General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


57 Cool Websites

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 04:11 PM PDT

cool websites

Best websites to visit when you're bored

Before the Internet came into its own, finding something to do to cure boredom was a task in and of itself. At work, you could count the holes in the ceiling, crumple pieces of paper and practice your cubicle hook shot, or get lost in a game of Minesweeper, all the while hoping your boss wouldn't wander by.

We have it much easier these days. The Internet isn't just fleshed out, it's flooded with more websites than you'll ever have time to visit. Many of them suck, of course, and several others will leave you with an infection quicker than a one night stand in the red-light district, but there are also a vast number of gems buried beneath all the rubble.

Get ready to add some bookmarks to your browser because we've gone and gathered 57 websites guaranteed to help you kill time when the day just seems to drag on.

Inner Body

The wonder within us all

How much do you really know about your own body? Probably less than you think. Inner Body is your interactive guide to the complex human system and all of its inner workings. Wow your friends by learning everything there is to know about the urinary system!

Inner Body

www.innerbody.com

Magic Secrets Explained

Dispelling the mystery

It's been said that a true magician never reveals his secrets, but that's a bunch of hogwash. In fact, if you head over to Magic Secrets Explained, a site that's just what it sounds like, you can learn a bevy of magic tricks from well-known magicians like Criss Angel, David Blaine, and others.

www.secrets-explained.com

Dumb Laws

Keeping us safe from ourselves

Did you know that in Kansas, it's illegal to shoot rabbits from motorboats? You're also not allowed to use mules to hunt ducks. In Idaho, riding a merry-go-round on Sunday is against the law. Look up all kinds of dumb laws by state!

www.dumblaws.com

Will It Blend

Don't try this at home

Pretty much anything and everything will blend in a Blendtec blender, but knowing the answer doesn't make the videos on this site any less enjoyable. Watch Blendtec founder Tom Dickson demonstrate his pride and joy shredding things like an iPad, glass marbles, and even Super Glue. We dare you to try and watch just one video.

www.willitblend.com

Quick Meme

Go viral!

Don't let your rapier wit go to waste. Instead, create a hilarious meme and maybe, just maybe, it will go viral. Or it will get lost in the shuffle of the thousands of other memes. Either way, a visit to QuickMeme.com isn't likely to be quick at all.

www.quickmeme.com

You Suck at Photoshop

What not to do

If you're a Photoshop whiz, you might look at the name of this YouTube series and say, "Them's fightin' words!" For everyone else, the You Suck at Photoshop series is a hilarious way to learn the ins and outs by a very talented narrator who clearly has some personal issues.

http://bit.ly/9Ftp7V

Someecards

Say it with sarcasm

When you have something sarcastic to say but don't know exactly how to phrase it, Someecards is your go-to site. There's a comical e-card for every occasion, be it a birthday or whatever topical trend is dominating your Facebook feed. Or just visit the site when you need a good laugh!

www.someecards.com

Ductivities

The cornerstone of advanced civilization

Food, water, oxygen, and Duct Tape—with those four things, you can not only survive any situation, but thrive in it. Why Duct Tape? Well, just head over to Ductivities to see some of the many things you can build with a roll (or dozen) of Duct Tape.

http://bit.ly/13osna5

Digital Public Library of America

Grow your melon

If you have some time to kill and want to upgrade your internal knowledge bank, the Digital Public Library of America is a great place to start. It has over 2.5 million items from libraries, archives, and museums, and unless you happen to be Ben Stein, it's nigh impossible to spend a few minutes clicking through articles without emerging at least slightly more knowledgeable than when you started.

http://dp.la

The Useless Web

You don't know what you're missing

The Internet is composed of around 4 billion webpages. How many of them are quirky? We're not sure, but The Useless Web will take you to a new one each time you click. You might see a dog licking your LCD screen or Oprah Winfrey seemingly unleashing a horde of bees on a studio audience. They may be useless sites, but they're also amusing.

www.theuselessweb.com

Drinkify

Make a libation to match the mood

It's Wednesday night and your friends don't want to go out until the weekend, so you purchase a new digital album from Amazon and settle for an evening of _____ (insert your favorite artist or band here). Now all you need is a stiff drink, but what goes best with _____? Drinkify will tell you exactly what you should be pouring down your gullet as you listen to _____.

http://drinkify.org

Click the next page for more sites to visit when you're bored along with some cute animal sites!

 


 

You Can't Handle the Cute

There's nothing wrong with wanting to look at kittens, puppies, and other awww-inducing photos. Here are some of our favorite resources.

Cute Overload

The site that started it all, CO, as it's known, is the homepage for cute aficionados. It even has a Cats and Racks category.

www.cuteoverload.com

Cute Roulette

Also known as "click and squee," this site shows you one cute thing after another in a never-ending slide show of redonkulessness.

www.cuteroulette.com

Love Meow

This site chronicles the heartwarming stories of shelter cats, rescues, and special-needs kittens and cats. Keep some Kleenex handy.

www.lovemeow.com

Crack Shack or Mansion

Can you tell the diff?

