General Gaming Article

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• Asus Unveils New Enthusiast Mobo and Video Card
• London Comic Con 2013 Cosplay Gallery
• Wikipad 7 Gaming Tablet Coming to the U.S. on June 11 for $249
• Gigabyte Injects Discrete Graphics Into New U-Series Ultrabooks
• Newegg Daily Deals: Acer 27-inch monitor, 3TB HDD, and More
• Acer to Auction Off Rare Star Trek Themed Aspire R7 Ultrabook
• Crucial Launches Ballistix Sport SODIMMs for Laptops and Mini ITX Systems
• Microsoft Outlook 2013 Shipping Free to Windows RT Tablets via Windows 8.1 Update
• Intel's Thunderbolt 2 Interface Doubles Bandwidth, Supports 4K Video
• AMD Rolls Out Richland Desktop APUs

Asus Unveils New Enthusiast Mobo and Video Card Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:21 PM PDT Hybrid liquid-cooled Maximus VI Formula motherboard and Poseidon video card series announced at Computex Asus has revealed its hybrid-liquid cooled Maximus VI Formula motherboard and liquid-cooled Poseidon video card at Computex 2013. The Maximus VI Formula motherboard sports a plethora of cooling, inviting overclockers to go nuts with their new enthusiast board. The Maximus VI Formula also rocks the company's CrossChill design meaning it can run on either air or liquid cooling. The top-mounted heat sink has two G ¼ inch sockets that support standard liquid cooling loops. Asus claims that in a liquid cooled setup the board operates at temperatures up to 23 degrees Celsius lower than when it is run in an air-cooled setup. The new motherboard also features including Digi+ III VRMs with 60 A Blackwing chokes, efficiency NexFET MOSFETs, and 10K black metallic capacitors for "enhanced overclocking" according to Asus.  Premium sound also is squished into the Maximus VI Formula as it sports the company's new Supreme FX on-board audio. The Supreme FX gives users a 120dB SNR headphone output with a 600ohm headphone amplifier, and WIMA and ELNA audio capacitors.  The Asus Poseidon is one of a few cards that combine a standard heat sink with a water block. The company's new Poseidon video card touts the firm's new DirectCU H2O design which can be used in a standard air or liquid cooled setup. Asus says the card runs up to 31 degrees C cooler when liquid-cooled.  While the company didn't specifically state which GPU its Poseidon card would use, Asus did state that it will feature an Nvidia GeForce GTX 700 Series GPU.

London Comic Con 2013 Cosplay Gallery Posted: 05 Jun 2013 02:50 PM PDT 50 cosplay pictures from the London MCM Comic Con Expo It's fair to say the cosplay phenomenon has reached every corner of Earth and England bears no signs of bucking that trend. Last week we had the chance to check out London's MCM Comic Con Expo, an event where all things gaming and cosplay collide. We saw tons of costumes from the Mass Effect universe to the myriad champions in League of Legends and everything in between. Take a peek below to see all of the crazy costumes in our gallery and let us know which cosplay is your favorite!  Note: The preview images may look like we cut off some of the cosplayers' heads so make sure to click each picture to see the full image!

