MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


What's Your Favorite Pet in Fantasy MMORPGs?

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What's Your Favorite Pet in Fantasy MMORPGs?


Among the MMORPGs with all kinds of pet systems I've tried, Eudemons Online is definitely a good one.

WoW 5.0 Detailed New Spells: DK Can Control Undead Creature to Attack

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WoW 5.0 Detailed New Spells: DK Can Control Undead Creature to Attack


In this article, we display a host of new fantastic spells that show up in the Mists of Pandaria talent calculator. Some spells sound similar to their Cataclysm brand of spell, but definitely different.

World of Battleships: Keeping with the Best Traditions of "World of" Series

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World of Battleships: Keeping with the Best Traditions of


World of Battleships is a free-to-play naval action MMO that shifts players to the territory of 20th century warships. Dive into the massive naval battles and tame the overwhelming power of multiton titans to conquer the hard-line high seas!

Archlord X: The Chronicles Closed Beta Test Kicks Off

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Archlord X: The Chronicles  Closed Beta Test Kicks Off


Archlord X: The Chronicles (Episode 1: The Rise of The Shrine War) is a middle age fantasy-based 3D F2P MMORPG with upgraded Graphic and comfortable User Interface.

FFXIV won’t Charge Monthly Fee "until 1.20 has been out for a while"

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FFXIV won’t Charge Monthly Fee "until 1.20 has been out for a while"


Yoshida told that "the extended free trial period won’t end until 1.20 has been out for a while."

S2 Games Announces HoN Tour at DreamHack Winter 2011

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S2 Games Announces HoN Tour at DreamHack Winter 2011


Independent game developer S2 Games is bursting at the seams and ready to reveal their official Heroes of Newerth (HoN) competitive circuit, HoN Tour, at the world's largest LAN party, DreamHack Winter 2011. Through a partnership with social gaming network Beyond Gaming, HoN Tour aims to unite gamers of all skill levels in an international tournament circuit of unprecedented scope.

Vagabond: The Zombie Safe House Shelter Of The Future

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Vagabond: The Zombie Safe House Shelter Of The Future


When vampier fervor gone, zombies become the hotest element. An the new movie of Resident Evil series put the mania to the summit. Many MMOs introduce zombie elements in succession. FFXIV even made a zombie mode. But if there are zombies in reality, what would you do? Don't worry the designer Austin Fleming made a special tent to let us live in hidden in a group of zombies

Uncharted Waters Online New Expansion Setting Sail Today

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Uncharted Waters Online New Expansion Setting Sail Today


CJ E&M today announced the seafaring MMO, Uncharted Waters Online, is charting a new course to America and beyond. While American players have long since had access to the high-seas adventure of UWO, players can now venture forth to America inside the game, with the opportunity to build new colonies and harvest the untold riches of the new world.

Unveiled: The Supernatural Will Not Be Completely Sandbox

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Unveiled: The Supernatural Will Not Be Completely Sandbox


We want to create an immersive world of gameplay experience that we provide as well as give the players the freedom to expand upon that without having to depend solely on us for content.

Discussion - A Vacation in a MMO World?

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Discussion - A Vacation in a MMO World?


For me it would be Aion's places, they are so pretty and stuff. Would be another plus if flying would be possible there. And definitely TERA's world too, according the screenshots and vids they look so pretty too. And the panda race.

Runes of Magic: Patch 4.0.5 - Souls of the Past Released

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Runes of Magic: Patch 4.0.5 - Souls of the Past Released


Earlier today, publisher Frogster released the new Runes of Magic content update, Patch 4.0.5 - Souls of the Past. The update opens the gate to a new raid dungeon, the Tomb of the Seven Heroes, which challenges groups of up to twelve players to a heated battle with seven menacing bosses.

Firefall Launch Clarification, 3000 new Beta Tester invites and Cash Store!

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Firefall Launch Clarification, 3000 new Beta Tester invites and Cash Store!


For those of you whom have been following Firefall for a while, and easy enough for the new commer to quickly discover, beta invites are a big thing for the MMO/FPS hybrid hitting the market as we speak. Currently Firefall is in a ’closed beta testing’ phase of the games roll out. However, many are still confused as to the December date many sites have listed, and much of the community believed to be the games launch.

WEBZEN.COM will directly service MU Online in Philippines

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WEBZEN.COM will directly service MU Online in Philippines


WEBZEN Inc. announced that Global Portal 'WEBZEN.COM' will directly service MU Online in Philippines, which was serviced by local partner publisher in Philippines.

