General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Nvidia Posts Financial Results for Q4, GPU Revenue up Nearly 50 Percent

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:48 PM PST

Nvidia LogoPC gaming drives Q4 revenue

Nvidia has posted its fourth quarter financial results of fiscal 2014. Ending on January 26, 2014, the manufacturer revealed its reported revenue was $1.14 billion, an increase of 8.6 percent compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. Also, during the fourth quarter, GeForce GTX GPU revenue saw an increase of almost 50 percent, according to Nvidia's report. 

Attributing fourth quarter growth to PC gaming, Nvidia president Jen-Hsun Huang said, "Quarterly revenue came in well above our outlook, driven by PC gaming, capping an outstanding year for our GPU business."

Yet there were other factors as well, Huang revealed, "Tesla and Quadro both achieved record annual revenue. GRID cloud technology is being evaluated at hundreds of large enterprises worldwide. And Tegra K1 is disrupting the auto industry, paving the way to self-piloted cars. The groundbreaking work we are doing in visual computing is expanding the opportunities for our GPUs."

The report also revealed that Nvidia's total revenue for fiscal 2014 was $4.13 billion. However, this number was lower compared to fiscal 2013 which saw a record $4.28 billion for the company.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2015 Nvidia is expecting its generated revenue to be around $1.05 billion.

AMD Mantle Interview with Oxide Games' Dan Baker

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:40 PM PST

dan bakerCould Mantle be the next successor to DirectX?

Oxide Games developer Dan Baker helped answer some questions we had about AMD's new Mantle API.  Oxide's upcoming game, Star Swarm, will support Mantle out of the gate and the company has been very vocal about Mantle which it believes can help all gamers and also start a dialogue about the future of APIs on the PC. 

Maximum PC: Most believe Mantle is a low-level API that is very close to the metal. Can you explain why this concept is wrong?

Baker: Relative to Microsoft's Direct3D (D3D), Mantle is indeed more low-level. But it's not low-level in the sense that we are exposed to individual architectural decisions. For example, Mantle still abstracts the details of the shader cores themselves, so that we don't even know if we are running on a vector machine or a scalar machine. What isn't abstracted is the basic way a GPU operates. The GPU is another processor, just like any other, that reads and writes memory. One thing that has happened is that GPUs are now pretty general in terms of functionality. They can read memory anywhere. They can write memory anywhere. A lot of the things an API has traditionally managed aren't really necessary any more. Mantle puts the responsibility onto the developer. Some feel that is too much, but this really isn't any different than managing multiple CPUs on a system, which we have gotten pretty good at. We don't program multiple CPUs with an API, we just handle it ourselves. Mantle gives us a similar capability for the GPU.

Maximum PC: You've said Mantle really addresses the inefficiencies of DirectX which was architected in the 1990s. Can you give us some examples of the inefficiencies of DX? We know you've mentioned DrawCalls as an example.

Baker: DirectX was architected in a time when two things were true. First, the hardware itself was very fixed-function. That is, there was a lot of secret sauce as to what exactly it did. As shading models became almost completely general, the need to abstract this level become less useful. The best way to think of a GPU is just a processor that runs programs. All we really want our API to do is give us a means of executing little programs on the GPU. This programs are what's in a batch, or a draw call. We don't want it to manage memory, we don't want to 'make things easier for us.' 

Oxide's Star Swarm

Oxide's Star Swarm RTS promises a huge boost in performance when running AMD's Mantle API

The second problem is that APIs are still designed in this functional threading model where you have a series of processes that pass work back and forth to each other. The idea is that you have say, one thread for rendering, one thread for audio, one thread for gameplay, etc. This is a really not a scalable way to build things. In situations where you have a shared L3 cache, you also create contention from all the different processes running, since they all access completely different memory. The industry continues to move to a job-based setup, where we have lots of tiny jobs that run asynchronously. This can now scale to a large number of CPUs, and we can fill up most of the previously unused time where one of the processors isn't doing something. 

Maximum PC: Does OpenGL face the same limitations? It's also a pretty old API at this point.

Baker: OpenGL has essentially all the core problems of D3D, except that one can add extensions to it. The main difference between OpenGL and D3D is that D3D made an attempt to be threaded, and failed, whereas OpenGL has not yet attempted it. One question is whether it is worth building a new API or making a bunch of extensions to an existing API. You can get some mileage out of making extensions, but extensions can't bridge things like being able to use multiple CPUs. Also, at some point it's cleaner and easier just to hit the reset button, rather than throw yet another feature in a fairly big API. Believe it or not, Mantle is actually easier to support than OpenGL. OpenGL has many unobvious pitfalls and traps, whereas Mantle really doesn't. 

