General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


No BS Podcast #183: The Magnificent Marsupials of Austria

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:08 AM PDT

Don't call it a dewback! Join Gordon, Nathan, and Maximum PC Art Director Richard Koscher for Episode 183, 183a, or possibly 184 of the No BS Podcast! 

In this episode: Windows 8! We discuss the Metro interface on the desktop, on tablets, in the phone, and even on the Xbox dashboard. We see what Microsoft is trying to do, but will it work?

There's also some talk about the iPad 3, making movies, jumping out of planes with Sony-brand cameras, and Austrian hockey. Which is a thing.

Also, we chat about the Steam Box, Kickstarter, the problem with Android tablets, and creativity. Later, Gordon rants about things, and reveals that he's racist against Wookiees.

Next episode goes up April 6th! Thanks for stickin' with us!

Computer trouble? A secret to share? Opinions? Need advice? Just need to get something off your chest?  Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or call our 24-hour No BS Podcast hotline at 877.404.1337 x1337--operators are not standing by.

 

Raidmax Unveils New Gundam-Themed Agusta Gaming Chasis

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:57 AM PDT

If you're a Gundam fan from back in the early '80s Mobile Suit days or more of a newcomer who jumped onto the SEED bandwagon, you'll get a kick out of the new Gundam-themed Agusta case Raidmax showed off yesterday. Not the cartoony type? That's okay -- the ATX and MicroATX-compatible case still looks pretty cool even if you have no concept of the lore behind the Augusta Newtype Lab.

The front of the Agusta sports five tool-less 5.25-inch drive bays with pop-off panels, all of which are covered by the case's "Gundam themed armor-shield," which opens outward like a door. Illuminated fans in front and on top (there are 7 fans total) add to the sci-fi appeal, while you'll find six additional 3.5/2.5-inch bays underneath the main 5.25-inch slots.  The panel on the front of the chassis sport USB 3.0, USB 2.0, audio and microphone connections along with fan speed and LED controls. The case clocks in at 21.85x9.21x23.90-inches and 17.7 lbs.

Raidmax's Gundam Agusta chassis is slated to launch in May for $120. Check out more details on Raidmax's website.

MSI, Gigabyte And HIS Introduce Seven New AMD Radeon 7000 Cards

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:26 AM PDT

Another day, another pair of new AMD Radeon HD graphics cards. Didn't we just say that yesterday? In another fine example of how quickly things move in today's age, several companies unleashed a smorgasbord of new AMD Radeon cards today and made our previous statements obsolete. How many cards constitute a smorgasbord? Seven, by our count, and the good news is that most of the new releases are higher-end models.

Leading the charge is the MSI R7970 Lightning, a new flagship model equipped with MSI's Twin Frozr IV cooling/dust removal tech and Class III military-grade components. The 230W card comes clocked at 1070MHz with 3GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 5.6GHz. MSI tossed in all kinds of tech that it claims makes the card quieter and friendlier to overclocking than ever before. Check out more about it here.

Gigabyte rolled out a pair of new 7800 cards, meanwhile: the GV-R787OC-2GD and GV-R785OC-2GD. Both are overclocked (to 1.1GHz and 975MHz, respectively) and sport different fan designs from the reference 7800 models. Gigabyte's 7870 card rocks a triple fan Windforce 3x setup with a pair of 8mm heat pipes and something called "Triangle Cool Technology." The 7850, on the other hand, rocks a pair of fans and a pair of heat pipes. Read more details here.

TechPowerUp is reporting that HIS has launched no less than four new Radeon 7900 cards; a pair of 7970s and a pair of 7950s. The 7950s use HIS' IceQ iTurbo cooling system, while the 7970s use the IceQ X² cooling solution. The HIS HD 7970 IceQ X² and HIS HD 7950 IceQ both use stock speeds, while the HIS HD IceQ X² Turbo and HIS HD 7950 IceQ Turbo provide bumps to core/memory and core speeds, respectively. TechPowerUp has more details about the cooling systems for both the 7970 models and the 7950 models.

HIS card image credit: TechPowerUp.com

This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:44 AM PDT

Dell XPS 13

As well as the new iPad review, we've also got a whole host of other reviews awaiting your perusal on TechRadar.

We've checked out several new Intel Ultrabooks including Dell's XPS 13 and the Samsung Series 5 as well as the thin-and-light but officially not an Ultrabook Samsung Series 9.

And then there's the Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray player among plenty of other cool kit. Check out the full list below.

Dell XPS 13 review

There's only so cheap you can go with a thin and light chassis, Intel Core i7 under the hood, 4GB of memory and a 128/256GB SSD. Dell hasn't managed to make the XPS 13 as cheap as some competing Ultrabooks but this shouldn't be a message of doom and gloom - we think Dell will manage to bring prices down. And despite the price, we think the XPS 13 is the most desirable Ultrabook we've yet seen.

And, because of its corporate-friendly features we think it'll become a fixture in many boardrooms. But it's far from being just good for business. It's an excellent choice for anyone wanting a highly powered, highly portable machine. We've just found our next PC. How about you?

New iPad review

We think Apple's new iPad is magnificent. It's definitely the best iPad ever, with a brilliant new pin-sharp Retina display and more powerful graphics the stand-out new features. A consequence of these upgrades is that it's slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad 2, but if you want one of those, Apple is leaving the 16GB Wi-Fi model on the market.

Let's face it, though, you don't want one of those. You want one of the new ones, especially as the new iPad is only a little more expensive and offers a visual experience you have to see to believe. Apple's MO is evolution rather than revolution, so owners of older models need not worry - there's plenty of life in them yet. But for anyone else looking for a new play thing, this is it.

Philips Fidelio L1 review

Designed for use in the home as well as on the move, Philips is hoping the new Fidelio L1s will strike a chord with that rare beast: the iPod owner who really cares about sound quality.

