Google began shipping its Chrome web browser with a built-in PDF viewer almost a year ago, making it the first browser to have such a feature. In fact, it still continues to be the only one. This is quite strange, particularly because of the competitive nature of the browser market. But Mozilla is now getting ready to catch up with Google in this department.
"While traveling to the Firefox 4 launch parties in Seoul and Taipei all the way from California, we killed a lot of time by brainstorming cool things to do with the web platform," Dr. Andreas Gal, a researcher at Mozilla, wrote on his personal blog. "Like many before us, we were wondering why nobody had implemented a PDF reader in HTML5/JavaScript. The kinds of operations a PDF reader needs to be fast at –render text, draw lines, blit images– need to be fast in browsers too, so browsers are already highly optimized for them."
It's clear that Mozilla's approach to in-browser PDF reader functionality is very different from Google's. Unlike Mozilla, which is developing its in-browser PDF reader entirely in HTML5 and JavaScript, Google uses a native-code plugin. According to Gal, the more traditional approach used by Google is bit of a security headache as it "enlarges the trusted code base, and because of that Google's Chrome browser goes through quite some pain to sandbox the PDF renderer to avoid code injection attacks."
The open-source outfit has been busy developing its browser-native "pdf.js" reader (demo) for nearly a month now and expects to have it ready within the next three months.
If it's Friday, this must be Maximum PC's Forum Feature! Here are some highlights from this week's forum activity. If you haven't checked out our official forums, do so! Or we'll cry.
The Break Room is now read-only, and a kinder, gentler off-topic forum, The Studio, has taken its place. Come chill around our virtual water cooler. And don't be a dick. (The Studio is only available to registered and logged-in users)
Power users looking to get the most out of their Windows Phones have something special to look forward to. ChevronWP7 is a utility that allows consumers to developer unlock their Windows Phone 7 devices. This provides the capability to side-load applications to the phone without going through the Marketplace, as well as providing lower level access to things like the system registry. Typically this functionality requires a $99 per year subscription to Microsoft's App Hub.
The ChevronWP7 team made big news in December when Microsoft invited them to Redmond to "engage in further discussions with us about officially facilitating homebrew development on WP7." Today Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh, and Long Zheng have announced that they are preparing to launch an approved Windows Phone unlocking service. Though a small fee will be involved the team has promised that the cost will be more affordable than the App Hub. A firm price has not been announced at this time.
Providing options for the homebrew community could be a major selling point for Windows Phone, as many consumers prefer a competing platform like Google's Android due to the open nature of their devices. This announcement opens up many possibilities on the future of software and apps for Windows Phone. Being able to load software without having it go through Microsoft's approval process could provide an avenue for open source software to make its way onto the devices. Advanced customization on the Windows Phone platform is currently very limited, which could also change with this type of solution.
For more information and updates you can follow @ChevronWP7 on Twitter.
It appears that yet another gaming company has come under online attack resulting in the theft of user data. This time it's Sega and its Sega Pass system. No one has claimed responsibility for this attack yet, but most observers are pointing the finger at LulzSec.
Sega has pulled the system offline and has not indicated when it might return. According to the statement sent out by Sony to users, "... a subset of SEGA Pass members emails addresses, dates of birth and encrypted passwords were obtained." Sega stressed that no passwords were stored in plain text. No payment information was obtained in the hack.
While the Internet is pretty convinced it was LulzSec, the group posted on its Twitter feed saying, "@Sega - contact us. We want to help you destroy the hackers that attacked you. We love the Dreamcast, these people are going down." Do you think this rash of data breeches will slow down, of is this the new normal?
Netflix addressed the concerns of confused customers today announcing that all Sony content acquired through the Starz Play deal was no longer available. Among the pulled movies are The Social network, Salt, and The other Guys. Netflix called the situation a "temporary contract issue", but it might be a sticky issue for Starz.
According to GigaOm, the problem is a clause in the contract Starz has with Sony. Starz has passed its IP distribution cap for Sony content and has asked Netflix to remove those films. The contract Starz agreed to with Sony didn't have any built in escape hatches in the even Netflix growth took off, which it did.
Netflix has nearly 70% more subscribers than they did a year ago, an increase of 14 million to 22.8 million. Netflix isn't offering any additional information about the removal of Sony films, and it's not really in their hands. Sony and Starz will have to work out a deal, if one is even plausible. We can't see Starz putting up more cash just to benefit Netflix.
If you're anything like us, you use Twitter and Facebook multiple times day to check in with friends, share your life and discover what's happening in the world outside your cubicle. A few of you might even be using them as a result of being in that cubicle--leveraging the power of social media to inform the unwashed masses of what products or services your business provides. No matter what you shout from the social media mountain tops, Klout--our Cool Site of the Week--will tell you whether anyone is actually listening.
