MMORPG News

MMORPG News

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Pre-Order Now Available!

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:52 AM PDT

The wait is over and players and interested persons everywhere can now pre-order Star Wars: The Old Republic. No official release date as of this writing, but there are full details on all pre-order items for the Digital, Regular, and Collector's Editions... including a code to get you into the game before anyone else.

Rusty Hearts: Get Your CB Key With Bonus Items!

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:22 PM PDT

MMORPG.com has been given tons of keys for the closed beta test of Rusty Hearts - a new hack and slash multiplayer game from Perfect World Entertainment featuring fast-paced combat and team based dungeon crawling. Get your beta key now and check out this new game! In addition to the beta key you will now get special items for free with this key!

Forsaken World: Chains of Kluer Announced

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 04:11 PM PDT

Forsaken World has announced their latest content update, entitled "Chains of Kluer" as they reveal the update's teaser site. The update includes a new dungeon, in which characters of 70 levels can fight the monstrous Ogre Kluer himself, New Events, a level cap raise from 70 to 80 and more.

End of Nations: Factions Trailer Released

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 03:25 PM PDT

Learn about the three playable factions in Trion Worlds' upcoming MMORTS, End of Nations, in this latest trailer

Jade Dynasty: Imperial Citadel Update Trailer

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 03:20 PM PDT

The Imperial Citadel returns to Jade Dynasty this August as part of the eponymous Imperial Citadel content update. Find out more in this latest trailer!

ArcheAge: Gameplay Scenery Video

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:41 AM PDT

AAportal.net is showing off a fresh new scenery video from the upcoming title, Archeage, taken from the 3rd Closed Beta test. Check out some of the impressive shots and then let us know what you think.

General: Digimon Masters Online Launches Teaser Site

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:25 AM PDT

Joymax, the team behind the upcoming Digimon Masters Online, have announced and unveiled today the game's teaser website. The unveiling comes on the heels of Joymax CEO Nam-chul Kim announcing that the team is very close to revealing the date of the game's first closed beta.

Lord of the Rings Online: New Screens - Rise of Isengard

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:57 AM PDT

Turbine has released a new batch of screenshots from the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online Expansion pack, Rise of Isengard. The screens detail the brand-new region of Dunland, one of the three new regions coming with the expansion pack coming on September 27th this year.

Prime Battle for Dominus: Sanya Weathers Interview with ScaryBooster.com

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:33 AM PDT

Scarybooster.com has released a Q&A with Pitchblack Games' Director of Community, Sanya Weathers. Follow the bouncing ball as they discuss the game's combat, professions and more.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Old Republic Will Change the Industry

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 09:34 PM PDT

Stepping up to the plate with this week's Devil's Advocate, Drew Wood takes a look at BioWare's supposed forthcoming Opus, Star Wars: The Old Republic and some of the general complaints from the MMO Community about the game's structure. Will SW:TOR revolutionize the way that MMOs are produced? The Devil's Advocate seems to think there's a good chance.

General: MMOs Go Casual and Mainstream

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:44 PM PDT

The Syndicate's Sean Stalzer examines the casual and mainstream direction MMOs appear to be heading and why that isn't such a bad thing, especially for growing MMO communities in this week's Guild's Eye View.

Rift: Thontic - The God of the Sea

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:43 PM PDT

In an exclusive lore reveal this week, the fine folks at Trion bring us a look at Thontic: Telara's God of the Sea. Epic in size and power, Thontic is not a being to be trifled with.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: An Announcement of an Announcement

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:30 PM PDT

In this week's Star Wars: The Old Republic column, Mike Bitton takes a look at the recent announcement that BioWare will be... er, making an announcement at this week's San Diego Comic-Con.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News

WOW Theme Park Opens in China, unfortunately, it's a Rip-off

Posted:

Located in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, World Joyland reportedly costs over $30 million dollars and covers an area of over 600,000 square meters.

ArcheAge's PvP Battlegrounds Video

Posted:

The video is from the Korean CBT phasing and is just under 12 mins long. From the video, ArcheAge's combat looks pretty fast and furious, it doesn't take long to kill someone as you'll notice the player in the video dying about 50 times.

New Online Shooter War Inc. Battlezone Open Beta Test Launchs

Posted:

Are you looking for a F2P shooter along the lines of Call of Duty? Online Warmongers Group Inc. announced open beta test for its free-to-play online game War Inc. Battlezone. The game is now available via leading digital distribution platforms Steam and Xfire.

Firefall to Release a Trial Version in Korea on July 23

Posted:

As Red5 Korea announced, Firefall is to release a new trial version in the COEX Center, South Korea on July 23, following the version exhibited at PAX 2010. Local players will be invited to try out Firefall and listen to reports about the game's development status and future growth direction. Players will also be able to communicate with the game's developers face to face on the spot, and voice their opinions of the game. Four core developers including Red5 Studios' vice president James Macally will attend the activity.