A lot of the music we put through the L1 cans sounded absolutely stunning. Acoustic tracks sound first class across the board. The A-minor twang of a guitar, the snap of a snare drum, the wail of a Roger Waters – it's all as sonically pure as any other headphones we've tested in recent times. But for as many tracks as we could find that made the L1s sound like the best headphones in the world, there were as many that brought them back down into the realms of normality due to a lack of punch at the low-end.

Samsung Series 9 review

The Samsung Series 9 900X3B is a fantastic-looking laptop that doesn't sacrifice usability like many ultra-portable laptops. Yes, there's a lack of power here, battery life is uninspiring and the price is colossal. Those things usually equate to a bad review, but the Series 9 commands a certain respect. The engineering and vision that's gone into making something beautiful and unique goes beyond benchmark scores and gripes over price. We made excuses for the original Apple MacBook Air, which wasn't usable as a main machine.

Panasonic DMP-BDT220 review

While the DBP-BDT220 has a seductively low price, it's by no means a budget proposition. Panasonic has produced a high-performance Blu-ray player that doesn't disgrace itself when partnered with equipment from higher up the food chain.

Other reviews

Blu-ray players

Panasonic DMP-BDT220 review

Cameras

Hands on: Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN lens review

Hands on: Nikon D4 review review

CCTV

D-Link Home Network Camera DCS-942L review

Compact cameras

Canon IXUS 125 HS review

Hybrids

Fuji X-Pro1 review

Laptops

Samsung Series 5 Ultra review

Printers

HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275 review

Speakers

Fidelio SoundRing DS3800W review

Storage

Seagate GoFlex Desk 4TB review

Televisions

Samsung UE55ES8000 review

TV accessories

Datacolor Spyder4 Express review

Hackers Publish Exploit Code for 'Wormable' RDP Hole; MAPP Leak Suspected

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 08:13 AM PDT

On Tuesday, Microsoft issued a patch to plug a critical hole in Windows' Remote Desktop Protocol. Fearing the possibility of an exploit being developed in the "next 30 days," the company "strongly" advised the immediate deployment of this patch in a blog post detailing the said RDP vulnerability (CVE-2012-0002). Well, it seems that Microsoft was right about the vulnerability being highly attractive to hackers.

Chinese hackers are said to have already published proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit code for the RDP hole. But there seems to be something even more troubling here than the exploit code itself. It's feared that the hackers who published the code on a Chinese language forum might have had access to data from MAPP ( Microsoft Active Protections Program), which provides vulnerability information to security software partners prior to Microsoft's monthly installment of security updates "so partners can build enhanced customer protections."

Luigi Auriemma, the security researcher who first discovered the vulnerability, has alleged that the Chinese PoC is the "exact one" he provided to TippingPoint ZDI (Zero Day Initiative). He suspects a leak at either ZDI or Microsoft. "The packet I gave to ZDI wasn't just a simple fuzzed packet. I modified at some points to make it unique," Auriemma told ZDNet in an interview.

If it's indeed a MAPP leak than Microsoft has a huge problem on its hands. This is what Microsoft's site says about MAPP: "You will receive advance vulnerability information for those vulnerabilities to be addressed in Microsoft's regularly scheduled monthly security update releases. This information package will provide documents that outline our information on the vulnerability. These documents outline the steps used to reproduce the vulnerability as well as the steps used to detect the issue."

"At times, Microsoft might also provide a proof-of-concept or repro tool that further illuminates the issue and helps with additional protection enhancement. Providing this information enables software security providers to provide timely and enhanced protections for our mutual customers."

In a less sinister development, Gun.io (pronounced gun-yo), a platform allowing independent and open source developers to hire each other, has announced a cash reward for anyone who comes up with "a working exploit for CVE-2012-0002 (the new RDP hole) as a Metasploit module." Interestingly, it's not a fixed reward but sort of a crowd-funded bounty where anyone can add to the overall amount as long as they reside in the States. However, the amount currently on offer is still fairly modest at a shade under $1,500.

In an email interview with Kerbs on Security, Gun.io's 23-year-old founder Rich Jones revealed that this is the first time in the six-month-old site's history that there's a bounty for a software exploit. He also revealed that most of the money for this particular project has been pledged by  Metasploit creator HD Moore, who currently functions as the CSO of vulnerability management company Rapid 7.

No New Xbox Announcement at E3, Microsoft Says

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 07:40 AM PDT

After months of speculation, leaked reports, rumors, and anticipation that Microsoft might announce a new Xbox console at E3, the powers that be saw fit to temporarily depart from its longstanding policy of staying tight-lipped when it comes to unannounced products to put the kibosh on hopes we'd get our first glimpse of the Xbox 720, or the 'new Xbox,' to borrow a page from Apple.

"While we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email making the rounds. "For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360-and it's the best year ever for Xbox 360."

One of the more recent rumors related to Microsoft's next generation console was that it would skip an optical drive altogether in favor of built-in storage and a media card slot, a controversial decision that may or may not be on the table. Either way, we won't find out at E3, and it will be at least 2013 before we see another console from Microsoft.

"The [Xbox 360] is coming off its biggest year ever-a year in which Xbox outsold all other consoles worldwide," Microsoft continued. "Xbox 360 didn't just outsell other consoles, it also outsold all other TV-connected devices like DVD players, as well as digital media receivers and home theater systems. And in our seventh year, we sold more consoles than in any other year-defying convention."

Are you bummed that there won't be a new Xbox announcement at E3, or are you content with your current hardware?

Amazon Appstore for Android Celebrates First Birthday with a Week of Discounts

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 07:05 AM PDT

App stores grow up quick, don't they? Amazon's Appstore for Android launched a year ago on March 22, 2011, and in the seven days leading up to its first birthday, popular paid apps will be sold at deep discounts, starting with Plants vs. Zombies, an addicting tower defense game everyone has either already played or at least heard of. If you fall into the latter category, now is your chance to see what all the fuss is about, as it's available for $0.99, 67 percent below it's normal selling price of $2.99.

