General Gaming Article

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• Maximum PC Is Hiring an Online Editor
• Anonymous Hacks Department Of Justice! But Does It Really Matter?
• Microsoft Expects To Ship Over 350 Million Windows 7 Devices In 2012
• Dell Adds Gamer-Friendly Killer Wireless-N 1202 Wi-Fi Card To Alienware Notebooks
• Nvidia's WHQL-Certified 301.42 Drivers Bring Gameplay Enhancements And GeForce 600 Series Support
• ViewSonic Launches Full HD 1080p Pro8300 Projector in Europe
• Graphics Shipments on the Decline, Jon Peddie Says
• Microsoft Enters the Social Networking Scuffle, Doesn't Want a Fight with Facebook
• Rapid Release Fraps Updates Fixes a Flurry of Issues
• Raspberry Pi Team Developing Camera Module

Maximum PC Is Hiring an Online Editor Posted: 22 May 2012 02:14 PM PDT Do you like Maximum PC? Would you like to become a part of Maximum PC? No, we're not talking about a Borg-like assimilation of all mankind (that's scheduled for fiscal 2013), we're talking about a chance to join the team that makes Maximum PC and MaximumPC.com.   Alex Castle, our Online Managing Editor, is moving out of the state, which means that we're on the lookout for a new online editor. If you think you've got the editorial and technical chops for the job, and you don't mind relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, check out the job posting at the Future US website!

Anonymous Hacks Department Of Justice! But Does It Really Matter? Posted: 22 May 2012 11:36 AM PDT Here's the problem with breathlessly reporting on every purported Anonymous hack the second it happens: most of the time, the breaches don't turn out to be a big deal. Take yesterday for example; after a self-claimed Anonymous hacker posted a 1.7GB torrent containing server files from the "Bureau of Justice" on the Pirate Bay, early headlines blared variations of "OMG! ANON HAX DEPT. OF JUSTICE!" Unfortunately (fortunately?), that's only kinda true. Reuters made some calls and found out that the hack only breached a single Bureau of Justice Statistics web server. You're probably wondering the same thing we were: what the heck is the Bureau of Justice Statistics? It's a relatively low-profile segment of the DoJ that aggregates and analyzes data about crime. It doesn't exactly seem like an ideal target for the high-profile juicy tidbits Anon is always on the hunt for -- and as it turns out, it wasn't. The data security experts at Identity Finder downloaded the torrent and examined its contents. (At least, they did so as soon as they could -- the file lacked seeders until late this morning, East Coast Time.) The leaked info, while definitely from a DOJ server, was less than earth-shattering. The torrent contained: A mostly-empty "Mail" folder, with two of the three associated addresses belonging to what appear to be automated administrative accounts Error logs and other everyday server files Graphs and spreadsheets detailing various crime statistics. None of the files in the torrent contain any sort of critically sensitive personal data, Identity Finder reports. It just goes to show, folks, that many of the electronic boogeymen propped up by the media (cough, cough, myself included) tend to be full of hot air -- and anyone can say they're an Anonymous hacker. Obviously, any breach of a government agency is a bad thing, but most of the truly dangerous hacks -- the ones that actually put your personal information in the hands of cybercriminals -- never get reported on because they just aren't "sexy" enough to print. "Due to the fact this attack affected the Department of Justice, this breach received more attention than other more significant breaches of late, including the billing and customer support tech company, WHMCS, which was ransacked and taken offline by hackers, and their entire customer database exposed online," Identity Finder notes at the end of its report. Just a little something to chew on. Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

Microsoft Expects To Ship Over 350 Million Windows 7 Devices In 2012 Posted: 22 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT With the rapid rise of tablets, analysts have been arguing over which PC hardware company is the biggest in all the land: HP or Apple? Apple, of course, only enters the discussion if you count tablets as PCs. But regardless of how you look at technicalities, Microsoft wants to let you know that when it comes to the operating systems running on all that hardware, there's really only on sheriff in town: Windows. Speaking in a forum from Seoul, Steve Ballmer said that the giant from Redmond is on pace to ship a whopping 350 million Windows 7 devices in 2012. That's right, over a quarter of a billion pieces of hardware -- and that number doesn't even take Windows 8 forecasts into account. "It makes Windows the most popular single system," Bloomberg quotes Ballmer as saying. By contrast, "only" 103 million tablets will ship this year, with two-thirds of those carrying the iconic Apple logo. So what's driving the demand? Bloomberg says enterprise firms contributed a big chunk. Only time will tell if the corporate IT customers are upgrading to Windows 7 now to avoid the headache of teaching norms how to use the Metro UI later.  Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

