General Gaming Article

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• Valve Steam Controller Preview
• Gigabyte’s Latest Motherboard Packs Dual Thunderbolt 2
• Microsoft Adds Qualcomm COO Steve Mollenkopf to List of CEO Candidates
• Netflix Survey Reveals We're All a Bunch of Binge Watching TV Addicts
• PowerColor Shows Off Liquid Cooled Radeon R9 290X Graphics Card
• Lawfirm May Sue EA Over Buggy Battlefield 4 Rollout
• Newegg Daily Deals: Thermaltake Level 10 GTS Snow Edition Case, MSI N760 Hawk GPU, and More!

Valve Steam Controller Preview Posted: 13 Dec 2013 03:22 PM PST Gordon Mah Ung goes hands on with Valve's new Steam Controller PC Gamers, gods bless 'em, are truly the most cynical sons of bitches on the planet. I say this because when I saw Valve's attempt to build a controller for its upcoming Steam Machines, I, like all other PC gamers, just snickered and ran as quickly as I could to a web-based memegenerator so I could create and post something derisive and snarky under one of the five pseudonyms I use to troll the Internet with. Alas, I was already beaten as those cynical PC gamers had already beaten me to it. The Steam Controller, as it's called, is a key element of Valve's plan to bring PC gaming to the living room with its Steam Machines and I am highly skeptical of it. You see, there's some things that can't be done. For example, you can't make an Aliens vs. Predator movie and have it not be so horrible that it's not even worth watching for free on Netflix. You also can't make Almond Joy actually enjoyable either. It's with this attitude that I got to wrap my dry-chapped hands around a prototype of the Steam Controller. If you're looking at the still image of it, it's about the size of a standard console game controller but rather than a joystick, joy pad or other thumb controllers, the Steam Controller features two circulator trackpads which can also act as buttons. There's also a set of buttons on the bottom as well as the front of the unit. To most people the puzzling part are the two gigantic Pikachu-eyed trackpads. People just can't wrap their heads around the concept of these two trackpads and how they could possibly work. Neither could I. For my preview of the Steam Controller I first tried Borderlands 2—a popular first person shooter. To move, I used left my left thumb to simulate the usual WASD movement of forward, backwards and left and right. The right trackpad acted as free look on a mouse. There's a subtle feedback through the "dual linear resonant actuators" in the controllers–basically super-precise haptic feedback.  The final build of the controller will feature a touchable LCD display between the two trackpads. Valve plans for the shipping controllers to also feature a touch-sensitive high-resolution screen in the center of the controller as well, but the prototype unit featured just four physical plastic buttons.  In game, the dual trackpads work surprisingly well. Again, I went into it expecting to be underwhelmed by Valve's attempt to tilt windmills, but was surprised. After a minute adjustment, I was running around the set of Borderlands 2 jumping off objects by using the buttons on the underside. It was as natural and as close as I've ever gotten to a keyboard and mouse experience—without a keyboard and mouse.  One of the most important moves that I've never been able to easily do on a game pad is circle strafe, so on the Steam Controller I found an object and easily executed a text-book circle strafe. In fact, it was fun picking a rock and circling and shooting it without having to try to rewire my mind the way I have to with a typical game console controller. The back of the controller features two buttons.  Not everything worked for me though. Besides FPS games, PC gamers also love their RTS games. And trying to replicate that experience is also something Valve said it burned a lot of brain juice on. Rather than the left trackpad being WASD and the right trackpad being a mouse free look, Valve decided to make both trackpads act as the mouse. The Idea, Valve said, was to make it easy and effortless to replicate the insane miles of mousing that RTS gamers execute. On Civ 5 though, it just didn't click the way it did for me with Borderlands 2. I'm admittedly more of an FPS gamer than an RTS gamer which may contribute to it, but the transition wasn't as effortless and easy as it was in Borderlands 2. I think with more time, I might have picked it up, but my interest in RTS games didn't justify it. The Steam Controller itself is still pretty early. We know it likely won't come out until next year when Valve is expected to make the big push with its living-room gaming Steam OS. For Steam Machines to actually get any traction, the Steam Controller will have to work. From what I've seen, it at least has a fighting chance. The unit we played with will be the same as what the 300 beta testers get.  Again, I'm admittedly an anti-console gamer. I can't nor have I ever wanted to play games with a console controller because it's mouse and keyboard or nothing at all for me. The Steam Controller, however, is the closest I've ever come to being mildly satisfied with a console controller. It's not a full-fidelity replacement for a keyboard and mouse combo, and I doubt it ever will be. Afterall, how could any controller ever match a 6,400 dpi mouse, ribbed for your pleasure mouse pad, and a $150 mechanical keyboard? I'll reserve full judgment until I grab onto a production Steam Controller but I will say that if anything is ever going to convince me to try to play shooter in my living room instead of my office, the Steam Controller has the best shot.

