General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Did Apple Provide F.B.I. with Millions of iOS Device User IDs?

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:13 PM PDT

Evil AppleNormally when someone claims big brother is tracking their every move, we'd recommend rolling an aluminum foil deflector beanie to stay one step ahead of 'the man,' but what happens if they were right all along? Like something out of a suspense thriller, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) got caught in possession of millions of Apple device user IDs, and suddenly everyone is playing dumb. Here's what happened.

The hacking organization known as AntiSec posted a million Apple Unique Device Identifies (UDIDs) on Pastebin, claiming that it's a portion of the 12 million IDs it lifted from an F.B.I. laptop. UDIDs, if you're not familiar, are strings of 40 characters specific to Apple devices, like an iPhone or iPad. Why the F.B.I. would be in possession of 12 million of these is anyone's guess, but according to AntiSec, the file containing all those IDs also included personal information, such as full names, addresses, telephone numbers, etc. Scary stuff.

So, is Apple handing over confidential user information to the F.B.I. so that it can track users on a whim? Not according to Apple.

"The F.B.I. has not requested this information from Apple, nor have we provided it to the F.B.I. or any organization," said Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, according to The New York Times. "Additionally, with iOS 6, we introduced a new set of A.P.I.'s meant to replace the use of the U.D.I.D. and will soon be banning the use of U.D.I.D."

Apple UDID
Image Credit: Sag-a.com

That's fine and dandy for future iOS devices, but in the here and now, it's scary as hell that the F.B.I. is walking around with 12 million user IDs, information of which it failed to keep safe from hackers. Or did it? In a statement of its own, the F.B.I. said it never had the leaked info to begin with.

"The F.B.I. is aware of published reports alleging that an F.B.I. laptop was compromised and private data regarding Apple UDIDs was exposed. At this time there is no evidence indicating that an F.B.I. laptop was compromised or that the F.B.I. either sought or obtained this data," the F.B.I. said in a statement.

Reiterating its stance, the F.B.I. called the reports "TOTALLY FALSE" on its Twitter account. Is AntiSec simply stirring up trouble, or is something sinister going on? Quite frankly, we don't know what to think, but we're stocking up on tinfoil anyway.

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Daily Deals 9/5/12: GeForce GTX 660 Ti, 480GB SSD, and More

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:54 AM PDT

sponsor logo

Our sponsors over at LogicBuy have compiled a list of daily deals for the Maximum PC reader looking for great gadgets on a budget. This promotion will help you find that diamond-in-the-rough special you were looking for. Today's deals are as follows:

GeForce 660 with Borderlands 2

Top Deal

PNY GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB GDDR5 Video Card + Borderlands 2 PC game & HDMI Cable for $299.99 with free shipping (normally $320).

Synopsis: Considering the GeForice GTX 660 Ti/Borderlands 2 bundle pack is already a great deal at $320, lobbing off another $20 certainly doesn't make the deal any less sweet. 

While we haven't had the chance to review PNY's particular 660 Ti, we did like Nvidia's other 660 Ti offerings.

If you've been living under a rock and have no idea what Borderlands 2 is, it's Gearbox software's highly anticipated follow-up to its original 2009 shooter/RPG hit Borderlands. Considering the game alone will run you $59.99, this isn't a bad deal for those looking for the game and a solid new graphics card.

Laptops:

17.3" Dell Inspiron 17R (5720) 3rd Gen Core i7-3612QM 2.1GHz Quad-core Ivy Bridge Laptop w/8GB RAM, 1TB HDD for $749.99 with free shipping (normally $1,039 - use $100 coupon code 822MXX7Q$PQX36).

14" Toshiba Satellite U845-S402 Core i3 ULV Ultrabook w/4GB RAM, 500GB HDD + 16GB SSD for $649.99 with free shipping (normally $749.99).

Desktops:

Dell Vostro 260s Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-core Slim Tower w/4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, two 20" LED-backlit LCD Monitors & $100 Gift Card for $599 with free shipping (normally $749 - use $50 stackable coupon code W9D06J14FX10WM).

