| War Thunder video highlights planes and mods of update 1.3 Posted: 09 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Video, Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries 'The friendly skies' it is not; not with historical warplanes waging battle across it. And with the new update 1.3, the airways in War Thunder just got a little meaner. This latest update of the dogfight-infused game will offer pilots more customization options for their planes, from both new planes (seven American, seven Russian, and one British) to more long-planned modifications. These modifications are divided into four ascending stages, each one allowing players to improve weaponry, engine performance, and durability. Higher stages are unlocked only after a requisite number of mods are purchased from the previous level. What about pilots who have already modified their planes? Devs assure that nothing will be lost -- all previously installed mods will be automatically installed in the new update. Watch the new planes in action in the update video after the break, and read up on all the upcoming changes in the dev diary and patch notes on the official site. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release] Continue reading War Thunder video highlights planes and mods of update 1.3  War Thunder video highlights planes and mods of update 1.3 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy XI celebrates 11 years with high-level presents Posted: 09 Aug 2013 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game Mechanics, News Items, Consoles, Promotions, Anniversaries Final Fantasy XI has been running continuously for 11 years now and just released its fifth expansion earlier this year. There are only a handful of other games that can boast that sort of longevity, so it seems only reasonable that the game would do something to celebrate. And it is celebrating... by granting every player several major high-level prizes as part of its Abyssea and Atma Axtravaganza. Aside from alliteration, that should give you an idea of what the prizes entail. Every player who does not already possess the three Abyssea add-on scenarios will receive all three free of charge. All players will also receive a free Lunar Abyssite, 11 different Atma, 100,000 cruor, and a major bonus to your traverser stone stock in Abyssea. Those who haven't played the scenarios might be looking on with confusion, but if you have played these before you know that this is a whole lot of power for free. So don't miss out -- the event is running until October 11th, after which point you'll just be celebrating missing out on a big giveaway. Final Fantasy XI celebrates 11 years with high-level presents originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| LEGO Legend of Chima Online launches into testing Posted: 09 Aug 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Family We understand if you miss LEGO Universe. It's gone, and unfortunately nothing's going to bring it back. But that doesn't mean you have to give up on the idea of a brick-based MMORPG altogether, especially since another one has just launched into open testing. LEGO Legend of Chima Online, a cooperative venture from LEGO and Warner Bros Games, is now available for everyone to play. And it's got some accessibility upgrades over its predecessor. Legend of Chima Online focuses on a single LEGO property rather than the franchise as a whole, for starters. It also requires neither up-front payment nor a download, as it utilizes the Unity 3D client for in-browser play. While the game is technically in beta, it's an open beta, and the cash shop is already in and working with no clear plans for a server wipe. Those of you mourning over LEGO Universe can't have the game back, but this might ease the sting. LEGO Legend of Chima Online launches into testing originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Storybricks and Voxel Farm: The indie contribution to EQ Next Posted: 09 Aug 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next Here at Massively, we've had our eye on Storybricks for quite some time; the idea of NPCs reacting to players individually was just drool-worthy. So there was definite excitement when this indie outfit announced its collaboration on the upcoming EverQuest Next. But Storybricks isn't the only indie project playing a major role in the development of SOE's new game: Voxel Farm, the voxel-based procedural engine, is responsible for the landscape of both EQ Next and EverQuest Next Landmark. In recent interviews, US Gamer talks with both Storybricks developer Brian Green and Voxel Farm creator Miguel Cepero about their respective work on the games. Cepero spoke about why he created the software ("I became obsessed with creating virtual worlds.") and his hopes of moving into voxel-based creatures. Among other things, Green shared this tidbit about using an intelligent AI: "It might also be something like maybe if you're fighting something and a second monster comes and the second monster hates the monster you're fighting more than it hates you, it might actually join in on your side. This is a possibility; something that could happen. It depends on the situation." [Thanks to Matixzun for the tip] Storybricks and Voxel Farm: The indie contribution to EQ Next originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Xsyon sees wildlife population explosion Posted: 09 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Xsyon, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox If you've ever been killed by a rabid squirrel or a mutant chicken in Xsyon, expect those little critters to be even more menacing the next time you happen across your assailant. With the post-apocalyptic game's newest update, the wildlife population has both grown and grown smarter. With a revamped creature migration system and breeding system, the creatures will be more balanced across the land and dwindling species can see a resurgence. On top of that, the populations have been increased overall. Although the strength of creatures has also been balanced to encourage new players to get in on the hunt, creatures that live to fight another day through by winning their battles for survival or simply