Gigabyte’s Latest Motherboard Packs Dual Thunderbolt 2 Posted: 13 Dec 2013 02:37 PM PST Two ports with 20 GB/s data transfer  Video editors, hold onto your seats. The Gigabyte Z87X-UD7 TH motherboard supports Thunderbolt 2's 20GB/s aggregated data transfer through two channels in a single port. Thunderbolt hasn't gained much traction in the industry, but it's nice to know that there are options for the people who need them. The E-ATX board supports Haswell processors with socket 1150 along with 4-way SLI or Crossfire. That's three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, two PCIe 3.0 x8 slots, two PCIe 2.0 x1 slots, four DDR3 memory slots, two Thunderbolt 2 ports (for 4K video), 10 USB 3.0 ports, and four USB 2.0/1.1 ports. It's also got the usual goodies: Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 support, Gigabyte's updated UEFI DualBIOS, and a gold plated CPU socket. There's also a built-in high capacity headphone amplifier that Gigabyte claims can power 600Ω loads.  If you need Thunderbolt 2, or you've got $430 burning a hole in your pocket, you can get the GA-Z87X-UD7 TH on Newegg.

Microsoft Adds Qualcomm COO Steve Mollenkopf to List of CEO Candidates Posted: 13 Dec 2013 10:29 AM PST Microsoft list of candidates to replace Steve Ballmer just grew by one Following the announcement that Steve Ballmer was stepping down as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft, the Redmond giant immediately began compiling a list of candidates to take over the reins, and then trimmed it down. Two names that made the cut and are viewed as frontrunners include Stephan Elop (ex-Nokia chief) and Alan Mulally (current Ford chief), though they're not the only two. In fact, the list might even be growing, as Microsoft is said to now be considering Qualcomm's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Steve Mollenkopf as well. According to Bloomberg and its sources, Mollenkopf joins a list of candidates "under serious consideration" by Microsoft's board of directors. Part of Mollenkopf's appeal compared to Mulally is that he has experience in the tech market. Mollenkeop currently heads up a division at Qualcomm that builds processors for some of the top mobile phones, and mobile is an area Microsoft is very much trying to infiltrate. Ballmer gave himself and the board of directors up to 12 months to find a replacement when he announced his impending retirement four months ago. That leaves them with up to 8 months to go, though the sooner they hand over the reins, the sooner Microsoft can focus all its attention on its future operations. The longer this drags on, the more of a distraction it becomes. At the same time, this will likely be one of the biggest decisions the Redmond company makes in a long, long time. As for Ford's Mulally, Bloomberg says his lack of technical experience worries some members of the board. There's also the question of whether or not he'd even accept a job offer, though up to this point he hasn't told the media himself that he plans to stay with Ford until the end of 2014, which is when his contract expires. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Netflix Survey Reveals We're All a Bunch of Binge Watching TV Addicts Posted: 13 Dec 2013 09:59 AM PST You're not the only one who wasted a weekend watching Netflix The all-you-can consume nature of subscription-based streaming services like Netflix makes it all too easy and convenient to sit back, relax, and spend an entire evening (or weekend) watching movies and TV shows. If you've never participated in "binge watching" behavior, you're in the minority, at least according to a recent survey conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Netflix. The survey focused on nearly 1,500 U.S. adult streamers who stream TV shows at least once a week. What the survey discovered is that binge-watching is not only common, but a regular behavior of 61 percent of streamers. "Our viewing data shows that the majority of streamers would actually prefer to have a whole season of a show available to watch at their own pace," said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix. "Netflix has pioneered audience choice in programming and has helped free consumers from the limitations of linear television. Our own original series are created for multi-episodic viewing, lining up the content with new norms of viewer control for the first time." There are different perceptions of what qualifies as binge watching. Some 73 percent of survey respondants viewed binge watching as viewing between 2-6 episodes of the same TV show in one sitting, rather than sitting around all weekend glued to the TV. Do you consider yourself a binge watcher? Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

