[Diablo III] A friendly reminder for D3 players

Not exactly the visual example, but you get what I'm trying to say here.

From problems during launch date to choppy connection and unbearable lag, it would seem Blizzard has its hands full just to fix their Battle.net servers for their newest baby. With numerous sudden maintenance downtime, account theft and hijacking is another problem that's rising.

There have been numerous complaints about their accounts being 'hacked'. One such anecdote was a player joined in a public game, and during their farming operations quests he got suddenly booted out for some reason or another. When the player attempted to log back in, he was told that his B.net credentials and password have been changed or what. Some say because the authentication token during public games were shared, while others blamed hidden keyloggers and malware as culprits.

Like I said, it's an anecdote. I can't even verify it.

But one person had a first-hand experience with his account being hacked. Ars Technica writer Kyle Orland was one of us; a somewhat-normal player: no high-level legendary equipment to boast about and such. But when it comes to hackers and account thieves, there's no discrimination on who they want to target. And bad luck will strike at anyone, and in the internet, no account is truly safe without added security.

Read his first hand account over at the Ars Technica page, as it serves as a cautionary tale for everyone who plays online games. I remember a tip that my computer science friend told me a long time ago: use different passwords for every account you have in the internet, be it Yahoo! messenger, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and such. If you use one password for everything, consider your life totally screwed when your accounts are compromised.

So for Blizzard fans and players, I leave it up to you on what other security measures you do on your game accounts. For further reading, head to their B.net FAQ site.

[Live by the Creed] Lawsuit against Assassin's Creed voluntarily dropped; science fiction author cites "to focus on other unrelated business matters".

Seems that AC fans have won this fight: American author John Beiswenger voluntarily dropped his charges of "copyright infringement on his work" against Ubisoft and their Assassin's Creed franchise, and instead focuses more on other business matters. Though he still claims that Ubisoft copied his work.


What a wuss.

To qoute Beiswenger's lawyer, Kelly Clements Keller:

“My client’s decision to exercise his right to voluntarily dismiss the action, without prejudice, in no way diminishes his stalwart conviction in the merit of his claims against Ubisoft. He is unwavering in his belief that many key components of the video game franchise infringe on many key components of his novel, Link.”

“We believe Ubisoft has engaged in egregious acts of copyright infringement and, should he choose to seek redress through the courts in the future, we remain confident that a trier of fact would agree.”

source: [Latest News Explorer]

[Diablo III] Meet the Spice Boys

ME BIGGER AXE!

Ahh yes, the Barbarian class. Raw strength, with hit points that could repel a hailstorm of bullets, and not to mention the old-man-macho-look badassery. That's Blizzard's Barbarian all right.

But what, say, you wanted a real challenge when facing foes in Sanctuary? Challenged as in a total disadvantage on your side, yet you go all out and carry on anyway? Sounds like you're going for Viking mode.

And four people just did that.

Meet Robert Pooner, and his three other friends, who called themselves the 'Spice Boys'. The challenge: defeat the Skeleton King with four Barbarians with nothing except their starting equipment. That's right; no weapon upgrades, no putting on of armor, nothing. They can use skills every time they level up, but the initial conditions remain.

And did I mention that it was on Hardcore?

Will they succeed on their quest, or will they go down in history as the four Barbarians who fought the Skeleton King, stark naked?

Four Barbarians, one Skeleton King, no additional equipment, Hardcore mode. Watch the hilarity ensue.

[Diablo III] All Things D

Mooo.

The above picture is a screenshot of the website Sorry for May 15, a site dedicated for Diablo fans of giving excuses to either their boss or girlfriend, as you all may know that the 15th of May was Diablo III's worldwide release.

It's been more than a week now since its release, yet Blizzard has been plagued by numerous problems relating to the game. Most have been server-side issues like not being able to log in, which I guess from their part a deja vu from their World of Warcraft launch issues as well. For the most part the issue of logging in has been resolved throughout the week, with Blizzard monitoring most of the time.

But this article says otherwise; seems like the Asia server is still having login problems and what, they want a  refund? For goodness' sakes, access to Battle.net is free for both Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3. And besides, serves them right Koreans for finishing the game in under six hours after the launch. Dang them.

Lag in action. Pun intended.

Anyway, let's leave that. On a personal note, I was only able to buy my retail copy of D3 four days after launch, the reason being I was out of town for a conference of sorts. And also there's still a bit of shortage of retail copies for sale in some game stores, so yeah.

