General Gaming Article

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• Dream Machine 2013 Bonus Video Content
• Nvidia Releases WHQL Certified 327.23 Drivers
• AMD Catalyst 13.9 Drivers Now Available to Download
• HP is First to Announce a Fanless Haswell Ultrabook and Leap Motion Notebook
• G.Skill Sets Record for World's Fastest Quad Channel Memory at 4,072MHz
• BlackBerry Reportedly Planning a Massive Round of Layoffs by End of 2013
• iBuyPower's Ultra-Thin Battalion M1771 Breaks Gaming Laptop Stereotypes
• Newegg Daily Deals: Western Digital 300GB VelociRaptor, Intel Core i5 4670, and More!

Dream Machine 2013 Bonus Video Content Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:23 PM PDT Deputy Editor Gordon Ung gives you a tour around this year's benchmark-busting beast Every year we set out to build the most kick-ass PC, where money is no object and performance rules the roost. This year's $16,000+ Dream Machine is no different. It's by far the most powerful PC we've ever built--shoot, it even cracked into 3DMark 11's esteemed Hall of Fame leaderboard!  The whole might be greater than the sum of its parts, but the parts are pretty damned impressive, as you will see in these behind-the-scenes videos of all the Dream Machine's components, with your host Deputy Editor Gordon Mah Ung! Click on the image to be directed to the videos! Were you impressed with this year's Dream Machine? Check out the videos and let us know in the comments below!

Nvidia Releases WHQL Certified 327.23 Drivers Posted: 19 Sep 2013 08:27 AM PDT An "essential update for all GeForce GTX users," Nvidia says This has been a good week for gamers. Intel, AMD, and now Nvidia have all released new graphics drivers, the latter of which is saying its GeForce 327.27 WHQL-certified drivers represent an "essential update" no matter which GeForce GTX GPU you own, as it delivers maximum stability and gets you ready for upcoming games like Batman: Arkham Origins. It's also the first WHQL-certified updated from Nvidia since July. The new drivers offer up to a 19 percent performance boost for GeForce 400 through 700 Series GPUs in several PC games when compared to GeForce 320.49 drivers. Nvidia provided a few examples of its claimed performance gains: Up to 15 percent in Dirt: Showdown (GeForce GTX 770) Up to 6 percent in Tomb Raider (GeForce GTX 770) UP to 19 percent in Dirt: Showdown (GeForce GTX 770 SLI) Up to 11 percent in F1 2012 (GeForce GTX 770 SLI) Nvidia's updated drivers also add an SLI profile to both Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Batman: Arkham Origins, enables GeForce to SHIELD streaming, add support for additional tiled 4K displays, add support for 4K FCAT testing, and extend support for tiled 4K features, among a few other changes. You can download the update on Nvidia's drivers page. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

AMD Catalyst 13.9 Drivers Now Available to Download Posted: 19 Sep 2013 08:06 AM PDT AMD's First logo certified driver for Windows 8.1 Heads up all you Radeon HD graphics card owners, AMD has released a new batch of WHQL certified Catalyst drivers, version 13.9. These are the first logo certified drivers for Windows 8.1, which Microsoft is planning to make available to download on October 18th (free for existing Windows 8 owners, $120 and up for the full retail version). Catalyst 13.9 supports both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. Here's what else you need to know. According to the Release Notes, Catalyst 13.9 does not include support for Frame Pacing or the very latest AMD CrossFire optimizations. If either or both of those are deal killers, you can opt instead to download and install a beta version of Catalyst 13.10, just be advised that stability or other odd issues may arise from playing around with pre-release code. Catalyst 13.9 includes WDDM 1.3 support for a whole bunch of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), along with Radeon HD 5000 through 8000 Series graphics cards. It also adds OpenGL support for User Profiles and Catalyst Application Profiles, and includes enhancements to AMD's Enduro technology (Catalyst Control Center now shows which applicatons are active on the Performance GPU and Power saving GPU). In addition to the above, Catalyst 13.9 resolves a handful of issues, including what AMD describes as "severe flicker" in Far Cry 3 game cinematic that could spill over into gameplay. You can grab the newest Catalyst drivers on AMD's download page. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

