General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Official ChevronWP7 Windows Phone Unlock Tool Is Live

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:55 PM PDT

wp7You may recall that shortly after its launch, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 was hacked by the Chevron team, allowing users to install homebrew apps without a pricey developer account. Microsoft asked the devs to pull it down as the tool interfered with updating devices, but promised to work with the developers to officially support unlocking. Well, the day has finally arrived. Official Windows Phone unlocking is available for a nominal fee, and users won't even have to void warranties to do it.

To get started, Windows Phone users will need to log in with a Windows Live ID on the ChevronWP7 site. Once in, it's just a one time $9 fee for unlimited unlocks on a single handset. That's just a fraction of Microsoft's $99 yearly developer fee. When the device is registered, it goes into a queue to be unlocked. 

It's taken some time, but we're happy to see that Microsoft lived up to its promise to work with the Chevron team. Homebrew development can lead to new apps for the platform's official store, and increased excitement around the platform. Any Windows Phone users out there that are planning to use the ChevronWP7 unlock?

Google May Break Ties With US Chamber Of Commerce Over SOPA

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:39 PM PDT

googleSources close to Google claim that the search giant is mulling the possibility of breaking ties with the US Chamber of Commerce. The issues stem from the Chamber's strong support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and Google's staunch opposition to it. SOPA and the E-PARASITE provisions from the US House would essentially saddle Google and other tech firms online with the task of policing web sites for copyright-infringing behavior. 

The Chamber of Commerce is consistently seen as one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, but Google, and even the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) itself are getting uncomfortable with the political direction of the Chamber. If Google and the CEA pulled out, the Chamber wouldn't just lose the dues paid to it, but the prestige of being tied into technology's biggest players.

Yahoo left the Chamber recently, and insiders say it was due to the same issue Google is now facing. Many tech firms have come out strongly against SOPA, but the Chamber supports it as a way to protect intellectual property. The fact that it would more or less break the internet seems of little concern. 

Copyright Holders Seek To Block Pirate Bay In UK

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:24 PM PDT

tpbBT, the UK's leading telecom was recently ordered by the High Court to block access to the Usenet site Newzbin2, and it appears that copyright holders are trying to capitalize on that victory. BT was recently approached by a group consisting of music labels and movie studios and asked to voluntarily block The Pirate Bay, the torrent site that just won't die. Should they refuse, BT was promised a court battle not unlike the one they just wnet through.

At this point, BT is refusing to block the site on the industry's say so. The customary court order will be obtained, but it will likely be contested in court. That's when things can get drawn-out and messy, though. "The Pirate Bay is no more than a huge scam on the global creative sector. It defrauds musicians and other creators of their wages, and it destroys UK jobs," BPI chief Geoff Taylor said.

The Pirate Bay is fond of laughing off these attempts to block it as "free advertising." Even if an ISP starts a DNS blockade of the site, as has happened in other countries, users find ways around it. Do you think The Pirate Bay will ever be taken down?

Cool Site of the Week: Get Drunk Not Fat

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:54 PM PDT

GDNFHalloween brings candy. Thanksgiving provides a bounty of rich foods. Taking heavy turkey laden meals, tables full of sugary treats and throwing them both in a blender with a big helping of eggnog, Christmas seems determined to ensure that any of those new pairs of pants waiting for you under the tree won't have a prayer of fitting you by the time Boxing Day rolls around. Is there anyway to stop the pudgy festive madness? You bet: it's called Get Drunk Not Fat, and it's our cool site of the week.

 Get Drunk Not Fat is a powerful tool in the war to control our waistlines while simultaneously destroying our livers. Offering up easy to read information on the alcohol  to calorie ratio of a staggeringly large number of adult-oriented beverages, the website is a great way to see how your favorite drinks could be affecting your diet. Beverages are organized by their alcohol content, with data on each drink also including the number of calories per serving, and where the beverage's data was culled from. If you're not in the mood to scroll, Get Drunk Not Fat's database is searchable, making it easy to find the information you're looking for.

If you can't find the drink you're looking for, the site even offers a booze submission form, to make sure that future drinkers never have to go without valuable tipple information ever again.

Be sure to check in every Friday for another edition of Maximum PC's Cool Site of the Week. 

 

 

No BS Podcast #180: Sabotage!

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 12:16 PM PDT

Is it that time already? Gordon, Alex, and Nathan gather in our once-again-functional podcasting studio to discuss HP, LSI buying SandForce, Battlefield 3, Diablo III, and more! All this, plus suggestions from the peanut gallery and more in Episode 180 of the No BS Podcast! Unfortunately, the MacBook in the podcasting studio cut off the last 20 minutes of the podcast for unknown reasons, so we don't have a rant. Rest assured that this will become fodder for next week's rant.

Computer trouble? Star Trek argument? Need advice? Just need to get something off your chest? A secret to share? Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or call our 24-hour No BS Podcast hotline at 877.404.1337 x1337--operators are not standing by.

