General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Rockstar Teases Grand Theft Auto Fans with Three GTA V Vehicle Screenshots

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 10:01 AM PDT

There's still no word from Rockstar Games on when exactly it plans to launch Grand Theft Auto V, the fifteenth installment in the popular GTA series that was announced back in October of last year. In lieu of a release date, the rambunctious developers decided to drop a trio of screenshots on its blog, each one depicting a different type of vehicle you'll have the chance to pilot in the upcoming game.

Unfortunately, there isn't any commentary that accompanies the images, which show a bicycle, sports car (Cheeta), and a jet. Still, it will be enough to excite fans of the franchise, especially those anxious to take to the skies in GTA V piloting a high powered aircraft.

You can view the pics in high res glory on Rockstar's blog, and if you haven't already, take a peek at the GTA V trailer (embedded below).

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CyberPower's Pro Gamer FTW Series Brings HD Streaming to the LAN Party

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 09:30 AM PDT

CyberPower PC today introduced the Gamer Pro FTW, a new series of desktop PCs intended to seamlessly mesh gaming performance with live HD streaming capabilities, without breaking the bank. The Gamer Pro FTW starts at $1,085 and is available in half a dozen base configurations built around the user's choice of Intel's X79 Sandy Bridge-E platform, Z77 Ivy Bridge, or with an AMD FX Bulldozer foundation.

Each system is equipped with an Avermedia Live Gamer HD capture card, a part that sells for over $200 as a standalone item. It's capable of capturing, recording, and streaming live action footage.

"With the Live Gamer HD, you don't need another setup for recording game footage because the Pro Gamer FTW is the capturing machine. The solution works flawlessly with Nvidia Kepler-powered GTX or AMD Tahiti graphics cards for perfect recordings of 1080p at 60 frames per second," CyberPower PC says. "With its efficient pass-thru system, the Live Gamer HD is able to synchronize zero-delay video capture with real-time gaming through the Pro Gamer FTW's HDMI and DVI ports."

You can also record color commentary alongside in-game footage, even when pausing game play recording. As for the rest of the Gamer Pro FTW system, it all depends on what your budget allows. The cheapest default configuration is the above mentioned $1,085 setup, which includes an AMD FX-6100 processor, 8GB of G.Skill Ripjaws 1600MHz RAM, AMD Radeon HD 7750 graphics card, 1TB Western Digital Black hard drive, 12X Blu-ray reader, Azza Genesis 9000 case, 700W power supply, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Gamer Pro FTW Product Page

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AMD Issues Another Round of Radeon HD Price Cuts

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 09:09 AM PDT

Summer might be coming to an end in the coming weeks, but the GPU price wars between AMD and Nvidia are just starting to heat up. To wit, AMD rolled out a series of price reductions in July for its Radeon HD 7970, 7950, and 7870 graphics cards, and now that Nvidia has made Kepler affordable with its GeForce GTX 660 Ti part, AMD is once again responding in kind with another round of cuts.

First, lets take a look at what happened in July:

  • Radeon HD 7970: $480 down to $430
  • Radeon HD 7950: $400 down to $350
  • Radeon HD 7870: $350 down to $300

On top of those $50 price cuts, AMD shaved another $20 off certain models. A quick glance online shows the Radeon HD 7970 going for $410 street and the Radeon HD 7950 for $320 street (the Radeon HD 7970 is unaffected by the latest round of cuts).

Nvidia's GeForce GTX 660 Ti, which competes with AMD's Radeon 7950 GPU, sells for about $300 street (and up, depending on model). You can see how it fares in our recent roundup of three GTX 660 Ti cards.

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Samsung to Inject $4 Billion into Texas Chip Factory

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:37 AM PDT

Samsung, the world's largest producer of memory chips, is planning to invest a whopping $4 billion in its Austin, Texas factory in order to renovate the facility and boost production of mobile chips used in smartphones and tablets, according to several reports. The investment is in addition to nearly $2 billion the company committed to spending on a new plant in South Korea last June.

