General Gaming Article

---

• No BS Podcast #179: We Move Away From the Mic to Speak (Sorry)
• Comcast "AnyPlay" In-Home TV Streaming Details Leaked
• uTorrent Adds Support for Syncing to Devices
• Amazon Holding Event September 28, Is the Tablet Coming?
• Dish Network's $10/Month Blockbuster Movie Pass Bats Eyes at Netflix Customers
• Super Talent Launches Password Protected USB 3.0 Flash Drive
• DIYer Creates Real-Life Oblivion Tome Containing Text From Every Book In The Game
• Cool Site of the Week: YourNextFilm
• Diablo 3 Delayed Until 2012
• Microsoft Responds To Windows 8/Linux Secure Boot Concerns, Fails To Alleviate Said Concerns

No BS Podcast #179: We Move Away From the Mic to Speak (Sorry) Posted: 23 Sep 2011 03:46 PM PDT Surprise podcast! Nathan, Alex, Alan, Amber, and Gordon gather in the podcast pod to discuss the Qwiksterization of NetFlix, the de-Apothekering of HP, the UI updates of Facebook, the why-don't-we-have-access-to-the-Diablo-III-closed-beta of Diablo III, and people who don't have anything nice to say. All this and more in Episode 179 of the No BS Podcast! Plus, we take a few questions and topic suggestions from the peanut gallery, and Gordon's Rant of the Week! A note: We noticed in editing that our mics seemed to cut out intermittently. Sorry about the audio issues; we're trying to figure out what happened.  Do you have a tech question? A comment? A tale of technological triumph? Just need to get something off your chest? A secret to share? Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or call our 24-hour No BS Podcast hotline at 877.404.1337 x1337--operators are not standing by. Subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/maximumpc/1337

Comcast "AnyPlay" In-Home TV Streaming Details Leaked Posted: 23 Sep 2011 03:20 PM PDT A leaked user guide has outed Comcast's upcoming AnyPlay service, which will let customers stream live TV to assorted mobile devices. On initial offering will be iPad support, but other tablets are expected to be added as well. The service will rely on in-home Wi-Fi, and users will have to get a special Motorola cable box from the cable provider. Comcast plans to make most channels available to the user for streaming, but some content will be missing. For instance, on-demand and pay-per-view content won't be available through the AnyPlay service. Comcast's document did not make mention of any additional cost for AnyPlay, but it is possible a small additional charge could be included for the special box. AnyPlay is expected to roll out in test markets soon, then move national some time after that. Would you make use of this service? Would you pay extra for it?

uTorrent Adds Support for Syncing to Devices Posted: 23 Sep 2011 03:05 PM PDT The most used BitTorrent client in the world is uTorrent, and its developers have just rolled an impressive new feature out in the most recent alpha. This version of the program has integration with Android, iOS, XBox, and PS3 devices. Users will be able to easily sync downloaded content to their devices with this update. The files will sync over a local Wi-Fi network, but won't be converted to device-specific formats. That is a feature currently in development, but is expected to be a premium feature for the paid uTorrent Plus. Although, we wouldn't be surprised if some users pirated it. The alpha is Windows-only right now, and it is very alpha. A final version is expected in a few months. In the meantime, you can try out the preview build here.

Amazon Holding Event September 28, Is the Tablet Coming? Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:51 PM PDT Amazon has just sent out the invites we've all been waiting for. Wednesday September 28, Amazon will be holding a press conference in New York for an undisclosed reason. Almost certainly this is going to be the announcement of the Amazon tablet.  The invitations themselves are totally minimalist, giving no indication what the event could be for. But really, no one is fooled. Rumors have been hot and heavy for months that Amazon was on the verge of pushing out a new Android-based tablet device. Many have pegged it as a 7-inch device that will cost no more than $250. We've also been hearing about an October ship date, so the timing of this event matches up well. Do you think Amazon will drop a tablet on us, or are we in for some surprise Kindle reader action?

