MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News

Walmart Will Finally Release Game Sales Data

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The Walmart company has decided to publish information regarding its game sales, after so long of not giving details about it. Research firms like Nielsen Co. and NPD will now have access to all the video game sales own by Walmart.

Mounted Combat Coming to Forsaken World

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By completing a quest line that has you visiting multiple regions, you'll be granted the license, an item that will enable mounted combat for your character.

Dragon Nest(NA) Open Beta Starts Today

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Dragon Nest fans must have known the time, but it's still necessary to mention here again that Dragon Nest NA starts open beta today at 12 PM (PST).

SWTOR to Last for Decades, 19 Major Worlds Now, 500 in 2025

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BioWare hopes its most expensive project Star Wars: The Old Republic will last for decades. As to SWTOR release date and beta testing, the wait is nearly over! They said they will have new content for SWTOR until 2025 as the game progresses.

Martial-arts Infinite Worlds to Debut at Chinajoy, Promotional Trailer Unveiled

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Lately Infinite Worlds (Official Website: http://w.51play.com) officially unveiled a promotional trailer, as well as a collection of screenshots captured from the trailer. It is the first time that the game has revealed related trailer content.

Firefall has Geared up for ChinaJoy 2011

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Red5 Studio wants to make a big show for the online FPS game, and they've confirmed that there will be a splendid booth, playable demos, and $1 million USD worth of Firefall statues.

Dragon Nest NA Open Beta Tips

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Greetings, Dragon Nest fans. The Dragon Nest Beta will soon begin at 12 PM (PST) on July 26, 2011 and is open for all! We summed up several tips for you to enjoy this grand carnival~

WoW: Illidan Stormrage's Tattoo Favored by a Russian Swimmer

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We once reported in one of our articles that Andrei Kirilenko, a famous NBA star player, had a quite cool WoW-themed tattoo on this back. Today we found another athlete, Nikita Konovalov, a Russian swimmer who also has a WoW-themed tattoo on this body.

[Hot Blog] Crazy Alt’oholic Player in Perpetuum!

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Hey guys, I have been playing Perpetuum for a couple of days now and so far everything is good, I only had a few minor stags but for the most part the game quirkiness keep things interesting… Of course certain bizarre things are out of this world…

Vindictus: Episode 8, Part 2 "Unveiling the Truth" to Launch on August 3

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Vindictus is launching the Episode 8 Pt. 2: "Unveiling the Truth" and a new video showing Glas a new raid boss and introduces the Succubus.

Survey: How Long it Takes Gamers to Finish a Title

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A survey was conducted to find out that how long gamers usually spend actually playing a game and its campaign mode may lead developers something to think.

Rusty Hearts: The Second Developer Diary to Detail PvP System

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As the excited closed beta testing for Rusty Hearts is coming on July 27th, Perfect World Entertainment released the second Developer Diary video to detail the Rusty Hearts PvP system and a blog post get a sneak peek of the multiplayer experience in the game's PvP.

[Hot Blog] China Joy show!

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Ok, today's theme, China Joy. As I know, it is another comic-con in China. Game developers release their new games in the CJ, show girls and cosplayers are the most attractive thing besides new games.

RIFT World Event - Are you Prepared for Hammerknell in Phase 5?

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With Rift's newest 20-man dungeon on the horizon, Hammerknell has many guilds scrambling to prepare themselves for whats to come. The games newest patch release has brought much hype to the giant encounter loaded with a total of ten bosses.

[Topic] Why Do You Play MMORPGs?

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ive played mmos for about 6 years and over that time ive come to wonder why even i play them, after a while it just seems meaningless, theres no end to it, you cant really hope to be the best because theres always someone that plays more than you that shows its not about skill but time spent on the game.

Dragon Nest New Generation Academic Unveiled!

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Dragon Nest Korean official site unveiled an event about new generation Academic from July 22nd to July 28th. This character can summon a monster to fight and change her job into engineer.

Eudemons Online Becoming the Definite Vampire MMO

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Eudemons Online's latest class – the night dwelling Vampires – has swooped into the popular MMORPG in style.

[Topic] Have You Done Mean Things for Your Own Good in Game?

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Like you know straight said being a d*ck for your own sake, ninja a loot because you need it too, keep tricks you can do in game from other people so you would be in front of them in game and stuff like that.

