General Gaming Article

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• Top Case Modders, Manufacturers Collaborate On "John Hanlon Fundraiser PC" For Disabled Mentor
• Chkdsk And NTFS Health Get A Big Boost In Windows 8
• Mechanical Engineering Student Creates Working Portal Turret For Class Project
• Is Microsoft Bringing Internet Explorer To The Xbox 360 Console?
• This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
• On Strength of Kepler, Nvidia Eyes $1.05 Billion in Revenue for Fiscal 2013
• Sony Posts $5.7 Billion Loss, Stock Slips to Lowest Point in 30 Years
• Microsoft's Vision of a Better Bing is Social Integration
• Asus Introduces Two New Zenbook Ultrabooks with Ivy Bridge

Top Case Modders, Manufacturers Collaborate On "John Hanlon Fundraiser PC" For Disabled Mentor Posted: 11 May 2012 11:55 AM PDT Members of the case modding community have long looked up to John Hanlon, aka JohnHanlon303, as more than just a friendly face; many consider him a full-fledged mentor. Earlier this year, the community learned that Hanlon suffers from incurable asbestos poisoning that leaves him with 40 percent lung capacity and recently, left him permanently unable to work. Rather than simply sending social media condolences, the modderati, with the help of several sponsors, leaped into action to try and raise funds for Hanlon. The result -- the John Hanlon Fundraiser PC -- went up for auction on eBay this afternoon and looks amazing. Several of the modders whose work was highlighted in our recent case mod gallery had a hand in the John Hanlon Fundraiser PC, and members of the Bit-Tech modding forums contributed gear -- including water pumps, fan grills and the Windows 7 OS -- to the build. Zotac, Steel Series, XtremeComputing.co.uk, Patriot Memory, Paslis, Lutro0 Customs, Prolimatech and Gigabyte all offered up various hardware components, which are housed in a Define R3 Case donated by Fractal Design. Mnpctech (of Star Trek PC fame) donated several other items and actually built the John Hanlon Fundraiser PC, complete with custom airbrush work by modding maestro Brad Galvin (whose work was highlighted in our eye-popping case mods feature). Richard "DarthBeavis" Surroz of Out of the Box Mods helped with the water cooling installation. This one-of-a-kind beaut's stacked with care, love, and all kinds of powerful components, so don't expect it to sell cheap. (In fact, it's already up at $1,025.) If the eBay auction's a bit too rich for your blood, Alex Ftoulis (aka AnGEL) and Masbuskado Modding have also set up a Paypal donation fund for Hanlon's benefit. If it isn't, you have 10 days (until May 21) to place a bid. Thirsting for more? Mnpctech's Bill Owen gives a walkthrough of the finished build in the video below, and you can find the worklog here. I won't spam you with stuff like this too often but this one's for a good cause, folks. Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

Chkdsk And NTFS Health Get A Big Boost In Windows 8 Posted: 11 May 2012 10:59 AM PDT Changes are a-coming to chkdsk and NTFS health in Windows 8, and unlike the controversial Metro interface, these tweaks should make everyone happy. As hard drives get bigger, the Windows 7 chkdsk times get longer (and longer, and longer…) when hard disk errors occur, as infrequent as they are. In a worse-case scenario, attempting to boot a corrupt drive can take hours. The new system changes all that. The Windows 8 improvements will let NTFS try to identify corruptions on-the-fly and make an instant fix in the background, no usage interruptions required. If that doesn't work, Windows 8 will conduct a "spot verification scan" to determine if the corruption is genuine or just a brief memory glitch. Genuine errors will be reported to the user and the OS will start scan the system during idle CPU/storage times and log the location of the problems. When the scan is done, Windows 8 will prompt the user to reboot the PC at his convenience. Chkdsk will then use the information NTFS logged about the errors to fix the corruptions quickly. "The restart is quick (adding just a few additional seconds) and the PC is returned to a healthy state," core manager Kim Bangalore writes on the Building Windows 8 blog. Hopefully it really is that quick and simple! For all the nitty gritty details and a helpful FAQ, hit the link. Follow Brad on Google+ and Twitter

Mechanical Engineering Student Creates Working Portal Turret For Class Project Posted: 11 May 2012 10:17 AM PDT When you say the words "Class Project," most folks flash back to tedious research papers, MLA-style references and boring talks about Shakespearian characters with Oedipus Complexes. In other words: BOOOOOORING. But school doesn't have to be a snooze-fest! Case in point: Penn State's Advanced Mechatronics class, which sounds like it may just be the coolest course ever. One enterprising mechanical engineering student went after his final mechatronic project with gusto and built a working, talking, tracking and firing replica of Portal's gun turret -- then put it up on YouTube for the world to see. The project was originally brought to my attention in a Google+ post by BCCHardware's Benjamin Heide. I could tell you about how the kick-ass turret runs on MATLAB and Arduino and it tracks movement via RGB colors, but you'd learn all that by watching the video above and checking out the creator's Reddit thread, anyways -- both of which you should do ASAP. Would I help if it said the turret actually talks? There still some upgrading to be done; the tracking guns are a bit slow and jerky, and the turret's obviously missing an exterior casing that would give it the full-fledged Portal vibe. Fortunately, the engineer behind the turret says he's already working on all that. So, whaddaya think: does he deserve an A? Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

