Here's a lovely medley of some of the Heroes of Might and Magic classics performed by Paul Romero himself in Pianestival in France on Tuesday July 6th 2010. It includes the Grasslands melody from Heroes II, the Main theme from Heroes V and the Academy Theme from Heroes IV and V.
Thanks Marzhin! Let's hope that the Heroes Music duo (Romero and Rob King) will be back once again for Heroes VI.
In case anyone missed the thread at the Round Table, our very own Marzhin revealed that he has been a Ubisoft employee for a year, working as level designer. I had been aware of that exciting opportunity for some time but I couldn't say anything of course. Marzhin also made a few clarifications regarding the demo shown at Gamescon earlier this week. Here are some of the details:
Town screen: there is still a town screen, or more accurately, a town window. Each town still have its own theme music and all. It is a 2D, animated town screen. The Haven town screen was part of the missing elements, that's why it was replaced by a mere screenshot for the demo.
You can see more info about a city on its 3D model on the adventure map (not just its town hall and if it has fortifications). You can learn a lot about your adversary's strategy just by observing how he developed his towns.
There are still mines on the adventure map. You still have to flag them in order to gain resources. The new stuff is now all mines are in the "area of control" of a city or fort. Once you own the fort/city of an area and flagged(?) the mines, the only way to take the mines from you is to capture the city/fort that controls the area.
I know some of you think there are a lot of changes to the classic Heroes formula, and I understand changes can be scary. Truth be told, I reacted the same way at first. I can only advise you to wait until you play it before passing a judgement. I can assure you it still feels and plays like Heroes. It adds some new stuff to the mix, but doesn't try to be revolutionary or turn Heroes into something completely different. However, no, it is not Heroes III redux. And I think it's a good thing.
I would like to congratulate Marzhin again for this exciting "new" job. He's one of the most knowledgeable and creative Heroes players around, so Ubisoft certainly did the right thing by bringing him in the development team.
There is a detailed preview of Heroes Kingdoms at Multiplayer Online Games Directory that explains how the Heroes series expanded to the Web. Screenshots are included to show some of the most common interface screens.
"Empire sims are one of the most prevalent genres when it comes to free-to-play MMOs. In a lot of cases, most of them play exactly the same, with the only difference being a new coat of paint and a few different rule changes. Besides being based in the popular Might & Magic mythology, Might & Magic: Heroes Kingdoms also succeeds by approaching the genre in a fresh way."
But unlike what the article says, the game is already available in North America. You can start playing here.
From the press release: San Francisco, CA – August 17, 2010 – Today Ubisoft announced the return of the fan beloved Might & Magic franchise with the development of Might & Magic Heroes VI, which will be available worldwide on Windows PC in 2011. Developed by Black Hole Entertainment (Armies of Exigo, Mark of Chaos Battle March), Might & Magic Heroes VI will include all the characters and features that have made this brand a worldwide success, in addition to a wealth of new innovations.
"Might & Magic is a powerful franchise with an amazing 20-year legacy," said Adam Novickas, director of marketing at Ubisoft U.S. "Players will be able to enjoy the Heroes experience like never before. The amazing creative teams at Black Hole Entertainment are keeping the original Heroes spirit, while enhancing the RPG elements."
The Might & Magic Heroes VI adventure starts 400 years before the events in Heroes of Might & Magic® V, showcasing a family of heroes in a thrilling, epic story where Angels plot to revive an unfinished war.
A legendary Archangel general killed during the war of the Elder races returns to life with a vengeance. Under the cover of preparations for an upcoming Demon invasion, he unites the peoples of Ashan to eradicate his ancient enemies. However, he underestimates the power of the all too human dynasty of the Griffin Dukes.
The Griffin heroes' destinies will be written by players. In the game, players will be able to:
Enjoy the critically acclaimed Heroes gameplay, remasterized with the well-known developer, Black Hole Entertainment, and in close partnership with the game's numerous fans.
Experience the unique mix of Turn-Based Strategy & RPG: Explore extra-large adventure maps, collect tons of resources and build extraordinary cities. Perfect your tactics to level-up your heroes, recruit troops & ready them for combat on exclusive battle maps
Shape your destiny: Lead the Heroes of the Griffin dynasty within an intriguing scenario. Choose your path, assume your choices and customize your gaming experience thanks to a brand new reputation system.
Rediscover the richness of the Might & Magic Universe: Discover fantastic landscapes and creatures from the world of Ashan. Enjoy revisited 3D designs and an exclusive new bestiary.