HP is First to Announce a Fanless Haswell Ultrabook and Leap Motion Notebook Posted: 19 Sep 2013 06:24 AM PDT Expect some unique systems from HP this holiday shopping season As we move away from the back-to-school frenzy and head into the holiday shopping season, HP revealed a number of new systems that could end up on wishlists. One of them is a fanless two-in-one detachable Ultrabook built around Intel's 4th Generation Core processor technology (in a word, Haswell). This is the first of its kind, though it's not the only system HP is blazing a trail with. More on that in a moment, but first a quick rundown of the HP Spectre 13 x2. In addition to Haswell, the two-in-one system features Beats Audio and a Full HD 1080p display. HP didn't divulge many details, though the main selling point is that the display pops off so you can use it as a tablet. The Spectre 13 x2 will be available in October starting at $1,100. Moving on, the HP Envy 17 Leap Motion Special Edition (SE) is the world's first notebook with integrated Leap Motion technology. Leap Motion, if you're not familiar, is a technology that allows you to navigate the desktop and control what you see on the display using in-air movements. You needn't actually touch the display, just wave your hand around for "fast and accurate navigation and control." Once again, HP is only providing minimal details about the hardware. We know the Envy 17 will have a 17.3-inch Full HD 1080p display, latest Intel processors (we take that to mean Haswell), and Nvidia graphics. This will also ship in October, with prices starting at $1,050. HP also recently announced its Chromebook 14, the first of its kind to have Haswell inside. It will be available soon starting at $300. Finally, HP talked up its Control Zone trackpad, which will be available for the first time in the aforementioned Spectre 13 Ultrabook. The Control Zone trackpad has extended areas on the left and right side of the touchpad that make it easier to navigate Windows 8/8.1. Not enough? There's even more to digest in HP's lengthy press release. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

G.Skill Sets Record for World's Fastest Quad Channel Memory at 4,072MHz Posted: 19 Sep 2013 06:15 AM PDT Chalk up yet another record for G.Skill G.Skill has quite the collection of world records to boast, the latest being the first quad-channel DDR3 memory kit to race past 4GHz. Intel's Ivy Bridge-E platform has only been on the market a week and G.Skill wasted no time testing the limits of the new silicon, along with its own brand memory kits. This time around it was again a G.Skill TridentX memory kit that achieved the record breaking frequency, which now sits at DDR3-4072MHz. The quad-channel TridentX kit sat in an Asus Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard with an Intel Core i7 4960X Extreme Edition processor. Setting the world record also required liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling, a definite buzz kill if you were hoping to pick up one of G.Skill's kits and achieve the same results at home (it's not going to happen on air). This was all about overclocking the RAM, and as such, only one of the Ivy Bridge-E CPU cores was active, which was running at 2,035MHz. As for the RAM, timings were set at 14-31-15-45 for the record breaking OC. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

BlackBerry Reportedly Planning a Massive Round of Layoffs by End of 2013 Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:45 AM PDT More layoffs loom as BlackBerry struggles for relevancy It's been a tough past couple of years for BlackBerry, and for many of its employees, things might be about to get worse. Citing "people familiar with the matter," The Wall Street Journal says the Canadian handset maker is getting ready to reduce its workforce by up to 40 percent. BlackBerry currently has around 12,700 employees spread across various divisions, and none of them are safe from the chopping block. "Organizational moves will continue to occur to ensure we have the right people in the right roles to drive new opportunities in mobile computing," a BlackBerry spokesman told WSJ. The cuts will affect all departments and are to occur in waves between now and the end of the year. These are on top of smaller rounds of layoffs earlier this year that mostly affected BlackBerry's sales and R&D departments, which themselves were on top of 5,000 job cuts last year. Just two years ago, BlackBerry was home to over 17,000 employees. At the time, BlackBerry owned a 14 percent share of the smartphone market, but the company's been unable to hold its ground amid rising competition from Samsung and continued competition from Apple. Even Microsoft's Windows Phone platform recently surpassed BlackBerry in market share, according to data from IDC. What's worse for BlackBerry is that it's running out of moves. The company already tried a name change, a new operating system, and new devices. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