Is Microsoft Bringing Internet Explorer To The Xbox 360 Console? Posted: 11 May 2012 10:09 AM PDT One thing we never understood about the Xbox 360: it's made by Microsoft, so why the heck doesn't it have a web browser? Even the friggin' Wii has a web browser. Xbox 360 owners who don't feel like hooking a HTPC or laptop up to their TV to get their HDTV Amazon shopping on may have something to look forward in the future, however, as a new report claims that Microsoft is working hard to bring a modified version of Internet Explorer 9 to its home console. The Verge's sources don't say much more than that, but they do say that the version of Internet Explorer being whipped up for the Xbox will include full Kinect integration, presumably similar to the Kinect integration built into the local Bing search capabilities that are already available. No word on availability, but the Verge says they'd expect an announcement at the upcoming E3 conference. Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 11 May 2012 08:52 AM PDT Last week was utterly dominated by the Samsung Galaxy S3, but the merry-go-round of high-tech wares continues unabated and this week we've seen some really tasty treats. The highly competitive cameras market continues to be an area of constant innovation – Nikon has been leading the way and the D3200 looks like being the must-have entry-level DSLR of 2012. Elsewhere we've seen new graphics cards, Blu-ray players, phones and laptops, and we've tested them all… Nvidia GTX 670 review This Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 then is one of the Kepler cards we've been desperately waiting for. The second tier cards in the Kepler line up were always going to generate more interest than either of the overly expensive GTX 680 or GTX 690. And they're going to sell a hell of a lot more too. The key thing here though is that there is so little difference in performance and architectural terms between the Nvidia GTX 680 and GTX 670. In fact with the frame rates you're getting with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 it's going to be rather difficult for us to recommend anyone buying the GTX 680 if they're going to leave it at stock speeds. Samsung BD-E6100 review Just 3.7cm tall and less than 20cm deep, there's not an AV rack around that couldn't take Samsung's well-equipped Samsung BD-E6100 Blu-ray player. That fact that it's 3D-capable will attract many, especially since that feature only appears to attract a premium of £30 or so over a bare bones Blu-ray deck, but in truth it's only a polished user interface or two away from Samsung's 2011 crop of Blu-ray players. It's a great value 2D and 3D Blu-ray player boasting excellent picture quality, impressive streaming and digital file playback. Samsung's entry-level Samsung BD-E6100 stutters only on a slow Smart Hub interface that's cluttered with novelty apps, services and even advertising. Hands on: Nikon D3200 review Nikon has delivered an entry-level camera with real photographic punch. Borrowing elements from its more expensive siblings, the D3200 should appeal to a large section of would-be photographers. There's lots of interesting technology crammed into the relatively small body of the D3200, including things which have trickled down from its more expensive siblings. Those include features such as the Expeed 3 processing engine, which promises to deliver quicker processing times, low noise and different frame rates for the full HD video recording. Overall, we are impressed by the D3200 and are very much looking forward to properly putting it through its paces when the time comes. Sony HD200V review With a serious matt black finish that denotes a enthusiast-targeted piece of kit without even delving into the riches of its feature set, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC HX200V is one of the more impressively attired superzoom cameras out there. Hands on: BlackBerry Curve 9320 review Taking on the budget smartphone market is getting tough these days, but RIM's new Curve 9320 is well-placed to achieve success. The new phone is a re-tooled version of the last iteration, the Curve 9300, and brings with it a very familiar design. This week's other reviews: Cameras Panasonic Lumix GF5 review Pentax Optio VS20 review DECT phones Archos 35 Smart Home Phone review Desktops Zotac Zbox nano XS AD11 Plus review Graphics cards Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 review EVGA GeForce GTX 690 review Hard drives Buffalo DriveStation Velocity review Laptop accessories ReTrak Retractable Universal 70W Notebook Wall Charger review Laptops Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G-9630 review Hands on: HP Envy Spectre XT review Hands on: HP Envy Ultrabook review Mice HP Wireless Optical Mobile Mouse review Mobile computing Hands on: Kingston Wi-Drive 64GB review Mobile phones Hands on: Samsung Focus 2 review Hands on: HTC Evo 4G LTE review Hands on: Droid Incredible 4G LTE review Hands on: Kyocera Rise review Portable Audio Hands on: iWow-U review Printers Canon Pixma Pro-1 review Storage iStorage diskAshur DT review Tablet cases Hands on: The OtterBox Defender for the new iPad and Samsung Galaxy Note review Tablets Hands on: Toshiba Excite 13 review Televisions LG 47LM960V review

On Strength of Kepler, Nvidia Eyes $1.05 Billion in Revenue for Fiscal 2013 Posted: 11 May 2012 06:58 AM PDT Nvidia President and Chief Financial Officer Jen-Hsun Huang gleefully indicated that "Kepler GPUs are accelerating our business" when reporting revenue of $924.9 million for the company's first quarter of fiscal 2013 ended April 29, 2012. The irony there is that Kepler cards are in short supply and extremely difficult to find in stock, save for the GeForce GTX 670, which just went on sale yesterday. But despite GPU shortages (courtesy of TSMC's inability to produce chips fast enough), Nvidia was able to best analysts' expectations. Looking ahead to the full year, Nvidia forecasts revenue to be between $990 and $1.05 billion. "Our newly launched desktop products are winning some of the best reviews we've ever had. Notebook GPUs had a record quarter. And Tegra is on a growth track again, driven by great mobile device wins and the upcoming Windows on ARM launch," Huang said. "Graphics is more important than ever. Look for exciting news next week at the GPU Technology Conference as we reveal new ways that the GPU will enhance mobile and cloud computing." Even though Nvidia's Kepler launch has been hampered by short supply, the entire family of GPUs (GTX 670, 680, and 690) are receiving mostly positive reviews and should end up selling well once they're actually available. If that's the case, Nvidia can look forward to a strong year from a financial standpoint. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Sony Posts $5.7 Billion Loss, Stock Slips to Lowest Point in 30 Years Posted: 11 May 2012 06:37 AM PDT Sony suffered through its worst year ever in 2011, and not just because of the high-profile hacker attacks that compromised millions of user accounts and resulted in extended downtime to the PlayStation Network. The real reason Sony can lament 2011 is because of the fact that it posted a net loss of $5.7 billion, the company's largest loss ever in its 66-year history, and the fourth straight year of sitting in the red. If there's a silver lining to the dark and gloomy cloud, it's that Sony had previously forecast a loss of $6.5 billion. Overall, however, it was an obviously crummy year for the electronics juggernaut, and not for any single reason. Sony blamed the poor performance on foreign exchange rates, earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan, floods in Thailand, and general "deterioration in market conditions in developed countries." According to VentureBeat, Sony CFO Masaru Kato indicated that "This year remains crucial for a recovery in our electronics business. A fifth straight year of losses should never be tolerated." Investors reacted negatively to the news with shares of Sony on the Tokyo Stock Exchange sliding 6.43 percent to 1,135 yen, a 38 percent drop from this year's high of 1,832 yen back in March, and the lowest it's been in three decades, The Register reports. The full financial report is available here (PDF). Image Credit: Flickr (Jami3.org)

Microsoft's Vision of a Better Bing is Social Integration Posted: 11 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT Microsoft is dipping its search brush into its paint bucket and getting ready to swipe it across Bing, the world's second most popular search engine behind Google. The new-look Bing will take on a three column design that Microsoft says is "the most significant update" to the search engine since it launched three years ago. Microsoft is looking beyond simple keyword searches and putting a big part of its focus on sharing search results by incorporating a Facebook column on the right-hand side. "Now it's possible to do more than find pages with search. You are able to share nearly everything you do, including where you are and who you are, in real-time," Microsoft explains. "From rich multimedia content to real-time streams to social conversations to applications that let you take action in the real world, digital connections are created that present the opportunity to do something. This presents an unprecedented opportunity to rethink how search should work. Suddenly an index of documents that does not embrace these changes is insufficient." The social sidebar is always present and supposedly "never intrusive." It will appear as part of every search query, though it's whisked to the right side of the browser. Most of the social content that used to appear in the main search pane will be shuttled to the side. You'll be able to share links and comment directly to Facebook using the sidebar. It isn't all about social networking, however. The other two columns will consist of core web results, which will take up the largest third of the screen, and a 'Snapshot' center column with relevant information and services related to your search, such as maps, restaurant reviews and reservations, and more. You can read more about Bing's redesign here.

