General Gaming Article

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• 100W Power Delivery Spec Approved For USB 2.0 And 3.0
• European Commission Accuses 13 Optical Drive Suppliers And Two Major OEMs Of Price Fixing
• Toshiba Cuts NAND Flash Production By 30 Percent To Combat Plummeting Prices
• AMD's Console Liaison Jumps Ship, Washes Ashore at Nvidia
• Sharkoon Launches $15 Compact Keyboard for Gamers
• Researchers at UCLA Develop See Through Solar Cells for Windows
• College Students Great at Purchasing Technology, Poor at Researching Purchases, Survey Finds

100W Power Delivery Spec Approved For USB 2.0 And 3.0 Posted: 24 Jul 2012 10:47 AM PDT One of the biggest pet peeves in a technology enthusiast's life is the plethora of proprietary power cables that plague the consumer market, each with a slightly different design. Can't we all just get along and charge via USB? That utopian vision took one step closer to becoming reality yesterday, as the USB 3.0/2.0 Promoter Groups announced a USB power delivery spec that makes the every-port capable of delivering up to 100W of pure power. Yep, your PC can now charge a notebook. Heck, a laptop could even theoretically charge another notebook. "The USB Power Delivery specification enables a switchable source of power without changing cable direction," the groups' press release states. There's a slight catch; in order to deliver the full 100W, you'll need to pick up special, beefier USB Power Delivery-certified cables. The USB cords you have shoved into your junk drawer will still charge auxiliary devices, but they'll pack a less potent electrical wallop. "We believe USB Power Delivery is the next big step in the USB evolution to provide high bandwidth data and intelligent power over a simple, single, ubiquitous cable," Robert Hollingsworth, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the USB Products Group at SMSC, says in the press release. Thunderbolt lovers may disagree with that "One cord to rule them all" assessment, however; while USB 3.0 now moves a lot of juice, Thunderbolt still moves more data than its counterpart. Via The Register

European Commission Accuses 13 Optical Drive Suppliers And Two Major OEMs Of Price Fixing Posted: 24 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT Have you bought a preconfigured big-box type PC sometime in the last five years? If so, you might have been slightly screwed over. That's what the European Commission claims, at least. Today, the EC announced that it is investigating 13 optical drive suppliers and two major PC OEMs for antitrust violations as part of an alleged long-standing "worldwide cartel" that ran a "bid-rigging" scheme to get the best prices for the parties involved. In bid-rigging schemes, the bidders -- and in this case, apparently the OEMs offering the contracts, as well -- conspire to rig their offers to ensure a particular company wins the contract, often at a preset rate. The European Commission press release said bid-rigging is "one of the most serious breaches of EU antitrust rules," eligible for a fine that amounts to 10 percent of a guilty company's annual worldwide turnover -- not just a percentage of the products that sold in the EU alone. None of the companies were called out by name. Now that the EC has issued a Statement of Objections, it can begin formally charging the alleged conspirators and gathering additional evidence of the purported crime. Between the e-book antitrust case, the LCD price fixing settlement, DRAM price fixing, Intel's various antitrust fines, Microsoft's antitrust fine and now this, the kooks might be right -- maybe THEY really are out to get YOU. Do you think that's the case, or do you think the European Commission is just too zealous in its anti-competitive litigation?

Toshiba Cuts NAND Flash Production By 30 Percent To Combat Plummeting Prices Posted: 24 Jul 2012 10:08 AM PDT Have you noticed how cheap NAND-powered memory devices have gotten? Flash drives and SSDs aren't quite a dime a dozen these days, but they're significantly cheaper than they have been in the past. While you and I may appreciate the decline in costs, low pricing is putting the pinch on NAND manufacturers, and Toshiba is cutting its NAND production by about 30 percent to compensate. (And drive up prices, of course.) The press release was fairly short and sweet, with most of the juicy info coming in a single paragraph: Oversupply of NAND flash memory in the retail market, for application in USB memories and memory cards, has resulted in continual price declines since the beginning of this year. Toshiba has responded by adjusting shipments to the retail market since June and from today will reduce the operating rate at the (Yokkaichi Operation plant in Mie Prefecture, Japan) in order to adjust output. This move will help to reduce inventory in the market and improve the overall balance between supply and demand. Toshiba expects things to pick back up later in the year thanks to a rise in demand for smartphones and SSDs, however. That being said, Toshiba's "balance between supply and demand" will likely drive up prices for NAND flash in the future. The funny part? According to a June report by IHS iSuppli, Toshiba had the best Q1 of any NAND supplier, with sales up 19.2 percent compared to the last quarter of 2011, to $1.71 billion. That industry-leading performance boosted the company's stake to over a third of the overall NAND flash market. "In contrast, the overall NAND flash market suffered a 1 percent sequential decline in revenue, and all the other suppliers experienced sales decreases, most by double-digit percentages," IHS iSuppli reports. Maybe the industry woes have caught up to Toshiba?

AMD's Console Liaison Jumps Ship, Washes Ashore at Nvidia Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:22 AM PDT Bob Feldstein, a name you're probably not familiar with, worked behind the scenes at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) getting the company's chips into game consoles, including securing deals to use AMD hardware in all three next-generation console devices from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. He was a pretty important figure at AMD, joining the Sunnyvale company when it acquired ATI six years ago, and now he's taking his talents to Nvidia. A report in The Wall Street Journal details what can only be considered a coup for Nvidia, and yet another painful loss for AMD, which has seen an exodus of top level management in recent years. Mr. Feldstein's departure perhaps stings worse than most. It's because of him that AMD's hardware is, and will continue to be (at least for one more generation) prominent in modern game consoles, a sector Nvidia would very much like to rule. Nvidia didn't have much to say on the matter, telling WSJ it hired Mr. Feldstein "to help us think through current and possible future technology licensing products." While it was his decision to jump ship, Mr. Feldstein said he left AMD on "amicable terms." Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Sharkoon Launches $15 Compact Keyboard for Gamers Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:41 AM PDT Sharkoon doesn't have a ginormous presence in the U.S. market, but if the company's going to make a habit of releasing ultra-affordable peripherals for gamers, stateside customers should ready the welcome mat. To wit, Sharkoon's new Tactix Gaming Keyboard is a compact plank for game players that carries an MSRP of 12.99 euros, or about $15 and change in U.S. currency. The keyboard measures 16.96 inches (L) by 5.35 inches (W) by 0.94 inches (W) and weighs 1.3 pounds. It has N-key rollover support, eight rubberized gaming keys (WASD and arrow keys), and special customization software. Sharkoon says all the keys are fully programmable via the software GUI, allowing gamers to record macros, macro loops, media functions, Internet functions, and more. It will also bind mouse functions and supports timing delays to help pull off that killer combo and aid with the daily grind of leveling up. No word on when or if Sharkoon plans on bringing the Tactix to the U.S. market. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Researchers at UCLA Develop See Through Solar Cells for Windows Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:22 AM PDT Imagine if the windows in your home or automobile weren't just windows, but transparent solar panels collecting light energy and converting it into electricity? Such a concept could have a monumental impact on future hybrid cars, and could potentially shave your monthly electricity bill. If transparent solar cells existed, of course. Well guess what? Not only do they exist, but researchers at UCLA say they've developed a new kind of transparent solar cell that's better than anything out there. The team of researchers constructed a new kind of polymer solar cell (PSC) that collects mostly infrared light as opposed to visible light, and that little trick results in cells that are almost 70 percent transparent. "These results open the potential for visibly transparent polymer solar cells as add-on components of portable electronics, smart windows and building-integrated photovoltaics and in other applications," said study leader Yang Yang, a UCLA professor of materials science and engineering, who also is director of the Nano Renewable Energy Center at California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI). It isn't quite the Holy Grail of solar technology, but it's definitely worth noting that past attempts at creating transparent solar cells have always fallen short in one way or another. Some were never very transparent to begin with, and others fell short on the efficiency scale due to the materials used. The team at UCLA figured a way around these types of problems by turning their attention to infrared light. They also claim a breakthrough in developing a transparent conductor made of a mixture of silver nanowire and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which effectively replaces the opaque metal electrode common in past attempts. The upshot is that the composite electrode is economically viable to fabricate by way of solution processing. Image Credit: UCLA http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-create-highly-236698.aspx