Wikipad 7 Gaming Tablet Coming to the U.S. on June 11 for $249 Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:33 PM PDT Global launch planned for this summer A product first showcased at last year's Consumer Electronics Show, the Wikipad gaming tablet is so woefully behind its original release schedule that all but the most optimistic people believed Wikipad, Inc., the Los Angeles-based company behind the tablet, when it promised a spring 2013 debut back in February this year. It now seems that the company is indeed pretty serious about avoiding the ignominy of perishing without bringing a single product to the market. The Android Jelly Bean-powered Wikipad 7 will finally be available in the U.S. on June 11 at a retail price of $249, the company said in a press release Tuesday. Even though the tablet in question is, as the company promised in February, a 7-incher, the Wikipad was originally supposed to be an 8-inch device. Best characterized by its "award winning and patented" snap-on gamepad accessory, the Wikipad 7 is a Tegra 3-powered tablet that sports a 7" multi-touch display (1280x800), 1GB DDR3 memory,  16GB internal storage, up to 32GB microSD storage, 2MP front camera, micro USB, micro-HDMI, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope and a 4100mAh battery. Since the Wikipad 7 is a PlayStation Certified device, gamers will be able to enjoy both Android (including Tegra-optimized titles) and Sony PlayStation Mobile games on it. "The Wikipad is the only tablet to possess both the unique combination of console quality experience with the functionality and portability of a tablet thanks to its award-winning and patented detachable dual-analog controller," reads the press release. "When the gamepad controller is detached, Wikipad's sleek design and full Android 4.1 Jelly Bean functionality make it a powerfully versatile tablet whether you are surfing the web, reading emails or enjoying all the latest films, books, magazines music, Skype and apps at home or on the go." According to the company, the Wikipad 7 will be available in the UK and other parts of the world this summer. Image Credit: Wikipad, Inc. Follow Pulkit on Google+

Gigabyte Injects Discrete Graphics Into New U-Series Ultrabooks Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:59 AM PDT Gigabyte and Nvidia tag team the Ultrabook scene. In terms of portability, an Ultrabook is a great solution for taking work with you, but what about when you want to unwind with a bit of gaming? Integrated graphics hardly cut it, so Gigabyte went and tapped Nvidia to power its U-Series of Ultrabooks. These new notebooks pack a potent one-two combo consisting of 4th Generation Intel Core processor options (Haswell) and Nvidia GeForce GT 750M graphics with 4GB of dedicated video memory. The largest and most expensive of the three new Ultrabooks is the U35. It's a 15.6-inch notebook with a Full HD 1080p display, Core i5 4200U / i7 4500U processor options, 8GB of DDR3L-1600 memory, support for two 512GB mSATA SSDs and two 1TB HDDs, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI output, and various other tidbits. Pricing ranges from $1,099 to $1,699. Below that is the U24F, a 14.1-inch Ultrabook with a 1600x900 resolution.  It boasts most of the same features but only comes with a Core i5 4200U processor option and can hold a single 256GB SSD or 1TB HDD. Depending on the exact configuration, it will run anywhere from $1,099 to $1,599. Finally, there's the U24T. It too is a 14.1-inch Ultrabook but with a touchscreen display and 1366x768 resolution. Pricing will range from $999 to $1,499. All three models have the same GPU, and all three will be available in late July or early August. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Acer 27-inch monitor, 3TB HDD, and More Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:28 AM PDT Top Deal: If you're looking for a large monitor but think 30-inches is too big, give today's top deal a try. Acer's 27-inch monitor is running for $200 and ships free (normally $300). The panel is a 1920x1080-resolution capable screen that comes with a three-year warranty.  Other Deals: Western Digital Green 3TB internal hard drive for $125 with free shipping (normally $140) ASUS GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB video card for $261 with free shipping (normally $310 - use coupon code: EMCXPXS92 ; additional $20 mail-in rebate)  G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 1600MHz (PC3 12800) desktop memory for $221 with free shipping (normally $245 - use coupon code: EMCXPXS29)  Microsoft Sidwinder X4 keyboard for $40 with free shipping (normally $60 - use coupon code: EMCXPXS55)

