just till the next checkpoint’ (and then find yourself still be playing at 2a.m.) It takes you through some beautifully rendered environments and tests you with some great inventive puzzles, and really is a great example of what developers can do with the the action/adventure/shooter if they put their minds to it.

1. Dragon Age Origins (PC, PS3, XBox)

Dragon Age: Origins

This is the game that’s responsible for the lack of posts recently… Dragon Age is set in the a fantasy world of Dwarves, Elves, and of course, Dragons. The initial character creation process has more in common with an MMO than an RPG. Rather than you just picking a race and class, and then being dumped into the world, each introduction section (taking a few hours each to play through), is totally unique. So if you play a dwarven noble, you’ll have a totally different starting experience to playing as a Dalish Elf. This also effects people and plot throughout your game, giving a huge possibility of variations, and encouraging you to play through multiple times. And with over 100 hours of gameplay, that’s a lot of game playing time. Dragon Age really is the pinicale of the RPG genre. Hummm… i wonder what it’s like to play through as a Dalish Mage… see you in a bit…