Oxide Games and Mantle Presentation Demo

Maximum PC: There have been some pretty wild claims of performance increases by going to Mantle. How much have you seen in your game?

Baker: This depends on how exploitative you are, and the specifics of your engine. For us, we have been completely limited in what we could do by driver overhead problems. We were actually making decisions where we traded GPU performance for CPU–that is, we'd end up doing things that are slower on the GPU, because we could get away with less driver overhead.  When you talk about building an FPS, you probably spend much of your time optimizing for the GPU; when you try to build an RTS, you end up optimizing for the driver overhead. Nitrous is a new breed of rendering system. Oxide's specialty is high throughput. 

When you look at Star Swarm, it's really a testament to brute force. For us, we can see cases where Mantle is many times faster, with especially big differences as we add more cores and slow down their clock speeds. We wouldn't expect most games to necessarily see this, as it will happen in cases where you have a really efficient, high throughput engine, but it will certainly make an impact everywhere. We aren't set up to do very precise testing, so we'd rather others do the analysis on this. However, we'd like to point out that our Direct3D performance is absolutely outstanding, relative to what is expected. We have spent a huge amount of time optimizing around D3D, and we feel we are actually pretty biased in D3D's favor. Mantle, on the other hand, we've spent far less time with and currently have only pretty basic optimizations. But Mantle is such an elegant API that it still dwarfs our D3D performance. 

Maximum PC: It seems that the main challenge for Mantle to succeed is getting support from Nvidia and Intel. Do you see that as actually happening from a developer point of view?

Baker: Yes and no. Mantle does detract from other platforms, and we are already seeing a big dialogue in terms of what future APIs should look like. Mantle is kind of the disruptive technology that gets everyone rethinking things. Whether this means a new version of OpenGL, or a new version of D3D, we can't say. But it is clear that they will have to adapt if they want to stay relevant. Some of us have been screaming for change for years. The arguments we got in the past were: 1) it couldn't be faster 2) it would be too hard to use, and 3) we have enough performance, so more isn't useful. We wanted to show that all three of these things are provably false.

Maximum PC: Do you see a world where developers will have to write for DX and Mantle? How much of a challenge is it to write for both APIs?

Baker: APIs come and go. Once you support more than one, it's pretty easy to support a dozen–assuming there is parity in the hardware features, and assuming you don't have to rewrite your shaders in an entirely different language. If you release a title right now, you would end up with likely six paths. An Xbox360, a PS3, a PS4, a Xbox One, a DX9, and a DX11. For us, the graphics system is just a module that talks to the API. All we did for Mantle was replace the D3D module with a Mantle one. It's about 3,000 to 4,000 lines of code for the Mantle version, which took me personally about two months to write. In terms of support, at least for us, it wasn't terribly difficult.

If you'd like to give Mantle a test drive, you can download AMD's beta drivers for it here and the Star Swarm stress test on Steam

SanDisk's Extreme Pro SD Card is UHS-II Certified for 4K Video Recording

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 12:35 PM PST

SanDisk Extreme ProA fast SD card suitable for 4K video recording

SanDisk today announced the Extreme Pro SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card, which the company is quick to point out is the fastest SD card on the planet. The new card blazes a trail with up to 250MBs/s write speeds for continuous burst mode shooting and up to 280MB/s read speeds. It also boasts a the UHS Speed 3 rating, meaning it's certified for 4K, Full HD, and 3D video recording chores.

The fast write performance allows photographers with fancy new DSLR cameras and pro video recorders to capture high resolution content, such as taking RAW snapshots in succession and sustained video capture of 30MB/s, SanDisk says.

"The new SanDisk Extreme Pro SD UHS-II card shatters the existing barrier of UHS-I limitations, delivering speeds up to three times faster than current cards," said Susan Park, director, product marketing, SanDisk. "As leaders in the flash storage industry, our goal is to deliver the fastest memory cards on the market, enabling next generation cameras to take advantage of new levels of performance. This is another example of our legacy of innovation and technology leadership in the digital imaging and video industries."