College Students Great at Purchasing Technology, Poor at Researching Purchases, Survey Finds Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT As we approach the back-to-school shopping season, your online neighborhood Newegg store went out and commissioned a study to determine which technology devices college students are most interested in these days. Not surprisingly, the study, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that college bound students put laptops and large screen televisions high on their wish lists. What's interesting, however, is that a large number of them end up unsatisfied with their purchase. At 92 percent, an overwhelming majority of students view a laptop as a necessity, but over a third -- 36 percent -- said they're not completely happy with the one they bought. "While college students seem to agree that a laptop is critical for school, they may need to spend more time evaluating their options to ensure that they are purchasing the right one for their needs," Wakefield Research noted in its report. Perhaps not by coincidence, Wakefield Research found that one in three students own an item purchased by a parent that they don't like or use, and 36 percent of them indicated that item is a laptop. What about tablet PCs? One in four students surveyed said a tablet would help improve their grades. When pinged how they would use a tablet, 61 percent said it would be beneficial for research projects, and 60 percent indicated they would use one to read textbooks. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com

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• Ex-EA COO thinks Nintendo will stop making consoles
• Super Motherload isn't coming to WiiWare anymore
• LIC Q1 new business premium rises by 8pc to Rs 14,451 cr
• LIC to pay Rs 6.5L for "deliberately" rejecting claim
• AEGON Religare Life launches online health plan iHealth
• Hands On With Square Enix's Sleeping Dogs
• Talking God of War: Ascension’s Direction With Todd Papy
• Final Fantasy Versus XIII Not Canceled
• FIFA 13 Loads On More Features
• 100W Power Delivery Spec Approved For USB 2.0 And 3.0

Ex-EA COO thinks Nintendo will stop making consoles Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Remember back when the GameCube was trailing behind its competition, and people thought the company would go the SEGA route, focusing purely on software? Well, those pre-Wii days are back again, with respected industry chap Bing Gordon ringing the death-knell for Nintendo's hardware business. "I think Nintendo's already on track to become primarily a software company," the former EA COO told GI.biz. "We saw that with Sega back in the day; Sega made some missteps and became primarily a software company. Nintendo hasn't really made missteps, Nintendo probably has better creative talent and better leadership now than Sega did. It's got the most robust business model, the best creative talent; Miyamoto's still the best in the business. "Apple's most directly competitive with Nintendo. So far, when Miyamoto makes a perfect game, in his career he makes games worth $200 -- it's worth buying a system for. I think the handheld is going to be under a lot of pressure. I can imagine a day when Nintendo wonders -- and maybe it's generational change -- when Nintendo wonders if they ought to take some of their best games and make them apps." I think it would behoove Nintendo, and the other platform holders, to take advantage of mobile gaming in a cooperative, rather than competitive way. I don't know about almost abandoning hardware as Bing suggests, but Nintendo could make a killing if it put some quality iOS apps out there. The only thing stopping it is the thing that stops a lot of good gaming ideas ... pride.

Super Motherload isn't coming to WiiWare anymore Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Remember nearly two years ago, when Super Motherload was announced? Of course you don't! All signs point to you never having heard of the game, but nonetheless, it's the latest project to have a cancelled WiiWare version. Evidently the WiiWare version was cancelled not only because they finally realized that the Wii was on it's last legs, but also because they wanted to shift towards one 1080p version of the game. Apparently the game will still be coming to the PC and "alternate major consoles." Whatever the case may be, with a number of other developers jumping ship from the platform, I hope somehow that Retro City Rampage's WiiWare edition doesn't get cancelled at the last minute. Super Motherload in HD, no longer coming to WiiWare [Super Motherload.com]

LIC Q1 new business premium rises by 8pc to Rs 14,451 cr Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Country's largest insurer Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has recorded a growth of 8.3 per cent in new business with premium collection of Rs 14,451 crore in the first quarter ended June 30, 2012.

LIC to pay Rs 6.5L for "deliberately" rejecting claim Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT LIC of India has been directed by a consumer forum here to pay Rs 6.5 lakh to a widow for rejecting her insurance claim on her late husband's policy "deliberately and arbitrarily".

AEGON Religare Life launches online health plan iHealth Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Private insurer AEGON Religare Life Insurance (ARLI) today launched an online health plan iHealth targeted at the 'new age' customer, who prefers a direct and convenient process while buying any financial product.