Even though it's still undergoing beta testing, Klout is a social media force to be reckoned with. Users are invited to link up their Twitter and Facebook accounts (with LinkedIn functionality on the way as well), to the site. Once entered, Klout scours your accounts, looking at what you post about, who you talk to, repost, and who is following your every online move. The service then uses this information to provide you with a number of metrics--Score Analysis, Network Influence, Amplification probability and True Reach--to provide you with an over all view of how effectively you're leveraging your social network contacts.
Are you a Specialist? A Networker? Maybe a Broadcaster? Klout will give you the lowdown. Best of all, Klout rewards your social media excellence with some pretty impressive swag from a wide variety of sponsors, finally giving you a truly valid excuse to push for more online followers.
Be sure to check back every Friday for another edition of Cool Site of the Week.
The dark corners of shady Internet bars just became a whole lot safer thanks to Microsoft. The boys and girls in Redmond noticed a disturbing trend towards the end of 2010; the rate of infection due to malware spread via Autorun was skyrocketing. Rather than shrugging their shoulders and telling Symantec to deal with it, the company released an update in February that disabled most Autorun functions on Windows PCs. Four months later, the results are in – malware authors looking to slip your computer a mickey via infected flash drives had better start looking at Linux instead.
Microsoft gauged its success by looking at the number of computers infected by common Autonrun-spread virus families like Taterf, Rimecud, Conficker, and Autorun. They compared the number of infections reported in January, the month before the update took effect, against the number of infections reported in May. The results are astonishing – XP computers saw 59 percent fewer Autorun virus infections, and the malware rate on Vista machines dropped a full 74 percent! Computers running Vista SP2 saw the most benefits, with an 82 percent decrease in infections since January.
Microsoft's blog post showed an interesting side effect: even operating systems that didn't receive the update, like Windows 7 (which already blocked Autorun) and Windows XP SP2 (which is no longer supported), saw a reduced number of infections. Could malware authors be dropping Autorun attacks out of their general arsenal as it becomes more and more difficult to break into the treasure chest of Windows users?
Razer's gamepad is finally out—was it worth the wait?
We're no fan of the console-ification of PC gaming, either, but you've got to admit, Microsoft has had the gamepad market locked since it introduced the USB Xbox 360 controller more than five years ago. In that respect, it's not really surprising that the first real challenger to Microsoft's super-solid wired controller is, itself, an Xbox 360 controller: the Razer Onza.
The Onza was first revealed more than a year ago at CES 2010, so consumers have had a lot of time to ask questions like, "Is Razer really going to try and become a console peripheral company? Can a third-party controller ever really beat the first-party offering?" Well, we don't have an inside line on Razer's business dealings, but we do have the Onza in our hands, and we can tell you that the answer to the second question is an emphatic yes.
The Onza's low-profile face buttons are much more responsive than the standard Xbox 360 controller.
The Razer Onza isn't a wide departure from the standard 360 controller in looks—it's the same shape, more or less, with a nearly identical layout of face buttons and analog sticks and feels as good in the hands as the original. A slightly rubbery, nonslip coating makes it easy to hold on to, and it looks nice in matte black. It feels just the tiniest bit lighter and less solid than Microsoft's controller, but that still leaves it in "very sturdy" territory. Like the Xbox 360 controller, no additional drivers are needed in Windows Vista or 7.
Where the Onza controller beats the regular Xbox controller is in features. Notably, the Onza uses Razer's Hyperesponse actuators for the light-up face buttons, giving them a much clickier and more responsive feel. Additionally, Razer's controller packs two bumper buttons above each trigger—the bonus button can be bound to any of the other standard buttons—and the physical resistance of the two analog sticks can be adjusted individually.
The one questionable change to the Xbox 360 controller formula is the switch from a rocker-style D-pad to one with four oversize buttons with lots of travel. It's not a disaster, by any means, but we can't say we like it better than the rocker, and it might trip up people who use the D-pad for complex inputs, such as fighting game commands.
At just $10 more than an Xbox 360 controller (or the exact same price for the non-Tournament Edition, which lacks the adjustable sticks and light-up buttons), and with a strictly superior feature set, we'd recommend this one to anybody. Hands down, this is the gamepad to beat. $50, www.razerzone.com
Privacy advocates and seedy characters on the edge of Internet legality alike use Bitcoins as their virtual currency of choice. The anonymous, decentralized P2P nature of Bitcoins lets you transfer money without ever having to contact a bank or even know the true identity of the person on the other end of the transaction. Recent events have dragged the shadowy currency into the light of public scrutiny, and now its squirming users have another headache to deal with: a trojan designed specifically to pilfer your Bitcoin wallet.
The malware goes by the name Infostealer.Coinbit. Once it works its way onto a Windows PC, the program checks the default location for Bitcoin's wallet.dat file. Your wallet contains the encryption keys that are essential to Bitcoin transactions. If the trojan finds a wallet, it sends the data file to the attackers.
