General Gaming Article

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• Box Offers 50GB Of Free Cloud Storage To Android Users
• The Game Boy: Why Games Need to Quit Wasting Time
• CERN: Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos Or Loose Cables?
• White House Unveils Online Privacy 'Bill of Rights' to Protect Internet Users
• Survey: Apple Top Rated Computer Company, Lenovo and Toshiba Tied for Second Place
• Report: AMD Nearly Acquired Nvidia Instead of ATI
• Domestic Sales of Nintendo's 3DS Cross 5 Million Units in Record Time
• Toshiba and SanDisk Trumpet World's Smallest 128Gb NAND Flash Memory Chip
• OnLive Desktop Plus Brings IE9, Adobe Flash to iPad
• Report: Intel Only Delaying Dual-Core Mobile Ivy Bridge Chips

Box Offers 50GB Of Free Cloud Storage To Android Users Posted: 23 Feb 2012 10:52 AM PST While PC geeks may be eagerly awaiting the launch of Ivy Bridge and Kepler GPUs, less hardcore tech fans have been throwing dollars at two particular niches: mobile and the cloud. Box, a cloud storage company competing for your nebulous attention, has just announced a killer new offer that brings those two elements together. The service released an update for its Android app today, and anyone who snags the app in the next 30 days gets a whopping 50GB of free cloud storage space, good for the rest of your life. That's a lot of ones and zeros; by comparison, Microsoft's SkyDrive often draws praise for its spacious 25GB gratis offering, and Box's limited time incentive doubles that up. As if that wasn't sweet enough, Box will increase your free file size limit to 100MB (up from 25MB) if you download the Android app before March 23 at 11:59 PST. There are no strings attached, either; just download the app and sign in or create a new account to get the free storage, which is accessible from any device -- not just your Android phone. If this is up your alley -- and hey, who doesn't like free stuff? -- saunter over to the Android Market to download the Box app.

The Game Boy: Why Games Need to Quit Wasting Time Posted: 23 Feb 2012 10:39 AM PST I think The Darkness II's Jackie Estacado deserves an award for being more utterly screwed in a single instance than any other videogame character in history. So here's the tale of the tape: I – playing as the main character of all first-person shooters: camera-glued-to-the-main-character's-forehead – was locked in a dark, dingy room while a horde of vaguely supernatural mob goons turned my mega-mansion (and my horde of vaguely competent regular mob goons) into a gory pile of mob goop. "Mansion under attack, lol #firstworldproblems," I could almost imagine Jackie tweeting if he hadn't also been, you know, crucified at the time.  Then one of my none-too-subtle foes wheeled a TV inches away from my eyes so as to – both literally and figuratively – rub my face in what was to come. "It's your own personal snuff film," he proudly announced. On the screen were two of my particularly talkative underlings – beaten, bound, and on their knees, with backs mercifully turned away from the pistol pointed in their general direction. "One lives, one dies. Pick." And I should have cared. I really should have.  But I didn't. Not in the slightest. So, what changed between the original Darkness' masterclass in characterization and this sordid tale of heartlessness and heart-eating? Simple: time.  And I'm not referring to the intervening period between Darkness I and II's respective releases – nor, for that matter, one of the most well-known songs off Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." Rather, I'm shining the demon-snake-disintegrating spotlight on in-game time or, in this case, lack thereof.  See, the first Darkness is, in my opinion, among the few games that have really leveraged one of the most underused gadgets in gaming's arsenal: the lack of a predefined time limit on our experiences. There's no clock ticking things away – the hours that make up a dull day, for instance. A book's pages will eventually run out. Films have to squeeze all manner of meaningful plot and character development into the cramped confines of a couple hours – a task I imagine to be much like putting a ship into a bottle the wrong way. And, of course, all good TV shows inevitably get canceled by Fox. Games, however, are free to paddle down the timestream at their leisure, hard drive/disc space willing. So The Darkness crafted the now-infamous sofa scene. In it, players were given the option to stow their guns, temporarily shut off the portion of their brains scientists are now calling "The Rambo Cortex," and watch a movie with Jackie's girlfriend, Jenny. For an hour-and-a-half. As I've written countless times, it was brilliant. I spent real-life quality time with a human-shaped stack of zeroes and ones, but it felt entirely authentic. There were no cars, rockets, or Kool-Aid Men crashing through walls. The screen never faded away into infinite swirling abyss of black that is the jump cut to another scene. It may not have been real in the strictest sense, but it was damn close.  The Darkness II, meanwhile, is akin to a rollercoaster ride that abruptly and haphazardly leaps onto other rollercoasters. It barrels forward at breakneck pace, pausing only briefly between levels to let you chat with your motley crew of meticulously dressed mobsters at Jackie's mansion. Admittedly, even throwaway conversations are very well-written and acted, but when I had to choose which friendly mafio-so-and-so to execute on the spot, it felt like I was indirectly splattering the brains of a casual acquaintance – not someone I'd rather take a bullet for. And most certainly not a close friend I'd worked with and fought alongside for two years. Because, in truth, I'd been around these guys for a combined total of roughly two or three minutes.  I barely knew either of them.  All of The Darkness II is like that. It jumps from action-packed-event-to-action-packed event, rarely bothering to take a meaningful breather. I never got a chance to settle into the world or feel like I was part of something larger because, before the game was even done setting up its pins, it was already screaming at me to knock them down. And then the credits rolled after about five hours, and I looked back and realized that I had no idea how many in-game days or weeks had passed over the course of that story. The whole experience was disjointed and choppy, dashing madly for the finish line and blatantly ignoring my desire to stop and smell the roses.  The Darkness II is hardly the only game that deserves to do time for its crimes against time, though. Skyrim, for instance, bases its entire existence on the idea that you'll eat, sleep, and breathe it for days or even months – probably at the slowly fatal expense of eating, sleeping, and breathing. And yet, even as in-game years fly by, nothing changes. Seasons stagnate, cities neither rise nor fall, and the world's inhabitants may as well be starring in Groundhog Day. It's jarring, to say the least – less like a living world and more like the occasionally writhing corpse of one.  And I'm only singling out Skyrim because it's a recent and relatable example. Truth be told, I can count the games that put detail into the passage of time on a single hand, and one of them's a farming simulator. And that's a damn shame, because the few who've opted to buck this industry-wide trend have given gaming some of its most memorable moments and worlds.  Mafia II, for example, may not take home an Originality Award for its plot and characters, but its world was a brilliant slice of 1940s nostalgia. So – given that the game's sort of called Mafia – you commit some crimes, get your hands a little too dirty, and wind up behind bars. Until 1951. When you finally emerge, the world's a different place. Car models, music, fashion – nothing's the same. It reminded me a bit of Shawshank Redemption, but less horrifically depressing. More importantly, though, it filtered old-timey Chicago through a brand new lens, lending it an entirely different personality.   Then there's Dragon Age II, which – in spite of all its flaws – did an excellent job of conveying changes in culture, race relations, and politics over the course of roughly a decade. Sure, the structure of Kirkwall  – and, in many cases, people's freaking clothes – remained largely unchanged, but DAII still deserves credit for tackling social issues in a believable manner, both by way of interesting allegories (Mages vs Chantry echoes battles for both gay rights and racial equality, for instance) and marked change over time. And while the player wasn't exactly the catalyst for a lot of that change, other games – like Microsoft's Fable franchise – have used the passage of time to demonstrate the direct consequences of your choices. And finally, let's not forget To The Moon. It narrowed its focus down to two people but widened its net to fit an entire lifetime. It also made me cry.  Most games, however, seem content to leave this rich vein of potential quite a bit more than six feet under. Whether it's thanks to a torrid love affair with constant Hollywood-style scene cuts or sheer, willful ignorance of time's ability to alter anything other than the little numbers on the calendar, games constantly leave time out of the equation. Unless every game developer on earth is secretly Han Solo frozen in carbonite, there's simply no excuse for this. Everyone ever in the history of history has experienced time. And the above examples barely even scratch the surface of its potent possibilities within games. So let's stop wasting time. Standing still is boring. Let's move forward.