Dish Network's $10/Month Blockbuster Movie Pass Bats Eyes at Netflix Customers Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:32 PM PDT Angry Netflix customer, meet Dish Network's Blockbuster Movie Pass. Blockbuster Movie Pass, meet angry Netflix customer. Now that you've both been introduced, let's sit and talk for a moment and see if this is a relationship worth pursuing, shall we? Whoa there angry Netflix customer, put your credit card away, let's get to know each other first. Let's start with angry Netflix customer. He's a good catch, has disposable income, and loves movies. His relationship with Netflix is best described as "complicated." You see, they've been dating for years, but have been growing apart in recent months. They used to spend evenings and weekends watching DVDs, but now all Netflix wants to do is stream with friends. Angry Netflix customer is okay with that, except Netflix is having a tough time hanging onto its friends, like Starz and Showtime. The relationship feels stagnant, communication isn't where it should be, and angry Netflix customer is willing to see others. Now let's get to know Blockbuster Movie Pass. She's new in town and just wants to have fun without all the crazy drama. She's a fairly cheap date and into all kinds of things. For $10/month, she'll play the one DVD-by-mail game ($15 for two, $20 for three DVDs), including Blu-ray titles at no extra charge. She knows how to stream (more than 3,000 movies to the TV, 4,000 to the PC, and hundreds of on-demand TV shows). Blockbuster Movie Pass is into videogames and has access to more than 3,000 Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and Wii games by mail. She doesn't care if you exchange an unlimited number of DVDs and games at participating Blockbuster stores, and she's down to watch more than 20 premium entertainment movie channels from MGM, Epix, Sony, and others. There's another side to Blockbuster Movie Pass, one that could kill this relationship before it even gets started. She's a daddy's girl and won't go anywhere without Dish Network, at least not for the time being. If you want to play with Blockbuster Move Pass, you have to hang out with Dish Network, too. That could get awkward if you're friends with DirecTV or local cable. The good news is from October 1 through January 31, 2012, Dish Network will pay for your dates with Blockbuster Movie Pass for three months if you're new to Dish. After that you're on your own, but still have to welcome both into your home. So how about it angry Netflix customer, does Blockbuster Movie Pass tickle your fancy? If not, there are still plenty of other fish in the sea, and we know of at least a dozen.

Super Talent Launches Password Protected USB 3.0 Flash Drive Posted: 23 Sep 2011 01:38 PM PDT Super Talent has come up with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 thumb drive the company claims is fast, secure, and malware resistant. The new USB 3.0 DataGuardian is fast because, well, it's built to take advantage of USB 3.0; it's secure because it requires a password to access data stored on the device; and it's supposedly impervious to all (not some) auto-run malware attacks. There's no software to install when using the DataGuardian. An application stored in the drive's firmware launches automatically when you plug it in, at which point you enter in your password and enjoy unfettered access to your data. Once you yank the DataGuardian out of the USB port, the drive is once again secure. On the performance side, Super Talent says the DataGuardian is capable of up to 85MB/s read and up to 40MB/s write speeds via USB 3.0. If you pop it into a USB 2.0 port, it will shuttle files back and forth at up to 37MB/s (read) and up to 27MB/s (write). The DataGuardian will begin shipping on October 17, 2011. It will cost $24 for the 8GB version, with 16GB and 32GB capacities also available. Image Credit: Super Talent

DIYer Creates Real-Life Oblivion Tome Containing Text From Every Book In The Game Posted: 23 Sep 2011 11:22 AM PDT While we're gearing up for the dragon-slaying awesome that is said to permeate The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, it never hurts to take a peek back at the past. Part of Oblivion's allure lies in its massive game world, a world made even larger by the utterly insane number of well-written books scattered around the land. Even more insane, one enterprising DIYer gathered all of those documents and created a real-life tome comprised of every book Oblivion offers.   Reddit user notadoctoreither – interesting name, that – printed out all of the books in the game on high-quality paper, then finished the deal by encasing the wordy goodness in a spiffy leather binding. The results are abso-freakin'-lutely amazing. Notadoctoreither says the project took him about a month and set him back $130, which isn't too bad for all he got. Check out a heaping plateful of pics over at Gamefront.net, or if this sounds like the kind of project you'd like to wrap your grubby Eleven-gloved paws on, head over to Megaupload, where notadoctoreither has conveniently left a .zip file of all the books in Oblivion along with the fonts used in his real-world tome. While we're on the topic, what where your favorite Oblivion tomes? We're partial to "Palla" and "The Lusty Argonian Maid," even if they were carried over from Morrowind. Image credit: Gamerfront.net

