General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


8 Must-Install Apps From the Windows 8 Store

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:02 PM PST

Whether you love it or hate it, you've installed Microsoft's Windows 8 Consumer Preview to give it a whirl and see which side – light or dark – you fall into. While we'd normally use this space to feature all the various third-party apps you should install on your brand-new operating system to make it more useful, more awesome, and more beautiful, it only makes sense that we instead turn our Eye of Sauron to Metro. Specifically, programs you can pick up right now, within Microsoft's store, that install directly into Windows 8 like apps onto a smartphone.

With the caveat that many of these apps are still in a preview phase themselves, here are our top picks for must-have Windows 8 Metro apps! Try saying that three times fast.

1. Cut the Rope

I had never heard of Cut the Rope until a friend whipped out her smartphone just a week or so ago and showed me what was up. As is the case with most apps or games, the name completely gives away what you're going to be doing. In Cut the Rope – which has a strikingly similarity to Angry Birds, just replace "catapult physics" with rope-cutting – your goal is to capture stars with a piece of candy. The candy dangles from a rope (or many ropes), and how and where you cut it affects its height and ability to sway into other objects (like stars. Or a frog's mouth).

Got it? You'll figure it out; trust us. And you won't stop playing, either. Cut all the ropes!

2. Evernote

If you haven't heard of Evernote, do this: Grab a yellow sticky note pad, write yourself a little memo to install it on all of the devices you own, and then sticky that note on your monitor.

Wait.

Don't do that. Because Evernote is designed to be the digital archive of your various "notes to self" – as well as any other documents, images, and other such attachments that you want to keep tabs on. The Windows 8 app (in preview) only accepts text notes right now, but it does synchronize these with any other device you've installed Evernote on. And you can still view other elements (like pictures) that you've placed into notes using other devices; you just can't put them there yourself on Windows 8.

3. Cookbook

Now this is what we're talking about. Cookbook is a perfectly designed application for Windows 8's Metro UI. Like a finely seasoned dish, Cookbook delivers just enough useful information (recipes and cooking instructions) without seeming sparse. It displays adequate illustrations of the food you're trying to make without turning the app into one giant picture and caption combination after another. In other words, the app is a mouthwatering mix of graphics and information.

Our only qualm is a big one: No search. While Cookbook make it easy to browse through different, categorized galleries of potential edibles depending on what you're interested in frying up, you can't just straight-up search for "Sloppy Joe" or "five-alarm chili," for example. Hopefully a big fat tie-in to Windows 8's type-anything-in-Metro search tool makes its way to this app – otherwise, it's just a tad under-flavored.

4. News Republic

Like many apps gracing the Consumer Preview of Windows 8, News Republic shows a lot of promise, but it's not quite up to the standards that one can enjoy within other apps on, say, one's tablet PC – in other words, it's no Pulse or Flipboard. But as a fairly nondescript news reader, News Republic performs well. Adding new topics you want to follow is as easy as searching for them using Metro's app-contextual search. And once you have your favorites set up, you need merely click into each category to see what the news of the hour happens to be.

Too bad there's no way to integrate News Republic with your lock screen. Or, for that matter, a way to see a single, up-to-the-minute feed of all of your favorite categories at once.

5. SigFig

Although we're slightly annoyed that we have to first register for an account to use this stock market-watching application, it makes complete sense once you see the power of SigFig in action.

Connect up your brokerage account to the app and you'll get easy access to your portfolio via Windows' Metro UI – and more importantly, statistics and graphics related to your portfolio's performance. From quick snapshots of your investments' daily gains and losses to an easy-to-understand tracker that compares the value of your holdings against the rise and fall of the Dow Jones over various time periods, this app is a nice cross between Bing and an absurdly complicated investment tool for the desktop trader.

While we'd love to also be able to research potential purchases via the app – or even make these sells and buys within the app itself – SigFig doesn't disappoint when it comes to presenting key financial information in a digestible (and pretty) fashion.

6. Grantophone

Sorry, Windows 8 desktop or laptop users, but we had to at least throw one bone in this brief app roundup for your touchscreen-happy counterparts. There are around 85,000 different apps on the various Smartphone markets that help you to make funny sounds with your device (a rough approximation). Not the sounds of cows mooing or people sneezing, we should note – rather, synthesized sounds that, if combined together, could get you one step closer to recreating your favorite Daft Punk jam.

We love the sheer number of settings you can play around with in Grantophone. To list them all out would take the rest of this article's space (and hack off the three of you who don't care about making fun jams with your touch-sensitive system). And, truly, it defeats the app's experimental ambitions.

We're not sure how or why this happens, but it's actually kind of fun to tweak the app's settings – like the volume of the various octaves you're creating above your sounds, to the raw shape of the waveform that gets created, to the amount of noise or vibrato present in your notes. With 12 notes split across four octaves in a giant grid, you'll be tapping away a new dubstep version of Ode to Joy before you know it.

7. Pirates Love Daises

Don't let the name throw you. Every platform needs a tower defense game, and Windows 8's Consumer Preview is no exception. Since you know exactly what's in store the minute we said "Tower Defense game," we will instead use the rest of this paragraph to describe just when you might get sick of the genre for the 35th time in your gaming life.

First off, it's great to see that the game comes with three different modes – Normal, Sudden Death, and Epic, which helps cater to all different Tower Defense experience levels. Little is more boring than a Tower Defense game that's just that: One normal mode of defending, repeated until you throw whatever device you're using against the wall.

While we love the premise – Tower Defense pirates – the presentation of Pirate Love Daises caters more toward the genre newbie than those who have unlocked every Defense Grid achievement there is. Your "towers," or pirates, just stand and plant to attack anything traveling along a predestined path.

There aren't any special options to pick from (no pirate-themed ion cannon-like device to blast invaders once per map), no economy to speak of (since when did pirates care about interest?), and no health concerns you need worry about related to your invulnerable pirates – nor any way to see the health of the creatures you're fighting, we note.

