General Gaming Article

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• OCZ Vertex 450 256GB SSD Review
• Take a Look at the Steam Machine
• Ergonomic Keyboard Review Roundup
• Windows XP Users May Wait Until Last Minute to Upgrade
• Google Already Facing a Nexus 5 Supply Shortage
• Amazon Celebrates Relaxed FAA Rules with Single Day Kindle Discounts
• HGST's Helium Filled 6TB Ultrastar He6 Hard Drive Floats Over to Data Centers
• Maingear Makes a Move on Thin and Light Gaming Laptops with Pulse 17
• Newegg Daily Deals: EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780, Dell Ultrasharp 24-inch LCD, and More!

OCZ Vertex 450 256GB SSD Review Posted: 04 Nov 2013 05:15 PM PST A more affordable Vector has finally arrived We were always big fans of OCZ's Barefoot 2–powered Vertex 4 SSDs. Heck, we even ran two of them in the almighty Dream Machine 2012. If that's not a stamp of approval, we don't know what is. But the SSD game moves quickly, and you have to keep up or you get left behind, so this month OCZ has put the Vertex 4 out to pasture and ushered in a new drive bearing the moniker Vertex 450. Unlike the Vertex 4, which ran a Marvell-based controller with custom OCZ firmware, this bad boy is juicing via OCZ's very own Barefoot 3 controller, which we first examined in the Kick Ass–caliber Vector SSD. The Vector is so fast that it currently sits atop the leaderboard of our SSD benchmarks, right next to the equally Kick Ass Samsung 840 Pro, and both drives are as good as it gets in the SSD world. But like Samsung, OCZ needs a drive to appeal to the common folk with a bit less cash in their PayPal accounts, so it's done what Samsung has done with its vanilla 840 drives and released this midrange SSD with a 3-year warranty to compete at a lower price point than the Vector. These are hotly contested waters, though, so the Vertex 450 has its work cut out for it. OCZ's "mainstream" SSD uses its very own in-house Barefoot 3 controller and 20nm MLC NAND flash. At the heart of this drive is the renowned Barefoot 3 controller, though this is not the same animal you will find in a Vector. This version is called the M10; it has a slightly lower clock speed and the ability to work with the 20nm NAND flash instead of the Vector's 25nm IMFT MLC NAND. For what it's worth, the Vertex 4 also used 25nm NAND, and the move to smaller-process flash helps reduce costs and improve capacities, though endurance is affected. Still, OCZ says the drive is good for 20GB every day for three years, which is considered a "heavy" workload. The Barefoot 3 controller also supports 256-bit AES encryption and has Trim support, and promises high performance without resorting to data compression or needing to reserve some space for over-provisioning either, so you get the drive's full capacity (238GB after formatting). It's available in the usual sizes: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. In our testing, we found the midrange Vertex 450 to be a totally adequate performer, as it hummed along right at the magical 500MB/s mark for most of its sequential-read speed tests. This is pretty much standard with modern SSDs; the 450 is right where it needs to be in terms of competitive performance. Its 4K random-write performance was middling overall, but placed dead last in this group. It's "real world" performance, though, as measured by PCMark Vantage was top-of-the-list, with it smokin' the Samsung 840 and Seagate 600 drives. Overall, this is a great drive and is fast across the board. But like the Seagate 600, it's too expensive. For this price, you can get an SSD with a 5-year warranty and more performance, like a Samsung 840 Pro. $235, www.ocz.com

Take a Look at the Steam Machine Posted: 04 Nov 2013 03:54 PM PST It looks good, real good The first pictures of Valve's prototype Steam Machine are surprising to say the least. With a chassis that's absolutely miniscule—for a system with a GTX Titan and standard desktop processor—it seems that Valve has been busy designing a custom case with a plastic shroud that ensures that each component in the machine is separate from the rest. The Verge was granted a hands-on with one of the very first Steam Machines and with the Steam Controller. It seems that Valve wasn't exaggerating when it said the machine would be 12x12.4x2.9 inches, making this a machine that could easily fit in any home entertainment system. Although games will be the obvious highlight, video and music playback services are planned. There's also the gyroscope built into the controller and a possible VR headset that could be used down the line by Valve to grab biometric feedback.  Valve also told The Verge that the company plans on producing and selling the Steam Controller in-house. The Steam Machines will be farmed out to as-of-yet unannounced hardware partners which will be revealed in January at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show. Don't expect twenty variations of the same thing—Valve's leaving a lot of the hardware decisions up to the manufacturers, but we're impressed by the prototype. The Seattle Times did a little sleuthing of its own and has learned that SteamOS won't prevent users from getting into the nitty gritty of Linux or from loading Windows onto the machine.  With such a tight fit in the chassis, we can't help but wonder about thermal issues. What do you think of the Steam Machine? Do you plan on getting one or will you stick to DIY systems? Follow Ben on Twitter.

