General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


YouTube Rental Service Gets Disney Films

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 02:52 PM PST

ytJust a Holiday heads up for you all. Starting today, Google has added a raft of Disney movies to is YouTube-based movie rental service. Classics like Alice in Wonderland and Winnie the Pooh are available, but new titles like Cars 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean are there too. It appears that Apple's super-close relationship with Disney wasn't enough to keep this content from Google.

These titles are, as we said, for rent on YouTube, but also in the Android Market. This allows users to stream, and save the movies for offline viewing. Pricing is $3.99 for most titles, and the viewing window is 24 hours. 

With many Americans on the way to see family, it's a fine time to get access to some new rental content. More Disney movies are going to appear in the Google ecosystem in the coming weeks, as well.

Spotify Grows to 2.5 Million Paying Members

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PST

spotifyAmid all the doom and gloom around Spotify's profitability for artists, the service has been doing quite well by the numbers. Without disclosing the breakdown by nationality, Spotify has announced that it has 2.5 million paying members. It appears that the expansion into the US market has afforded the music streamer solid growth.

Spotify offers a $5 per month plan for unlimited streaming, and a $10 plan that also includes mobile and offline access to tracks. At the same time Spotify was rolling out in America, it was also partnering with Facebook to allow users to share their listening habits. As with all things Facebook these days, it was also a traffic driver for the company. Spotify has said that 500,000 members have been added since the Facebook integration went live.

Spotify isn't giving up, and isn't admitting fault. A press event has been scheduled for next week where Spotify will make some sort of major announcement. Whatever the issues with content might be, users are flocking to Spotify in huge numbers. Maybe the mystery event will accelerate that even more.

Google Expands Auto-Complete Blacklist

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 02:13 PM PST

pirate googleIt's been a while, so you could be forgiven for letting it slip your mind, but Google is in the habit of censoring its auto-complete suggestions. Starting almost a year ago El Goog began removing suggestions for content relating to search terms like torrent, bittorrent, and RapidShare. According to TorrentFreak, a recent update to Google's search tools has expanded the auto-complete blackout to include the names of file sharing websites.

Users that enter searches including terms like pirate bay, isohunt, and btmon are finding their searches pull up no suggestions. It's just a few extra keystrokes, so what's the harm? Statistics have shown that limiting auto-complete results negatively affects the traffic for sites. The sites are still in search results, but people find them less. These moves are likely undertaken to win support from the entertainment industry.

While this is certainly more acceptable than extreme anti-piracy measures like SOPA/Protect IP, something doesn't sit right. A Pirate Bay spokesperson claims this is one more step along the road to censoring search results. Do you think so?

Future Tense: Zombie Jamboree

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 11:35 AM PST

zombie jamboree

One of my favorite zombie movies is Revenge Of The Zombies, made in 1943. It stars John Carradine as the mad scientist and Gale Storm as the female ingĂ©nue. It's not a great movie, in fact it's not even a very good one, but it has an ending that still disturbs me to this day. John Carradine has turned his beautiful wife into a zombie. He's also trying to breed a race of zombies for Hitler. But his wife still has some free will. She takes control of the growing army of zombies (well, only four or five) and they take Carradine down to the spooky swamp, where she faces him, holds him by the shoulders so he can't escape, and they both sink down into the quicksand. He struggles, she doesn't. The rest of the zombies sink down with them. What's disturbing about this ending is the thought that if zombies never die, then they're all still down there, waiting, brooding…and maybe some night will come oozing and squelching out of the swamp…?

Zombies were not a big staple in horror films until 1968 when George Romero made Night Of The Living Dead for $114,000. At the time of its initial release, it was dismissed by critics for its explicit violence and overlooked by most audiences. But only a couple of years later, it was a regular item on the late-night movie circuit. I first saw it in Greenwich Village at a midnight showing. As with Rocky Horror Picture Show, the audience was filled with regulars and their virgin guests. You can watch this movie on TV, but to really appreciate the sheer visceral impact, you have to see it very late at night with a large audience. None of the remakes or sequels have ever come close to the same gritty horror of the original. What I remember most about that first screening was that the first thirty minutes were so relentless that the audience actually breathed a gasp of relief when Ben (Duane Jones) the hero hammered the final board over the last window. The rest of the picture was similarly punctuated by gasps of horror as each new atrocity occurred. Up till that time, blood and gore had been kept mostly offscreen. The horror was in the suggestion, not what was shown. Night Of The Living Dead changed that.

Flash forward to 1992. A state of the art computer had a 386 processor running at 33mhz, a megabyte of RAM, a VGA video board, and a stereo Sound Blaster card. The top games are Flight Simulator and Wolfenstein 3D. Wolfenstein 3D was a good test of the power of your system. If you could run it full screen, you could run just about anything else. The game was created by Id Software and published by Apogee. As with previous Apogee games, the first ten levels were free, you paid ($15 if I remember correctly) for the next twenty. The game was the most successful game that Apogee had ever published. It not only popularized the first person shooter, it also introduced hundreds of thousands of users to the shareware concept.

Wolfenstein 3D takes place during World War II. You're playing the role of B.J. Blazkowicz (Duke Nukem's grampa?), and you're trying to escape a Nazi prison. As you go through the levels, any qualms you might have about shooting other human beings can be quickly dismissed. These are Nazis, after all—they deserve it—and when you reach the final boss level, you get to shoot mechano-Hitler, who's armed with four Gatling guns.