Pirates Love Daises is still a fun respite from, say, solitaire. It's not the greatest Tower Defense game you'll play, but it does have its enjoyable, swashbuckling moments. Like all Tower Defense games, you'll have no choice but to continue playing once you've started to build up your mighty pirate defenses.

8. Slapdash Podcasts

Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves when we assume that people listen to podcasts on their desktop or laptop PCs instead of, say, a portable music player of their choosing. But just in case we're dead wrong on this one, Slapdash Podcasts is to audio broadcasts as the aforementioned News Republic is to articles.

We enjoy the graphics-heavy treatment that Slapdash Podcasts brings to Windows 8, as it makes browsing for new shows both fun and easy. And we're especially grateful that the app comes with such a comprehensive library of potential podcasts to browse through.

You can pull up any podcast (new or archived) to listen to on a one-time basis or, if you feel yourself getting hooked, you can also subscribe to the 'cast directly within the app itself. Your subscribed-to podcasts take up prime location on Slapdash's main screen. However, the app doesn't automatically download new episodes on your behalf, nor does it come with finer controls to allow you to hide or otherwise mark up podcast episodes you've already listened to.

Slapdash Podcasts might not be for power podcast users, but it's still a pretty good app for tuning into your favorite shows within Windows 8's Metro UI.

Lenovo Recalls Over 50K AIO PCs Due To Risk Of Fire Hazard

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:55 AM PST

If you own a Lenovo ThinkCentre All-In-One computer, you've got a best of times/worst of times dichotomy going on right now: on the plus side, the touchscreen-optimized Windows 8 Consumer Preview probably feels great with the ThinkCentre's multitouch display. On the negative side, there's a chance your PC can catch on fire. Today, Lenovo and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of over 50,000 Lenovo ThinkCentre M70z and M90z AIOs after determining that a power supply defect can cause the systems to overheat and burst into flame.

Only certain batches of the M70z and M90z are affected, however. Check the bottom of the PC for a label with a date code and serial number: if your date code falls between 1001 to 1012, 1101 to 1112, 001 to 012, or 101 to 112 then there is a chance it could catch fire. If you're affected, stop using the PC, unplug the power cord, and either call Lenovo at (855)248-2194 or visit the web page Lenovo created for the recall. Fortunately, there have been no injuries and only a couple of fire/smoke incidents reported in the U.S., but it's definitely better to be safe than covered in burns.

Holey Optochip Capable Of 1Tbps Data Transfer Rates, Batman!

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:29 AM PST

Punching a hole through your TV isn't generally regarded as a wise move, but as it turns out, punching holes -- 48 of them, to be exact -- through standard 90nm silicon CMOS chips is a decent first step towards superfast supercomputing. Sound crazy? Apparently, it isn't. Today, IBM announced it did just that with the awesomely named "Holey Optochip," a prototype optical chip that can transfer data at a blistering fast 1 terabit (1 trillion bits) per second rates.

Optical data transmission uses pulses of light to send information faster and more efficiently than the standard old "electrons via wire" method. Are you starting to see where the holes come in? They let light through to the 24/24 split of optical receiver/transmitter channels on the opposite side of the chip. Here are the technical details, right from the lion's (aka IBM's) mouth:

A single 90-nanometer IBM CMOS transceiver IC with 24 receiver and 24 transmitter circuits becomes a Holey Optochip with the fabrication of forty-eight through-silicon holes, or "optical vias" – one for each transmitter and receiver channel. Simple post-processing on completed CMOS wafers with all devices and standard wiring levels results in an entire wafer populated with Holey Optochips. The transceiver chip measures only 5.2 mm x 5.8 mm. Twenty-four channel, industry-standard 850-nm VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting laser) and photodiode arrays are directly flip-chip soldered to the Optochip. This direct packaging produces high-performance, chip-scale optical engines. The Holey Optochips are designed for direct coupling to a standard 48-channel multimode fiber array through an efficient microlens optical system that can be assembled with conventional high-volume packaging tools.

So that's a lot of technicalese: what kind of real world benefits does the Holey Optochip bring? IBM says that the parallel optical transceiver can transfer the equivalent of 500 HD movies each and every second with its 1Tbps data rate. (Of course, that's just in-chip speed; other system components would slow that down.) As if that wasn't cool enough, IBM used industry standard parts to ensure an easy economy of scale when the chip hits manufacturing, and the Holey Octochip is Green to boot -- using only 5W of power. Or, as IBM puts it, "the power consumed by a 100W light bulb could power 20 transceivers."

High-speed optical chips are typically used in supercomputing and data center operations. You can check out the IBM press release for more information, and the company will be explaining more about the chip today at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference in Los Angeles.

Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge Chip Gets Benchmarked

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:16 AM PST

Yeah, yeah, the iPad is here, and a lot of the rumors about it were right. Yadda yadda yadda. Let's start talking about something really exciting: the upcoming launch of Intel's Ivy Bridge. Unfortunately, most (but not all) of the news for that platform has also fallen solidly into the "rumor" category, but now we have some hard stats to see how Ivy stacks up to Sandy. While we were busy playing Mass Effect 3, Anand Lal Shimpi was busy procuring and benchmarking a Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge proc -- and sharing the results with the world.

Anand's not telling how he got his hands on the chip, but he does say that the preview "was not sanctioned or supported by Intel in any way." He delves deep into tech specs in his 18 page (p)review, but here's the Cliffs Notes version: the CPU gains are a modest 5 to 15 percent, but Intel's integrated HD 4000 graphics boast a big 20 to 50 percent increase over current Sandy Bridge graphics in a series of gaming benchmarks.

The chip plays virtually any game -- even Metro 2033 -- well at low resolutions and graphics settings, but Ivy Bridge even manages to rock over 50fps at 1680x1050 in Crysis:Warhead. The integrated graphics in AMD's A8-series Llano APU still outshined Ivy Bridge in all of Anand's tests, however, and that margin will undoubtedly only increase once the new Trinity chips come around.