Ergonomic Keyboard Review Roundup Posted: 04 Nov 2013 02:56 PM PST Four ergonomic keyboards reviewed All of us spend hours and hours at our computers, but we rarely stop to think about ergonomics until it's too late. The keyboards that most of us use don't help things either. There are options—this roundup is filled with ergonomic keyboards of all types: mechanical, split, tented, and even contoured. They may look different, but they've all got one thing in common: they're a helluva lot more comfortable than what probably came with your first computer. To make sure we got things right, we consulted with Dr. Emil Euaparadorn, Co-owner of Aspire Physical Therapy and associate director of Touro College's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. He stressed the importance of what he likes to call, "The three things to avoid." 3 Safety hazards and how to avoid them 1. Ulnar deviation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulnar_deviation)—keep your wrist as straight as possible. 2. Wrist extension—stow those keyboard feet and keep your wrists flat. 3. Carpal tunnel compression (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome)—the place where your hand meets your forearm is known as the carpal tunnel; avoid pushing on it. Euaparadorn was quick to stress that workplace ergonomics goes far beyond just the keyboard. Although there are plenty of variables to consider, the bottom line is to keep everything as straight as possible.  Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard If you find yourself wishing that you could tent—raise the center—of your keyboard while splitting the board into two separate halves, the Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard might be just the thing. The solid build quality and overall sturdy feel of the keyboard is surprising for a keyboard that spins and contorts to provide tenting. Our only real complaints with the keyboard are the mushy switches. Most rubber dome boards are a far cry from clicky mechanical switches, but the Goldtouch V2 has particularly horrendous domes as they don't provide much feedback. The Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard is adjustable and comfortable thanks to a lever that locks your changes in place. Get past the disappointing key feel and you've got a capable ergonomic keyboard. Adjusting the keyboard is a snap—literally. Lift the lever along the top side of the keyboard and you've got full control over each half of the board. Angle the right side down and keep the left side straight if you think aesthetics are more important than functionality. For everyone else, being able to control the width and angle of the split while also tenting the keyboard is a huge deal. Add in the fact that the lever snaps back into place to preserve your configuration and this is a truly customizable keyboard. Once we put down our protractor and finished dialing in our settings, we loved the clear key labels—even if they're printed—and media keys. Goldtouch has even included labels for common functions like Copy and Paste on the side of the keycaps. Oh, and if for some reason you're stuck on a Mac, the Goldtouch V2 even has a switch on the back to toggle between a Mac and PC configuration. For better or for worse, the only ergonomic features of the board are the tenting, splitting, and reduced footprint. Euaparadorn appreciates the robust split adjustment but thinks that tenting might be a gimmick that hurts more than it helps. Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard Byte Solid construction, sturdy tenting; great locking hinge; and media keys. Bite Keys feel like mush and it's hard to get both halves evenly tented. $110, www.goldtouch.com Kinesis Freestyle2 If you're always pushing your keyboard around and trying to find the perfect angle for your wrists, the Kinesis Freestyle2 is a match made in heaven. The basic model has up to nine inches of complete separation between the two halves of the keyboard. This means that you're free to move the keyboard anyway you want. With up to nine inches of separation, the Kinesis Freestyle2 lets you dial in the perfect split. Euaparadorn agrees that the fully adjustable split is perfect for zeroing in on the right configuration for you. Which is great because the Freestyle2 has some of the most responsive rubber domes we've ever had the experience of using. They feel remarkably similar to Cherry MX Red switches—tight and smooth.  It may not be able to angle itself without an additional $40 accessory, but it's a capable board that offers an easy way to mix up how you type, which is almost as important as having an ergonomic keyboard in the first place. However, we're not so forgiving of the shifted function keys. StarCraft players and anyone who uses the function keys regularly will have a rough time.  