MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


WoW: The Burning Crusade Art Gallery Update

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WoW: The Burning Crusade Art Gallery Update


Blizzard have added more pieces to our World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Art gallery. Have a look at assorted pieces of stunning artwork that reveal an all-new look at the wonders of the Warcraft universe.

WoW: A Tol'vir-themed Illustration

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WoW: A Tol'vir-themed Illustration


The Lost City of the Tol'vir is one of the two 5-man dungeons in Uldum. It is designed for players of level 84-85. The dungeon is populated by the Tol'vir, a mysterious race of "cat-people" created eons ago by the Titans to maintain and safeguard their research facilities in Uldum.

Prime World: A Unique Opportunity to Combine Strategy And Sociality

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Prime World: A Unique Opportunity to Combine Strategy And Sociality


Nival Networks' latest project in development is Prime World, a social strategy title available on platforms including PC, Mac, Facebook, iOS and Android, geared in particular toward encouraging mixed gender groups to play together online.

Fallen Earth Free-to-Play Service Begins on October 12

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Fallen Earth Free-to-Play Service Begins on October 12


On the morning of October 12th, 2011 Fallen Earth will go into its regularly scheduled maintenance.

B.O.D Online and CARIAN Open Beta Coming to SEA

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B.O.D Online and CARIAN Open Beta Coming to SEA


Blade of Destiny Online or simply known as B.O.D. Online is a client based MMORPG loosely based on the war between the Yin and the Zhou dynasty in Ancient China.

Diablo 3 Beta Coming This Month, Beta Screens and Video Leaked

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Diablo 3 Beta Coming This Month, Beta Screens and Video Leaked


It seems that the long, long waiting for Blizzard's highly anticipated Diablo III will come to an end soon. According to the Dark Side of Gaming website, the official beta of Diablo III was revealed at Activision Blizzard's WebCast Analyst Day that took place on September 2nd. Blizzard's CEO Mike Morhaime said that the official beta of Diablo III will begin "later this month" with the slide show which said "Beta in Sept '11".

2011 Gamania Game Show Trailer

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2011 Gamania Game Show Trailer


The first ever Gamania Game Show will be held on September 8-9 at Taipei Huashan Creative Park. This game show teaser includes the latest developments of its four new in-house titles scheduled for global release in 2012: Core Blaze, an epic 3D Eastern Fantasy Action MMORPG.

AIKASEA Hits 70 with The AIKA Pro Gamers Tour

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AIKASEA Hits 70 with The AIKA Pro Gamers Tour


Also announced is the launch of the inaugural AIKA Premier League (APL) and Level 70 Update due to be launched on 8th September 2011.

Which Game do You Want to Play with Friends Most?

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Which Game do You Want to Play with Friends Most?


Except for MMO situation, of course, it is possible that someone starts a mmo alone, then make friends with the strangers in the game, it also called play with friends, but I think someone would choose solo all the time in mmo too. Some games indeed suit for playing alone because some reasons, lol.

Victory The Age of Racing Hands-On Preview

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Victory The Age of Racing Hands-On Preview


Set out across the globe and race against drivers from all over the world with Victory's Advanced Driving Physics, every bump and curve in the road is felt as you put your foot to the floor. The driving feels great, it strives to provide a more casual simulation experience; so arcade racer fans look elsewhere.

The Secret World Beta Registration is Live

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The Secret World Beta Registration is Live


Secret World's beta registration is now live, and even before the game got to this phase it started to get a bit more buzz recently. I can't blame them, when I first checked it out it seemed very interesting. The game pretty much seems to use the same 3 faction RvRvR setup which pits people against each other for world domination/power.

Age of Wulin Opens Pre-Registration for Closed Beta

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Age of Wulin Opens Pre-Registration for Closed Beta


Gala Networks Europe is delighted to announce that pre-registrations for its upcoming AAA martial arts MMO, Age Of Wulin– Legend of the Nine Scrolls has opened.