CERN: Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos Or Loose Cables? Posted: 23 Feb 2012 09:58 AM PST This just in from the "It can happen to anyone" department: scientists think they may have found an explanation for the neutrinos found travelling faster than the speed of light at CERN last year -- and it doesn't involve honest-to-goodness faster than light travel. As it turns out, the big brains at CERN would probably make lousy IT guys, because they forgot to perform a basic step of any technical troubleshooting process: checking the wires. Just in case you don't remember, the CERN scientists unveiled their controversial finding -- in which neutrinos sent from Geneva arrived in Italy 60 nanoseconds faster than the speed of light -- back in September of last year. Testing in November returned the same results. But those plucky scientists didn't stop there; no, they kept poking and prodding at the setup to try to prove or disprove the results. Apparently, it took until now for them to get around to testing the physical connections. "According to sources familiar with the experiment, the 60 nanoseconds discrepancy appears to come from a bad connection between a fiber optic cable that connects to the GPS receiver used to correct the timing of the neutrinos' flight and an electronic card in a computer," Science Insider reported yesterday. After tightening the connection, whaddaya know -- the 60 second discrepancy disappeared. Of course, it will take more testing to prove that it was a loose wire that tricked the best minds in the world into thinking particles were breaking the laws of physics. In fact, ZDNet's reporting that CERN has found another potential equipment issue that could've been giving false readings, too -- but the second malfunction would give a slower than accurate reading, which means that the "faster than the speed of light" neutrinos could have going even faster than originally thought.  Both hypotheses will be tested over the coming days.

White House Unveils Online Privacy 'Bill of Rights' to Protect Internet Users Posted: 23 Feb 2012 07:24 AM PST The Obama administration on Thursday laid out its blueprint for a "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" as part of a larger initiative to improve online privacy protections and to give users more control over how their personal information is used on the Internet. Part of this initiative involves an agreement with advertising networks and leading Internet companies to get on board with Do Not Track technology, which is baked into most major browsers. "American consumers can't wait any longer for clear rules of the road that ensure their personal information is safe online," said President Obama. "As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential for the continued growth of the digital economy. That's why an online privacy Bill of Rights is so important. For businesses to succeed online, consumers must feel secure. By following this blueprint, companies, consumer advocates and policymakers can help protect consumers and ensure the Internet remains a platform for innovation and economic growth." The Consumer Bill Bill of Rights provides a baseline of seven fundamental protections, including: Individual Control: Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data organizations collect from them and how they use it. Transparency: Consumers have a right to easily understandable information about privacy and security practices. Respect for Context: Consumers have a right to expect that organizations will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data. Security: Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data. Access and Accuracy: Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data are inaccurate. Focused Collection: Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain. Accountability: Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. This is just the beginning. In the coming weeks, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration will establish specific practices and codes of conduct related to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

Survey: Apple Top Rated Computer Company, Lenovo and Toshiba Tied for Second Place Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:56 AM PST Computer companies need to step up their game. Temkin Group set out to rate the customer experience of 206 large companies across 18 industries, and  computer companies didn't exactly impress. Collectively, they fell to the bottom of the pack, receiving the fourth-lowest average, edging ahead of health plans, Internet service providers, and TV service providers. Temkin Group's research is based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers conducted last month. When it was all said and done, Apple emerged as the top-rated computer firm with an "Okay" rating of 65 percent and the 89th overall spot across all industries. Lenovo (62 percent), Toshiba (62 percent), and Hewlett-Packard (61 percent) also received "Okay" ratings, while all others fell into the "Poor" category, including: Sony: 59 percent Acer: 58 percent Compaq: 58 percent eMachines: 57 percent Dell: 54 percent Gateway: 54 percent Even though Apple took the top spot in what turned out to be an overall weak showing by computer companies at large, Lenovo and Toshiba shouldn't beat themselves up over it. According to Temkin Group, Lenovo and Toshiba made the largest year-over-year improvements in the industry, each earning double-digit increases in their ratings.

Report: AMD Nearly Acquired Nvidia Instead of ATI Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:27 AM PST Nearly six years have gone by since AMD scooped up ATI for $5.4 billion, and when it was first announced, analysts wondered if the chip maker was making the right move. AMD's multi-billion dollar gamble paid off, and until Kepler arrives, the Sunnyvale chip maker owns the fastest single-GPU graphics card in the world (Radeon HD 7970). But what if AMD had acquired Nvidia instead? It's not a nonsensical question. According to a report in Forbes, AMD was very much interested in acquiring Nvidia and actually approached the rival GPU maker before buying ATI. According to Forbes, Nvidia was AMD's first choice, but a deal would have been conditional on Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang lording over the two combined companies. Hector Ruiz, who at the time was the big man on AMD's campus, decided his company would be better served by going with ATI. For a short while after the acquisition, it looked like AMD made a grave mistake. Fast forward to today and AMD owns the second largest share of the total graphics chip market with 24.8 percent, behind Intel at 59.1 percent and ahead of Nvidia at 15.7 percent, according to data by Jon Peddie Research.