We're also a bit disappointed by the lack of media keys, but we're willing to give them up for a keyboard that feels good in every other way. Kinesis Freestyle2 Byte 9-inch split halves, small footprint; quality key feel; integrated number pad. Bite A questionably attached removable hinge; drastically shifted function keys. $100, www.kinesis-ergo.com Kinesis Advantage USB If there was an award for most daunting keyboard, the Kinesis Advantage USB would be a major contender. This is a huge keyboard, measuring over 16 inches wide and 3 inches tall. Fortunately, it looks a lot scarier than it actually is.  Look past the hefty footprint and the Kinesis Advantage USB is an ergonomic beast. The Advantage's greatest trait is its contoured design. The domed home row areas for each hand act as resting places for your fingers. The varying key elevations mean that each of your fingers will naturally rest on the appropriate keys. All keys—minus the function keys—are easily accessible without unnecessary hand movement. The Advantage USB also makes much better use of your thumbs which are usually relegated to spacebar duty. Enter, Back Space, Delete, End, Home, and more, are all grouped in two square sections for your thumbs. This was Euaparadorn's favorite keyboard of the roundup and for good reason: the large split design of the keyboard means that even broad shouldered users will be comfortable. He also likes the domed home row areas which allow you to rest your palms—not your wrists—on the keyboard.  Even with a $300 price tag, the Advantage USB still manages to pack in a huge list of features that extend beyond the unique, contoured design and mechanical switches. Every single key is reprogrammable without having to install software on your computer. A built-in speaker lets you turn on fake clicking sounds or an alarm that alerts you when you activate Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, or Num Lock. There's even a two port low-power USB hub on the back of the keyboard along with a telephone cable to connect Kinesis' optional foot pedal.  It's not all sunshine and roses though, every single one of the function keys and extra keys like Escape, Scroll Lock, and Print Screen, are soft, squishy buttons. They're a bit jarring compared to the rest of the keyboard which uses mechanical switches.  Kinesis Advantage USB Byte Cherry MX Brown switches; sturdy construction, contoured design; built-in palm rests; and plenty of thumb keys. Bite Huge footprint; squishy function keys; no media keys; and an astronomical price. $300, www.kinesis-ergo.com Truly Ergonomic Keyboard The Truly Ergonomic Keyboard is one of the most attractive ergonomic keyboards we've ever tested. Look past the rearranged modifier keys and the small form factor, and this is a keyboard that wants you to start typing and never stop.  Drop the wrist rest and the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard is truly an ergonomic keyboard. Fortunately the Cherry MX Brown switches make typing a real pleasure—when you aren't inadvertently hitting the Enter key. One of the first things you'll notice about the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard are the rearranged modifier keys. You use your thumb to hit the Enter key and your forefingers to press the Backspace, Delete, and Tab keys.  *Note: to learn more about the different mechanical switch colors/buttons, check out our mechanical keyboard guide.  We found that having to reach so far to delete text just wasn't comfortable. Moving Shift to Caps Lock and Ctrl to Shift are unnecessarily confusing changes. Placing the Enter key between two Space Bars also caused some trouble—sending half-finished emails and opening chat menus while playing games. If you manage to get past the lengthy transition period, this is a great keyboard. Its split design prevents ulnar deviation and the columnar—not staggered—keys seem comfortable and intuitive. Having the entire keyboard reprogrammable with the use of dip switches and a standalone program is almost a necessity for a keyboard that rearranges important keys. A full suite of media keys and application shortcuts along with the integrated number pad make this a keyboard that can easily replace the one you already have on your desk.  As for ergonomics, Euaparadorn says that the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard's split design won't be as helpful as say, the Kinesis Advantage USB because it isn't adjustable for different shoulder widths. He also thinks that the subtle changes in almost every aspect of the keyboard just aren't practical. Truly Ergonomic Keyboard Byte Tactical mechanical switches, solid design; media keys; small form factor; and an integrated number pad. Bite Annoying key changes—especially Shift; Control, Enter, Backspace; lack of adjustability; and a high price tag. $250, www.trulyergonomic.com

