General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Razer Unsheathes Blade 2 Gaming Laptop

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:55 PM PDT

Even though the original only started shipping in late January, gaming peripheral company Razer unveiled the successor to its Blade gaming laptop at PAX Prime on Friday. The good news is that despite boasting better innards, the Blade 2 will cost $300 less than its predecessor.

Described by Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan as being "insanely powerful," the Blade 2 packs an unnamed (and unannounced) quad-core 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M graphics with 2GB VRAM, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3, and a storage combo consisting of a 500GB hard drive and a 64GB SSD. Here are the detailed specs:

  • Future platform with 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processor
  • NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 660M with NVIDIA® Optimus™ Technology
  • 2GB Dedicated GDDR5 Video Memory
  • 8GB 1600 MHz DDR3 Memory
  • 17.3-in. LED Backlit Display (1920x1080)
  • 500GB 7200RPM HDD (Primary Storage)
  • 64GB SATA III SSD with NVELO Dataplex™ Software (Cache Acceleration)
  • Wireless Network 802.11 A/G/N + BT4.0
  • 16.81" (Width) x 10.9" (Depth) x 0.88" (Height); 6.6lbs (Weight)

At 6.6lbs, the Blade 2 is slightly heavier than its predecessor (6.4lbs), but there is no change where dimensions are concerned. According to the official press release, the Blade 2 will go up for pre-order for $2,499 on September 2 and begin shipping on September 30.

"With the new Razer Blade, we set out to design something truly phenomenal with extreme performance for gamers in an ultra-thin form factor," said Min-Liang Tan in a press release. "The design and hardware advancements, combined with our revolutionary user interface, make the new Razer Blade, without doubt, the very best gaming laptop we've ever designed. The Beauty is now the Beast."

Open Source Era for HP's WebOS Begins Today with Beta Release

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 12:57 PM PDT

Everyone who purchased one of Hewlett-Packard's TouchPad tablets last year during the company's infamous fire sale can finally feel vindicated in doing so. That's because the first beta release of Open webOS ships today, HP announced in a blog post. It's been a long eight months since HP first announced it would contribute the webOS software to the open source community, essentially handing the reins over to third-party developers.

The beta release contains 54 webOS components, all available as open source code. It represents more than 450,000 lines of code released under the Apache 2.0 license, "which is one of the most liberal and accepted in the open source community," HP stated in a blog post.

There are two environments developers can tap into with today's release. One is a desktop build, and the second is an OpenEmbedded build, which HP says "provides the ideal environment for porting webOS to new and exciting devices." The latter includes an ARM emulator, and HP said it's actively converging on an OE Core image, which boots to System Manager and the full webOS experience.

HP said more updates are forthcoming, along with a final release in September.

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Thermaltake Constructs Armor Revo Gene Case for Mainstream Gamers

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 12:36 PM PDT

When money's no object, a $300 computer case is totally reasonable. But if you're on a budget, a cheaper enclosure frees up funds that can be better spent on other parts of the build, like a beefier graphics card, faster processor, more RAM, a solid state drive, or whatever. With that in mind, Thermaltake is positioning its new Armor Revo Gene as a "mainstream gaming chassis."

Though it's being pimped as a mainstream box, there are some higher end features on the spec sheet. It has SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, for example, along with a top-mounted HDD docking station, a really neat feature that's only on a relatively small number of cases. The Armor Revo Gene is "liquid cooling ready," it has lots of cooling potential, and it supports VGA cards up to 315mm long.

So, what's the cost? Thermaltake didn't mention it in the press release, but a quick glance around the Web reveals the company plans on selling it for less than £99 (~US$157) in the U.K. in October. We suspect it will go for a little less in the States.

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This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:40 AM PDT

Google TV

IFA used to be a home entertainment show but this year it's been dominated by mobile products, Windows 8 ones in particular.

It seems if it doesn't run Windows 8 and come with a keyboard dock, it's not worth having at this year's show. The confusing part though has been working out exactly 'what' some of the products actually are.

We've seen ultrabooks that detach from keyboards to become tablets and we've seen tablets that attach to keyboards to become notebooks. What's the difference?

