General Gaming Article

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• The 20 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2014
• Fastest USB Thumb Drive
• Google Has 3 Year Plan to Deliver 10 Gigabit Internet Service
• Futuremark Launches Servermark Software for Benchmarking Servers
• Technology Big Wigs Form WifiForward Group to Expand Wi-Fi Access
• Lian Li's PC-A51 Mid-Tower Case Features a Reverse Airflow Design
• Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 23-inch IPS Monitor, Corsair 760W Power Supply, and More!

The 20 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2014 Posted: 14 Feb 2014 02:07 PM PST 20 games that will make or break 2014 Is there anything better than cranking up the settings and sitting down to play an amazing PC game? 2013 was a great year for PC gamers, but 2014 looks to be even better. Games like Watch Dogs, The Division, and The Witcher 3 are looking amazing so far. With that said, we've compiled a list of 20 games you should get excited about.  What games are you looking forward to in 2014? Let us know in the comments!

Fastest USB Thumb Drive Posted: 14 Feb 2014 12:36 PM PST Four fast USB keys meet in a benchmark brawl A USB key, aka thumb drive, is a must-have item for any hardware-fixing performance junkie, and now that USB 3.0 versions have arrived we all want the fastest one we can get our sweaty digits on. To find out which key holds the combination to our hearts, we put four models with top-tier specs through their paces. Since most of them don't come with any extras, they will be judged primarily on straight-line speed and overall usability. May the best key end up on your keychain! Lexar JumpDrive P10 64GB Lexar's JumpDrive P10 is the successor to its Triton drive, offering the same chassis but much improved performance. It's available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, and is billed as a "premium" drive due to its design and performance. AT $120 (street) for the 64GB, it's the most expensive drive in this roundup, and looking at it, one can see why. The combination of brushed metal and its plastic "piano finish" top look very swank, and the solid-metal casing feels indestructible in your hand. The USB connector retracts into the chassis and slides out like a turtle head, and it takes a bit more pressure than we would like to deploy. The biggest issue with the JumpDrive's chassis is that it lacks a proper loop for your keychain. There are two teeny, tiny holes on the end that you can fit an included string into, but that's it, which is not good enough, period. In testing, the JumpDrive showed impressive speed across the board, taking second place in the 30GB transfer, first place in the 10GB transfer, and hitting over 250MB/s in our synthetic tests. That is ludicrous speed, and is about on par with what we'd get from a midrange SSD, so kudos to Lexar for building such a fast drive. The problem is the SanDisk is just as fast in most tests, costs $50 less, and has a loop for your keychain. We love this drive's speed and smooth metal body, but not much else.   The Lexar P10 looks slick but it's missing a decent keychain loop. Lexar JumpDrive P10 64GB $120 (street), www.lexar.com LaCie RuggedKey 64GB This is the only key here that offers any impact protection, and it offers it in the form of an orange rubber sheath that protects it from falls up to 100 meters—that is, if you choose to keep the key in the sheath, since the two are not permanently attached. The key itself has a brushed-metal chassis with a narrow neck and extra-wide body to allow it to slip into its rubber cocoon for transport. When you need to use the key, you simply pull it out of the orange shell. We like that it comes with a key ring pre-attached to an even smaller loop, which could slip onto an existing key ring if you like, and that the rubber shell is optional. Everyone in the office thought the LaCie has the best design, hands-down. It's available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities. The LaCie RuggedKey is inside an orange thingy for protection. Unlike the other keys, LaCie quotes relatively modest specs for this puppy, saying only that it can do "up to 150MB/s." It includes LaCie's hardware encryption, which password-protects a portion of the key, and is a welcome feature. In