KUF2 Review: Hybrid of Strategy and Hardcore Action Combat

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Hi guys, this is yuto-kun from mmosite, bringing in this oportunity an awesome review of a hardcore mmorpg game called KUF2 (Kingdom Under Fire 2). It seems like no much people mention its one of the games of the year, But i will show you guys how wrong they are!

Ixion Saga Reveals 3 Classes' Special Attacks

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Japan-based Capcom has recently released the latest info about its online PC action game Ixion Saga, including the special attacks of the three in-game classes and the mighty weapon "Aroma Cannon" which's able to control the war situation.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews

Auto Club Revolution begins its closed beta test

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 12:39 AM PDT

Eutechnyx has launched the Closed Beta Test of Auto Club Revolution. From today, players will be granted access to the test version of the game and asked to report their feedback. “It’s a big day for the Auto Club Revolution team“, said executive producer, Doug Wolff. “We’ve been working up to this for over four [...]

MapleStory presents a new update, Big Bang

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:48 AM PDT

Nexon has presented the Big Bang update for MapleStorywill thrill players with a whole new experience. With this first update, players will be able to step out into the Maple World as heroes who can level up much faster than ever before. Skills and monsters have also been rebalanced, allowing players to rediscover the game [...]

Exclusive Raffle of 5 walliecards of 20€

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:29 AM PDT

Wallie through FREE MMORPG and MMO Reviews celebrates a raffle of 5 Wallie-cards of 20€. Wallie is the easiest and the fastest way of paying, but also the safest one. You will not have to provide private information, you just need to type in a unique code and you will be able to pay on [...]

Rusty Hearts launches its second Developer Diary

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:59 AM PDT

Rusty Hearts has unveiled details about the PvP sytem with its second Developer Diary. Rusty Heart’s full-fledged PvP system will allow competitive style gamers to create rooms to face off against friends, trade PvP points for gear and in-game items, try out exciting battle modes including death match, solo and team survival, tag team, VIP [...]

Vindictus launches Episode 8 Pt. 2: “Unveiling the Truth” on August 3

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:28 AM PDT

Vindictus is launching the Episode 8 Pt. 2: “Unveiling the Truth” and a new video showing Glas a new raid boss and introduces the Succubus. The epic conclusion of the rebellion at Ortel castle arrives August 3rd with the Episode 8, part 2 content update for Vindictus. Players should be excited to know that a [...]

DDTank launches it’s new patch 2.6: Dragon’s Lair

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:36 AM PDT

YooGames has announced the launch of the newest expansion for DDTank, patch 2.6: Dragon’s Lair. The update includes new dungeons, an increased level cap, and an additional Server “YooGames’ DDTank is the first in the world to receive the 2.6 patch, and we’re proud to be on the cutting edge of the wants and needs [...]
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Videos

MMORPG Videos

ACE Online: ACE Online - 1st Impressions with Ripper X

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 04:17 PM PDT

Ripper X touches down on the 3D Space Shooter ACE Online! Basic gameplay and 1st impressions are included while Ripper X falls in love with the guide Gina.
Posted by Shri Krishna


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Comic-Con 2011 Videos: Check Out Toys, Collectibles, And The Star Trek PC!

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:47 PM PDT

Future Studios rolled with us on our annual voyage to San Diegos nerd mecca, and they kept their cameras rolling. Check out the two videos below; one features a montage of toys and collectibles, and the other features our stellar Star Trek PC. Enjoy!

 

 

Old School Monday: World Wide War

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:16 PM PDT

In this week's blast from the internet past, we take a look at the 1996 perspective on online gaming. Anyone who's read a few of our Old School Monday features knows that we haven't always been right in our predictions, but this one was right on the mark when it predicted that the internet was the future of multiplayer gaming. 

Anyone paying attention in 1996 could have told you that internet gaming was a big deal for shooters and sims like Quake and Mechwarrior, of course, but we went a step further and called out the likes of the then-unreleased Meridian 59 and Ultima Online--titles that would pave the way for the entirety of massively multiplayer gaming.

And no, we can't explain why all those people are playing Quake with gamepads. Let's just chalk it up to it being the nineties and move on.

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Netflix Expected to Acquire Streaming Rights to DreamWorks Animation Catalog

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:46 PM PDT

netflWe know that a lot of you are mighty sore about the recent hike in Netflix rates, but according to sources, they're putting that money to use. Netflix has reportedly worked out a deal with DreamWorks Animation to get the studio's films on the Internet company's streaming service. 