SanDisk is currently taking pre-orders for the new card. It's available in 16GB to 64GB capacities ranging in price from $120 to $300. You can also pre-order SanDisk's new Extreme Pro SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Card Reader/Writer for $50. Both the reader/writer and cards are expected to be available in April.

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Overclocker Sets Single Core Benchmark Record Using a Penryn Chip and Notebook Mobo

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:59 AM PST

Overclocked PenrynGoing old school to set a new record

An overclocker from China who goes by the handle "Wytiwx" just set a new record in HWBOT Prime, but what's really amazing is that he achieved the record score using an Intel Celeron 900 processor based on the Penryn microarchitecture. Record scores aren't all that easy to come by, which is why Wytiwx decided to give it a shot after noticing that overclocked Penryn chips seem to post the best scores in HWBOT Prime.

Wytiwx's score of 2,668.63 pps is a new record in the single core category, and is also tops in the Mobile Celeron 900 category. He achieved the record breaking score by plopping the Penry chip into a notebook motherboard and cranking the frontside bus to 363MHz. That resulted in a 4GHz clockspeed, nearly doubling the chip's 2.2GHz stock frequency.

As for cooling chores, you might have guessed that he used liquid nitrogen (LN2), and you'd be correct. LN2 is a popular choice among overclockers who are chasing world records, though impractical for regular setups that run for any extended period of time.

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Humble Sid Meier Bundle Now Includes Pirates, Civilization V DLC

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:21 AM PST

PiratesPay more than $15 to unlock a treasure trove of Sid Meier games

Looking for something to do this coming weekend? Have a look at the Humble Sid Meier Bundle. Many of you already have, as the collection of titles raked in $1.7 million during the first two days last week. What was already a good deal is even sweeter with the addition of two DLC packs for Civilization V and the 2004 reload of Sid Meier's Pirates. At present, it takes $15.01 to unlock the entire collection.

Pay $1.01 or more and you'll get Steam keys for Sid Meier's Civilization III (Complete), Civilization IV: The Complete Edition, Ace Patrol, Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies, and Railroads.

If you pay more than the average of $9.50 (at the time of this writing), you'll also unlock Sid Meier's Civilization V, Civilization V: Gods and Kings DLC, Civilization V: Scrambled Nations Map Pack, Civilization V: Scrambled Continents Map Pack, and Pirates, along with the Civilization V soundtrack and Baba Yetu (Civilization IV theme).

Finally, if you pay more than $15, you'll unlock all the above mentioned titles plus Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World DLC.

Interested? Hit up the Humble Bundle website.

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Mozilla's Planning to Splash Ads in Empty Firefox Tiles

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:20 AM PST

Firefox LogoNotice to new Firefox users: You've been served (ads)

Mozilla has decided that the best course of action going forward is to fill all those blank squares in new tabs with sponsored content (ads, for the layman). The new initiative is called Directory Tiles and it's intended to "improve the first-time-with-Firefox experience," or at least that's the sales pitch from Darren Herman, Mozilla's Vice President of Content Services. It's his job to diversify revenue and sustain Mozilla's mission through innovation in content and personalization products, and this is one way he plans to do that.

As explained in a blog post, Directory Tiles will feature "pre-packaged content for first-time users." Some will come from Mozilla's own ecosystem, while others will be popular websites in a given geographic locations. Directory Tiles will also include "sponsored content from hand-picked partners."

A well-timed satirical article in The Onion titled "Compromising Company's Values for Advertising Revenue Referred to as 'Partnering'" is worth a read if you're need of a good laugh, though this is serious business to Mozilla. Most of Mozilla's revenue comes from its search agreement with Google that's worth around $300 million per year. Through advertising, Mozilla will gain a new revenue stream and perhaps not be so reliant on Google, which offers its own browser in Chrome.

Even so, it's a surprising move, especially considering that Mozilla championed the blocking of third-party cookies by making it a default option starting in Firefox 22. Firefox has also been a fan favorite for several years.

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HP Clarifies Stance on Firmware and Support for Server Customers

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:24 AM PST

HP ProLiant Micro ServerSafety and security updates will remain free to all of HP's server customers

Hewlett-Packard ruffled a few feathers on Friday when Mary McCoy, Vice President of HP Servers - Support Technology Services stated in a blog post that HP would only provide future firmware updates to customers with a valid warranty, Care Pack Service, or support agreement. The policy was to go into effect beginning February 19, 2014, but as that date draws near -- and the rumblings grow louder -- McCoy today took to the blogosphere to explain the decision and clarify HP's stance on safety and security updates.

