Skyrim Dragonborn Now Available for Xbox

Skyrim “Dragonborn” is Bethesda’s newest add-on for the popular open world role-playing game. The highly anticipated DLC hit the Xbox Live marketplace on December 4th. The events of “Dragonborn” take place on Solstheim, an island northeast of Skyrim and a part of the province of Morrowind, making “Dragonborn” the first Skyrim expansion set outside of the titular province. “Dragonborn” introduces new groups of NPCs, new enemies, new items, and new powers.

The central plot of “Dragonborn” revolves around Miraak, a Dragon Priest and the first Dragonborn. Miraak once ruled over Solstheim in the service of the Dragons before rebelling against them after receiving from the Daedric prince Hermaeus Mora the power to bend the will of animals, men, and dragons. Miraak attempted to enslave all of Tamriel, but was killed in his temple by Dragons who sought to punish him for his disobedience. But Miraak lived on in Apocrypha--Hermaeus Mora’s plane of Oblivion--and plotted his return.

The “Dragonborn” DLC initiates when the player has a random encounter with a group of cultists who work for Miraak. A note found on one of the cultists will lead you to Raven Rock, a mining colony on Solstheim. If you touch one of the five glowing pillars located in different parts of the island or go to sleep, you will suddenly awake to find yourself mindlessly working alongside other townspeople with Miraak’s voice in your head. It is your job to break Miraak’s control over the people and stop him from returning to conquer Tamriel.

New Additions to Skyrim
Aside from a huge new area of land to explore, “Dragonborn” introduces several new types of NPCs to Skyrim. Variations on already known groups, such as the Skaal (a tribe of Nords that practice a monotheistic, nature-focused religion) and the Reavers (groups that behave like the bandits of Skyrim, but are made up exclusively of Dunmer) are common. But there are also the goblin-like Rieklings and more new types of enemies including Serpentine Dragons, Lurkers (think creature from the black lagoon but taller), various types of exploding Spiders, and Ash Creatures.

“Dragonborn” also introduces quite a few new items such as a new weapon type--the spear--and four new types of Smithing: Bonemold and Chitin, which are only provide patterns for armor, and Nordic Carved and Stahlrim (ice enchanted to be extremely hard), which allow you to create both weapons and armor. New unique items such as the enchanted scimitars Soulrender and Bloodscythe or the Deathbrand armor set are very powerful. Plus, if you like playing as a Werewolf, the four purchasable Werewolf upgrade rings will make your beast form even more potent.

Some new spells bolster the Conjuration (Bound Dagger, Conjure Ash Guardian, etc) and Restoration (Ash, Frenzy, and Poison Runes) magic trees. Also, the new shouts introduced by the “Dragonborn” expansion are very promising. For a short time, the Dragon Aspect shout increases weapon and shout damage significantly and envelopes the player in a set of dragon armor. And the power that seemed to capture the attention of most gamers from the moment it was demonstrated at the 2012 Dice Summit in February is made available through the Bend Will shout. Using the Bend Will shout after one learns all three words of power allows the player to tame and ride a dragon.

This list only scratches the surface of the new Skyrim add-on. There is so much more to discover. “Dragonborn” can be purchased on Xbox marketplace for $19.99 or 1600 Microsoft points.

Skyrim fans may also have more DLC to look forward to in 2013. Bethesda promises, “... we also have some more stuff planned for everyone next year as well. We do everything we can to return the support you have given us, whether it’s The Creation Kit, Steam Workshop, game updates, or DLC.”

Update on “Dragonborn” for PC and PS3
Although neither “Dawnguard” nor “Hearthfire” have been ported for PS3, Bethesda has announced that “Dragonborn” will be made available for PC and Playstation 3 sometime in early 2013. In a blog post following the release of “Dragonborn,” Bethesda states, “On PS3 in particular, we turned our attention to Dragonborn, as we thought it was the best content to release first, and we didn’t want folks to wait longer.”

For the past few months, Bethesda has struggled to get “Dawnguard” and “Heartfire” ready for Playstation gamers. The decision to focus their energies on putting out “Dragonborn” first, may indicate that Bethesda made more of a conscious decision to program the newest expansion with the Playstation in mind.