Other discounts will follow and will include titles such as Fruit Ninja, Wolfram Alpha, Splashtop Remote Desktop, Dr. Seuss's The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, TuneIn Radio Pro, Tetris, Pac-Man, The Lost City, Monopoly, AccuWeather Platinum, Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals, and more. Tomorrow Amazon will announce two app deals, on day three it will announce three app deals, and so on.

"Customers have used the Amazon Appstore to test drive and buy millions of apps and games for their Kindle Fire and other Android devices in the first year alone," said Aaron Rubenson, director of Amazon Appstore for Android. "To thank customers for shopping with us, we worked closely with our developers to offer special discounts on some of the most popular apps all week long."

Amazon's Appstore for Android now has over 31,000 apps, fairly modest compared to Google Play and Apple's App Store, but it's growing fast. At launch, there were only 4,000 apps, which means Amazon has grown its Appstore eight-fold in the past 12 months.

In case you're wondering, Cut the Rope ranks as Amazon's top paid app over the the past year, and Angry Birds Free tops the list of free apps.

Birthday Hat Image Courtesy of DailyClipArt.net

Elder Scroll News: Skyrim 1.5 Patch Emphasizes Kill Shots; MMO Coming in May

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 06:20 AM PDT

By now you've have had plenty of time to log significant hours into The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and may have even finished the main quest, but you've probably only scratched the surface of all there is to do. In case you were starting to lose motivation, Bethesda is working on a patch that, among other things, makes it much more satisfying to kill enemies.

Our sister site PC Gamer is hosting a trailer for the new patch and has the full skinny on what new features it brings to the table, including new cinematic kill cameras for projectile weapons and spells, and new kill moves and animations for melee weapons. There's also a whole bunch of bug fixes.

In other Skyrim news, Tom's Guide claims ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda are working an Elder Scrolls MMO. Elder Scrolls Online will debut in May of next year and take place a full millennium before Skyrim, most likely during the 'Second Era,' which is hundreds of years before any of the Elder Scrolls games.

Tom's Guide says you'll be able to choose one of three playable factions, each represented by a different animal. They include a lion, a dragon, and a bird of prey.

New iPad Launches, Lands on iFixIt's Operating Table

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 05:56 AM PDT

It doesn't matter if you've been living under a rock or have taken refuge in a cave far removed from civilization, chances are you probably still knew today is the day Apple's new iPad goes on sale. Love or hate all things Apple, the Cupertino company is a master at marketing and creating frenzied product launches. But we're not here to stroke Apple's marketing genius, we want to give you a heads up that iFixIt has torn into the new iPad, laying bare all of the internal components.

Externally, the new iPad looks nearly identical to the iPad 2, albeit it's slightly thicker and heavier. The big change is the Retina Display with its 2048x1536 screen resolution, which works out to over 3 million pixels. An A5X processor with a quad-core graphics engine pushes all those pixels and is supposedly four times faster than Nvidia's Tegra 3 chip. There's also an upgraded 5MP rear-facing camera, and of course the much ballyhooed 4G LTE support that's now baked into the new iPad.

As for tearing it down and doing your own in-home repairs, the device earned a miserable 2/10 'Repairability Score' from iFixIt teardown analysis.

"Just like its predecessor, the new iPad is very difficult to disassemble," iFixIt notes in its teardown worklog. "Adhesive secures the glass to the case, making common repairs and battery replacement difficult."

iFixIt also noted "gobs, gobs, and gobs of adhesive" through the entire design and said that foam sticky tape adhering the LCD ups the odds that you'll crack or shatter the screen when taking it apart. Not surprising for an Apple device, which are notoriously hard to work on, and iFixIt has found it so frustrating to service iPad devices that it decided to retroactively downgrade the iPad 2's Repairability Score to 2/10 as well, a first in iFixIt history.

You can follow the teardown here.

MMO News

MMO News


Brawl Busters launches St. Patrick’s Day fun

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 03:38 PM PDT

A new update arrived in Brawl Busters today with a St. Patrick’s Day theme.

Called “The Pot O’Glow,” the update introduces several new themed fun plus a new map. Players will find in-game clover-popping effects and Saint Patrick’s Day themed items, weapons, and costumes (including a Leprechaun Hat and Shamrock Glasses).

The new map is called Roof Court, a multi-level basketball themed arena that gives a street-ball twist to the brawling.

Brawl Busters is published by Rock Hippo Productions, which also publishes MicroVolts.

50080  420x310 brawl busters pot o glow

Brawl Busters  Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

BRAWL BUSTERS LAUNCHES THE POT O’GLOW UPDATE

Experience “The Luck Of The Irish” With St. Patrick’s Day-Themed Items, A New Map And Much More

Markham, Canada – March 16, 2012 – Rock Hippo Productions announced today the launch of its St. Patrick’s Day themed update, The Pot O’Glow, for their highly popular free-to-play online multiplayer action game, Brawl Busters. The St. Patrick’s Day themed update kicks off with in-game special clover-popping effects, holiday themed items, a new map called the Roof Court, new weapons & costumes and more. The update is also complemented by the release of an all-new trailer and screenshots. Start playing now at www.BrawlBusters.com/splash.

“St. Patrick’s Day is a perfect holiday for Brawl Busters because it is a fun, colorful and playful holiday where people don’t take themselves too seriously,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “All of our Busters are in luck this St. Patrick’s Day with all-new Weapons, Costumes, & a New Map.”

Busters who login starting today will immediately notice the in-game clover-popping special effects and for a limited-time only they will have access to St.Patrick’s Day-themed items including a Leprechaun Hat and Shamrock Glasses.

The new map in the game is called the Roof Court. Brawl it out with a street ball twist in this multilevel arena. Players will also find all-new weapons & costumes for each of the five characters. Brawl Busters can be downloaded and played for free at www.BrawlBusters.com/splash.

Rusty Hearts previews new character and raid

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 03:17 PM PDT

Perfect World Entertainment has announced a new content update coming to Rusty Hearts on March 22.

The update will introduce a new Cash Shop Avatar, Edgar Grosvenor, based off Angela’s move set. Using scythes and magic blades, Edgar offers a new unique backstory and strengths.

