General Gaming Article

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• Silverstone RL04 Review
• Steam’s Summer Sale is Finally Here!
• Column: Intel’s Power Games
• Maximum PC's Geek Quiz 2013
• Steve Ballmer Outlines Plan to Reorganize Microsoft Into a Lean, Mean, Streamlined Machine
• Zotac Upgrades Select Zbox Nano Systems with Intel Ivy Bridge
• Everyone Exhale, Google is Up and Running Again
• Newegg Daily Deals: G.Skill 16GB DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM, Seagate 1TB HDD, and More!
• Federal Judge Finds Apple Guilty of Conspiring to Raise E-Book Prices
• Lenovo Overthrows HP From PC Shipment Throne

Silverstone RL04 Review Posted: 11 Jul 2013 03:11 PM PDT A budget case that's more incomplete than fun Budget is as budget does, but the Silverstone RL04 just feels incomplete—or ill-designed—across a number of key areas. We suppose this case is worth looking into if you're tired of running all your parts and pieces on an open-air design—as in, propped up on cardboard boxes or Styrofoam. Otherwise, it's worth your while to explore some of the other cases in the sub-$80 category; the RL04 just isn't all that compelling. A few parts on the case—like the holes for water-cooling tubes—require you to punch them out in order to use them. For starters, imagine our delight to find that our review case shipped with one of the side panel screws missing. Sure, one screw holds a door on, but two screws would give us double the confidence that the RL04's extruded, grilled side-panel was properly attached to the rest of this mid-tower chassis. The case's four 5.25-inch drive bays don't require you to pop off any kind of front panel in order to install new devices, just the smaller bay covers. We like that. We don't like the unpleasant, screwless connectors that keep one's devices locked into place, however. They feel a bit flimsy and we're not crazy about the turn-and-remove locking mechanism itself. Five drive bays use handier trays to keep your 3.5- or 2.5-inch drives in place. You still have to use screws to attach said drives to said trays and, slightly more annoying, you install the drives from the case's right side, not the more conventional left. While you'd likely have to pop both panels anyway just to address the cable management, we still prefer to install or manipulate all of a case's guts from one side of the chassis. Continuing its pattern of omissions, Silverstone neglected to preinstall any screws for the case's PCI expansion slots. It's not a deal-breaker, given that the slot covers will stay in place without them, but, again, a bit of an annoyance—you're hosed if you happen to misplace your little baggie of case screws. Silverstone includes a two-fan-wide filter to install on either the case's top or side (it attaches magnetically). However, no matter where you stick it, the rectangular design of the filter doesn't perfectly line up with the case's angular accents—in other words, it looks bad. The case itself comes with a single fan: a red, 12cm fan stashed in the case's front. There's no way to turn the fan's light on or off, but that's kind of a moot point since you don't get much of a glowing effect through the case's front-panel design. The motherboard tray comes with a number of holes of various sizes for routing cables, and a huge area behind the CPU cooler itself is cut away—if you're looking for an easy aftermarket CPU-cooler upgrade, this one's a godsend. However, the case's angled design leaves little room for running cables on the extreme top and bottom of the chassis. This mainly affects the cable for the 4/8-pin ATX12V power connector; it's a tight squeeze, depending on the size of the cable your power supply is sporting. Silverstone slaps the case's two USB 3.0 connectors on the front of its left side, a slightly odd place to store them. Your system's small reset button is located above that; the case's power button is actually Silverstone's giant snowflake logo—hrmph. In general, we're a bit let down by the inner-workings (and deficits) of Silverstone's RL04. Even for a budget chassis, we find it a less satisfying product than, say, a similarly inexpensive case such as Fractal Design's Core 3000. Steer clear. $55, www.silverstonetek.com