iBuyPower's Ultra-Thin Battalion M1771 Breaks Gaming Laptop Stereotypes Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:15 AM PDT A gaming laptop without the bulk The gaming category is one of the last frontiers for thin and light form factors in the mobile space, and if iBuyPower's new Battalion MS1771-1 and MS1771-2 are any indication, gamers needn't worry about lugging around big and heavy laptops. Despite wielding 17.3-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) displays, these Battalion systems are billed as "ultra-thin," with iBuyPower claiming they're the thinnest 17-inch gaming laptops around. What iBuyPower didn't share are dimensions and weight, though a peek at the pictures reveal that they're not much bigger than a standard Ultrabook, which is quite a feat for a gaming laptop. "It used to be that the biggest notebooks carried the biggest power, but that's not the case anymore," remarked Darren Su, Vice President of iBuyPower. "Our new Battalion demonstrates that you don't have to sacrifice on mobility if you desire incredible gaming power. For those who want the best of both worlds, this is it." The Battalion MS1771-1 starts at $1,429 and includes an Intel Core i7 4700HQ processor, 8GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 765 GPU, 1TB hard drive (7200 RPM), Killer E2200 LAN, Killer N1202 dual-band Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0, and Windows 8 64-bit. There's no optical drive, though you can add an external DVD burner for $39 if you wish. For a bit more coin, the MS1771-2 starts at $1,769 and includes twice as much RAM (16GB) and adds a 256GB solid state drive to the mix. iBuyPower's Battalion gaming laptops are available to configure and order now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Western Digital 300GB VelociRaptor, Intel Core i5 4670, and More! Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:00 AM PDT Top Deal: When you were little, you may have asked your parents for a pet dinosaur (or maybe a pony) only to receive a funny look instead. Well, you're an adult now, and if you still want to bring home a beastly pet, have a look at today's top deal for a Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB hard drive for $100 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code DYMHD40). It feeds on data and races along at 10,000 RPM with a SATA 6Gbps interface and 32MB of cache. Other Deals: Intel Core i5-4670 Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $220 with free shipping (Free SQUARE ENIX Gift - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn) Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold Series 1200W ATX 80 Plus Gold Certified Modular Power Supply for $200 with free shipping (normally $250 - use coupon code: [IVYEPSU20]; additional $40 mail-in Rebate) LG IPS231B-BN Black 23" 5ms LCD Monitor w/Speakers for $171 with free shipping (normally $190 - use coupon code: [LGCMNT23]) ASRock Z77 OC Formula LGA 1155 Intel Z77 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard for $220 with free shipping (Free 4GB Crucial Ballistix memory w/ purchase, limited offer)

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MMO Updates

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• How SOE deals with bad seeds, in-game and out
• Marvel Super Hero Squad Online surpasses 6 million and offers free sub
• Japanese tank line coming to World of Tanks
• Closed beta begins for Heva Clonia Online
• Court puts a stop to Activision Blizzard independence
• The Daily Grind: What MMO did you unexpectedly love?
• Free for All: What a Memoria MMO might look like
• Choose My Adventure: I believe I can die in Age of Wushu
• MMO Family: Are kid-friendly MMOs doomed to extinction?
• Warhammer Online to close December 18th
• Champions Online sheds some light on how powers get designed
• SMITE unveils Thanatos, Hand of Death
• WildStar gives beta testers a wacky housing challenge
• RIFT 2.4 brings challenging instances to bear
• Guild Wars 2 world first: Tequatl the Sunless is down
• Leaderboard: Do you make time for MMOs on your vacation?

How SOE deals with bad seeds, in-game and out Posted: 19 Sep 2013 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Interviews, MMO Industry, Miscellaneous At this year's GDC Europe, SOE's director of global community relations, Linda Carlson, talked about her management philosophy for a community infected by trolls and bullies. GamesIndustry.biz caught up with Carlson after the panel to further discuss this growing issue. Interestingly enough, Carlson also commented on the scope at which SOE monitors player behavior -- even outside of its games. "If we know who you are and you're abusing somebody on Twitter, we will ban your game account and we will not accept you as a customer ever again. It's not always possible to identify people [in that way], but we take that seriously." Carlson goes on to say, "A very influential player, high up in a huge guild - we'll still ban them... In our games, if you are an exploiter we don't care who you are, how big your guild is, how many people you threaten to take with you when you go." Take a look at the entire interview for more on how SOE plans to deal with levels of negativity in its community. How SOE deals with bad seeds, in-game and out originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GamesIndustry.biz