tests, the RuggedKey was a bit slower than the other keys, especially in writes, where it hit 120MB–130MB in synthetic benchmarks; it came in third in our 10GB write test, and last in our 30GB write test. Its read speeds were respectable, though, hitting just a bit over 200MB/s. Overall, the LaCie is a well-rounded package. You trade a bit of speed for a great design with excellent features. LaCie RuggedKey 64GB $100, www.lacie.com Corsair Flash Voyager GS 64GB Corsair's new Flash Voyager comes in a scratch-resistant brushed-metal shell that is thin, wide, and flat. It features a small, plastic "loop" at one end for attaching to a keychain, and a removable cap on the other end, which we makes us grumpy since they are so easily lost. It's available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities, and is the fastest USB key the company offers, rated for speeds up to 260MB/s read and 70MB/s writes. It includes a five-year warranty and its pricing places it smack-dab in the middle of the pack. It's important to note that its wide design could block other similarly wide devices at adjacent ports, and though the key's body is metal, the small piece on the end that slides on a keychain is plastic, so we can already see it snapping off a year down the road. We're not sure why Corsair thought the GS needed a removable cap. It's too bad there are issues with its shape and size, because it offers superb performance. It was the fastest drive in our 30GB file copy and in both of our sequential read speed tests, hitting an eye-popping 296MB/s in Crystal-DiskMark. It also posted the fastest sequential-read speeds in the synthetic AS SSD test, which uses incompressible data such as JPEGs and MP3s, making the Corsair a top-notch performer. On the whole, this is a fast and affordable package. We don't like the form factor, however, which includes the too-small plastic "loop," the removable cap, and a wide body. If you're using a lanyard, we highly recommend it, but keychain users should shop elsewhere. Corsair Flash Voyager GS 64GB $80 (street), www.corsair.com SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 64GB The SanDisk Extreme USB key is the most basic and un-fancy USB key in the group, with an extremely light plastic chassis and a no-frills slide-out USB key. We love retractable keys, though, and we also appreciate that it has a small loop for our keychain, so in our opinion, this key's simple design is spot-on. When holding it in your hand it feels like it weighs nothing at all, which some staffers disliked; its USB connector flicks out firmly like a switchblade knife, and never accidentally retracts once out. It is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities and includes encryption software that lets you drag-and-drop files into a hidden, password-protected portion of the drive represented by a vault icon that sits on your desktop. It's slick but we could never tell how much space it was taking up, as it's a "hidden" volume, so it'd be nice to be able to allocate a certain amount of storage for it. SanDisk's Extreme is extremely affordable, that's for sure. In our testing, the SanDisk was the slowest in synthetic read speeds by a decent margin, but second-fastest in write speeds. In file-copying, it was second-fastest in the 10GB test, and third-fastest in our 30GB write test, but by a very small margin. On balance, the SanDisk is a well-designed key that is extremely affordable. It would have become our all-time favorite if it were just a bit faster. SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 64GB $72 (street), www.sandisk.com Benchmarks   Lexar P10 USB 3.0 64GB LaCie RuggedKey 64GB Corsair Flash Voyager GS 64GB SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 64GB Price $120 $100 $80 $72 30GB Photo Transfer (sec) 243 394 231 254 10GB MP3 Write (sec) 94 147 155 95 AS SSD         Seq. Read (MB/s) 250 204 268 186 AS SSD Seq. Write7 (MB/s) 202 134 168 178 CrystalDiskMark   Avg. Read (MB/s) 265 216 296 202 Avg. Write (MB/s) 239 123 193 194 Best scores are bolded. All tests conducted on our hard-drive test bench, which consists of a Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 motherboard, Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz CPU, 8GB of RAM, Intel 520 series SSD, and a Cool Master 450W power supply.