Hands On With Square Enix's Sleeping Dogs Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT I spent three hours tooling around Hong Kong in Square Enix's upcoming title, Sleeping Dogs. Players control Wei Shen, an undercover cop sent to Hong Kong in order to infiltrate a Triad organization called Sun On Yee. Shen has an in via his childhood best friend, and has no qualms about participating in gang activities. However, he is still clearly loyal to the police force, making for an engaging story dynamic. For example, while on an assignment for Sun On Yee, I become a little too rambunctious and destroy some of Hong Kong's city property (when you tell me to chase after that car, I'm going to hit all the mailboxes I need to in order to catch it). That lowers my cop score, which affects how quickly I can level up my cop abilities. The same goes for undercover assignments in the Triads. While on duty for the police, racking up Triad points is more difficult, meaning it takes longer to level up my Triad abilities. Wei Shen’s dual loyalties result in some discomforting moments. I try to play for both sides, which results in a guilty conscience. When I hit city property on Triad missions, I legitimately feel bad. When gleaning information from my trusting childhood best friend, I feel traitorous. Sleeping Dogs employs a simple leveling and perks system that lets players choose the abilities on which they’d like to focus: cop, Triad, health, melee, or face. Face is similar to charisma, as it boosts the amount of respect NPCs give to Shen. I decide to split my focus, unlocking a strike damage bonus (a Triad perk) and a cop ability called Slim Jim, which allows me to break into cars without busting the windows or setting off the alarm. Combat is fluid and easy to learn. In the three hours I played the game, I was given a weapon only a handful of times, so the majority of my fighting was done with fists and feet. Some of the unlockable perks seem to indicate that weapons become more accessible and useful later. The game doesn't have a tutorial, though the first few fights were slow enough that I was able to take my time in understanding combos and other fighting mechanics. I dislike button mashing, but rarely feel like I'm able to take my time and execute good combos in many fisticuff games. Sleeping Dogs gets the formula right and makes combat understandable, challenging, and well-paced. Learning to drive is a little less forgiving. Motorcycles are hard to handle, and it just so happens that Shen's first vehicle is a bike. Going in reverse, be it in a sports car or a city bus (which I drove for a side mission), is frustratingly slow, especially in the heat of a car chase. I drove a lady's car off a dock and into the harbor so she could collect insurance on it, though, so maybe that makes up for it. The game has a somewhat troubled past. Originally an Activision property, Sleeping Dogs (formerly True Crime 3) was picked up by Square Enix, which dropped the True Crime license. Nonetheless, despite some gameplay quirks, I found myself unwilling to turn off my Xbox and give up playing Sleeping Dogs. The game is a boatload of fun and manages to skillfully combine open world exploration and challenging combat. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the final version.

Talking God of War: Ascension’s Direction With Todd Papy Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT How does God of War: Ascension’s new combat system work? Why did Sony decide to make a God of War prequel? Will Kratos ever explore another mythology? We pose these questions, and more, to God of War: Ascension game director, Todd Papy. Why did you guys decide to make the next God of War game a prequel? With the way that God of War III ended, Kratos, was…um…an a**hole, to say the least. I think some people connected with him, but it was more of an, "I've been through this journey with him from the start." And he wasn't a very likable character, versus God of War 1 – he was still somewhat ruthless, but there was a side to him that you could somewhat relate to. And that was something that I wanted to get across. I felt the best way to do that was going more for a prequel. Since we already know where the character ends up do you feel like we still get that narrative arc? I think so. The whole idea behind the story is more, “How do you undo selling your soul to the devil?” In essence, that is the question that we are answering in this story. It's something that has never been explained in any of the games. Obviously, it's not something that you go in and you're like, “Oh hey, I quit. Aries, you're a mean guy for making me kill my wife and kid. I'm no longer gonna work for you.” That, to me, is something that we should kind of explain and elaborate on a little more. We know that the Furies are the new antagonists. How do they tie into the game? They are the bond-keepers of the oath, and we explain how they're there and why they're there, and build them up as antagonists as well. What happens right after you killed your wife and kid? What did you do? Is it that you went to a bar and you drank for a really long time? And then somebody came to you and said, “Hey, this is how you break your oath to a god?” That's what we're explaining. Where does Kratos pick up roughly six months to a year after he killed his wife and kid? What's his mental state? It's not a very pleasant one. Gameplay wise, what are the big things that you wanted to focus on with Ascension? We had our unique selling points – we wanted to try out the multiplayer. And that was a big one. And then from there, it was looking at our systems, in particular our combat system and navigation and puzzle systems – really the pillars that we build or design our game from. What works, what doesn't work with those? For example, our climb system. We called it the freeway on the wall, or on the ceiling. To me, it didn't really fit into the environment that well. So we went more towards a point-to-point navigation system – almost similar to Assassin's Creed or Uncharted. And what’s different about combat? So everybody loves the blades, but we tried what we called the combat grapple last game – where you could pull a guy towards you or pull yourself towards a guy – and we wanted to expand upon that. And that's really the genesis of the tether idea. Where we can throw our blade into that guy, we can drag him around, and then basically still attack other people – and then choose when you want to swing him into the combat like a wrecking ball. You also have something called world weapons in the game, where people can pick up weapons from the environment and use those. How does that work? Basically, our grunts – those are the satyrs that you saw in the demo, the smaller satyrs – they'll have different weapons. They'll actually have five different weapons that they can use. We've showed off the short sword, we showed off the javelin, and then there's the club that we actually showed off in multiplayer. And then there are two other ones that we're not talking about just yet. And then there's Kratos' bare hands. He'll be able to punch people and kick people, so we've actually changed the way that we do controls. You can go smoothly between the world weapons system as well as the blades. Before, circle was our grab and what we called our fun button. And now, R1 is our fun button. So, we moved world weapons to circle, so you can easily change versus having to fumble between the d-pad and your face buttons. You’ve also showed off the Life Cycle power, which allows Kratos to rewind time and reset the state of certain objects. How does that work? You get that from one of our bosses. You'll see basically what the boss does with it, which is very, very similar to the things you can do. You are able to adjust the world by taking an object from pristine to rubble or rubble to pristine. It also slows the AI down and it’s a good way to start combos. If somebody is coming at you and you're feeling surrounded then you can pop one of those off and it allows you to free yourself and get out of it and figure out how you want to get back into the fight. So for example, if you have the Elephantaur and you've got a bunch of grunts around you, you're going to maybe put the Elephantaur in stasis so he's moving around real slow and then that allows you to clear out some of the grunts or vice versa. You choose to put the grunts into the stasis moment and then you're really able to focus on that Elephantaur. How will it work on environments? As far as levels go, you saw a very light puzzle where you can take the dock that had been wrecked and take it to completion, and once it was taken to completion there was no way for you to get up. So you'd have to life cycle it back down to a stop point – we can have as many stop points as we want, but we want to make sure that the player has clear points that they can stop at. We wanted to be sure that the players don't get frustrated. It’s more about the steps versus knowing exactly where I needed to stop it. So that's kind of the process behind why we put the stop points there and then you can see where it can be used in a puzzle. If I have an object and I'm trying to get through a wall or something like that, I can life cycle a wall and then I can push an object through and then I can life cycle back. You can see how we can build puzzles off of this one mechanic and it would feel fresh and new compared to anything that we've done before. It has been rumored for a long time that Kratos might venture off into other mythologies. Did you guys consider that this time around? I wanted to answer the question that we started with, it was basically, let's stay in the Greek mythos. To me, if we're ever going to come out with something that goes to other mythologies or something like that, then it needs time to percolate. For example, you look at The Last of Us. The directors on that game, they didn't work on Uncharted 3. They worked on The Last of Us and probably started it pretty damn close to when they finished Uncharted 2. To create new IPs and do complete overhauls to franchises and stuff like that you need time. It’s not something like, “You have a full team, now go!” Because you are going to be burning cash and people are going to be looking at you and like "What the hell are you doing? Come on, figure stuff out!" You need that time to percolate on those ideas and really hammer it out with a skeleton crew. Do you think the God of War franchise will ever head in that direction? I don't know. I mean, frankly, ideally after this one, yeah, we get to put it down for a while and I get to take a nice vacation (laughs), so I won't have to think about it. I think that, if anything, that's something that we need to weigh, you know? Can God of War be without Kratos or can God of War be within a different mythology? That would be something that we'd really need to sit down and think about and boil down to the essence of God of War. If we take out one of those pillars, does it make the game better or should we be doing this?