PowerColor Shows Off Liquid Cooled Radeon R9 290X Graphics Card Posted: 13 Dec 2013 08:51 AM PST Getting wet and wild with AMD's rare Radeon R9 290X Riddle us this: What's even harder to find than an AMD Radeon R9 290X graphics card? The answer is a liquid cooled version, which doesn't yet exist in retail (to the best of our knowledge). Even if it did, it would probably be as hard to find as every other Radeon R9 290X part, as Litecoin miners have been hording these (and other Radeon) GPUs in hopes of cashing in on the virtual currency craze. That said, it's only a matter of time before R9 290X cards come back in stock, and we expect to see liquid cooled versions at some point, too. PowerColor may be the one to deliver a liquid cooled R9 290X before any other company, as it's already showing off a custom version on its Facebook page in Europe. Details are scarce, and by that we mean virtually nonexistent. PowerColor didn't say how fast the card was running, whether or not this represents an upcoming product, and if so, how much it would cost or when it would de available. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Lawfirm May Sue EA Over Buggy Battlefield 4 Rollout Posted: 13 Dec 2013 08:26 AM PST Lawsuit or no lawsuit, just fix the game, please Various problems continue to plague Battlefield 4, one of the most hyped game releases of the year. If fixes don't come soon, Electronic Arts could find itself facing multiple lawsuits, both from users frustrated with persistent issues marring the overall experience, and from stockholders who have begun to investigate whether or not EA was completely upfront during the development process. Holzer Holzer & Fistel, LLC, a lawfirm based out of Atlanta, Georgia, issued a press release saying it's investigating whether or not EA "complied with the federal securities laws between July 24, 2013 and December 4, 2013." The apparent investigation is looking at statements issued by EA during that time with regards to the development and sale of BF4, along with the game's impact on EA's revenues and projects moving forward. According to a Forbes, a quick online search reveals that Holzer Holzer, & Fistel often investigate public companies, though out of the results it dug up, none turned into actual lawsuits. Investment site YourMoney123 says that the law firm seems to specialize in suing publicly traded companies with publicly embarrassing problems. Regardless, this amounts to more bad press for EA, along with added pressure to fix the many issues facing BF4. Server connectivity issues and general stability woes have been a problem since BF4 was first released. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Thermaltake Level 10 GTS Snow Edition Case, MSI N760 Hawk GPU, and More! Posted: 13 Dec 2013 06:39 AM PST Top Deal: Depending on where you live in the world, a peek outside the living room window might reveal a yard full of snow. It's a pretty sight, albeit freaking cold if you venture out into it. Nevertheless, you can bring some of that outside beauty inside your home without freezing you backside off or tracking in a bunch of melted snow and slush. In keeping with the winter theme, today's top deal is for a Thermaltake Level 10 GTS Snow Edition Mid-Tower Case for $60 with free shipping (normally $110; additional $20 mail-in-rebate).  Other Deals: MSI N760 Hawk GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card for $270 with free shipping (normally $290 ; additional $20 mail-in rebate) Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory for $60 with free shipping (normally $70 ) MSI Z87 MPowerMax LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Extreme OC Flagship High Performance Triple CFX/ SLI Platform Intel Motherboard for $235 with free shipping (normally $250 ; Free 4GB memory w/ purchase) WD Black Series WD2003FZEX 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $140 with free shipping (normally $160 ; use coupon code: [EMCWVWX58])

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MMO Updates

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• Prime World videos show off new heroes and new skins
• Tamriel Infinium: The Elder Scrolls Online is no April Fools' joke
• The Stream Team: Avoiding Mages in the Hearthstone arena
• MMO Burnout: Wasteland 2's early beta
• The Daily Grind: What MMO slang are you sick of hearing?
• The Summoner's Guidebook: When in LoL history has support been first pick?
• Wurm Online launches new loyalty bonus program
• The Stream Team: What is Poptropica?
• The Guild Counsel: Survive the holidays with these fun guild events
• Vendetta adds persistent player mines, better mobile support
• First Firefly Online details revealed
• Elite: Dangerous alpha starts today
• Guild Wars 2 dev blog explains WvW matchup system changes
• LotRO begins selling instant level 50 characters
• Next SOE Live hits Vegas August 14 - 17, 2014
• The Stream Team: Fairies and wine in RIFT's Realm of the Fae
• Monster Madness Online announced, starts open alpha testing
• The Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining
• Wizard101 fulfills a child's wish
• Shroud of the Avatar enters first phase of early access testing