This latest spending will be used, in part, to convert the production of memory chips to logic parts so that Samsung can better serve the growing mobile sector, according to Bloomberg. Simply put, there's more money in processors than memory chips, and this particular factory is where Apple's A5 and A5X processors are produced, which are used in iPad and iPhone devices.

Samsung certainly isn't afraid to spend money beefing up its operations. According to a MarketWatch report, injecting another $4 billion into its Texas facility brings the total investment up to $13 billion since it began operating in 1996.

Image Source: Samsung

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PopCap Promises Plants vs Zombies Sequel in Spring 2013

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:10 AM PDT

Who knew that all you really needed to fight the inevitable zombie apocalypse is a well kept garden filled with a variety of plants and those ever-important sunflowers? It's a survival lesson PopCap Games, a division of Electronic Arts, taught us with its highly addictive Plants vs Zombies title, and lest you forgot the power a green thumb wields, the developer plans to launch a sequel in the first half of 2013.

The sequel is expected to launch in late spring of next year, to be semi-exact. PopCap says it will include a boatload of new features, settings, and situations, though has opted not to share any specifics at this time. You can, however, expect the same brand of brain dead zombie humor and quirkiness that made the original such a delight to play, along with new types of plants and zombies.

"Spring is crullest curlie ungood time, and plantz grow dull roots," noted an unidentified spokesperson. "So, we are meating you for brainz at yore house. No worry to skedule schedlue plan… we're freee anytime. We'll find you."

So you next spring, zombie horde. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some gardening to tend to.

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Microsoft Now Accepting $14.99 Windows Pro Upgrade Registrations

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 06:48 AM PDT

So you bought a new Windows 7 PC on or after June 2, 2012 and you're anxious to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro already, is that right? Well, you might be in the minority on the latter part (see User Experience Expert Pans Windows 8), but if that's your end game, registration is now open for Microsoft's $14.99 upgrade offer to Windows 8 Pro. You can't actually download your copy of Windows 8 Pro until it launches to the general public on October 26, 2012, but you can fill out the form and validate your eligibility.

In case you need a refresher on what we're talking about, Microsoft's Windows Upgrade Offer allows you to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 if you purchase or have purchased an eligible Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013. It's a low cost way to ensure that if you buy a PC today you can still rock the latest version of Windows once October 26 rolls around.

To register (or pre-register, as it were), you'll need to fill out a few personal details and provide information about your Windows 7 PC, including the 25-digit Windows 7 product key that came with it. After that, you sit back and wait for Microsoft to shoot you a promo code via email so you can redeem your upgrade at the discounted price.

On a related note, if you're a student, don't forget you can snag a free Xbox 360 console with the purchase of a new Windows PC for $699 or more from participating retailers.

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Amazon Glacier Delivers Pay-As-You-Go Cloud Storage for $0.01 Per Gigabyte

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 06:22 AM PDT

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced Glacier, an inexpensive cloud-based data archive service primarily aimed at enterprise and small business users willing to go with a tapeless solution. There's no free tier to choose from like there is with Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3), but for data heavy users that require 5TB of redundancy or more, pricing starts at just a penny per gigabyte per month.

Glacier isn't necessarily a storage option for quick retrieval. The cloud service houses data as archives, which can be a single file or several files uploaded as a single archive, and when it comes time to retrieve data, Glacier initiates a "job" that can take 3.5 to 4.5 hours to complete, Amazon says.

The real allure here is low cost redundancy that's both secure (256-bit AES encryption and Identity and Access Management technology) and reliable (Amazon touts average annual durability of 99.999999999 percent for an archive). It's also purportedly simple to use and, in the coming months, will allow users to seamlessly move data to and from S3 plans.

There is a caveat to all this. Amazon expects data retrievals to be infrequent and "unusual," and with that in mind, there's a fee for users who retrive more than 5 percent of their average monthly storage. Currently that fee starts at $0.01 per gigabyte.

Image Credit: Flickr (brewbooks)

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Benchmark Your Body: 8 Sites to Measure Your Fitness

Posted: 20 Aug 2012 07:51 PM PDT

For many of us, one of the most enjoyable aspects of fitness is seeing the results. It's not the only reason we workout, of course--fresh air and the endorphin rush make it pretty worth it, too--but who doesn't enjoy the thrill of running a faster mile, climbing a bigger hill, or lifting increasingly more weight? 