Computing Hardware & Peripherals:

27" Planar PX2710MW 1080p 2ms LCD Monitor w/ HDMI & 3-year warranty for $219.99 with free shipping (normally $469.99 - use $250 coupon code X88QZ?XGMWKZMQ).

23" Dell ST2320L 1080p HDMI LED-backlit LCD Monitor for $159.99 with free shipping (normally $209.99 - use $50 coupon code W15JJ3TRG8C02Q).

480GB Kingston V+200 2.5" SATA III Internal SSD (KW-S2180-4B) for $369.99(normally $480).

360GB Corsair Force Series GS 2.5" SATA 6GB/s Internal SSD (CSSD-F360GBGS-BK) for $289.99 (normally $360).

Western Digital My Net N600 HD Dual-Band Wireless-N Router for $59.99 with free shipping (Normally $70).

Note: Due to the nature of deals & coupons, these deals could end suddenly because of coupon redemption caps or from being sold out.

Nokia Unwraps Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8; How Does It Compare to Lumia 900?

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 09:21 AM PDT

Nokia Lumia 920After months of speculation and hype, Nokia today undressed its newest flagship smartphone -- Lumia 920 -- and bared its naked soul for all to see. The Lumia 920 is Nokia's much anticipated Windows Phone 8 device, the one that's supposed to turn the company's fortunes around and legitimize it as a true contender in the high-end smartphone sweepstakes that's currently led by Apple's iPhone family (iOS) and a handful of Android devices, most notably Samsung's Galaxy S III. So, how does the Lumia 920 compare to the Lumia 900 it replaces?

First and foremost, the Lumia 900 is a Windows Phone 7 device, and as was revealed earlier this year, no such piece of hardware is ever going to be christened with Windows Phone 8. Platform aside, let's take a look at the hardware.

Unlike the Lumia 900, the 920 is a power packed smartphone with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (along with 7GB of free SkyDrive cloud storage from Microsoft), and 4.5-inch HD (1280x768) IPS display. It has an 8.7MP rear-facing camera, 1080p video recording, 1280x960 front-facing camera, HSPA+ or 4G LTE connectivity, NFC support, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.1, and 2,000 mAh battery.

This is the Windows Phone you've been waiting for, and it's improved from the Lumia 900 in just about every way. For the sake of comparison, the 900 featured a 1.4GHz single-core Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4.3-inch AMOLED display with an 800x480 resolution, 8MP rear-facing camera, 720p video recording, 1MP front-facing camera, no NFC support, and an 1,830 mAh battery.

Once again, Nokia is paying extra attention to the camera.

"The Lumia 920 is the first Windows Phone to benefit from PureView imaging technology and the first phone in the world to have physical Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for blur-free images even when your hand is not rock steady. It is the best camera we have ever put in a smartphone to date," Nokia said in a blog post.

All that's left is for Nokia to announce carrier pricing. In the meantime, check out the video below for more information.

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Rovio: Angry Birds 'Bad Piggies' Spinoff Launches September 27

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 07:20 AM PDT

If you always thought the egg-stealing pigs in Rovio's incredibly popular Angry Birds series got a bad wrap, don't worry, you're not bacon up the wrong tree. Come September 27, Rovio invites you to go hog wild in "Bad Piggies," an Angry Birds spinoff that "turns the franchise on its head" and lets you play as one of the pigs. The title will feature brand new gameplay, and Rovio promises there isn't a slingshot in sight.

"There's a lot of empathy towards the lovable enemies from the Angry Birds games, and we've been constantly asked: what about the pigs' side of the story?," said Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio. "Bad Piggies gives you the chance to play as the second-most-loved characters in the Angry Birds universe, and explore this rich world through their green eyes."

Apple iOS, Mac, and Google Android users will be the first to unlock their inner swine, though Rovio says it plans to launch versions for Windows Phone, Windows 8, and PC shortly after the September 27 launch. Exactly when, however, is not yet known.