Player of Skyrim Collected 1000 Troll Skulls

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Player of Skyrim Collected 1000 Troll Skulls


Here is a video released by the player of Skyrim--FieryTiger Wolf. He killed tons of Trolls in the game and collected over 1000 Troll skulls in his home. And he made the following video just for show off.

WoW 4.3 Legendary Daggers: Stage 3 Stats Unveiled

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WoW 4.3 Legendary Daggers: Stage 3 Stats Unveiled


In Patch 4.3, The stage 3 stats of the legendary daggers showed up on the PTR. In this article, you're able to take a sneak peek at the amazing Daggers with 416 ilevel.

A Complete Review on Wizardry Online (Part II)

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A Complete Review on Wizardry Online (Part II)


In Wizardry Online, life is cheap. Characters may be killed by monsters, slip and drop to death, killed by mechanism after opening a treasure chest, burnt to death by erupting flames, fall into a trap and lose life, etc. In such circumstances, you have to pray for a high success rate of rebirth.

RIFT 1.6 Fae Yule World Event Guide and Unique Snowflake Items

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RIFT 1.6 Fae Yule World Event Guide and Unique Snowflake Items


Find a Candycane, Holiday Gift or Mug of Wassail lying around, pick it up to get a Unique Snowflake and a surprise! if you defeat air invasion, foothold boss, foothold idol and seal air / Fae Yule rift, you will get more Unique Snowflake as bonus.

Rusty Hearts Unveils the Hardest Group Instance 'Undead Valley'

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Rusty Hearts Unveils the Hardest Group Instance 'Undead Valley'


The 3D action MMORPG Rusty Hearts, which is developed by Stairway Games and published by WindySoft, has unveiled its hardest group instance "Undead Valley" in South Korea on November 23rd.

Hybrid Action MMO The Guardian (KR) Sneak Peek

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Hybrid Action MMO The Guardian (KR) Sneak Peek


During G-Star 2011, many new games were showcased in B2B hall, one of which was D-Block Entertainment's latest online fighting title The Guardian.

Estates Become a Hit in the Virtual World Too?

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Estates Become a Hit in the Virtual World Too?


With the housing system tied into Aion 3.0: The Promised Land from NCsoft, estates seemed to become a hit in the virtual world too.

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews


Star Supremacy team thanks the players for their active participation in the ship design contest

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:13 AM PST

Barbily Games‘ Star Supremacy is celebrating a design contest since the last November 7. Since then, the staff has received lots of feedback as well as designs from the players. Some of them sent in emails with their designs and thoughts while others posted their work on the official forums for others to refer to [...]

War of the Immortals has launched a new video that spotlights the Berzeker class

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:35 AM PST

Perfect World Entertaintment has created a series of videos that will focus on each class of War of the Immortals. This week's spotlight showcases the brutality of the Berzerker class. With little disregard for his own well-being, the Berzerker leads with his weapons into combat and uses brute force to overcome any situation. The Berzerker [...]

Dungeon Fighter Online has presented its new playable character Male Fighter

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 07:19 AM PST

Nexon's side-scrolling action brawler Dungeon Fighter Online has presented a new playable character the Male Fighter. Starting on December 12, players will have the chance to test out his dynamic combat skills against even the most fearsome bosses in Arad. As a versatile hand combatant with powerful kicks, the Male Fighter utilizes his Pure Walk [...]

RedBedlam has revealed multi-themed MMORPG The Missing Ink

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 05:15 AM PST

The UK-based indie developer RedBedlam has revealed The Missing Ink; a vast, wildly entertaining, yet strangely familiar multi-themed MMORPG in which each player can create, develop and share their own unique virtual world for PCs and Macs (tablet version to follow next year), either with a free download or directly in the web browser. As [...]

Iris Online is celebrating today its first birthday

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 03:00 AM PST

Iris Online's first birthday is here. The anime adventure game turns one year old, today November 24. To celebrate it is coming with a bonus event. Plus, any player who log today in Iris is going to receive a free, exclusive, permanent costume. Today November 24 EXP and SXP points will be boosted a full [...]

We are celebrating a lottery to win a Advanced Pack for Dragonica

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:43 AM PST

We are going to do a raffle of 250 codes to get a special Advanced Pack, perfect for veteran players of Dragonica. The only thing you have to do to participate in the lottery is add a comment in the new until the next 14th of December, and that day we will send to all [...]