Dell Adds Gamer-Friendly Killer Wireless-N 1202 Wi-Fi Card To Alienware Notebooks Posted: 22 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT When Qualcomm Atheros launched its gaming-optimized Killer Wireless-N 1202 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo card about a month ago, the silence was deafening; the component launched without a single OEM manufacturer on board, meaning you couldn't actually, you know, find it inside any laptops. That changes today, as the company announced that Dell's Alienware gaming notebooks will sport the Killer Wireless-N 1202 heading into the future. "Gamers everywhere depend on Alienware to deliver superior experiences that help them achieve that 'epic win'," Alienware general manager Frank Azor said in the press release, though we're not sure why "epic win" is bracketed by quotation marks. "Integrating the Killer Wireless N-1202 technology—another first from Alienware—allows gamers to experience exceptional online gaming." The card combines Bluetooth capabilities with a 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi module capable of up to 300Mbps throughput and both 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum functionality, while the card's Killer Network Manager graphical UI lets you tinker with bandwidth and priorities on an application level. The Killer Wireless-N 1202 also packs in Wi-Fi Direct capabilities and Qualcomm Atheros' Advanced Stream Detection technology, which can "automatically classify and prioritize latency-sensitive network traffic for online games, HD video and high-quality audio to maximize your online experience." Have you played around with a Killer Wireless card? What were your experiences with it? Does it bring much to the table gaming traffic-wise? Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter Image credit: hd-tecnologia.com

Nvidia's WHQL-Certified 301.42 Drivers Bring Gameplay Enhancements And GeForce 600 Series Support Posted: 22 May 2012 10:04 AM PDT Good news for early GeForce/Verde 600 series adopters: Nvidia's just released a set of WHQL-certified drivers for desktop and notebook gamers alike, one welcomes all the new entries to the Nvidia graphics family with open arms and gives them a big ol' group hug. GeForce 400 and 500 series owners will feel the love, too, thanks to a performance boost of up to 20 percent in a host of top-tier games. The actual frame rate improvements depend on both the game being played and your particular setup, of course; the benchmarks examining systems with a single GTX 560 Ti and the new drivers showed a roughly 3 to 10 percent frame rate increase, for example. Skyrim nabbed a big boost from the 301.42 update, as you can see above. The new drivers also place the mini-controversy surrounding the GTX 670 and its 3-way SLI support to rest by boosting the card up to full 4-way capabilities. The 301.42 drivers also bring updates for Nvidia Surround, PhysX and OpenCL, along with a ton of new 3D Vision and SLI profiles. Finally, 301.42 adds Adaptive Vsync and FXAA antialiasing to all GeForce 8-series and later GPUs. Check out Nvidia's blog post for a full list of updates, including the various SLI and 3D Vision profile updates, or download the 301.42 drivers here. Follow Brad on Google+ or Twitter