Final Fantasy Versus XIII Not Canceled Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Update: Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada took to Twitter to dispel the rumor, saying the long-developed game is still in production. He noted he had just gotten out of a meeting about Versus where he saw a fresh presentation of a city location from the game. [Source: Andriasang] ----------------------- Original Story: Announced alongside Final Fantasy XIII over six years ago, Square Enix's Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been mysterious from the start. Updates on the project have been rare, and opportunities to see the game in action even rarer. If recent a rumor is to be believed, whatever was going on with Versus XIII has resulted in its cancellation.   According to anonymous sources speaking to Kotaku, the troubled development of the game has come to an end. Allegedly, the project as it was originally conceived is dead, though the effort that has already been put into the game may be integrated into another upcoming Final Fantasy. The sources also claim that Square Enix is not planning to make a formal announcement regarding the cancellation, opting instead to simply stop talking about the game and letting it fade out of people's minds. In a statement to Kotaku, Square Enix said: "We have no information on the status of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but will be sure to update you as it becomes available." Looks like we'll be hearing a lot of variations on that sentence in the months to come.

FIFA 13 Loads On More Features Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT When FIFA series developer EA Canada announced gameplay changes to the franchise earlier this year, including more dribbling control, expanded free kick options, and aggressive off-the-ball AI attacking, fans got excited. At a recent EA Sports event, the developer also revealed additional new features for FIFA 13. The one feature that should make fans anticipate the game's fall release the most?The integration of international play into the the normal club career. For Club and Country Whether you chose to play the game's career as a manager or a player (EA removed player/managers this go around), the world stage awaits. Players work their way into their country's national squad through good play, while managers can sign a contract to manage one of FIFA's many international squads. Participation includes friendlies, qualifying, regional tournaments, and a global, World Cup-like tournament that occurs every four years. Either way, the road is long and not easy. You must perform your normal club duties at the same time, and you only get offers from the top-tier national teams as a manager if your club has a high prestige rating and is performing well. Players have to work their way into the permanent lineup by first proving themselves in lower-priority international callups. Managers have national side objectives based on the relative prestige of each country's team, and you can be fired or your yearly contract not renewed if the qualifying campaign is looking grim. One aspect of the international experience that is not completely replicated is your manager's relationship with the players. Although FIFA 13's club career adds more intuitive AI where players are attuned to their roles on the squad (i.e. a bench player isn't going to bellyache if he's not in the starting eleven, but he will ask to be a sub or seek playing time for non-essential games), this is absent from your national duties. As manager you can, however, pick your squad for each game from a deep pool of that country's players. Other than the addition of international duties, new career mode improvements include tweaked player and club AI during the transfer windows. Players are worth more money if they are in good form, and clubs are smarter about letting players go instead of always taking the money. Teams can lure players with a promised role based on that player's ability, and in general, players are more attuned to their place in the overall organization of the team (see above). Finally, you can present counter-offers to teams to create more of a back-and-forth feel to negotiations, and cash-plus-player transactions are allowed. Hone Your Abilities With FIFA 13 Skill Games Anyone can learn how to shoot, pass, and tackle within a matter of minutes, but FIFA games also feature several advanced controls that can take years to master. Even though I’ve played the game since its debut on the Sega Genesis, to my embarrassment I’ve never learned the art of the free kick. Whenever I’m set up a few yards outside the goal box, I may as well pass the ball directly to the defender because I’m either going to sail a shot 10 feet over the crossbar or dump a poor excuse for a shot right into the goalie’s body. Developer EA Canada is aware that not everyone has mastered the subtleties of FIFA, so to surface these technical skills and give players a playground to practice, it has created a new set of skill games for FIFA 13. These 32 new challenges break down into eight disciplines: dribbling, ground passing, lob passing, crossing, shooting, advanced shooting, free kicks, and penalties. Each category has a bronze, silver, and gold test, as well as a skill challenge that creates a match scenario for you to test your abilities. For instance, the bronze level advanced shooting skill has you practicing chip shots over defenders, the silver level tests your one-timing ability, and the gold level requires you to round the keeper with a skilled dribble move before shooting. Most of the early level skill challenges are easy to execute, but I appreciated being taught the more advanced strategies. The ability to practice free kicks over and over with some light guidance gave me an immediate performance boost. Before long I was correctly curving shots over a wall of players. Practicing penalty shots also taught me that when you successfully hit the sweet spot in the shot meter, you can move your aim around the net freely before the kick is off; I had always assumed the shot would go wherever I was aiming it when I released the shoot button. When you successfully complete these challenges, your score is uploaded to a leaderboard where you can compare your skills with friends and the rest of the world. The skill games presented to you while your match loads are randomized, but the game also tracks your performance games and will present you with trials that you need to work on. If you want to spend more than just a few minutes practicing, you can also access the skill games in the main menu. –Matt Bertz

100W Power Delivery Spec Approved For USB 2.0 And 3.0 Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT One of the biggest pet peeves in a technology enthusiast's life is the plethora of proprietary power cables that plague the consumer market, each with a slightly different design. Can't we all just get along and charge via USB? That utopian vision took one step closer to becoming reality yesterday, as the USB 3.0/2.0 Promoter Groups announced a USB power delivery spec that makes the every-port capable of delivering up to 100W of pure power. Yep, your PC can now charge a notebook. Heck, a laptop could even theoretically charge another notebook. "The USB Power Delivery specification enables a switchable source of power without changing cable direction," the groups' press release states. There's a slight catch; in order to deliver the full 100W, you'll need to pick up special, beefier USB Power Delivery-certified cables. The USB cords you have shoved into your junk drawer will still charge auxiliary devices, but they'll pack a less potent electrical wallop. "We believe USB Power Delivery is the next big step in the USB evolution to provide high bandwidth data and intelligent power over a simple, single, ubiquitous cable," Robert Hollingsworth, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the USB Products Group at SMSC, says in the press release. Thunderbolt lovers may disagree with that "One cord to rule them all" assessment, however; while USB 3.0 now moves a lot of juice, Thunderbolt still moves more data than its counterpart. Via The Register

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• League of Legends Introduces Zyra