Prime World videos show off new heroes and new skins Posted: 13 Dec 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, New Titles, Patches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA If you wanted a fight in style with a new outfit for the holidays, Prime World has got you covered. Nival just released patch 9.12.5, bringing new skins, a new hero, and a new report system along with other fixes and tweaks to the MOBA-esque game. The skins offer a variety of looks for both male and female characters (Brawler/Meijin can be seen above). The new hero, Da'ka/Ha'ka, fills the role of protector and costs 850,000 silver to hire; players also need a level 36 castle to acquire him. Players will appreciate the simple new built-in report system that allows misbehavior to be reported more easily instead of taking screenshots, collecting battle logs, and sending complaints to technical support. Full details on this system and the other changes can be found in the official patch notes, but you can get a glimpse of the hero and the new skins in the videos below. And to learn more about the game, check out Massively's launch impressions. [Source: Nival press release] Continue reading Prime World videos show off new heroes and new skins Prime World videos show off new heroes and new skins originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Dec 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tamriel Infinium: The Elder Scrolls Online is no April Fools' joke Posted: 13 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, MMORPG, Tamriel Infinium Usually for this Elder Scrolls Online column, I bury the weekly question somewhere in the middle of the article or tag it at the end, but this week, I want to begin with the question. What do you think of the ESO release date? For those of you missed who Wednesday's announcement, here it is again: ZeniMax set the release date for April 4th, 2014 (4-4-14, isn't that quaint?). The date is smack-dab in the middle of the spring sales season, not the mid-June definition of spring many gamers feared. That also means that we sit less than five months away from stepping foot into the online world of Tamriel. Are we ready for it? Is ZeniMax ready for it? I know people who are in the beta have claimed that the game needs to cook for another year, at least. True or not, that state seems to be far too popular for MMO players to say so that they can be "right" when the game "fails" three months after launch. Although I believe there is some merit to statements like that, there are always reasons companies pick specific dates for releases. Today, let's talk about some of those reasons, and let's also examine the newly released trailer. What do these two things tell us about the game to come? Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: The Elder Scrolls Online is no April Fools' joke Tamriel Infinium: The Elder Scrolls Online is no April Fools' joke originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Dec 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Avoiding Mages in the Hearthstone arena Posted: 13 Dec 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Hands-On, Trading Card Games, Livestream, The Stream Team, Hearthstone The Become a Legend patch went live for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft this week and with it came a bevvy of card nerfs, adjustments to ranked play, and some tweaks to how the arena works. Massively's Richie released an overview video of the major changes in this update, which surprisingly left the powerful (and overly-prevalent) Mage class alone. Join him live at 10:00 a.m. EST as he crafts a deck and lunges into the Hearthstone arena. Game: Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Host: Richie "Bog Otter" Procopio Date: Friday, December 13th, 2013 Time: 10:00 a.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Avoiding Mages in the Hearthstone arena The Stream Team: Avoiding Mages in the Hearthstone arena originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Dec 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Burnout: Wasteland 2's early beta Posted: 13 Dec 2013 06:00 AM PST Filed under: New Titles, Previews, Hands-On, First Impressions, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, MMO Burnout The grandfather of the dynamic RPG is releasing a sequel next year, and those of us old enough to remember the original are throwing out our hips with joy. Twenty five years is a long time to wait for a rightful heir to the throne, even though we've been treated kindly with spiritual successors along the way in the form of the Fallout franchise. Still, nothing compares to the original Wasteland and how it changed the RPG genre, and Wasteland 2 has already begun to redefine gaming with one of the largest crowdfunding drives to date. For those who pledged $55 or more to Wasteland 2 during its Kickstarter campaign, a shiny new early access beta key was waiting for them earlier this week. This Steam key allowed early-access players into this very early beta build to kick the tires a bit and see how this game works. Read on for my impressions of Wasteland 2 from the perspective of both an original Wasteland fan and a modern gamer. Continue reading MMO Burnout: Wasteland 2's early beta MMO Burnout: Wasteland 2's early beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Dec 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What MMO slang are you sick of hearing? Posted: 13 Dec 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Wrath babies. I hate the term. I hate everything it stands for. I hate the way it's used by old-school World of Warcraft players to dismiss the opinions of those who started playing later. It doesn't even make sense -- in pretty much every genre, there's always someone more old-school than you. You started in Vanilla? Someone else started in beta. And someone else started in alpha. And someone else before that. And a whole bunch of people started in games long before WoW showed up; all WoW players are "babies" by comparison. It's a pointless pissing contest that shuts down real debate about the quality of a game's content in any era. I'd rather never hear the terms "fail," "pay-to-win," "TORtanic," "frothies," and "dumbing down" again, either, and "such-and-such-game's NGE" can jump off a nice tall cliff. They're overused to the point that they are meaningless. But those are just my pet peeves. What MMO slang would you love to see nuked from orbit? 