General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Enthusiast Mini-ITX Case "NCASE M1" Blows Past Funding Goal, Limited Pre-Orders Available

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 11:22 AM PDT

NCASE M1Little case is in high demand

A couple of enthusiasts from [H]ardOCP's forum came up with the idea of building a mini ITX case for enthusiasts, figuring that if they went through with the project, there would be enough demand to keep it afloat. They were right. The NCASE M1, which we covered back in February of this year, has blown past its goal of generating $67,500 on Indiegogo, raising more than twice as much with still 12 days to go.

In fact, it took just 24 hours for the project to reach its funding goal after it went live on August 10th, Six hundred cases were then made available for purchase, and within a week, all enclosures were claimed and over $135,000 was raised.

NCASE M1 Open

If you've been following the project but missed out on your chance to pre-order one through Indiegogo, you can still claim a case via NCASE's website. A limited amount of additional M1 enclosures are available now, with preorders being accepted until midnight September 1, 2013, the company said. Pricing starts at $205 for cases for U.S. orders.

For those of you who are new to the M1, it's a small form factor (SFF) chassis designed by NCASE and built by Lian Li. It supports mini ITX and mini DTX motherboards, and though it's a tiny chassis, you can fit a single 120mm radiator or 240mm slim radiator in there to water cool your parts. The case supports up to three 2.5-inch mounts, up to three 3.5-inch mounts, a slim slot-load optical drive, CPU coolers up to 5.1 inches (130mm), and graphics cards up to 12.5 inches (317.5mm) in length. It also has two USB 3.0 ports along with mic and audio jacks on the front I/O panel.

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AMD, Nvidia Release Beta Graphics Drivers for Splinter Cell Blacklist

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 09:13 AM PDT

Splinter Cell BlacklistGamers, grab your drivers!

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist is now available to purchase for PC (and the usual crop of consoles), and if you've already grabbed your copy or plan to pick it up, you might want to check out the latest beta drivers for your graphics card. It doesn't matter whether you roll with AMD or Nvidia, both GPU makers released new beta drivers aimed, in part, at optimizing performance for Blacklist.

Let's start with AMD. The company's Catalyst 13.8 Beta 2 driver improves performance in Blacklist by up to 9 percent at 2560x1600 with Ultra settings enabled. It also bumps up performance in a number of other titles, including Saints Row 4, Final Fantasy XIV, Van Helsing, Far Cry 3, Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, and a few others.

There are some known issues to be aware of. CrossFire configurations, when used in combination with Overdrive, can result in the secondary GPU motoring along at 99 percent, among other quirks.

Switching gears to Nvidia, the company's 326.80 beta drivers include an SLI profile for Blacklist. Generally speaking, gamers can expect up to a 19 percent bump in performance in certain PC games. Nvidia also added support for additional tiled 4K displays and Extended support for tiled 4K displays.

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Asus Z87-Deluxe Quad is First to Strike with Intel Thunderbolt 2 Certification

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 07:47 AM PDT

Asus Z87-Deluxe QuadNew board from Asus wields dual Thunderbolt ports

Asus claims its new Z87-Deluxe Quad motherboard is the world's first slice of silicon certified by Intel with Thunderbolt 2 technology. Not only does it feature certification for the latest Thunderbolt spec, but it has two Thunderbolt 2 ports, which together allow for up to 12 simultaneously connected devices. Each port is capable of up to a 20Gbit/s transfer rate, and both are backwards compatible with first generation Thunderbolt devices.

"Z87-Deluxe Quad has been subjected to a tremendous amount of compatibility, BIOS, as well as video/audio and other tests to verify its quality and design," said Joe Hsieh, Asus Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Motherboard and Desktop System Business Unit. "Being the world's first certified motherboard for Thunderbolt 2 technology also means setting the standard for all of the upcoming products, which is something that Asus has always done."

Intel's first generation Thunderbolt standard has two upstream and two downstream transfer channels with a maximum transfer rate of 10Gbit/s. Thunderbolt 2 combines the four channels into a pair of 20Gbit/s bi-directional channels, and in doing so, it offers 4X the bandwidth of SuperSpeed USB 3.0.

