General Gaming Article

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• Gigabyte Radeon R9 290X OC Review
• NZXT H440 Review
• Cooler Master Nepton 280L Review
• Canalys Report Shows Notebook Shipments Skipping Ahead of Tablets in Second Quarter
• Acer Launches Veriton Z4810G All-in-One For $749
• Newegg Daily Deals: Seagate 6TB Hard Drive, EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Graphics Card, and More!
• Roccat Breeds Nyth Modular Gaming Mouse and Skeltr Keyboard with Smartphone Stand
• MSI Touts WS60 as World's Thinnest and Lightest Mobile Workstation
• Fifth Edition of Scrabble Dictionary Gets Geeky with Terms Like 'Vlog' and 'Texter'

Gigabyte Radeon R9 290X OC Review Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:52 PM PDT As good as it gets, if you can find one to buy Aftermarket Radeon R9 290X GPUs are beginning to make the rounds, and this month we had a WindForce-cooled behemoth from Gigabyte strutting its stuff in the lab. Unlike last month's Sapphire Tri-X R9 290X, this board features a custom PCB in addition to the custom cooler, whereas the Sapphire slapped a huge cooler onto the reference design circuit board. Theoretically, this could allow for higher overclocks on the Gigabyte due to better-quality components, but more on that later. Unlike the reference design, Gigabyte's R9 290X is cool, quiet, and overclockable. This is the overclocked version of the card, so it clocks up to 1,040MHz under load, which is a mere 40MHz over stock. These boards always have conservative overclocks out of the box, though, and that is by no means the final clock speed for this card. We've covered its WindForce cooler in past reviews, so we won't go into all the details, but it's a three-fan cooler that only takes up two PCIe slots and uses six heat pipes with inclined heatsinks to better dissipate the warm. It's good for 450W of heat dispersal, according to Gigabyte, and since the R9 290X is roughly a 300W card (AMD has never given a TDP for this particular model for some reason), the WindForce cooler should be more than up to the job. Like all Radeon R9 290X boards, this sucker is big and long, measuring 11.5 inches. Gigabyte recommends you use at least a 600W power supply with it, and it sports two dual-link DVI ports for 2560x1600 gaming, as well as HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2a if you want to run 4K. The card comes bundled with a free set of headphones. It used to include a free copy of Battlefield 4, but the company told us it was no longer offering the game bundle because it had run out of coupons. The MSRP of the board is $620, but some stores had it for $599 while others marked it up to $700. Once we had this Windy Bad Boy in the lab, we were very curious to compare it to the Sapphire Tri-X R9 290X we tested last month. Since both cards feature enormous aftermarket coolers, have the exact same specs and clocks, and are roughly the same price, we weren't surprised to find that they performed identically for the most part. If you look at the benchmark chart, in every test the two cards are almost exactly the same—the only exception being Metro, but since that's a PhysX game, AMD cards can get a bit wonky sometimes. In every other test, the two cards are within a few frames-per-second difference, making them interchangeable. Both cards also run in the mid–70 C zone under load, which is 20 C cooler than the reference design. We were able to overclock both cards to just a smidge over 1,100MHz, as well. "Okay," you are saying to yourself. "I'm ready to buy!" Well, that's where we run into a small problem. Gigabyte's MSRP for this card is $620—the same as the Sapphire Tri-X card—but at press time, the cheapest we could find it for was $700 on Newegg. We can't ding Gigabyte for Newegg's pricing, but it's a real shame these R9 290X cards are so damned expensive. $620, www.gigabyte.us