Proxzor’s Soap Box: Blizzard’s Era Wanes Posted: 24 Jul 2012 05:45 PM PDT By R. Molenaar (Proxzor)   Hey this is my first stab at writing for MMOHut! In this blog I will take a closer look into games and game studios where things went wrong. I will talk about failures and mistakes from gaming studios. Things they could have handled much better and features they never should have added into their game, as well as all kinds of related features that were not appropriate or not wise additions. I will review paths some studios have taken and how it has affected them in the long run. In this first article I will talk about one of the most anticipated games from the last two years, Diablo 3.     Diablo 3 was one of those games that everyone was waiting for. I mean, the launch of the first Diablo was one of those keystone titles that grew the online gaming industry into what it is today. The second edition released 4 years after went on to become known as one of the greatest examples of action PvP gaming even to this day. Blizzard has always been a studio delivering golden games. Name one notch in their belt they aren't proud to have released? You'd be hard pressed to find one. And the truly successful ones? Just look at World of Warcraft, the biggest in the history of gaming even with a subscription based business model. But times change and even WoW has seen drops in subscribers in recent times. The players are becoming bored and each subsequent expansion seems to turn off more of the original playerbase that made the game great in an effort to cater to the casual players, unsuccessfully I might add.   The Time Has Come   Are we fed up? That's a question that I would like to ask now. Aren't we just burned out and haven't we seen it all by now? Isn't that the reason new titles like Diablo 3 have fell short of expectations? I'm not saying Diablo 3 was a bad game, not at all. I personally had a lot of fun in it, and I do think it's a really good game. Everyone claims a different reason for this shortcoming: unfinished, unbalanced, lack of content. But many of these same buzz words have been dropped on so many new titles that it has begun to feel like dejavu. Aren't we just fed up with MMORPGs and online titles in general now? Or are the investors funding them just fed up of the ever increasing competitive nature of the now mature industry and want to see the same fast return on investment they enjoyed in the old days. Let's break down Blizzard and see what this culture has done to weaken the company and what they are doing to maintain their past merits.   The support in some games is absolutely terrible. Luckily this folly is one of the bits Blizzard goes above and beyond to avoid. I mean their game support and just everything is formidable, if you have any problem at all just call them up or send them an e-mail and most of the time it will be answered and helped in just a matter of hours to days rather than weeks like most F2P companies I've dealt with.   But I do think that even Blizzard went a little bit too egoistic when releasing Diablo 3. The game is well made and all but once you reach the end-game what's there to do? It's as if they learned nothing from why WoW is faltering and pushed forward with the same marketing strategy of the past that is fast becoming stale. Inferno is a nice addition but if that's everything than Diablo 3 doesn't have a healthy future ahead for it. I dare say it may even be cancelled a few years from now.   Slow Down, We Aren’t Going Anywhere   I am also not really happy about one big thing that has been Blizzard's policy for a while. Since the terrible early start WoW experienced, Blizzard tends to err on the side of caution, taking as long as necessary to release their titles as complete gaming experiences. Even with the recent launch of Starcraft II they admitted that the full game still needed time and adopted a strategy of releasing fully developed micro-versions of the ultimate game, each featuring a very satisfying single player campaign. Diablo 3 doesn't match this methodology at all. I think they made an error with releasing the game too soon in one of the most competitive launch summers the online world has ever witnessed. Player versus player is one of the major features that kept players hooked to D2, a dynamic player driven form of content that buys time for the developers to fine tune and launch extra content at their own pace. The current system encourages players to keep killing the same bosses for loot so that they can someday challenge an overly difficult PvE content (Inferno) that is hardly new from what they had been doing before. That's not content, that's an exercise in tedium.     The other seemingly rushed system I've complained about for months on our forums is the addition of the real money Auction House. Not only did it support the gold sellers and other power leveling services but it also supports the slavery of children in countries like China. Because you buy items and equipment with real life money it took has had destructive effects on the in-game economy.  Everything is either too expensive or too cheap, and the relative value of the items seems unrelated to the going rate. Could Blizzard have guessed this? Could they have known it was simply not a feature that should've went live, or did they just decide to roll the dice and run a grand social experiment on live servers to make an extra buck?   Personally what made Diablo 2 so special was the black market. Sure there were many illegal factors to that but it was just so much harder to find something you wanted and the effort required discouraged enough of the community that the overarching economy never faltered as a result. Take one trip to the auction how in D3 and disappointment is sure to follow.   Behind The Scenes   Did Blizzard soften up? Since Activision and Blizzard merged together many people have contributed their diminishing quality due to stricter deadlines and forced implementation of features. As a frequent player of every Blizzard game from D1 to now I seriously see no reason to discredit this theory.     Something is going on behind the scenes that's distracting the right people from making the right decisions and I have a hunch that Vivendi's recent interest in selling Activision-Blizzard are tell-tale signs of huge changes to come. I am sure they all have noticed it as well, their control is fading away and so is the population. Clearly something is really wrong over at Activision-Blizzard and I really hope they will get their problems straightened out.   Where are the good old times where game studios actually cared about their games instead of launching unfinished products? I certainly can understand now why Valve might take a long time over Half Life 3, they remain one of the few publishers that still stick to their stringent quality standards without wavering. In the end it's an industry founded on 'follow the leader' tactics and it's only a matter of time before Valve's continued success wakes publishers up from the era of the WoW Killer to realize that WoW is no longer the success story they should be chasing.

MMOHut Weekly Recap #95 July 22 – Heroes of Newerth, City of Steam, Argo Online, & More Posted: 24 Jul 2012 04:11 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: Heroes of Newerth, City of Steam, Guns and Robots, Allods Online, Argo Online, Dragon Saga, Vindictus, Sevencore, Rusty Hearts, and Elsword. The biggest news this week comes from Heroes of Newerth, which has made all heroes free-to-play instead of purchased through the game’s item shop. Heroes of Newerth will instead focus its item shop on skins and champion customization. Check out all the individual news articles mentioned over at the MMOHut.com News section.

Experience Divine Rebirth In King of Kings 3 Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:48 PM PDT King of Kings 3 has released its latest update, Divine Rebirth. The update introduces new maps, quests, and instances, all to help players as they strive for the new level cap of 215. Players will be able to unlock new Divine Skills, combining different components and Artefacts together to combine skills of other classes. Also new will be the Tower of Kings PvP challenge, the world football event, and War Engines, three siege vehicles usable in PvP wars. King of Kings 3 is published by gamigo, which also publishes Jagged Alliance Online and Loong. King of Kings 3 Gameplay Screenshot Source: King of Kings 3 Experiences a "Divine Rebirth" on 23rd July 2012 Hamburg, July 24, 2012 – King of Kings 3, the ultimate PvP and guild war free to play MMORPG has implemented a game-changing new expansion on Monday 23rd July 2012. The add-on, entitled ‘Divine Rebirth’, allows long-time players to take their characters to new heights with new maps, quests and instances. However, long-time players aren't the only ones who'll reap the benefits. There has never been a better time for new players to join up and fight for their realm. With a new level cap of 215, there is now even more adventure and excitement to be had. Protect the gods by undergoing a Divine Rebirth and players will be able to use powerful new Divine Skills, which allow them to combine components to create unique skills never seen before. The new Artefact tool lets players combine skills of other classes, giving them a higher level of customisation than ever before. Pummel opponents with these skills in new events, such as the Tower of Kings challenges. They bring PvP battles to a higher level with a point-based standing system and a more sporting attitude. Speaking of sports, there's the world football event, which promises to give players the "kick" they've been looking for while in between battles. Also new to the game are the War Engines. Construct and maintain one of three fully customisable vehicular weapons that will bring the pain to your enemies during PvP wars. The Ballista, Tank and Battering Ram are your long-range, mid-range and short-range keys to victory and destruction against enemies or even other War Engines in battle. These new features, along with adjustments to nearly half of the game's classes, deeper advanced crafting options and other refinements are sure to give players, both old and new, a much bigger experience inside the world of King of Kings 3.

