General Gaming Article

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• Report: Office 15 to Feature 'Touch Mode'
• Dell Begins Shipping XPS 13 Ultrabook
• Lenovo Dumps Netbooks From Online Store
• Asus Shows Off PadFone Tablet/Smartphone Hybrid, Two New Transformer Tablets
• Windows Live, Zune Brands Purged From Windows 8
• Intel Executive Further Confuses Ivy Bridge Situation
• HP Reveals (and Pulls) Windows 8 SKUs from Website
• Orange Squeezes Intel's Medfield Platform into Upcoming Smartphone
• Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Processor Goes 'Pro'

Report: Office 15 to Feature 'Touch Mode' Posted: 27 Feb 2012 07:22 PM PST Microsoft reached a key milestone in the development of its popular Office productivity suite when it launched the "Office 15" Technical Preview Program late last month. At this stage, Office 15 (codename) is being tested by "a select group of customers under non-disclosure agreements." However, not everyone seems to be complying with the NDA.   One such person with access to the technical preview recently shared an image of the preview version of Word 15 with noted Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley. The image reveals the presence of a button for enabling something called "touch mode." While this button is said to be nonfunctional at the moment, Foley's unnamed contact told her that the aim is to let the user switch to a much more touch-friendly UI as and when needed. Of course, it seems to be the only logical explanation for the presence of a "touch mode" button in Office 15 apps. This button is also visible in a number of screenshots of the technical preview versions of various Office 15 apps that were posted on tech blog The Verge on Thursday, but was overlooked until Foley wrote about it the next day. Image Credit:ZDNet

Dell Begins Shipping XPS 13 Ultrabook Posted: 27 Feb 2012 05:07 PM PST Dell has begun shipping its first ultrabook, making it the latest PC vendor to jump on the ultrabook bandwagon. Announced last month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Dell XPS 13 is now available on the company's website from $999. To sweeten the deal, Dell is offering a complimentary T-Mobile 4G Hotspot device to early adopters. Hit the jump for details. The XPS 13, which weighs 2.9 lbs and measures 0.71 inches at its thickest point, sports a 13.3-inch, 1366 x 768 display made out of "edge-to-edge hardened Gorilla Glass." Dell, in fact, is marketing the XPS 13 as the most compact 13.3-inch ultrabook yet. The frame is made up of machined-aluminium and carbon fiber. Inside you will find the following: Intel Core i5 2467M and i7 2637M processor choices Intel HD 3000 video graphics 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333Mhz memory 128 GB SSD or 256GB SSD drive options Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 802.11 A/G/N and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless connectivity[13] High definition audio with Waves MaxxAudio 4 Built-in 47WHr 6-cell battery (not replaceable by the customer) with nearly nine hours of battery life; 45W AC  adaptor USB 3.0 (1) + USB 2.0 with PowerShare, mini Display-Port, and headset jack Built-in 1.3MP webcam with dual array digital microphones As mentioned earlier, the XPS 13 has a starting price of $999. Then there is a $1,299 model that includes 256GB solid-state storage instead of the standard 128GB SSD. The most expensive model costs $1,499 and includes a Core i7 processor in addition to 256GB of solid-state storage. The complimentary T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot is available with all models and includes 90 days of mobile broadband.

Lenovo Dumps Netbooks From Online Store Posted: 27 Feb 2012 11:04 AM PST With all the talk about the hot new tablets and smartphones at this year's Mobile World Conference, it's easy to forget about the lowly netbook. Once the cool kid in the computing club, netbooks have suffered an amazing fall from grace, with sales plummeting even faster than Congressional approval ratings. How bad are things for netbooks? About a year ago, Lenovo was pumped about three new netbook offerings. Now, the company has stopped selling netbooks whatsoever on its website, and doesn't know if it will ever offer them online again. The netbooks that were online have all sold out, and Lenovo spokesman Ray Gorman told PC World that they are "not being replaced in the near future." There's no word on whether or not Lenovo will continue to sell netbooks in stores. (Although, to be fair, Lenovo's IdeaPad S110 "mini notebook" toes the netbook line pretty hard.) Part of the reasons for Lenovo's decision to dump netbooks: online sales of the company's A1 and K1 tablets are much more brisk. It's the same "tablet killed the netbook" story we've heard over and over again, and we have to say, between the abundance of cheap laptops and the ability to pair tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, the future of netbooks isn't looking so hot. Are any of you diehard netbookers? Why?

Asus Shows Off PadFone Tablet/Smartphone Hybrid, Two New Transformer Tablets Posted: 27 Feb 2012 10:41 AM PST Asus is one of the few manufacturers who have been able to carve itself a niche in the Android tablet market, but the company isn't about to rest on its laurels following the successes of the Eee Pad Transformer and Transformer Prime.  Two new Transformer products -- one high end, one low end -- were unveiled today at the Mobile World Conference, the smartphone/tablet/notebook hybrid called the PadFone got hard specs and a release date, and if that wasn't enough, Asus dropped the "Eee" and started calling its tablets plain ol' "Transformer Pad." First up, the two new tablets are the flagship Transformer Pad Infinity and the more budget-friendly Transformer Pad 300. Both models pack Nvidia's new Tegra 3 proc, although interestingly enough, the 3G/4G models of the Infinity use Qualcomm's energy-efficient "Krait" S4 processor. The 10.1-inch Infinity also sports a Super IPS+ 1920x1200 display, setting a new high water mark for "Oooh, pretty" in tablets. (You can check out more details here.) The $400 Pad 300 sports a normal 1280x800 IPS display and a plastic -- rather than aluminum -- body available in several color choices. The PadFone is an interesting little beast(s) for people who can't decide whether they need a smartphone, tablet, notebook or some mixture of all three. We'll let Asus' press release describe it for you: The ASUS PadFone is an incredible 4.3" smartphone featuring a Super AMOLEDqHD display, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core processor and an ultra-sharp 8-megapixel digital camera with Fuji image processor all wrapped in an exquisite design that is optimized for Google's Android 4.0 operating system. When placed inside the optional PadFone Station, it transforms into a 10.1" tablet with 5 times the battery capacity. The PadFone offers unmatched versatility via ASUS' proprietary Dynamic Display technology which allows seamless transition between the PadFone and PadFone Station display screens. In addition, the PadFone Station offers an optional keyboard dock that essentially turns the PadFone into an ultraportable computing device. Do any of these products pique your interest?

