As is expected from ArenaNet, the trailer is beautiful. Starting with concept art, we actually get to see game footage in a rather long montage of landscapes. And jumping! There is a bunch of that going on, watch for characters running around, exploring this new dimension to their modes of movement.

There is also an FAQ for the game available.

Update: Something is wonky with the server, and it isn't server the video. You can download it directly (gw2-trailer.ogv), or you can check out the video trailer page.

The idea is to research and build, and explore new planets to colonize, while fighting over players. At the rate in which I am building it seems like it will be weeks before I even get a shipyard built. There isn't much to the game, so some of you might not be caught, but I like something I can check every few hours, click a few buttons, and leave to do its thing.

I am in the Barym Universe (each 'verse has its own logins), so if you join add me as a buddy. If we get enough people maybe we can form an alliance, or something. ^_^

LOTRO: Twitter Exclusive Reveal! VOLUME II, BOOK 8: SCOURGE OF KHAZAD-DÛM coming in June! You heard it here first!

Yay! New content for Heren Vanista to blow through! ^_^

The game is very much a classic arcade game, think the original arcade TMNT. It feels very much like a console port, the camera is jumpy, the controls don't quite "feel" right and the action/combat is very repetitive.

What grabbed me though was the character progression. Powers to learn, points to earn (and then spend) costumes to unlock, characters to unlock, special abilities to gain. The more you play a specific character, the further you can develop them. And thus they call it an rpg. There's nothing they do here that's remarkable, but it was more of a moment of self realization; I like it when I can develop a character. There's something deeply satisfying and fun in it for me.

So what is an RPG? The basic idea is that you take on the persona of a given character and act it out. That's not really what an rpg is for me, I'll do that with most games. In Grand Theft Auto I used to ignore the missions and imagine my own. There was enough freedom in the game that I was able to to act out what I believed my character would do.

Perhaps the question is pointless. I sit here and try to define what an rpg is to me, but I feel that the term is now just a marketing word with no one definition.

So instead I'll try and get back to the vague point of this blog post. That is, my sudden interest in the game when character development was added. Why did I have such a strong reaction? Is it because from such an early age I've played games with character development? Or perhaps by customizing the character, I'm able to get into their head more and imagine more involved scenarios.

-justin

The world’s first console-based Alternate Reality Game starts today in PlayStation Home.

Called Xi , the adventure takes place in a series of secret areas in Home – and beyond – changing day by day, week by week, in real time. Anyone with a PLAYSTATION 3 can join in the fun for free.

To discover the mystery of Xi, simply log on to PlayStation Home and look for the graffiti on the wall in the main square. Find that, and all will be revealed….

I wanted to test it out before I blogged about it, and it is live, with a new zone that pays homage to a past project (or something). You can hear all about the speculation in the Xi forum.

Now, if you excuse me, I need to find the other scraps of paper...

There are some other things, but it is stock expansion hype (really, 200 new monsters, huh?). Check it out at http://www.lotro.com/moria.

Do you remember when the gaming table was full of pizza and soda, not rulebooks, miniatures and dungeon tiles? Do you yearn for a role-playing game that doesn’t require weight training to carry all the books? Do you want to be able to hold all the rules in your head - or in your back pocket? And do you still want to use all those lovely monsters, adventures and game worlds too?

So do we!!

Microlite20 is a minimalist role-playing game designed to be usable with the majority of d20 supplements, rules and adventures with little or no advance preparation. The rules for character generation, combat, magic and level advancement take up a single sheet of paper, meaning it is perfect for introducing role-playing to new players, gaming one-shot adventures or tailoring into your own game system.

The presentation for Assassin's Creed really surprised me. You play as an ex-assassin in modern times who's been kidnapped by a power hungry organization. They strap you into this machine they call the Animas and have you relive your ancestor's memories, they're after a very specific bit of information.

I think the premise is rather interesting, but in the end I think it hurts the game. When playing as Altair, his ancestor, it was difficult to stay immersed in the game. As soon as you finish a major mission, your memory fast forwards, breaking you out of the world.

The visuals and combat system are very satisfying. The cities are richly detailed and are fun to explore.

My next game of the moment will be Mass Effect, made by Bioware, it looks like a hybrid RPG and FPS. I'm very excited.