SWTOR release date announced

So after my initial outburst of geeky excitement (roughly lasting a full 15 hours), I have great news for anyone intrested in the Old Republic. Bioware has announced SWTOR's release date! North America will see it on December 20, and in Europe on December 22.

Pre-ordered copies will have early access to the game, and a color stone for a weapon. Three choices are available for pre-order: the standard game, a digital deluxe edition, and a collector's edition, priced at $59.99, $79.99, and $149.99 respectively.

The standard game will not have any extra features but is the cheapest route. The digital deluxe edition will be pre-orderable through Origin, and will include five additional items: Flare gun, holo dancer, holo cam, STAP, and training droid. The collector's edition will include: a Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue, collectible metal case, Journal of Master Gnost-Dural, Old Republic galaxy map, Custom Security Authentication Key, The Old Republic music CD, High-quality Collector's Edition box. It will also include the five items as well as an exclusive mouse droid, and collector's edition in-game store.

All packages will include 30 day free play! Huzzah!

Visit the official SWTOR site for more details, and make sure to reserve me a copy. You heard me.

Dragon Quest MMO?

Dragon Quest X has been announced in Japan. Its full title roughly translated in to English is Dragon Quest X: The Wake of the Five Tribes Online. Not much has been said about the online feature, but the game is coming out for Wii with the promise of an enhanced Wii U version on the horizon. Square-Enix says there will be cross-platform play between both versions. There was also talk of using your 3DS for some StreetPass or SpotPass features but nothing official has been announced.

The Wii version comes with a USB memory stick. Most people are thinking it’s for DLC or Patches to the game after launch. The Wii version will support the Wii remote and Nunchuck or Classic Controller, but also it will support Keyboards for chat. No news about subscription fees or even if it will release outside of Japan. I sure would love to see a console MMO without subscription fees in the states but I'm not holding my breath.

Persona 4 news makes me want to *bleep*

I’ve got a rager like none! And the culprit’s name is Atlus. They have never failed me. Ever. With the announcement of a Persona fighting game in the works, I have erected a giant monument of Jack Frost in my black heart.

Working together with Arc System Works- the guys behind the Guilty Gear and Blazblue series- Atlus is co-devloping a Persona-based fighter for the X360 and the PS3, and is expected to be available in Japan by next Summer. Thanks to Famitsu, Several screenshots have been released, and it’s just so erogenous! So check them out (since we don’t have any rights to post those pics on here... yet!)!

The only characters confirmed so far are the Protagonist, Chie, Yosuke, and Aegis along with their corresponding Personas. The game will include both Persona 3 and 4 characters, but hopefully will not be limited to just the two (DLC anyone?). I can’t wait to see how Atlus will play this one out! And I can’t wait to play as Yuka-tan! Heh heh heh...

The other major announcement is the remake of Persona 4 for the Vita entitled Persona 4: The Golden. The game will include a new dungeon, a new character, a new support system, and a new dialogue. It is not expected to be an FES version like what Persona 3 had, but it should be a fresher experience like the PSP version of Persona 3. It is set to hit Japan in the Spring!

I will be keeping an eye out for any more news regarding this, but make sure to check out the Tokyo Game Show for any new info!

New Tech Using Atoms (Not Polygons) To Build Graphics

In the video above, you can see the beginning of a new and exciting tech to build environments and characters with atoms instead of polygons. In the video, they explain that polygons are flat and always have a limit dependant on the hardware/software. They claim that their new atom technology allows game makers to build worlds in the same way they are built in real life: by using atoms instead of piecing together flat surfaces. They also say that their software has no atom limit, so designers can go wild with whatever they want to build.

I find it really hard to beleive that there would be no limit to how many atoms you can put on screen. the video didn't really go into detail on this. Do you feel this is possible? Voice your opinions in the comments. Don't be scared. It's the internet. Everyone will be SUPER nice!