We'll try and work that out when we get more of them in for the full TechRadar review treatment but in the meantime, here are the best and most exciting reviews and hands-ons we've written this past week.

Sony NSZ-GS7 review

Google TV is potentially compelling, but even in the world of regular firmware updates and new apps, is that enough? It's should fetch video from disparate websites and present it in a source-neutral way. Chrome doesn't do that, and nor does a motley collection of mostly smartphone-centric Google Play apps help in that mission. So is it better than the cheaper options, Apple TV or an Xbox 360? Hardware-wise, absolutely not - and the software is not as impressive, either - though with a friendlier, far more streamlined remote and a growing list of apps on Google Play there could be a future.

A great browser it might have, but even a clever Chrome can't locate enough compelling answers to the key question about Google TV; what's it for?

Asus Vivo Tab

Hands on: Asus Vivo Tab review

Asus has fired its off its opening salvo of Windows 8 tablets with a new range of 'Transformer' style devices dubbed the Asus Vivo Tab. Like the Asus Transformer Pad range, the Vivo is a tablet-cum-laptop hybrid where a tablet device docks into a keyboard base-station to become a netbook-sized laptop. Those who are as concerned with etymology as we are will be interested to know that Vivo comes from the Latin verb meaning 'to live', so it's just as well Asus is touting this as a device for both work and play.

Build quality is exceptional, and we prefer the solid keyboard dock to that of the Asus Transformer Prime. It felt solid, and our impression was that the keys had a tad more cushioning and refinement than its Android cousin.

Samsung introduces Galaxy Camera packing Android

Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Camera review

It's about time we saw a camera from a leading brand running Android and we like the look of the Samsung Galaxy Camera a lot. With the popularity of uploading pictures to Facebook and Twitter using apps like Instagram, it makes a lot of sense to release an Android device that can both take brilliant 16MP snaps and upload them straight to your social networking profiles.

The 16-million pixel CMOS sensor inside the camera is a 1/2.3 inch device, the same size as in many compact cameras and considerably bigger than those in the average phone. This should mean that the Galaxy Camera is capable of recording a respectable level of detail with reasonably well controlled noise.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review

Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review

The speed of the Note 2 is phenomenal. This is, hands down, the best media and internet browsing portable machine we've seen in ages. It's still a bit big to be used as a normal phone – people will still think you're more than slightly odd holding it to your face – but for texting, browsing, emailing, watching movies and more, we haven't seen much better than this. We'll reserve proper judgement obviously until the price emerges – if it's anything like the first Note, we're in for a high-priced shock.

However, get this to the £30 mark and, coupled with some serious marketing again from Samsung, we should have a winner on our hands.

HTC Desire X review

Hands on: HTC Desire X review

This phone is set to sit above the Desire C, but below the HTC One V, in the range of products from the Taiwanese manufacturer. And while we predictably couldn't get HTC to confirm it, the Desire X could come in for just £15-£20 a month on contract, or £180-£200 on pay as you go deals. This would be a real howitzer of a handset to throw at that segment, as while the HTC name doesn't command the same level of fervour among smartphone users, those wanting to stick with the Desire name will love the idea of halving their bills.

The HTC Desire X release date is set for mid-September in the UK, so it won't be long before we get to update this hands on with a full, in-depth review of a possible mid-range marvel.