Three ijji Games Transitioning to Aeria Games Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:11 PM PDT Aeria Games has announced the official transition of Alliance of Valiant Arms, Soldier Front, and GunZ from ijji. Aeria Games purchased ijji Games earlier this year, and the game transition is part of the acquisition plan. All players will be able to continue playing their existing characters through Aeria accounts with a seamless transition. ijji players can transfer their account information (including G-coin currency) to a new or existing Aeria Games account at ijji.com. Alliance of Valiant Arms Gameplay Screenshot Source: AERIA GAMES INTEGRATES IJJI GAMES ACQUISITION WITH TRANSITION OF THREE POPULAR TITLES Thriving Free-to-Play Shooter Games A.V.A., Soldier Front and GunZ Move to Aeria, Providing Players a Seamless Transition, Fresh Competitors and Superior Support   SANTA CLARA – July 24, 2012 – Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games with over 40 million unique players, announced today that three popular action titles from ijji Games are transitioning to Aeria Games. Current players of Alliance of Valiant Arms (A.V.A.), Soldier Front and GunZ will be able to continue playing with their existing game characters, while receiving the added benefit of seamless support and community service through Aeria Games. Aeria users will now be able to access these quality games through their Aeria accounts, bringing new players to the franchises—and new competition for ijji veterans.   Earlier this year, Aeria Games acquired the popular online gaming portal, ijji Games, in conjunction with a strategic investment partnership from NHN Corporation. Of the three ijji titles moving to Aeria, A.V.A. is an intense, highly tactical first-person shooter (FPS), Soldier Front is a military-themed FPS and GunZ is a unique third-person shooter with fast-paced, acrobatic action. Under the agreement, Aeria will also consider new games from NHN for release, which will further boost the robust and diverse portfolio of over 30 free-to-play titles supported by Aeria Games.   "We are thrilled to have A.V.A., Soldier Front and GunZ join Aeria Games," said JT Nguyen, Chief Operating Officer, Aeria Games. "Through this arrangement, we will cater to more gamers who will benefit from all the community and customer service advantages of our multi-platform online gaming destination."   A.V.A. transports players to an alternate present-day timeline in which forces from a revived Warsaw Pact face off against troops from the European Union and US in first-person combat, utilizing the power of the Unreal Engine 3 to immerse players in gorgeously detailed battlefields. A.V.A. also boasts a strong competitive scene with a variety of tournaments and events. Soldier Front is a hugely popular military FPS featuring classic, competitive gameplay. The action shooter GunZ is set in a world where fantasy and magic meet the industrial revolution. In GunZ, players can perform unique, gravity-defying acrobatic stunts such as wall running and tumbling while undertaking dangerous quests.   A.V.A., Soldier Front and GunZ are now available to all players with Aeria Games accounts. These games are free to download and play. Existing ijji Games users can transfer their ijji account information, including G-coin currency and existing game characters, to an existing or new Aeria Games account by visiting www.ijji.com.   For more information on Aeria Games, visit http://www.aeriagames.com.

League of Legends Introduces Zyra Posted: 24 Jul 2012 02:33 PM PDT The latest update for League of Legends introduces a new champion, Zyra. Zyra is a plant mage that hails from the Plagues Land. She can plant seeds on the battlefield to create new allies, summon a twisted thicket to knock enemies airborn, and turn into a vengeful plant with one last shot just before she dies. Check out the spotlight video below for more of this new champion. The update also remakes the abilities for Widowmaker Evelynn and makes some changes to Twitch the Plague Rat. League of Legends is published by Riot Games. League of Legends Champion Spotlight: Zyra, Rise of the Thorns

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MMO Updates

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• Hyperspace Beacon: It's time for free-to-play, SWTOR
• Defiance TV show begins production today
• XLGAMES reveals first ArcheAge story teaser trailer
• Need for Speed World celebrates its second anniversary
• The Daily Grind: What game features your favorite concept art?
• Wings Over Atreia: Fulfilling the need for speed with Aion 3.1
• Captain's Log: Star Trek Online celebrates 25 years of The Next Generation
• SWTOR devs answer community's PvP-related questions
• Not So Massively: Battle of the online action RPGs
• A look at Curt Schilling's management of 38 Studios
• Final Fantasy XIV patch 1.23 scheduled for July 26th
• Turning over a new leaf in Guild Wars 2's Sylvari starting experience
• Piranha reveals MechWarrior Online's Caustic Valley
• Eight million gamigo user accounts compromised
• Reserve your Guild Wars 2 name by July 31st
• Marvel Heroes chief: 'It's very Diablo-like'
• EVE Online: Inferno 1.2 hits servers August 8th

Hyperspace Beacon: It's time for free-to-play, SWTOR Posted: 24 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Expansions, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon I'm a positive person, generally. I'm loyal to my favorite franchises even when George Lucas can't make up his mind about who actually shot first. But I don't like it when my loyalty to a product is taken advantage of when I'm told I will get one thing but am ultimately sold another. That's why I say to EA and BioWare, "Make Star Wars: The Old Republic free-to-play already." When EA was voted the worst company in America by the Consumerist, it was not because the products suck. If a customer has a constant feeling that she is not going to get what she pays for from a specific publisher, then it will start to wear on her. Now whenever someone from EA speaks, we have to ask ourselves whether there is any double meaning to what was said. I believe SWTOR will be free-to-play by the time the first expansion comes out, and not directly because of subscription numbers or rumors. My evidence comes from those who speak for SWTOR and the actions of BioWare's management. I can also guess as to how the studio is going to spin it. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: It's time for free-to-play, SWTOR Hyperspace Beacon: It's time for free-to-play, SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Defiance TV show begins production today Posted: 24 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Consoles, Defiance The television half of the TV show/MMO hybrid being developed collaboratively by Syfy and Trion Worlds starts production today in Toronto, Ontario. Defiance -- set in a futuristic, apocalyptic Earth -- picks up after the end of the war sparked by tensions from the immigration of seven alien races to the planet. Although both the show and the game will launch in April 2013, the game will kick things off in San Francisco where players will meet the main characters of the show, Nolan and Arissa. Then the show will start after the two characters travel to St. Louis, Missouri. There, the series will unfold in the boom-town of Defiance while the game narrative continues in the Bay Area. Both the show and the game will influence each other and evolve together. For more information on Defiance, check out its spotlight in The Firing Line and watch the Comic-Con videos. [Source: Trion Worlds press release] Defiance TV show begins production today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