aging will gain in power. So if you happen upon a pack of honey badgers, we suggest you run -- just run. [Source: Notorious Games press release] Xsyon sees wildlife population explosion originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Gloria Victis doubles playable land area in August update Posted: 09 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, New Titles, Previews, Free-to-Play, Sandbox The fantasy MMO Gloria Victis has released notes on a new pre-alpha update last week that not only doubled the land area for players to explore, but also added a new town that most fans of the game have been anticipating. Aside from sound and game performance improvements, the team at Black Eye Games says the focus for August will be polishing mechanics rather than developing new content. And if you have an itch to be a virtual star, the team is looking for in-game actors for the game's upcoming promotional videos. Be sure to check out the gallery of nine new images below and head on over to the forums for info on the update. Gloria Victis doubles playable land area in August update originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Has a mega-hyped MMO ever met your expectations? Posted: 09 Aug 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Opinion, Free-to-Play, The Daily Grind, EverQuest Next, Sandbox The MMO hype machine is in full swing for SOE's forthcoming EverQuest Next. It's inevitable given the combination of a long-lived franchise, a big-budget studio, and plenty of update-hungry followers. We've been here before as MMO fans, though, most recently with mega-hyped titles like Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic. While hype in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'm curious how many of you feel like a much-hyped MMO has actually met your expectations. Has any game managed it? Which one?  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: Has a mega-hyped MMO ever met your expectations? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| SWTOR 2.3: BioWare shows off palette upgrade Posted: 08 Aug 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Patches, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, MMORPG The latest Star Wars: The Old Republic dev blog is something tech geeks and film nerds may find interesting. BioWare's dev team has added color grading technology to the SWTOR game engine, providing its environmental artists with more direct control over how textures appear in-game. Here's the basic gist: The team takes a few screenshots of the area in question, and then edits them with photo editing software. The changes made are then coded into a texture, which is placed on the area originally screenshotted. This allows the game engine to make the color adjustments on the fly. According to the dev blog, this new tech allows the art team to adjust SWTOR's final color output in very much the same way one would edit a photograph, with almost the same amount of flexibility. The blog shows off some cool before/after gifs of specific areas, so if you're into technical, under-the-hood things it may be worth a look. SWTOR 2.3: BioWare shows off palette upgrade originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Kixeye launches VEGA Conflict, a space-themed MMORTS Posted: 08 Aug 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Launches, New Titles, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Browser, MMORTS Kixeye has deployed its latest online strategy title in the form of VEGA Conflict, an " immersive" MMORTS set in the cold, dark depths of space. Players leaping into the game will be able to manage fleets, loot other players' bases, customize warships with weapons and armor, and participate in real-time PvP and NPC combat. The game is, of course, free-to-play, and joins War Commander, Battle Pirates, Tome: Immortal Arena, and Backyard Monsters on the Kixeye roster. Hit the jump for the launch trailer. [Source: Kixeye press release] Continue reading Kixeye launches VEGA Conflict, a space-themed MMORTS Kixeye launches VEGA Conflict, a space-themed MMORTS originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Vindictus' grim Pantheum the Executioner offers toughest challenge yet Posted: 08 Aug 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Patches, Free-to-Play, Vindictus, Dungeons With a name like " Pantheum the Executioner," you have to figure that this poor guy didn't have a lot of career prospects after graduating video game high school. Perhaps he did pest control a bit, but these days he's "a creature of unimaginable evil" tearing it up in Vindictus. Pantheum is the latest raid boss to come to Vindictus -- and he is no pushover. Nexon claims that Pantheum is one of the toughest bosses in the game and requires no fewer than eight players to take him down. Players can encounter him in the Shadow of Death raid, but they'll need to be on their toes to survive the boss' three phases. If players beat him three times, they'll earn enough currency to purchase a Grim Reaper box with super-rare contents. You can check out Pantheum in action after the jump! Continue reading Vindictus' grim Pantheum the Executioner offers toughest challenge yet Vindictus' grim Pantheum the Executioner offers toughest challenge yet originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Civilization Online not currently planned for North America Posted: 08 Aug 2013 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Historical, MMO Industry, War, Free-to-Play You might be tremendously excited about Civilization Online right now, especially if you read our interview with Jake Song yesterday. But if you live in North America, it's time to crank that excitement down to a dull interest because XLGAMES and 2K Games are not currently looking at a release in the region. 