General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


How One Site Beat Google's Anti-Spam Update the Right Way

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 03:19 PM PDT

googWhen Google updated its search algorithm a few months back, many so-called content farms saw their search ranking take a big hit. One site that feels it was unfairly targeted is now claiming that by making a few changes (some of them very minor) they were able to claw back significant search traffic. In fact, HubPages says it has gotten back to its pre-update traffic levels.

The site was negatively affected due to the presence of the typical low-cost SEO content Google was going after. But HubPages also produced a fair amount of high-quality articles. CEO Paul Edmondson searched for ways to counteract the search update, but tactics like tightening editorial standards were mostly ineffective. 

HubPages hit upon the idea of breaking the site into subdomains and bounced the idea off of Google. The Google spam-killer Matt Cutts told Edmondson he should go ahead with his plan, and offered a few more tips. By breaking each author's content into its own subdomain, the Google index was able to sort the good from the bad without penalizing the whole site. 

The effect was dramatic for those authors using subdomains. HubPages is now in the process of rolling out subdomains for all its authors. The site makes about $10 million annually, and that's after paying 60% of ad revenue to the authors. Do you think Google's anti-spam update went too far, or maybe not far enough?

Dream Machine 2011: The Feature Film

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 01:53 PM PDT

Have you checked out Dream Machine 2011 yet? If not, click here.

Dear Netflix, It’s Time to Get Your S*** Together

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 12:40 PM PDT

You probably know Netflix raised its prices. And, like everyone else, you're probably outraged at the death of $10 1 disc + streaming plan. But the $6 price hike doesn't have to be the end of the world.

First off, everyone should probably calm down and understand that this move isn't a greedy cash grab by Netflix. In fact, the company is actually trying to subvert the establishment, whose own greed has led them to believe that streaming video is a bad thing. Netflix knows streaming is the future. Well over 60% of Netflix customers stream right now. And from the sound of things, the god of red envelopes is aggressively going after streaming content, offering upwards of $100,000 for the rights to a single episode of television. Netflix execs have gone on record saying the less money they spend on mailing DVDs, the more they can spend on acquiring streaming content.

From the way Netflix talks, they want to be proactive about going out and getting as much content as they can and establish success before networks and studios can validate their decision to safeguard that content. Sure, Netflix is very profitable, but getting that content will require a significant amount of money up front.

But here's the problem: Right now, the Netflix streaming library sucks. Despite the fact that it's a cheaper method of deliver for Netflix and easier to manage for customers, studios would rather Netflix not stream anything at all for fear of losing money on more standard movie licenses. It's mostly full of old and forgotten films that people either have already seen or have no desire to see. Sometimes good movies and TV shows will pop up in, but they generally disappear weeks later. And with The Criterion Collection packing up and moving to Hulu, Netflix's streaming flaws are even more apparent.

The other issue: Netflix's DVD service is great, and that only underscores how emaciated its streaming library is. You wait 28-days and you have access to pretty much any movie you could ever want. As long as you have the patience to wait for the movie to arrive, and ability to remember to drop it in a mailbox, it's fine. Comparatively archaic, but fine. Netflix believes this service is still viable in the long term. The problem is, will people really pay $15 for both? And if they pare down to just the DVD-only plan, and turn to another service like Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime for their streaming needs, what does that mean for the future of Netflix's streaming library?

Trying to find a middle ground, Netflix has, up until now, sacrificed new movies so that people can have cheap plans. If Netflix wants users to embrace this new $16 1 disc + streaming price model, it needs to understand that maintaining the current cycle of offerings is not enough. And I think they know that. But they need to offer up a better justification for the price raise than this:

At the time, we didn't anticipate offering DVD only plans. Since then we have realized that there is still a very large continuing demand for DVDs both from our existing members as well as non-members. Given the long life we think DVDs by mail will have, treating DVDs as a $2 add on to our unlimited streaming plan neither makes great financial sense nor satisfies people who just want DVDs.

How about more new releases available to stream? Way more. Announce more exclusive, original TV series, like that awesome David Fincher/Kevin Spacey project that's on the way. And ideally, how about a few major new releases available before the 28 day purgatory? That may be unrealistic, but so is expecting customers to swallow a 50-percent price hike without upping the quality of your product.

But the company doesn't have time to sit and ponder its options.

There are plenty of alternatives for people to turn to. Hulu is already a fully-realized threat. Amazon Prime essentially offers its streaming library for free (once you factor in the cost of shipping on your Amazon orders), and keeps improving the selection. People who have cable and HBO have access to high quality movies and TV shows through streaming apps and on-demand channels. For people considering going streaming-only in light of the price hike, or never cared about the disc service to begin with, canceling their Netflix subscription all together might not even seem that major.

If people want more from Netflix, they need to check in with reality, financially speaking. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings once went on record, putting that exact sentiment into words:

We can't afford all the new stuff and offer the service for $8. So at $8, we're a complement to the new-release business.

So maybe people need to speak with their wallets instead.

Instapaper founder Marco Arment took to Twitter and ventured a guess about the effect the streaming-only plan will have on Netflix, and thinks that if a large number of people go streaming-only, it's possible Netflix will have more firepower to negotiate with going forward. He also thinks it's possible Netflix was caught off guard by the costs involved in scaling up their streaming operation, and needed more financial resources to do so. And Arment is onto something. Netflix needs to find a way to strong arm studios into giving up more streaming content. Right now, the studios have the power.

Netflix has everyone's attention now, but Hastings and Co can't just sit on their asses. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this price bump isn't in vain.

Image via Flickr/Jovino

Gizmodo is the world's most fun technology website, focused on gadgets and how they make our lives better, worse, and more absurd.

The Chinese Government Shut Down 41% Of The Country's Websites In 2010

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 12:07 PM PDT

China's a great place to go if you want to find a company to manufacture some hardware components, but it's a little less awesome if you want to, say, blog about making those components. The country's ramped up its assault on the Internet over the past few years, jailing "immoral" citizens and shutting down websites left and right. Now, China's bragging about its heavy-handedness; the country boasts that its iron grip strangled the life out of over 1.3 million websites last year alone.

The regulatory chopping block devastated the face of the Chinese Internet. The country's Academy of Social Sciences – we'll call it "ASS" –  told BBC News that the shutdowns resulted in a 41 percent decrease of the total number of Chinese websites by the end of 2010. Despite the crackdown, ASS spokesman Liu Ruisheng claimed China enjoyed a "high level of freedom of online speech."