XLGAMES reveals first ArcheAge story teaser trailer Posted: 24 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Lore, New titles, News items, ArcheAge, Sandbox Fans of the upcoming Korean fantasy sandbox MMORPG ArcheAge already know about a number of the features that will entice them into playing the game if/when it comes to their region, but what about the story behind the world? To draw players into the story, XLGAMES has released a poster and short story teaser video about Orichidna, one of the key characters to change the world of ArcheAge. In this clip, Orchidna asks an unseen arrival, "Why so late?". Perhaps the arrival will be revealed in the next installment as XLGAMES will be releasing the story trailer movie in a series. Check out the video and the poster after the break. Continue reading XLGAMES reveals first ArcheAge story teaser trailer XLGAMES reveals first ArcheAge story teaser trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: This Is Game

Need for Speed World celebrates its second anniversary Posted: 24 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events, in-game, Interviews, Patches, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Giveaways, Need for Speed World It seems like only a scant few months have passed since we covered the launch of Need for Speed World, EA's street racing MMO. But NFSW celebrates its second anniversary today, kicking it off with a double XP boost for everyone as well as a free Chevy Camaro ZL1 for all registered players. In honor of the occasion, the dev team invited us to a group interview session culminating in a race-off during which we got to show just how hot (or not) our racing skills were. Lead Producer Marc de Vellis and Lead Designer Melvin Teo were on hand to answer our questions and talk about how the game has grown over the past two years. They enthusiastically discussed the ways they've developed NFSW as a result of community feedback, both in terms of game features and in terms of community interaction. Read on for a look at what changes they've made to keep their virtual drivers coming back for another lap. Continue reading Need for Speed World celebrates its second anniversary Need for Speed World celebrates its second anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What game features your favorite concept art? Posted: 24 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous I'm kind of a concept art freak, especially when it comes to games. I can't draw or paint at all, though, so I have to live vicariously through the many talented artists working on MMOs today. As a result, I've got a whole section of my hard drive stuffed with digitized paintings, loading screen captures, and all manner of concept art miscellany. Some of my favorite pieces hail from games like Age of Conan, Guild Wars 2, and the EverQuest franchise (particularly the art produced for the Legends of Norrath card game). What about you, early risers? What game features your favorite concept art? 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: What game features your favorite concept art? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wings Over Atreia: Fulfilling the need for speed with Aion 3.1 Posted: 23 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Wings Over Atreia It's all in the numbers: 1.9, 2.0, 2.6, 2.7, and of course, 3.0. No, these aren't digits hidden in a mathematician's fortune cookie; they are all popular patches in Aion. In the case of a few of them, they wore big-patch pants and got their own name. Two of those were even heralded as expansions. So what about the latest update to hit Aion's North American servers? Is 3.1 a lucky number? I know, I know. Usually I am regaling you with facts about upcoming patches far in advance and drooling over things to come. This time, however, the patch kind of sneaked up on me. I swear I didn't fall asleep at the launchpad; this patch just wasn't as hyped as its predecessors. But less hype does not equal lack of goodies. Just like 2.7, which followed Empyrean Calling, 3.1 might not have a spiffy name besides its numeric moniker, but it does have some spiffy stuff. Enough stuff, in fact, that I'll have to spend more than one week sharing the goodness. Today, Wings Over Atreia's inaugural look at 3.1 focuses on that first change that caught my eye and even made me do a double-take: the Fast-Track server. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Fulfilling the need for speed with Aion 3.1 Wings Over Atreia: Fulfilling the need for speed with Aion 3.1 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: Star Trek Online celebrates 25 years of The Next Generation Posted: 23 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Patches, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Captain's Log, Anniversary Star Trek Online's Season Six is in full swing! My fleet is extremely close to reaching tier one of its new fleet starbase (in all three categories), and people seem to be having a pretty good time as they team up to take on fleet missions to earn the merits the starbase is starving for. I have to admit, our Ventrilo channel hasn't been this busy in a long time. Rarely do I log in to see fewer than 20 names active in the channel. This week we were told that a new version of the infamous lock box is being released. Part of the announcement also addressed the fact that Cryptic Studios has decided to make some tweaks to the Lobi store. The Foundry has been kept offline since the Season Six launch and remains shut down. Capping off the week, Star Trek Online began a weekend-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first airing of Star Trek: The Next Generation! Join me after the jump to learn a little bit more about it. Continue reading Captain's Log: Star Trek Online celebrates 25 years of The Next Generation Captain's Log: Star Trek Online celebrates 25 years of The Next Generation originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR devs answer community's PvP-related questions Posted: 23 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Classes, Game mechanics, PvP, Endgame, PvE, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Community Q&A The Star Wars: The Old Republic community team was understandably late getting to the Community Q&A last Friday, but it certainly delivered today. As usual for the SWTOR players, PvP topped the list of concerns. For one, why don't cooldowns reset after death in a warzone? BioWare's new favorite son, Senior Designer Austin Peckenpaugh, explained, "The decision of 'going all out' should be a strategic and tactical one rather than a no-brainer that you squeeze in before each death." To a seasoned player, that makes sense; you don't want what we old-school PvPers call "suicide bombers." Number-crunching theorycrafters deduced that some classes are better off carrying PvP relics than PvE relics. A new voice spoke up to answer this concern. "In the long run our intent is to make sure PvP gear is never competitive in end-game PvE situations," replied Senior Game Balance Designer Jason Attard. But for now, he explained that, "in theory the active abilities on the PvE relics do not provide quite as much sustained damage-per-second as a passive relic at the same item level." Take that as you will. The BioWare community team has consistently been able to snag the appropriate designers to answer the top player questions. If you have a burning question that you'd like to have answered this week, stop by the official SWTOR forums. SWTOR devs answer community's PvP-related questions originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SWTOR Community Q&A

Not So Massively: Battle of the online action RPGs Posted: 23 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Game mechanics, PvP, News items, Not So Massively, Dungeons, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III Blizzard addressed Diablo III's poor launch in an open letter to the community this week and detailed plans for development going forward. If you're stuck in the magic find grind, an impressive new guide also surfaced this week to demystify the hunt. Upcoming free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile released a video of its updated passive tree this week, demonstrating some of the game's incredible character customisation options. Torchlight II developer Runic Games also released some statistics this week showing just how big the game is compared to its predecessor. In MOBA news, League of Legends released updated champion spotlight videos for its recently overhauled champions Evelynn and Twitch, and Heroes of Newerth surprised players by releasing all of its heroes for free to every player. Dota 2 added classic hero Naga Siren and updated the spectator UI with a much-requested gold-per-minute table. Hi-Rez Studios released a new SMITE video featuring Hindu demon Bakasura, a character who can eat enemies to regain health and later vomit them up on the battlefield. Wrath of Heroes also revealed ranged assassin Korith Bitterborn this week, and Guardians of Middle-Earth published its first battle profile video showing some of Gollum's and Gandalf's attacks. Continue reading Not So Massively: Battle of the online action RPGs Not So Massively: Battle of the online action RPGs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A look at Curt Schilling's management of 38 Studios Posted: 23 Jul 2012 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Opinion, Miscellaneous The dust has more or less settled around the demise of 38 Studios, but much of the information about what happened to lead the company so deep into the hole is fragmented. Some fans admonish the Rhode Island governor, some admonish Curt Schilling, and some admonish the management team that led to several poor decisions. A new piece in Boston Magazine goes into depth about where Schilling's management caused problems and how the culture at the studio slowly deteriorated. The article paints Schilling as being relentlessly optimistic and dedicated to his employees but at the same time unfamiliar with business and the realities of running a game company. He also wound up with a bloated staff and disregarded information from management, leading to conflicting demands and a general lack of progress on major deadlines for Project Copernicus. If you've got any interest in the game industry, it's a fascinating look at how a game company can start with high hopes and dissolve under financial realities. A look at Curt Schilling's management of 38 Studios originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Inside the Destruction of Curt Schilling's 38 Studios