2K Games PR Manager Brian Roundy delivered the bad news: " Civilization Online is developed by South Korea-based XL Games in partnership with 2K, and will be available first in Korea. No release date has been set. There are no plans for a North American release at this time." This doesn't mean all hope is lost, of course. It might be that the studios are holding their cards close to their chest or that they don't want to commit until they see how it performs in Korea. But if you were camping in front of a retail store (why?) for this release in America, you should probably go home for now. Civilization Online not currently planned for North America originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Massively does Geek Week: The Secret World crafting guide Posted: 08 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Video, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Hands-On, The Secret World, Humor, Events (Massively's Coverage), Guides, Miscellaneous, Crafting, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play As MMO players, we know all about being geeks; we're the geekiest video gamers around! Join in the fun today as we celebrate Google's Geek Week with a series of MMO-flavored videos to introduce fellow geeks to our favorite games: Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, The Secret World, and more! Our final Geek Week video of the day homes in on The Secret World, an in-depth conspiracy-driven MMO with what can be confusing mechanics. One of the hardest mechanic to master is the game's crafting system. With so many different materials and combinations, it's easy to get lost, so after the break, Massively's livestreamer extraordinaire Psykopig has put together a video introduction to TSW's crafting system, including a guide to getting started and basic layouts for intermediate crafters. Why not be entertained while you learn? Continue reading Massively does Geek Week: The Secret World crafting guide Massively does Geek Week: The Secret World crafting guide originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Summoner's Guidebook: Stealth mechanics, stiletto heels, and League of Legends Posted: 08 Aug 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook Recently my League of Legends games have included a lot of solo mid (mostly by choice), and while I play Syndra quite a bit because she's really fun, I've had the most success playing Evelynn. I've had a fair number of games where I've carried my team kicking and screaming over the goal line despite their insistence on making awful decisions. I just walked into teamfights, hit R, and proceeded to steamroll their entire team after a completely dominating laning phase where I ganked everywhere including the enemy jungle. Evelynn's pretty much the polar opposite of Poppy. They both have blue skin, but the similarities pretty much end there. Poppy is a tiny tomboyish warrior in plate and chain with a mighty hammer and a direct approach to problems. Evelynn is a subtle temptress with stealth, vampiric abilities, a supermodel figure, and an outfit that suggests that "lady of the night" might have a double meaning. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Stealth mechanics, stiletto heels, and League of Legends The Summoner's Guidebook: Stealth mechanics, stiletto heels, and League of Legends originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Mu Rebirth second beta celebration starts today Posted: 08 Aug 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play Webzen wants you to know about its second beta celebration for Mu Rebirth. What is Mu Rebirth? It's an MMORPG based on the "classic gaming style" of the original Mu, albeit this time with a heaping helping of PvP. The game features 400 levels (no, really), but Webzen says that players can go from one to 400 in "just one to two hours" (again, really) in order to facilitate the game's focus on player-vs.-player battles. Webzen is also promising to deliver daily events run by GMs "recruited from all over the world." The second beta celebration runs through August 21st, after which Webzen will announce details of Mu's open beta. Oh yeah, we've also tucked a teaser trailer after the break. [Source: Webzen press release] Continue reading Mu Rebirth second beta celebration starts today Mu Rebirth second beta celebration starts today originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Neverwinter's Fury of the Feywild teaser has dragons, brambles Posted: 08 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Expansions, Patches, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter, MMORPG Neverwinter's first free content update, Fury of the Feywild, is due for release on August 22nd. This new module brings a host of new features to the Neverwinter universe including new zone Sharandar, new professions, new dungeons to explore, and a campaign system that will allow players to complete in-game challenges for special rewards. Cryptic and Perfect World today released a teaser trailer for Fury of the Feywild, and while it's not deep on details, it does showcase some of the new environments and talk a bit about the story surrounding them. Also, there's a dragon and a place with giant brambles because hey, this is a fantasy MMO and there are some things you just have to have. Check out the trailer after the jump and have a look at the new screenshots as well. [Source: Perfect World press release] Continue reading Neverwinter's Fury of the Feywild teaser has dragons, brambles Neverwinter's Fury of the Feywild teaser has dragons, brambles originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| EverQuest Next confirms cross-region play Posted: 08 Aug 2013 01:45 PM PDT |