Cool Site of the Week: YourNextFilm Posted: 23 Sep 2011 11:15 AM PDT Picking the films for a movie night is much like making an awesome playlist (or for our readers of a certain age, a mix-tape). Unless you plan on whiling away the hours watching all of the films in a single franchise, care, thought and a sense of balance must be brought into the movie selection process. One feature-length misstep and what could have been a runaway train of time well wasted can be turned into a bogged down truck full of Howard the Duck. No one needs that sort of pain. If you're serious about your movie watching, but have a hard time picking a flick, we recommend giving YourNextFilm a try. It's free, easy to use and also happens to be our Cool Site of the Week.  YourNextFilm forgoes using categories like actors, genre or director to classify the films featured on the site. Instead, by entering the name of a film that they've enjoyed, users will be presented with a number of suggested titles that other visitors to the site feel would compliment the film. Once you find a movie that interest you, click on it, and you'll have access to a full synopsis of the film, user reviews, and the ability to purchase the DVD via Amazon. There's even an option to save your searches for use later on: Just in case you stumble across more movies or TV shows than you can handle at one time. Be sure to check back with us every Friday for another edition of Maximum PC's Cool Site of the Week.

Diablo 3 Delayed Until 2012 Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:34 AM PDT The launch of Diablo 3's closed beta test does more than help Blizzard iron out bugs for the upcoming release of the game; it also wets the taste of gamers who have been waiting for a true Diablo 2 sequel for ten years and counting. (Um, even if the crappy always-online DRM did give cause some headaches.) Turns out it was just a tease after all. Today, Blizzard officially announced that the release date for the game has slipped back into "early 2012." "With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible. However, we didn't put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, said in the company's press release. To be fair, Blizzard had never firmly committed to a 2011 release date. The company has long said that it will release Diablo 3 only when it was ready – but they hoped it would be ready in 2011. They've extended two olive branches to help ease the pain, though; the time frame for the beta test will be prolonged to allow gamers more Barbarian time, and anybody who had previously signed up for the Diableard challenge are formally released from the bond and now free to shave their faces at their leisure.

Microsoft Responds To Windows 8/Linux Secure Boot Concerns, Fails To Alleviate Said Concerns Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:12 AM PDT At first glance, Microsoft's decision to go with UEFI instead of BIOS seemed like a decent security-minded step. Microsoft plans on requiring that all PCs shipping with Windows 8 implement the secure boot option included in recent UEFI specifications. That's good, right? It stops malware from playing around with the boot path and disabling antivirus programs! The smiles faded into looks of concern when it was pointed out that a PC with OEM and Microsoft secure boot keys couldn't launch Linux distros. The 'Net raged, and yesterday, Microsoft responded to the allegation. "The security that UEFI has to offer with secure boot means that most customers will have their systems protected against boot loader attacks," Tony Mangefeste of the Ecosystem team wrote on the Building Windows 8 blog. "For the enthusiast who wants to run older operating systems, the option is there to allow you to make that decision." Mangefeste then pointed out that the Samsung slate given to developers at BUILD included an option to disable secure boot, and was even kind enough to provide a screen shot of the feature (which we, in turn, kindly show you above). It's not all roses, though; in the end, Microsoft has no say in whether or not manufacturers have to allow the option to disable secure boot, because UEFI is not actually part of Windows 8. "OEMs are free to choose how to enable this support and can further customize the parameters as described above in an effort to deliver unique value propositions to their customers," Mangefeste writes. In the short term, we'd expect pretty much every OEM to include the option to disable secure boot, just in case users want to, say, dual-boot with a legal version of Windows 7 that they already own. But will that last forever? Slashdot forum-goer "Hatta" provides a chilling prophecy of the future. "Today you can throw Linux on any old hardware, and do something useful with it. 5-10 years from now, you'll have to specifically hunt down unlocked hardware. This has a rather drastic effect on the utility of Linux, which is Microsoft's intention." What do you think of the whole fiasco? Is the problem real, or is it typical Internet overreaction?