Graphically, Wolfenstein 3D was primitive. The levels were flat mazes laid out in a square grid. The characters were cartoonish sprites. But the game was genuinely interactive. Gamers could explore a three-dimensional environment in real time, collecting guns, ammunition, treasures, meals, med-kits, and keys to locked doors. Despite the crude graphics, you could feel as if you were inside a real and knowable space.

In December of 1993, Id released Doom and gaming has never been the same. Wolfenstein 3D was just a warm-up. Doom introduced variations in lighting, stereo sound, jumping, and a true three-dimensional environment. Environments had stairs, terraces, shelves, balconies, elevators, pits, towers, and chasms. The graphics were smoother and more detailed than before, although the characters were still sprites.

The game took place on a Martian military base where something awful has happened. Some experiment has gone terribly wrong. This time you're a space marine and you start out fighting other marines—ones who have been zombified. But very quickly, you're up against alien monkeys who throw fireballs and pink pig-things and various other alien demons from Hell.

The environments in Doom were (and still are) genuinely terrifying. Every time you came to a door, you had no idea what horrors might be waiting on the other side, what dark corners you'd have to search, what puzzles would challenge you. The first ten levels taught you various tricks—listen for a door, that's a clue. Maneuver through the strobing darkness. Jump from this shelf to that one. You start out with a meager pistol, quickly followed by the iconic shotgun (which is just one of the most fun weapons in the game), and eventually you work your way up to the BFG-9000. (BFG stands for "big fucking gun.") Doom had it's own uniquely disturbing mood—helped in no small part by Bobby Prince's appropriately monstrous score.

Doom was one of the most successful computer games of all time. It dropped people into its malevolent Martian landscape and sucked their brains out through their eyes and fingers. Many gamers played obsessively for hours at a time—and then reported dreaming Doom environments while they slept. Rumor had it that one teenager even had a psychotic breakdown and had to be hospitalized. Other players found the game environments so disturbing that they had to stop playing for a while. (I was one of those folks. I was playing too many hours a day. One night, I was walking down a dark unfamiliar hall, and I noticed that I experienced genuine anxiety as I approached the corner at the end. When I did come back to the game, I limited my time at the keyboard.)

Looking back, it's clear that Wolfenstein 3D and Doom spawned the whole first-person-shooter genre. There have been a lot of other noteworthy games since then, but none have ever had such a widespread and sudden cultural impact.

Trying to capture a piece of that same market, a lot of companies invested hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, into developing their own powerful 3D gaming engines. Not all of them got to market. Even fewer succeeded. But it was clear that gamers wanted a certain kind of first-person interactive environment, they wanted interesting enemies, and they wanted to shoot them. The balance has always been tricky, but companies that have found the right balance have profited enormously.

One of the issues in any game has been finding the right enemy, so you don't have to worry about that troubling little commandment about how thou shalt not do something or other. Even committing a vicarious murder carries a karmic price. Recreating the great conflicts of history—especially World War II—often works well. You can almost justify the battle action as "educational," because the player gets to experience the circumstances first hand.

Nazis have been terrific villains for movies and books, because you can portray them as completely without redeeming qualities of any kind. There are no good Nazis, therefore revenge is justified. It's all right to hate them, and shooting them is a good thing, because you're stopping them from further atrocities. But aliens are even better than Nazis. Aliens are giant bugs or slithery reptiles or gigantic machines that fire death rays. You don't have to justify shooting bugs or snakes or machines. You're human, they're not. That's all the justification you need.

But one of the best enemies for games and movies has turned out to be zombies. They're not human anymore. They're mindless. They're dead. They're either slow and clumsy or fast and vicious. It doesn't matter. If they're slow, they want to eat your brain. If they're fast, they're infected with rage. And the best part is, you don't have to justify shooting them. It's just self-defense. You're still human, they aren't.

The uncomfortable question is whether or not this kind of gaming is psychologically healthy. Does it have an effect on the player? I've seen this argued both ways. If television doesn't influence how you behave, then why are there commercials?

Do the game environments you explore affect how you see the world or deal with other people? My son loves driving games, the faster the better. He plays them obsessively, even more so after he got his driver's license. And he used to sneak out at night and go racing on the freeway to see how fast his car could go. One night, some dudes pulled up alongside him at a red light and tried to carjack him. He out-drove them and lost them in two blocks. (In another circumstance, a state highway patrolman told my son that he'd never seen anyone handle a CRX so well. Don't ask.)

In a more controlled environment, it has been demonstrated that children do emulate behaviors they see on TV. One remarkable experiment portrayed two different reactions to a frustrating toy. A child was shown one tape or the other, then given the same frustrating toy to play with. The pieces didn't fit, it didn't work. The children who had seen the angry portrayal of frustration tended to behave the same way, they got angry and shouted too. The children who had seen the actress just shrug and walk away from the toy were more likely to emulate that response. Again, if television doesn't influence us, why are there commercials? Why are there Batman costumes in the Halloween stores? And why did it take nearly six months to get my son to stop saying "All righty, then!" like Ace Ventura, Pet Detective?

So I think it's fair to examine the cultural effects of any meme, of anything that is portrayed in films and on TV—especially when it becomes a hit. Why has our culture become so fascinated with zombie threats, and is there a deeper subtext that bears examination here? Books, movies, comics, TV shows—this meme shows no signs of fading away.