Share with the community: Post content & compete with your friends using a new and intelligent, online community interface.
On heroescommunity few allegedly leaked screens showed up. More than anything it looks like Heroes 5 Heroes 6. Click here and here to check them out. Or you can go directly to the source post. Discuss.
UPDATE:
Ok, it seems it's not a fake after all. Here is teaser.
There's a small teaser for an announcement related to Might and Magic on the brand's official Facebook page. It's basically only a poster with a Haven (?) town and the words "A new era begins...", and a very short Flash video becomes available if you "Like" the page (a Facebook account is required). I will let you speculate on the meaning...
Edit: The video can also be viewed from here, without registration.
In this release, Ubisoft have publicized their Q1 sales. In short, it's good news.
Estimated sales for the first quarter totaled €160 million, up 93% compared with the €83 million recorded for the first quarter 2009-10.
They had guessed slightly lower (€145 million), but were pleasantly surprised with the sales of Splinter Cell Conviction as well as other titles. CEO Yves Guillemot underlined the "varied and distinct" range of their line-up, a statement we will take as a positive re the chances of a possible Heroes VI release. There's no release this year, obviously; Q2 will be dominated by H.A.W.K and R.U.S.E (what is it with these guys and acronyms?), and there's no time to make a brand new game in six months anyway. What I am hoping for is a certain announcement within the year. That the producer is making money and seem happy with their high variety of games is a good thing.
In other news, Ubi have also released this summary of all the awards their games received at this year's E3. We haven't reviewed these games, of course, but we can certainly do that with Heroes games, so come on, Ubi, get some out there!
Ubisoft has a special sale on the digital version of the Heroes of Might and Magic V pack (which includes the basic game and expansions) for $15. That's $5 less than on Steam (Heroes V wasn't part of their Summer sale). However, the offer is open to residents of the United States only.
The Nintendo DS game Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes is also on sale at $15, which is roughly half the regular price. The HD version (for PS3 and Xbox 360) is coming later this Summer.
Steam has an incredible sale going on through July 4th. The price of dozens of games has been reduced, and great deals are available for company-specific packages. The list of specials is too long to reprint here, but here is how much you will pay for the recent Might and Magic games:
King's Bounty: The Legend ($3.24): A steal at that price.
King's Bounty: Gold Edition ($9.99): That edition combines the basic game and the Armored Princess expansion.
Heroes of Might and Magic V ($6.69): I doubt the price will go below that point anytime soon.
Heroes of Might And Magic V Pack ($20.07): The basic game with the two expansions, but you save only $1 so if this is the first time you play Heroes V, try a standalone game first (either Heroes V or Tribes of the East).
Dark Messiah Might and Magic ($6.69): That's really how much that game is worth. Much cheaper than the Xbox 360 version.
The Heroes Pack ($26.77): That's Heroes V, its expansions and Dark Messiah. Again you're saving pennies compared to the indivial purchases. But there's a lot of gameplay in that package.
Disciples II Gold ($6.79): An oldie but a goodie, it will keep you busy until Disciples III comes out.
You really need to check out the other deals on the Steam site, I guarantee you'll find something to keep you busy this Summer.
Summer is here, and in the middle of vuvuzela noises and the smell of sweat from Tour de Freance bikers, I at least shall manage to pop by once in a while. Please note, however, that with the holiday comes a probable decline in activity from our staff members (including me), and that any maps you have sent in may be a bit delayed in their publication on Celestial Heavens.
Once again we encourage people to send us maps along with minimaps and screenshots, to give us as complete a package as possible. This will enable us to publish them quicker, as we won't have to wait for one of us to return to our own computers.
The Community of The Heroes Round Table remains as open as always; an idea bank and source for unofficial tech support from volunteers such as yourself. The Celestial Heavens gang wish you all a very nice summer.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010 opened today, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The even is held from June 15-17, so if you're a gamer, and in the area, you're most likely headed there. Get some photos for us and we'll put them up on the site for you.
The E3 website gives you access to interviews, trailers and daily wrap-ups; you can follow the event on various interactive social media, view videos and more. We are anxious to know more about the Ubisoft lineup that was previewed some time ago - specifically whether there is any news about the Heroes series. Obviously not amongst the biggest games, small hints may drown out in the currents.
For starters, you might want to have a look at the Ubisoft section ...
The follow-up to Armored Princess has been revealed; currently in development is a new standalone expansion called King's Bounty: Crossworlds.