Acer to Auction Off Rare Star Trek Themed Aspire R7 Ultrabook Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:25 AM PDT The ultimate Ultrabook for Star Trek fans. One lucky (and presumably wealthy) Star Trek fan is going to win an eBay auction for a limited edition Acer Aspire R7 Ultrabook. Acer and Paramount Pictures partnered to create the Star Trek-themed Aspire R7, of which there are only 25 models in the wild. One of those, and only one, will be up for bidding on eBay, with the proceeds going to two charitable organizations: The Mission Continues and Save the Children. The Ultrabook celebrates the theatrical release of Star Trek Into Darkness. It's a touch-enabled notebook dressed with a stainless steel Star Trek logo with sand-blast finish and polished surface. In addition to the notebook, whoever wins the auction will also receive a flim poster signed by the movie's cast, special Star Trek Into Darkness content (wallpapers and videos), movie soundtrack, video game download, and a certificate of authenticity. "Acer is giving one lucky person in the world the opportunity to become the sole owner of the Acer Aspire R7 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Limited Edition Package," said Hugues Gontier, senior director of marketing, Acer America. "We know this extremely rare Limited Edition will be a treasured prize for the winner, and it will also help two worthy charities further their missions of empowering military veterans and helping children in need." The notebook itself rocks a 15.6-inch Full HD 1080p touchscreen display, Core i5 processor (Ivy Bridge), 500GB hard drive + 24GB SSD, and Windows 8. The bidding begins June 14 and runs through June 24. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Crucial Launches Ballistix Sport SODIMMs for Laptops and Mini ITX Systems Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:02 AM PDT Little memory has game. If the PC market is insistent on moving towards smaller form factors and mobile devices, then kudos to Crucial for following along. The memory maker announced new Ballistix Sport SODIMMs designed to boost performance of gaming laptops, all-in-one systems, and mini ITX setups that require the smaller size memory modules. The new memory kits feature low latencies and are optimized for Haswell, Crucial says. Crucial also says the kits are engineered to run on 1.35V instead of the standard 1.5V found in most laptop memory kits. They'll come in 4GB and 8GB densities, long with dual-channel kits of 8GB (2x4GB) and 16GB (2x16GB). You'll also have two speeds to choose from, DDR3-1600MHz (9-9-9-24) and DDR3-1866 (10-10-10-30). "Gamers want to arm their system with a performance edge, and Crucial Ballistix Sport SODIMMs represent a new weapon of choice for laptops, mini ITX motherboards, and all-in-one systems," said Jeremy Mortenson, Ballistix product manager, Crucial. "Ballistix Sport SODIMMs offer faster speeds and lower latencies than standard SODIMM modules and enable the performance users come to expect from Crucial Ballistix memory." Crucial Ballistix Sport SODIMMs will be available in early July. No word yet on price. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft Outlook 2013 Shipping Free to Windows RT Tablets via Windows 8.1 Update Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:11 AM PDT Will this make you consider a Windows RT tablet? There's no need to wear a helmet when you walk down the Windows RT tablet aisle at your local Best Buy or Microsoft retail location, it's not as though the ARM-based devices are jumping off of store shelves. Might that change sometime in the future? Adding to the value proposition of owning a Windows RT slate and in an effort to boost demand, Microsoft announced that Outlook 2013 RT will be available on such devices as part of the free Windows 8.1 update that's coming later this year. It doesn't matter whether you own a Microsoft Surface RT or a Windows RT tablet made by one of the company's hardware partners, you'll receive Outlook for free either way. "We're always listening to our customers and one piece of feedback was that people want the power of Outlook on all their Windows PCs and tablets. In fact, a Morgan Stanley research study found that 61 percent of people shopping for tablets consider Microsoft Office to be the single most important software feature, Microsoft stated in a blog post. "We're pleased to have Outlook 2013 RT join the other best-in-class Office 2013 RT applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. And just like those applications, Outlook 2013 RT delivers a great touch experience for people using tablets." Outlook 2013 introduces a cleaner, more streamlined look compared to previous versions. It supports inline replies, lets you see all your contacts in one place, has built-in support for Exchange ActiveSync, and more. As a standalone application, Microsoft sells Outlook 2013 for $110. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Intel's Thunderbolt 2 Interface Doubles Bandwidth, Supports 4K Video Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:42 AM PDT Second generation Thunderbolt is lightning fast. Everything lately has been Haswell this and Haswell that, but that's not the only thing Intel's been cooking up. The Santa Clara chip maker announced an upgrade to its Thunderbolt technology that doubles the bandwidth of the previous spec and enables simultaneous 4K video transfer and display. Dubbed Thunderbolt 2, the new spec is already found on a more than a dozen new 4th Generation Intel Core processor-based products. "By combining 20Gb/s bandwidth with DisplayPort 1.2 support, Thunderbolt 2 creates an entirely new way of thinking about 4K workflows, specifically the ability to support raw 4K video transfer and data delivery concurrently," says Jason Ziller, Marketing Director for Thunderbolt at Intel. "And our labs aren't stopping there, as demand for video and rich data transfer just continues to rise exponentially." By taking advantage of Thunderbolt 2, Intel says it's possible to create, edit, and view live 4K video streams delivered from a PC to a monitor over a single cable, while at the same time backing up the file to an external drive or series of drives. It's also backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 1. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

