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General Gaming Article

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• HP Begins Taking Pre-Orders for Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook
• Head of EA Origin Rages Against Steam Sales Model
• Could Acer's Sub-$200 A110 Iconia Tab be a Game Changer?
• iSuppli: Hard Drive Prices to Remain Inflated Until 2014
• IDC Predicts 2012 is Android's Peak Year for Market Share
• Research In Motion Rids Itself of 16GB BlackBerry Playbook
• MSI Clings to Netbook Form Factor, Kicks Up Light Wind with U180 and U270
• Linked In Confirms Data Breach, Here's What You Can Do
• Acer Aspire V5 Series Thin and Light Notebooks Pack Ivy Bridge

HP Begins Taking Pre-Orders for Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:48 PM PDT Announced along with a bunch of other Ultrabooks and "Sleekbooks" at HP's Global Influencer Summit in Shanghai last month, the HP Envy Spectre XT is now up for pre-order. The 13.3-incher, which HP likes to think of as an "ultramobile premium Ultrabook," tips the scales at  3.07 lbs and measures 12.44 x 8.8 x 0.69 inches. The Spectre XT starts at $999.99 and has the following specs: OS: Windows 7 Display: 13.3-inch diagonal display with 1366 x 768 resolution Processor: 1.7-2.6GHz Core i5-3317U (base model)/1.9-3.0Ghz Core i7-3517U/2-3.2GHzCore i7-3667U Graphics: Integrated HD Graphics 4000 RAM: 4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm) Storage: 128GB SSD (base model)/256GB SSD Battery: 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery  with up to 8.0 hours of battery life Ports: 1SuperSpeed USB 3.0; 1 USB 2.0; 1 HDMI; 1 Mini DisplayPort; 1 headphone-out; 1 microphone-in Webcam: 720p HD video streaming webcam supports Skype Audio: Beats Audio Our sister site TechRadar went hands-on with the Spectre XT at HP's Shanghai event last month and came away mighty impressed with its "gorgeous" brushed-aluminium frame and thin bezel. The company expects to begin shipping the Spectre XT later this month.

Head of EA Origin Rages Against Steam Sales Model Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:12 AM PDT Electronic Arts' contentious fued with Steam isn't exactly on the same level as the Hatfields and McCoys was long before the digital age, but it's clear there exists plenty of bad blood between these two sides. The latest indication of this comes from an interview Senior VP of Global E-Commerce for EA, David DeMartini, gave to GamesIndustry. DeMartini, who obviously has a vested interest in Origin, had some choice words for Steam. In particular, DeMartini takes issue with Steam's frequent software sales, in which even A-list titles can be bought for deep discounts. It's something gamers love, and DeMartini loathes. "I just think it cheapens your intellectual property," DeMartini told GamesIndustry. DeMartini said he understands why Steam does it -- "to sell a whole bunch of units" -- but he wants no part of that business model. He compared Steam to retail giant Target and said Origin is aiming to be more like Nordstrom. He was quick to clarify that items will go on sale "occasionally" at Origin, but don't expect deep discounts for 75 percent off. Expanding on why he feels the way he does, DeMartini said that Steam's business model teaches gamers not to purchase titles in the first month, and instead wait four or five months for a big sale everyone knows is on the horizon. Do you agree with DeMartini, or do you think Steam's deep discounts are the way to go? Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Could Acer's Sub-$200 A110 Iconia Tab be a Game Changer? Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:20 AM PDT The tablet market has taken its sweet time coming down to pedestrian price levels -- and we're talking about tablets you'd actually want to own, not a craptastic knockoff that's bug-ridden and slow as molasses -- but we're finally starting to see affordable slates become the norm rather than the exception. It started with Amazon's Kindle Fire, which some consider a glorified eBook reader, and later this year, Acer will get in on the low-price action with its A110 Iconia Tab. Acer's 7-inch A110 was spotted by The Verge at Computex. It's a device that hasn't received much fanfare, but that could change if Acer goes through with plans to position its 7-inch slate as its primary entry-level tablet when it launches in the third quarter of this year. The kicker? Acer plans to price it below $200. That's pretty darn good for an Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) tablet built around Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 platform. Even better, The Verge says the tablet it saw was almost completely devoid of any clutter/customization. This could be a sign of things to come. Nvidia has already hinted that $199 Tegra 3 tablets are a real possibility in the near future, and we wouldn't be surprised to see a handful of these devices make it to market in time for the holiday shopping season. Image Credit: Acer Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

iSuppli: Hard Drive Prices to Remain Inflated Until 2014 Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:03 AM PDT Get ready to hear "Told you so!" from the conspiracy theorists, because according to research firm IHS iSuppli, mechanical hard disk drive (HDD) prices aren't expected to ease back down to pre-flood levels until 2014. That means two more years of inflated HDD prices for consumers, even though hard drive production is "rapidly recovering from the catastrophe" that ravaged Thailand last year. IHS iSuppli says the average selling price for the entire HDD market skyrocketed to $66 in the fourth quarter of 2011 following the floods, up 28 percent from $51 in the third. It's held steady since then and will only decline marginally to $65 in the second quarter of 2012, the research firm predicts. Is there really a conspiracy by HDD manufacturers to keep prices high? IHS iSuppli to seems to support the notion, saying that HDD production is rising and is expected to recover completely by the third quarter of 2012. "HDD manufacturers now have greater pricing power than they did in 2011, allowing them to keep ASPs steady," said Fang Zhang, analyst for storage systems at IHS. "With the two mega-mergers between Seagate/Samsung and Western Digital/Hitachi GST, the two top suppliers held 85 percent of HDD market share in the first quarter 2012. This was up from 62 percent in the third quarter of 2011, before the mergers. The concentration of market share has resulted in an oligarchy where the top players can control pricing and are able to keep ASPs at a relatively high level." So there you have it. Conspiracy theorists have some hard data to back their claims. Meanwhile, it's not difficult to find solid state drives selling for a dollar per gigabyte, or less, which is still a big premium compared to HDDs, but offer much better performance. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