You are subscribed to email updates from Maximum PC - All Articles To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

MMO News

---

Gunshine Gameplay – First Look HD Posted: 23 Sep 2011 03:08 PM PDT To Learn More About the Game Check out our Gunshine Page. (Page not up yet) Gunshine is a 2D browser based sci-fi / modern MMORPG published a company called Supercell. Like Crystal Saga, Eternal Destiny, and Neverland Online Gunshine features a large game world and actual MMORPG elements. The game has a higher production value than many other browser based titles and has a lot to offer for those willing to give the browser game a chance. Compared to browser based titles like Kultan, Eden Eternal, and Fusionfall – the visuals in Gunshine are a bit lacking. To learn more about Gunshine check out the official MMOHut Gunshine page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

Troy Online Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:29 PM PDT Troy Online is a 3D action MMORPG which pits players in a battle between the gods of Troy and the people of ancient Greece. Featuring 3 classes, each with their own advanced paths, plus extensive PvP, you can become a hero of the ancient Grecian world! Publisher: Alt1Games Playerbase: Medium Graphics: Medium Type: MMORPG EXP Rate: Medium PvP: Arena / Duels / Contested Areas Filesize: ~2500 MB Pros: +Multiple class paths. +Faction based PvP. +Several PvP modes supporting a large number of players. +Unique setting. Cons: -Low experience forces grinding. -PvP rewards winners too heavily. -Experience debt for dying. Overview Troy Online Overview The classes are the same for both factions in Troy Online, and the factions themselves are split between the Greeks and the Trojans.  Class progression is based around three core classes (Warrior, Hunter, Mystic) which split in two "advanced class" directions.  They are as follows: Berserker – The damage-dealing evolution of the warrior, berserkers sacrifice the ability to use a shield and wear heavier armor for massive weapons and killing power.  They are noted for having a very slow attack speed. Guardian – Another branch of the warrior, Guardians specialize in using heavy armor and shields, but can also wield one and two-handed spears for variety.  They are best in groups, and can be taken advantage of by enemies with ranged attacks. Assassin – An evolution of the hunter, assassins specialize in close-range combat and debuffs.  While they are capable of high amounts of burst damage, they wither in sustained fights – they need to get in and out as quickly as possible.  Assassins, unlike most "rogue" classes, can use two-handed swords. Ranger – The second evolution of the hunter, rangers specialize in long-range damage.  They work best in groups, where other players can keep enemies from closing in on the ranger, as they are most effective when far, far away from the enemy. Warlock – One of the mystic paths, the warlock specializes in damge-over-time spells (DoTs).  They take the patient approach to combat, taking a while to kill enemies, but have a large number of self-buffs they can use to enhance their effectiveness. Mage – The second evolution of the mystic class, mages are the long-range nukers of the game.  Their selection of area-of-effect (AoE) spells and heavy damage abilities make them the most destructive force in the game.  This comes at the expense of extreme vulnerability to attacks. Troy Online Screenshots Troy Online Featured Video Click here to view the embedded video. Full Review Troy Online Review By B. Olivia Troy Online is one of those games that really doesn’t try to look like anything terribly different from what’s already on the market, but does manage to wedge itself into the crowd by taking on a slightly different angle – ancient Greek myth.  I can’t think of any other MMORPGs off the top of my head that center themselves around the conflict between Troy and Greece, so ALT1 gets points for having a go at making the Homeric epic into an MMORPG.  Historians, don’t get too excited.  This is, after all, an eastern take on a western tale, so it’s unlikely things will be faithful to the period.  But who cares, as long as it’s a good game, right? Well, unfortunately, my experiences with Troy Online were less than stellar.  