Laptops

Hands on: Asus Taichi review

Hands on: Sony Vaio Duo 11 review

Hands on: HP ENVY x2 review

Hands on: HP SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook review

Hands on: Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro review

Mobile phones

Hands on: Sony Xperia T review

Xperia T

Hands on: Sony Xperia J review

Hands on: Sony Xperia V review

Monitors

BenQ GW2750HM review

ViewSonic VX2460h-LED review

Network adaptors

Netgear Powerline Nano 500 review

Routers

AVM FRITZ!Box 7330 review

Storage

Corsair Force GS 240GB review

Western Digital Red 2TB review

Tablets

Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review

Hands on: Archos 101 XS review

Hands on: Sony Xperia Tablet S review

Hands on: Asus Vivo Tab RT review

Hands on: Samsung Ativ Tab review

Hands on: Lenovo Ideatab S2110A review

Hands on: Samsung Ativ Smart PC review

Televisions

Hands on: Panasonic 20 inch 4K television review

104 inch TV

Hands on: Panasonic 104 inch glassless 3D television review

Hands on: Panasonic 145-inch 8K Super Hi Vision television review

Microsoft Reveals First Batch of Xbox Live Games for Windows 8

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:06 AM PDT

For those of you wondering what Xbox Live titles Microsoft will have ready for Windows 8 when it ships to the general public on October 26, 2012, you can stop guessing. The Redmond software giant today unveiled the first wave of titles that will ship for the platform, a total of 40 games, 29 of which are from Microsoft Studios. If you're expecting heavy-hitting titles like Halo, you're going to be disappointed, but if you're more into Angry Birds these days, you'll like what the company has on tap.

Angry Birds and Angry Birds Space are among the 40 titles, as are similar casual games like Cut the Rope. Microsoft said a number of studios are committed to bringing Xbox Live games to Windows 8, including Rovio, Miniclip, Gameloft, ZeptoLab, Glu Mobile, and Halfbrick studios.

"Xbox games will be super easy to discover through the Games app that comes with Windows 8 and available through the Windows Store," Microsoft said. "Xbox games for Windows 8 will have Xbox Achievements as well as the ability to take advantage of certain Xbox features such as leaderboards, multiplayer modes, and connecting with friends."

You can view a full list of titles on Microsoft's Windows Team blog.

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Razer Announces Aviation Inspired BlackShark Headset Sans Battlefield 3 Branding

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:43 AM PDT

If you spend your days dreaming of taking to the skies, Razer's new BlackShark headphones may be the peripheral to keep your head above ground, even if you aren't. The stereo gaming headset was designed to look and feel like the ones worn by attack helicopter pilots, Razer says, and if they look familiar, it's because the gaming peripheral maker already sells a branded pair for Battlefield 3 junkies.

This new pair sports the same design, only without the BF3 branding. It has full circumaural ear cups, memory foam ear cushions that are supposed to mold to the shape of your head, and a detachable boom microphone.

"Soldiers in intense combat situations need to be fully focused with minimal distractions to take the objectives successfully and come out alive. The same goes for gamers seeking the win – and that's what the Razer BlackShark gaming headset was built to deliver," said Robert Krakoff, president of Razer USA. "When you stop gaming to get out and about, detach the boom microphone and you've got the perfect sound-isolating headphones for your audio on-the-go."

The Razer BlackShark will be available to purchase in September for $120 MSRP.

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Google Plus Takes Page from Facebook, Introduces Birthday Reminders

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:25 AM PDT

Be honest, do you really have a close relationship with the 500 or 1,000 people in your online social network? Probably not, but Facebook has, for some time now, been reminding you of each one's birthday (optionally), and then it's up to you whether you want to post a message or not. It's a pretty basic feature, and now it's available in Google+. You know, just in case you can't remember the dates for the three people in your circles who actually use the service (we kid, we kid...sort of).

"Everyone deserves a little love on their birthday, so we're making it easier for you and your friends to celebrate on Google. Starting today, you'll see a reminder on Google.com when someone in your circles has a birthday! From there it's easy to share a fun message, photo, or video with the birthday gal or guy," Google announced in a Google+ post.

If you'd rather your wise cracking friends didn't know your birthday, and thus skip the age jokes and sarcastic Someecard links, you can adjust your Google+ birthday preferences "to make sure you're sharing with the right people," Google says. To do that, head to https://plus.google.com/up/birthday

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Dissecting Amazon's Kindle Fire Sales and 22 Percent Market Share Claim

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:09 AM PDT

Amazon yesterday announced that it had sold out of its Kindle Fire tablet, ending a nine-month run for the popular 7-inch slate. There were two things of note in the press release. First, company founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, added fuel to speculation that an upgraded second generation Kindle Fire tablet is en route when he said Amazon has "an amazing roadmap ahead." Second, Amazon made the claim that Kindle Fire had captured 22 percent of tablet sales in the U.S. Exactly how many tablets is that, anyway?