Along with DisplayPort 1.2 support, Thunderbolt 2 is able to deliver high-speed video to 4K/2K displays while at the same time offer communication with other high-bandwidth devices, Asus says.

Outside of Thunderbolt 2, the Z87-Deluxe Quad has a single HDMI port, four DIMM slots, three PCI Express slots, 10 SATA 6Gbps ports, eight USB 3.0 ports with USB 3.0 boost, eight USB 2.0 ports, and a UEFI BIOS.

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Lian Li Launches Slim PC-V360 Micro ATX Case with Side Mounted Radiator Support

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 07:16 AM PDT

Lian Li PC-V360Don't be fooled by its small size

We're still fans of hulking computer cases that are big enough to qualify as a studio apartment, but we're also willing to concede that not everyone needs or even wants a large computer case. Small form factor (SFF) enclosures are growing in popularity, and riding the wave is Lian Li, which today announced its new PC-V360, a slim, brushed aluminum mini tower designed for micro ATX setups.

Though its relatively small at 7 inches (W) by 15.2 inches (H) by 18.8 inches (D), there's enough room to cram a powerful system inside inside, including graphics cards up to 12.2 inches in length, power supplies up to 11 inches, and even accommodate water cooling. There's a hinged bracket directly across the CPU that allows builders to side-mount a 240mm radiator.

The PC-V360 sports a tool-less design throughout, starting with the side panels that pop right off. Once inside, Lian Li says all the storage drives -- both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch -- can be mounted with thumbscrews. In addition, both drive cages can be taken out by removing a couple of thumbscrews.

Microcenter gets first dibs on the PC-V360 and will sell it for $140.

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Microsoft Issued Half a Dozen Problematic Patches Last Tuesday

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 05:15 AM PDT

PatchesPatches? We don't need no stinkin' patches!

Microsoft has certainly had better Patch Tuesdays than the one that occurred last week. Throughout the week, the Redmond software giant has been pulling faulty security updates and re-issuing patches, and assuming it's all sorted out now, the total number of bad updates comes to six. They include KB 2876063, KB 2859537, KB 2843872, KB 2843638, KB 2843639, and KB 286846.

All six were released on Tuesday. One of the patches -- KB 2876063 -- was intended to patch a remote code execution hole in Exchange Server 2013. But after installing the update, the content index for mailbox databases shows as failed and the Exchange search host controller service is renamed, TechEye.net reports.

That wasn't the only problem. A Windows kernal patch has been causing problems with some games, in particular Rift and Defiance, both of which are prone to crash after authentication. It's even been linked to Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) errors on Windows 7 systems.

At least four of the patches for Active Directly Federation Services (ADFS) have been pulled for various problems, some of which have been re-released.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Intel Core i5 15.6-inch Notebook, NZXT Phantom 820 Case, and More!

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 05:00 AM PDT

Asus Notebooknewegg logo

Top Deal:

Unfortunatey summer is rapidly coming to and end and school is almost back in session. But hey, would a new PC help turn that frown upside down? If so, check out today's top deal for an Asus 15.6-inch laptop with Windows 8 64-bit for $550 with free shipping (free 1 year accidental damage protection). It has a Core i5 3230M processor, 6GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, and discrete Nvidia GeForce 610M graphics.

Other Deals:

Asus FM2 AMD A85X (Hudson D4) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard for $102 with free shipping.

NZXT Phantom 820 Series Matte Black Steel/Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case for $210 with free shipping (normally $230 - use coupon code: [0813BTS7])

Patriot Signature 8GB 204-Pin SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory for Ultrabook Model for $63 with free shipping (normally $73 - use coupon code: [0813BTS30])

Swissgear Mars 16" Laptop Computer Dark Blue Backpack for $30 with free shipping (normally $40 - use coupon code: [0813BTS36])

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Your guide to MMOs at Gamescom 2013

Posted: 20 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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Which MMO studios will be at Gamescom
Can you believe it, Gamescom is this week already! The massive trade show in Cologne, Germany, will run from August 21st to the 25th. Of course, if you're reading this, then you have one pressing question in mind: Which MMO studios will be there, and what will they be talking about?