Domestic Sales of Nintendo's 3DS Cross 5 Million Units in Record Time Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:59 AM PST Even as Sony's latest handheld, the PS Vita, continues to stumble from one dismal sales week to another in Japan, Nintendo has achieved something truly special by managing to sell over 5 million 3DS units in Japan in little less than a year -- the 3DS launched on February 26, 2011. It's quite an amazing feat considering that probably even the most die-hard Nintendo supporter would have ruled out such a possibility a few months back. Hit the jump for more. The 3DS has now become the fastest selling Nintendo gaming device ever in Japan, having sold 5 million units in about 52 weeks. The record previously belonged to 3DS's predecessor, the Nintendo DS, which took four weeks more to sell as many units. One look at the above chart is enough to tell you that the odds were once firmly stacked against the 3DS staging such a come back. The handheld hasn't done too badly in other parts of the world either, with worldwide sales said to be somewhere in the vicinity of 15 million units. In fact, it has sold more than 4 million units in the United States alone. This news comes a few weeks after Nintendo said that it was on track for its first full-year loss in 30 years. Image Credit: Nintendo

Toshiba and SanDisk Trumpet World's Smallest 128Gb NAND Flash Memory Chip Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:55 AM PST Teams of engineers from SanDisk and Toshiba working at SanDisk's Milpitas campus developed a NAND flash memory chip smaller than a U.S. penny, the two companies announced. The 128Gb (gigabit) memory chip, which is currently in production, is the world's smallest and can store 128 billion bits of information on a single die measuring just 170mm2, barely more than a quarter of an inch squared. "Building a 128Gb NAND flash memory chip with this level of complexity is an incredible achievement," said Mehrdad Mofidi, vice president, Memory Design. "This innovation allows SanDisk to continue to be a leader in helping our customers deliver smaller, more powerful products capable of doing more at lower cost." Advances like this one will lead to even smaller and more powerful mobile devices, and in particular smartphones, tablet PCs, and solid state drives (SSDs), SanDisk says. The brains at SanDisk and Toshiba developed the 128Gb NAND flash memory chip using a 19nm process technology. To put that into perspective, SanDisk says you could fit 3,000 circuit lines across the width of a human hair when you get down to 19nm. The memory chip also boasts X3 write performance of 18MB/s courtesy of SanDisk's patented advanced all bit line (ABL) architecture.

OnLive Desktop Plus Brings IE9, Adobe Flash to iPad Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:37 AM PST OnLive kick-started its hosted Virtual Desktop Infrastructure service last month with the launch of the OnLive Desktop app for iPad. While OnLive Desktop launched as a free, as-available service, the company did announce a couple of subscription plans for those interested in priority access to a cloud-based Windows 7 desktop and more. One of those subscription plans is now available. OnLive Desktop Plus is a service plan that costs $4.99/month and provides all the features already included in the Standard version (read: free version), albeit on a priority basis. However, that's not the only advantage it has over the standard version. OnLive Desktop Plus includes a full Flash browser (Internet Explorer). The company is promising gigabit-speed accelerated browsing, which it says is "faster than any consumer browsing experience we know of." "For you that means—whether you're on Wi-Fi or 4G (Android LTE tablets coming soon!)—you can expect even the most elaborate Flash websites to load in seconds, even if it would have taken your home computer minutes to load the same page," wrote OnLive founder and CEO Steve Perlman on the company's official blog on Wednesday. "Perlman on Animation, video and sound come through impeccably and instantly. And, large cloud storage files and Web email attachments—even 50 MB PowerPoint presentations—to upload or download in less than a second." "What's really cool is OnLive gigabit-speed browsing doesn't come out of your local data usage; you might actually save money. OnLive Desktop Plus can dramatically reduce Web browsing data usage by as much as a factor of 10 or more, since only the top layer of the current view of a website is sent over your local Internet connection. So you get the world's fastest mobile browser, at quite possibly the world's best value." Currently only available to U.S.-based iPad users, the company has plans to expand the service to other countries and platforms.

Report: Intel Only Delaying Dual-Core Mobile Ivy Bridge Chips Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:13 AM PST Last week, a Digitimes report citing unnamed sources from notebook vendors claimed that Intel had decided to postpone mass shipments of Ivy Bridge chips, and that its partners had already been apprised of the change in shipment plans. But now a new report has come out claiming that the extent of the delay in Ivy Bridge chip shipments is not as significant as has been rumored elsewhere Intel doesn't intend to tinker with the original release schedule of Ivy Bridge chips, according to VR-Zone, beyond holding back dual-core Ivy Bridge mobile CPUs for sometime. This delay in the shipment of dual-core mobile parts is said to be due to "too much stock of Sandy Bridge [processors] in the channel." The first dual-core mobile processors are now expected to hit the market sometime in May at the earliest. While the article itself did not cite any sources, its author LG Nilsson did claim in the comments section that the information was straight from the horse's mouth. But if this report is correct, Intel's Ivy Bridge release plans remain largely unchanged, with no impact whatsoever on desktop chips.

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MMO News

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• Get married in Luvinia!
• Skylancer launches open beta
• Skylancer
• Nexon announces publishing rights for Shadow Company
• New F2P on Steam: Realm of the Mad God and Fallen Earth
• Divina now taking closed beta sign-ups
• Carte begins closed beta
• Webzen revealing C9 and Arctic Combat at GDC

Get married in Luvinia! Posted: 23 Feb 2012 03:08 PM PST Today, Luvinia Online, the brand new free-to-play fantasy MMORPG, launched the beta for their elaborate Wedding System complete with cake, confetti, and champagne to make your special day a dream come true. To celebrate, Luvinia is hosting a blockbuster in-game wedding between two of their most beloved GMs, Refresh & Moko. If you’d like to attend the GM Wedding, you can RSVP here with your Luvinia character name, or you can watch live Th 3/1 2-3pm PT on MassivelyTV. During this time, to make your in-game experience special, Outspark is giving MMOHut fans this free code for a ten pack of Star Love Fireworks. To enjoy it, be sure to redeem LUVMMOHUTFIREWORKS at http://www.outspark.com/redeem/?src=osk&aff=pr&cm=201202luvgmwed&kyd=OR by March 15, 2012. Play Luvinia for free at luvinia.outspark.com, and follow Luvinia on Facebook at www.facebook.com/outsparkluvinia, and Twitter at www.twitter.com/luviniagame. We’ll be reporting from the wedding, so stay tuned for my review! Til then, enjoy these exclusive screens with sneak peeks of the wedding prep as the GMs select their dress, tux, cake and meet up with the Wedding Manager NPC to receive their engagement quest. Exclusive Sneak Peek: Luvinia’s GM Wedding!

