Video Games

With a lot of new tweaks in place, including fixing a major bug with the Ogre Magi and limiting the number of power treads you can carry, DotA Allstars 6.49 (not AI) and DotA 6.49b (not AI) are available for download.  You can download the beta version here.  DotA 6.43b with AI version 1.4 is also now available for download here.  The changelogs are as follows:

6.49b Changelog
================
* Fixed a major bug related to Ogre Magi from last version
* Few other minor fixes
* Can only carry one Power Treads now
* Fixed the recoded Fissure to work properly with Aftershock

6.49 Changelog
===============

* Added a new recipe item (Armlet of Mordiggian)
* Added a new recipe item (Orchid Malevolence)
* Added a new recipe item (Shiva’s Guard)
* Added a new base item (Javelin,139527)
* Remade Power Treads
* Changed Monkey King Bar recipe
* Remade Vladmir’s Offering
* Reduced Ultimate Orb price by 50 gold
* Mystic Staff price from 2900 to 2700 gold
* Reduced movement speed bonus from Boots of Travel by 5
* Reduced Linken’s Sphere recipe by 100 gold
* Changed the second secret shop model (to Goblin Shop) and the shop’s carried items
* Bottle and Ring of Basilius no longer shift positions in your inventory when used
* Reduced Black King Bar cooldown from 100 to 85 seconds
* Increased Kelen’s Dagger of Escape cooldown from 25 to 30 seconds
* Improved Bloodstone’s charge regeneration rates
* Reduced mana cost on Hand of Midas
* Lowered mana cost on Helm of the Dominator
* Purchasing Bottle fills it to 2/3 instead of to maximum.
* Lowered Eaglehorn price from 3400 to 3300 gold
* Dagon’s mana costs and cooldown now decreases per level
* Reduced mana cost on Nathrezim Buckler
* Euls and Guinsoo now share cooldown
* Lowered Gloves of Haste price from 610 to 550 gold
* Recoded Aghanim’s Scepter. It can now be dropped, sold and disassembled. It also properly updates itself in deathmatch.
* Decreased Linken’s Sphere cooldown from 60 to 40 seconds
* Reduced Hyperstone price from 2300 to 2100 gold
* Remade N’aix
* Changed Crystal Maiden’s Brilliance Aura to a global effect
* Increased Acid Spray duration by 4 seconds
* Undid previous Jugg armor buff and increased starting strength by 3 and movement speed from 290 to 295
* Removed the invulnerability period while Priestess of the Moon is leaping
* Lowered Puck’s initial Intelligence and Intelligence Growth
* Lion’s Mana Drain is now faster (same mana drain over 4 seconds instead of 5)
* Changed Dark Rift from channeling to cast delay and reduced mana cost
* Increased cooldown on Call of the Wild
* Increased Lich attack range from 500 to 550
* Increased Pit Lord’s movement speed and starting Intelligence
* Improved cast and attack animation time on Broodmother
* Decreased cooldown on Death Coil from 15 to 11 seconds
* Rewrote Fissure to avoid Entangle and Impale based spell conflicts
* Improved Chen’s movement speed by 5
* Reduced Bristleback’s strength growth from 2.7 to 2.2
* Reduced Poof’s cooldown and mana cost
* New loading screen art (kunkka.deviantart.com)
* Added player index flags to replays
* Fixed a typo with Reaper’s Scythe
* Fixed some rare exploits with the Freeze Leaver system
* Improved Harbinger’s story (Terrorblaze)
* New Spectre background story (-Jenova-)
* New Visage background story (Grujah)
* New Storm Spirit background story (Inferno[DK])
* New Ogre Magi background story (Digital Anomaly)
* New Alchemist background story (Inferno[DK])
* New Lion background story (vertigo12)
* New Centaur background story (-Jenova-)
* New Slardar background story (Inferno[DK])
* New Tinker background story (Grujah)
* New Rigwarl background story (Volcove)
* New Zeus background story (Inferno[DK])
* New Pudge background story (Inferno[DK])
* New Traxex background story (Volcove)
* New Vengeful Spirit background story (-Jenova-)
* New Mortred background story (Inferno[DK])
* Fixed various item tooltips
 

This week is a good week for gamers, because Toys-R-Us has a fantastic “buy 2, get 1 free” deal (no coupon required) on all of their video-games.  Because common sense isn’t always common, they specify that the free game will be the one whose price is the lowest.  Even better, this sale is available in-stores and online, and runs from today till next Saturday, October 20.  Quantities are limited, so it’s probably better to buy sooner than later!