Even though almost half of all Chinese websites were culled from the Net last year, the survivors churned out new work at a break-neck pace: the total number of Chinese web pages available skyrocketed by 79 percent. "This means our content is getting stronger, while our supervision is getting more strict and more regulated," the ASS spokesman argued, presumably to the derisive laughter of the BBC reporter.

What Are You Worth To A Website?

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 10:48 AM PDT

Investors left holding the worthless scraps of paper that the Pets.com stock became after the dot-com bubble burst can tell you that figuring out the worth of a Web property can be a tricky proposition. With companies liked LinkedIn, Groupon and Pandora going public and making millions – or billions – on an almost daily basis, media pundits are worried that another bubble may pop soon. Cautious investors trying to stay ahead of the game measure a Web property's worth by its users' worth. So what are you worth to some of the biggest sites on the Web?

The Indian version of Technology Review took a peak at some of the numbers. The publication quotes Bijan Sabet, a venture capitalist who says that a viable startup should make at least $2 of revenue per user, per year. Of the companies the study looks at, only Twitter fails to meet that number out, although Pandora toes the line at $2 exactly. In fact, the worth of individual users hovers around $2/ea for most of the web properties out there. Only Groupon and Google enjoy high user values, in fact.

At almost $80 a head, Groupon blows away the competition in per user revenue, but Technology Review says not to look too much into that, since Groupon users tend to buy expensive deals from the company whereas other companies often rely solely on ad revenue. Google generates almost $30 from every user, and Facebook game maker Zynga comes in third somewhere around $5 per user We're kind of scratching our heads at how some of these companies are raking in the cash with blockbuster IPOs when they're only making around $2 per user per year, but to be fair, economics were never our strong point.

Technology Review says thanks to its gargantuan user base and high per-user revenue, Google is far and away the most valuable Web property around. Facebook is rated as the second most valuable property, with Zynga and Groupon tying for third.

Image Credit: Technology Review

How to Use Windows 7 Problem Steps Recorder to Make Easy PC Guides

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 10:42 AM PDT

Of the many new features introduced in Windows 7, the humble Problem Steps Recorder was one of the least talked-about. At first glance, the application—which combines an automatic screenshot utility and a sort of low-grade keylogger—appears to be nothing more than a tool to make life a little easier for Microsoft's legion of support personnel. Upon closer inspection, there's actually much more to the Problem Steps Recorder.

For one, you don't have to be a Microsoft support rep to view the files created by the Problem Steps Recorder, which means that if your clueless friend insists that his PC doesn't do what it's supposed to, you can have him record his actions, and tell him where he went wrong. Even more interestingly, you can use the PSR on your own machine to quickly and easily create illustrated, annotated PC tutorials.

Step 1: Shrink Your Work Area

The Problem Steps Recorder punctuates every click you make with a screenshot, showing the entire desktop. If you're running at a very high resolution, or with multiple monitors, these screenshots will be hard to follow along with, so start by disabling your secondary monitor, if you have one, and lowering the resolution to something like 1028x764. Awful, we know, but it's only for a minute.

Step 2: Start the Problem Steps Recorder

In the tradition of all of Microsoft's handiest utilities, the Problem Steps Recorder isn't plainly visible in the Start menu. To run it, you'll need to open the Run dialogue box by hitting Win + R, and then typing psr.exe (below, top). In a pinch, you can also search for PSR at the bottom of the Start menu.

The Problem Steps Recorder itself is pretty simple—just three buttons (above, bottom). You probably don't need us to tell you that in order to begin your recording, you hit the Start Record button.

Step 3: Perform Your Action

 Now, simply perform the action that you want to illustrate. Try to do it as economically as possible; the PSR records a new screenshot every single time you click the mouse button, so any unnecessary clicks will make the final guide file longer, larger, and more complicated than it needs to be.

If you want to elaborate on what you're doing at any time, or explain some onscreen element, click the Add Comment button in the PSR. You'll be prompted to select an area of the screen, and a dialogue box will pop up that allows you to enter a comment (above). Doing this will create another screenshot in the final guide file, with your comment and the area you selected highlighted.

Step 4: Share the Results

As soon as you hit the Stop button on the PSR, it will ask you where you want to store the .zip file it has created. Name it whatever you like, and put it wherever you want—this is what you're going to share with the person who needs help. Email them the file or share it using a service like Dropbox.

Inside the zip archive, there will be just a single file, in the .mht format. Your system may not have a default association for .mht, but it's just XML—you can open it with any modern browser (above). Explain to your friend how to extract and open the file (if only you could use the PSR for this!), and that's it—an instant, nicely formatted how-to guide.

UK Lawmakers Sweating As Geeky Government Agents Chase Cash And Fast Cars

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 10:11 AM PDT

Q, everyone's favorite gadget-smith, never got the respect he deserved. The job carried some great perks, sure – getting his hands on all that cutting-edge tech must have been awesome, and Q stayed immaculately dressed – but in the end, it was always James Bond who got the glory and the tricked out Aston Martins. Q and his friends might end up with the last laugh, though. The British government is warning that it's losing computer whizzes left and right as the allure of big paydays and fast cars are sucking geeky government agents into the private sector.

The news comes on the heels of an annual report by the Intelligence and Security Committee, who oversees the spy-type activities of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Security Service (MI5), as well as Britain's Government Communications Headquarters. The country's cybersecurity falls under its jurisdiction, and the committee's worried that a move to keep its budget locked at current levels for the next four years could cost them key personnel.

"Month-on-month, we are losing whizzes who'll basically say: 'I'm sorry, I am going to take three times the salary and the car and whatever else'," Reuters reports ISC director Iain Lobban as saying. "...I can offer them a fantastic mission, but I can't compete with their salaries. But I probably have to do better than I am doing at the moment, or else my internet whizzes are not going to stay ... and we do have a steady drip, I am afraid."

Cars and money does sound pretty tempting, we have to admit. Lobban claims Britain's networks are hit by over 1,000 cyber attacks month in and month out. Is it wise to freeze raises to the country's top geeks in these days of rampant hack attacks? Only time will tell.

RunCore Rolls Out Industry's First SATA 6Gbps mSATA SSD

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 09:48 AM PDT

RunCore, a Chinese manufacturer of solid state drives (SSDs) for consumers, enterprise, and military applications, just announced a new line of mSATA SSDs -- T50 -- based on the SandForce SF-2281 controller. These are the first mSATA drives to support SATA 6Gb/s and are aimed primarily at high-end ultraportables with a maximum I/O performance of 60,000 4K random write IOPS and 35,000 random read IOPS.

The T50 is available in three capacities, including 30GB (no price announced), 60GB ($198), and 120GB ($358). These drives offer up to 550MB/s sequential read and up to 470MB/s sequential write speeds.