NZXT H440 Review Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:46 PM PDT Remarkably clean, and limited, too We love the fact that NZXT bills this semi-silent-themed case as a "hassle-free experience." We wonder if the company was using the same case that we were, because we encountered quite a bit of hassle building a standard configuration into this smaller-than-usual chassis. For starters, the case itself ships with no printed manual—at least, ours didn't. We only hope that's an oversight with our early review unit instead of a standard feature of the chassis itself, because there are definitely some features of the H440 that warrant a bit of instruction, especially for neophyte builders. The H440 is the first case we've tested that doesn't have 5.25-inch drive bays. Case in point: There are absolutely zero 5.25-inch bays to be found on the H440, which is a good thing to know before you start attempting to pry off the H440's front (Dremel in hand). We know, we know, the optical drive is dead, long live the optical drive—but is it too soon? To be honest, there's an upstart contingent here at Maximum PC who think it's a plus, while some cranky old farts think it's a minus. Additionally, installing the power supply might evoke a bout of head-scratching at first, as there's seemingly no way to just stuff it into the chassis thanks to how it's been compartmentalized on the case's bottom. This does build on the case's motto of "remarkably clean," though, by hiding your messy PSU cabling. This leads us into one of our major gripes with this chassis: There's a lot of screwing. We pretty much pulled out the thumbscrews in the case's side, which are supposedly designed to not do that. Beyond that, you have to unscrew a panel to slide the power supply in, you have to unscrew the standard PCI slot covers for any devices you want to install, and—most frustratingly—you have to first unscrew the case's steel drive trays (up to six total) just for the privilege of being able to screw in your hard drive. Clean, yes. Toolless, no. The case feels a bit small on the inside, but it adequately supported our standard test setup (including an Nvidia GTX 480 video card) without any cramming or wedging. We like how the case's three rubberized cable-routing holes fit perfectly with a standard video card setup—when using the top-most PCI Express x16 slot on our ATX motherboard, our video card didn't block any of the much-needed routing holes. That said, cable routing is a bit of a challenge in the H440. There's already not that much room between the rear of the motherboard tray and the case's side panel. Amplifying the claustrophobia is a layer of soundproofing foam adhered to the side panel. We love that NZXT cares so much about our ears, but it makes for a less-than-pleasant smashing of cables against the case's side (especially since there's only one provided hole for power-supply cables to route through otherwise). Cable-management options feel more constrained by this case than others we've tested. The foam surrounding the case's insides has quite a bit of work in store for it, too. No fewer than four of NZXT's next-gen case fans grace the inside of the chassis: three 12cm fans on the front and one 14cm fan on the back. When we fired up the system with no components inside it, the soundproof-themed case was a bit audible. A full system only adds to the din, and while we appreciate NZXT's efforts toward keeping the volume dial at a three instead of an eleven, it seems to be a bit of a lost cause. NZXT seems to think this case is perfect for liquid cooling. For some all-in-one setups, sure; for customized loops, you're going to be in for something of a tubing nightmare. Best of luck! $120, www.nzxt.com