ViewSonic Launches Full HD 1080p Pro8300 Projector in Europe Posted: 22 May 2012 06:40 AM PDT Home theater buffs looking to replicate the big screen experience in their living rooms or man caves aren't the only ones who can benefit from a Full HD 1080p projector, at least not as far as ViewSonic is concerned. ViewSonic's new Pro8300 is just such a projector, boasting a 1920x1080 resolution, 3000 lumen rating, and "precise color performance and sharpness" that business users can take advantage of to pitch presentations. ViewSonic also envisions its Pro8300 being used by teachers for multimedia, and of course there's nothing stopping you from plopping the projector in your home and firing up The Grey, provided you live in Europe, where this thing is being launched. "ViewSonic understands business applications and launches the Pro8300 with an abundance of features that are capable of delivering outstanding presentations to partners and clients," ViewSonic says. "Pro8300 effectively elevates brainstorming meetings and commercial briefing by projecting information with 3000lm high brightness and a superior 1.5X optical zoom lens design to provide vibrant images with more 35 percent of additional zooming capability. The amazing clarity in 1080p Full HD resolution and detailed projection, allows the Pro8300 to dynamically enhance presentation quality and audience interaction." The Pro8300 features dual HDMI and VGA inputs, a 10-bit image color processor, and a pair of 10W speakers. It will be available in Europe later this month for £999.00 inc VAT (around $1,577). No word on when or if ViewSonic plans to bring the Pro8300 to U.S. shores. Image Credit: ViewSonic Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Graphics Shipments on the Decline, Jon Peddie Says Posted: 22 May 2012 06:24 AM PDT You can't hardly buy a processor any more without also purchasing a graphics chip. That's because many of today's CPUs sport integrated graphics, a relatively new development as both AMD and Intel push their respective CPU+GPU solutions onto the masses. But despite each company's efforts, along with a constant flow of discrete GPU solutions from AMD and Nvidia, graphics shipments are down overall. According to data from Jon Peddie Research, combined graphics shipments declined 0.8 percent in the first quarter of 2012 when compared to the previous quarter, and slipped 3.38 percent from one year ago. No need to hit the panic button, JPR says. "Although this did not shape up to be a great quarter for the suppliers, it actually wasn't as bad as it could have been. We found that shipments during the first quarter of 2012 behaved according to past years with regard to seasonality, declining from the previous quarter; however, this quarter's decline (of 0.8 percent) was less than the ten-year average of 3.1 percent," JPR points out. "If we use graphics as an indicator, the industry seems to be recovering from the floods in Thailand." AMD actually grew its graphics shipments in Q1, by 0.3 percent, while Intel slipped 1.3 percent and Nvidia tumbled by 4.5 percent sequentially. How did AMD do it? According to JPR, "AMD had a gigantic increase of its desktop APUs of 84 percent," which more than made up for a "modest  2.6 percent decline in notebook APUs." JPR's findings include both discrete and integrate graphics for desktops, notebooks, netbooks, and industrial systems. Handhelds, x86 servers ,and ARM-based tablets, smartbooks, and servers are excluded. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft Enters the Social Networking Scuffle, Doesn't Want a Fight with Facebook Posted: 22 May 2012 06:07 AM PDT If there's one thing the Web isn't lacking, it's social networks. Between Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Twitter, and a host of others, there are plenty of options for sharing your personal, professional, and even private life with others, if you so choose. Microsoft apparently feels there's room for at least one more and has quietly launched So.cl (pronounced 'Social'), a supplementary social networking service of sorts. "With So.cl, you can share your search and help others discover what they might be looking for," Microsoft explains on So.cl's homepage. "Fun commentary and discussions usually follow." It's an experimental research project for students from Microsoft's FUSE Labs, and though some of So.cl's features are similar to Facebook, Microsoft doesn't envision the two competing. Instead, So.cl actually ties into Facebook, if you want it to. "We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools," Microsoft mentions on So.cl's FAQ page. "We hope to encourage students to reimagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives." You can kick So.cl's tires here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Rapid Release Fraps Updates Fixes a Flurry of Issues Posted: 22 May 2012 05:42 AM PDT For the third time in less than a month, Beepa has released an update to its Fraps utility for real-time video capture and benchmarking. Beepa's been unusually active in updating its popular program, whereas prior to version 3.5.0, which was released on April 26, 2012, updates would typically roll out only every 6 months or so. Since then, Beepa has released builds 3.5.1 on May 18 and 3.5.2 earlier this week. Fraps 3.5.2, the newest and most up to date version, is all about bug fixes, including: Fixed missing audio at end of long recordings Fixed error preventing movie playback in Windows Media Player Fixed screen freezing when starting video capture in Minecraft and other OpenGL games Fixed crash during video mode switch in DOSBox The above fixes were preceded by a handful of others in the previous two versions, along with support for large AVI movie files (more than 4GB) on NTFS drives and support for exFAT drives writing larger than 4GB. Starting with version 3.5.0, Beepa switched up the minimum system requirements to include a CPU with SSE2 (Pentium 4 or above) and dropped Windows 2000 support. A limited version of Fraps is available to download and use for free, or you can fork over $37 for a completely unrestricted version that removes watermarks and recording time limits, and allows you to capture screenshots to BMP, JPG, PNG, and TGA file formats instead of just BMP. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Raspberry Pi Team Developing Camera Module Posted: 22 May 2012 05:41 AM PDT The much talked-about Raspberry Pi, which started shipping last month after a string of delays, is quite capable for small size and price. As some of you may know, this diminutive single-board computer also features a 15-pin MIPI Camera interface (CSI) connector. However, according to "JamesH", one of the people working on a camera module for the Pi, the CSI port on the Raspberry Pi is "fairly unusable without an already supported camera." The good news is that the team has made some headway. More after the jump. Last week, Liz Upton, who handles the Raspberry Pi Foundation's PR, posted a few images of a prototype camera add-on board for the Pi. This prototype features a 14 megapixels sensor, according to Upton's blog post. But don't get your hopes too high, for the actual camera module is most likely to have something "around the 5 megapixel class" owing to pricing concerns. That said, Lipton did not rule out the possibility of a more expensive, higher-resolution module being made available at a later stage. "The module is pretty small, which makes it ideal for some of the robotics and home automation applications people have been wanting to build," Upton wrote. "The mechanical design still isn't complete, but the final version will attach to the Raspberry Pi with ribbon cable, like this prototype." The Foundation expects to release a working camera module for the Pi sometime later this year. Image Credit: Raspberry Pi Foundation