Interestingly, DreamWorks currently has a distribution deal with HBO that is not set to expire until 2014. It is rumored that HBO is willing to end that deal two years early. HBO has apparently already acquired the content deals necessary to replace the two animated features they got per year from DreamWorks. This means that the DreamWorks catalog of movies could show up on Netfix in just a few months.

Netflix and DreamWorks are not talking, but that's no great surprise at this point. Netflix is about to announce quarterly profits today. Expect this to be one of many new streaming deals announced as Netflix continues to shift away from discs. 

Google Street View Cars Captured Locations of Phones and PCs

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:30 PM PDT

streetviewGoogle certainly does not need anymore bad publicity for its Street View product after lat year's Wi-Fi data scandal. But, here we have the French data protection authority Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) claiming that Google's Street View cars slurped up the MAC addresses of mobile devices and laptops.

The MAC address is a unique number given to every IEEE certified network interface device. It is essentially a unique identifier that is very hard to change. CNIL says that their investigation shows that Google's Wi-Fi sniffing cars were grabbing these numbers in addition to the MAC addresses from routers, like the were supposed to. By having to GPS coordinates associated with a MAC address, devices can estimate their location based on nearby MAC addresses.

The offending data was posted to Google's location web interface. Most experts feel that the inclusion of mobile devices and computers was just an accident. Since these devices move around quite a bit, their MACs are not very useful for location determination. But this new wrinkle has once again led to demands for an opt-out method for Google location tracking. 

The MAC IDs should not pose any real privacy problems for individuals. The number is tied to a computer, not the person using it. No one can know where someone has been from this data unless they already have the MAC address.

Comic-Con 2011 Gallery: 57 Photos From Day Three!

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT

Exhausted but undeterred, we hit the show floor of Comic-Con 2011 hard on our final day, raffling away our coveted Star Trek PC, and, as always, keeping a vigilant eye out for awesome costumes. Click through the images below!

Test Your PC Skills: Geek Quiz 2011

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:26 PM PDT

Are you a PC know-it-all or a newb? It's time to find out!

Within the span of a generation, one new technology radically changed society, propelling many folks into the realm of the well-connected and well-educated. It was expensive, especially at first, but economies of scale soon brought this technological advance into the homes of millions instead of just an elite few. That's right: We're talking about the book.

The Internet has largely replaced the book as a tool for democratizing access to information, but one thing remains true: knowledge is power. And you'd better have some significant knowledge at your disposal if you hope to fare well on the 11th annual Geek Quiz. We've collected 55 questions from the easy to the mind-burning to test your knowledge of technology more advanced than deadtreeware. If you've been zoned out, it's OK, but you'd better hit the books. Go ahead. We'll wait. The Geek Quiz will still be here, mercilessly taunting you until you give it a go.

The Moment of Truth

IF YOU'RE NOT AS SMART AS YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE, THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR

0-14 CORRECT:
Either you need to invest in Computing for Dummies, or you're a dog who has found your master's copy of Maximum PC on the floor. In which case, we greet you. Woof. Woof.

15-30 CORRECT:
Your knowledge of PC tech and history might not be the stuff of legend, but you still know more than 90 percent of your peers. The dumb 90 percent.

31-45 CORRECT:
Truly you are wise in the ways of the Force. We can't help but feel that if you went outside a little less often, you'd have done better on this quiz.

46-55 CORRECT:
You've absorbed everything we've been teaching you and more. Heck, you could probably write next year's Geek Quiz by yourself. Which is good, because we need a vacation.

Prey-Enabled Devices Offer A Glimpse Into The Lives Of Second-Hand Electronics

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:23 AM PDT

When a sticky-fingered thief pilfers your laptop, you rarely get a chance to track him down – unless you use Prey, that is. We've already covered how to use the GPS-enabled, screenshot-sending program to recover your notebook in just that circumstance, but creative researchers at MIT have started using Prey for a more humane effort. They've begun installing the software on second-hand electronics sent to developing countries in Indonesia, South Asia and Africa to help charities put a face to people who are helped by the donations.