 

OCZ Plans On Offering Low Cost TLC Solid State Drives Just In Time For The HDD Shortage

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:42 AM PDT

Just when all seems bleak on the storage front, a possible savior has emerged: OCZ. No, the company doesn't have plans to open an HDD facility in a dry location and start pumping out traditional drives. Instead, the solid-state-focused OCZ plans on rolling out a new, cheaper type of SSD early in 2012, in exactly the same time period that experts think traditional HDD reserves will be drying up.

OCZ told attendees of the Needham 5th Annual HDD & Memory Conference that the company plans on shipping triple-level-cell (TLC) NAND SSD drives in the first quarter of next year, Storage Review reports. That would make it the first TLC-based SSD product to hit the streets. Current SSDs use multi-level-cell (MLC) NAND. There are pluses and minuses to TLC NAND as it exists currently; it is approximately 30 percent cheaper than MLC NAND – which could make it an attractive alternative during the upcoming HDD dry spell – but current TLC SSDs could have shelf lives as low as four years, making it a temporary Band-aid at best. OCZ hopes to offset that negative down the line with the second generation of its SSD-life-enhancing Indilinx nDurance technology, which is expected to become available fall of next year.

Image credit: StorageReview.com

Qualcomm SVP Says Company May Expand To PCs And Laptops

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PDT

When NFL quarterbacks win the Super Bowl, they take a break and drag their families down to Disney World (at least if you believe the post-game commercials). Well, mobile chip-maker Qualcomm just nailed the business version of the game winning touchdown, posting a year-over-year revenue of nearly $15 billion. So what is it doing next? The company wants to go somewhere new, too, but it isn't a pleasure trip – Qualcomm wants to head to tablets, PCs and notebooks.

So says Fudzilla, who spoke to Enrico Salvatori, a Qualcomm senior VP and head of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies Europe. Salvatori told Fudzilla that in the short term, the company wants to increase its presence in the tablet market; the company has over Snapdragon-powered 30 slates in development currently and has plans to make their chips compatible with both Android and Windows 8. Longer term goals include moving in on Intel's territory – i.e. laptops and PCs. With the present focus on thin, power-efficient notebooks, Qualcomm might just find itself welcomed with open arms by laptop manufacturers.

What do you folks think? Does Qualcomm have the capabilities to crack into the Intel- and AMD-dominated world of traditional computers?

Head to Head: Bigfoot Killer Wireless-N 1102 vs. Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:48 AM PDT

Out-of-whack price/performance ratios snuffed our enthusiasm for earlier Bigfoot Networks Killer NIC products. Would that be the case with the company's first wireless NIC, too? To find out, we tested two otherwise-identical CyberPower X6-9300 gaming notebooks: one with Bigfoot's new Killer Wireless-N 1102, and the other with Intel's Centrino Ultimate-N 6300. The Intel part supports three 150Mb/s streams while the Atheros AR9382-based Bigfoot part supports two streams.

 

Round 1: TCP Throughput

Bigfoot tells us it has optimized the software for latency-intolerant applications: multiplayer games, VoIP, video streaming, and so on. The trade-off, a company spokesperson said, is slightly lower TCP performance, which is used for email, web browsing, and other apps where packets can be reassembled out of order.

But our Jperf tests didn't reveal a yawning performance gap: Intel's part was 11 to 19 percent faster on the 2.4GHz band, with the bigger difference occuring at a longer distance (with the client on our outdoor patio). Bigfoot's part, on the other had, delivered slightly faster performance when operating on the 5GHz frequency band, although the delta wasn't nearly as wide (just 5 percent). Intel's part was negligibly faster on the 5GHz band when the client was on the patio.

Winner: Centrino Ultimate-N 6300

Round 2: UDP Throughput

Applications that can't tolerate latency—online games, VoIP, audio and video streaming apps, and similar programs—utilize UDP (User Datagram Protocol). UDP operates on the assumption that it's better to drop packets than to wait for them, and that the application will handle any necessary error correction.

When we configured Netperf to send 1,024-byt packets using UDP, we saw only negligible differences in throughput: Intel was 1 percent faster on the 2.4GHz band, and Bigfoot was 5 percent faster on the 5GHz band. But when we increased packet sizes to 1,472 bytes (the maximum size that will fit within an Ethernet frame, assuming a 20-byte IP header and an eight-byte UDP header), Bigfoot's part delivered UDP throughput eight to 10 times faster than Intel's.

Winner: Bigfoot Killer Wireless-N

Round 3: Latency

We used the Bigfoot-developed GaNE (Gaming Network Efficiency) benchmark for this test. We're naturally suspicious of vendor-developed benchmakrs, but Bigfoot is opening its source code so we'll give it the benefit of the doubt here. GaNE measures the latency between two PCs on the same local network by sending a 100-byte packet over the network every 50 milliseconds (a scenario typical of online games).

The Killer Wireless-N 1102 absolutely crushed Intel's NIC on this benchmark, delivering average ping times of just 1.2ms on the 2.4GHz band, compared to 7.3ms for Intel's adapter. We saw similar results on the 5GHz band, with Bigfoot's card delivering average pings of 1.1ms compared to the Intel card's 10.9ms.