Google Has 3 Year Plan to Deliver 10 Gigabit Internet Service Posted: 14 Feb 2014 11:08 AM PST 1Gbps is nice, but 10Gbps is better Lucky residents in Kansas City and Provo, Utah can already sign up for 1Gbps Google Fiber service, and Austin, Texas isn't far behind. That's 100 times faster than the average American speed of 9.8Mbps (based on Akamai's State of the Internet 3Q2013), and yet it's also only the tip of the iceberg. Apparently bitten by the speed bug, Google is currently working on speeds of 10Gbps. Google's Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette revealed as much during the Goldman Sachs Technology Internet conference this week, USA Today reports. "That's where the world is going, it's going to happen," Pichette said, adding that it could take a decade, but at the same time, "why wouldn't we make it available in three years? That's what we're working on. There's no need to wait." Pichette didn't offer up too many details, such as whether 10Gbps service is something Google envisions offering to home users or just businesses. And of course it's far too early to talk about costs. As it stands now, Google Fiber service in Kansas City and Provo runs $70/month for 1Gbps upload and download, and $120/month for 1Gbps Internet bundled with a full TV package with over 200 channels (HD included). Those who subscribe to the Internet and TV bundle also receive a Nexus 7 tablet. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Futuremark Launches Servermark Software for Benchmarking Servers Posted: 14 Feb 2014 09:22 AM PST Benchmark and compare server performance The folks at Futuremark offer a ton of popular benchmarking applications for desktop PCs and mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, though noticeably missing is any kind of server benchmark. Futuremark is attempting to tie up that loose end by announcing Servermark, a new and comprehensive benchmarking tool for x86-based servers running Linux. According to Futuremark, it will be especially suitable for testing virtual machines. Servermark will offers up a variety of benchmark tests for web servers, file servers , database servers, and other common server use cases, Futuremark says. It's currently being developed in partnership with hardware companies, an approach Futuremark has taken with several of its other benchmark software such as 3DMark. "Servermark will offer IT professionals an accurate and reliable benchmark for evaluating real-world server performance in enterprise and business environments. Servermark will be the ideal complement to PCMark and Powermark, expanding our range of enterprise solutions for businesses of all sizes," says Oliver Baltuch, Futuremakr's President. Companies that join the Servermark Benchmark Development Program will be able to provide input at all states of development. They'll also receive regular development builds and complimentary site licenses for Servermark. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Technology Big Wigs Form WifiForward Group to Expand Wi-Fi Access Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:42 AM PST Cable companies and tech firms like Microsoft share a common goal A coalition of cable companies and well known technology firms has been formed to address the "Wi-Fi spectrum crunch" and to lobby Washington to free up unlicensed spectrum. The coaltion is called WifiForward and it includes cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable (which Comcast is trying to acquire), and Charter Communications, along with technology firms like Microsoft, Google, and Broadcom. WifiForward is currently 18 members strong, through there are some noticeable omissions, such as every single major wireless carrier in the U.S. (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile). While some wireless carriers have built up Wi-Fi hotspots in certain areas to alleviate congestion, ubiquitous Wi-Fi access would ultimately prevent smartphone owners from ponying up to more expensive data plans. The coalition's goal is to free up more airwaves for Wi-Fi using unlicensed spectrum bands. It describes itself as a "group of like-minded companies, organizations, and public sector institutions who belive that Wi-Fi is critical to the way we live and work today." WifiForward brings up the emerging "Internet of Things" as one reason why this is a pressing issue. Indeed, Cisco predicts that Wi-Fi devices will account for the majority of Internet traffic by 2017. WifiForward says that kind of growth could mean that getting on the Internet via Wi-Fi could "soon be like trying to drive in rush hour traffic on too narrow a road." Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Lian Li's PC-A51 Mid-Tower Case Features a Reverse Airflow Design Posted: 14 Feb 2014 07:57 AM PST Cool air is pulled in from the rear and expelled out the front Lian Li's been busy turning its prototype PC-A51 chassis into a real product, and that mission is now complete. What makes the PC-A51 unique is that it sports a reverse airflow design in which cool air is pulled in from the back of the case through a filtered 120mm fan and pushed out through a front-mounted 140mm fan that sits above the front-mounted PSU. An additional 120mm or 140mm fan can be installed on the floor of the case. According to Lian Li, the PC-A51 is the result of user feedback after showing a prototype off to the DIY community. In addition to reverse airflow, the PC-A51 also features Lian Li's new HDD/SSD mounting system. System builders can install either 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives in any of the five individually removable bays. If the bays are removed, up to three 2.5-inch drives can be mounted directly to the tray, plus an additional one on the backside of the mobo tray. The PC-A51 is a compact case though it's able to fit CPU coolers up to 6.8 inches in height and power supplies up to 6.2 inches in length. Graphics cards can be as long as 15.7 inches, and there's room for a 240mm or 280mm radiator up top. Four versions of the PC-A51 are shipping to the U.S. They include the PC-A51A (silver) and PC-A51B (black) for $149, PCA51WX (internal black w/ window) for $189, and PC-A51WRX (red and black w/ window) for $199. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 23-inch IPS Monitor, Corsair 760W Power Supply, and More! Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:59 AM PST Top Deal: It wasn't very long ago when you'd need a stack of cash to even think about owning an IPS (In-Plane Switching) monitor. That's not to say all IPS monitors are affordable, but certainly some are, especially if you're not shopping in the 30-inch category. Case in point is today's top deal for an Asus VS239H-P Black 23-inch IPS Monitor for $145 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [EMCPHWG25]; addtional $10 mail-in-rebate). This monitor sports a Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) resolution, 5ms (GTG) response time, and D-Sub, DVI, and HDMI connectivity. Other Deals: Corsair AX760i 760W SLI Ready 80 Plus Power Supply for $150 with free shipping (normally $170; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) Corsair Carbide Series 500R White Steel Mid Tower Gaming Case for $100 with free shipping (normally $120; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $275 with free shipping (normally $300 - use coupon code: [EMCPHWG63]) Asus GTX770 GeForce GTX 770 2GB 256-Bit Video Card for $320 with free shipping (normally $330; additional $10 Mail-in rebate)