In 1956, the classic film Invasion Of The Body Snatchers gave a lot of people sleepless nights. Some reviewers have put forth the theory that the movie was contemporary a metaphor for the fear of Communism—that your trusted neighbors might stop being the friendly people you know and become godless atheist soul-sucking collectivist zombies. If that's the case, then what do today's zombies represent?

Fear of the other is commonplace throughout all cultures. It's possible that the way zombies are presented today is an artifact of that. More specifically, raging crazies can represent the fear of anything from violent jihadists to inner-city criminal gangs, from illegal immigrants to fanatics of any extreme. More specifically, the portrayal of zombies a class of humans it's all right to kill is interpreted by some (many?) as a thinly-veiled racism.

Resident Evil has been very successful as a PC game (plus sequels), as well as a series of increasingly graphic movies. In the 2010 film, Resident Evil: Afterlife, human survivors exist in safe havens. They have walled off the outside world where infected crazies still run free. 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later are similarly themed—rage-infected people are killing innocents. It's possible that this particular iteration of zombies also represents fear of uncleanliness, disease, and poverty. Zombies aren't people. They have become animals, acting without thought, acting without regard for themselves or others—acting without even the essential core of identity. So it is all right for us to see them as monsters—no longer human.

Despite the risk of someone invoking Godwin's Law, I'm going to point out that the Holocaust was preceded by ten years of systematic propaganda to convince the German population that Jews were untermenschen, repeatedly referencing them as "vermin." The first step in any perpetration or atrocity is to diminish your perception of the other person's humanity. Do all these movies and games subconsciously encourage fear and hatred of whole classes of people? Are they desensitizing us to the essential humanity of others?

uncle zombie

I admit that's a pretty heavy question to ask. It's easier to argue that some people are taking the subject too seriously, and that the proliferation of zombie hordes in movies, games, books, and graphic novels have been deliciously scary and nothing more. I can see that point of view too. My favorites are Return Of The Living Dead ("Send more paramedics!"), Shaun Of The Dead, and Zombieland. World War Z and Pride And Prejudice And Zombies will be released sometime in 2012 and could also be big hits. The Walking Dead had some shuddery moments too. For most fans, zombies are probably just another excuse for cosplay. At the 2011 Comic-Con, fans held the one of the largest zombie-walks in the world, with the undead shambling and grunting and grinning maniacally in a line that stretched for blocks (at least ten, by my count).

Still, it's worth looking at the psychological subtext. Some sociologists have said that Frankenstein represents the discomforts of adolescence (an awkward, ungainly body—an inability to fit in anywhere), that vampires represent forbidden sexuality (including homoerotic situations), and that the original Godzilla films spoke to Japan's fears of nuclear horror. If those metaphors have any significant cultural resonance, then it's equally fair to ask what zombies represent to us and why we choose to think that way.

What do you think?

Lenovo Puts "World's Smallest Desktop" Up For Preorder

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 11:25 AM PST

Hot on the heels of our review of the Blu-ray-like Acer Revo RL100-UR20P – check it out if you haven't yet – Lenovo has released a new, slim nettop that it claims is the teeny tiniest desktop to be found in all the land. The diminutive IdeaCentre Q180 comes in a couple different configurations, all of which run on a 2.13 GHz Intel Atom D2700 CPU and an AMD Radeon HD 6450A GPU. That won't have you playing Crysis any time soon, but streaming HD video should be no problem.

In fact, the 7.5 by 6.1 by 0.86 box seems to have been made with home theater in mind, as the IdeaCentre Q180 includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, 7.1-channel audio via an S/PDIF connection, full HD and Blu-ray 3D graphics, VGA and HDMI ports and an 8-in-1 card reader. HTPC-focused options include Lenovo's multimedia remote and a Blu-ray drive (although the base model, at $400, lacks any optical drive whatsoever). Both of the models found on the Lenovo website sport a 500GB hard drive and a pair of USB 3.0 ports.

Check out the IdeaCentre Q180 product page for a full list of specs and options. The tiny PC is only available for pre-order right now; Lenovo expects to start shipping them out on December 2nd.

QPAD Unveils World's First USB NKRO Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 10:46 AM PST

Let's face it: stock keyboards just won't cut it in Battlefield 3 or CoD: MW3, especially when you're caught flat-footed by attackers while in the midst of getting your virtual act together. Key jamming and ghosting can be a real problem with older or low-end keyboards, but not with the MK-85, a new offering from Swedish manufacturer QPAD. The company claims the MK-85 "is the world's first mechanical keyboard offering full N-key roll over via USB," so you can get your multi-key presses on without those pesky PS/2 cables.

There are other gamer-friendly features, too, including individual red backlights for each key, a removable wrist rest, spare USB and audio ports, software for multiple gamer profiles, and programming functions. As for the keys themselves, some may love them, and some may hate them: the Cherry Red MX switches should be plenty responsive enough, but they lack any audible or tactile feedback, which is good for folks who prefer silent typing, but bad for folks who like a physical response when a key is pressed.

The company also unveiled the MK-50, which offers the same basic build and NKRO functionality as the MK-85, but sans backlights, extra ports or programming capabilities. Expect the MK-85 to hit the streets sometime in December for $200, while the stripped-down MK-50 will be available by the end of November for roughly half that price.

Check out QPAD's press release for full details and scads of pics.

How To Access Region-Locked Content Online

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 10:24 AM PST

We may call the glorious series of tubes the World Wide Web, but that doesn't mean you can view every website's content all around the globe.  Many of the big name content providers – like Steam, Netflix, Pandora and BBC – employ region locks to limit their services to specific countries. But this is the Internet we're talking about, so naturally, there are ways around the roadblocks.