Some of the recently released Starcraft 2 images are bizarre, featuring a wide-range of concept art for the Dark Templar Terran Viking, Marine and more.  I can’t wait for Blizzard to release an official Starcraft II demo!  Check out the latest Starcraft II concept art and screens:

Recently, at the E3, Harmonix’s Rock Band swept the best awards, with both Joystiq and Game Critic Awards gave it the Best in Show Award.  Alex Rigopulos, CEO of Harmonix, stated at E3 that all the major tasks are complete, and that they are just fine-tuning Rock Band at this point.  Rock Band is currently slated for the Holiday Season.  Check out some of the in-game screens:

Aeropause has the latest Rock Band details, via someone at NeoGaf who posted them all.  For those of you who don’t know exactly what Rock Band in, it’s Harmonix’s latest project, which offers the ability to function in a virtual band by allowing up to four players play guitars, bass, drums, and vocals.  Check these details out!

* One disk with 4 separate campaigns. Guitar, Drum, Bass and Vocal. Each can be played on its own from start to finish, in addition, a full band game is designed to allow for one huge co-op playthrough.
* Will feature full support for four player online play on both 360 and PS3. Any combination of on/offline play will work and each player can pick their own difficulty setting.
* Flexible community system will allow you to find bandmates anywhere in the world
* There will be a way for you to share your band’s triumphs with the world, but the details are still under wraps.

* Musical fret-boards are now transparent so you can see more of the background visuals. Guitar is on the left side of the screen, Bass on the right and drums down the middle. Vocals scroll from right to left along the top of the screen.
* Guitars and Bass now have 10 frets. 5 for the regular sections of the game and 5 for the newly designated solo sections.
* Whammy bar is back as is the tilt to activate rock band’s version of star power
* there is a five way switch on the guitar that allows for 5 different self-applied effects to the sound.
* Singing is now more in depth. There is a phoneme detector that will pick up individual vowels and consonants you say. Build up enough highly judged phrases and you’ll be able to sing free-form. If you do well enough in free-form, then you’ll trigger the vocalist’s version of star power.
* Microphone doubles as a tambourine on many songs to combat super long guitar solos where the singer doesn’t have much to do.
* Drums are apparently insane. You use actual sticks and hit one of four colored pads in front of you, in addition to a kick pedal attached to the drumming unit. Drummers will also have the ability to do fills etc. in their own little free-form section, do well and you’ll trigger the drummers version of star power.
* If one person fails, the whole band does not fail, their section simply turns gray and they have to sit out the rest of the song unless one your band mates initiates star power, which will bring you back into the fold.
* If all bandmates can reach the end of a song, you’ll be greeted with one huge free-form jam session.
* There will be a character creation system, and you can create multiple avatars that play different instruments.
* Four themed clothing stores in addition to licensed guitars and pedals and other rock paraphernalia.
* A full set of mo-cap stage movements have been added for each instrument. You can decide whether your vocalist moves like Axel Rose, or stands his ground like Clapton.
* 40 performance venues planned
* All peripherals will be unique to each platform. This isn’t the developer’s decision. Apparently MS peripherals require special circuit boards.
* You’ll be able to craft your own band logo

There’s more…. dear god is there more…
4 songs announced in the article, not sure if this is new or old but whatever.

* Weezer - Say It Ain’t So - Original Master Track
* Black Sabbath - Paranoid - Original Master Track
* The Who - Won’t Get Fooled Again - Original Master Track
* Nirvana - In Bloom - Original Master Track

INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTIONS

Guitars/Bass

* Guitars are an exact 3/4 replica of a Fender Strat.
* Xplorer guitars will work for 360 owners, but you may not be able to pass on all the new stuff this model has.
* Five familiar buttons near the top of the neck, five buttons near the body of the guitar. You will use these new buttons during specially designed solo sections using ONLY hammer ons and pull offs, no having to worry about your strum bar. Signature Fender 5-way switch has been added. By shopping at the in game store you’ll be able to purchase several virtual effects pedals such as Flange, Wah, Chorus and Echo. These can be applied during your song by setting the 5 way switch to the desired effect.

Microphone

* There will eventually be a Rock Band branded Mic
* Other USB mics will be supported, but Harmonix will probably NOT allow the use of the 360 headset due to its low fidelity. Mics will be usable as tambourines during certain songs.

Drums

* It consists of four pads, a kick pedal and legs for the enire unit to stand on. Think of it as a TV dinner tray stand only cooler
* Leftmost pad (red) is your snare drum, everything else doubles as toms and cymbals depending on the song.
* A set of real wooden drum sticks will ship with the unit.
* A piece of the stand can be taken off so that the unit can sit lower, or on a coffee table.
* There is a kick pedal
* If you play drums in this game on hard or expert, then you’re really playing the drums. Apparently you could sit down at a real set and play the same songs.