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MMO Updates

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• Massively Rewind: WildStar's adventure time, GW2's Lion's Arch destruction, and ESO's Oculus Rift prospects
• Elder Scrolls Online Beta: Battling it out in Cyrodiil
• Test drive Black Gold Online's alpha with fan Avril Lavigne
• The Stream Team: Exploring Planet Nexus in WildStar
• League of Angels introduces two new angels for official full release
• Tamriel Infinium: The missing parts of Elder Scrolls Online impressions
• World of Darkness drawing inspiration from sandbox survival games while EVE CE goes on sale
• Some Assembly Required: Is this really the sandbox renaissance?
• The Daily Grind: Have you ever killed off an MMO character?
• The Stream Team: Into the wilds of EQ
• McQuaid: 'Vast majority' of early Vanguard players quit by level two or three
• The Summoner's Guidebook: Two years and I'm still playing LoL
• European Warfare commences as Stronghold Kingdoms hits 200,000 monthly users
• Mabinogi update introduces Doki Doki Island, Valentine's Day events
• NCsoft boosts numbers in Q4 2013 while Nexon names new CEO
• The Think Tank: How do you feel about press-only beta coverage?
• Heroes of the Storm client screenshots and character list leaked
• Happy Valentine's Day from ArenaNet! Here's the corpse of your vanquished foe
• The Stream Team: Building my own (EQN) Landmark
• Field Journal: Tortage and the problem of starting areas