A few notes before we begin: the solutions offered below aren't perfect. Surfing speeds are usually slow, content providers sometimes restrict access from certain proxies and VPNs, and you often have to pay proxy owners for access to streaming content. Got it? Good, let's go spoofing!

Proxies

The easiest way to bypass many region locks is by using free "High Anonymous" proxy servers, which don't identify themselves as proxies when connecting to websites; find them by searching proxy aggregators like proxy.org or running a quick Google search for "<country name> free proxy". Most free proxies don't allow streaming, however, so you'll have to do some digging. FoxyProxy offers access to high-speed proxies in countries around the world, but you have to pay for access.

A lot of proxies use an in-browser interface to get the obscuring job done, but others require you to manually tweak your browser's proxy server settings. Here's how to do it.

Internet Explorer

Click the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner > "Internet options" > "Connections" tab > "Lan Settings". Check the box next to "Use a proxy server…" and enter the proxy's info in the "Address:" and "Port" fields. If the server uses additional settings, click on the "Advanced" button to input them.

Firefox

Click "Firefox button" > "Options" > "Options" > "Advanced" tab > "Settings". Select "Manual Proxy Configuration" and enter the information provided by your proxy server.

Chrome

In Chrome, you want to click the button marked "Change Proxy Settings" in the Options Screen.

VPNs

Virtual Private Networks often offer better region-cracking success than free proxies, but if you want to stream content, you usually have to pay for a premium VPN service. UltraVPN and HotSpot Shield are two free VPN services that allow U.S.-based streaming, but major services like Hulu and Netflix often block access by their servers. Make sure whatever VPN you choose offers IP addresses for the country you want to access content from.

Many VPNs use stand-alone applications that you simply activate and log in to. Others may ask you to connect manually. Here's how to do just that in Windows 7/Vista:

Click "Control Panel" > "Network and Sharing Center" > "Set up a connection or network" > "Connect to a workplace" > "Next". If prompted, click "No, I'll create a new connection." Connect via "Use my Internet connection," and enter a name and the address provided to you by your VPN.  Afterwards, connect to the VPN by selecting it from the network icon in the system tray. You'll need to enter your supplied username and password to access the VPN.

Other Devices

Your options are few if you want to stream region locked content to gadgets like an iPad or Boxee Box rather than computers. Two premium DNS redirection services allow users to watch U.S.-locked content on devices (and computers) all around the world: Unblock-us and UnoTelly. Reports say these $5 services work well and speedily, but only for the devices and services listed on their websites.  All you have to do to use them is sign up and tweak your gadget's DNS server settings; you can find device-specific instructions on the respective sites.

Payment and Location

A quick note on payment options: accessing region-locked content on premium services like Steam and Netflix requires you to have a credit card from the country you're spoofing. A prepaid Entropay virtual card lets you hop that hurdle (Unblock-us has a great tutorial), but you'll still need to enter a valid country-specific physical address when registering with content sites. Usually, any valid address will do. Just sayin'. Remember not to do any banking, including Entropay transactions, while connected through a VPN or proxy.

Teaser image credit: Unblock-us.com

HP Elitebook 2560p Review

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 10:06 AM PST

To call HP's 2560p an "ultraportable" is pushing it. It has a slightly smaller footprint than the Toshiba R830, with a screen size of 12.5 inches, but it's heavier by more than a pound. With its power brick, you're looking at more than five pounds, including a battery that protrudes a full inch from the back of the notebook's body. This is no dainty package.

Of course, it feels like a machine that can take its licks. HP likes to point out that the notebook is designed and tested to meet Mil-Spec standards for drops, temperature shock, and altitude changes, among other stressors.

Nestled within the 2560p's island keyboard is a pointing stick (a la Lenovo's ThinkPads), which, along with an additional set of right and left mouse buttons below the spacebar, lets you control the cursor without moving your hands from the keys. It's a nice feature for folks who roll that way, but if you're partial to using a touchpad, you might resent how the additional mouse buttons encroach on the pad's surface area. We also found horizontal and vertical scrolling on the touchpad to be erratic.


Aluminum-alloy hinges, titanium-alloy display latches, and a rubber bumper around the screen are just some of the touches that make the HP 2560p good for rough-and-tumble computing.

In performance, the 2560p is solid. It features a 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-2540M to the Toshiba's 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-2620M, and the two trade benchmarks win within fairly close proximity, save Premiere Pro, where the HP was 21 percent faster than the Toshiba. Like the Toshiba, the HP features single-channel RAM and thus scored lower than our zero-point in Quake III.

Upgrading the HP 2560p is supremely easy, as the entire underside slides off without removing a single screw. Inside, you'll find a 2.5-inch drive bay presently occupied by a 160GB SSD, an empty RAM slot, and an open Mini PCIe slot.

Another nice feature is the Elite Premium Support that comes included with the purchase of this notebook. It entitles owners to free 24/7 tech support from a dedicated Elite team, although it's anyone's guess what happens to that should HP actually spin off its computer division.

In our battery rundown test, the 2560p lasted four and a half hours playing a video file in a continuous loop. That's a decent runtime, but a far cry from the Toshiba's showing.

With its sturdy build, strong performance, and upgrade-friendliness, the HP 2560p is certainly appealing. But when it comes to performance and portability, we're partial to the Toshiba R830's lighter carry weight, longer battery life, and lower price.

