General Gaming Article

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• Gogo In-Flight Wi-Fi Gets Ready to Fly to 60Mbps and Beyond
• Corsair's Ultra-Quiet RM Series Power Supplies Help Quell Noisy Systems
• ASRock Z87 Extreme 11 Motherboard Sports a Whopping 22 SATA 6Gbps Ports
• Dell Shareholders Approve $24.9 Billion Sale to Michael Dell and Silver Lake, What's Next?
• Intel and Google Collaborate on Next Generation Chromebooks Powered by Haswell
• Newegg Daily Deals: Intel Core i7 4820K Ivy Bridge-E, Asus Rampage IV Extreme, and More!
• Microsoft Exec Tries to Defend Xbox One Hardware, Stirs Up Controversy

Gogo In-Flight Wi-Fi Gets Ready to Fly to 60Mbps and Beyond Posted: 12 Sep 2013 11:11 AM PDT Wi-Fi above the skies to hit high speeds soon Gogo is the leading provider of in-flight Wi-Fi service when you're traveling by plane, but depending on how many people are saturating the connection, you may have found speed to be less than ideal. Get ready for an upgrade. Gogo today announced a new service called Gogo GTO, or Ground to Orbit, which is a proprietary technology that will ultimately result in an increase in speed by more than six times the current performance. The technology will pull receive transmissions to the plane from satellite and use Gogo's Air to Ground network for the return link (transmission to the ground). In doing so, Gogo says it can deliver Wi-Fi speeds of more than 60Mpbs to the aircraft. That's a tremendous increase over the 3.1Mbps the service debuted at five years ago, and well above current peak speeds of 9.8Mbps.   "The advantages of using satellite for reception only and Gogo's ATG Network for the return link are unprecedented. Existing two-way satellite antennas in the commercial aviation market have limited power for transmissions so they don't interfere with other satellites," Gogo explains. "This dynamic makes the connection from the aircraft to the ground using two-way satellite an inefficient and expensive return link compared to Gogo's ATG Network. Gogo's receive only antenna will be two times more spectrally efficient and half the height of other antennas in the commercial aviation market. The low profile of the antenna will result in much less drag and therefore fuel burn on the aircraft and, ultimately, greater operational efficiencies for airlines." Virgin America is calling dibs on the service and will be Gogo's launch partner when the new speeds go into effect in the second half of 2014, pending FAA approval. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Corsair's Ultra-Quiet RM Series Power Supplies Help Quell Noisy Systems Posted: 12 Sep 2013 10:10 AM PDT Silence is golden, or in this case, 80 Plus Gold certified Corsair on Thursday added a new line of quiet power supplies (PSUs) dubbed RM Series to its product portfolio. These are intended to replace the TX Series of PSUs while adding 80 Plus Gold level energy efficiency, whisper-quiet operation, and monitoring capabilities, Corsair said. Even when delivering high levels of power, Corsair claims you'll hardly hear a peep out of its RM Series. "Built with low-noise capacitors and transformers, the PSUs feature a Zero RPM Fan Mode which only spins the PSU fan under the heaviest loads, allowing near silent operation in most everyday usage," Corsair explains. "The custom designed fan is extremely quiet at all speeds, allowing the PSU to remain remarkably quiet even while the fan is running. Like all Corsair PSUs, the RM Series power supplies are designed with high-quality components and are guaranteed to deliver clean, stable, continuous power." Using a Corsair Digital Bridge cable, which is included with the RM1000 SKU (optional add-on with the other models), you can connect the PSU to your motherboard or Corsair Link hub to monitor fan speed and power delivery in real-time with Corsair Link software. The RM Series is fully modular and comes in variety of wattage options, including 450W ($90), 550W ($100), 650W ($120), 750W ($130), 850W ($150), and 1,000W ($165). They willl be available at the end of October. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