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online surpasses 6 million and offers free sub Posted: 19 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, News Items, Free-to-Play, Giveaways When reaching a major milestone, it's pretty common to celebrate. Many even mark the occasion with gifts. And that's exactly what Marvel Super Hero Squad Online is doing for surpassing six million registrations -- and the players are the gift recipients! Until October 31st, 2013, Gazillion Entertainment is offering one week of paid subscription for the free-to-play game. Each account can claim this gift one time by entering the code 6MILPLYRS in the "Redeem a Game Code!" box on the official site. Marvel Super Hero Squad Online has over 100 playable heroes to choose from, including such favorites as Black Widow, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hawkeye, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and more. The game also offers various game modes, sidekicks, titles, world events, arcade games, and even a collectible card game starring Super Heroes from the game. To play, head on over to the site to sign up. [Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release] Marvel Super Hero Squad Online surpasses 6 million and offers free sub originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese tank line coming to World of Tanks Posted: 19 Sep 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Video, Patches, PvP, War, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks Now that Update 8.8 is in the books, Wargaming has announced that its wildly popular World of Tanks will be adding Japanese tanks to the mix. "The introduction of Japanese tanks allows us to explore the design and innovation of a number of legendary armored vehicles and give players the chance to experience their technological evolution throughout the mid-20th century," said World of Tanks Producer Mikhail Zhivets. "Tank models based on original designs of Japanese engineers will offer players a wide selection of authentic upgrade schemes, each tailored for particular combat objectives." The Japanese tank tree, which will initially consist of nine medium and five light machines, will be the seventh national line added to the game. Be sure to check out the new trailer for this upcoming content just after the jump. [Source: Wargaming press release] Continue reading Japanese tank line coming to World of Tanks Japanese tank line coming to World of Tanks originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Closed beta begins for Heva Clonia Online Posted: 19 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play Why should only a select few classes get to play around with pets? That's a question posed by Heva Clonia Online, a new free-to-play title entering closed beta testing today. Heva Clonia Online allows players to clone monsters encountered throughout the game, use them as pets, and even pit them directly against other pets in arena battles. This is somewhat reminiscent of a title from Nintendo, but it is completely legally distinct. If pets aren't so much your thing, the game also features a variety of minigames and two-person dungeons to break up the usual format of MMO gameplay. OGPlanet is also giving away a free gamepad to 10 lucky players who manage to reach level 10 between now and the time the beta ends on September 30th. If you'd like a chance to get in and start pocketing monsters, you can sign up for the beta test on the official site. [Source: OGPlanet press release] Closed beta begins for Heva Clonia Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Court puts a stop to Activision Blizzard independence Posted: 19 Sep 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, Miscellaneous So here's a short story for the morning told over one act. First, Activision Blizzard announces that it is separating from its parent company Vivendi and going independent, which surprises many people. Then a shareholder sues the company to prevent this from happening, claiming that it's a huge waste meant to cover a power grab. As a result, the separation is now officially on hold by the order of the Delaware Chancery Court, which was probably not the result most people had expected thus far. In order for the separation to continue, either the injunction must be modified on appeal or a majority vote by non-Vivendi stockholders must come down in favor of continuing the process. Activision Blizzard's representatives restated that they were dedicated to this course of action and are exploring options to ensure it still takes place. Vivendi has been trying to divest itself of Activision Blizzard for nearly a year now in hopes of boosting its overall stock price. Court puts a stop to Activision Blizzard independence originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Via: Polygon