You would think it'd be easy to tell the difference between a crack shack and a mansion. Then again, you can't judge a book by its cover, and apparently we can't tell the difference between a crappy abode and one that costs millions of dollars. Can you? Give it a whirl the next time you're bored.

www.crackshackormansion.com

I Waste So Much Time

Comic junk food

The Internet's always good for a laugh, and unless your funny bone is broken, you'll find plenty of them on I Waste So Much Time. The premise is simple: You look, you laugh (or don't), and then rate the pictures and videos (optional). When you've killed enough time, you can go on with your daily routine, only in a better mood.

http://iwastesomuchtime.com

Funny Typos

Helarious

If their's one thing Maximum PC readers like too do, it's play games. If their's a second thing, its overclocking. And if theres a third, its point out typos. Funny Typos is a sight taylor made for you!

www.funnytypos.com

Awkward Family Photos

Boy, do I feel better about my upbringing

You may think your family is a little bit weird, and maybe it is. But you know what? You're not alone. Far from it, in fact, as Awkward Family Photos proves. Spend a few minutes flipping through pages of pictures of other odd families and you'll come away convinced you're more normal than you thought.

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

The Most Awkwardly Public Break Ups in Facebook History

The name says it all

Let's face it, breaking up with someone or being broken up with isn't always easy. It's especially bad when it's done on social media, before family and friends. The Most Awkwardly Public Break Ups in Facebook History captures many of these moments, and they're often hilarious to read.

http://some.ly/18qghAY

Feed The Head

A site for surrealists

One of the stranger sites on the web, Feed The Head is deceptively engaging. Getting the head to breathe fire is rather easy, but can you grow a beard? There's a lot to discover here, and when you've exhausted all you can do, click the VectorPark.com link in the upper-left corner for similar time wasters.

www.feedthehead.net

Literally Unbelievable

People who don't get parody

Everybody knows that Onion stories are satirical… well, almost everybody. Literally Unbelievable archives instances on social media where people take Onion stories to be true. You'll laugh and then subsequently cry over how dumb people can be.

http://literallyunbelievable.org

Epic Rap Battles of History

Rhymes about the way it was

Who was the better inventor: Thomas Edison or Nikola Tesla? Who's the bigger brainiac: Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein? Such questions can only be legitimately answered through Epic Rap Battles of History, which has a bunch of nerdy white guys dressing up as history's most famous figures and duking it out with surprisingly clever rhymes.

www.epicrapbattlesofhistory.com

F My Life

OK, maybe it's not so bad

We're all stuck in a rut at points, but if you can't laugh at yourself when you're down, who can you laugh at? That's the thinking behind this website, which collects the most entertaining FML moments on social media. The site will have you crying at the misfortune of others, but it won't be because you're sad.

www.fmylife.com

Best of Craigslist

Classifieds can be comedy gold

Craigslist can be a great tool when you're trying to sell your used goods or buy items on the cheap, but browsing some of the listings can also be highly entertaining. Enter Craigslist's Best Of section, which highlights some of the zanier, funnier posts, many of which are more satirical than legitimate.

www.craigslist.org/about/best/all

Click the next page for some must-see subreddits.


 

Five Must-See Subreddits

Reddit.com sells itself as "the front page of the Internet." But it's the niche sub-communities ("subreddits") that keep us coming back. Here are some faves.

Tech Support MacGyver

Users encounter tricky situations and use minimal resources to resolve them in creative ways, just like the hero of the '80s TV show that the subreddit is named after.

Bad Taxidermy

Comical mishaps can occur when attempting to preserve an animal after death in order to keep it on the mantel or as a conversation piece.

Perfect Loops

This community collects mesmerizing or delightfully silly animated gifs that are designed to loop seamlessly, forever.

Food Porn

It's safe for work, but these crisp, hi-res images of delicious-looking meals are not safe for an empty stomach.

Idiots Fighting Things

Lift your spirits with short clips of people running into screen doors or getting hit in the junk.

Brotips

Man up

Being a man isn't always easy. Luckily, there's Brotips.com to help you along the way. The site offers over 3,000 pieces of advice that encompass dating tips, philosophical anecdotes, and more. And while it's mostly proverbs for men, there are some pearls of wisdom for women, as well.

http://www.brotips.com/

Net for Beginners

Even old hands will learn something new

While Net for Beginners is a great website to help introduce your grandma to the Internet, it also explains the origins of many Internet tropes that power users take for granted. For instance, did you know that the word "meme" is derived from the Greek word "mimema," which means "something imitated?" The site houses many more of these interesting Internet factoids.

http://netforbeginners.about.com

Google Web History

Your every move recorded

It's no surprise that Google keeps a record of every interaction you make with its services, but when you look at Google Web History, that fact becomes eerily clear, right down to your personal trends and charted activities. If that's too spooky for you, the site also gives you the option to delete all this data.

https://history.google.com

BT London

320 billion pixels of panorama

It's not about the megapixels, my friend. Today, gigapixels call the shots, and the current record is held by this 320-gigapixel—or 320-billion-pixel—panorama of London. The shot was stitched together from 48,460 frames shot above London using four Canon EOS 7Ds and 400mm lenses. The panorama lets you zoom in with incredible detail to examine the city's very nooks and crannies.

http://btlondon2012.co.uk/pano.html

Las Vegas Cams

Your vicarious Vegas wedding

Nothing says happily ever after like driving to Las Vegas and getting hitched—by an Elvis impersonator. Having it broadcast to the world over the Internet only cements the union, right? You get to bear witness to such matrimonial hijinks from the front-row seat of your computer screen.

http://bit.ly/596zl

Visual.Ly

Infographics 'R' Us

In this juiced-up, multitasking world, where there's barely time to read the CliffsNotes or even a Wikipedia entry, you can just mainline your data through Visual.Ly's infographics. Follow the rise and fall of the Wu-Tang Clan, for example, or learn how the Starfleet delta shield evolved. You'll be amazed at what you can learn through pictures.

http://visual.ly

Internet Map

Whose is bigger?