The update also introduces the first raid dungeon, Dead Man’s Valley. Designed for groups of eight, the dungeon will feature the hardest enemies yet in Rusty Hearts, including the final Bone Dragon boss.

Perfect World Entertainment also publishes Blacklight Retribution and the upcoming RaiderZ.

Rusty Hearts introduces Edgar Grosvenor and Dead Man’s Valley

Source:

We’re excited to announce our latest Rusty Hearts character with scythe and magic sword abilities. Just like Meilin Chen and Roselle Vergerious, our latest character Edgar Grosvenor is an all-new Cash Shop Avatar that works in tandem with Angela. We’re also announcing the first true Raid dungeon, Dead Man’s Valley.

 

Edgar Grosvenor gives you an exciting chance to play as a unique young boy, or is he? Edgar’s scythe and magic blade abilities are extremely powerful when combined with his speed and agility. His array of skills and abilities make him a great choice for dungeon runs and raids. Head over to Edgar’s information page to see more information on his backstory and strengths.

 

Raids and Expeditions

 

In addition to our latest character addition, we’re also officially unveiling our toughest dungeon yet. Dead Man’s Altar is our first exclusive raid dungeon designed for expeditions of 8 players. This new venture will pit you and 7 other expedition members against the toughest enemies in Rusty Hearts. Challenge yourself against a variety of different Golems and face the true challenge, the Bone Dragon.

 

Get your first taste of Edgar and our new raid dungeon, Dead Man’s Valley, when they go live March 22, 2012.

RaiderZ Gameplay – First Look HD

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 01:36 PM PDT

To Learn More About the Game, Check out our RaiderZ Page.

RaiderZ is a fantasy MMORPG published by Perfect World Entertainment. The game utilizes ‘non-targeting’ combat which means players will have to swing, and dodge attacks in real time without the helper of auto-aimers. RaiderZ promises skill based advancement; there will be no classes. Instead, players will have access to over 350 skills with which to create a custom character. This video was done during the Alpha test and some things are of course subject to change once the game goes into full release. To learn more about RaiderZ check out the official MMOHut RaiderZ page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


Yulgang 2 (KR)

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 02:26 AM PDT


Every since Yulgang 2 was last seen at G*Star 2010, little has been heard about the game. Well, fret not, as development of the sequel is still on-going within KRG Soft (under Mgame) aiming to steal whatever spotlight they can for this title. How is this going to be achieved? Well, by having lots of playable demo booths available of course!

According to Mgame’s plans for G*Star 2011, Mgame has rented space equivalent to 60 units of exhibition booths, with much of the space allocated to showcase Yulgang 2 to the public. Back at the Business to Business (B2B) section, 12 units of space are booked with the intention of attracting foreign game publishers for possible business partnerships. Which gaming companies will clinch the English rights for Yulgang 2?

We are Shifting

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 11:55 PM PDT

Dear Gamers,

 

This Post is made to keep you all informed that Our Beloved “Gameforumer.com” will be shifted to new Host!!! Yes that’s true we are on the process of migrating/moving from the current host to the new host.

So there will no more new Posts on the Web Blog [Gaming Blog], there is no anticipated date of the move as we are awaiting for the transfer from the current host to the new host…

 

We apologize for the inconvenience caused….

 

If you want to address any concerns, you can always reach us at staff@gameforumer.com or admin@gameforumer.com

 

Thank You,

Admin and Staff of gameforumer.com

 

Microsoft Prudently Opts to Wait On New Xbox Announcement

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 06:07 PM PDT

Xbox successor mockup

Unlikely as it may have seemed, Microsoft has made it clear it has no plans to announce a new Xbox at this year’s E3 in June.

“There will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon,” said Microsoft spokesperson David Dennis in a statement to Bloomberg. “For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360.”

It’s not an unexpected revelation, though it does shoot down what rumors and speculation remained about an E3 2012 announcement of the so-called Xbox 720. What’s strange is that Microsoft would even make such a statement; prior to this it had repeatedly declined to comment on reports regarding the Xbox 360′s successor, so to even say as little as Dennis did is a shift from what we’ve seen.

This is, however, the right call for Microsoft to make. The February NPDs released last week show the 360 continues to excel in the United States with its 12th month in a row of 40-plus percent of the current-gen console market share. That is not entirely the result of the competition faltering; Microsoft sold 426,000 systems in the U.S. last month, which is nothing to scoff at. Its sales continue to increase at a point that systems in the past have traditionally declined, as demonstrated in the handy chart below which Microsoft was happy to share with its January NPD spin.

Announcing a new platform this year, even one that launches in 2013 (as Bloomberg says it will, according to two anonymous sources), will do no favors for the 360 and provide little benefit for Microsoft. It’s possible such an announcement could take the wind out of Nintendo’s sails as it plans to push Wii U hard this year starting at E3, but it likely would not be worth it. This isn’t another situation like this generation where Microsoft can get its system out ahead of both competitors, a move that helped to ensure it would not be trounced as the original Xbox was by the PlayStation 2. A 2013 reveal and launch would still almost certainly get Microsoft’s box out ahead of the PlayStation 4; meanwhile it’s unclear how well Wii U will be able to compete with those two.

That we’ve still got a while to wait for the new Xbox (and PS4) is not particularly disappointing news. Like David Jaffe, I know I am in no rush to have to buy even more new hardware when there continues to be a flow of great experiences on existing hardware, whether it come in the form of Mass Effect 3, Journey, or something in between. The current consoles, while drastically underpowered compared with what PCs are capable of, continue to evolve and offer features (HBO Go? Yes, please.) no one would have imagined possible when first scrolling through the 360′s dashboard blades in 2005.

NPD chart

The extra time is good for the console manufacturers, too, as things are quickly changing. The iPad is a powerful device with a screen resolution which trumps anything you’ll play your consoles on, and it offers games for a much cheaper price. The App Store allows developers to deliver frequent updates to their games, something that is not possible on consoles due to the certification processes put in place by Microsoft and Sony.