Skylancer launches open beta Posted: 23 Feb 2012 02:58 PM PST Alaplaya has announced the start of open beta for its new browser-based strategy game, Skylancer: Battle for Horizon. Skylancer is a strategy game, where you can choose to join one of three factions in the battle for control over five continents, and a race to reach the moon. The game boasts hundreds of quests, faction PvP, dozens of units, and more. Find out more about the game on our Skylancer page. Alaplaya also publishes Argo Online and Florensia. Skylancer Gameplay Screenshot Source: Mighty Skylancers! It’s finally here: Horizon is ready for you daring heroes from all over the world! Prove your cunning and courage in the skies over the realm of Atlan. Immediately set sail for a fantastic world, equip your floating islands and start conquering the planet: direct link to Skylancer – Battle for Horizon, no download required! Exciting adventures, fierce battles and great mysteries lie ahead. Who knows, maybe you will be the first ones to reach the moon and grab legendary treasures and mighty weapons!   We meet on Horizon!   Your Skylancer team

Skylancer Posted: 23 Feb 2012 02:49 PM PST Skylancer: Battle for Horizon is a beautiful, browser-based strategy game. Join in one of three factions, develop your own army, and work toward building a tower to the moon! Publisher: Alaplaya Playerbase: ?? Graphics: High Type: Strategy EXP Rate: ?? PvP: Free Filesize: N/A Pros: +Variety of units to develop and train. +Faction meta-game. +Expansive world. Cons: -Limited Information. Overview Skylancer Overview Skylancer blends strategy and role-playing together into a browser-based game. You are given your own floating island, where you must build to draw in supplies and create fantastical units. Send your airships out into the world, where five continents full of quests and adventure await. You can also join one of three factions – the Empire, the Alliance, or the Renegades – and battle for supremacy on the continents, as well as in a race to build the great moon tower. Skylancer Screenshots Skylancer Featured Video Click here to view the embedded video. Full Review Skylancer Full Review Coming Soon… Screenshots Skylancer Screenshots Coming Soon… Videos Skylancer Videos Skylancer: Battle for Horizon Trailer Click here to view the embedded video. Links Skylancer Links Official Game Page System Requirements Skylancer System Requirements Coming Soon…

Nexon announces publishing rights for Shadow Company Posted: 23 Feb 2012 01:24 PM PST Nexon America has announced plans today to publish a new first-person shooter, Shadow Company: The Mercenary War. Developed by Doobic Game Studios, the game utilizes Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3. Shadow Company will offer weather effects, dynamic lighting, 24-person multi-player combat, and realistic character animation.  Nexon has the rights to publish the game in North America, Europe, and Japan, and is scheduled to launch later this year. Nexon also publishes Combat Arms and Sudden Attack. Source: Nexon America Announces Plans to Publish "Shadow Company: The Mercenary War"   Powered by Unreal Engine 3, the first-person shooter will launch later this year   Feb. 23, 2012 – (Los Angeles, Calif.) – Nexon America today announced plans to publish "Shadow Company: The Mercenary War," a first-person shooter PC game, in North America later this year. From Doobic Game Studios, "Shadow Company: The Mercenary War" is being developed using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3, offering the first-person shooter (FPS) a level of graphic fidelity rarely seen in a free-to-play game.   "Shadow Company: The Mercenary War" is an evolution in free-to-play FPS games, offering features such as weather effects, dynamic lighting effects, 24 person multiplayer combat, and realistic character animation made possible by Unreal Engine 3.   "'Shadow Company: The Mercenary War' represents the exceedingly high level of quality we strive for in the games we publish," said Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim. "Robust graphics and innovative gameplay combined with solid multiplayer options make 'Shadow Company: The Mercenary War' a perfect fit for players in North America."   "Partnering with Nexon to publish and service 'Shadow Company: The Mercenary War' is a great opportunity for us to show the world how compelling a free-to-play FPS can be," said Jun Hyok Im, CEO of Doobic Game studios. "We are committed to working with the best partner in each market in order to make 'Shadow Company: The Mercenary War' the finest first-person shooter available. Given our publishing history with Nexon and the company's track record of success, it was an easy decision to partner with Nexon once again."   Globally, Nexon has obtained the rights to publish "Shadow Company: The Mercenary War" in North America, Europe and Japan. "Shadow Company: The Mercenary War" will join a diverse suite of free-to-play games in Nexon America's PC games portfolio when it launches later this year.

New F2P on Steam: Realm of the Mad God and Fallen Earth Posted: 23 Feb 2012 11:48 AM PST This week, Steam has added two new free-to-play games to its library: Realm of the Mad God and Fallen Earth. Realm of the Mad God is described as a “cooperative MMO bullet hell shooter,” and features permanent death, class quests, and achievements. Fallen Earth is a post-apocalyptic third person shooter, previously pay-to-play, set in the Grand Canyon. Returning veterans through Steam will get 3 days of Commander Premium and a Hermit Crab pet. Realm of the Mad God Gameplay Screenshot Source: Realm of the Mad God is Now Available and Free to Play on Steam! Realm of the Mad God is the first ever cooperative MMO bullet hell shooter. Fight monsters in groups of up to 85 players! Dodge blasts from devious monsters while you work with friendly teammates to take down the Mad God himself. Realm is a major advance for MMOs, putting dozens of players into the middle of an intense action game straight out of the arcades. The game is free to play; jump in for 5 minutes or stay for hours. —– Fallen Earth Free-to-Play is now available on Steam. It's 2156, and the world has been destroyed by both nuclear and bio-chemical means. Your story takes place in one of the few habitable places left in the world, the Grand Canyon. As a clone with an uncertain past, your job is survival in a world now built on destruction, betrayal and fragile factional alliances. Returning Steam players of Fallen Earth-Blood Sport will receive two special loyalty items: 3 Days of Commander Premium – Enjoy the benefits of the highest level Premium package available in Fallen Earth, including increased XP gain, crafting speed, a 20% Marketplace discount and the team effect Commander Aura which grants your premium benefits to your entire group (and is stackable)! Trashy the Hermit Crab – This oversized hermit crab serves as a loyal companion in the Wasteland, and provides you with 5 extra inventory slots!

