Coming to PC and Playstation 4 Kingdom Under Fire II is easily one of my most anticipated games as it returns to its roots combining massive scale Real-time Strategy and Stylish Hack N’ Slash combat, reminiscent of the critically acclaimed Kingdom Under FIre: The Crusaders. Kingdom Under Fire is one of my favorite franchises and with its long tumultuous development, it’s been a battle in of itself to get the game out there. After playing the Beta a while back, I can say that whenever Kingdom Under Fire II is released it will automatically be a lock for one of my Game of the Year Candidates. With that said I thought I’d share with you why I am excited for this video game combo’ed with some quick refreshers for the uninformed. Unlike previous entries, Kingdom Under Fire II is an MMORPG allowing for thousands of players to battle (with and against) each other under guilds in both PVP and PVE, taking the game’s formula and opening it up to be much bigger than the previous games online modes in terms of content and scope. For you Kingdom Under Fire vets, I can assure you that all the staples of Kingdom Under Fire combat and gameplay return. The game features three classes: The Gunslinger (who wields a sword and guns), The Spellsword (who uses a modified ice staff/sword) and The Berserker (who wields a giant/greatsword), two more classes will be announced soon. While I am not generally a graphics enthusiast Kingdom Under Fire II is serious eye candy in terms of both art design and technical showcase with thousands of detailed character models and monsters dominating the battlefield. The level of detail is stunning and character creation is equally deep. As a Kingdom Under Fire veteran, you can bet that I am looking forward to the new campaign. For a refresher, Kingdom Under Fire II canonically takes place 150 years after the events of The Crusaders and Circle of Doom with the three factions being The Human Alliance, The Dark Legion and the new Encablossians led by the returning series favorite Regnier. The Encablossians look to destroy the Age of Light and reassert the cycle of Light and Dark Ages; the only person with the power to match Regnier is Kendal who also escaped from the Dark Dimension in Circle of Doom. The game introduces new characters such as Glen, the half human/elven son of Gerald and Ellen; Isabella, the new leader of Kaedes and returning characters such as Regnier, Kendal (who is a Playstation 4 exclusive character) and also Morene, the new Queen of Vellond. At this time I am not sure whether or not they will address Isabella and Lucretia as far as what happened with Kaedes. As far as Kingdom Under Fire II is concerned, my excitement of the title hasn’t faltered and even with its development woes I have confidence in Blueside to deliver an excellent sequel worthy of its predecessors. Kingdom Under Fire II related links: http://www.kufii.com/ http://kuf2.mmog.asia/en/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Under_Fire_II http://steparu.com/reviews/mmorpg/1496- https://www.youtube.com/user/KingdomUnderFireII?feature=mhee Old Playstation Vita advertisements from some years back, I'll probably do some new ones for the Vita Slim eventually.
Despite some morally questionable tactics that can arise from these games I believe that when well implemented it can be a massive boon to both producer and consumer. The beauty of free to play is that there is no monetary barrier to entry and (depending on your self-discipline) you can enjoy the entire game and beyond without paying a single penny. Perhaps you may want to support the developer or build a spending limit per game you try out, whatever it is free to play offers flexibility. This can be a fantastic deal for gamers in less than ideal financial situations where even in light of deals from platforms such as Amazon, GOG, Steam and Playstation Plus, they may simply not have the money to spend on new experiences. However with free to play games and freeware, those gamers are not left out of the fun and can enjoy fresh releases as well with a variety of different genres to choose from. Free to Play and Freeware video games include DOTA 2, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, Path of Exile, N+, Cave Story, Planet Side 2, ZMR (Zombies/Monsters/Robots), Warframe, SMITE, Jetpack Joyride, MapleStory, Candy Crush, Hearthstone, Puzzles and Dragons and Marvel Heroes as well as an assortment of other MMORPGs, freeware, mobile games and emulators. If you have a good knack for scouting video games, there’s a near limitless assortment of experiences that you can find without having to open your wallet. Video games are a huge hobby of mine and I like gamers to always have a degree of access to new games and with a decent computer/laptop and an internet connection, reach is never that far away. With Free to Play, Freeware and the like even the most financially stricken consumer can look forward to something to play. Hello to all, here is another set of ads that I did a while back. If you didn't know, video games are among my favorite hobbies and this set in particular focuses on some concept box arts for the Playstation Vita.