Windows XP Users May Wait Until Last Minute to Upgrade Posted: 04 Nov 2013 10:11 AM PST Windows XP is still the second most popular OS in the world Microsoft plans to finally cut off support for Windows XP in April 2014. There are no more reprieves in sight, nor are there likely to be any for an operating system that was made available to the general public around this time 12 years ago. That's an absolute eternity in technology years, but Windows XP remains such a well liked OS that it's still holding its own as the second most installed OS in the world. Not only is Windows XP still popular, it's barely losing market share with the April 2014 support deadline only five months away. In the past six months, Windows XP's market share has only dropped 1 percent and now sits at 20.06 percent, according to data by StatCounter. If you prefer NetMarketShare's way of keeping track of things, the drop over the past six months is a bit higher at around 7 percent, though the firm shows it's installed on over 31 percent of desktops around the world. That's nearly a third of all PCs, assuming numbers are accurate. Either way, it's clear Windows XP users aren't all that anxious to upgrade, especially to Windows 8, which hasn't yet reached an 8 percent penetration rate by either firm's accounting methods. Are you still rocking any Windows XP-based machines? If so, do you plan to upgrade by April 2014? Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Google Already Facing a Nexus 5 Supply Shortage Posted: 04 Nov 2013 09:15 AM PST Be prepared to wait up to a month if you order a Nexus 5 today Google treated Android fans to its first official serving of KitKat (Android 4.4) on October 31, 2013 by releasing its Nexus 5 smartphone. Available in Google Play, users can choose between 16GB ($349) and 32GB ($399) models in either black or white and be one of the first to sample the newest version of Android. Unfortunately, there's a penalty for having taken the weekend to think about things, and that penalty is now having to wait up to 4 weeks. If you're willing to purchase the 32GB Nexus 5 in white, Google says it will leave the warehouse in 2-3 weeks. Otherwise, the remaining available SKUs are all scheduled to leave the warehouse in 3-4 weeks. Our crystal ball is in the repair shop at the moment, but even without it, we can predict that the wait time could potentially increase. You may recall that LG had a difficult time keeping up with demand for the original Nexus 4. Google blamed LG for the slow rollout, while LG basically said Google failed to accurately predict how high demand would be for these devices. Now knowing what they didn't know back then, both sides are out of excuses. The Nexus 5 should be even more desirable than the Nexus 4 thanks to several upgrades. A microSD card slot is still missing from the blueprint, however the Nexus 5 does feature a 4.95-inch Full HD 1080p display (1920x1080, 445 ppi) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Quallcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, Adreno graphics, 2GB of RAM, 8MP and 1.3MP cameras, built-in wireless charging, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 4G LTE support, and a few other goodes, all wrapped up in Android 4.4. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Amazon Celebrates Relaxed FAA Rules with Single Day Kindle Discounts Posted: 04 Nov 2013 08:38 AM PST Save a chunk of change on Kindle devices (today only) The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Halloween (October 31) that it would allow airlines to expand passenger use of portable electronic devices (PED) during all phases of flight, meaning you no longer will be instructed to turn off your e-reader during takeoff or landing, as long as you have a grip on it (or put it in the seat back pocket in front of you). To celebrate the relaxing of the rules, Amazon today is offering discounts on select Kindle devices. By entering code ThnksFAA at checkout, you can receive 15 percent off a Kindle, Kindle Fire HD, or Kindle Fire HDX. This is a one-day only sale, so if you're tempted, you'll have to decide somewhat fast. "We've been fighting for our customers on this issue for years, and we are thrilled by the FAA's recent decision—this is a big win for customers. Delta and JetBlue have already started flights with the new rules—we're excited to see which airlines are next," said Drew Herdener, Vice President, Amazon. "To say thank you, for one day only we're offering 15 percent off Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch, and the $69 Kindle—happy flying!" Here's how the 15 percent discount affects each model: Kindle: $59 (down from $69) Kindle Fire HD: $118 (down from $139) Kindle Fire HDX: $195 (down from $229) Not too shabby, especially for the Kindle Fire HD, which might be the best value of the bunch. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