$1,800, www.hp.com

Doom 3 Source Code Released Under GPL License

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 09:59 AM PST

Doom 3 might not have blown away interactive storytelling standards when it launched on the PC back in 2004, but it definitely raised the bar as far as visuals were concerned. Despite the awesome eye candy, the Internet quickly filled with mildly disgruntled gamers who griped that they could have made a better game by, say, changing up the monster closet-filled gameplay and adding a flashlight to weapons. Well, big talkers, here's your chance to put your money where your mouth is: yesterday, iD finally released Doom 3's source code, nearly seven years after the game launched.

Well, to be fair, they released most of the source code: according to Gamasutra, you won't find any game data in the files because they are still subject to the EULA. The ReadMe.txt file for the source code mentions another function that was included in the original game, but missing here:

The Doom 3 GPL source code release does not include functionality enabling rendering of stencil shadows via the "depth fail" method, a functionality commonly known as  "Carmack's Reverse". 

So what are you waiting for, open source lovers? Go download the Doom 3 GPL source code over at GitHub.

Having Performance Issues in Batman: Arkham City? Stop Using DirectX 11, Publisher Says

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 09:23 AM PST

If you're suffering performance issues with Batman: Arkham City on the PC, don't worry, you're not alone. Andy Cataldo, U.S. Community Manger for Turbine Inc. (acquired by publisher Warner Brothers in 2010), said that "after researching the matter, we found that running the game with DX11 is causing the performance issues." The solution? Don't run it in DX11 mode, silly.

That's right, the only available solution right now is to run the game with DX9 instead of DX11. That's a tough pill to swallow for such a highly anticipated game, and news of the issue/solution was understandably met with some contempt by Arkham City forum members.

"I'm sorry if I come up as rude, but how in the HELL did this get past beta testing? Pretty much every user is having problems with the performance in DX11 and you guys didn't detect it (you had a month to 'polish the PC release' as well)," one forum member complained.

It is what it is, and Cataldo says an update/fix is in the works. In the meantime, if you're having issues you can find instructions for changing DX11 to DX9 here.

MMO News

MMO News


Iris Online celebrates first birthday

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:25 PM PST

Iris Online’s birthday is on November 24, and to celebrate, Iris Online is offering special boosts for players this week.

Until November 26, players can get 100% boosts to experience, skill, and battlefield points, along with a 50% boost to enhance and drop rates. November 24 will host an extra bonus, boosting experience and skill experience points 400% and giving away free costumes to everyone that logs in.

Iris Online is published by gPotato, which also publishes Luna Online and Flyff: Fly For Fun.

iris-online-giant-mushroom

Iris Online Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Iris Online Celebrates First Birthday with Boost Events and Giveaways

Existing Players Will Receive an Exclusive Free Costume!

Sunnyvale, Calif. – November 23, 2011 Light a candle and bring out the cake – Iris Online's first birthday is almost here! The adorable anime adventure game turns one year old on November 24, but couldn't wait to open its presents: a tremendous bonus event is already underway. Plus, when the big day comes, existing players can log into Iris to receive a free, exclusive, permanent costume!

Iris has grown and learned a lot in the past year, and now it's ready to share its experiences with players by offering 100% Experience, Skill, and Battlefield Point boosts until November 26. Level up faster than ever before and see all the magical lands and monsters Arcana has to offer! With an extra 50% Enhance Rate and Drop Rate, you'll have better luck than ever at customizing your character and maybe even picking up some of the monster drop cards that will allow you to transform into a powerful monster.

It gets even better on November 24. EXP and SXP points will be boosted a full 400%, and anyone who's been playing Iris since September will be rewarded with a free costume for logging in. This costume has never been offered before – and never will be offered again! Prove you've been there since day one (or at least year one!) with this jaunty little jacket and matching pants, both of which are yours to keep.

Stay tuned for more upcoming events and community activity by visiting the Official Iris Website!

Shot Online hosting special holiday auctions

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:10 PM PST

As part of its holiday celebrations, Shot Online is hosting a special silent auction, running from December 1 through December 25.

Starting November 30, players will earn “Stars” for every round of golf played. They can then use these Stars to bid on each day’s special items. Players can bid as many stars as they want on an item, but will not be able to see others’ bids. Items only last from midnight to midnight each day, with winners announced the following day after.

Prizes for the event include: a Sony 3D Blu-Ray Home Theater System, $100 Toys ‘R’ Us Gift Card, a Kindle Fire, a Victoria’s Secret gift card, a Dyson DC 33 Vacuum, an iPad 2, and more.

Shot Online is published by GamesCampus, which also publishes Tank Ace and Scarlet Legacy.

shot-online-swing-graphics.jpg

Shot Online Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

GAMESCAMPUS GIVES THANKS FOR ITS

SHOT ONLINE 2011 COMMUNITY

Starting December 1st Players Will Have A Chance To Bid On And Win A Variety of Great Prizes Including A Samsung Galaxy Tab, Golfsmith Gift Card, Tiffany Earrings, An iRobot Roomba, Kindle Fire And Much More!