Does Yahoo own a bigger piece of the Internet than Google? OK, the answer to that is pretty obvious. But you might be surprised by the size relationship between Google and, say, Maximumpc.com, or any of the other 350,000 top websites represented by the Internet Map. You can easily lose yourself scrolling through this data-driven universe of planetoid-shaped objects.

http://internet-map.net

Pica-Pic

Handheld gaming

Every once in a while, a website comes around and reminds you how awesome the Internet is. Pica-Pic is one of those sites. It's like a time machine, taking you back through all those retro handheld games you grew up playing. Quite frankly, we're surprised Nintendo and other game publishers haven't sued this site off the web. Just in case the end is nigh, enjoy it while you can!

www.pica-pic.com

5-Second Films

The tiniest of time wasters

OK, many of these short films are actually a little longer than five seconds, but not by much. Don't be surprised if you find yourself spending many minutes on this site, just seeing how each of these brief-but-humorous sketches plays out.

http://5secondfilms.com

Outgrow.me

The marketplace of ideas

You've heard about Kickstarter and its ilk, but you've probably never heard of Outgrow.me—an online store devoted to the sale of successfully crowdfunded products. Even if you're not in the market for a bra that holds a smartphone or a vehicle called a "scrooser," it's fun to see the fruits of modern invention and entrepreneurialism.

http://outgrow.me

Where Cool Things Happen

Photos that will wow you

It's hard not to get sucked into this photo blog, which chronicles interesting places and events from around the world. From mass animal gatherings to 3D latte art to buildings inside caves, you're sure to find something here that amazes you.

www.wherecoolthingshappen.com

Click the next page for sun websites that allow you to have fun with audio!


 

Fun with Audio

With an emphasis on sounds, these sites are no less entertaining than their visually oriented brethren.

Fun Switcher

Just click a switch and be treated to an accompanying sound clip. The real fun is in mixing different sounds. Gangnam Style and Skeletor laughing? It's strangely mesmerizing!

www.funswitcher.com

Gordon Mah Ung Soundboard

You don't have to wait for our biweekly No BS Podcast to hear Deputy Editor Gordon Mah Ung go off on Apple, Ewoks, and other random things that piss him off.

www.leedash.com/rantsoundboard

Museum of Endangered Sounds

You're sure to feel a touch of nostalgia when you visit this site, which pays tribute to the long-forgotten sounds of old technologies. Think: dial-up Internet, rotary phones, and the Windows 95 startup, to name a few.

savethesounds.info

Letters of Note

In the words of famous people

What do the philosopher Seneca, former president John F. Kennedy, and music producer Steve Albini have in common? You can find letters that they actually wrote reprinted on this site, which provides an archive of personal and professional correspondences of public figures.

www.lettersofnote.com

White Whine

First-world problems indeed!

An appalling, but also extremely entertaining, glimpse into the psyche of the terminally self-centered. You'll find random bitching about Starbucks orders, out-of-stock iPhones, and the indignities of flying coach, among other complaints of the entitled, gathered from around the web.

www.whitewhine.com

Impact: Earth!

Fun with science

This site created by Purdue University lets you set specific parameters to calculate the impact of a given object being hurtled toward Earth. What's not to like?

www.purdue.edu/impactearth

Unnecessary Knowledge

Get your fact fix

Next time you're bored and looking for a way to kill time, you can either numb your mind with a video of someone doing a face plant, or you can enrich your mind with a randomly generated fact. It might not change your life to know that pigs sleep on their right side, for instance, but this site will give you plenty of conversation fodder.

www.unnecessaryknowledge.com

Don't Even Reply

Take the bait, if you dare

This site reads like the private diary of a professional online troll, and it's effing hilarious. By harmlessly answering ads on Craigslist with unbelievable but earnest-sounding replies, this gentleman truly elevates the act of messing with people to an art form. We know it's kind of messed up, but it's still a hoot.

www.dontevenreply.com

Free Rice

Use your smarts to feed people

We all want to help solve world hunger, and we'd love to do it from our computer. Free Rice lets us. Visitors are presented with simple quizzes that when answered correctly display ads, which pay for rice for impoverished nations. It's a great way to pass the time while waiting for your Hummer to get detailed.

www.freerice.com

Bitstrips

Design your avatar

Bitstrips is a simple and fun way to create an online avatar for your Facebook page. You can choose your body, facial hair, height, clothes, and create fun comics, status updates, and greeting cards. We know it sounds like something your mom would do, but we think it's cool, damnit.

www.bitstrips.com

Top Documentary Films

Free, feature-length time killers

We love documentaries, and this site lets you watch as many of them as your schedule allows, absolutely free. Whether you are into military history or just looking for a crash course in chemistry, you'll easily find great docs on any topic that piques your interest here.

www.topdocumentaryfilms.com

NationMaster

Expand your horizons

Geography geeks will love this one, as it encapsulates a ton of interesting trivia about the world's nations into easily digestible morsels. You can sort countries by categories like poverty, debt, murders, oil use, and lots more. It's a fun way to learn more about the world around you.

www.nationmaster.com

Difference- Between

Dissecting the seemingly similar

We all know the difference between CAT5 and CAT6, but do you know the difference between a slug and buckshot? A diamond and a trapezoid? Tropical storm and a hurricane? This site shows you the difference between two similar things, covering every subject imaginable. Sadly, there's no PC vs. Mac comparison.

www.differencebetween.net

Geoguessr

Where in the world are you?

This site drops you into an unknown location on Google Maps, lets you pan around a bit, and asks you to guess where you are located on a world map. When you choose, it tells you whether you're right or wrong, and then loads a new location.

www.geoguessr.com

Three Go-To Games

In-browser Flash games let you kill time, for free, in a variety of stress-relieving ways. Here are A few of our top picks.