Cooler Master Nepton 280L Review Posted: 05 Aug 2014 12:35 PM PDT Not quite god, but still Herculean In the world of CPUs, closed-loop liquid coolers (CLCs) seem to be standard-issue for enthusiasts these days. They give you higher overclocking headroom than even the most expensive and beefy air coolers, and they can operate more quietly. However, we haven't seen many with radiators as large as 280mm—just the NZXT Kraken X60 and the Corsair H110 come to mind—so we were eager to run the Cooler Master Nepton 280L through its paces. The Nepton features a massive 280mm radiator. Many hardware vendors have chosen to license their CLC designs from Asetek, whose patents go back quite a way. With the 280L, however, Cooler Master decided to roll its own with a custom pump. It's definitely larger than usual. The tubes coming out of it are sleeved with a material called FEP, which is similar to Teflon and designed to slow the rate of evaporation inside the loop. That's an important factor for a cooler that's not designed to be refilled. Cooler Master is also using its own JetFlo fans, designed for high static pressure. This feature is needed to penetrate into the fins of the radiator, and the 140mm version of the JetFlo is making its debut here (the radiator can also fit 120mm fans). Pump installation is pretty straightforward. First, we screwed in a small bracket to each side of the cold plate. Then, since our LGA 2011 motherboard has an integrated CPU backplate, we just attached four bundled screws to that, set the cold plate on top the CPU, and added four fasteners to fix the cold plate's brackets to the four screws in the backplate. The fasteners only take a flat-bladed screwdriver, oddly, but they went in smoothly. The radiator screws also come in two sets of eight, differing only a couple of millimeters in length, so it took a minute to separate each type. It would have been better had they been clearly differentiated. The pump, plugged into our board's secondary CPU fan header, operated at a steady 6,300rpm, which is unusually high. We checked with Cooler Master, and the company agreed. We used a Zalman Fanmate to manually tune it down to 5,000rpm, at which point the pump noise didn't stand out. Despite a loss of 1,300rpm, temps only went up about 1 C during our load test, indicating that the additional speed offered minimal improvement anyway. We then plugged the pump into a chassis fan header without the Fanmate, and it leveled off at 4,500rpm. Of course, there are caveats. A large percentage of cases will not accommodate a 280mm radiator; either the dimensions are too small or the fan mounts are not sized for it. This is not the radiator's fault, though, so we can't really deduct points for it. It's just something that you have to be aware of. Also, the thick FEP tubes are not especially flexible. The radiator screws have unusually open heads, requiring an uncommonly large bit to avoid stripping. Lastly, the pump is too loud without some fiddling. These are fairly minor issues that all have workarounds, though. Considering the Nepton's top-tier cooling performance, reasonably low noise levels, and ease of installation, its quirks don't stick out in the end. Its load temperatures were notably lower than anything else we've tested and may allow you to squeeze another couple-hundred MHz out of an overclock. The Nepton is an indisputable upgrade from Cooler Master's older Seidon series. $125 (street), www.coolermaster-usa.com

Canalys Report Shows Notebook Shipments Skipping Ahead of Tablets in Second Quarter Posted: 05 Aug 2014 11:24 AM PDT Tablet demand is waning Consumers are no longer buying tablets in record numbers. Instead, tablet shipments slipped 5 percent sequentially to 48.4 million units during the second quarter, according to data released by Canalys. Apple still leads the tablet market, but had its weakest quarter since Q1 2012 with just under 13.3 million iPad shipments. Meanwhile, Samsung shipped 8.9 million tablets during the quarter, which also represents a sequential decline. Part of the reason why demand for tablets is slowing down is because consumers who already own a slate aren't seeing any reasons to upgrade to something faster. "A slowdown in the pace of innovation is creating an issue for tablet vendors. The tablet market has quickly found itself in the same position the notebook market was in some years ago, with minimal increases in hardware performance forming the basis for an argument to upgrade," said Canalys Senior Analyst Tim Coulling. "But when considering the most common tasks that tablets are asked to perform, the need for more horsepower is often not evident." Somewhat surprisingly, notebook shipments leapfrogged ahead of tablets with 49.1 million units in the second quarter of 2014. That hasn't happened since the third quarter of last year, according to Canalys. Shipments were especially strong in North America, which saw a 13 percent jump compared to the same quarter a year ago. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Acer Launches Veriton Z4810G All-in-One For $749 Posted: 05 Aug 2014 11:03 AM PDT A space saving all-in-one with optional touch support Forget any talk you might of heard about this being the so-called post PC era. To the contrary, Acer this week announced its new Veriton Z4810G Series of all-in-one desktops with 24-inch Full HD 1080 displays with In-Plane Switching (IPS) panels and optional 10-point multi-touch support. The systems start at $749 and are intended for both business and institutional customers looking for an AIO with a relatively small footprint. The VZ810G-i34350X is the model with a non-touch panel. It includes an Intel Core i3 4150T processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, DVD burner, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, GbE LAN, and Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. For those who prefer a touchscreen panel, the VZ810G-i3435TX brings one to the table for $880. Otherwise, it sports the same specs as its non-touch counterpart. "Featuring a Full HD display and webcam, our newest commercial AiO desktops deliver stunning images for multimedia applications, presentations, spreadsheets and more," said Leila Axelle Robert, Acer senior business manager. "The sleek and attractive design saves space and makes a positive first impression in high visibility locations including boardrooms, reception areas and executive offices. Plus, IT professionals will appreciate the inclusion of Acer Office Manager and Acer ProShield, which streamline asset management and data security." Both systems will be available this month. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Seagate 6TB Hard Drive, EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Graphics Card, and More! Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT Top Deal: Running out of room in your computer case for yet another hard drive? Perhaps consolidating your older, smaller HDDs is the answer you're looking for. In order to do that, you'll need a capacious HDD to hold all that data. It just so happens that today's top deal is for a Seagate 6TB 3.5-inch Internal HDD for $280 with free shipping (normally $300 - use coupon code: [EMCPBPE99]). In addition to lots of storage space, this 7200 RPM drive also boats 128MB cache. Other Deals: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 Video Card for $465 with free shipping (normally $485; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240G 2.5-inch 240GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive for $95 with free shipping Intel Core i5-4690K Haswell Quad-Core 3.5GHz LGA 1150 Desktop Processor for $230 with free shipping (normally $240 - use coupon code: [EMCPBPE23]) Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 2133 Desktop Memory for $200 with free shipping (normally $220 - use coupon code: [EMCPBPE33])