Horace Dediu at Asymco crunched the numbers and estimates Amazon must have sold 5 million Kindle Fire tablets in the U.S. He arrived at that number by taking tablet sales claims that Apple and Samsung revealed in recent court filings.

"The iPad added up to 16.14 million units (Q4 2011 through Q2 2012) and the Tab was 540,00 units. That makes the iPad and the Tab add up to about 16.7 million units," Dediu explains. "Assuming an additional 1 million units for the other (non-Kindle) total yields an estimate of 22.7 million tablet devices sold in the nine months ending June. Applying the 22 percent claim to that total gives a Kindle sales total of 4.987 million. That's awfully close to a round number of 5 million."

It's the best estimate that's out there to date, and if its accurate, Dediu says it's "not an auspicious start for a disruptive product." Due to the device's low price tag, Dediu estimates Amazon lost $40 on each Kindle Fire device it sold (which is probably a high estimation), and with five million units sold, that translates into a $200 million charge.

"Did Amazon earn a profit on content sales of $40 on each of those five million units?," Dediu ponders? "The margins on content sold through Amazon are so low that I have a hard time imagining that Fire users are that ravenous in their consumption."

It's expected Amazon will launch a second generation Kindle Fire at its press event on September 6, 2012.

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Dell Unleashes Trio of XPS Windows 8 Devices

Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:54 PM PDT

The second day of the ongoing Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin once again belonged to Windows 8. Among the Windows 8 devices showcased on Thursday was a disparate trio of Dell XPS PCs: the Dell XPS 10 Windows RT tablet, the XPS Duo 12 convertible Ultrabook, and the XPS One 27 all-in-one PC.

Dell XPS 10: Recently, Dell was named by Microsoft as one of its few Windows RT launch partners but no device was revealed. If you've been wondering what Dell's maiden Windows RT device is going to look like, the answer is now here in the form of the ARM-based Dell XPS 10, about which we know very little apart from the fact that it has a 10-inch display, long battery life, and a mobile keyboard dock.

XPS Duo 12: If you've seen the Dell Inspiron Duo netbook, which was launched in late 2010, then you know where the inspiration for the Duo 12 convertible ultrabook came from. The XPS Duo 12 is equipped with a 12.5-inch full HD display. Thanks to its "flip hinge" design, folding the Duo 12's Corning Gorilla Glass-covered display over its keyboard gives you a Windows 8 tablet.

XPS One 27: Like the other two XPS devices unveiled today, the XPS One 27 too is a touchscreen device, albeit a considerably bigger one. Its 27-inch Wide Quad HD Display (2560x1440) is said to deliver "twice the pixel density of any other 27-inch AIO PC."

"The Dell XPS 10, XPS Duo 12 and XPS One 27 will be available for sale when Windows 8 is available at the end of October," Dell stated in a press release. "More details on pricing will be announced when available."

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


PlanetSide 2 lifts beta NDA, heads to PAX

Posted: 31 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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PlanetSide 2 lifts NDA, has North American debut at PAX
We're another step closer to getting our combat boots on the ground and our itchy fingers on those triggers, as SOE has made the move to drop PlanetSide 2's non-disclosure agreement. This NDA drop follows a month of external beta testing and just prior to SOE's debut of the game at a North American show (in this case, PAX Prime).

SOE President John Smedley reminded fans that this didn't mean the title was ready to ship. "Beta has a long way to go folks," he posted on Twitter.

SOE released plenty of fun statistics about the beta process so far. According to the studio, 535 million shots have been fired, and out of those, 194.6 million hit a target. 6.3 million players were mowed down in the bloody conflict as well. The breakdown of the three factions is more or less even, with the Terran Republic edging out the other two sides by a couple of percentage points.

If you're heading to PAX this weekend, you can see PlanetSide 2 at booth #3317. The team has plenty of demo stations on hand, and is planning to participate in several panels and daily livestream casts.

[Source: SOE press release]

MassivelyPlanetSide 2 lifts beta NDA, heads to PAX originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Massively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content

    Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:30 AM PDT

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    Massively Exclusive - Funcom's Morrison on the future, new Age of Conan content
    This month's Age of Conan development update had the potential to be quite depressing in light of Funcom's recent layoffs. There's actually a lot of good news, though, as game director Craig Morrison reveals some juicy bits about AoC's upcoming content release plans.