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: What MMO slang are you sick of hearing? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Dec 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Summoner's Guidebook: When in LoL history has support been first pick? Posted: 12 Dec 2013 05:30 PM PST Filed under: Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook I've given a lot of reasons in the past why people should play support. It's a great role and far more important than people give it credit for. Out of all of the roles in League of Legends, support has one of the most important jobs, and I think everyone who enjoys the role has played a game where smart wards won the game. Fast-forward to patch 3.14 and the League is flipped on its head. Now the ward burden is split between players, and the support's role is less "fill the map with wards" and more "deal a million billion damage." People are rushing to pick the role now! If you wanted to play a fed mage without having to worry about things like last-hitting, then congratulations: Support is the new flavor of the month. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: When in LoL history has support been first pick? The Summoner's Guidebook: When in LoL history has support been first pick? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wurm Online launches new loyalty bonus program Posted: 12 Dec 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Wurm Online, Free-to-Play, Promotions, Sandbox, Subscription Wurm Online has begun a brand-new loyalty bonus program for the faithful as well as plans to allow players the ability to pay for a subscription through Xsolla. The new loyalty program is made of two parts, a legacy bonus and future bonus. The legacy bonus is for players who have subscribed in the past and will be rewarded for this by a bounty of Seryll bars. The future bonus encompasses all of the rewards going forward, including titles, achievements, and illusion potions. The recent Wurm newsletter also announced that players can now choose to pay for the game via Xsolla, a payment provider that is used by, among other companies, Wargaming. [Source: Wurm Online newsletter] Wurm Online launches new loyalty bonus program originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: What is Poptropica? Posted: 12 Dec 2013 04:00 PM PST Filed under: PvE, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Kids, Family, Livestream, The Stream Team Sometimes the best people to find family-friendly MMOs are the children themselves. When Massively's Larry Everett went looking for a game to play, he turned not to his friend Kyle but to Kyle's son, Kevin. Turns out one of Kevin's favorite games is Poptropica. You've never heard of Poptropica? Well, join Larry, his son, and special guests Kyle and Kevin at 7:00 p.m. EST as they explore Poptropica together. Game: Poptropica Host: Larry Everett Date: Thursday, December 12th, 2013 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: What is Poptropica? The Stream Team: What is Poptropica? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Guild Counsel: Survive the holidays with these fun guild events Posted: 12 Dec 2013 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Events (In-Game), Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous, Player-Generated Content The holiday season can often mean that things slow down in the guild. Members have their hands full with gift buying, holiday events, and travel to visit family. That slowdown is OK. Guilds should encourage players to take a little time off, while recognizing that it'll be harder to organize and run larger guild events like raiding or PvP. But just because things get quiet doesn't mean the guild can't have a little fun and merriment. In this week's Guild Counsel, let's look at some memorable events that are easy to run, bring the guild together, and leave everyone with a smile. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Survive the holidays with these fun guild events The Guild Counsel: Survive the holidays with these fun guild events originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vendetta adds persistent player mines, better mobile support Posted: 12 Dec 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Mobile, Sandbox Guild Software has been crunching on various Vendetta Online improvements, chief among them some increased background and planetary detail on Android devices. The multi-platform space sim sandbox also boasts support for the latest high-speed mobile GPUs, as well as new persistent player mines that allow "for more complex defense of territory over long periods of time." Guild lead developer John Bergman says that the team has "big gameplay and graphical plans for 2014, as well as plans to expand the immersion of our existing support for the Oculus Rift HD." Vendetta adds persistent player mines, better mobile support originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 1.8.271 patch notes