Roccat Breeds Nyth Modular Gaming Mouse and Skeltr Keyboard with Smartphone Stand Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:01 AM PDT First fully integrated keyboard/smartphone combo and modular MMO mouse Roccat's been known to think outside the box when coming up with unique features for its gaming peripherals, but its newest devices take things to a new level. While at Gamescom 2014, Roccat today announced its Nyth modular gaming mouse and Skeltr keyboard/smartphone combo. Both are supposed to the be the first of their kind, the question is, how will gamers react? "We've wanted to develop our own MMO mouse for a long time, but like always, we end up seeing a bigger picture once we begin brainstorming. MMO mice have these massive button grids that are locked in. You can change the button functionality, but what if you don't like the layout? Our solution is a wholly modular MMO mouse, with interchangeable button combinations that suit the player," explains Rene Korte, CEO and founder of Roccat. "No two gamers are alike, and because we know that, we've gone many steps beyond just allowing them to switch out the in-package button options. Our fans will have access to our button inventory files, and those that are into 3D printing can even create their very own." The side part on the Nyth is replaceable, allowing gamers to transform the MMO mouse into one that's better suited for FPS gaming. Also unique is Roccat's Skeltr keyboard. It has a smartphone stand, which you can use to mount your phone as a secondary display synced to the keyboard via Bluetooth. The sliding rail and rotating holster fit every size smar device, according to Roccat. "We also believe being able to use your keyboard to communicate on your smartphone is a no-brainer feature Roccat fans will deeply appreciate," Korte said. No word yet on when these devices will come out or for how much. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

