| The Firing Line: American aircraft and a real-life shooter Posted: 23 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Historical, Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Opinion, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, DUST 514, World of Warplanes, The Firing Line What's happening, shooter fans? Hopefully everyone's getting ready for a long holiday weekend filled with family, food, and gaming (of course). Several interesting online shooter nuggets came across my desk this week, including a deeper look at World of Warplanes, a Firefall beta clarification, and some sexy new DUST 514 details. Also, would you believe a real-life -- and real, live -- online FPS featuring actual locations? Continue reading The Firing Line: American aircraft and a real-life shooter  The Firing Line: American aircraft and a real-life shooter originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| BioWare stages SWTOR freeze mob event in New York City's Times Square Posted: 23 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Star Wars: The Old Republic If you happened to be walking around Times Square on the night of December 20th, you may have witnessed one of the more unique MMO launch day promotions in recent memory. BioWare enlisted the help of Darth Malgus and a cadre of heavily armored Jedi (or at least, their cosplay equivalents) to stage a Star Wars: The Old Republic freeze mob event complete with lightsabers and bewildered onlookers. What's a freeze mob? Well, it's just what it sounds like, and fortunately for those of you who didn't get to see it live, there's a video of the shenanigans after the cut. Continue reading BioWare stages SWTOR freeze mob event in New York City's Times Square BioWare stages SWTOR freeze mob event in New York City's Times Square originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| This Week in MMO: Fable edition Posted: 23 Dec 2011 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Champions Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic, TERA What new this week in MMOs? You'll have to watch This Week in MMO to find out. Funny how that works, huh? Host Gary Gannon is joined by Mike Schaffnit and Jasmine Hruschak for the traditional news roundtable, and boy is there a lot to talk about. Topics include Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch and post-launch reactions, Cryptic's SWTOR ripoffs homages, and TERA's endgame political system. The heretofore single-player Fable franchise gets a mention as well, due to Microsoft's curious job posting that seeks an experienced MMO programmer. Join the trio for all this and more at the Gamebreaker website. This Week in MMO: Fable edition originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE Online's third novel dropping ship in January Posted: 23 Dec 2011 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Lore, DUST 514 CCP's Tony Gonzales is set to unveil his latest EVE Online novel, titled EVE: Templar One, this January 3rd. But for Gonzales, it is a bittersweet moment, as it marks his final contribution to the game world: "EVE: Templar One is a labor of love that began in 2009. For now, it is my last contribution to EVE's fiction as I was amongst the casualties of the recent difficult times CCP endured." EVE: Templar One should prove of particular interest to DUST 514 followers, as the novel reveals the backstory of the immortal soldiers who will make up the game. Gonzales also says that it will follow up on the events of his previous book, EVE: The Empyrean Age. Readers who want to beef up on the lore of both games will appreciate the explanations of how the immortals work and some of the many mysteries that have popped up in the EVE universe. Gonzales concludes the announcement of the novel's impending release with heartfelt appreciation to fans: "Your support over the years has been overwhelming, and I'll never forget it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything." Currently the novel is available for pre-order through Amazon.com. EVE Online's third novel dropping ship in January originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Is a tiered launch the way to go? Posted: 23 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Launches, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous I'm sure you know where I'm going with this one. Star Wars: The Old Republic launched earlier this week, and if you pre-ordered the game, you were allowed to play during an early access period before retail launch. This meant that early adopters were rewarded for their loyalty, but not all at once. Early access was granted according to pre-order date... for the most part. We can only imagine BioWare decided to do this to prevent the massive server queues that have recently plagued triple-A MMO launches like RIFT's. While it may have toned down the intensity a bit, server queues are still a problem. After all, those who got in early didn't mysteriously stop playing on retail launch day. The traffic seems to be consistent, but it's the players' locations in the game world that seem to have benefited the most from the tiered launch. So we want to know what you think. Did BioWare set a new standard for MMO launches, or was this whole experiment a flop?  Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!The Daily Grind: Is a tiered launch the way to go? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Closed beta sign-ups begin for DUST 514 Posted: 23 Dec 2011 04:00 AM PST |