Divina now taking closed beta sign-ups Posted: 23 Feb 2012 11:31 AM PST Gamania (beanfun) has announced that it is now accepting closed beta registration for its upcoming MMORPG, Divina. Divina is an anime-styled fantasy RPG, set in a world where heroes must travel back in time to prevent Ragnarok from occurring, and uncovering the truth behind the war between Gods and Demons. Today, its five classes have been revealed: Knight, Sorcerer, Assassin, Machinist, and Cleric. You can see these classes in action in the trailer below. Divina will also feature a “quick change system,” where players can swap quickly between a main class and sub class at any time, even during battle, using Exchange Points (EP). These changes can be used to add depth and strategy to combat. Players will also be accompanied by a Sidekick, a special companion which can gain levels, classes, attributes, and skills like a normal character, and evolves through player interaction. Players can also research and collect enemies through the Creature Tome, and later use this Tome to transform into a monster in battle. There is no exact date for the start of closed beta, but it is expected to begin during the second quarter of the year. The game is expected to launch in late 2012. Divina Class Introduction Trailer: Source: GAMANIA BEGINS CLOSED BETA REGISTRATION FOR DIVINA Core Features and Classes Revealed IRVINE, Calif. – February 23, 2012 – Gamania Digital Entertainment announced today that it has begun Closed Beta (CB) registration for its upcoming free-to-play, 3D MMORPG, Divina. Scheduled for commercial release in late 2012, the Closed Beta is expected to begin during the second quarter of this year. Players can sign up now at the newly-launched official website (http://us.beanfun.com/divina/overview/), find additional game information below, and watch the newest class trailer at the following link: http://youtu.be/GSbItf2IRv4Set in a vibrant fantasy world filled with Gods, Demons, and mythological creatures, players begin the game with the land recently torn asunder by Ragnarok, triggered by the death of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. In order to save the World Tree and life as they know it, the chosen heroes must travel back in time on an epic quest to prevent Ragnarok from ever happening. They'll explore the world of Divina, uncover the truth behind the war between the Gods and Demons, and eventually be faced with the ultimate decision – save themselves or save the world?   Divina is a content-rich MMO filled with thousands of quests, unique characters, exciting open world Player versus Player (PvP) combat, and numerous fun features. Today, Gamania is highlighting three key systems and unveiling the Knight, Sorcerer, Assassin, Machinist, and Cleric classes with a new trailer: http://youtu.be/GSbItf2IRv4 Quick Change System: Using Exchange Points (EP), players can instantly swap between a Main Class and Sub Class at any time – even in battle. The Quick Change system adds significant depth to combat, as complimenting classes must be carefully paired and Quick Changes used strategically – it can mean the difference between victory and defeat.   Sidekick System: Adventurers are accompanied by a trustworthy Sidekick of their choice that can be evolved in unique ways through player interaction. Much more than a pet, Sidekicks are an essential companion in battle and gain levels, classes, attributes and skills just like a normal character.   Creature Tome System: Throughout the world of Divina, there are hundreds of monsters to be researched and collected in the Creature Tome. Once fully researched, players can activate a special transformation ability and play as the monster in battle.   New information and the upcoming CB test date for Divina will be revealed in the near future. Fans can stay informed by liking the official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/divinaenglish) and signing up at the official website: http://us.beanfun.com/divina/overview/

Carte begins closed beta Posted: 23 Feb 2012 11:13 AM PST GamesCampus has launched the closed beta test for Carte, its new online trading card game. Closed beta will allow players to build their first customized decks, practice in battles against the AI, and team up with others to fight bosses in Raid Mode. The beta will also introduce Carte’s crafting system, which allows players to break, construct, and transform cards. Players can look forward to several events and tournaments during the test, and all closed beta testers will receive a special Collector’s Edition card. GamesCampus also publishes Asda 2 and Scarlet Legacy. Carte Gameplay Screenshot Source: GAMESCAMPUS’ CARTE SHOWS ITS HAND IN CLOSED BETA   Carte Doles Out Starter Decks To Lucky Closed Beta Testers   Sunnyvale, Calif. (February 23, 2012)- Deal me in! Leading online game publisher GamesCampus.com (www.GamesCampus.com) today unleashes the hotly anticipated closed beta for their first global online trading card game, Carte. Players can head over to http://carte.gamescampus.com to view the full website unveiled today, and check out the latest buzz about what’s in the cards for the beta period.   “We’re incredibly excited to launch the closed beta for Carte and we look forward to it being one of the most successful trading card games of all time,” said Chris Ahn, Head of Marketing at GamesCampus. “We’ve been showing off the amazing card art on our forums for weeks and players are dying to get in-game and try them out – and now they finally can!”   Carte is a fast paced global online trading card game. Choose a Hero, build a deck and launch into exciting battles with fierce weapons and allies. Create and master endless strategies with an arsenal of spells and creatures to conquer your opponents. With an easy to learn system coupled with a user friendly interface, Carte is ready for new players as well as grizzled TCG veterans and everything in between.   In the closed beta, players can battle head to head with their own customized decks, hone their skills against the AI, or team up against challenging bosses in Raid mode. Raid mode bosses each feature unique challenges and only the most finely-tuned decks will be able to defeat the strongest of them. Players will also be able to break down, construct, and transform cards with Carte’s crafting system. With its various game modes, huge array of cards, crafting, and tournaments, Carte offers limitless content. Closed Beta will feature events and tournaments rewarding cards for the game’s launch, and everyone in Carte’s closed beta will receive a Collector’s Edition card just for participating!   Interested players can sign up for a chance at a beta key, or can visit any of Gamescampus’ MMO partner sites, who will be giving away keys starting today. Gamescampus will be offering additional previews, deck building tips, and even some keys on the official Carte Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CarteGlobal

Webzen revealing C9 and Arctic Combat at GDC Posted: 23 Feb 2012 10:34 AM PST Webzen, publisher of Archlord, Mu Online, and Soul of the Ultimate Nation, has announced its plans to showcase Continent of the Ninth Seal (C9) and Arctic Combat at GDC 2012 in San Francisco. Visitors of the conference will be able to play these games in person. Arctic Combat makes its first public debut at GDC. This game features tactical combat, set in a world that faces World War III over resources found in an arctic region. The game uses Unreal Engine 2.5. Continent of the Ninth Seal (C9) has already won several awards in its development, and is currently undergoing its first “VIP” testing phase until the end of this month. Arctic Combat Gameplay Screenshot Source: WEBZEN Reveals Upcoming Titles at 2012 GDC   WEBZEN Inc. (WWW.WEBZEN.COM), the Next Generation of Free-to-Play Online Games, is participating in the 2012 Game Developers Conference (GDC) held in San Francisco, U.S.A, to announce their unrevealed titles to the public.   Today, WEBZEN announced they will be participating GDC to reveal their upcoming FPS game 'ARCTIC COMBAT' and Action RPG 'C9', where visitors and media will have a chance to play their upcoming games first hand with the guidance of WEBZEN assistants.   The new modern military FPS game, 'ARCTIC COMBAT', will be revealed for the first time. 'ARCTIC COMBAT' takes place in the near future where a war has risen between the 'RSA' and 'AF'. Both forces conflict over natural resources in the arctic region that leads to World War III. Realistic graphics are presented with the Unreal Engine 2.5, while the game play is distinctive with its strategic and tactical contents such as 'Helicopter Support', 'Bombardment', and 'Flamethrowers".     Along with 'ARCTIC COMBAT', the award winning 'C9' will be demonstrated. 'C9' has won 5 awards, including the grand prize, at the 2009 Korea Game Awards, one of South Korea's most prestige game ceremonies. Also, 'C9's fame has been spread to China and Japan. It is well known to gamers for its action packed game play and unlimited skill combos. The first global VIP Test for 'C9' is currently underway through their global game portal, WEBZEN.com, and will continue until February 29th.     Jihun Lee, Head of Global Publishing, said, "'ARCTIC COMBAT' is our newly revealed title that global gamers have not played yet. We are preparing to make a big impact to the audience during GDC" Also he said, "We are focusing on localization for both games and plan to service each title through WEBZEN.com this year."   More information and news about WEBZEN.com and their participation in 2012 GDC can be found on the official website (http://www.webzen.com).