Asus Introduces Two New Zenbook Ultrabooks with Ivy Bridge Posted: 11 May 2012 05:56 AM PDT Asus used a relatively low-key press event in Taipei to introduce the world to a pair of new Zenbook models built around Intel's recently launched Ivy Bridge platform. The first of the two Ultrabooks is the Zenbook UX32A , an $800 machine with integrated graphics. For $300 more, the UX32Vd ups the pixel pushing ante with a GeForce GT 620M GPU with 1GB of onboard memory. According to Netbooknews.com, which attended the event and snapped a handful of photos, both the $800 UX32A and $1,100 UX32Vd are 13.3-inch Ultrabooks with a handful of premium upgrade options, such as a Full HD 1080p IPS (In-Plane Switching) display, Intel WiDi technology, and dedicated SSD options rather than the stock 500GB hard drive + 24GB SSD cache. Both models come equipped with either 2GB or 4GB of RAM. According to DigiTimes, the UX32Vd rocks an Intel Core i5 3317U processor, which likely serves as the foundation of the UX32A as well. Image Credit: Asus

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MMO News

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• Divina Quick Change Classes Guide (PvE + PvP)
• Heroes of Newerth celebrates 2nd HoN-iversary
• Crystal Saga launches beta on LeKool with giveaway
• RODE prepares for May updates
• Mammoth May update arrives in War of Legends
• Tribes Ascend announces Summer of Tribes tournament
• Dragon Nest introduces Guild Rumble

Divina Quick Change Classes Guide (PvE + PvP) Posted: 11 May 2012 12:18 PM PDT Divina is preparing for its next beta event, and to help players, Gamania has released a new developer guide featuring the game’s quick change feature. Check it out below for more tips on PvE and PvP class combinations!   Divina Quick Change Classes Guide (PvE + PvP) With Divina’s Quick Change feature, there are many class combination and possibilities to choose from. With so many combinations, picking your sub class can be a daunting task. This guide will hopefully help you to better decide your class combination in regards to your play style. For the PvE types focused on taking on Dungeons: Here are the role functions according to Class.                 Primary Party Roles Tank                                      – Knight Healer                                   – Cleric Damage Dealer                 – Sorcerer / Machinist / Assassin                 Secondary Party Functions Crowd Control                   – Sorcerer / Machinist / Cleric Off-Tanking                        – Knight /Assassin Buff / Debuff                     – Cleric / Sorcerer / Machinist Pull                                         – Machinist / Assassin   Recommended Class Combinations: In general, there are three types of Main/Sub Class makeups you can go for. 1)      Support / DPS (Damage Per Second) This makeup is best for overall versatility. If you choose either a Tank or Healer, choose a DPS class for your secondary, or vice versa. This ensures that you will always have a desirable role in any party situation. Examples: [Light] Cleric / [Destructive] Sorcerer                      (Healer and DPS role) [Guardian] Knight / [Ninjutsu] Assassin                 (Tank and DPS role) [Artillerist] Machinist / [Light] Cleric                         (DPS and Healer role) 2)      Complimentary Classes This type of makeup is for those of you who'd like to better improve the versatility of one specific role instead of having to worry about two different party roles. If you choose a Tanking role for instance, you can choose a class that is similarly good at tanking, such as Assassin (high evasion build). The main purpose would be to not have the same class, but to provide more options for you while primarily focusing on one Party Role that you like. Examples: [Destructive] Sorcerer / [Dark] Cleric          (primarily DPS, however can utilize Cleric for healing) [Mechanic] Machinist / [Stealth] Assassin (primarily Ranged DPS, however can switch to Assassin for Close DPS) [Ninjutsu] Assassin / [Destroyer] Knight (primarily DPS, however can utilize Knight for emergency tanking while  keeping up DPS with Destroyer spec) 3)      Same Class – Dual Spec If you like a certain class way too much over the other classes, you can just pick the same sub as your main. There are a few benefits to this. One is that you can have access to both sides of your Specialty Skill Trees with a push of a button to switch. Another is that, you would not have to alter your play-style very much when switching, and even just use the Quick Change feature if your character is running low on health to switch to a same-spec'd class and have your HP/MP replenished to full. So essentially you double your one class's endurance. Examples: [Guardian] Knight / [Guardian] Knight   (can switch when life is low – double life Tank) [Light] Cleric / [Dark] Cleric    (always able to heal, but can switch to give more DPS)   For the PvP types focused on going toe-to-toe against other players:                 Sorcerer vs Knight                                                                            Uh oh, the Knight has closed the distance! The Sorcerer is in trouble now… or is she?              Quick Change to Assassin!                    Now the tables have turned Class Quick Change is essential to winning the battle against another player. Although what type of class you are fighting against will also greatly affect your battle strategy, here are a few recommended class combinations to give you an idea of the possibilities open to you. Possible Class Combinations: [Dark] Cleric / [Destroyer] Knight – The Cleric's PER and CON buff skills greatly help the Knight class. Starting off with the Cleric's DoT (Damage over Time) spells, then switching to the Knight should give you an effective damage boost. When you get low on health, you always have the option as a last ditch effort to switch to your Cleric class, toss on a few more heals, and smack 'em with a few more DoTs to finish them off. [Destructive] Sorcerer / [Stealth] Assassin – The Sorcerer by itself does heavily damaging spells, however if you find yourself in a tight spot against an opponent with high magic damage resist, you can switch to the Assassin to dish out high physical damage instead to bring the battle back in your favor. [Artillerist] Machinist / [Ninjutsu] Assassin – Start off with the superior range of the Machinist to deal as much damage as possible before your opponent closes the gap. Once you are low on health or they have closed the distance, switch to your Assassin and make them pay with some close ranged attacks of your own. [Dark] Cleric / [Mysterious] Sorcerer – With the Cleric's Fire and Ice or Dark Sands Curse, they can seriously up the potency of the Sorcerer's elemental firepower. Hit the opponent with all the Debuffs and DoTs you have before switching to the Sorcerer to make quick work out of them. These two classes complement each other nicely and can be a nuisance to deal with. [Guardian] Knight / [Light] Cleric – For team based battles, having a dedicated healer is essential. Having the Knight charge in first to attack and harass players will be vital against keeping them off your squishier teammates. Inflicting Sprain on as many members as you can would put a damper to their movement. Switching to Cleric would give you a few options; you can focus on healing yourself if most of the other team is attacking you and keep them further distracted, or if they stop focusing on you, concentrate instead on keeping your teammates alive to help your team to victory. Assassin to Sorcerer Quick Change      As the game is still in its early stages, more effective class combinations are sure to be found in the upcoming months. However, if you have trouble deciding what to choose, these class recommendations could provide a good starting point to finding your very own Quick Change combination!