MSI Touts WS60 as World's Thinnest and Lightest Mobile Workstation Posted: 05 Aug 2014 09:31 AM PDT A workstation for road warriors What happens when you combine the DNA of a workstation with the form factor of an Ultrabook? You end up with MSI's WS60, supposedly the thinnest and lightest mobile workstation the world has ever seen. The WS60 sports a 15.6-inch display with either an Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) or WQHD+ 3K (2880x1620) resolution in a chassis that measures 15.35 inches (W) x 10.47 inches (D) x 0.78 inches (H) and weighs 4.36 pounds. There are two versions available. The one with the Full HD 1080p display costs $2,300 and includes an Intel Core i7 4710HQ processor, Nvidia Quadro K2100M graphics card, 128GB mSATA SSD, 1TB hard drive, 16GB DDR3L-1600 memory, Killer Gaming Network, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, memory card reader, three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 1.4 output, 1080p webcam, SteelSeries full-color backlit keyboard, Dynaudio speakers (4.1), and Windows 7 Professional. For $2,600, MSI bumps up the resolution to 3K and adds a second 128GB SSD to run in RAID 0 mode. All other features are the same. "The WS60 is the perfect workstation for mobile designers and CAD CAM Engineers," says Andy Tung, president of MSI Pan America. "It combines the versatility of an ultrabook with the performance of a workstation and takes it to another level with Thunderbolt connectivity, MSI's Shortcut Manager, and an array of gaming components." MSI's WS60 are currently touring Siggraph 2014 and should be available soon. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Fifth Edition of Scrabble Dictionary Gets Geeky with Terms Like 'Vlog' and 'Texter' Posted: 05 Aug 2014 08:40 AM PDT "Hashtag" is one of 5,000 new words included in a dictionary update for Scrabble It's been about a decade since the last time an official Scrabble dictionary was released, and in terms of technology, you might as well be talking about a century. Well, here's some good news for all you geeky wordsmiths who've grown tired of being challenged for playing the word "texter" and other tech terms -- Merriam-Webster is getting ready to release the Fifth Edition of The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary with 5,000 new words. Merriam-Webster provided a partial list of the updated words ahead of the dictionary's launch, and included among them are several technology and geek culture terms, including "selfie," "vlodcast," and "webzine." Even "hashtag" made it into the dictionary as Hasbro attempts to keep the game hip, which would also explain why "bromance" made the cut. If an opposing player groans at you for playing "joypad," try playing "chillax" on your next turn -- you'll win both challenges. "Language is constantly evolving and new words are added to Merriam-Webster dictionaries on an ongoing basis," Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster editor at large, said in a statement, according to PCMag.com. "Now thousands of those words can officially be played on the Scrabble game board." The fifth edition of the Scrabble dictionary will land on shelves Wednesday; digital versions will be available for iOS, Android, and Kindle later this month. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMO Updates

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• Nosgoth announces all-access double XP weekend
• SWTOR's Rakghoul Resurgence event is back
• Star Trek Online expansion details emerge from Las Vegas convention
• Part two of Guild Wars 2's Dragon's Reach lands on August 12th
• The Daily Grind: Do you hate minigames in MMOs?
• Tree of Savior delays closed beta, talks classes
• RuneScape launches first batch of name cleanup
• Not So Massively: Destiny's endgame, Path of Exile's expansion, and LoL's new champion
• Neverwinter exploit results in emergency maintenance, no rollback
• WildStar teases new ambient housing music
• Rusty Hearts shutting down on September 15th
• World of Warcraft announces the release date of the release date of Warlords of Draenor
• Chris Roberts: 'If I were a little saner, I wouldn't be biting off as much as we're doing here'
• Destiny infographic reveals massive beta numbers
• Elder Scrolls 1.3.3 tweaks weapon-swapping, guild management, and more

Nosgoth announces all-access double XP weekend Posted: 05 Aug 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (In-Game), News Items, Free-to-Play If you've been eyeing Nosgoth from the sidelines and waiting for the day that you could play the game, good news! That day is this week. Specifically, August 7th. The game is kicking off an all-access weekend for potential players starting on Thursday and running through August 10th, allowing anyone who wants in a chance to jump into the game for free and smash some humans or vampires, depending on your preference. Veteran players still get something extra out of the weekend, with double XP activated the whole time so that everyone can advance that much faster. So whether you've never played the game before or just haven't leveled a particular set of classes yet, you can get a boost through Sunday. You'll also get an exclusive in-game badge for participation. The game's open beta is scheduled to begin this winter, so this will be the first chance in a while for players to get in and see whether they like the game. [Source: Square-Enix press release] Nosgoth announces all-access double XP weekend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR's Rakghoul Resurgence event is back Posted: 05 Aug 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic Star Wars: The Old Republic's Rakghoul Resurgence event is back, and as of this morning it's live on Tatooine. Dulfy reports that it will likely run through August 12, and she also has an extensive guide for navigating the event's mess of dailies, rewards, and rare spawns. SWTOR's Rakghoul Resurgence event is back originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dulfy