Final Fantasy XIV Looks Sexier with Summer and Bikinis' Arrival

Posted:

In the latest Producer's letter, Naoki Yoshida gives a sneak peep on the upcoming festivities and celebrations for the summer. Beaches! Pools! Swimsuits! And more!

Rumor? NCsoft to Announce a Brand-new MMO at Gamescom 2011

Posted:

It's recently rumored that the South Korean game company NCsoft is going to announce a brand-new online game for the first time at Gamescom 2011, which will be held in Cologne, Germany between August 18 and 21.

Sword 2: Revelations Launches with New Features Released

Posted:

GamersFirst today announced that it has launched Sword 2: Revelations and introduces the world of Granado Espada to three brand new expanded skill systems, a new area for questing and exploration, a new unique playing character and pet to both drive the continually evolving story of Sword 2.

WoW: New Warcraft Fan Art

Posted:

The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with six new pieces of fan artwork set within the Warcraft universe.

WoW New Novel: Thrall - Twilight of the Aspects Now Available!

Posted:

Written by New York Times bestselling author Christie Golden, the new novel Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects follows the former War Chief of the Horde as he struggles with the ongoing repercussions of the Cataclysm.

Rift - New Regions Information, Leaked or Released on Purpose?

Posted:

I know that this are a bunch of good news for the Rift fans who really love Rift and want to see more stuff in the game, I don't know who leaked this pictures at all and if they release them on purpose then why in the hell they want to show something so incomplete.

League of Legends' Next Champion Melee DPS Fighter - Monkey King

Posted:

The furry fighter Monkey King, the next addition to the ever-growing League of Legends champion roster, is going to dish out some serious pain on the battlefield.

RIFT 1.4 PTS Event Review

Posted:

Here's a look at the testing that went down on the Public Test Shard for the new cross shard Looking for Dungeon tool, PVP Raid Rifts, and alternate Warfronts.

China's Team Fortress 2 Rip-off Sexes Up 'Meet The Sniper'

Posted:

Chinese shooter Final Combat, an unsubtle, shameless swipe of two other free-to-play games - Valve's Team Fortress 2 and EA's Battlefield Heroes - has a new playable class it would like to introduce: the Sniper. The sexy, short-skirted, probably-does-not-urinate-in-jars Sniper.

Troy Online to Kick Off Open Beta on August 12

Posted:

ALT1 Games announced that Troy Online will kick off its open beta on August 12. This is the final beta test for Troy before official launch. The beta lasts for about a week will release most of the game's content.

C9 to Add Unmatched Skills and 2 New Classes

Posted:

Korea-based Webzen's adults-only ARPG C9, which was the biggest winner at Korea Game Awards 2009 and was heatedly discussed in China and Japan recently, has made public its plan for the latter half of this year.

What Type of Boss would You Like or Not Like to See?

Posted:

For me, I prefer a boss that has various skills, some aoe skills and he can make all skills useless for the entirety of him for several seconds, you cant get rid of its range during the battle.

See the Incredible Enviroment and Character Details of PlanetSide 2

Posted:

Now 2 new screenshots just released by PlanetSide 2 (CN) publisher The9, check it out and don't forget to enlarge the images to see every detail of them.

Special Force 2 (KR) to Launch Pre-OBT on July 28

Posted:

Special Force 2, sequel to the hot FPS Special Force, is going to perform its pre-OBT in South Korea from July 28 to 31, Players aged above 15 will be welcome to join the pre-OBT, and the character IDs created by players in the test will be kept valid in the future official OBT. The official has also released a latest video regarding the "Snatch" quest, in an attempt to get players acquainted with the game features ahead of time.

WOW: Ragnaros 25-man Heroic is DEAD!

Posted:

Paragon has got the FD in the Fireland.Let's see the word in their official website. Ragnaros: Too soon!Or was it? No, not really. Not if you ask us.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews

Star Wars: The Old Republic Pre-order from now

Posted: 21 Jul 2011 01:34 AM PDT

Through the official website, you can pre-order from NOW your favourite edition of Star Wars: The Old Republic. All types of pre-orders will get an early game access, a Color Stone to change the weapon effect and 30 Days Game Time. But, as you can see, there are other differences. There are 3 editions with [...]

Teaser site for Digimon Masters

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 08:55 AM PDT

Joymax has announced the launch of the teaser site for the upcoming MMO, Digimon Masters. When the game launches later this year, players will have the opportunity to take on their role as a member of the Digimon Data Squad. “We know our players and loyal fans have been anticipating news about the development of [...]