After fighting just to get the game downloaded (apparently the client they distributed on their own site was out of date), I then found it impossible to click on icons in the game because windowed mode for Troy Online is a bit messed up.  This precluded a host of other UI-related issues I’ll go into later.  But it’s not all bad.  What does Troy Online have going for it? It’s Purdy! It’s true.  Troy Online is, without a doubt, a very pretty game.  The textures are nice, and the equipment design is quite snazzy.  The character models are also pretty, and have smooth, natural animations.  The game in general has a zesty feel to it, with everything just coming alive on the screen.  Unfortunately, the character creation is a bit on the lackluster side, since we’re only able to choose from different hairs, hair colors, and faces.  Can’t even alter the skin tone!  How disappointing. But hey, at least the textures are nice.  How about visual variety? Cut and Paste! This seems to be the mantra of the design behind Troy Online.  Both the Greeks and the Trojans have an identical starting areas, with identical enemies, and identical quests to kill said enemies.  Doesn’t exactly build a sense of factional pride when you’re basically identical to the other guys.  The only difference is in the art for the NPCs giving you the starter quests.  Thrilling. But, since the developers for Troy Online suspect you might be onto them when you notice this, they put out a ton of effort in the second area.  See, the Trojans get a boar-infested flatland with nothing but dirt and shrubs everywhere.  The Greeks get… a boar-infested flatland, with grass.  Grass!  So I guess the primary difference between the Trojans and Greeks is that Trojan boars are somehow able to subsist on rocks and dirt, while Greek boars are like normal boars.  Speaking of boars… We Have Boars. A friend of mine and I say that the mark of a bland MMORPG is whether or not you’re tasked to kill boars in the first half an hour of play.  If you are, then it’s a bland game.  If you aren’t, that’s unusual and interesting.  Well, I’m happy to report that not only does Troy Online task you with killing boars in the first 15 minutes, you’ll be enjoying killing boars of various sizes and names for the first 45 minutes of gameplay! There’s boars, big-tusk boars, sharp-tusk boars, and even rough-tusk boars.  Each one named differently, and more identical than the last!  Some are even bigger than others!  How could this ever possibly get boring?  The first hour of the game feels like milling through some kind of crowded pig convention.  I almost felt out of place, like my character should have also been a boar. There’s people here?! Yes, one of the things Troy Online does seem to have going for it is the amount of people playing.  The population seemed above average, with plenty of activity in the global and trade channels.  Something about the game works well enough to keep people around.  And I can see that, it’s not a terrible game.  The gameplay can really be summed up in one word "mediocre."  What can I say?  You target enemies, hit buttons, and wait for them to die.  If you’re a mage, you cast your ice spell before the fire spell.  This is WoW Cloning 101, people.  It’s not inherently bad, it just is what it is.  Although in Troy Online, you can’t jump… which makes me sad.  I enjoy bouncing everywhere. Final Verdict: Fair The problem is that Troy Online suffers from a bad case of average-itis.  There isn’t anything game-breakingly wrong with it, it’s just bland in terms of area design and content.  The gameplay is the usual MMORPG fare.  The graphics, while technically pretty, aren’t taken advantage of by having interesting environments to run around in.  The UI isn’t AWFUL, it’s just annoying.  And no functional windowed mode is kind of a big deal for me, since I like playing everything in windowed mode (as do a lot of people these days).  In the end, I can recommend Troy Online as a reasonably timesink, and little else.  There are better F2P games out there. Screenshots Troy Online Screenshots 123456► Videos Troy Online Videos Links Troy Online Links System Requirements Troy Online System Requirements Minimum Requirements: Pentium 3.6 Ghz 2 GB RAM GeFore 6600 / Radeon X 1550 2.0 GB Hard Drive Space Recommended Requirements: Core2 Duo E6600 2 GB RAM GeForce 8600 / Radeon X 1900 2.5 GB Hard Drive Space

You are subscribed to email updates from MMO Hut To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610