Tweet-tweeew.

As before, I created a Demon Hunter character; ranged attack, twin weapon wielder, evasive maneuvers, etc. Not to mention that badass hood.

And yeah, I will warn you that the last 2 pictures I will consider as spoilers. You have been warned.

I swear, his hide's so tough I have to bring out that chainsaw again.

Not really a spoiler, but you get my drift.

[Around the Web] Bogart the Explorer (from Davao City)

Not exploitable. But the food on the left seems yummy....

Travel guides these days are boring. Yes, you can buy a brochure or map of the place that you want to go from a bookstore and such, but pictures are static; they only capture that certain 'moment' that may not be applicable to that particular place anymore. Sure, you can watch Discovery Channel's TLC or National Geographic shows (yes, Don't Tell My Mother is hilarious, but that's another story), but an hour or two could be boring. Not to mention it may not feature things that you like.

Well, thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, especially Youtube, a group of people managed to make a webcast of places and people to see, the Philippines in particular. Yes, I'm talking about Bogart the Explorer from Davao City.

So what, or who, is Bogart? He's a self-made explorer whose Australian accent and get-up wholly reminds me of Steve Irwin, the famous Croc Hunter...., only chubbier. Not to mention how he's able to roam around the streets with just a safari jacket on and no undershirt. His stories are a parody of the denizens and places of the Philippines: he treats them as wildlife (hence, the obvious get up and title).

There some video clips that I found hilarious from Bogart: one in particular is when he featured the Philippine Epaloid, aka the notorious photobomber the he says 'ruined his childhood photo memories and the rest of his photographic life', and his quest to rid of it.

Another is when he was discussing the Philippine Iskwater (squatter). This is the only time we hear Bogart speak in his native dialect during a certain confrontation.

But enough of that. If you want to know more of Bogart (or just get some laughs out of the webcast), head to their Youtube channel, or follow them.

Bogart the Explorer from Davao City's Twitter page here, Facebook here, and their Youtube link.

And to finish it off, I'll say Bogart's famous line:

"Amazing! Let's go!"

[Kitchen Alchemy] Graham-Roasted Chicken

Say you're at the grocery store, thinking of what to eat for dinner. Pork? Had that just yesterday. Beef? Nah, you've got that planned for the weekend. Fish? Mmmm, you have to be finicky with the spines and small bones. Lamb? Ooooh, soft and tender, but quite expensive. Vegetables? Guh, probably you've got an upset stomach with the salad dressing gone wrong.

Poultry? Now we're talking. Duck? Quite expensive, and the only recipe you can think of is Peking duck, which is quite meticulous. How about squab or pigeon? Too exotic for your taste. 

Well, that leaves the chicken.

Cock-a-doodle-doo?

So what recipe could we make of this fine bird? Sure, frying the heck out of it is the simplest, but sometimes can be a boring meal. Turning it into a stew can be a pain and you have to watch it. So how about....we roast it?

Told ya it'll be fun. Hit the 'read more' after the break.

[Diablo III] Sanctuary, your hero has returned.

Menacing, no? 

I've been out of town these past few days (work-related, but hey, I did have fun), so I wasn't with those fanatical fools people who pre-ordered the game and such. Not to mention the fiasco of the Battle.net servers crashing due to the high amount of traffic they got (Blizzard never learned, have they? I guess the previous numbers were just the icing on the cake). And yeah, those idiotic Koreans finishing the game in 6 hours. F%^&*(#&*(ng rushers.

But heck, that doesn't dampen my craving for Diablo III. I've waited 12 years for this to come out, and finally know what happened to Sanctuary. 

And my demon hunter awaits.

So around last night I was finally able to load my retail copy into my DVD drive, and let Blizzard's magic happen. The usual activation code, the friendly reminders and such, and after under an hour of waiting....oh yeah, I really dig that guitar piece during the installation process; it was very, very nostalgic, I was finally greeted by this:

Hahahahahahahaha.

I logged in, watched the opening cinematics, and all that stuff I've done during the beta. Good fortune was on my side last night as a high school friend of mine (who's now in Raleigh, North Carolina for his PhD degree) was online, and we played coop. And after two hours or so, my character has reached this status.

Tattered sigils FTW. And yes, dual crossbows = double the badass-ery.

 Good times are back, indeed.

