via +Aja Lorenzo Lapus

Today, a new high definition version of UQM was released called The Ur-Quan Masters HD. Watch the trailer below:

Download the HD version now at Ur-Quan Masters HD or the original version at The Ur-Quan Masters.

Let’s be thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for the strength, hope, and protection He has given you and me. For without Him we can do nothing. We survived!

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:5 KJV

Then let us all face 2013 together with smiles on our faces and a renewed hope. Whatever this new year will bring - and I know it will be positive for all of us - we will again triumph.

Here’s Auld Lang Syne (Stickmix) remix by BrianSteckler

Happy New Year 2013! God Bless you and your family!!

They have stood their ground that the B2P model is the new standard and the new way to attract loyal customers and earn even more than what P2P and F2P games are getting. Guess what? Funcom’s The Secret World massively multiplayer online role-playing game made the switch, and it marks the beginning of the end of the subscription-based model.

Funcom’s The Secret World is one of the top MMORPG today. In fact, they released four major content updates since its launch and the 5^th one is going live anytime this month (before 12-21-12 for sure).

With the switch from a subscription-based online game to a buy-to-play model, TSW is now attracting more attention and players than it ever did before. I for one lost interest after it was revealed to be a pay-to-play game, but now? I am going to buy the game and start playing soon.

The game is available for U$30/€30/£24.99 on the market today. You can get your copy here [US] or here [EU] and have it shipped. If you buy and activate your code before the 31^st of December, you will also receive Issue #5 and an Initiate Pack (which includes strong starter weapons, a Blood Raven pet and extra social clothing).

However, if you are the type of gamer that wants to support the developers more than buying the game and playing for free forever (or more accurately, for as long as the company is alive), then you have the option to get a “Membership” package.

This “Membership” option will make you a monthly subscriber of the game, for the same cost as before, but with benefits. If you ask me, it’s a way of saying thank you for supporting them even though you have an option of to play free.

The package includes the following:

• Time Accelerator: A clickable item which increases experience gain for defeating monsters by 100% for one (1) hour, with a 16-hour cooldown (only usable by Members and Grand Masters)
• $10 worth of Bonus Points given out every month
• Item-of-the-month Gift given out every month
• 10% discount to everything in the in-game store

The Grandmaster pack includes all the above benefits plus an additional 10% discount to everything in the in-game store giving you a total of 20% discount combined.

Good eh? Some would say that it has become a pay-to-win setup but I disagree. As long as they do not offer items from the in-game store that provides major boosts or advantages to “paying/spending” customers, then it is not a pay-to-win game. The Time Accelerator bonus is barely a pay-to-win item. So let’s not jump to that conclusion.

For me, and I’m sure many of you will agree, this proves that the buy-to-play model is indeed the new standard, the new way to run an online game without sacrificing great quality content patches (and expansions).

Expect more games to follow suit, buy-to-play is the future.

For more information, you can read the official announcement here and read the FAQ here.

(Isn’t she a goddess?)

By the looks of it, NCsoft closed an exclusivity deal with IU’s agency LOEN Entertainment to be the endorser of the company’s online games. Or IU’s endorsement of subsidiary Ntreev soft’s The story of my horse and me, Alicia was so successful that they signed another deal. Either way, this is a very good decision on NCsoft’s part as IU commands a lot of people not just in Korea but around the world.

Yes, her endorsement is only for the Korean server of Aion and the upcoming major content patch Aion 4.0 but that is what companies like NCsoft is banking on, their popularity locally and abroad. On the official IU International community site WeHeartIU alone, fans of Korea’s Little Sister already attracted new players for the game. IU fans who mostly have never heard of Aion! Where will these new players play? Not on the Korean server but on the North American server - NCsoft North America.

Celebrity endorsement is a huge thing here in Asia-Pacific, and there is no other show business in the world that can command fans everywhere as much as Korean Pop (K-pop) and Drama (K-drama) stars. They’re huge. NCsoft sure knows how to surf the wave.

If by any chance you are in Korea, there will be Aion IU meet events, visit the official event website (which is in Korean) by clicking here.

IU at Aion Interview

Image source: IU Fan Club at Korea.com.

Play Aion Online here:

• Korean: aion.plaync.co.kr
• English: na.aiononline.com
• European: aionfreetoplay.com

The first beta test for SpongeBob Town runs from October 25 to 27 and game servers will be up for a limited time only, from 12:00 to 22:00 every day. Gamers and fans alike are encouraged to visit and “Like” the game’s Facebook page for instructions on how to get one of the 2,000 beta test accounts and to receive latest updates.

GigaMedia FunTown will release further announcements on the status of the game and players can expect more exciting developments this yearend, and in the first quarter of 2013. The game is expected to be fully launched by next year for players in China, Korea, Japan, and South-East Asia. Other markets will come soon thereafter.

Nickelodeon and GigaMedia FunTown aim to build upon the success of the highly popular SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon series and amp up the show’s fun factor by rolling out SpongeBob Town, a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Combining the expertise of Nickelodeon and GigaMedia FunTown, the game will bring together dedicated gaming fans and cartoon enthusiasts, blurring the line between the two to create a fresh, new gaming community.

SpongeBob Town features the vibrant cast of SpongeBob SquarePants where gamers play as characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, and Squidward Tentacles. Players begin their grand underwater adventure at Bikini Bottom, home to the show’s characters. The casual game offers an expansive quest-based experience and customization elements where players can develop their characters, build farms, and invite friends to visit them at their homes to show off their progress and achievements.

Mini-games are available in the town’s lobby where special rewards can be unlocked. In the item-based car racing game, Bikini Drift, players get to design their own cars and take it out to race for the best rankings underwater. SpongeBob Town presents various gameplay modes all in a single game hub with a social lobby that ties it all together to deliver a truly immersive world of fun and challenges.