The Daily Grind: What MMO did you unexpectedly love? Posted: 19 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription You know, I quite like Final Fantasy XIV. I'm especially fond of the crafting, the harvesting, and all of the references to the larger IP sprinkled liberally throughout Eorzea. And of course, who doesn't like that level up victory music? I'm probably preaching to the choir here, since the game is so popular that Square actually had to stop selling it for a time, but I dunno. I guess I'm surprised by how much I'm digging it, and as a result I'm glad that the two MMOs I'm actually planning to enjoy are quite a ways off. What about you, Massively readers? Have you ever fallen for a game unexpectedly? 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: What MMO did you unexpectedly love? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Free for All: What a Memoria MMO might look like Posted: 18 Sep 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, Virtual Worlds, Free for All, Miscellaneous There are a few styles of gaming that we just don't see much of anymore, and point-and-click adventure games has been one of those. The good news is that compared to other older styles like text-based or email-gaming, point-and-click adventuring is making a comeback. Thanks to the mobile market and its resurrected titles like Broken Sword and amazing newer games like The Walking Dead, adventure-lovers have much to do. Personally, I find adventure gaming to be a thrilling experience because they generally allow a player to use her brain more than her reflexes, and the experiences are usually quite beautiful too. Memoria is Daedalic Entertainment's latest adventure game set in The Dark Eye universe. It's often described as "the German Dungeons and Dragons." I'm not sure that the description gives either IP full credit, but The Dark Eye is one interesting universe. As usual, though, my mind wondered how the game could be worked into a multiplayer version. A massively multiplayer version. I've asked the same question of other games before, so let's look at how Memoria might make a killer MMO! Continue reading Free for All: What a Memoria MMO might look like Free for All: What a Memoria MMO might look like originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: I believe I can die in Age of Wushu Posted: 18 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Polls, Video, Game Mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Choose My Adventure, Livestream, Sandbox, Age of Wushu Wow. What a game, Age of Wushu. I mean, I have played many, many open-world, free-for-all PvP sandboxes in my time before this one, but Age of Wushu places all of those cool systems in a world that the West generally doesn't play in and then adds in little systems so that there is always something to do. Always. In fact the most common complaint I hear about the MMO is that there is too much to do but not enough explanation to cover all of the activities. I think the real frustration comes not from the lack of guides and pop-ups but from the fact that many of these "helpful" guides are localized for English-speaking audiences enough for them to make some sense, just not enough. I mean no offense here; this is just the truth: Broken English inside a game can make already complex gameplay much harder to understand. There are many small anomalies as well. For example, an NPC referred to me as a man although my character is a woman, and when a small icon indicated that I was hungry, I ate some food, but then an icon told me, "Hungry and Thirsty. HP and internal Energy Recovery speed increases slightly, but you will need some food." Huh? I just ate... I think? Now I can see why Patrick's Age of Wushu guides are so popular! Continue reading Choose My Adventure: I believe I can die in Age of Wushu Choose My Adventure: I believe I can die in Age of Wushu originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Family: Are kid-friendly MMOs doomed to extinction? Posted: 18 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous Recently, the family-friendly segment of the MMO industry suffered a bit of a blow with the news of Disney's decision to shut down Pirates of the Caribbean Online and Toontown. These were both titles that had been around for years, and both had loyal fanbases. Toontown in particular has been around for about a decade and won several awards through the years. So when the sunsettings were announced, it raised questions about whether kid-friendly games are as successful as publishers might have hoped. In fact, these aren't the only relatively well-known kids' titles to be shut down over the past year. And while it might be premature to signal the death knell for kid MMOs, it's a good time to do an assessment on what's working and what might be hampering success. In this week's MMO Family, it's time to do a little state of the (kid-friendly) industry. Continue reading MMO Family: Are kid-friendly MMOs doomed to extinction? MMO Family: Are kid-friendly MMOs doomed to extinction? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Warhammer Online to close December 18th Posted: 18 Sep 2013 02:10 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Warhammer Online, Anniversaries, Sunsets Today is Warhammer Online's fifth anniversary, but instead of getting a celebration, the players are getting a pink slip from Mythic. The studio announced that it will be shutting WAR down as of December 18th because its licensing deal with Games Workshop has come to an end. The official statement gives the important details: "We here at Mythic have built an amazing relationship working with Games Workshop creating and running Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning over the last 8 years. Unfortunately, as with all licensing deals they do eventually come to end and on December 18th, 2013 we will no longer be operating Warhammer Online. As such we will no longer be selling three-month game time codes or have the ability to auto renew your accounts for three months as of September 18th, 2013. From all of us here at Mythic we thank you again for your dedication and support over the last five years." Producer Carrie Gouskos also posted her own memories of the game on this somber occasion, including the revelation of a now-cancelled Asian F2P edition of the game and a vampire-themed expansion. "It has been a tremendous honor to work with Games Workshop and even though we may be parting ways, our relationship with them remains strong," she wrote. "And now, hopefully, because this may be the last thing I ever write about Warhammer, I'll be allowed to acknowledge the existence of Chaos Dwarves. Or maybe not." Warhammer Online to close December 18th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Shutdown notice, Producer letter