Superhot

In this FPS, time moves at a snail's pace when you are stationary, which gives you the ability to dodge bullets and aim with crackshot precision.

www.superhotgame.com

Freeciv-web

This open-source version of Civilization may not have all the bells and whistles of the real thing, but it's polished enough to act as a stunt double.

play.freeciv.org

Frog Factions

Similar to Space Invaders, you play a frog who must defend his fruit supply against a constant horde of insects, assisted by some fun ability upgrades.

twinbeard.com/frog-fractions

Win a CyberPower PC Hadron Hydro Mini-ITX Gaming PC

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:34 AM PDT

Reminder: Giveaway ends Friday!

It's time to give away a free gaming rig to one of our lucky followers - this time it's a CyberPower Inc. Hadron Hydro 300 small form factor gaming machine. It's a fully-loaded Core i7-4770K machine with a liquid-cooled GTX 780, and has dual 840 EVO SSDs despite its small dimensions. No purchase is necessary and it's available to US and Canadian residents!

maximum pc contest

To apply, answer this question, "What is the name of the chip that powers the Nvidia GeForce GTX 780?" on our Facebook page.

Full Prize Description:

One winner will receive one grand prize consisting of a CyberPower Hadron Hydro 300 High Performance Computer which includes: Intel Core i7-4770K, 16GB DDR3 1866, EVGA GTX 780 Hydro Copper, 2x Samsung 840 EVO SSD 120GB, 24X DVD burner, EVGA Hadron Hydro chassis-  used (tested by the Maximum PC team).  Prize has an approximate value as used of $1,900.00

See official rules (next page) for prize details.

Start Date:03 Mar 09:00am PT

End Date:14 Mar 09:00am PT

Future US, Inc.'s computer will be the official time clock for the Sweepstakes.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

The privacy policy are here. Click the next page for official rules. 


Official Rules

Win a CyberPower PC Hadron Hydro Mini-ITX Gaming Rig Contest! 

OFFICIAL RULES 

1.  SPONSOR:  This promotion (the "Contest") is sponsored and administered by FUTURE US, INC., 4000 Shoreline Court, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080, +1 (650) 872-1642 ("Sponsor"), is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Inc., or CyberPowerPC Inc. or Facebook, Inc., and is subject to the following terms and conditions. 

2. ELIGIBILITY: Contest is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia (excluding Arizona, Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. military installations in foreign countries, or in any other U.S. territories or possessions); and Canada (excluding the province of Quebec).  Void where prohibited by law.  Entrants must have attained the age of majority in their state and country of residence (usually at least eighteen (18) years of age) at time of entry, and possess an email address and a valid form of unexpired government-issued photo identification.  Employees of Sponsor, its/their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, advertising, promotion, or production agencies, any companies who are promotional participants or prize providers, web masters and web suppliers, and the foregoing employees' household or immediate family members (defined as parent, spouse, child, sibling, or grandparent) are NOT eligible to enter Contest.  By their submission of entry, entrants warrant they are legally entitled and authorized to make such submission, either on their own behalf, or as to information submitted upon the express authorization of another on whose behalf the information is submitted.  In the event of a dispute as to the winner's identity for online entries received from multiple users having the same email account, entries will be deemed made by the authorized subscriber of the email account associated with the entry.  The authorized account subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the email address by the internet service provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses.  Invalid or ineligible entries shall be excluded from consideration.  

3. TIMING:  Contest begins at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time on March 3, 2014 and ends at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time on March 14, 2014.  Future US, Inc.' computer will be the official time clock for the Contest.  Online entries must be received by Future US, Inc. by 9:00 a.m. Pacific time on END March 14, 2014 to be eligible. 

4. HOW TO ENTER:  Submit the answer to the question "What is the name of the chip that powers the Nvidia GeForce GTX 780?" and complete the requested fields online at https://apps.facebook.com/maxpccm/pages/1875fd7aaef6f1daabcd66660795da6c. No team entries and no corporate or institutional entries are permitted in Contest. 

Limit one entry per person.

5. ORIGINAL WORKS.  You hereby warrant and represent that (a) you own all rights to all materials that you submit to Sponsor in connection with Contest ("Entry Materials"); (b) you have never submitted Entry Materials in another contest; and (c) all such Entry Materials are original works or authorship on your part and have not been copied, in whole or in part, from any other work and do not violate, misappropriate or infringe any copyright, trademark or other proprietary right or any privacy right of any other person or entity. 

6. PRIZES AND ODDS:

The Grand Prize consists of a used (tested by Maximum PC editorial staff): CyberPower Hadron Hydro 300 High Performance Computer ("Prize").  Specs include: Intel Core i7-4770K, 16GB DDR3 1866, EVGA GTX 780 Hydro Copper, 2x Samsung 840 EVO SSD 120GB, 24X DVD burner, EVGA Hadron Hydro chassis.  Prize has an approximate value as used of $1,900.00.  Prize must be delivered to zip/postal code listed on Winner's entry, and delivery may take six to eight weeks.

The odds of winning will be determined by the number of eligible entries received.

Prizes cannot be transferred, assigned, substituted, or redeemed for cash, and must be accepted as awarded, but Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize with a prize of equal or greater value should the advertised prize become unavailable for any reason.  Prizes will not be fulfilled outside the United States and Canada; will not be fulfilled in Arizona, Rhode Island, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. military installations in foreign countries, or in any other U.S. territories or possessions; will not be fulfilled in the province of Quebec; and will not be fulfilled where prohibited or restricted by law.  Winners will be responsible for all taxes (federal, state/provincial, and local) and all expenses not listed herein related to acceptance and use of any prize.  Any person residing in the United States and any United States citizen living abroad, who wins $600 or more worth of prizes from Sponsor in a calendar year will receive an IRS form 1099 after the end of the calendar year in which the prizes were awarded, and copy of such form will be filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

Limit one Prize per person.

