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Guild Software recently released a new HD trailer for its sci-fi MMO, Vendetta Online, as well as a new update for the game. The trailer, offered in 1280x720 HD, features a preview of environments and action in the game.

Here's a list of changes in the 1.8.88 update:

VO 1.8.88 includes:
- Raptor MkII Turbo Thrust (acceleration) increased from 260 to 300 kN.
- Added Aeolus Light Repair Module (Small port).
- The game is now tracking player repairs, for future badges.
- Various server-side fixes.
- New HD game trailer!

Vendetta Online HD Trailer

Guild Software

Strategy First

Vendetta Online

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Mac|Life has published a new review of Plants Vs. Zombies, PopCap Games' recent entry in the casual games market. The tower defense title challenges players to make use of a variety of plants to defend their home, and their brain, from a horde of hungry zombies. Mac|Life gave the game a score of 5 out of 5.

From the review:

Gamers will recognize that Plants vs. Zombies reshapes the “tower defense” genre, strategy games where you set up automated turrets to protect from assailants. But Plants vs. Zombies both simplifies that premise and adds a lot more depth, making it stand out in that current-fad genre.

You’ll buy new plants by harvesting sunlight icons that drift down from the sky or are generated by certain plants. At first, you’ll only have a choice of a few plants, and the same kind of zombie will keep attacking. But you’ll earn a new plant type at the end of nearly every level, and you’ll face a new zombie in the next round, eventually battling dozens. We had fun developing favorite strategies for various situations, such as using plants that freeze fast-moving zombies or positioning magnetized plants to pull off zombies’ protective bucket helmets.

Both the plants and zombies are lovingly presented, with sharp illustrations and sound effects. Some zombies wear traffic cones as helmets and are tougher to stop. Some run and pole-vault over the first item in their path. All are a joy to discover.

Mac|Life: Plants vs Zombies Review

PopCap Games

Plants vs. Zombies

Buy Plants vs. Zombies

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In his most recent post on the official Diablo III forums, community manager Bashiok discussed a variety of topics related to the upcoming game including spell animations, in-game cinematics, female monks, and magic find items. Diablo III is Blizzard Entertainment's long awaited return to the popular action RPG franchise.

On spell animations and development time:
The spell animations, blood, explosions, and everything else going on can create what Jay mentioned a few times as "soup". An indistinguishable mess. It's really only an issue during four player games and even then, to be honest, I personally think it's all far more readable than it was in Diablo II. But, it's an ongoing concern and something we're going to have to continue to work at to make sure you can tell what's going on.

For the second point, development time, there is a lot going on - a lot of areas, creatures, and dungeons created that no one has seen yet and probably won't see until the game is released. But dev time is certainly always something on people's minds. We're constantly refining our tools and processes, and the team just naturally gets better and faster at creating contest as they go. I don't think it's anything for the community at large to concern themselves with, let the producers sweat it. ;)

On the female version of the monk:
There will be a female monk.

Women can be monks as well in eastern religions, of which the monk draws the majority of his influence. We're obviously putting a western spin on it though and making it something specific for Sanctuary.

The female monk is still in the concepting stage, so we don't have any final concepts to show. :)

On magic find items in Diablo III:
There is indeed currently magicfind (MF) on items in Diablo III, as well as a temporary shrine buff. I think though it's a system we're just sort of dipping our toes into for the moment.

I don't think it's accurate to say or even guess that the inclusion of MF means the system will mirror that of Diablo II. We could easily set rules for affix combination, requirement, frequency, and strength to control how and where MF appears in the game.

We may decide that MF as a stat is a fun alternative and building sets purely to that end, similar to Diablo II, is what we want to do. Or, we could say that it should just be a fun affix and not something you could stack to meaningful amounts.

Diablo III: Bashiok Comments

Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo III

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Atomic Gamer has posted a new preview of upcoming features in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the next expansion pack for Blizzard Entertainment's MMO. The expansion will allow players to adventure as two new playable races, bring their characters to level 85, take on challenging quests and dungeons in all-new zones, and experience dramatic changes to familiar aspects of the game in the wake of a world-shattering disaster.

I can say without out a doubt that the developers are really putting their phasing technology to good use. This is the system that lets Blizzard show you a completely different "time" in the area you're standing in, allowing the world to change based on your actions - and those changes are permanent for your character. So while your buddy who's starting out as a Worgen will see a lush, peaceful version of their kingdom of Gilneas, you, having started a few minutes earlier, will be in a later phase of that zone where an invading army has landed on nearby ships and the whole area is being overrun. Until your friend catches up with you, you won't be able to work with him on quests in that area, but once he does, you'll have a blast together. The phasing system is a fantastic way for Blizzard to simulate this idea of allowing each player to "change the world" in their own way, and I'd love to see almost every area in Cataclysm use it to one extent or another.

As far as talents go, Blizzard's not going to be extending the talent tree past 51 points, and instead will be redoing the talents entirely and giving players more points so they can get further into each tree. They've got a new advancement system that'll tag onto the Glyphs - it's called Paths, and it's based on the titans that created Azeroth. Many of the path-based bonuses shown were just examples, but they will be general increases rather than being tightly class-based and often help people in your party or raid as well as your own performance.

Blizzard's also committed to giving high-level players more to do right from the start. For raiding guilds, Lich King felt particularly unfinished when it was released as it only had one major raid dungeon - a recycled one that felt old and archaic, even for players that had never stepped foot in it before - and a couple of separate raid bosses. Serious raiders had all of these encounters pretty much cleaned out within weeks, then spent several months waiting for Blizzard to catch up. With Cataclysm, Blizzard is committed to giving players much more right from the start, with multiple new raid zones ready upon release along with plenty of dungeons.

Atomic Gamer: WoW Cataclysm Preview

Blizzard Entertainment

World Of Warcraft: Cataclysm

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