Just as we do with our computers, we love analyzing the data from our workouts. Be it the speed at which we run, the power we output when we cycle, or simply the number of calories we burn, these sites will help you record it all, complete with graphs and charts to track your progress in the various activities you do to stay fit. Whatever your sports are, there's sure to be one or more that will help you take your fitness to the next level. Pair them with your smartphone to get the most out of your workouts.

MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com

MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com


Review: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT

Transformers: War for Cybertron was one of my top multiplayer games of 2010. Something about it just worked surprisingly well, and High Moon Studios deserved oodles of kudos for providing the Transformers license with an original, structurally sound, vastly entertaining … Continue reading

Debating The Bros And Cons Of The Army Of Two Series

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT

There was a clear divide in the response to the unveiling of our cover story for Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel. There's a strong percentage of people that play gamers that look down their nose at the series, seeing it … Continue reading

User Experience Expert Pans Windows 8

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Windows 8's release is still more than two months away, but millions of people have already downloaded Windows 8 preview builds and realized that Windows 8's tile-based, touch-friendly "Modern-style" UI (or whatever they're calling it this week) is not for … Continue reading

Blade & Soul – A Series of Promotion Snaps

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:49 AM PDT

Wargaming.net – Gamescom party rocked by Rofl

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:45 AM PDT

We are never a party or clubbing people, and this is only the 2nd time we have stepped into: 1. Initially hesitant to attend Wargaming.net's Gamescom 2012 Party, the performance by LMFAO/ROFL justified our presence. Yes, the music sometimes make … Continue reading

Gamescom 2012 – A look at the “secretive” Business area

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:42 AM PDT

In most game conventions, such as ChinaJoy, G*Star and Gamescom, there is bound to be a "Business area" which is out of bounds to the public. This is a place where secret talks are held, games are being announced in … Continue reading

Gamescom 2012 – The end note to a Grave Event

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:37 AM PDT

As we noted before, We have never gone to an actual games convention before in our life, be it ChinaJoy, G*Star, E3 etc. We mean, blogging and writing about MMO games is more like a hobby of ours, We am … Continue reading

GunZ 2: The Second Duel – Closed Beta 1 announced

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:30 AM PDT

After years of waiting since announcement, the sequel to the popular 2004 online action game, GunZ 2: The Second Duel, will finally enter its first Closed Beta phase on 30th August and end on 2nd September, lasting a grand total … Continue reading

Mabinogi Heroes: Season 2 – New raid trailer

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:28 AM PDT

Season 2 was released as a "side-story" for Mabinogi Heroes a couple of weeks ago, and with the update comes new places, new equips and of course, new raids. The latest trailer stars the 2 new raid bosses, Rakiora (snake) … Continue reading

Star Wars: The Old Republic – Cash shop may sell items with stats

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:25 AM PDT

I did not really pay much attention to Star Wars: The Old Republic's booth when I was at Gamescom 2012, with a feeling that the game is on a rapid downfall after failing to live up to expectations. However, fan … Continue reading

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Star Trek Online nude patch seller accidentally reveals himself

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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Seller of Star Trek Online nude patch accidentally reveals himself
One Star Trek Online player wanting to cash in on revealing others inadvertently revealed more than he intended when posting a shared directory of official screenshots of the free-to-play game on the official forums. In addition to legitimate pictures, the directory had another folder filled with nude and partially nude screenshots taken using an unofficial add-on program. It also included an ad for the nude patch, which the poster was willing to sell to other for one million energy credits, the in-game currency.

The offending pictures were quickly removed after other users made comments regarding their inappropriateness and the breach in STO's Term's of Service.