Straight and to the point, all server customers will continue to receive security updates regardless of warranty status. What about firmware updates?

"The firmware access changes we are making on February 19, 2014 apply to HP ProLiant servers only. Specifically, within ProLiant, we are not putting entitlement requirements on iLO, I/O, or controller firmware; we are only entitling ProLiant system ROM and complex programming logic devices (CPLD) firmware," McCoy stated in a new blog post today.

Though HP is limiting the policy to ProLiant customers, it covers a wide range of products, everything from low-end servers all the way up to enterprise grade servers. HP justifies the move by saying warranty sales is part of the way it's able to invest in and create new products, though the policy could end up driving customers to competitors like Dell and IBM that don't charge for out-of-warranty firmware updates.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Pre-Order Titanfall for PC and Receive a $10 Gift Card!

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 07:53 AM PST

Titanfallnewegg logo

Top Deal:

It's everyone's dream to one day climb inside a mech and pound your opponents into a hunk of scrap metal, right? If you agree, you're going to dig today's top deal -- it's for Titanfall for PC (Pre-Order) for $60 (Free Newegg $10 Gift Card with purchase). Titanfall is scheduled to release on March 11, 2014 in the U.S., at which point you'll be able to climb inside a Titan to kick some metal butt, or run around on foot as an agile player-pilot.

Other Deals:

EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card for $510 with free shipping (normally $555; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

LG 29EA73-P 29-inch 5ms HDMI LED Backlight Monitor for $380 with free shipping (normally $450 - use coupon code: [PRSDNTDAY48])

CM Storm Stryker - White Full Tower Gaming Computer Case for $160 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [EMCPHWW25]; additional $15 Mail-in rebate)

Western Digital WD VelociRaptor 500GB 10000 RPM 3.5-inch Hard Drive for $120 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [EMCPHWW38])

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Choose My Adventure: Get along little EQ Froggy

Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST

Filed under: , , , ,

Now that character creation wasn't there to soak up the majority of my gaming time (as minimal as it may be in EverQuest), I had the chance to move forward in my famous Froglok adventures -- as directed by you, of course. And while there's always a chance that votes will ultimately set the Choose My Adventure host up to be bucked right off the bronco of fun in a new game, y'all done me good.

As per your latest votes, I moseyed along instead of galloping through the content; I checked out all the nooks and crannies of my areas, poking my striped nose into places it may or may not have belonged. This appealed greatly to the explorer in me, so thanks! I also grouped up when I could, which made everything that much more enjoyable. And I took special care to follow your final instructions: slaughter everything! And to tell you the truth, this past week EQ has grown on me more than ever before. I have had some of the funnest experiences this past week!

Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Get along little EQ Froggy

MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Get along little EQ Froggy originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Feb 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Check out FFXIV on the PS4 through new screenshots, trailer, and dev video

    Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

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    Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is hitting the PlayStation 4 on April 14, 2014, but you don't have to wait until then to get a glimpse of the fantasy game on the console. Square Enix has released a number of new screenshots highlighting this version along with the official PS4 trailer. Additionally, Producer Naoki Yoshida shares his experience with developing the console version in another video entitled "PS4 Conversations with Creators." And we've got them all right here for you.

    If you own a PS4 and you'd like to test the game out, you can join A Realm Reborn's beta for free. The first phase is currently scheduled for February 22nd through March 3, 2014, and the second test will be April 4 though April 7, 2014. On April 11th, all players who own the game on PS3 will be able to transfer their accounts for free.

    [Source: Square Enix press release]

    Continue reading Check out FFXIV on the PS4 through new screenshots, trailer, and dev video

    MassivelyCheck out FFXIV on the PS4 through new screenshots, trailer, and dev video originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Lord of Ultima shutting down in May

      Posted: 12 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST

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      Lord of Ultima shutting down in May
      The land of Caledonia will soon be swallowed up by the sea of game closures. On Monday, May 12th at 2:00 a.m. EST, Lord of Ultima services will be stopped permanently. Announcing the closure, the developers of Lord of Ultima thanked players for their continued support over the years. Starting now, the ability to buy Play4Free Funds is disabled, but players who currently have the in-game currency are encouraged to spend it before the shutdown. New account creation has also been disabled; those who are already in the game, however, can continue their quest to be one of the final lords ruling over the land.