ASRock Z87 Extreme 11 Motherboard Sports a Whopping 22 SATA 6Gbps Ports Posted: 12 Sep 2013 09:49 AM PDT Flagship board also features dual Thunderbolt ports At times an unsung hero in the motherboard market, ASRock has picked up its game in the past year or so and has begun kicking out some high-end silicon at tempting price points. Clearly ASRock is interested in the enthusiast sector these days, and if you need proof of that, just spy a glance at its new Z87 Extreme 11 /TB20 motherboard that it's showing off at IDF 2013 in San Francisco. The board, which was spotted and photographed by VR-Zone's Chinese-language website , boasts a 12-phase VRM with high-end features and components. You'll notice there are two 8-pin power connectors on the motherboard. Why two? To allow for LN2 overclocking and to provide greater stability when cranking those virtual knobs and dials in the BIOS. There are plenty of ports on and around the board. For you storage junkies and/or RAID fanatics, there are a staggering 22 SATA 6Gbps ports (plus three SATA 3Gbps ports). Need more? There's also three mSATA ports to play with. That paves the say for a lot of storage. Other features include a trio of PCI-E 3.0 x1 slots, four PCI-E x16 slots, an A-Style Purity Sound chip driving 8.1-channel audio, dual Intel Thunderbolt ports, a bevy of USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, dual GbE LAN ports, PS/2 connector, and other odds and ends spread out over the large size XL-ATX board. Image Credit: VR-Zone Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Dell Shareholders Approve $24.9 Billion Sale to Michael Dell and Silver Lake, What's Next? Posted: 12 Sep 2013 08:51 AM PDT Michael Dell regains control of the company he founded Dude, Michael Dell's getting a Dell. After months of negotiations and public bickering over the value of Dell, company shareholders voted on Thursday to approve the $24.9 billion sale to Michael, finally putting an end to what turned into a mini soap opera primarily starring Dell's founder and billionaire businessman Carl Icahn, who was one of the most outspoken opponents of the deal. Icahn contended that Michael's original offer of $24.4 billion severely undervalued the company. He then proposed an alternative offer that would have paid Dell shareholders a significant dividend, thus allowing them to retain their stock while also receiving immediate compensation. At one point, Icahn also threatened to drag the deal through years of litigation, though he finally backed down last week, conceding that "it would be impossible to win the battle" "While we of course are saddened at our losing the battle to control Dell, it certainly makes the loss a lot more tolerable in that as a result of our involvement, Michael Dell/Silver Lake increased what they said was their 'best and final offer'," Icahn wrote in an open letter to shareholders. That's all old news now. Going forward, Dell shareholders will each receive $13.75 per share in cash along with a special $0.13 dividend, The New York Times reports. As for the company, which is currently the world's third largest PC maker, Michael and his partners plan to take it private. "As a private enterprise, with a strong private-equity partner, we`ll serve our customers with a single-minded purpose and drive the innovations that will help them achieve their goals," Michael said in a statement. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Intel and Google Collaborate on Next Generation Chromebooks Powered by Haswell Posted: 12 Sep 2013 06:56 AM PDT Chromebooks are about to get a shot in the arm It took some time for consumers to warm to the idea of Chromebooks, probably because netbooks hadn't completely died out when they first emerged. Today, however, Samsung's Chromebook is the best selling laptop on Amazon with a 4/5 star rating from over 3,000 user reviews. It's fair to say that Chromebooks have grown on a segment of PC shoppers, and in the coming months, these cloud-oriented devices will become a bit more powerful. At the Intel Developer Forum in San Fransisco, Intel and Google jointly announced a new lineup of Chromebooks based on Haswell. "Intel's latest processors sip less power to improve battery life by more than 2X over previous generations, while offering increased performance. This means these new Chromebooks last almost all day so you can focus on getting things done," Google stated in a blog post. Acer and HP, along with newcomers to the Chromebook scene Asus and Toshiba, will launch newly designed models, Google says. Acer's already offered up a preview of its third-generation Chromebook at IDF. It's an 11.6-inch machine measuring around 0.75 inches thick and weighing around 2.76 pounds. It has HDMI output, two USB ports (one USB 3.0), SD card clot, and up to 8.5 hours of battery life. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Intel Core i7 4820K Ivy Bridge-E, Asus Rampage IV Extreme, and More! Posted: 12 Sep 2013 06:35 AM PDT Top Deal: It's said that patience is a virtue, and if you patiently awaited the arrival of Intel's Ivy Bridge-E line, pat yourself on the back and then check out today's top deal for an Intel Core i7 4820K Ivy Bridge-E CPU for $330 with free shipping. This is a quad-core chip clocked at 3.7GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) with 10MB of L3 cache. Other Deals: Asus Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Intel X79 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard for $420 with free shipping (normally $430) G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory for $134 with free shipping (normally $148 - use coupon code: [GSKILLBTSSEP]) Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition Black Steel ATX Full Tower Case with Four Blue LED Fans for $132 with free shipping (normally $165 - use coupon code: [EMCXLXP25]) Seagate Backup Plus for Mac 4TB USB 3.0 Mac & PC Storage Model for $150 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [AFNJ2533])