If you still haven't played Skyrim, I can't recommend it more highly. Click on the image below to buy it today.

Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products or services based on their merit. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

At Least One Unicorn Existed, Say North Korean Researchers

The Korean Central News Agency of DPRK asserts that at least one unicorn existed. That unicorn was the unicorn ridden “by King Tongmyong [58 B.C.E.-19 B.C.E], founder of the Koguryo Kingdom (B.C. 277-A.D. 668).”

The central point of the news story is to report that archaeologists from the History Institute of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Academy of Social Sciences have reconfirmed that an area marked with the words “Unicorn Lair” in Pyongyang was actually the lair of the Tongmyong’s unicorn. The article simply takes as a given that the man truly rode a unicorn. The only matter at hand is to allay any fears that the unicorn’s lair was not located in North Korea’s capital Pyongyang.

A quote from Jo Hui Sung, director of the History Institute, confirms both the existence of the unicorn and its location. Sung states:

Korea's history books deal with the unicorn, considered to be ridden by King Tongmyong, and its lair. The Sogyong (Pyongyang) chapter of the old book 'Koryo History' (geographical book), said: Ulmil Pavilion is on the top of Mt. Kumsu, with Yongmyong Temple, one of Pyongyang's eight scenic spots, beneath it. The temple served as a relief palace for King Tongmyong, in which there is the lair of his unicorn. The old book 'Sinjungdonggukyojisungnam' (Revised Handbook of Korean Geography) compiled in the 16th century wrote that there is a lair west of Pubyok Pavilion in Mt. Kumsu. The discovery of the unicorn lair, associated with legend about King Tongmyong, proves that Pyongyang was a capital city of Ancient Korea as well as Koguryo Kingdom.l Pyongyang.

While the existence of unicorns was first recorded in Greek books of natural history in the 4th century B.C., those suckers have been hard to come by in the 21st century outside of media in the fantasy genre. And while it may seem a bit cynical to some, there are a few minor points that could take away from this article’s veracity.

First, Tongmyong (or Dongmyeong) established the first capital city of the Koguryo (or Goguryeo) kingdom in Jolbon in 37 B.C.E. Pyongyang was ruled by the Chinese commandery Lelang until the Koguryo kingdom conquered it in 313 C.E. Pyongyang was neither a capital city nor a Koguryo city during Tongmyong’s lifetime. It’s unlikely that he would stable his unicorn there.

Second, North Korea has claimed some questionable things about past leaders. For instance, Kim Jong Il is reported to have begun walking at three weeks old and talking at eight weeks. It is also said that Mr. Kim wrote 1,500 books in just three years and hit 11 holes-in-one on his first ever round of golf.

The final and most damning point of all, unicorns have never existed. As painful as it is to admit that, the best course of action is to just come to terms with the fact that unicorns are mythical creatures. Afterwards, the healing can begin.

Want to dispute this claim? Tell me about your experiences with unicorns.

Trailer for Zombie Film World War Z Is Divisive

The first theatrical trailer for World War Z was released last night. The film’s title is taken directly from the popular post-apocalyptic zombie novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. And judging from the trailer, the similarities do not go far past the title.

The film stars Brad Pitt as United Nations worker Gerry Lane. The trailer opens on Lane and his happy little family sitting in traffic. In no time, a huge explosion goes off down the street, followed by a runaway garbage truck narrowly missing the Lane family and plowing through a motorcycle cop and several other vehicles.

Panic ensues. Lane steals an RV and contacts a friend with some level of inside information who arranges to pick up the Lanes on a rooftop via helicopter. The family is taken to a fleet of ships in the middle of the ocean where Gerry Lane's well-honed working for the United Nations skills are called upon by some armed force leader to search the globe for a way to stop the outbreak that has turned 5 billion people into zombies.

A large number of people who watch the trailer are going to find it exciting, and they are not wrong. The preview for “World War Z” is full of pyrotechnics, immeasurable hordes of fast running zombies, and heavy artillery. But there is also a group of people who have already labeled the film a failure.