7. JUDGING: One (1) winner will be selected by a judging panel comprised of editorial staff of Maximum PC ("Judges").  The Judges will randomly draw entries from all entries received, until they find an entry containing an answer that is accurate in alignment with Maximum PC's report on the question.  Judging will be completed by March 19, 2014.  Sponsor's decisions on all matters related to Contest, including Judges' selection of the winning entry, shall be final and binding and within their sole discretion.  Winning is contingent upon compliance with all terms and conditions set forth in these official rules; any entry or any potential winner identified thereby found at any time to fail to comply with these official rules will be held invalid and ineligible for award.

8. NOTIFICATION:  

Each Winner will be notified by email by March 21, 2014.  Each Winner so notified must within three (3) business days of notice of prize award, complete, execute and return the provided Affidavit, Waiver, Release and Indemnity Agreement including, where lawful, a Publicity Release (plus any additional documents required at the discretion of Sponsor).  Failure to comply with the requirements of this paragraph (or the return of any prize or prize notification as non-deliverable) may result in disqualification and in the forfeiture of any right to a prize.  

To obtain any legally-required winners list, send a self-addressed envelope with sufficient prepaid postage to: Maximum PC, "Win a CyberPower PC Hadron Hydro Mini-ITX Gaming Rig! Contest", c/o Future US, Inc., 4000 Shoreline Court, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080.  (Residents of Vermont do not have to include return postage.)

9. FUTURE US, INC.' USE OF ENTRIES.    You hereby grant Future US, Inc. a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide license and right to utilize the Entry Materials you submit in connection with Contest.  The Entry Materials become the property of Future US, Inc. and will not be acknowledged or returned.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you acknowledge that Future US, Inc. shall have the right to use, modify, reproduce, publish, perform, display on all forms of media, distribute, make derivative works of, sublicense, and otherwise commercially and non-commercially exploit the Entry Materials in perpetuity and throughout the universe, in any manner or medium now existing or hereafter developed, without separate compensation to you or any other person or entity.  You agree to take, at Future US, Inc.' expense, any further action (including, without limitation, execution of affidavits and other documents) reasonably requested by Future US, Inc. to effect, perform or confirm Future US, Inc.' rights as set forth in this paragraph.

10.  PRIVACY POLICY:  By participating in the Contest, you acknowledge and agree that Sponsor may collect the personal information submitted by you and use the information pursuant to Future US, Inc.' standard privacy policy, the terms of which can be found at http://www.futureus.com/privacy.php , which terms and conditions entrants accept and agree to by submission of entries pursuant to these official rules.  Each entrant/winner also understands and agrees that he/she is providing information to Future US, Inc. and not to Facebook, Inc. or CyberPowerPC Inc. 

11.  RELEASE:  

By participating in the Contest and/or accepting a prize, an entrant/winner agrees to defend, release and hold harmless the Sponsor, CyberPowerPC Inc., and Facebook, Inc., and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, advertising, production and promotion agencies, any companies who are promotional participants or prize providers, web masters and web suppliers, and the foregoing companies' officers, directors, shareholders, employees, representatives and agents (collectively "Releasees") from and against any actions, claims and/or liability for injury, loss or damage of any kind to persons, including death, or property (including the violation or infringement of any proprietary or personal right of any individual or entity) resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from participation in the Contest, and/or the use, acceptance, or possession of a Contest prize, and/or participation in a Contest prize-related activity, including any action, claim or liability arising from the unauthorized submission of any information, and/or for any printing, production, technical, typographical, human or other error in the printing, offering or announcement of any prize.

By participating in the Contest and/or accepting a prize, an entrant/winner consents to and gives the Sponsor the right to use, publish, and display a winner's (and where applicable an entrant's) name, likeness, city and state, and prize awarded, for the purpose of advertising, trade, publicity and promotional purposes in any media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide, and on the Web, in perpetuity, without review, notification or approval, and without additional consideration, unless prohibited by law. 

12.  LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY:  

Entrants agree that by participating in the Contest they release the Releasees from any liability in connection with: (a) Entries that are ineligible as a result of being lost, late, illegible, damaged, incomplete, inaccurate, delayed, unintelligible, non-delivered, stolen, postage due, or misdirected, or the failure to capture any such information; (b) Any typographical or other human or technical errors in the offer or administration of the Contest, including but not limited to errors in advertising, these official rules, the selection and announcement of a winner(s), or the distribution/awarding of a prize(s); (c) Any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay, misdirection, damage, availability, accessibility, miscommunications, injury, technical malfunctions or traffic congestion on the Internet/telephone network, or at any website, satellite, computer, telephone, cellular or cable transmissions or lines, or any combination thereof; (d) The unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries; (e) Jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions, computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or for any other errors of any kind, whether human, technical, mechanical, electronic or network, including, without limitation, any errors which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest or in any Contest-related materials; and (f) Damage to en entrant or other person's system or equipment occasioned by participation in this Contest or downloading materials from the Contest website, or any combination thereof.  Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Contest or website, as solely determined by the Sponsor, will be disqualified (and all associated entries will be void), and Sponsor reserves the right to terminate such entrant's eligibility to participate in this or any other promotion offered by Sponsor.  Entries generated by robotic, programmed, script, macro or other automated means or by any means which subvert the entry process will be disqualified. 