Microsoft Exec Tries to Defend Xbox One Hardware, Stirs Up Controversy Posted: 12 Sep 2013 06:25 AM PDT First downplays the importance of hardware comparisons, only to later diss the PS4 spec by spec With Sony abandoning the PS3's Cell architecture in favor of a more conventional x86 setup and Microsoft also opting for something similar, it is far more easy to compare the specs of the Xbox One and the PS4 than was the case with their greatly disparate predecessors. Despite Microsoft bumping up the Xbox One's specs recently, the PS4 still seems to be the stronger of the two (at least on paper), with reports putting the gulf between the two at between 30-50 percent. But what does Microsoft have to say about all this? Microsoft's director of product planning Albert Penello is not overly concerned. When Rev3Games' Adam Sessler broached the topic of the Xbox One's specs during a recent interview (video), he responded by dismissing this whole practice of comparing hardware specs as being "meaningless." "They [Sony] are doing things in their hardware to make it the best that they can, we're doing things in our hardware to make it the best that we can," he said. "I don't believe the difference between these two platforms is significant as comparing individual components." He later took to NeoGAF to make his point: "People do understand that Microsoft has some of the smartest graphics programmers in the world. We created DirectX, the standard API's that everyone programs against. So while people laude [sic] Sony for their HW [sic] skills, do you really think we don't know how to build a system optimized for maximizing graphics for programmers? Seriously? There is no way we're giving up a 30%+ advantage to Sony. And anyone who has seen both systems running could say there are great looking games on both systems. If there was really huge performance difference – it would be obvious." According to Penello, despite the fact that Sony has claimed to have the more powerful machine during each of the last two console generations, games on Microsoft's systems have "looked the same or better." Penello's post on the forum caused quite a stir, with the discussion, as he put it in a subsequent post, quickly devolving into one about his credibility rather than the consoles. This forced him to return to the site a few days later with some further clarification: "So, here are couple of points about some of the individual parts for people to consider: 18 CU's vs. 12 CU's =/= 50% more performance. Multi-core processors have inherent inefficiency with more CU's, so it's simply incorrect to say 50% more GPU. Adding to that, each of our CU's is running 6% faster. It's not simply a 6% clock speed increase overall. We have more memory bandwidth. 176gb/sec is peak on paper for GDDR5. Our peak on paper is 272gb/sec. (68gb/sec DDR3 + 204gb/sec on ESRAM). ESRAM can do read/write cycles simultaneously so I see this number mis-quoted. We have at least 10% more CPU. Not only a faster processor, but a better audio chip also offloading CPU cycles. We understand GPGPU and its importance very well. Microsoft invented Direct Compute, and have been using GPGPU in a shipping product since 2010 - it's called Kinect. Speaking of GPGPU - we have 3X the coherent bandwidth for GPGPU at 30gb/sec which significantly improves our ability for the CPU to efficiently read data generated by the GPU." Follow Pulkit on Google+

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MMO Updates

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• To Infinity Gate and beyond: Previewing RIFT 2.4's instances
• The Guild Counsel: How to make PUG raids work
• Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep launches on November 18th
• Perfect Ten: MMO industry moves I didn't see coming
• The Daily Grind: What's the largest MMO battle you've experienced?
• Free for All: Recapping the vastness of Mabinogi's Saga Iria
• Choose My Adventure: Age of Wushu charms and confuses
• Pathfinder dev blog discusses guild design, functionality
• 38 Studios loan under SEC investigation
• Original Age of Conan game director talks combat influences
• Square readying FFXIV gear checks, recruiting window, and more
• RIFT gives Beyond Infinity update overview
• Conan O'Brien spoofs Diablo III
• Smashmuck Champions now on Steam Early Access
• The Art of Wushu: The limits of human reaction time

