On occasion I am able to find the time to stroll around and see what is posted on various blog sites around including cuppytalk, virginworlds, and more recently (and often more entertaining… sorry Cuppy and Brent!) Scott Hartsman - Off the Record.

Today would be one of those days and I’m over looking at Scott’s blog to read about a very interesting use of the game he is the producer for (EverQuest 2 - for those who didn’t know). Scott is linking to an article that’s reporting the use of EverQuest 2 as a second-language tutor. Though it wasn’t the intention, the voice-overs have bumped EverQuest 2 into the “learning games” category. Most of us already know that the things that are most easily learned are ones which include “fun” factors. Gaming is a growing success in that arena and has been there since the days of number munchers and oregon trail. With technologies advancing there are so many more ways to include fun with learning, but this use of EverQuest 2’s voice overs has certainly caught Scott off guard.

(source)…The pursuit of quests, for example, requires players to become what Rankin calls “active learners” who engage with other players and the gaming environment. The study also supports Schneider and Zheng’s conclusion that the games are inherently motivating.

“The game requires them to do things,” Rankin says, “to read directions, to interact with other avatars, to travel over the landscape; that’s why they learn the language. You have to comprehend the information that’s in front of you in order to advance to different levels and complete the quests. And you can’t complete the quests without asking for help from other players, which, again, requires you to understand the language.”

Scott Comments on his blog

…When we were first discussing implementing character voices in the game, people using it this way wasn’t something that was on the radar. I’d call this one of the better unintended uses I’ve heard of, and hopefully it does turn into something fantastic for them.

What’s the amazing revelation here? There really isn’t one, other than to say that it’s exceptionally satisfying to be able to point out some of the more positive and socially redeeming aspects of gaming…

Nintendo just busted out a giant list full of games coming to their platforms into early 2008 — included on that list is the long rumored Assassin’s Creed for Nintendo DS.

read more | digg story

Many have experienced the excitement of information as it trickles out of the development and publishing companies to the public prior to the release of a game or expansion. Screenshots, newsbits, small video footage, updates to the game structure, player race increases, level increases, and more. Have you ever thought of what goes into these items as they’re released?

Well The Ravecast hosts, Luxx and Leonai_art, have decided to speculate on many things related to the the presentation of games and the various things that are done in preparation as well as the results that build the excitement level for a game’s release.

Tune in 6:30pm Pacific.

Special Guest:

Caleb Goh

Will they stay on topic, of divulge into insanity?  Guess you’ll have to tune in to find out!

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID
EVERQUEST® II GAME UPDATE #39 UNLEASHES
THE SHARD OF FEAR AND HALLOWEEN HAUNTED HOUSE!
Also, New EQII Website and Rise of Kunark Pre-Order Go Live!

The Shard of Fear!
Even before we find ourselves in the Nights of the Dead, the Shard of Fear brings forth our worst nightmares. Remnants from the Plane of Fear have manifested themselves and are now accessible through the Fear Gate in the Feerrott. Dare you face your terrors in this new Level 70 group zone? The Shard of Fear also incorporates persistent instance technology and can be taken on in steps should your group need time away from the computer! Only seasoned adventurers traveling in groups should dare tread into this realm of terror and dread!

Halloween comes to Norrath!
Trick-or-Treating, Haunted Houses and an eerie raid mark the beginning of Nights of the Dead in Norrath! Collect candy from NPC’s in the cities to earn Halloween rewards, free spirits in the Haunted House to unbind them from their haunting curse and quest on a hair-raising raid all hallows eve! Nights of the Dead is set to haunt Norrath from 10/26/07 to 11/05/07.
( read more… )

The official GuildWars site has posted an interview with Colin Johanson, the design lead for Guild Wars’ Bonus Mission Pack.

Excerpt:

Players begin their journeys when they receive a book from a historian. The first few pages introduce the story and provide background lore that leads up to the event they are about to re-live. Our concept artists have created custom artwork for each page. It’s not often that concept art makes it into a game in its original form—generally you only see it on loading screens—so this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the jaw-dropping talent of our artists in new ways.Each tome stands as a self-contained piece of lore, as additional pages get added when you finish the tale, completing the story. The new pages summarize the

To read the entire interview, click here.