The power savings were also fairly significant. Thoughts? Based on Anand's initial numbers, Ivy Bridge seems like a big step forward for notebooks and other mobile devices, but will a slight CPU bump, a big GPU bump and some power savings sway you into upgrading your desktop PC? (Which, if you're graphically inclined, probably already has a discrete graphics card installed.) One thing's almost for certain: discrete low end cards may go the way of the Dodo if AMD and Trinity keep stepping up their integrated GPU game.

All Your .COM Domains Are Belong to U.S., Government Says

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:17 AM PST

Do you own a .com domain? If so, the U.S. government can seize it at any time. The same applies to .net, org. .biz, and other top-level domains (TLDs), and it doesn't matter where you live. You could reside half way around the world. You could be hiding out in Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific ocean that you probably never heard of, and the U.S. government could still take control of your .com website.

How is this possible? According to a rather interesting report in Wired, Uncle Sam has done this "hundreds of times" and it's because the companies that administer these websites are based in the U.S., so says Nicole Navas, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman.

According to Navas, the U.S. government typically serves court-ordered seizures on VeriSign, an American company based in Reston, Virginia that operates two of the Internet's thirteen root nameservers and is the authoritative registrar for .com, .net, .cc, .tv, and .name. The U.S. government can also seize any .org domain, which are all managed by the Public Interest Registry, also based in Virginia.

Even foreign websites registered with a VeriSign subcontractor aren't safe from seizure. Bodog.com, for example, was registered with a Canadian registrar subcontracted by VeriSign, and that was enough for U.S. authorities to take control of the site without any help from Canadian officials.

If you read only one article today, this one should be it. Give it a once over and then tell us what you think about it in the comments section below.

Apple's iPad A5X Graphics Claim Raises Eyebrows at Nvidia

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 06:52 AM PST

If you caught any of the coverage of Apple's iPad launch event yesterday -- and you couldn't have missed it unless you boycotted Facebook, Twitter, Google+, tech sites, and the Internet in general -- then you would have seen the Cupertino company puff out its chest as it talked about the new iPad's A5X processor, a mighty chip with supposedly four times the graphics performance of Nvidia's Tegra 3 processor. There's only one problem with that: Apple's scrumptious claim was served up without a side of benchmarks.

It very well might be the case that the A5X processor is as awesome as Apple says it is, but a bar graph devoid of benchmarks, footnotes, or disclaimers doesn't have Nvidia convinced.

"We don't have the benchmark information," Nvidia spokesman Ken Brown told ZDNet. "We have to understand what the application was that was used: Was it one or a variety of applications? What drivers were used? There are so many issues to get into with benchmarks."

Whether or not Apple provides any benchmarks to back up its 4X performance claim remains to be seen, but with a launch just over a week away, you can bet Nvidia (and tech sites) will do it for them. Brown said we'll have a clearer picture of things when the new iPad gets benchmarked.

"For now, Apple has a really generic statement," Brown said.

Apple's A5X processor has two processing cores, same as the A5 found in the iPad 2, but four graphics cores to help drive the new iPad's 2048x1536 display and for 3D gaming.

Pentium Class Ivy Bridge Chip to Sell for $86

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 06:24 AM PST

Sub-$100 computer processors are the kind of gravy we like to scoop up and spread on a low-cost PC, secondary system, NAS box, home theater PC, or any other application that doesn't requires a beefy CPU to get the job done. If you feel the same way, you'll be happy to know that at least one of Intel's desktop Ivy Bridge processors can be yours for less than a Benjamin.

Intel will treat budget shoppers to Ivy Bridge by introducing a new member to its Pentium family based on its upcoming architecture, according to Fudzilla. Slated for release in the second quarter of 2012, the upcoming Pentium G870 will boast a 3.1GHz clockspeed and presumably have two processing cores and two threads. At $86, it will be the cheapest 22nm Ivy Bridge chip Intel sells.

The Pentium G870 will replace the G860, a 3GHz dual-core chip based on Intel's 32nm Sandy Bridge architecture.

comScore: Android, iOS Increase Mobile Market Share

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 06:03 AM PST

The latest data from market research firm comScore underscores the old adage 'The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.' In terms of mobile market share, Google and Apple are the two fat cats living high on the hog, while Microsoft, Research In Motion, and Symbian fight over the leftover scraps, and there were less to go around in January 2012.

According to comScore, Google's Android platform still dominates the smartphone landscape as it inches closer to claiming half of all mobile subscribers living in the U.S. Android's market share jumped from 46.3 percent in October 2011 to 48.6 percent in January 2012, while Apple's iOS platform moved forward 1.4 percentage points to 29.5 percent during the same period.

The remaining three major players each lost market share with RIM taking the biggest hit, dropping from 17.2 percent to 15.2 percent, which is still well in front of the bottom three. Microsoft's share dropped a single percentage point to 4.4 percent in January 2012, and Symbian slid to 1.5 percent, down a tenth of a percentage point, according to comScore's data.

An interesting side note to all this is that smartphone users are starting to get the hang of their devices. comScore breaks down mobile content usage by category -- sending text messages, using downloaded apps, using the browser, accessing social networking sites or blogs, playing games, and listening to music -- and in each case, the percentage of mobile subscribers in the U.S. engaging in the activity went up by at least 2.8 percentage points.

Toshiba Announces Qosmio X870 Gaming Laptop for 2Q12

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 05:32 AM PST

Toshiba UK has announced a new gaming notebook called the Qosmio X870. The X870 is not just another gaming laptop, according to the official announcement, but the company's most advanced gaming notebook till date. Hit the jump for more.

The X870 is a desktop replacement model with a massive 17.3-inch Full HD LED 3D display. Scheduled to ship in the second quarter of 2012, the X870 will deliver "turbo-charged" multimedia performance. That "next level performance" will come from the latest Intel processors (read: Ivy Bridge) and next-generation NVIDIA graphics.

