General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Windows Phone 7 App of the Week: ShopSavvy

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 04:28 PM PST

Even though Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday are behind us, the Christmas shopping season - and the retail madness it brings - marches steadily along. Frenzied bargain hunters and a multitude of confusing, competing offers can turn "the most wonderful time of the year" into a shopping nightmare if you aren't prepared. Where are the best deals, and what is the best way to find those deals while on the go? Enter ShopSavvy.

   

ShopSavvy is an app for Windows Phone 7 which will let you scan an item's barcode or QR code, price compare between online and local retailers, and see reviews other consumers have posted. ShopSavvy will even save your search history in case you need to recall something you previously searched for. For those with nosy family members, individual searches can be deleted in order to preserve the surprise for Christmas day.

   

ShopSavvy goes beyond price comparisons by also providing you with details on individual merchants, even to the point of indicating if the seller has a price matching policy in place. Local retailers with deals are also listed, helping consumers find places to focus their shopping. Shoppers can also share deals they've discovered via Facebook and Twitter.

ShopSavvy is available as a free download from the Windows Phone Marketplace.

AT&T Exec Says Company is Not Walking Away From T-Mobile Deal

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:57 PM PST

atttAT&T Chief Financial Officer John Stephens sounded defiant today at a media conference in Hew York. Stephens made it clear that AT&T was going to move ahead with the deal to buy T-Mobile US despite the heavy opposition in regulatory circles. Easier said than done, though. Both the Justice Department and FCC have come out against the deal, and AT&T has not been a terribly good sport thus far.

The Justice Department filed suit last month to block the $39 billion deal, and the FCC announced official hearings recently. Both groups claim that the merger would hinder competition in the wireless market, and kill jobs. AT&T made the call to withdraw its FCC application in order to focus on the DOJ suit. The carrier had harsh words after the FCC released its preliminary opinion of the deal in a scathing 100+ page report. 

Egos are bruised, and that's a recipe for disaster in delicate situations like this. Stephens says that AT&T has the resources to close the deal, but it's not clear if they some magic bullet strategy to gain regulatory approval. Do you think AT&T is going to succeed? 

Verizon Could Move to Family Data Plans in 2012

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:43 PM PST

vzwWhile not offering any specifics, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam has again raised the issue of family data pricing. Consumers have been begging for a carrier to move in this direction for years, and McAdam seems at least open to the idea. According to the CEO, a family data plan for multiple devices could arrive in 2012.

The basic premise is that users already have family plans for cell phone minutes, so why not let them share a large bucket of data as well? McAdam acknowledged the problem explaining that consumers should not have to deal with separate data plans for each screen in the home. He went on to claim that Verizon has been working to get to account-level pricing for a few years. 

There was quite an uproar when Verizon moved to a tiered data plan setup earlier this year. Some users find themselves stuck on higher tiers due to high data usage. At least if family data pricing happens, some users could catch a break in situations where one or more people never approache existing caps.

The $99 TouchPad Sale is Back For a Limited Time

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:28 PM PST

touchpadDid you miss out on the HP TouchPad fire sale earlier this year? Well, buck up then. HP is telling employees that the last round of refurbished TouchPads will be going on sale on the HP eBay store at the fabled $99 price point. A $79 accessory package will also be up for order. The trigger will be pulled at 6:00PM Central time on December 11th.

The TouchPad launched last summer to lukewarm reviews. Just a few weeks later, then CEO Leo Apotheker killed the webOS program, and HP started selling off inventory. Ironically, the TouchPad sold out rapidly once it was canned and heavily discounted; it became the second best selling tablet of the quarter behind the iPad. 

Small lots of the device have shown up from time to time since then, but this appears to be the last of it. HP wants these refurbs (likely returns from the original sale) off is hands. New CEO Meg Whitman is expected to announce HP's future plans for webOS in the coming weeks. Are you tempted to pick up a Touchpad, even just to sell it?