IDC Predicts 2012 is Android's Peak Year for Market Share Posted: 07 Jun 2012 08:32 AM PDT International Data Corporation is forecasting a 4 percent year-over-year growth rate for the worldwide mobile phone market in 2012, which would be the lowest it's been since 2009. Why the slow growth compared to previous years? IDC says it's because of the decline in feature phone shipments, as owners of older devices cling to their phones, which serve them just fine for talking and texting. Meanwhile, smartphone shipments will pick up some of the slack and are forecast to grow 38.8 percent year-over-year to 686 million units in 2012, at precisely the time Android peaks in terms of market share. That's an interesting prediction by IDC, because it implies there's no where to go but down (or hold steady), and in fact that's where IDC sees Android going, even though it will remain a market leader. "Underpinning the smartphone market is the constantly shifting OS landscape," saud Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team. "Android will maintain leadership throughout our forecast, while others will gain more mobile operator partnerships (Apple) or currently find themselves in the midst of a major transition (BlackBerry and Windows Phone/Windows Mobile). What remains to be seen is how these different operating systems – as well as others – will define and shape the user experience beyond what we see today in order to attract new customers and encourage replacements." IDC predicts Android will close out the year with a 61 percent share of the smartphone market, well ahead of iOS (20.5 percent), BlackBerry OS (6 percent), and Windows Phone 7 / Windows Mobile (5.2 percent). By 2016, IDC sees Android dropping to 52.9 percent as Microsoft's Windows Phone platform bulls its way into second place with a 19.2 percent share, edging out iOS at 19 percent. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Research In Motion Rids Itself of 16GB BlackBerry Playbook Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:44 AM PDT Remember all those grand plans Research In Motion (RIM) had for its BlackBerry PlayBook line of tablet PCs? Well, whatever remains of those plans will have to be carried out by the 32GB and 64GB models. Somewhat surprisingly, RIM has reportedly decided to discontinue its 16GB PlayBook, essentially conceding defeat to the likes of Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet in the sub-$200 category. News of the 16GB model's discontinuation comes from CNet, which claims to have heard it directly from RIM via email. In the same note, RIM said it remains "committed to the tablet space" in general, and that the 32GB and 64GB models will still be made available through the company's network of distributors and retailers. In other words, RIM isn't giving up on the PlayBook, it just isn't interested in pushing the relatively low cost 16GB version. Whether or not this kicks off a feeding frenzy (probably not) remains to be seen. RIM still has 16GB PlayBooks in stock and will continue to sell them for $199 until its inventory runs out, and at the time of this writing, there are still units available. The 32GB model currently sells for $249 and the 64GB PlayBook commands $299. Earlier this year, RIM released its long anticipated BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 OS update, which among other things introduced Android app support (Android apps have to go through an approval process before they're added to RIM's App World). Image Credit: Research In Motion Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