It is further known to have a 2TB HDD (or hybrid SSD), DVD SuperMulti drive (Blu-ray optional), 4x USB 3.0 including 2x Sleep-and-Charge USB, HDMI, RGB, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, HD camera, and Harman Kardon stereo speakers. It also features Toshiba's Resolution+ video upscaling technology and has the capability to convert 2D content into 3D.

Even though these details are a bit vague, they are all we have at this stage. But we'll update you as and when more details emerge.

30,000 Wordpress Sites Infected to Redirect to Fake AV Sites

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 09:17 PM PST

Fake antivirus is by no means a recent phenomenon. In fact, it has been around for ages, with the first documented instance of fake antivirus reportedly dating back to 1989. Of course, it has become much more widespread over the past few years. But in case you needed reminding that rogue antivirus software continues to be a threat, security firm Websense has just the reminder for you.

The security firm has warned about "a new wave of mass-injections of a well-known rogue antivirus campaign that we've been following in Security Labs for months." According to the firm, no less than 30,000 Wordpress-based unique sites have been compromised and injected with malicious code as part of this fake antivirus campaign. Placed at the bottom of the compromised page, the injected code simply redirects users to rogue antivirus sites so that they can be fooled into downloading and installing a Trojan from there.

"After a three-level redirection chain, victims land on a fake AV site. In this example, the first chain is the ".rr.nu", and the landing site is the ".de.lv" top-level domain, but the landing site keeps changing," the company said in a blog post.

"The rogue AV site appears to perform a scan on the computer and scares the user by displaying fake malware detections of various kinds of Trojans. The page looks like a Windows Explorer window with a "Windows Security Alert" dialogue box in it.  The fake scanning process looks like a normal Windows application, however, it is only a pop-up window within the browser. The fake antivirus then prompts visitors to download and run their "antivirus tool" to remove the supposedly found Trojans. The executable is itself the Trojan."

It's worth noting that over 85 percent of the compromised sites are based in the States. However, only about 50 percent of all visitors to these sites are said to be from the U.S., with the rest being spread far and wide.

MMO News

MMO News


Spirit Tales features first community Q&A

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:04 PM PST

Spirit Tales is preparing to launch its closed beta phase, and as part of the prep, they have released their first Community Q&A with Elliott, KoramGame’s US Community Manager. Find out what was asked and answered below!

You can also check out our Spirit Tales press preview and beta giveaway.


 

Q: So can you tell us about your position at Koramgame.com?

A: Of course! I'm Elliott, the Community Manager for KoramGame's US office. Basically I'm in charge of all communications with players in all sorts of avenues. Players can contact me via forums, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to discuss KoramGame and our newest client based MMORPG, Spirit Tales! I also organize and run all of the events and contests, whether it is in game, on the forums, or on our social network sites.

Q: Could you tell us more about Spirit Tales and the game play?

A: Spirit Tales is a cute, 3D, fast paced fantasy MMORPG that focuses primarily on the uniqueness of the individual player.  How big of a focus? Well, there are over 40 million different customization options, and last time I checked, that was a lot! We also have a vibrant world filled with amazing creatures and a unique horizon view that puts everything perfectly together. There is also Spirit Form, a gameplay feature that will be available during Closed Beta that lets you channel special attacks and unlock rare loot items that are only available during Spirit Form. There are also additional features, like PvP Battle Zones, Duel Tournaments, Pet Capturing/Morphing System, Massive Unlockable Achievements and Title Systems, and so many others that I could talk about all day. The funny thing is that this is just the start! We have so many other special features that you'll just have to play the game and find out for yourself.

Q: There's been talk that Spirit Tales and Glory Destiny are actually the same game. What’s the difference between Spirit Tales and Glory Destiny? 

A: With Spirit Tales, North American and European players will have access to a closer server location, which means improved latency, less lag, and more responsive gameplay. We’ve refined the UI to make gameplay more polished, as well as more tailored to a North American audience. We’ve also removed some major UI functionality to make the game both more enjoyable and less exploitable. Although the core game remains the same, we'll have a different update cycle that depending on the user base, we could take the game in different directions. We will also have an expanded customer service department, more events and active GMs, as well as more integration with social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

Q: Which part of the game do you think the community will love the most?

A: There are so many things to love! My personal favorite is the emote system. Adorable dances, cute facial expressions, fashionable poses, you name it. I often find myself staring at the screen, cheeks BURNING because I can't stop smiling at how cute these emotes are… and that's with work to do too!

I think our most popular widespread appealing feature will be the Instance Queue system. We have so many dungeon instances that we have an automatic queue system in place that lets players find parties without having to hope for a random invite. Just choose your role, the instance, and BOOM, you're in a party and ready to go!

Q: What can the players expect in the Closed Beta?

A: In Closed Beta, we'll be opening all content up to level 40 to our users, absolutely free! This includes 5 instances, hundreds of quests, a bazillion pets, PvP Battle Zones, and more! Not to mention special closed beta rewards, custom titles, and achievements only available to testers during Closed Beta! Oh and of course events! We've got events that range from holiday celebrations, GM beat-downs, hide- and-go-seek, screenshot and video contests, and everything in between. It's your chance to win awesome prizes that carry over to Open Beta.

Q: Could you tell us more about Spirit Tales "Spirit Form"?

A: Spirit Form is a special ability all characters can unlock at level 10. It allows your character to channel their Spirit Animal and take on their form! Spirit Form unlocks special abilities, shatters enemies’ defenses, and even unlocks special loot items that are only available when players defeat enemies while in Spirit Form!

However, this powerful transformation is only available for a limited time.  This is shown by your Spirit Bar, a gauge that refills by using skills in combat. Pressing the space bar transforms your character into an awesome animation and begins draining your Spirit Bar over time until it's depleted, or when you cancel it by pressing space bar again.

Q: How does the Pet Morphing system work and what kind of abilities do the pets have?

A: Spirit Tales has a MASSIVE pet system. Every monster you see in the game world can be tamed! Each pet has a unique set of skills – active and passive – as well as unique stats and resists that accompany the special Morphing skills.