This subject was touched upon by Capcom senior VP Christian Svensson in an interview with Gamasutra. Speaking about what he’d like to see in the future, he said, “I’m hoping for a much more fluid means of providing updates to consumers, being able to have a much more rapid turnaround in between when content is submitted and when content goes live to consumers, to provide a higher level of service to them. I’m hoping that the networking and the processes in the future are built with that in mind.”

“In many ways, I hope that first-parties react to what’s happening in the PC and smartphone space, in that the barriers between developer and consumer are much lower there,” he continued. “And console makers need to be aware that that’s what they’re competing against, and that’s increasingly what the customer expectation is, in terms of responsiveness and engagement.”

I’m definitely in agreement with Svensson. Developers can react far more quickly to feedback with updates on PC versus consoles, a process that is not helped in the least by the artificial restraints placed upon them by console manufacturers. Team Fortress 2 has evolved unlike any other first-person shooter I can think of, but only on computers. Valve hoped to release the updates for free on Xbox 360, yet it was never able to do so as Microsoft insisted the content not be given away for free. It’s Microsoft’s platform and it is of course free to do what it wants, but a situation like that is not what you would describe as endearing.

Opening the platforms up flies in the face of what consoles have been in the past, but given the talk of consoles marching toward their deaths (exaggerated, without a doubt, but still a concern), it may be time for certain concepts to be reconsidered. That includes mimicking the openness seen on PC and not handicapping developers with crazy certifications processes.

The longer Microsoft (and Sony) wait to bring out their new consoles, the more time they have to evaluate these sorts of policies. Assuming there is a willingness to adopt some of the more consumer-friendly ideas seen outside of the console business, maybe there won’t as much of a reason to dread the next generation of consoles.

[Xbox mockup courtesy of Yanko Design.]

Heroic 3 Kingdoms (CN)

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 06:07 PM PDT


MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena if you do not know, and games such as League of Legends and Dota2 fall into this category. In an attempt to enter the MOBA market in China, one of the largest games publisher and developer, NetEase, revealed its very own entry – a Unreal Engine 3 developed game based on Romance of the 3 Kingdoms, loosely translated as Heroic 3 Kingdoms.


What is so special about this game, since MOBA tends to follow the standard 2-lanes template? Well, for the main map, there are 3 lanes in this game, staying true to the 3 Kingdoms storyline. Seen in the supposedly leaked map layout below, the darker blue spots represents the item merchant in the wilds, the green spots represents low level mobs while the red spots indicates high level mobs.


There is currently no actual screenshot yet, but with its first Closed Beta hitting 6th April, I am guessing more information will be released soon. Heroic 3 Kingdoms currently boasts high AI mobs and new maps, but none are currently shown. And by the way, the characters are a physical re-imagination of the actual Three Kingdoms heroes. Panda again, yeah I know…

September NPDs: Madden, Gears 3, and Xbox 360 the Top Sellers

Posted: 15 Mar 2012 02:27 PM PDT

Madden NFL 12

As was already announced by Microsoft, Gears of War 3 managed to sell more than 3 million units worldwide in its first week. The portion of those copies sold in the United States were enough to make it September’s second best-selling game behind only Madden NFL 12 (likely due to Madden benefiting from being available on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, and PSP). Although Madden was released in August, it wasn’t accounted for in the August NPD numbers because of when the reporting period ended. September’s numbers cover August 28 through October 1.

Resistance 3 was the PS3′s big exclusive in September; it came in at number seven. The multiplatform Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, which also debuted last month, came in at number ten.

No doubt thanks to Madden’s launch being counted in September, videogame software sales were up three percent as compared with September 2010. Hardware and accessories were down nine and 14 percent, respectively.

Xbox 360 was the best-selling console in the U.S. during the month with 438,000 sold. That gave it a 42 percent share of current-gen consoles during the month, which Microsoft is happy to point out is the seventh month in a row it’s had at least 40 percent of that category.

Sony chose not to share specific sales numbers yet again. It instead pointed out that PS3 hardware was up 20 percent and software was up 52 percent. Based on math done by a NeoGAF member, these numbers and Microsoft’s suggest the PS3 sold between 364,000 and 374,000 units during the month.

Nintendo’s spin on the numbers highlighted the DS line surpassing the 50-million-units-sold mark in the U.S. 260,000 3DS systems were sold last month (up 10 percent from August), adding up to 450,000 units sold since the price drop in August. 240,000 Wii systems were sold during the same period, and over 145,000 DS units were sold. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, meanwhile, became the first 3DS game to sell in excess of 500,000 units.

The software top ten for September follows below:

  1. Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)**
  2. Gears of War 3 (360)**
  3. Dead Island (360, PS3, PC)
  4. FIFA Soccer 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, 3DS)
  5. NHL 12 (360, PS3)
  6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360, PS3, PC)**
  7. Resistance 3 (PS3)
  8. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii, NDS, 360, 3DS, PS3, PSP, PC)
  9. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)**
  10. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (360, PS3, PC)

**(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


The Soapbox: What you loved is still there

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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Yes, I'm familiar with liking something most of the world doesn't.
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

One of my greatest fears as I slouch toward 30 is that my tastes will become immutable in certain fields -- music, especially. The last thing I want to do is be the obnoxious guy listening to music that was popular when I was in high school complaining about how bad modern bands are. So I try to broaden my horizons because I know that everything I already like is still waiting for me. I want to create a broader range, not just stick within the familiar.

It's probably for the best, then, that I don't share that worry about video games in general and MMOs in particular. I don't cry for a return to the MMOs I played in older days because in most cases they're still running. True, in many of them a great deal has changed to the point of unrecognizability, but I never ask what happened to the game I once loved. After all, just because I loved it doesn't mean that anyone else did.

Continue reading The Soapbox: What you loved is still there

MassivelyThe Soapbox: What you loved is still there originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Some Assembly Required: Is The Secret World a sandbox?