      [Thanks to all who sent in tips!]

      MassivelyLord of Ultima shutting down in May originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Feb 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      MMO Mechanics: Three old mechanics I want back

      Posted: 12 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST

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      MMO Mechanics title image
      My column has typically heralded modern MMOs as superior advancements of the genre we all adore, but in this week's MMO Mechanics I want to share a small list of some old mechanics I still mourn today. Many older MMOs featured gameplay that could simultaneously exasperate and impress players, especially when the mechanics in question supported a real sense of immersion or realism in otherwise virtual worlds. Recent titles have aimed to open up the in-game world by making it more accessible and much less infuriating, but this has put some of my favourite mechanics and little touches on the development chopping block.

      I'm particularly fond of game mechanics that make real-world sense. Real life would not reward you for falling off cliffs, running headlong into a crowded room of enemies, or stumbling off the well-beaten track into the untamed wilderness. Consequences in real life can feel rather scary, so I really enjoyed the fear factor of some older MMOs because this allowed for a much more thrilling -- and ultimately rewarding -- gaming experience. I am going to talk about just three older mechanics I particularly enjoy that have fallen out of fashion, but feel free to lengthen my list by adding your favourites in the comments below.

      Continue reading MMO Mechanics: Three old mechanics I want back

      MassivelyMMO Mechanics: Three old mechanics I want back originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: Do login incentives work on you?

        Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST

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        Trove
        MMOs really, really want you to log in and play them every day, mostly because if you do, there's an increased chance of you spending money on them. So above and beyond hopefully providing an engaging game experience, the studios often outright bribe players with login gifts.

        I've seen these gifts in RIFT, Trove, and Lord of the Rings Online, as well as a particularly insidious gift system in Neverwinter that doles out rewards every hour. Soon we'll be hiring employees to just sit at our desks to keep our characters logged in while we sleep; mark my words.

        So do these login incentives work on you? Do you make a round between MMOs that have these, even if you're not playing them as much?

        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 login incentives work on you? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 12 Feb 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Stream Team: Of Tears and valentines in EQII

          Posted: 11 Feb 2014 06:00 PM PST

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          The Stream Team:  Of Tears and valentines in EQII
          Massively's MJ kicks off her own streaming celebration The Week of EverQuest with a foray into the franchise's middle child, EverQuest II. But will she be plumbing the depths of a solo dungeon from Tears of Veeshan or frolicking about gathering festive goodies for Erollisi day? You know, she's a rebel -- she just might do both! Join us live at 9:00 p.m. for a little love and death this EverQuest Two-sday.

          Game: EverQuest II
          Host: MJ Guthrie
          Date: Tuesday, February 11th, 2014
          Time: 9:00 p.m. EST

          Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

          Continue reading The Stream Team: Of Tears and valentines in EQII

          MassivelyThe Stream Team: Of Tears and valentines in EQII originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Jukebox Heroes: Elf music

            Posted: 11 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST

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            LotRO
            As probably many of you know, I am no fan of the Elven menace. I won't rehash the reasons n this space, but I mention that because I do try to be a fair man. When I'm not trying to eradicate any pointy-eared immortal know-it-all tree-hugger in sight, I have been known to appreciate the Elves' musical culture. That doesn't make me a hypocrite. It just gives me slight pause before ganking the next Drizzt or Legolas.

            For whatever reason, Elves bring out the magic and talent in MMO composition. Elven themes are quite often among the best that a particular OST has to offer, particularly if you like airy, magical, ethereal tracks that are big on imagination and almost devoid of percussion. I've been noting the trend of excellent Elf music for years and figured I might as well devote a week to it here before going back to my Elf-bashing ways.

            Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Elf music

            MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Elf music originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              World of Tanks patch pits nation vs. nation

              Posted: 11 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST

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              World of Tanks
              World of Tanks is rumbling for a tumbling with Update 8.11 this week. The patch, which is being rolled out worldwide over the course of the week, has a new "experimental" mode that throws nations against each other.

              The Confrontation mode groups vehicles from a specific nation against similarly tiered vehicles from another nation to see who ends up the victor. Wargaming was quick to point out that it had yet to balance this mode and that Japanese and Chinese vehicles are not available in these fights.

              There's more to Update 8.11 than the Confrontation mode, however. The team's added Windstorm, a new European winter-themed battle arena, and revamped the Ruinberg and Himmelsdorf maps.