The guys and gals at MIT's Senseable City Lab came up with the project, which is dubbed Backtalk, CNET reports. They installed Prey on second-hand netbooks and smartphones, then disseminated them with the help of nonprofit organizations. Every 20 minutes, Prey records the GPS location of the device and snaps a shot with the device's camera, letting the MIT gang know exactly where the donation ended up – and see the face of the person benefiting from it.

Take a chill pill, privacy advocates; we already hear you grumbling. The Backtalk program only tracks devices after the new owners agree to it, and stickers explaining the program are affixed to the case of all affected electronics. The stickers are written in the tongue of the person receiving the device. They're showcased on the screenshot above.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York plans on showcasing screenshots from the program in an exhibit that opened yesterday.

Chrome Web App of the Week: Autodesk Homestyler

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:02 AM PDT

Updating the look of a single room or your entire home can be an exciting and stressful affair. Exciting because taking the time and spending the coin to pick out new furniture, paint or otherwise tinker with your home can breathe new life into a stale living space. Stressful because, let's face it, sometimes the vision of how a room should look that we see in our head just doesn't work out the way we planned when we get down to putting it all together in the real world. Fortunately, Autodesk Homestyler is here to help you iron the kinks out of your home styling faux pas.

autodesk one

Autodesk Homestyler allows users to create, decorate and redefine their apartment, house, or any other space with drag and drop simplicity. Room sizes, wall lengths and angles can all be tweaked with nothing more than a few clicks of a mouse.  Once the size and shape of your space is up to snuff, Homestyler makes it easy to try out decorating options, furniture arrangements, and various floor and wall palettes. Once you have your space's colors and layout down pat, the web app allows you to kick your design into 3D to give you a bit of perspective of how your creation will look should you ever decide to bring it into meatspace.

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If you happen to create a design that you'd like to follow through on, it can be saved for later (saving requires you sign up for a free user account), printed, exported as an image file or sent to a number of social networks. Be sure to check back every Monday for another edition of Maximum PC's Chrome Web App of the Week.

Virgin Media Tests "World's Fastest Cable Broadband" In London

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:50 AM PDT

Remember everybody's favorite pair of deliberately acting turtles, the Slowskis? Comcast used the commercials to poke fun at the slower speeds of Verizon's DSL service back when the cable company was trying to break into the broadband provider scene. Well, the tables have turned; even Comcast's 20Mbps speeds end up looking more tortoise than hare when compared to Virgin Media's blazing new 1.5Gbps down/150Mbps up connection.

The company already offers 100Mbps speeds to half the UK population, Daily Tech reports; the Gb-shattering thresh hold is currently in trial stages only. The service is being offered to a small area of London known as "Silicon Roundabout," centered around Old Street. Virgin Media achieved the speeds using DOCSIS 3.0 technology, which the company calls a "future-proofed platform with theoretically near infinite capacity." Virgin Media touts the 1.5Gbps service as the fastest cable-based Internet in the world.

So how'd they do it? "These superfast speeds are possible because of the £13 billion of private investment made by Virgin Media which means that every cable home is connected to a state-of-the-art fibre optic network by a high-grade coaxial line," the company's press release boasts.

In June, Comcast proved that they could achieve speeds of 1Gbps at the annual Cable Show in Chicago. Prepare to hit your bandwidth cap in a couple of hours!

Creative Programmer Whips Up A Web Browser For Graphing Calculators

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:22 AM PDT

Those graphing calculators that you're issued in high school geometry class are capable of crunching some serious numbers, but if you're anything like us, you spent more time playing hacked versions of Zelda and Tetris on the things than solving quadratic equations. If you're more of a Web-head than a gaming guru, a new hack plops a browser on your Texas Instruments graphing calculator and lets you surf the Web when you should be working – assuming you don't mind the lack of newfangled features like images, that is.

The creator of the Gossamer Web browser is an PhD student named Christopher Mitchell, whom TechCrunch calls "the world's most prolific graphing calculator programmer." Compatible with the TI-83+ through TI-84+SE calculators, Mitchell says in a YouTube demonstration that Gossamer accesses websites via the "Mobile CALCnet Networking Protocol."

"I first created a Python web clipping application employing Lynx that runs on the globalCALCnet metahub, then a calculator-side client named Gossamer. Gossamer can already request, receive, display, and scroll pages, maintain a page viewing history, and allow the user to click on links to visit pages," Mitchell explains on a forum post introducing the project. The browser also includes an input box for entering URLs, although that feature wasn't available at launch.