[Diablo III] The quick and dirty run-down on Diablo III

It's time. And you're still undecided? Do check out this short video by Blizzard.

Hell's minions are waiting. In very, very large numbers.

[Around the Web] Otakultura!

 

Yes, I'm going to admit: I live a double life. Well, in blogging that is.

Sure The Pilgrimage of the AgChemist is my personal blog, and I will continue to post and write here. After all, this IS my internet home, so to speak. Not Facebook. No, that's just like my hub connecting to other people and such.

In any case, I've been writing to a blog named Otakultura!, a site managed by my friends dedicated to everything much around Japanese-related entertainment: be it anime, the live action super sentai groups/tokusatsus and whatnot, JRPGs, cosplays and conventions, and so much more. They also talk about some Western games and topics, but their forte is mostly Japan-related stuff.

So what does that have to do with me? Well, it all started when I did a not-so-much extensive personal insight of Diablo III then. During this time Otk's admin (also a friend of mine) contacted me, because among the circle of friends that we have in common, I was one of the first to get the feel of the game, so to speak. Not to mention give a review about it, and was having fun (despite that the Diablo III beta can be finished in two hours or less).

At first I was a bit hesistant; after all, my list of Japanese-entertainment is very limited compared to my friends who are working on Otk-related material. But Otk's admin said he needed my 'expertise' on the field of the Diablo series, and said that any written material that I do for Otakultura! is acknowledged to me.

Intellectual property-wise, seems fair enough.

After accepting the offer, he asked me where my field of action would be. I've decided to narrow it down to just Blizzard-related games, Ubisoft (particularly the Assassin's Creed series) and games on the Nintendo 3DS (I have to check with them if I said about this one). As of now I still consider myself as 'guest writer' for them, until I suppose I get to post a whole lot more to contribute. Currently I have two articles up, both related to Diablo III (see here and here).

So for those who want to know Otakultura, head here to read how the team and site was conceived. They also have a Facebook page, and they can be also found at Twitter.

And yeah, the picture below is their current banner for their FB page. Their mascot (above) is Andoy, probably an inspiration from Andres Bonifacio.   

[Diablo III] Feel the might of Terror once more

Evil in its Prime.

One more day to go, Diablo III fans and players alike! The ides of May are upon us, as the forces of Hell and the might of the High Heavens will come crashing down upon the world of Sanctuary.

We have been given insight, showed us the perils we will face, then gave us the opportunity to fight with friends and allies. I have captured some of these memories for you to see, and how will you prepare for the fight. And know that you are not alone for this fight.

For the business-savvy, you can set up shops too.


The end is nigh; or rather, the battle will just begin once more.

As we wait for the most-anticipated game of 2012 (after all, this was 12 years in the making) to go live, I’m sure some of you have already pre-ordered the game, either digitally or through retail stores, be sure to read Blizzard's Launch Day Preparation Guide to make your installation and gameplay smooth once servers are up.

And would-be fellow Demon Hunters, I hope to see you in Battle.net soon.

To quote the Last Horadrim:

And, at the End of Days, Wisdom shall be lost,

as Justice falls upon the world of men. 

Valor shall turn to Wrath---

and all Hope will be swallowed by Despair.

Death, at last, shall spread its wings over all---

as Fate lies shattered forever. 

[Diablo III] European and German Diablo III players (those who bought the game digitally), a heads up!

Fellow Diablo III players of Europe and Germany: seems that Blizzard has encountered a bit of a snag for those who purchased the game online, as they've become aware of an issue regarding the digital installation downloader.

So for those who have downloaded and installed the game before Saturday, you can get the additional installers here. Doing so will ensure that you get to be in the game on time on the 15th. And no worries, as the additional installation is only around 65 MB. But for the others who haven't installed it, you'll need to get the new set of installers, and that weighs in at more or less 7 GB. Ouch.

Remind you, this concerns only for the European and German digital downloads. NA and other countries aren't affected by this issue (hopefully).

[All Things 3DS] KH 3D Demo imminent for NA and EU(?) 3DS owners

With the high anticipation of the NA and EU version Kingdom Hearts 3D dropping in this July, series creator Tetsuya Nomura decided to make us fans drool some more. I dunno if I should be thankful or not.