Karma Online’ Open beta details

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 04:48 AM PDT

Joymax announced today the details behind the gameplay experience players can expect in Karma Online: Prisoners of the Dead, when it launches its full open beta August 2nd. “We were astounded by the popularity of the pre-open beta, and would like to thank the thousands of players who have helped to continue to grow what [...]

Chains of Kluer, a new content update for Forsaken World

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 01:42 AM PDT

Perfect World Entertainment has announced ‘Chains of Kluer’, the latest content update for Forsaken World. “With this latest Forsaken World update, players will have to go against one of Eyrda’s most celebrated fallen heroes, Kluer. Tragically wiped of his memory, humanity and almost forgotten, Kluer is a violent shadow of his former self,” said Clifton [...]
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Videos

MMORPG Videos

Jade Dynasty: Imperial Citadel Trailer

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 12:36 PM PDT

The Imperial Citadel returns to Jade Dynasty this August as part of the eponymous Imperial Citadel content update. Find out more in this latest trailer!

End of Nations: Factions Trailer

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:03 AM PDT

Learn about the three playable factions in Trion Worlds' upcoming MMORTS, End of Nations, in this latest trailer
Posted by Shri Krishna


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Future Tense: The Universal Password

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 05:17 PM PDT

Back in my college days, one of my instructors had worked for the CIA for a few years and occasionally shared interesting bits of spycraft. For instance, if you have to break into a safe, don't bother with the door, turn it over and go in through the floor. That's usually the weakest part.

But in one of his other discussions of security, he made a fascinating point. Absolute security is impossible. Security, of any kind, is a function of how much time and energy and money you are willing to spend. Whatever you're trying to protect, whether it's nuclear secrets, the Hope diamond, or that stash of magazines you don't want your mom to find, you can only achieve security by making it too expensive or too time-consuming for the other guy to crack.

With computers, total security can be achieved with absolute isolation, but if you use your computer for communication of any kind through the internet, then you depend on password security everywhere. While you have little control over how well various online communities and companies protect your password, you do have a great deal of control over the passwords you use.

If you're a target and if the password for your bank account or your PayPal account can be broken with only a few days of computation, then it's cost-effective for a mal-intentioned hacker to make the attempt. If your password requires several years of computation, it's probably not worth it. If your password is so long and so complex that it would take centuries to crack, then you have achieved a practical level of security.

One fear about passwords is that quantum computers will be able to perform hundreds of years of calculations in a very short time, making it possible to crack even the most convoluted password. But even without quantum computing, it's already possible to rent hundreds or thousands of virtual processors in the Cloud, creating an online super-computer capable of hellaflops.

The perfect password system would be one where the password is different every time the account is accessed. If the client and the server could both compute the same password at the same time—something based on a mutable keyword, somehow processed by the date and the time—then even a virtual super-computer would be unlikely to crack it because the password and the formula for computing it would be different every time.

secure

During WWII, one-time codes were used to transmit information among spies—but you needed the code book. One way around this was for both the sender and the receiver to use a commonly available book and reference individual words by page, line, and word number. In Ken Follett's 1980 novel, The Key To Rebecca, the hero needed to discover the source book for the enemy codes. (Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. Hence the title.) The strength of such a code is obvious. The flaw is equally obvious. Once the book is known, the code is broken.

The problem with the above-hypothesized "perfect password system" is that the formula for generating the ever-changing password becomes the primary target for hackers. That particular piece of software and whatever parameters have been fed into it becomes the key—and now the key must be protected as rigorously as the data it locks.

Suppose such software existed, and suppose you needed to enter two separate keywords, which would allow the software to generate a set of parameters necessary for that connection. (The server would also know your keywords so it could generate the same parameters when it received a client request.) But again, the flaw here is that your keywords are the most vulnerable part of the process. Most people are sloppy about protecting their passwords, or they choose passwords that are too simple or just simply obvious.

There are some excellent programs for managing passwords. (LastPass and KeePass have been well reviewed.) You only have to remember one password, the software does the rest. But what if you're logging on from someone else's computer or from a public terminal? What if you don't want to risk using your personal key to all of your passwords on a system that might be vulnerable and that could have an unknown key-logger installed on it?

Other articles about passwords have mentioned the most common mistakes that people make and it's worth repeating.

Don't use the same password everywhere. Don't use your pets' names and don't use your childrens' names. Don't use anything that is commonly associated with your life. (Haven't all those terrible television shows taught you anything?) That's always the hacker's first guess. Don't use birthdays either. Or anything guessable. (And this is why none of my passwords include 'chtorr,' 'tribble,' 'martian,' or 'sleestak.')

