General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Seagate Completes LaCie Purchase to Help Take on Western Digital

Posted: 05 Aug 2012 11:25 AM PDT

La CieThe mechanical hard drive sector has been consolidating rapidly to help combat the rise of SSD's, and as of today we officially have one less player. Seagate has succeeded in acquiring a controlling share of LaCie stocks, although they may end up paying slightly more than the €4.05 per share that they initially disclosed. Assuming Seagate manages to accumulate a 95 percent share in the company, the price could jump to €4.17, but this will also net them full control over their French rival.

Seagate currently only holds around 65 percent of the company, however this is more than enough to declare them the new official owners of LaCie. The merger should help them resist any potential takeover attempts from Western Digital, but it certainly won't help those who feel the consumer hard drive market has already consolidated down to the point where it's no longer competitive. 

Safari For Windows is Abandoned By Apple, Leaving Users Vulnerable With No Warning

Posted: 05 Aug 2012 10:33 AM PDT

Safari WindowsThe lack of confirmation kept us from writing up a definitive post on this last week, however I think it's now safe to finally report that Safari for Windows is officially dead. Apple released its newest operating system on July 25th, and along with it came Safari version 6, a full point ahead of the most recent Windows release. Since then Apple has removed any reference to Safari for Windows from its website, and is more or less acting like it never happened.

Safari for Windows made its way onto millions of PC's using the iTunes auto update system, and you'd be hard pressed to find a single fan among those they duped into downloading it. As a WebKit equipped browser it wasn't the worst option for Windows users at the time, but it also didn't offer any distinct advantages. Today Safari 5 users on Windows are stuck using an outdated browser, and naturally, aren't warned that they are vulnerable to at least 121 unpatched flaws. According to Apple's own documentation these flaws can expose users to attack by malicious code execution, and are quite serious in nature. 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume nobody reading Maximum PC is running Safari for Windows, but if I'm mistaken (and it's happened before), you'd better start looking into alternatives soon. Also just to be clear, these alternatives don't include switching to a Mac. 

Are we misjudging Safari for Windows popularity? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Microsoft Looking to Tighten Up Windows 8 Activation Requirements

Posted: 05 Aug 2012 09:23 AM PDT

ActivateMicrosoft's activation service has always been somewhat controversial since its debut in Windows XP, but has turned out to be a necessary evil. The process started out being very forgiving, and to be fair, we have yet to hear of a single legitimate customer being turned away. Even when Microsoft was within its rights to deny activation as a result of terms in the EULA, a simple phone call was often all it took to resolve the dispute. Pirates have been taking advantage of Microsoft's generous nature for years now, and new reports are suggesting they are looking to close down a few of the loop holes with Windows 8.

In particular Microsoft is looking to improve the way they deal with OEM editions of Windows, making it significantly harder for pirates and rogue OEM's to circumvent paying their dues to Redmond. In the past several OEM's used a single activation key, however going forward with Windows 8, they will be required to write a unique Windows product key into the BIOS of each new machine shipped.

OEM's will also be forced to obtain their product keys directly from Microsoft electronically, and each machine will come with a "Genuine Microsoft" sticker affixed to the outside of the case. In the past machines were only required to come with a Certificate of Authenticity. The new requirements only applies to Windows 8 at the moment, however if Windows 7 hangs around as long as Windows XP did in the Vista era, we can probably expect the program to be expanded.

Legitimate customers probably don't have anything to fear from these changes, and they make absolute sense for Microsoft going forward as long as this dosn't change. 

MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com

MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com


Guild Wars 2 - Pre

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 11:57 AM PDT

MechWarrior Tactics is Part CCG Part Video Game

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 05:55 PM PDT

Microsoft Looking to Tighten Up Windows 8 Activation Requirements

Posted: 05 Aug 2012 05:01 AM PDT

ActivateMicrosoft's activation service has always been somewhat controversial since its debut in Windows XP, but has turned out to be a necessary evil. The process started out being very forgiving, and to be fair, we have yet to hear of a single legitimate customer being turned away. Even when Microsoft was within its rights to deny activation as a result of terms in the EULA, a simple phone call was often all it took to resolve the dispute. Pirates have been taking advantage of Microsoft's generous nature for years now, and new reports are suggesting they are looking to close down a few of the loop holes with Windows 8.

In particular Microsoft is looking to improve the way they deal with OEM editions of Windows, making it significantly harder for pirates and rogue OEM's to circumvent paying their dues to Redmond. In the past several OEM's used a single activation key, however going forward with Windows 8, they will be required to write a unique Windows product key into the BIOS of each new machine shipped.

OEM's will also be forced to obtain their product keys directly from Microsoft electronically, and each machine will come with a "Genuine Microsoft" sticker affixed to the outside of the case. In the past machines were only required to come with a Certificate of Authenticity. The new requirements only applies to Windows 8 at the moment, however if Windows 7 hangs around as long as Windows XP did in the Vista era, we can probably expect the program to be expanded.