    Posted: 16 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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    Some Assembly Required - Is The Secret World a sandbox?
    I'm more excited than I thought I would be for The Secret World. After playing it at last week's Game Developer's Conference and getting a preview of the game's crafting system, I think it's safe to say my anticipation went up a few notches.

    The real-world setting and horror-fantasy elements have always been appealing, but a general lack of info throughout 2011 -- coupled with Funcom's decision to add a cash shop to a subscription game -- conspired to knock The Secret World down a few pegs. Now I'm almost willing to forgive the business model faux pas because it seems like the game will feature significant sandbox elements.

    Is it a sandbox, though?

    Continue reading Some Assembly Required: Is The Secret World a sandbox?

    MassivelySome Assembly Required: Is The Secret World a sandbox? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Firing Line: Blacklight release, Defiance, and (hopefully) a DUST livestream

      Posted: 16 Mar 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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      The Firing Line - news roundup edition
      Welcome back to The Firing Line, shooter fans. I'm still recovering from Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 demo last week (as well as CCP's reveals regarding DUST 514 gameplay footage and impending beta dates).

      Life goes on, though, and there are plenty of interesting tidbits to talk about with regard to our favorite genre. Won't you join me after the break for a recap?

      Continue reading The Firing Line: Blacklight release, Defiance, and (hopefully) a DUST livestream

      MassivelyThe Firing Line: Blacklight release, Defiance, and (hopefully) a DUST livestream originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Retro-themed sandbox 8BitMMO announced

        Posted: 16 Mar 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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        8BitMMO
        Archive Entertainment is looking to get a slice of the massive Minecraft pie (which is square, not round), as the team has dived into the concept of a retro-style sandbox MMO called 8BitMMO. It may not boast the most incredible graphics, but that's kind of the point; players who recall their NES days with fondness will be right at home with the presentation on display.

        8BitMMO is touted to be a "100% player-built world," where anything can be built, destroyed, and harvested for raw materials. Up to 250 players can occupy a server at the same time, and there's the option to group or go solo while you build, explore, or fight off the evil LawyerCats. There are quests, PvP engagements, and methods of protecting one's buildings from griefing.

        This project is the sole creation of Robby Zinchak, who was formerly a producer at Microsoft. Zinchak has been working on 8BitMMO since 2001 and is impressed with the creativity shown in the game so far: "People are creating some genuinely cool architecture - everything from towering windmills to sports arenas. One player even made a huge statue of a flying dragon. The community is very inventive, and I can't wait to see what they'll come up with next!"

        Currently, 8BitMMO can be played on the official website as it continues to be developed. You can watch the trailer for this interesting project after the jump.

        [Source: Archive Entertainment press release]

        Continue reading Retro-themed sandbox 8BitMMO announced

        MassivelyRetro-themed sandbox 8BitMMO announced originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Daily Grind: Which non-existent MMO genre would you play?

          Posted: 16 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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          It's difficult to think of a historical or cultural genre that hasn't already been covered by an MMO. We have everything from medieval fantasy to dystopian sci-fi and just about everything in between, but we don't have everything just yet. For example, we don't have a wild west MMO. We don't have an undersea Atlantis MMO. But would anything too quirky or specialized even work as an MMO?

          More interestingly, what would you like to see in an untapped MMO genre? Certainly not everyone wants to see only fantasy or sci-fi! Right?

          Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

          MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Which non-existent MMO genre would you play? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Rumor: Elder Scrolls MMO to be announced in May

            Posted: 15 Mar 2012 08:15 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , , ,

            The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim: screenshot in the mountains
            You know, that pesky Elder Scrolls MMO rumor just won't die. We've been hearing scuttlebutt of a Tamriel-themed massively multiplayer title for years now, and even though Bethesda has debunked such gossip in the past, Tom's Hardware is citing an "industry source" who says the title is a reality.

            The latest rumbling posits that the game will feature three factions and will take place several hundred years prior to the events of Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Also, some sort of official announcement is supposedly scheduled for May. Following that, the source claims, the Elder Scrolls MMO will have a "presence at E3" in June.

            Bethesda has yet to comment, but we'll bring you the latest info as it happens.

            [Thanks to Matt for the tip!]

            MassivelyRumor: Elder Scrolls MMO to be announced in May originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Rusty Hearts adding 'first true raid dungeon' on March 22nd

            Posted: 15 Mar 2012 08:00 PM PDT

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            Rusty Hearts
            If the name "Dead Man's Valley" doesn't give you pause while looking up places to travel on your next vacation, perhaps consider a luxury cruise through Rusty Hearts' territory this spring. The hack-and-slash MMO is prepping a major update to the game for March 22nd that will add "the first true raid dungeon" for the game. Dead Man's Valley is an eight-person raid that will represent some of the most challenging content in the game.

            Also coming with the update is the latest playable character: a man trapped in a boy's body (insert your own role-reversal jokes here). Edgar Grosvenor is joining the crew of Rusty Hearts as a fierce melee combatant whose skill with the scythe and magic sword are completely at odds with his schoolboy demeanor.

            You can see the highlights of both Dead Man's Valley and Edgar's combat technique in Perfect World's latest video right after the jump!

            Continue reading Rusty Hearts adding 'first true raid dungeon' on March 22nd

            MassivelyRusty Hearts adding 'first true raid dungeon' on March 22nd originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The MMO Report: Shut up and take my money

            Posted: 15 Mar 2012 07:00 PM PDT

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            The MMO Report
            This week on The MMO Report, Casey cheers for the Double Fine Kickstarter effort, MechWarrior Online's first gameplay footage, and Guild Wars 2's preorder bonuses. "Shut up and take my money," he commands ArenaNet. He also heckles TERA for its new level cap and discusses Star Wars: The Old Republic's free play weekend before getting a bit confused about just how World of Warcraft's revamped scroll of resurrection works (it does not, in fact, work on fresh accounts).

            The Beard ends with a dip into the mailbag and a geeky commercial that involves "8bit animation, puppets, and beer" and must be seen to be believed. And you can do so after the break!