MSI Clings to Netbook Form Factor, Kicks Up Light Wind with U180 and U270 Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:16 AM PDT At a time when most notebook makers have abandoned low profit margin netbooks in favor of pricier Ultrabooks, MSI appears willing to ride at least one more rodeo with the previously uber popular form factor, and the company's inviting you to come "ride with the wind." Specifically, MSI hopes you'll saddle up on either the Wind U180 built around Intel's latest generation Cedar Trail platform, or the Wind U270 with AMD's new Brazos 2.0 processor inside. If you choose the U180, your riding partner will be Intel's dual-core Atom N2800 processor, a 32nm CPU nestled into Intel's NM10 chipset. Also coming along for the ride are familiar netbook specs, like a 10.1-inch display, up to 2GB of DDR3 memory, 250GB or 320GB hard drive, 0.3MP webcam, 2-in-1 media card reader, HDMI output, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, GbE and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, and Windows 7 Starter. The U180 is available in black, white, or lavender. For those of you who prefer to roll with AMD, the U270 sports a new generation dual-core Brazos 2.0 accelerated processing unit (APU) with DirectX 11 support and up to eight hours of battery life. It's a slightly larger laptop with an 11.6-inch or 12.1-inch display, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, 250/320/500GB HDD options, stereo speakers, HD webcam, USB 3.0 support, and Windows 7 Home Premium. Image Credit: MSI Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Linked In Confirms Data Breach, Here's What You Can Do Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:39 AM PDT Phishers are coming out of the woodwork trying to bait panicked or otherwise unsuspecting LinkedIn users into supposedly 'confirming' their account, but what they're really doing is hijacking login credentials. They're also compounding the situation, whereby LinkedIn has now confirmed it suffered a data breach in which encrypted user passwords were compromised. Here's what you should do. First and foremost, log into LinkedIn by typing the site's address directly into your browser and change your password. Don't click on any links in emails, even if they appear to be legit, which some of them do. It's unclear whether or not LinkedIn has begun notifying its members of the data breach via email, but according to security firm ESET, plenty of legitimate looking phishing emails are making the rounds. The next thing you should do is change your password on any other site that uses the same login credentials. You should be using different passwords for different sites anyway, but if not, now's a great time to get into the habit of separating your online accounts. According to reports, around 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords fell into malicious hands, so there's a good chance yours is one of them. If you want to know for sure, LastPass has an online tool that will compare the SHA-1 hash of your password with those that have been compromised. But is it safe to fork over your LinkedIn password to LastPass? "The above tool asks you to enter your LinkedIn password, and then computes its SHA-1 hash and sends the result to LastPass.com to search the list of 6.5 million leaked password hashes. A hash is a mathematical function that is simple to perform in one direction, but very difficult to reverse. Meaning, the tool will convert your password into a series of characters in such a way that it will be very difficult to re-construct your original password," LastPass explains. LastPass says that only the hash of your password is sent to LastPass.com's servers, not your actual password. And according to Mashable, LastPass doesn't store your hash on its servers. Still, if you're feeling uneasy, go ahead and change your LinkedIn password regardless. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Acer Aspire V5 Series Thin and Light Notebooks Pack Ivy Bridge Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:07 AM PDT Acer is pitching its America-bound Aspire V5 Series of ultrathin notebooks at "students and consumers looking for impressive performance, style, and full-featured mobility." That sounds a lot like an Ultrabook, only the Aspire V5 isn't, though it is a slender machine at a mere 0.79 inches and 4.6 pounds for the 14-inch model, and 0.83 inches and 5 pounds for the 15.6-inch build. By Acer's math, that's 30 percent slimmer than the company's previous value-based notebooks. And while on the topic of size and portability, Acer says the chassis for the Aspire V5 line sports a soft and smooth surface that makes it comfortable to carry, and is available in four colors, including purple, blue, silver, and black. Moving on to the hardware and feature-set, the Aspire V5 features 3rd Generation Intel Core i3 and i5 processor options, DVD burner, 500GB hard drive, USB 3.0 support, HD audio support with Dolby Advanced Audio v2, HDMI output, and Acer specific technologies like Acer clear.fi and Acer Instant Connect. The Aspire V5 Series will be available in the U.S. at the end of June starting at $630. Acer also plans to sell V5 models equipped 2nd Generation Intel Core processors (Sandy Bridge) starting at $450. Image Credit: Acer Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMO News

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• Lagoonia Updates For Fun in the Sun
• Forge Of Empires Introduces Guilds
• Maestia Announces Closed Beta

Lagoonia Updates For Fun in the Sun Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:24 AM PDT Lagoonia has launched several multiplayer buildings as part of its Fun in the Sun update.  Players may now construct the Bowling Bar, Village School, and the Tavern Tent. The bowling bar helps islanders feel young at heart, and lowers their age by five.  The school teaches islanders skills they need to perform tasks, and raises their age by five.  Finally, the tavern allows enemies to become friend in the time-honored ritual of getting drunk.  The game now also allows you to customize the name, age, and looks of incoming islanders, and a new Romanian language client is being offered. Lagoonia is published by InnoGamesm who also publishes Tribal Wars and Grepolis. Lagoonia Gameplay Screenshot Source: Lagoonia Upgrades Fun in the Sun Hamburg, June 7, 2012. Lagoonia‘s island entertainment has just been upgraded with new multiplayer buildings: a bowling bar, tavern tent and village school. These lively structures can only be made with the help of fellow South Sea residents, and are useful for personalizing gameplay. Visiting the bowling bar makes an islander feel carefree and young, which lowers his or her age by five years. Alternatively, the village school quickly teaches young characters the skills it takes to perform tasks, and raises the attendee’s age by five years. Finally, by grabbing a few beers at the local tavern tent, enemies will quickly turn into friends. Another important feature included in the update is the ability to choose the look, name and age of incoming islanders. Furthermore, the Romanian language version started. The focus of Lagoonia is on relationships – both between characters and players, and players with one another. One can plan and create many things that make the island livable and fun: from a warm fire and a cozy shelter, to useful fish nets, and later in the game lighthouses and waterslides. The game is free and no download is required – the only technical requirements are a browser and an internet connection. The game is currently featured in the Google Chrome Store.

Forge Of Empires Introduces Guilds Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:03 AM PDT A new update in Forge of Empires today introduces a guild system for players. Players can now invite friends to join them in their own guild. These guilds will let players use their own private guild forum to plot, plan, and chat with their fellow guild members, with more features to be added soon. Players can also compete in the new global ranking system, comparing themselves to neighbors and players across the globe in three categories: players, guilds, and medals. Forge of Empires is published by InnoGames, which also publishes Tribal Wars and Grepolis. Forge of Empires “Guilds” Gameplay Screenshot Source: Guilds Enter Forge of Empires InnoGames releases new update for its latest browser game Hamburg, June 7, 2012. Starting today, players can create guilds in InnoGames latest browser game, Forge of Empires. Together with the already existing social interactions, this will allow players to work closely together and support each other, while also increasing competition by introducing a global ranking system. Guilds can easily be founded by inviting friends from the players’ world to join them. In order to discuss plans or plot with fellow members, every guild can incorporate a private forum. Additional guild features will be released soon. With the new global ranking system, one can now fight for the top world ranks. From now on, players can not only compare themselves to opponents in their neighborhood, but also to other skilled players from their entire world. Three ranking views will be available: players, guilds and medals. The new features are intended to increase multiplayer aspects – in a cooperative as well as competitive way. Forge of Empires is a browser-based strategy game that allows players to create a city and develop it from the Stone Age and onward throughout the centuries. Players can create a vast empire through military campaigns and skillful dealings. InnoGames provides additional information in the game’s very own blog. With about 80 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. The Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as Tribal Wars, The West and Grepolis.