Legitimate customers probably don't have anything to fear from these changes, and they make absolute sense for Microsoft going forward as long as this dosn't change. 

Safari For Windows is Abandoned By Apple, Leaving Users Vulnerable With No Warning

Posted: 05 Aug 2012 05:01 AM PDT

Safari WindowsThe lack of confirmation kept us from writing up a definitive post on this last week, however I think it's now safe to finally report that Safari for Windows is officially dead. Apple released its newest operating system on July 25th, and along with it came Safari version 6, a full point ahead of the most recent Windows release. Since then Apple has removed any reference to Safari for Windows from its website, and is more or less acting like it never happened.

Safari for Windows made its way onto millions of PC's using the iTunes auto update system, and you'd be hard pressed to find a single fan among those they duped into downloading it. As a WebKit equipped browser it wasn't the worst option for Windows users at the time, but it also didn't offer any distinct advantages. Today Safari 5 users on Windows are stuck using an outdated browser, and naturally, aren't warned that they are vulnerable to at least 121 unpatched flaws. According to Apple's own documentation these flaws can expose users to attack by malicious code execution, and are quite serious in nature. 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume nobody reading Maximum PC is running Safari for Windows, but if I'm mistaken (and it's happened before), you'd better start looking into alternatives soon. Also just to be clear, these alternatives don't include switching to a Mac. 

Are we misjudging Safari for Windows popularity? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Seagate Completes LaCie Purchase to Help Take on Western Digital

Posted: 05 Aug 2012 05:01 AM PDT

La CieThe mechanical hard drive sector has been consolidating rapidly to help combat the rise of SSD's, and as of today we officially have one less player. Seagate has succeeded in acquiring a controlling share of LaCie stocks, although they may end up paying slightly more than the €4.05 per share that they initially disclosed. Assuming Seagate manages to accumulate a 95 percent share in the company, the price could jump to €4.17, but this will also net them full control over their French rival.

Seagate currently only holds around 65 percent of the company, however this is more than enough to declare them the new official owners of LaCie. The merger should help them resist any potential takeover attempts from Western Digital, but it certainly won't help those who feel the consumer hard drive market has already consolidated down to the point where it's no longer competitive. 

Time Travelers, Now Multiplatform, Detailed

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 02:27 AM PDT

What Happened to Gaming's "Middle Class?"

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 05:57 AM PDT

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Rise and Shiny revisit: Face of Mankind

Posted: 05 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

Face of Mankind screenshot
It's hard to believe, but the last time I took a good look at MMOFPS Face of Mankind was almost a year ago! I've been wanting to go back and look at a lot of the games I've covered in past Rise and Shiny columns, but I was shocked to see that many of them have been shut down. Face of Mankind, however, is still chugging along, and a recent spate of PR emails and developer shout-outs had me intrigued. Let this be a lesson for any indie developers who are reading this: Reach out to the press. Even in all of my searching, I still miss updates and game changes.

So have things changed much since I last visited? I can't say for sure, being that the last time was sort of a blur of gripey FPSers who did little more than yell at me and shoot me in the face. I had fun with some of it back then, according to the article, but I'll be honest and say that I did not expect to have as much fun as I did in this third visit. If there was ever a doubt about the importance of revisiting titles from the past, it's long gone.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny revisit: Face of Mankind

MassivelyRise and Shiny revisit: Face of Mankind originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Previously on MV TV: The week of July 28th

    Posted: 05 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Previously On MVTV banner
    You know what time it is? That's right: It's time for me to heckle you for missing out on some of our awesome streams! Sure, you might have been at work, or perhaps you visited that strange, outer world people call "real life," but that's no excuse! Still, I've got your back. I gathered some of the best moments from the past week of livestreaming, tied them up with a bow, and set them under that little line down there. All you have to do is click the "continue reading" and BAM! All of the presents are yours. Share with your sister. Oh, and bookmark the livestream guide on your little browser there so you won't ever miss a stream again.

    What went on this week? Well, we started off with Richie doing some sort of multi-armed attack in SMITE and then switching to a character who shares my name. (That must have given him extra points.) Next up we had MJ with all of her streaming glory. She dived into some Xsyon, the indie post-apocalyptic world where giant dogs tend to bite your ears off. Next she visited Tinkerfest in EverQuest II, escorted somebody's trunk into a toilet (don't ask me) in The Secret World, and rounded her week off with a bit of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Speaking of Vanguard, I wonder if you heard about the free-to-play release date. No? Well then click here and read all about it. I finished things off with a Rise and Shiny revisit to good old Face of Mankind. Yes, I get shot.

    Read that Vanguard article after you watch these videos. Your Aunt Beau went through all that trouble to put them together for you, so go upstairs right now and try them on!

    Continue reading Previously on MV TV: The week of July 28th

    MassivelyPreviously on MV TV: The week of July 28th originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: What silly thing has bothered you about a game?