Star Trek Online expansion details emerge from Las Vegas convention Posted: 05 Aug 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Rumors, Subscription Star Trek Online fans at the recent Star Trek Las Vegas convention were treated to a special developer panel on Saturday, and information is starting to trickle out about what was discussed during the panel. And wouldn't you know it? It was expansion information. Fans on Reddit have compiled the available information, although there's been no official reveal on the forums or through other media regarding what will be coming (so far). According to fan notes, the expansion will be dubbed Delta Rising and will take place in the eponymous Delta Quadrant, introducing species such as the Talaxians, the Ocampa, the Kazon, and the Malon to the game's lineup. Captains will be able to hit level 60, with a new method of alternative advancement and a new set of Tier 6 ships to be unlocked and flown. New Voyager interiors and Intrepid models will be available, along with voiceovers by Tim Russ and Garret Wang (Lt. Commander Tuvok and Ensign Harry Kim, respectively). If it's all true, all we're waiting on are pictures -- and of course, news about the new ships. [Thanks to Anon E. Moose for the tip!] Star Trek Online expansion details emerge from Las Vegas convention originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit

Part two of Guild Wars 2's Dragon's Reach lands on August 12th Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play Ready to dive further into Dry Top in Guild Wars 2? You'll be able to do so in a week. ArenaNet has just put out a new teaser video announcing the next part of Season 2's Living Story, The Dragon's Reach: Part 2. It goes live on August 12th, and while the Elder Dragon Mordremoth advances, not all of the leaders of Tyria's factions are willing to work together to fight this threat. Of course, we know you're here to analyze what you can from the trailer. So jump on past the cut and do just that. It promises plant-based hijinks, but let's be honest: You probably guessed that. But there's a bit more going on, and you... well, you'll see. We'd hate to spoil the whole surprise, after all. Continue reading Part two of Guild Wars 2's Dragon's Reach lands on August 12th Part two of Guild Wars 2's Dragon's Reach lands on August 12th originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Do you hate minigames in MMOs? Posted: 05 Aug 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous A reader in my last Working As Intended column made an off-hand comment about minigames that struck me as interesting. "I loathe how [minigames] have invaded MMOs in the last few years," Zuji wrote. And he's right: Minigames have become a huge part of MMOs. Upon reflection, I find I half agree with Zuji in that I could do without approximately half of them. Farming? Check. I always like farming. Hacking? OK. Tag? Sure. Card games? Those too. Vehicle combat? Ug, yeah. Pokemon? I guess so, but if I never heard the word Polymock ever again, I'd be delighted. Chicken hockey? Wait. Chicken hockey? So here's the question of the day: Do you hate minigames in MMOs? Are they a plague on the industry or a clever way of adding creative non-combat content to a genre that desperately needs it? 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 hate minigames in MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Aug 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tree of Savior delays closed beta, talks classes Posted: 04 Aug 2014 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Community Q&A Classes are the hot topic for this week's Tree of Savior community Q&A, with many of the questions concerning the different roles that players will assume in the upcoming title. The Q&A was coy on a few specifics, such as which class only has five skills, but was more open on other topics. The Alchemist was singled out as a class that synergizes well with crafting, the Wugushi was noted as a class with a strong poison bent, the Pardoner was shown to be a scroll-producing Cleric, and the Peltasta was revealed as a sword-and-shield fighter. For those hoping to get some beta action in this summer, we have bad news: It's been delayed. "We focused on the development so that we can launch CBT within this year's summer, but more time was needed than we had expected on the overall balancing of the game so we think CBT will be delayed a bit," the devs wrote. Tree of Savior delays closed beta, talks classes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Q&A #11 Via: MMO Culture