We are celebrating a raffle to win a starter pack for Dragonica

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:39 AM PST

We are going to do a raffle of 250 codes to get a special Starter Pack, perfect for the beginners of Dragonica. The only thing you have to do to participate in the lottery is add a comment in the new until the next 14th of December, and that day we will send to all [...]

MapleStory is going to release its triple-staged update, Chaos, the next month

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 01:01 AM PST

Nexon is preparing the release of Chaos, a triple-staged update for MapleStory that will take place from next month. With the update multiple classes will receive a re-balance with enhanced skills to provide a totally new experience. The massive update will also reveal a new crafting system and a PvP mode that were both nonexistent. [...]


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Microsoft Wants Kinect-enabled TVs, Claims Report

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:48 PM PST

A couple of days back, Microsoft announced plans for new Kinect hardware specially tailored for PCs, something we faithfully reported to you that very same day. But the motion sensing camera, which holds a world record for being the fastest selling consumer electronics item in history, is now rumored to be headed to "next-generation television sets" as well.

This latest rumor comes from the tablet-native news outlet The Daily and is based on input provided by unnamed "sources familiar with the whole subject." So according to The Daily's sources, Microsoft is trying to convince TV manufacturers to integrate its Kinect technology in their TV sets.

In fact, these sources went as far as claiming that Redmond-based software giant is close to striking a licensing deal for its Kinect technology with manufacturers like Vizio and Sony. It's not too difficult to imagine how Kinect's motion- and voice-recognition wizardry could completely change the whole TV viewing experience, but we request you to take this with a grain of salt.

Report: Launch of Intel's Cedar Trail-M Platform Delayed Further

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:20 PM PST

Originally scheduled for sometime during the third quarter, the launch of Intel's next-generation "Cedar Trail" Atom chips was pushed back to November owing to driver issues and the chip maker's failure to secure WHQL certification for them. We have almost come to the end of the month and there is no sign of the Cedar Trail-M platform yet. But not everyone is clueless.

Our friends over at VR-Zone have a very simple explanation for Cedar Trail's absence from the market. According to the site, the Cedar Trail-M platform has been delayed further, with its launch not expected to happen in time for the holidays. Intel is now said to be targeting a late December launch. Of course, actual products will only start arriving early next year in such an eventuality.

Given the current plight of netbooks, do you think Intel should even bother with these chips?

Browser Extension of the Week: Twitter Address Bar Search

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 12:01 PM PST

 

Hey, have you heard about Twitter? It's kind of a big deal. Apparently people use it to communicate in 140 characters, detailing revolutions, protests and intricacies of knitting free-ranged wool sweater for cats. Thanks to the service's soaring worldwide popularity, there's no shortage of applications designed to help get your tweets out, few are as easy to use as Twitter's native homepage. Thanks to Twitter Address Bar Search for Firefox, leveraging the power of Twitter's homepage has never been easier. 

Available to Firefox users via the browser's built in Add-ons Manager, Twitter Address Bar Search turns Firefox into a Twitter browsing dynamo. Once installed, users can search for Twitter accounts or hashtags directly from Firefox's address bar. Simply type what you're looking for and Twitter Address Bar Search will do the rest. When used along side Firebox 8's baked in Twitter functionality, the extension provides your browser with the power to become the only Twitter client most users will ever need.

Best of all, extension's functionality doesn't stop with Windows: Twitter Address Bar Search can also be installed and utilized on Linux or Mac computers as well as Android smartphones and tablets, making in a cinch to stay in touch with your tweeps even when your away from your rig. 

Have a great Thanksgiving, and be sure to check in every Thursday for another edition of Maximum PC's Browser Extension of the Week. 

 

CPU-Z Update Adds Sandy Bridge-E, Support for Windows 8

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 07:50 AM PST

Are you rocking a preview build of Windows 8? If so, you don't need to go without CPU-Z. There's a new update available, the first one in about five months, that brings CPU-Z up to version 1.59. Among the short list of changes is official support for Windows 8. The new build also recognizes Intel's Core i7 2960X, 3930K, and 3820 Sandy Bride-E processors.

Along with support for Sandy Bridge-E chips, CPU-Z v1.59 reads and recognizes Intel's X79 chipset. The update isn't all about Intel and Microsoft, however.