While we can't answer the second part of that, we can give you a heads-up regarding the studio attendance. Hit us after the jump for the run-down of which studios will be there along with their Twitter handles because you just know that any big news from the show will be insta-tweeted two seconds later.

Continue reading Your guide to MMOs at Gamescom 2013

MassivelyYour guide to MMOs at Gamescom 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    CCP Games reveals EVE Valkyrie

    Posted: 20 Aug 2013 09:45 AM PDT

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    Expect corporate warfare even at this high pace, because obviously.
    There's another game on its way to share space with EVE Online and Dust 514. EVE: Valkyrie is the official name for what had been referred to before now as EVE-VR, what was described as a tech demo assembled with the Oculus Rift and a few fighter craft. Yes, that high-speed dogfighting sim in a virtual reality headset turned out to not just be a brief bit of playable speculation but a peek at the next game from CCP Games.

    CEO Hilmar Petursson stated that as soon as players got their hands on the demo, they wanted to know when the whole thing could be purchased -- and that was when it was just a concept demo developed by a handful of people during some spare moments. No official statements have been issued on what format the game will take or whether or not there will be components other than multiplayer dogfights. But there will be spaceships zooming around and shooting one another, and that's what attracted people in the first place.

    MassivelyCCP Games reveals EVE Valkyrie originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Firefall announcing next open beta, starting sale during Gamescom

    Posted: 20 Aug 2013 09:00 AM PDT

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    Firefall announcing next open beta stage and starting sale at Gamescom
    If you are eagerly anticipating the next stage of Firefall's open beta, your wait is nearly over... for the details, that is. Red 5 Studios plans to unveil the details of Stage 2 during Gamescom this week. Mark Kern, CEO of Red 5 Studios, also noted that a hinted-at feature will be included, and stated, "Players will directly have a hand in shaping this new phase while playing the game. It's a game changer for shooters, let alone MMOs."

    In conjunction with the announcement, Firefall's $100 Starter Pack will be 25% off starting August 21st. However, come August 31st the packs will be permanently discontinued when the sale ends; then the studio will instead focus "on new in-game cosmetic and convenience products."

    [Source: Red 5 Studios press release]

    MassivelyFirefall announcing next open beta, starting sale during Gamescom originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Massively Speaking Episode 260: Podjacked!

      Posted: 20 Aug 2013 08:30 AM PDT

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      Massively Speaking Episode 260
      One of the little-known facts about Massively's staff is that we routinely carjack, helicopterjack, and tankjack our way to work every morning. It's become this competition to one-up each other, which is why Brendan ended up driving the Wienermobile into the parking lot last week. It's also why we're all over Grand Theft Auto Online, because that is our life.

      Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!

      Get the podcast:
      [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator.
      [MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
      [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.
      [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio.
      Listen here on the page:



      Read below the cut for the full show notes.

      Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 260: Podjacked!

      MassivelyMassively Speaking Episode 260: Podjacked! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Luvinia Online relaunching as Luvinia World today

        Posted: 20 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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        Relaunching is all the rage these days.
        If you were a fan of Luvinia Online, news of the game's shutdown probably took you by surprise, largely because there was no real news of it. It just sort of happened without explanation or warning, like your boyfriend breaking up with you by blocking your phone number. But the game is relaunching today as Luvinia World starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT today under the management of Shanda Games and Soa Games, giving players a chance to log back in and play once more.

        Players looking to retrieve their old characters will be expected to pay a fee of $25, which will both restore the character on the new servers and offer a $30 credit in microtransaction currency. It's not ideal, obviously, but considering the game has changed hands altogether it's somewhat expected. And it's good news for players who lost a game unexpectedly -- you can have it back now, almost as good as new.

        MassivelyLuvinia Online relaunching as Luvinia World today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Tom Clancy's The Division officially coming to PC

        Posted: 20 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT

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        Tom Clany's The Division officially coming to PC
        Tom Clancy's MMO-ish shooter The Division has officially been announced for release on PC as well as consoles in late 2014.

        When originally revealed at this year's E3, Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft stated that the game would be for both the XBox One and the PS4, but, thanks to the power of online petitions and forums, the PC version is now official.