Champions Online sheds some light on how powers get designed Posted: 18 Sep 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Game Mechanics, News Items, Free-to-Play, Champions Online Superhero games are kind of into powers. It's their entire schtick. But how does a new powerset go from a vague concept to an actual set of abilities? Champions Online takes a look at this with a new development blog looking at how the Telepathy and Laser Sword mini-sets came into existence, straight from the hand of developer Chris Meyer. Meyer explains how Telepathy's revamps came about as a result of the set needing more cool stuff to do, while Laser Sword was meant as a thematic complement to a story arc. Both sets were intended to reward players for taking multiple powers out of the same set without explicitly forcing that behavior, creating cross-power synergy and positive interactions. This also led to certain design issues, such as the initial Laser Sword design feeling clunky and not having enough options for players in terms of passive powers, something that required a reworking of the set's focus and the addition of passive powers that work with other sets as well. If this sounds fascinating to you, you can find more of the hard design details in the official blog. Champions Online sheds some light on how powers get designed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Designing powersets

SMITE unveils Thanatos, Hand of Death Posted: 18 Sep 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA SMITE's roster of gods just got a little deeper with the addition of Thanatos, Hand of Death. Thanatos is a melee physical character with abilities centered on his massive scythe and has skills that enhance his movement speed, deliver massive damage, and siphon life from other gods. His entry in the SMITE arena stems from his boredom with ending the lives of mortals and the challenge represented by sending gods into death's domain. Check out the reveal video from Hi-Rez after the break for an in-depth look at Thanatos' abilities and a bit of story background on what makes him tick. Continue reading SMITE unveils Thanatos, Hand of Death SMITE unveils Thanatos, Hand of Death originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: News Post

WildStar gives beta testers a wacky housing challenge Posted: 18 Sep 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Screenshots, WildStar, Housing, Subscription Remember the WildStar housing challenge several months back? Carbine Studios has done it again, as the studio challenged beta testers to come up with the best player house screenshots. This time, however, there's a theme: wacky! Carbine posted the winners of the contest, which range from a Game of Thrones homage to a weird wedding to a labyrinth made of stuffed animals. All of the winners will receive a special trophy that can be displayed when the game goes live. For the rest of us, these screenshots are a glimpse into the potential of the housing system, so check them out and let us know what you think! WildStar gives beta testers a wacky housing challenge originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: WildStar Wednesday

RIFT 2.4 brings challenging instances to bear Posted: 18 Sep 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-Play, RIFT Ah, smell that? That's the smell of a big new content update in the air. And also many bugs that have been fried on the metaphorical bug zapper. But mostly an update. RIFT has upgraded to 2.4: Beyond Infinity, and that means a ton of additional content to be conquered and plundered. At the core of Update 2.4 are three new instances: the Infinity Gate raid, the Realm of Twisted Dreams dungeon, and the Infernal Dawn chronicle. An additional raid, Planebreaker Bastion, will be coming in weeks ahead. Update 2.4 also raises the PvP prestige cap to 90 with new gear and weapons, adds more hairstyle options, plugs in cross-shard instant adventures, and improves the new user experience. As you patch up, you can read the official notes and our preview of the update. RIFT 2.4 brings challenging instances to bear originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch Notes

Guild Wars 2 world first: Tequatl the Sunless is down Posted: 18 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Events (In-Game), News Items, PvE, Guild Wars 2, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play It's official: The Blackgate server is the first to down redesigned Guild Wars 2 world boss, Tequatl. Less than 24 hours after the Tequatl Rising patch went live, players from across Blackgate rallied to the cause and managed to down the beast after several failed attempts. The kill was confirmed by ArenaNet on the Guild Wars 2 Facebook page. Our own Richie Procopio was present for the killshot; check out his video of the encounter after the break. Continue reading Guild Wars 2 world first: Tequatl the Sunless is down Guild Wars 2 world first: Tequatl the Sunless is down originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Sep 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Facebook Post

Leaderboard: Do you make time for MMOs on your vacation? Posted: 18 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Leaderboard This week's Leaderboard comes to you live from the middle of my vacation. OK, it's not actually live, but I am AFK in theory. I say in theory because I still managed to play an MMO this week despite my sabbatical from the cushy confines of the Massively yacht. Anyway, enough wordcount filler. Let's talk about your vacation! More specifically, do you make any time to play MMOs or do you disconnect entirely? 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: Do you make time for MMOs on your vacation? Leaderboard: Do you make time for MMOs on your vacation? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 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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• Shroud of the Avatar: 48 hour Shroud Scene Jams Announced
• General: The Top Five 'Adult' MMOs
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Guild Battles Show Tomorrow Night
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning: Notice of Shutdown Posted
• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Making the 'Super Secret Space Project' Great
• SMITE: Thanatos, the Hand of Death Revealed
• Rift: Beyond Infinity Launched
• WildStar: Housing Contest Winners Announced
• ArcheAge: Will Piracy be Worth It?
• General: Eon Altar: Setting a New Standard for Tabletop Gaming
• Dragon's Prophet: Not 'Dragon' Its Heels