Nomura confirmed that the demo for the US (and UK I suppose), which takes place in Traverse Town and the player controls Sora in this scenario. And that's just about it. No word when the demo will be out yet, but I suppose a regular check on the Nintendo E-shop is a must.

sources: [Square Enix News]
             [Gematsu]

[Around the Web] Dropquest II

And this is how the concept of Dovakihn was born.

Last year, Dropbox, the cloud-storage service, and its team made a contest called Dropquest. It was a scavenger game that made the users (me included) to hunt for clues in their forums and to the far and wide reaches of the internet. The prize? An additional 1 GB of storage, for free. Not to mention some goodies like their t-shirts and all that stuff. Now that contest is back.

To infinity, and....oops, I mean, FOR THE HORDE!! Oh man, still wrong--?

Enter Dropquest II: The Future is Now (somehow that title seems like a pun to an old movie that I can't recall). The mechanics of the scavenge hunt seems to be the same like last year, but this time the stakes are even higher: 100 GB of free storage for the 1st placer. WHOA!

And did I mention that it's free, FOR LIFE?

Imagine the stuff you can store in 100 GB....

In any case, the quest starts at 1700 GMT on the 12th of May. In my time zone that's around 1 AM of May 13.

Happy questing? Or, eat my dust?

[Around the Web] Robot Unicorn Attack gets an (somewhat)evolution, so to speak

Acid overload commence.

Sometimes the simplest games can be the most addicting. Be it Plants versus Zombies, Angry Birds, Words with Friends, Draw Something, or Bejeweled. But this game, I suppose, tops it off in the addiction meter.

Robot Unicorn Attack is a simple browser game developed by Adult Swim (which I don't know for sure if they are related to the Adult Swim of Cartoon Network then), which follows a side-scrolling platform game genre. The object of the game is to reach the end of the stage in one piece, which means jumping over obstacles or dashing and destroying through them. And did I mention cliffs? Yeah, that too.

Rainbow Brite and her steed got an argument, so he went solo.

 Basically, that's the whole story of Robot Unicorn. But what makes it into a catchy game? Well, getting high scores, the thrill of the leftmost edge chasing after you, and the background music. Yep, the song 'Always', which topped the charts for gods-know-how-many-weeks in the radio during the late 90s (not to mention it had remixes too), and the wtf-music video of it.

So what's left to make this game better? Well, they did release two more versions of it, and a sequel that makes it more....appealing. Yeah, I've played this game too. Not-too-long ago I almost wasted half a weekend's day just playing this.

I'm thinking of either a super sentai's robot team ready to merge, or Beast Wars.

Enter the Dragon Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution (gee, what a catchy theme for an obvious name). The game mechanics are still the same, but this time, the unicorn changes into another animal form when destroying 4 crystal stars. From unicorn to panda, to wolf, to gorilla, tiger, and finally with a commanding shout of FUS RO DAAAAAAAH!!!! into a dragon. The only catch is you have to keep destroying crystal stars; miss too many stars and you'll revert back to the unicorn form.

Po of Kung Fu Panda and Nyan-cat's illegitimate child. Or what.

Well, I leave it up to you whether this tickles your funny bone, or you're already diving into this game. Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution is available in Adult Swim's website, as a Facebook app, and Android devices. iOS devices will have to wait for now. 

As for me, the only robot unicorn that I be dreaming from now on is this:

F**k you I'm THE Unicorn.

[Around the Web] theagchemist has been quoted! Wheee~

Thanks for the heads-up to my brother, @darth_pol for this.

Well, there you have it, readers. Seems like The Pilgrimage of the Agchemist has made good progress for awhile. As long as I update this like, at least every day?

In any case, thanks to my brother for this, and thank you readers and search crawlers alike!

For the article, head to [Skyrim Insider]

[All Things 3DS] 3DS Aqua Blue to be phased out

Well, there goes the Triforce of Nintendo.

3DS owners, especially the ones who have the aqua blue handheld: seems that you're holding on a piece of history, a collector's item, or something else. It would seem that the higher-ups in Nintendo decided to discontinue the Aqua Blue. Sad, really. But I guess there's a reason behind it.

On a personal note, I never really liked the Aqua blue color. For me it was either Fiery Red or Cosmo Black. First choice was the Fiery Red, but when all of the shops that I've canvassed doesn't have that color, I opted for the Cosmo Black. And never regretted it.

Going back, I could speculate that the slow demise of the Aqua Blue is because of its meaner, manlier kin: The Cobalt Blue 3DS.