Steam’s Summer Sale is Finally Here! Posted: 11 Jul 2013 12:20 PM PDT Epic PC gaming discounts await Steam's much-anticipated summer sale is officially here! Beginning today, Valve will be offering massive discounts, some up to 75% off, to a plethora of PC games on its digital distribution service. The deals change daily and some of today's hot offerings include BioShock Infinite for $30 (normally $60), Defiance for $14 (normally $40), and Hotline Miami for $2.50 (normally $10).  The summer sale also includes Flash Sales that last just eight hours. Games that are included in the current flash sale are Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition for $9 (normally $40), Counter Strike Global Offensive for $5 (normally $15), Skyrim Legendary Edition for $36 (normally $60), and newly released GRID 2 for $30 (normally $50). Like in past sales, Valve is also letting customers vote between three games they would like to see go on sale. Games currently being voted for the community's choice are Dishonored, Borderlands 2, and Far Cry 3. The Steam Summer Sale...it's a big deal The summer sale will last until July 22, 2013. You can check out the full list of games on sale at http://store.steampowered.com/.

Column: Intel’s Power Games Posted: 11 Jul 2013 11:33 AM PDT Watt's Up? What's a watt? Depends how you measure it. Electrical engineers agree that watts equals volts times amps, but they start disagreeing when measuring the power dissipation of a microprocessor. Power consumption varies with the software workload, which can be anything from a program's idle loop to a high-frame-rate videogame. Intel recently provoked controversy while announcing a third-generation Core processor (an Ivy Bridge variant) for ultrathin notebooks and tablets. The company said its new Y-series Core processor will use 7 watts of "scenario design power" (SDP). Nobody had ever heard of SDP, so the general reaction was "WTF?" Usually, Intel specifies "thermal design power" (TDP). That rating is the maximum power dissipation that engineers should consider when designing the cooling system. TDP isn't quite as high as "maximum" power (a worst-case rating), but it's higher than "typical" power (another common but poorly defined specification). So SDP is Intel's new definition of typical power. But what's the scenario? Without specifying the software workload under which the SDP was measured, Intel was telling us nothing. With a light workload, the new processor could sip less than 1 watt. When heavily loaded, it could gulp more than 10 watts. Although the scenario remains vague, the company is admitting some outsiders to its labs to observe power measurements. Conclusion: The scenario varies. Intel engineers are running many different tasks while carefully monitoring power dissipation and temperatures. The heaviest workloads are graphics-intensive action games, which slow to virtually unplayable frame rates when the Y-series Core processor stays below its SDP of 7 watts. Most other common tasks, including video playback, don't break this power budget. So, the new processor isn't an eye-popping game platform, but that's no surprise. Generally, Intel's TDPs are honest. SDP could be a good thing if Intel standardizes the rules and encourages everyone to adopt it.

Maximum PC's Geek Quiz 2013 Posted: 11 Jul 2013 11:09 AM PDT Update: Annoying Quiz Timer Removed! Since time began, the fittest of any species have found ways to test their mettle in the fiery cauldron of competition. First there was the Olympics, then Jeopardy, and finally – the Maximum PC Geek Quiz. Though you are probably cracking your knuckles, keep in mind that we've designed this timed quiz, not to entertain you, but to destroy you. Yes, those are fighting words. And yes, we mean it. Don't worry – we've made this a fair fight by mixing softballs with knees-to-the-groin-region, so if you're a regular reader of Maximum PC, and don't go running off to your Google mommy, you should come out the other end of this a better man, woman, or child.  Note: We have listened to your feedback and have removed the pesky timer on the quiz! Now you'll be able to enjoy the test at your own pace. To take it a step further, we encourage you to discuss the questions and answers in the comments below!