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MMO Updates

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• Aion Europe going F2P on February 28th
• CCP still planning to expand EVE's station gameplay
• Rumor: Blizzard embracing F2P for unannounced game
• World of Warplanes accepting global alpha signups
• SOE responds to ProSiebenSat.1 fiasco, says it's not a done deal
• Steam distributes Fallen Earth, gives out crabs
• The Daily Grind: Do you take time off work to play games?
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: You owe me for this
• Are you a bad enough dude to survive Xsyon's Mutant Maze?
• Blizzard tells Diablo III fans to lower their expectations
• EVE Online announces an impending Inferno
• Latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary is rather audacious
• Beware of BAMs in TERA's Feral Valley
• City of Heroes' newest Incarnate Trial learns from past mistakes
• Flameseeker Chronicles Extra: Guild Wars 2 crafting explained
• Why I Play: Fallen Earth
• Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon
• ArenaNet announces 48-hour beta signup for Guild Wars 2
• Free for All: Comparing the payment models of Second Life and Pocket Legends

Aion Europe going F2P on February 28th Posted: 23 Feb 2012 09:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play We told you earlier this week about Aion's incoming North American free-to-play transition (not to mention a little ditty called Ascension/3.0), but today we've got word that Gameforge AG has released the official date for Aion's European payment plan switcheroo as well. The change-over will occur simultaneously on February 28th for the English-, German-, and French-language versions of Aion's EU client, and you can download said client right now at the game's official website. Gameforge also says that the Ascension patch will hit Europe "in the spring," but no more specifics than that. We'll bring you more definitive info from the world of Atreia as soon as we have it. [Source: Gameforge press release] Aion Europe going F2P on February 28th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP still planning to expand EVE's station gameplay Posted: 23 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Promotions, Sandbox Just when you internet-spaceship-only types thought it was safe to resume your relationship with CCP, the EVE Online studio has dropped a dev blog detailing its plans for further Incarna-style avatar development. The recent CCP reorganization put bidpedal gameplay on the back burner due to a player outcry in favor of the game's flying-in-space elements, but as it turns out, CCP "still believes in the vision to bring your characters fully into the world of EVE." CCP t0rfifrans says it will simply take a bit longer for the firm to realize its ambitious sandbox goals. He also says those goals are currently up for debate, and while gambling minigames, corporation-owned hubs, and contraband trading haven't been ruled out entirely, Team Avatar has gone "back to the drawing board" in the interests of identifying rewarding gameplay and developing a prototype. In other New Eden news, CCP's Power of 2 promotion is making a return engagement, and you can create a second account at a discount price through April 1st. [Thanks to Kane Hart for the tip!] CCP still planning to expand EVE's station gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Avatar blog

Rumor: Blizzard embracing F2P for unannounced game Posted: 23 Feb 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Rumors Rumor has it that Blizzard is hopping on the free-to-play crazy train. Develop reports that the company "will embrace free-to-play and will apply the model in an upcoming, as yet unannounced game." The website says that Blizzard has declined to comment in an official capacity, and their source could not provide more details. It's been speculated that World of Warcraft's recent subscription losses, the fact that DOTA is free-to-play, and the game's unlimited free trial though level 20 all indicate a shift in the Blizzard's business model mindset. COO Paul Sams also paid lip service to F2P at BlizzCon last October, saying that "it [F2P] certainly is possible, if we find ourselves in that circumstance, or if we come up with a game where we think that's the right business model, the most appropriate for players to experience it." Could the long-awaited Project Titan MMO be Blizzard's first F2P offering, or is a completely new title in the works? We'll update you as the story develops. Rumor: Blizzard embracing F2P for unannounced game originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Develop

World of Warplanes accepting global alpha signups Posted: 23 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Historical, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, Free-to-play, World of Warplanes We first heard tell of Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes way back in the summer of 2011. Since then, the company has pumped out quite a few screenshots, several interviews, and press releases regarding its aviation-themed follow-up to World of Tanks. The game is still in testing as of today, and Wargaming.net is kicking off what it calls a global alpha designed to bring in new testers from North America, Europe, and Russia. Each region has its own website and alpha signup process, so head to your respective portal right away if you're itching to be a test pilot. The current client offers access to 20-plus aircraft and two battle arenas, and Wargaming.net says that "the amount of content will be growing steadily" as the test phases progress. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] World of Warplanes accepting global alpha signups originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE responds to ProSiebenSat.1 fiasco, says it's not a done deal Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play Sony Online Entertainment has finally responded to the ProSiebenSat.1 brouhaha. Director of Global Community Relations Linda "Brasse" Carlson gave beleaguered fans a faint glimmer of hope with a forum post last night that basically said the controversial deal isn't quite a done deal. In a nutshell, SOE plans to divide its long-time gaming community by region, with European player accounts handed off to ProSiebenSat.1 and Alaplaya. The announcement sent shockwaves through the EverQuest II community, as many guilds and sub-communities feature players from both sides of the Atlantic. The forced transfer of player accounts and personal information from SOE to Alaplaya also raised eyebrows, as some in the player community voiced concerns over security and convenience given that Alaplaya reserves the right to delete inactive accounts after 90 days and has published real names on past-due accounts (the company has since denied the latter). SOE's forums have been on fire over the past two days, with dozens of bans handed down by moderators (including one to noted community leader Morgan Feldon of EQ2Wire). Feldon's fansite is the place to go for info about the ongoing fiasco, and it provides a wealth of opinion on why the proposed deal sucks for players as well as a collection of community reactions. Aside from Brasse's post, SOE has been silent about the deal, which comes on the heels of the firm generating quite a bit of fan goodwill by reversing its decision to shelve the Mac version of EverQuest. SOE responds to ProSiebenSat.1 fiasco, says it's not a done deal originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SOE forum post