"If you use Bitcoins, you have the option to encrypt your wallet and we recommend that you choose a strong password for this in the event that an attacker is attempting to brute-force your wallet open," Symantec's Stephen Doherty said on the company's blog.
Sounds like a smart move to us, especially since there are sure to be even more attempts to swindle Bitcoins out from under your nose in the future. Earlier this week, a man claimed to have $500,000 worth of Bitcoins stolen from his e-wallet. One of the currency's selling points is its non-centralized structure, but remember that lack of oversight that seems so awesome in theory means that you have nobody to turn to when some jerk steals your encryption keys.
In "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," an irate mob lynched the creator of the Infinite Probability Drive because the one thing they couldn't stand was a smartass. With the "Commercial Felony Streaming Act," the US government is doing its best impersonation of that angry mob. Nobody's going to be lynched on Capitol Hill, but the bill aims to punish smartass pirates who have been using a loophole in existing laws to stream copyright-protected works with minimal fear of prosecution.
The laws on the books currently make it a felony to upload or download copyrighted content, but the issue of streaming is never addressed head on. The proposed legislation, introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar, John Cornyn and Christopher Coons, wants to make illegal streaming a felony as well. The bill only targets people who stream copyrighted content for commercial purposes; the Man comes a-knockin' if violators stream copyrighted materials more than 10 times in a 180-day stretch. In addition, the retail value of the stream must exceed $2,500 or the licensing costs of the streamed material needs to be more than $5,000.
The punishment? Up to five years in the slam. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve the bill yesterday. Next stop, a full Senate vote. All signs point to the bill passing, so if you're in the streaming piracy business, consider checking out the "Help Wanted" section of the classified ads soon.
Eden Eternal’s open beta has now begun, with new updates since closed beta ended Sunday night.
The new content includes a boost from 40 to 50 for the level cap, two new classes (Shaman and Blade Dancer), and six new dungeons in the new level range. A new contest will also reward players with a chance to win one million AP if they reach level 30 by July 1.
Eden Eternal is published by Aeria Games, who also publishes Kitsu Saga, Grand Fantasia, and Dream of Mirror Online.
Eden Eternal Gameplay Screenshot
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Eden Eternal Now Open to the Public
New Fantasy MMORPG Offers Chance to Win 1 Million Aeria Points
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – June 16, 2011 – Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of microtransaction-based online games, today announced that its latest anime-style MMORPG Eden Eternal has entered Open Beta (OB) testing. Eden Eternal concluded its Closed Beta (CB) testing phase on Sunday night. Record-breaking participation during CB indicates that Eden Eternal is poised to become Aeria Games' most popular title to date.
Experience Eden Eternal's eye-catching, anime-inspired visuals while battling robust monsters, freely swapping classes, and building customized player towns. Discover the plethora of intricate in-game systems and innovative features that captured the imagination of closed beta players. Eden Eternal boasts a stunning, expansive world that exudes style and charm. Players must restore order to the citizens of a troubled region as they work to uncover their own mysterious origin.
New content in Open Beta:
Level Cap Increase – We've increased the level cap from 40 to 50 for Open Beta! Further boost your skills and gear and take advantage of new quests and capabilities.
Two New Classes – The level cap increase brings a new Melee DPS class and a new Magic DPS class into the player's reach. Meet the mystical Shaman and the mighty Blade Dancer!
Six New Dungeons – Take on level 41-48 dungeons, including new instances for parties of 5! Explore the unpredictable depths where you'll encounter new, ferocious bosses guarding exciting, rare treasures.
Win 1 Million AP – All players who reach level 30 before July 1 are eligible to win one million Aeria Points (AP)! For more details visit the Eden Eternal website.
More content is rapidly on its way to Eden Eternal, including new playable races, more classes and a host of other updates and expansions. Visit the official Eden Eternal website to download the game and to find out how to win one million Aeria Points: http://edeneternal.aeriagames.com.
The latest expansion for Runes of Magic, Chapter IV: Lands of Despair, is now live.
The expansion allows players to choose a third class (for free), and raises the level cap to 67. New content includes four new regions, over 300 new quests, two new instances, a new public encounter, and new server-wide battlefields. The mount and pet storage has grown, and new runes are also introduced.
Runes of Magic is published by Frogster, which also publishes Mythos Europe.
Runes of Magic Gameplay Screenshot
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Something Wicked This Way Comes
Runes of Magic: Chapter IV – Lands of Despair Officially Released Today
Berlin, June 16th 2011: The anticipated fourth chapter of the successful online role playing game, Runes of Magic, launches today. Amongst a range of other new additions, "Lands of Despair" introduces four fantastic new regions featuring never-before-seen opponents and dungeons to challenge players both old and new. Runes of Magic, with the updated client, is available for free download from the official website, http://www.runesofmagic.com/en/index.html
Accompanying the release of "Chapter IV – Lands of Despair" is a new trailer, shedding more light on the impending doom threatening Taborea. Demon Sismond, a mysterious new force of evil in the land, has wrought pestilence and disease upon the citizens of Taborea and only by uncovering Sismond's true motives will the land be rescued from imminent destruction.