Windows Live, Zune Brands Purged From Windows 8 Posted: 27 Feb 2012 10:04 AM PST The more things change, the more they stay the same, as the old saying goes. The cliché looks to be in full effect in Windows 8. No, Microsoft hasn't suddenly and miraculously decided to drop the contentious-to-some Metro UI for its upcoming operating system, but it will be killing two other branding efforts. Windows Live and Zune are all rumored to be going the way of the Dodo, dropped in favor of Apple-esque simplified program names. According to The Verge, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Calendar, Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Contacts will be replaced by the creatively named Mail, Calendar, Photo and People apps, respectively. Dumbed down for the masses? Sure, but we always thought the "Windows Live" branding seemed a bit superfluous anyways. Windows Live IDs will be shoved off the proverbial cliff as well and replaced with "Microsoft Accounts," a term that grandmothers and other casual users are sure to confuse with standard Windows user accounts. Zune Music Player and Zune Video Player will be replaced by -- you guessed it -- straightforward Music and Video apps. Zune Pass will stick around, at least for now; reports say Microsoft wants to kill off Zune and Windows Live completely by the end of the year. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is barreling towards its February 29th launch at the Mobile World Congress, so you'll be able to see the changes for yourself very, very soon.

Intel Executive Further Confuses Ivy Bridge Situation Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:54 AM PST We've never been so confused about a processor launch date as we are now. Actually, it's Intel that appears the most confuzzled over when exactly Ivy Bridge will make its official debut, as conflicting and incomplete reports continue to surface. The latest we're hearing is that Ivy Bridge is definitely being delayed until June, but let's back up a moment and see if we can make some sense of it all. News of an Ivy Bridge delay first surfaced a couple of weeks ago when DigiTimes reported it was hearing that Intel was intentionally pushing back Ivy Bridge's launch so OEMs could clear out inventory of Sandy Bridge systems, not to mention giving itself a chance to unload its own stockpile of Sandy Bridge chips. It was said that Intel would launch a few Ivy Bridge processors in early April, as planned, but that mass shipments wouldn't take place until summer. A follow-up report a week later suggested that DigiTimes was only half correct. The real situation, as reported by VR-Zone, is that Intel only planned to delay dual-core mobile chips built around Ivy Bridge, for reasons listed above. Desktop and quad-core parts would launch as scheduled, or at least that's where we last left off. Fast forward to today and things aren't looking so rosy...again. Sean Maloney, executive vice president of Intel and chairman of Intel China, has apparently confirmed Ivy Bridge is being delayed until June, the Financial Times reports. "I think maybe it's June now," Malone is quoted as saying in an interview. Maloney blamed the delay on the new manufacturing process and said it had nothing to do with a lack of demand. What's not so clear, however, is whether previous reports stating the delay only applies to dual-core mobile parts are correct, though FT (and Maloney) make it sound like all of Ivy Bridge is being put on hold until summer.

HP Reveals (and Pulls) Windows 8 SKUs from Website Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:28 AM PST Once you post something on the Internet, it takes about a nanosecond for it be picked up by a wandering Web surfer with his or her finger on the Print Screen key, let alone Google's Web crawling bots that take cached snapshots of everything it finds. So even though Hewlett-Packard has taken down a couple of driver documents that made references to Windows 8 SKUs, we can still take a peek thanks to a pair of cached copies. ZDNet's Stephen Chapman said he stumbled upon the driver documents on HP's website while doing some research, both of which relate to drivers for an Alcor Micro Smart Card Reader. What's interesting about these documents is the list of supported OSes, which include various versions of Windows 7, XP, Vista, and Windows 8. Here are the Windows 8 versions outlined in the documents: Windows 8 32 Edition Windows 8 64 Edition Windows 8 Enterprise 32 Edition Windows 8 Enterprise 64 Edition Windows 8 Professional 32 Edition Windows 8 Professional 64 Edition Could Microsoft be attempting to streamline its Windows 8 SKUs? It sure appears that way. There were only three versions of Windows 8 listed in HP's support documents, each of which comes in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. There's no mention of a Starter edition or Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate. It's still early in the game and it's possible HP simply didn't list all versions of Windows 8, but wouldn't it be nice if Microsoft kept it simple?