First Firefly Online details revealed Posted: 12 Dec 2013 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Previews, News Items Browncoats everywhere will be pleased to know that the first look at the upcoming Firefly Online is now here for all to see. Andy Gore, CEO of Quantum Mechanix, has revealed a number of tasty details about the upcoming game based on everyone's favorite short-lived TV show. Firefly Online will utilize a "Free Flight Engine," which gives players a "reactive 3D interface" of the 'verse to assist in their interstellar travels. Gore also unveiled the game's "job" system, which gives players a number of sidequests outside of the main storyline and even lets them create jobs for other players to undertake. The full piece at io9 also shows off a number of screenshots, demo animations, and concept art from the game, so click on through the link below for your fix of Firefly goodness. First Firefly Online details revealed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments io9 -- Keep Flyin': An Exclusive First Look at Firefly OnlineGamebreaker -- First Look: Firefly Online

Elite: Dangerous alpha starts today Posted: 12 Dec 2013 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Elite: Dangerous If you're an Elite: Dangerous backer, you'll be pleased to know that the space sim title is officially in alpha as of today. Frontier has released an announcement video wherein developer David Braben outlines what players can expect. In a nutshell, the alpha entails single-player combat, including different weapons, loadouts, battles, and more. Frontier says that the aim of its phase one alpha is to "test key aspects of ship control and combat systems. Piloting a Sidewinder with varying weapon configurations, players progress through eight single-player scenarios [that are] initially designed to familiarize players with the controls [while] gradually increasing in difficulty and complexity. Continue reading Elite: Dangerous alpha starts today Elite: Dangerous alpha starts today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments YouTube

Guild Wars 2 dev blog explains WvW matchup system changes Posted: 12 Dec 2013 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, PvP, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries, Buy-to-Play There's been a small (but not insignificant) change to the way Guild Wars 2 determines world-vs.-world matchups. The official dev blog on the matter explains that, in the beginning, WvW matchups were chosen "by sorting all worlds in order of their Glicko rating, then counting off sets of three." As a result, matchups were often between the same three worlds, so ArenaNet introduced matchup variance to counter that problem. However, it appears that the devs have made an adjustment to the matchup variance formula that causes the range of worlds with which a given server can be matched to be "greatly reduced." The idea behind the new formula is that "There will be fewer matches where one or two worlds are potentially steamrolled, though it comes at the cost of seeing more of the same worlds." That's all that the average GW2 player needs to know, but if you're interested in the math and statistics behind the change, check out the full post at the game's official site. Guild Wars 2 dev blog explains WvW matchup system changes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Guild Wars 2 -- WvW Matchup Variance Reduction

LotRO begins selling instant level 50 characters Posted: 12 Dec 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-Play, Promotions After testing the waters of the beta server, Lord of the Rings Online has decided that the waters of level-booster sales are inviting enough to try out a limited-time sale of instant-level 50 characters. The new Gift of the Valar package is on sale in the LotRO store for 4995 Turbine Points. It not only raises a character to level 50 in a flash but will provide that character with level 50 gear, one gold, four ranks of each virtue, the riding skill, a goat mount, 25 mithril coins, and several other boosters. This pack will be available through December 19th in its initial run. [Thanks to Fredelas for the tip!] LotRO begins selling instant level 50 characters originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Gift of the Valar