            Continue reading The MMO Report: Shut up and take my money

            MassivelyThe MMO Report: Shut up and take my money originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Summoner's Guidebook: Dominion isn't ready for ranked

            Posted: 15 Mar 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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            League of Legends
            I'm a huge fan of League of Legends' Dominion gametype. One of the complaints I hear regularly is that Dominion doesn't have a ranked mode. Right now, Dominion's highly skilled summoners must choose between "curbstomping pubbies" in blind pick mode or waiting for a year in queue for draft pick mode. A ranked mode would solve these issues, as players would be encouraged to play more and would be able to see improvements in their gameplay.

            A lot of people don't think that Dominion is ready for ranked. Most of the arguments along these lines have something to do with poor champion balance. What do they mean by "bad balance?" I have a suspicion that many of the complaints stem from a lack of counter-knowledge more than any fault of the developers.

            Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Dominion isn't ready for ranked

            MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Dominion isn't ready for ranked originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Guild Counsel: Raiding and dealing with the dreaded 'bench'

              Posted: 15 Mar 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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              Kobe benched
              The good news for guilds these days is that you don't need as many players in order to form a raid and tackle endgame content. However, this is also the bad news because it means guild leaders need to keep a watchful eye on their roster and face the unenviable task of telling certain members they can't be part of the raid on any given night.

              In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look the time-honored tradition of benchwarming and cover some tips on how to avoid the drama that comes with it. You may not be able to completely avoid having to sit members out, but there are some ways to cut down on how often you do have to say no.

              Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Raiding and dealing with the dreaded 'bench'

              MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: Raiding and dealing with the dreaded 'bench' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Darkfall believes in magic

                Posted: 15 Mar 2012 04:00 PM PDT

                Filed under: , , ,

                Okay, not believing in magic is a mite hard at times in a magical fantasy world.
                There are a lot of changes in the pipeline for Darkfall, but it's safe to say that whatever else changes in the game, magic will remain important. The newest development blog for the game discusses the revised state of low-level magic and some of the basics of more powerful magic as well. Every character can use the lowest tier of magic, which mixes both Intelligence and Wisdom as important stats and can be cast regardless of what the character is wearing. Known as Minor Incantations, the school contains only five spells, but they're all of basic utility, ranging from basic magical damage to a simple self-healing spell.

                Beyond the earliest steps, the developers have taken pains to try to make magic more balanced and interesting. The biggest element in spell potency is the governing attribute of the spell (Intelligence or Wisdom), but the level of the spell, the staff being used by the caster, and the overall level of the magic school in question all come into play. Take a look at the full diary to get a better sense of where the game's mystical arts are heading in the future.

                [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

                MassivelyDarkfall believes in magic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Ask Massively: A world without boats edition

                Posted: 15 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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                This is an allegory.  Maybe.
                As you probably have already ignored, the big news of the day is that the world's boats have all been lost due to mysterious boat-related circumstances. Unfortunately, as human beings are extremely stupid and easily thwarted, no one can remember how to build a boat, nor did anyone take any notes on how one might build a boat. There aren't even pieces of information about how boats work. Long story short, Australia is now completely on its own.

                In less boat-related news, it's time for this week's installment of Ask Massively. Written while not on a boat, it's fielding questions about the ubiquity of social networking and Collector's Editions that cost nearly as much as a boat. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment of the column, mail it to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments below. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.

                Continue reading Ask Massively: A world without boats edition

                MassivelyAsk Massively: A world without boats edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Spirit Tales threatens cuteness overload as closed beta begins

                  Posted: 15 Mar 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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                  It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!
                  Free-to-play MMO developer/publisher KoramGame Ltd. has announced that its nauseatingly adorable title Spirit Tales is making the jump into closed beta. The chibi-anime-style game boasts extensive character customization with "over 40 million unique fashion combinations for your character," while further customization is possible with the game's pet system. Almost any creature in the game can be captured and tamed as a pet, after which point players can either summon their pets as battle companions or merge with them in order to enhance their characters' abilities.

                  Yann Wang, General Manager of KoramGame, is enthusiastic about the game's beta test, stating that the game's "unique character customization and pet system" and "explosive PvP battles and intense instanced dungeons are sure to win [players] over." Of course, there's only way to test the veracity of his statement, and that's to head on over to the game's official site and get in on the test yourself. But be sure to act quickly; testing slots for this phase are limited.

                  [Source: KoramGame Ltd. press release]

                  MassivelySpirit Tales threatens cuteness overload as closed beta begins originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    RuneScape bonus XP weekend generates workshops, strategy videos

                    Posted: 15 Mar 2012 01:30 PM PDT

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                    RuneScape
                    If there's one thing we've learned about the RuneScape community, it's that these players are very, very serious about bonus XP weekends -- so serious, in fact, that there are forum threads, workshops, and videos devoted to helping players get the most out of these events.

                    Starting tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. EDT, RuneScape will be throwing open the gates to a truly insane bonus XP weekend. Unlike most MMOs that try such events, RuneScape won't just slather a steady percentage increase all over players' XP bars. Instead, players will log in to find that their first half-hour of play has a 2.7x multiplier for training activities, and then every 30 minutes after that the rate will decrease until it bottoms out at 1.1x for the remainder of the weekend.

                    The bonus XP will go away on Monday at 8:00 a.m. EDT, and if you want some tips on how best to maximize this opportunity, hit the jump to watch one of the aforementioned help videos. What, you thought we were joking?

                    [Source: Jagex press release]

                    Continue reading RuneScape bonus XP weekend generates workshops, strategy videos

                    MassivelyRuneScape bonus XP weekend generates workshops, strategy videos originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      ArenaNet focuses on community in latest dev blog

                      Posted: 15 Mar 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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                      Screenshot -- Real Life
                      If you're reading Massively, we assume you're a player or fan of MMORPGs, but everyone has different reasons for playing. Some play for hardcore raiding progression, some play for role-playing, and some play just to wind down and relax, but there's one thread that ties all of these things together: community. After all, what's an MMORPG without the MMO? ArenaNet is well aware of this, and the studio has just released a new blog outlining its approach toward community-building with Guild Wars 2.