MassivelyStar Trek Online nude patch seller accidentally reveals himself originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: The end of an era for Guild Wars

Posted: 21 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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THIS IMAGE IS NOT A METAPHOR FOR THE STATE OF GUILD WARS
The countdown on Guild Wars 2's official site has ticked away to almost nothing. The Guild Wars 2 community is getting increasingly anxious, and at the same time, the Guild Wars community is getting increasingly sappy. Tapping into both of those sentiments, ArenaNet set up a celebration that started this last weekend and will run until August 30th. The celebration, called Wayfarer's Reverie, gives players a chance to celebrate their time spent in Guild Wars and rewards them, at the end, with a Tormented weapon, which, depending on their Hall of Monuments progress, could give them up to two points.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The end of an era for Guild Wars

MassivelyFlameseeker Chronicles: The end of an era for Guild Wars originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Game Archaeologist: Reactions to a free Vanguard

    Posted: 21 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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    The Game Archaeologist Reactions to Vanguard F2P
    Vanguard's just had its biggest month since its troubled release in 2007, I wager. Its turn to free-to-play makes it the second-to-last SOE title to make the jump, and it's getting a "do-over" of sorts. Personally, I'm glad to see it happen.

    Without going into depth on Vanguard's past problems, I'll say that this was a highly hyped game that fell about as hard as any MMO could without being outright canceled. For years, it has been subsiding on a meager population and extremely rare updates (I recall a tiny bug update for Vanguard being laughably big news last summer). Now? Now it's received a new lease on life and attention from players and the media.

    If you've been following the news, you'll know that Vanguard soft launched a week early, talked with Massively about the conversion, officially launched thereafter, and is now part of the PSS.1 deal. But the most important word is that of the player on the street, the ground-pounders in Telon who are checking out F2P (and perhaps the game) for the first time. I've gathered several of these perspectives together for your amusement and edification.

    Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: Reactions to a free Vanguard

    MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist: Reactions to a free Vanguard originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Soapbox: The trouble with Kickstarter

      Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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      Let it never be said that raising $30,000 in eight hours isn't impressive.  But there's a story leading to that event.
      Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

      It was right around the time that the Shadowrun Online Kickstarter went live that I started to wonder whether Kickstarter was doing some nasty things to the development practices of MMOs.

      This isn't a commentary on Shadowrun Online itself, exactly. The game asked for players to put up $500,000 to fund development, and while that's an awful lot of money to ask from the pockets of fans, it still doesn't qualify as being high-budget by the standards of the industry. But in some ways, it's the apotheosis of something that started with several other games being funded on Kickstarter -- this sense that Kickstarter is the path of the future, that it's the ultimate litmus test of whether or not your MMO is worth developing and a great way to draw in venture capitalists for more funding.

      I'm not convinced that this is a good thing for the health of MMO development. You can look at it as a way for strange niche titles to get their funding without convincing outside sources that it's worth the effort, but as we're ramping up to seeing the fruits of these projects (or lack thereof), I'm wondering whether it just allows ideas to get further along before they self-destruct.

      Continue reading The Soapbox: The trouble with Kickstarter

      MassivelyThe Soapbox: The trouble with Kickstarter originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: Do you pay retail prices for digital downloads?

        Posted: 21 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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        The Daily Grind Do you pay retail prices for digital downloads
        Let me say up front that I'm not averse to digital downloads. I used to be, but I've finally been suckered in by the convenience factor, not to mention the (relatively) instant gratification.

        One thing I won't do is pay $59.99 for a digital download, though. You see, brand-new physical game packages can also be had for $59.99, and that gets you a box, a manual, and a disc. More importantly, it cost the game-maker a certain amount of money to put that package together, and that cost is not there when a digital download is purchased.

        What about you, folks? Do you support premium prices for downloads, or do you opt for the physical package or wait for a digital sale?

        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: Do you pay retail prices for digital downloads? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Not So Massively: Too many MOBA heroes, D3's legendaries revealed

          Posted: 20 Aug 2012 07:00 PM PDT

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          Not So Massively title image
          Have you ever thought that MOBAs release far too many new heroes and champions? This week Riot Games revealed not one but two new champions coming to League of Legends: stealthy assassin Rengar and telekinetic mage Syndra. Heroes of Newerth released its brand-new Core Pool game mode that lowers the MOBA learning curve by limiting the playing pool to just 40 available heroes. The game also switched from a two-week hero release schedule to a four-week schedule as there are already well over 100 heroes to choose from.