I still dig the Midnight Purple, but this rocks too just the same.

source: [Kotaku]

[All Things 3DS] TV/Monitor-out accessory for the 3DS

3DS owners: You feel that the small screen is getting a bit cramped on your eyes? Apparently, there seems to be a third-party accessory that lets you hook up your handheld console to either a monitor or television. See that chunk of a cradle in the picture above? Supposedly that's the accessory.

But how the heck does it work? Beats me, that's what I can tell you. Sure there's an audio out on the 3DS (that's why we can use our earphones and such), but a video-out port? The other port that I see is the charging port. If it's a USB-compliant interface, then maybe that's how they did it.

Of course this wasn't the first time that the 3DS can be hooked up to an external monitor; when Kid Icarus: Uprising and Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir were released, there were booths set up with the handheld connected to an external display.

Intriguing. Hopefully it doesn't cost as much.

source: [3DS Tagbus] --site's in Chinese. So use Google translate if you're using Chrome.

[Live by the Creed] Assassin's Creed III Worldwide Gameplay preview

AC fans, our efforts have paid off. Ubisoft finally got their 1.7+ million likes/shares/tweets (yes, that's a rough estimate), and they've released the gameplay premiere for the upcoming Assassin's Creed III.

Thoughts? Well, finally the ability to climb natural structures (trees, mountain cliffsides), and hopefully they add a random hazard (sudden bear attack, etc). But personally, I hope the game goes back to being the solo-person doing the job (and doing it efficiently) that it once was.

And yeah: Free-running in-and-out-of-buildings. And longbows.

Assassin's Creed III is slated for release this October 2012.

[All Things 3DS] Transformers: Prime for Nintendo consoles

Back then, it was more than meets the eye. Then, it lit our darkest hour and was reborn. Skip several decades later,  a movie trilogy featuring some whiny kid  and shots of ass (seriously; watch them again), directed by a guy who just loves destroying key American cities. But let's not go there. And I don't need to talk about the other series released.

Then in 2010 they gave us the game we fans have waited for so long. And then this year, its sequel. Drooling, are we now? Well, since the release is about 3 months away, Hasbro entices us with another game trailer:

Yes, Transformers Prime: The Game. Based on the latest iteration of the Transformers genre, it's slated to be released for the Nintendo platform, specifically the Wii, DI and 3DS.

Looks interesting.

[All Things 3DS] Browser-based gaming on the 3DS? Why not, chocnut?

Ever since the emergence and importance of the internet from the late 90s, most of us are now connected to the world one way or another. In my case, I have a desktop at home, a netbook for field excursions, an Android phone, and my trusty Nintendo 3DS as handheld console. At work, I have an HP workstation.

And with the internet, there are a lot of forms of entertainment to keep the user logged in and not get bored. There are forum sites to wage war against trolls and flamebaiting newbies to to talk to other users from different places/cultures, Youtube and other video-upload-and-share sites to watch, webcomics, blogs (mine included) and news sites to read, research, or laugh about (I don't know how to categorize 9gag), or play games.

Yes. Games that you can play in your browser.

It's not uncommon these days that casual people play games over the internet with their favorite browsers. (here's one classic example of them). But I suppose Facebook can take the blame for the rise of browser games, with all that Zynga-affliated addiction that is the -vile -ville games. From farm to city to I dunno what-else-did-they-attach-it-to-a-word (heck, maybe they did Spaceville already, I dunno), it's rampant. But I'm not here to demonize browser gaming.

When it comes to games on the browser, the norm is that you use the standard technologies of the internet in order to play web-based games. Like Flash, HTML, PHP, Java and such. In the case of the 3DS, where it lacks both Flash and Java technology, it's a real challenge to make a browser based game for Nintendo's current handheld console. But someone did. And he's got balls.

Code-named Project Triniate, the aim is to make a 3DS-browser-based MMORPG. Wow. They're taking it to RPG level at once. The project aim is a simple proof-of-concept, the leader said; that a web-based game on the 3DS is possible. It was also mentioned that it may not really see the light of day (ie, be released to the public), but yeah, it's a why-did-you-climb-Mount Everest-moment.

As seen on this kinda-fuzzy-screenshot, it's still in its somewhat-primitive stage. But hey, it all looks good.

And if 1 browser game for the 3DS ain't enough for ya, there's another game coming up as well; a platformer one this time. Now that's taking it to the edge.