Other additions to CPU-Z's database include AMD Opteron and Valencia (Bulldozer), AMD SR56x0 I/O bridge and SP5100 southbridge (Maranello), and several VIA parts (Nano 1000/2000/3000, Eden X2, Nano X2/X3, and QuadCore).

You can download the new build here.

Google Carves Seven Services Like a Turkey, Wave Included

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 07:41 AM PST

While many people were getting ready to stuff their faces with turkey and watch the Detroit Lions not suck for once on Thanksgiving (or just Thursday), Google's been busy doing some off-season spring cleaning. Again. This time, Google zeroed in on seven services it plans to shutter in the near future, including Google Wave, which will soon become a read-only service.

"We announced that we'd stopped development on Google Wave over a year ago. But as of January 31, 2012, Wave will become read-only and you won't be able to create new ones," Google said in a blog post. "On April 30 we will turn it off completely. You'll be able to continue exporting individual waves using the existing PDF export feature until the Google Wave service is turned off. If you'd like to continue using this technology, there are a number of open-source projects, including Apache Wave and Walkaround."

Half a dozen other services are also being shut down. They include:

  • Google Bookmarks List
  • Google Friend Connect
  • Google Gears
  • Google Search Timeline
  • Knol
  • Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C)

Google said the spring cleaning effort is part of its overall goal to "buid a simpler, more intuitive, truly beautiful Google user experience."

Steam Kicks-Off Massive Autumn Sale, Renders Black Friday Pointless

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 12:25 AM PST

'Tis the season to watch in horror as your bank account whimpers out a pitiful final breath – tralalalala. That's how the song goes, right? Fortunately, as is its wont, Steam's attempting to make things a bit easier (or infinitely more difficult, depending on your inability to resist and pouncing on a perfect deal and savaging it like a rabid wolverine). Starting now and running until November 27, Valve's ubiquitous download platform will be rotating out deals so delicious that we've taken to calling this time of year "Excitedly-F5-Steam-Every-Morningsgiving." The name could use some work, but you get the idea. Right now, standouts include Orcs Must Die for $3.74, Mass Effect 2 for $4.99, and Portal 2 for $10.19 – among many, many others.

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


The Perfect Ten: Ways to prepare for the coming of SWTOR

Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:00 AM PST

Filed under: , , , , ,

Perfect Ten
Welcome to a very special edition of The Perfect Ten, the column that my two toddlers contribute to with their awe-inspiring counting abilities! With last week's dropping of Star Wars: The Old Republic's NDA, the internet has exploded with information, testimonials, and poorly spelled flamewars between the camps of believers and non-believers alike. It's a good time to be alive, eh?

In the spirit of the NDA drop and the upcoming December 20th launch -- less than a month! -- I've put together a list of 10 excellent ways that a SWTOR fan can prepare him or herself for the coming MMOcalypse. I totally understand that it can be frustrating to be waiting for an anticipated game launch, feeling impotent with your inability to speed up time. However, taking action in other ways can help with the wait and make us feel like we're being productive. That's what I'm here for today.

It's OK, there's no need to thank me. I get Light Side points for this.

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Ways to prepare for the coming of SWTOR

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Ways to prepare for the coming of SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup: 2011 edition

    Posted: 24 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST

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    Black Friday - shoppers in the most horrific checkout line ever
    So apparently there's this thing called Black Friday. This is news to me because shopping isn't really my thing, see, especially if it involves looking for parking spaces, Christmas music, or entering a retail establishment of any sort (regardless of season). OK, I do occasionally make allowances for the grocery store.

    Anyway, when it comes to holiday consumerism, fortunately there's this place called the intarwebs, where savvy merchants have taken to selling all manner of whatever and delivering it directly to your front door with the bare minimum of fuss. I hear there are even a few deals and steals for the budget-conscious MMO fiend in this land of digital plenty, and you should head past the break for links to a few of the more noteworthy sales.

    Continue reading Massively's big fat Black Friday roundup: 2011 edition

    MassivelyMassively's big fat Black Friday roundup: 2011 edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: What's the most you'd spend on a virtual item?

      Posted: 24 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST

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      Big pile of money
      So Bigpoint is apparently rolling around in piles of money these days, in no small part because of virtual item windfalls like the one resulting from its €1000 DarkOrbit space drone. Expensive cash shop items are nothing new, of course, and whether we're talking about World of Warcraft's $25 sparkle pony or EverQuest II's propensity for making you buy items for each character on your account, companies have figured out that there's a certain segment of the MMO-playing population with a good amount of disposable income.