Future Tense: Good Little Ideas

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 01:06 PM PST

Somebody had the good idea to put a camera into a cellphone. This was a good idea. It was a great idea. What made it even better was including a slot for a Micro-SD card. I have a 32-gigabyte chip in my phone and I haven't run out of storage yet. I can shoot photos or movies wherever I go—and email them immediately. I can read e-books or listen to music or watch videos. (The Samsung Galaxy phone has a great screen.)

The smartphone is a combination of many good ideas and its overall usefulness should be a guide for all manufacturers of portable electronics.

So why doesn't the iPad have a memory card slot? Why doesn't Amazon's Kindle Fire have a slot for an SD card? A 32 gigabyte card is less than half a benjamin at Fry's electronics. (The 64GB cards are still too expensive for most users.) Expanding the capacity of the device expands its usefulness to the user.

All tablets should have memory card slots. Too many of them don't. The Motorola Xoom has one, but it's inactive pending a firmware upgrade. The lack of add-on memory is one of the reasons I haven't bought a tablet yet. I want a tablet that can do everything my phone does—and on a large enough screen to be convenient.

Where else would add-on memory be useful? In an iPod or a Zune. Microsoft has discontinued the Zune. Too bad. If they had given it a mini-USB port instead of a custom one and a slot for an SD or Micro-SD card, they would have had a product not only superior to the iPod, but significantly superior—enough perhaps to carve out a viable future for the product. The user could have had multiple libraries of music without having to erase old music to make room for new. That would have been a selling point.

How about a memory card slot in your TV so you can store photos and videos instead of having to plug in a flashdrive? And maybe you could have your TV function as a DVR as well, letting you record shows for later viewing. Wouldn't that be convenient?

Where else would a memory card slot be useful? How about your car stereo? Why shouldn't it provide storage of your favorite music? Why should you have to plug your iPod into it? How about your car's GPS system? Certainly it would be an advantage to be able to upgrade its database of maps and locations of restaurants and hotels and gas stations as easily as popping out an old card and sliding in a new one.

And what about Bose? They sell prestigious music systems—wouldn't it be great if it had a memory card slot so you could play your own library of music without having to plug in the iPod? Even better, what if it could be used as an audio-DVR so you could pause a program or rewind it or even save it for later? And then you could pop the card into your car stereo for the drive to work. Ohell, why not have the car stereo have the same audio-DVR capabilities too?

Being able to add or swap memory to a device expands its overall usefulness. It's a good little idea and I'm disappointed that so many manufacturers haven't recognized the possibilities.

Here's another good little idea. Twenty years ago, I had a digital watch from Casio that recharged itself through a small strip of solar cells mounted next to the display. Why can't our current electronics do the same? We certainly have more efficient solar cells today—cells that can even generate electricity from indoor lighting.

Imagine if your smartphone had a strip of solar cells on the back, or even at the top, bordering the screen. It could trickle-charge your phone whenever it was out of your pocket. Mine sits on my desk most of the day. I usually carry a spare battery with me because at the end of the day, the phone is nagging for a recharge. If it could trickle-charge, that might be worth a couple more hours of service.

Why not add solar cells to a Kindle or a tablet? The Kindle has such a low power-draw that a strip of solar cells might be all the recharging it needs. Adding solar cells to a tablet might not provide a full recharge, but it could certainly extend the hours of usefulness per day.

How about solar cells on your Bluetooth or your mouse? How about solar cells on all those remote controls in front of your TV set? Trickle-charging might be enough for some devices that you'd never have to change batteries or plug in a recharger again.

Why not have batteries and solar cells on your external peripherals as well? Think about your external hard drive that connects through a USB port. Right now, it needs a cord to the wall. What if it could keep itself charged, partly through a solar cell and partly through the USB port. You could have one less cord to trip over and your external drive would be a lot more portable.