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MMO News

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• Combat Arms Introduces MVP Rewards
• Juggernaut Announces Versus GM Event
• MMOHut Weekly Recap #86 May 20 – KartRider Dash, Divina, C9, Ether Saga, & More
• Brick Force Gameplay/Discussion
• Dragon Born Gameplay – First Look HD
• Mid Wars in Heroes of Newerth – Gameplay Commentary
• The Pride of Taern Gameplay – First Look HD
• Aeria Games Announces Born To Fire

Combat Arms Introduces MVP Rewards Posted: 21 May 2012 05:19 PM PDT Nexon America has introduced new MVP rewards for leaderboard champions in Combat Arms. The new MVP system rewards players for excellence in combat, including “Skull Buster” (most headshots), “Spy Hunter” (most spies killed), and “Fragmentor” (most kills with explosives). Rewards for MVPs include EXP and GP bonuses plus item rewards. Some modes will have unique awards, and each mode will also have participation minimums to earn MVP rewards. Clan Play also also gained bonuses of up to 20% EXP and GP, based on how many clan members are in the same match simultaneously. The update also includes the new Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle, and re-skin and rebalance of the specialists. Nexon also publishes Sudden Attack and Vindictus. Combat Arms “Clan Rewards” Gameplay Screenshot Source: Most Valuable Killers   Nexon's 'Combat Arms' awards leaderboard legends with MVP rewards   Nexon America's "Combat Arms," a high-intensity, online first person shooter with more than five million registered players in North America, is introducing MVP rewards for players who top the leaderboards after battles in 14 different categories.   The MVP system gives players rewards for a variety of excellent performances during a match for accomplishing specific goals in "Combat Arms'" various game modes. Examples of the MVP categories include the "Skull Buster" award for most headshots; "Spy Hunter" for the player who kills the most spies in the spy hut mode and "Fragmentor," which goes to the player who claims the most kills using explosives.   Awards include immediate EXP and GP bonuses as well as occasional item rewards. To earn the MVP accolades, each mode will require certain player participation minimums in each match, and some modes will have unique MVP awards specific to game, such as "Flag Defender" for the capture the flag mode.   Additionally, "Combat Arms" has added bonuses for clan play. With this update, clan members can gain as much as 20 percent EXP and GP, depending on how many clan members are in the same match at the same time.   Also in this update is a new sniper rifle, the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle, joining "Combat Arms'" enormous arsenal. Its short barrel and lightweight frame give it superb mobility without a loss of accuracy.   To round out the update is a re-skin and rebalance of "Combat Arms" specialists. For example, the Viper specialist has had color added to her uniform and her speed has been changed from plus-15 to zero. The Hawk specialist has had his uniform made darker and added increased headshot stats while reducing his speed stats. This rebalance of all the specialists bring those characters into alignment with available gear. For player who currently have specialists in their inventories, they will be renamed with the prefix "Classic" and retain their original stats. The specialist currently for sale will have the stat changes and retain their prefix name, "Codename." So, for example, Codename: Scorpion will now be called Classic: Scorpion if in a players inventory.   The new Combat Arms update that includes the MVP Rewards is currently live and available for free download at: http://combatarms.nexon.net.

