The
Face of Mankind Website has news
that beta testing of Duplex Systems' MMORPG (thanks Hump). Here's how the
project is described:
This MMORPG uses the first ever player-generated
mission system, and combines it with sophisticated economics and complex player
politics for a new kind of online experience. Only your ability to shoot,
bargain, politic and otherwise duck and deal will advance your character’s
private or corporate agenda. The success of each and every mission will
determine your rise to the top, or your fall into obscurity. Whatever path you
take in this astonishing world, plan well: one day, one minute or a single
second could bring you to your destiny as the true Face of Mankind.
Yes, yes, bullets. Paragraphs are sooo 20th century.
This Guild
Wars Beta Weekend Key Opportunities Page outlines the various ways a key to
the next beta weekend for Guild Wars will be distributed. Thanks
Rage321's Guild Wars Fansite, which is one
of the places giving out keys to the MMORPG test. The
Shot-Online Website has details on an
upcoming tourney for this online golfing game that offers participants in their
beta testing the chance to win one of 70 rare in-game items.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday... except, of course, it's not, as
last year the NFL returned to the two-weeks-off before the big game scenario, so
the championship gets decided next week. This always makes me a little nuts,
because while I do appreciate the added build-up as a football fan, the two-week
gap is disruptive to the carefully established weekly routines of the teams
involved, and in my opinion (and I am by no means alone here), is the cause for
so many Super Bowls turning out to be blow-outs. Here's the statistic of the day
to support that premise; 11 Super Bowls have been routs decided by 20 points or
more, but only one of those came following a single week's preparation. The good
news is recent history has improved this trend, as it was the Chucky Bowl a
couple of years ago where Tampa Bay pulled off a rout of the Raiders on
one-week's rest that is the lone such short prep blow-out, and last year's game
was decided by a last-second field goal after two-weeks off (after talk about
how dangerous it is to give Bill Belichick an extra week to prepare, no less).
So in spite of the extra week, here's hoping for a good game this year too.
Oh yeah, in case you didn't know what would motivate the parties involved to
sacrifice the quality of the game in this way, the answer is apparently money, as
it causes the game to fall into the February sweeps. So it is the fact that the
TV folks can actually convince advertisers that Super Bowl ratings are relevant
to rates the remainder of the year that adds a week to this process. Me? I'd
just start the season a week later, but what do I know? Perhaps someone would be
upset if opening week didn't take place during the summer...
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