The popular novel “World War Z” seems very unlike this film adaptation. Max Brooks's zombies are slow and shambling as opposed to the relentless fast zombies of the film. Brooks's story is told through a number of first-person accounts in a documentary style; the movie has the feel of an alien-invasion or disaster film. Also, the zombies in the novel are unable to work together because their cognitive functions are impaired; however, the zombies in the adaptation are shown building a pyramid out of their own bodies in an attempt to get over a large defensive wall. (To be fair, one might say that they were simply piling on each other and it happened to benefit them, but that's still very unlike the zombies in the book).

Judging by the positive responses to the preview, a number of movie-goers out there have grown sick and tired of people complaining that the book is not like the movie. They would rather just enjoy the movie for what it is than compare it to the book. But, the problem for fans of the book is not that Hollywood produced yet another movie that follows that same tired formula for a summer blockbuster. No, the problem those who love the novel have is that the amazing story and manner of storytelling that is “World War Z” is not being adapted to the screen. Plus, Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment own the title's film rights, so a film adaptation that stays true to source material will not be produced until Plan B loses or sells the property.

There is another, more upsetting problem with the film that comes across in the preview. This movie does not fit into the zombie film genre that has stuck with so many of us for so long. Sure, the trailer clearly shows mindless, once-human creatures attempting to attack others. But the genre is defined by the human stories and the human conflicts that arise in the zombie apocalypse. Zombie films are not about explosions and an us-against-them mentality. They reveal that we are the monsters, that we are humanity’s biggest threat.

The zombies of this trailer are just a faceless swarm, just an innumberable mass forming a ladder of endlessly pursuant bodies. There is only one moment where the trailer briefly shows a zombie with a face. In all other instances, the zombies are just a CGI swell. The packs of zombies are more like flood waters than masses of infected humans.

Still “World War Z” will be released on June 21, 2013 whether or not fans of the novel and fans of the zombie film in general approve. Do you want to see “World War Z” next summer? Why or why not?

DnD History: A Review of Playing at the World

Jon Peterson. Playing at the World: A History of Simulating Wars, People and Fantastic Adventures, from Chess to Role-Playing Games. (San Diego: Unreason Press, 2012.)

Chronicling DnD History
The definitive text for the cultural and historical context surrounding the 1974 publication of Dungeons & Dragons is Jon Peterson's Playing at the World: A History of Simulating Wars, People and Fantastic Adventures, from Chess to Role-Playing Games, although one likely will not find it in most university libraries. Coming in at over 700 pages, Peterson’s self-published gem tells the story of how DnD was constructed from components of wargaming, fantasy literature, and role-playing and how the pencil-and-paper phenomenon revolutionized our lives. The book attempts to parse out not just what DnD drew from those elements that preceded it, but more importantly what it developed that helped to shape the genre of the role-playing game.

From the beginning, Peterson’s main goal was to write a history of DnD relying exclusively on primary sources such as fanzines. To lend the information even more credence, he only draws information from sources that were printed within the year following the event(s) being discussed. The more sensational stories are disregarded since his aim is to compose a solid history without rumors passed off as fact. The information in the book is extensively footnoted and the bibliography is nonpareil.

Peterson’s ability to pack so much detail into such a tight narrative demonstrates a command of the historical information that he is presenting that only comes with total immersion in a subject. He is not oblivious to the predominantly informational tone of Playing at the World; he describes his book as a “dry, factual framework” (xvi). Peterson set out to write the definitive sourcebook for other scholars, and when doing historical research every scholar appreciates the text that trades a witty turn of phrase for a clearly worded statement of fact.