Final Fantasy XIV patch 1.23 scheduled for July 26th Posted: 23 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Final Fantasy XIV Final Fantasy XIV Executive Producer Naoki Yoshida has a few words for die-hard fans of the title: "Rebirth, challenge, reform, and -- last but not least -- Final Fantasy." This is in reference to the game's upcoming version 2.0 launch, which will happen not only in existing territories but also in the brand-new region of China (brand-new to Square-Enix, that is; China's been around for a few years now). In a new producer's letter, Yoshida promises a "flood of info" from now until the relaunch. The first part of that flood is news that patch 1.23 will be going live on July 26th. The patch centers around an epic battle that will cap the current storyline, as well as a new skirmish and the summer festival. Also coming to the game are skimpy bathrobes known as yukata. As you can see above, they're not for the modest amongst us! Final Fantasy XIV patch 1.23 scheduled for July 26th originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Producer's Letter

Turning over a new leaf in Guild Wars 2's Sylvari starting experience Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Culture, Lore, Previews, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Hands-on, Races, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions The Sylvari have been my race of choice ever since they were announced as a playable race in Guild Wars 2. It's not often that you see races outside of the generic Orc-Elf-Dwarf-Human spectrum, so the sylvan-esque race really appealed to me as something different. So of course, when time rolled around to stake claims on the impressions piece of the newly introduced Sylvari starting experience during the final beta weekend, you better believe I pounced on it. So here we are: Guild Wars 2's final beta weekend is over, and it's just a matter of time before launch is upon us. But you'll be happy to know that I spent my entire weekend prancing around Tyria in the leafy soles of a Sylvari's boots. It was a journey full of mystery, surprises (both pleasant and otherwise), and a whole lot of oversized foliage. Follow along past the cut, where I shall make like a tree and get the hell on with it already. Continue reading Turning over a new leaf in Guild Wars 2's Sylvari starting experience Turning over a new leaf in Guild Wars 2's Sylvari starting experience originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Piranha reveals MechWarrior Online's Caustic Valley Posted: 23 Jul 2012 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MechWarrior Online Up for another MechWarrior Online video reveal? Good, because we've got a look at the game's Caustic Valley map embedded after the break. As it turns out, the valley is aptly named. It's "a land of acidic haze and caustic heat," which provides a fine contrast to the sexy mechs striding through the landscape and raining fiery hot death down on one another. Caustic Valley also plays havoc with heat-based weapons. As Piranha Games says in its latest blog update, the heavy dust and brutal heat "greatly affects your ability to use heat-producing weapons such as lasers, as they will quickly spike to very high levels." See for yourself after the cut. Continue reading Piranha reveals MechWarrior Online's Caustic Valley Piranha reveals MechWarrior Online's Caustic Valley originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Caustic Valley

Eight million gamigo user accounts compromised Posted: 23 Jul 2012 01:15 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous Last March we told you about an attack on free-to-play publisher gamigo's account services. Today The Verge reports that the security leak has resulted in the credentials of over eight million users being posted on a password-cracking website. Steve Thomas, founder of a hacking alert service called PwnedList, says the gamigo breach is "the largest leak I've ever actually seen." Compromised data include usernames, passwords, and email addresses. Users who held gamigo accounts prior to March 2012 are being encouraged to change their credentials. Eight million gamigo user accounts compromised originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The Verge

Reserve your Guild Wars 2 name by July 31st Posted: 23 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play Guild Wars 2 fans, it's almost time! ArenaNet has released a new blog post detailing the process for name reservations, which means that launch day can't be far behind. What's that? You've got August 28th tattooed on your forehead? OK, but the date for reserving your character name is considerably sooner, so be sure to mark July 31st on your calendar. You'll need an active Guild Wars account to participate, and it's also worth noting that these reservations aren't indefinite. "You must create a Guild Wars 2 character with the same name as your Guild Wars character during the headstart access period or on launch day. Shortly after launch, we'll free up all the unclaimed names for new Guild Wars 2 players to use," ArenaNet says. Reserve your Guild Wars 2 name by July 31st originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: ArenaNet blog

Marvel Heroes chief: 'It's very Diablo-like' Posted: 23 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Super-hero, Video, Events, real-world, Interviews, Marvel Heroes Gazillion founder David Brevik opened up in an interview at Comic-Con, talking about Marvel Heroes' strong suits (pun intended). When asked about how this title will keep players coming back for more, Brevik said "It's very Diablo-like: random levels and lots of items that drop. It's very addictive gameplay, as well as lots of endgame content that we haven't talked about yet." Brevik also discussed the game's story, which pits players against a nefarious plot by Doctor Doom. The key parts of the story will be told in over an hour's worth of motion comics. The team is strongly leaning on the Marvel IP to draw in fans and is relying on well-known heroes and classic locations to make geeks happy. When asked why players will not be allowed to make their own superheroes but instead will be forced to play one of Marvel's pre-existing characters, Brevik said that the game's system is just more compelling. While he admits that there could be 20 Spideys all in the same area, he points out that players have the option of switching their active character or choosing a different costume. You can watch the full video after the jump! Continue reading Marvel Heroes chief: 'It's very Diablo-like' Marvel Heroes chief: 'It's very Diablo-like' originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

EVE Online: Inferno 1.2 hits servers August 8th Posted: 23 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Video, EVE Online, Patches, News items, Sandbox The next update for EVE Online is just over two weeks away. Inferno 1.2 is slated to launch on Wednesday, August 8th. This new patch is focusing on visual enhancements and improving the new player experience as well as continuing to rebalance New Eden. Adding to the graphical upgrades given to the Minmatar ships in 1.1, patch 1.2 distributes the same V3 shaders to the Angel pirate faction ships. EVE will also sport an improved user interface and include more information for new pilots just starting to navigate the universe. You can take a look at new details added with the shader model update on the Dramiel, Daredevil, Ixion, Cynabal, and Macharariel ships after the break. Continue reading EVE Online: Inferno 1.2 hits servers August 8th EVE Online: Inferno 1.2 hits servers August 8th originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Inferno 1.2 announcement

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