Sponsor reserves the right to modify these rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the term and conditions of the Contest.  In the event that the Contest is infected by a computer virus/worm/bug, or is not capable of running or being executed as planned (as a result of but not limited to an error, omission, defect, delay, misdirection, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, action of entrants, or technical failure) or any other cause which in the sole opinion of Sponsor corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any suspect entry or entrant and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest.  In the event of such cancellation, termination, modification or suspension, notice thereof will be posted at the entry website(s) mentioned above, and winner(s) will be determined solely by Sponsor from among all eligible non-suspect and/or non-disqualified entries prior to action taken or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor.  In such event, Releasees shall have no liability to any entrant who is disqualified due to such an action.  Failure to enforce any term of these official rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. 

IN NO EVENT WILL THE RELEASEES BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE ENTRY WEBSITE OR ANY OTHER WEBSITE ASSOCIATED WITH RELEASEES, OR DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM SUCH WEBSITES.  WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING ON SUCH WEBSITES AND THE PRIZE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES

McAfee Identified an Astounding 200 New Malware Samples Per Minute in 2013

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PDT

VirusMcAfee publishes its Q4 Threat Report

Malware writers didn't take a vacation in 2013. Just the opposite, McAfee noted a sharp rise in ransomware, Android malware, suspicious URLs, and other malicious attempts to steal users' data, which the security firm published in its Threat Report for the fourth quarter of 2013. When combining all of its findings across mobile and desktop, security firm McAfee said it detected 200 new threats every minute, or more than three for every second that passed in 2013.

One of the growing threats is that of malicious signed binaries, which are applications that have obtained a certificate from a certificate authority (CA) or its proxy verifying the service provider owns the application. According to McAfee, the threat of digitally signed malware is expanding faster than ever before -- McAfee noted more than 2.3 million new and unique signed binaries in Q4 2013, representing a 52 percent sequential increase.

In terms of mobile, it's no surprise tha Android continues to be a top target, considering it's the most popular mobile platform out there. McAfee said it collected 2.47 million new mobile malware samples in 2013, including 744,000 in Q4 alone. As for those specific to Android, McAfee said its Android malware zoo of unique samples grew 197 percent year-over-year.

On a positive note, the number of new rootkit malware seems to be declining over time, though this is partially offset by the total number of rootkits showing steady growth over the last several years.

There's plenty more to digest in the full report (PDF).

Image Credit: OpenClipart

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Nvidia Releases GeForce 335.23 WHQL Drivers with Optimized Performance for Titanfall

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:35 AM PDT

TitanfallNvidia posts new GPU drivers a day ahead of Titanfall's release

If you own a GeForce graphics card and plan to pick up Titanfall tomorrow, Nvidia suggests you get busy installing its new GeForce 335.23 drivers, which are both WHQL-certified and tweaked to deliver "the best possible gaming experience" for the upcoming FPS developed by Respawn. And if you don't plan to play Titanfall, there are still reasons to install the latest driver release.

Nvidia said it enhanced the GPU clock offset options for GeForce GTX 750 Ti and GTX 750 graphics cards. In addition, you'll find a handful of added or updated SLI profiles, including ones for Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry, Assassin's Creed Liberation HD, Diablo III, Bound By Flame, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut, DOTA 2, The Crew, Need for Speed Rivals, HeartStone: Heroes of Warcaft, Gas Guzzlers, and Watch Dogs.

The new drivers also fix a few nagging issues, like V-Sync not working if FPS Limited is enabled and getting rid of sluggish performance when moving, minimizing, and/or maximizing windows in Surround mode.

You can view more in the Release Notes (PDF) and grab the latest drivers direct from Nvidia.

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Dell Precision M2800 is an Entry Level Mobile Workstation Starting at $1,199

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:31 AM PDT

Dell Precision M2800An affordable workstation for road warriors

In an attempt to offer mobile users a portable workstation solution that won't drain their budgets, Dell came up with the Precision M2800, a 15-inch mobile workstation that's ISV-certified and relatively affordable with a starting price of $1,199. Dell sees the Precision M2800 as bridging the gap between business-class laptops and traditional mobile workstations, giving professional users (engineers, designers, and video editors in particular) an ISV-certified system to work with.

The Precision M2800 can be configured with fourth generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors (Haswell), AMD FirePro W4170M graphics with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory, up to 16GB of system memory, and up to 1TB of storage. As for the 15.6-inch display, it's available in HD for Full HD 1080p. The Precision M2800 also supports external multi-monitor configurations and docking compatibility.

"Many designers and engineers are not realizing the full potential of their professional software because they are using a business or consumer-class PC instead of a workstation," said Andy Rhodes, executive director of Dell Precision workstations. "We are filling that gap by introducing a new mobile workstation at a price that lets more professionals and students maximize their software while on the go. This is the right tool to help more people design and deliver innovations faster – no matter where they are."

Dell says you'll be able to order a Precision M2800 beginning in spring.

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G.Skill Launches 16GB DDR3L-2133 SO-DIMM Ripjaws for Laptops and Mini PCs

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:05 AM PDT

G.Skill SO-DIMMHigh performance modules sip just 1.35V

Advances in technology have allowed gaming PCs to shrink in size, and if you're so inclined, you can build a powerful system based on the mini ITX form factor. Most of these system use laptop memory, or SO-DIMMs, which has prompted memory makers to develop high performance kits based on the smaller size form factor. Enter G.Skill and its new 16GB DDR3L-2133 SO-DIMM memory kit.