Contents
The first chapter of Playing at the World covers the history of wargaming communities from the founding of the Avalon Hill Game Company in 1954 to the publication of DnD in 1974. Peterson provides a detailed view of the wargaming community and its key players. Along the way he also defines wargaming, explains its origins, distinguishes between board wargaming and miniature wargaming, and describes medieval and fantasy wargaming. The events recounted in the chapter come to a head when two luminaries in the wargaming community Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson create the three-booklet original edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

In the three chapters that follow, Peterson presents DnD as an outgrowth of the setting provided by fantasy fiction (chapter 2), the system provided by wargaming (chapter 3), and the concept of character provided by immersive role playing (chapter 4). The fantasy literary genre not only helped to shape the topographical landscape of DnD but also introduced such elements as race, class, alignment, equipment, and scenarios. In addition, Peterson’s history of wargaming from 1780 to 1968 maps the evolution of the system that would make up the basic mechanisms for modeling action and characters while simulating reality in DnD. From wargaming, DnD took the concepts of a referee (dungeon master), polyhedral dice for determining the outcome of a character’s actions, leveling, hit points, and various other features now associated with role-playing games. Further, full immersion in adolescent games of pretend eventually gained a foothold in wargaming through games like Diplomacy and introduced the notion of fully inhabiting a character of one’s own creation.

The fifth chapter and the epilogue present an accounting of the ways that DnD has helped shape historical and cultural developments since its publications. Picking up the story at the rise in popularity and the expansion of DnD after its initial publication, the fifth chapter chronicles the creation of numerous games meant to compete with DnD. Prompted by a sizable market, the term “role-playing game” was appropriated to describe the genre. The epilogue handles DnD’s cultural reception and the transition from the table top to the computer screen, from the dungeon master to the computer program. DnD not only molded the role-playing genre of video games but it still influences almost all genres of video game.

Unfortunate Timing
Playing at the World hit the shelves at a time when the market is full up with histories of wargaming and role-playing games. From 2010 to October 23, 2012, there have been six other titles released dealing with topics similar to those in Playing at the World. Another is scheduled for release in May of 2013. Of those seven titles (see below), five are published by publishing houses that have wide distribution to university libraries. Peterson’s decision to self-publish was wise in that any publisher would have edited the text down significantly, stripping it of its exhaustive historicity. Still, unless Playing at the World can get distribution to research-university libraries, the text might never reach its target audience.

Playing at the World is not without faults. In fact, the book’s most glaring fault is also its principal achievement: each page is so densely packed with minutiae that the book might never appeal to a wide audience. Playing at the World will be the authoritative text on Dungeons & Dragons for decades and could maintain an academic audience, but the average reader will likely never read it. Still, there are a large number of DnD and role-playing game fans who will find the book extremely interesting, though slow and navel-gazing at times.



**The Other Histories of Wargaming and Role-Playing Games (2010-2012)**
Jennifer Grouling Cover. The Creation of Narrative in Tabletop Role-Playing Games. (Jefferson: McFarland, July 1, 2010).
Michael J. Tresca. The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games. (Jefferson: McFarland, November 16, 2010).
Shannon Appelcine. Designers & Dragons. (Swindon: Mongoose, October 24, 2011).
Philipp von Hilgers. War Games: A History of War on Paper. (Cambridge: The MIT Press, March 16, 2012).
Philip Sabin. Simulating War: Studying Conflict Through Simulation Games. (London: Continuum, March 22, 2012).
Christopher George Lewin. War Games and Their History. (Stroud: Fonthill Media, October 23, 2012).
David M. Ewalt. Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It. (New York: Scribner, May 7, 2013).

Skyrim Dragonborn DLC Preview

The next Skyrim DLC has been revealed. After Bethesda posted a teaser image on November 2, the official trailer for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s new DLC “Dragonborn” premiered today.

The “Dragonborn” DLC is set on the snowy island of Solstheim, located east of Skyrim in the province of Morrowind. “Dragonborn” introduces a Dragon Priest who was the first Dragonborn. The Dragon Priest once ruled over Solstheim in the name of the Dragons. He is trying to return to Tamriel. The trailer features dragon mounts, various new types of armor, goblins throwing spears, and a few new enemy types. The DLC will be available for download on Xbox Live on December 4, 2012.

Gamers teased out “Dragonborn” details a while ago 
Not long after Skyrim hit the shelves, a curious PC gamer discovered that using console commands to crash the invisible wall at the border of Skyrim and Morrowind found near Stendarr’s Beacon. Beyond the border, he discovered a low resolution model of Solstheim. This led to early speculation that Skyrim DLC might take gamers back to areas from past installments of the Elder Scrolls series. 