              [Source: Wargaming press release]

              MassivelyWorld of Tanks patch pits nation vs. nation originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                SOE's Smedley: Sandbox gaming is 'at the core of everything we're doing'

                Posted: 11 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST

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                SWG storyteller
                John Smedley's got a new blog, and he's kicked it off with an explanation of SOE's decision to make sandbox MMOs going forward. If you're already a sandbox fan, much of what he says is restating the obvious, from the belief that content-driven themepark models are unsustainable to the notion that MMOs should be showcasing player-generated content tools like Star Wars Galaxies' storytelling suite or Lord of the Rings Online's music system.

                Even if you're not a sandbox fan, it's still worth a read if only to understand why the company that created the ultimate grindpark is turning its back on content treadmills in favor of emergent, player-driven worlds.

                "We're going to take the idea of sandbox gaming and we're putting it at the core of everything we're doing," Smedley says. "We'll obviously still be making awesome stuff for players to do, but we're going to aim very high in terms of letting players be a part of the game systems. The more emergent sandbox style content we can make the less predictable the experience will be."

                MassivelySOE's Smedley: Sandbox gaming is 'at the core of everything we're doing' originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Neverwinter prepares population for PvP patch

                Posted: 11 Feb 2014 02:30 PM PST

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                Neverwinter
                Cryptic has a host of changes in store for Neverwinter's PvP game, including a brand-new stat and shiny gear.

                The team posted a developer blog to briefly discuss the upcoming patch. The biggest change is the addition of a Tenacity stat to PvP equipment. This stat will increase resistance to crowd control spells, stuns, critical hits, and (of course) damage. Cryptic sees Tenacity as being essential to those who want to mount a strong defense in PvP.

                Neverwinter will also be tweaking the prone effect so that it will be shorter and affected by control resist. The team also teased new PvP gear, although it said that details about the gear will have to wait for another day.

                MassivelyNeverwinter prepares population for PvP patch originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                New Blade & Soul video goes to Hell

                Posted: 11 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST

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                Screencap -- Blade & Soul Hell trailer
                NCSoft has released a new video featuring the latest addition coming to Blade & Soul Korea: a combination PvE and PvP zone appropriately named Hell. While you won't find any lakes of fire in this incarnation of Hell (they're more like puddles), you better believe there's going to be plenty of weeping and gnashing of teeth as players in the zone have to contend with the usual unholy abominations, malicious demons, missile-barrage-firing mechs (yes, really), and of course, nefarious schemes of opposing players. The full video features nearly seven minutes of shiny, explosive, and occasionally bizarre PvE and PvP combat throughout the new zone. They say diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell in such a way that he looks forward to the trip, so if you're curious about how diplomatic NCSoft can be, click on past the cut for the full trailer.

                Continue reading New Blade & Soul video goes to Hell

                MassivelyNew Blade & Soul video goes to Hell originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Pantheon summons the spirit of the Shaman class

                Posted: 11 Feb 2014 01:30 PM PST

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                Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen
                Each new day brings new information on Brad McQuaid's Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen in addition to pushing the game's Kickstarter campaign slightly closer to its February 22nd funding deadline. Today's update covers the Shaman, a healer/debuffer/support class that utilizes the spirits to enhance the power of his group while weakening enemies.

                The Shaman has two specializations from which to choose. Ritualist enables the Shaman to dance and chant in order to summon spirits that can be commanded to action, while Spirit Warden gives the Shaman the ability to buff teammates with the power of his spirit. Shaman players can choose between Ogre or Dwarf; more options may be made available if the game reaches one of several stretch goals that involve adding new races.

                Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is currently at $365,667 raised of its $800,000 funding goal with 10 days remaining.

                MassivelyPantheon summons the spirit of the Shaman class originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Hyperspace Beacon: The 2014 spring roadmap for Star Wars: The Old Republic

                Posted: 11 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST

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                Hyperspace Beacon: The 2014 Spring roadmap for Star Wars: The Old Republic
                Late is better than never. The producers of Star Wars: The Old Republic have finally let players know what their plans are for the next couple of months. Senior Producer Bruce Maclean jumped onto the producer's blog and dropped some tidbits just before Update 2.6 launched. Although it would have been nice to have this info last month when everyone was making new year's resolutions, Maclean did give us some really nice items to look forward to. Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether it's enough to change my resolution to play less of SWTOR.