Maestia Announces Closed Beta Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:54 AM PDT Gravity Interactive has announced that closed beta testing for Maestia will begin on June 14. As part of the kick-off, players who “like” the game’s Facebook fan page will have a chance to win one of five iPod Shuffles given away each week through the closed beta, and more contests and events to follow. Maestia is a fantasy MMORPG that features instance dungeons, guilds, small-to-large-scale faction battles, quests, crafting, mercenaries, epic mounts, and more. You can find out more on our Maestia page, and check out our first look! Gravity Interactive also publishes Dragon Saga and Requiem. Maestia Gameplay Screenshot Source: MAESTIA: THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE BEGINS JUNE 14th Step Into A Fully Fleshed Fantasy World With Launch Of The Closed Beta & New Website Marina del Rey, California – June 07, 2012 – Gravity Interactive, a publisher of exciting massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), announced today the official start of the closed beta testing for Maestia: Rise of Keledus will start on Thursday, June 14th. Players can get their first taste of Maestia on the new official teaser website at http://www.playmaestia.com/, and Register here to be one of the lucky few who will get to play on June 14th. Maestia: Rise of Keledus is a fully fleshed fantasy MMORPG that is free to download and play. Follow a captivating storyline and launch head first into the eternal struggle for power and righteousness. Join fellow players in parties to challenge Instance Dungeons or band together in guilds for small and large scale faction battles. Adventure in an ever-growing world filled with quests, crafting, an advanced Mercenary system and more. “We’re very excited to let players begin exploring the fantastical world of Maestia which contains a rich lore not found in most MMORPGs,” said Jay Choi, Chief Operating Officer at Gravity Interactive. “Whether you want to quest, craft, challenge each other or band together in parties to conquer the greatest challenges Maestrians will face — now is the time to prepare.” To celebrate the kick-off of the beta testing period, fans following the official Maestia Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PlayMaestia will have the chance to see exclusive screen shots, art, and participate in contests. Simply “Liking” the page will give players a chance to win one of five iPod Shuffles each week with more opportunities to win entries from now through the end of the closed beta. For those players who participated in the first three contests, there will be a special grand prize giveaway and prizes will be announced via Facebook as the final drawing grows near. Players are encouraged to check the page frequently for their chance to jump in! Ride epic mounts determined by your class, take on massive world bosses designed to challenge a full party of players, craft the strongest weapons and armor or tame magical pets to fight at your side. All will be brought to life in a fantastical world filled with a lush art style showing both the dark and light side of a world thrown into a deep conflict that must be survived before it can be resolved.

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MMO Updates

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• E3 2012: Hands-on with Neverwinter combat
• The Guild Counsel: Finding the best times to recruit
• E3 2012: Exploring the freedom of LotRO: Riders of Rohan
• E3 2012: RIFT 1.9, Storm Legion, and beyond
• The Daily Grind: Which MMO features your favorite community?
• ArenaNet shares world and gem store details for Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event
• Free for All: Making the perfectly flawed character
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Underused enemies in City of Heroes
• Naoki Yoshida talks about Final Fantasy XIV with Famitsu
• Star Trek Online's June Ask Cryptic discusses fleet advancement, Foundry rewards
• Pathfinder Online blog on designing in the game and on the table
• China's online gaming industry booming; $6.1 billion expected in 2012
• LotRO: Riders of Rohan instance cluster coming after expansion launch
• Guild Wars 2 devs answer anything, including launch date speculation
• SWTOR upgrades classes and starts merging servers [Update]
• Dungeons and Dragons Online unveils new Menace of the Underdark screens, video, open beta [Updated]
• E3 2012: SWTOR's Allies patch aims to give back to the players
• E3 2012: Talking with Nick Konkle about The Elder Scrolls Online's design
• ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien heading to Reddit for AMA
• Choose My Adventure: Preparing for TERA
• Infographic shows the numbers behind Diablo III's opening day
• E3 2012: Fragging undead on your phone with Parallel Zombies
• E3 2012: Gamigo shows off Grimlands and Otherlands
• E3 2012: Hands-on with SOEmote