Steve Ballmer Outlines Plan to Reorganize Microsoft Into a Lean, Mean, Streamlined Machine Posted: 11 Jul 2013 09:26 AM PDT Microsoft embarking on ambitious realignment effort In a long-winded open email to employees, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer talked at length about the company's "far-reaching realignment" strategy that has been rumored in the media for about the past week. Though he goes on and on (and on...), the underlying message is that Microsoft is ready to rally behind a single strategy as one company as opposed to a collection of divisional strategies. It's a streamlining of its operations, if you will. "This means we will organize the company by function: Engineering (including supply chain and datacenters), Marketing, Business Development and Evangelism, Advanced Strategy and Research, Finance, HR, Legal, and COO (including field, support, commercial operations and IT)," Ballmer stated in his memo to employees. "Each discipline will help drive our overall strategy. Each discipline will also be charged with improving our core capabilities in its area. We must improve in all aspects of the business." Ballmer assured employees (and the masses, as it were) that Microsoft will continue to deliver multiple devices and services, but with a single core strategy. "We will see our product line holistically, not as a set of islands," Ballmer said. The end goal is to bring products to market faster and encourage users to adopt Microsoft technologies on a variety of devices. Part of the restructuring effort includes having four new engineering groups: Operating Systems, Apps, Cloud, and Devices. There will also be teams focused on marketing, research, finance, and various other housekeeping chores. One of the casualties of the reorganization process is Kurt BelBene, president of Microsoft Office, who will now be retiring after more than two decades of service. On the consumer side, there's not a lot to pump your fist about here, not yet anyway. Reorganizing Microsoft is one thing, but being successful in that endeavor and showing an ability to evolve with the market place is another. Time will tell whether or not Ballmer's reorganization strategy turns out to be a savvy business move. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Zotac Upgrades Select Zbox Nano Systems with Intel Ivy Bridge Posted: 11 Jul 2013 07:17 AM PDT New Core processor options for Zbox Nano Small form factor systems are vogue, and that's just fine by Zotac, which has been cashing in on the craze for palm-sized systems with its Zbox Nano line. These aren't wimpy little systems, either, especially now that some of them have been upgraded with Ivy Bridge processors from Intel. These include Intel's Core i3 3227U, Core i5 3337U, and Core i7 3537U processors. "Our engineers have done a phenomenal job combining the raw CPU power of Intel Core processors and Intel HD Graphics 4000 into our tiny zbox Nano platform. The performance and customizability available in these palm-sized Zbox Nano is unmatched by any of our competitors," says Carsten Berger, senior director, Zotac International. You'll find the above mentioned processors in Zotac's Zbox ID63 (Core i3 3227U), ID64 (Core i5 3337U), and ID65 (Core i7 3537U) systems, each of which features a single SO-DIMM memory slot, support for a single 2.5-inch drive or two mSATA drives, HDMI and DisplayPort output, 7-in-1 memory card reader, eSATA port, GbE LAN, onboard 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and audio ports. Plus models also come pre-populated with a 500GB hard drive (5400 RPM) and 4GB of DDR3 memory. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Everyone Exhale, Google is Up and Running Again Posted: 11 Jul 2013 06:36 AM PDT Southern states briefly affected by Google outage Have you ever wondered what would happen to the Internet if Google suddenly decided to shut down its operations? It wouldn't quite be on the scale of what some people feared prior to Y2K (planes wouldn't drop from the sky, for example), but it sure would lead to online chaos, given our dependency on Google's varied services, Users in several southern states and parts of the midwest got a taste what a Google-less life would be like yesterday during a temporary outage. Google search and other services were down for more than an hour yesterday morning, from around 9:20 AM ET to 10:40 AM ET. According to CNN, Google received reports of problems of its service being offline from users in West Virginia, North Carolina, Nebraska, and Georgia. Maximum PC can also confirm that the outage affected parts of South Carolina as well. "The issue was quickly resolved and is now over. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our users there," Google said in a statement. According to updates posted in Google' App State Dashboard, the outage was ultimately caused by a failure of a Google networking component in the Atlanta region. Google says the outage affected less than 0.5 percent of its traffic. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: G.Skill 16GB DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM, Seagate 1TB HDD, and More! Posted: 11 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT Top Deal: Notebook vendors seem to be getting skimpy with RAM these days, and worse yet, they sometimes charge outrageous premiums for capacity upgrades. Take matters into your own hands with today's top deal for 16GB G.Skill DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM laptop memory for $92 with free shipping (normally $115 - use coupon code EMCXNL45). This dual-channel kit is rated at 9-9-9-24 @ 1.5V. Other Deals: Seagate 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive for $70 with free shipping (normally $80 - use coupon code: [EMCXNXL26]) AMD Trinity 3.8GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) Quad-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon HD for $110 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [EMCXNXL34]) Cooler Master 800W ATX 12V v2.3 Power Supply 4th Gen CPU Haswell Ready for $135 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [EMCXNXL43]; additional $35 mail-in rebate) NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case for $105 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCXNXL39]; additional $25 mail-in rebate)