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Valve Opens Feature Enhanced Steam Community to Everyone

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 07:01 AM PDT

Steam Community ThumbnailValve's Steam Community shed its beta baggage and is now open to anyone in the general public interested in finding and sharing game related content. The cleaned up release introduces a handful of new features, like automatically formatting YouTube links, a slick new interface (including a collage of your finest gaming moments on the screenshots page), the ability to search within discussions areas, and other goodies.

When first announced a month ago, Valve said the massive overhaul to the Steam Community was all about "showing off the best content gamers have created." Towards that end, there are now more than 94 million gamer generated screenshots, videos, and Workshop items (maps, levels, mods, etc) being shared throughout Steam's ecosystem.

The new Steam Community wrangles it all together in an attempt to create a more socially connected experience, one that's easy to navigate. Every game has its own hub, there are group updates, group moderation, and more.

Steam Screenshot

Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Turbine talks Rohan landscapes in latest LotRO dev diary

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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Turbine talks Rohan landscapes in latest LotRO dev diary
The latest Turbine developer diary is here, and of course it's focused squarely on Lord of the Rings Online's Riders of Rohan expansion. There's the usual mix of developer talking head shots interspersed with landscape footage of Rohan's rolling plains, rivers, and the dwellings of the region's horse-lords.

Famous locations from Tolkien's novels make an appearance too, including Amon Hen and Fangorn Forest. Turbine says that designing Rohan was more challenging than other areas of the game because Tolkien described the lands and their layout it in a fair amount of detail. Check out the new screenshot gallery below, and don't forget to click past the cut for the dev diary video.

[Source: Turbine press release]

Continue reading Turbine talks Rohan landscapes in latest LotRO dev diary

MassivelyTurbine talks Rohan landscapes in latest LotRO dev diary originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Blogger details adventures in Guild Wars 2 customer service

    Posted: 05 Sep 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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    Blogger details adventures in Guild Wars 2 customer service
    While some of us are happily slashing, casting, and shooting our way through hordes of baddies in Guild Wars 2's Tyria, some ArenaNet customers are still suffering the pain that accompanies prolonged login issues.

    OK, we know, first-world problems, but still. Case in point is blogger Saylah over at Mystic Worlds. Her latest post outlines how she's following ArenaNet's suggested customer service escalation path to the letter but is still unable to play a game she purchased some time ago.

    "Every time the wiki says they've moved past a certain date of tickets and if yours wasn't fixed you should submit a new ticket, that's exactly what I do. Will today be my lucky day," she asks.

    MassivelyBlogger details adventures in Guild Wars 2 customer service originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Requiescat in pace, City of Heroes

    Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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    A Mild-Mannered Reporter header by A. Fienemann
    Sometimes I know about things before other players do. Friday was not one of those times. Friday I heard the rumor, and I dismissed the whole thing as being patently ridiculous... and then the reports poured in, and I could only stare with horror.

    City of Heroes is going to be shut down. Later this year. November 30th, less than three months away.

    For me, this isn't just a game closing. This is a huge chapter in my professional life coming to an end. Covering City of Heroes has been a major part of my writing for the site over the past three years. To think that it's going to be gone soon is just... baffling.

    So this is a column written in mourning. It's going to be disconnected, and for that I apologize, but there are a few things that I think should be put down right now. Next week I can start in on the process of creating a tribute; this week, it's about sadness.

    Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Requiescat in pace, City of Heroes

    MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Requiescat in pace, City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      SideQuest MMO kickstarts your funny bone

      Posted: 05 Sep 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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      SideQuest
      While we're not in the business of promoting every MMO Kickstarter project we see (no, really), we do feel like it's in all of our best interests to spotlight the particularly interesting ones.

      Fractal Entertainment's SideQuest is a good example of one of these MMO Kickstarter projects that grabbed our attention. Promising a deep single-player campaign with MMO PvP and endgame elements, this browser-based game has a long list of features that make it sound unique and exciting to play. And if you read through their Kickstarter pitch, you can tell that this game will have a wicked sense of humor.

      The best news is that Fractal Entertainment seems to be willing to make this game even if their Kickstarter campaign doesn't meet its goal, but the extra funding will be going towards making it bigger and better than it already will be.

