General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


AMD Catalyst 11.11b Performance Driver Adds CrossFireX to Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed Revelations & DX 11 Tweaks for Batman Arkham City

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:34 PM PST

Graphics card vendors have been busy with the onslaught of new PC titles heading into the holiday, forcing AMD to release its second out of cycle performance driver in less than 2 weeks. Catalyst 11.11b includes Crossfire performance scaling for Skyrim, similar multi-gpu support for Assassin's Creed Revelations, along with DirectX 11 tweaks for Batman Arkham City. 

Along with the changes listed above, this pre-release driver includes updates rolled into 11.11a such as fixes for Rage and Battlefield 3. I've been testing the driver over the last 24 hours, and I can honestly say, at least in Skyrim's case, the Crossfire addition makes a huge difference if you have more than one card and have been struggling with frame rates. I've been noticing a few new hiccups such as texture flickering in the distance, though I'm sure these will be resolved sometime in the next few weeks when AMD rolls out the official 11.12.   

DSLR Complete With Flash Card Survives 1 Year Soak in the Pacific Ocean, Google + Reunites Camera With Owner

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:18 PM PST

CameraLife has taught me that death and taxes are constants, and it's also reinforced the concept that dropping my camera in the ocean is pretty much game over when it comes to my vacation photos. Fast forward to 2011 however, and Google + has made the impossible, possible. Deep sea diver Markus Tompson was scuba diving in Deep Bay Vancouver Canada, when he swam past a rather odd looking object. It turns out the item that caught his eye was a corroding Canon Rebel DSLR, complete with neck strap (which obviously wasn't used), and flash card.  Apparently the flash card not only survived its extended stay along the ocean floor, but its contents, along with the help of Google + users, helped the diver locate the owner. 

The camera itself as you can see from the picture won't be much use anymore, but the fact that the flash card not only survived, but still worked after all that time submerged under salt water is amazing to say the least. Tompson has since been in touch with the owner, and the vacation photos are going to be reunited with the owner.  

It's an amazing story, but I wouldn't count on it happening to you under similar circumstances.

Microsoft Offers Free Starter Edition for PC’s or Portable USB Key Installations

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 02:57 PM PST

Office StarterLots of great alternatives to Microsoft's deluxe office suite have emerged over the past few years, but if you find yourself only occasionally in need of a tool to edit Word or Excel files, the hefty $159 price tag for the full home and student edition can be a bit hard to justify. Google Docs or even Microsoft's own online versions of office can help in a pinch, but nothing quite matches the native experience you get from running the desktop app. If the above scenario describes you, click here to download a copy of Office 2010 Starter Edition for absolutely free.  

Aside from its ability to run offline, Office 2010 Starter isn't any better than the free web-based offering Microsoft launched earlier in the year.. It includes little more than a stripped down version of Word / Excel 2010, but operates almost the same as the full editions. It does however open all modern office document formats offline, and offers up just about every tool a non-enterprise user needs.

It isn't known if this direct download link will stick around for long, so if you find yourself interested, I'd grab it ASAP. Apparently this version can also be installed to a USB key, making it an incredible portable option that can be moved from PC to PC. Just launch the Office Starter To-Go Device Manager from All Programs -> Microsoft Office Starter. The files take up about 400MB of space, but will give you all of the offline power of Word and Excel wherever you need it.

It would be great to see Microsoft keep this free version of Office around for users who might otherwise opt for the online editions, but only time will tell if that was the intent. Either way I'd jump on it now before they change their mind. 

Microsoft Not in Awe of Siri, Says We've Had Similar Tech for Over a Year

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 06:39 AM PST

While its harsh to judge a device against the oft-outlandish rumors preceding its launch, the disappointment surrounding the iPhone 4S launch was justified as the upgrades did not seem commensurate with the long gap between the 4S and its predecessor. However, the smartphone's voice-activated personal assistant Siri is an entirely different matter, with even Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently calling it a "significant development." Microsoft's Craig Mundie, though, is not in awe of Siri.

Microsoft's Chief Research and Strategic Officer is not willing to concede that Siri is a technological breakthrough, but views it as another instance of people being "infatuated" with Apple products.

"As a technological capability, you could argue that Microsoft has had a similar capability in Windows phones for more than a year,"  he told Forbes' Eric Savitz in a recent interview. That said, he admitted that Microsoft could learn a thing or two on the marketing front from Apple.