Juggernaut Announces Versus GM Event Posted: 21 May 2012 04:41 PM PDT Mail.Ru has revealed new events for Juggernaut, where players can battle the game’s GMs and Admins. From now until May 27, players can fight against the Juggernaut staff, who will be stripped of special powers and equipment, and left only with their natural skills to battle. Players can also join with their server’s admin team to battle other teams from around the world, with a cumulative worldwide battle royale during the weekend. All players who participate will earn coins that can be exchanged for items at the end of the event. Mail.Ru also publishes RiotZone. Juggernaut Gameplay Screenshot Source: JUGGERNAUT PITS PLAYERS AGAINST STAFF Pwn A GM For Fun And Prizes Hamburg, May 21, 2012. Leading publisher Mail.RU Games announced today the arrival of new events for their successful Free-to-play role-playing game, Juggernaut. Pit your skills against the player’s admins, stripped of their buffs, and prove who truly rules in Haradan! Suit up with your best PVP abilities and charge straight over to www.juggergame.com where players can register and play for free.   Mail.RU Games has come up with another amazing Juggernaut event: it’s time for the gamers to pit themselves against the admins! From today until May 27th, the warriors of Haradan have the opportunity to fight against the game’s GMs and support staff. For this unique period, the admins will be stripped of all their special powers and equipment, though as longtime veterans of the game they won’t be easy to defeat.   Join forces with your server’s admin, and take on teams from around the world. Initially only two GMs will be available, but as the event rolls on more will join in – culminating with a massive battle during the weekend you simply can’t miss. Each warrior who participates in these battles will earn coins, which can be exchanged at the end of the event for valuable items.   This is all in addition to recent events including aiding Vestia the Orphan, who smiles brightly in the Brandendal Suburbs, tending her flowers, along with “In The Service of Gkhorr” where you must compete with fellow players to defeat and capture the escaped ghosts and return them to the Altar of Gkhorr for rich rewards!

MMOHut Weekly Recap #86 May 20 – KartRider Dash, Divina, C9, Ether Saga, & More Posted: 21 May 2012 03:34 PM PDT A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: Kart Rider Dash, Divina, C9, Sudden Attack, Smite, Ragnarok Online, Tribes Ascend, Ether Saga Online, Crossfire, Micro Volts, Blacklight Retribution, Spirit Tales, Eden Eternal, and Fallen Earth. The biggest news this week comes Hi-Rez Studios regarding Smite. The announcement is that the closed beta of the game will start on May 31st. Smite is one of the newest MOBA games (similar to League of Legends and HoN) but focuses on gameplay from the third person perspective. Not many MOBA games use this vantage point with one of the most well known ones being LOCO Evolution. Time will tell if this style of MOBA becomes popular You can view all the individual news articles mention over at the MMOHut.com News section.

Brick Force Gameplay/Discussion Posted: 21 May 2012 03:15 PM PDT To Learn More About the Game, Check out our Brick-Force Page. Brick-Force is a 3D MMOFPS published by Infernum. It is a sandbox style shooter where users can build maps and then play in them with friends and others online. It is somewhat comparable to Ace of Spades. In this video I talk about Brick Force’s diversity among other F2P shooters. I highlight some of its strengths such as player created maps as well as touch on its weaknesses (im looking at you one shot kill sniper rifles). To learn more about BrickForce check out the official MMOHut Brick-Force page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

Dragon Born Gameplay – First Look HD Posted: 21 May 2012 02:41 PM PDT   To Learn More About the Game, Check out our Dragon Born Page. Dragon Born is a 2D MMO published by KoramGame. The game features four classes: Soldier, Priest, Mage, and Ranger. It features quest-based gameplay, as well as dungeon delving. Solo players may hire NPCs to help them with more difficult content. Guilds, known as Legions, give various perks like extra experience from monsters. Mounts in Dragon Born level up as well, as you ride them, and can learn additional skills. In this video we check out the Soldier class. To learn more about Dragon Born check out the official MMOHut Dragon Born page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

Mid Wars in Heroes of Newerth – Gameplay Commentary Posted: 21 May 2012 02:32 PM PDT   To Learn More About the Game, Check out our Heroes of Newerth Page. Heroes of Newerth is a 3D MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) style MMO published by S2Games – the same company behind Savage and Savage 2. In its core, Heroes of Newerth plays a lot like Realm of the Titans, League of Legends, Rise of Immortals and other “DotA” style Moba games. Those waiting for DotA 2 and don’t like LoL should consider looking into Heroes of Newerth. Recently, S2 unveiled the new “Mid Wars” mode where everyone fights in the mid lane starting at level 1. The new mode features a lot of custom changes to gameplay in order to accommodate a faster, more action oriented match. To learn more about Heroes of Newerth check out the official MMOHut Heroes of Newerth page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

The Pride of Taern Gameplay – First Look HD Posted: 21 May 2012 02:24 PM PDT To Learn More About the Game, Check out our The Pride of Taern Page. The Pride of Taern is a 2D Browser MMO  published by White Moon. The Pride of Taern allows you to create and control a hero to become the dominant force in the land of Taern. The game is open-ended in style, allowing you to do quests in a non-linear fashion, at your leisure. You also have the option to create a guild, and expand the structures to incredible levels. PvP players will also find large scale battles between guilds, as well as arena tournaments to participate in. To learn more about The Pride of Taern check out the official MMOHut Pride of Taern page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