Orange Squeezes Intel's Medfield Platform into Upcoming Smartphone Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:06 AM PST It's fair to say that Intel has conquered the desktop market and will probably remain on top for a long time to come, but it when it comes to mobile platforms like tablets and smartphones, ARM is the one with a stranglehold on the market. The Santa Clara chip maker has long said it plans to make a serious run at mobile devices, and starting soon, you'll see a bunch of smartphones sporting Intel inside. One of the first companies to tap into Intel and its Medfield platform is Orange, according to a Reuters report. Orange is France Telecom's mobile division, and it plans to launch a smartphone in France and the U.K. this summer built around Intel's mobile chipset. The co-branded smartphone is being designed by Intel and will feature its popular 'Intel Inside' logo on the back cover. More important is the fact that Intel is getting involved in a market segment it's left virtually untouched up to this point. "This is a really big deal for us," Mike Bell, VP and GM of Ultra Mobility at Intel, told Reuters. It's phenomenal that Orange has asked us to participate and put our Intel logo on the back." Other details about Orange's Intel-powered handset are few and far between at this early stage, though it's being reported the device will run Google's Android platform.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Processor Goes 'Pro' Posted: 27 Feb 2012 05:43 AM PST Mobile World Congress is now in full swing, which means an added emphasis on mobile devices and related technology announcements. One of the more interesting to come out of MWC is Qualcomm's unveiling of its upcoming Snapdragon S4 Pro MSM8960 processor. The S4 Pro adds a bit of graphical kick with an Adreno 320 GPU baked in. According to Qualcomm, the Adreno 320 GPU offers up to four times better performance, which purportedly pays dividends in everything from simple Web browsing to playing games, and of course smoother scrolling through advanced UIs and improvements to other graphics applications. "As a result of strong customer demand for Snapdragon S4 processors, we've added a new Pro version of MSM8960 to continue delivering the highest performing mobile processors in the industry," said Cristiano Amon, senior vice president of product management, Qualcomm. "By delivering the S4 Pro processor in 2012, we are fulfilling our promise that Snapdragon processors will remain the industry's barometer for excellence in mobile computing while helping our customers bring the most innovative smartphones and tablets to market." Adreno 320 brings more multimedia capabilities to Snapdragon, such as computational camera, which gives developers "the ability to tap directly into the computational capability of the Adreno 320 GPU through new APIs like OpenCL," Qualcomm says. The S4 Pro will be capable of more realistic 3D graphic effects though hardware acceleration of advanced rendering features, and it boasts dedicated hardware to accelerate Windows 8. It also fully supports popular game engines from Unity, Epic, and more. Qualcomm says Snapdragon S4 Pro processors will show up in tablets and notebooks in the second half of 2012.

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MMO News

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• Hawken raises over $10 million
• gamigo announces Nexus Conflict
• MMOHut Weekly Recap #75 Feb 26 – Eden Eternal, Sword Girls, Blacklight, & More
• Crimson Blades cross in Vindictus
• Carte – First Look HD
• Dungeons and Dragons Online launches Update 13

Hawken raises over $10 million Posted: 27 Feb 2012 12:13 PM PST Venture Beat has released an exclusive report that Meteor Entertainment has raised $10 million for its upcoming MMO, Hawken. The investors, Venture Beat reports, include Benchmark Capital and First Capital, who also backed Riot Games in creating League of Legends. Hawken is being developed by Adhesive Games, a development studio belonging to Meteor Entertainment, as a free-to-play mech combat MMO. This is their first title, but has already gained hundreds of thousands of beta sign-ups. For more information about the game, check out our Hawken preview. Hawken Gameplay Screenshot

gamigo announces Nexus Conflict Posted: 27 Feb 2012 11:49 AM PST Publisher gamigo has announced an upcoming game to their line-up: Nexus Conflict. Nexus Conflict is a science fiction MMO that takes place in the past of Black Prophecy’s universe setting, and is powered by Unity 3D. Designed as a real-time strategy game, players will take control of a battle cruiser, and battle for control between the Tyi and Genides through PvE and PvP missions. The game will feature a variety of battleships and ship classes, extensive ship configuration, individual skill system, faction territories, and a crafting system. The game is now accepting closed beta signups at the official website, nexusconflict.gamigo.com. Nexus Conflict Official Trailer: Source: Nexus Conflict: Epic battles in gamigo’s new strategy MMOG Hamburg, February 27, 2012 – Battles in space aren’t won and lost in the cockpit of a fighter ship, but on the bridge of a mighty battle cruiser! In gamigo’s new tactical real-time strategy game Nexus Conflict, players jump into the past of Black Prophecy’s universe to take command of one of these titans during the height of the Species Wars. The battles for control of strategic regions are waged in the Nexus – a place where universes are colliding – and fought between the cybernetically optimized Tyi and the genetically perfected Genides. By completing PvP and PvE missions, players can earn improved weapons, stronger shields and other enhancements. Over the course of the game, captains will have access to ships ranging in size from an 80-meter cruiser to a massive battle titan measuring in at 1.5 kilometers in length. The spectacle of space battle is presented by the powerful Unity 3D graphics engine, thanks to which Nexus Conflict bedazzles with astounding 3D visuals.The game, available as a client game to start with, will also be playable as a browser game in the future. Nexus Conflict is being developed by the German developer studio Limbic Entertainment. The first beta testing phase is scheduled to start in March. Registration for closed beta testing is open on the game’s official website. Nexus Conflict’s features at a glance: Stunning graphics both as a client game and in the browser thanks to state-of-the-art Unity 3D technology! Set in the well-known sci-fi universe of Black Prophecy Spectacular strategic battles with gigantic battleships A variety of ship classes, from small frigates to megacruisers Ship system with extensive configuration options Individual skill system PvP, PvE and PvE Co-op missions Conquering and defense of faction territories Crafting system