Sunnyvale, Calif. (November 23, 2011)- On the First Day of December GamesCampus gave to me..Leading online game publisher, GamesCampus.com (www.GamesCampus.com), today announced the details of the 2011 Holiday countdown for their online golf simulation, Shot Online.  Using a temporary currency called “Stars”, players will be able to bid on real life items including gift certificates to the hottest stores this holiday season.  Items up for grabs include a Sony 3D Blu-Ray Home Theater System, $100 Toys ‘R’ Us Gift Card, a Kindle Fire, a Victoria’s Secret gift card, a Dyson DC 33 Vacuum, an iPad 2 and much more.  Players will have to act fast, daily prizes will not be revealed until the day they are available!   Check out the event page for more details: http://gamescampus.com/events/shotonline/holidaycountdown.asp

Starting on November 30th, players will be able to collect “Stars” for every round of golf played in Shot Online.  “Stars” will be used to bid on these prizes each day from December 1st through December 25th.  Each day will have a new set of items to bid on, but players should use their stars wisely – the auctions will be silent auctions where nobody knows how much the other has bid, and only the top number of stars will win the mysterious and rare items! Each set of mystery prizes will be unveiled daily at 12:00AM on the event page and players will have until 11:59 pm server time to finalize their bids if they want to up the ante.  Winners are announced the 1st business day after.  Grand prizes are evenly distributed throughout the event, so users should be mindful not to save their stars until the very last date!

“We are very thankful for our wonderful Shot Online community so we planned this month-long extravaganza for them to enjoy over the Holiday season with an event that is very unique with awesome prizes that players can enjoy with their friends and family,” said Kevin Kim, CEO of Games Campus.  “We have so many great items available and there will be something fantastic up for bid every day throughout the whole month.”

GamesCampus would like to sincerely thank all their golf pros new and old for their patronage over the last year, and wishes them a very happy and healthy holiday season filled with laughter, family, and gifts.  2012 is looking to be a spectacular year for Shot Online and its players!

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


A look back at a cataclysmic year for World of Warcraft

Posted: 23 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST

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The Year of the Dragon Who Perches On Stuff While Dripping Lava.
It's been a big year for World of Warcraft, especially considering that the MMO behemoth is currently hitting its seventh year of operation. Considering its nigh-ubiquitous nature in the MMO sphere, it's hard to imagine that there was a time without it. And this past year of the game almost perfectly synchronizes with the latest expansion, Cataclysm, an expansion that was bound and determined to head back to the old and re-work everything up to new standards.

So how did that work out? What's been happening with the game over the past year? Let's pick up in December because that's when the story really begins, a story that involves a dragon smashing huge chunks of both continents to pieces. The result was a complete revamp of the game's lower-level areas, the addition of several new high-level areas, and a redesign of the way the game handled progression. It kicked off a war against primal forces and Old Gods for players, and that's without even getting in to the mechanical shifts.

Continue reading A look back at a cataclysmic year for World of Warcraft

MassivelyA look back at a cataclysmic year for World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    New interview talks Warhammer Online and Wrath of Heroes synergy

    Posted: 23 Nov 2011 08:00 AM PST

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    Warhammer Online - Chaos hound
    Warhammer Online fans can be forgiven if they took to scratching their heads in puzzlement as BioWare-Mythic announced the Wrath of Heroes MOBA at last summer's Gamescom convention. After all, here was a new fantasy title that was brazen enough to borrow the IP and arguably the best gameplay mechanic (scenarios) from an existing MMO that's still alive and kicking.

    The distinction between the two games is up for discussion in a new Warhammer Online interview at Stratics. "There is no direct link currently between your WAR and WOH characters. That being said, we plan on giving WAR subscribers benefits in WOH," explains producer James Casey. "We are also looking at other ways to connect them and have the benefits go both ways."

    The interview also touches on the next WAR update (currently slated for the PTS next month), as well as the fact that the devs are considering a level-cap increase on the game's endless trial offering.

    MassivelyNew interview talks Warhammer Online and Wrath of Heroes synergy originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Bigpoint sells 2000 virtual space drones for €1000 each

    Posted: 23 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST

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    DarkOrbit - that is one expensive space drone
    Earlier this year Bigpoint made headlines for its pragmatic approach to pay-to-win business models in free-to-play MMOs. Today, Gamesbrief has published a story illustrating just how successful such strategies can be.

    Bigpoint recently made a rare space drone available in its DarkOrbit MMO. While this isn't newsworthy in and of itself, what caught our attention was the €1000 price tag. Our eyebrows arched a little higher as Bigpoint producer Simon Davis revealed that upwards of 2000 people bought one of the drones over a four-day period.

    If you're counting at home, that's over €2 million (nearly $2.7 million) in four days from a single virtual item.

    MassivelyBigpoint sells 2000 virtual space drones for €1000 each originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: Have the post-NDA testimonials changed your mind about SWTOR?

    Posted: 23 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST

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    SWTOR
    It's been a half a week or so since BioWare hit Star Wars: The Old Republic's NDA with a Death Star-sized superlaser, and boy have the spaceships hit the fan. Massively readers, fansite operators, forumites, Tweeters, podcasters, and the entire cantina at Mos Eisley have piped up with impressions, thoughts, analysis, and opinions as to whether this MMO has lived up to expectations or not.

    While we cannot stress enough that a beta is a beta and not a launched product deserving of a full-range judgment, many curious players have taken this opportunity to soak up the information, particularly if they have not been in the beta as of yet. Others might have dipped their toes in the beta but are interested to hear what some of the long-time vets have to say at this juncture.

    So what about you? Has anything you read or heard about SWTOR following the NDA drop changed your mind?