Where else could you put solar cells? The Toyota Prius has solar panels on its roof, but those only power a fan so that a parked vehicle doesn't get too hot on sunny days. Why not also trickle-charge the car's battery and extend its mileage?

Adding solar cells to any electronic device lessens its dependence on batteries and wall-sockets. Consider that there are a billion electronic pieces in the United States alone and the power-saving would be considerable. It would also reduce the number of batteries discarded every year.

And finally, here's a third good little idea. One automaker is advertising a car that can be locked and unlocked from a smartphone. That's a good start, but how about having a phone app that does a lot more? The Prius key-fob is a good example. If it's in your pocket, the Prius senses its proximity and the car door unlocks automatically as soon as you touch the handle. Even better, you don't even have to take the key out of your pocket to start the car—just press the On button and go. Why can't all cars work like that?

But why have a key-fob at all? Why can't your smartphone be the key? Why can't it be a garage door opener too? And how about having it unlock your front door automatically so you don't have to fumble in the dark? Ohell, it should turn on the lights automatically when you get home at night.

And while we're at it, why not have your smart phone function as a universal remote control for your TV, your radio, your disc player, and your DVR as well? Why can't there be an app for that?

Yes, a lot of this is going to require some integration with your Personal Very Private Network, and more than that, it's also going to require that manufacturers agree on a standard for integrating multiple devices across the internet, but if someday every device is going to have its own IP6 web address, then we should also have one device that we can find in the dark to bind them all. (With Nazgul, an extra $139.)

None of this is impossible. The technology already exists. It just hasn't been integrated yet. But these are the kinds of things we want our machines to do for us.

What do you think? What good little ideas would you suggest?

 

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David Gerrold is a Hugo and Nebula award-winning author. He has written more than 50 books, including "The Man Who Folded Himself" and "When HARLIE Was One," as well as hundreds of short stories and articles. His autobiographical story "The Martian Child" was the basis of the 2007 movie starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet. He has also written for television, including episodes of Star Trek, Babylon 5, Twilight Zone, and Land Of The Lost. He is best known for creating tribbles, sleestaks, and Chtorrans. In his spare time, he redesigns his website, www.gerrold.com

When Is An Apple iPad Not A Genuine iPad? When It's Sold In Mainland China

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 12:06 PM PST

Don't let the headline fool you; Apple's still selling plenty of iPads in its Chinese stores, especially the ones in Shanghai and Beijing. Those honeypots make soon dry up, though, as a Chinese court has determined that Apple has no right to use the iPad moniker in mainland China. The company that owns Chinese rights to the name now plans to sue the pants off of Apple for selling the iPad on the mainland. But the infringed company is totally cool that Apple used the iPad name on the island of Taipei. Sound complicated? It is.

Proview Technology (Taipei) sold Apple rights to use the iPad name in Taipei way back in 2009, you see, but Proview Technology (Shenzhen) – another Proview International Holdings Limited subsidiary – holds the rights from mainland use of the name. Apple never bought those separate mainland rights before opening stores in mainland China, and it actually sued Proview Technology (Shenzhen) for infringing on the 'iPad" trademark, even though Proview registered the term way back in 2000.

Today, Xinhua News reported that a local court ruled in Proview Technology (Shenzhen)'s favor and dismissed Apple's lawsuit. Proview Technology (Shenzhen) is struggling to stay afloat right now, so it should come as no surprise that the company quickly announced that it was suing Apple for copyright infringement – to the tune of $1.6 billion.

"Apple's actions are strange. They had not obtained the rights to use the 'iPad' trademark when they began to sell the iPad on the Chinese mainland in September last year," said Huang Yiding, speaking for Proview. "Their copy infringement is very clear. The laws are still there, and they sell their products in defiance of laws. The more products they sell, the more they need to compensate."

Let's have some fun with this one: what would be a good secondary name for the iPad if Apple can't call it "iPad" in China?