Dragon Nest - Edge of Darkness Update Trailer

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Dragon Nest - Edge of Darkness Update Trailer


Nexon has announced that the Dragon Nest patch called "Edge of Darkness" has been deployed. The patch brings a pair of new dungeons, a new event, the 1v1 PvP ladder and several key Dragon Vault items into the game.

Upcoming MMO Games in September

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Upcoming MMO Games in September


Summer holiday is the season of Korean MMOs. Dragon Nest and Blade and Soul attracted enormous attention in July and August. However, Star Wars will change that tide in September. Actually, we don't know how good the game is. Everything before just a kind of advertisements. It will be tested face to face on Sep. 2nd. Can't wait!

Estimated Launch Time of The Most Anticipated Games of 2011

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Estimated Launch Time of The Most Anticipated Games of 2011


The most anticipated MMORPGs, like Blade & Soul, Diablo III and ArcheAge have entered the test phase, but no exact release datehas been announced for any of them. Players are really eager to know the test schedule and wonder when those titles will start OBT or commercial service.

Universe in a Block: The Lego Universe Review

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Universe in a Block: The Lego Universe Review


Just recently, Lego decided to expand their horizons by developing their very own MMORPG. We've had a lot of console and PC games bearing the Lego name for as long as we can recall. Personal favorites include Lego Batman and Lego Rock Band. If you've experienced playing the Lego games (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Batman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones), the puzzles involved in the gameplay include building numerous structures out of the pre-provided lego blocks.

Blade & Soul Closed Beta Footage (KR)

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Blade & Soul Closed Beta Footage (KR)


Footage from NCsoft's Blade & Soul beta phase. Blade & Soul, the most highly anticipated MMORPG developed by Korea-based NCsoft.

Dragona Online - Review / Guide

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Dragona Online - Review / Guide


This will be my first review ever! But I just Have to write it, as Dragona Online is really fun MMO that is really Addicting - I play it for while and I just can't stop playing it!

Luvinia Online Heads into Open Beta on September 7th!

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Luvinia Online Heads into Open Beta on September 7th!


Outspark today announced that its upcoming MMORPG Luvinia Online will start open beta on September 7th. Along with the announcement, Outspark also released a small Q&A of some commonly asked questions about closed beta and what's in store for Luvinia Online going into Open Beta.

Blade & Soul: 4 Videos to Show Kung-Fu Master Training and Cultivation

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Blade & Soul: 4 Videos to Show Kung-Fu Master Training and Cultivation


To some extent, in Blade & Soul, Kung-Fu Masters are a symbol of strength as they have iron arms and legs and have reached the highest level in physical power. How to be an eligible Kung-Fu Master? The following videos from the second beta test will tell you.



General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Scientists From CUNY Discover a New Method to Boost Available Bandwidth on Fibre Optic Cables

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 11:16 AM PDT

Fibre OpticFibre Optic cables have revolutionized the way we move data, spewing bits at the speed of light across the globe in a matter of milliseconds. The technology behind the cables is pretty impressive, but amazingly, scientists from the City University of New York believe they have found a way to further increase the bandwidth on existing cables by mapping spiraling light.

CUNY researchers claim that using this process, ISP's will be able to harness "untapped data channels" within fibre optic cables, and will help providers meet the ever increasing bandwidth demands being placed on them by services such as Netflix.  

The process seems a bit difficult to put into laymen terms, but the new model's inventor, Giovanni Milion takes his best shot. "People now can detect (light in) the ground channel, but this gives us a way to detect and measure a higher number of channels. ... Being able to follow polarization and other changes as light travels gives you insight into the material it travels through." 

If your still with us up to this point we highly suggest checking out the full explanation over at ispreview.co.uk

Zotac Announces The AD10, Palm Sized ZBOX Powered By AMD Brazos

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 10:34 AM PDT

AD10If you've been looking to build an HTPC, but either didn't care for a hot & loud full tower case, or simply couldn't stomach the paltry performance of Atom powered nettop boxes, we have great news for you. Zotac sent out a press release today announcing the release of the palm sized ZBOX nano AD10, with pretty impressive performance, at what appears to be a fairly reasonable price. 