This 16GB (2x8GB) memory kit only requires 1.35V yet is rated to run at 2133MHz. With that combination of voltage and frequency, memory timings are set at 11-11-11-31.

"Dubbed the F3-2133C11D-16GRSL, this Ripjaws DDR3L SO-DIMM memory kit is best used with the latest INtel i5 and i7 Haswell processors," G.Skill says.

This is the fastest SO-DIMM memory that G.Skill offers. Each kit is validated with "rigorous burn-in tests," and according to G.Skill, it works great with small systems like the Gigabyte Brix Pro (Gigabyte's version of Intel's NUC).

No word yet on price or availability.

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Origin PC Adds Micro Tower Option to Chronos Line of Desktop Gaming Rigs

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:33 AM PDT

Silverstone RZ01 with MonsterSilverstone's RVZ01 is now a case option in Origin PC's Chronos line

Boutique builder Origin PC has expanded its small form factor (SFF) case options for its Chronos desktop line to include the Silverstone RVZ01, a micro tower chassis measuring 4 inches (W) by 15 inches (H) by 13.75 inches (D). Origin PC doesn't make any references to Steam Machines with its new case option, though with its slim profile and ability to sit horizontally or vertically, it's certainly a candidate to take residence in your home A/V rack.

"This is Origin PC's smallest and thinnest Chronos desktop ever designed and yet it is relentlessly powerful!," said Kevin Wasielewski, Origin PC CEO and co-founder. "With so much power and performance inside a sleek and slim package, our new Chronos micro-tower is one of my favorite systems for any living room, bedroom, or office setting."

Origin PC says the new chassis option can accommodate up to an Asus Maximus VI Impact motherboard (mini ITX), up to an Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan Black graphics card, and Origin PC Frostbyte 120 sealed liquid cooling system. The OEM also offers the same professional CPU and GPU overclocking that it does on its other systems.

Chronos Silverstone RZ01

The new case option is available immediately with systems built around it starting at $1,199.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB USB 3.0 HDD, Acer 21.5-inch LED Monitor, and More!

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:08 AM PDT

Toshiba Canvionewegg logo

Top Deal:

If you're the type that likes to make a scene, one way you can do that is by heading over to the computer lab or your local library and wait for someone to whip out a USB thumb drive. That's when you say, "Oh, what's that you have there? That must hold what, 32GB? How cute!," That's when you pull out your USB hard drive and slam it on the table. Not too hard, mind you. In fact, just place it down gently and yell out, "Bam!" Sound like fun? Then check out today's top deal for a Toshiba Canvio Basics 3.0 1TB 2.5-inch Portable Hard Drive for $60 with free shipping (normally $70 - use coupon code: [EMCPGPD27]). Granted, it won't slip into your pocket as neatly as a flash drive, but it does boast USB 3.0 connectivity, plug-and-play operation, and lots of storage space.

Other Deals:

Acer Black 21.5-inch 5ms Widescreen LED Monitor for $100 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCPGPD22])

Corsair Obsidian Series 650D Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Case for $140 with free shipping (normally $180 - use coupon code: [EMCPGPF35]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

Kingston DataTraveler SE9 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $9 with free shipping (normally $12 - use coupon code: [EMCPGPF68])

Corsair Hydro Series H100i Extreme Performance Water/Liquid CPU Cooler. 240mm for $95 with free shipping (normally $105 - use coupon code: [EMCPGPF73])

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


The Nexus Telegraph: Between the lines of WildStar's quiet weeks

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , ,

Quiet is a relative thing.
Did you miss us? I know, it was probably weird not seeing an installment of the Nexus Telegraph last Monday, since I sort of have a reputation for turning in everything early and without fail. (Like the week when I had no power and still turned in my columns.) But there's no need to worry; we're still going live biweekly.

Or were you mostly missing the weeks in which we were absolutely swamped by WildStar news? It certainly seems a lot more quiet lately. We've gone from big system reveals to a few tidbits here and there; the two big stories over the past two weeks have been confirmation that we're not getting another big wave of beta invites and that the game's default UI is being revamped. These are both worth talking about, but in this case I think the silence actually says quite a bit all by itself.

Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Between the lines of WildStar's quiet weeks

MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: Between the lines of WildStar's quiet weeks originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Mar 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Here's pretty much everything known about Black Desert

    Posted: 10 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

    Black Desert Giant class - In English!
    2P has put together a summary post of everything currently known about Black Desert. The open-world fantasy sandbox from Pearl Abyss has secured publishers for Korea, Japan, and Russia, and is reportedly working on an internal English-language client despite the lack of a Western publisher.

    The summary post features brief descriptions of Black Desert's systems as well as several embedded trailers and gameplay videos including footage of castle sieges, a pigeon-shooting minigame, dynamic weather, and an in-game wiki. You can watch the Black Desert teaser trailer after the break.

    [Thanks WNxArcticwolf!]

    Continue reading Here's pretty much everything known about Black Desert

    MassivelyHere's pretty much everything known about Black Desert originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Mar 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    • Source: 2P

    Final Fantasy producers talk player numbers, what makes an MMO fun

    Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

    Final Fantasy XIV finger wag
    An enterprising user on the Square-Enix forums has translated a lengthy interview with Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida, Final Fantasy XI producer Akihiko Matsui, and Dragon Quest X producer Yousuke Saito. The piece originally ran on 4gamer.net, and it focuses on everything from the three developers' backgrounds to what makes an MMORPG fun.

    Yoshida also drops a few hints about A Realm Reborn's player numbers, which include approximately 1.8 million accounts and 500,000 daily active users worldwide.

    [Thanks Rohan!]