MMOHut Weekly Recap #75 Feb 26 – Eden Eternal, Sword Girls, Blacklight, & More Posted: 27 Feb 2012 11:45 AM PST A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: Eden Eternal, Lucent Heart, Sword Girls, Carte, Divinia, Fallen Earth, Realm of The Mad God, Shadow Company, Microvolts, Tribes, and Blacklight Retribution. The biggest news comes from the MMORPG Eden Eternal. Aeria Games announced the new Ranger class as well as a new level cap of 65 for Eden Eternal. In addition to this players can also expect new PvP maps to play on. All of this content is now live for players to enjoy. You can view all the individual news articles mention over at the MMOHut.com News section.

Crimson Blades cross in Vindictus Posted: 27 Feb 2012 11:29 AM PST Vindictus (North America) has released the Crimson Blades update, adding new PvP modes to the game. The three new modes are Capture the Relic, Monster Brawl, and Triple Monster Brawl. In Capture the Relic, players are charged with competing in an arena to capture relics (instead of flags) with two teams of up to five players each. Monster Brawl pits teams against each other’s monster, which can turn on its own team in its violent rage. Triple Monster Brawl offers three team monsters to vanquish instead of one. All of these modes are available at the dock for players of any level. New PvP rewards have also been added, including stat-enhancing buff items, monster summon scrolls, and party revival feathers. These rewards can be earned by exchanging Combat Seals or Seals of Enjoyment. Vindictus is published by Nexon, which also publishes Dragon Nest and Sudden Attack. Relic PvP Vindictus Gameplay Screenshot Source: Brutal Player Versus Player Combat Arrives in Full Force in “Vindictus” Nexon America unleashes all new ways for players to prove their worth with The Crimson Blades update Nexon America's award-winning physics-based action MMORPG “Vindictus” has received The Crimson Blades update, which adds a robust player versus player (PvP) combat system to the game. Players will be able to compete against each other in three new game modes: Capture the Relic, Monster Brawl and Triple Monster Brawl. Capturing a flag is so 2011. In Capture the Relic, two teams consisting of up to five players each compete in an arena to capture the opposing team's Relic, all the while striving to defend their own. Players will need teamwork, fast reflexes and communication with their teammates to emerge victorious. Players looking for unexpected twists and turns in their PvP experience need look no further than the Monster Brawl mode. Inside a battleground, two teams of players must assault the opposing team's monster. No idle participant, the opposing monster will fight back with vindictive ferocity. The monsters may even turn on their own teams, so combatants are warned to always watch their backs. Players up for the most intense PvP challenge can sign up for Triple Monster Brawl, a Monster Brawl with three times the danger. After the first opposing monster is defeated, two more will take its place, with victory coming only after all three have been vanquished. A series of powerful PvP rewards have also been added to "Vindictus," purchased from Royal Army Recruits. After completing a PvP match, players will receive a Combat Seal or a Seal of Enjoyment, which are redeemable for stat-enhancing buff items, monster summon scrolls, party revival feathers and more. These three new PvP game modes are accessible via the Exploration Boats at the docks, and are available to players of any level. For more details and to learn more about the latest events in “Vindictus” visit: www.vindictus.com.

Carte – First Look HD Posted: 27 Feb 2012 11:08 AM PST To Learn More About the Game, Check out our Carte Page. Carte is a 2D TCG  published by GamesCampus the same company behind 9 Dragons and Asda 2. Players are able to choose one of five factions and their respective cards to build decks from and compete with and against other players. The game currently is in closed beta Unlike other TCG’s Carte is a downloaded client and is not played on a browser.  The game currently is in closed beta. To learn more about Carte check out the official MMOHut Carte page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

Dungeons and Dragons Online launches Update 13 Posted: 27 Feb 2012 11:03 AM PST The Web of Chaos, Dungeons and Dragons Online’s 13th update, has gone live today. The update introduces three new free quests: The Lords of Dust, Servants of the Overlord, and The Spinner of Shadows. Players can now also start at level 7 in Veteran Status, and two new items – Omnispell Dust and Omnispell Stone – make it easier for casters to save inventory space and manage material components. New items have also been released in the store, including Elemental Touch weapons, the Necklace of Protection, and the Cloak of Resistance. The content leads into the new expansion for DDO, Menace of the Underdark, which has been announced as having a launch date of June 25. Preorders of the expansion are now being accepted at the game’s official website. Dungeons and Dragons Online is published by Turbine, which also publishes The Lord of the Rings Online. Dungeons & Dragons Online Gameplay Screenshot Source: Dungeons & Dragons Online – Update 13: Web of Chaos Serving as the prequel to DDO's upcoming expansion, Menace of the Underdark, Update 13: Web of Chaos brings: 3 New Free Quests The Lords of Dust: The Silver Flame must now contend with an uprising cult! Controlled by the Rakshasas, the cult of the Lords of Dust have one priority – free the ancient demons trapped in Khyber. Servants of the Overlord: Venture deep down into Khyber and fight resistance as you attempt to thwart the Rakshasas from freeing the imprisoned “Spinner of Shadows”! The Spinner of Shadows: Engage in an ambitious battle as you fight to hold off the release of the Spinner of Shadows! Though beware of thinking your task is over, for a menacing journey awaits. Veteran Status (7) · Now start your new character at level 7 and gain a head start! Earn through favor or purchase in the DDO Store. New Items · Use the Omnispell Dust and Omnispell Stone in place of the material component of any magic spell. Free up inventory space! New to the DDO Store Cloak of Resistance – Aid yourself in the defense of magic attacks and traps Necklace of Protection – Increase your armor class by 1 +1 Elemental Touch Weapons – A full suite of level 1 weapons are now available