      So check out their Kickstarter page, thumb through the rewards, and browse the game's features. This might just be the browser-based game you've been looking for.

      MassivelySideQuest MMO kickstarts your funny bone originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: What's the best way to deliver MMO lore?

        Posted: 05 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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        Diablo III
        The MMO genre is increasingly dominated by AAA titles like The Secret World, Guild Wars 2, and Star Wars: The Old Republic, all of which tuck story and lore into special cutscenes bookending regular combat, but that's not the only way to drop backstory into a game. In fact, Diablo III's lore-delivery system might just top them all.

        Did I just use Diablo III and lore in the same sentence? I did! Diablo III reveals its backstory to the player through a series of voiceovers that play as you play rather than take you out of the fight. Little audio pop-ups narrate the significance of characters and places so you understand what's going on. It's not that the game never employs cutscenes; it just restricts cutscenes to Very Important Events.

        Granted, this type of system might not work so well in a full-fledged massively multiplayer game, so today we're asking what you think: How do you want lore delivered in your MMOs?

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

        MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What's the best way to deliver MMO lore? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          RIFT: Storm Legion targets November 13th, begins pre-orders

          Posted: 04 Sep 2012 08:30 PM PDT

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          RIFT Storm Legion targets November 13th, takes preorders
          The last big unknown of the fall's releases has just set a date for destiny. Trion Worlds announced that it will be releasing RIFT's first expansion, Storm Legion, on November 13th. The expansion contains two new continents, four additional souls, player housing, and more.

          Along with the news of the release date comes the ability to pre-order the expansion. While those who sign up for a year's subscription to the game will get a complimentary copy of Storm Legion, players may elect to pre-order one of the two expansion editions separately. Both pre-order editions offer special bonuses, such as early access to one of the expansion's dungeons. It's interesting to note that players new to the game can pay an additional $10 on top of the expansion price to get the original game and 30 days of play time as well.

          Finally, Trion's released a new expansion trailer called Features of the Storm, which highlights Storm Legion's bullet-point attractions. Take a gander after the jump!

          [Thanks to Marc and Memphis for the tip!]

          Continue reading RIFT: Storm Legion targets November 13th, begins pre-orders

          MassivelyRIFT: Storm Legion targets November 13th, begins pre-orders originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          ArenaNet's Regina Buenaobra on Guild Wars 2, Reddit, and community

          Posted: 04 Sep 2012 07:00 PM PDT

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          Screenshot -- Guild Wars 2
          ArenaNet has, understandably, been receiving a whole lot of publicity in the days following the launch of Guild Wars 2, due in large part to notable events such as the "ask why you're banned" thread on the r/GW2 subreddit. Not everyone, however, is thrilled with the idea that ArenaNet is conducting so much of its customer support and community interaction on Reddit and social media sites such as Facebook rather than on official forums or a well-established community site.

          If you're someone who has been wondering exactly why ArenaNet focuses so much effort on Reddit and social media, then we're here to shed some light on the issue. We reached out to Guild Wars 2's North American Community Team Lead, Regina Buenaobra, to get the official point-of-view. If you'd like to know about ArenaNet's community and customer support teams (and the differences between the two), click on past the cut for the Q&A.

          Continue reading ArenaNet's Regina Buenaobra on Guild Wars 2, Reddit, and community

          MassivelyArenaNet's Regina Buenaobra on Guild Wars 2, Reddit, and community originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Glitch status report discusses the impending relaunch

            Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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            The original draft for this post also included a subplot regarding a prince and a dragon, but that was cut for relevance.
            Once upon a time, there was a game called Glitch. This game launched, and it made several people very happy, but it made its designers sad because it didn't feel ready for launch. So the designers called backsies on launch and took the game back to beta for more development and refinement. It's been nine months since then, and according to the latest developer update, the game is almost up to the point it should have been during its first launch... but not quite.

            The blog post explains that there were three core things that the design team wanted in the game before the official relaunch: a better introduction for new players, imagination and upgrades as a core advancement system, and a better land and housing system. While those features are in place, they've just brought on new challenges for the designers and new updates that need to be added. The overall takeaway is that if you're not playing now, you will be able to soon, as the game is almost as the designers want it, and then we can all live happily ever after.