Federal Judge Finds Apple Guilty of Conspiring to Raise E-Book Prices Posted: 11 Jul 2013 05:30 AM PDT Apple finds itself in a legal pickle U.S. District Judge Denise Cole has found Apple guilty of colluding with five major U.S. publishers to drive up prices of electronic books (e-books), saying that the company played a "central role" in the conspiracy. Damages will be determined at a new hearing in which Apple could end up owing millions of dollars, though in the meantime, the Cupertino company maintains its innocence and plans to appeal the ruling. The Justice Department took issue with the way Apple maneuvered into the e-book business. As explained by The Wall Street Journal, Apple preyed on publishers' dissatisfaction with Amazon's e-book discounts to give itself an in. Apple then proposed that publishers would be able to set their own prices, which in turn led to Amazon being unable to price most e-book best sellers at $9.99, leading to higher prices all around. "Understanding that no one publisher could risk acting alone in an attempt to take pricing power away from Amazon, Apple created a mechanism and environment that enabled them to act together in a matter of weeks to eliminate all retail price competition for their e-books," Cole wrote in her decision. Apple disagrees with Cole's decision, saying that the introduction of its iBookstore led to customers having "more choice" and that it "inject[ed] much needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry." Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Lenovo Overthrows HP From PC Shipment Throne Posted: 11 Jul 2013 05:15 AM PDT The king is dead, long live the king Well, it finally happened. According to newly compiled data from two separate market research firms, Gartner and International Data Corporation (IDC), Lenovo is now the top supplier of PCs in the world, overtaking Hewlett-Packard (HP) for pole position. While Gartner and IDC report a slightly different number of PC shipments for each OEM, both report Lenovo as having a leading 16.7 percent share of the market, versus HP's 16.3-16.4 percent share. IDC said worldwide PC shipments dropped to 76 million units in the second quarter of 2013, a 10.9 percent decline from the same period a year ago. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of declining shipments and the longest duration of decline in the PC market's history. "We are seeing the PC market reduction directly tied to the shrinking installed base of PCs, as inexpensive tablets displace the low-end machines used primarily for consumption in mature and developed markets," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "In emerging markets, inexpensive tablets have become the first computing device for many people, who at best are deferring the purchase of a PC. This is also accounting for the collapse of the mini notebook market." Of those shipments, Lenovo accounted for 12.67 million units, versus HP at 12.4 million (16.3 percent). IDC painted a similar picture, noting that global PC shipments totaled 75.6 million units, down 11.4 percent compared to a year ago. However, IDC said it expects to see some growth in the second half of the year, adding that one positive sign is that HP and Dell saw growth improve compared to recent quarters. "The U.S. market is beginning to reflect some of the Windows XP to Windows 7 transition we've been expecting in the commercial PC space, as evidenced by the strong growth in the enterprise-focused Dell PC business," said Bob O'Donnell, Program Vice President, Clients and Displays. "We're also starting to see more stabilization in shipments, which we think is a reflection of PC lifetimes finally starting to even out after a long period of gradual increase. The end result should be more PC replacements, even if consumers and companies are selective in making replacements and wait until PCs are older before replacing them." Lenovo, meanwhile, was all smiles at being recognized by both firms as the top PC supplier in the world, saying that this marks the first time it's been the "clear global leader in PCs." Company chairman and CEO Yang Yuanquing said his company is grateful to its customers and global team for the achievement, adding that the battle for PC leadership will certainly go back and forth. "The PC market is changing, but it still represents a $200 billion opportunity," Yuanqing added. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMO Updates