      For today's Daily Grind, we're curious about your cash shop spending limits. In a nutshell, what's the most you've ever spent -- or that you'd be willing to spend -- on a virtual item?

      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: What's the most you'd spend on a virtual item? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        WindSlayer 2 patch brings PvP, updated UI

        Posted: 23 Nov 2011 06:00 PM PST

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        Screenshot -- WindSlayer 2
        Ignited Games' upcoming title WindSlayer 2 just entered open beta earlier this month, but the team is already rolling out updates. The latest patch to hit the game introduced players to Team Match PvP, which is the first PvP mode introduced to the game. In addition, the update brought changes to the game's UI and graphics settings as well as added 52 new item shop products. To get in on the side-scrolling PvP action, just head on to the WindSlayer 2 official site and sign up.

        [Source: Ignited Games press release]

        MassivelyWindSlayer 2 patch brings PvP, updated UI originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Star Supremacy puts players' artistic ability to the test with new contest

          Posted: 23 Nov 2011 05:30 PM PST

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          Example contest entry
          Star Supremacy entered open beta earlier this month, and the game's developer, Barbily Games, wants to give one lucky player an opportunity to have his or her artwork turned into an in-game ship. That's right, Star Supremacy wants your ship designs, and the winning entry will be used to create a new spacecraft within the game. There's only one week left in the competition, so if you want to put your artistic skills to the test, just head on over to the game's official site.

          [Source: Barbily Games press release]

          MassivelyStar Supremacy puts players' artistic ability to the test with new contest originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            New contest celebrates the launch of Torhead

            Posted: 23 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST

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            Familiarity is not necessarily a bad thing.
            If you've been following Star Wars: The Old Republic for long enough, you're probably tired of hearing it compared to World of Warcraft. Unfortunately, the launch of the beta version of Torhead isn't going to ameliorate those comparisons, as it's clearly meant to function in the same fashion as Wowhead (and is designed by the same team, no less). Even if you're not lucky enough to be in the beta yet, you can scour through the database and play with the skill calculators already.

            To celebrate the launch, the site staff is kicking off a contest, and appropriately enough, the more helpful content you upload to the site, the more contest entries you get. The grand prize winner gets a new Razer Naga and an Astro A40 Gaming Headset, both of which should be quite useful once the game launches. But even if you're not in the beta, you can still browse and comment to enter, something that might help assuage the waiting.

            MassivelyNew contest celebrates the launch of Torhead originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            South Korea puts the 'Cinderella Law' into effect

            Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:30 PM PST

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            Austere painting in video games is also disallowed.
            South Korea's burgeoning online gaming market has brought the country a great deal of business success, but it's also brought the dread specter of video game addiction to the forefront of public awareness. Hoping to curb addiction before it starts, the country has brought into effect a new law requiring all online games to block players under age 16 from playing between midnight and 6 a.m. Dubbed the "Cinderella Law," it also affects online services such as PlayStation Network and XBox Live.

            As expected, the law has several vocal critics, who assert that the law infringes upon the civil rights of children. The Korea Association of Game Industry, a group including companies such as Nexon and NCsoft, is in the midst of preparing a lawsuit based on its claim that the law is excessively prohibitive. Of course, many gamers have been trying to circumvent the ban already by connecting to Western servers, which have no such restriction... although it could be argued that connecting to another country's servers just to play for a six-hour period sort of reinforces the whole argument about addiction.

            MassivelySouth Korea puts the 'Cinderella Law' into effect originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            New Champions Online archetype available in regular and controversial editions

            Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST

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            In this screenshot, everyone is still on fire, but it's purple.  Color is special.
            It might seem a little late for a demonic archetype, but Champions Online has still rolled one out into the store. The Scourge is a new ranged archetype focused on poisoning and debuffing the target, with less durability and melee power to balance its slow ranged ramp-up. Like all archetypes, it's free to subscribing players and available for free players in the cash store. But it's also tied to a new grab bag offered in the cash store, which is provoking a few player concerns.

            The Cursed Grab Bag, among other things, contains a special token to unlock the Cursed archetype, which is essentially a color-shifted version of the Scourge archetype. Some players are a little concerned about the slippery slope being established here, as the Cursed archetype is not free to subscribers (although color-shifting powers is). As a result, concerns have been raised about what this cosmetic change might mean for future archetypes being released, although as others point out, you can always just change the color if you subscribe to begin with.