HGST's Helium Filled 6TB Ultrastar He6 Hard Drive Floats Over to Data Centers Posted: 04 Nov 2013 07:29 AM PST Helium filled hard drives will find homes in cloud data centers HGST just made every home consumer a little bit jealous today by announcing that it's now shipping the 6TB Ultrastar He6 hard drive to massive scale-out data center environments. For the time being, you can't head over to your favorite online vendor or local electronics store and pick up a 6TB drive with helium inside, but perhaps this technology -- and the resulting capacities -- will trickle into home user territory. In the meantime, these drives will end up being utilized by companies like HP, Netflix, Huawei Unified Storage, CERN, Green Revolution Cooling, and Code42, all of which are working with Western Digital's subsidiary to qualify the drive. We touched on this technology last week when it was first announced, but short and to the point, helium boasts one-seventh the density of air and allows for less drag force on the spinning disk stack. This in turn reduces the mechanical power necessary to drive the motor, along with other benefits. HGST crammed 7 platters into its 6TB Ultrastar He6 drive. It's also the industry's first hermetically sealed helium-filled HDD that can be cost effectively manufactured in high volume, the company says. Citing data from IDC, HGST says its HDD technology comes at a time when areal density growth rates have slowed and are expected at a rate of less than 20 percent per year from 2011 to 2016. In addition to sheer capacity, HGST's helium-filled drives consume 23 percent lower idle power per drive compared to a 3.5-inch, five-platter, air-filled 4TB HDD, 49 percent better watts per TB, run 4C cooler and 30 percent quieter, and are 50g lighter weight even with two more platters, offering 50 percent more capacity. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Maingear Makes a Move on Thin and Light Gaming Laptops with Pulse 17 Posted: 04 Nov 2013 06:02 AM PST The Pulse 14's bigger brother Thin. Light. Sexy. These are three adjectives boutique system builder Maingear is using to describe its latest laptop, the Pulse 17, though it's not an Ultrabook (Intel) or an ultra-thin (AMD). So what is? The Pulse 17 is a full-fledged gaming notebook that pairs Intel's 4th Generation Core processor family (Haswell) with Nvidia's GeForce GTX 765M GPU in a package that weighs less than 6 pounds. Maingear claims the Pulse 17 is the world's thinnest gaming laptop. It measures just 0.85 inches thick, along with 16.47 inches (W) by 11.29 inches (D). That's big enough for a 17.3-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) LED-backlit display, plus a whole lot of gaming goodness. There are "Good," "Better," and "Best" configurations to choose from. Pricing starts at $2,099 and includes an Intel Core i7 4700HQ processor, GeForce GTX 765M GPU, 16GB of DDR3-1600 memory, up to 1TB of hard drive storage and up to two 480GB solid state drives, Killer Gaming NIC (802.11ac optional), 7-in-1 media card reader, built-in 2.1 speakers, HDMI output, four USB 3.0 ports, two mini DisplayPorts, GbE LAN, and various flavors of Windows 8. Maingear's Pulse 17 is available to configure and order now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780, Dell Ultrasharp 24-inch LCD, and More! Posted: 04 Nov 2013 05:52 AM PST Top Deal: One of the best deals in PC gaming hardware right now is the GeForce GTX 780. That's because Nvidia aggressively slashed the suggested retail price last week, but don't think the only cards you get are those vanilla reference SKUs. Have a look at today's top deal for an EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780 Graphics Card for $495 with free shipping (normally $510 - use coupon code NVEXCLS96; additional $10 mail-in-rebate). EVGA's ACX Cooler sports a custom two-fan cooling solution and comes overclocked to 967MHz (1020MHz boost). Be sure to check out some benchmarks we posted of a stock clocked GeForce GTX 780 a few months ago when the suggested retail prices was $650. Other Deals: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $140 with free shipping (normally $155 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS63]) Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $120 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS58]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) NZXT Hale82 850W SLI/Crossfire Certified Power Supply for $100 with free shipping (normally $120 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS38]) Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black IPS 24" 8ms Adjustable LED Backlight LCD Monitor for $280 with free shipping (normally $310 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS67])

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MMO Updates

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• The Elder Scrolls Online answers questions about character creation
• Chaos Theory: Hurrying to finish The Secret World's Halloween events
• Seize an island in NGame's Pockie Pirates
• Five million players reported in War Thunder
• Dragon's Prophet EU prepares to unleash its first raid
• Funcom opens LEGO Minifigures Online beta registration
• The Stream Team: Embracing change edition, November 4 - 10, 2013
• Ex-Blizzard dev founds mobile game studio
• The Daily Grind: Do you come up with unique avatar names?
• MMO Week in Review: Space goats
• Lots of Repopulation bugs were squashed in October
• EVE Evolved: What DUST 514 should have been
• Star Trek Online dev blog on building the perfect Worf
• Embers of Caerus exploration demo now available
• Stick and Rudder: What if Star Citizen fails?