Massively Rewind: WildStar's adventure time, GW2's Lion's Arch destruction, and ESO's Oculus Rift prospects Posted: 14 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Video, MMO Industry, News Items, Opinion, Massively Meta, Humor, Miscellaneous, MMORPG, Massively Rewind Can you think of a better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than by watching Massively Rewind to catch up on this week's top MMO stories? We can too. Fortunately, this will eat up only a few minutes of your day, and then you can go back to cuddling on the couch in a Snuggie and watching zombie movies. This week, Smedley's tweets once again make headlines, while Elder Scrolls Online gets unofficial Oculus Rift support. And both WildStar and Guild Wars 2 pumped out new trailers this week to discuss instanced adventures and the attack on Lion's Arch respectively. Check out the full episode after the cut. Continue reading Massively Rewind: WildStar's adventure time, GW2's Lion's Arch destruction, and ESO's Oculus Rift prospects Massively Rewind: WildStar's adventure time, GW2's Lion's Arch destruction, and ESO's Oculus Rift prospects originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elder Scrolls Online Beta: Battling it out in Cyrodiil Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, New Titles, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Hands-On, First Impressions, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, MMORPG Here's what most players know about Elder Scrolls Online's PvP setup, straight from the mouths of the developers: When the vicious Daedric Prince Molag Bal attacks the Imperial City, he generates a huge power vacuum. Each faction vies for a piece of the province of Cyrodiil, but only the strongest faction will ultimately lay claim to the Imperial throne. Massively's resident ESO columnist, Larry Everett, visited the Tamrielian answer to realm-vs.-realm this past weekend and is finally allowed to discuss it. Players have suggested that it will resemble Guild Wars 2 or Warhammer Online open-world PvP. Are they right? In this 10-minute video, Larry explores the details of his experience from the Ebonheart Pact side of the battle. Continue reading Elder Scrolls Online Beta: Battling it out in Cyrodiil Elder Scrolls Online Beta: Battling it out in Cyrodiil originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Test drive Black Gold Online's alpha with fan Avril Lavigne Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:15 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Steampunk, Black Gold If you want to check out Black Gold Online, you just might get your chance next month. Currently in beta testing in China, the steampunk game will be inviting top players in North America to test drive an earlier alpha version sometime during the end of March. The event is aimed at gathering player feedback and suggestions to help the game to grow and improve. If you get into this test drive, you might even be playing alongside Avril Lavigne; the studio revealed that Lavigne is not only a fan of Black Gold Online, but one of its top players. The songstress shares her support of the game via video. [Source: Snail Games press release] Test drive Black Gold Online's alpha with fan Avril Lavigne originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Exploring Planet Nexus in WildStar Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Hands-On, Livestream, WildStar, The Stream Team, Subscription, MMORPG As your character in WildStar reaches levels in the mid-teens, you unlock the ability to buy a housing plot, make a guild, and go on instanced adventures. Richie's Draken Stalker is inching closer to those activities, so watch his adventures on Nexus live at 11:00 a.m. EST. Game: WildStar Host: Richie "Bog Otter" Procopio Date: Friday, February 14th, 2014 Time: 11:00 a.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Exploring Planet Nexus in WildStar The Stream Team: Exploring Planet Nexus in WildStar originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

League of Angels introduces two new angels for official full release Posted: 14 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, Free-to-Play, Browser Forget cupids, League of Angels has added two other heavenly beings to its angelic arsenal. Amora and Nyssa join the list of angels players can select to take on their adventures. R2Games also announced that the game is now officially official, noting that all previous releases of the game were still beta. This full release also includes a marriage system and new ranking tables. R2Games also revealed the four cosplayers who will be representing some of the free-to-play game's angels in a live action shots: Maridah, Ginny McQueen, HezaChan, and Riki LeCotey, who plays Riddle in Heroes of Cosplay. Fans who sign up for the official LoA newsletter will see these exclusive shots as well as get further game news and updates. [Source: R2Games press release] League of Angels introduces two new angels for official full release originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tamriel Infinium: The missing parts of Elder Scrolls Online impressions Posted: 14 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, New Titles, PvE, Opinion, Hands-On, First Impressions, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, MMORPG, Tamriel Infinium Usually Massively doesn't write second impressions, as it were. We sometimes take older games and play them again. Or we might play a game because it's fun to be led by the hand of our audience. However, once the first impressions are done, they're done. Of course, some games, like The Elder Scrolls Online, are fortunate enough to have a weekly column written about them, and ZeniMax gave the press a second weekend to play the game. Of course, we were supposed to look at PvP, which I did, but I also took this opportunity to play more of the main game, up to level 15. Although I didn't come away agreeing with my colleague Eliot Lefebvre that the beta is nothing special, I didn't come away with an overwhelmingly positive opinion of the front of the game, either. Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: The missing parts of Elder Scrolls Online impressions Tamriel Infinium: The missing parts of Elder Scrolls Online impressions originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Darkness drawing inspiration from sandbox survival games while EVE CE goes on sale Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:30 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Horror, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Interviews, World of Darkness, Promotions, Sandbox CCP assured World of Darkness fans that the project is "evolving rapidly" despite recent layoffs, will have a presence at Fanfest in May, and is even taking cues from sandbox survival games for its development. CCP CEO Hilmar Pétursson told RPS that survival games have given the team inspiration for World of Darkness' social dynamics: "DayZ and Rust have shown us the power of a sandbox when you bring it into a more recognizable context. The creators of those experiences often reference EVE Online as an inspiration for their things. We're now cross-inspired by what we're seeing there. How the absence of all these structured game mechanics -- by just allowing these natural interactions to happen -- that is something we're definitely incorporating into how we think about World of Darkness." Speaking of EVE, the space game's collector edition has gone on sale for $99.99. This 33% discount will last from today through February 17th. World of Darkness drawing inspiration from sandbox survival games while EVE CE goes on sale originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EVE CE sale, Rock Paper Shotgun