Steam distributes Fallen Earth, gives out crabs Posted: 23 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, News items, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic Fallen Earth has a new ally in its war on boredom: Steam. The digital games distributor added the title to its MMO free-to-play library yesterday, offering its users an additional way to get into the wasteland. To encourage Steam users to sign up, GamersFirst is dishing out a few in-game goodies for those who do so. Players can nab an in-game Steam t-shirt and Gordon's Ward, two items which boost crafting and social skills. Additionally, if you previously played Fallen Earth through Steam, you'll be treated with three days of premium subscription status and a non-combat pet, Trashy the Hermit Crab. GamersFirst SVP of Marketing Rahul Sandil thinks this is a match made in heaven: "Fallen Earth's return to the Steam Network is a huge milestone for us here at GamersFirst. Reintroducing the game on Steam side-by-side with APB Reloaded further cements our commitment to offering the hard-core gaming experience to players without an entry cost." Fallen Earth is a staff favorite here at Massively, and if you're curious about the title, check out our recent Why I Play column on the game. Steam distributes Fallen Earth, gives out crabs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steam

The Daily Grind: Do you take time off work to play games? Posted: 23 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Culture, Launches, MMO industry, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, The Daily Grind, The Secret World, TERA Holy shitaki mushrooms! There are a lot of cool MMOs coming out this year! If 2011 was kind of a downer for new AAA titles, 2012 is more than making up for it with the likes of Guild Wars 2, The Secret World, and TERA (at least two of which will release within a month of one another). The only problem is finding enough time in the day to play all these gems (not to mention making time to keep up with old favorites). Heck, I'm even contemplating a brief vacation of sorts, the better to have some uninterrupted sessions with all these new games. What about you, dear readers? Have you ever taken time off from work for an MMO? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind! The Daily Grind: Do you take time off work to play games? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: You owe me for this Posted: 22 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Business models, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter In a subscription game, the developers have a certain degree of built-in obligation to the playerbase. You pay $15 a month, and while some of that goes toward the simple logistics of running the game, some of that also goes toward keeping the game in development. When you're putting down money, there's a tacit understanding that you are owed something in return. Strictly speaking, we know the only thing we're owed is access to the game, but even that is something. City of Heroes has entered the realm of free-to-play, though, and that means the expectations of what players are owed has become all kinds of skewed. There's a huge pile of content available to players who haven't paid a cent. What do free players actually deserve in this environment? What do paying players deserve? Where do you draw the line between what should be free for everyone, what should be free for subscribers, and what should just plain cost money? Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: You owe me for this A Mild-Mannered Reporter: You owe me for this originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Are you a bad enough dude to survive Xsyon's Mutant Maze? Posted: 22 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Xsyon, Sandbox Do you feel lucky when you log into Xsyon? Do you feel as if you can go anywhere and do anything in complete safety? Then perhaps you'd like to test your skills this weekend when the game unleashes the Mutant Maze event starting at 3 p.m. EST (12 p.m. PST). Open to everyone who wishes to take part, the event will teleport all volunteers to the designated grounds at the start and teleport them back at the conclusion... but there's no certainty you'll emerge victorious. So what is the Mutant Maze? It's a labyrinth filled with all sorts of nasty mutants, hence the name. Players will be able to keep the spoils of their kills, and there's a special prize for completing a round of the maze by both surviving and finding the exit successfully. There are three total rounds, enough to test the game's most seasoned veterans -- but for the glory of a prize, won't you spend a weekend ambling through a maze filled with enormous bears? [Source: Notorious Games press release] Are you a bad enough dude to survive Xsyon's Mutant Maze? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blizzard tells Diablo III fans to lower their expectations Posted: 22 Feb 2012 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, New titles, News items Are you eagerly awaiting Diablo III's eventual release? Well, perhaps you shouldn't be quite that eager. Community manager Bashiok recently made some comments in a thread on the official forums expressing some concern that players are getting too excited about the potential of the game and that players should instead lower their overall expectations of Diablo III. He closes by saying that fans should at the same time still purchase the game but perhaps lower the threshold of awesome it has to clear. It's possible to read this as an attempt to control the game's hype before release, and it's possible to read this as a roundabout statement of overall quality. Either way, it's an odd statement coming from Blizzard's public relations team, since very few developers have historically told their fans to be a little less excited for release. Of course, with that having been said, it's unlikely that the level of excitement will go down at all. (Bashiok's full quote is just past the cut.) Continue reading Blizzard tells Diablo III fans to lower their expectations Blizzard tells Diablo III fans to lower their expectations originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Official Forums Via: GameFront

EVE Online announces an impending Inferno Posted: 22 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Patches, DUST 514, Dev Diaries EVE Online Senior Producer Jonathan Lander says now that some of the nitty-gritty reorganization within CCP has been completed, the devs "are back in the serious business of making EVE better and better." Citing several small releases over the next few months as proof, Lander lets loose with the announcement of the game's next big expansion: Inferno. Inferno will hit EVE "just before the summer" and will attempt to bring EVE's conflicts to a whole new level. Concord-sanctioned warfare and factional warfare will be getting tweaks as a result of this focus. More specific details about Inferno will be revealed at the EVE Fanfest in March. And while he won't go into specifics (yet), Lander says that CCP will reveal "more concrete steps" of how both EVE Online and DUST 514 are connected in the next couple of months. EVE Online announces an impending Inferno originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EVE Insider

Latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary is rather audacious Posted: 22 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Lord of the Rings Online's PvMP changes just keep rolling in, it seems. Last week, the Turbine team announced that a new currency known as commendations will be replacing the role of destiny in matters of PvMP transactions. Today, we've got a new dev diary that announces the upcoming addition of a new PvMP-only stat called Audacity. What is Audacity, exactly? Well, put simply, it's a PvMP stat that will provide players with benefits such as reducing incoming damage and lowering the duration of crowd control abilities. Higher audacity, obviously, equates to lower incoming damage and shorter crowd control effects. But why introduce this feature in the first place? According to the post, the team believes that having PvMP and PvE gear on the same progression path resulted in underwhelming or overly difficult-to-obtain PvMP gear since the team had to ensure that "the PvMP items did not devalue the PvE offerings." In addition, Turbine feels that, thanks to the damage changes made in Rise of Isengard, PvMP combat was too fast-paced. The addition of audacity is intended to nix both of these problems. Freeps will acquire their first rank of Audacity automatically at level 40, and further ranks will be boosted by PvMP gear that can only be purchased with commendations. Creeps, meanwhile, will gain their first rank of Audacity upon creation, and they'll gain further ranks by purchasing them directly from class trainers (seeing as how Creeps don't wear equipment). For the full details on this new system, just click on through the link below to the official dev diary. Latest Lord of the Rings Online dev diary is rather audacious originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Lord of the Rings Online dev diary: Audacity