Winner: Bigfoot Killer Wireless-N

Round 4: Real-World File Transfer

For this test, we timed how long it took for each notebook to copy a 2GB file over the wireless network to a third computer hardwired to the router. We repeated the test three times on each notebook on each frequency and averaged the results. We expected these results to be relatively similar to the more synthetic Jperf test, but Bigfoot's card proved to be slightly faster than Intel's card on the 2.4GHz band—and it was significantly faster than Intel's card on the 5GHz band.

Winner: Bigfoot Killer Wireless-N

And the Winner Is…

It's actually a double win for Bigfoot's Killer Wireless-N 1102. The adapater scored resounding wins in three of four categories, and it's significantly less expensive than Intel's part—at least in CyberPower's configurations. You can't buy the part at retail, and Bigfoot can't dictate how much OEMs charge their customers, but CyberPower charges $15 to upgrade to Bigfoot's part, versus $26 for an upgrade to Intel's Centrino Ultimate-N 6300.

Benchmarks
Killer Wireless-N 1103
(2.4GHz)
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300
(2.4GHz)
Killer Wireless-N 1103
(5GHz)
Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300
(5GHz)
JPerf TCP, Kitchen (Mb/s) 79.8 88.5 147.0 140.0
JPerf TCP, Patio (Mb/s) 49.6 59.0 44.4 44.9
NetPerf UDP (1,024-byte packets), Kitchen (Mb/s)

102.1

103.2 163.4 155.5
NetPerf UDP (1,472-byte packets), Kitchen (Mb/s) 29.0 3.3 36.3 3.4
2GB File Transfer (sec) 179.0 187.3  139.0 188.7

Best scores are bolded. We used a Linksys E4200 router for these benchmarks, which supports two spatial streams on its 2.4GHz radio, and three spatial streams on its 5GHz radio. In the Kitchen test, the router and client are 20 feet apart and separated by one interior wall. In the Patio test, the router and client are 38 feet apart and separated by one interior and one exterior wall.

Report: HDD Shortages Could Lead To PC Shortages This Holiday Season

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:35 AM PDT

The major hard disk drive manufacturers have already admitted that the massive flooding in Thailand will put a severe crimp in HDD prices and availability for the foreseeable future. (A lot of major HDD factories reside in Thailand, you see.) In fact, HDD prices have already begun to climb at many major online retailers. But could the fallout be even more widespread? A new report says that the lack of HDDs could cause as overall PC shortage this holiday season, as OEMs who plow through their existing HDD inventory won't be able to replace the components.

Asus has already owned up to the fact that they only have enough HDDs on hand to meet production demands until the end of November; now, The Register is reporting that honchos at Sony and Acer have confirmed that they, too, expect there to be shortages and difficulties across the board heading into the rest of the year. An anonymous distribution source told the publication that some manufacturers "could have a 20 per cent to 30 per cent volume shortfall in the consumer space."

The New York Times reports that HDD issues could have a major effect on cloud storage services such as the ones offered by Amazon, Apple and Google, as well. "By the first quarter of next year, all worldwide inventories of hard drives will be sucked dry," James Monroe, research VP at Gartner, told the publication. "This is a crisis of escalating dimension for many I.T. revenue streams." The Times says that websites that store lots of data, such as Facebook, may also be hurt by the HDD shortage. Interestingly, this article says that PC shortages shouldn't hit consumers until next year.

Things aren't going to get brighter anytime soon, either; Q1 of 2012 is expected to be even rougher than Q4 of this year. On the plus side, maybe we'll start to see more adoption of speedy SSDs in the mainstream market. Any comments?

Qualcomm "Very Pleased" with $15 Billion in Revenue

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:09 AM PDT

Qualcomm came out ahead of what analysts had expected for the mobile chip maker's fourth fiscal quarter ended September 25, 2011. The San Diego-based company saw its revenues jump 14 percent sequentially to $4.12 billion in its fourth fiscal quarter, and 39 percent year-over-year with revenues of $14.96 billion. As the smartphone market continues to grow, Qualcomm keeps on reaping the rewards.

"I am very pleased with our performance this year as we delivered record revenues, earnings and MSM chipset shipments, driven by the popularity of smartphones, continued adoption of 3G technologies, particularly in emerging regions, and our industry-leading patent portfolio," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs (PDF), chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "The breadth and depth of our chipset roadmap, extensive licensing program and diverse set of global partnerships position us well for strong revenue and earnings growth in fiscal 2012. We are excited about the upcoming commercial launch of our groundbreaking Snapdragon multimode LTE solution and continue to invest in and execute on our strategic priorities to drive profitable growth."

According to BusinessWeek, even though Qualcomm performed better than outsiders were expecting, internally, Qualcomm was expecting slightly higher numbers.

Going forward, Qualcomm will try to push its popular Snapdragon architecture into more segments behond smartphones, including tablets based on Microsoft's Windows operating system.

MMO News

MMO News


Infinity Field 3 arrives in ACE Online

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 12:52 PM PDT

Suba Games’ ACE Online has launched its latest patch, Infinity Field 3 (Episode 3.5).