RunCore also announced two other mSATA drive families, the mid-range I50 and entry-level RunCore Lite mSATA. The I50 is targeted at tablets and light laptops with SATA 3GB/s and delivers sequential transfer rates of up to 280MB/s for read and up to 270MB/s for write operations, along with maximum I/O performance of 45,000 4K random write IOPS and 30,000 random read IOPS. These will come in 60GB ($178) and 120GB ($308) capacities.

For netbooks, MIDs, tablets, and other such devices, RunCore's Lite mSATA comes built around the SandForce 2141 controller and comes in 16GB ($28) and 32GB ($38) capacities. RunCore didn't reveal performance numbers for these drives, though we know the SandForce 2141 chipset is rated for up to 250MB/s sequential read and write transfers.

Image Credit: RunCore

Judge Whacks Wi-Fi Hacker with 18-Year Prison Sentence

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 08:51 AM PDT

A Minnesota man is finding out that you can actually serve hard time for actling like an all-around jackass online. That can take many forms, but in this case, Barry Ardolf received an 18-year prison sentence for essentially terrorizing his neighborhood through a series of cyberattacks in retaliation for having the cops called on him by his neighbors. It gets more bizarre.

According to the Pioneer Press and Digital Trends, Ardolf's "cybercampaign of terror" was ignited back in 2008 when his neighbors, Matt and Bethany Kostolnick, filed a police report against him for planting what they called a "wet kiss" on their 4-year-old son's lips. According to the police report, the young child wandered over to Ardolf's property shortly after moving into the neighborhood. He then reportedly picked the boy up, carried him back home, and kissed him on the lips.

After that incident, Ardolf, 46, then a technician at Medtronic, hacked into the Kostolnik's wireless router using a program he downloaded to crack the WEP encryption. Over the course of 707 days, Kostolnick opened email accounts in Kostolnik's name to send lewd and threatening messages to his contacts, he sent death threats to the vice president and other elected officials using Kostolnik's name, and created a fake MySpace page for Matt Kostolnik and uploaded child porn, which he then emailed to co-workers at Kostolnik's law office.

Kostolnik's law office hired a firm to track down the culprit, which it did by installing a packet sniffer. After some time, Ardolf's name and Comcast account came up, and the FBI took over. He was ultimately charged with a number of crimes, including identity theft, unauthorized access to a protected computer, making threats agasint Biden, possession of child pornography, and distribution of child porn. He was charged in June 2010, rejected a plea deal, and was indicted on more charges before going to trial and later pleading guilty.

Ardolf, who is a widower and father of three children of his own, apologized to the Kostolniks before sentencing, but according to the Pionner Press, he spent most of the time talking about himself.

More details are available here. Check it out, and then tell us if what you think of the punishment.

'Cyber Widows' Speak Out Against the Internet, Social Networks

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 08:05 AM PDT

Some marriages are doomed from the start. For example, did anyone think that Drew Barrymore and Tom Green would grow old and funny together? Like those two, Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman barely lasted five months before untieing the knot. Couples get divorced for many reasons, and according to some "cyber widows," technology and the Internet can drive a wedge between partners who otherwise had a happy and healthy relationship.

Marianne Power of Independent Online spoke with a number of divorcees who point to the Internet for ruining their marriage. One of those divorcees include Victoria, a 38-year-old full-time mother who says she played second fiddle to her husband's notebook.

"When Craig came home at night, he'd have something to eat, then he'd open up his laptop to respond to work emails," Victoria laments. "I fooled myself that because we were in the same room we were still being together. But as the months passed I felt hurt and rejected that he'd spend hours emailing colleagues, but hardly say a word to me."

Victoria claims that his virtual self became more important than his real self, and eventually they just stopped communicating altogether. In another example of a marriage turned sour, Power tells the story of Charlotte, a real estate agent from South London. Charlotte complains that her husband joined Twitter about a year ago as a way to "tell a few gags to his mates." But as his followers increased in number, so too did John's time with Twitter.

"Now he is on his mobile phone all the time," Charlotte says. "We never used to argue much, but recently I've lost it when I've been speaking to him about something that's important and he looks down to check his stupid Twitter account."

More than isolated incidents, Power claims these and others are cautionary tales of the harm technology is causing in relationships. She cites a recent study of why wives ended their marriage. In it, 15 percent felt their partner put computer games before them. Power points to other studies and surveys, such as one that blames Facebook for one in five divorces, and another in which the phrase "mobile phone" occurred in one out of every eight divorces citing unreasonable behavior.

You can read the rest here.

MMO News

MMO News


Kitsu Saga shuts down July 14

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 05:14 PM PDT

Kitsu Saga will be shutting down entirely this Thursday, July 14.

Aeria Games cites that the game did not “bounce back” despite content improvements and updates. Players who spent AP since May 2 will get a 100% AP refund, and the server has a 10x boost of loot drops, energy and experience gains until its shutdown at 3pm Pacific.

Aeria Games also publishes Grand Fantasia, Eden Eternal, and Dream of Mirror Online.

kitsu-saga-dungeon-battle

Kitsu Saga Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Dear Kitsu Saga Players,

We regretfully inform you that on July 14th, 2011, Aeria Games will be closing the Kitsu Saga servers permanently.

As many of you may be aware, we had high hopes for Kitsu Saga. Unfortunately, even after all the improvements, content updates and additional changes added, the life of Kitsu Saga did not bounce back fast as we had hoped. So despite our best of efforts we are no longer able to support the game.

This was a very difficult decision for us and has only been made after much deliberation. We like thank those who played Kitsu Saga and especially those who stuck with it through the more difficult times.

Again, we apologize to you for these unfortunate circumstances.

Shutdown Schedule
We have put together a schedule that will lead into the item mall and server final shut down.

Item Mall Closing: 07/01/2011 @ 3pm PST
Server Shutdown: 07/14/2011 @ 3pm PST

AP Spender Compensation:
As a thank you to our customers we have decided to return 100% of the AP spent to all Kitsu Saga to players within the last 60 days from today (May 2nd, 2011-July 1st, 2011). However, because of the large nature of refunds, please allow up to 7-10 business days after July 14th, 2011.

Free Loot Box:
The end is near so go out with a bang! Get FREE AP items here.

Server Bonus
We will also be giving 10x server bonuses of Loot, Energy and XP until the shut down is complete.

Age of Heroes begins in MapleStory

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 04:26 PM PDT

The second update of MapleStory’s “Chaos,” the Age of Artisans, is now live.