 

fluffy

My buddy, That Pesky Dan Goodman is a security freak. He doesn't trust software, he keeps all of his passwords in his head. He has a formula for generating a specific password for every site that requires one. He generates a password based on the site name and a specific formula for transforming that site name into a password.

According to Pesky, there are only 62 characters to work with A-Z, a-z, and 0-9. While many sites allow the use of punctuation characters, not all do, and the formula has to be universal.

Now, assuming that you stick with alphanumeric characters, then a cracking program only has to go through 62 tries for each letter. If your password is only six letters long, most computers can compute 62^6 combinations in a reasonable time, a few days at most. A reasonably good password-cracking program will often try commonly used words first. If your password is 24 characters long, is a combination of upper and lower case and numbers, has no recognizable words, then 62^24 iterations is way beyond cost-effective for hackers. It could take years, and if you change your password at any time during that process, the cracker has to start over.

So here's how Pesky does it.

Make up a word. Something so illogical it cannot be found in any dictionary: 'gzorkle,' 'blorrrd,' 'gocklestonger.' The longer the better. (Do not use supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Too obvious.) Now, capitalize a couple letters in your made-up word. If you want, add some garbage-text to either the front or back or both: 'blorrrd' becomes 'bLorrrD' becomes 'bLorrrDX.'

bLorrrdX' is easy enough to type. So now you could sign up for Amazon with 'bLorrrDXAmazon' and Facebook with 'bLorrrDXFaceBook.' But the vulnerability there is still obvious. Anyone knowing your masterkey still knows all of your passwords.

So you want to transform that by a specific formula, a formula that only you know. Peskydang gives this example. Add the last three letters of the sitename to your keyword—or the first three, or the first two and last two. The idea is to extract enough letters from the site name to create a site-specific password. Whatever you choose, be consistent everywhere: 'bLorrrDXzon' and 'bLorrrDXook.' If that's still too obvious, you can transform the suffix into the next letter of the alphabet. 'bLorrDXapo' and 'bLorrrDXppl.'

Now generate a number. In this example, Pesky suggests generates a four digit number: the number of letters in the site name, followed by the number of letters in the site name plus (or minus) the number of vowels in the site name: 'bLorrrDXapo0603' and 'bLorrrDXppl0804.' Another way is to subtract the shorter word from the longer and generate a number that way. There are lots of different ways to generate numbers based on the keyword and the sitename. The result is a set of site-specific passwords that are not guessable and not easily crackable—but not too hard to compute in your own head or too hard to type.

duck

If you're lazy, you don't even need your own keyword. You can do a transformation on the site name: DropBox, Facebook, Amazon can become 73XooBox, 84KoceBook, and 63Noazon. If that's still too obvious, shift some letters up or down: 8XoopAnw3, 9KoceBppl2, and 7NoaApo3.

Using a universal formula for each website might strike you as too much work, that was my first reaction, but after thinking about it for a day or two, I realized what Pesky was up to. This is a relatively easy way to create and remember site-specific passwords that are not immediately obvious.

Pesky uses a different formula than the ones outlined here, but the principle is the same. If you create a universal formula for every site you visit, then your passwords never have to be written down or trusted to any piece of software. All you have to do is remember the formula you created. Even if one password gets discovered by a hacker or a keylogger, it will not give him access to any of your other passwords. And if your formula is clever enough, he'll need access to at least two of your passwords before he has any chance of figuring out the formula. The numbers you generate add a whole other level of complexity.

Obviously, are many different formulas you can generate using the site name, a keyword, and a numerical calculation. Not all of them have to be as complex as the one outlined above. Or if you're a real security freak, you can get even more complicated.

The real question is not what password system you use—but how secure do you want your online accounts and your personal data to be? Is it worth the extra time and trouble to keep your private information out of the hands of hackers?

What do you think?

—————

David Gerrold is a Hugo and Nebula award-winning author. He has written more than 50 books, including "The Man Who Folded Himself" and "When HARLIE Was One," as well as hundreds of short stories and articles. His autobiographical story "The Martian Child" was the basis of the 2007 movie starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet. He has also written for television, including episodes of Star Trek, Babylon 5, Twilight Zone, and Land Of The Lost. He is best known for creating tribbles, sleestaks, and Chtorrans. In his spare time, he redesigns his website, www.gerrold.com

Intel Reports Record Revenue for Fifth Consecutive Time, Atom Bombs

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 04:27 PM PDT

Intel today posted yet another soild quarter, boasting record revenue for the fifth consecutive time. Perhaps a year from now, ARM will have stolen away some of Intel's market share on the desktop and dipped into its profits, and maybe AMD's upcoming Bulldozer will do the same, but in the here and now, Intel is about as close as a company can come to legally printing money, without actually printing money.