Anyways, the "similar capability" he was referring to happens to be TellMe, which was first introduced as a downloadable app for Windows Mobile in 2009. But the two technologies are hardly similar, as is clear from this video from TechAu's Jason Cartwright:

MMO News

MMO News


MMOHut Weekly Recap #62 Nov 27 – Rosh Online, Atlantica, Earth Rise, & More

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 12:14 PM PST

MMO Weekly News #61 – Rosh Online, Atlantica, Earth Rise, & More

Weekly MMO News summary for the week ended November 27 (Nov 21 – Nov 27). A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: Rose Online (Karos Online), Battlefield Heroes, Mythos Online, Fly For Fun, Earth Rise, and Lineage 2. I’m excited about Lineage 2 going free to play on Novemeber 30. NCSoft hasn’t had much luck with Exteel – their previous F2P title, but I suspect they’ll do better with Lineage 2. You can view all the individual news articles mention over at the MMOHut.com News section.

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


The Anvil of Crom: Thanksgiving leftovers and what's new in Hyboria

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST

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The Anvil of Crom - angry man banner
What's up, Age of Conan fans? Hopefully all of you had an overindulgent Thanksgiving (I'm picturing clusters of barbarians hunched around roaring campfires, gnawing the blackened meat off the bones of whatever game animal happened to pass by).

For my part, I spent the last couple of days avoiding work, gaining weight, and catching up on recent news from Funcom's Hyboria. I've been a bit distracted with various online shooters lately, but I always find myself coming back to AoC because of its unique fantasy world and rough-and-tumble themepark mechanics. Join me after the break for a few recent tidbits that piqued my interest.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Thanksgiving leftovers and what's new in Hyboria

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: Thanksgiving leftovers and what's new in Hyboria originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Global Chat: November 20-26, 2011

    Posted: 27 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST

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    Global Chat
    Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat!

    Games we love, games we don't, and games we're not sure of are all on the menu for this week's Global Chat. Everyone loves to talk over upcoming games and expansions, sharing his thoughts and debating various points. Follow along after the cut to see what our readers had to say about that last week!

    Continue reading Global Chat: November 20-26, 2011

    MassivelyGlobal Chat: November 20-26, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: What do you do when you're in a queue?

      Posted: 27 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST

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      Yeah, more servers for launch is a good idea.
      It's not hard to find an MMO player who's gotten to experience the singular joy of the server queue. Maybe you were trying to log in to DC Universe Online right after it switched business models; maybe you've been taking part in this weekend's beta testing for Star Wars: The Old Republic; or maybe you were around for the launch of World of Warcraft. There's no debate to be had over whether or not server queues are good -- not even the developers consider them something good, just occasionally something necessary.

      No, today's question is about how you handle it. Do you wait it out and watch the time tick down? Read a book while you wait? Whip out a handheld game system? Play some Solitaire? Fix a snack? When the worst-case scenario happens and you're stuck in a server queue, what do you do to help pass the time between the start of the queue and the time when you get in?

      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: What do you do when you're in a queue? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Uncharted Waters Online sets sail for Tierra Americana

        Posted: 26 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST

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        In 1492, Columbus managed to find the two monarchs least capable of double-checking his horrible math.
        If you're basing a game in the Age of Exploration, however loose its historical basis may be, you have to eventually wind up dealing with the Americas. That's the case for Uncharted Waters Online, which has just launched the large Tierra Americana expansion to set players into the New World. America is the place to establish Pioneer Cities, special player-created towns that can be built up by player companies and then visited by others.

        That's only part of the update, however, which also includes the cities of Paris and Firenze. Paris is, of course, the city of culture and fashion; it lets players show off their discoveries and try to set new trends in the fashion world. Firenze, meanwhile, offers crafters special improvements and gives new incentives to player-made goods. The update also features new ships and updates to the ship systems, giving Uncharted Waters Online's players ways to ensure that they traverse the newly expanded ocean in style and safety.

        MassivelyUncharted Waters Online sets sail for Tierra Americana originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        MapleStory breached, 13 million accounts exposed

        Posted: 26 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST

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        MapleStory
        The famously hacked Sony has a sympathetic shoulder this week, as Nexon recently discovered a massive breach that's exposed over 13 million MapleStory player accounts to cyber ne'er-do-wells. Discovered this past Thursday, the breach was solely limited to South Korea, as Nexon hosts separate countries on their own servers.