Fewer rumors spawned from ZeniMax, Bethesda’s parent company, trademarking the term “Dragonborn” on May 18, 2012. As Dragonborn is a key term in Skyrim’s lore, it made sense for ZeniMax to protect their intellectual property. However, the trademark filing is limited to “computer game software for use with computers and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the internet and wireless devices.” 

User Mardoxx posted the first rumors of Skyrim’s upcoming DLC on a Bethesda Softworks forum. Mardoxx discovered various lines of code hinting at the Dragonborn DLC in the Beta version of the 1.8 update which Bethesda uploaded to Steam on October 15. Mardoxx identified the likely name of the DLC, a number of locations within Solstheim (Raven Rock, Miraak Temple, Castle Karstaag, and Telvanni Tower), four new armor types (Bonemold, Chitin, Nordic, and Stalhrim), and code indicating the addition of dragon mounts. Despite some initial skepticism among forum users, others confirmed that the files could be found within the 1.8 update. Bethesda made no comment on these findings, but the trailer released today confirms the presence of a number of things Mardoxx found buried in the update files.  

The 1.8 update and DLC woes continue for Playstation gamers On November 1, Skyrim 1.8 update moved out of beta and became available to all those who play Skyrim on PC. If past updates are any indication, 1.8 should be available to console gamers a week to a week and a half after it was released for PC. 

BUG FIXES 
General memory and stability improvements 
Fixed rare crash when using vampiric grip 
Fixed issue where Arnleif and Sons Trading Company could become permanently locked 
Fixed issue related to duplicate NPCs 
Fixed rare issue where exterior door would not open properly 
New locations

News of the latest update and “Dragonborn” still do not answer the question 
Playstation gamers are asking of Bethesda: “When will we get the DLC?” Bethesda has yet to port any Skyrim DLC for Playstation, leaving some gamers fed up with the company. Neither “Dawnguard” nor “Hearthfire” are yet available for Playstation, and the “Dragonborn” preview makes no mention of the console. 

Still, PC and Xbox gamers have reason to be excited. “Dragonborn” hits the Xbox marketplace on December 4, 2012 and will cost $19.99 or 1600 Microsoft points. PC gamers should be able to download "Dragonborn" in January 2013.

Disney and Star Wars: Nothing Could Go Wrong

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm and along with it the rights to Star Wars, the news made waves all over the internet. The additional bombshell that Disney has plans to produce three more films in the series that will take up the story after the events of Episode 6: Return of the Jedi, has led to a decent amount of speculation and anxiety among Star Warslovers. Well, allay those fears.

Ask yourself: What could Disney possibly do to hurt the integrity of the Star Warscanon that George Lucas has not already done? Things like a planet of teddy bears and protracted, cutesy pod racing scenes were never beyond Lucas. Nor was any character’s dignity safe in his hands. Yoda became a CGI shell of his former self, especially following his ridiculous light-saber battle in Episode 2: The Clone Wars. Darth Vader lost most all of his menacing presence after audiences were exposed to Hayden Christensen’s whiny portrayal of Anakin Skywalker.

Lucas slowly alienated his fan base with every film after Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back. Disappointment with the creative direction of the series coupled with frustration at Lucas’s seemingly constant tinkering with the films. Fans took offense when Lucas remastered the original trilogy, updating special effects and revising elements of the story. (Han Shot First!)

Still, the loyalty of Star Wars fans has brought them back over and over again. With Disney now holding the reins, fans have reason to hope for the future of the franchise. Disney has no plans to remake the classic series. The company will give fans what they want: new Star Wars. 

Lucas stated in a YouTube video that he has story treatments for Episodes 7, 8, and 9. In a press release, Disney CEO Robert Iger announced that the company will work with George Lucas and his chosen successor Kathleen Kennedy to expand the franchise in directions that are in-line with Lucas’s vision. Now we all must wait and see if Disney will find creative talent that can provide fresh eyes while treating the material with the same reverence that the fans do.