Hopefully it comes out. I like the idea.

source(s): [Joystiq]
               [Nintendo 3DS Blog]

[Diablo III] Diablo III: Wrath

From the creator of Aeon Flux, Peter Chung and animation studio Titmouse (behind Metalocalypse), Blizzard brings us the animated short film "Diablo III: Wrath".

The film depicts an event well before the events of the Diablo game series, where a great war was waged between the might of the archangels of the the High Heavens, led by the Angiris Council, and the forces of demonic hordes of Hell under the Prime Evils.

Long story short: Not all is what it seems.

To quote the last of the Horadrim:

What hope can there be when even the wrath of angels cannot be quenched?

[Live by the Creed] Unlock AC III Gameplay Premiere

AC fans, it would seem that Ubisoft is toying playing needs our help. They seem to need like, say...., 1,776,000 (yes, that's 7 digits. wish it was my salary for a year) posts/tweets/shares to unlock the latest gossip of the upcoming Assassin's Creed III.

Specifically, the Gameplay Premiere.

So, what are you waiting for? Some Bureau Leader to hand out a feather? Join the effort!

link: [Assassin's Creed III: Unite]

[Kitchen Alchemy] Cabbage Roll

Rice covered in rich tomato sauce. Oh joy.

Okay, listen up wanna-be chefs, or people who just want to learn how to cook to survive the urban life, today I'll be sharing you a recipe that I consider "rustic". Heck, one of my older brothers consider it as a comfort food, and I have to agree with him on that. But such foods require quite some effort, and this cabbage roll recipe is no exception.

So what's a cabbage roll? Simply put, it's prepared ground meat wrapped in a cabbage leaf and cooked in tomato sauce. Can't get any simpler than that. I was told our mother used to cook this even before I was born (I learned how to cook for the sole reason I consider it as a total necessity in life), and after several years of making it (trial and error, total failure, you name it), I can claim this recipe as my own, or for my family.

Let's get started, shall we? Then wash your hands, ready your name, and time to put your head onto the chopping block after the break. So to speak.

[Around the Web] Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Episode 5

Gundam fans, our wait will soon be over. The fifth episode of Gundam Unicorn will have a theatrical release on the 19th of May, while the DVD and Blu-ray release will be on the 8th of June. Lucky them (by the way, the trailer's not HD).

Titled "The Black Unicorn", the episode focuses on the mysterious Black Gundam that suddenly entered the battlefield at the end of the fourth episode. From the trailer, the Unicorn is once again captured in custody of the Federation (in particular, Londo Bell), and Mineva is now given to Martha Carbine Vist. Bright is then introduced to the pilot of the Gundam Unicorn, and old friends resurface...

The conflict once again leaves Earth, and the mystery surrounding Laplace's Box heads back into space.

So yeah, Diablo III comes first, then this. Oh yeah.

Trivia: Did you know that the tapestry, The Lady and the Unicorn (from which this Gundam OVA was highly influenced), came as a set of six, representing the 5 senses and a main theme, "À Mon Seul Désir", as its motto? And Gundam Unicorn is supposedly six OVA episodes too?

Coincidence? Hmm, I think not.

[All Things 3DS] Theatrhythm Final Fantasy out by July as well

July's gonna be the month of the 3DS. With games lining up for the summer, the 3D-capable handheld is chugging stronger. And Square-Enix is just one them adding fuel to that Nintendo steam engine to move forward.

With KH 3D dropping in at July's end, another Square Enix game will enter the foray, though around 3 weeks earlier than KH 3D. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, SE's entry on the rhythm game genre, will be coming into the US and UK on the 3rd and 6th of July, respectively.

And as usual, players are enticed to pre-order the game, as those who do will get this:

Yep, a custom-Theatrhythm themed stylus, with stickers of your 17 favorite Final Fantasy characters, from I to XIII. Though that stylus look really reminds me of those kiddie ballpens with circular ends as either built-in sharpeners or just over-sized erasers.

But I'm still holding out for one of these babies to call my own (sale on Amazon!):

Oh yeah, baby.

[All Things 3DS] KH 3D available by the end of July

Uncle Mickey wants YOU!!

UK and US 3DS gamers sometimes get the short end of the stick, especially when we talk about games from Japan. Porting and language barriers aside, what I don't get is why the long wait.

But sometimes the wait is worth it.