The update adds a new crafting system, letting players find items around the world that they can combine in recipes to create new items and weapons. Players can use Smithing (armor/weapons), Alchemy (potions/pills), Accessory Crafting (belts, rings, etc), as well as Mining and Herbalism gathering skills. Some of these items will also be special “fluff” items, like the ability to create a potion which grows the player to a giant size.

A new personality trait system is also being introduced. Players can strengthen traits that include Ambition, Willpower, Insight, Diligence, Charm, and Empathy; these traits add special boosts that will help players with various tasks in game.

MapleStory is published by Nexon, which also publishes Mabinogi, Combat Arms, and Vindictus.

maplestory-big-bang-edelstein

MapleStory Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

A Work of Artisans

Weapon crafting and personality trait systems bring an all new flavor to MapleStory

"Chaos" is in full effect in MapleStory, the 2-D side-scrolling MMORPG from Nexon. Hot on the heels of the Age of Heroes Chaos content update, the Age of Artisans is the second major Chaos update to sweep Maple World.

The Age of Artisans brings an entirely new weapon and item crafting system to MapleStory. Players will now be able to pick up various items around Maple World that combine to form recipes to craft powerful items and weapons. Once a recipe is concocted, players can use the Smithing technique to create armor and weapons, Alchemy to craft potions and pills, and Accessory Crafting to make belts, rings and more. Mining and Herbalism techniques can also be used to gather more raw materials that enhance crafting skills.

In addition to the crafting system, a personality trait system is also part of the Age of Artisans update. This system will grant players the opportunity to further define their characters by strengthening various traits, including Ambition, Willpower, Insight, Diligence, Charm and Empathy. Each personality characteristic provides a distinct aid throughout quests or battles: Ambition and Willpower will help strengthen resolve; Insight will allow players to see items' hidden potential; Diligence helps with masterful crafting; Charm allows players to enhance how they express themselves in-game and Empathy raises players' MP and helps avatars gain EXP during quests.

Players should be on the lookout for unique crafting techniques that let them show off to fellow Maplers. For instance, alchemists will be able to create a potion that lets their avatar become enormous, while smiths will be able to create android sidekicks that aid them through daily quests.

Chaos events are also in full swing. Players can experiences various bonuses which include finding exclusive crafting recipes and experiencing increased chances to discover higher level items and crafting recipes.
More details about the Chaos summer update series will be announced in the coming weeks.

MapleStory is available to download and play for free at http://maplestory.nexon.net.

To learn more about MapleStory, visit http://facebook.com/maplestory.

Hellbreed reveals class info

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 03:28 PM PDT

Hellbreed, a new browser-based action RPG published by Gameforge, is currently in closed beta, and is now revealing more details about its three playable characters, the Warrior, Huntress, and Siege Master.

The Warrior wears heavy armor and masters melee, using either axes, swords, or shields in one- and two-hand varieties. He can summon Squires and other troops, or call up stakes from the ground. Warriors can train as Battlemasters, focused on damage, or Resilience, focused on defense. Warriors can make bandages that they can use in battle.

The Huntress fights at ranged, and uses arrows of several varieties, including fire and paralysis. She can also summon wolves, bears, spores, and bolts of lightning – or transform herself into a werewolf. The Huntress can specialize as a Creature Master, specialized into improving her summons, or a Markswoman, focused on speed and stealth. The Huntress brews potions to heal her in battle.

The Siege Master is capable of using war machines in battle, including a buzzsaw and grenades, and heals his wounds by cauterizing them. He can train further as a constructor, which improves war machines and allows him to research new machines, or as a besieger, who focuses on damage output and breaking through walls and gates.

GameForge also publishes OGame, BiteFight, Ikariam, and 4Story.

hellbreed_interface

Hellbreed Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Hellish good: The characters of Hellbreed

Skills and Specialties of the Siege Master, the Warrior and the Huntress

Karlsruhe, Germany, 8th July 2011 – In the browser-based action RPG Hellbreed by Gameforge, international leading provider of online games, the player bravely faces off against the creatures of Darken and attempts to reunite the world of Manjuri, which has been broken into fragments by the gods. At the beginning of the game you can choose between one of three playable characters – the Warrior, the Huntress or the Siege Master. As is common in RPGs, Hellbreed also offers you the chance to train your character in a specific field as you level up.

The Siege Master
Anyone who enjoys fighting hordes of enemies in melee combat will like the Siege Master. He is a fun chap to be around, and he enjoys drinking a barrel or two of ale for supper and telling of his adventures in the divided world.

Skills: The Siege Master has a unique ability at his disposal. He can make use of war machines in battle. These include a mighty buzzsaw that appears beneath his opponents, and small grenades that explode, causing fire damage to several enemies at the same time.

Specialties: As he develops, the Siege Master can either train as a "constructor" or "besieger". Constructors are dedicated to improving existing war machines and researching new ones. They don't just care about maximising damage – the number of shots and the service life of the war machine is also important to them. The besieger, on the other hand, is much more concerned with how best to come crashing through thick stone walls and iron gates.

A true Siege Master also has no use of bandages, ointments or healing potions. Wounds are healed the traditional way – by cauterising them!

The Warrior
The Warrior is a master of melee combat and is able to wear heavy armour, and this makes him an opponent that is difficult to fell. He is man to whom honour is everything, and he has dedicated his sword to protecting the weak. A Warrior is not choosy when it comes to selecting his weapon, and he will take what he can get, whether it be a one-handed or two-handed weapon, an axe, a sword or a shield.

Skills: His crushing blows can bring down giants and trees. He can summon Squires and call upon troops to stand by him in battle. And when hordes of enemies threaten to overrun him, he can call upon sharp stakes that rise from the ground.

Specialties: A Warrior can train either as a “Battlemaster”, which helps him to inflict more damage, or he can opt for “Resilience”, which makes it even more difficult for enemies to damage the already difficult-to-defeat hero.

A warrior wouldn't be a warrior if he couldn't treat his own wounds. To this end, he is skilled in the production of bandages that he can use at any time – even in battle.

The Huntress
The Huntress is nimble, skilled and usually fights from a distance. She loves nature and avoids throngs of people. Should anyone ever manage to get her talking, they would do well to be superbly acquainted with the local flora and fauna.

Skills: The Huntress is a master of long-range combat, and has at her disposal not only normal arrows, but also fire arrows and paralysing arrows. However, the Huntress is no less a force to be reckoned with in melee combat. She can summon companions such as wolves or bears to support her in battle. She can call up deadly spores or bolts of lightning from thin air to bring her opponents to their knees, but her most powerful incantation is the "Metamorphosis", which transforms her into a werewolf.