Shroud of the Avatar: 48 hour Shroud Scene Jams Announced Posted: 19 Sep 2013 07:23 AM PDT The Shroud of the Avatar team has announced a new six week long contest called "48 hour Shroud Scene Jams". Each weekend beginning September 20th, fans of the game will be challenged with creating a scene based on information given by the developers and by using the Unity engine. Forty-eight hours will be granted for the creation and upload of the scene.

General: The Top Five 'Adult' MMOs Posted: 17 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT Most MMOs cater to a more adult audience but some take that notion much further and add an edge of sexy spice to the mix. In The List today, we take a look at five MMOs that might steam up your screen. Check out our five and then add any we missed to the comments.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Guild Battles Show Tomorrow Night Posted: 18 Sep 2013 04:44 PM PDT Join Rob Lashley and the Star Wars: The Old Republic team consisting of Bruce Maclean, Sr. Producer, Rob Hinkle, Sr. Designer, and Eric Musco, Community Manager on Thursday, September 19th from 9:00 p.m EST (6:30 p.m. PST) for another edition of Galactic Guild Battles which shines the spotlight on some of the game's most amazing guilds. Tomorrow night "We Are Farmers" will take on other players in a Level 55 Ranked Warzone.

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning: Notice of Shutdown Posted Posted: 18 Sep 2013 02:20 PM PDT The Warhammer Online development team has posted a notice on the official site that states that the game will cease operations on December 18th. The official notice is quite terse but a personal reflection post by Producer Carrie Gouskos is also available on the site.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Making the 'Super Secret Space Project' Great Posted: 18 Sep 2013 03:00 AM PDT BioWare finally gave Star Wars: The Old Republic fans a peek at the game's long awaited 'Super Secret Space Project' during this year's PAX Prime. This week, we're offering up a couple of ideas on how to make that project truly shine and live up to its potential.

SMITE: Thanatos, the Hand of Death Revealed Posted: 18 Sep 2013 12:58 PM PDT Hi Rez Studios has sent out the latest video shining the spotlight on the newest god to enter the pantheon in SMITE. Thanatos, the Hand of Death, is the latest god to emerge. Thanatos is a melee, physical assassin in the game. Check out Thanatos before heading into the game.

Rift: Beyond Infinity Launched Posted: 18 Sep 2013 11:38 AM PDT Trion Worlds has announced that the latest game update to Rift has launched as of today, Wednesday, September 18th. Called "Beyond Infinity", the update brings a host of new content and several new features into the critically acclaimed MMO.

WildStar: Housing Contest Winners Announced Posted: 18 Sep 2013 11:34 AM PDT The latest WildStar Wednesday has hit the official site with the announcement of the winners of the recently held Housing Contest. The post also shines with some terrific screenshots of all the winners' works.

ArcheAge: Will Piracy be Worth It? Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:52 PM PDT Becoming a pirate is something that not many ArcheAge fans are aware that can happen in the forthcoming game published by Trion Worlds. In our latest ArcheAge column, we take a look at the pirate life and opine as to whether or not it's a worthwhile choice for players. Read on before leaving your thoughts in the comments.

General: Eon Altar: Setting a New Standard for Tabletop Gaming Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:44 PM PDT MMORPGs are the stock-in-trade of our site but occasionally we come across a game that is so wickedly awesome as to make us want to spread the word. So it is with Eon Altar, a mobile tabletop fantasy-RPG from Flying Helmet Games. We check out the game at PAX and have an exclusive first-look at a very cool game. Read on!

Dragon's Prophet: Not 'Dragon' Its Heels Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:01 PM PDT Now that the official launch day for Sony Online Entertainment's and Runewaker's Dragon's Prophet has finally arrived, it is worth taking a few minutes to catch up on what the team has been up to during the open beta and what players into the newly minted game can expect to find. Check out our preview before heading into Dragon's Prophet to see for yourself. Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

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