but it is this African bull frog who really wins the game:

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

The Roxio works with both X-box and PS3 consoles and will record your game for easy editing and quick uploads.

The hardware connects the video and stereo from the console and the television to a PC using USB. Software is included to edit the resulting videos, making it easy to add transitions, commentary and music. I’ve never really tried to do videos because it seemed too much like hard work but with this, I could share all my finest gaming moments – falling off of cliffs and accidentally attacking rock-hard NPCs – with my guild without it taking up all of my gaming time.

Roxio Game Capture:

Roxio PC Game Capture not only provides a more complete solution than most others (including easy capture, editing, and one-click posting), but it also enables gamers to spend less time managing and posting files and instead spend more time playing.

Sounds cool. So I said yes, please! and promptly received the boxed set in the post. The hardware is small and portable, which means I can take it with me next time I visit Wukung!

Here’s my gaming set-up. Now although I enjoy an in-game challenge, I’m a total wimp when it comes to hardware. Luckily, I have Sixes the Magnificent Webgnome who tends to set things up for me ready to play. I’d planned to try setting up the capture device on my own but when I saw the words “Game console component cables (NOT INCLUDED)” I have to admit I panicked a bit. Of course, webgnomes are well-known hoarders and of course we have a box of random cables that might one day come in useful and the component cable needed to connect everything up was in there. All the other cables needed were included in the box so it seemed like it would be easy.

I wonder if any of you have already spotted the obvious flaw for the easy-install: our awesome flat-screen television attached to the wall. It’s great in terms of saving space in a small room but the idea is you hook everything up and then hang the screen and leave it there. And to connect the video cables, we had to take the television off the wall. Much grunting and cursing later, we had the system set up and ready to use. Hurray!

After that, it was easy. I installed the software onto my PC (running Windows 7) and it was ready to go. I didn’t bother with the tutorial because I wanted to see how quickly I could get it working. Answer: immediately. Recording the video was easy and didn’t interfere with my gameplay. The Roxio will record in a variety of formats (AVI, DivX and WMV) and the process is nice and simple.

The editing software is straight-forward and fun. I’ve used Windows Movie Maker before and I found this very intuitive and easy. I played with the transition effects and added voice-overs and made really cheesy videos just for fun. I spent more time playing with the video effects than I did playing the game!

I’m sure someone more skilled than I am would have no problem making professional videos for tutorials and trailers. Mine was free but even at full cost, I think this is good value for money – a quick search on Amazon shows comparable packages costing much more.

Now that it is set-up, I’m looking forward to recording more from the Xbox and seeing what I can do with it. Actually, I’m thinking I could make a fun romantic movie playing Red Dead Redemption and dubbing the text. I’m not good enough on the console to consider making tutorials for other people but I have to admit, I’m now tempted by the PC version of the software and updating my EQ2 and Minecraft tutorials to include video!

If you are considering getting a Christmas present for a console gamer, the Roxio Game Capture system will make for a fun and interesting gift. Just take the time to find out what will be needed in order to set it up, so your recipient isn’t out purchasing cables at the last minute! All in all, this is a handy-dandy device that is easy to use and will make for hours of diversions.

Note: I was given the Roxio Game Capture device and software free of charge so that I could share my gaming moments with you as a part of this Sponsored Post.

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

Can You Crack It?

Seriously. This is a sponsored post where the sponsors don’t want me to know who they are.

Crack the code and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a plot that you never expected – and an entry into a different world. A world where tenacity and a questioning mind is worth more than book learning. A world only available to the best.

If you think you are at the top of your game, then stop playing games. Here’s your chance in the real world: crack this code and prove it.

Yeah, I know, it sounds like something out of Secret World. We’ve all seen the viral campaigns where you spend five minutes on some simple puzzle and find the obvious answer and then get an advertisement for a game as a reward.

But this isn’t a five-minute puzzle. Take a look:

I’ll admit it, I think it’s out of my league. But I’m dying to work out what this is all about.

It’s not ASCII, in fact my first thought is that it’s executable code. I’m on the iPad at the moment, so I can’t prove it but if you can make sense of this, leave a comment and let me know.

(Full disclosure: yes, this is a Sponsored Post but by far the most intriguing I’ve ever had.)

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

SF Signal: William Shatner’s New Concept Album of Space Jams

I like William Shatner and David Bowie for two very different reasons. So it is with mixed emotions that I bring you word of Shatner’s rendition of Bowie’s “A Space Oddity” on a new concept album called Seeking Major Tom.