Specialties: If you enjoy exploring the world with an animal companion at your side, you will probably want to train as a "Creature Master". Even though a wolf may seem tame as he accompanies the Huntress, he will transform into a ravaging beast in battle and defend his mistress with his life. A Huntress that trains as a markswoman, on the other hand, will focus on being faster, stealthier, and deadlier. This training provides her with many skills that are of use to her in long-range combat.

As a child of nature, the Huntress is familiar with the healing plants of the world and uses them to brew healing potions that assist her in battle.

Lucent Heart begins its commerical launch

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 03:11 PM PDT

Lucent Heart officially launched its item mall today, marking the game’s “commercial” launch in North America. The item mall will include outfits, convenience items, cupid keys (which lets players pair up with their friends through the Cupid system), and more.

To celebrate, players can enter the “Ruffle Raffle” event this week, with a chance to win in-game outfits and limited edition Lucent Heart t-shirts. Cupid Keys will also be 25% off.

Lucent Heart is published by Gamania (beanfun), which also publishes Hero: 108 Online and Bright Shadow.

lucentheart-2011-06-26-00-55-55-58

Lucent Heart Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Gamania Digital Entertainment today is proud to announce the North American item mall opening of its highly anticipated free-to-play zodiac-inspired social MMORPG, Lucent Heart. Everyone can now access the new item mall for unique outfits and convenience items. For a limited time Cupid Keys will be sold at a 25% discount, allowing players to be automatically matched with their friends. And those looking for free items can enter the Ruffle Raffle event, running all week, with an in-game outfit and limited edition Lucent Heart t-shirt as prizes: http://us.forums.beanfun.com/index.php?/topic/7283-cool-ruffle-raffle-win-3day-sets-tshirt/.

"We want to thank our fantastic community for their support during Lucent Heart's recent betas," said David Wong, COO of Gamania. "We're very happy with how smoothly the game has progressed up to this point and there's a lot to look forward to with future updates and features. I think players are going to be amazed at how much content we're planning to bring over, it's going to be an exciting year."

Lucent Heart is [NA] Gamania's newest free-to-play MMORPG. Brought over from Japan where it has won numerous awards, Lucent Heart's North American debut has been making waves with its unique social design and community-centric focus. While questing in the land of Acadia, players will find that their greatest reward isn't the treasure at the end of a dungeon; it's the friends they made along the way.

Players can use the official website to download the client, sign up and play at: http://us.beanfun.com/lucentheart/, and meet the community at the official Lucent Heart Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/lucentheart, or forums: http://us.forums.beanfun.com/.

Black Prophecy launches Episode 1

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 02:41 PM PDT

Black Prophecy has released its first major update today – Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima.

Tulima is a new sector where players can visit the new hub, Enzo’s Emporium, which features new story missions for players level 14 or higher, new jobs, and new dynamic missions. The update also removes construction times, adds the new flak cannon, and adds new special skills that lets players activate attack drones, overload weapons, or push enemies away with a shockwave. The messenger system and interface have also been revised.

Black Prophecy is published by gamigo, which also publishes Loong, King of Kings 3, and Cultures Online.

black-prophecy-thrusters

Black Prophecy Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

The universe is burning! Black Prophecy – Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima is live.

Hamburg, July 12, 2011 – Today is the day: the space combat MMOG Black Prophecy is celebrating the release of its first expansion “”Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima.” With this new add-on, publisher gamigo and developer Reakktor have not just expanded the game mechanics but also introduced a wealth of new content.

A trailer to “Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima” can be viewed on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJv3KzOF1Lw

Tulima was once a vacation paradise where the wealthy could enjoy cocktails in the warm glow of the twin suns. Now the aliens are going to use the sector as their launching pad for an invasion. The sector contains the new hub, “Enzo’s Emporium”, and will provide new story missions that continue the epic story of the conflict between the Genides and Tyi for players at level 14 and higher. There are also plenty of new jobs and dynamic missions waiting for brave pilots.

“Episode 1″ will also introduce a number of improvements to Black Prophecy. For example, construction times are now a thing of the past: Ship modifications are now completed immediately, so players can jump right back into action. A new type of weapon, the flak cannon, add even more explosive excitement to battles.

These have also been made more dynamic and thrilling by the new special skill system: Players can activate attack drones, for example, or overload their weapons temporarily to make life difficult for their enemies. When the vast emptiness of space gets too crowded, experienced pilots utilize a shockwave to push away attackers within a set radius.

Other changes have been made to the game to help improve gameplay based on feedback from the community. These include an overhaul to the messenger system as well as a customizable interface.

Information about all the new content of “Episode 1: Inferno in Tulima” can be found on the game’s official website.

Battleswarm to shut down

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 05:41 PM PDT

Reality Gap, publisher of Battleswarm and Monato Esprit, has announced that it has sold its titles to another company. While Monato Esprit will be republished with new revisions and content, Battleswarm was not part of the sale and will shut down this Saturday, July 16.

MetaTIX, the game’s virtual currency, will not be refunded to any player.

battleswarm-overview

Battleswarm Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Dear Battleswarmers,

We all hoped things would get better again, and we all tried our very best to get Battleswarm back up with tons of players and new features etc. But after a long struggle Reality Gap is in the process of a sale to a new company who specializes in children's games. Battleswarm is not part of that sale, so we will have to shut down the game. The servers will be up and running until July the 16th 2011.

Reality Gap's Monato Esprit and several other titles will most likely be re-launched by this company totally revamped and lots of content added. There will be more support in-game and via the helpdesk, and it will be a good but new fresh start!

Having said that, the purchasing of MetaTIX will be frozen, for now please don’t purchase anymore MetaTIX unless you plan to use them all within the next 15 days. There can be no refunds of any kind, so enjoy spending/sharing or giving away your last MetaTIX!

It has been a very wild ride with many ups and downs and we want to thank every single one of you for your endless support, your input and all the fun times we've had the past years! Not the best news in the world to give you.. but try to enjoy the last few weeks of Battleswarm!

Thank you! <3

Reality Gap, Inc.

K.O.S. to relaunch in August

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 05:32 PM PDT

K.O.S. Secret Operations has announced that it will completely relaunch on August 1 on a new game portal.

In addition to getting a new game portal, K.O.S. (which will now go under the name K.O.S Secret Operations Amped) will be wiping all game data, with the exception of Blynk credits. The game will also be adding new weapons and enhanced gear on August 10, after the transition.

K.O.S is published by YNK Interactive, which also publishes Rohan Online and Seal Online.

kos-mmofps-main

K.O.S. Secret Operations Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

K.O.S.-Secret Operations will be amped to be the next best competitive cyber FPS e-sport.