    Due to the downsizing, what was once an adventure pack on par with last year's Savage Coast of Turan will now be released in installments over the next few months. The collective title for all the new content is Secrets of the Dragon Spine, and it will take place in various new playfields along the border of Stygia and Keshan. There will be a new raid, a new outdoor playfield (approximately the same size as Turan), several new dungeons, a new mount type, and a new PvP area.

    We had the chance to ask Morrison about the new stuff as well as Funcom's future, and he had some interesting things to say regarding player-driven content and the kind of games the company plans to make going forward. Join us after the cut for the full interview.

    Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content

    MassivelyMassively Exclusive: Funcom's Morrison on player-driven games, new Age of Conan content originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Storyboard: Guild Wars 2 roleplaying thoughts

      Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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      Not pictured: my character.  Because I am still terrible about taking screenshots.
      Somehow I managed to completely miss the fact that this was the Guild Wars 2 launch week when doing my planning, which means that I'm going to bump things around slightly. After all, this is launch week, and whether or not you've been looking forward to Guild Wars 2, you can't deny that it's the biggest thing to happen to MMOs since the last one.

      But at Storyboard it's not just about the MMO impact; it's also about the roleplaying impact. And I'm happy to say that while I haven't had a chance to roleplay in GW2 just yet, the game is significantly more friendly in its mechanics. You can walk, you can emote, and you can even make use of a fair number of roleplaying outfits. All fine additions.

      Can I talk about the GW2 roleplaying culture? Not yet, sadly, because I haven't gotten a chance to explore it myself yet. But I can talk about some of the peripheral elements and how they might both help and hinder roleplaying within the game. Some stuff is obviously meant for roleplayers, but there are other mechanics that can certainly be adapted.

      Continue reading Storyboard: Guild Wars 2 roleplaying thoughts

      MassivelyStoryboard: Guild Wars 2 roleplaying thoughts originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer

        Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:30 AM PDT

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        Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer
        Today's a big day if you're an Otherland tester, as this marks the kick-off of the first closed beta weekend. It's a smaller test, however, so if you're not one of the lucky few, then you might be stewing in mild envy. Envy not, fair fellow gamers, for gamigo has an exciting new trailer to give everyone a taste of the multiverse of Otherland.

        The trailer begins with a grumpy angel going around a fantasy village and destroying the crud out of it. This prompts a youngster to take up a sword and join the fight against... something. Following that, it's a huge montage across the many genres of Otherland, from sci-fi to Asian-themed worlds.

        But who needs a description when you can watch it for yourself? Buckle up because you're going for a ride after the jump.

        [Source: gamigo press release]

        Continue reading Otherland premieres beta weekend trailer

        MassivelyOtherland premieres beta weekend trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        War of the Immortals leaps to Steam

        Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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        War of the Immortals leaps to Steam
        If you're the type of gamer who likes to have all of his MMOs under one digital service roof, then you might be interested to hear that War of the Immortals is now available through Steam.

        Product Manager Thang Phan hopes that this will give War of the Immortals a great boost: "With the launch of War of the Immortals on Steam we are excited to expose the world of Motenia to more gamers around the world. This collaboration allows Steam users to easily join the battle while pushing the competition to new heights."

        While Perfect World's title is free-to-play, there are two optional DLC packs that you may elect to purchase on Steam. The starter pack is currently on sale for $4.99 and includes pet gems, fortify crystals and charms, embed charms, and a seven-day platinum noble card. The $14.99 wanderer's pack includes the noble card and a tempting-sounding Centaur Lord Reor. You never want to be caught without a centaur lord in your pocket, after all.

        [Source: Perfect World press release]

        MassivelyWar of the Immortals leaps to Steam originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Funcom assures players of The Secret World's 'bright future'

          Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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          Funcom assures us of The Secret World's bright future
          After increasingly bad news out of Funcom in regard to The Secret World's unexpectedly low sales, Creative Director and Senior Producer Ragnar Tørnquist penned a State of the Game address today outlining the studio's plans for keeping The Secret World just as it is.