To watch the new trailer on our site, please follow this link:
Starting today, players can also take part in an exciting community event – participants in the "Sightseeing Contest" have a chance to win valuable prizes including Logitech gaming mice and item packages.
What's New in Chapter IV: • Free choice of third class • 4 expansive new regions • Level cap raised to 67 • Over 300 challenging new quests • Additional storage capacity for mounts and pets • 2 demanding new instances • Server-wide battlefields • New Runes • New Public Encounter
For more information on Runes of Magic and the new chapter, visit http://www.runesofmagic.com/en/index.html
To Learn More about the game check out our Karma OnlinePage.
Black Prophecy is a 3D sci-fi themed MMORPG published by Gamigo – the same company behind Martial Empires, Dungeon Empires, Golfstar, Loong, and War of Angels. Gameplay wise, Black Prophecy is a bit like Eve Online (especially interface / appearance wise) except with a bit more emphasis on action. The game has gorgeous graphics and a good variety of missions to keep players busy. To learn more about Black Prophecy check out the official MMOHut Black Prophecy page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.
The four classes of Scarlet Legacy have been revealed today. These classes are:
* Warrior: Wears heavy armor. Uses Spear, Mace, and Hammer. Can block and take damage to help his allies; has a higher defense and moderate attack.
* Assassin: Uses Sword, Dual-Wielded Swords, and Two-Handed Swords. Can conceal themselves, and use multi-combo attacks while using elementals and explosions to cause heavy damage.
* Monk: Has the highest HP. Uses Claw, Fist Weapons, Bracers. Can become specialized in attacking or healing, as well as using spells with their attacks.
* Mystic: Uses Flute, Lute, Zither. Magic and music attacks that specializes in distance attacks with high damage.
Scarlet Legacy will be published by GamesCampus, which also publishes Legend of Edda, Heroes in the Sky, and Shot Online. They will also be publishing Asda 2.
Scarlet Legacy Gameplay Screenshot
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GAMESCAMPUS UNVEILS THE FOUR CHARACTER CLASSES OF SCARLET LEGACY
The Warrior, Assassin, Monk and Mystic Make Up The Unique Hero Classes Of The Upcoming Fantasy MMORPG
Sunnyvale, Calif. (June 16, 2011) – Leading online game publisher, GamesCampus.com (www.GamesCampus.com), revealed today the details behind the unique four hero classes in its upcoming MMORPG, Scarlet Legacy. The classes include a powerful Warrior, the element-yielding Assassin, the attacking or healing Monk and the magical and musical Mystic. These intriguing character classes are part of the upcoming fantasy MMORPG which takes players through a vibrant and addictive journey to save Princess Scarlet. To learn more about Scarlet Legacy visit www.ScarletLegacy.com
“No matter which class players choose, they will be instantly impressed with the unique talents and skills each will bring to their gameplay experience,” said Uyen Uyen Ton Nu, head of marketing at Games Campus. “Whether a player is out to cause heavy damage with armor, martial arts and combo attacks or prefers to use spells, magic and haunting melodies to bring down an opponent, Scarlet Legacy’s characters offer it all.”
The Warrior is able to wear heavy armor, stands in the front-lines and is bold and direct. The Warrior’s specialty is to use hostility to apply different forms of martial art movements making up for the deficiency in magic. Even when exhausted, the Warrior can acquire endless aggression to defeat the enemy. Weapon types for the Warrior include the Spear, Mace and Hammer. Acting as a vanguard, the Warrior can help other team members to block and take damage, and the attack ability is lower than other classes, but they make up for it with good defense skills.
The Assassin is skilled at concealed combat and multiple combo attacks. Using water, flame, wind and thunder elementals, they can cause heavy damage. Additionally, they can attack with explosions and cause all kind of effects depending on the enemy’s status. The Assassin’s weapons include the Sword, Dual-Welding Swords and Two-handed Swords. Assassins are close combat killers in the team, and they possess skills that are fast and powerful, with the ability to kill enemies in no time.
Although they are unable to wear heavy armor, Monks have the highest HP among all the character classes. They can apply spells that cause damage through armor using their fist, palm, and finger. These spells not only cause heavy damage effects, but can also heal by stimulating the acupuncture points on the body. Their weapons include the Claw, Fist Weapons and Bracers. There are two types of Monks – Attack and Healing Monks. One attacks the enemy and the other heals. The Mystic specializes in a profession that mixes magic and the tune of music. With hidden magic, even a calm melody can kill enemies who are thousand miles away. The ever-changing melodies can sometimes make people highly motivated, but it can also make them feel anxious and even lose their mind. It can also launch a powerful and strong assault from far-away. The weapons of a Mystic include the Flute, Lute and Zither. Mystics can assist to change the tides of battle. At the same time, they also deal heavy amounts of damage.