The update adds new enemies: Shade, a new Shrine army ship, and Caim, Andras, Berith, and Eligor, four new elusive bosses. The Infinity Field 3 also offers new rewards, including Boss Armors inspired from the four new bosses.

To celebrate the release, all players will get a bonus experience boost for two weeks. Players can also earn login bonuses, including an item that lets players play in Infinity Field 3 twice a day (normally limited to one play).

Suba Games also publishes Bounty Hounds Online and Mission Against Terror.

ace-online-if3

ACE Online Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

ACE Online presents: Survival Abyss

Episode 3.5 patch hits ACE Online with the release of Infinity Field 3. To celebrate, the XP rate has been increased for 2 weeks, as well as free login items!

TORONTO, ON. November 4, 2011–ACE Online (http://ace.subagames.com), the popular 3D space shooter, has unveiled the release of the hotly-anticipated Infinity Field 3 patch! Infinity Field is an instance-based Player versus Monster event, which can be done once daily. Players combat through numerous stages of combat in order to receive awesome item drops.

NEW MONSTERS:

  • The Shrine army has hatched a scheme to attack the mother ship Osiris when they least expect it. It's up to YOU to defend Osiris as you attack Shrine army's new ship: SHADE!
  • 4 new monsters will be launched to fend you off: Caim, Andras, Berith and Eligor. These illusive enemies will stop at nothing to thwart your advances!

NEW ARMORS:

  • Defeating the IF3 can lead to very promising results. If you do well enough, you may be able to receive Caim, Andras, Berith and Eligor-inspired Boss Armors!

XP Rate Increase/Log In for Items!

With Infinity Field 3's release, Subagames (http://subagames.com) has decided to provide all players with an XP rate increase of up to x4! In addition, if you log in to ACE Online and stay logged on for long enough, you will receive an item that allows you to fight in Infinity Field 3 twice a day!

While IF3 is here to stay, this login event and XP rate increase will only run for a few weeks, so take advantage of it while you can at the official ACE Online website: http://ace.subagames.com.

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Trion's Hal Hanlin and Mike Daugherty give details on RIFT's update 1.6

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , ,

Rift Ember Isle
RIFT has gained a reputation for its fast and furious pace of updates, and doesn't appear to be ready to shed that image any time soon. Players are currently participating in the Ashes of History world event, and learning some clues about a mysterious new island, which is due soon with Update 1.6. In addition to the launch of a new overland zone, Ember Isle, there will be new group content, new zone invasion mechanics, and a new feature called "Instant Adventures." Design Director Hal Hanlin and Content Lead Mike Daugherty took some time to talk to Massively about Update 1.6. Read on for highlights from the interview.

Continue reading Trion's Hal Hanlin and Mike Daugherty give details on RIFT's update 1.6

MassivelyTrion's Hal Hanlin and Mike Daugherty give details on RIFT's update 1.6 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Wargaming.net heading to G-Star 2011

    Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:30 AM PDT

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    World of Tanks - tanks on fire
    Wargaming.net's assault on the global MMO scene continues this month as the development firm heads to Korea for Asia's largest gaming-related tradeshow. The folks who brought you World of Tanks (and who will shortly be bringing you World of Warplanes, World of Battleships, and World of post-apocalyptic Volkswagen Beetles with chainguns mounted on their hoods) are traveling to G-Star 2011 to promote the recently released World of Tanks Korean language pack.

    The team has also launched a promotional Korean website, and Wargaming.net seems intent on creating a large presence in the Asian gaming market for its free-to-play action MMO brands. "We've created a truly high-quality AAA title with World of Tanks [which is] already wildly successful in Russia and in the West," said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi via press release. "Now we are looking forward to promoting our product [in] the mature and competitive Korean market."

    [Source: Wargaming.net press release]

    MassivelyWargaming.net heading to G-Star 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Meet the Caldari Naga, EVE's latest battlecruiser

      Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PDT

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      EVE Online - Caldari Naga concept
      Minmatar? Check. Gallente? Yep. Amarr? Roger roger. Caldari? It's about time! EVE Online's battlecruiser rollouts are now complete thanks to today's introduction of the Naga. Like its three factional counterparts, the new ship is coming courtesy of EVE's winter expansion. Also, like the previous reveals, the Naga is the brainchild of an EVE player and it first appeared during last summer's Design a Starship competition.

      In addition to its fearsome lines and considerable bulk, the Naga is "equally capable of fitting large torpedo launchers, large rail guns or even blasters, [and] is easily the most flexible weapons platform of the four new battlecruisers," according to the latest CCP dev blog. Head to the official site for further info and additional images.

      MassivelyMeet the Caldari Naga, EVE's latest battlecruiser originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Star Trek Online dev blog talks test server rewards

      Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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      Star Trek Online - Scotty with tribbles
      Star Trek Online's latest dev blog is live, and executive producer Stephen D'Angelo spends a bit of time talking about tribbles. Rest easy, they're not taking over the Cryptic offices, and D'Angelo spends this week's Path to F2P installment outlining the benefits of participating on the game's Tribble test server.