Part of me is crying with joy. The other part is just crying.

Other songs on the album (available on Tuesday, digitally and on vinyl!) include Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Yeah, I think I’m crying. but in a good way. I think.
[Tentatively catgeorized under "music"]

But, it can’t be as weird as all that, can it? I mean, I’ve always loved Rocket Man and I thought his interpretation of Common People was pretty neat. So I admit it, I didn’t realise quite how bizarre this collection might get.

Either You’re Losing Your Mind or William Shatner Is Doing “Bohemian Rhapsody” | Tor.com

So this one time you were out with your special lady/ladfriend and wondering if there’s anything else out there in the universe besides humankind and instead of getting to make out, like, right there, WILLIAM SHATNER’S FACE appears in the sky and sings to you about how he’s just killed a man and doesn’t want to die and there’s a devil waiting for him.

And this is how madness gets you. You’re having a nice date then suddenly Shatner owns your brain. And it just happens.

We apologize in advance for the terror you are about to experience. But not for the thrill.

And my favourite comment from the Tor.com article by Ian Johnson in Santa Cruz, California:

Here’s a tip: if William Shatner’s astronomically huge head appears out of the stars and sings Bohemian Rhapsody at you, you either need more drugs or fewer. Scientists haven’t determined the right amount yet. In any case, you might be going crazy, so see a doctor.

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

MMORPG-Info had the pleasure of getting an invite to the Sega and Avalanche Studios launch celebration of the game Renegade Ops. Our heroes Tig and Aach attended to tell us all about it so we have two reviews for the price of one!

Tig:
The SEGA launch for their new release, Renegade Ops, was held in the unique surroundings of HMS Belfast, the WWII cruiser by London Bridge on the Thames.

Aach:
The basics: Entertaining top down two stick shooter for Xbox.

Aach:
Controls: Direct the vehicle with one joystick, direct the stream of bullets with the other, two special attack buttons which you can ignore and just race about blasting stuff. Easy to pick up and fairly easy to master.

Tig:
I suppose this must say something about the appeal of the game. Let me say now, it is not my genre but I had great fun zooming round like a lunatic playing split screen co-op mode with a friend.

Aach:
The game: I remember playing games like this more than two decades ago as a teenager in arcades (erm not that I hung about in arcades if my mum is reading this). The graphics and physics engine are better (better than great but short of awesome) but the basic game is to drive about shooting things, grabbing power ups and then shooting things some more. A nominal plot links bouts of shooting things but it can be safely ignored as a friendly red arrow shows you where to go and there are few cut scenes.

Tig:
The story arc is interspersed with graphic comic cut scenes but, to be honest, with this sort of game, you aren’t playing it for the story arc.

Aach:
The game-play is fast and fun. The whole thing has a graphic novel feel to it, particularly the back story and plot. All the nicely rendered friable buildings and vehicles look like comic art, indeed one of the characters is very reminiscent of Tank Girl.

Tig:
As a single player game, it’s not really my cup of tea: my play style leans towards MMOs and the odd first person shooter.

Aach:
The four characters each have special abilities, which are clearly designed to improve co-op play letting you stun a group, put up a shield or do area damage depending on your role. There are lots of upgrade options to pick from, I didn’t get chance to develop a character but it seems that you can get some improvements that shift the game-play a bit to keep things fresh. This obviously offers re-playability too as you can level up each character.

Aach:
The only let down is the AI which is rather predictable but this makes for a short learning curve so this will be a good party game. There doesn’t seem to be much like this in the Xbox catalogue and its arcade gameplay fits the console so much better than the standard first-person shooter formats. I might have been disappointed with this if it were forty quid. At a tenner it is well worth the price tag and you’ll be able to reach into a drawer and use it to entertain visitors for years to come as the style is timeless. If your friends get into it too then there are a lot of hours of game play in this package.

Tig:
Unfortunately, although the invitation promised a free copy of the game, I didn’t receive a copy. I would have given this a longer go to see if it could get me hooked.

The attendees did get a goody bag including a T-shirt, 4GB memory stick with promotional material for reference, a Renegade Ops dog tag, as well as a pen and notebook. Not bad loot for a single evening’s group, I’d say.

For more information, see Renegade Ops on the SEGA website.