For more information about GamesCampus.com or Scarlet Legacy, please visit www.GamesCampus.com or www.ScarletLegacy.com
Lucent Heart’s North American Open Beta has been announced to begin this coming Tuesday, June 21 – but the servers are open today for previous beta players. The open beta will be “no wipe,” meaning players can start early and keep their characters.
The open beta will feature a host of GM sponsored events, including Q&As, community events and competitions, the chance to win stickers, and regular invasions on the main city of Thereall.
Lucent Heart is published by Gamania (beanfun), which also publishes Hero: 108 Online.
Lucent Heart Gameplay Screenshot
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LUCENT HEART ENTERS OPEN BETA IN NORTH AMERICA, JUNE 21ST
Lots of Events, Competitions and Prizes
IRVINE, Calif. – June 16th, 2011 – Gamania Digital Entertainment announced today that Lucent Heart, its highly anticipated zodiac-inspired social MMORPG, will begin its Open Beta in North America on June 21. Opening its doors to both old and new players for a final round of testing, Gamania invites everyone to join the numerous events that will be running, meet its friendly community and GMs, and get a feel for its uniquely social gameplay. This will be a "no wipe" beta, meaning players will get to keep their account and characters. Players can sign-up at the official website: http://us.beanfun.com/lucentheart/.
"We are very excited to be stepping into the next phase of testing for Lucent Heart," said David Wong, COO of Gamania. "The community has been extremely active so far; we have noticed they seem to enjoy hanging out together with our GMs as much as questing and raiding dungeons. It's turning out to be a very unique game in that respect, we can't wait to see where it goes from here."
Lucent Heart's beloved "Official Desserts" (GMs) are awaiting players in-game and will be running tons of events and competitions for players to participate in throughout the beta, with many prizes to be won.
· Q&A with the Staff/GMs – Fans can meet the Staff and GMs in Thereall's Peace Tower. They'll be standing near Cupid, ready to answer players' questions or just to chat. · Community Competitions – From Grand Prix races crowning the fastest in Acadia to hilarious "Battle of the Sexes" competitions, the GMs will be running community events that everyone can enjoy (with prizes). · Stories of Stickers – Fans can win a Lucent Heart E3 sticker from Lucent Heart Star Vanessa by using the in-game manga maker to create a manga page featuring the player with Vanessa. · Fighting off Invasions – Players can join in to protect Thereall from numerous invasions, like fighting off Goddess Cadena's minions before they can take over!
For the full schedule of events, users can head over to the official event page in the forums: http://us.forums.beanfun.com/index.php?/topic/6352-open-beta-first-weeks-schedule/
Players can use the official website to download the client and prepare for launch: http://us.beanfun.com/lucentheart/, as well as jump right into the community and join the official Lucent Heart Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/lucentheart
Fantasy Online is a browser-based, point-and-click adventure MMORPG sporting some of the weirdestwriting and dialogue around. Featuring a very basic interface and gameplay, along with humorouscontent filled with gamer culture inside-jokes, Fantasy Online is at least worth taking a look at. Those who play it on Facebook earn extra features, like fellowships and gifts!
Publisher: Pixelated Games Playerbase: Low Graphics: Low Type:MMO EXP Rate: Medium PvP: N/A Platform: Browser
Pros: +Humorous dialogue +Low end browser requirements makes it easy to run on most computers
Cons: +Stale combat +No gender option in character creation
Overview
Fantasy Online Overview
In Fantasy Online, players create a generic, genderless character, and then set off into the world to define themselves as they see fit. While characters gain levels through the standard method of killing legions of NPC enemies and doing basic quests, upon leveling up they are free to distribute stats as they see fit among four primary statistics: Agility, Stamina, Strength, and Intelligence (AGI, STAM, STR, INT). Players then buy skills and abilities from a skill trainer to define their character. Each skill has a stat and level requirement that must be fulfilled before purchase.
Fantasy Online Screenshots
Fantasy Online Featured Video
Full Review
Fantasy Online Full Review
By B. Olivia
Well, this one is pretty simple. Fantasy Online is a flash-based MMORPG you can play right out of your browser, and links in with facebook nicely. If you do play it through facebook, you can exchange gifts between friends, and form fellowships, much like many other facebook games. FO isn’t a very complicated game, as I state before, it’s simple. Extremely simple. In fact, I’m not sure a game can get any simpler without degenerating into Pong or Tetris. Sometimes, though, simplicity is just what the doctor ordered, and for those of you looking for a basic, point-and-click adventure you can play in the office when your boss isn’t looking, Fantasy Online just might be what you need.