E3 2012: Hands-on with Neverwinter combat Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Dungeons, Neverwinter Neverwinter MMO. Action-oriented combat. Free to play. How perfect does that sound? Pretty perfect, which is probably why Perfect World Entertainment's handling it. In fact, Perfect World and Cryptic Studios are doing such a good job that some of the game's art and lore is being worked in as canon! Go on, you can use that as a talking point to get your friends to read this article at your next pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons game. Massively's own Eliot Lefebvre took on the game at PAX, so follow on past the break and I'll try to work off of his observations based on my experience at this year's E3. Continue reading E3 2012: Hands-on with Neverwinter combat E3 2012: Hands-on with Neverwinter combat originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Guild Counsel: Finding the best times to recruit Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous When you're recruiting more members to your guild, it can sometimes seem like there are just no more fish in the pond to attract. And managing a roster can be frustrating at times because just when you think you have a healthy number of members, attrition sets in. We're all familiar with the launch-day, mass influx of players to an MMO, and we've seen the waning numbers over time, meaning a smaller pool of candidates to recruit. But there are actually peak times during the course of the year when recruiting becomes easier. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll look at a few prime opportunities to seek out good members for your guild. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Finding the best times to recruit The Guild Counsel: Finding the best times to recruit originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2012: Exploring the freedom of LotRO: Riders of Rohan Posted: 07 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Interviews, Free-to-play, Massively Event Coverage Saddle up, pard'ners: Riders of Rohan is coming! Lord of the Rings Online's fourth expansion in its full equine glory at this week's E3. At Turbine's booth we got a first look at the expansion's highly touted mounted combat and were able to ask the crew some of our burning questions about the differences between the editions. It's apparent that Riders of Rohan has a ton to give LotRO subscribers. Turbine's chosen to release the east side of Rohan first, leaving out the west side for future development. The expansion features customizable mounts, impressive graphical upgrades, a slough of customization options, new NPCs, new content, and even a new orchestral soundtrack. Without further ado, let's dive in to explore the freedom of Rohan! Continue reading E3 2012: Exploring the freedom of LotRO: Riders of Rohan E3 2012: Exploring the freedom of LotRO: Riders of Rohan originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2012: RIFT 1.9, Storm Legion, and beyond Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, Expansions, Previews, Massively Event Coverage, RIFT RIFT players, Trion loves you. No, you thought you knew that, but you haven't seen developers champing at the bit trying to figure out if marketing will allow them to spill all the cool beans that are in store for you. Trion works very hard to crank out quality content at a quick pace, and RIFT players are going to see it in spades. At E3 this week,we got some information on not only 1.9, but RIFT's first full expansion: Storm Legion. Continue reading E3 2012: RIFT 1.9, Storm Legion, and beyond E3 2012: RIFT 1.9, Storm Legion, and beyond originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Which MMO features your favorite community? Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous MMO communities are occasionally viewed as cantankerous, if not downright toxic. If you've played in the genre for any length of time, though, you've probably run across one or two game communities where everything seemed to come together. Folks were pulling in the same direction more often than not, moderators and devs listened to the playerbase, and people were genuinely happy to be playing the game and building relationships both inside and outside of it. For today's Daily Grind, let's accentuate the positive. Which MMO, past or present, boasts your favorite community (and why)? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind! The Daily Grind: Which MMO features your favorite community? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArenaNet shares world and gem store details for Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event Posted: 06 Jun 2012 07:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries Unless some crazy Asura experiments are playing havoc with the timestream, the much-anticipated second Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event is getting closer all the time! In preparation for that, the ArenaNet blog is now sporting a new dose of information about worlds and world transfers in this beta weekend. One of the big changes for this BWE is the inclusion of dedicated French and German servers. A number of the European servers have been marked specifically for French and German, two of the officially supported languages. New players will be able to pick any of the 96 servers (that's 48 US-based servers and 48 European) to be their home world. Players from the previous BWE will have a 30-hour window from 3:00 p.m. EDT on Friday to 9:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday during which they can transfer between worlds without spending any gems. After that time-frame, transfers will cost the normal 1,800 gems. Each account will be credited with 500 free gems automatically. Players will also be able to get an additional 2,000 gems; you won't actually be charged for the transaction, but you'll have to enter valid credit card details in the Gem Store. Check out the exhaustive server list on the the official post. ArenaNet shares world and gem store details for Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ArenaNet blog

Free for All: Making the perfectly flawed character Posted: 06 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Culture, Opinion, RuneScape, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Roleplaying, Mabinogi, Free for All, Miscellaneous Whenever I play a new MMO, the first thing I want to know is who I am supposed to be inside this particular game world. I would like to have as much control over the conception of my character as possible, but let's be honest: Great customization is not as common as many of us would like. This might explain my attraction to games that offer the ability to craft a true, unique character, even if only in looks. I love a good cash shop and the ability to make my character essentially me -- if I were the me inside that other world. I don't play MMOs to be the hero, at least not most of the time. I don't want to kill the largest boss or get the best armor. I'll leave that to gamers who like that sort of thing. I play an MMO to sort of lose myself inside the world of a character of my own making. Over the years I've noticed a pattern in how I establish a great character, one that I want to continue playing. Originally, I wanted to refine this process into a list in case other players wanted to compare, but the list keeps evolving, so instead, I'll give some examples of how I have been creating unique and wonderfully flawed main characters in some of my favorite MMOs. Continue reading Free for All: Making the perfectly flawed character Free for All: Making the perfectly flawed character originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Underused enemies in City of Heroes Posted: 06 Jun 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Lore, Opinion, Free-to-play, A Mild-Mannered Reporter Last week I discussed why I'm not fond of Nemesis as a group, and this week I promised to discuss villainous groups that I think that City of Heroes could use a bit more actively. So I am certain that longtime readers expected me to spend most of this week talking about the Fifth Column because of course I would. I love the Fifth Column, I think they're a fantastic group of villains, and I've talked about how great they are as a group over and over. Surprise! Not this time. For all that I love the Column (and their continual curbstomping of their pale imitation in the Council), that wasn't my goal this week. No, this time around I want to highlight other groups that I think Paragon City could use a bit more often, enemies that either fall off the radar or just don't get as much attention as they're due. Even in a game that's been around as long as City of Heroes, there are certain enemy groups that just never get the love they deserve. Maybe the future can fix that for some of these guys. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Underused enemies in City of Heroes A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Underused enemies in City of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Naoki Yoshida talks about Final Fantasy XIV with Famitsu Posted: 06 Jun 2012 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV Final Fantasy XIV is out in force at E3 this year, showing off all of the changes coming to the game with the Version 2.0 launch. Producer Naoki Yoshida recently sat down with popular Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu to discuss some of the changes en route, and a translation of that interview is now available. Yoshida confirms that the game is on schedule, with full promotions starting in August and an alpha test beginning in late September. As Yoshida sees it, the game needs to have a stronger connection to previous titles in the franchise. Fans can expect to see familiar elements like the Crystal Tower (Final Fantasy III), Magitek Armor (Final Fantasy VI), and areas reminiscent of Ivalice (Final Fantasy XII/Tactics). The new client is also meant to be highly customizable and capable of running on low-end machine or high-end machines as needed. Take a look at the full translation for more teases on what's around the corner for Eorzea. [Thanks to Ring for the tip!] Naoki Yoshida talks about Final Fantasy XIV with Famitsu originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: FFXIV Famitsu translation