          "We're not going to play it safe," Tørnquist assures players. "We won't be introducing classes or levels, elves or dwarves, and regardless of the competition, we won't back down from our original vision. We're going to keep doing what we're good at. We'll continue to push the boundaries, and we'll keep reinventing the wheel (quite literally). Five years ago, we set out to revolutionise the genre, and the revolution has just begun."

          Tørnquist points to a "bright future" for The Secret World with the upcoming second issue, named Digging Deeper, and a third yet-unnamed issue that will tie in with the game's Halloween event.

          MassivelyFuncom assures players of The Secret World's 'bright future' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Daily Grind: Do you immediately change your password when there's news of a hack?

          Posted: 31 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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          The Daily Grind Do you immediately change your password when there's news of a hack
          Sadly, we hear more and more about hacking, phishing, and password theft these days in our favorite MMOs. When an outbreak occurs, blame is distributed to the usual suspects, but many times it breaks down to simple account housekeeping.

          The warnings come through, and we're all told to change our passwords immediately. Authenticators are sold in record number, and many people take the precautions they wish they had from the start. But are you one of the newly cautious? Do you take measure to protect your account the second you hear of a hacking outbreak, or do you figure it can't happen to 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. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

          MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you immediately change your password when there's news of a hack? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            BioWare's Matt Bromberg discusses converting Star Wars: The Old Republic to free-to-play

            Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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            It might not save the game, in much the same way that you can't use a flotation device to save a man who is not drowning.
            If you missed some of the analyst predictions flying around after Star Wars: The Old Republic announced it was converting to a free-to-play model, they were... zealous, to say the least. But general manager Matt Bromberg doesn't seem to share those opinions. When asked in a recent interview whether the conversion will make the game more money in the long run, Bromberg replied in extremely uncertain terms: "I don't know."

            As Bromberg puts it, while there are internal targets being discussed, the company's stated goal is to improve accessibility and options for the game. While BioWare certainly wants more people playing, Bromberg stresses that the goal is not to simply squeeze every possible penny out of the title. He also echoes several earlier comments regarding the rationale behind the model switch, so if you're interested in the overall process, it's well worth checking out the interview in its entirety.

            MassivelyBioWare's Matt Bromberg discusses converting Star Wars: The Old Republic to free-to-play originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Star Wars: The Old Republic previews Terror From Beyond

            Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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            Maybe... maybe he just wants a hug.
            If you can't wait for the next tier of Operations in Star Wars: The Old Republic, you'll be happy to know that the newest tier is being added in update 1.4. You may be slightly less happy to know that the new operation, Terror From Beyond, is not meant to be a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination. A new developer diary explains the lore behind the operation and some of the threats that players will be facing on the swamp planet of Asation.

            Colonized and largely abandoned by the Gree, Asation is a swamp planet that houses a massive hyperspace gate. The Dread Masters, a group of Sith not known for sunny dispositions, have opened the gate and started filling the planet with all manner of horrible creatures. The operation promises to offer new encounters and mechanics beyond what's been seen in previous raids, something for dedicated endgame players to look forward to in the next major content update.

            MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic previews Terror From Beyond originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Guild Wars 2 email authentication, status updates, sales halt [Updated]

            Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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            Don't look so smug, your email account has the same password.
            Guild Wars 2 players have gotten absolutely slammed with phishing attempts following the game's launch. ArenaNet has accordingly beefed up security for the game, starting with the new email authentication system that's being rolled out today. The system is lightweight and works without players needing an extra code to enter at the login screen, instead relying upon the security of your designated email account. And all players need to do to activate the system is verify their email addresses (which can be done right on the login screen).

            Once the email is verified, every time the associated account tries to log in, the account holder will be sent an email requesting permission. Account holders can deny the logon, allow it for a single instance, or remember the location in question and always log on from there. It's not ironclad, but it should help players affected by these phishing attempts ensure that they'll be safe.

            [Thanks to Ring Bonefield for the tip!]