In Spirit Tales, you will be able to have 2 pets at your command; one to fight along your side and one to "morph" with. Morphing with your pet gives you a special aura visible to all players, and imbues you with the strength of your pet. Pets like the rare Baka give you 3 morph skills, in its case; bonus defense, bonus agility, and bonus health. Other pets give bonuses to movement speed, cast speed, and many more. There are literally thousands of different combinations, so you can spend months deciding which pets create the perfect matches to fight along your side.

Q: Can you capture Bosses in the game to make them your pet?

A: Yes, but only while in Spirit Form. Battling enemies in Spirit Form damages another pool of points the monsters have. To explain; the main damage pools are HP (Health points) and MP (Mana Points), but this third pool, BP (Break Points), is only damaged while in Spirit Form. So when a monster's BP is at zero, their defenses are lowered and special loot is unlocked. When you battle Bosses in instances or global events, you'll have a chance to loot a pet egg of that boss when their BP has dropped to zero.

 

 

Carte officially launches

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:25 PM PST

GamesCampus has officially launched its newest game, Carte.

Carte will host several events, including a chance to win silver coins for any player who logs in today. GMs will also randomly join games and duel players. The community will also hold art contests for card art, or show off their decks, for prizes.

Carte is a free-to-play online trading card game, featuring five nations, storyline, PvP, deckbuilding, raids, and more.

GamesCampus also publishes Scarlet Legacy and Heroes in the Sky.

48657  420x310 carte cards

Carte Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

GAMESCAMPUS’ CARTE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES

 

GamesCampus Puts Its Cards On The Table With The Launch of The First Global Online TCG

 

Sunnyvale, Calif. (March 8, 2012)- Leading online game publisher GamesCampus.com (www.GamesCampus.com) today announced that its global online trading card game, Carte, has officially launched. With the official launch of Carte, anyone can now partake of Carte’s many exciting gameplay features, such as its fast paced gameplay, epic raid battles, fierce weapons and allies and much more. Bona fide card carriers can dash over to http://carte.gamescampus.com

 

Carte is a fast paced global online trading card game. Choose a Hero, build a deck and jump into exciting battles with fierce weapons and allies. Create and master endless strategies with an arsenal of spells and creatures to conquer your opponents. With an easy to learn system coupled with a user friendly interface, Carte is ready for new players as well as grizzled TCG veterans and everything in between.

 

In celebration of the launch, GamesCampus is hosting several events for Carte players. Any player who logs in today has a chance to win silver coins which can be used to buy cards and boosters. In addition, the GMs will be joining games randomly, so if you play a duel, you have a chance to play a GM.

 

Players are also going to be treated to art contests. Players can vote for their favorite card art and get prizes for participating. In addition, players can show off their own decks and GamesCampus will feature and award prizes to the best!

 

Gamescampus will be offering additional previews, deck building tips, and more on the official Carte Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CarteGlobal

 

For more information about GamesCampus.com or Carte, please visit http://carte.gamescampus.com/

Scarlet Legacy releases March Update

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 01:43 PM PST

The latest update to arrive in Scarlet Legacy is now live, and offers a raised level cap and more.

The level cap in game has been raised to level 70, and is supported by the introduction of several new maps and dungeons. New maps including Ancient Forest and Lightning Ridge; two new Practice Towers, Flame Maze and Thunder Maze; and seven new dungeons, Altar of Flame, Lost Island, Desperate Land, Secret Ancient Forest, Thunder Tower, Altar of Wind, and Demon Seal. Four new level 70 purple equipment sets, 100 new skills, 90 new martial arts stances, 195 new items, 100 new crafting recipes, and more also make their debut.

Scarlet Legacy is published by GamesCampus, which also publishes Asda 2 and Carte.

Scarlet Legacy: March Update Screenshots

Source:

DANGER AND EXCITEMENT COLLIDE IN LATEST UPDATE FOR SCARLET LEGACY

 

New Maps, Dungeons And Towers To Explore And Character Levels Increase To 70

 

Sunnyvale, Calif. (March 08, 2012) – Leading online game publisher, GamesCampus.com (www.GamesCampus.com), today announced its latest update for the popular fantasy MMORPG, Scarlet Legacy has launched. The new update increases the character level cap to 70 and introduces two new maps to explore, two new practice towers, seven new dungeons and a multitude of new skills, stances, items, equipment and so much more! Players can jump right in at www.ScarletLegacy.com and join in the action today.

 

The vast and incredible world of Scarlet Legacy gets even bigger with the release of an all-new update available now. The update introduces two new expansive maps – Ancient Forest and Lightning Ridge – along with two new Practice Towers for players to challenge; Flame Maze and Thunder Maze. Players should be well-prepared to explore this new content as the update also raises the level cap from 60 to 70 allowing players to progress their characters further with four new level 70 purple equipment sets plus so much more!

 

“This update takes action-packed combat to a whole new level, and with so many new areas for players to challenge and explore there is something for everyone,” said Chris Ahn, Business Development Specialist. “The bar has just been raised for this addicting MMORPG.”
The latest update also introduces seven new dungeons: Altar of Flame (levels 61-65), Lost Island (Hero level 65), Desperate Land (Hero level 65), Secret Ancient Forest (Cavalier level 65), Thunder Tower(levels 66-70), Altar of Wind (Hero levels 70) and one new special dungeon Demon Seal (levels 40-70). Additionally, players will find more than 100 new skills and 90 new martial arts stances, over 195 new items, 100 new crafting recipes and level 70 Epic Equipment sets.
Scarlet Legacy offers tactical combat with stylishly cinematic animation, plenty of character customization options, and numerous PvP modes and battlefields. There are four classes to choose from at the beginning, but each has access to multiple unique talent trees, bonus granting Martial Arts combat Stances, and evolving skills which allow for far more personalized progression. Scarlet Legacy is a complete MMORPG with crafting profession skills, mounts, pet customization and mutation systems, and dozens of in-world mini-games.