On a GAAP basis, Intel reported second quarter revenue of $13 billion, an increase of 21 percent from one year prior, operating income of $3.1 billion (down 1 percent), and net income of $3 billion (up 2 percent).

"We achieved a significant new milestone in the second quarter, surpassing $13.0 billion in revenue for the first time," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "Strong corporate demand for our most advanced technology, the surge of mobile devices and Internet traffic fueling data center growth, and the rapid rise of computing in emerging markets drove record results. Intel's 23 percent revenue growth in the first half and our increasing confidence in the second half of 2011 position us to grow annual revenue in the mid-20 percent range."

Not all the numbers were brag worthy, however. In what could be a sign that consumers are choosing tablets and/or low cost notebooks over netbooks, Atom processor and chipset revenue fell 15 percent year-over-year to $352 million. Intel also noted a net loss of $4 million from equity investments and interest, versus the company's expectation of a $50 million net gain.

Intel's solid overall quarter was driven by gains in each of its three major business divisions, including an 11 percent year-over-year revenue increase in its PC Client Group, 15 percent increase in its Data Center Group, and 84 percent gain its Other Intel Architecture group.

Tango to Bring Video Chat to the Desktop

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 03:11 PM PDT

videoVideo chat is the hot new thing. Everyone is doing it, and everyone has an idea how to do it best. Tango has thus far only been available on smartphones. But the company has just gotten an infusion of venture capital, and plans to go toe-to-toe on the desktop with the industry leader, Skype. 

Tango has pulled in $47 million in funding since it was started about 18 months ago. This new pot of money is being provided by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and is probably a reaction to the Microsoft acquisition of Skype. The desktop app is expected to be out this summer to lure in more users. With Skype's newer software inspiring rage in some users, they might have a shot. But Tango will have a long way to go. The company claims about 18 million mobile users, but that is likely just counting app installs. Skype has 600 million registered accounts. 

The new money will go toward bumping up the company's work force to about 100 individuals, from the current 60. Some of these new hires will work on getting hardware-level support for Tango's video calls on some devices, which should improve the experience and encourage more users to hop on board. 

The Game Boy: The Future of Gaming As Predicted by E3 2011, Pt 1

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 02:59 PM PDT

E3 is finally far enough behind us that I can start to make sense of it. Taken all at once – it pretty much sounded like a bunch of ungodly screaming occasionally punctuated by the word "transfarring" (which isn't even a real word). You tried to roll with the punches, I'm sure – to stand before News Godzilla without fleeing while shouting something in badly lip-synced Japanese – but it eventually broke you. So, what happens next? Now that the news/preview/interview barrage dust has finally settled, what does it all mean? Well, since I did one of these things last year and I'm nothing if not a slave to habit, here are a few thoughts on this year's show.

Brand New Consoles That Are Already Behind The Times

Now: Nintendo took the wraps off its latest box-shaped chunk of insanity incarnate, christening it the Wii U. The machine's controller, however, stole the show, best resembling an iPad, but with buttons and sans, well, guts. That's right: the second this thing parts ways with the main console, it becomes nothing more than a Nintendo-branded paper weight. Meanwhile, Sony fired the next shot in the handheld war with the PSVita, which probably had Nintendo sweating bullets with a $250 price point, gorgeous graphics, and touch screens, like, everywhere. 

The Forecast: The future is now, and for the precise reason, these new consoles are already living fossils. First up, the Wii U, because yikes. Where to begin? With cloud gaming coming into prominence, what did Nintendo do? It unveiled a system with similar functionality ("Play your high-end HD game in another room!") but with all sorts of extra strings attached. Wii U games on the go? Forget about it. The second you step outside your front door, your game hisses at the sun's hateful rays and scampers back inside.

And then there's the mentality behind the console itself. Allegedly, Nintendo hopes to be everything for everybody. Want hardcore HD muscle men with guns and stubble and cursing? Tuck the kids in tight, because Nintendo has you covered. But what if you just want to pet a Nintendog or work up a sweat with your Wii Balance Board? Well, the Wii U's got your back as well. In theory. But really, a bunch of third-party Xbox/PS3 ports (the bulk of Nintendo's E3 showing) and a nebulous online setup aren't going to woo hardcore gamers away from their current console loves. And a controller without the gee-whiz-gotta-have-it appeal of the original Wii – or, of more current relevance, Kinect – isn't going to have casuals turning Wal-Mart parking lots into warzones. It's a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, and these days, that simply won't cut it.

Also, the Wii U controller's touch screen is based on original Nintendo DS tech. As in, it's optimized for a stylus and completely lacking in multi-touch. That may not seem like a deal-breaker, but in a world where six-year-olds are finding shiny new iPhones and iPads under the Christmas tree, there's a hardwired expectation that simply can't be ignored. If you leap into the tech world's fast lane and can't even keep pace – let alone speed ahead – you'll get trampled. It's as simple as that.