• ArenaNet asks for your feedback on Guild Wars 2 balance changes
• Rise and Shiny: Path of Exile

The Elder Scrolls Online answers questions about character creation Posted: 04 Nov 2013 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, News Items, Community Q&A, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription Players have yet to really explore the character creation options available in The Elder Scrolls Online. How could they? The game isn't out yet. But when you release a trailer on character creation, people begin to speculate; when people begin to speculate, they start asking questions; when people start asking questions, the developers behind The Elder Scrolls Online generally take some time to answer some of those questions in a public forum. You see where this is going. According to this latest batch of answers, every race will have certain unique customization options in addition to sharing certain options with other races. How much is shared varies; Khajiit and Argonians obviously can't share hairstyles with humans, as the races are simply too different. There will also be more character options than were present in the original video, so those of you worried about the fact that the men could have beer bellies while the women could not will be appropriately mollified. For more details, peruse the full list of answers. The Elder Scrolls Online answers questions about character creation originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Ask Us Anything: Variety Pack 10

Chaos Theory: Hurrying to finish The Secret World's Halloween events Posted: 04 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Events (In-Game), Opinion, The Secret World, Guides, Livestream, Dungeons, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play Stop me if you heard this before: Halloween in The Secret World ROCKS! I know, I'm preaching to the choir, right? There just isn't any other game that really comes close to sharing the spirit of the holiday like the one that is perpetually steeped in it. And when Halloween itself finally comes around, you actually have good reason to settle in after those real-life activities and enjoy more ghostly goodness in game. Heck, you can even get gussied up in some elaborate costumes that can include a working chainsaw. Who gets that in meatspace? Last year, however, I went through the agony of living with the fact that circumstances prevented me from experiencing everything the holiday events offered. It was torture seeing that incomplete quest chain and not having a furry little void cat to console me! I want to save you all from the same kind of pain and regret, so here is a quick guide to get you on the path to completing all the festivities before they dissipate into the night on November 11th. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Hurrying to finish The Secret World's Halloween events Chaos Theory: Hurrying to finish The Secret World's Halloween events originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Seize an island in NGame's Pockie Pirates Posted: 04 Nov 2013 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Game Mechanics, Guilds, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play NGames knows that a good pirate needs more than just a ship, a parrot, and a spiffy hat; s/he needs a port to call home. And Pockie Pirates Chapter 13 update today gives legions a chance to seize control of an island port and fill its coffers with new income. Owning a port also grants legions new sailing technology (like advanced cannons, new steel, ballistic upgrades, and increased cargo and food storage capacity) and a private military fund to spend on battles and technology upgrades. This new fighting mode opens up at 8:30 p.m. EST every Friday, but registration to participate runs from midnight on Thursdays until 8:00 a.m. Fridays. Only five legions can occupy any one harbor at a time, so if pirates want the advantages of a busy port, they'll have to take it by force in ship vs. ship dogfights as well as sword-to-sword battles on deck. Interested pirates-to-be can enlist on the official site and play for free. [Source: NGames press release] Seize an island in NGame's Pockie Pirates originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Five million players reported in War Thunder Posted: 04 Nov 2013 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Culture, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS The takeaway from War Thunder's latest set of player numbers is that while war may be hell, simulations of war work out quite well. Gaijin Entertainment is reporting that the game has attracted a grand total of five million players since its international launch in January. That's good news for the title's future, both on the PC and on the upcoming PlayStation 4 edition; apparently people really like being able to shoot down planes (and blow up tanks in the future). By way of a small celebration, special Golden Battles will be organized on November 10th to give players a shot at earning a special decal for planes. While we don't know if the count merely flags registered accounts or has a specific activity flag, five million is still an impressive figure. If you haven't already played the game, it's available now as a free-to-play title, or you can wait until your PlayStation 4 arrives with War Thunder as a launch title. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release] Five million players reported in War Thunder originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dragon's Prophet EU prepares to unleash its first raid Posted: 04 Nov 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dungeons, Dragon's Prophet If you think fighting alongside one dragon is pretty great, then you should love fighting alongside 10! Dragon's Prophet EU is introducing the first raid experience, a 10-man (and 10-dragon) affair, in the next update scheduled to hit in just a few days along with a level cap raise to 90. Four legendary dragons await adventurers in the new Dragonheart Temple dungeon: Sammos the Resplendent, Vita the Stalwart Shield, Izamu the Relentless Tide, and Fadero the Heavenly Storm. And if adventurers vanquish all four, there is an even more powerful fifth raid boss to face, whose identity will remain secret until the day of the patch. Take a look at the vicious behemoths you'll be facing in the five new images below. [Source: Infernum Productions press release] Dragon's Prophet EU prepares to unleash its first raid originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Funcom opens LEGO Minifigures