Some Assembly Required: Is this really the sandbox renaissance? Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Business Models, Culture, Economy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox, Crafting, Player-Generated Content, Subscription, Star Citizen, Pathfinder Online, Buy-to-Play It's funny, but this whole sandbox renaissance feeling has got me a little worried. I'm of course ecstatic at the number of sandbox MMOs currently in development, and I'm even happier that one triple-A outfit has finally acknowledged that MMOs are supposed to be sandboxes. EverQuest Next and Landmark aren't the only reasons to be amped, either, as games like Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, and The Repopulation are all putting their own spin on emergent virtual worlds and standing on the shoulders of genre giants. It's not all roses, though, and amidst the cautious optimism on display from starving sandbox fans, I feel the need to remind myself of the various personal pitfalls that still need to be addressed. Continue reading Some Assembly Required: Is this really the sandbox renaissance? Some Assembly Required: Is this really the sandbox renaissance? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Have you ever killed off an MMO character? Posted: 14 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Eliot's last Storyboard column about killing off characters in MMORPGs got me thinking how rare that practice is outside of permadeath MMOs, both in RP and a literal sense. It's rare that I delete a serious character that wasn't just a bank mule or throwaway toon, and in fact, the one time I did so, I did it for roleplay effect, killing her off for a story and deleting her for good. I don't think it's too common among my friends, either. In fact, I remember a hung-over guildie logging in one morning, shocked to discover that in a drunken rage the night before, he'd deleted his alchemist. I think that moment in time made me covet my characters; I'm almost afraid to delete them even if I never play them, lest I change my mind later. In City of Heroes, for example, I frequently moved abandoned characters to remote servers just in case. But other folks delete to dramatize roleplay, to get attention, to ensure they can't return, or to ensure a clean slate if they ever do return. What about you guys -- have you ever killed off or deleted a "serious" MMO character? And can I have your stuff? 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: Have you ever killed off an MMO character? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: With thanks to Azzura for the pic!

The Stream Team: Into the wilds of EQ Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, EverQuest, Free-to-Play, Livestream, The Stream Team How much trouble can a Massively's MJ get into in EverQuest? Plenty! Norrath is full of misadventures for one young Froglok Shadowknight, and episode two of CMA Live will chronicle the latest ones. MJ is out roaming the wilds and invites you along for the adventure. You know what they say: There's safety in numbers! Join us live at 9:00 p.m. to help direct the continuing saga of Kurobi (and perhaps keep her out of too much trouble!). And don't forget to follow along every Wednesday in Choose My Adventure. Game: EverQuest Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Thursday, February 13th, 2014 Time: 9:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Into the wilds of EQ The Stream Team: Into the wilds of EQ originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

McQuaid: 'Vast majority' of early Vanguard players quit by level two or three Posted: 13 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Game Mechanics, Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Vanguard If you can't get enough of the sad saga that is Vanguard, IGN has published an interview with creator Brad McQuaid that might pique your curiosity. There are some interesting nuggets relating to McQuaid's early days as well as the relationship between Sigil and SOE that allowed Vanguard to release, albeit in an early and extremely buggy state. "The game sold very well at retail. Around 250,000 units just blew out of the stores. But the game wasn't optimized, the client wasn't optimized, and the server wasn't optimized," McQuaid explains. "The vast majority of people who played it early on left by the time their characters hit level two or three." McQuaid: 'Vast majority' of early Vanguard players quit by level two or three originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: IGN