                I recently started a series of articles about roleplaying a Sith, and I promise that I will get back to that, but this producer's letter gave us too much timely news to pass up. The biggest piece, of course, was buried at the bottom in a paragraph that would likely be skipped if a person just skimmed the article. "We are moving to a 9 week cadence for the major content updates," Maclean says. He explains that this cadence will be more beneficial to the game because it gives the team more time to squash the bugs, but I suspect it's more that his team just cannot produce what it wants to this year without a bit of extra time. With SWTOR earning $139 million last year, you'd think that EA could toss in an extra developer or two to help keep up the current six-to-eight-week cadence.

                Where is that six weeks or more of extra time going this year? For that, we turn back to Maclean's roadmap.

                Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The 2014 spring roadmap for Star Wars: The Old Republic

                MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The 2014 spring roadmap for Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Dark Age of Camelot gives free week of game time to lapsed accounts

                  Posted: 11 Feb 2014 12:30 PM PST

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                  DAoC
                  Is it time for you to return to Dark Age of Camelot? It just might be, as the game is handing out a week of free game time for players with lapsed accounts!

                  The Return to the Realms promotion is crediting a week of game time to any account that hasn't been used for more than 60 days. This game time includes access to the test server, where Patch 1.115 is being brewed and refined.

                  Dark Age of Camelot and Ultima Online were recently acquired by the newly formed Broadsword Online Games.

                  MassivelyDark Age of Camelot gives free week of game time to lapsed accounts originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  The Stream Team: FFXIV's haunted Haukke Manor

                  Posted: 11 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST

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                  Everyone could use a good scare once in a while and Final Fantasy XIV has just what the doctor ordered. Haukke Manor, a mid-level dungeon, brings creepy monsters, ominous music, and an overall eerie atmosphere. Join Massively's Jasmine Hruschak live at 3:00 p.m. as she explores every dusty, mysterious room!

                  Game: Final Fantasy XIV
                  Host: Jasmine Hruschak
                  Date: Tuesday, February 11th, 2014
                  Time: 3:00 p.m. EST

                  Enjoy our Stream Team video below.

                  Continue reading The Stream Team: FFXIV's haunted Haukke Manor

                  MassivelyThe Stream Team: FFXIV's haunted Haukke Manor originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    The Soapbox: Old content should stay relevant

                    Posted: 11 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST

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                    The Soapbox title image
                    The archetypal themepark MMO model, as popularised by World of Warcraft, is a race to the level cap in order to unlock the best content on offer. New content is tacked onto the endgame regularly, accompanied by improved gear and perhaps a higher level cap. It's a system that's designed to keep people playing by keeping them on a progression climb that's constantly getting steeper. As a consequence, endgame activities render older content obsolete since these outdated activities carry little real benefit for fully leveled characters.

                    Exploring old content for the sake of experiencing it is not enough of a motivator for many players since this content simply cannot present the same challenge as it once did. Although you can technically go back and play through old dungeons, they will never be as fulfilling when tactics become optional and you can solo once-formidable opponents. In this week's Soapbox, I will mourn the loss of fantastic older content that was rendered obsolete through vertical progression, using WoW as a key example. I'll go on to suggest a solution that I think might allow for both old and new content to exist together in relevancy without significantly compromising the themepark MMO's existing progression mechanics.

                    Continue reading The Soapbox: Old content should stay relevant

                    MassivelyThe Soapbox: Old content should stay relevant originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      The Elder Scrolls Online offers a look at making dark anchors

                      Posted: 11 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST

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                      Hmm.  Anchor-storm's a-coming.
                      Look, we realize that this might be a minor spoiler for the story of The Elder Scrolls Online, but those huge portals of darkness tearing open the sky and shooting anchors into the ground? Those are not good news. The Dark Anchors are visible manifestations of Molag Bal's power, an attempt to pull Tamriel into his realm of Coldharbour, and the latest development diary explains exactly how these pulling mechanisms were conceived and designed.

                      Originally, anchors were smaller in scope, but the team wasn't happy with the idea that these were local things. As a result, steps were taken to ensure that Dark Anchors were visible from far away and had wide-ranging effects, giving players a solid indication that something Very Bad was taking place. If you want to gaze deeper into designing the yawning maw of darkness, take a look at the full development blog for more details on how the anchors took shape.

                      MassivelyThe Elder Scrolls Online offers a look at making dark anchors originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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