It ain't pretty, but it gets the job done. If the idea of graphing calc hacks intrigues you, be sure to check out the rest of Mitchell's website – there's plenty of calculator-modifying goodness to be found.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO News

MMO News

Tales of Pirates II previews new card activator skills

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:39 AM PDT

The next patch for Tales of Pirates II will introduce new skills through Energy Cards and Card Activators, which can be obtained from NPCs on Astral Isle. A list of the skills that will be available, and what will be required to make these cards, has been released and detailed as follows:

* Vibe Slash – Deals 3,000 damage – requires 2 Level-F Energy Cards
* Covert Fog – Disappear for 30 seconds – requires 2 Level-F Energy Cards
* Energy Bulwark – Every SP absorbs 0.75 damage – requires 3 Level-F Energy Cards
* Energy Web – Seals your opponent – requires 5 Level-F Energy Cards
* Halo Salvation – Restores 10,000 HP – requires 10 Level-F Energy Cards

Level-F Energy cards will require a blank card, a red energy quartz, and 5,000g. Skill Cards can also be created, and require blank cards, red energy quartz, and the appropriate skill quartz core.

Tales of Pirates II is published by IGG, which also publishes Angels Online and Tales of Fantasy.

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Tales of Pirates II Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Tales of Pirates II: Take a Sneak Peek at the New Card Activator Skills

Tales of Pirates II (http://top2.igg.com) will soon release Astral Isle, but there's more for players to look forward to in the new map than your run-of-the-mill final-stage bosses. Some of the most talked about additions are the all-new Card Activator skills adventurous pirates can't wait to get their hands on. This new skill system lets players unleash incredible forces locked within various Skill Cards by using Energy Cards and Card Activators. Here's a preview of the powerful skills accessible with these cards.

Skill Effect Requires

Vibe Slash Deals 3,000 damage 2 Level-F Energy Cards
Covert Fog Disappear for 30 seconds 2 Level-F Energy Cards
Energy Bulwark Every SP absorbs 0.75 damage 3 Level-F Energy Cards
Energy Web Seals your opponent 5 Level-F Energy Cards
Halo Salvation Restores 10,000 HP 10 Level-F Energy Cards

Requirements for a Level-F Energy Card
A Level-F Energy Card requires 1 Blank Card, 1 Red Energy Quartz and 5,000g.

Requirements for Level-F Skill Cards
A Level-F Vibe Slash Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Vibe Slash.

A Level-F Covert Fog Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Covert Fog.

A Level-F Energy Bulwark Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Energy Bulwark.

A Level-F Energy Web Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Energy Web.

A Level-F Halo Salvation Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Halo Salvation.

Players will be able to buy the items needed to combine Skill Cards and Energy Cards from various NPCs on Astral Isle, so you won't need to go far to restock before facing each new challenge. With all the exciting content waiting on Astral Isle, you'll want to stack the deck in your favor with these sweet skills. If you play your cards right, fame and fortune could be yours for the taking!

Wind Slayer shutting down

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:03 AM PDT

Outspark has announced that it will be shutting down Wind Slayer on August 10.

There will be no character migration, although Outspark will store character data for a while just in case. A special compensation package will be sent to Wind Slayer players via e-mail, and a portion of the Sparkcash spent in game since April will also be refunded to players.

Outspark also publishes Fiesta Online and Secret of the Solstice.

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Wind Slayer Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Dear Slayers,

We greatly appreciate all the support and love you have provided to Wind Slayer. From the first steps into the game to the many levels, weapons, and hours spent fighting your way to the top, we are glad that you spent it here and with us. Because of this, it is very hard for us to announce that Wind Slayer will be closing on August 10, 2011.

Wind Slayer has been an important part of Outspark which made this a hard decision for us to make. For Outspark, it has always been a joy to see the Wind Slayer community grow and evolve from the day we opened the service all the way to now. We understand the amount of effort and dedication all players have been put into Wind Slayer and value the time that you have spent playing this game.

As gamers ourselves we know what its like to become attached to a game’s world and all the people and places in it; we know this is a sad time for you, as it is for the Outspark team. As painful as the sting of leaving this game may be right now, we know that there are a plethora of new gaming experiences out there to experience. As you begin your search we hope you will check out the other games Outspark has to offer and we are preparing a compensation package to help ease you in to these games (details below).

