General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Epic Privacy Browser Makes Surfing Ultra-Discreet

Posted: 15 Sep 2013 11:27 AM PDT

EPBKeep your tracks hidden with Epic Privacy Browser

If privacy while you're browsing the web is important to you, the new Epic Privacy Browser from Hidden Reflex could be the answer for all your discreet surfing needs. It's free, proxies all search queries, and also offers a proxy feature that can cloak source IP addresses for all other internet browsing activity.

The Epic Privacy Browser, via PC World, will not accept third-party cookies and will block trackers. Referrer data that's normally sent to search engines will be blocked as well. Of course, while a small percentage of the data will not be blocked, there's enough wiped away here to make Epic Privacy Browser worth your while.

After you close your browser, none of your traffic passes through the Hidden Reflex servers. Auto-fill and other information is handled locally, and Epic eliminates any stored data when the browser closes. You may not have automatic login privileges, but your data is going to be a lot safer than with any old random browser.

If you're interested, check out the official website here. We wish you happy (and private) browsing!

Tablet Sales Projected To Pass PCs, Laptops In Late 2013

Posted: 14 Sep 2013 10:17 PM PDT

TabletsTablet sales on the rise, demonstrated by IDC

How keen are you on your tablet? Do you tend to use it more often than your PC or are you more of a hardcore desktop/laptop fan? If the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker is to be believed, tablet shipments are set to surpass PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2013. Tablets are selling like hotcakes.

According to the study, tablets will contribute 16.5 percent to the device market by 2017, while total PC sales are projected to drop to 13 percent. It's not as though there's any revenue to be lost here, though, as the "global smart connected device" (which ranges from PCs to tablets to smartphones) is a projected $622.4 billion, with $423.1 billion stemming from tablets and phones alone.

It's an ever-changing landscape as the rise of portable tech keeps going up and up. Desktops and laptops may be kings of productivity, but pocket tech is obviously wildly popular as well.

Valve Offering Steam Distribution Deal To IGF Finalists

Posted: 14 Sep 2013 09:47 PM PDT

IGFIGF finalists given chance to distribute games through Steam

Valve is offering a deal that Independent Games Festival (IGF) nominees can't refuse. The sixteenth annual IGF competition finalists will be given the chance to distribute their very own games on Steam, as announced yesterday via CVG. This bombshell comes right after the introduction of Steam Sharing, a handy new service we reported just a few days ago.

The festival takes place March 17-21 in San Francisco, and the finalists that will be showcased will be announced in January. Previous titles to have come from the popular festival include FTL and Fez. More recently, the cult hits Gone Home, Cart Life, and Kentucky Route Zero found places on Steam thanks to the partnership between Valve and the IGF.

Are you looking forward to the IGF and seeing which finalists made the cut?

Facebook Testing Auto-Play Ads on Mobile Feeds

Posted: 14 Sep 2013 08:48 PM PDT

FB LikeVideos on your mobile Facebook feed will now auto-play

Last month, we reported Facebook's plans to bring auto-play ads to your social networking experience. Now, TechSpot reports, Facebook is currently testing a new mobile feature that auto-plays videos on your feed. While this feature is being touted as a simpler way to view video content on your mobile devices, it's heralding the video ads we caught wind of previously.

Videos

Like the recent trending topics test run, this feature is only being rolled out for certain users. Right now, auto-play videos will only begin playing on your friends' pages, as well as musicians and bands. That's all well and good for now, but better brace yourselves -- it looks like the ads are upon us. How long until PC advertisements? We're sure they're probably on their way too.

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Rise and Shiny: Vega Conflict

Posted: 15 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Vega Conflict screenshot
You might be familiar with Kixeye for many different reasons, but this week I am discussing one of the games from its line-up: VEGA Conflict, which is typical in many ways but can definitely be surprising when it needs to be. Many of my favorite MMOs are made up of mechanics we've seen before, but those mechanics are delivered so smartly that the end result is a game that is worth more than it should be. As far as browser-based MMORTS titles go -- and there are scores and scores of them -- VEGA Conflict is a fun and unique blend of strategy, city-building, and Gratuitous Space Battles. It implements none of its designs flawlessly, but the game is almost perfectly balanced between casual play and powergaming.

I did receive a wad of coins from the developer shortly after I spent 10 dollars on some myself, and those coins bought me resources and sped up development and building. It's not directly a sell of power and is typical for the genre, but some might find it distasteful. The community didn't seem to mind the model much.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Vega Conflict

MassivelyRise and Shiny: Vega Conflict originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

    One Shots: Ms. Rasa 2217

    Posted: 15 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , ,

    One Shots Ms Rasa 2217
    Sometimes some of you readers are actually crazy enough to respond to my weekly screenshot challenges for who knows what reason. Reader Joe got all excited when I put out a call for "pin-up" pictures and sent me a trio of his characters from the near-future (and dead past). I thought this one was the most striking.

