(M.O.B.A) If you don’t know it, learn it!

Multilayer Online Battle Arena, or M.O.B.A is a fairly new sub-genre to the Real Time Strategy market but is one that shows a lot of promise.

Most gamers will know MOBA by the more commonly known game Defence of the Ancients (DoTA), which was a mod created within Blizzard’s own Warcraft III engine. The game consisted of maximum of 10 players in a equal ‘vs’ match.

The map is broken down into three lanes which is split down the middle, on each teams side are defensive structures that if an enemy player is within range will deal large amounts of damage to a single target. Thus creating a tug-o-war type match which eventually leads to a heavy team oriented game.

As I’m sure your still left up in the air since I haven’t even touched the surface to the multiple mechanics of the game, please watch the quick explanation from IGN.com below.

Since it’s early beginnings of DOtA it has had a loyal following, and an even more loyal developers, in particular IceFrog, who didn’t create to MOD within Warcraft (See ‘Guinsoo’) initially but picked it up after the original developer passed the rein’s to IceFrog who ran with it for the community. Since then IceFrog has introduced multiple characters and balances whilst keeping to the original format of the game.

Since the release of the DOtA, the mod has spawned multiple illiterations of the game, two of which are free to play, and both well known within the gaming community.

See Heroes of Newerth (HoN)

See League of Legends (LoL)

Since simple starts the game has become to become one of the newest respected e-sport titles with tournaments giving a chance for winners to win a grand prize of $1,000,000.

Since then IceFrog is now behind the future release of DOtA 2 which is intended to be it’s own game much the same as HoN and LoL but with the big-wig Valve behind it supplying it own twist on the game like Steam-works Integration, Sponsored Tournaments and much more exposure than already established.

DOtA 2 is set to release later this year so be sure to keep your finger on the pulse and your ear to the ground for this upcoming release.

(Source: au.pc.ign.com)

Dead Island has shipped 2 million copies

In it’s first week of global release Dead Island has been confirmed by Deep Silver that 2 million copies of Dead Island have been shipped, despite the bugs found on many platforms in early reports of the game.

Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Koch Media.

“With Dead Island a number one in several important retail territories, this success has also confirmed our standing as a global publisher and has once again proven our position as Europe’s number one retail distributor.”

(Source: gamefreaks.co.nz)

Calling all Diablo Theorycrafters!

Blizzard has opened up the floor and released a skill calculator for the upcoming Diablo 3 game.

You will be able to choose from five classes and dive into their skill-tree.

Enjoy.

Click Here

Developers of Serious Sam on a serious note.

The Dev’s over at ‘Mommy’s Best Games’ have asked for donations on there website from illegal downloaders of their game.

Thay have reminded us that even though the game is avaliable on Steam, for those select few who have obtained the game and cracked it and also liked the game to please donate what they can to support thier little studio.

I for one give props to them not attacking the pirate culture but instead ask for donations for those who only liked the game as they realise they have yet to release a demo.

(Source: mommysbest.blogspot.com)

Xbox Live confirmed to be included with Windows 8

With Windows 7 still finding it’s ground amongst unsure users it seems Microsoft is releasing notes regarding the next ‘over the horizon’ operating system.

Windows 8 has just been confirmed to include an Xbox Live feature pre built into the system that will allow Microsoft to not worry about Windows Live and have more plug’s for it’s own platform.

On a developer side of things this could show case some cool tools for upcoming Indie projects but on the downside could feed from the already established service that Valve provide (Steam).

With Xbox Live coming pre built into the system this has not confirmed that rumour that was circulating a couple of months ago about the fact that Windows 8 will allow the support of Xbox game to be run from your PC. My guess the rumours false since that will defiantly affect their Xbox sales, but here’s to high hopes.

(Source: kotaku.com.au)

Activision/Infinity Ward taking care of PC COD players

So as more and more COD news streams in, it seems Kotaku has just reported that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will have LAN Support which is good news seeing that most game released these days require some sort of net connection or online Steam support.

As seen in previous COD Games (MW2 and Black Ops) the LAN feature was not included. Weather on not this is IW worried about losing the BF3 v MW3 war, this is definitely a point going towards BF3, seeing that back in August Karl Troedsson had no plans to implement LAN support but was foreseeing this as a future possibility.