          Valve announced its new free Dota 2 Spectator Client, which that aims to get all Steam users interested in the game's upcoming competitive tournaments. Upcoming MOBA SMITE revealed its latest character, the adorable little cherub Cupid, God of Love. Blacklight: Retribution's $1,000 US per day 30 Days of Fight contest has officially begun, and its new Siege game mode is now live.

          Diablo III announced many of the changes coming in its upcoming patch 1.0.4 this week, including details of upgraded legendary items and a whole series of buffs for every single class. Finally, Path of Exile updated players on the game's current development progress this week, revealing that over a million US dollars had been secured in pre-purchase supporter packs.

          Continue reading Not So Massively: Too many MOBA heroes, D3's legendaries revealed

          MassivelyNot So Massively: Too many MOBA heroes, D3's legendaries revealed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Guild Wars 2 gears up for yet another stress test

            Posted: 20 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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            Guild Wars 2
            And you thought you weren't going to get to play Guild Wars 2 until this weekend!

            ArenaNet has just announced one more round of stress testing prior to the prepurchase launch. On Tuesday, August 21st, from 3 p.m. EDT (noon PDT) to 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. PDT), players who have prepurchased (not just preordered) the game will be able to log in and beat up on the Guild Wars 2 servers in the hopes of helping ANet make them nice and shiny for the real deal come Friday. You'll be able to access your existing beta characters, but the team reminds everyone that it is "actively working on the game during the event, so you might experience connectivity problems or discover features that are not working as designed."

            While you wait for Tuesday, why not check out the official launch schedule, region clarifications, and the new gem store items revealed today?

            MassivelyGuild Wars 2 gears up for yet another stress test originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Wings Over Atreia: Creating classes for Aion 4.0

            Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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            Wings Over Atreia Creating classes for Aion 40
            The dust swirled in one single puff of wind, then settled along with the hush over the streets. The sudden peel of the bell as the clock struck noon shattered the silence. Eyes blazing and raven wings furled, the Daeva stared down her enemy, hands poised over her low-hung holsters. "Com'on, ya lily-livered varmint. Make my day!"

            OK, so maybe the O.K. Corral and the Wild West aren't en route to Atreia, but that is certainly the first image that sprang to my mind when NCsoft announced that one of the new classes coming to Aion is going to tote a gun. I mean, guns don't get better than a couple of six-shooters slung at the hips, right?

            If you missed last Friday's big announcement from Gamescom, here's the skinny: Aion's 4.0 patch is introducing three brand-spanking-new classes to the game. Obviously that patch is a long ways off (a date hasn't even been announced for Korea yet), but that doesn't stop us from looking forward to one of the most fundamental changes planned for the game since launch nearly three years ago. Unfortunately, NCsoft has given us little to go on right now; all we know is that one class will tote a gun and one will brandish an instrument. With so little information revealed, you have to wonder what these two classes will actually be like. With so many possibilities...

            Let the speculation commence!

            Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Creating classes for Aion 4.0

            MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Creating classes for Aion 4.0 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Mortal Online is due for an Awakening

              Posted: 20 Aug 2012 04:30 PM PDT

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              This game produces some darn lovely screenshots, that's for sure.
              Awakening is the latest free expansion for Mortal Online, and it's available on the live servers today. What does that mean? It means that the game will benefit from a new GUI, a new AI system for NPCs, a new region, and a whole lot of new options for players to enjoy the game.

              Some of the UI changes include an easier system for making use of workbenches, the addition of slash commands and macro functionality for abilities, and a new method for determining the direction of strikes in combat. Players will also have access to new combat skills, new out-of-combat skills, and a rebuilt taxation system.

              The update also contains several bugfixes, but the patch notes warn players that the large update will be a bumpy ride at first. Players are asked to petition the customer support team only when absolutely necessary. But even with the likelihood of bugs, there's a lot for Mortal Online players to appreciate in this expansion.

              [Thanks to Chris for the tip!]