Warface opens registration for closed beta

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:51 AM PST

Crytek has announced that closed beta registration is now available for Warface (warface.com).

Warface is Crytek’s “first free social FPS.” Little information is available for the game yet, other than it will feature both co-op PvE missions and class-based PvP. The closed beta date is expected to be announced sometime later this year.

49809  420x310 warface screenshot

Warface Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Warface.com Opens for Closed Beta Sign-Ups

Frankfurt (Germany), March 7, 2012 — Warface.com, the official web site for Crytek's first free social FPS Service Warface, opens today for closed beta sign-ups and gives everyone interested the possibility to reserve their unique Warface ID. A new trailer – which shows the different classes – is also live on the site. The closed beta date isn't set yet but will be announced during 2012.

Eudemons compares animal film stars and MMORPG pets

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:16 AM PST

Eudemons Online has released a discussion comparing the pets and animals we so cherish, as seen in films, with the pets we love in MMORPGs. Here’s what they had to say:

 


 

Watching the 84th Academy Awards recently, we can easily find that films about animals made up a big part of the nominees. These animals are not only cute and funny, but also smart and talented in dealing with all kinds of difficulties. Some of them are the greatest and inseparable companions to their owners, just like you and your pets venturing out in MMO games!

 

More Than Cats and Dogs

Cats and Dogs have always been very popular in filming. "Puss in Boots" and "A Cat in Paris" were nominated as the best Animated Feature Film, and "The Adventures of Tintin" was nominated as Best Music (Original Score). But there are some other interesting and brave animals we can't help loving: Po, the chubby panda in "Kung Fu Panda 2"; Caesar, the ape in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", and Rango, a nameless chameleon.

 

 

 

49806  420x310 rango

 

If you cannot have those lovely pets in your real life, why not turn to MMO games for help? They can offer you an even larger variety of pets than you'll ever have in the real world! You can choose from all kinds of creatures in World of Warcraft, and can catch almost any creature as a pet in Ragnarok Online. Or you prefer the F2P games with a unique pet system, there's Eudemons Online, which has over 100 distinctive pets and mounts to be raised and taught different types of skills. No matter what kind of pets you like, MMO games provide you an exciting journey while having fun with those cute pets!

49805  420x310 kungfupanda

 

Love Between Pets and Owners

Among those Oscar nominees, "War Horse" is sure to be one of the most touching films. It describes the strong and deep emotions between the horse, Joey, and the boy, Albert. After all the hard time Joey has been through during World War I, Albert finally finds him and brings him back home. The whole film goes directly to the hearts of pet owners, and even the people who don't have pets of their own.

 

 

 

49807  420x310 warhorse

 

Speaking of MMO games, the reason why most hardcore gamers can't get their hands off the game may be the game itself, or the friendships they form, or simply the love of their pets! Take Eudemons Online as an example, where you get the eggs in different ways, then hatch and raise them yourself, teaching them different skills in battle and watching them grow up and become stronger. While the pets are born to follow you their whole life, they also offer you extra battle power, luck, and can smash monsters with their own powerful skills. You have to stay strong with your pets, so that you can win the numerous battles, beat dangerous enemies, and hunt vicious and formidable bosses. They're like your most loyal allies in battle, just like the horses to the soldiers in the World War.

 

 

49804  420x310 eo ghostlyhorse

This is a season of animals for the Oscars, and pets have always played an important role in both movies and MMORPGs since their inception. After watching those films, gamers may want to look back to those pet MMO games. Pet lovers can definitely give Eudemons Online a shot, as it's famous for its interesting pet system and intense PK experience.

 

There're so many options to choose from, and all will give you the joy of having your very own exotic pet! Try some out, today!

 

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


Keiji Inafune’s Charlie Sheen Moment

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:32 AM PST

Listening to Comcept.Inc boss (and former Mega Man, Onimusha, and Dead Rising producer) Keiji Inafune speak tonight at Game Developers Conference 2012 was a little like taking a trip in a time machine back to last spring. You remember — back when people’s tongues couldn’t stop wagging about Charlie Sheen’s bizarre, possibly drug-inspired rants about “winning.”

“Winning” was at the very heart of Inafune’s speech on the grim future facing his native Japan’s game industry — or rather, the fact that Japanese developers (and the society at large) appears to have lost their will to win. “There’s a difference between saying, ‘I don’t want to lose,’ and ‘I will win,’” Inafune remarked. Throughout his 45-minute lecture, he constantly reiterated the necessity of a drive to win.

Of course, Inafune’s speech wasn’t really all that similar to Sheen’s “tiger blood” nonsense. Whereas the celebrity appeared to be speaking across the business end of a cocktail shaker, Inafune’s observations come after more than a quarter-century of working in the games industry and on the heels of being something of a prophet of doom to his homeland — one whose dire predictions have in many ways panned out. To Inafune’s credit, he proved fairly prescient; he helped steer Capcom toward collaboration with Western studios, which resulted in some of the most vibrant and original current-gen console titles to have emerged from Japan.

In some ways, Inafune’s talk served as a sort of apologia for his departure from Capcom a year ago to found the twin companies Comcept and Intercept. “I left behind 900 coworkers… for a company of about 20 people,” he said. Inafune admitted that he could have continued living a comfortable, secure life at Capcom, but that while it’s easy to take chances when things are going well, the true road to success is found in taking risks when the chips are down. He commended South Korea on its vibrant culture, noting that “Korean brands have supplanted Japanese brands” and that he sees in Koreans the sort of drive that Japan possessed in the ’80s. “Japanese singers and movies stars could learn a lot” from their Korean counterparts, he opined. And he feels the same holds true for the country’s game industry.

While Inafune is eager to move beyond his previous successes and on to new challenges — a significant factor in his leaving Capcom — he clearly looks to the past for lessons and guidance. He cites the commercial failure of Mega Man Legends for PlayStation as a watershed moment in his career and laments the Japanese industry’s reliance on sequels. “Establishing a brand takes hard work,” he admits, “yet you can’t rely overly on that brand.” He admitted the steady decline that affected the Mega Man series over the years, and pointed to the success he saw with new ventures like Resident Evil 2, Onimusha, and Dead Rising as proof that throwing full support behind new ideas is essential to progress.