Image credit: myessentia.com

Yes Folks, There's Now a Fatal1ty Food Line

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:48 AM PST

Jonathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel might be the LeBron James of videogames. Think about it -- the kid has endorsement deals coming out of his eyeballs, he's the guy most fans love to hate, and like LeBron, he's never won an NBA championship. LeBron's been in commercials for McDonalds and Gatorade, and not to be outdone (well, maybe a little), Fatal1ty is lending his name to snack foods.

Yep, as unappealing as a fistful of Nuts of Destruction might sound, it will be one of a new series of exclusive Fatal1ty branded products by GamerFood. In case you missed it, we said Nuts of Destruction (cue the Beaves and Butthead giggles). Other Fatal1ty food will include Cashews of Chaos (honey roasted cashews) and Seeds of Victory (original sunflower seeds).

"I am excited to partner with GamerFood, because I felt snacks for gamers have been seriously lacking in this industry and I loved their mission to create the ultimate gaming lifestyle food," said Johnathan Wendel, also known as Fatal1ty. "Packed with protein and antioxidants on top of the energy supplements, GamerFood energizes and fills you up during intense gaming sessions. It provides a sustaining energy that is key for pro and casual gamers who want to perform at their best."

Failing that, you could always down a gallon of Monster if the thought of devouring Fatal1ty's Nuts of Destruction (ancho chili lime-flavored peanuts) doesn't sound the least bit appealing.

Image Credit: GamerFood

Comcast Says Subscribers Are More Important Than Tiered Data Pricing

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:34 AM PST

The sky is falling for movie lovers! The post office recently announced that it was closing down nearly half of its processing centers starting in early in 2012, which could eliminate next-day delivery services – and add an extra day of delay to Netflix deliveries. No worries, you can just shift the slack to streaming, right? (Possibly) wrong – as we recently reported, ISPs are considering implementing tiered data pricing to squeeze more cash out of heavy media streamers. So is all lost? Could your ABC Family Movies addiction be in danger of extinction? Not if you're a Comcast customer. The company apparently has no plans of switching to tiered data pricing.

"We don't want to disrupt the consumer experience," CEO Michael Angelakis said at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference earlier in the week. GigaOm reports that Comcast feels that changing to a tiered pricing structure could cause customers to stop signing up for the company's high-speed data service.

President Neil Smit put thing even more clearly. "We don't want to nickel-and-dime customers at this point."

Whew! That's a breath of fresh air, and it's surprising that it's coming from Comcast, given the customer service horror stories that are often associated with the company. But before you get too excited, remember that no tiers doesn't mean no restrictions: Comcast currently imposes a 250GB/mo. bandwidth cap on its customers – a fairly generous cap, but a cap nonetheless.

Red Hat Releases Enterprise Linux 6.2

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:27 AM PST

The folks at Red Hat have made available Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) version 6.2 this week, which promises to offer several enhancements across a number of areas, including performance and scalability. For many businesses big and small, RHEL is the go-to Linux distro, and this latest build comes a year after Red Hat introduced RHEL 6.0, which achieved the largest mulit-core Linux configuration results certified to date on the two-tier SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) standard application benchmark, Red Hat claims.

"The exciting features in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 with new impressive SAP benchmark results allow our enterprise customers to have increased confidence that Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 can run their enterprise workloads with high performance across physical, virtual and cloud computing environments," said Jim Totton, Vice President and General Manger, Platform Business Unit at Red Hat.

Red Hat goes on to tout a handful of SAP benchmarks, but outside of raw performance metrics, there are a handful of new features to note, including additional capabilities to manage system resources with QoS-like controls, enhancements to storage and file systems including full support of iSCSI extensions for RDMA, identity management, and plenty more to digest starting here.