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• Earn your wings at World of Warplanes flight school
• Infinite Crisis video showcases Batman
• Second Life's Linden Lab expands with digital distribution service
• The Elder Scrolls Online sends out more beta invites
• WildStar's newest video takes aim at... well, aiming
• The Daily Grind: Did you save your last cash shop bonus, or did you spend it immediately?
• Free for All: One Walking Dead MMO, please
• Star Citizen's Roberts: 'Every day I'm just thinking about how to make this game awesome'
• SOE highlights acts of EverQuest II player kindness
• Elite: Dangerous studio Frontier Developments set to go public
• Star Trek Online encourages fleets to pretty up their mines
• Leaderboard: How do you like your player-generated content?
• SWTOR's Scum and Villainy operation charges up nightmare mode
• Dota 2 no longer in beta; Valve implements new player queue
• WildStar beta testers compete for coolest house
• SMITE's new deity Chronos is a timely addition
• Take a tour through the new daily hub of Star Wars: The Old Republic

Earn your wings at World of Warplanes flight school Posted: 11 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, Video, PvP, War, Free-to-Play, World of Warplanes If you've been interested in jumping into World of Warplanes now that it's in open beta but didn't want to take off into battle unprepared, we've got just the thing for you. Wargaming is offering a video training series to help new pilots get familiar with the game. In this first installment, players get an overview of all aspects of the game, from training missions to upgrades to research and development. Post-battle statistics and performance tracking are also highlighted. While the first lesson is broad in scope, future ones will delve into more complex strategies to immerse players even more. Watch this first tutorial after the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] Continue reading Earn your wings at World of Warplanes flight school Earn your wings at World of Warplanes flight school originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Infinite Crisis video showcases Batman Posted: 11 Jul 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Video, New Titles, MOBA, Infinite Crisis The newest video offering from Turbine's Infinite Crisis shows off the Dark Knight himself as we see footage of Batman's special skills. Watching, Waiting is a skill that grants a bonus to attack and power armor. Entering stealth doubles that bonus while also healing the Caped Crusader over time. Battarang is a skill that throws a single blade at an enemy, dealing damage and marking the target for a short time. Martial Arts allows Batman to leap to his target, dealing attack damage and activating the stun of Battarang. To see these skills -- as well as Batman's ultimate skill and some helpful tips for playing Batman effectively -- check out the full video just after the cut. And if you'd like to get your hands on Infinite Crisis yourself, the beta sign-ups are still open. [Source: Turbine press release] Continue reading Infinite Crisis video showcases Batman Infinite Crisis video showcases Batman originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Second Life's Linden Lab expands with digital distribution service Posted: 11 Jul 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, Second Life, Free-to-Play, Miscellaneous Second Life's Linden Lab has announced this week that it has acquired the digital distribution service Desura. What's Desura? Think of it as a lesser-known version of Steam, yet without the DRM headaches and more focused on player mods. So, not really like Steam. Linden Lab's CEO, Rod Humble, is optimistic about Desura's offering to the 14-year-old virtual world company: "This acquisition gives us a global platform for serving creative developers of all kinds, and we're looking forward to growing both Desura's global community of gamers and its fantastic portfolio of thousands of games, mods, and other content. Our aim is to invest and support the Desura team in making it the most open and developer-friendly platform in the world." Second Life's Linden Lab expands with digital distribution service originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Press Release Via: Joystiq

The Elder Scrolls Online sends out more beta invites Posted: 11 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls Online Today might just be the day. It might be the day that you wake up, check your email, and discover that -- glory of glories! -- you are now part of The Elder Scrolls Online's beta. The official site is reporting that a wave of invites have gone out to potential testers for the next beta phase. So you know the drill: Check your email, check your spam folder, and sacrifice your favorite action figure on an altar in the hope that it will make a difference. "We're looking forward to the next beta session and can't wait for more of you to see the game," ZeniMax said. The studio assured players that the beta "continues to grow" and that more invites will be forthcoming. The Elder Scrolls Online sends out more beta invites originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: New beta invites Via: Gamestop