Inafune admitted that on many levels, the Japanese industry has become a relic, comparing it to the Beatles, Steve McQueen, and classic cars. “The Beatles will never record a new album with all four members of the band, and Steve McQueen will never star in a new movie. All we have are DVDs.

“Many creations that measured up to global success were crafted by our predecessors. We have a lot of those in Japan… but we need to think about more than just maintaining brands.”

Inafune presents Comcept as an attempt to return to basics — to rekindle the spirit that fueled the Japanese industry’s landmark successes in the NES era. “Everyone then worked hard and wanted to win,” he said. “There was heated competition. Now, in 2012, we’re older. We have families. Maybe we have mortgages.” But in his mind, it’s essential Japanese developers shake off their collective lethargy before it’s too late.

“The gap between Japan and the rest of the world is growing,” he warned.

Some will find Inafune’s words needlessly alarmist, while others will nod in agreement. In any case, he offered a far more even-handed and solution-oriented approach to the problem than has been heard elsewhere at GDC, where blanket proclamations that “all [Japan's] games suck now” are the order of the day. Inafune may share a similar sentiment, but he’s struck out on his own to help mend the situation in his own small way rather than simply pointing a finger of blame. (He also “accidentally” let slip the news that Comcept is working on Vita software. GDC panels can be for marketing, too.)


GDC 2012: What Can the Next Generation Learn from Gaming History?
1UP editor-in-chief Jeremy Parish’s mission at this year’s Game Developers Conference is informed by his enthusiasm for new ideas and affection for the games he grew up playing. Is it possible to march forward while occasionally glancing back? That’s the question he’s investigating this week.


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[GDC 2012] Sins of a Dark Age

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:32 AM PST


[Game website] I first discovered this new online game last week, and wasn’t ready to post anything about it as no actual gameplay videos were available. While official videos are still not released, GameSpot managed to record an interview with the developers and of course, took some actual game footage. Sins of a Dark Age merges the RTS (StarCraft) with MOBA (League of Legends, Dota) genres together in yet another unique hybrid. The developer also made Sins of a Solar Empire if you heard of the game.

Well, there are 5 players on each team. 1 of them will be the commander, which will play in RTS mode to collect resources and build/ upgrade the team’s base. Control minions to farm resources, build units and stuff. Also, as the “commander” tag suggests, he must be quick to give instruction to his team mates. The other 4 players will be controlling just 1 hero character, just like in Dota. I think this is rather easy to understand in words, but I have got to really try it out for myself.


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Azuga: Age of Chaos MMO Review

Posted: 08 Mar 2012 01:27 AM PST

Azuga: Age of Chaos, previously known as Titan Online, is a 3D fantasy MMORPG with simple graphics and gameplay. Players choose from six weapon types and start their adventures in this Asian-themed world. With a combo system, pets, and optional PvP channels, Azuga offers a traditional free to play MMORPG experience.

 

 

Publisher: PlayOMG
Playerbase: Low
Graphics: Low Quality
Type: MMORPG
EXP Rate: Fast
PvP: Certain channels / PvP mode
Filesize: 780 MB

Website: http://azuga.playomg.com/

Pros: +Auto-looting. +Players start with equipment boxes. +PvP-enabled channels. +Combo system.

Cons: -Dated graphics. -Repetitive soundtrack. -Poor interface. -Small game world. -Dull combat and monster designs.

 

Azuga: Age of Chaos is a somewhat dated MMORPG which has only recently been brought to the North American market. The graphics and gameplay are similar to many older free-to-play MMORPGs, but won't impress many gamers today. Azuga is a simple game to pick up and play and with its fast experience rates, it is easy to grind on your own without having to deal with long tutorials or quest lines. There aren't any classes, instead players choose which of six weapon types they wish to use: Sword, Gloves, Sabre, Spear, Bow, or Darts.

 

 

 

Azuga Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows  2000 / XP
CPU: Pentium 4 1.4 GHz
RAM: 256 MB
HDD: 500 MB
Graphics Card: GeForce 2

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows XP / Vista
CPU: Pentium 4 1.8 Ghz or better
RAM: 512 MB or more
HDD: 1 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce4 Ti or better

Peter Molyneux’s Departure Leaves His Future Wide Open

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 04:26 PM PST

Peter Molyneux BAFTA

Famed game designer Peter Molyneux today revealed plans to leave his positions at Microsoft and Lionhead Studios. Before moving on to a newly-formed independent developer, however, he will complete work on Lionhead’s upcoming Kinect-controlled Fable game.

“It is with mixed emotions that I made the decision to leave Microsoft and Lionhead Studios, the company that I co-founded in 1997, at the conclusion of development of Fable: The Journey,” Molyneux said in a statement shared with Kotaku.

In addition to his work at Lionhead, Molyneux has been the creative director of Microsoft Game Studios’ Europe branch since mid-2009. Lionhead was acquired by MGS in 2006, since which time its primary focus has been Xbox 360 games.

“I remain extremely passionate and proud of the people, products and experiences that we created, from Black White to Fable to our pioneering work with Milo and Kate for the Kinect platform,” Molyneux continued. “However, I felt the time was right to pursue a new independent venture. I’d like to thank the team at Lionhead, as well as our partners at Microsoft Studios for their support, dedication and incredible work over the years.”

The 52-year-old Molyneux, who has been developing games for 30 years, was praised by Microsoft in the brief statement it offered up regarding his departure. He was described as an “integral part of Microsoft Studios” who has had “an indelible mark on the games industry.”

The work of Molyneux is extensive, spanning everything from Populous, where he invented the god-game genre, to The Movies. He is likely best known to many for the grandiose claims he makes regarding the games he is working on. These boasts don’t tend to pan out, almost always resulting in disappointment when the final game hits and a random acorn you come across doesn’t turn into an oak tree as promised early on in development. All of this even resulted in the creation of a popular Twitter parody account which Molyneux seems to find some humor in.