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

    MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Have the post-NDA testimonials changed your mind about SWTOR? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Shanda Games going back to private ownership

      Posted: 22 Nov 2011 06:00 PM PST

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      It's hard to find a screenshot of companies going private.  Instead, enjoy a shot of goblins getting whipped.
      If you've been following development on Eligium, you're probably at least passingly familiar with the name Shanda Games. You'd be more familiar with it in China, since the company also operates a variety of games from other markets, including Aion, MapleStory, and Dungeons & Dragons Online. And after having a record-breaking quarter, the company is moving in the opposite direction of what you might expect from a successful company: It's going private. The requisite stocks were purchased by a single family, so the company moving out of the public market.

      All shares will be jointly purchased by a parent company headed by Shanda's CEO, Shanda's COO (the CEO's son), and the company director (the CEO's wife). A $180 million loan was taken out to ensure that the stocks could be traded, with the purchasers buying shares at a higher price to help ensure the transfer. The board of directors has already approved this move, which means that it should go through without a hitch before the first quarter of 2012.

      MassivelyShanda Games going back to private ownership originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Bigpoint may co-publish Star Trek: Infinite Space

      Posted: 22 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST

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      Screenshot -- Star Trek: Infinite Space
      There may be hope yet for Star Trek: Infinite Space. The title's future was called into question when a series of layoffs wracked Gameforge, causing the studio to state that the Star Trek title would be cancelled unless it could acquire a co-publisher. A post on the Star Trek: Infinite Space official forums stated that Bigpoint has taken an interest in the title. Now all that remains is to wait and see how Gameforge responds to Bigpoint's offer. Stay tuned, and we'll be sure to bring you the latest as it develops.

      MassivelyBigpoint may co-publish Star Trek: Infinite Space originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Guild Wars 2 devblog highlights cinematic conversations

      Posted: 22 Nov 2011 04:30 PM PST

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      Screenshot -- Guild Wars 2 cinematic conversation
      "One of the things we game developers always have to struggle with is reconciling our ambition with the reality of a production environment," begins today's Guild Wars 2 dev blog. That principle of balance comes into play in the case of the game's cinematic conversations, as the blog notes. James Boer goes on to detail many of the unique strategies used in Guild Wars 2's dialogue scenes in order to ensure that precious balance between ambition and pragmatism.

      For instance, characters are designed in such a way that they don't look terribly good during close-ups, and there is no easy way to integrate facial animation. As a result, the team settled on a compromise, pushing the characters farther into the background. This, combined with the painted backgrounds utilized during conversations, lends a unique style to GW2's cinematic dialogues. For the full details, just head on over to the ArenaNet dev blog.

      MassivelyGuild Wars 2 devblog highlights cinematic conversations originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Goblinworks announces Pathfinder Online

      Posted: 22 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST

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      Pathfinder logo
      For pen-and-paper RPG players, Pathfinder remains a perennial favorite game setting. Those players may find themselves excited to know, then, that Goblinworks has announced Pathfinder Online. This MMORPG adaptation of the extremely popular system will be a "hybrid sandbox/theme park-style MMO roleplaying game." The title will feature a "robust trading system [that] puts players in control of the world's economy," which should be wonderful for players who like to work the market. Characters can also establish settlements and expand them into full kingdoms while raising an army to help defend their turf.

      The announcement boasts randomly generated events, as well, stating that "as settlements develop, the surrounding wilderness develops more complex and challenging features." The goal appears to be not just to create a game, but in fact to bring to life a real, evolving world. Pathfinder fans should keep their eyes on Goblinworks' official site, where further development updates will be posted.

      MassivelyGoblinworks announces Pathfinder Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      TERA monthly chat talks public previews, PvP, and more

      Posted: 22 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PST

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      Screenshot -- TERA
      TERA's November edition of the monthly Twitter dev chat has been posted on the game's official site, and it brings a few choice morsels involving the current alpha test and the upcoming closed beta. The team notes that the current testing is going quite well, and the first public preview event will be starting in early 2012.

      Many players also ask about the game's open world PvP, and the team mentions that a free-for-all-from-level-1 PvP server is not out of the question, though it won't happen at launch. Master glyphs, guild wars, and fashion customization are all on the table as well, so for the full transcript, head on over to the official TERA site.

      MassivelyTERA monthly chat talks public previews, PvP, and more originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Jagex unveils new RuneScape website

      Posted: 22 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST

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      Shiny new website!
      Jagex announced today that it is giving the official RuneScape website a makeover. The update will add a couple of features to the popular F2P title's website, such as a new wiki and an events section, which should help the community pull together. The studio is also updating the site's news feed in order to ensure that players can get the latest in RuneScape news all the time. To check it out for yourself, just head on over to the official RuneScape site.

      [Source: Jagex press release]

      MassivelyJagex unveils new RuneScape website originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        League of Legends announces the start of Season Two with new video

        Posted: 22 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PST

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        Season Two winners FnaticMSI
        The time has finally come, League of Legends players: Season Two is upon us. And to commemorate the occasion, Riot Games has released a video recapping the events of Season One and introducing players to what they can expect in Season Two. Season Two's tournaments, for those not in the know, will reward players with 5 million USD in prizes, so if you've got the skills, there's money to be made. To check out the full video, just click on past the cut.

        Continue reading League of Legends announces the start of Season Two with new video

        MassivelyLeague of Legends announces the start of Season Two with new video originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Firefall video diary talks Medics, Assaults, and that dreaded balance word

        Posted: 22 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST

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        Firefall - Assault battleframe
        Mmm, Firefall.