    MassivelyFinal Fantasy producers talk player numbers, what makes an MMO fun originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Mar 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The World of Magic aims to take over for the Harry Potter MMO

    Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , ,

    The World of Magic
    Last week, we heard news that the Harry Potter MMO was put on hold by Warner Bros. while they decided "if the production would be a good investment or not." But the development team at Bio-Hazard Entertainment decided to show WB what they're made of with a side project named The World of Magic.

    TWoM doesn't look to be a direct Harry Potter game, but instead an MMO inspired by the IP. "We think that this MMO will be exactly what you guys wanted and more!" a dev blog states. "Our new site is will soon give you more info, images, videos, and options that will allow you to see how similar it will be to HP. It has broken our hearts that HP is on hold but maybe this gives us the opportunity to show WB that our new company can do it and not matter what obstacles get in our way, we can overcome them!"

    While further details aren't available at this time, the project's new website already has 600 members and plenty of gallery images to get any Harry Potter fan excited.

    [Thanks to Viturino for the tip!]

    MassivelyThe World of Magic aims to take over for the Harry Potter MMO originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Mar 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Have you made any friends via groupfinder mechanics?

      Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:00 AM PDT

      Filed under: , , , , , ,

      EverQuest II group builder
      Raid finders, dungeon finders, and various LFG mechanics are becoming a modern MMO staple, but apart from throwing together five or six strangers and hustling them through a piece of content, they don't strike me as being particularly social.

      I do use them to clear content I otherwise can't do, of course, but whenever I've attempted small talk I've been met with indifference. On one occasion I even got some outright hostility! "Less talking, more DPS," was the family-friendly gist of it.

      What about you, Massively readers? Have you made any MMO friends via group finder mechanics, or are they simply a means to an end?

      [Image source: EQ2Wire]

      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: Have you made any friends via groupfinder mechanics? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Mar 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        MMO Week in Review: SWTOR's take on player housing

        Posted: 09 Mar 2014 06:00 PM PDT

        Filed under: , ,

        SWTOR
        At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.

        This week, BioWare performed an abrupt about-face on housing in MMORPGs, revealing during a livestream that Star Wars: The Old Republic will install its own system of player apartments to complement the existing private ship instances. Massively's Larry Everett broke down the video, speculating that housing will be faction-based and will have kiosks for mail, missions, decorating, appearance/outfit design, and HBO Go. Kidding.

        Read on for a look at the rest of this week's stop MMO stories.

        Continue reading MMO Week in Review: SWTOR's take on player housing

        MassivelyMMO Week in Review: SWTOR's take on player housing originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Mar 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Stick and Rudder: Getting perspective on Star Citizen's development

          Posted: 09 Mar 2014 04:00 PM PDT

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

          Star Citizen - Stick and Rudder Hornet header
          I recently spent a week enjoying the hell out of Elite: Dangerous. CCP's Valkyrie project -- a virtual reality EVE Online riff powered by Oculus -- is apparently far enough along to merit public demos and a slow-burning hype train. And Star Citizen? Well, I can still solo around in my hangar, fitting ship guns and firing them at cardboard targets.

          I bring all this up not to pile on Cloud Imperium. On the contrary, I'm OK with SC's development pace, and if you're on the world side of the world-vs.-game debate, you should be OK with it too.

          Continue reading Stick and Rudder: Getting perspective on Star Citizen's development

          MassivelyStick and Rudder: Getting perspective on Star Citizen's development originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Mar 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Get an EverQuest heroic character for free

            Posted: 09 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , , , ,

            EverQuest
            Players in EverQuest have a limited-time opportunity to snag a free heroic character if they create one between March 12th and March 26th, SOE announced on the official forums.

            Unlike other characters, heroic characters start at level 85. They also get a full set of gear, a unique mount, and alternative advancement abilities. Normally heroic characters will cost 3,500 Station Cash to purchase.

            EverQuest is also adding two new race and class combos to the game for its 15th anniversary. Starting March 12th, players will be able to roll a Wood Elf Beastlord or a Froglok Monk.

            MassivelyGet an EverQuest heroic character for free originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Mar 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            World of Warcraft's new Warlords of Draenor trailer wishes you were here

            Posted: 09 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , , , ,

            How many of these is she going to send me?
            So your friends in World of Warcraft have finally convinced you to come back to the game. Great, but they're all Level 90 and you're Level Seriously Who Even Cares. They're decked out in epic garments while you're apparently dressed like some sort of drifter with plate armor. What are you going to do? How could you ever take part in their adventures?

            Well, you could buy Warlords of Draenor and just hit 90 immediately on the character of your choice. A dramatization of exactly that is available in the trailer just past the cut, with a Gnome taking the plunge and bypassing a whole lot of leveling content in the interim. Click on past the break to see it in action, and perhaps you'll be inspired to also vault past a whole bunch of leveling to get right to the top.

            [Thanks to Schippie for the tip!]

            Continue reading World of Warcraft's new Warlords of Draenor trailer wishes you were here

            MassivelyWorld of Warcraft's new Warlords of Draenor trailer wishes you were here originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Mar 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Watch PlanetSide 2 devs create content live on Twitch

            Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , , , , , ,

            PlanetSide 2's Hossin
            While developer livestreams are commonplace these days, less common is a livestream where the devs are actually developing.

            SOE is trying something a little different with its PlanetSide 2 team starting on March 11. According to a blurb on the game's official website, "you'll be able to take [a] look at how PlanetSide 2 creates content on our Twitch channel."

            Scheduled sessions include the making of Hossin environment art and base design.

            MassivelyWatch PlanetSide 2 devs create content live on Twitch originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Mar 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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