      The dev team has increased the character transfer limit, and players may now copy up to three of their avatars from the main server. D'Angelo outlines the various rewards available for players willing to roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty with the bug squashing. The goodies range from tribble pets (naturally) to XP boosts and Dilithium chunks. Exclusive titles, starship slots, and duty officers are also available, so head over to the test shard and do your part!

      MassivelyStar Trek Online dev blog talks test server rewards originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      More pets, more combos, more burning: ArenaNet brings big changes to Guild Wars 2

      Posted: 04 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PDT

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      Scooby vs. Smokey. Round one: FIGHT!
      If you're anything like us here at the Massively offices, you've been feeling a bit starved for Guild Wars 2 news. ArenaNet's been extremely quiet for weeks now, and just as fans were beginning to despair of hearing anything, the information gates swing wide.

      The ArenaNet blog has a shiny new update courtesy of designer Jon Peters this morning, and it's a doozy. It brings all sorts of new details on pet improvements, the Engineer's big upgrade, and the ever-fascinating cross-profession combos. Follow along after the break for all the news!

      Continue reading More pets, more combos, more burning: ArenaNet brings big changes to Guild Wars 2

      MassivelyMore pets, more combos, more burning: ArenaNet brings big changes to Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Are we cheating studios by not paying for free-to-play?

      Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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      DDO
      Here's an odd question that I've been chewing on lately: Is there something wrong if we extensively enjoy a free-to-play title that we do not, and are determined to never, pay for? I mean, sampling a F2P title is kind of like participating in a trial, but what about playing a F2P MMO for months or even years without paying? Is there something ethically or perhaps morally wrong about that, particularly since our playtime is funded by both the studio and the paying members out there?

      On one hand, we're invited to do so. Studios use F2P to lure us in on the chance that we'll become so invested that we'll be tempted to spend money to either support it or gain a better play experience for ourselves. The studios set the rules for free-to-play, and we operate within them. But on the other hand, I wonder if there comes a point when one can take so much advantage of a "free" service at someone else's expense that it gets tacky or just plain wrong. Do we become the unwelcome house guest who mooches but never gives back -- and never leaves?

      What do you think? Should we feel obligated to pay at least something if we've played a F2P MMO for a good length of time? Or am I totally off my rocker here?

      Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are we cheating studios by not paying for free-to-play? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Beta registration opened for upcoming sci-fi MMOFPS Repulse

        Posted: 03 Nov 2011 08:00 PM PDT

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        Five seconds after the trailer ends, a tender kiss.
        It's proving to be quite the year for MMOFPS fans, with several upcoming titles aimed in precisely that direction. Repulse is another entry in the genre from Aeria Games, set in a future setting wherein human beings have polluted the planet beyond repair. The remaining parts of humanity have found a new home in the stars, but unfortunately, the planet is already inhabited, and its existing residents aren't terribly keen on letting humans move in.

        Closed beta registration has just begun on the official site, with a trailer and some early promotional artwork to help build excitement. The game promises to host several different play modes, as well as giving players the option to switch classes mid-combat while experimenting with a variety of different gear setups. If you're a fan of the genre, you might want to take a look at the trailer just past the cut and perhaps sign up for the beta now, rather than later.

        Gallery: Repulse

        Continue reading Beta registration opened for upcoming sci-fi MMOFPS Repulse

        MassivelyBeta registration opened for upcoming sci-fi MMOFPS Repulse originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Ask Massively: Paying-to-win edition

          Posted: 03 Nov 2011 07:00 PM PDT

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          Everyone has their bugbears.
          I'd like to announce the launch of my brand-new MMO, Ask Massively Online. This game should put to rest any questions of whether or not cash-shop users have an advantage over those who choose to play straight, as the game is using an actual pay-to-win model. If you pay me money, you win. No payment means you lose. We're still in beta testing and only intend to accept payments in the form of two-dollar bills, but so far we're doing quite well with the core systems.

          Today's column actually does feature a question on the oft-bandied term used to indicate a dislike for the free-to-play model, but it also features questions about our comment system and the unbearable lameness of not knowing the answer to questions. If you've got a question you would like answered in a future installment of the column, you can leave it in the comments or mail it to ask@massively.com. Winning will be implemented in a later build.

          Continue reading Ask Massively: Paying-to-win edition

          MassivelyAsk Massively: Paying-to-win edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Aeria releases new Lime Odyssey video, screenshots

            Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:30 PM PDT

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            Lime Odyssey - group shot
            Aeria Games is starting to ramp up the publicity for its Lime Odyssey free-to-play MMO. The team behind the upcoming fantasy title recently released a new website, trailer, and a gaggle of screenshots, and have followed suit today with another trailer and still more screenshots.

            The clip is taken directly from the game, and serves as an introduction for human characters. There's a bit of backstory relating to the history of the world and the pursuit of lime, as well as lots of idyllic long-shots featuring the game's beautiful scenery.

            The new screens show a variety of activities including cooking and farming as well as a group of adventurers in full armor and some player housing. Check them out below and don't forget the video clip after the cut.