Heroes of Newerth celebrates 2nd HoN-iversary Posted: 11 May 2012 11:47 AM PDT With its second year live, S2 Games and Heroes of Newerth are ready to celebrate another HoN-iversary. The celebrations include the release of the new Mid Wars game mode. Started first by the community, Mid Wars will offer a new map, an exclusive matchmaking system, and expedited skill progression, while reducing respawn time and removing the gold penalty on death. Celebrations also include: - The Global HoN Challenge, from May 7-13, where players can unlock new special items as they race to play over 1.1 million games as a community during the week. Items include the Kongor Courier, Kongor Taunt, and Steampunk Electrician Alt Avatar. - 4x Silver Coin Matchmaking, from May 11-13, where players can earn four times the normal Silver Goblin coins awarded for matchmaking games played during the weekend. - The iGames LAN Centers HoN-iversary Blowout, May 11-13, where players can visiting a participating iGames LAN center to gain free access to over 100 non-Early Access heroes, a HoN-iversary Swag Bag, and a free copy of the Ranged Intelligence Hero Rift Mage (debuting this weekend). - Howie’s Game Shack HoN-iversary Tournament Series, where the biggest tournament is underway this weekend to reward $4,800 cash; visitors can also earn Swag Bags that include Gold Goblin coins and more. Heroes of Newerth – Mid Wars Trailer Source: S2 Games Announces 2nd Annual HoN-iversary Celebrating Two Years of Game and Community Development in Heroes of Newerth   (Kalamazoo, MI) – May 11, 2012 – S2 Games, creators of the massively popular MOBA title Heroes of Newerth (HoN), is excited to celebrate the 2nd annual HoN-iversary with the release of a brand new game mode: Mid Wars. The direct result of input from HoN community members around the world, Mid Wars is a grassroots community initiative embraced and formalized by the S2 design team. Launching today, this exciting new game mode distills the most intense pieces of the HoN experience into pure unadulterated fun. Mid Wars features a new map, an exclusive matchmaking system, and expedited skill progression to quickly maximize the potential of each hero. Additionally, respawn time has been slashed significantly and heroes will not lose gold upon death. “This HoN-iversary, we are celebrating two years worth of development, community feedback, and commitment to all things HoN,” said Marc Deforest, CEO and Founder of S2 Games. “The passion and dedication of the HoN community continues to inspire us, and this celebration is really about the community and thanking everyone for their continued support of Heroes of Newerth. Our time has been great, but what excites me the most is the journey to come. Expect big things from S2 in the future, as we continue to grow as a company.” After more than five years of development, 100 heroes, and hundreds of updates, the S2 Games team is proud to join the HoN community in celebrating two glorious years since HoN’s launch on May 12, 2010. Players looking to take the plunge into HoN’s Mid Wars and start playing the newest thing to hit the MOBA genre can do so by signing up for a FREE account today. In addition to Mid Wars, S2 has many more HoN-iversary presents for the community: • Global HoN Challenge, May 7-13 – With over 450,000 active players around the world playing HoN daily, S2 will unite the Global HoN Playerbase in a race for Limited Edition In-Game Items all week long. By playing a game of HoN at any time during HoN-iversary week, each player can help unlock special items such as the new Kongor Courier, Kongor Taunt, and the Steampunk Electrician Alt Avatar as we aim for the stars and challenge gamers worldwide to play over 1.1 million games of HoN! • 4x Silver Coin Matchmaking, May 11-13 – Players will receive 4-times the number of Silver Goblin coins awarded for each matchmaking game played during HoN-iversary weekend. Silver Goblin coins can be used at the In-Game shop for Alt Avatars, Heroes, and more. • The Newerth Fan Art Contest – The HoN-iversary is a celebration of community. S2 would like to thank all of the passionate and artistic members of the HoN community for their amazing tributes! Every entrant placed their talents on the line and brought their own HoN-iversary flavor to the contest. After much deliberation, we are happy to announce the results. • iGames LAN Centers HoN-iversary Blowout, May 11-13 – iGames LAN centers across the US and Canada have joined forces with S2 Games to bring Heroes of Newerth to a neighborhood just around the corner. Join the HoN-iversary fun this weekend at a participating iGames LAN center to gain free access to 100+ non-Early Access heroes. Players will also have the opportunity to score a HoN-iversary Swag Bag and a free copy of the Ranged Intelligence Hero Rift Mage, who debuts this weekend. Participating iGames LAN centers can be found at. • Howie’s Game Shack HoN-iversary Tournament Series – Howie’s Game Shack locations across California and Arizona have hosted weekend HoN tournaments for nearly 3 weeks. This weekend, the biggest Tournament is underway. Players should race into Howie’s Game Shack today to sign up for the $4800 cash Tournament and pick up their complimentary Swag Bag packed with gold goblin coins and much, much, more. Participants must be 18 years or older, but for complete details check out www.howies.com. The HoN-iversary celebration may only come once a year, but Heroes of Newerth is growing faster than ever before. From the release of a new game mode to special limited edition prizes and giveaways, the guest of honor this HoN-iversary season is going to be anyone and everyone ready to Get It HoN! For the latest news regarding HoN and to catch your first look at Mid Wars, please visit www.heroesofnewerth.com.

Crystal Saga launches beta on LeKool with giveaway Posted: 11 May 2012 11:23 AM PDT LeKool Games, publisher of several web games including Rich$tate and Star Supremacy, has launched its beta for Crystal Saga. To celebrate, LeKool will be offering special events including in-game prizes and a cash giveaway of $500. Players must be active with at least a level 20 character, make forum posts (one daily counts as an entry), and join in on weekly events on the company’s Facebook page. LeKool is also giving away an X-Box Kinect on its Call of Gods server “Bellona.” Players must join the tournament styled server to compete for the top prize; other awards are also given away weekly to players who show their prowess.   Crystal Saga Gameplay Screenshot Source: Lekool games, Leading global publisher of F2P online browser based MMO games is thrilled to announce that the 2.5 millionth player has been officially tallied and is excited to be bringing you the beta launch of our newest game, Crystal Saga, on May 10th, 7:00 PM PST   To celebrate this huge, milestone achievement and the launch of our newest game at lekool, over the next 3 months, we will be offering special events to all of our players to show our sincere gratitude. Even more exciting, we will be giving out in-game prizes for each game, worth thousands of dollars and one lucky player will be the winner of a $500 cash prize!!! It's so simple and easy!! The more active you are, the more chances you have to win!   Rules: 1.   You must be an active Lekool player, which has reached level 20 in your    respective game. 2.   Get qualified by making one forum post daily.  The more posts you make, the more entries you gain.  (Please do not spam, spam will not be counted, and could get you banned from the forums!) 3. Like us on Facebook and join our weekly events. These will be posted on random days and times   "We are thrilled with the tremendous growth of lekool and how the game has performed over the years," said Yuan Zhu, Director of Business Development. "We're excited and always strive to move forward and bring our players with world class games." We are celebrating the launch of our new game and reaching 2.5 million players with Cash Giveaway.   Lekool inc. is a fast growing browser game publisher. Lekool has won several awards and recognition worldwide. Lekool was awarded  with "The Company with most potential" at the Second China Original Web Game Summit. lekool was also rated as the 2nd best gaming company 2011, in a vote event by bbgsite.  The company has published several  popular web games of 2011/2012 and launching more wonderful games in 2012, Star Supremacy, Call Of Gods, Ninjawaz, Rich$tate, Senatry, Dragon's Call, Business Tycoon, Warflow, Legends of Xian & mccq.  – Looking to win a X-Box Kinetic?  Look no further. LeKool Inc, one of the leading global publishers of free-to-play browser games is delighted to announce The lekool X Box Kinetic Giveaway on the lekool Call Of God Server 4 "Bellona". The Tournament Server in the history of Call of Gods where player will be awarded for their excellence! Participate in simple event and take home a X Box Kinetic combo. To win, all you need is to join lekool COG server 4 and fulfill the requirements     Call of God Server 4, "Bellona" is a unique tournament styled server, where you stand to win rewards every week. Cog is a  free to play, strategy browser game with a mix of RPG + Strategy elements. Recruit powerful heroes, arrange different kinds of units with unique equipments to carry out quests, adventure the dungeons, or battle with other players. The features game great graphics and every attention is paid to details, like buildings, terrain (deserts/grasslands etc) unit type and heroes. Unique Transmute system allows you to combine any number of equipments to get better and higher equipments.   Beautiful Graphics – Animated battle System with beautiful 3D graphics. Arena System –   test their own strength by challenging other player with the most powerful troops. Not only can you defeat the best player in Challenge Combo to get Gold Team Attacks – Players can team up and combine heroes and troops to battle dungeon bosses. Or travel solo and take on waves of NPCs in numerous challenging dungeons. Alliance Quests & Upgrades – Join an alliance once you reach level 10. Players in an alliance can complete special alliance quests for exclusive upgrades. Alliance upgrades benefit all members. Plus battle other Alliances to gain valuable rewards. Win many exciting rewards besides the X Box, new events every week to keep you on your toes. Ingame events like quiz which give you handsome rewards, this is not all, more exciting rewards await you. Join now and get a head start.                         Lekool Inc. is a fast growing browser game and social game developer and publisher. The company has published several  popular web games of 2011 and launching more wonderful games in 2012,  Ninjawaz, Rich$tate, Senatry, Dragon's Call, Business Tycoon , Fantasy of Swords, Lord of Ages, Warflow, and Legends of Xian and has won the award as the "Company with  Most Potential" at the 2nd Browser Games Summit held in China as well as "Most Popular Game Companies" by BBGSite.com. Lekool is planning to launch 3-4 new 2.5D to 3D games in the first quarter of 2012