            MassivelyNew Champions Online archetype available in regular and controversial editions originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Volume III, Book 5 diary available for Lord of the Rings Online

            Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PST

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            Continuing the epic saga of doing the work necessary so the heroes don't all die.
            One of the challenges facing the storyline in Lord of the Rings Online is that it has a very definite deadline to contend with. While the story runs in parallel to the events in the books, it also has to line up in terms of what's taking place, which is why players will be parting company with the Grey Company starting in the next installment. Instead, as outlined in a new developer diary, Book 5 of Volume III will see players working with Prince Théodred, heir to Rohan, as he works to organize the defense of his country's borders.

            The diary also gives a firm date to mark story progress by; according to the book's timeline, Frodo should reach Mount Doom in about a month. Players will find this book to be a bit shorter than the previous installment, but it should still be a vital component as the game approaches the climax of the trilogy. They'll also receive a cosmetic set of equipment at the beginning of Book 5 to help them look like a Ranger, which is appropriate considering the story progress up to this point.

            MassivelyVolume III, Book 5 diary available for Lord of the Rings Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Star Wars: The Old Republic approaching the final phase of testing

            Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST

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            Republic agents preparing to beta test The Even Older Republic.  It's pretty meta.
            It's hard to believe that after all this time, Star Wars: The Old Republic is launching in less than a month. As you would expect, the game is making its final testing pushes for players. According to Stephen "Rockjaw" Reid's Twitter feed, players selected for the final testing weekend will be seeing schedules sent out over the next 12 hours, with players allowed to start testing either Friday or Saturday, starting at 11:00 a.m. EST. Existing testers and visitors to the site will also have to contend with some degree of maintenance trouble, as the site is experiencing an understandable groundswell of traffic.

            The final push also means that the deadline is approaching for players to get in on the Pre-Launch Guild Program, which ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on December 2nd. This means that players who fulfill all the requirements will be able to transfer their guilds straight into the live game -- but they'll have to finalize everything before the deadline. So if you're a guild leader with a few things left to finish up before launch, the holiday weekend might be an ideal time.

            MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic approaching the final phase of testing originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Choose My Adventure: A fond farewell

            Posted: 23 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PST

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            Byyyye Eorzeaaaa
            Well, ladies and gents, the time has come for the final edition of my run with Final Fantasy XIV on Choose My Adventure. After many travails, I was still unable to hunt down a leveling party, so I'm afraid that is one thing I'm not going to be able to provide my views on during this feature. It's been a good run with good ol' FFXIV, though, and I enjoyed the bite-size samples of each feature I inspected (well, mostly anyway).

            So after the cut, I'm just gonna recount my general impressions of the game, something of a tl;dr for the ADD folks in the audience. I do want to preface this with a disclaimer, however: This is by no means a comprehensive or complete review. This is my take on the game after playing it casually (about three to five hours per week) for the duration of this CMA. There are many features in Final Fantasy XIV that I didn't get to explore, such as the later levels of crafting, the later levels of combat (which apparently introduce some keen new features such as Battle Regimens), and so forth. That being said, follow on past the cut for my final opinion of my time in FFXIV.

            Continue reading Choose My Adventure: A fond farewell

            MassivelyChoose My Adventure: A fond farewell originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              MechWarrior introduces the DRG-1N Dragon BattleMech

              Posted: 23 Nov 2011 02:00 PM PST

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              Concept Art -- MechWarrio DRG-1N Dragon
              MechWarrior Online's steady media drip continues today with a short lore piece introducing the DRG-1N Dragon BattleMech. This particular 'bot is a result of the work of the Draconis Combine, and through the flavor text, we can pick out a few details about the new addition. The 'Mech is described as a "long-range focussed 'Mech capable of handling threats at all ranges."

              The Dragon comes armed with "a Telos DecaCluster LRM-10, an Imperator-A Autocannon/5, and two Victory 23R Medium Lasers." The brief states that "the Dragon will be able to bring down most foes before they even get into the range of its two Victory 23R Medium Lasers" through the use of the long-range Autocannon/5 and the "indirect-fire capabilities" of the DecaCluster. To get the full details on this new 'Mech, just head on over to the game's official site.