      Posted: 05 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT

      Filed under: , , ,

      I'm assuming I can sit in this, which makes me happy for the free-to-play switch.
      I like Star Wars: The Old Republic a great deal, but it still bothers me that I can't just sit in a chair. Same problem with RIFT, which also takes forever to give starting Defiants access to an inn. It bothered me when I couldn't toggle to walk mode in Guild Wars, it bothers me that I can't wear spectacles with a cowl in Final Fantasy XIV, and I'll no doubt find something else irksome in every MMO from this point onward.

      None of these are game-breaking issues. They're not even issues where the cosmetic style of the game isn't where you'd like it to be. No, these are all problems that can be worked around quite easily, but just wind up feeling annoying. So what about you? What silly and ultimately irrelevant things have bothered you when you've played a game? Strange idle animations? A lack of environmental interaction where it should have been possible? Minor inconveniences?

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

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What silly thing has bothered you about a game? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Mog Log: Final Fantasy's bargain bin villains

        Posted: 04 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT

        Filed under: , , , , , ,

        The Mog Log header by A. Fienemann
        The Final Fantasy series has always had some spectacularly memorable villains. Sometimes that's been a challenge; this is a series in which your main antagonists have included an evil tree, a general who dresses up like a clown, and an adult version of the creepy kid from grade school who can't breathe very well. But for some reason, this has never carried over into the online installments. And with Final Fantasy XIV's first major villain debuting in the current patch, it's worth talking about.

        I don't mean to say that Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV haven't had antagonists or anyone to step into the role of "villain." They certainly have. Final Fantasy XI has an entire rogue's gallery with Eald'narche, Promathia, the Shadow Lord, and whatever we were fighting in Abyssea. (I think it was the dread monster Apathy, but I sort of clocked out for a while there.) But compare it to the villains of Star Wars: The Old Republic or the single-player installments of the franchise. Heck, compare them to the villains of World of Warcraft. The villains here just don't quite get to a memorable level, and I think there are a few good reasons.

        Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy's bargain bin villains

        MassivelyThe Mog Log: Final Fantasy's bargain bin villains originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Tattered Notebook: Duking it out in EQII's level-agnostic battlegrounds

          Posted: 04 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT

          Filed under: , , , , , ,

          The Tattered Notebook  Duking it out in EQII's Level Agnostic Battlegrounds
          This week's Tattered Notebook feels like a "hey, wait a second!" column because I didn't get a chance to write about this leading up to the launch of EverQuest II's Qeynos Revamp, and just around the corner is SOEmote and the August update. I've always made it clear that I'm not a PvPer, but that's because I'm lousy at it, not because I don't love a good, tight PvP match. So I focused on running some of the newly revamped battlegrounds this week to see what's changed and how the new level agnostic system is working out.

          Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Duking it out in EQII's level-agnostic battlegrounds

          MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: Duking it out in EQII's level-agnostic battlegrounds originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            MMORPG News

            MMORPG News


            Eternal Blade: Exclusive Comic #3

            Posted: 04 Aug 2012 11:05 AM PDT

            Exclusive Comic #3

            Monsters attack in the forest of Eternal Blade! The poor Mage is caught unaware, but lucky for him, the Knight shows up just in time to rally the group. And of course, it's not a real battle until the Berserker shows up! Find out where these evil beasts came from as "The Nature of the Beast" comic series by Elisa "LeeLee" Scaldaferri continues.

            Microvolts: Bomb Battle Mode Added

            Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:33 AM PDT

            Bomb Battle Mode Added

            Rock Hippo has announced the latest addition to MicroVolts with the arrival of Bomb Battle Mode. During Bomb Battle Mode, opposing teams try to plant and arm a bomb before the other team stops them. The first team's bomb to go off is declared the winner.

            General: Mythic Saga: New Server, New Events

            Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:28 AM PDT

            Mythic Saga: New Server, New Events

            CoolToPlay has announced that a brand new server has been added to help accommodate players of Mythic Saga. To entice players to head to the new server, the Mythic Saga team has a series of events planned that will yield some terrific rewards.

            Nadirim: Now Part of the Aeria Games Stable

            Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:19 AM PDT

            Now Part of the Aeria Games Stable

            Aeria Games has announced that Nadirim is now a part of its online gaming stable and is currently available for players via its portal.

            Forge: First Game Play Video Released

            Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:16 AM PDT

            First Game Play Video Released

            Dark Vale Games has released the first-ever game play video from its upcoming title, Forge. According to the team, Forge embraces the fast action of an FPS combined with elements of MMO PvP.

            Family Guy Online: First Impressions with Ripper X

            Posted: 04 Aug 2012 05:13 AM PDT

            First Impressions with Ripper X

            Ripper X jumps into Family Guy Online for some first impressions of this Free to Play browser based MMO! Adventure through Quahog and interact with your favorite Family Guy characters in the free-to-play online game.

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