            Continue reading Aeria releases new Lime Odyssey video, screenshots

            MassivelyAeria releases new Lime Odyssey video, screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Star Trek Online opens up testing for the dilithium exchange

              Posted: 03 Nov 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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              If you could transfer it back into real money, you could sell a starship and buy a pizza.
              The economy of free-to-play games can be a tricky business. Usually, they're managed by keeping a strict distinction between in-game currency and purchased currency, but Star Trek Online is taking a slightly different approach. The upcoming overarching currency dilithium can be traded for Cryptic Points via the new dilithium exchange service, which has just gone live on the Tribble server for players to test. But the trade isn't a straight one, instead working on an auction-type system.

              The newest Path to F2P blog outlines the means for players to use the exchange system, which works both ways -- players can look to buy dilithium or Cryptic Points and are able to browse the overall market and see what other players are offering or asking. It's not quite as simple as being able to swipe your credit card and then grab some in-game money, but it's certainly blurring the lines between real currency and game money.

              MassivelyStar Trek Online opens up testing for the dilithium exchange originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              This Week in MMO: MechWarrior edition

              Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:45 PM PDT

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              TWIMMO
              In this week's TWIMMO, Mike B aka Fony, Josh Allen, and Mike Schaffnit join host Gary Gannon for Gamebreaker.TV's weekly chat about recent MMO stories. They kick things off by pondering how a video stuffed with anti-gay slurs slipped by Blizzard Entertainment (and a lot of the folks in the live crowd, as well) at BlizzCon. They also gush like fanboys about the newly announced F2P MechWarrior Online MMO before spending some airtime on PlanetSide 2, World of Darkness, and RuneScape.

              Hit the break for the full show!

              Continue reading This Week in MMO: MechWarrior edition

              MassivelyThis Week in MMO: MechWarrior edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Alt1 Games shutting down Troy Online

              Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:30 PM PDT

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              Can someone at least let me out of here first?  Anyone?
              After only three months of commercial operation, Troy Online is going to be discontinuing operations as of November 30th. According to the official notice, within the short span of time that the game has been available, Alt1 Games has noticed a level of bugs and errors that the developers considered unacceptable, leading to the decision to shut down service at the end of the month and re-launch the game at a later date.

              The obvious question for players, of course, becomes "what about the stuff that I bought out of the cash shop?" If you still have remaining coins for the in-game store or unused cash shop items in your character's inventory, you are eligible for a refund by contacting the customer support center by November 22nd, with refunds being credited between the 23rd and the 24th. It's a sad whimper for the game's operation to end on, but at least players won't be left out in the cold with any unused money.

              MassivelyAlt1 Games shutting down Troy Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Guild Counsel: Are you in a guild?

              Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PDT

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              EQII guild
              I'd like to do a little experiment for this week's Guild Counsel, and I need your help. In years past, studies have been done that showed the importance of guilds in MMOs. (And by guilds, I mean any organized grouping of players, be it a clan, empire, corporation, etc.) Back in 2008, Dr. Nick Yee's Daedalus Project showed that 89% of respondents had at least one character in a guild. But over the past few years, the MMO landscape has changed dramatically, and those changes could have an effect on the number of players who actually join guilds. Over the next few weeks, I'm planning on taking a closer look at this topic.

              So I'd like to do a very unscientific poll, and I'm seeking your input. Read on for a look at a few factors that might affect the importance of guilds, and then let me know in the poll below -- are you in a guild?

              Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Are you in a guild?

              MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: Are you in a guild? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Captain's Log: A two-minute read could save you 15% or more on nerdrage insurance

                Posted: 03 Nov 2011 04:30 PM PDT

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                Screenshot - Star Trek Online
                Captain's Log, Stardate 65340.3...

                Hello, computer (and players)! Welcome to this week's edition of Captain's Log, brought to you by "Geko" Insurance. (And let's just say, you may want to purchase a policy). If you are a Star Trek Online player who watches Cryptic's official forums, you know that the game experienced an Occupy movement of its own this past weekend. Even if you don't frequent the forums, you may have seen some of the concerns raised through the #STO Twitter feed.

                Over the weekend, players lashed out against some of the recent changes that have made their way to the Tribble test server. It may be surprising to some of you reading this, but the commotion was not related to the economy changes. The main concern is that some of the items for purchase in the C-Store are going to be changing from account-wide unlocks to per-character transactions. While I was a little perturbed at the thought too, I was happy to see that some of the misconceptions were cleared up once we got an official statement from one of the devs. But since there is a lot more to the story, let's take a look.

                Ensign, warp 10! And don't forget to buckle your seatbelt...

                Continue reading Captain's Log: A two-minute read could save you 15% or more on nerdrage insurance

                MassivelyCaptain's Log: A two-minute read could save you 15% or more on nerdrage insurance originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  PAX East tickets on sale now

                  Posted: 03 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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                  PAX East Logo
                  Convention-goers, start your engines. PAX East 2012 tickets are now on sale, and if you're planning on attending, you better get movin'. Single-day tickets should last for at least a little while, but three-day tickets are always the first to go. Do take note that the convention does fall on Easter weekend this year, so if you've got plans for the holiday, you better start planning your excuse.