As for the PSVita, it's the same argument you've heard a thousand times, but it doesn't ring any less true: smart phones. They are the mobile gaming market now, and the 3DS is currently learning that the hard way. The PSVita, meanwhile, is what the original PSP needed to be, you know, back in 2005. From the looks of things, it'll be a fantastic platform, but it's also big, bulky, and unable to function as a be-all, end-all on-the-go device. This portable rally, then, appears to be a case of too little, too late. Why? Because Sony is going to be selling hardware at a tremendous loss with that $250 price point. Put simply, it needs a homerun here. Anything less just won't do.      

Motion Sickness

Now: Microsoft and Sony went on and on and on and on about motion control. If you listen hard enough, you can still hear them going – whispering quietly into an uncaring, unfeeling void.

The Forecast: This ship has sailed – especially for Sony, except instead of sailing, it sort of just idled for a while and then got yanked under by an errant Kraken, never to be seen again. Microsoft stands a better chance, but it might be barking up the wrong tree. Kinect's potential as a gaming device – at least, at this point – is profoundly limited by its lack of force feedback and relative imprecision. However, E3-goers were able to catch glimmers of the tech's potential, as Mass Effect 3 vocal squad controls and things of the like seem quite capable of changing the way we play these games for the better. Also, Kinect Fun Lab deserves special mention, as it could turn Kinect hacks into a legitimate business.

For now, however, developers and gamers alike are still making primitive grunts and shaking makeshift spears at the ever-evolving device, so if you're not convinced, try waiting another year. So long as developers keep Kinect controls optional during this experimental phase, I'll be sitting on the sidelines, shouting "Go team! I'm cautiously optimistic about your success. Unless you screw up, in which case, I hate you."

Even so, E3 showed that hardcore gamers are going to need a lot of convincing before they stop telling these Kinect-loving kids to get off their lawns. Yes, in some places the tech worked, and in others (Disneyland, Star Wars), it fell flat on its face. Regardless, it drew more eye-rolls than it did "I wants" from conference attendees, and that's telling of the skepticism and fear surrounding tech that's – so far – proven largely optional in the games that matter to core-types.

All-in-all, the air surrounding motion control during E3 was one of begrudging impatience – like everyone had seen the writing on the wall, yet Sony and Microsoft didn't get the memo. But was that a sobering sign of things to come, or evidence that the mighty E3 is one ill-advised Rickroll joke away from being a lumbering, out-of-touch giant? At this point, only time will tell for sure. But, to be completely honest, I'm leaning toward the latter.   

Modern Warfare 3 vs Battlefield 3

Now: Who doesn't like a good knock-down, drag-out slugfest between two earth-shakingly heavy hitters? This year, EA and Activision are going toe-to-toe with Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, respectively. And Activision will fall and good will triumph over evil, right?

The Forecast: Haha, no. Yes, Battlefield 3 will probably be orders of magnitude prettier. Yes, it will probably try new things and be heralded as PC gaming's new Chosen One. But here's the thing: Modern Warfare will still win – by a landslide that'll be visible from space. And, odds are, it'll continue to do so year-after-year for the exact reason that you despise it: Because it's simple. No frills. You can shoot dudes in the face without any of that pesky teamwork or strategy nonsense. That's why the same crowd that exalts Transformers 3 as cinematic brilliance, unironically tunes into Jersey Shore on a regular basis, and consumes every other piece of media that you don't particularly care for will eat it up. Sad to say, fancy wine and a four-course meal are nice and all, but interesting things are hard. Most people are more-than-happy to settle for a greasy cheeseburger.    

Giving Hardcore Gamers What They Want, Except Not

Now: Guns! Shooting! Fun and interesting attempts at genre diversification! Just kidding about that last one. I actually meant "knocking down a door and gaining magical slow-mo powers for no adaquately explained reason!"

The Forecast: E3 absolutely reeked of this odd misperception that appeasing hardcore gamers is as simple as dropping another same-y first-person shooter into an already overflowing bucket. For example, when people accused Microsoft of catering largely to casuals, its go-to response was "But look! We have Call of Duty and Halo and Gears of War!" Meanwhile, Nintendo outright stated that it went HD with Wii U to attract first-person shooters. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Problem: Mr. Biceps McFPSFanatic and John Q. Hardcoregamer aren't necessarily one-in-the-same. And given that hardcore gamers are still the most consistently lucrative audience in gaming, a vocal minority's far from the only thing at stake here. So we end up with a situation where publishers are catering to a crowd weaned on a steady diet of Call of Duty and, well, that's about it. As a result, these players can be just as spendthrift as casual gamers; they just let their gaming platforms gather dust between different games, is all. And all the while, the real hardcore crowd – that is, you fine folks – grows ever more cynical and disenfranchised toward loud, guns-a-blazing blockbusters, because you've shot so many dudes that it could technically be considered genocide at this point.