Aeria Games Announces Born To Fire Posted: 21 May 2012 01:52 PM PDT Aeria Games has announced a new upcoming MMOFPS to their lineup: Born to Fire. Born to Fire features character-driven gameplay in a post-Cold War setting. Players can choose from five classes: Duelist, Heavy-Hitter, Rifleman, Warden, or Ranger. Each of these classes comes with its own backstory, tactics, and customizable arsenal. The game will also feature a variety of maps and modes with plans to encourage team strategy. Born to Fire also promises fast one-click matchmaking and replay tools. Aeria Games also publishes Wolf Team and Realm of the Titans. Born To Fire Gameplay Screenshot Source: Aeria Games Unveils New Character-Driven First-Person Shooter MMO, Born to Fire   Closed Beta Registration Begins for Upcoming Free-to-Play Online FPS   SANTA CLARA, Calif. – May. 21, 2012 – Load your guns, strap on your holster, and get ready to show off your best action movie one-liners. Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today that closed beta registration has begun for Born to Fire, a gritty new massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS). Whether it's a suave agent with a license to kill, a take-no-prisoners tough guy, or an elite Special Forces operative, Born to Fire's character-driven gameplay is designed to suit any player's style.       Following the Cold War, the Russian Federation has lost ground in an arms race with the United States and turned to more unconventional methods of warfare. As the rules of engagement are thrown out the window, Special Forces around the world are sucked into the fray of a chaotic, anything-goes political landscape. The fate of these elite troops, and the interests they represent, is in the players' hands as they step into a global free-fire zone.       Players can choose to lock-and-load as a Duelist, Heavy-Hitter, Rifleman, Warden, or Ranger as they battle for domination. Each class comes with its own distinctive backstory, unique tactics, and a diverse arsenal that is fully customizable. Varied maps and modes encourage innovative team strategies in unique PvP warfare. Fast, one-click matchmaking offers players an optimized way to battle it out, while built-in replay tools enable players to improve their game by studying their own moves alongside those of fellow combatants.       "In Born to Fire, players step in the boots of five distinct classes of elite operatives engaged in a global firefight for domination," said Tom Nichols, Director of Publishing at Aeria Games. "With the instant gratification of one-click matchmaking and the in-depth analysis provided by elaborate replay tools, Born to Fire represents a new class of character-driven, highly customizable MMOFPS that's easy to get into but nearly impossible to fully master."       Born to Fire will require a client download, and as with all Aeria Games titles, will be free-to-play. Interested players can learn more and sign up to participate in the upcoming closed beta test at http://borntofire.aeriagames.com. Players who 'Like' the Facebook page will stay informed of the latest news, updates, and contests as the game nears its official launch.

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Core Blaze – Preparing for E3 2012
• BattleForge MMO Review
• 38 Studios begins staff layoffs
• Breaking the Illusion: Not Playing by the Rules
• What If?: Gaming’s Alternate Realities
• What If Video Games Never Came Home?
• What If Third-Party Development Didn’t Exist?
• What If Square Never Left Nintendo?
• What If Steam Hadn’t Recovered From Its Shaky Launch?
• What If Star Wars Had Been a Flop in 1977?

Core Blaze – Preparing for E3 2012 Posted: 22 May 2012 04:16 AM PDT [More info] It has been quite a few months since anything substantial was announced for Gamania's upcoming action MMORPG, Core Blaze, but the time to unveil the latest game build is near. Over at E3 2012 early next month in Los Angeles and the upcoming Gamescom 2012 in Cologne, Germany, more details for the latest improvements made to Core Blaze will be shown. Other than the teaser trailer, several new screenshots were revealed as well. Developed using Unreal Engine 3, Core Blaze looks ready to really define the term "action combat", hopefully not the type of "True Action Combat" which does not allow players to attack while moving around. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