Unique to the AD10 is an AMD E-350 APU, along with a Radeon HD 6310 graphics chip. Like the rest of the AD series, this ultra-portable also includes Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 3.0, a Windows Media Center remote / IR receiver, and even a pair of USB 3.0 ports. 

The $276 asking price is also pretty reasonable when you consider it also includes 2GB of DDR3 and a 320GB hard drive as standard. Like most of the ZBOX's this is a bring your own OS sort of deal, but if you have a spare copy of Windows lying around, is a great budget HTPC. 

Call Of Duty Elite Subscription Plan Detailed By Activision

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 07:59 AM PDT

COD EliteRegardless of how you feel about Activision, or the Call of Duty franchise in general, it's hard to deny these guys have found a winning formula that countless other publishers are struggling to emulate. And while Battlefield 3 team will probably be doing backflips all the way to the bank if they come even remotely close to matching Modern Warefare's sales numbers, the companies new subscription based Elite service has created a moving target that EA would no doubt copy if they thought they could pull it off. During the Call of Duty XP keynote, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirsberg has finally detailed what subscribers would get, and what it would cost.

Pricing for the new service will be fixed at $49.99 USD per year, and the company claims Elite will include over 20 pieces of content released every 2-3 months. The first season of DLC will include several map packs, additional spec ops missions, and appears to be a reasonable deal if you're the type that would buy all of this stuff normally at full price.

Aside from the DLC, Elite subscribers will get eight times as much storage for relay videos, the ability to level up clans by competing in daily tournaments moderated by real humans, and qualify to win both real and virtual prices. 

Modern Warfare 3 vs. Battlefield 3 is about as charged a debate around here as Mac's vs. PC's, but let us know your thoughts on Elite below. Is it a cash grab or a great value? 

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


The Anvil of Crom: Savage Coast first impressions

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT

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Anvil of Crom header
Oy, the life of a game blogger. Earlier this week I teed off a bit on subscription-based games that tack on a cash shop. The short version of that particular rant is that I'm not a fan of the practice, at all, and as far as my personal gaming time goes, I've bid adieu to all of the double-dippers formerly denting my wallet -- with one exception, of course.

Whether that one exception makes me a hypocrite or is simply part of my job description is something I haven't quite figured out yet. In any event, it's somewhat ironic that I'm now about to tell you what a good time I had after spending 20 bucks in Age of Conan's item store. Yep, there I was, forking over for 2400 Funcom points -- I only needed 2000 for the Savage Coast of Turan adventure pack, of course -- and enjoying it for the most part. Luckily, it only costs 520 Massively points to read my first impressions after the cut.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Savage Coast first impressions

MassivelyThe Anvil of Crom: Savage Coast first impressions originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Chat: Free-ish Wasteland edition

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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Fallen Earth screenshot
The craziness of Gamescom and PAX is over, but that doesn't mean there's nothing left to look forward to in MMO-land. With the anticipation over upcoming game launches and free-to-play conversions, our readers have lots to say about the near future -- particularly Fallen Earth's near future. Follow along the jump and check it out!

Continue reading Global Chat: Free-ish Wasteland edition

MassivelyGlobal Chat: Free-ish Wasteland edition originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do you still watch game trailers?

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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SWTOR Eternity Vault screenshot
As the summer convention madness winds down, some of us in the Massively offices came to the realization that many of the upcoming, over-hyped releases aren't necessarily floating our collective boat. Though we're sure to buy all these blockbusters, play them, and love them in the end (we're gamers, after all), it's been hard to summon much enthusiasm in the pre-launch fog. Some games are making us apathetic -- in my case, so apathetic that I skipped over some of the major gameplay videos from Gamescom and PAX, even for MMOs I am planning to purchase or have already preordered. At some point, I know I've already decided to buy it. I don't need the spoilers or details anymore.

How about you, Massively readers? Do you consume all the big gameplay videos and trailers like a feral fan? Or are you so over the hype that you'd rather pass up the footage and wait until you can play the real thing?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you still watch game trailers? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anarchy Online shows a glimpse of its future makeover

Posted: 03 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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Anarchy Online Tir
News of the much-anticipated Anarchy Online graphics revamp has been sparse, to say the least, so to see six brand-new screens of the updated engine is like a cold drink of water after an endless trek through IKEA. Seriously, it takes like two hours just to navigate through that store!