| Trion Worlds customer database hacked, 'no evidence' credit card info stolen Posted: 22 Dec 2011 07:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Legal, RIFT, Miscellaneous Trion Worlds has become the latest in a long string of MMO studio security breaches this year, as the company reported an intrusion into its customer database. At risk of compromise were customers' user names, passwords, birthdates, email and billing addresses, and partial credit card info. However, the company states that "there is no evidence" that full credit card numbers were stolen at this time. In a message posted on the Trion Worlds website, the company promises that it is both researching the intrusion and taking steps to increase security. As part of this, all RIFT players will be asked to change passwords and security questions, and their mobile authenticators will need to be reconnected. The company urges customers to watch their bank statements for questionable activity, and provides customers with resources to get a free credit report and putting a freeze on credit reports. To compensate customers for the issue, Trion is providing all RIFT players with three extra days of gaming time and a Moneybags' Purse that increases all money looted by 10% in-game. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] Trion Worlds customer database hacked, 'no evidence' credit card info stolen originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Fiesta previews upcoming expansion with a new trailer Posted: 22 Dec 2011 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Expansions, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play Despite what you might be led to believe by the title, life in Fiesta is not a neverending party. Starting in January of next year, the atmosphere will get distinctly less party-filled with the release of the game's newest expansion, Expedition to Adealia. The title suggests the start of the expansion, in which players visit Adealia Village while fending off an attack from the native Doomed Elves, but there's a great deal going on past that point. The trailer for the expansion is embedded just past the cut, showing off some of the enemies and locales that players will be able to explore next month. From a mechanical standpoint, players can expect to face a variety of new enemies, reach a new milestone with an increased level cap, and explore an outdoor dungeon filled to the brim with the requisite shinies. Fiesta players will need to wait until next month to enjoy the additions, but you can get a preview of what's coming just past the break. Continue reading Fiesta previews upcoming expansion with a new trailer Fiesta previews upcoming expansion with a new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The MMO Report: It's bigger on the inside edition Posted: 22 Dec 2011 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, Culture, Game mechanics, New titles, Free-to-play, Browser, The MMO Report, Miscellaneous This week on The MMO Report ("where everyone is legally obligated to be filled with Yuletide"), Casey and the crew interview two of the minds behind the inbound Doctor Who-flavored MMO. Doctor Who: Worlds in Time's Robert Nashak and Max Engel sat down to discuss the game, which is a platform-independent, Flash-based browser MMO with a unique 2-D graphic-novel style that aims to appeal to fans of both the franchise and sci-fi games in general. Nashak and Engel promise iconic locations and enemies along with a Matt Smith-inspired Doctor and a customizable gadget (sonic screwdriver, anyone?) to reflect each character's abilities. The game will be F2P; ideally, players can wade through the game "without spending a penny," although naturally you can purchase faster mission completion and customization of your "home-space on the Tardis." Yes, it's bigger on the inside. The game launches in March of 2012, but for now, you can check out the entirety of The MMO Report's interview just past the break. Continue reading The MMO Report: It's bigger on the inside edition The MMO Report: It's bigger on the inside edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Behind the Mask: The Force Unleashed Posted: 22 Dec 2011 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Classes, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Champions Online, Behind the Mask Now that The Old Republic has hit the shelves, it seems like everyone has something to say about it. Cryptic seems to acknowledge it in its own unusual way: by lampshading it. Enter the Unleashed, Champions Online's newest free archetype. No, you're not misreading me here; the Unleashed is not a gold archetype. If you make an account right now, you can play the Unleashed from the moment you enter the character select screen, without spending a dime. Since it's the ninth free archetype, you'd think that he'd be a stable, bread-and-butter class. However, the Unleashed is nothing but. His wackiness approaches the Impulse, but where the Impulse is kind of ineffectual, the Unleashed is deadly efficient. Interested in a sword-wielding knight who slings force blasts? Hit the jump and we'll see what Cryptic's take on a Jedi can do. Continue reading Behind the Mask: The Force Unleashed Behind the Mask: The Force Unleashed originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| RIFT answers some community questions in time for the holidays Posted: 22 Dec 2011 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Previews, Endgame, News items, RIFT Christmas (or your winter holiday of choice) is right upon us, and the staff at Trion Worlds seems to be in a giving state of mind. The team has just posted a new set of answers to several player questions about RIFT, ranging from the rationale behind some current content implementations to what's waiting in the wings. Whether you're a roleplayer, an endgame raider, or just leveling through the game for the first time, the answers should give you something to look forward to. Among the more interesting updates is the reveal that the team is looking at improving level 50 gear below the top tier; Hammerknell and Rank 8 PvP gear will remain as-is, but the gear along the way will get buffed up a bit. The issue of Ember Isle difficulty is also addressed, the developers explaining that the island was meant to be reasonable for existing level 50 characters, giving it a bit more punch than players just hitting 50 might expect. Check the full list of questions and answers for other updates -- there's a lot to digest, but you've got a holiday break to do it. RIFT answers some community questions in time for the holidays originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| On the tenth day of giveaways, Perfect World gave to me... Posted: 22 Dec 2011 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Super-hero, Contests, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Champions Online, Giveaways On the tenth day of giveaways, Perfect World gave to me... ten grab bag items!