Codemasters Online is pleased to announce that RF Online is now a completely free-to-play MMORPG with the full game now available for download with no monthly subscription required.

RF Online is an epic mix of traditional fantasy and futuristic Sci-Fi set in the deep space galaxy of Novus where three races compete in an ultimate struggle for power and resource. Celebrating the games re-launch, new players can now also experience the all-new free expansion, Episode II: Pioneers of Novus available for free to all players of the game.

To download RF Online and get started in the world of Novus, please visit our Free to Play page here!

For more information on RF Online, visit the official community website at http://www.rf-onlinegame.com.

Be sure to tune in Tuesday to the live broadcast of EQ2’s-day from 7:00 - 10:00 PM Eastern / 4:00 - 7:00 PM Pacific / 12:00 AM - 3:00 AM GMT for a fun filled adventure with Zanadi and The Dellmon.

This week:

Trembling in your boots…things that make you go AHHHH!

Our first look at Rise of Kunark

The Drunken Dwarf and Cheezit will also be stopping by to share more of their words of wisdom and answer your letters!

How to tune in:
Point your favorite media player at: http://live.onlinegamingradio.com/ogr.m3u

Contact Methods:
In-Game channel: /join eq2.guk.ogr
Internet Relay Chat: http://www.onlinegamingradio.com/irc/chat.php
Email: onair@eq2s-day.com

Have you missed any of our previous shows???
Shame, shame, shame on you! But, no worries! You can download and listen to any of them from our archive at http://eq2sday.mypodcast.com.

For iPod users - we are listed on iTunes as well. Be sure to check us out.

Want to be notified when the new shows are available for download??? You can also sign up for our RSS feed for iTunes, Google, Yahoo, ZenCast or any other feed at http://eq2sday.mypodcast.com.

EA TO ACQUIRE BIOWARE CORP. AND PANDEMIC STUDIOS

Leaders in RPG, Action and Adventure Genres
Ten Franchises in Development – Six Wholly Owned

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., October 11, 2007 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced an agreement with Elevation Partners to acquire VG Holding Corp. — the owner of both BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios. This acquisition gives EA a strong competitive position in key genres in interactive entertainment: action, adventure and role-playing games. The two studios have been recognized for creating some of the highest-quality games in the industry.

BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios have ten franchises under development, including six wholly owned games. BioWare Corp. is currently developing the highly anticipated Mass Effect, which will be published by Microsoft in November, and is in the early development stages of a massively multiplayer online game. Pandemic Studios is redefining open-world games with its upcoming Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™ and Saboteur™, in addition to several unannounced projects.

Pandemic Studios and BioWare Corp. employ roughly 800 people across four studios located in Edmonton, Canada; Los Angeles; Austin; and Brisbane, Australia. “These are two of the most respected studios in the industry and I’m glad to be working with them again. They’ll make a strong contribution to our strategic growth initiatives on quality, online gaming and developing new intellectual properties,” said John Riccitiello, EA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We also expect this will drive long-term value for our shareholders.”

( read more… )

Today’s Topic is going to be Roleplay and family! Just because you have kids, does that mean you have to give up on your roleplaying? NO WAY!

Tune in every Saturday from 3pm - 6pm Pacific

Tune into the Ravecast this evening between 6:30pm - 9:30pm Pacific time and hear an unexpected source voice her views about this month’s topic.

Cheryl - aka “Angelace”, Community Manager of Hellgate London for IAHGames will be joining Leonai_art and Luxx to give a close look at what really happens when preparing to release content, screenshots, story, and even the game itself from her perspective within the company, IAHGames - the company releasing Hellgate: London to the East Asian markets.

Topic of October

Many have experienced the excitement of information as it trickles out of the development and publishing companies to the public prior to the release of a game or expansion. Screenshots, newsbits, small video footage, updates to the game structure, player race increases, level increases, and more. Have you ever thought of what goes into these items as they’re released?

Important Information

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leonai@onlinegamingradio.com -or- luxx@onlinegamingradio.com