To Infinity Gate and beyond: Previewing RIFT 2.4's instances Posted: 12 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, RIFT, Dungeons RIFT's 2.4 update is expected to land next week with a big, meaty thud that tells you it's packing some serious content. While 2.4 is peppered with many nice bullet points, including cross-shard instant adventuring and new PvP ranks, the bulk of it is devoted to instances, more instances, and even more instances. Namely, a 20-person raid (with a second one to follow), a new five-person expert dungeon, and a two-person chronicle. Trion Worlds took us on a whirlwind tour of RIFT's four new instances, giving us an oh-so-brief taste of the terror and exhilaration that is to come. Care to join our raid group to see? Continue reading To Infinity Gate and beyond: Previewing RIFT 2.4's instances To Infinity Gate and beyond: Previewing RIFT 2.4's instances originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Guild Counsel: How to make PUG raids work Posted: 12 Sep 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous, Dungeons There's one thing every guild leader dreads: It's raid night and your guild is short on numbers. You could call it a night and postpone it, but that will mean a dip in morale and an increase in frustration within the guild. Too many postponed raids will eventually lead to an empty roster as people move on to other guilds. An alternative is to PUG it and advertise for more guests in general chat. The upside is that you'll be able to do the raid, but inviting in the unknown can bring plenty of new problems. Like the misfit toys above, there are plenty of players who have their own set of flaws and can make even the best-planned raids a true test of patience. Can a PUG raid work, or is it a recipe for disaster? Let's consider that question in this week's Guild Counsel. Continue reading The Guild Counsel: How to make PUG raids work The Guild Counsel: How to make PUG raids work originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Sep 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep launches on November 18th Posted: 12 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Launches, News Items, Free-to-Play It's the news every Lord of the Rings Online player has been waiting on for what seems like a long while. Helm's Deep is launching on November 18th, bringing with it new regions to explore, an increase in the level cap to 95, and of course the eponymous battle itself. And there's even a new trailer to get players all pumped to wage war against a whole lot of orcs. Now that the launch date is announced, Turbine is also willing to take your money for the expansion. The base edition costs $39.99 and includes a cosmetic chestpiece, a title, and 1000 Turbine points, while also providing a new mount and experience booster usable right now. The Premium edition costs $59.99 and offers everything in the base edition along with another title, a full suit of cosmetic armor, 10 extra quest log slots, another 1000 Turbine points (so 2000 total), and an item to add a Legacy to your weapon. Oh, and a special cloak to use right now. Click on past the break to see the trailer, and get ready for the siege starting in November. [Source: Turbine Entertainment press release] Continue reading Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep launches on November 18th Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep launches on November 18th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Expansion release announcement