Director/Producer Colin Cragg posted the six updated screenshots showing off the city of Tir on the Anarchy Online forums today. The screenies don't just have fans of the long-running MMO pumped, but the Anarchy Online team as well. "I have to keep shooing the rest of the team away from Parsed's desk...this is probably a good sign," Cragg writes.

AO players have been waiting for the promised new graphic engine at least since 2009, so this is a good sign that Funcom is on track to update its oldest MMO with a 2011 veneer. You can check out all six screens in the gallery below.

[Thanks to Kane Hart for the tip!]

MassivelyAnarchy Online shows a glimpse of its future makeover originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The dangers and allure of real money trading in MMOs

Posted: 03 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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EverQuest
It's been one of the longest-running debates in the MMO industry: whether or not real money trading (RMT) helps or hurts players and the game worlds they inhabit. The Ottawa Citizen shed some light on the subject by showing how the games industry at large has dealt with the subject, from players dealing in grey market trades to studios overseeing RMT in the hopes of keeping players' bank accounts safe while lining the studios' pockets with additional income.

Two examples were given of players engaging in illicit -- and ill-advised (Massively disclaimer) -- RMT activities. One player said that he made $7,000 in 2001 by purchasing EverQuest characters from bored players and reselling them to others, even though this was against the game's EULA. He likened it to real-world corporate practices: "It was kind of like buying a company and breaking (it) down and selling off all its assets, and flipping it for more cash."

Another player admitted to spending $50 in hopes of gaining 2,000 gold in World of Warcraft, but the third-party company simply took his cash and never delivered the gold.

The article notes how games like Second Life and companies like Sony and Microsoft are embracing RMT even as the issue remains taboo in many MMOs.

MassivelyThe dangers and allure of real money trading in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Neener neener!

Posted: 03 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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Allods Screenshot
Enemies in MMOs can be tricky with their unexpected attacks, the spawns that happen at the worst possible moment, and their variety of spells that cause you to freeze in place or simply run away whether you want to or not. We've learned to expect that sort of thing, but a creature that seems to be trying to lure you off the edge of a cliff is certainly a new one. Kyervin discovered that one the hard way in Allods Online:
Here is my Orc Paladin Dreadblood running around Wild Corner in Asee-Teph. I came across a snake floating in mid-air, taunting me that i couldn't get to it. Well, knowing my full-charging Paladin wouldn't stand for this, I charged up and soon found myself falling off the side of the allod. You win this time, snake.
We've showed off some of the most attractive landscapes, characters, mounts, armor, and more here on One Shots, so we figure it's only fair that we give a nod to the opposite end of the spectrum. Next week is ugly armor week. Whether you have an eye-searing color scheme, a set of armor pieces that clash like crazy, or something that you just put together for a laugh, we want to see. Send your screenshots in to oneshots@massively.com and we'll feature them in next week's One Shots!

MassivelyOne Shots: Neener neener! originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mog Log: Far too much accountability

Posted: 03 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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The Mog Log header illustration by A. Fienemann
Sometimes, it's really hard to figure out what in the world Square-Enix is thinking.

I don't really make a habit of defending Square on principle; I defend stuff that's defensible in the first place. There are decisions that might seem odd, but they make logical sense and can actually be defended in the correct light. That's mostly a function of trying to see a reasonable set of decisions and reasonable motivations amidst what can sometimes seem baffling. It's not always an easy road.

And then there are times when I can't even start to decipher what in the world anyone in the management train was thinking. Even when I do decipher the thought process that led to the action, it's the sort of thing that leads to some mixture of bafflement and irritation at the overall lack of thinking. That's my reaction when I look at the whole Square-Enix Account merger fiasco for Final Fantasy XI -- something that could have been a great idea but wound up just being an overall terrible execution.

Continue reading The Mog Log: Far too much accountability

MassivelyThe Mog Log: Far too much accountability originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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