Fears of negative influence by a large corporation with only the bottom line to answer to generally prove to be well-founded in the minds of movie-franchise purists. But because of Disney’s track record with other recent acquisitions Pixar and Marvel Studios, signs point to some very happy fans exiting Episode 7 in 2015. 

With any luck, Disney will make no references to Jar Jar Binks and will find the prints closest to the originals and lock them in the vault only to be rereleased occasionally and only then with very minor remastering, if any.

"A Very Venture Halloween": First Look at The Venture Bros Season 5

Venture Bros. fanatics will finally get a show fix to tide us over for the time being. At 11:30 pm ET, Adult Swim will air The Venture Bros. half-hour special “A Very Venture Halloween.” Two different previews of the special have been released (see below). In one of the previews, Hank Venture wears his sunglasses at night and Dermott Fictel is done up in makeup based one way or another on The Crow. (Dermott might say his makeup was black metal or maybe even intended to look like the pro wrestler Sting). Together with a sullen Dean Venture, the three investigate a spooky house on the Venture compound. The other preview features Dr. Venture, Sergeant Hatred, Pete White in a Ziggy Stardust costume, and Billy Quizboy dressed as an unconvincing Rusty Venture sitting in the compound’s surveillance room placing wagers on how far trick-or-treaters can make it onto the estate’s grounds without setting off the deadly security system. Alongside the usual voice talents, J. K. Simmons provide the voice of a geneticist for the first new episode of The Venture Bros.in 14 months.

On August 28, 2011, The Venture Bros. special “From the Ladle to the Grave: The Story of Shallow Gravy” gave fans some of the characters and the nerdy popular culture humor we love, but the special wasn’t entirely significant to the show’s storyline. The last time an episode aired that advanced The Venture Bros. narrative was the fourth season finale on November 21, 2010. That was almost two years ago! And despite the long wait, most Venture Bros. fans haven’t found much reason to complain. The Venture Bros. wasn’t put on a network hiatus, nor was the show being retooled. Fans of the critically-praised Adult Swim cartoon have learned to be patient in waiting for new episodes of the series. Fans know that when series creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer take their time producing the show, the end product is extremely high quality episodes. After all, it took a year and a half from the time the show’s pilot aired for the first season of The Venture Bros. to begin.

 

When the fifth season premieres in early 2013, it will pick up where season 4 left off, beginning--in the timeline of the show--before The Halloween Special. The fifth season will feature ten episodes; the Halloween special counts as one episode and the hour-long season premiere counts as two. The remaining seven episodes will be 30 minutes each.

A clip from a fifth season episode played during The Venture Bros. panel at New York Comic Con 2012. The clip features a flashback scene with Jonas Venture Sr. and the original Team Venture in Greece preparing to go to the Kennedy-Onassis wedding. As is typical of these types of flashbacks in Venture Bros., a young Rusty Venture is pretending to be an adventurer like his dad and Jonas Sr. is dismissive of Rusty’s shenanigans.

Also during that same panel discussion at New York Comic Con a sizzle reel for season 5 was shown. The reel was introduced by Colonel Hunter Gathers in his usual tone: a no nonsense bark that is a mix between R. Lee Ermey and Hunter S. Thompson. The predominantly voiceless video features Henchman 21 dressed in a S.P.H.I.N.X. costume using his butterfly wings to hijack a truck; Sgt. Hatred--sporting a large pair of breasts--seemingly saving the Doc from a group of kidnappers; Dr. Orpheus standing inside a glyph surrounded by various characters with magical powers including Jefferson Twilight, The Alchemist, Orpheus’s ex-wife Tatiana and her new husband the OutRider; someone opening a bathroom stall to find Brock in his underwear standing between the legs of a large robot; Jonas Venture Sr. sword-fighting with L. Ron Hubbard’s robotic avatar; Dean dressed as Dracula rising from his learning bed; The Monarch about to perform dental work on Dr. Venture; Tim-Tom in the Monarch’s throne; Captain Sunshine and Wonder Boy; and numerous other snippets.

As the Venture Bros. panel drew to a close, Doc Hammer summed up just why the upcoming Halloween special is so awesome. “You know what’s better than all this crap?” Hammer asked. “There’s actual Venture Brothers. Like soon.”