On the ninth day of giveaways, GamersFirst gave to me... nine SWG mementos!
On the eighth day of giveaways, Enjin gave to me... eight guild-wide gifts!
On the seventh day of giveaways, NCsoft gave to me... seven years of memories!
On the sixth day of giveaways, GamersFirst gave to me... six retail packs!
On the fifth day of giveaways, Trion gave to me... five subscription codes!
On the fourth day of giveaways, Nexon gave to me... four pet items!
On the third day of giveaways, Wargaming.net gave to me... three premium years!
On the second day of giveaways, BioWare gave to me... two warring factions!
On the first day of giveaways, Turbine gave to me... a lifetime VIP! Day 10 of Massively's 12 Days of Giveaways is all about Perfect World Entertainment. The developers pulled out all the stops, giving us a total of 10 different items from Star Trek Online, Champions Online, Rusty Hearts, and Perfect World International. Two winners will receive 1,000 Cryptic Points for Star Trek Online, and two more will receive 10 days of gold membership status in Champions Online. Three Rusty Hearts fans will walk away with a gift package containing items for triple XP as well as instant weapon and armor enchants. Finally, if you are a fan of Perfect World International, we've got three codes for a very rare Giant Bunny pet. Ready to enter? Check the contest rules below for eligibility, hit the comment button, and tell us which prize you'd like and why you should win. Enter by the deadline of tomorrow, December 23rd, at 6:00 p.m. EST, and good luck! On the tenth day of giveaways, Perfect World gave to me... originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Display changes for graphics and levels in Star Trek Online Posted: 22 Dec 2011 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play As the free-to-play conversion for Star Trek Online continues to approach, the game's development team continues to make more last-minute polishes. As outlined in the most recent entry in the Path to F2P blog series, one improvement directly pertains to the game's graphics, putting in DirectX 11 support for players whose cards can support the display mode. While it won't offer a performance increase for every player, there are players who have reported big jumps in FPS with DirectX 11 on while testing on the Tribble server. The other major improvement deployed to the test server is a change to the game's rank display. Previously, the game displayed levels by rank and grade -- a player would move from Commander 10 (level 29) to Captain 1 (level 30), which was evocative of the setting but a bit hard to process at a glance. So the display has been trimmed up and improved, with player level displaying as a rank followed by the level (the previous example would now display as Commander 29, then Captain 30). No actual levels have been lost -- it's just a change to ensure that new players have an easier time understanding the level differences. Display changes for graphics and levels in Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| RuneScape rings in the new year with 39 manhunts Posted: 22 Dec 2011 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Humor It's almost over. RuneScape's year-long celebration of its 10th anniversary is coming to a close, and Jagex has great, wonderful plans to end it with a bang. Naturally, this translates into "developer manhunt" because why not? During New Year's Eve, players are encouraged to be on alert as the clock strikes midnight 39 times in each of the time zones across the world. Every time this happens, a special moderator's in-game location will be made known through Facebook, on Twitter and in RuneScape itself. Those who can hunt down and find this mod in time will be treated to a special celebration. The first clock to strike midnight on New Year's Eve is in Tokelau on Saturday, December 31st, at 5:00 a.m. EST. RuneScape players may wish to note that not all 39 "midnights" occur on the hour ( this helpful website lays out the precise order). [Source: Jagex press release] RuneScape rings in the new year with 39 manhunts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SOE shows off EQII Dungeon Maker video Posted: 22 Dec 2011 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, EverQuest II, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox, Dungeons EverQuest II isn't the first title that springs to mind when we think of player-generated content. After all, it's one of the genre's foremost themeparks, and its predecessor laid the groundwork for the linear MMO as we know it. Sony Online Entertainment has managed to fit quite a few diverse gameplay options into the usual box, though, and the latest example is the new Dungeon Maker toolset. The Dungeon Maker was included in this month's Age of Discovery expansion, and it basically allows players to build their own instanced content and publish it for everyone to enjoy. There are over a dozen pre-set layouts that can be populated with obstacles and NPCs, the latter of which can be set to patrol and otherwise interact with adventurers. Players can explore player-made labyrinths with custom pre-set adventuring characters, and soon, with their own avatars. Since EQII is a progression game at heart, SOE has of course included a dungeon currency system wherein players collect marks for completing custom content and then spend said marks to acquire the building blocks for making additional dungeons. Check out the new Dungeon Maker video after the break for a few more details. Continue reading SOE shows off EQII Dungeon Maker video SOE shows off EQII Dungeon Maker video originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Squall breezes into Champions Online Posted: 22 Dec 2011 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Classes, Free-to-play, Champions Online Champions Online is on a roll this week with its bevy of new archetypes to check out. First it