RuneScape launches first batch of name cleanup Posted: 04 Aug 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News Items, RuneScape, Free-to-Play, Browser RuneScape is freeing up a lot of names now. The developers announced a while back that old an inactive names would be getting removed from the list soon, and the first batch is due to hit very soon. That means former members who have not logged in for two years and free users who haven't logged in within six months will have their character names dropped back into the pool of available sobriquets. The upside? Members will have access to a lot of new options for name changes. The first batch will cover names starting with A through C, and Jagex intends to post a page listing the reclaimed names; however, the page will be accurate only at the time of reclamation, with no updates to show what's been taken. So if you're hopeful to finally change your character's name to Arquebus, you'd better be ready. RuneScape launches first batch of name cleanup originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Character Name Clean-Up - One-Day Countdown

Not So Massively: Destiny's endgame, Path of Exile's expansion, and LoL's new champion Posted: 04 Aug 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Trailers, Video, Business Models, Classes, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Launches, MMO Industry, Patches, Previews, PvP, Endgame, News Items, Mobile, MMOFPS, World of Tanks, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, Sandbox, Dungeons, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Elite: Dangerous, Hearthstone Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs. Path of Exile announced its second miniexpansion, Forsaken Masters, and released a new digital comic. Destiny discussed its endgame systems, level cap, and beta turnout. MOBA Gigantic revealed playable character Charnok, the draconic sorcerer. League of Legends unveiled new champion Gnar. GNAR SMASH, etc. Ultima Forever will sunset on August 29th. Forever. Games of Glory talked up its persistent MOBA universe. Got 50 bucks? You can afford Star Citizen's newest ship. Elite: Dangerous' premium beta 1 is now underway. Oort Online hopes to satisfy your itch for online Minecraft. Mobile MMO Dawn of the Immortals released its launch trailer (see it after the cut). Aeria Games will publish new MOBA Chaos Heroes this fall. Snail's King of Wushu MOBA also nabbed a new trailer. World of Tanks will include strongholds in its next big update. Hearthstone unlocked the doors to the Plague Quarter in its Naxxramas rollout. Our sister site Joystiq peeked at the Diablo III Ultimate Evil Edition PS4 pre-order bonuses. Continue reading Not So Massively: Destiny's endgame, Path of Exile's expansion, and LoL's new champion Not So Massively: Destiny's endgame, Path of Exile's expansion, and LoL's new champion originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Neverwinter exploit results in emergency maintenance, no rollback Posted: 04 Aug 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, Business Models, Economy, Events (Real-World), News Items, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Neverwinter's emergency maintenance this afternoon fueled speculation among players that another currency exploit was to blame and a rollback was imminent, but Perfect World Community Manager Akromatik says no rollback is planned. On the official forums, he wrote, Due to an exploit we had to bring down the servers for an emergency maintenance. The exploit was brought to our attention by our fantastic community. Your efforts, enabled us to find and implement a fix as soon as possible. Unfortunately the fix required downtime and will likely require additional maintenance following our investigation. While there is no rollback planned, we will be taking action against people who abused this exploit. Thank you for your patience, diligence and understanding. We will keep you updated as the situation develops. A serious currency exploit in May of 2013 after the game had soft-launched into "open beta" did in fact result in a rollback. [Thanks to Jeremiah for the tip!] Neverwinter exploit results in emergency maintenance, no rollback originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Official forums

WildStar teases new ambient housing music Posted: 04 Aug 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, Patches, Previews, News Items, WildStar, Music, Subscription Are you a fan of Massively's Jukebox Heroes column? Do you love MMO music so much that you keep it on even when it annoys your voice-chat mates? Good news for you today: WildStar composer Jeff Kurtenacker tweeted that more housing music is on the way for the sci-fantasy space opera and provided a link to a preview... er, pre-listen. More options for housing music... yeah... it's coming!! We've embedded 18 minutes' worth of new tunes via WildStar Center below. Continue reading WildStar teases new ambient housing music WildStar teases new ambient housing music originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Twitter