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MMO Updates

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• Leaderboard: Lockboxes yea vs. lockboxes nay
• Guild Wars 2 beta signups peaked at 4,000 a minute
• New Korean MMO Bless reveals English website
• MV Guide: February 27 - March 4, 2012
• DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders
• The Daily Grind: Should players get a vote on content?
• MMO Week in Review: One million served
• CCP: DUST will offer a 'more intuitive' EVE experience
• EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire
• League of Legends reveals Fiora, The Grand Duelist

Leaderboard: Lockboxes yea vs. lockboxes nay Posted: 27 Feb 2012 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Polls, Business models, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Leaderboard While the concept of lockboxes -- or gift boxes, or super packs, or whatever nomenclature you prefer -- are certainly not new to MMOs, it seems like they're finally making headway into some of the biggest free-to-play titles as of late. From Star Trek Online to Lord of the Rings Online to City of Heroes, studios are making beaucoup bucks from hosting these mystery treasure chests that cost real-world money to acquire or unlock. Some love them and some despise them, but the truth is that they're incredible moneymakers for companies. But money isn't what Leaderboard is about; we're in search of public opinion. Do lockboxes have an acceptable place in MMOs? Not only would finances seem to suggest so, but the psychology of these goodie bags offer euphoric rushes that normal monster looting does not provide. Sure, maybe it's gambling, but nobody's forcing you to buy them -- and if you do, you're guaranteed to get something somewhat useful, if not incredibly rare. Should lockboxes be shunned and boycotted from all MMOs? Are they ruining the reputation of F2P and representative of the worst mentality this business model has to offer? Do lockboxes kill koala bears and deforest Brazil? Has a lockbox been the cause of one or more breakups in your dating life? Let's put it to a vote: lockboxes yea or lockboxes nay? Keep in mind that if you've spent money on one or more in a game, then you don't want to come across as hypocritical in this poll! Continue reading Leaderboard: Lockboxes yea vs. lockboxes nay Leaderboard: Lockboxes yea vs. lockboxes nay originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2 beta signups peaked at 4,000 a minute Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2 Last week we brought you the news ArenaNet had received over a million signups for the Guild Wars 2 beta. In a press release today, that success was further clarified with an impressive statistic: during peak periods of the signup, the company recorded more than 4,000 signups a minute. That seems to be a huge testament to player's anticipation of the upcoming MMO, if the feat of achieving 1,000,000 tester signups in just under 50 hours wasn't cool enough. The press release also contained some details about future tests, saying that the next bout of closed beta testing will come in late March and "will provide players with an opportunity to experience its deep RPG game elements, epic World v. World battles and inviting social gameplay while helping the team load test the servers." According to a blog post from January, this will be followed up by larger events in April leading up to the eventual and long-awaited release. [Source: NCsoft press release] Guild Wars 2 beta signups peaked at 4,000 a minute originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Korean MMO Bless reveals English website Posted: 27 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items Stop us if you're heard this one before. There's a new MMO coming out of Korea. It's drop-dead gorgeous, it's built on the latest version of the Unreal engine, and it features fantasy armor that doesn't leave much to the imagination. No it's not Aion, or even TERA. The new kid on the block is called Bless, and though we told you about the game back in October, it's taken Neowiz a while to come up with an English website. That website is now live (though it does take forever and a day to load). The site features a trailer, a few screenshots and character concepts, and brief snippets of lore that seem to indicate two factions (Cosmopolis and Hierapolis). We've heard a rumor that Neowiz has more than 150 developers working on the project, some of whom worked on Aion, TERA, and Lineage II. We'll bring you more on the new title as it becomes available. New Korean MMO Bless reveals English website originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MV Guide: February 27 - March 4, 2012 Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Previews, Hands-on, Livestream, Miscellaneous, MV Guide MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively TV. Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During our streamed events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, streaming is subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.) Follow along after the jump to see what's on this week's schedule! Continue reading MV Guide: February 27 - March 4, 2012 MV Guide: February 27 - March 4, 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders Posted: 27 Feb 2012 05:15 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Classes, Expansions, Previews, Free-to-play, Promotions Speaking of Guinness World Records for video games, I wonder whether Dungeons and Dragons Online would be eligible for "Longest time between game release and launch of its first expansion?" Six years may just be the longest we've ever witnessed, as DDO released in 2006, and it wasn't until 2012 that Menace of the Underdark was revealed. The good news is that come June 25th, the drought will be over. We asked Turbine why now seemed like a good time for an expansion. The devs said that Atari had made some noise back in the day about one, but it never came to fruition. With the success of free-to-play, Turbine wanted to see whether the expansion model was still viable, so Lord of the Rings Online was chosen as a test subject. When Rise of Isengard became the best-selling expansion for the company, the company felt secure letting DDO have a chance, although there was quite a lot of wrangling with Wizards of the Coast about the details and permissions. Record or no, it's an exciting event for DDO players, and the today, Turbine has announced the two biggest details for the expansion's schedule. The first is that Menace of the Underdark has a release date, and the second is the opening of pre-orders. Read on to get all of the juicy infos. Continue reading DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders DDO's Menace of the Underdark releasing June 25th, opens up pre-orders originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Should players get a vote on content? Posted: 27 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Sandbox Nevermind games with complicated player councils -- TinySpeck's browser sandbox Glitch puts the power in the hands of the people. The game is free-to-play and back in beta, but once the game relaunches, those who've subscribed can make use of their accrued benefits, which include up to five votes per month in dev-led referenda on the game's content. Players can save their votes up and then cast them all at once or one at a time on whatever issues they feel deserve prioritization, although it's the devs, not the players, who will decide what each referendum entails. So what do you think -- is it a good idea to let players vote (or pay to vote) on what content makes it into a game? 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: Should players get a vote on content? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Week in Review: One million served Posted: 26 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post. One million eager players signed up to test Guild Wars 2 during ArenaNet's two-day closed beta blitz this week. Whether those one million will be invited to the actual test is still unknown, but while you wait, there are plenty of GW2 snacks to nibble. Why not check out our closed beta impressions, the latest Flameseeker Chronicles, our video guide to crafting, and the latest on the game's anti-queue overflow servers? This week's other top MMO stories are just behind the cut! Continue reading MMO Week in Review: One million served MMO Week in Review: One million served originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP: DUST will offer a 'more intuitive' EVE experience Posted: 26 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles, MMOFPS, DUST 514, Sandbox Rock, Paper Shotgun has a new interview with CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson and CMO David Reid. The pair have a few interesting nuggets to share about DUST 514 and EVE Online, as well as how the two games are related. Petursson says that initially, DUST mercenaries will not be riding the proverbial space elevator into orbit to parlay with their capsuleer counterparts in EVE. As in the eight-year-old spaceship MMO, though, the design will evolve and change, and "the two experiences are going to be more and more crafted over time." The interview also also posits that DUST's accessible shooter design may lead new players into the world of New Eden in spite of EVE Online's legendary learning curve. "EVE is a very particular type of experience, made for people who want to commit a lot of energy to have a game experience like that," Petursson explains. "Over the years we've seen a lot of people interested in the EVE universe, the single shard and the political drama, but [they] might not be particularly looking for an experience like the game itself. We see DUST as a way to allow people to participate in this universe by offering them a more intuitive, familiar, speedier, quicker, shorter time-commitment type of experience." CCP: DUST will offer a 'more intuitive' EVE experience originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: RPS Via: DUST 514 Base

EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire Posted: 26 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, PvP, Opinion, EVE Evolved, DUST 514, Sandbox This week CCP Games announced the name and focus of EVE Online's upcoming summer expansion. The Inferno expansion aims to re-invigorate PvP with some long overdue gameplay changes. CONCORD-sanctioned wars will be iterated on for the first time in half a decade, and faction warfare will hopefully be getting the updates it should have received in 2008. Following on from the success of the Crucible expansion with its hundreds of small features and gameplay changes, Inferno will also contain dozens of small gameplay changes, usability fixes, and minor improvements. We'll hear more about DUST 514 in the coming months as CCP reveals more concrete details of the game's link to EVE Online and the motivations behind planet-bound wars. Incarna fans will apparently also see some movement, with Team Avatar focusing on avatar-based updates for this release. While Inferno is a rather uninspired name and coincidentally would make three of the last four expansions start with the word "in," the expansion's content is genuinely exciting. Fundamental changes are coming to EVE's PvP mechanics for the first time in several years. CCP hasn't revealed the exact changes, but that hasn't stopped players from speculating on what might be heading their way. In this week's EVE Evolved, I speculate on the changes coming in the upcoming Inferno expansion and what changes I think might be coming to EVE's PvP. Continue reading EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire EVE Evolved: Setting the universe on fire originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

League of Legends reveals Fiora, The Grand Duelist Posted: 26 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MOBA, League of Legends If you're fed up with all the recent mage champions added to League of Legends, you'll be happy to know that the next champion due to hit the scene is a true melee carry. Fiora is a competent initiator able to dash around a teamfight picking off fleeing heroes. Fiora's passive causes her to regenerate health every time she hits a target, stacking up to four times if the target is an enemy hero. Her first move, Lunge, is a double-dash that can be used to land a hit and escape, chase down a fleeing target, or initiate teamfights. As if that weren't enough mobility, Burst of Speed gives bonus movement speed for every basic attack or lunge that hits while it's active. Burst of Speed also provides an attack speed boost, and its cooldown resets if Fiora kills an enemy champion. Riposte gives Fiora a massive attack damage buff, causing the next basic attack or spell against her to be reflected back at the attacker. Fiora's ultimate, Blade Waltz, makes her rapidly bounce between nearby enemies, slashing each one for physical damage. Fiora is invulnerable during the move, but could easily be counter-attacked when it ends. League of Legends reveals Fiora, The Grand Duelist originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Fiora champion reveal

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Bless (KR)
• The Video Game Fashion Revue
• Rage Suffering From a Variety of Launch Day Issues on PC
• Killzone 3 Multiplayer Experiment Could Be a Preview of Gaming’s Future
• F2 : Floating Fortress (KR)
• Review: Rage is a Melting Pot of Post-Apocalyptica That Soon Solidifies