Currently, there are no plans for any kind of character migration. However, we will be temporarily storing all character information, and if there is any change in that plan we be sure to let all players know by email. As for the Wind Slayer store, it will be closing shortly.

Additional details on the compensation package and other information, including redemption codes, will be sent via email by August 3, 2011. Please make sure you are receiving official emails from Outspark. You can update or change your email address at http://outspark.com/profile/account

In addition, we will be partially compensating purchases of Wind Slayer items made from April onwards based on the following policy:

Purchases made in April 2011 will receive 20% of the Sparckash spent. Purchases made in May 2011 will receive 30% of the Sparkcash spent. Purchases made from June and July 2011 will receive 50% of the Sparkcash spent.

As we mentioned, we value all the efforts the everyone has provided to Wind Slayer and Outspark during the life of the game. We hope to see you soon in one or more of our games.

~Outspark Staff
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Not So Massively: How many Monkey Kings do we really need?

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , ,

Welcome to Not So Massively, our weekly roundup of the top news from popular multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and other multiplayer online games that aren't quite MMOs. Published every Monday, the column covers games such as League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, Rise of Immortals, Bloodline Champions and more.

Last week we got a first look at League of Legends' upcoming champion Wukong the Monkey King and heard two awesome LoL parody songs. We also brought you the news that the price of Heroes of Newerth had dropped to $10, a deal that is currently still active and has no closing date. We got to grips with Realm of the Titans' new Titan's Eye map, HoN's latest hero Revenant, and a new tournament structure with prizes for Bloodline Champions. We also briefly introduced World of Battles: Morningstar, a fresh mix of MOBA and RTS gameplay where large armies clash on the battlefield.

In this week's Not So Massively, we reveal the closed beta date for Realm of the Titans and introduce the incredibly unlikely online game Family Guy Online. We also hear more from the Rise of Immortals team about the game's ongoing open beta, and I give my first impressions of the World of Battles: Morningstar open beta. This week seems to be an accidental Monkey King special, as both League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth reveal gameplay details of their surprisingly similar upcoming Monkey King characters. League of Legends also launched a new contest this week, offering players the chance to win prizes by writing and performing their own LoL theme songs.

Continue reading Not So Massively: How many Monkey Kings do we really need?

MassivelyNot So Massively: How many Monkey Kings do we really need? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Darkfall siege mechanics detailed

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT

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Aventurine has spilled the beans on Darkfall's new siege mechanics in a lengthy blog entry posted over the weekend. Producer Tasos Flambouras writes that the "new system brings substantial changes to how sieges work, and will not only eliminate issues like self-sieging, but will also make sieges a lot more strategic, profitable and interesting."

How so?

Well, for starters there's the fact that clan size now affects your ability to initiate a siege, and actions against a rival clan city will require more members than actions against a hamlet (and trial accounts won't count towards your clan size). All attacking clans will also need to pay a wager, the amount of which is affected by several variables. First up is the target city's power level, which is derived from how many buildings are in evidence. Your clan's wager will also change according to how many clans are already sieging by the time you join.

These tweaks are the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and there's much more reading material at the official Darkfall Epic Blog.

MassivelyNew Darkfall siege mechanics detailed originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-NetDevil programmer talks LEGO Universe and getting an industry job

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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Fan site MMO Fallout has an interesting interview with Stephen Calender that's worth a read. Who's Stephen Calender? He's a Flash developer who was front and center for the brouhaha that went down when The LEGO Group acquired the LEGO Universe MMO from NetDevil (putting many NetDevil programmers out of work in the process).

The interview is a wide-ranging and lengthy affair, and it features discussion on Gazillion's relationship with NetDevil, a blurb about the ill-fated Auto Assault, and of course, the bulk of the piece that focuses on the past and future of LEGO Universe. For all of the aspiring game devs in the audience, Calender also spends quite a bit of time talking about selling yourself in an increasingly competitive industry.

MassivelyEx-NetDevil programmer talks LEGO Universe and getting an industry job originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MV Guide: July 25-31, 2011

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:00 AM PDT

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MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel.

Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During Livestream events, you can participate in the live chat to learn about the game, ask questions, and spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, Livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)

Follow along after the jump to see what's scheduled for this week!

Continue reading MV Guide: July 25-31, 2011

MassivelyMV Guide: July 25-31, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Did BioWare make the right call?