Star Trek Online's June Ask Cryptic discusses fleet advancement, Foundry rewards Posted: 06 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Patches, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Community Q&A Hope you're settled in, Star Trek Online players, because the June Ask Cryptic is quite a read. As you might expect, a good many of the questions revolve around the upcoming fleet advancement system slated for release in Season Six. Dan Stahl takes the opportunity to provide a bit of insight into the specifics of the fleet base system, which will allow fleets to create their own base-of-operations. He also reveals that the studio is working on implementing a system of rewards for completing player-made Foundry content. The studio's "temporary solution" to this is to feature Foundation content in the mission journal. Stahl says that "this will allow [Cryptic] to attach premium rewards to specific player-made content that is being featured." All this and more is on display in this month's Ask Cryptic, so for the full skinny, head on over that way and give it a read. Star Trek Online's June Ask Cryptic discusses fleet advancement, Foundry rewards originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Star Trek Online -- Ask Cryptic June 2012

Pathfinder Online blog on designing in the game and on the table Posted: 06 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, Dev Diaries, Sandbox Pathfinder Online's Kickstarter project hits its goal this Friday, and that means the staff has been hard at work designing the game. That design includes both the world for players to explore and the module being released to Kickstarter backers. A new developer blog discusses designing the city of Thornkeep, both in the eponymous book and as a starting point for characters coming into the world of Pathfinder Online. According to writer Rich Baker, the first problem encountered during design was the fact that the book is written with Thornkeep as a somewhat lawless place, while Thornkeep in the MMO will be a starting point for new players. As a result, Thornkeep has a strong central leader with a capricious streak, enough to convey the sense of lawless air while still keeping things sufficiently safe for new entrants. The blog also discusses dungeon design for the book and the tech demo. If either one sounds interesting to you, you've still got a couple of days to jump on the Kickstarter wagon to help fund the development team. Pathfinder Online blog on designing in the game and on the table originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Designing Thornkeep

China's online gaming industry booming; $6.1 billion expected in 2012 Posted: 06 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Economy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous While recent events may have some questioning the state of the MMO industry in North America, a recent study by Asian game market analysis company Niko Partners shows that the industry in the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets is still going strong. In fact, the study reveals that the Chinese online gaming market alone is set to bring in a whopping $6.1 billion US in 2012 alone. So what is the reason behind the Asian market's continued success? According to Niko's reports, a good deal of credit should be given to the free-to-play business model. The F2P model reportedly encourages fledgling gamers to move from more casual social games to "advanced casual" games such as MMORPGs, resulting in a larger pool of money-spending players. Also of note is the fact that the use of internet cafes is declining in major cities. Whereas internet cafe revenue once made up "at least 50%" of gaming revenue, by Niko's current estimate, "up to 2/3 of revenue comes via the home channel." The full article offers interesting insight into one of the largest online gaming markets in the world, so if that sounds like your cup of tea, head on over to Forbes and give it a read. China's online gaming industry booming; $6.1 billion expected in 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Forbes

LotRO: Riders of Rohan instance cluster coming after expansion launch Posted: 06 Jun 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-play, Dungeons Even with all of the information flying around about Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan expansion this week, players were left wondering about the question of the expansion containing any new instances, skirmishes, or raids. In a forum post, CM Sapience addressed the instance issue directly by saying that it's being worked on, it probably won't arrive in time for the expansion's launch, and the team is waiting until the content is fleshed out some more before giving solid details. "We are working on an instance cluster," Sapience confirms. "Currently it is planned to be part of an update due to release after the Riders of Rohan expansion has shipped." He also mentions that Riders of Rohan will contain "a new type of repeatable content" that Turbine has yet to disclose. Sapience promised that further information on these two topics will arrive later this summer. LotRO: Riders of Rohan instance cluster coming after expansion launch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: LotRO forums Via: A Casual Stroll to Mordor