    "Here's Tabula Rasa proving that you don't need to show a lot of skin to look good in armor," Joe wrote. "That's right, Jyo, you work that incendiary injector gun!"

    Will our kids learn about Tabula Rasa on the History channel some day? I can only imagine. Other amazing player shots await you in this week's column!

    Continue reading One Shots: Ms. Rasa 2217

    MassivelyOne Shots: Ms. Rasa 2217 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Sep 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments

      The Daily Grind: Do you like a simple, complex, or customizable UI?

      Posted: 15 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT

      Filed under: , , ,

      The Daily Grind Do you like a simple, complex, or customizable UI
      Is it just me, or do MMO interfaces seem as though they're slimming down as of late? The bloated HUDs of the past are giving away to streamlined, almost minimalistic on-screen elements. Maybe that's just because I've been playing a lot of Guild Wars 2 as of late. Perhaps.

      But that's not really today's topic, now is it? I'm curious how you like your UI. Are you all about this sort of simple, streamlined setup? Do you adore a really complex interface that gives you scads of actions and information? Or do you just prefer it when a game allows you to modify it to your heart's content?

      Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you like a simple, complex, or customizable UI? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 15 Sep 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

      Permalink | Email this | Comments

        Ragnarok browser game renamed for English market debut

        Posted: 14 Sep 2013 06:00 PM PDT

        Filed under: , , , ,

        Ragnarok browser game renamed for English market debut
        A Ragnarok here, a Ragnarok there -- there are Ragnaroks everywhere! Last July we learned that Ragnarok Online was reinventing itself for browsers as Ragnarok Online: Prequel (which, by the way, is not any relation to Ragnarok 2). At that point, the browser version of the game, developed by Dream², was only available in China. Now, however, the company is bringing Prequel to the west and giving it a shiny new moniker to set it apart from the rest of the franchise. Ragnarok Zero, as the English version will be known, currently has its own website and forums up and running for fans to keep tabs on the game.

        [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

        MassivelyRagnarok browser game renamed for English market debut originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

        Prime World patch slips you some skins

        Posted: 14 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT

        Filed under: , , ,

        Prime World patch slips you some skin

        Call out "New skins! New skins!" to the MOBA crowd and just watch as they come a-runnin'. Nival's added a bunch of new skins for Prime World with its patch 9.10, giving additional looks (and gender options) to familiar heroes.

        Patch 9.10 has a ton of changes beyond just the cosmetic. There are talent and skill changes, of course, as well as a search feature for co-op challenges, challenge quests, and new monsters.

        The team also explained a rather major change to the battle start UI: "In the future, we plan to add new features, like playing against bots in other modes, as well as new modes. The interface in its recent state was overloaded, and it was not wise to load it even more with new elements. The new interface, however, will spare us many troubles in the future."

        [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

        MassivelyPrime World patch slips you some skins originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

        The Tattered Notebook: EverQuest Next roundtable roundup

        Posted: 14 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT

        Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

        The Tattered Notebook  EverQuest Next round table roundup
        Back when EverQuest Next and EverQuest Landmark were announced, SOE President John Smedley made it clear that the two games were henceforth in "open development." That meant that the company would be soliciting feedback and opinions from players about myriad design decisions for the two games.

        Since then, EQ Next devs have thrown out new questions each week for players to vote on and discuss. Utilizing polls and forum discussions in a special section of the main site labeled Round Table, important topics like bearded female dwarves and armor appearance customization are delved into and player desires and feedback are gathered. After collecting the data, the devs respond, sometimes in video form.

        Today, The Tattered Notebook is going to round up all those roundtables, giving you a summary of which way the community is leaning on these different topics as well as the dev input. I'll even throw in snippets of their opinions as well! Of course, if you haven't added your thoughts to the mix and you'd like to, you still have time to do so as all the polls are still active.

        Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: EverQuest Next roundtable roundup

        MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: EverQuest Next roundtable roundup originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

          Japanese player earns $10K playing ArcheAge

          Posted: 14 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT

          Filed under: , , , ,

          Japanese player earns $10K playing ArcheAge
          There's that dream out there of getting paid to simply play games. You know you have it. We even have it. Well, a married Japanese man who goes by "Moru-chan" grabbed that dream and looted it to its fullest, as he earned over $10,000 (one million yen) in three months for playing the MMORPG ArcheAge.

          The money's on the up-and-up, in case you were thinking otherwise. Moru-chan was selected by ArcheAge's project management team to live in a one-room apartment and stream the game for 12 hours a day. He'd wake up at noon and start playing in the afternoon until the wee hours of the morning, streaming ArcheAge for all to see. Moru-chan also blogged about his experience and organized large-scale activities using his newfound fame.