Similarly, all casual gamers are expected to either be so young that Kinect's necessary because they'd eat the controller otherwise, or adults paradoxically obsessed with fitness and never leaving their living rooms. The gaming industry's rife with cynical stereotypes of what "hardcore" and "casual" should be, and it seems like – at some point – everyone decided to declare war and turn any sort of middle ground into a nice, smokey crater. That's downright awful, because it means this medium is basically giving the cold shoulder to millions of people – and setting gobs of money on fire in the process. And last I checked, money is good.

A Bit Less Gray and Gritty

Now: The first-person shooter genre's like a party where everyone showed up wearing the same dress. Including the men. So somebody was like "Well, one of us is gonna have to change." And then everybody wore the same exact outfit for three years.

The Forecast: Color is the new gray. While the likes of Battlefield 3, Call of Duty, Gears of War, etc are still aiming for gruff, shouty, and shooty, games like the new Brothers in Arms, Insomniac's OverStrike, BioShock Infinite, and Monolith's Gotham City Imposters displayed a refreshing willingness to paint the town whatever color they damn well felt like. Taking into account Bulletstorm's addition of some creative new curses to gamers' vocabularies earlier this year and Team Fortress 2's perennial popularity, could we finally be on the cusp of dispelling the Rain Cloud of Absolute Seriousness that's been keeping the FPS genre cooped up for the past many years? If this year's E3 is any indication, things are looking up.      

Check back early next week for part two!

Twitter to Close New Round of Funding Letting Employees Cash Out Stock

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 02:55 PM PDT

twitterOne of the hazards of signing up with a start up is that the stock they use to lure employees in usually can't be cashed out until the company allows it. That's been the case with Twitter for years now, and both employees and investors are getting antsy. But the social service's new round of funding, reported to be around $800 million, will include $400 million just for cashing out stock options.

The transaction is expected to be done in the next two weeks. At that time, those with stakes in the company will have the option to sell some or all of their stock back. But maybe that won't be the best idea. Twitter is definitely on a tear. The proposed round of funding will value the company at over $8 billion. 

With the founders of Twitter taking their leave, this will be a critical time for the company to prove that it can find a viable business model. Twitter currently pulls in about $200 million a year in revenue, a relatively small sum. Do you think Twitter investors should get out now, or keep riding that micro-blogging train all the way to the bank?

Anonymous No More: US And UK Crack Down On 15 Alleged Members

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:47 AM PDT

After months of watching helplessly while Anonymous and LulzSec pulled down our virtual pants and stuck their tongue out at Internet users worldwide, several members of the two groups are now being taught a crucial lesson: nobody likes a smartass. We reported yesterday that the FBI raided the homes of 3 suspected Anons in New York, but it turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg. Authorities in the US and UK say they've slapped the cuffs of 15 alleged Anon affiliates and one person possibly associated with LulzSec. Oh, and one more guy.

The FBI rounded up the 14 Anons and executed 35 search warrants in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington DC, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio, according to the DoJ's press release. All 14 are said to have assisted with Anonymous' smack-down of PayPal back in December. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claims a 16-year-old was also arrested in London as part of the Anonymous crackdown. He also allegedly had ties to the PayPal penetration.

An individual who could have ties to LulzSec was also snatched up. Lance Moore of New Mexico allegedly stole data from AT&T's servers while working for the company as a customer support contractor. "On June 25, 2011, the computer hacking group LulzSec publicized that they had obtained confidential AT&T documents and made them publicly available on the Internet," the DoJ says. "The documents were the ones Moore had previously uploaded." LulzSec hasn't responded to the arrest on its Twitter feed.

One more person was corralled during the roundup: Scott Matthew Arciszewski of San Jose, California, allegedly accessed the servers of Tampa Bay InfraGard, a company associated with the FBI, then uploaded three files onto the company's system. "Arciszewski then tweeted about the intrusion and directed visitors to a separate website containing links with instructions on how to exploit the Tampa InfraGard website," the DoJ says. You may remember that LulzSec took a swipe at InfraGard back in June, but Arciszewki accessed InfraGard two weeks after the other intrusion. *Cough* Moron *Cough*

Do you know one of the folks who were picked up in the raid? Check out the DoJ's press release for a full list of the names and online handles of everyone pinched in the US.