First Impressions
Logging into Fantasy Online, I was greeted by a character creation screen. Of course, my first instinct (as it is with many others) was to find the "gender" button. Much to my dismay, there wasn’t one. That’s right! In FO, no one has a gender. You are simply an asexual, blocky adventurer out to save the day. This doesn’t necessarily bother me, especially considering that you can choose some eyes and hairs that look especially girly. No big deal.
One of the first things I noticed about FO was the strange gems that seem to be the game’s premium currency. These are apparently used to give yourself EXP gain boosts, and other benefits. The game has a "rested state" system similar to WoW and many others, though FO goes the extra mile in making it so you actually become far less effective when you play for long periods, forcing you to log out for a time, or buy more rested state with gems. Weird, but standard fare for a browser game.
The combat isn’t much to write home about. You see a monster, you click on it, you auto-attack it until it dies. HP and MP regenerate over time. You can use active abilities in combat, but you only start out with one, and don’t get another until level 6. MP seems to run out very quickly with heavy ability use, leaving you to rely on your auto-attack more than I’d personally prefer.
Humor and Inside Jokes FTW!
Once you spawn into the starting area, you’re tasked by an old man to kill crabs. Just in this initial dialogue, I could tell that this is a game that absolutely does NOT take itself seriously. The evidence supporting this was reinforced by brilliant skill descriptions. For example, in the description of the skill "Lick Your Wounds," which heals the player for a small amount, it suggests you can also lick other people’s wounds, and it won’t judge you. Cute.
It certainly doesn’t end there, though. FO is obviously shooting to satirize and make fun of other MMORPGs. In this way, many of the facts of the gameplay being rather boring or samey can be forgiven; the game is very aware of it, and makes fun of the fact constantly. It knows it’s an MMORPG, and perhaps even laments it a little. The light-hearted humor and nerdy inside jokes in the form of skills like "Nerd Rage" and "BOOM! Headshot" are really great.
Is that… it?
I wandered the game for a while trying to find something unique or interesting, but I came up short. While the game’s humor provided a chuckle or three at first, for me, it wasn’t enough to mask the fact that I was playing something that could very well simply be one of those pre-packaged Windows games from the mid 90′s. The user-interface is decidely modern, some might even say "WoW-esque," but that doesn’t save it from the harsh reality of being kind of boring.
Of course, let’s compare it to other browser-based games. It certainly pales in comparison to something like Runescape, or heaven forbid it, even Farmville. There are simply loys of other unique, free, browser-based games and RPGs that don’t unapologetically recycle the same hack n’ slash combat we’ve all seen five-hundred times before – the difference in FO being that it’s all done with an ancient 2D engine.
Final Verdict: Poor
I don’t like giving games a poor rating, but I’ve actually played quite a few browser RPGs, and this one doesn’t really compare to its competition. The humor and silliness can only carry it so far – after the initial effect of it wears off, we’re left with a stale, pixelated game that doesn’t really do anything for me. If you’re in the market for something really simple and really goofy RPG that doesn’t require much brainpower and is guaranteed to give you a snicker now and again, FO is for you. Those of you looking for more in-depth games, look elsewhere.
An exclusive announcement on Massively has indicated that Fallen Earth – whose hardware will be transitioning to GamersFirst’s care – will be going to a free-to-play model, while maintaining the original development team.
The game will offer a fully free to play model, and three subscription levels which offer reward points and perks. Subscription players will earn more experience than regular players, and VIPs can share their bonuses with their party. All players will be able to enjoy the same content for free.
No date for the change has been set yet, but we might expect to see it as soon as this year. GamersFirst also publishes APB Reloaded.
Fallen Earth Gameplay Screenshot
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GAMERSFIRST ACQUIRES FALLEN EARTH
Fallen Earth Team Joins Reloaded Productions to Support Continued Development of Post-Apocalyptic MMO
Irvine, Calif and Cary, NC,June 16, 2011 – A leading publisher of Free2Play® massively multiplayer online games, GamersFirst (www.gamersfirst.com) announced today the acquisition of the highly acclaimed post-apocalyptic third-person action MMO Fallen Earth from Fallen Earth, LLC. The current 12-person creative team behind Fallen Earth, headed by Lead Game Designer Marie "Aro Sei" Croall, will join GamersFirst's development studio Reloaded Productions to lead the transition of Fallen Earth to a hybrid Free2Play game with an ongoing membership system.
Going forward GamersFirst will provide all publishing services, backend development and technical operations while Croall's team will continue their work on the upcoming Alpha County expansion.