The game is developed with Unity 3D engine, which has enjoyed worldwide success with other games. It supports a wide range of platforms and applications to deliver an unparalleled gaming experience in the comfort of the user’s web browser. SpongeBob Town will feature more game modes in the future, with each mode able to stand alone as a full-fledged game.

Fans can follow the game via their social media accounts:

• Facebook: Fan Page
• Twitter: @spongebobtown
• Plurk: @spongebobtown
• YouTube: SpongeBobTown

For more information and screenshots, visit the official website at: spongebobtown.com.

Bringing Guild Wars 2 to the Mac is huge for us, because it introduces the game to an entire group of players who are often ignored by game developers.

Which I do not agree. Mac gamers are not the ones often ignored by game developers, it’s Linux gamers. I’m sure you can name a couple of games with official Mac client and support from game developers and/or publishers, even if you’re not a Mac user. But you will hardly find any official GNU/Linux client and support for these games.

That is the reason why Linux gamers are very used to using WINE (it means: WINE Is Not an Emulator - contrary to what the mass public tells you). We find ways and we work together to make Windows-based and/or/both Mac-based games run in Linux.

So for Guild Wars 2, here is a step-by-step guide to make the game work under GNU/Linux.

As always, before we begin, the platform this guide was based and tested on are the following:

• OS: Lubuntu 12.04 64-bit
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0GHz
• GPU: nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 620
• GPU driver: nvidia-current 304.51
• RAM: 2GB
• WINE: 1.5.12 with Guild Wars 2 patch
• PlayOnLinux 4.1.8 (read this to install)

If you have a different Ubuntu flavour (like Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Linux Mint) it should work but do expect to do some changes. If you have a different distro like Debian, OpenSUSE, Fedora, CentOS, I admit that I won’t be of much help (because I don’t have an extra machine or partition running any of those) but the tutorial should still be pratically the same.

With that said, let’s begin so we can start playing Guild Wars 2 in Linux.

Install GW2 via PlayOnLinux

• Open PlayOnLinux
• Click on the “Install” button
• Click on the “Games” tab and search for Guild Wars 2 or you can just type it in the “Search” field (nb: as of this writing, you have to check the “Testing” selection on the right of the search field for Guild Wars 2 to show up)
• Follow the instructions provided by PlayOnLinux

But not every repository carries the latest version of POL and as a gamer who wants to play smoothly the latest games on the market, it is to our interest that POL is always updated. Here’s how to get your POL installation updated whenever there is a new release.

Ubuntu 12.04 “Precise Pangolin” (LTS)

This includes Ubuntu flavours Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, and Linux Mint that are based on Ubuntu 12.04. Open a terminal window and type the following:

Code:

Ubuntu 10.04 “Lucid Lynx” (LTS)

Open a terminal window and type the following:

Code:

Debian Squeeze

Open a terminal window and type the following:

Code:

Simple right?

For other versions of Ubuntu, Debian, and for other distros, you can check the official website for more instructions.

Thank you for understanding.

Buying the game online is simple, just visit guildwars2.com, the official website, and click the “Shop” link at the menu currently located at the top-right side of the page. It will bring you to Guild Wars 2’s online store and from there you can pre-purchase the game.

You can then choose from three editions available: [1] Digital Edition (which is equivalent to the Standard retail box); [2] Digital Deluxe Edition (online available online); and [3] Collector’s Edition (only available as a boxset, and as such have to be bought via their official retail partners).

After much deliberation with myself, I decided to buy the Digital Deluxe Edition. It comes with these five great in-game bonuses:

• Summon Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill: This unique elite skill allows the player to summon a temporary Mistfire Wolf pet for use in combat.
• Rytlock Miniature: This rare miniature is a perfect replica of Rytlock Brimstone and will accompany your character on all of their adventures throughout Tyria.
• Golem Banker: Your very own golem banker, at your command for 5 days! This mechanical man-servant will grant you access to your account storage from anywhere in the world.
• Chalice of Glory: Earn some extra Glory with this one-time use chalice. Use Glory to unlock rewards in PvP as well as compare your progress against other players.
• Tome of Influence: Give your guild a one-time boost of influence. Useful for unlocking guild vaults, emblems, and other items for your guild.

It costs €74.99/£64.99/U$79.99 or ₱3,300 depending on the current exchange rate. As compared to the Digital Edition (similar to the Standard retail box - minus the box), the difference is more or less just ₱800 which is one-day worth of day-job. So I suggest that you take advantage of it, after all, the game is free-to-play forever.

Back to pre-purchasing, you will see the following pages as you move forward with your order.

Credit Card information

Account Registration and Linking with your Guild Wars 1 Account (if you have one)

Information Update and Display Name*

What is the “Display Name” for? Direct from ArenaNet:

Your display name is a unique account identifier that consists of a name and a randomly generated four-digit code. You’ll use it on the Forums, and in Guild Wars 2 after launch. The name and four-digit code will be your handle on the Forums. The four-digit code does not appear in the game itself unless another player chooses the same name, in which case both your name and the four-digit code will appear.

So choose wisely because you will never be able to change it, unless ArenaNet decides to add that feature (which I doubt, not in five years at least).

After that you’ll see the congratulations page, as you have seen at the beginning of this blog post.

Don’t forget that the 3-day headstart will begin on 25^th of August 2012 at exactly 12:00mn US-Pacific time. That is on the 25^th of August 2012 at exactly 3:00pm ACT for those who are here in the Asean region (f. South-East Asia region).

See you in-game!!

Want to buy Guild Wars 2 boxsets? You can do so right here!

• North American box/installer
• European box/installer
• North American Collector’s Edition box/installer