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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BioWare made something of a stink last week with its decision to limit Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-orders (both in terms of total numbers and in certain regions around the world). Here at Massively, we received dozens of angry emails entreating us to take up the cause of the common gamer.

While limits on digital goods do seem a bit artificial, it's also worth noting that recent popular MMO releases were beset with server overcrowding and lengthy login queues (we're thinking of both Aion and RIFT here).

BioWare ruffled quite a few fan feathers with its actions, but from the outside looking in, it's difficult to determine what the company could have done differently. That's where you come in, and this edition of The Daily Grind is all about your reaction to Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-orders, load limits, and regional publishing. Do you think BioWare made the right call?

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: Did BioWare make the right call? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Week in Review: Post-order elation

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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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. Miss a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week? You've come to the right post.

Early in the week we began to get word that the Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-order was about to hit -- and lo and behold, it did. For fans desperate to get their hands on the title, knowing that there's a copy out there reserved just for them became the next best thing. Unfortunately, we also learned that not every region was to get SWTOR initially, and a few grumpy feelings ensued. Hopefully the other SWTOR news coming out of Comic-Con, such as confirmation of beta weekends in September, is enough to keep the pre-launch anticipation positive and peppy!

Hit the jump to see the rest of this past week's top stories.

Continue reading Week in Review: Post-order elation

MassivelyWeek in Review: Post-order elation originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Getting into your first PvP frigate

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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In last week's EVE Evolved, I encouraged new players to grab a few friends and charge head-first into PvP with guns blazing from day one. Whether you join a faction warfare militia, form a corp to declare war on other corporations or head out to lowsec or nullsec, starting your PvP journey is an important part of enjoying EVE.

Several readers requested help with picking a ship, putting together a viable ship fitting and finding the funding for it. So many players asked for help that this week's column is entirely dedicated to the messy business of putting together your first PvP frigate and learning to fly it. Although the ship of choice for most newbies is the agile Minmatar Rifter, each race has a range of frigates that can perform well in PvP groups with minimal skills. In this article, I'll suggest fittings for two frigates from each race that new players with as little as one day of trained skills will be able to fly.

One of the core concepts of EVE Online's PvP that often discourages new players is the idea that your ship is irreversibly destroyed when you die. While this may seem like an extremely harsh death penalty, deciding how much you risk in PvP is part of the game's tactical gameplay and even the best active PvP enthusiasts lose at least one ship per week. Death in EVE is essentially a financial loss followed by the inconvenience of having to buy and fit a new ship. Most of the financial penalty can be countered by using cheap and effective tech 1 equipment and insuring your ship, and the inconvenience of death can by bypassed by building up a stockpile of disposable PvP ships.

With that in mind, this week's absolutely massive EVE Evolved is dedicated to getting you and a few friends into your first PvP frigates after as little as one day in the game and helping you mitigate the financial loss of death.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Getting into your first PvP frigate

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Getting into your first PvP frigate originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Storyteller

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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I'm always captivated with NPC life in MMOs -- what these not-so-essential characters are doing in the background of our unbridled heroism. Here's a charming scene in Lord of the Rings Online's Hobbiton, where a matronly storyteller is spinning a yarn for two fascinated children and one sleeping slacker. My only regret is that you never hear the story; I guess that's between these characters and them alone.

This past week, Massively writers spotlighted some of their personal favorite One Shots. Starting tomorrow will be free-for-all week for you, our readers. Send any eye-catching, beautiful, scary, or generally epic screenshot to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll pick the best of the best for this week's One Shots!

Gallery: One Shots: 2011

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MassivelyOne Shots: Storyteller originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny recap: A Mystical Land

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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Over this last week I took a deeper look at the browser-based fantasy MMO A Mystical Land. This one even made it to my list of four games I am dying to play in 2011. Well, it has finally arrived, so I thought it would be a good time to tell you what I think about it. I spent the last week running through different areas, dying, crafting, exploring and generally having a pretty good time.

Of course, the game is not without its issues. I wanted the game to be perfect, but then knew there was no way for it live up to my expectations. It's not as though it let me down, though, and the main flaws it has can be easily fixed or tweaked.

Click past the cut and I'll tell you all about it! Check out my recorded Livestream of the game as well.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: A Mystical Land

MassivelyRise and Shiny recap: A Mystical Land originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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