was the Star Wars-inspired Unleashed archetype, and today Cryptic announced the arrival of its newest hero, The Squall. As its name suggests, the Squall is a weather-based superhero who takes on the role of an avenger. By wrapping the awesome forces of nature around his little pinky, the Squall can whip up hurricanes, slap down tornadoes, and throw a big ball o' wind at enemies that are really irking him. The archetype primarily focuses on mid- and long-range attacks to repel and disorient enemies, but he suffers when bad guys get up close and personal. The Squall archetype can be unlocked across an entire player's account for 920 Cryptic Points. The Squall breezes into Champions Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Guild Counsel: Guild life in SWTOR Posted: 22 Dec 2011 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Guilds, Launches, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Guild Counsel If you thought the future looked cloudy for guilds in MMOs, Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch stomped out any doubts. The pre-launch list of guilds was so enormous that it rivaled the total player populations of other MMOs. But there are some interesting aspects to guild life in SWTOR, and this week in The Guild Counsel, we'll take a closer look at them. If you're interested in some first impressions from a guild perspective, or if you're wondering how to make a guild now that the game has launched, read on for a look at guild life in SWTOR. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Guild life in SWTOR The Guild Counsel: Guild life in SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Wars Galaxies bequeaths a memory book to fans Posted: 22 Dec 2011 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Star Wars Galaxies, Giveaways Still in mourning and/or shock over Star Wars Galaxies' sunset? Kicking yourself in your rear for never checking out the game while it was still alive? Then Sony Online Entertainment has one last gift for you: a Star Wars Galaxies memory book packed with the game's legacy. And this isn't a brief "So long and thanks for all the fish" pamphlet, either. The memory book is a whopping 253 pages of information and screenshots documenting the title's eight-year run. Former players and MMO historians can expect to read up on the game's timeline, planet, species, professions, space, ships, housing, cities, the Galactic Senate, the trading card game, the Galactic Civil War, and "The End." The book immortalizes the near-total Rebel victory in the game with these parting words: The explosions marking the Empire's end could be seen across the galaxy in the skies above the planets, and the celebrations that followed were unmatched. Peace reigned as Star Destroyers and dark lords became memories of another era, of a time long past, of galaxies long gone.
Gone, but not forgotten. You can view or download the entire PDF on the official site. Star Wars Galaxies bequeaths a memory book to fans originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| World of Planes updates include screenshots, fan video, and interviews Posted: 22 Dec 2011 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Historical, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War Timing is everything, a wise man once said, and Gaijin's PR department surely knows this. That's why we've finally got some new info on World of Planes after weeks of silence. Yes, we said World of Planes, not World of Warplanes, and we're sure it's a big ol' coincidence that Gaijin has chosen to open the floodgates just after Wargaming.net released its first tech tree earlier this week. At any rate, there is some cool stuff to see if you're into World War II-era aviation. First up is a fan-made (and developer-endorsed) video that we've embedded for after the break. Then there is the new screenshot gallery on the official WoP website. Lastly there are a couple of noteworthy forum threads including a beginner's guide and the second interview in a series focusing on alpha testers who are real-world pilots. [Source: Gaijin press release] Continue reading World of Planes updates include screenshots, fan video, and interviews World of Planes updates include screenshots, fan video, and interviews originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EVE Online senior producer stepping down Posted: 22 Dec 2011 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry, News items, Sandbox Big changes are in the works for EVE Online's management team, as senior producer Arnar " CCP Zulu" Gylfason is stepping down. In a brief blog post on the game's official website, Zulu describes EVE's past 18 months as "an incredibly intense time" filled with "quite a few harsh lessons." Taking over for Zulu is Jon " CCP Unifex" Lander, who has been playing EVE since 2005 and heading up CCP's Carbon technology team since 2009. Lander spends his introductory post outlining the challenges in the offing for CCP's sci-fi sandbox, and he also mentions that the dev team currently numbers close to 200 people. In a nutshell, it looks like EVE is heading back to basics, as Lander says that the team "will be concentrating on those features we already have in the game after eight years of development." Finally, all capsuleers who have an active subscription on December 31st will have their character names and images launched into space aboard a high-altitude balloon (yes, really). Head to the official website for more. EVE Online senior producer stepping down originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 faction video Posted: 22 Dec 2011 10:30 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2 Sony Online Entertainment is ramping up its PlanetSide 2 publicity machine this week. Last night we brought you word of beta signups for the forthcoming MMOFPS, and today SOE has released a new video clip featuring creative director Matt Higby. Higby