        You can watch the short announcement trailer just after the cut.

        Continue reading Tom Clancy's The Division officially coming to PC

        MassivelyTom Clancy's The Division officially coming to PC originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        World of Warplanes announces September 26 release date

        Posted: 20 Aug 2013 06:30 AM PDT

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        World of Warplanes announces September 26 release date
        Wargaming.net has announced today that its flight combat MMO, World of Warplanes, will be released to North America and Europe on September 26, 2013, while the Russian Commonwealth of Independent States will see the game launched on September 25.

        The studio boasts close to three million beta registrants for the game so far, and Gamescom attendees can get their hands on the game early, starting tomorrow at the Wargaming booth.

        Be sure to check out our gallery of screenshots below as well as the Gamescom 2013 trailer just after the jump.
        [Source: Wargaming press release]

        Continue reading World of Warplanes announces September 26 release date

        MassivelyWorld of Warplanes announces September 26 release date originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Daily Grind: How much communication on major bugs is the right amount?

          Posted: 20 Aug 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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          Wish you could have the choice to be here.
          A lot of people were very interested in taking part in Final Fantasy XIV's open beta. Unfortunately, for a substantial number of players, the beta started and stopped with Error 3102. Leaving aside debates about whether or not this should or should not have happened, I think one of the big problems for several players was that the developers simply didn't discuss the issue with players until the test period was nearly over, which meant that there was no way of being certain that anything was being done.

          You could make the case that it's better for developers to be focusing on actually fixing the problem instead of updating people on the status of the problem. But silence can look a lot like ignorance at a glance, and no one wants to be ignored when something damages the game experience. So today we ask you, readers: How much communication on major bugs is the right amount? Do you want an acknowledgement and nothing more until it's fixed, or do you want hourly status updates from the development team?

          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: How much communication on major bugs is the right amount? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Chaos Theory: The Secret World's most secretive faction

            Posted: 19 Aug 2013 07:00 PM PDT

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            Chaos Theory The Secret World's most secretive faction
            In a game full of mysteries, there are secrets and then there are secrets. Some things are spelled out for us pretty clearly, but others are hidden and are only glimpsed and hinted at over the course of our adventures. It's to the player who sharply observes and is diligent at hunting down lore that many of these are revealed. And so it is with the story behind The Secret World's most secretive faction.

            As we know, there are several major players in the Secret War: the three playable factions of the Templars, the Dragon, and the Illuminati; the sinister corporate Orochi Group; and the UN-like Council of Venice. But there's another faction that isn't completely invisible from view yet also doesn't go to great lengths to make itself known. These are the Phoenicians, the black sheep of the bunch.

            I was only peripherally aware of the Phoenicians through my first play-through of TSW, but now that I'm going back through it again, I find myself trying to piece together these stories and secrets. I was fascinated with the concept of a fourth (unplayable) faction that didn't quite fit in the mold as the rest of the bunch. Today I want to share what I've learned.

            Continue reading Chaos Theory: The Secret World's most secretive faction

            MassivelyChaos Theory: The Secret World's most secretive faction originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Not So Massively: Diablo III ad backlash, GOME on PC, and SMITE's facelift

              Posted: 19 Aug 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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              Game title image
              Warner Bros. Interactive announced this week that console MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth will soon be released on the PC via Steam. The game will not be free-to-play but will come with the Survivor mode that the console release saw back in February. Massively tested Infinite Crisis' new Coast City marina map, and developers invited fans to playtest new champion Atomic Wonder Woman at Gamescom 2013. Third-Person MOBA SMITE completely overhauled its main Conquest map with sharp new 3-D models and more neutral textures. And Heroes of Newerth revealed big matchmaking changes coming in its upcoming patch 3.2.1.

              Expansion speculation is mounting after the Diablo III development team released a new teaser site linking the recently registered trademark "Reaper of Souls" to the franchise. Blizzard has also been the target of some fan backlash after showing off the first television advert for its upcoming console release. Path of Exile's load times will be cut significantly in upcoming patch 0.11.4 thanks to new artwork optimisations. And Star Citizen answered more fan questions this week and has released a new website showing the stats of all current ships.

              Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III ad backlash, GOME on PC, and SMITE's facelift

              MassivelyNot So Massively: Diablo III ad backlash, GOME on PC, and SMITE's facelift originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Bungie bringing colossal Destiny statue to Gamescom

                Posted: 19 Aug 2013 05:30 PM PDT

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                Bungie bringing colossal Destiny statue to Gamescom
                Gamescom bills itself as the largest single gathering of gamers in the world. Who better than Bungie, then, to set up the "largest theater to ever grace the event" in order to showcase its upcoming Destiny title.

                The game will also be advertised by a colossal sculpture of the Fallen Captain, a fearsome four-armed baddie that Destiny players will face as they fight their way through the game's war-torn sci-fi scape. Click past the cut to see the statue take shape courtesy of Bungie's art department.

                Continue reading Bungie bringing colossal Destiny statue to Gamescom

                MassivelyBungie bringing colossal Destiny statue to Gamescom originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Why Age of Empires Online failed

                Posted: 19 Aug 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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                why age of empires online failed
                Since the beginning of this year, Age of Empires Online has shifted into stagnation and decline -- and done so intentionally. So why did Microsoft Studios decide to all but abandon the future of this game? In short, the title launched with far too little content, a bad business model, and couldn't crank out the goods fast enough to retain an audience. This resulted in a sharp drop-off from 100,000 players to 15,000 in a few months.

                Executive Producer Kevin Perry criticized the game's launch at GDC Europe, pointing at its skimpy features (including only two civilizations at launch) and bad public perception: "You don't get a soft launch for a branded title. Players come there for your brand. You only get word-of-mouth once. Whenever we got new players, they always came in with the overhead, 'but I heard this game sucks.' That hill was extremely difficult to climb."

                Even after tinkering with the game's cost, adding in more content, and figuring out ways to allow players to spend more money, the company ultimately realized that the players were mostly demanding new content which couldn't be generated to make a profit. "The content itself was too expensive to create," Perry admitted. "We did do a lot of things right, but they weren't enough to actually save the game."

                MassivelyWhy Age of Empires Online failed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Gamescom 2013: New Dragon's Prophet trailer released

                Posted: 19 Aug 2013 04:30 PM PDT

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                Dragon's Prophet siege
                SOE has released a new Dragon's Prophet trailer to celebrate this week's Gamescom. The firm is also giving fans a sneak peek at the title's Frontier system. "Guilds will be thrust into Territory Wars where they must destroy Guardian Crystal towers and break through castle walls guarded by their enemies," according to a Dragon's Prophet press release. "Siege weapons and dragons, along with special NPCs, will aid alliances as they fight for control of the citadels."

                SOE also wants you to know about the game's latest open beta update, which includes the Fafnir Dragon event, a style shop, one-to-30 leveling curve tweaks, and more. Dragon's Prophet officially launches on September 18th. In the meantime, don't forget to watch the trailer after the cut!

                [Source: SOE press release]

                Continue reading Gamescom 2013: New Dragon's Prophet trailer released

                MassivelyGamescom 2013: New Dragon's Prophet trailer released originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Bless website updates with city screenshots

                  Posted: 19 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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                  Bless website updates with city screenshots
                  Bless is one of those games that we'd be following a lot closer if there was more information about it available in English. It's a Korean MMO, see, and like many Korean MMOs it's unequivocally gorgeous and sufficiently mysterious in terms of mechanics to whet our appetite.

                  Neowiz did update its website today, though, and there are some new screenshots that show off plenty of impressive architecture and various city locales. Steparu has the details as well as a selection of the newest shots.

                  MassivelyBless website updates with city screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  New Elder Scrolls dev blog profiles the flame atronach

                  Posted: 19 Aug 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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                  New Elder Scrolls dev blog profiles the flame atronach
                  There's a new Elder Scrolls Online dev blog floating around the game's official website. It's all about flame atronachs and how the dev team at ZeniMax is going about creating them.