AMD Rolls Out Richland Desktop APUs Posted: 05 Jun 2013 04:49 AM PDT One part Piledriver and one part Radeon HD 8000 Series graphics. System builders have no shortage of new processors to choose from this week. Counter-punching the launch of Haswell, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) on Wednesday rolled out the red carpet for its 2013 Elite A-Series of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), otherwise known as "Richland," which supposedly offer discrete-level graphics and an easy upgrade infrastructure. "The new AMD A-Series APU is ideal for desktop PC builders and mainstream gamers wanting outstanding performance for their money, and today AMD delivers an excellent new follow-on to the recently announced mobile lineup," said Bernd Lienhard, corporate vice president and general manager, Client Products Division at AMD. "The combination of high-performance, third-generation desktop APUs with our existing portfolio of low-power, mobile APUs gives us our strongest-ever lineup of products for our customers and our technology partners." AMD's Elite A-Series APUs combine the company's "Piledriver" CPU architecture with its Radeon HD 8000 Series graphics on the FM2 motherboard infrastructure, meaning the parts support existing A85X, A75, and A55 platforms, as well as newer FM2+ boards. Here's a look at the four new APUs with their base and turbo clockspeeds: A8-6500: 3.5GHz-4.1GHz, 4MB L2 cache, DDR3-1866, Radeon HD 8570D (256 cores, 800MHz), 65W TDP A8-6600K: 3.9GHz-4.2GHz, 4MB L2 cache, DDR3-1866, Radeon HD 8570D (256 cores, 844MHz), 100W TDP A10-6700: 3.7GHz-4.3GHz, 4MB L2 cache, DDR3-1866, Radeon HD 8670D (384 cores, 844MHz), 65W TDP A10-6800K: 4.1GHz-4.4GHz, 4MB L2 cache, DDR3-2133, Radeon HD 8670D (384 cores, 844MHz), 100W TDP All four are quad-core chips. The two A8 models run $112 MSRP and the two A10 APUs are priced at $142. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMO Updates

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• Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home
• Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement
• A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news
• Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach
• The Daily Grind: What was the best year for MMOs?
• Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back
• CCP gifting 50,000 skill points to EVE pilots due to downtime
• Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8
• WoW character services and transfers half off this week
• MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand
• Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition
• Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL
• Neverwinter kitchen sink update incoming
• CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2
• World of Warplanes open beta detailed
• Firefall announces final public beta weekend

Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Screenshots, Trailers, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Casual, Virtual Worlds, First Impressions, Free for All, Housing, Buy-to-Play My birthday is this week, so I thought it was time to grab a PlayStation 3 bundle, something I have been wanting for a while. Not only have the prices dropped for the consoles, but with the next generation coming out soon, I knew that many of the games that I wanted to get for it would be even cheaper. On top of that, the PS3 is the best console for MMOs. It currently hosts several, one of them being PlayStation Home. My curiosity for Home has been fired up since I heard about it, but I've never before looked into it and have rarely heard anything more from it other than the occasional news story. Most of the time when I ask a PlayStation user about the virtual world, he'll just sort of shrug. It was about time I saw it for myself! Continue reading Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home Free for All: So about that PlayStation Home originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Trailers, Video, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Allods Online, Dungeons, Player-Generated Content Starting today, warriors in Allods Online's guild versus guild territory battles will have new mechanics at their disposal. These new battle mechanics include the ability to set a battle time to improve the organization and coordination of military campaigns as well as a new tournament-based league for sectors. Additionally, a new matchmaking system aims to keep things balanced and fair by using an improved battle points calculation that allows guilds to challenge others with similar power and skill levels. On top of those changes, players with their own allod can now create a dungeon to hide their treasures in a customizable maze that plunderers will have to successfully navigate. Need another reason to log in and check things out? How about this: Allods Online is offering a special event called A Gift a Day. Starting today, each day a player logs in, s/he will receive a gift. Prizes can include exclusive new costumes and a brand-new wolf mount. If you need any more coaxing, check out new images in the gallery below and the update's trailer after the cut. [Source: Webzen press release] Gallery: Allods Online Continue reading Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement Allods Online updates guild vs guild rules of engagement originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news Posted: 05 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, News Items, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, A Mild-Mannered Reporter, Infinite Crisis Today marks the start of a new format for A Mild-Mannered Reporter, but it's a natural segue because this is what I'd be doing anyway. Yes, it's time for a roundup of news, and over the past month, most of the news has been about two superheroic games hitting the "action" button until it falls off. It's all about Marvel Heroes and Infinite Crisis, in other words. Not that these are the only two games that have been doing things, mind you. Both Champions Online and DC Universe Online have brought out some new content, although the volume differs. But the biggest waves are being made by games emphasizing the punching of villains with extreme prejudice. Or the punching of heroes; it's a fine line. The point is that there is no finer time to round up superhero news, especially with the return of ComicsAlliance. So let's move on to the roundup, taking it point by point. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Rounding up May's superhero news originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach Posted: 05 Jun 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Polls, Opinion, Choose My Adventure, Miscellaneous Every games writer must wonder, at some point in his career, whether he is in fact horrible at video games. Be the game Dota 2, EVE Online, or any of the other titles that make up my weekly play schedule, I worry I'm much better at having a good time than I am at actually manipulating game mechanics and making them perform the way I would want. But it doesn't have to be that way. Yes, dear friends -- I can change. I just can't do it alone. I need your help to become the most powerful, handsome, talented, handsome, elite-geared, handsome video gamester in all the world. It's up to you to Choose My Adventure and in doing so to decide which title offers me the best chance of becoming a golden gaming god and offers you the best chance to be my tough-but-fair coach who is totally a lovable teddy bear underneath all the swearing and yelling. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach Choose My Adventure: Put me in, coach originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What was the best year for MMOs? Posted: 05 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Some time ago I became frustrated that I couldn't find a comprehensive timeline of when MMO launches and expansions happened, so I decided to make one myself. I've always been fascinated with the overall unfolding of history across this genre, and I've also wondered one important question that comes from such examination: What was the best year for MMOs? There are definitely some years that have seen more releases than others, but maybe the answer to that question doesn't lie in sheer numbers. Perhaps it's in quality or significance. Was the best year 1997, when Ultima Online came out and really put MMOs on the map? Or was it perhaps 2004 with its incredible trio of City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, and EverQuest II? Would you say that 2009 was significant, as DDO ushered in a wave of sub-to-F2P conversions? I think there's even a good case to be made for 2012, what with its large amount of high-quality releases. But this isn't about what I think; The Daily Grind is about your opinion. If you had to pick the absolute best year for MMOs, what year would that be? 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 was the best year for MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back Posted: 04 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, MMO Industry, News Items, Massively Meta, Massively Speaking, Miscellaneous ENGAGE THE SHAWN-2 PROTOCOL. Activation in 3... 2... 1... That's right: For the 250th episode of Massively Speaking, the guy who was here at the very beginning has returned to chew the news and spit out opinions. This week we have another launch stumble, clueless CEOs, and plenty of talk about something called "Titan." Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes. Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back Massively Speaking Episode 250: The Shawn strikes back originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