                      Some may be surprised to hear that ArenaNet will be offering official forums for GW2. Some may be even more surprised to hear that the studio will not be offering "traditional fansite support." But don't panic! This isn't the death of community, it's the evolution thereof. ArenaNet realizes that "gaming and community management have evolved over the last six years," so the studio plans to change right along with it. When you consider the fact that the GW2 community spans multiple separate communities, such as fansites, forums, social networking sites, and outlandishly fabulous sites such as Massively itself, it should come as no surprise that the studio is aiming to bring these players together. The final goal, according to the blog, "is to create an environment that is respectful, welcoming, inclusive, and friendly."

                      We're sure more details on the studio's community plan will be unearthed as the game approaches launch, but until then, ArenaNet is asking the community to be proactive by bringing community projects to its attention so that the studio can "[highlight] them for the broader community." So get to work, Guild Wars fans, and help to build a community that makes ANet proud.

                      MassivelyArenaNet focuses on community in latest dev blog originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      Xsyon celebrates its first year of Prelude

                      Posted: 15 Mar 2012 12:30 PM PDT

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                      Xsyon screenshot
                      One year and counting. Crack open the waterskin and raise a toast to Xsyon: Today the post-apocalyptic sandbox by Notorious Games celebrates its first full year of launch. Well, the first year of the official launch of Prelude, a limited first release of the virtual world. Come to think of it, even that date seems a bit nebulous as the pre-order players in the first phase of Year Zero (basically beta) actually had their most significant change on March 11th, 2011 when the second phase launched and totems were introduced.

                      Semantics aside, Xsyon has come a long way from that official first day. Unlike many games where gameplay is neatly laid out, this indie title gives players only the canvas and a few tools before setting them loose to fashion their world. As the year continued, additional tools were provided and the world became more vibrant and dynamic. Initially barren without any critters (other than your surviving neighbors) to hunt, the world is now populated with large creatures that roam the land, threatening the lives of travelers and hunters alike. Even the lay of the land itself is different as players manipulate and alter the terrain, build settlements, and plant trees. Communities are forming; groups are supporting and even entertaining each other. Civilization is slowly rebuilding.

                      And that's only the beginning.

                      Continue reading Xsyon celebrates its first year of Prelude

                      MassivelyXsyon celebrates its first year of Prelude originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        Get your free TERA beta keys here!

                        Posted: 15 Mar 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                        TERA - that's one big-ass monster
                        So you're not in the TERA beta yet, but you'd like to be, amirite? I mean, come on -- sexy avatars, action combat, gorgeous fantasy graphics -- what's not to like? Well, Massively is your sugar-daddy because today we've got 10,000 keys to give away, each of which will unlock the world of Arborea via TERA's Closed Beta Test 4 for North American players only.

                        All you have to do is click the link below, claim your key, and then copy/paste it into the appropriate section of your En Masse Entertainment account. What's that? You don't have an En Masse account? What are you waiting for, foo? Head to the firm's official site and make one right now! After you've gone through the email verification song and dance, click the "enter code" button on the right side of your account window and submit your key. Then download the TERA client via the button on the account overview tab.

                        GET YOUR KEY
                        En Masse has also brought word of a new video that shows off TERA's high-level Temple of Temerity instance. The dungeon tasks players with holding off hordes of enemies bent on destroying a relic, and the instance made its public debut at last week's GDC demo. Finally, En Masse is releasing an e-book called The Amaranthine Heart which expounds on TERA's lore and backstory. It's available for a palty $.99 on Amazon (and the instance video is free of charge after the cut).

                        Continue reading Get your free TERA beta keys here!

                        MassivelyGet your free TERA beta keys here! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                          Raph Koster categorizes his best game design blog posts

                          Posted: 15 Mar 2012 11:30 AM PDT

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                          Raph Koster
                          If you're looking for an entry point into the voluminous back-catalogue of game design posts sitting on Raph Koster's web server, look no further than his newest entry, which serves as something of a greatest hits listing.

                          For those unfamiliar with Koster, most gamers associate him with watershed sandbox titles like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, and he has also written a book called A Theory of Fun for Game Design. Koster first published his website in 1997, and some of his articles date almost as far back. He's arranged the links in what he calls a "rough reverse chronological order," so grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and settle in for a lengthy design-focused read.

                          MassivelyRaph Koster categorizes his best game design blog posts originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                          Command & Conquer browser MMO enters open beta

                          Posted: 15 Mar 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                          Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances - concept art
                          Another beloved IP, another browser-based MMO. This time it's not the gritty fantasy of George R.R. Martin but the sci-fi battlefield of Command & Conquer that is receiving the MMO-lite treatment.

                          Gamasutra reports that Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances "is not a Facebook game" like previous Electronic Arts browser titles, which include Lord of Ultima and Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online. Command & Conquer is "hosted on a stand-alone site," marking the first time the storied franchise has tried its hand at the free-to-play model.

                          The game has been in closed beta since December and is now available to a global audience via its public open beta.

                          MassivelyCommand & Conquer browser MMO enters open beta originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                          Aion: Ascension and F2P launch date set

                          Posted: 15 Mar 2012 10:30 AM PDT

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                          Aion screenshot
                          Hang on to your wings! The news that Daevas and Daevas-to-be have been anticipating (and even hedging bets on) has finally arrived: NCsoft just announced that Aion's 3.0 update and free-to-play-conversion will hit North American servers on April 11th, giving folks barely enough time to recover from any chocolate bunny-induced comas.

                          And if that wasn't enough to set Asmodians and Elyos astir, along with the raised level cap, mounts, streamlined UI, and other assorted goodies previously disclosed, two additional features launching with Ascension were revealed: a completely unique microtransaction system (C.U.B.E.) and a personalized in-game guide (the Atreian Atlas).

                          Continue reading Aion: Ascension and F2P launch date set

                          MassivelyAion: Ascension and F2P launch date set originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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