Despite hitting some snags in the form of Sega, SCEA, Capcom, and Microsoft backouts, it appears E for All is gaining steam after getting big boosts from dozens of other movers in the gaming industry who have confirmed participation. To prove that E for All is going smoothly as planned, IDG World Expo is now announcing that Future US, Inc. will be publishing the official show magazine for the said event.

This is big news especially for those who are familiar in the ins and outs of attending conventions like this. Why? Event magazines not only provide attendees with a good source of show floor guide, exhibitor and product information, special features and interviews, it's also a great souvenir - it goes right beside event press IDs and pictures with booth babes. Anyway, IDG World Expo CEO Mary Dolaher expressed the same enthusiasm after saying:

We're thrilled to team up with Future to create "E for All Magazine," the event’s official show publication. Given Future’s experience producing publications such as Official Xbox Magazine, PSM: Independent PlayStation Magazine, PC Gamer, Maximum PC and Next Gen, we’re greatly anticipating the creation of a top-notch magazine and commemorative keepsake for this inaugural event.

The magazine will be a 64-page collector's edition in support of the inaugural E for All. Contents will include feature stories, game reviews, product highlights, a full expo schedule, floor plan and exclusive features, interviews with acclaimed game developers, and a user-generated car art from Forza 2. E for All magazine will also carry a commemorative cover to give spice to the said event which will take place October 18-21 at the Los Angeles Convention Center - told you it's a keeper.

Richard Garriott, a.k.a. Lord British, will be featured in the August 2007 issue of PC Gamer Magazine talking about his views and opinions on the Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games market. This is the first of a series of articles where he will share his ideas about the future of the genre and of Tabula Rasa, his latest project.

Lord British is best known in the gaming community for the Ultima series. His experience in the MMO field includes the production of Ultima Online, one of the games that revolutionized the current MMO genre. Other feathers in his cap include being the executive producer of popular games like City of Heroes, City of Villains, and Lineage. 

With a resume like that, Garriott's word on MMOs is definitely worth its weight in gold, making this upcoming issue (and the its succeeding series) a must-read for any avid MMO player who likes to be in the know. Swing by your local newsstand or subscribe to get your copy of this issue.

Well we've just brought to you the Screenshot of the Week, so there won't be anything new just yet for NCSoft's Tabula Rasa. But we do have news for you on its featured preview article in the upcoming July 2007 issue of the magazine PC Gamer.

If you're interested to find out more about the ins and outs of Tabula Rasa, then this edition just might be the thing for you. There will be about three pages worth of game input right there, so that should be more than just plain sufficient in giving you the heads up on the game. Apart from that, there will also be a sidebar article which reveals details on two of the eight Tier 4 classes: Grenadier and Engineer.

Anyway, until that edition comes out on bookstands (and until beyond, actually), you always have good ol' trusty QJ to fill you in on the latest with Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa.

 

NCsoft Europe and media publisher Future have teamed up in promoting all three of Guild Wars games. The demos will be distributed on PC Gamer (The Guild Wars Prophecies), PC Format (Guild Wars Factions), and PC Zone (Guild Wars Nightfall). Each demo gives players 14 days to try the game and see if they would like to buy a full version of it.

NCsoft European PR Manager David Blundell spoke on the deal they made with Future and the benefits they are expecting to gain from this partnership.

We're delighted to be working with Future Publishing on such an amazing promotional campaign. Each of the Guild Wars games offers a unique and thrilling experience for the player. By offering all three trials at the same time we're giving gamers the perfect opportunity to sample everything the Guild Wars series has to show.

When will this promo start? Well, Guild Wars Nightfall will be out the new issue of PC Zone this May 24. Prophecies and Factions which come with PC Gamer and PC Format will be out this June 7. It would actually be good for you to try the game out since the newest expansion, Guild Wars: Eye of the North is set to be out this Autumn. So if you've been subscribing to one or all of those magazines, you should be getting a copy of the demos to try out. If not, well you can always pick up a copy from your local news stand.

PC gamer sales are currently having a resurgence in the U.S., and one of the reasons behind it is the steadily growing popularity of MMORPGS. In particular, Blizzard's World of Warcraft.

New York Times reports that according to an analyst from the NPD Group, U.S. retailers sold US$ 203 million worth of PC games in the first two months of 2007. NPD's Anita Frazier said that sales in the same period last year peaked at US$ 136.8 million.

According to Frazier, sales of RPG titles were 43 percent higher than in the first two months of 2006, and the release of The Burning Crusade in January is likely to have accounted for a great deal of these sales. "The robust performance we're seeing in PC game sales can be tied to several key titles across several genres," said Frazier. "But we'd be remiss not to address the continued success of World of Warcraft."

Guild Wars Guru has got some rather useful tip for you, if you want to learn more about some more leaked info on NCSoft's Guild Wars 2: grab yourselves a copy of the magazine PC Gamer's May 2007 Issue #161.

Why? That's because stashed in those glossy pages are about eleven pages of pictures, concept art, tips and tricks from a game and lead designer, descriptions on the new playable races for GW2, as well as a Q&A with ArenaNet founder">Jeff Strain to grant us some sneak peek into the game's new technology.

