World of Tanks 360 Edition: This War Has Changed

I've been playing World of Tanks on my PC for a number of years. I've seen the game change many times since I started playing. From the addition of larger and more powerful tanks, to the physics engine and graphical overhaul of 8.0 and beyond. The changes I've noticed in Wargamings first console port are by far, the most drastic.

From the mechanics of upgrading and purchasing new tanks, to the way the games flow, everything has been noticeably adjusted or overhauled. The game feels significantly different from top to bottom. At first blush, I was a little disappointed to see the World of Tanks I knew so altered. The more I play, however, the more convinced that most of these changes are good.

Treads and Steel: An E-Sports Evening to Remember

Sunday night, we had the pleasure of attending the World of Tanks Championship. Hosted by NVidia at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle, the championship hosted five teams from around the world, competing for a grand prize of $20,000. It was a very memorable night for the teams involved as well as the spectators.

World of Warplanes is a Finely Tuned Machine

While meeting with the folks from Wargaming.net, I got a little face time with World of Warplanes. Still in closed beta, World of Warplanes takes the concept of world of Tanks and applies it to classic warplanes, from biplanes to early jets. The game looks to become as diverse as World of Tanks, with German, US and Russian planes available now and Japanese planes available at the game's launch.

World of Warplanes isn't a flight simulator, but trying out different planes, I could feel distinct differences even between planes in the same class. Flight games are constantly fighting to find a balance between arcade play and realistic flight. Often, in search of a specific demographic, a flight game will sacrifice one for the other and end up missing out on a larger potential audience.

World of Warplanes has seemingly struck the perfect balance. The gameplay feels authentic without needing a pilot's licence, and accessible without being dumbed down. This balance is furthered by the new "module" system for upgrading your planes.

The modules represent historically accurate configurations of weapons, armor and engines on each of the planes. Each module structures the plane towards specific play styles. This makes it easier for players to upgrade their planes for the roles that best suit them, either focusing or ground or air targets, heavy armor and weapons or speed and maneuverability. Players can also research individual components, as in World of Tanks, and even create their own custom modules should they desire a deeper customization experience.

The planes themselves are divided into various classes, from interceptors to dedicated ground attack planes. Each nation will also have their own specific class of plane. The only ones revealed so far are the Carrier based planes for the US and Japan.

The gameplay is similar to World of Tanks in that two groups of up to 15 players fight across a map to destroy each other or complete specified objectives. Rather than holding and capturing the opposing teams base, players can choose to destroy ground targets such as tanks and airbases to gain points towards victory. Many of these targets are not static and will fight back. Buildings are often defended by AA batteries, making them dangerous but tempting targets. Friendly fire is a reality in World of Warplanes, so luring enemy planes into your AA guns can be a very dangerous tactic.

World of Warplanes promises to be an exciting and fast paced game with all of the strategic elements and customization that made World of Tanks unique. Flight enthusiasts, aviation buffs, action fans and even more casual players should find the game accessible and fun to play. In this way, World of Warplanes is what every online game should be.

World of Tanks; now with Better Graphics, Realistic Physics, and 100% More Cliff Kills

I sat down with Wargaming.net at PAX to talk about their lineup of online military action games. I left that room 45 minutes later wiping drool from my mouth, more eager than ever to play the whole suite of Wargaming.net's offerings.

I was treated to a look at the latest update for World of Tanks. Update 8.0 adds a slough of new graphic elements to the game. Realistic lighting, dynamic weather and gorgeous water effects are just a few of the more noticeable effects they've added. Those of you who have been playing World of Tanks for a while now will agree that this looks like a whole new game. The uninitiated should watch the 7.5 update trailer as well as the new 8.0 trailer.

Update 8.0 is more than a just a face lift. The addition of a realistic physics engine aims to do away with a number of exploitative strategies that have been frustrating players for a long time. No more balancing on cliffs to shoot down at players. Try that in 8.0 and you'll find yourself plummeting to your death. Larger tanks can also use their girth to push other tanks and wreckage out of the way, adding whole new strategic elements to the game. You'll also notice the suspension of the tanks move and shift as they cross the terrain. Gather enough speed going over a hill and you can end up airborne briefly. All in all, 8.0 aims to deepen the fidelity and authenticity of the already incredibly detailed game.

If that isn't enough to get you excited, Wargaming.net is also working on World of Tanks: Generals. Generals is a free-to-play, browser based CCG. There will be multiple game modes available when the game launches, but I was shown a mode that closely resembles the basic gameplay mode from World of Tanks. Each player has a headquarters, a number of tank cards as well as events and powerups to tip the balance in your favor. The object is the same; destroy your opponent's forces and/or capture their headquarters.

Most CCG's have you buy booster packs with a random selection of cards that may or may not contain something you can use in your deck. Generals is importing the research system from World of Tanks to let players build a deck specifically tuned to their play style.

Because Generals is an HTML5 based game, it will be compatible on almost any device, be it PC, MAC, or Tablet. You will also be able to start a game on one device and finish it on another.

It was also confirmed that Generals players will share their account with World of Tanks. How exactly the shared accounts and cross over content will be expressed has yet to be revealed.

Wargaming.net is growing by leaps and bounds. The company is growing quickly, as is the player base for World of Tanks. The continued attention to the game and impressive quality of the updates released so far show that Wargaming.net cares a great deal about their community. Update 8.0 is the biggest so far, but I doubt it will be the last. Generals promises to add more to the player experience, something you can pick up and play without having to leave the familiar confines of World of Tanks. If their attention to detail and depth is any indication, I'd say it's fair to expect big things from Wargaming.net in the very near future.