RODE prepares for May updates Posted: 11 May 2012 11:05 AM PDT A new set of updates is preparing to roll out in Rise of Dragonian Era (RODE). To start off with, players can expect the level cap to raise from 41 to 45, adding new story quests, maps, gear, and weapons to obtain. Two new restricted dungeons, Muspel Hell (open to Fireans in Alvis Forest) and Saman’s Sand Hell (open to Azurian’s in Gray Desert), will introduce new PvE gameplay for each faction. A new “lot” system will let players earn points for killing monsters, which can then be exchanged for helpful items. Other upcoming updates include new faction and region wars, a Tribe Tournament event, double Lot Points and Dragon Coins events, and more. RODE is published by Netgame, which also publishes Cloud Nine and Scions of Fate. RODE Gameplay Screenshot (source)

Mammoth May update arrives in War of Legends Posted: 11 May 2012 10:45 AM PDT It’s Mammoth May with the latest update for War of Legends. The update raises the level cap for each main character by 20, allowing main legends to become the most powerful heroes in the game. A new item marketplace will let players trade item drops and legends for WolCash. Four new locations will find their way on the War of Legends map, just in time for Legends to obtain new mounts and reach new building level caps. Other updates include new in-game titles, troop types, and legends. War of Legends is published by Jagex, which also publishes RuneScape and 8Realms. War of Legends Gameplay Screenshot Source: WAR OF LEGENDS LAUNCHES MAMMOTH MAY CONTENT UPDATE JAGEX INTRODUCES A HUGE WAR OF LEGENDS CONTENT UPDATE INLCUDING RAISED LEVEL CAPS, IMPROVED TRADING SYSTEMS AND FOUR NEW BATTLEGROUND LOCATIONS   Friday 11th May 2012, Cambridge, UK – Jagex, the UK's largest independent games studio, today announced a series of exciting new content updates to War of Legends; adding a host of new mechanics to the game to challenge all players in their quest for supremacy.   The Mammoth May update, which is the largest War of Legends expansion this year, includes a number of new features, such as a raised level cap for legends, a innovative item marketplace, and new battlegrounds, troops and mounts, all of which will provide an even more compelling experience for players old and new alike.   The headline feature of this update sees a rise of the level cap for each player's main character. From today, every player's main legend will now be able to exceed the current level cap by 20 levels, to firmly place these legends as the most powerful in game.   As an added incentive for players to level up, this update also allows users to put their spoils of war to good use! With the introduction of a new item marketplace, players will be able trade their item drops and legends for WolCash, the War of Legends in-game currency, with others for the first time.   In addition, the Mammoth May update sees the introduction of four new locations for player to visit and do battle. Plus the chance to receive even greater rewards, build stronger armies with the addition of new mounts for the Legends, and make your empire shine brighter with increased level caps for buildings. If that wasn't enough, there will also be a series of smaller updates including more in-game titles, new troop types and new legends with increased ability, meaning that whatever your level, there will something for everyone in this epic expansion.   "We're extremely excited to bring a host of new features for our loyal player base to enjoy," said Daniel Green, War of Legends Associate Producer. "By raising the stakes, our players will now have the opportunity to join the race to unlock the full potential of their legends and seek even more powerful status as they lead their armies to battle. As we develop the game, we are always looking for new ways to enhance the player experience and we are confident that these updates have just what it takes to satisfy the appetites of our most experienced users as well as offering new players some great features to help them as they begin their journey through the game."   War of Legends is a flash-based RTS game based on ancient Chinese mythology, which immerses players in a world where they can build vast empires, appoint legendary leaders and form multi-player alliances to reach eternal glory. This rich back-story is a drastic contrast to traditional RTS games that typically have very fragmented or non-existent storylines. The development quality far exceeds that of similar titles currently in the market, and parallels Jagex's high standard for game excellence, depth of content, graphics and community support.

Tribes Ascend announces Summer of Tribes tournament Posted: 11 May 2012 10:35 AM PDT Hi-Rez Studios has announced the Summer of Tribes tournament series for its new shooter, Tribes Ascend. The tournaments will run between May and August, awarding over $30,000 worth of prizes. All tournament events will also be broadcast, with commentary, through TwitchTV (selected games will be broadcast in the game client). It will be featured by several league and tournament providers. The first finals will be held on Saturday, May 12 with Cyber Sports Network (CSN) and offer over $2,500 in prizes. The top prize will offer $10,000 in a prize pool for NASL Season 3, and the semi-finals for this round will be broadcast from E3. The grand finals will take place at a live LAN event in Toronto, Canada. Hi-Rez Studios also publishes Global Agenda. Tribes Ascend Gameplay Screenshot Source: Hi-Rez Studios Announces Summer of Tribes Tournament Series and Broadcasting Cash Tournaments Begin For Tribes: Ascend. Integrated Live Streams Coming Soon ATLANTA. May 11, 2012. Hi-Rez Studios, independent developer of AAA free-to-play online games, today announced the Summer of Tribes tournament series. Between May and August 2012, Tribes: Ascend tournaments will award over $30,000 in cash and prizing, with each event being broadcast live over the internet with supporting game commentary. Tribes: Ascend, billed as the World's Fastest Shooter, will be featured by leagues and tournament providers including North American Star League (NASL), Electronic Sports League (ESL), Cyber Sports Network (CSN), European Game Series (EGS), Curse Networks and FPS General. The finals for the first event are this Saturday, May 12th with CSN and over $2,500 in prizing. http://cyber-sports.net/event/2500-tribesascend-launch-cup The top prize for the summer will be $10,000 prize pool for NASL Season 3. The NASL Tribes: Ascend semi-finals will be broadcast from E3 and the grand-finals will be a live LAN event in Toronto, Canada. http://nasl.tv/News/Article/20120504nasl-launches-tribes-ascend-tournament "Given that we just released Tribes: Ascend mid April, we're pleased with how quickly the e-Sports community is growing," says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO. "Our team believes that Tribes can be a premier spectator event and we're thrilled to have partners who share this vision and support the community with great broadcast content as well as prizing." Hi-Rez announced intent to stream selected tournament games within the Tribes: Ascend game client itself. The next digital update to Tribes: Ascend will integrate live viewing of featured games powered by TwitchTV. Todd Harris continues, "The community is already using TwitchTV to stream Tribes: Ascend game activity. With the next update we'll feature certain streams as viewable within the game itself so those become broadcast events." "We enjoy working with developers like Hi-Rez Studios who harness live video to support their game community," says Kevin Lin, TwitchTV Chief Operating Officer. "At Twitch we've seen a phenomenal rise in eSports, and it is exciting to see the growing popularity of a fast-action FPS like Tribes: Ascend."