"When talks began with GamersFirst, we were hoping to find a way to continue supporting our dystopian wastelanders who roam our truly unique MMO," said Marie Croall, lead designer for Reloaded Productions. "By joining the Reloaded Productions team and becoming part of the GamersFirst family we can now continue delivering an uncompromising game experience for our die-hard fans. Even better, the backing of an established global publisher also means we will share our game with millions of new players across the planet."
The Fallen Earth team is joined by GamersFirst veterans Tracy Spaight, executive designer, and Joseph Willmon, associate game director, to integrate the award-winning MMO into the broader GamersFirst universe. Spaight and Willmon bring years of Free2Play publishing and development expertise to an already stellar Fallen Earth crew.
Once transitioned to Free2Play, Fallen Earth will give free players completely unrestricted permanent access to every zone and instance in the game. Several types of services, items and conveniences will continue being sold in the Fallen Earth store. Subscriptions will be replaced by a tiered membership system that caters to players of all levels of engagement, and each membership will include reward points that can be used to obtain store items for free on a monthly basis.
Current subscribers who maintain their subscriptions through the estimated five month transition period will collect significant rewards when the game completes the transition, projected for Q4 of this year. "Veteran Rewards" will include lifetime upgrades to a premium tier membership for the price of an existing subscription, as well as unique veteran-only items, the value of which will be determined by the number of months the player subscribed between June 2011 and the completion of the transition.
"Anyone who played Fallen Earth knows just how rich and engaging its game world is, and we feel extremely lucky to bring this game into our family of free MMO games," said Joe Rush, vice president of game operations for GamersFirst. "This acquisition gives Fallen Earth instant economies of scale as part of the GamersFirst family, and by sharing our many years of revenue generation strategies and publishing expertise we expect the Fallen Earth franchise to continue growing for years to come."
"Fallen Earth has a number of unique and innovative game features, and we felt it was important to incorporate this outstanding creative team into Reloaded Productions' staff," said Bjorn Book-Larsson, COO of GamersFirst and head of Reloaded Productions. "It was important to retain what made Fallen Earth popular and unique, and we are therefore thrilled to have this particular band of passionate game creators joining our growing global studio team."
Fallen Earth is a post-apocalyptic MMO set near the Grand Canyon in 2156. A hybrid first person shooter and role-playing game, Fallen Earth features real-time twitch-based combat, six factions, a classless advancement system and a powerful crafting system in which players can make 95 percent of in-game items. With 1000 square kilometers of territory to explore, Fallen Earth players can experience an unparalleled game world while completing more than 5,500 game missions, including the ability to capture towns and territory.
Leap into the world of Aion and soar into action! Featuring some of the finest visuals and character creation available in any MMORPG, the Aion free trial provides a good look at what this blockbuster title has to offer.
Publisher: NCSoft Playerbase: N/A Graphics: High Quality Type:MMORPG EXP Rate: Medium PvP: Open World Filesize: 11.6 GB
Pros: +Wonderful graphics look very pretty. +Build in quest objective tracker. +Unique style for pvp.
Cons: -Lots of grinding. -Unique mechanics become old quickly. -Repetitive.
Free Trial Restrictions: The trial is limited to ten days, and does not allow the player to use some features, or level past 20. Use that time to decide if a subscription is for you.
Overview
Aion Overview
Aion is divided into two factions that vie for control of fortresses and territory in an area called "The Abyss." These two factions are the taloned, hardy Asmodians, and the sun-kissed Elyos. Both factions are identical in function, but slightly different in aesthetic; they also both have access to the same classes.
The classes are divided into four base archetypes (Warrior, Scout, Mage, Priest), which branch into two distinct specializations when a character reaches level ten. The class specializations are as follows: Gladiator (Warrior): Wear plate and dish it out at the same time. The gladiator is the heavy hitter of the two warrior specializations, and can rival other classes when it comes to destructive potential.
Templar (Warrior): Templars are the consummate tanks of Aion. They wear shields, heavy armor, and maintain aggro for the good of the group. Assassin (Scout): Assassins are the close-range killers of the scout archetype, further specializing in the art of sneaking around behind people and stabbing them. Ranger (Scout): Rangers are a damage-dealing class that primarily specializes in killing things from afar, but is also equipped with a decent arsenal of melee abilities.
Spiritmaster (Mage): These mages specialize in the summoning of spirits; essentially, a pet class. They rely on their summons to get most of their work done, and also make good use of AoE. Sorcerer (Mage): The single-target destroyers of the mage class. When it comes to blowing something up from far way, the sorcerer is near the top. Cleric (Priest): The main healers of Aion. Clerics specialize in large, effective heals and group maintenance abilities. The class for those that care! Chanter (Priest): The battle-priest, specializing in standing on the front lines with allies and conferring large buffs to increase their effectiveness. Also capable of soloing just fine!