        This means that any South Korean MapleStory player's information is at risk, including user IDs, names, passwords, and residential registration numbers. This information could potentially be stolen and used for a variety of crimes.

        While there's been no word whether actual personal information has been stolen, Nexon nevertheless urged these 13+ million subscribers to change their passwords. The company has contacted the police to ask for a formal investigation.

        This comes at an unfortunate time for the company, as Nexon is poised to present its IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December.

        MassivelyMapleStory breached, 13 million accounts exposed originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XI classes, round 1

        Posted: 26 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST

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        The Mog Log heard by A. Fienemann
        The character creator in Final Fantasy XI was my first exposure to character creation in MMOs, which is disappointing. There's no way to paint it as a good system, at least not to someone who is more or less powered by character customization. But it did give you your first six options for character class, and since we're starting the no doubt many-part series on character classes in both games as of today, it's relevant.

        At the beginning of the game, you choose a class selected from the same six classes that have made up the "default" arrangement for the series since, well, 1987. Today, I'm going to take a look at the three physical classes from that initial assortment: the Warrior, the Thief, and the Monk. We're going to be using the same initial criteria that kicked off this series, so take a moment to look at that if you're unfamiliar. Without further ado, let's get to classes!

        Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XI classes, round 1

        MassivelyThe Mog Log: Final Fantasy XI classes, round 1 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Tattered Notebook: Will Age of Discovery be the last EQII expansion?

          Posted: 26 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST

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          EQiI Jester
          It's amazing how much can change in just over a year. At the end of last summer, we were wrapping up Fan Faire and looking forward to Destiny of Velious, the upcoming expansion and the first of what was supposed to be a two-part expansion. This past weekend, just over a year later, I was headed to #OccupyNorrath to check out the planned protest, part of which was aimed at the cost of the new expansion, Age of Discovery. While the protest was light, to put it mildly, there has been quite a bit of rumbling on the forums about this upcoming expansion and the fact that while it might be heavy on features, it's pretty light on new content.

          Now, when I question whether Age of Discovery will be the last EverQuest II expansion, I'm certainly not predicting that all production will cease and desist in the game afterwards. But I think it's worth asking whether we're seeing a shift away from the traditional expansion model. Let's take a look back the past year and a half because I think it offers hints that might help explain the bigger picture for the game.

          Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Will Age of Discovery be the last EQII expansion?

          MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: Will Age of Discovery be the last EQII expansion? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            General gaming

            General gaming


            Come Race in 1UP's Mario Kart Tournament Meet-up!

            Posted: 26 Nov 2011 08:15 AM PST

            What: 1UP, IGN and Nintendo's Mario Kart 7 Meet-Up
            When: Monday, Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m.
            Where: The IGN Offices: 625 2nd Street, San Francisco
            Why: To race, eat, hang out and perhaps win prizes
            How (do you participate): Send us an email by Dec. 1

            Nintendo's latest Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 7, is launching soon. Next weekend, as a matter of fact! To mark the arrival of the last big game of 2011 (besides that laggard The Old Republic, anyway), 1UP is hosting a community meet-up here at our offices featuring food, prizes, and the opportunity to humble your favorite (or least favorite) editors with a Blue Shell. Join us the evening of Monday, Dec. 5 (the day after Mario Kart 7's launch) at 5:30 p.m. to participate in a MK7 tournament and compete for prizes provided by Nintendo! 1UP's editors will be on-hand, and we'll try to strong-arm some of our friends from IGN into participating as well.

            MMOGaming News

            MMOGaming News


            [Guide]Hunter Blade: Game for Warriors - Star Instance

            Posted:

            [Guide]Hunter Blade: Game for Warriors - Star Instance


            In Hunter Blade, star instance is a kind of hero instance for Lv70 and above. Also your Reputation should be 16,000 or higher to enter the Star Instance.

            Next-Generation Fantasy Sandbox MMO Pathfinder Online Announced

            Posted:

            Next-Generation Fantasy Sandbox MMO Pathfinder Online Announced


            An exciting new era in gaming begins with Pathfinder Online, a next-generation Massively Multiplayer Online fantasy roleplaying game currently in development from Goblinworks in partnership with Paizo Publishing!

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