K.O.S Secret Operations Amped will be launching its new weapons and enhanced gear on August 10, 2011, and competition to become the best FPS fragger will begin.

K.O.S Secret Operations will be closing on August 1, 2011 & all data will be cleared.  All remaining Blynks will be transferred over once you integrate your existing Dontblynk account to the new portal.   A step-by-step guide on how to transfer Blynks will soon be  available.

New website and item mall on the new Portal will be announced at a later date. Make sure you check here for the latest upcoming information.

Aida Arenas suspends closed beta

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 05:03 PM PDT

Aida Arenas, which began its first closed beta test on June 30, has suspended its second closed beta test indefinitely.

No reason is given as to why the beta has been suspended, but it is fair to assume the publisher may simply be adding more polish or fixing crucial bugs in the game before releasing the next beta.

Aida Arenas is published by Gamerkraft, which also publishes Freejack.

aida-arena-screenshot

Aida Arenas Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

GamerKraft regrets to announce that the second closed beta test for Aida Arenas has been delayed indefinitely.

This means that the closed beta servers will not be online this weekend as previously announced.

We want to thank everyone who came out last weekend to participate in the first closed beta test and we apologize for this sudden turn of events.

Battle of the Immortals dates Titan update

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 04:14 PM PDT

Battle of the Immortals has placed a release date on its upcoming Titan update: July 13, this Wednesday.

The Titan update will feature a new instance (Titans’ Throne) that can be completed once per day with at least 3 level 115 players, and will reward a new set of Soul Gear plus the artifact Thunder. Two new maps, Black Dragon Lair and Giants Kingdom, will also reward Soul Gear.

Battle of the Immortals is published by Perfect World Entertainment, which also publishes Forsaken World, Jade Dynasty, and Perfect World Online.

battle-of-the-immortals-valkyrie

Battle of the Immortals Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Perfect World Entertainment is pleased to announce that Battle of the Immortals players need to wait no more as the Titan Content update will be launching this Wednesday, July 13!

Elfender officially launches

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 03:01 PM PDT

Elfender officially launched at the end of last week, on July 7, and has announced it now to the world. All new players will get a starting bonus to help them along their way.

Elfender is a browser-based tower-defense game, borrowing elements from Plants Versus Zombies, trading card games, and role-playing games. Players can PvE or PvP, placing plants versus zombies in the Chamber of Fight and battling it out for rewards. The game also features missions, quests, puzzles, customization, shops, in-game e-mail, and crafting.

Elfender is published by Clapalong, which also publishes Batheo and eDragon.

elfender-lobby

Elfender Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Elfender finally meets the world!

Power Hosts Technology Limited, the publisher of Elfender, confirmed its release on 7th Jul, 2011. The online game community will have to prepare for another round of fierce competition between games mixing all the edges of MMO, RPG, PUZ, LVG and TCG. Elfender is most likely to get the upper hand!

http://www.clapalong.com/?action=promotion!ldp&utm_campaign=Elfender_S1&utm_source=m&utm_term=ma013

Every player who registers on clapalong.com to play Elfender will be given newcomer packs and loads of bonuses. Currently they are featuring payment promos that give you a great head-start. Make a decent purchase and you wait for gifts rolling like snowballs.

Elfender adapts appealing features from the popular game Plants vs. Zombies and combines them with many other awesome elements. Elfender is a highly anticipated browser-based tower defense game mixing all the edges of MMO, RPG, PUZ, LVG and TCG. In this game, you can experience the fun of management, exploration, puzzle-solving and so much more.

Elfender offers stimulating powerful PVP and rich PVE of varying difficulties whose success can only be guaranteed by accumulated wisdom and courage with your co-gamers. The warring sides occupy their own zones in the Chamber of Fight to place plants or zombies strategically and see who gets the upper hand. The images of characters are definitely the highlight.

All in all, the gameplay is familiar if you were a fan of Plants vs. Zombies, however, there are also many surprises waiting for you. Elfender supplies all kinds of missions and quests which may lead to bountiful rewards for you to level up quickly and achieve a winning streak in the fantasy world. Besides, the dashing clothes and glamorous dress available will give you an incredible customization experience and unique visual feast. There are Shops to purchase what you need, e-mail system to bond with your buddies, crafting factory to better utilize those gathered items and so forth.

The brilliance of Elfender can really not be described in full detail here. You must play it by yourself to fully understand it. Elfender has just been released and what are you still waiting for?

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Free for All: The MMO freak show... step right up!

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , ,

Back when I played and toured with a band, we would always finish up our East coast trips in New York. Sure, it's a big beautiful city but the true fun came when we visited Coney Island. We'd check out the rides and grab some fried foods, but the best part was visiting some friends of ours who ran and performed in the freak show. One particularly lovely lady was known as Insectavora, and she was covered in tattoos. She had a knack for eating bugs, too, and describing to the audience what they tasted like. (Feeding crickets oranges made them taste orangey.)

There are plenty of MMOs out there that would feel right at home in the Coney Island freakshow. These odd ducks are made by someone special, played by a special few and visited by me. I love them, but making a list of them was sort of hard. After all, these days we have MMOs that are populated with the weirdest looking critters you can imagine, and all of our tolerance levels for the odd and unusual have risen.

But click past the cut and let me show you some of my favorite oddball MMOs. Remember...I use that term lovingly.

Continue reading Free for All: The MMO freak show... step right up!

MassivelyFree for All: The MMO freak show... step right up! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Secret World designers talk optimal builds, travel, and more

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 09:30 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

Funcom devs have been hitting the publicity circuit lately in support of The Secret World, and GamePro has a new video interview featuring lead designer Martin Bruusgaard and lead content designer Joel Bylos. The pair spend a good nine minutes talking about various aspects of their upcoming fantasy-horror MMO, with particular attention given to the game's skill system and the builds it makes possible.

"In certain areas, people will need to have the correct effects to be optimal," Bylos explains. "In solo play especially, you will want to have a certain build." You can still progress any way you see fit, though, and Bylos was quick to point out that Funcom's intent is to provide a flexible character building system. That said, it's clear that build flexibility can come at the expense of perfect optimization, and ultimately Funcom is striving for a balance between playing how you want to play and tweaking your build as you go in order to progress through content.

The interview also touches on travel in The Secret World, and Bylos drops a few interesting hints about the use of hollow-earth myths to facilitate the globe-jumping that players will experience when traveling between far-flung locales like New York, Seoul, or London. Check out all the details after the cut.

Continue reading The Secret World designers talk optimal builds, travel, and more

MassivelyThe Secret World designers talk optimal builds, travel, and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gamescom 2011: ArenaNet announces Guild Wars costume competition!