                  And remember, this year's PAX Prime saw extreme numbers of fake badges being sold at the sold-out convention, so if you want to be sure to escape the scammers, buy your ticket early so you don't have to rely on scalpers later. To get your tickets, head on over to the PAX East official site.

                  MassivelyPAX East tickets on sale now originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  WildStar Wednesday tackles the sandbox vs. themepark debate

                  Posted: 03 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PDT

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                  Screenshot -- WildStar
                  Sandbox or themepark? It's a never-ending debate around these parts of the internet. Carbine Studios knows both sides of the argument all too well, and it shows. Which side of the argument does WildStar fall on, though? If today's WildStar Wednesday dev diary is to be believed, the game straddles the fence between the two.

                  WildStar's Executive Producer Jeremy Gaffney points out that "developer-directed game play isn't always at odds with the player-directed experience" and notes that sometimes leaning too heavily in either direction can be detrimental to the overall gameplay. As such, the developers are attempting to hit the sweet spot between sandbox and themepark gameplay. If you're interested in finding out how they plan to do that, head on over to the dev diary at WildStar's official site.

                  MassivelyWildStar Wednesday tackles the sandbox vs. themepark debate originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  The Game Archaeologist salutes Asheron's Call's 12th anniversary

                  Posted: 03 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PDT

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                  Asheron's Call
                  Turning 12 is a wake-up call for most people because they realize that next year they will officially be teenagers. We just hope that Turbine's ready for that when Asheron's Call breaks curfew, sasses back, and starts developing a romantic interest in other MMOs.

                  One of the privileges of writing The Game Archaeologist column here on Massively is that I get to watch over these classic MMOs as they marinate in maturity. Despite new titles being announced or released literally every day, these long-running games are the established old guard that have nothing to prove at this point. It's hard not to be a little in awe of that and gush at it.

                  So congratulations to Asheron's Call, one of the first batch of 3-D MMOs that hit the scene back in the late '90s, for reaching its 12th anniversary! How bizarre is it to think that Asheron's Call came out the same year that we were freaking out about Y2K, seeing how far George Lucas could fall with The Phantom Menace, and paying about $1.22 a gallon for gas in the U.S.? AC almost seems legendary when you realize how far back it stretches.

                  Join us as we sing the praises of Dereth and its citizens after the jump!

                  Continue reading The Game Archaeologist salutes Asheron's Call's 12th anniversary

                  MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist salutes Asheron's Call's 12th anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Marvel Universe Online reveals Thing as newest playable character

                  Posted: 03 Nov 2011 02:45 PM PDT

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                  Marvel Universe Online -- Thing
                  Watch out, Marvel Universe Online fans. It's clobberin' time! The Fantastic Four's Ben Grimm has been announced as the latest addition to the MUO cast. For those of you who are keeping count, Thing's arrival brings the total playable character count up to five. So keep the guesses comin', folks. Whom do you want to see next?

                  MassivelyMarvel Universe Online reveals Thing as newest playable character originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Boss around your minions with EverQuest II's tradeskill apprentice system

                  Posted: 03 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PDT

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                  EverQuest II - tradeskill apprentice
                  MMOs are great for escaping the real world on occasion, particularly if you're stuck working for the man. EverQuest II's new Age of Discovery expansion is turning those tables by introducing new tradeskill apprentices that will allow players throughout Norrath to become the man.

                  The new mechanics look to give you the opportunity to get more done when it comes to EQII's sprawling tradeskill game (to say nothing of the fact that you'll be able to cackle some variation on the phrase "my young apprentice" in your best Emperor Palpatine voice). Apprentices can discover nearly 100 unique recipes and they can also be customized in terms of name and appearance. Initially you'll be restricted to Coldain dwarves, but Sony Online Entertainment plans to make more races available in the future. Head to the official EQII website for all the details.

                  MassivelyBoss around your minions with EverQuest II's tradeskill apprentice system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Massively exclusive: WindSlayer 2 PvP dev diary

                  Posted: 03 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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                  Windslayer 2
                  The fount of information about Ignited Games' WindSlayer 2 continues to gush forth, as the studio continues to release developer diaries about its upcoming title. We've already heard about WindSlayer 2's economy, ranged classes, and melee classes, not to mention an overview of the game proper.

                  Today it's all about the brutal, cutthroat element of PvP combat. Hit the jump to read our exclusive dev diary on the subject!

                  Continue reading Massively exclusive: WindSlayer 2 PvP dev diary

                  MassivelyMassively exclusive: WindSlayer 2 PvP dev diary originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Gameforge laying off 100 employees, canceling at least two games

                    Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:30 PM PDT

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                    Gameforge logo
                    Another month, another round of MMORPG-related layoffs. This time the bad news comes courtesy of Gameforge, a German browser MMO maker responsible for Gates of Andaron as well as the upcoming Star Trek: Infinite Space and the European version of Wizard101.

                    Gamasutra reports that Gameforge is realigning its studio to the tune of 100 layoffs and the cancellation of at least two games, with Hellbreed and Mythos on the chopping block and Star Trek: Infinite Space not far behind "if it cannot find a co-publisher." The company will do away with its web- and client-based games divisions and restructure itself around separate development and publishing arms.