CCP gifting 50,000 skill points to EVE pilots due to downtime Posted: 04 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Sandbox CCP is ponying up 50,000 unallocated skill points as a way of saying thanks to EVE Online players who endured the game's extended downtime over the weekend. The firm took its Tranquility server cluster offline for much of June 2nd and portions of June 3rd in order to deal with a DDoS attack, which affected EVE and newly released PlayStation 3 shooter DUST 514. The bonus skill points were distributed during today's Odyssey expansion deployment, and CCP says that all accounts except trials are included. CCP gifting 50,000 skill points to EVE pilots due to downtime originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8 Posted: 04 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The Secret World just keeps getting better and better. While the horror-themed conspiracy game is obvious not perfect (heaven help the rest of the MMOverse if it were!), it is definitely traveling steadfastly along that long, dusty road of improvement. Every time Funcom delves deeper into the lives and plots of The Secret World's denizens by adding to the story, it gets better. Every time new experiences are offered through new missions or features, it gets better. Ditto every time more choice is added through new weapons or customization. But for all the advancements and added content over the past year, there are a few issues that, when addressed, would get the game really trucking down that road and make for one heck of a ride. Luckily for fans, it just so happens that one of those very issues appears to be getting some attention come Issue #8: replayability. Behold the hope that is scenarios! Continue reading Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8 Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WoW character services and transfers half off this week Posted: 04 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Subscription If you're looking to do any World of Warcraft race changes, name changes, appearance changes, or server transfers, there's no time like the present. More specifically, Blizzard is running a 50% off sale this week for all of those services. WoW Insider notes that realm transfers involve a bit of logistics and planning. You'll need to empty your mailbox and make sure you're not heading up any arena teams. Also be aware that some of your add-ons may require some rejiggering after the transfer is complete. WoW character services and transfers half off this week originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement Via: WoW Insider

MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand Posted: 04 Jun 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Patches, Free-to-Play, MechWarrior Online, MOBA MechWarrior Online's latest update is burning up the charts (or really anything else it comes in contact with), as the game has introduced the Firebrand version of the JagerMech for players to try out. This new hero 'mech is all about dual weapons and long-range damage. It's also water-resistant -- or at least we assume from the video. This patch includes several other little odds and ends, including a World War 2-themed Sherman tank pattern for 'mechs that want to hunker down and pretend that they're a totally innocent hill. Players also have an even larger library of trial 'mechs to test, including the Spider, Hunchback, and Atlas. You can watch the Firebrand trailer after the jump! Continue reading MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand MechWarrior Online brings out the Firebrand originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition Posted: 04 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon, MMORPG I am beginning to wonder whether I just don't like the leveling process in Star Wars: The Old Republic anymore. In Mike B's video The 12 days of Smack Talkin', Darnell called all the extra NPC talking "98 minutes of unnecessary commentary." The story definitely had an impact on me the first time I ran through it, but this was the third time I've run through the Balmorran storyline on the Republic side, and truth be told, I was never a huge fan of it. This time, on my free-to-play character, it was definitely 98 minutes of unnecessary commentary. Of course, once I started the featured adventure through the tremendous story that was bugtown, I had to find a way around that compositional trainwreck. My character is a Smuggler, not an exterminator. Mind you, I've yet to actually smuggle anything, but that's beside the point! I figured the best way around that insect hole was to level through flashpoints. To my surprise, it actually worked. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL Posted: 04 Jun 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News Items, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet Have you ever been going about your day-to-day business and found yourself wondering, "Is this metal or not?" If so, then the latest Dragon's Prophet trailer may have some useful information for you. Said video features an original song titled "The Ballad of the DraGod" (seriously), which -- unsurprisingly -- tells the tale of the eponymous DraGod over the soothing sounds of "#SUPERMETAL" guitars and pounding drums. Yep. For those of you keeping score at home, flamingos, cacti, and chickens are decidedly not metal. Dragons and leather, however, are apparently SUPER metal. Don't ask me; I just work here. If you want to check out the new trailer for yourself, you can find it embedded past the cut. [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release] Continue reading Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL Latest Dragon's Prophet trailer is SUPER METAL originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Neverwinter kitchen sink update incoming Posted: 04 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Bugs, Patches, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Are you singing the open beta blues when it comes to Neverwinter? Nasty bugs or class inconsistencies getting you down? Then cheer up, little soldier, for Cryptic has the cure for what ails you. The studio announced today that it's preparing a "major" update to address issues across the Neverwinter spectrum. While the patch notes for this update will probably be a doozy, here's the gist of it. All five classes will be rebalanced with changes to mechanics, powers, "and pretty much everything else." In addition to all of the class tweaks, the devs have improvements for PvP, queuing, the auction house, the Gateway portal, the UI, game performance, quests, dungeons, and rewards. Kitchen sink patches are a staple of beta and launch period MMOs, so we'll see if this one will shore up the title's weak spots. Neverwinter kitchen sink update incoming originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Update announcement

CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, EVE Online, Launches, News Items, Sandbox Odyssey, the 19th free content expansion for sci-fi sandbox EVE Online, is now live. Like the EVE expansions that came before it, Odyssey brings a collection of changes, tweaks and major overhauls to EVE's existing universe, among them resource redistribution, deep modifications to the exploration career, a brand-new radial navigation tool, upgrades to player-owned stations, and a redesigned system scanner. To mark the occasion, CCP has released no fewer than three videos covering Odyssey, including the expansion's final launch trailer. Check out all three after the break, and have a look at our Odyssey coverage for in-depth information on everything that's changing. Continue reading CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos CCP marks EVE Online: Odyssey launch with trio of new videos originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles Last week, the Last Stand at Southsun game update hit Guild Wars 2, and players were urged to infiltrate Canach's Lair to curtail the villainous Sylvari's latest scheme. While there may not be an official patch today, ArenaNet has offered up a guide previewing some new content that will be made available today. Players bested the Ancient Karka during the November Lost Shores event, and now the Crazed Karka Queen has emerged to exact her sweet revenge. Unlike most of the Living Story content, however, this crabby boss encounter (and the event chains that accompany it) are permanent additions to the game. If you're a fan of world boss encounters, map-wide event chains, and vendors with new loot, then you'll want to check out the special video edition of the Flameseeker Chronicles after the cut. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2 Flameseeker Chronicles: Bow down to the queen of Karka in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Warplanes open beta detailed Posted: 04 Jun 2013 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, New Titles, War, Free-to-Play, World of Warplanes Excited to fly around in a vintage military plane or practice your mid-air hi-5? Wargaming.net has announced the first open beta phase for the upcoming World of Warplanes. This beta will not only wipe the current closed beta achievements, planes, credits, and gold, but it will also come in two stages. Stage One will see the implementation of a new Token currency system, and Stage Two will convert all Tokens to Credits in yet another wipe. If you're interested in testing out the game before release, head on over to the official site for more info. World of Warplanes open beta detailed originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WoWP beta details Via: Shacknews

Firefall announces final public beta weekend Posted: 04 Jun 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Firefall This Friday, June 7, Firefall will have its final public beta test weekend before the game sets up for open beta on July 9. Red 5 Studios states that this event will feature three days of free access to the game, a contest for high-end gear, and a special community unlock called the Infiltrator Nightvision Goggles. The Founder's Pack deals will be retiring before open beta, so you have about a month to take advantage of those. Check out the game's newest trailer just after the cut for more wackiness. [Source: Red 5 Studios press release] Continue reading Firefall announces final public beta weekend Firefall announces final public beta weekend originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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