The Summoner's Guidebook: Two years and I'm still playing LoL Posted: 13 Feb 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends, The Summoner's Guidebook, Anniversaries It's the time of the year when I get to sit down and reflect a bit on how I've grown as a League of Legends player. Last year I had made some pretty big jumps in skill, especially in the realm of Dominion skill. This year I've kind of shifted my focus to SR. Also, I got a little more involved in the community, but not enough. That, I hope to change. Playing more stuff that you play Disappointingly for a lot of Dominion players who read these articles, I haven't been talking about it much lately. The big reason is I've been playing it a lot less, and unfortunately it's because the game mode isn't very popular. My solo queue time in Dominion is kind of long, for starters. Once you get to any sort of respectable level in that game mode, queue times start to get obscene. I end up having to wait 5-6 minutes for games on CS, and that's not so good. Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Two years and I'm still playing LoL The Summoner's Guidebook: Two years and I'm still playing LoL originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

European Warfare commences as Stronghold Kingdoms hits 200,000 monthly users Posted: 13 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Historical, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMORTS With the newly launched European Warfare update, Stronghold Kingdoms players can now make war not love across the entire European continent. Firefly Studios also revealed that Georgia has been added to this world's map, bringing the total of countries to conquer to 33; that means that instead of a single king ruling over a map, there will be 33 (with a whole slew of sheriffs and governors besides!). And just how many players will be storming across all these countries vying for control? The studio has announced that the MMORTS has more than 200,000 monthly active users and nearly 3 million registered players total from over 100 different countries. [Source: Firefly Studios press release] European Warfare commences as Stronghold Kingdoms hits 200,000 monthly users originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mabinogi update introduces Doki Doki Island, Valentine's Day events Posted: 13 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mabinogi Just in time for Valentine's Day, Nexon America has announced a new update to its free-to-play title Mabinogi that will add the romantic Doki Doki Island to the game. The new area will also introduce the Soulmate system, which makes romance more of a game than it already is. On the island, players can "create a profile" by talking to the Matchmaker, who will then match them with their "soulmate." Side-by-side, players and their soulmates can "explore charming landmarks such as the Harmony Torch in the town square and participate in events to accumulate Romantic Points." When enough Romantic Points have been earned, soulmates gain the ability to fly, presumably through the power of love or something equally inspirational. Aside from hanging out with their hopefully-not-axe-murderer soulmates, players can also take part in a variety of new minigames and daily quests centered around Doki Doki Island or scour the beaches for cat's eye gems that can be exchanged for items such as an exclusive armor set. To top it all off, beginning on February 26th players will be able to celebrate their newfound powers of flight by taking part in the Seize the Skies event, which will allow players to test their aeronautical prowess against one another in competitions for prizes and bragging rights. If this romantic getaway sounds up your alley, you can join the fun over at Mabinogi's official site. [Source: Nexon America press release] Mabinogi update introduces Doki Doki Island, Valentine's Day events originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

NCsoft boosts numbers in Q4 2013 while Nexon names new CEO Posted: 13 Feb 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Aion, Lineage, Lineage 2, MMO Industry, Guild Wars 2, Legal, Blade & Soul, Miscellaneous, WildStar NCsoft is thanking its lucky Blade & Soul these days, as revenues from the game's popularity in China have helped to boost its financial status. In the recently released Q4 2013 earnings report, NCsoft announced that sales, operating profit, pre-tax income, and net income were up over Q3 2013. Overall, 2013 was profitable for the company as its income went up year-over-year. NCsoft credited a growing Lineage and a "strong" and "solid" Guild Wars 2 for this effort, as well as cost savings initiatives. While sales in Korea improved from 2012 to 2013, those in Japan, Europe, and North America all declined over the same time period. Lineage is by far NCsoft's biggest earner, followed by Guild Wars 2, Aion, and Blade & Soul. The company said that WildStar is on track to launch in mid-2014 and that the key GW2 focus is not on an expansion but with bringing the game to China. Meanwhile, NCsoft's biggest investor, Nexon, just named Owen Mahoney as its new president and CEO, replacing Seungwoo Choi. Nexon also announced a revenue and income increase in 2013 and acknowledged that it is underperforming in Japan and the West. NCsoft boosts numbers in Q4 2013 while Nexon names new CEO originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MCV, NCsoft earnings report