            MassivelyGlitch status report discusses the impending relaunch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Blizzard unveils launch events for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

            Posted: 04 Sep 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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            If you're still hoping that this was a joke, that's getting increasingly unlikely.
            If you're a fan of World of Warcraft, you're buying Mists of Pandaria. We all know that. But are you just going to buy the game, or do you want to be part of an entire event surrounding the launch? If it's the latter, you'll be happy to know that the official launch event for the game's fourth expansion release has been confirmed for the 24th near the Blizzard Entertainment offices in Irvine, California.

            The event starts at 9:00 p.m. PDT and will include stage presentations, special guests, and giveaways for fans in attendance. As with previous launches, even if you can't get out to California for the launch event, several retailers are opening at midnight for retail release of the game as soon as it's possible. It's all heady stuff for the new expansion, and fans will definitely want to take a look at what's going on and attend if possible.

            MassivelyBlizzard unveils launch events for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Champions Online celebrates its third anniversary

            Posted: 04 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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            Champions Online celebrates its third anniversary
            Has it already been three years since Cryptic Studios launched its second superhero MMO? It must be because Champions Online is riding high on the smell of birthday cake and fun events.

            Cryptic has several anniversary activities planned for the next couple of weeks, including a leveling contest that's running from now until September 6th. Every character that you level up to 40 during this period will give you a shot at several prizes, including a $250 Amazon gift card and custom art. The studio's also collecting Champions fan art in exchange for special unlocks and Facebook publicity.

            Further anniversary events in September will be announced at a later date, but Cryptic did hint that there will be giveaways, community hang-outs, and big sales.

            MassivelyChampions Online celebrates its third anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's launch week in review

            Posted: 04 Sep 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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            Flameseeker Chronicles Guild Wars 2's launch week in review
            It's been quite the week in the world of Guild Wars 2. Launch, issues, near-daily server updates, fixes, and launch parties have likely kept the entire team high on adrenaline and low on sleep. If you're one of the folks in attendance at one of ArenaNet's launch parties, you likely saw a lot of very tired but very happy people. If you're not hounding the Guild Wars 2 Twitter account or subreddit, it's easy to miss a lot of communication, and even if you do, it's a lot to sort through. So what's been going on? A great deal.

            Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's launch week in review

            MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's launch week in review originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              BioWare dev blog talks SWTOR's 1.4 balance changes

              Posted: 04 Sep 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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              swtor 14 changes
              BioWare senior designer Austin Peckenpaugh has a tough job. Star Wars: The Old Republic's class gameplay balance is basically his responsibility, and as such he's penned a new dev blog intended to keep players in the loop on the upcoming changes in game update 1.4.

              The patch looks to be an extensive one in terms of gameplay tweaks, and Peckenpaugh has plenty to say on crowd control and resolve changes, ability adjustments, and changes to SWTOR's stealth gameplay.

              Read all about it at the official SWTOR website.

              MassivelyBioWare dev blog talks SWTOR's 1.4 balance changes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              We want your most creative City of Heroes character!

              Posted: 04 Sep 2012 01:30 PM PDT

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              We want your most creative City of Heroes character!
              While we at Massively are certainly disheartened to hear of City of Heroes' imminent closure, we also feel like celebrating the great run that this title had. As part of our tribute to City of Heroes, we want to gather some of the most creative character designs that the players have come up with over the years for possible use in a future column. Think of it as the ultimate costume contest!

              So if you're proud of a superhero that you whipped up in CoH or want to see him/her/it immortalized, listen up! Send in your absolute best screenshot of that character (minimum of 600 pixels wide) along with the name and a story of your time playing that superhero to justin@massively.com with the subject line "My City of Heroes superhero."

              Please note that due to the potential volume of submissions, we're asking just for one character per person -- so make it your best!

              MassivelyWe want your most creative City of Heroes character! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                The Game Archaeologist: Is Ultima Online 2 a doomed prospect?