BattleForge MMO Review Posted: 22 May 2012 04:03 AM PDT BattleForge is a 3D fantasy MMORTS/TCG hybrid wherein players battle for map dominance by using cards to summon units, structures, and cast spells on their opponents.  With full fledged single-player campaigns and fast paced 1v1 & 2v2 PvP duels, BattleForge is a unique mix of gameplay elements that work together flawlessly.     Publisher: Electronic Arts Playerbase: Medium Graphics: High Quality Type: MMO EXP Rate: Medium PvP: 1v1 & 2v2 battles Filesize: 90 MB installer, 2GB+ patch Website: http://www.battleforge.com/en/ Pros: +Fast-paced gameplay. +Well integrated RTS & TCG elements. +Rewarding single player content. +Upgradable cards, customizable decks. Cons: -Repetitive scenarios. -Limited unit formations. -Poorly developed story/lore. -Repetitive scenarios.   BattleForge is an original game that mixes classic PC RTS (real time strategy) gameplay with a TCG (trading card game) concept.  To EA and Phenonmic's credit, the two elements are made to work well, making BattleForge an enjoyable, unique MMO gaming experience.  The production value of the game is what you would expect from a premium Western developer – the graphics are bright and vibrant, while the music score and voice acting only enhance the quality.  Originally released as retail game with a free demo, BattleForge is now entirely free-to-play, with optional micro transactions for additional booster packs.  Spell, building, and unit cards in Battleforge belong to one of four element types, and they are: Fire - Aggressive cards that deal heavy damage. Frost – Defensive cards.  Frost units absorb damage well and have access to powerful towers. Nature - Focused on control and creature cards.  Nature has powerful siege weapons and units with healing abilities. Shadow – Necromancy and destruction are the hallmarks of this element.  Shadow creatures include the undead and wicked beings like witches.       BattleForge System Requirements Minimum Requirements: OS: Windows XP/Vista CPU: 1.8GHz AMD64 or Intel Core RAM: 512 MB HDD: 10.0 GB Graphics Card: NVidia GeForce 6000-Series or better, ATI Radeon 9500 Recommended Specifications: OS: Windows Vista / XP CPU: Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz or better RAM: 1024 MB (1GB) or more HDD: 12.0 GB Free Graphics Card: GeForce 7000 or better