Dragon Nest introduces Guild Rumble Posted: 11 May 2012 10:21 AM PDT Guild versus guild combat has now debuted in Dragon Nest. The “Guild Rumble,” which kicked off on May 10, calls the guilds of Altera together monthly to compete in monster fighting, achievement earning, and arena battling to prove who’s the best. Players will be rewarded for their effort, win or lose, and the champion guild will earn exclusive costumes and mounts. The update also introduces Spirit Garden, a new medium-sized PvP map based off the River Ruins Path dungeons. This map supports Respawn, Rounds, Protect, Free For All, and Domination. Dragon Nest is published by Nexon, which also publishes Vindictus and MapleStory. Dragon Nest “Guild Rumble” Gameplay Screenshot Source: "Dragon Nest" Guilds Are Getting Ready to Rumble   Guild versus guild combat arrives today   Players who have been hungering to see exactly how their guild stacks up against others will get to experience the ultimate player versus player challenge with today's "Guild Rumble" content update.   Every month, the guilds of Altera will be called upon to fight monsters, earn achievements, and face off against each other in the arena to prove which guild is the best. Every player will be rewarded for their efforts as well as their performance, so everyone wins. The champion guild each month however will take home exclusive costumes, mounts, and all-important bragging rights.   In addition to the Guild Rumble event kicking off today, a new PvP map is also being added to "Dragon Nest." Spirit Garden is a new medium sized PvP map themed to the River Ruins Path dungeons. Five PvP modes are playable in Spirit Garden, including: Respawn, Rounds, Protect, Free For All, and Domination.   For more information about the Guild Rumble update visit http://dragonnest.nexon.net.

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Why I’m Supporting the Republique Kickstarter
• Risen 2 review
• Max Payne 3 launch trailer is go!
• MAZE: The Treasure Hunters (KR)
• Keroro RPG Online (KR)
• Civilization V: Gods & Kings & an Antiseptic Approach to Religion
• Unchained Blades Gives First-Person Dungeon Crawlers a Boost of Adrenaline
• Battlefield 3 Relying on its Community to Pay for Servers, Much to Players’ Chagrin
• BattleForge MMO Review

Why I’m Supporting the Republique Kickstarter Posted: 10 May 2012 09:30 PM PDT Religion and civilization have gone hand-in-hand throughout human history, with gods and their mouthpieces alternately hindering and inspiring humanity every step of the way. That’s why Civilization V felt a bit off when it hit us about a year and a half ago and was missing a few things we’d come to take for granted in the previous iterations. Religion and its best buddy subterfuge were either absent or folded into the Piety branch of its social policy tree, with temples and whatnot contributing to the ever-more-broad “culture” statistic. Religion always existed in the background of Civ V, from cathedrals to a huge number of biblical verses doled out for researching everything from animal husbandry to frickin’ laser beams, but it was no longer present as a distinct element of strategy. When it came to religion as a tactical tool, the relevant quote seemed to be, “God is dead.” Well, now we’re getting a chance to make him in our own image. Faith is the new currency, and once we have enough we’re given a Great Prophet. The first one we’re graced with can found a pantheon, be that a war god that grants more faith when we win battles, a namby-pamby healing god that restores units that end a turn next to a friendly city, or a whole slew of other crazy stuff people are raring to fall on their knees in front of. Our second prophet can turn that half-assed belief into a true religion, tacking on tenets like tithing (if you’re into accumulating more gold) or holy warriors (which grant the ability to purchase pre-industrial land units with faith). Followers passively pressure neighboring cities to join their particular theological club, but for a more direct approach we can send those prophets and missionaries to neighboring cities to directly convert the population. Nobody really likes that, so expect diplomatic repercussions, and prepare your own cities with inquisitors to keep the faith pure… or just fill the besandaled heretic with arrows when he starts down the palm-leaf-covered road to your own holy city. It’s an act of war, sure, but at least the simulation isn’t detailed enough to take martyrdom into account. That’d really make a mess of things. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187125

Risen 2 review Posted: 10 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT Risen 2: Dark Waters proves that RPG developers can be a fickle lot. Once they stray from convention and offer twists on standard gameplay, they often venture into interesting territory. When relying on tired mechanics like a crutch, however, they stagnate. That seems to be the case with Risen 2: Dark Waters, sequel to the 2009 original. It's ambitious – you can certainly give it that. But its problem is it stays far too safe in some areas and far too complicated in others for its own good. Risen 2 strives to deliver something we haven't quite seen before: an open-world pirate RPG that tempts players with the allure of a fully-realised swashbuckling fantasy. But then it clamps down like a bear trap on the hearts of those who get sucked in and realise this actually isn't at all what they thought it would be. For the sake of keeping up appearances, though, Risen 2 serves up a great introduction: the unnamed hero – a member of the Spanish Inquisition – is tasked with exterminating the sea monsters that have been threatening the safety of ships and merchants around Port Caldera. You're off to search for the pirate Steelbeard in order to find a way to destroy the beasts, and along the way face droves of monsters that need a good felling. You're rushed along into combat after a blink-then-you'll-miss-it tutorial  – combat is full of mindless hacking and slashing peppered with misses, frustrating hit detection, and plenty of reasons to put down the mouse and walk away. He looks much more like he’s frolicking, doesn’t he? Risen 2′s combat isn’t an area of play that would inspire that feeling. Demolishing the beasts of Caldera simply never feels as satisfying or as essential to success as Risen 2′s role-playing brethren. Instead, it's much more like a chore. Earning experience points (or Glory points in pirate talk) is confusing and often frustrating to figure out on your own – which you will, as the game isn't keen on holding your hand throughout. The common RPG staple of grinding alone isn't enough to raise a formidable pirate avatar. Strategic usage and spending of Glory points is required to ensure even the most basic of all pirating skills are covered: lock-picking, cunning, and what-have-you. But that's not all. You also need gold to spend in order to attain certain skills, which isn't always so readily available. You need gold for skills, but you need skills to obtain goals. It's a vicious circle that usually isn't very fun trying to break. Not only do you need gold and Glory, but specific coaches to help you attain the skills necessary to own this particular pirate quest. And when you need to choose between what's going to make you money and what's going to keep you safe, it's not always easy to make the smarter decision. Therein lies a frustrating conundrum, and not one few will see through to the end. When combat is mindless and repetitive as it is, you aren't exactly compelled to press on. At the very least you're allowed quite the assortment of swords, rapiers, and sabers in addition to – infinitely more useful – firearms. No matter which path you choose when it comes to developing a formidable attack party, a melee weapon is always available. Colours pop and coastal visuals occasionally awe. Unfortunately, Risen 2 loses its "aim" in many crucial areas. Firearms like muskets and the like are usually limited to one shot, though administer a healthy dose of damage to anyone unlucky enough to stand in your way. "Dirty trick" items are also an option, though usually reserved for those who decide to spend points maturing their Cunning attributes. They can range anywhere from ravenous parrots to coconuts that can be tossed at an enemy, which lends an interesting Captain Jack Sparrow lilt to an otherwise mundane repertoire. It's an intriguing side path for anyone who's simply not interested in blowing heads off and/or stabbing enemies, and a worthwhile development path tailored to a very specific play style. Risen 2's problems are compounded further by the fact that the narrative isn't exactly the stuff of legend. Character development is essentially non-existent, with back stories and personalities so wooden it's unlikely you'll care about any of them. And if the first run-in with acquaintances whose painfully exaggerated gestures haven't put you off yet, you'll soon be puzzling over Risen 2′s core mechanics. And it doesn't help that your main goal to complete over the life of the game is, essentially, a fetch quest. Failing the conventional RPG trappings that Risen 2 relies so heavily on, the narrative keeps the rest of the game afloat long enough for you to decide whether or not you want to see this pirating adventure through to the end. You do all those "piratey" things that'd make a landlubber blush. There's intrigue. Plenty of coastal locations are occasionally a treat for the eyes when you aren't forced to explore closed-in dungeons and underground caverns. The creatures are fairly unique – no giant spiders here. There's even a "sexy pirate" companion, which is par for the course for these kinds of games, and plenty of great scripted dialogue that furthers the illusion that you're playing your favourite pirate movie. But stilted presentation, muted visuals, muddy textures, and over-used combat dialogue combined with a combat system that just isn't remarkable in any way, shape or form doesn't exactly an epic pirate adventure make. There was much that could have been accomplished here, and at times you catch a small glimpse of greatness. There's plenty of content to dig into, also, if you're more worried about simply having something to do. With a bit more polish and care, Piranha Bytes could have unearthed buried treasure. But it's possible the developer could have missed the big red "X" that was scrawled on the map its RPG forefathers. Final Verdict: 6/10 Similar Article can be found at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/reviews/risen-2-review/