WildStar's newest video takes aim at... well, aiming Posted: 11 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Game Mechanics, News Items, WildStar There's an element of fire-and-forget in a large number of MMOs, a sense that all of the hard work of targeting is done for you by the game. You click on your target, you activate your ability, and that's all the thought you need to put into aiming. But WildStar is looking to change that, as outlined in the newest Dev Speak video. Aiming your abilities correctly is a big part of playing the game, and failing to do so means missing your target about all of the time. Lead class designer Hugh Shelton and lead combat systems designer Chris Lynch took the time to talk a little more about the particulars of aiming with several media outlets because this is something that takes a large amount of consideration. So head past the cut not only for the video, but also for more valuable details on the art of making abilities go where you want. Continue reading WildStar's newest video takes aim at... well, aiming WildStar's newest video takes aim at... well, aiming originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Did you save your last cash shop bonus, or did you spend it immediately? Posted: 11 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind, Star Wars: The Old Republic I got an email from BioWare the other day announcing the arrival of my monthly allotment of cartel coins. That's nice, I thought, and promptly sent the mail on its way to the trash folder. Later, upon logging into Star Wars: The Old Republic, I failed to see anything in the cash shop that I couldn't live without, so I kept the 500 coins stashed away for another day. This is unusual for me, as typically I'll blow the freebie currency on some outfit or other in both SWTOR and The Secret World, so next month maybe I'll splurge on something that's twice as expensive. Who knows. Anyhow, there's a Daily Grind question in here somewhere. Ah, here it is. Did you save your last monthly cash shop bonus, or did you spend it immediately? 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: Did you save your last cash shop bonus, or did you spend it immediately? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Jul 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Free for All: One Walking Dead MMO, please Posted: 10 Jul 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Real-Life, Screenshots, Culture, Opinion, Free for All, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, Sandbox One of the best gaming experiences I've had in recent memory has got to be the time I've spent in The Walking Dead series by Telltale games. OK, OK, so you might not agree that the titles are a series of "games;" they're more like a choose-your-own-adventure that is peppered with the occasional quick-time event, so let me clear the record in order to move on: I don't care what we call them. They are simply a fun experience. I can't believe that there are people who want to argue this point, but then again I had to witness people actually fight about games being art or not. So however you feel about the The Walking Dead, uhm, experiences, you cannot deny their popularity. The series took the market by storm and showed just what a powerful medium gaming can be. Not only that, but Telltale received deserving praise not only for the gameplay and story but for the fact that it produced something that could run on almost any device or setup. (Well, except Android.) How would The Walking Dead translate to an MMO, though? Could it be done? Don't worry; I am going to do my best to avoid any spoilers. So are my readers. Right, readers? Continue reading Free for All: One Walking Dead MMO, please Free for All: One Walking Dead MMO, please originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Citizen's Roberts: 'Every day I'm just thinking about how to make this game awesome' Posted: 10 Jul 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play Can't get enough Star Citizen news? We can't either, so we're passing along this nine-minute video documentary recently released by Stage 5 TV. It's called Rise of the Indies, and it offers a newbie's look at Cloud Imperium's upcoming space sim. The filmmakers interview Chris Roberts and environmental artist Dave O'Preska, both of whom show off a few behind-the-scenes work-in-progress tidbits. Roberts also offers up a smidgeon of commentary illustrating the benefits of crowdfunding vs. traditional publisher-funded development. "[With publishers], you're still in these meetings with marketing, you're still in the meetings with sales, and you've got people who are like 'well, demographically we need to appeal here,' so there's a lot of extra stuff that gets in there," Roberts explains. "They're writing the check, so you try to have as much of your stuff as possible but you also have to do some stuff for them, and I always think that kind of compromises stuff. In [Star Citizen's] case I don't deal with any of that. Every day I'm just thinking about how do I make this game awesome." Quotables aside, there's nothing really new here if you're already on the bandwagon. That said, it's the perfect introduction for that SC virgin on your friends list. Check it out after the cut! Continue reading Star Citizen's Roberts: 'Every day I'm just thinking about how to make this game awesome' Star Citizen's Roberts: 'Every day I'm just thinking about how to make this game awesome' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Rise of the Indies: SC