                  "Comfortable in both melee and at range, the flame atronach can lob deadly balls of fire, and it radiates a continuous burning aura, making it quite dangerous at any distance," the dev blog explains. There's a bit more verbiage about the creature's sound design as well some screenshots, concept art, and a quick in-game video. You can see this last bit after the cut.

                  Continue reading New Elder Scrolls dev blog profiles the flame atronach

                  MassivelyNew Elder Scrolls dev blog profiles the flame atronach originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Highlights assembled from Friday's RIFT livestream

                  Posted: 19 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT

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                  It's not damage control, really, but it is sort of panic control.
                  Fans of RIFT are probably feeling a little jumpy right now. The community was surprised when community manager James "Elrar" Nichols abruptly left the game, especially in wake of the other shakeups moving through Trion Worlds. The game's community team did run a livestream event on Friday, and fansite RIFT Junkies took the time to comb through the whole thing and separate out the highlights.

                  Trion in general is focusing right now on ArcheAge, RIFT, and Defiance, with End of Nations on hold for the moment. The company is still committed to the game's European playerbase and has not changed the RIFT development team; improvements are still in the works for the game's next two patches, including engine optimization. New CEO Scott Hartsman also stressed his love of RIFT and the fact that he has no intention of allowing the game to creep into "pay-to-win" territory. You can watch the whole stream on the company's official Twitch channel.

                  MassivelyHighlights assembled from Friday's RIFT livestream originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Massively Exclusive: Episode 8 of Mabinogi the Saga: Iria

                  Posted: 19 Aug 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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                  Massively Exclusive Episode 8 of Mabinogi the Saga Iria
                  What, Monday again? Well, here to help mitigate the dread of a new work week is the latest chapter of the Mabinogi mini-series, Saga: Iria. Last week's cliffhanger left off with Millia knocked out by the one she enlisted to help her. Now in episode 8, Shamala and the player are turned into demons in order to infiltrate the Cessair camp to help rescue Millia. In the meantime, Tarlach and Ruairi meet up and discuss the past. With Ruiari's help to obtain a charm from Irai, Tarlach hatches a plot to destroy the gods and turn Erinn into a paradise. Watch it all unfold in the video after the break. And don't forget to see episode 8 in action this Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Massively TV.

                  Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Episode 8 of Mabinogi the Saga: Iria

                  MassivelyMassively Exclusive: Episode 8 of Mabinogi the Saga: Iria originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Allods Online Q&A covers new subscription server

                    Posted: 19 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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                    Allods Online Q&A covers new subscription server
                    Bucking the trend of going from subscription to free-to-play, Allods Online is doing the reverse when it comes out with its new subscription server later this year. There's a lot of questions swirling about this alternative way to pay and play the game, and so gPotato has put out a handy Q&A to cover the subject.

                    Apart from paying a standard (yet "to be determined") fee to play on this server, the subscription server's main difference will be the absence of an item shop and currency exchange. Everything on this server will be either quested, crafted, looted, or purchased with in-game currency. Players also won't be able to transfer a character (and its goods) from a F2P server to the subscription one.

                    The studio hopes to have the new server out around the time of the next expansion. It has committed to a subscription server for Europe, although it may nix the North American one due to lackluster interest from the community.

                    MassivelyAllods Online Q&A covers new subscription server originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Captain's Log: Star Trek Online Las Vegas recap

                    Posted: 19 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT

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                    STO Las Vegas
                    It's been a couple of weeks since my last entry, and to be honest, I'm still recovering. The Official Star Trek Convention was an absolute blast. Thousands of Trek fans descended upon the Rio Suites and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, for four solid days to celebrate all things Star Trek. One of those things, of course, was Star Trek Online.

                    Contrary to its showing in 2012, Star Trek Online was the focus of not just one but two complete formal panels this year. The first featured two of the STO devs in a discussion with actress Denise Crosby, who voiced the characters of Empress Sela as well as Lt. Tasha Yar. The second panel was co-hosted by Massively and Trek Radio and featured a panel of STO devs who talked about the game and gave us some great sneak-peeks at Season Eight works in progress!

                    Continue reading Captain's Log: Star Trek Online Las Vegas recap

                    MassivelyCaptain's Log: Star Trek Online Las Vegas recap originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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