But of course, we'll allow you some sneak peek of our own by posting here some of the leaked tidbits on Guild Wars 2. For example, on the new Playable races, there are actually four of them: Sylvari, Asuras, Charr, and Norn. And then, you unfortunately will not have the option to migrate characters from Guild Wars 1 to Guild Wars 2. What you may do, instead, is to carry achievements forward via all of Monuments.

As for the level cap: "Events will also offer a way for players of different levels to keep interacting in the persistent world - which is crucial, since right now, ArenaNet is planning a very high [100-plus], or possibly no level cap."

Oh, and we're pretty sure you'd like to know about how much you'll have to shell out every month. The answer is: none. At least for now, that is. There will also be none of them 'campaigns' for GW2, while mini-expansions and expansions are more probable than not to happen.

To check out what else has been 'leaked' - at least the summaries of it - click on our Via link.

 

GamesRadar reports that Paul Barnett, the creative director of Mythic Creative, says in this month's issue of "PC Gamer" magazine that game guides and walkthroughs corrupt the enjoyment of the game. Barnett explains:

A game guide is actually there to corrupt your enjoyment of the game. ...It tells you the most efficient, straightforward and dull way to increase your numbers, and in no way tells you the wonder and joy of the game you're playing.

For most games the wonder and joy is in getting there. In fact in most of life, the joy is in getting to something. ...We now have people obsessed with getting to the endgame, not realising that the greatness is in going on that journey.

If previous promotion of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is to be taken as something a bit more than hype, than Barnett's latest game is set to jolt folks who are walkthrough-reliant, grind-obsessed, and build-anal. We'll end this here, before this post starts sounding like a promotion for "PC Gamer" or Warhammer Online. But, before we go, we'll ask you guys a question.

How do you use your game walkthroughs? Do you make sure that a walkthrough is available before you purchase that US$ 50 dollar 40 plus hour, story-heavy game? Do you consider walkthrough users to be gaming equivalents of the physically handicapped?

Personally, I do my best to play through a game first as fast as I can, not minding secrets and other stuff, with the goal of just getting to see what happens next. If the experience satisfies, only then do I start looking for walkthroughs to get every secret and every hidden ultimate weapon.

What about you folks? What's your take on game guides?

The folks over at TR Stratics have a development timeline of NCSoft's hybrid MMO, Tabula Rasa. Yes folks, you can now get a decent overview of the "when will it be done?" Richard Garriott-headed game.

Major milestones are covered, from Garriott's initial hints about "Project X" in PC Gamer interview way back in October 1996, to it eventually getting the moniker Tabula Rasa in May 20, 2001, to the launch of the Play TR website in 2004, to its many redesigns in 2005, all the way to the start of the Beta sign-ups in early January of this year.

For a game that's been conceptualized since 1996, it better be good when it gets launched. So to all you folks lucky enough to be part of the not-so-open Beta, be sure to help out on stress tests, and help the devs polish the game up, mmkay?

To access the detailed Development Timeline, feel free to click on our "Read" link below.

If you're looking for a cool new pet minion for use in Perpetual Entertainment's Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising, go put some pants on and head for the newsstand nearest you. This month's issue of PC Gamer has an ad that will tell you all the pertinent info on how to get a code for the War Boar, an in-game exclusive pet minion.

The elusive and entertaining War Boar will accompany you in your travels from the beginning and will give you some much-needed aid in battle. This stylin' pet minion will also have special war paint in the colors of your base colors. Talk about accessorizing.

The War Boar is attainable only through the special PC Gamer offer. Also, please note that the said issue of PC Gamer includes an offer to win a signed copy of Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising. However, the prize has been changed to a signed t-shirt due to legal restrictions.

It's that time of the month, people. For those looking for parties to crash to after the Christmas and New Year's festivities, listen up. We're just giving you guys a gentle reminder of a quiet little event that's taking place this January 8 to 11 next year, at Las Vegas, and we're sure you guys will want to go.

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2007) will be picking where the now-pwned downgraded E3 (Once again, booo! Hisss!) left off.

Now, aside from our previous reports of guest speakers like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Gary Shapiro, we got (by way of IGN) updates on more gamer-friendly features the organizers will be showcasing.

First up are the conferences - 175 total - being given by professionals on what's going in gaming from the latest rends and technologies, to unique topics like "Ultimate Gaming" and "Understanding Female Gamers."

And as for the other events:

• The Gaming TechZone: This section will be featuring several booths manned by famous game-related companies like Majesco, Gameloft, PC Gamer, Maximum PC, Game Quest, Wolfking, and QMotions. Expect more as we near the conference day.
• World Series of Video Games All-Star Festival: This Intel-sponsored event will host hands-on play on new goodies that the guys over at Xbox 360 and Fatal1ty Brands will be churning out. Attendees can also look forward to playing off again last year's World Series winners. 

We look forward to seeing just what sort of event this will turn out to be, and hope you guys enjoy the event's 40th anniversary - about as old as some of you dudes.

The Consumer Electronics Association's senior vice president, events and conferences, Karen Chupka: "With the CES Gaming TechZone featuring top gaming companies across the globe, conference sessions and other special gaming events, the 2007 International CES is the global hub for the latest trends emerging on the gaming market."