1C lists several new features, and in addition to new spells, abilities and creatures, a Game Editor is also said to be included. We can assume this means that Crossworlds will be the final expansion of King's Bounty.
In other news, there's also an interview with the fellas from Capybara Games out on Gamasutra.
In this release, Ubisoft have published their full-year economic results for 2009-10. In short, it has been a tough year for Ubi, as it has been for the gaming industry as a whole. Last year they could show to a net profit, this year, they've lost money.
"The global economic crisis had a pronounced impact on the video game industry in 2009, which contracted by nearly 10% year-on-year. Ubisoft's sales were hit particularly hard, falling 18% over the full year despite a stabilization in the second half of the year (...) We forecast a return to profitable growth in 2010-11 with positive cash flow generation ..." - Yves Guillemot, CEO
Here's the breakdown:
Full-year sales: €871 million (€1.057,9 million last year)
Current operating loss : €59,6 million (€128,7 profit last year)
Net loss: €44 million (€68,8 profit last year)
The complete report can be found here. If you're an economist, feel free to read the whole thing and then not tell me about it.
Those of you that enjoy both the HoMM series and online games might be looking forward to the upcoming game Heroes of Might & Magic Online. It will be developed by TQ Digital Entertainment, a Chinese company that specializes in online games.
HoMM Online will be a turnbased MMO with gameplay elements from the HoMM III universe combined with HoMM V graphics, all in 2,5D.
The game will feature 8 factions, 16 classes, 56 creatures and hundreds of campaigns.
HoMM Online will be free of charge. Betatesting starts in the beginning of May, and a visit to the official website is definitely worth your while:
Clickety here :)
Voodoo Extreme points to a press release from Ubisoft announcing they intend to eliminate paper-based manuals:
"Today Ubisoft announced an environmental initiative to eliminate paper game manuals, replacing them with an in-game digital manual for all titles on PlayStation 3 system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The program, the first initiative of its kind in the video game industry, launches worldwide with Shaun White Skateboarding this holiday 2010.
Ubisoft’s digital game manuals will provide multiple benefits for the player and the environment. Including the game manual directly in the game will offer the player easier and more intuitive access to game information, as well as allow Ubisoft to provide gamers with a more robust manual. Ubisoft internal data shows that producing one ton of paper used in Ubisoft’s game manuals consumes an average of two tons of wood from 13 trees, with a net energy of 28 million BTU’s (equivalent to average heating and energy for one home/year), greenhouse gases equivalent of over 6,000 lbs of CO2, and wastewater of almost 15,000 gallons."
Wait, there's more:
“Ubisoft is often recognized for making great games, but it’s a special privilege to be the industry leader at saving trees, said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America.”
While paper manuals are an artifact of the 80s, and pointless in many cases, I'm so sick of cost reduction initiatives that are not-so-cleverly hidden behind environmental messages.
I've been wondering: where are we re the announcement of Heroes VI? When the producers leaked the prospect of the new game back in August, I was half expecting the official announcement to follow within a matter of weeks. Still, however, eight months later, we still don't have this announcement. Ubi seem satisfied letting rumours and deduction do the talking for them, and focus on other games in the franchise.
I sort of get the idea that you don't want to announce a new game while you're still promoting an old one. As long as Clash of Heroes and KB: Armored Princess are making their victory laps (as it were), it would be foolish to start the next race. The games would steal each other's thunder.
Now, however, the other games have been on the market for quite some time. The news cycle has ended and the games are no longer in the limelight. Does that not mean it's time to announce a new game? We're approaching the E3 expo - to be held June 15-17 in Los Angeles. Would that not be the perfect opportunity to announce the release dates and include more concrete facts about the game we just know is coming?
We're holding our breaths. Just hope we can hold it all the way until June.
As we remember, Heroes VI was as good as confirmed back in August 2009, when Romain de Waubert and Erwan le Breton wore jumpers with the inconspicuous Heroes VI logo descreetly printed on them. This has remained the closest thing to an official announcement until today.
This morning, Ubisoft producers released a statement, according to which, the latest instalment in the series, Might & Magic: Heroes VI, will be developed in a co-op effort with Nintendo. This will cause several changes in the overall game design, most of which we can only guess.
For more on this news, read the full article here.