Max Payne 3 launch trailer is go! Posted: 10 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT The launch trailer for Max Payne 3 has just gone live, with Rockstar celebrating next weeks launch with an all guns blazing glimpse of the action from New York to Brazil. Rockstar's description of the video reads: "The launch trailer harks back to Max's tragic past as he reflects on the events that brought him from the remains of his life in New York to his lowest point yet: caught up in circumstances far beyond his control, out of his depth and on the edge in the darkest heart of Sao Paulo Brazil." The 18th of May is the date to reserve for Max Payne 3′s release in the UK, and we'll doubtless have a review for you on the day. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.totalpcgaming.com/latest-pc-news/max-payne-3-launch-trailer-is-go/ Related Posts PAX: Super T.I.M.E. Force Demonstrates the Chaotic Potential of Elegance PAX: Double Dragon Neon Brings Back the ’80s, But Not in a Good Way Nintendo Dubstep Experience 3D Looks to Reinvent the Rhythm Genre Grand Theft Auto V Announced

MAZE: The Treasure Hunters (KR) Posted: 10 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT Although developed in Korea, the debut trailer for the game was announced by China publisher ChangYou first at the end of April (link). Now, Korean developer Dream Execution finally released MAZE: The Treasure Hunters’ debut trailer for its native country. The Korea server will be hosted by Nexon. In short, the game is something similar to “Tomb Raider Online”, an online shooter with tons of monsters to kill. Playing the role of adventurers, players will dwell deep into crypts, tombs, ancient temples and more to discover the secrets behind them. Don’t worry, there will be PvP as well. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/05/maze-treasure-hunters-kr-debut-trailer.html

Keroro RPG Online (KR) Posted: 10 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT First announced way back in August 2010 (link), Keroro RPG Online is finally ready to enter its first beta phase after its “revival”. I seriously can’t understand why optimization took developer TooniLand so long as the trailer shown in 2010 pretty much showed the game in a near complete stage. The near video shows a party fight against 1 of the many bosses. So, Keroro RPG Online’s combat system is similar to that of MapleStory’s side-scrolling platform design, and there will be PvP added in the future. Published by CJ EM, the beta phase will happen from 17th to 20th May. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/05/keroro-rpg-online-kr-closed-beta-dated.html

Civilization V: Gods & Kings & an Antiseptic Approach to Religion Posted: 10 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT Religion and civilization have gone hand-in-hand throughout human history, with gods and their mouthpieces alternately hindering and inspiring humanity every step of the way. That’s why Civilization V felt a bit off when it hit us about a year and a half ago and was missing a few things we’d come to take for granted in the previous iterations. Religion and its best buddy subterfuge were either absent or folded into the Piety branch of its social policy tree, with temples and whatnot contributing to the ever-more-broad “culture” statistic. Religion always existed in the background of Civ V, from cathedrals to a huge number of biblical verses doled out for researching everything from animal husbandry to frickin’ laser beams, but it was no longer present as a distinct element of strategy. When it came to religion as a tactical tool, the relevant quote seemed to be, “God is dead.” Well, now we’re getting a chance to make him in our own image. Faith is the new currency, and once we have enough we’re given a Great Prophet. The first one we’re graced with can found a pantheon, be that a war god that grants more faith when we win battles, a namby-pamby healing god that restores units that end a turn next to a friendly city, or a whole slew of other crazy stuff people are raring to fall on their knees in front of. Our second prophet can turn that half-assed belief into a true religion, tacking on tenets like tithing (if you’re into accumulating more gold) or holy warriors (which grant the ability to purchase pre-industrial land units with faith). Followers passively pressure neighboring cities to join their particular theological club, but for a more direct approach we can send those prophets and missionaries to neighboring cities to directly convert the population. Nobody really likes that, so expect diplomatic repercussions, and prepare your own cities with inquisitors to keep the faith pure… or just fill the besandaled heretic with arrows when he starts down the palm-leaf-covered road to your own holy city. It’s an act of war, sure, but at least the simulation isn’t detailed enough to take martyrdom into account. That’d really make a mess of things. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187121 Incoming search terms: civilization v gods and kings (1)

Unchained Blades Gives First-Person Dungeon Crawlers a Boost of Adrenaline Posted: 10 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT Religion and civilization have gone hand-in-hand throughout human history, with gods and their mouthpieces alternately hindering and inspiring humanity every step of the way. That’s why Civilization V felt a bit off when it hit us about a year and a half ago and was missing a few things we’d come to take for granted in the previous iterations. Religion and its best buddy subterfuge were either absent or folded into the Piety branch of its social policy tree, with temples and whatnot contributing to the ever-more-broad “culture” statistic. Religion always existed in the background of Civ V, from cathedrals to a huge number of biblical verses doled out for researching everything from animal husbandry to frickin’ laser beams, but it was no longer present as a distinct element of strategy. When it came to religion as a tactical tool, the relevant quote seemed to be, “God is dead.” Well, now we’re getting a chance to make him in our own image. Faith is the new currency, and once we have enough we’re given a Great Prophet. The first one we’re graced with can found a pantheon, be that a war god that grants more faith when we win battles, a namby-pamby healing god that restores units that end a turn next to a friendly city, or a whole slew of other crazy stuff people are raring to fall on their knees in front of. Our second prophet can turn that half-assed belief into a true religion, tacking on tenets like tithing (if you’re into accumulating more gold) or holy warriors (which grant the ability to purchase pre-industrial land units with faith). Followers passively pressure neighboring cities to join their particular theological club, but for a more direct approach we can send those prophets and missionaries to neighboring cities to directly convert the population. Nobody really likes that, so expect diplomatic repercussions, and prepare your own cities with inquisitors to keep the faith pure… or just fill the besandaled heretic with arrows when he starts down the palm-leaf-covered road to your own holy city. It’s an act of war, sure, but at least the simulation isn’t detailed enough to take martyrdom into account. That’d really make a mess of things. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/previews?cId=3187122