Online beta registration Posted: 04 Nov 2013 06:45 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Previews, News Items, Kids, Family, Miscellaneous If you still have sleepless nights mourning the loss of LEGO Universe, the announcement of LEGO Minifigures Online was like a ray of sunshine. For that portion of the audience -- and anyone else really looking forward to playing in a brick-based playground -- today's news will be even more welcome. Funcom has opened a registration site for players interested in taking part in the game's beta, with the first phase scheduled to start in... early November. Yes, it is early November right now; we told you it was good news. The gameplay focus will be familiar to anyone with a love of LEGO toys. Collect minifigures with unique abilities, collect bricks, and build new things to improve your abilities and learn new tricks. Cross-promotions are also planned with bagged minifigures, allowing you to jump in with your collected figures right off the bat. Go ahead and sign up for the beta if this sounds like just your cup of brick-based play. [Source: Funcom press release] Funcom opens LEGO Minifigures Online beta registration originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Embracing change edition, November 4 - 10, 2013 Posted: 04 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Polls, MMO Industry, Massively Meta, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team A number of you already heard some rumblings about changes coming to The Stream Team. It is true: There are changes to the who, the how, and the how many. And those changes are all in effect starting now. But not all change is bad (remember that collection of coins you found under the couch cushions?). In fact, change can be good and exciting. You may have already noticed that you no longer have to rely on just a tweet to remind you when the shows are starting -- they will also be published right here on the front page of Massively! You can watch the stream and chat live right from the post itself. And if you happen to miss anything, you can go back to the posts at any time afterward and watch the reruns right from there. Change, however, is rarely easy. Our stream staff lineup has changed, as has the frequency of streams on the whole. But you will still find a variety of shows every week on Massively TV, so tune in and embrace the changes with us. And watch us die amusing deaths at times... we know that's something you love to see. Continue reading The Stream Team: Embracing change edition, November 4 - 10, 2013 The Stream Team: Embracing change edition, November 4 - 10, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ex-Blizzard dev founds mobile game studio Posted: 04 Nov 2013 05:30 AM PST Filed under: MMO Industry, Mobile, Miscellaneous Another ex-Blizzard developer has struck out on his own to co-found a new studio that will develop mobile games. Rich Barham is the co-founder of Octopus 8 Studios, heading up a small team that also includes Chris Cox and Justin Parsler. Octopus 8 Studios is currently working on two mobile games, one of which will be released by the end of 2013. We have no details about either game as of yet. Previously, Barham was the US group manager for Blizzard, the global director of ZeniMax Online Studios and the global director of support for Riot Games. He sees Octopus 8 as an opportunity to create an agile studio that will provide experience to new talent: "Octopus 8 Studios is doing things a different way, and we believe it's the right way -- for games people, and for games." Ex-Blizzard dev founds mobile game studio originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GamesIndustry.biz

The Daily Grind: Do you come up with unique avatar names? Posted: 04 Nov 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous So Star Wars: The Old Republic is doing a name purge. What's a name purge? Well, it's when an MMO company goes through its database and frees up character names that were claimed by players who haven't been active in some time. This in turn allows the names to be used by both newer players and/or veteran players rolling alts. While the practice makes sense, it also begs the question of why duplicate names are so prevalent in the first place. We're all unique snowflakes, after all, so how hard can it be to come up with a unique snowflake of an avatar name? How about it, Massively readers? Do you take the time to come up with a creative or unique avatar name, or do you roll with Darth Legolas in each new MMO? 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! The Daily Grind: Do you come up with unique avatar names? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Nov 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Week in Review: Space goats Posted: 03 Nov 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post. I hope you like Russian accents and space goats, folks, because scuttlebutt has it that World of Warcraft's next expansion might tip its hat to the revered Burning Crusade expansion. This week, reports surfaced suggesting that Blizzard has trademarked Warlords of Draenor, prompting speculation that the Draenei race might be at the forefront of the next major content round for the game. We'll just have to wait for BlizzCon next weekend to be sure. Journey on for a look at the rest of this week's top MMO stories. Continue reading MMO Week in Review: Space goats MMO Week in Review: Space goats originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lots of Repopulation bugs were squashed in October Posted: 03 Nov 2013 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Bugs, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sandbox, The Repopulation The Repopulation's monthly update has been published on the sci-fi sandbox title's website. Polish was the order of day for much of October, as Above & Beyond Technologies asked its alpha testers to suss out the "most annoying" bugs before it set about squashing them. The October update focuses on AI improvement and also pays a bit of lip service to the game's maneuver and mission systems. An extensive list of fixes and client changes is yours via the links below. Lots of Repopulation bugs were squashed in October originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: October update