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , ,

ArenaNet always makes an outstanding appearance at the video game fan conventions. Last year at Gamescom, developers allowed players to play Guild Wars 2 for the first time, and fans -- begging to get a bit of swag -- would literally swarm the stage each time the staff would speak. This year will likely be no different.

Holding to tradition, ANet is sponsoring a Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 costume contest for those who attend the event in Cologne, Germany. Come to the convention dressed in your best Guild Wars-related outfit on Sunday, August 21st to earn prizes and display your love for all things Guild Wars.

ArenaNet is also happy to announce that it will attend the Eurogamer EXPO this year on September 22nd through 25th in London, England. The team promises to have game demonstrations at the NCsoft booth so that you can grab some personal playtime with Guild Wars 2. A full list of convention activities can be found on the Guild Wars 2 official site.

[Also, check out some of the amazing Guild Wars costumes, like the one pictured above, by Katerina Maria on DeviantArt.]

MassivelyGamescom 2011: ArenaNet announces Guild Wars costume competition! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XI may be ported to PlayStation Vita

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , ,

It's not definite yet, but signs are pointing to a possible port of Final Fantasy XI over to the recently announced PlayStation Vita in the indeterminable future.

Siliconera reports that Square Enix is mulling over a basic port of the aging title to the beefed-up portable platform. While the plans are not definite at this point, it's an intriguing concept especially when you consider Vita's Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities.

Hiromichi Tanaka, former lead designer for Final Fantasy XI and producer for Final Fantasy XIV, says that while a Vita port is a possibility, the difficulties of working with the PlayStation 3 mean that a version on that console doesn't look likely (the PS3 version of XIV is still in limbo).

Final Fantasy XI recently received a dollop of quality-of-life improvements in the July update.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XI may be ported to PlayStation Vita originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Black Prophecy North American launch day round-up

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 07:30 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , ,

It's launch day for Black Prophecy, and while the impending blast-off probably won't generate as much publicity as last week's final space shuttle mission, it's nonetheless a day long remembered for fans of spaceships, sci-fi, and Reakktor's free-to-play followup to Neocron.

But wait a minute, didn't Black Prophecy launch last March? Why yes, yes it did... in Europe. Today marks the official North American street date, and Massively's got you covered in terms of all the Black Prophecy news that's fit to print.

Join us after the cut for recaps of the European launch, the North American closed beta phase, and a bunch of other blurbs to tide you over until you're able to strap into your very own internet spaceship.

Continue reading Black Prophecy North American launch day round-up

MassivelyBlack Prophecy North American launch day round-up originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Alganon opens European servers

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 07:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , ,

Quest Online announced today that its free-to-play MMORPG Alganon is expanding! The game's reach grows just a wee bit longer with the launch of the Aeon server, located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Players on either continent can choose to play on either server, so there's nothing stopping North American players from throwing down with their friends across the pond.

As a result of this new addition to the Alganon family, players will have a week (until July 19th) to transfer to the Aeon server free of charge. To do so, all you have to do is log into the Alganon website, choose the My Account option, and click My Transfers. Voila! The new server also comes just in time for the upcoming GM vs. Player battles taking place on July 16th and 17th. For more information, head to the official Alganon site.

MassivelyAlganon opens European servers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What makes you feel epic?

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , ,

On a very basic level, MMOs are all about trying to make the player and the player's character feel epic in some way. You're supposed to feel big and important, like you're making a difference in the world. But there are a lot of games that offer a lot of different paths to epicness, and while one player might want to be an Ascended fighting against rifts in, well, RIFT, other players feel more epic by being an influential farmer in Star Wars Galaxies.

Maybe you feel epic banding together with a huge group of people to defeat an endgame raid. Maybe you feel epic working your way through small-group content with your closest companions. Maybe it's PvP, or crafting, or something else entirely. Whatever your game of choice, today we ask you -- what makes you feel epic? What sort of experiences make you feel really important in the game world around you?

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. Please be advised that there's no need to make a joke about anyone's genitals on today's Daily Grind. (We see that one coming.)

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What makes you feel epic? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XI improves quality of life with July version update

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT

Filed under: , , , ,

It's not all that often that a game launches a major patch without a major drop of content, but Final Fantasy XI has done that with the July version update that's just gone live. But that's not to imply that the version update doesn't include quite a bit -- just that it doesn't include any brand-new missions. Instead, the update contains a number of improvements to the game's quality, including the addition of new vendors, smoothed texture effects, and usability improvements to many of the game's existing systems.

Several jobs have seen improvements with this update, including White Mage, Samurai, and Puppetmaster, with the latter getting a few new automaton pieces to complement the changes. A number of Grounds of Valor regimes have also seen their overall requirements tweaked to help players complete the objectives with fewer headaches. There are also new and improved textures and resolution option for users on the PC, a welcome option that's been requested for some time. Final Fantasy XI can look at the full list of patch notes for all of the changes -- it might not be a new battlefield, but it's still full of welcome improvements.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XI improves quality of life with July version update originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fallen Earth dev blog talks builds, combat mechanics, and more

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 05:00 PM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

Let it never be said that the devs at GamersFirst and Icarus fail to communicate with Fallen Earth players. The latest wasteland-flavored dev blog is longer than your average George R. R. Martin novel, and just about as complex.

This week's installment is heavy on builds and mechanical info following the recent combat revamp, and theorycrafters, min-maxers, and folks whose eyes don't glaze over at the thought of number-driven minutiae will no doubt find it instructive.

There's also a brief mention of current subscriber rewards, as well as some hinting at the various subscriber levels (and premium access benefits) that the dev team is still in the process of tweaking. Read all about it at the official Fallen Earth dev blog.

MassivelyFallen Earth dev blog talks builds, combat mechanics, and more originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hyperspace Beacon: Expecting a living world

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT

Filed under: , , , ,

The other day I was talking to some friends about Star Wars: The Old Republic, of course. As of late, it seems to be the only thing I'm talking about. My friend isn't a guy who follows the game that closely, but he is an MMO player and has certain expectations for the game. Specifically, we talked about Crew Skills and space combat. He is an EVE player. EVE Online has one of the most in-depth crafting systems in any MMO to date, not to mention the game is completely set in space, right? On the other side of the fence, I was talking to some roleplayers in Star Wars Galaxies, who also don't follow the game as closely as I do. These MMOers are expecting SWTOR to be filled with the best roleplay tools available in the gaming industry. It's BioWare; after all, that team created Never Winter Nights, the most customizable RPG ever. (Of course, this doesn't take into effect that latest games to come from the developer were pretty linear and not very sandboxy.)