Guild Wars 2 devs answer anything, including launch date speculation Posted: 06 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Guild Wars 2, Humor, Community Q&A ArenaNet President Mike O'Brien and his motley crew of pirates, flibbertigibbets, and developers just stormed the seas of Reddit and fought valiantly through a dynamic event of Q&As concerning Guild Wars 2. No topic was off-limits, although the team didn't necessarily address all of the hundreds of queries put forth. Some of the questions answered included confirmation that there will be a way for guilds to raise their membership cap, word on bug fixes, a detailed explanation of the new trait system, and excitement for the upcoming beta weekend event. For those hoping to hear word on playable Asura or Sylvari, however, the rote response throughout the Q&A was, "Watch this space." What bug will the team actually miss? "Sit jumping," Mike Ferguson replied. "I don't know why, but it seems like everybody loves it (except the guy that introduced it). I'll actually be sad to see it go." O'Brien did directly address the rampant curiosity surrounding the game's launch date: "The fundamental issue here is that we just don't have a release date right now. We're using beta testing in the traditional sense. When beta testing shows that the game is where we want it to be, we'll lock in a release date. We're not that far off. We're obviously going to release in 2012, and any statements to the contrary are absurd." Guild Wars 2 devs answer anything, including launch date speculation originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit

SWTOR upgrades classes and starts merging servers [Update] Posted: 06 Jun 2012 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Patches, Star Wars: The Old Republic As previously reported, update 1.3 for Star Wars: The Old Republic adds new systems and promises to fix some old ones. Senior Designer Austin Peckenpaugh blogged on the official SWTOR site, explaining some of the class changes that just dropped onto the Public Test Server this morning. The most notable and requested change grants all tank stances 100% threat generation. "We've received a lot of feedback from tanks regarding how easy or difficult it is to hold threat on various encounters," Peckenpaugh explains. Then he clarifies by saying that single-target taunting will generally remain unchanged, but because of "smart" AOEs that avoid crowd-controlled enemies, AOE-threat generation should improve significantly. Secondly, BioWare is well aware of the population issues on a large portion of servers. That is why on June 12th, the team will begin the free character transfer service. In a soft server merge system similar to the one implemented by Star Wars Galaxies, BioWare will open up specific servers as origin servers and others as destination servers. To help BioWare maintain a bit of control over the situation, the transfer precess will be "gradual and staged," according the developer blog post. The specific details regarding which servers will be affected have not be released yet, but rest assured that Massively will let you in on the latest details when they become available. [Update: Community Manager Joveth Gonzalez gave more detail on the official forums about how the origin and destination servers will work: "In order to ensure an optimal playing experience for every server, we'll be offering direct transfers from one origin server to a pre-selected destination server."] SWTOR upgrades classes and starts merging servers [Update] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR Class Changes Blog, SWTOR Character Transfers Blog

Dungeons and Dragons Online unveils new Menace of the Underdark screens, video, open beta [Updated] Posted: 06 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Expansions, News items, Free-to-play On the 25th of this month, Dungeons and Dragons Online players will have the opportunity to set foot in the treacherous caverns of the Underdark for the first time with the launch of the game's next expansion, Menace of the Underdark. To help players prepare for this momentous excursion, the folks at Turbine have released a new behind-the-scenes video that introduces players to some of what they can expect from the depths of the Drow homeland. Drow, of course, are a given. Players can look forward to squaring off against the race's nefarious priestesses and mutated dryders while they explore the city of Sschindylryn below the King's Forest of Cormyr. A number of deadly creatures await curious adventurers, including a new dragon for players to hunt. For the full details on what to expect from the Underdark, just check out the gallery below and then click past the cut for the full video. [Source: Turbine press release] Gallery: Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark [Update: Turbine likewise announced today that the expansion is in open beta, so head to the forums and jump in!] Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons Online unveils new Menace of the Underdark screens, video, open beta [Updated] Dungeons and Dragons Online unveils new Menace of the Underdark screens, video, open beta [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2012: SWTOR's Allies patch aims to give back to the players Posted: 06 Jun 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, PvE, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, Star Wars: The Old Republic BioWare's booth at this year's E3 provided to MMO gamers one of the most interesting reveals yet. The crew ushered us into a small room, complete with a gigantic LED screen and fast computers (i7 chips, no doubt) that demonstrated the latest Star Wars: The Old Republic patch. The brief video presentation laid out for all of us what's to be coming soon for SWTOR hardcore players as well as for those who are interested about the game but haven't yet picked it up. Continue reading E3 2012: SWTOR's Allies patch aims to give back to the players E3 2012: SWTOR's Allies patch aims to give back to the players originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2012: Talking with Nick Konkle about The Elder Scrolls Online's design Posted: 06 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, The Elder Scrolls Online Our fellow feathered friends at Joystiq visited the Elder Scrolls Online booth at this week's E3 and caught up with Lead Gameplay Designer Nick Konkle about the game's look and feel. Konkle made the point that each of the Elder Scrolls game had its own aesthetic, and TESO will carry on in this tradition: "Every province has its own look, but we aim for the realistic -- for the cool." Konkle dives into what will make TESO its own unique creature. One of the mechanics he explained was the game's hotbar. The first two buttons are dedicated to whatever weapon you're wielding, the next three are chosen abilities from your class, and the last button is an ultimate skill derived from your class. "In addition to those six things, everyone has these skills that are always available: sprinting, ducking, and blocking," he said. What is ZeniMax doing to ease those familiar with the lore but not MMOs into the game? "From the very beginning, we didn't set out to make a really big, standard MMO," Konkle said. "Nor did we set out to make a Skyrim clone and just put it online. We set out to make a great game. So we don't just have the standard MMO controls, abilities, and rotations like you're used to." You can watch the 11-minute interview after the jump for more information on TESO's combat and social systems. Continue reading E3 2012: Talking with Nick Konkle about The Elder Scrolls Online's design E3 2012: Talking with Nick Konkle about The Elder Scrolls Online's design originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Joystiq

ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien heading to Reddit for AMA Posted: 06 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Guild Wars 2, Community Q&A Guild Wars 2 fans, do you have some deep, profound questions gnawing away at your brain that will simply drive you to the depths of madness if you don't get an answer? Well, we probably can't help you there, but if you've got any questions regarding Guild Wars 2 or its upcoming beta weekend event, there is a solution: Head over to Reddit's /r/gaming subreddit at 3:00 p.m. EDT to catch ArenaNet's latest Reddit Ask Me Anything. Join ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien and other members of the ArenaNet staff who will be on-hand to answer your pressing Guild Wars 2 questions. As we've seen in the previous AMAs with Jon Peters and Mike Ferguson, these events tend to get hectic quickly, so if you've got something you want answered, get yourself over to /r/gaming and prepare your interrogation. ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien heading to Reddit for AMA originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ArenaNet official blog

Choose My Adventure: Preparing for TERA Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Classes, Game mechanics, Opinion, Races, Choose My Adventure, TERA The initial Choose My Adventure poll always goes to the game that gets its community moving. This time around, it was TERA, and that means that I'll be spending the next six weeks knee-deep in huge monsters and active combat. And per tradition, this week will be an overview of the game for those who know nothing about it; the polls to determine how I start out. Fun for all! I'm hard-pressed to think of a game that I've had a more back-and-forth relationship with than TERA. When I first heard about the game, it didn't make an impression on me. Then I started seeing the screenshots, and I was interested. Then I saw more, and I was suddenly less interested... and then I started hearing about the game's actual gameplay, and I swung back around in the other direction. It's a polarizing game for a lot of people, but it's a game that deserves a little more love past those elements. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Preparing for TERA Choose My Adventure: Preparing for TERA originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Infographic shows the numbers behind Diablo III's opening day Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Diablo III A couple of weeks ago, we told you how Diablo III was rewriting the PC game sales record books. Today Forbes has posted an infographic that illustrates just how ridiculous some of those numbers really are. Would you believe that all of the box copies of D3 sold on day one would stretch from the earth to the international space station and back if stacked end to end? Did you know that D3's $210 million first-day take is enough to give every Blizzard employee a cool $42,000? These and other absurd facts are yours for the viewing courtesy of the graphic design wizards at Video Game Design Schools. We've also embedded the infographic for you after the cut. Continue reading Infographic shows the numbers behind Diablo III's opening day Infographic shows the numbers behind Diablo III's opening day originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Video Game Design Schools Via: Forbes

E3 2012: Fragging undead on your phone with Parallel Zombies Posted: 06 Jun 2012 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Business models, Economy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Mobile, Casual, Crafting The hardest thing about E3 is finding a place to sit. Well, that and making yourself heard above the din of squeeing fanboys, clicking cameras, and bass lines that would wake the dead. Per Blue CEO Justin Beck and I eventually found a couple of seats, but we didn't quite find the quiet, so we spent the better part of a half hour talking very loudly about the company's new Parallel Zombies mobile title. If Per Blue and the Parallel prefix sound familiar, it's because Parallel Kingdom has been out for the better part of three years now. But what's this I hear about zombies, you say? Continue reading E3 2012: Fragging undead on your phone with Parallel Zombies E3 2012: Fragging undead on your phone with Parallel Zombies originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2012: Gamigo shows off Grimlands and Otherlands Posted: 06 Jun 2012 10:15 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Interviews, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage Yesterday, we spoke to Gamigo about its upcoming titles Grimlands and Otherland. Grimlands was, admittedly, not quite on my radar until Gamigo's Anthony Guzzardo said the magic word: sandbox. I'd heard a few things about Grimlands already, such as skill based over levels, lots of customization, intelligent AI, vehicular combat, and yes, something about owning clan territory. Oh, and it's supposed to be free-to-play. Sadly, E3 was having internet issues at the time of my interview, so while I couldn't play the game, Anthony was able to answer some questions for me. Continue reading E3 2012: Gamigo shows off Grimlands and Otherlands E3 2012: Gamigo shows off Grimlands and Otherlands originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2012: Hands-on with SOEmote Posted: 06 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Roleplaying, EverQuest Next There's aging gracefully, and then there's EverQuest II. Sony Online Entertainment's eight-year old fantasy flagship is pretty much the benchmark for MMO feature sets and functionality at this point. There's so much to do in the game that it's overwhelming at times, and that was before the introduction of the roleplayer's dream known as SOEmote. SOEmote is one of those things that you'll either love or hate. In a nutshell, it's facial scanning technology that takes webcam input and outputs it to your avatar. EQII's toons already boasted some of the most visually expressive animations in the genre, complete with a laundry list of /emote commands that's longer than this article. SOEmote takes that to the next level (and it also adds voice-modulating capabilities, though these weren't exactly listenable due to the din of noise that is the E3 demo floor). The tech is scheduled to hit the game's live servers toward the end of this month, and it'll be met with both huzzahs (from the roleplayers and the immersion enthusiasts) and WTFs (from the raiders and progression fiends). Continue reading E3 2012: Hands-on with SOEmote E3 2012: Hands-on with SOEmote originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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