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, the latest in the KH franchise since after Birth By Sleep for the PSP, will hit the shores of the UK and US at around the 20th and 31st of July, respectively. And I did say the wait was worth it, right? Coz US gamers will get a treat....

Players who pre-order their KH 3D thru Walmart or Amazon will get a pack of AR (augmented reality) cards, which is used to unlock exclusive Dream Eaters in the game. Dream Eaters are special companions that accompany the protagonist(s) in place of either Donald or Goofy, or both.

Sweet, eh? All I gotta do now is farm sell items in Diablo III for this.

Get a life, ya buncha clowns! Oh, right....

source: [My Nintendo News]

[Diablo III] Planning on buying/selling items in Diablo 3? It's legal! ....at a price.

Auction House in action: Free-for-all.

So you heard the real-money auction house coming to Diablo III eh? But it'll cost ya.

What, they didn't tell you the 'catch'? Well, way back in Diablo 2 RMT (real money trading) was done in gray channels; well, shady dealings and such that Blizzard has no control of. This time, with Diablo III, they've set up an auction house for us players. Buy-and-sell in-game items for either gold or money. Real money. Dollars. Benjamins.

But I'm not here to let your hopes skyrocket.

So what's to buy? Or sell? Well, there's loots. Gold (Gold, GOOOLD!!). Equipment. Recipes and such. After all, the main attraction of Diablo III, besides the obvious storyline and demon-and-undead-killing-spree, is looting. Be it on scattered treasure chests or the corpses of your fallen enemies. Not to mention the scattered remains of NPC adventurers and such. With the stuff that you may not use in the long run or just look around and find useable materials, why not make a profit out it. After all, it's a rave in China it's a means to break even for just buying Diablo III (be it digitally or thru retail). And maybe other players need your stuff. So sell them. And that's where the fees come in.

So here's the deal: When you sell commodities such as gems and recipes on the auction house, Blizzard will take a 15% cut of the final sales price. When you sell equipment such as weapons or armor, Blizzard will take $1 per item. Nice no? Or am I hearing wails of anguish coming from the farmers' gatherers' sector?

Blizzard will also take another 15% cut as "transfer fee" if you opt to cash out to third-party payment service PayPal. Not to mention any additional fees that PayPal imposes on its own. If you want to avoid that fee, your only option is to deposit your profits in your Battle.net Balance, which you can then use to buy digital copies of Blizzard games or more items at the auction house. Your Battle.net Balance can't be turned into cash. You can link a credit card to pay for items, but you can't use it to receive money.

So summary: if you're gonna sell and make real money out of it, Blizzard takes a hefty 15% sales fee (for gems and recipes, maybe even loots), then another 15% "transfer fee". For selling equipment and the like, it's $1/equipment sales, then 15% transfer fee. Simple to understand, right?

To quote Blizzard:

Note that the process of sending proceeds to a third-party payment service will be subject to applicable fees charged by Blizzard and the third-party payment service, Also, any proceeds from the sale of items in the real-money auction house that have been sent to the player's Battle.net Balance will not be transferrable to the third-party payment service account.

For addicted enthusiastic Diablo III item/gold farmers players, these fees could add up quickly. I can hear the cries of players hating the system, but it's a means to control the pricing system of items and such. But Blizzard says even with transaction fees, players will prefer the officially sanctioned system.

The item-based nature of Diablo gameplay has always lent itself to an active trade-based ecosystem, and a significant part of this trade has been conducted through unsecure third-party organizations. This has led to numerous customer-service and game-experience issues that we've needed to account for. Our primary goal with the Diablo III auction house system is for it to serve as the foundation for a player-driven economy that's safe, fun, and accessible to everyone.

And yeah, there's a cap on your Battle.net Balance. When you reach $250, you can't place items for auction anymore. Meaning you have to use that money if you want to sell more (do remember that you can't use your Battle.net Balance to cash out real money). The minimum amount for bid is $1.25, and the maximum is $250. Also, Blizzard will not be putting items up for sale themselves; all transactions will be left up to players.

Nicely done, Blizzard. Nicely done.

Now the question is if the choice of cashing out (ie Paypal) or thru Battle.net Balance for your profits is either a one-time deal for all succeeding transactions, or can be done on a 'per-item' basis.

Well, with 14 days to go, hopefully Blizzard will iron out the creases of the FAQ.

Sources: [Diablo 3 Auction House How-to]
               [Diablo 3 Auction House Functionality]