                    The news comes on the heels of layoff announcements by CCP, NCsoft, and GamersFirst last month.

                    MassivelyGameforge laying off 100 employees, canceling at least two games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    The Secret World beta coming 'before Christmas,' forums erupt [Updated]

                    Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PDT

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                    Screenshot -- The Secret World
                    Conspiracy theories abound on The Secret World's official forums due to a video released by the Montreal Gazette in which Funcom Canada CEO Miguel Caron mentions that the studio is aiming to open beta testing "before Christmas." Caron also goes on to mention that subscription fees for the game will be somewhere between $15 and $17.

                    Needless to say, the forums are in a flurry over this new information. What does this mean for The Secret War, which was intended to grant guaranteed beta access to high-ranking players? Why begin an open beta a whole four months prior to launch? And for the love of all that's sacred, what about those Sanctuary of Secrets tokens we got months ago?

                    Well, no one knows! Funcom has been tight-lipped on the matter, but stay tuned and we'll be sure to let you know as more news develops. Meanwhile, head on over to the official forums to join the fray, or jump past the cut for the video.

                    [Update: Funcom has responded to these rumors and says open beta will not begin before Christmas of this year.]

                    Continue reading The Secret World beta coming 'before Christmas,' forums erupt [Updated]

                    MassivelyThe Secret World beta coming 'before Christmas,' forums erupt [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    DCUO registers 120,000 new players, sees concurrent user spike

                    Posted: 03 Nov 2011 12:30 PM PDT

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                    DC Universe Online - moon over Gotham
                    If the early returns are any indication, DC Universe Online's free-to-play conversion is looking pretty successful. Sony Online Entertainment boss John Smedley recently tweeted that the superhero MMO picked up 120,000 new player registrations since its Tuesday evening cutover.

                    Smedley also said that concurrent users swelled 400% during the same time period. The one downside to the title's newfound popularity is the login queues. Earlier this year SOE consolidated all of the game's launch-day shards down to a few "megaservers" and PC Gamer reports that login queues are paying the price as a flood of F2P tire-kickers descends on Gotham City and Metropolis en masse.

                    MassivelyDCUO registers 120,000 new players, sees concurrent user spike originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    EVE Online introducing new nebulae

                    Posted: 03 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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                    Screenshot -- EVE Online Nebula
                    The final frontier is about to get a whole lot prettier, as CCP has announced in a dev diary today that it's working on introducing a smattering of new nebulae to EVE Online. The team hopes that doing so will make the game more immersive and realistic to players.

                    On top of that, the new nebulae will also help to give players a sense of location. Lowsec and nullsec space will be darker, with cooler color palettes. Meanwhile, hisec space will be more colorful and saturated with warmer color palettes. And "by stellar coincidence," as the team puts it, "the dominant stellar phenomenon of each race happens to be in the same color palette as the ships of that race."

                    For more information on the new nebulae and the reasons for their introduction, head on over to the official EVE Online dev blog.

                    MassivelyEVE Online introducing new nebulae originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Star Wars: The Old Republic releases server details

                    Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:30 AM PDT

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                    SWTOR
                    On top of the exciting news this morning that Star Wars: The Old Republic has launched into its third guild phase, CM David Bass posted a healthy wall of text on the forums listing the server types and details associated with each.

                    It will probably not come as a shock that SWTOR is sticking with the four core server rulesets: PvE, PvP, RP-PvE, and RP-PvP. In PvE, players have to toggle an option to engage in PvP outside of specifically designated combat areas, while on PvP servers everyone is automatically flagged outside of safe areas, such as the starting zones. The RP variants are similar, except that BioWare encourages players to roleplay in character on those servers. There's no word as to whether or not GMs will be enforcing such actions.

                    Because RP-PvP was a very recent addition to the server ruleset list, guilds participating in the pre-launch deployment program will not be able to choose those servers for launch. Instead, BioWare says that players interested in this ruleset will need to manually form a guild on their faction's homeworld after the game releases.

                    MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic releases server details originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    The Perfect Ten: MMOs in movies and television

                    Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PDT

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                    The Perfect Ten
                    While 1982's Tron explored what virtual life might be like inside a massive video game, it wasn't until fairly recently that real MMOs have crossed the divide between niche and mainstream to be referenced in television and films. Depending on how you see it, this mainstream acceptance of geek culture can be a thing to be either celebrated or shunned. What's for certain, however, is that we've only started to see the beginning of such mentions.

                    In today's Perfect Ten, I cobbled together a list of the first 10 MMO references that I know of from movies and TV shows. Some might be nothing more than a background detail or a throwaway line, while others are completely centered around the advertisement, er, massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. I tried hard not to use "cheats" such as fake MMOs featured in shows like The Guild, so this list is all about real-world titles with no sugar substitutes.

                    Ready? Insert quarter and hit player one!

                    Continue reading The Perfect Ten: MMOs in movies and television

                    MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: MMOs in movies and television originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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