Perfect Ten: MMO industry moves I didn't see coming Posted: 12 Sep 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Asheron's Call, City of Heroes, Dungeons and Dragons Online, EverQuest, MMO Industry, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard, Final Fantasy XIV, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous, WildStar, Defiance, The Elder Scrolls Online Despite -- or more accurately, because of -- my love for video games, I would never want to work in the games industry as a developer or what have you. I think it's an industry that doesn't have a good track record of job security, sane hours, or products that you could feasibly spend years working on that might not make it to ship. But I love writing about the industry. I love the news. That's why I adore being at Massively. I also love the news because MMOs and studios constantly surprise me. Hey, maybe you're an amazing clairvoyant person who can not only predict but accurately foresee all of the jukes and twists that the industry makes. I am not. When mental superpowers were being handed out, I got "setting people on fire with a mere thought" instead of what appears to be the widespread "know it all" ability. I don't regret it. I mean, you probably already knew that I was going to post a picture of Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi being attacked by bees on the front page of Massively. But I think that the surprises are part of the fun. No matter what we've seen in the past and no matter how knowledgeable any of us is about MMOs, the strange developments keep on coming. So this week I want to list 10 stories that I really didn't see coming at all. Continue reading Perfect Ten: MMO industry moves I didn't see coming Perfect Ten: MMO industry moves I didn't see coming originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Sep 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What's the largest MMO battle you've experienced? Posted: 12 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, The Daily Grind, MMOFPS We've talked about the definition of the term MMO in this column on numerous occasions, and while it's completely subjective, most people generally take the number of concurrent players into account when having the discussion. I was having the discussion -- again -- with some friends the other day, and I kept thinking about the biggest MMO battles I've seen since I started playing way back when. I don't have exact numbers, but I do remember some engagements in both Battleground Europe and PlanetSide that involved several hundred people at a minimum. What about you, Massively readers? What's the largest MMO battle you've experienced? 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's the largest MMO battle you've experienced? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 12 Sep 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Free for All: Recapping the vastness of Mabinogi's Saga Iria Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events (In-Game), PvE, Free-to-Play, Roleplaying, Mabinogi, Free for All, Livestream, Sandbox My summer has been filled with a massive, 10-part adventure called The Saga Iria. It's an event that happened inside the world of Mabinogi, one of my favorite free-to-play sandbox MMOs. Once a week Nexon released a new chapter, and each time I streamed my first few steps into it, often resulting in my immediate and embarrassing death. Actually, make that deaths. I died a lot. My companion for this wild ride was Mabinogi Community Manager Sabina. Sabina is a "fashionogi" (as they call it in-game), someone who enjoys customizing her characters more than sending them into battle. Mabinogi allows for almost any style of play, from combat mastery to roleplay to fashion obsession. The community showed up during my livestreams to give me plenty of advice during my hard times in combat because the game is known for its challenge level. It's time to recap some of my favorite moments of those times and discuss what I liked... and didn't like. Continue reading Free for All: Recapping the vastness of Mabinogi's Saga Iria Free for All: Recapping the vastness of Mabinogi's Saga Iria originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Age of Wushu charms and confuses Posted: 11 Sep 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Polls, Video, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Choose My Adventure, Livestream, Sandbox, Age of Wushu So here we are in the second week of the Age of Wushu Choose My Adventure coverage. There's no way that even a dozen weeks would cover everything there is to know about this awesome MMO, but luckily the point of this column is to show what it's like to jump into game not only while I'm blind but also when a crowd is directing my every major decision. That means that I get to act like myself and enjoy getting lost in a game that is truly a living world. Age of Wushu is fantastic for certain newbies just as it seems it is for vets. Of course, it's not all that rosy. In almost every article I have read about the game, and even in the chat room while I streamed the game live (it's embedded after the cut), I saw players who expressed their disappointment in how confusing the game is. Massively's own Patrick Mackey has been helping me along the way, and he said on the stream that the best thing to do to alleviate confusion is to "join a guild." I agree, so that's going to be one of the questions I put up for a vote. Having access to Patrick, the readers and players, and the developers themselves does put me at an advantage over typical newbies. Click past the cut and lets get to what I thought about the choices that were made last time, and be sure to vote on this week's poll questions! Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Age of Wushu charms and confuses Choose My Adventure: Age of Wushu charms and confuses originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pathfinder dev blog discusses guild design, functionality Posted: 11 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Guilds, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Pathfinder Online If you've been wondering about companies in Pathfinder Online, today's dev blog is for you. And no, that's not companies as in GoblinWorks or Paizo, but companies as in adventuring companies! Designer Tork Shaw says that companies are the "most basic form of permanent player organization" in the game. If that sounds a lot like "guilds" in other MMOs, that's intentional, though Shaw explains that Pathfinder's companies work best with 50 or fewer members as opposed to giant, hundred-member zergs. Companies can be sponsored by certain in-game settlements, which affords them bonuses, protection, and perhaps danger if said settlements are engaged in hostilities with other in-game groups. Companies advance via an influence mechanic that stems from the deeds of their members. Click through the links below for more info! Pathfinder dev blog discusses guild design, functionality originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev blog