| Ultima Forever arrives on iOS Posted: 08 Aug 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, Ultima Online, Free-to-Play, Mobile Avatar! Get out of bed, put on some clean underwear, and leave a note for your mom -- there's adventuring that needs doing! Mythic's Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar is out for the iOS and can be played on the iPad 2, iPod 5, and iPhone 4S or higher. Mythic had recently held Ultima Forever back to fiddle with its economy and fix bugs, but it seems as though everything is solid enough for the studio to finally pull the trigger and launch it worldwide. Ultima Forever is free-to-play with optional in-app purchases. Mythic is working on Android and PC versions as well. It's a whopping 881 MB to install, so make sure you have the room before you check out this latest chapter in the Ultima series! Ultima Forever arrives on iOS originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Massively does Geek Week: A few minutes of free in MMORPGs Posted: 08 Aug 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Hands-On, Casual, MMOFPS, Humor, Events (Massively's Coverage), Kids, Miscellaneous, Sandbox As MMO players, we know all about being geeks; we're the geekiest video gamers around! Join in the fun today as we celebrate Google's Geek Week with a series of MMO-flavored videos to introduce fellow geeks to our favorite games: Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, The Secret World, and more! Massively's Beau is fond of many MMOs but has a soft place in his heart for free-to-play indie MMOs. He's conjured up a video in honor of Geek Week to list nine of his favorites to give you something new to try -- something possibly outside your MMO comfort zone! Some require a download and a beefier computer, but most of his offerings could be played on the most basic laptop, so no one's left out. There's even something on his list for gamers of all ages, whether you're a kid of 8 years or 80. Spend a few minutes in free MMORPGs with Beau after the cut! Continue reading Massively does Geek Week: A few minutes of free in MMORPGs Massively does Geek Week: A few minutes of free in MMORPGs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Guild Wars 2's new wallet helps you simplify, dude Posted: 08 Aug 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, Dev Diaries, WildStar, Buy-to-Play Guild Wars 2 players who have logged in this week have a new present waiting for them: the Guild Wars 2 Unlimited Edition Wallet-o-Matic (velcro tabs optional). Maybe you thought that the old way of storing all of your loose bills, family photos, and tokens was just fine, but trust us, your inventory was a mess. All the duct tape in the world couldn't keep it organized. In a new dev blog, ArenaNet explains why it made the wallet a priority for the August release: "Inventory management can be a tedious and time consuming part of playing almost any MMO. For many of you, tokens and badges and currencies were all separated across your different characters." The new wallet has become a central depository for the game 16 or so currencies. The only catch to using it is that you have to log onto each of your characters to have all of their tokens and gold automatically transferred into the wallet. Guild Wars 2's new wallet helps you simplify, dude originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Stock up on your trophies with RIFT's upcoming store section Posted: 08 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT If you've ever wanted the share the spoils of your RIFT achievements with your alts, you'll soon have the chance. Creative Director Bill "Daglar" Fisher took to the forums to announce a new trophy section coming to the store that will allow players to buy another copy of the rewards they've already earned from completing achievements. These copies will be bound to the account, however, so they can only be transferred to alts, not to poor achievement-less friends. In the future, Fisher said that the team will be experimenting with adding more exclusive items to this section. Players can expect to see trophies appear in store on the PTS in the upcoming weeks. Stock up on your trophies with RIFT's upcoming store section originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| New Soviet, German, and Chinese armor slated for World of Tanks 8.8 [Updated] Posted: 08 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks Need more Soviet armor in your World of Tanks? Wargaming's 8.8 patch is for you, then, as it's going to add several new German, Chinese, and Soviet machines to the instanced battler. There's a whole new branch of Soviet armor starting at tier six and including the A-43, A-44, the Object 416, and the Object 140. German players will get a tier four DW heavy chariot and a tier six VK3002 (M) medium tank. Chinese tank fans can look forward to a new medium tier eight T-34-3 and a tier eight 112 heavy tank. Wargaming is also prepping the new wintry Tundra battle arena for the 8.8 patch. No release date has been announced just yet. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] [Update: Wargaming has let us know about more goodies incoming for German player, including "the transformation of the VK3001H heavy tank to Tier 5, where it will undergo rebalancing and become a heavy tank, just as the VK3601H. Tank fans will also find that the new battle arena, Tundra, falls under the Autumn season marking the transition to the cold and wintery season approaching."] New Soviet, German, and Chinese armor slated for World of Tanks 8.8 [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Age of Wushu's Legends of Mount Hua expansion launches Posted: 08 Aug 2013 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Expansions, Game Mechanics, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sandbox, Dungeons, Age of Wushu Have you been eagerly awaiting the day you could dive into the new systems and features of Age of Wushu's first expansion, Legends of Mount Hua? Well, today's the day! Players are now able to get in and try their hands at the Youyun Sixteen Area Prefectures Battle Arena, a 40 vs 40 PvP battleground, and Yanmen Pass, an 18-man instance. Those with the urge to help out newer players will find the Martial Brothers system for mentoring helpful, while those who seek revenge on others will no doubt get use out of the Jianghu Gratitude and Revenge System. And the truly competitive of spirit can take part in the Mount Hua Competition. The new faction system and the Jianghu Heroic Playstyle and Treasure System will offer a variety of rewards. For a look at what's in store, check out the LoMH images in the gallery below and the official launch trailer after the break. [Source: Snail Games press release] Continue reading Age of Wushu's Legends of Mount Hua expansion launches Age of Wushu's Legends of Mount Hua expansion launches originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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"When a kid gets diarrhea, there's no website for that."
Out with the old and in with the new?
Tegra sales slip into a nosedive