The Think Tank: How do you feel about press-only beta coverage? Posted: 13 Feb 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, The Elder Scrolls Online, The Think Tank Here's a thing that happens sometimes: A high-budget MMO has a tiered beta with an NDA that is lifted in parts. Sometimes those parts include early access for press, and sometimes that NDA lifts for press before anyone else. This has only happened a handful of times, and it never really works as intended. Almost everyone thinks that everyone should be able to talk about what he or she is playing and that games press is wrong. After going through one of these episodes just last week, we figured it would be a good time to share our (wrong) opinions on how these press-only beta NDA lifts play out. Continue reading The Think Tank: How do you feel about press-only beta coverage? The Think Tank: How do you feel about press-only beta coverage? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Heroes of the Storm client screenshots and character list leaked Posted: 13 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA Blizzard's upcoming universe mash-up MOBA, Heroes of the Storm, has sprung a bit of a leak as screenshots of the game client's login screen and option menus have hit the internet along with a list of the game's playable characters. Massively's sister site WoW Insider reports that many of the playable heroes on the list have been public knowledge for some time now, but there are still a few new contenders, including Warcraft's Muradin Bronzebeard and Zeratul, Tychus, and Sgt. Hammer of Starcraft fame. And while the leaked screenshots aren't particularly interesting since they only display your standard array of PC game options, WoW Insider notes that the more exciting implication behind the screenshots is that the game's beta may be coming soon, though it's worth noting that the screenshots are watermarked as alpha. We'll just have to wait and see about that, but if you need a quick Heroes of the Storm fix, you can check out the full character list, complete with stats and descriptions, at the link below. Heroes of the Storm client screenshots and character list leaked originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Adriacraft -- Heroes of the Storm leaks Via: WoW Insider

Happy Valentine's Day from ArenaNet! Here's the corpse of your vanquished foe Posted: 13 Feb 2014 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Humor, Buy-to-Play Remember when you were in third grade and some other little kid put worms in your desk, and your teacher said he did it because he liked you? Or maybe you were the one expressing the depths of your feelings by delivering creepy crawlies. Either way, giving worms to people has long been associated with affection, and tradition mandates the trading of worms between friends and paramours alike on Valentine's Day. ArenaNet, the developer of Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, has set the bar a little higher this year. We didn't receive just a worm from ArenaNet: It's a giant jungle wurm, one of the terrors of the Bloodtide Coast. Its terrorizing days are over, according to the text on the thoughtful card, which reads, "We pulled this wurm fresh from Tyria just for you! This one won't be bothering Bloodtide Coast any more!" Looking at its bright blue innards, we here at Massively are overcome with emotion. We're also a little bit hungry, and that's causing some mixed feelings. Thank you, ArenaNet. If you're looking at the tub of nightcrawlers you planned to present your special someone with tomorrow and feeling a little inadequate, it's OK. The bait store is probably still open. Happy Valentine's Day from ArenaNet! Here's the corpse of your vanquished foe originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Building my own (EQN) Landmark Posted: 13 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Livestream, Housing, The Stream Team, Player-Generated Content What can Massively's MJ and viewers do with a blank canvas in EverQuest Next Landmark? Now is your chance to find out! MJ has all the building tools, a slew of raw materials, and an empty claim just waiting for some creativity to be unleashed. Join us live at 2:00 p.m. to see just how much can be built in one hour. Game: EverQuest Next Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Thursday, February 13th, 2014 Time: 2:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Building my own (EQN) Landmark The Stream Team: Building my own (EQN) Landmark originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Field Journal: Tortage and the problem of starting areas Posted: 13 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game Mechanics, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, MMORPG, Field Journal It's been quite a while since I've played Age of Conan. Rather than try to figure out where I had left off and what I should be doing with my existing character (and possibly ending up with nothing much to write about), I decided to start anew. The starting experience in and around the sub-tropical pirate city of Tortage is rather distinct. Since I'm already familiar with it, I knew I could find enough in it for an entry in this journal. So I leaped into the fray on my Stygian Herald of Xotli to refresh my memory while slicing, dicing, and frying pirates. I had a fair bit of fun doing so, but from the start, I had one nagging complaint distracting me: This isn't very representative of the game after Tortage. It's true that few starting areas in MMOs are, but AoC makes for an interesting case in how sharp that division is. Continue reading Field Journal: Tortage and the problem of starting areas Field Journal: Tortage and the problem of starting areas originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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