SOE highlights acts of EverQuest II player kindness Posted: 10 Jul 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play Surly MMO commenters got you down? Check out the latest round of EverQuest II player events and restore a little bit of your faith in gamer humanity. First up is Pay it Forward, which starts Sunday, July 14th, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. What is Pay it Forward? "It's a day when adventurers and crafters come together to donate crafted goods, items rotting away in their bank, plat, rares, masters -- you name it -- to young adventurers." The event happens on the Antonia Bayle server. Next up is the annual Give Back Days event on the Everfrost shard. It runs from 11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 14th and 15th. Festivities include love duels, food fights, and random prizes for people who show up dressed to the nines. More info on both events is available on SOE's EQII website. SOE highlights acts of EverQuest II player kindness originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Elite: Dangerous studio Frontier Developments set to go public Posted: 10 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, News Items, Crowdfunding, Elite: Dangerous Frontier Developments, known around these parts as the studio behind crowdfunding success story Elite: Dangerous, is about to enter a different brave new world: that of the London Stock Exchange. The company is set to launch its IPO on July 15th with around £4 million ($5.9 million) in shares. Elite: Dangerous's Kickstarter campaign raised £1.6 million and Frontier snagged an additional £2.8 in provate funding. The studio has about £7.2 million in the bank. A statement from founder and studio head David Braben accompanied the announcement, outlining his excitement to list Frontier at "a time of such strong momentum in the business and the sector." He also noted that the IPO "gives us the necessary financial impetus to continue operating at the forefront of the continually evolving and expanding global games market." Elite: Dangerous studio Frontier Developments set to go public originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Gamasutra

Star Trek Online encourages fleets to pretty up their mines Posted: 10 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play Captains of Star Trek Online, we ask you -- is your fleet's Dilithium Mine nice and pretty? Of course not; it's a mine. You're digging up valuable minerals, not holding a nice dinner party. But you could still opt for a foyer that's at least a little more welcoming, put up some nice viewports... you get the idea. In fact, the next special fleet project will allow you to do just that, turning your entryway into something... not beautiful, but less miserable! As with other special projects, this project must be started during the designated event period (between July 11th and July 25th), but it can be continued even after the event ends. Completion removes some floor space for a nicer view, allows extra space to display environmental suits, and generally makes your mine's entryway less drab. So yes, the captain still needs to toil away at mining, but at least the path to mining can feel somewhat swanky. Star Trek Online encourages fleets to pretty up their mines originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dilithium Mine project

Leaderboard: How do you like your player-generated content? Posted: 10 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, ArcheAge, Sandbox, Leaderboard, Player-Generated Content I'm a big fan of player-generated content. User-authored stuff, when done right, is usually more interesting to me than dev-authored stuff, and my ideal MMO features toolsets built by devs and content built by players. The key phrase is "when done right," though, because to some people, player-generated content means "let me exploit this dungeon maker tool to get to max level as fast as I can, lulz!" And sometimes it means "I think I'll build a Starbucks in the middle of a steampunk fantasy world, lulz!" These are extreme cases, though, as I've played plenty of player-generated dungeons and missions that were designed purely for fun. That's how PGC should be, in my opinion, but this is Leaderboard, and Leaderboard is about your opinion. So, let's hear it! Vote on the usefulness of player-generated content after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard! Continue reading Leaderboard: How do you like your player-generated content? Leaderboard: How do you like your player-generated content? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SWTOR's Scum and Villainy operation charges up nightmare mode Posted: 10 Jul 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dungeons One thing we know about Star Wars: Villains like saying "So be it!" One thing we know about Star Wars: The Old Republic: Players chew up operations, spit them out, and keep asking for tougher ones. BioWare's hoping that today's Update 2.2.2 will give even the most ambitious team a tough go at it, as the studio has patched in the nightmare mode for Operation: Legions of Scum and Villainy. Where there are new challenges, there are new rewards, of course. For players who can survive the carnage, there is the elite Kell Dragon armor set and the cool Titan 6 Containment Mode mount to snag. If operations aren't your bag, then there are always Ewok companions, Czerka dailies, and bounty hunting contracts on the horizon. SWTOR's Scum and Villainy operation charges up nightmare mode originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Update 2.2.2