HP Folio 13 Series Now Available to Purchase

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:07 AM PST

Hewlett-Packard joined the growing Ultrabook fracas back in November when it announced the HP Folio 13. Weighing in at 3.3 pounds and wielding a 13.3-inch display, the Folio 13 was to be one of just a few Ultrabooks with a starting price below $1,000. HP said it would be available to order beginning December 7, 2011, and true to its word, the Folio 13 is live and in stock.

For $900, a stock configuration includes an Intel Core i5 2467M processor (1.6Ghz), Intel HD Graphics 3000, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 128GB mSSD, HD webcam, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, USB 3.0 support, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

There's a coupon code available (NBK3573, courtesy of LogicBuy via SlashGear) that knocks 33 percent off the price, bringing the total down to $703.49 with free shipping. That makes it the least expensive Ultrabook on the block and almost $100 cheaper than what Best Buy's selling the Toshiba Portégé for ($800).

HP doesn't allow much customizing and restricts upgrades to software and accessories. The HP "recommended" $1,049 build, for example, is spec'd the same on the inside, but bumps up to Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. Everything else is the same.

HP Folio 13 Product Page

Image Credit: HP

 
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO News

MMO News

Monster MMORPG

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 02:20 PM PST

Monster MMORPG is a free to play browser based game that is similar to the popular Pokémon series. Players embark on a wild adventure exploring a dangerous world overflowing with critters. Collect, train, fight, and transform these creatures into pets. Build a team of unique super powered monsters and battle other players. Prove you have it what it takes to be a legendary master trainer in a virtual world where pets rule.

Publisher: MonsterMMORPG
Playerbase: Medium
Graphics: Low
Type:MMORPG
EXP Rate: Medium
PvP: Open
Platform: Browser

Pros: +Over 600 pets to train. +Unique monster designs. +Varied maps. +Extensive MonsterDex. +Large selection of shop items. +Bazaar trade feature. +Multilingual chat box. +Pet transformation system.

Cons: -Dated graphics. –No quests. –Repetitive gameplay. –Interface cluttered with Ads. –Limited character creation options. –Turn-based text combat may not be for everyone.

Overview

Monster MMORPG Overview

Monster MMORPG is a F2P browser based Pokémon style game that allows players to become trainers in a virtual land occupied by monsters. Comparable to other titles like Pet Forest, Holy Beast Online, and Monster Forest there's a large assortment of collectable and trainable pets. Each creature has its own set of special powers and moves that can be executed during battles. Build a team of unbeatable monsters by leveling and evolving them over time. There are over 600 unique pets to catch and fight. Explore a massive world of critters and conquer anyone who challenges you in this innovative fantasy pet themed adventure.

Starter Monsters – Masgras, Larvitle, Flolz, Gliling, Venopal, Scortorch, Nekitten, Nufo, Chlorulk, Smosea, Salapad, Beelet, and Padark

Monster MMORPG Screenshots

Full Review

Monster MMORPG Full Review

By Ange Perdu

Monster MMORPG is a real-time fantasy pet themed text with graphics role playing game. Much like Pokémon each player becomes a trainer exploring a world completely inhabited by little monsters. These creatures possess a variety of fighting skills and special abilities that only experienced trainers can unlock. Travel from Palladium Town all the way to Swiftlet Island collecting and fighting rare pets in turn based battles.  Create a team of powerful monsters and pin them against other players' beasts in PvP matches to see who deserves the title as top trainer. Use a large assortment of enchanted boxes, potions, and magical gems for an advantage during combat. Level up each individual monster and evolve them for a creature to be reckoned with. Trade pets with friends and chat while conquering a world full of monsters.