                Posted: 04 Sep 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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                The Game Archaeologist Is Ultima Online 2 a doomed prospect
                When it comes to classic MMOs that have strong nostalgic pull with veterans, the topic does arise from time to time what a sequel to any given game would look like and how it would be received in the current gamer climate. We've already talked about updating graphics here in The Game Archaeologist, but I'm talking about more than a new coat of paint -- I'm talking about a new game entirely. A Star Trek: The Next Generation to the classic Star Trek. A One Direction to the New Kids on the Block. A Madden '13 to a Madden '12.

                I'm stretching here.

                In a recent franchise producer's letter, Mythic's Jeff Skalski gave fans of Ultima Online a teeny tiny glimmer of hope that Ultima Online 2 might one day be a reality. Depending on your read of it, it could've just been a "stop asking about UO2 already" plea, a shameless way to promote Ultima Forever, or one fan talking to another about something that could happen if both parties work toward a common goal.

                Considering the troubled past of Ultima Online's sequels, we have to wonder: Is this more false hope than real hope? Is there any conceivable way that this 15-year-old MMO could one day be granted the same honor as EverQuest, Asheron's Call, Guild Wars, and PlanetSide by getting a sequel that actually launches? I have some thoughts on all this, which is good because otherwise there would be a whole lot of white space after the jump.

                Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Is Ultima Online 2 a doomed prospect?

                MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist: Is Ultima Online 2 a doomed prospect? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  PAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay

                  Posted: 04 Sep 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                  PAX Prime 2012 - Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay
                  The War Z has generated a significant amount of fan interest since its initial hello-world announcement in July. The zombie-centric sandbox MMO boasts a large feature set and plenty of ambitious design goals. It's also generated some skepticism as to whether or not the development team can actually pull it all off.

                  Last weekend's PAX Prime event brought the first opportunity to see for ourselves, as the team from Hammerpoint showed off alpha-state gameplay and allowed GameTrailers to film it. The resulting clip is yours for the viewing after the cut.

                  Continue reading PAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay

                  MassivelyPAX Prime 2012: Hammerpoint shows off The War Z gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  New Age of Wulin trailer released

                  Posted: 04 Sep 2012 11:30 AM PDT

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                  New Age of Wulin trailer released
                  Gamescom's been over for a while now, but apparently no one told the folks at gPotato. The firm has released a new Age of Wulin trailer that's labeled "Gamescom 2012" on YouTube. Timeliness issues aside, the three-minute video offers a breathtaking look at the martial arts sandbox's gameplay and gorgeous graphics.

                  Age of Wulin is now accepting beta signups for its European client. The game has been rebranded as Age of Wushu for the North American market, and is scheduled to launch on October 18th. Click past the cut for the full trailer.

                  Continue reading New Age of Wulin trailer released

                  MassivelyNew Age of Wulin trailer released originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Funcom tweaking The Secret World's lairs for casual players

                  Posted: 04 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                  Funcom tweaking The Secret World's lairs for casual players
                  If you're a casual player of Funcom's The Secret World, you may not be aware of the game's lair mechanics. Lairs are basically pockets of super-powerful mobs designed for three players in endgame gear. Each adventuring zone has a lair, and each currently offers signet drops and the chance to summon world bosses on par with those in the game's nightmare dungeons.

                  With the upcoming 1.2 patch, though, Funcom is tweaking lairs to be a bit more palatable for less dedicated players. A new blog on the official site outlines the reasoning behind the changes. "Some people don't like the intense build requirements of nightmares, or don't have the time to dedicate a few hours per night to wiping on the Ur Draug. When we launched, there was not a whole lot of focused endgame content for these players to participate in," Funcom says.

                  "The intention going forward is that lairs should offer full endgame progression for casual players of The Secret World," the company continues. The 1.2 patch will turn lairs into 5-player affairs, and it will also add a few anima wells to lessen the traveling pains associated with wiping. New missions and loot progression are the order of the day, too. Full details are yours for the reading on TSW's website.

                  MassivelyFuncom tweaking The Secret World's lairs for casual players originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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