        Red 5 Studios
        is starting the Thanksgiving week off right with a delicious helping of video. The entree consists of David Williams talking a bit about class design and the balance challenges inherent in the title's battleframes (for the uninitiated, battleframes are the suits of power armor worn by Firefall's soldiers, and in gameplay terms they determine your class and combat role).

        When it comes to the dreaded "B" word, Williams uses the game's Medic class as an example, and he says that Red 5 wants combat docs to be able to deal damage and fulfill the primary support role. This poses a problem, of course, because other classes (like the Assault) aren't able to do both. The Medic "needed to be fun, it needed to be threatening, but it also needed to be just below the offensive capabilities of an Assault," Williams explains.

        See what else he has to say, and get a good look at Firefall in action, via the video after the break.

        Continue reading Firefall video diary talks Medics, Assaults, and that dreaded balance word

        MassivelyFirefall video diary talks Medics, Assaults, and that dreaded balance word originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        PlanetSide 2's Vanu Sovereignty gets a new batch of screenshots

        Posted: 22 Nov 2011 01:30 PM PST

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        Say
        PlanetSide 2's Terran Republic and New Conglomerate have both had their time in the spotlight, but now we get to hear from the faction that everyone actually cares about: the technologically superior Vanu Sovereignty. PC Gamer has some new, incredibly purple screens showing the Vanu in action. Marvel at the hovertanks! Stand in awe of Vanu Sovereignty airships! Prepare to be pew-pewed in the face by an awesome laser pistol! After all, it takes a real man to wear purple. Or something like that, anyway. Just click on over to PC Gamer for all the new screens.

        MassivelyPlanetSide 2's Vanu Sovereignty gets a new batch of screenshots originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Soapbox: The best complaint is an empty seat

        Posted: 22 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST

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        Unless you're protesting a lack of seating options.  But that's a different blog.
        Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

        This is a public service announcement for you. Yes, you, with the post open for the message board and your finger hovering over the "post" button. I can't see what you've got written there, but I'm willing to bet some form of "turning the game into World of Warcraft" is there if you're posting about another game. Or possibly FarmVille. Hopefully I'm getting warm.

        Look, the point is that I now you're about to post this hateful diatribe about threatening to leave. But I've got a better suggestion for you. How about you delete that post, unsubscribe, and then head outside for a walk with some friends. Play a different game, maybe an offline one, for a couple of days. Don't whine and just leave.

        Continue reading The Soapbox: The best complaint is an empty seat

        MassivelyThe Soapbox: The best complaint is an empty seat originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          RIFT gets into the holiday spirit with the Fae Yule world event

          Posted: 22 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PST

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          Aww lookit the Corgi
          It's that time of year again, it would seem. A time for mirth, merriment, and fending off an evil dragon to ensure that it isn't able to enslave an entire race of magical creatures. Well, that's what's going on in Telara, anyway, thanks to RIFT's Fae Yule celebration. The event, which started today, will span six weeks and will feature "fancy holiday hats, new quests, a grumpy mead-guzzling satyr, and other festive items."

          But of course, this is Telara, so the festivities simply wouldn't be complete if Crucia, the evil dragon of air, didn't decide to make an appearance. She's already tired of the Fae's newfound freedom and wants to wrest them back into servitude. It's up to players to make sure she does not succeed. And to top it off, Trion is presenting players with experience, favor, prestige, plaque, and planarite bonuses this weekend only. So what are you waiting for, Telarans? Get a move on.

          [Source: Trion Worlds press release]

          MassivelyRIFT gets into the holiday spirit with the Fae Yule world event originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The memories

            Posted: 22 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST

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            EQOA
            It's been a good month looking back at EverQuest Online Adventures, wouldn't you agree? Educational, almost. While this title is just about as far from the mainstream MMO eye as can be these days, it's heartening to know it's still out there, still running, and still capable of evoking fond memories from current and former players.

            While we did attempt to contact SOE for an interview to see if we could find out anything new -- or even old -- about EQOA, it failed to materialize. As a wonderful consolation prize, however, this week we'll hear from three players who have extensive experience in the game. So let's hit this column running and equip our +2 Ears of Paying Attention!

            Continue reading The Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The memories

            MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist's excellent EverQuest Online Adventures: The memories originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Flyff's V18: Renaissance patch buffs Baruna weapons, brings bonus XP

              Posted: 22 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST

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              Flyff - cute ranger avatars
              If you were waiting on Flyff's V18: Renaissance update to check out gPotato's long-running MMO, well, you can stop waiting! The patch brings three new dungeons, over 100 new quests, and 60 new weapons to the free-to-play fantasy title. If that's not enough to wet your whistle, the devs are also running a couple of celebration events and giving away free items (not to mention double XP) just for logging in.

              The dev team has also updated Baruna items by adding new enhancement options that "mold them into powerful weapons capable of empowering their owners against the most elite opponents," according to gPotato.

              Be sure to log in today and take advantage of increased sunstone and moonstone drops, and don't forget to head to the official Flyff website to read all about the new patch. Finally, take a look past the break for the latest Flyff community Q&A video.

              [Source: gPotato press release]

              Continue reading Flyff's V18: Renaissance patch buffs Baruna weapons, brings bonus XP

              MassivelyFlyff's V18: Renaissance patch buffs Baruna weapons, brings bonus XP originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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