            [Update: ArenaNet has once again taken to Reddit to post updates as to the status of outstanding bugs and issues and bans in the game. The studio has also temporarily halted sales of the game through the ArenaNet website.]

            MassivelyGuild Wars 2 email authentication, status updates, sales halt [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Summoner's Guidebook: Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank!

            Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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            The Summoner's Guidebook Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank!
            This week in the Summoner's Guidebook, I'll be talking about the matchup against Blitzcrank, League of Legends' own rock-em sock-em robot. We'll be looking mostly at his matchups in bottom lane on Summoner's Rift, but we'll also examine his gameplay in Dominion, where he is also very strong.

            Learning the matchup against Blitzcrank is extremely important in my opinion. He is a very popular champion, and this is due to his incredibly brutal gameplay. If you do not know how to deal with Blitzcrank, you will get owned by him. He's not a champion you can just "do your best" against. Failing to properly account for his strengths will result in deaths, and this makes him a very popular choice. If you're struggling at all against Blitz, you owe it to yourself to keep reading.

            Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank!

            MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Don't get grabbed by Blitzcrank! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event

              Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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              Koster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event
              Raph Koster and Blizzard may be polar opposites in terms of design philosophy, but both will take home awards at this year's GDC Online convention.

              Koster, instrumental in the development of sandbox worlds like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, will take home the Online Game Legend Award. Blizzard, which turned the MMO space on its ear via World of Warcraft's resounding financial success, will see its flagship title inducted into the Choice Online Awards Hall of Fame. The ceremonies take place on October 10th in Austin, Texas.

              Don't forget to cast your vote for the GDC Audience Award prior to September 14th!

              [Source: GDC press release]

              MassivelyKoster, Blizzard to be honored at GDC Online event originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                CCP talks DUST's matchmaking system

                Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                CCP talks DUST's matchmaking system
                The PlayStation blog has a new post up concerning DUST 514. More specifically, CCP is getting ready to unveil its matchmaking system for the sci-fi shooter MMO. The company says that DUST will use "an algorithm that takes into account certain criteria when considering whom to populate into a quick match. Some criteria are hardware-based, such as internet speed/latency, while others are based on player statistics, measuring players' overall strengths and then pulling them into balanced teams using that information."

                The new system will debut in the game's next beta patch. The update will also introduce the ability for player mercenaries to form four-man squads and join a quick match together. DUST's instant battle matchmaking system is also part of a new feature that sees players fighting for planetary district ownership on behalf of various NPC corporations from sister MMO EVE Online.

                Head over to the PlayStation blog for the full article.

                MassivelyCCP talks DUST's matchmaking system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                The Guild Counsel: Lessons from you

                Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                The Guild Consel  Lessons fromYou!
                Each week, I tip-toe to the sidewalk and plant my soapbox to pontificate on the trials and tribulations of guild life. I'm a little biased, obviously, but I really enjoy the social side of MMOs, and apart from a few brief months when I first started gaming back in 1999 (trying to figure out what the heck it was all about), I have always been involved with guilds. For every frustrating moment, drama-filled clash, and annoyance of management, I can cite 10 moments when being a part of a guild has made MMO gaming more enjoyable and satisfying for me.

                But each weekly topic has brought a wide variety of opinions from all of you, and while not everyone agrees, there have been some valuable comments. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look back at some of the hotbutton topics of the past and highlight some of the advice and commentary that the Massively readers have had when it comes to guild management and guild life in general. The soapbox is all yours!

                Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Lessons from you

                MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: Lessons from you originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Chaos Theory: Understanding The Secret World's crafting, part two

                  Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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                  Chaos Theory 29
                  So last week we tested the waters of The Secret World's crafting system, and we learned the basics of material acquisition, how material quality level works, and how to assemble and disassemble basic items.

                  This week we'll go into more detail on the assembly process. Whereas last time we stopped after creating a simple weapon, today we'll look at crafting talismans (TSW's answer to traditional MMO armor) and glyphs (which are basically talisman upgrades and the primary way to customize your gear).

                  Continue reading Chaos Theory: Understanding The Secret World's crafting, part two

                  MassivelyChaos Theory: Understanding The Secret World's crafting, part two originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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