Right on the heels of Sony’s Playstation 4 release is now Microsoft’s turn to enter the fray as they prepare to release their new Xbox One console on November 22, 2013. Despite gaining a vast amount of marketshare over this past generation with the Xbox 360, this year has been quite tumultuous for the green machine. With a backlash against Microsoft's DRM policies and less than stellar PR, the Xbox One’s perception has taken a huge hit but all is not lost. Xbox One has a slew of games in its ranks that look to turn the tide with titles such as Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome and Killer Instinct leading the launch. They’ve also entered a strategic relationship with the NFL to aid in pushing units and 180’d on their previous policies. Add an engrained following due to their Xbox Live service and promise of strong multimedia capabilities, there may still be a big enough audience to push Xbox One to good numbers. While Xbox One may not have the goodwill backing like the Playstation 4, the product is still a force to be reckoned with for the consumer dollar and as with anything time will ultimately tell the fate of Microsoft's newest game console. This Friday, November 15, 2013, Sony will release its long awaited Playstation 4 gaming console in North America, thus bringing an end to the long and tumultuous run that was the Playstation 3 (figuratively speaking since of course Sony supports their previous consoles long after its predecessor has been released). Sony has been on a large momentum wave virtually all year and has taken advantage of mistakes made by their major competitors in Microsoft and Nintendo. Games like Knack, Resogun and most notably Killzone: Shadow Fall are leading the software charge heading into launch and many are lining up to nab their consoles while others are waiting at home for the box for to be delivered. Our European counterparts will be soon to follow in two weeks. Of course this is not to downplay equally appealing Playstation Vita TV that will be geared up exclusively for Japan this Thursday. This low cost barrier gaming/streaming device will allow gamers to play their Playstation 4 content in any room and play select Vita games in addition to offering the usual media services. So, while my brothers in the orient will not be playing the Playstation 4 until February of next year, they’ll have a tech toy more fitted for their lifestyles. Some big weeks are ahead for Sony and as a business they’ve learned a lot over the past 7 years and as such is taking a much different approach this time around (in both their marketing strategy and business plan). They say Greatness Awaits but we will see if “Greatness” is rewarded. The next generation of gaming consoles represent an exciting time for the industry, from both those within and those who consume the products. With the Wii-U already released and the Xbox One on the horizon, at the forefront momentum wise stands Sony who will be looking to release their Playstation 4 gaming console. However, the Playstation 4 isn’t the only card that Sony has in its deck and is looking to go full on with their content delivery and build Playstation as a brand, an ecosystem more so than simply a gaming console. Sony aims to leave no consumer untapped as Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, VitaTV, Playstation Mobile, Playstation Network and Gaikai all serve to support the Sony gaming ecosystem. I’ll give Sony daps for their long term and (relatively) cost effective thinking and am curious to see how these implementations will payoff for them in the next 3 years. In my opinion, communication will be (if not nearly) a must in that Sony must effectively deliver the products' value proposition to consumers. Marketing wise they will need to get savvy and sprinkle some hustle into their campaign efforts with the mindset that every dollar spent on communication is a positive on their bottom line. Simply put, the Playstation 4 needs that front-loaded kickstart to put everything else into motion. Sony’s gaming division has become a very western oriented brand over the past few years, reflected in their outreach, target market and IP portfolio. I’m” intrigued as to how the Japanese market will respond to the Playstation 4 when it releases next year. It is no secret that Japan has lost a large chunk of its marketshare over the past decade as the market expanded due to globalization. As stated, with the next generation of gaming consoles on the horizon, Sony has everything to gain. With such a large portfolio of devices, services and content at their disposal it is imperative that the main piece of the puzzle, the Playstation 4, is off to a strong start and can maintain that strength going into spring 2014 and beyond. After a financially disastrous Playstation 3 launch, it looks like they’ve gotten their act together and is banking on the long term success of their devices to strengthen their brand. We will see in about 3-5 years time whether or not this pays off. |
Frank Sheppard
NOTE: all opinions/views represented here are my own and do not reflect on any third party that I am affiliated with. Archives
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