Fable: The Journey

Molyneux has apologized for his propensity of building up hype to unreachable levels, admitting during a BAFTA acceptance speech last year that he has “slightly over-promised on things on occasion.”

Frustrating as that might be, there is no denying Molyneux’s enthusiasm for the medium — he has a passion for videogames which few can rival. That’s why I’m particularly excited to see what he’ll be working on next. He announced on Twitter he plans to join up with a new developer called 22 Cans, a company where he will reportedly be reunited with fellow Lionhead co-founder Tim Rance. And already Molyneux is building up expectations, writing on Twitter, “I have left the lovely amazing Microsoft and lionhead. Now for something really amazing, scary and brave a new company called 22 Cans.”

While Molyneux may not have access to the same degree of resources as he did working for Microsoft, 22 Cans potentially — nothing has been said about the company’s plans; we simply know it is hiring — opens the door for Molyneux to get back to the sort of games he used to create. Those only familiar with his recent work are unaware of a much different side of Molyneux, who made his name on simulation and strategy games like Theme Park, Syndicate, and the aforementioned Populous.

Short of morphing one of those old titles into a first-person shooter, as Electronic Arts recently did with Syndicate, those aren’t the sort of console-oriented, potentially multi-million sellers Microsoft was likely to have interest in pursuing. Molyneux now has the freedom to explore whatever is he’d like. He may not be intrigued by the possibility of remaking any of his old stuff, but that doesn’t mean he’s fixated on continuing to make nothing but action-RPGs — if he were, he could have stuck around Microsoft. Even if he does decide to ignore what he’s worked on previously, 22 Cans should be able to experiment more without having to deal with the pressure of creating a AAA-level experience. He’s certainly interested in games that break the mold, as evidenced by how enamored he is with Minecraft.

It’s not the first time Molyneux is leaving a developer he helped to establish — this situation is not completely unlike his departure from Bullfrog Productions, a company founded by him that was eventually sold to a big publisher — but it’s nonetheless another opportunity for his creative side to run wild.

[Molyneux images courtesy of The Guardian, Ecetia.]


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Avalon Heroes MMO Review

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 01:27 PM PST

Avalon Heroes, called Avalon Online in Asia, is a 3D Fantasy MMO where players choose from one of over 35 playable heroes and fight it out in against their enemies in individual matches. There is no doubt that much of the game is based off the incredibly popular Warcraft III mod 'Defense of the Ancients' (DOTA). Like other 'Aeon of Strife' games, Avalon Heroes gameplay places a great deal of emphasis on teamwork and micro-management.

 

 

Publisher: AlaPlaya
Playerbase: Low
Graphics: Low Quality
Type: MMO
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: N/A
Filesize: ~700 MB Installed

Website: http://avalon.en.alaplaya.net/

Pros: +Solid online ranking system. +Numerous, distinctly different game modes. +Unique single-player mode. +Decent hero/Kin customization system.

Cons: -Hero balance issues. -Clumsy interface. -Little gameplay innovation (Plays like DOTA). -Poor English translations.

 

Avalon Heroes is one of the many "new" fantasy MMOs that are based off the popular Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients (DOTA). The gameplay in Avalon Heroes is incredibly similar to other Aeon of Strife titles like League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth and DotA. Two teams of up to five players on each side choose from one of many playable 'heroes' and duke it out across numerous maps. The game's most defining feature is its massive list of playable heroes, which should spice up the gameplay and keep things fresh; but with so many playable heroes comes imbalances, which will likely take the game's developer years to iron out. Currently there are 35+ playable heroes, with more being released each month.

 

 

 

 

Avalon Heroes System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 2000
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 1.6 Ghz
RAM: 512 MB
HDD: ~2.0 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce MX5600 or better

Recommended Specifications:
OS: Windows XP / Vista / 2000
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.2 Ghz
RAM: 1024 MB (1 GB) Free
HDD: ~2.0 GB Free
Graphics Card: GeForce FX 6200

Continent of the Ninth (CN)

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:25 AM PST


After first posting my first impression opinions (link) for Continent of the Ninth (China server) a couple of days ago, I continued playing my Fighter class as I found it to be the most entertaining. With the “rambo” style of gameplay, getting into the thick of action is really awesome for an action MMORPG. The one thing I don’t really like about the game will be the skills.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many awesome skills, but a huge number of them requires you to remember the patterns needed. For example, dash left and press Skill 1 followed by Skill 2. Seems easy? Try remembering all these combinations (over 10 of them) during during an intensive battle. In the end, I think most of us will just enjoy button mashing, which to me is the real fun seeing the combo numbers jump and releasing stress after a tiring day at work or school :)

At level 20, I chose the tanky Guardian as my advanced class. Without a doubt the lowest attacking class in the game, it compensates in terms of having the highest health and defense value. The skill damages are not high, but there are quite a variety which will hit enemies into the air, slam them and more for better players to create combos.

The cash shop for Continent of the Ninth is something which might irk some players. If you have an item which increases movement speed in town for 30 days, you can guess what other items are in the shop as well. I can’t say the same thing for the upcoming English international server (link), but it really is kind of ridiculous. The game is fun, but again, it the novelty wears out fast given the repeated process of dungeon grinding. Just in case you are wondering, the armor I am wearing is actually a costume gotten from an event. Looks awesome eh?


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Medal Of Honor: Warfighter debut trailer & release date revealed

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:25 AM PST

EA has just released the début trailer for Medal Of Honor: Warfighter and it features some impressive DICE Frostbite 2.0 engine effects. We'll let the trailer (below) speak for itself, but it seems the biggest bit of information to be gleaned is an official release date of 23rd October for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Since 23rd is a Tuesday we'd hazard a guess that the UK release will take place on Friday 26th October.

We're expecting to learn more about the game upon its appearance at GDC today, but for now – here's the good stuff:


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