provides voiceover commentary for the game's three factions, and the dialog plays against various rotating schematic-type images of armor, equipment, and gear from the game's three factions. Unfortunately there's no new information here at all, and SOE has basically summarized the past several months worth of faction-related text updates in a two-minute video clip. That said, it's better than nothing, and you can check it out after the break. [Source: SOE press release] Continue reading SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 faction video SOE releases new PlanetSide 2 faction video originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy's 1.20 patch brings class changes, achievements, and more Posted: 22 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Final Fantasy XIV According to the latest email blurb from Square-Enix, the 1.20 patch for Final Fantasy XIV contains a "cornucopia of new content, gameplay enhancements, system overhauls, and more adjustments than you can wave a moogle at!" Flowery language aside, the update does seem rather substantial given that it features a refined party search mechanic as well as the ability to purchase items directly from the market ward's item search. There's a new achievement system too, and it's stuffed with upwards of 300 tasks to complete, many of which lead to exclusive gear and items. Last but certainly not least, there's an extensive amount of class reform contained in the patch, and you can read the finer details on that at the official FFXIV forums. [Source: Square-Enix email blast] Final Fantasy's 1.20 patch brings class changes, achievements, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Xsyon tweaks combat, releases new screenshots Posted: 22 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Xsyon, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox It's been quite a while since we checked in with Xsyon, and it's been nearly nine whole months since the game officially launched with its Prelude limited release event. In that time, Notorious Games has been hard at work, and the company has just published a partial listing of all the improvements made to the post-apocalyptic sandbox (as well as a few new screenshots). Tweaks include new twitch-based combat, an enhanced creature system, an expanded construction system that allows for buildings and towns, and various UI improvements. Xyson: Prelude is now available for a $39.99 client fee (which includes one month of free game time) and a $14.99 monthly sub. Have a look at some of the player-created content in our gallery below. [Source: Notorious Games press release] Xsyon tweaks combat, releases new screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The movie studio the made the Best Picture-winning film "The Hurt Locker" made some waves nearly two years ago when it started filing mass lawsuits against people it claims 
Taken together, the international Samsung Galaxy S and the US variants became the best-selling Android handsets of 2010. Millions of the devices were sold, but now Samsung is leaving a lump of coal in many a stocking this holiday season with the 
Anybody who knows anything about tech knows that the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act sucks and would break the Internet, to put it in a nutshell. That's why so many geeks find Go Daddy's support for the act …disappointing (to say the least). We told you yesterday that 
Reed Hastings and everyone else behind the trenches at Netflix would probably like a do-over for all of 2011. They're not getting one, and for Hastings, the company's CEO, he's not getting the full amount of his stock option award next year, either. Instead, he'll receive exactly half of what he would have been entitled to had things not gone so wrong for Netflix in recent months, but don't feel too bad for Hastings.
If you're rocking the Dropbox app on your Android phone, you may have noticed that it updated last night. More than a mere bug fix, said update is instead a full-fledged version 2.0, complete with Ice Cream Sandwich support and a host of new features designed to make using the Dropbox app a smoother, more seamless experience. Looks like Christmas came early for Android users. 
By all accounts, most folks should be chilling out and winding down right about now. We're smack-dab in the midst of the holidays, it's Friday, and even if you could care less about Christmas, the imminent vanishing of dozens of overly festive TV commercials should bring a smile to your face. Speaking of commercials, did you see Best Buy's "
Shares of Rambus stock rallied on Thursday after the technology licensing company announced it signed a patent licensing deal with Broadcom, which manufacturers networking and communication integrated circuits for data, voice, and video applications. The agreement absolves Broadcom from any and all previous patent claims made by Rambus.
How do you chip away at a giant who keeps getting bigger no matter what the circumstances? AMD would pay good money for an answer, as chip giant Intel yet again increased its share of the microprocessor market, and did so even as the demand for netbooks fell significantly. Netbooks, as you know, are almost entirely powered by Intel's Atom processors, and that served Intel well from 2008 to 2010 when the netbook market enjoyed double-digit growth.
Here's an interesting riddle: If integrated cameras on smartphones and cell phones are so much better than what they were just a few short years ago, why are there so many crappy mobile photos on the Internet? Figure that one out and we'll assign you a similar case related to YouTube videos. But we digress. The real point here is that smartphone cameras are continuously improving and are now responsible for snapping more than a quarter of photos and videos.
Mozilla on Tuesday announced it had inked a new search agreement with Google (we covered the story 