Next SOE Live hits Vegas August 14 - 17, 2014 Posted: 12 Dec 2013 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, Free Realms, DC Universe Online, EverQuest Next, PlanetSide 2, Dragon's Prophet If you're still kicking yourself for missing the big reveals of SOE Live 2013, you've got plenty of time to make preparations for next year's convention. Mark your 2014 calendars for August 14th through the 17th; that's when fans from the whole arsenal of SOE games will descend upon Las Vegas to mingle with devs, participate in contests and tournaments, attend player and dev panels, and catch reveals of upcoming content in their favorite games. SOE Live 2014 will also features access to beta programs as well as plenty of in-game and real world swag. The annual fan convention will return to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, and tickets will be available for purchase in early 2014. Additional information will be forthcoming later, but you can catch the reveal trailer below. [Source: SOE press release] Continue reading Next SOE Live hits Vegas August 14 - 17, 2014 Next SOE Live hits Vegas August 14 - 17, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Fairies and wine in RIFT's Realm of the Fae Posted: 12 Dec 2013 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Massively Meta, Hands-On, RIFT, Livestream In RIFT's first instance you'll learn many things, like to avoid standing in the bad stuff, don't poke the pretty fairies, and let the satyr finish his wine. Come along with Massively's Jasmine Hruschak as she takes her Cleric through this magical land of fae and pain at 3:00 p.m. EST! Game: RIFT Host: Jasmine Hruschak Date: Thursday, December 12th, 2013 Time: 3:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Fairies and wine in RIFT's Realm of the Fae The Stream Team: Fairies and wine in RIFT's Realm of the Fae originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Monster Madness Online announced, starts open alpha testing Posted: 12 Dec 2013 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, New Titles, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Player-Generated Content It's not every day that you get to hear about a brand-new MMO and get to try it out at the same time, but here you go: Nom Nom Games and Trendy Entertainment (Dungeon Defenders) announced the birth of Monster Madness Online and encouraged folks to jump into its open alpha test program. Monster Madness Online is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that pits players against a Martian invasion of a suburban town. All of the adults have been abducted, leaving teenagers to be the sole defenders of our home soil. Players will go on co-op missions to fight the monsters with an optional roguelike mode for those who prefer the hardcore life or jump into 16-player PvP battlegrounds. The game also features the option for players to set up their own servers, create their own mods, and whip up their own levels. It offers crossplatform play between PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web Browser, and Windows Phone 8. Players can register for the upcoming beta on the site as well. [Thanks to Mehighlow for the tip!] Monster Madness Online announced, starts open alpha testing originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining Posted: 12 Dec 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, The Tattered Notebook, EverQuest Next, Livestream, Player-Generated Content, Norrathian Notebook Any time you mention EverQuest Next Landmark, you get a score of people saying that they just don't quite get it. To help alleviate that, devs hosted another EQN Landmark livestream and dished up more details about the upcoming sandbox and treated viewers to their first look at actual mining gameplay footage. While a large part of the stream focused on harvesting and mining, that was not the only topic touched upon. Senior Producer Terry Michaels teamed up with Producer Emily "Domino" Taylor and Community Manager Colette "Dexella" Murphy to answer various questions and share information about naming, beta news for SOE Live 2013 attendees, and more. If you missed the stream, we've compiled some of the key points right here for you. And since seeing is believing, we've got the entire livestream as well! Continue reading The Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining The Tattered Notebook Extra: EQ Next Landmark livestream talks tools, demonstrates mining originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wizard101 fulfills a child's wish Posted: 12 Dec 2013 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News Items, Free-to-Play, Kids, Wizard101 Wizard101 is a kid's game. It's designed to be played and enjoyed by kids. So what does Kingsisle Entertainment do when the Make-a-Wish foundation calls up with a wish from a child who's a big fan of the game? Apparently, the staff brings him in to the studio and surprises him with a brand-new character modeled and designed by the child in question, making him a permanent part of the game. What better way to wrap up a tour of the offices where your favorite game is made, right? Allan GhostDust and his pet, Lord Snoopie, can be found in Khrysalis as part of a new quest titled "Message in a Bottle." Any player who has completed the "Secret Heart" quest in the region is eligible to take on the new quest. If you'd like to read more about Allan's story, take a look at the full dispatch for your daily dose of heartwarming. Wizard101 fulfills a child's wish originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Introducing Allan GhostDust

Shroud of the Avatar enters first phase of early access testing Posted: 12 Dec 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Shroud of the Avatar Backers of Portalarium's crowd-funded title Shroud of the Avatar are getting their first glimpse at the game today as the title enters the first part of its early access phase. The game is playable as of today, December 12th, and this phase of early access will end Saturday, December 14th. Between now and then, players will be able to delve into the many features included in Release 1 of Shroud of the Avatar. The devs proudly announce that they were able to implement almost every planned Release 1 feature (except for changeable head shapes in character creation), so even in this early stage of the game, players should have plenty to see, do, and -- if they're doing their jobs right -- break. The full list of Release 1 features, plus a guide on how to get the game up and running and a list of known issues, can be found at the game's official site. [Thanks to Don for the tip!] Shroud of the Avatar enters first phase of early access testing originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Shroud of the Avatar -- Release 1 Instructions

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