EVE Evolved: What DUST 514 should have been Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, Endgame, Opinion, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, EVE Evolved, DUST 514, Dev Diaries, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, Subscription ​It's now been almost six months since DUST 514's official release, and I think it's safe to say it hasn't quite lived up to expectations. The game was lauded for its revolutionary realtime link with the EVE Online universe, but so far there's very little back-and-forth between the two titles. Originally intended as an MMO in its own right but also as an integral part of EVE's territorial endgame, DUST now exists largely as a lobby-based first-person shooter with the twist that equipment is lost on death. Even the planetary conquest portion of DUST that could be considered its most MMO-esque element has been abstracted into a series of instanced and scheduled 24v24 battles. DUST's main rival during development was the PC-based PlanetSide 2, and had the two games released on the same platform, I'm sure that rivalry would still be in the media spotlight. I've been playing PlanetSide 2 for just a few days, and I can already see elements that would make it a far better fit for the EVE universe than the current version of DUST. So what could DUST learn from its non-console-only counterpart? In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how PlanetSide 2 handles issues of persistence, planetary conquest, and vehicle spawning, and why I think DUST 514 should be borrowing a few tricks from its game design. Continue reading EVE Evolved: What DUST 514 should have been EVE Evolved: What DUST 514 should have been originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online dev blog on building the perfect Worf Posted: 03 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play Last week we told you about Michael Dorn's return to Star Trek and his role in Star Trek Online's Season 8 content. Cryptic has followed up on that announcement with a dev blog focused on Worf's character design. Senior character artist Joe Jing walks readers through the design process and talks up everything from Klingon body models to uniforms to Worf's initial appearance in STO's The Next Generation 25th anniversary event. That version didn't exactly capture the character's essence, Jing explains, so Cryptic pulled out all of the stops for version 2.0. "There were key details missing to make a convincing Michael Dorn as Worf. For example, our existing Klingon forehead ridges didn't quite have the same look as Worf's ridges," Jing says. "And the textures for the face were missing one of the coolest and most distinguishing facial features -- the groove under the eye and in front of the cheek bone that helps make Worf look so damn tough. So we modified textures for both, making new versions that are closer to the show." Star Trek Online dev blog on building the perfect Worf originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev blog

Embers of Caerus exploration demo now available Posted: 03 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding Indie sandbox MMO Embers of Caerus is now playable. Well, sorta. The team at Forsaken Studios has released a single-player exploration demo designed to get you puttering around a portion of the gameworld. Access requires a valid community account according to Forsaken technical director Dave Belcher. Embers of Caerus is a fantasy sandbox set in a sprawling gameworld and featuring everything from naval combat to GM-driven dynamic events. The game was initially announced in 2011. [Thanks Aganauton!] Embers of Caerus exploration demo now available originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Stick and Rudder: What if Star Citizen fails? Posted: 03 Nov 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Stick and Rudder, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play As Star Citizen's crowdfunding totals spiral ever higher, so too do the cries of the naysayers, negative nancies, and the ne'er-do-wells who seemingly exist to rain on the space sim sandbox's parade. Some of this hand-wringing is probably justified since with each new stretch goal, fan expectations for SC increase exponentially. Regardless, what the game has already accomplished is worth celebrating, and two of the most common reasons I've seen cited for remaining skeptical simply don't make sense. Continue reading Stick and Rudder: What if Star Citizen fails? Stick and Rudder: What if Star Citizen fails? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArenaNet asks for your feedback on Guild Wars 2 balance changes Posted: 03 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play If you've got ideas regarding Guild Wars 2's upcoming trait and skill balance changes, ArenaNet wants to hear about them. Provided you can communicate them in constructive fashion, of course. Game design lead Jon Peters has crafted a forum thread highlighting the proposed December 10th balance changes, and in it he solicits fan feedback on everything from PvE to WvW. There's a lot to digest in Peters' thread, and that's before you get to the 23 pages of responses. See for yourself by clicking through the links below. [Thanks Siphaed!] ArenaNet asks for your feedback on Guild Wars 2 balance changes originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Peters' thread

Rise and Shiny: Path of Exile Posted: 03 Nov 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Screenshots, Video, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Launches, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Rise and Shiny, Livestream, Dungeons, Path of Exile I've never been a huge fan of dungeon-crawlers. I've enjoyed them in the past, but overall I don't get much of a thrill out of tweaking my character with weapons and armor just so I can do it all again when I hit the next dungeon. Sure, some of the games from this genre are a blast to play for a bit, but not for a long time. Even with the linear storylines and sometimes fantastic special effects, they just feel more like work for me. I don't like to feel as if I am working when I play an MMO. Path of Exile comes from the olden days of hardcore gameplay. It's been in development for seven years (some of the designs, like the minimap, show its age), but it launched just last month. I was very eager to at least try it out since I haven't really given a game like it a go for a while. Next thing I know, I am eagerly clicking away at monster after monster, collecting more loot than I knew what to do with. Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Path of Exile Rise and Shiny: Path of Exile originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 03 Nov 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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