              MassivelyMortal Online is due for an Awakening originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              DDO Update 15 goes live with new adventure pack

              Posted: 20 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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              DDO Update 15 goes live with new adventure pack
              Never letting a little thing like releasing an expansion pack slow them down, the developers at Turbine have pumped out the first post-Menace of the Underdark update for Dungeons and Dragons Online.

              Update 15: Song of Druid's Deep significantly adds on to the expansion content, including the titular adventure pack for high-level characters. This adventure pack includes four quests and comes in two varieties: level 17 and 23. There's also a new challenge called The Ruined Keep: The Daybreak Ritual which is being included with the Eveningstar challenge pack.

              On top of that, the latest update for DDO includes a "monster manual" that can be filled out for extra rewards, the ability to purchase the expansion through the DDO store, and several tweaks for the wet-behind-the-ears Druid class.

              MassivelyDDO Update 15 goes live with new adventure pack originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Additional Guild Wars 2 store items revealed

              Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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              Additional Guild Wars 2 store items revealed
              With Guild Wars 2's headstart on Saturday, players with some extra spending money may be planning their initial purchases in the game. Meticulous scouring of Guild Wars 2's online gem store has revealed five new options for future players, including one nice freebie.

              Three of the recently added items are armor skins costing 500 gems each. These come in Primevil, Krytan, and Profane varieties. There's also a nifty Guild Wars 2 logo hat, which is currently marked at zero gems, meaning that it's a potential free item for players. Finally, for 2000 gems, one has the option to upgrade the standard edition of the game to the digital deluxe version.

              MassivelyAdditional Guild Wars 2 store items revealed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Funcom teases rocket launcher screen, Tokyo concept art for The Secret World

              Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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              Funcom teases rocket launcher screen, Tokyo concept art for The Secret World
              Funcom has revealed a new screenshot and a couple of interesting pieces of concept art for its upcoming The Secret World content drops. Rocket launchers are on the way with the game's August 28th update, and the firm is also giving players their first glimpse of the Orochi corporate headquarters in Tokyo.

              Thus far, Tokyo is only available via the opening tutorial mission sequence that also sets the stage for the game's overarching narrative (and players are limited to a smallish subway instance). Could we be traveling back to the sprawling city to unravel the mystery of the filth and battle Orochi's sinister agents?

              Let's hope so. See the new art and the rocket launcher screenshot in our gallery below.

              MassivelyFuncom teases rocket launcher screen, Tokyo concept art for The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Third RaiderZ dev diary shows off mounts, cooking, and more

              Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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              Third RaiderZ dev diary shows off mounts, cooking, and more
              Previous developer diaries have already demonstrated some of the features in the upcoming free-to-play action game RaiderZ, like using monsters' severed limbs as weapons and creating hybrid characters by blending archetypes. The third incantation in the series reveals even more goodies players can expect in the world of Rendel.

              Crafters will find something to smile about as players will be able to craft their own unique weapons and armor as well as consumables. Eschewing the idea of junk loot, the devs state, "Every unique drop has a role in crafting the best gear." If you prefer to make tasty treats, you can hunt down spices and combine them with the meat of fresh-kills to create a feast for yourself and friends.

              The video also shows off mounts (noting that some can actually assist players briefly in battle), special transformation items, and the ability to play music on various guitars. Catch all of the details in the video after the break. And watch Massively's first impressions video to check out some in-game beta action.

              [Source: Perfect World press release]

              Continue reading Third RaiderZ dev diary shows off mounts, cooking, and more

              MassivelyThird RaiderZ dev diary shows off mounts, cooking, and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                PlanetSide 2 mobile app to feature 'near real-time' map updates, voice chat

                Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:30 PM PDT

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                PlanetSide 2 mobile app to feature 'near realtime' map updates, voice chat
                We first heard tell of PlanetSide 2's extensive metagame features at the title's big GDC reveal earlier this year. Skills, achievements, stats, and performance graphs are all part of the equation, as are external fansite-friendly data feeds and a mobile app.