Bless (KR) Posted: 27 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST [More info] Ever since the game was officially announced last year by Neowiz Games at G*Star, a few silent months passed. Bless is said to be the company’s biggest online game yet, with development team having over 150 staff and veterans hailing from Aion, Lineage 2 and TERA among many other titles. Developed using the Unreal 3 Engine, Bless is set to take on the heavy hitters presumably early next year. I was kind of skeptical as the website presumably listed the 7 images below (and 1 right at the top) as “screenshots”, but I will have to see the actual gameplay before betting on it. Gorgeous, yes, but it looks a tad edited using image software. Well, what is your opinion? Pitting 2 opposing sides against each other in the same continent, the game story is pretty much like those found in several PvP-centric online titles such as AIKA. However, given the promised immense land area and landscapes for players to explore, I just can’t wait till some ingame footage is shown! The 4 races seen below are presumably named as well, with then being the male Lupus, male Panthera, female Forest Elf and male Ilblis. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/02/bless-kr-new-images-galore.html Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

The Video Game Fashion Revue Posted: 27 Feb 2012 03:14 AM PST The games are called Final FANTASY Posted: 02/23/2012 by  almostautumn I “get” that the armor/outfits aren’t “believable,” or even comfortable to wear most likely, but that isn’t the point. Sure, Vanille would probably get stuck on every outward twig in Pulse, but the outfit does create a sense of character for her, a sense that is applicable to who she actually is. The same applies to Yuna’s redone outfit in FFX-2, as well as Fran’s rather loose attire in 12. These outfits are not designed in the mind of “Well how would a woman dress as a close combat warrior,” but “What does this character represent to the story?” Men are not excused from this either; how many men in the FF series actually look like they’re going into combat/wear something relevant to combat? Not many, but i’ll be damned if you want to tell me Auron’s scarlet cape doesn’t establish who he is, or that Baltheir’s fashionable display doesn’t scream “aristocrat.” As for older FF’s’ which? FF4? The characters are dressed to part there indifferent to FF13, and also to theme, which is different for each and every FF— ever. While FF has migrated away from more strict Fantasy and Sci-Fi genre through the years, they’ve also become far deeper in ambition and character (don’t mistake me; FF13 supports a weak roster. But it is ambitious). And while I am not saying more strict adherence to genre is “bad” or anything, I also recognize that where an FF chooses to go is done so by the creativity-based choices of the artists, something I’m much more interested in seeing then conservative behaviour.       @Ben You’re not of the few; plenty of people absolutely love FF12, particularly because FF12 is truly the most invigorative, intriguing, and well put-together game in the series (arguable to 4/6). The gambit system is perfect, the characters are top-author material, and the political world/economy of Ivalice is ingenious and sound. The only people who did not acknowledge the greatness of FF12 are the petty “loyalists,” and those who just did not want a different combat system from the norm. FF12 is literally a perfect, timeless title in the series, and it deserves to be recognized as so. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/features/video-game-fashion-revue Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

Rage Suffering From a Variety of Launch Day Issues on PC Posted: 27 Feb 2012 01:27 AM PST Rage was released on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 today, and while the latter two platforms seem to be enjoying a largely playable game, there have been a plethora of issues for PC gamers to deal with. That comes as somewhat of a surprise given this is a game from id Software — the developer responsible for first-person shooter classics like Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein. While its roots might be in PC, Rage is a more console-focused game (although the PC version looks much prettier, as one would expect). Unfortunately, there have been countless complaints on PC about crashing, texture pop-in, and poor framerates, among other things. The issue of crashing is being attributed to drivers for those with ATI/AMD cards. Bethesda’s Pete Hines explained on Twitter that the beta drivers intended to improve Battlefield 3 performance are causing a 100% crash-to-desktop rate. On the Bethesda blog, it’s noted that the AMD drivers it encouraged people to install just yesterday are now causing problems and should not be used. Issues with lag and extremely poor texture pop-in (to the point where it appears that every texture is forgotten as soon as it falls outside of your field-of-view) are reportedly fixed to a large extent for AMD users with a new set of drivers released this afternoon. Other issues seem to remain unsolved, such as field-of-view issues, lag spikes, missing textures, and other crashes. Hopefully these will continue to be resolved as people update their drivers to the appropriate ones and id patches the game. Even as the problems are resolved, though, it’s hard not to be frustrated that another PC game launch is suffering from so many issues. It appears to simply be par for the course at this point, but to be fair, the driver issues can’t be blamed on id or Bethesda. Let us know if you’re experiencing any issues and if you’ve managed to find any solutions for them in the comments. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/news/rage-suffering-launch-issues-pc Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