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

You have to endure reduced features: you can’t able to play the single-player campaign or use the higher graphics settings. Despite this, it’s still one of the best tactical shooters for free. ARMA 2 is one of the most comprehensive and popular realistic shooters, featuring multiplayer. On top of it all, there is the Armory, where you can try out weapons, vehicles and wildlife in a series of missions.

There’s also an Editor, which allows you to set up your own missions to test. From the very simple situation of two soldiers facing off, to creating whole missions with waypoints and triggers. The Mission Editor is both simple to use, with hidden depths for those who wish to use them.

The multi-player offers a wide variety of servers. These run different game-modes, from the widely-acclaimed mod Domination, which allows players to run missions against AI units. There is also the odder CLife mod, which allows players to play as civilians and cops. Civilians try to make as much money as possible, and cops trying to stop any illegal proceedings.

Posted by Conot on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

This is the treasure cupboard:

(My group informs me that it is in fact a cabinet and not a cupboard. I stand corrected.)

The problem is that it is locked and we don’t have a key. I need to try to get the doors and drawers open (especially as we are trying to move it and it’s big and heavy!) and I really don’t want to break the locks off.

It’s not just that the locks might be magically trapped but also that I don’t want to ruin the resale value of the piece.

I’ve gone to the local cobbler who is also a locksmith. He told me he would help me but only after I brought him ten rat’s tails. OK, no, not really. He told me he wouldn’t do house calls but that cabinets generally have the same type of lock.

He gave me a set of seven keys to try. They were the right sort of shape but even the biggest one was too small. The “ring” is quite large although the key would have to be very thin to fit it. So maybe it is some kind of specialist lock.

Honestly, I just don’t really know where to go from here. But I figure, you can get a spoiler for most quests on the Web, right? So I’m coming to you for help.

Do any of you have any advice what I could do to get this cabinet open? Would a better locksmith have more magic keys? Or is there some way it could be nudged open without breaking the lock?

If there is treasure inside, I’ll share it with you.

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

I had a form of RSI. I ended up not using a keyboard at all for ten days and curtailing all typing to a minimum in hopes of letting the tendon heal quickly. It seems to have worked and I’m much better now but this blog ended up firmly in the “not a requirement” pile. So while I’ve been healing and catching up, my gaming (and as a result MMORPG Info updates) has been almost non-existent.

However, I have been doing a lot of reading and one great site that I’ve found is What MMORPG. It focuses on easy-to-read mini-reviews to sort through the myriad of MMORPGs on offer at the moment. Chris, who has run the site for a little over a year, also includes links to gaming articles and comics but at the heart of the site is the MMORPG categories which split the games up by payment, genre, platform and more. Once you’ve filtered down to games of interest, you can see subcategories such as grinding, usability and customization.

Chris already has a large number of interesting and different games. The free section of MMORPGs especially is a good size and has enough variety that those in the market should be able to find something fitting. If a new MMORPG is ever something you are in the market for, you may want to give What MMORPG a try.

Meanwhile, bear with me while I play games all week long get caught up on my RSS feeds and gaming news. I hope to have more, exclusive content for you soon.

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.

This is the slogan for Sony's make.believe campaign which centres around LittleBigPlanet™ and Little Big Planet 2, the Playstation games which allows you to use your creativity to create your own levels.

Sony are backing this statement up with an inspiring set of true stories about young men who have been able to make their passion for video games into a career working for Sony UK:

I love the clips of the guy taking the kayak into work – what a dream!

The full size version is on YouTube along with an extended 8-minute documentary.

(Note: if you are a female gamer, don't read the comments on the YouTube link. Argh! Someone needs to let boys know that some girls play and develop games too!)

They've also launched a fun competition on Facebook for everyone to take part in. You can create your own Sackboy using the Sackboy Application. It's also available on the SonyUK fan page once you "like" it.

Here are mine:

Which do you like better? I want to enter the best into the competition for a Sony experience pack, including a Sony BRAVIA TV, a PlayStation 3 and a Sackboy plush toy.

(OK, I'll admit it. Really, I just want the plush toy!)

If you are a UK resident, you can enter the competition as well! To create a sackboy just "like" the SonyUK page and you'll see a "Get Creative" tab where you can choose your look. Once you finish your creation, you'll be offered the option to post it to your Facebook and enter the competition. You've got until the 5th of April so get creative!

This is a Sponsored Post for Little Big Planet 2 and Sony

Posted by Taymar on http://www.mmorpg-info.org.