38 Studios begins staff layoffs Posted: 22 May 2012 02:54 AM PDT [Source] The inevitable has happened, and I am certainly not surprised at all. 38 Studios, the developer of the EA-distributed RPG, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and the upcoming MMO, Project Copernicus, has confirmed that layoffs has begun to ensure the rest of the employees were paid their salary. This comes after 38 Studios defaulted on their loan payment (although paid now) amidst severe financial constraints (link). Project Copernicus, a MMORPG based off Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, is scheduled to launch June 2013. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Breaking the Illusion: Not Playing by the Rules Posted: 21 May 2012 05:07 PM PDT I like to play games in what I imagine is an unusual manner, or at least I thought this to be the case until 1UP members revealed they share some of my habits. One of these things, my propensity for systematically exploring an area before moving on, has reared its head in particularly noticeable fashion as I make my way through Max Payne 3. Playing in this way was clearly something the game's designers accounted for, as evidenced by the collectables scattered throughout, and yet it feels almost as if I'm being punished for deciding to be a completionist. My process for approaching each area in Max Payne 3 follows the same pattern, only being altered if I'm low on health and out of painkillers (health packs in Max Payne's world). I kill everyone and then proceed to sweep over the entire room, seeking out any hidden spots or areas which do not appear to lead to the next area. As I make my way from one combat area to the next, I'm mindful of my surroundings and am sure to double back to check behind staircases and to see which doors can be opened. I do this all while searching for golden gun components, painkillers, and clues which can be examined. The latter can fill in the backstory but is hardly needed to get the gist of the narrative. I'm able to comfortably do this because there is no ticking clock, even if what Max is doing at any given time suggests there should be, and because enemies come in limited numbers and only in certain areas. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What If?: Gaming’s Alternate Realities Posted: 21 May 2012 04:27 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF MAY 21 | WHAT IF? What If?: Gaming's Alternate Realities 1UP explores what might have happened had video game history gone differently. People love to look back at the past and ask, "What if things had gone differently?" Navel-gazing at history spans cultures and races. Whether it's author Harry Turtledove making a fortune by contemplating how differently the American Civil War would have gone if someone had time-traveled to give the Confederate Army machine guns, or the manga Konpeki No Kantai in which the Japanese navy beats up America in World War II before teaming up to kill Hitler, second-guessing ourselves seems to be human nature. Maybe it's the competitive nature of the medium, but video gamers seem especially fond of revisiting the past and wondering about alternate outcomes. As the Three Fates in the image above suggest, games have woven a rich and complex tapestry in their mere half-century of existence -- a tapestry whose design and nature could have changed radically had things turned out differently. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What If Video Games Never Came Home? Posted: 21 May 2012 04:25 PM PDT 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF MAY 21 | WHAT IF? What if Video Games Never Came Home? Cover Story: A chilling glimpse into a world where the arcade still rules supreme. 1 UP's cover story this week revolves around the question, "What if?" In keeping with that theme, we'd like to offer this glimpse into one of many alternate realities of video gaming: A world where video games never came home. A world where the arcade still dominates gaming. How would a site like 1UP be different in such a place? We talk to our mirror universe counterparts about the state of gaming and their thoughts on the medium. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What If Third-Party Development Didn’t Exist? Posted: 21 May 2012 04:24 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF MAY 21 | WHAT IF? What If Third-Party Development Didn't Exist? Cover Story: How Activision's 1982 win in court changed the industry. L et's be honest, when we think about Activision-Blizzard as a company, at least a few of us get a mental image of a dark overlord with hooked fingers looming over a burning landscape. This image is usually accompanied by a deep-voiced demand for sacrificial virgins. Given Activision-Blizzard's status as The Biggest Thing That Has Ever Existed in Gaming, it's easy to forget that prehistoric Activision fought for the right to develop third-party games on the Atari 2600 -- a battle that it eventually won in court. Activision's victory essentially made it possible for third-party game designers to ply their trade on home game consoles. Activision's drive for justice wasn't exclusively about being paid its deserved royalties, either. During the 2600 era, Atari had a nasty habit of not crediting its game developers (or even letting developers bring attention to themselves, which convinced Adventure developer Warren Robinett to bury his name in the game, possibly creating the first digital Easter Egg). When Activision won the right to make its own games for the 2600 in 1982, credit was no longer a problem. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What If Square Never Left Nintendo? Posted: 21 May 2012 04:22 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF MAY 21 | WHAT IF? What If Square Never Left Nintendo? Cover Story: We look at how the RPG powerhouse would've fared without the PlayStation. F or RPG fans of the early 1990s, Square practically had their own branch on the Nintendo family tree. This held especially true on the Super NES, where Square came into its own with Final Fantasy IV and VI, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, and wealth of Japan-only releases that loomed just out of reach for Americans. By the end of 1995, the union seemed solid. Nintendo's long-awaited Nintendo 64 system was on its way, and would be home to Square's next Final Fantasy. There seemed no reason to worry until the spring of 1996, when those same RPG fans opened game magazines and learned that Final Fantasy VII wouldn't release in the form of a Nintendo 64 cartridge. It was now headed for the Sony PlayStation, as with every other game Square planned to make for the latest generation of consoles. By the end of the year, Square sewed up a publishing agreement with Sony, and their first PlayStation release, the fighter Tobal No. 1, sat on store shelves. It came as quite a surprise to players who'd effectively grown up with RPGs on Nintendo systems. Final Fantasy VII didn't just amount to a critical PlayStation success; it was also instrumental in establishing the Japanese RPG in North America's mainstream game industry. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What If Steam Hadn’t Recovered From Its Shaky Launch? Posted: 21 May 2012 04:21 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF MAY 21 | WHAT IF? What If Steam Hadn't Recovered From Its Shaky Launch? Cover Story: Without Steam in a central role, the last decade of PC gaming would have been remarkably different. W hen Steam first appeared in 2002, its success was far from a sure thing. Bugs and network problems outnumbered the available games on Valve's digital distribution platform by a wide margin. Users who disliked having to launch an extra application before playing their games doubted the necessity of the program itself. It took years for Steam's library to grow, for Valve to smooth over the rough spots, and for the public to embrace the concept of digital distribution. Today, Steam is synonymous with PC gaming, putting Valve in a unique position from which they can influence the industry in a number of ways. What if the initial stumble had resulted in a full-on faceplant? How far would the ripples of that failure have spread? I don't claim to know exactly how things would have played out differently, but a lifetime of regret and PC gaming -- which occasionally go hand in hand -- has sharpened my hindsight enough to make a few educated guesses. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What If Star Wars Had Been a Flop in 1977? Posted: 21 May 2012 04:19 PM PDT Feature Share it: Tweet 1UP COVER STORY 1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF MAY 21 | WHAT IF? What If Star Wars Had Been a Flop in 1977? Cover Story: How the gaming galaxy would've been different without a few good Jedi. I magine that Star Wars had been a flop at the box office. Maybe George Lucas was allowed to release his original edit, or maybe word just never got out. Regardless, while it's not a disaster on par with Heaven's Gate--which brought down a whole studio--it's still pretty bad. It might survive as a cult film, and possibly even merit a reboot, but its influence is gone. Now imagine the failure of Star Wars as one gigantic shock wave running through the video game industry. Genres, studios, even basics concepts vanish as it goes along. Now you see that, while the industry would (obviously) still exist without Star Wars, it would be very different indeed. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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