Dota 2 no longer in beta; Valve implements new player queue Posted: 10 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA Dota 2 has been in beta for around two years. In that time it became effectively the biggest game on Steam, with a monthly playerbase of over three million and a maximum concurrency of 300,000 players. There's even a $2 million tournament coming up in August centered on this game that's lived for so long behind somewhat closed doors. Every beta must end, of course, and Dota 2's is no different. Valve has announced that starting today, Dota 2 is officially out of beta and that all Steam users can now download the free-to-play game at their leisure. There's just one small catch: Thanks to what Valve is anticipating will be a sudden crush of new players, a launch queue has been established that will bring people to Dota 2 in controlled waves. To get into the launch queue, all you need to do is download Dota 2 on Steam. The first wave of new players should gain access to the game sometime this week. In the meantime, players can (and really, really should) play the game's single-player tutorial missions. Dota 2 no longer in beta; Valve implements new player queue originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Valve Announcement

WildStar beta testers compete for coolest house Posted: 10 Jul 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Contests, WildStar, Housing If being a fan of player housing while still being shut out of the WildStar beta describes you perfectly, then you're going to probably hate everything about this post. As a way to show off the flexibility and potential for WildStar's housing, Carbine Studios challenged closed beta testers to come up with the coolest, wackiest, or most creative pad. The winners of this contest are up on the site now. If you can push aside your jealousy at being left out, there's a lot to be gleaned from the amazing pictures on display here. There is a house-within-a-house, an upside-down house, a bedroom bar, and a stand-up comedy platform, among others. The winners of the beta contest received a trophy that will carry over with them to the launched game. WildStar beta testers compete for coolest house originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Living in Style

SMITE's new deity Chronos is a timely addition Posted: 10 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News Items, MOBA It's easy to feel that there aren't enough hours in the day to experience all of SMITE's gods in play. Still, the newest patch for the game adds a figure whose moment has come at last: Chronos, Keeper of Time. If you'd like to give him a spin, you'll find that he's made with a tightly wound arsenal of tricks, keeping his enemies on their back feet while he ticks ever closer to victory. Chronos' passive is the ever-spinning wheel of time, which stops when Chronos uses Accelerate to move faster and buff his attacks. He can also drop an area damage spell and slow his enemies to earn valuable seconds of safety. And if the situation turns dire and his hour has come at last, he can simply activate his ultimate ability to rewind time, giving him a chance to recover his abilities and take a second shot at victory. [Thanks to Don for the tip!] Continue reading SMITE's new deity Chronos is a timely addition SMITE's new deity Chronos is a timely addition originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch Notes

Take a tour through the new daily hub of Star Wars: The Old Republic Posted: 10 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic The Czerka Corporation in Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't evil, just amoral and motivated by ill-considered greed. And sometimes, yes, that does mean that a facility goes completely rogue and outside help needs to be called in to try and salvage the situation. That's what happened on CZ-198, and if you're wondering what sort of daily tasks will be necessary to retake the facility, you can take a gander at the full rundown of the daily quests for the zone right now. The zone has four daily quests as well as a weekly component that includes both of the new flashpoints run on any difficulty. If the promise of earning credits isn't enough to get you into the daily routine, you've also got the requisite selection of rewards, including two new sets of adaptive armor and a new customization for HK-51. Even when its facilities get overrun and require large-scale intervention by paramilitary strike teams, Czerka Corporation makes your life better. Take a tour through the new daily hub of Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jul 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: CZ-198 Rewards, CZ-198 Daily Overview

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