                As it turns out, said mobile app is being developed by a company called AppBurst. Eagle-eyed users on the PlanetSide Universe forums spotted some details on the company's website that include the aforementioned stats as well as "near real-time" interactive map updates and voice chat.

                The app's website shows screenshots only for iOS devices, but AppBurst bills itself as an Android developer as well.

                MassivelyPlanetSide 2 mobile app to feature 'near real-time' map updates, voice chat originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Diablo III adding 100 levels via new Paragon system

                Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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                Diablo III adding 100 levels via new Paragon system
                How do 100 more levels of Diablo III grab you? Blizzard has just announced a new Paragon system for its fantasy dungeon-crawler, one that gives high-level players a reason to keep grinding. Once you reach level 60, additional experience will go toward your Paragon level. Each level boosts core stats, and a new dev diary says that "the time to reach the upper Paragon levels approximates the long-term time investment required to get a level 99 character in Diablo II."

                Blizzard's Jay Wilson also elaborates on how Paragon levels will impact D3's Magic Find system. The devs are capping Magic (and Gold) Find at 300%. The aim is to "slowly and gently move Magic Find off of items in the future," Wilson explains.

                MassivelyDiablo III adding 100 levels via new Paragon system originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Get a sneak peek at Guild Wars 2's Twilight Arbor dungeon

                Posted: 20 Aug 2012 11:45 AM PDT

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                Guild Wars 2's Twilight Arbor dungeon
                You've got only a few more days to wait 'til you're playing Guild Wars 2 for keeps, but if the wait is just too much to handle, maybe this new video of the beginning of the Twilight Arbor dungeon will help. With the gracious company of members of ArenaNet's QA team, PC Gamer took a spin through the level 50 dungeon and released the first 12 minutes of the experience.

                Twilight Arbor takes place in the Tarnished Coast and revolves around a struggle against the Nightmare Court. Each boss in the dungeon's story mode is built around an emotion: The horror knight Graingor focuses on fear attacks, while the knights of envy and remorse use different tactics to punish their foes. The dungeon is rife with traps, puzzles, and potential random events. Skip below the cut to catch a glimpse of what's in store for your character! Be warned that there may be spoilers.

                Continue reading Get a sneak peek at Guild Wars 2's Twilight Arbor dungeon

                MassivelyGet a sneak peek at Guild Wars 2's Twilight Arbor dungeon originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Captain's Log: The post-Vegas Star Trek Online roundup

                Posted: 20 Aug 2012 11:30 AM PDT

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                STO Romulan headquarters new colony
                Spending two weeks away from the game I love is always a challenge. Star Trek Online came up with some nifty things while we were away in Las Vegas enjoying the Star Trek Convention, and I'm back to cover what they are.

                Star Trek Online's Fleet Week bonuses are out for a limited time, a new ship has appeared in the ZEN Store, additional account bank slots are now available for purchase, rewards are now available for those who helped test Season Six on the Tribble test server, and a small update was made to clarify the state of the Foundry. So join me past the jump and we'll catch up on the game!

                Continue reading Captain's Log: The post-Vegas Star Trek Online roundup

                MassivelyCaptain's Log: The post-Vegas Star Trek Online roundup originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Leaderboard: Launch strategies

                  Posted: 20 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                  Leaderboard Launch strategies
                  With the community facing the reality of a Guild Wars 2 launch this next week and plenty of other releases this fall, launches are on my mind. How we deal with launches, wouldn't you agree, is just as important as how we deal with life? Or botched Braveheart quotes?

                  So when it comes down to a game that you are looking to play, there are really three strategies for launch. There are those who will do anything and everything to get into a head start/early access type of situation, even if it means paying for a premium product or turning their Facebook timelines into a giant ad for the game. Then you have the folks who are OK with just being there on launch day, even though it's really like launch plus three days at that point. Finally, there are the "wait and see-ers" who prefer to let the initial crush of the stampede pass so that they can enjoy the game at their leisure.

                  Which are you? Vote after the jump and let the world know of your idiosyncrasies!

                  Continue reading Leaderboard: Launch strategies

                  MassivelyLeaderboard: Launch strategies originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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