Voodoo Extreme reports that Clash of Heroes, Capybara Games' hit for the Nintendo DS, will be released on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network this Summer. Ubisoft Senior Producer Romain de Waubert de Genlis explains that the game will get several improvements along the way:
"Not only have we had the chance to adapt all of our graphics to High-Definition, but we’ve also had the opportunity to improve the game even further, both in single-player battles and in the main campaign. We took many of the community’s recurring wishes into consideration, allowing players to match their strategic skills and taking full advantage of the online capabilities of Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network."
Having purchased a 360 a few months ago, this is excellent news for me. I didn't see myself carrying a DS around just for that game.
News have spread across the web of late, detailing UbiSoft's new policy of requiring an Internet connection to play their future PC game titles. The response has been mixed, but consensus among gamers seems to be that the promised positives are outweighed by the negatives. In case you don't know what the story is, I'll outline it for you:
UbiSoft are planning a new DRM platform for their PC games, which requires gamers to be online to play most new UbiSoft titles. Even singleplayer mode. On the positive side, you will not need a disc in the drive, you can use any computer, and Ubi promise that the system will be able support an unlimited amount of players simultaneously. I'm not sure I believe that; we were promised an excellent Internet multiplayer function for Heroes V, but it never worked as well as intended. But I guess we can always hope. It will depend on how much resources the producers decide to put into this. So let's say it works ... here's the downside: The game will not work if you are not connected to the Internet. If you lose your connection, the game will pause and wait for reconnection. We have no information about the quality of the connection; i.e. we don't know if you need DSL or if dial-up will do ... but those players whose connection cuts out from time to time will have problems.
This is problematic. What if you don't have an Internet connection? UbiSoft's director of customer support, Brent Wilkinson, seems to think this will not be a problem:
"We think most people are going to be fine with it. Most people are always connected to an Internet connection."
Well, Mr. Wilkinson, let me tell you something: I am not connected to the Internet; my gaming computer sits in a corner in my bedroom. I am typing this on a laptop, and I don't feel the need to have both PCs connected to the web. Why should I? I play games on my big rig, and if I need to patch them, I just download a file onto my laptop and transfer it later. It may not be the best way to do it, but it's what I have chosen. And you dare to try and stop me? Do you expect me to be happy about this, and continue to buy your products with such limitations? Well, I can tell you right now: I will not. By focusing on "most people", you effectively eliminate me as a customer. I am sure I am not alone in feeling this way.
Celestial Heavens have made our position clear on numerous occasions: While we are strongly opposed to piracy of games, we are of the opinion that gamers should be free to do what they want with their game once they have paid for it. If you buy a game, should you be allowed to make a backup copy for yourself? Yes. Should you be allowed to install the game on all computers you own? Of course. Should you be allowed to play it offline as well as online? Hell, yes.
No, we don't think it should be legal for players to send copies of their games to friends, and we don't condone piracy in any shape or form. Yet we feel that the measures employed by game producers to prevent this are counter-productive. Taking away players' liberties, limiting the way the product can be used, is like trying to advocate abstinence to teenagers: it won't work, and it will prevent more sensible solutions from seeing the light of day. I recall the strategy employed by Stardock in the release of GalCiv2 - no copy protection at all, but online product registration (with a valid serial number) had to be completed for game updates to become available. Does this not sound more sensible than limiting the buyer's playing options?
Also, if there's one thing that gamers dislike, it is the nanny state. Being told over and over by meddling moms to go to bed instead of finishing one more level has resulted in players' developing an aversion to all sorts of interference. Forcing players to play online will not be received smilingly. It will cause the gaming community to respond with hostility rather than enthusiasm, boycott rather than increased spending, and active movements working to crack the code hindering players in doing whatever they want.
UbiSoft: This is not a good idea. Just drop it. Let us play your games the way we want, and we'll be happy to buy them from you. Otherwise, we'll buy games from somebody else.
Good Old Games is having a contest for Might and Magic VI (thanks RPGWatch):
"We've took three screenshots from Might and Magic 6: one, two, three. Your goal is to tell us the names of the locations we've captured. Send us your answers to users-at-gog.com until Thursday, January 14 at 11:59 EDT. If you know the answer for only one image, send it as well - we'll draw 9 free GOG game coupons, 3 for each image. So the more locations you'll guess right, the bigger chances to win a game or even 3 games! Only one entry per user is allowed."
If anyone can answer them all, I'm sure that person is a Celestial Heavens regular. Do you feel like giving it a shot? In related news, the Might and Magic 6 Pack Limited Edition is available for $9.99. Yet another opportunity to catch up on the Might and Magic classics.
The 
"We've took three screenshots from Might and Magic 6: 