38 Studios loan under SEC investigation Posted: 11 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Consoles, Legal, Miscellaneous It seems as though we can't go more than a few weeks without hearing about some new complication related to the collapse of 38 Studios and the financial catastrophe it left in its wake. This week's news comes in the form of an SEC probe into the $75 million in loan guarantees offered to the studio by the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. The RIEDC has secured the services of a law firm to help it handle the SEC's investigation. Further details are sparse, as the RIEDC has offered only that it "doesn't discuss ongoing matters related to 38 Studios and maintains a level of confidentiality as requested by the SEC." Strangely, the SEC investigation, which launched in early 2012, was not mentioned to investors when Rhode Island published financial documents related to a bond transaction in April of that year. According to the treasurer's spokesperson, the state's treasury was not aware of the probe at that time. The RIEDC is currently involved in a lawsuit against studio head Curt Schilling and former RIEDC members responsible for the 38 Studios deal. 38 Studios loan under SEC investigation originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WPRI Via: GamesIndustry.biz

Original Age of Conan game director talks combat influences Posted: 11 Sep 2013 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play If you've been around the MMO block a time or two, you probably know the name Gaute Godager. If not, he's an original Funcom founder, as well as a game director on 2001's Anarchy Online and 2008's Age of Conan. AoC fansite Assassin's Hideout recently scored an interview with the elusive developer, and it's an interesting read thanks to tidbits about the game's setting and its unique combo combat system. As for the former, Godager says that while Funcom considered many IPs -- including George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire -- the Conan property made the most sense because it lent itself to the "stylized HBO-like grown-up game" the team desired. It also helped that Robert E. Howard's Hyboria license had recently been acquired by Funcom partner Paradox. Age of Conan's combo system is indebted to a 1993 fighting game called Samurai Showdown that served as one of Funcom's very first projects. The developers all took a fencing lesson, during which the instructor said that "all sword fighting [is] based around only six attacks. Up left, up right, straight down, down side up left, down side up right, and stab." Godager says that the explanation stuck with him and ultimately had a significant influence on MMO combat. "Look at EverQuest and draw a line to Neverwinter," he explained. "You will see Conan in there directing the speed, intensity, and flow of combat." [Thanks Slith!] Original Age of Conan game director talks combat influences originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Assassin's Hideout

Square readying FFXIV gear checks, recruiting window, and more Posted: 11 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Final Fantasy XIV, Dungeons, Subscription Square is tweaking Final Fantasy XIV with an eye toward helping players conquer content with fewer hassles. A post on the game's forums indicates that repair fee reductions, dark matter cost adjustments, and a party recruitment window are on the way. The devs are also adding gear checks for high-level dungeons and hard mode primal battles, according to community team member Devin "Camate" Casadey. Square readying FFXIV gear checks, recruiting window, and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement Via: MMORPG.com

RIFT gives Beyond Infinity update overview Posted: 11 Sep 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, RIFT Get ready to blast off beyond infinity and just you shush if you're already starting to argue with that logical fallacy. Trion Worlds has put up an overview page for RIFT's Update 2.4: Beyond Infinity, and the list is pretty impressive for this upcoming content patch. Beyond Infinity includes two 20-person raids, a new five-person expert dungeon, the Infernal Dawn: Laethys chronicle, additional barbershop options, cross-shard instant adventures, and PvP prestige rank 90. Massively has a preview of Update 2.4 coming tomorrow, so stay tuned! [Update: Reader Chris tipped us off to a post on RiftScene, which quotes a German community manager claiming the release date will be September 18th.] RIFT gives Beyond Infinity update overview originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Update 2.4: Beyond Infinity