For me, Aion is a game I’ve been meaning to play for a couple of years. When it came out, I and many others passed it off as a WoW clone, and didn’t buy it. Other people kept the faith and gave Aion an honest shot. Here we are years later, and they’re finally starting to offer incentives to play, and a free trial! Hooray, Aion! Now we can all go and see what the biggest Korean MMORPG to hit the international market in a while is all about. My first impressions were rather mixed.
I chose to play as an Asmodian, mostly because on the server I selected, Asmodians receive an exp bonus at level 10 to help balance faction PVP. I also liked Asmodians for having cool talons, although if you look closely at a barefooted Asmodian woman, you’ll notice she has "evolved" a bone poking through her heel to simulate the effect of wearing four-inch heels. This is weird, and horrible, and I wonder why they don’t just shave it down. Also, Asmodians have back hair – cute!
Caution: Aion Causes Eye Diabetes
The first thing out of anyone’s mouth about Aion, generally, is that it is a very fine piece of eye candy. I’d have to agree, given that the character models and textures are not only colorful and robust, but also really well animated and given lots of character and detail. Your idle animation depends on what faction you are, and what class you are. Apparently this can also be altered in your character sheet, but I didn’t play long enough to unlock anything.
There are some really nice touches, too. For example, if your character stands in knee-high water, she’ll start to bend down and play with it. If you stand in the rain, your character reacts to it and pulls out a large leaf umbrella. Fun details like these are just so rare! The landscapes and skyboxes are also gorgeous. From the way the setting sun’s rays peek past your character’s profile, or the incredible visions of broken moons and nebulae in the starry sky, Aion’s world is one beautifully realized.
Your Character Probably Looks Awesome (or Weird).
My favorite part of any game (unless it sucks). Aion’s character creation definitely does not suck, and it’s worth mentioning. The degree to which you can modify your character is right on par with the level of Champions Online, letting you have full control over limb proportions and sizes. The face customization is also highly detailed (you can make some seriously beautiful faces), and I recall having over sixty fine looking, distinct hairstyles to choose from. This makes me a happy camper. I was able to make a tall, willowy posthuman, a halfling, and a jailbait vampire. Sweet.
Of course, this level of freedom has drawbacks. As always, these drawbacks come in the form of other players. Be prepared to see the occasional ridiculous cartoon character with a boulder-sized head on a tiny baby body, or some other equally horrifying abomination. A small price to pay, I say. Most people would rather look pretty anyways.
Deja Vu
The inevitable comparison to WoW. Here it is: yes, Aion is a lot like WoW. But we’ve established that just about everything is a lot like WoW. The model works. So it’s better to focus on the ways in which it establishes itself as "not like WoW." First, Aion has aerial combat (cool, but it doesn’t change much about combat beyond adding another axis of movement). Second, Aion makes great use of what are called "chain attacks." Basically, you’ll unlock chain abilities that can only be used after you use another ability. Both will be located on the same key you bind the activating ability to. So, you can just hit that key over and over until the attack chain finishes. It looks cool, but it just turns combat into the world’s easiest quicktime event (1! 1! 1! … 1!). In the end, you’re still just hitting buttons to make stuff happen.
There’s a crafting system, so that’s cool. Except, unlike many other standard MMORPGs, Aion’s crafting and gathering system has an extra dose of random chance. This is fun for those of us with a gambler’s soul, frustrating for the rest. Every time you craft, you have a random chance of failing or making something awesome, or just making the thing you set out to make. There really isn’t much you can do to control this, aside from increasing your skill level (which requires a lot of repetition of the previously mentioned fail/succeed/uber-succeed cycle). Fun, I guess.
Final Verdict: Average It’s a trial, and it only lasts ten days. It’s designed to see if you enjoy the game enough to pay for it. To be frank, I got bored around level nine, and people keep telling me that the first twelve levels are the best part of the game. If reports are to be believed, it’s downhill after thirty-five or so. See it for yourself, and be the judge. Jaded MMORPG vets like me are harder to please. If you haven’t yet been ruined by overexposure to MMORPGs, then give Aion a whirl. You just might love it.
Minimum Requirements: OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 CPU: 2.2GHz Pentium 4 / AMD 2400+ RAM: 1 GB HDD: 1 GB free Graphics Card: GeForce 5 / ATI 9800
Recommended Specifications: OS: Windows XP / Vista / 7 CPU: 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo / AMD 3500+ or better RAM: 1.5 GB or more HDD: 2 GB Free or more Graphics Card: 256MB Geforce 7800+ / Radeon X1900+ or better
To Learn More about the game check out ourAionPage.
Aion is a 3D fantasy MMORPG published by NCSoft – the same company behind Guild Wars and City of Heroes. The game is a pay to play game, but has a free trial which lasts 14 days and is mostly nonrestrictive. The game has gorgeous graphics and a large game world for players to explore. To learn more about Eden Eternal, check out the official MMOHut Aion page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.
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