As arm chair developers, we sometimes believe that implementing ideas in an MMO is a lot easier than reality. On the official forums last week, a player made this statement: "I, and 14 other guildmates, really want to plan on rolling on an rp-pvp server. It's such a trivial game feature to confirm for us, I don't understand why they wouldn't just mention it and be done with it." After saying that he would look into it, Community Manager Stephen Reid made the statement that "A good rule of thumb with MMO development is to never assume something is trivial."

What are some other "trivial" expectations players are placing on this game? Which ones can BioWare deliver on? Which ones aren't as trivial as suggested? Why can't Star Wars: The Old Republic give us everything we want? In this week's column, let's talk about setting.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Expecting a living world

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Expecting a living world originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMObility: My iPhone versus my Android

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 03:00 PM PDT

Filed under: , , ,

I've been lucky enough lately to surround myself with some pretty nifty gadgets. It's not hard, really, being that my mobile phone provider gives me a large discount every two years. Coincidentally, my phones need to be upgraded about every two years, so it works out perfectly. Lately, though, I've been using my phones less and less as phones and more as gaming devices. I text to communicate and also make heavy use of the cameras. They might be called a "phone" but making phone calls is the least I do.

We were generally an iPhone household for a while. When my wife's old original iPhone was upgraded to a 3GS, I got the old one. When we upgraded her to an iPhone 4, I got the 3GS and my mother got the original. (She loves it by the way.) We also have an iPad 1 and 2, but no Android tablet... yet. I do have my HTC Inspire Android phone, though. I've spent enough time with all of them to form a pretty strong opinion on both.

Now, this is not going to be a tech-talk filled column. I don't do that sort of thing. I don't care if I save a few frames per second -- that stuff varies so much anyway. I am going to just lay out how they work for me specifically, and maybe you readers can fill in some blanks with your opinion.

Continue reading MMObility: My iPhone versus my Android

MassivelyMMObility: My iPhone versus my Android originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Head and shoulders above the others

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 02:00 PM PDT

Filed under: , , ,

Today's One Shots submission comes from Duskman, who may have plenty of Guild Wars characters, but he's got a clear favorite in the mix:
This is my main character from my favorite MMO. He's a Monk named Bulletproof Dusk in Guild Wars. These days he splits his time keeping his friend's red bar full and dragging along his spirit army. I created this guy way back in 2006.

I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking at the time, but I chose what must be the ugliest head/hair style in the game. The 2006 Dragon Festival was my first big in-game event and I got this awesome dragon mask with crazy eyes. He has worn it ever since, hiding his ugly face in shame.

He is wearing the Elite Flowing armor tattoo set, dyed with a combination of black and silver. I'm closing in on 2,000 hours invested in
Guild Wars and have not regretted a second.
We've taken a look at all of your accessories over the past few weeks on One Shots: weapons, armor, mounts, and pets. But now it's time to turn the spotlight on the star of the show. We want to see you -- well, your character. Snap a screenshot of your favorite character in your favorite MMO. Let us know about him or her by sending the screenshot, your name, and some information about the character to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll feature it here on One Shots!

MassivelyOne Shots: Head and shoulders above the others originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Darkfall video shows off new chainmail armor

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Filed under: , , , , ,

Character wipes and the 2.0 relaunch may be foremost in the mind of Darkfall fans these days, but Aventurine has just released a new video that demonstrates its ongoing commitment to improving the existing game (not to mention its ongoing sense of humor).

Though the clip clocks in at a paltry 50 seconds, that's time enough to get a good look at Darkfall's upcoming chainmail armor improvements. You'll also want to stick around to the end of the video for a cameo appearance by... well, we're honestly not sure what that was, but it looked big, angry, and vaguely like one of Agon's notorious AI mobs.

Today's video release is the second part of a new Aventurine initiative called Media Sneak Peek, and you can view it after the cut as well as on the official Darkfall website.

Continue reading Darkfall video shows off new chainmail armor

MassivelyDarkfall video shows off new chainmail armor originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Icarus and GamersFirst collaborate on new MMO

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 12:30 PM PDT

Filed under: , , ,

Icarus Studios and Gamersfirst's Reloaded Productions have announced today that the two studios will be partnering yet again on an upcoming MMORPG. The game, titled Hailan Rising, will be based on Icarus' xScape platform, which is being modified to support Unity 3D.

Hailan Rising is "slated to be the industry's first full scale PvP-based Fantasy MMORPG developed in Unity 3D," and places players in the role of one of eight character classes in the post-apocalyptic fantasy world of Hailan. After the world is destroyed by a huge flood, land is at a premium, so players must battle it out for the newly created islands and the resources they hold. For more information on this upcoming title, head over to the game's official site.

MassivelyIcarus and GamersFirst collaborate on new MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR flashpoints playable at Comic-Con [Updated]

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , ,

Several weeks ago we told you about BioWare's plans to stage a public demo of its Star Wars The Old Republic MMORPG across the street from this month's San Diego Comic Con. Today, MMORPG.com has picked up on the news from the official forums, pointing out that the demos will feature the game's first two flashpoints.

Interested players will get to work their way through the Black Talon and Esseles instances beginning Thursday, July 21st at 7:00 p.m. Pacific and running through Saturday, July 23rd. The sessions will last approximately one hour and are open to the general public. You'll want to get there early, though, as spots are limited and interest in BioWare's sci-fi opus is ramping up in anticipation of a possible 2011 release.

[Update: Apparently, this isn't open to the public. There's a lottery to get in. Good luck with that!]

MassivelySWTOR flashpoints playable at Comic-Con [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

City of Heroes previews First Ward

Posted: 12 Jul 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , ,

It's important for City of Heroes players to remember that Issue 21 isn't just bringing City of Heroes Freedom -- it's also bringing several pieces of new content, including the foreboding First Ward. The official site has just put up a preview of the new region, the site of Emperor Cole's first attempt at making his perfect society... and the site of his greatest failure in that goal. Because First Ward was the start of Praetoria, one that ended in destruction and death despite everything.

Protected by a prototype system of sonic fencing which would later be used around Praetoria proper, First Ward was able to repulse the Devouring Earth for quite some time. But Hamidon had a secret plan to burst up from within the city, leading to widespread death and destruction across the landscape. The city remains as a place where the veil between dead and living has been weakened to near the breaking point while the Devouring Earth stalk the streets, and while something may be blossoming within the city, it's certainly not Cole's dream. City of Heroes players can check out the official site for the full details on what has happened to the city.

MassivelyCity of Heroes previews First Ward originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Total Pageviews

statcounter

View My Stats