Battlefield 3 Relying on its Community to Pay for Servers, Much to Players’ Chagrin Posted: 10 May 2012 03:30 PM PDT The ability to rent dedicated Battlefield 3 servers for use in the console versions of the game was a welcome addition back in March. Unfortunately, playing on these servers appears to have become the only option for playing online multiplayer, a development which understandably has fans of the game frustrated with Electronic Arts and DICE. As outlined in this thread on the official Battlefield forums, many players are upset that EA- and DICE-operated servers have almost entirely disappeared. These servers were the only ones available prior to the rent-a-server option becoming available on consoles, and were to be complemented nicely by the new custom servers which allow for their owners to establish communities of sorts with rules, options, and admins they decide. This is a great option to have, although the word ‘option’ is key. With very few exceptions, these servers are now the only ones available to be played on as EA and DICE have taken the majority of their official servers offline. This is problematic because there are no consistent rules on these rented servers, and it can be needlessly difficult to find an acceptable game. It’s more than the map and game mode these servers are dictating; some might have rounds that last an incredibly long time (which is no fun if one team is pushed back to its final base and its players die shortly after spawning) or admins that kick players for no legitimate reason. Whatever the particular case may be, it’s not always easy to find a player-run server that operates in the same way as one of the old official servers, which is how many players would like to play. “The game was a lot of fun when you could play on DICE servers by their official rules,” TTUVAPOR wrote on the Battlefield forums. “I shouldn’t have to search and search just to enjoy a game or two. Not everyone has huge amounts of time to sit through a server list and browse to find the perfect rented server. … Rented servers are fun for those who want something more than just standard, but to entire eliminate standard play is just bad business.” Some people have noted how suspicious it is that EA and DICE servers are largely gone (VentureBeat could find only 17 EA servers on PS3) now that there is a way for players to foot the bill. And doing so is not cheap, even with the discounted rates offered for longer leases: A one-day rental costs $1.49, while 90 days costs $59.99 — the same price as the game. This setup may not require your average player to pay for a server of his or her own, yet it does not mesh well with the built-in expectation that buying the game will entitle you to play online for free on servers which are not controlled by ill-tempered gamers with a propensity for booting anyone who kills them. Electronic Arts has yet to respond to 1UP’s request for comment. The official Battlefield Twitter account has offered little information on the situation, merely telling those who inquire that their concerns have been passed along to the developers. Earlier this week, franchise community manager Daniel Matros answered questions on Reddit, including one regarding the lack of official DICE servers. “There is only so much physical space and digital space where you can have servers,” Matros wrote. “The community requested an RSP programme and we delivered.” This comment resulted in angry responses about it being senseless to do away with official servers by offloading server costs onto the community. He did later say the world of Battlefield is “dynamic” in response to a question about the removal of DICE and EA servers being permanent which, while somewhat positive, is not the answer players are looking for. Since then he has provided an additional update claiming the situation is being evaluated: “[W]e are looking over the feedback requests and also what we can do on our side to make sure players are satisfied. More updates to follow.” One would hope the company realizes the error of its ways and official servers are brought back. It has a vested interest in making players happy not only because it wants those players to purchase the next Battlefield game when it is released, but also because it wants them to continue playing BF3 in the meantime and then purchase the upcoming Close Quarters downloadable content. Battlefield 3 has seen controversy in the past, first with a promised bonus for PS3 players being dropped (and later made good on) and then with the release of premium shortcuts. EA’s business practices, too, have been bemoaned often including its habit of shutting down the online servers for its games awfully quickly. Among the most recent games to be shut down in this fashion was EA Sports MMA, which was not even a year and a half old when its servers were turned off in April. As I wrote at the time, EA reserves the right to do this in its End User License Agreement, but especially when it comes to games with online passes, there needs to be some guarantee for how long servers will stay online. The Battlefield situation is not an exact repeat of that as it remains possible to play online, yet for a game that is among the four most popular on Xbox Live week after week, it’s unthinkable that the community would be relied on almost completely to prop up its online servers. Similar Article can be found at: http://www.1up.com/news/battlefield-3-official-servers-gone

BattleForge MMO Review Posted: 10 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT BattleForge is a 3D fantasy MMORTS/TCG hybrid wherein players battle for map dominance by using cards to summon units, structures, and cast spells on their opponents.  With full fledged single-player campaigns and fast paced 1v1 & 2v2 PvP duels, BattleForge is a unique mix of gameplay elements that work together flawlessly.     Publisher: Electronic Arts Playerbase: Medium Graphics: High Quality Type: MMO EXP Rate: Medium PvP: 1v1 & 2v2 battles Filesize: 90 MB installer, 2GB+ patch Website: http://www.battleforge.com/en/ Pros: +Fast-paced gameplay. +Well integrated RTS & TCG elements. +Rewarding single player content. +Upgradable cards, customizable decks. Cons: -Repetitive scenarios. -Limited unit formations. -Poorly developed story/lore. -Repetitive scenarios.   BattleForge is an original game that mixes classic PC RTS (real time strategy) gameplay with a TCG (trading card game) concept.  To EA and Phenonmic's credit, the two elements are made to work well, making BattleForge an enjoyable, unique MMO gaming experience.  The production value of the game is what you would expect from a premium Western developer – the graphics are bright and vibrant, while the music score and voice acting only enhance the quality.  Originally released as retail game with a free demo, BattleForge is now entirely free-to-play, with optional micro transactions for additional booster packs.  Spell, building, and unit cards in Battleforge belong to one of four element types, and they are: Fire - Aggressive cards that deal heavy damage. Frost – Defensive cards.  Frost units absorb damage well and have access to powerful towers. Nature - Focused on control and creature cards.  Nature has powerful siege weapons and units with healing abilities. Shadow – Necromancy and destruction are the hallmarks of this element.  Shadow creatures include the undead and wicked beings like witches.       BattleForge System Requirements Minimum Requirements: OS: Windows XP/Vista CPU: 1.8GHz AMD64 or Intel Core RAM: 512 MB HDD: 10.0 GB Graphics Card: NVidia GeForce 6000-Series or better, ATI Radeon 9500 Recommended Specifications: OS: Windows Vista / XP CPU: Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz or better RAM: 1024 MB (1GB) or more HDD: 12.0 GB Free Graphics Card: GeForce 7000 or better     Related Posts CEO of major Korean MMO company arrested Dragon Sword (CN) Elder Scrolls Online Announced, Due 2013 For PC And Mac The Elder Scrolls Online revealed Codename X7 (CN)

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