Windows Phone 7 App of the Week: 4th and Mayor

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:12 AM PDT

Social networking has simply exploded in the last few years. Facebook and Twitter are the obvious examples of hugely popular social networking sites, but there are several other up and coming services as well. Foursquare is a location-based social networking service, and their focused approach has given them a boost in popularity they may not have gained had they gone head-to-head with the industry powerhouses. Foursquare also provides a competitive side to things, and lets you see specials that different locations may offer. There is an official Foursquare app for Windows Phone 7, but it's got nothing on 4th and Mayor.

4th

Jeff Wilcox is a Microsoft employee working on the Silverlight Phone & Devices Team, but 4th and Mayor is an independent venture. The app is free, and offers access to all the features and benefits you get with Foursquare. The interface allows for quick and easy check-ins, lets you see your friend's recent activity, and gives you visibility on locations nearby that may interest you.

4th 2

Mr. Wilcox accepts donations via Paypal on the 4th and Mayor website, so if you're a fan show him some love and be sure to check back next week for another Windows Phone 7 App of the Week!

Taliban Network Hacked With False News Of Leader's Death

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 11:04 AM PDT

Another day, another hack spreading false news of death. But where LulzSec's defacing of the Sun's website was, for the most part, harmless, the news making the rounds today could hold actual life-or-death ramifications. When Taliban members logged into their Internet-connected devices in Afghanistan on Wednesday, they found messages and news reports claiming that the group's spiritual leader was dead. Which, um, he wasn't. While the story may bring a smile to the face of a deployed GI, the Taliban didn't get the lulz.

The group's websites, phones and email were all hacked to spread messages proclaiming the death of Mullah Omar, Reuters reports. The false rumor holds a delicious touch of irony that is no doubt lost on members of the extremist organization. Part of the reason the Taliban has such a paranoid fear of cellphones and electronic devices is because, years ago, they claim Mullah Omar was actually almost killed by would-be assassins after they traced his phone signal.

As is the case whenever you prod someone in a sensitive area, the Taliban responded with threats of extreme violence. In this case, they swore revenge on Afghanistan's telcos for aiding "American Intelligence" in committing "technical larceny," according to the Reuters report. In the past, the Taliban has threatened to destroy cellular towers and telco offices if they didn't shut down their networks at night.

Nobody – not Uncle Sam, and not even LulzSec – has stepped forward to claim credit for the virtual attack. NATO shrugged its shoulders and said they don't know what happened, either.

Image Credit: Facenfacts.com

Google Musing Chromebook Processor Upgrade

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 10:21 AM PDT

If you've ever picked up a Chromebook and wished the cloud-based software inside had a little more hardware oomph behind it, well, we're not entirely sure you get the point of the Google-fied notebooks. Nevertheless, even cloud-based services can benefit from a little extra horsepower under the hood. Despite seeing decent sales with the basic configuration, a new report says Google and Intel are joining their considerable forces in a bid to bring Core i series processors to the Chromebook lineup.

DigiTimes reports the change came at the prodding of businesses that use the Chromebook in the workplace. They've been complaining about the price/performance ratio of Google's notebooks, citing the fact that a Chromebook costs $50 to $100 more than a comparable Windows 7-based notebook. Google hopes to stop the whining with the change from the underpowered Atom N570 processor to Core i series.

Intel's already fully behind the move, according to the article. The company's reportedly offering a 10 to 20 percent discount on its Core i processors to notebook manufacturers who plan on using the chips inside Chromebooks. The site's anonymous sources say Samsung, Acer and possibly Asus are toying with the possibility of signing up for the upgrade. Don't hold off on your next purchase in the hopes of bagging one of the new notebooks, though; Core i-sporting Chromebooks aren't expected to land on store shelves until next year.

Intel Ponders Feasibility of PCI Express x2 Interface

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT

Could the PCI Express interface beneft from a new, two-lane (x2) solution? That's the question Intel engineers are reportedly kicking around, according to VR-Zone.com's LG Nilsson. The reason is pretty simple. PCI-E x1 lacks sufficient bandwidth for data intensive devices, and PCI-E x4 is too wide for many peripheral chips, Nilsson says. Hence why Intel is at least considering an in-between.

News and rumor site Fudzilla proposes another reason why Intel might make a push for PCI-E x2. It could be that Intel wants to inch its Thunderbolt technology closer to consumers, and PCI-E x2 could prove a sweet sport for Thunderbolt controllers.

Whatever the reason, Intel faces certain challenges, one of those being the PCI-SIG consortium tasked with specifying PCI Express standards. As it stands, PCI-SIG isn't mulling a PCI-E x2 spec, even if Intel is, though this probably wouldn't present a major roadblock. The bigger hurdle might be in getting peripheral chip makers to redesign their chips to support the added bandwidth PCI-E x2 would provide.
Posted by Shri Krishna
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