          [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

          MassivelyJapanese player earns $10K playing ArcheAge originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

          Permalink | Email this | Comments

          The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's dungeons

          Posted: 14 Sep 2013 02:00 PM PDT

          Filed under: , , , , ,

          If this is too long and you didn't read it, Sunken Temple is indeed as bad as they say.
          My interest in Final Fantasy XIV is not purely about racing to the endgame, but I am well aware there is an endgame. And while I'm easily distracted by the pursuits of other goals such as leveling Arcanist, I'd rather be on the early side to the party. There's nothing wrong with not being the first at endgame, but I'd prefer to beat the rush, if you know what I mean. So my playtime has been focused a bit more toward getting to the end of the story quick-like.

          This also means going through a lot of Final Fantasy XIV's dungeons. I'm not quite up to the last rush, but considering a lot of people I see are still moving into stuff I left behind a while ago, I'm still a bit ahead of the parabola. So let's take a look at the dungeons along the path from level 1 to level 50 after the initial set (which I covered back in beta).

          Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's dungeons

          MassivelyThe Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's dungeons originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

          Permalink | Email this | Comments

            Defiance state of the game promises improvements

            Posted: 14 Sep 2013 01:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , , , ,

            Defiance
            Defiance Creative Lead Trick Dempsey is in the middle of his move to Trion Worlds' Redwood Shores studio, but he's paused to take the time to write a state of the game before he changes ZIP codes.

            The top priority for the Defiance team is fixing weapons -- all of them. Dempsey said that the team is examining the "core balance" of all of the weapons and sorting out rarity and bonus issues. "Higher rarity weapons will always be accompanied with celebration and never disappointment," he promised.

            The team is also looking to tweak and improve shields, inventory, objectives, the UI, and especially the chat system. Dempsey ends his letter teasing the upcoming second DLC, the details of which he says will be coming "soon."

            [Thanks to Etaew for the tip!]

            MassivelyDefiance state of the game promises improvements originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

            Permalink | Email this | Comments

            The Game Archaeologist: What I loved about Warhammer Online

            Posted: 14 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , , , ,

            The Game Archaeologist What I loved about Warhammer Online
            As I got my start in blogging over Warhammer Online, I've become "the guy" everyone on staff goes to whenever WAR hits an anniversary. The problem is, there's precious little good to say about this title's development over the past year. Pretty much all of the news we've gotten has been negative, from the closure of Wrath of Heroes to the elimination of the six-month subscription to the departure of its most vocal developers. TL;DR version of my feelings on the topic: WAR needs F2P or it will die probably much sooner rather than later.

            But instead of going maudlin and piling on the obvious, I want to go down a different road today for the sake of those who loved and perhaps still love Warhammer Online. Obviously, people continue to play it even though its day in the spotlight is long gone, and I'd like to chime in with some positivity for a change. After all, WAR's celebrating its fifth anniversary, and that's pretty cool.

            So in honor of that, here's a list of seven things that I loved about WAR from my time playing it and why it wasn't quite the abysmal failure that revisionist history has made it out to be.

            Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: What I loved about Warhammer Online

            MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist: What I loved about Warhammer Online originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

            Permalink | Email this | Comments

              ArenaNet offers sneak peek at future Guild Wars 2 balance changes

              Posted: 14 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT

              Filed under: , , , , ,

              ArenaNet offers sneak peek at future Guild Wars 2 balance changes
              Game design lead Jonathan Sharp took to the Guild Wars 2 official forums yesterday to offer players a "high level" look at ArenaNet's plans for profession balance and improvements. Although the changes won't be going into effect until the October 15th release -- and Sharp cautions that some of them might not make it in that early -- ArenaNet wants to provide fans with a chance to see where each profession is headed and to offer feedback. Several nifty quality of life improvements are also in the works, such as updated trait tooltips and more options for fast cast ground targeting.

              In another forum post, lead content designer Mike Zadorojny gave fans an update on GW2's highly anticipated looking-for-group tool. To ensure quality and stability, a beta version of the tool will be released with next week's Tequatl Rising content patch and will initially be available to a limited number of players. As the week goes on, greater numbers of players will have access to the tool.

              [Thank you to Siphaed for the tip!]

              MassivelyArenaNet offers sneak peek at future Guild Wars 2 balance changes originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 14 Sep 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

              Permalink | Email this | Comments

              MMOGaming News

              MMOGaming News


              Nanbo's S.K.I.L.L. (Secret Force 2) Review

              Posted:

              Nanbo's S.K.I.L.L. (Secret Force 2) Review


              A new FPS title opens up. Based on Unreal Engine 3 and published by Gameforge, the game has launched in OB today. How was Secret Force 2? Let's find out!

              Total Pageviews

              statcounter

              View My Stats