              MassivelyMechWarrior introduces the DRG-1N Dragon BattleMech originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Iris Online celebrates its first birthday

              Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:30 PM PST

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              Screenshot -- Iris Online
              Iris Online publisher gPotato has a very optimistic outlook on sharing a birthday with a holiday, saying that "you can either be sad that all your friends are busy doing holiday things or you can throw such a tremendous party that they make time to drop by and visit you!" Of course, the studio is choosing the latter (we still feel for you, people with late-December birthdays) to celebrate Iris Online's first birthday.

              The celebration begins today and runs until November 26th. For the duration of the festivities, players will be granted experience, skill, and battlefield point boosts. Drop and enhance rates will also be increased, and to top it off, any player who's been part of Iris Online since September will be given a unique costume just for logging in. To get in on the celebration, just head to the game's official site.

              [Source: Gala-net press release]

              MassivelyIris Online celebrates its first birthday originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                PlanetSide 2 rallies the Vanu Sovereignty with new video

                Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:00 PM PST

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                Screenshot -- PlanetSide 2
                PlanetSide 2's Vanu Sovereignty gets some more time in the spotlight today with a new video that shows off the technologically advanced vehicles and weaponry available to the faction. We hope that this video, in conjunction with the recent Vanu Sovereignty screenshots, can stave off your PlanetSide 2 hunger until the next morsel drops. Just click on past the cut for the full video.

                [Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]

                Continue reading PlanetSide 2 rallies the Vanu Sovereignty with new video

                MassivelyPlanetSide 2 rallies the Vanu Sovereignty with new video originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Free for All: What I am thankful for

                  Posted: 23 Nov 2011 12:00 PM PST

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                  WoW Thanksgiving screenshot
                  Here in the United States we are gearing up to celebrate well, whatever it is exactly that we give as the reason to get together with friends and family and eat more than humanly possible on the last Thursday in November. To be honest, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I truly do use the occasion to take stock of how good I have it and to decide what is important to me and my future.

                  I wanted to take similar stock with you all, my readers. After all, work can be a major part of our lives, and this is my work. Over the year and a half I really have learned a lot and became a better writer through the experience. So I am thankful for a lot.

                  Click past the cut and I'll tell you just what I am thankful for.

                  Continue reading Free for All: What I am thankful for

                  MassivelyFree for All: What I am thankful for originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Snakes

                    Posted: 23 Nov 2011 11:00 AM PST

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                    A Mild-Mannered Reporter header by A. Fienemann
                    For the first several villain group spotlights, I haven't been focusing on problems that are unique to the Rogue Isles. This is not entirely by accident -- City of Heroes was what came first, and generally speaking, I'd say the most relevant villain groups started out in Paragon City. And most of those groups do wind up interfering with your activities for Arachnos, too, so it sort of balances out. But Mercy Island faces its own problem, one that starts slithering up from the depths...

                    Unfortunately, this is also a threat that very quickly gets sent back underground. The Snakes are not really what you'd call a big-ticket villain group; they skulk in the shadows and are very quickly supplanted by other villainous organizations. And with the revamp to Mercy Island, they're no longer even your first enemies off the boat. So it's probably for the best that we remember the Snakes now because there might be no more Snakes to remember tomorrow.

                    Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Snakes

                    MassivelyA Mild-Mannered Reporter: Spotlight on the Snakes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      Enter at Your Own Rift: Will RIFT survive the SWTORacolypse?

                      Posted: 23 Nov 2011 10:00 AM PST

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                      RIFT Ember Isle invasion
                      It's coming. In just a few weeks, Star Wars: The Old Republic will launch, and on every gamer's mind is the subject of how many players it will lure away from other games. It's quite likely that every MMO will suffer a dip in numbers when SWTOR launches -- heck, even World of Warcraft is bracing for impact with a stock downgrade. But as gamers know, a launch is one thing, but how a game does in the months after is more important.

                      In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, I'm going to grab that third rail and look at a few ways in which SWTOR and RIFT differ, to see what effect SWTOR's launch might have on the game. Keep in mind that I am a fan of RIFT (hence the regular column), and I also really enjoyed my time in SWTOR's beta, have it pre-ordered, and plan to play the game when it launches. So I'm not saying one is better than the other; rather, I'm looking at differences that might appeal to one playstyle over another.

                      Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Will RIFT survive the SWTORacolypse?

                      MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Will RIFT survive the SWTORacolypse? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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