Beware of BAMs in TERA's Feral Valley Posted: 22 Feb 2012 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, TERA If you haven't ponied up for a TERA pre-order or scored an invite to the game's ongoing closed beta weekends, you might want to head to MMORPG.com and check out the newest zone preview video. Even if you are gearing up for another jaunt through Arborea this Friday, the clip is worth a look because it shows off more of the game's gorgeous environment, character, and mob visuals. Feral Valley is the setting, and lest you think the location is mislabeled, one of TERA's ubiquitous big-ass monsters calls the place home (and throws his weight around quite handily as wave after wave of player characters attempt to take him down). See for yourself after the break. Continue reading Beware of BAMs in TERA's Feral Valley Beware of BAMs in TERA's Feral Valley originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMORPG.com

City of Heroes' newest Incarnate Trial learns from past mistakes Posted: 22 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Previews, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries Incarnate Trials have proven to be some of the most challenging -- and interesting -- endgame content in City of Heroes to date, and players who have enjoyed them are undoubtedly anxious for the latest one, Dilemma Diabolique, which is coming with Issue 22. Senior Designer Chris Behrens wrote an informative dev diary in which he outlines five lessons the studio's learned from past Incarnate Trials and how these lessons will affect Dilemma Diabolique. These lessons include adding rest periods between fights, giving players clear information, keeping trash mobs from exhibiting super-powered (more so than usual) abilities, delivering attractive rewards, and tuning special mechanics so they don't overwhelm players. Dilemma Diabolique looks to be a quicker trial than its brethren, although Behrens sees this as a virtue: "We feel that the faster pace of the trial for maxed Incarnates is reward in itself, since it makes accumulating Empyrean Merits for our most dedicated Incarnates a faster endeavor." City of Heroes' newest Incarnate Trial learns from past mistakes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: PC Gamer

Flameseeker Chronicles Extra: Guild Wars 2 crafting explained Posted: 22 Feb 2012 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, PvE, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Guides, Crafting Remember how I wanted to talk to you about crafting in Guild Wars 2? Let's do that now. I made a video while I was fiddling around with the weaponsmithing and armorsmithing disciplines in the recent Guild Wars 2 closed beta press weekend, and I've included it in this extra edition of Flameseeker Chronicles. Let's take a look at exactly what's going on for your first 25 points or so in these disciplines. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles Extra: Guild Wars 2 crafting explained Flameseeker Chronicles Extra: Guild Wars 2 crafting explained originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Why I Play: Fallen Earth Posted: 22 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Opinion, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic, Why I Play I'm going to start my Fallen Earth testimony by echoing the same sentiment that Shawn shared last week with WURM Online: I really didn't get it the first couple of times I tried it. I had heard great things about this post-apocalyptic title from Massively and elsewhere at the time, but it felt so different and kind of raw when I logged in that I didn't stay for long. In fact, it wasn't until I forced myself to sit down and devote an entire evening to Fallen Earth that I got past my initial objections and it clicked for me. It clicked hard. Since that time, I've been an ardent fan of Fallen Earth, using it as Exhibit A whenever people complain that all MMOs are too much alike and boring. Well, here you go, I say. An MMO in a contemporary setting that also happens to embrace apocalyptic themes. An MMO that revels in dark humor and edgy themes. An MMO where 95% of the gear in the game can be crafted and used by you. An MMO with free-form character growth and -- this is important -- motorcycles. An MMO with a world that's genuinely fun to explore (and might I add, huge). It's not perfect, it's not my main MMO squeeze, but it is a title I've carried a torch for since my first days in the wasteland. I've got no shortage of words when it comes to this game, especially if there's a chance that my verbosity will get you to take a closer look at Fallen Earth (which is easier than ever since its free-to-play conversion). Continue reading Why I Play: Fallen Earth Why I Play: Fallen Earth originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon Posted: 22 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play Behind-the-scenes videos are quite a lot of fun, and we're pleased to bring you the latest such from Sony Online Entertainment and the EverQuest II dev team. The new clip gives us a peek at the birth of Lumpy the dragon. For all intents and purposes, Lumpy is EQII's first low-rider dragon, since the rest of the game's drakes are sinewy, towering masses of muscle and scale. Senior character artist Steve Merghart describes Lumpy as "low to the ground and stocky," and the video clip shows us everything from initial concept sketches to the various stages of poly modeling, painting, and animation that make up the finished product. Have a look-see after the cut. [Source: SOE press release] Continue reading Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon Go behind the scenes with EverQuest II's Lumpy the dragon originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArenaNet announces 48-hour beta signup for Guild Wars 2 Posted: 22 Feb 2012 10:10 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2 If the reviews and videos rolling out since Monday morning are any indication, last weekend's Guild Wars 2 closed beta press event left most players feeling pretty optimistic about the game's future. And if the newest posts on ArenaNet's social media are any indication, it left the team feeling pretty optimistic, too! To add to the excitement, ArenaNet has just announced that it's opened a page for beta signups! This is music to the ears of fans who have been waiting for a chance to get into the world of Guild Wars 2. The signup is only open for 48 hours, so act now to get in line -- it closes at at 1:00 p.m. EST (6:00 p.m. GMT) on Friday February 24th. So what are you waiting for? There's a beta signup just waiting for your name to be on it! [Source: NCsoft press release] ArenaNet announces 48-hour beta signup for Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Free for All: Comparing the payment models of Second Life and Pocket Legends Posted: 22 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Business models, Opinion, Second Life, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Virtual worlds, Free for All, Miscellaneous, Sandbox Over the last few weeks I have been taking a look at different free-to-play payment models in the hopes of showing just how much variety there is in today's market. The term free-to-play is open to interpretation, and every time I become involved in a discussion about what the term means, I come to the same point: Show me the game and I'll tell you how "free" it is. While more titles than not can be enjoyed completely for free, it's important to note that every game needs to make money, so every developer hopes some players pay for something. We also must note that the term "free-to-play" is almost like the term "rock-and-roll." It is a general term that can be broken into many sub-genres. In other words, don't be so uptight about the literal meaning of the word. If you are not sure, check out the game in question. Continue reading Free for All: Comparing the payment models of Second Life and Pocket Legends Free for All: Comparing the payment models of Second Life and Pocket Legends originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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