Killzone 3 Multiplayer Experiment Could Be a Preview of Gaming’s Future Posted: 26 Feb 2012 03:12 PM PST Sony has announced plans to offer a free-to-play trial version of Killzone 3′s multiplayer, with players being offered the option to upgrade to the full version for a fee. It’s an unusual move for a game of this sort on consoles, yet it could serve as a preview of what we may see more of on consoles in the future. PlayStation 3 owners will be able to download Killzone 3′s full online multiplayer component for free from the PlayStation Store starting this Tuesday, February 28, in the United States. This will provide access to every map, including those released through downloadable content. You will have complete access to Guerrilla Warfare, Warzone, and Operations modes until they’ve reached the rank of Sergeant I. Once that point is reached, the full version of Killzone 3′s multiplayer can be purchased for $14.99, a fee that will grant you 24 hours of double experience, some free unlock points, access to Botzone mode, and the ability to create both clans and custom games. Alternatively you can opt to pick up the standalone game, which will also allow you to play through the game’s single-player. The move in theory isn’t terribly dissimilar to what certain MMOs have done; World of Warcraft and Rift each allow players to experience the game up to level 20. Both of those will allow you to continue playing even once hitting that mark, you simply can’t level up further. Your level is less integral to the experience of playing a first-person shooter, which explains why you’ll be locked out once you’ve reached the level cap in Killzone 3 Multiplayer, as the standalone game will be called. Valve has also experimented in the free-to-play space with a previously-full-priced shooter, albeit in a much different way. Team Fortress 2 was made free-to-play permanently last summer — there are absolutely no restrictions and the option to purchase the game is gone. Valve continues to make money from the game through the in-game store which allows players to purchase cosmetic items, weapons, and other items that can almost all be obtained through random drops while playing the game. What makes Killzone 3 Multiplayer particularly interesting, besides the fact that this is being tried on consoles when the vast majority of first-person shooters even on PC continue to be sold in a traditional package, is the way it splits the game into two different parts. Although the single-player game can’t be purchased on its own, it isn’t difficult to imagine a scenario where both Killzone 3 Multiplayer and Killzone 3 Campaign are sold on the PlayStation Store. Breaking games up into à la carte purchases lowers the price of entry for the game — suddenly you have a piece of a product that can be offered to consumers for $30-$40 instead of a flat, $60 fee. A mega-hit like Call of Duty isn’t about to be broken up into two or more parts when Activision knows it can sell a $60 package to millions upon millions of players. However, smaller games with less of a chance of succeeding at $60 could perhaps find success if they were made available modularly. Having a lower price right out of the gate could lure in customers who might otherwise wait for the price to be dropped, by which point they may simply opt for a cheaper, used copy the developer and publisher don’t stand to benefit from the sale of. This is something we’re more likely to see as gaming moves away from retail and becomes more digital-oriented. For now, Sony may be on to something by offering Killzone 3′s multiplayer in this fashion. With a limited number of exceptions (Nintendo games come to mind), the bulk of a game’s sales come around the time of its release. With Killzone 3 now a year old, sales have undoubtedly slowed a great deal. By offering a sizable trial of the multiplayer and the ability to upgrade to the full version for a fairly small amount — a sum less than purchasing a used copy of the game at GameStop — Sony could suddenly find a reinvigorated Killzone 3 making money a year-plus after release it otherwise would have not have seen. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/news/killzone-3-multiplayer-f2p-experiment Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

F2 : Floating Fortress (KR) Posted: 26 Feb 2012 03:12 PM PST [More info] I can see that the FlyFF community has been stirred by this new game from gPotato (or Gala Net), which is hailed as FlyFF’s sequel although it is not directly “FlyFF 2″. Aion on a budget? Well, each to his own, I am sure F2: Floating Fortress will get its own fans. After scouring the Korean websites for more information, here is an info which I found today courtesy of Inven Korea with regards to the PK system. In F2: Floating Fortress, Player Kill (PK) is open world, which means you can kill anyone almost anywhere in the open maps. There is no mention of a specific level to start PK or a PvE server though. Similar to NCsoft’s Lineage, killed players will lose experience points (EXP) and might drop a random item. At level 16, players will be able to get a Spirit upon completing a quest. Spirits are separated into 4 different different attributes according to their colors, as well as separated into Battle Spirit or Flying Spirit. While Battle Spirit will fight with the player, Flying Spirit can be fused and transform into wings for, duh, flying. PK can happen as well while flying in the skies, which will make the guild castle siege more fun. The game will go into its first Closed Beta this coming Wednesday (Korean time). Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.mmoculture.com/2012/02/f2-floating-fortress-kr-brief-player.html Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

Review: Rage is a Melting Pot of Post-Apocalyptica That Soon Solidifies Posted: 26 Feb 2012 01:28 PM PST It’s funny what a mix of good and bad timing can do for a game. Take Radiant Silvergun, for instance: originally an arcade game and then a relatively limited Japanese Saturn release in 1998, the game became a favorite among the ultra-hardcore, import-happy crowd… assuming they could get the game. Due to its short life on the shelf and the general fervor over its developer Treasure, Silvergun quickly gained triple-digit price tags. Some would suggest that not playing Radiant Silvergun doesn’t make you a real gamer. Well, it’s not that good, but now it’s back and better and easier to get than ever. Radiant Silvergun is definitely a shooter from 1998. It requires a different kind of skill than today’s arcade shoot-em-ups, where the number one strategy is knowing when to tip-toe between curtains of bullets. Here, enemies are typically small and everywhere, bosses and midbosses are frequent, and they all have tricky patterns that can throw you off if you don’t learn them or don’t kill the boss before they get really tricky. On top of that, the game has an orthodox emphasis on weaponry. You have three basic attack types — vulcan, homing, or spread — that can be combined to make different combinations, like a vulcan cannon that fires from both ends of the ship, or a homing laser that goes for any enemy in your radius. Oh, and a “radiant sword” that you can swing around or use it to absorb certain pink bullets and charge up a super slash. In this version, you can map the combinations to any button you want, but the tower of button icons on the side of the screen when playing can still look a little intimidating. Nevertheless, it’s a feast of firepower. Posted by: admin in Gaming News Find related article at: http://www.1up.com/reviews?cId=3185847 Thank you for Visiting Gameforumer.com, Hope you enjoyed the stay with us.

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