Rusty Hearts shutting down on September 15th Posted: 04 Aug 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Free-to-Play, Sunsets It's been going only for three years, but the action MMO Rusty Hearts is being brought to an early end. Perfect World Entertainment announced today that it will be ending the game's run on September 15th. If you're not playing and were hoping to check Rusty Hearts out before it ends, you're already out of luck. PWE said that the game is no longer downloadable and won't will be accepting new ZEN deposits. It will remain playable until the 15th for current players, however, and PWE is refunding the past six months' worth of ZEN to use in the company's other titles. "We would like to thank all the fans who helped bring life to all the characters in Rusty Hearts. Your loyalty, dedication, and countless hours crawling through dungeons is what made it all possible. Rusty Hearts was a unique experience and will be cherished forever," the studio wrote. Rusty Hearts shutting down on September 15th originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Thanks for the memories!

World of Warcraft announces the release date of the release date of Warlords of Draenor Posted: 04 Aug 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Betas, Fantasy, Expansions, News Items, Subscription Good news, World of Warcraft fans! Warlords of Draenor doesn't have a release date yet, but we now have a release date for its release date. Yes, Blizzard is hosting a big event on August 14th to unveil the game's opening cinematic, which will also reveal the date when Warlords of Draenor is releasing. The whole event will be streaming for free online, or if you're in Los Angeles, you can head down to the Ace Theater and view it in person. In the event that you make the trek out to the theater, you'll be duly rewarded with a beta key for Warlords of Draenor and you'll get to enjoy sitting in the same room with the minds behind the expansion. Doors open on location at 8:30 a.m. PDT, with streaming starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT (9:30 a.m. PDT). Then you can enjoy the release... of the release. World of Warcraft announces the release date of the release date of Warlords of Draenor originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Save the Date! Via: WoW Insider

Chris Roberts: 'If I were a little saner, I wouldn't be biting off as much as we're doing here' Posted: 04 Aug 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play Star Citizen will top $50 million in crowdfunding at some point over the next few weeks, and when it does, chances are good that you'll see increased media coverage. Some of that coverage has already started, if a new piece at The Verge is any indication. There's nothing new here for fans or backers, but it's a great high-level primer for your on-the-fence friends that focuses on creator Chris Roberts and his desire to build the ultimate space sim. "If I [were] a little saner, I wouldn't be biting off as much as we're doing here," Roberts explains, "but it's the game that I've wanted to play and dreamed about playing forever." Chris Roberts: 'If I were a little saner, I wouldn't be biting off as much as we're doing here' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The Verge

Destiny infographic reveals massive beta numbers Posted: 04 Aug 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Consoles, Destiny We already know that Destiny's beta was big -- on the order of 4.6 million testers big -- but a recently released infographic by Bungie piles on the numbers to give you a clue as to what this avalanche of fans has been up to during the testing process. Among the stats revealed were 6.5 million characters created, an 853K concurrency rate on Saturday, 3.7 billion kills, and 777K users of the official phone app. "At its peak, the Destiny beta became the most simultaneously played Bungie game of all time," Bungie said. "There were more people online at the same time to play Destiny than any other game in our history." You can check out the full infographic after the jump! Continue reading Destiny infographic reveals massive beta numbers Destiny infographic reveals massive beta numbers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Bungie Via: Joystiq

Elder Scrolls 1.3.3 tweaks weapon-swapping, guild management, and more Posted: 04 Aug 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription If you're looking to play Elder Scrolls Online today, you might want to plan a few minutes ahead in order to download the substantial 1.3.3 patch. ZeniMax's notes describe it as "our third major content update," and the big bullet points include the armor dye system and guild management additions. The devs have also addressed instant weapon swapping. "The previous delay when swapping has been reduced significantly, so swapping to your second ability set will be seamless and fast, making combat feel more responsive," ZeniMax says. Elder Scrolls 1.3.3 tweaks weapon-swapping, guild management, and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 04 Aug 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 1.3.3 notes

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