Conan O'Brien spoofs Diablo III Posted: 11 Sep 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Humor, Diablo III Talk show comedian Conan O'Brien spent a couple of minutes discussing his experiences playing Diablo III on a recent show. While he calls the graphics and gameplay "great," O'Brien takes issue with the voices and dialogue. "They don't seem to suit the dark and violent tone," O'Brien complains. OK, so it's really just an excuse for him to show a few clips from the game while providing zany voiceovers. If you've played the game, perhaps you'll be amused by the following video. Team Coco forever? Continue reading Conan O'Brien spoofs Diablo III Conan O'Brien spoofs Diablo III originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Smashmuck Champions now on Steam Early Access Posted: 11 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA If you were intrigued by our hands-on with new MOBA Smashmuck Champions at PAX Prime last week, we've got good news. The title is now available via Steam's early access program, according to a Kiz press release. The "program helps to further Kiz's commitment to open development, bringing the fans and players into the creation process to tweak, refine, and suggest new ideas that are incorporated into the game," the company says. Smashmuck Champions is free-to-play. You can view an announcement video after the break. [Source: Kiz press release] Continue reading Smashmuck Champions now on Steam Early Access Smashmuck Champions now on Steam Early Access originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Art of Wushu: The limits of human reaction time Posted: 11 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Guilds, PvP, Opinion, Age of Wushu, The Art of Wushu We're finally back on track with the kung-fu lessons, and today we're going to talk about something very important: how being human limits what you can do in an Age of Wushu duel. Like a lot of skills relating to dueling and strategy, this is a fairly broad skill that can be applied to a lot of games. Reaction speed is one of the most difficult things to train in Age of Wushu, especially for old-timers like me. Reacting to things in a timely matter is a massive advantage; it lets you punish feints, interrupt sluggish normal attacks, and stun people out of dance-like moves. The trouble is, we're human, and humans are slow. This time, we're going to look at exactly what that means in hard technical terms. Continue reading The Art of Wushu: The limits of human reaction time The Art of Wushu: The limits of human reaction time originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Sep 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMORPG News

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• Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep Pre-purchase Program Begins
• WildStar: It's a House Party
• Shroud of the Avatar: Latest Update Showcases Male Avatar Animations
• Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: Are Seasonal Events Really Fun?
• World of Warcraft: Siege of Orgrimmar Goes Live
• General: Steam Announces Family Sharing
• General: Windborne: Explore, Dig and Build On Your Own Island
• Aion: A Month of Celebration Planned
• WorldAlpha: Checking Out WorldAlpha

Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep Pre-purchase Program Begins Posted: 12 Sep 2013 07:35 AM PDT Turbine has announced that the pre-purchase option for the Lord of the Rings Online expansion, Helm's Deep, has officially started. Helm's Deep is set to launch on September 18th and can be purchased for either $29.99 or $59.99, each package coming with various in-game items.

WildStar: It's a House Party Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:14 PM PDT WildStar developer, Carbine Studios, is going out of its way to make sure that its players are engaged and having a great time. One way they plan to keep players busy and happy is with their housing system. We have a list of some of the things that players can expect to find in WS's housing system. Check it out and then head to the comments to chat!

Shroud of the Avatar: Latest Update Showcases Male Avatar Animations Posted: 10 Sep 2013 05:52 PM PDT The latest update from the Shroud of the Avatar team allows players to check out the latest animations from the team with regard to the male avatar. The post indicates that the animations have been redone and much, much more.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: Are Seasonal Events Really Fun? Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:15 AM PDT With the recent debut of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, the first update was, naturally, a seasonal event. In our latest FFXIV column, we wonder at how much fun these types of events truly are. See what we think before lending your voice to the conversation in the comments.

World of Warcraft: Siege of Orgrimmar Goes Live Posted: 11 Sep 2013 12:53 PM PDT According to player reports, queues are building in World of Warcraft with the arrival of Siege of Orgrimmar that will allow players to take on none other than Garrosh Hellscream himself. The Blizzard team has sent out a list of handy articles to read while you're waiting to get on your server.

General: Steam Announces Family Sharing Posted: 11 Sep 2013 12:49 PM PDT Steam has announced that next week will mark the commencement of the Family Sharing program beta where friends/families can approve one another and share game libraries.

General: Windborne: Explore, Dig and Build On Your Own Island Posted: 08 Sep 2013 06:50 PM PDT Windborne is a new game that is said to be a social featured MMO with sandbox elements. During PAX Prime, we took time to check out Windborne and have an exclusive preview to share. Read on before heading to the comments to chat.

Aion: A Month of Celebration Planned Posted: 11 Sep 2013 10:12 AM PDT Aion debuted in the West four years ago. To celebrate the momentous occasion, Aion players will be treated to an entire month's worth of activities and in-game events.

WorldAlpha: Checking Out WorldAlpha Posted: 09 Sep 2013 07:02 PM PDT In today's Independency column, we take a look at WorldAlpha, a collaborative, free to play, real-world style browser game that isn't quite as scary as it sounds. Check out our preview and mini-interview before chatting WorldAlpha up in the comments.

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