When Monsters Faint, the Gameplay

Each player starts out by selecting their own miniature avatar character to represent them in the game and one starter monster. Once they've entered the main page a small animated box on the left side corner displays their character in the current map environment. Clicking an arrow icon next to the split screen allows a user to move their character throughout the little digital world. The WASD keys can also be used. Maneuver through bushes, rocks, fields, beaches, and forests until a monster encounter appears. Most of the gameplay consists of battling and catching creatures scattered across the land. When a monster appears players have the option to fight or run. Monster MMORPG has a first generation type of PC game feel. It integrates small amounts of animation with text turn based combat similar to Pet Forest. During battles each creature is displayed with their stats and available moves. Players have to click on which move they want their pet to execute during each turn. A description of the brawl scrolls at the bottom of the screen summarizing whether each hit was successful and the amount of damage inflicted. Unlike other text infused games that are rich in content the dialogue is kept to the bare minimal. After each encounter players are rewarded a lump sum of cash and XP points for the pet that participated in the battle.

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If a monster is defeated or has a low health status they faint. Taking care of fainting monsters is not only necessary but annoying. Characters are instantly teleported to the nearest Monster Center to be healed. Although it takes a second to click the heal button once transported to the center players have to trek all the way back to their original spot while battling the same random monsters all over again. The slow one step exploration process and excessive amount of grinding makes the gameplay feel repetitive. During each battle players have the option of capturing their opponent and adding them to their team of monsters. Pets can be captured in the midst of combat by tossing a monster box. Every user receives a free pack of monster boxes to start. Fishing in the lakes or ponds is also a quick way to snag rare pets. Players can collect as many pets as they want but only six can be part of their monster team at a time.

PvP Battles & Monster Teams

At any time players can challenge others in a PvP battle by clicking on them or posting a message in the chat box. The procedure can be quick or lengthy depending on how fast the other user responds. These matches are not mandatory. The invite can be accepted or rejected depending on the user. Monster MMORPG has a nice sized community so there's always someone willing to go head to head with. When a battle has been initiated it works identical to the monster encounters but with a time restriction. Each player has 15 seconds to choose their pet and desired move to execute. As pets are leveled up and money is earned additional moves and stat boosting items can be used. When a monster reaches a certain level it can evolve or be transformed. Higher level monsters have better odds for a victory. When players are building up their monster team strategy is integrated into the gameplay. There are over 600 creatures in the game each possessing a different nature and array of powers. The monster designs are really unique similar to Holy Beast Online. They range from bright and cutesy to intimidating. Collect bug, dark, electric, fire, flying, ghost, grass, ice, light, poison, psychic, water, and fighting pets to create a winning team. Monsters can be caught, purchased, or traded with other players at the Bazaar.

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Shopping at the Bazaar

The shops in this game are quite impressive. They carry a massive inventory of not only pets but items as well. Players can purchase dozens of additional moves, drugs, potions, gems, and boxes. Each monster has a set number of moves that they can perform. Buying the correct skill is relatively easy with the extensive MonsterDex feature. Players can quickly look up their pet of choice and view extra details to aid in their purchase decision. Depending on your monster buy special abilities like the Earth Shaker, Extraordinary Strike, Ghost Flare, Grass Rope, Knife Dance, Mystifying Horns, Seed Gun, Ray Cannon, Shadow Blade, Drake Claw, Destructive Squeeze, or Concentration Blast. General moves that enable user's primary character to throw, ram, surf, slice, and climb up hills are also available. Drugs, potions, gems, and enchanted items like the handy Experience Armor temporarily boost stats.  Equipment in the form of fishing nets, boxes, and radars can be purchased to attract or catch hard to find monsters. In the Bazaar players can put their own leveled up monster up for sell or trade. Users have an opportunity to snag a high ranking monster without spending days relentlessly grinding. It's a feature seldom seen in a game like this. Sellers have the option of selecting the best offer or bargaining a deal with the interested party.

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Final Verdict: Good

This Pokémon style F2P MMORPG has the potential to be a great game. Although the interface is somewhat cluttered with Ads and the graphics seem a bit dated at its core its fun. Players compete with others to become top monster trainer in a land where crazy looking creatures are lurking around every corner. Much like Monster Forest players get to explore various terrains from wooded areas to dark caverns. There's literally hundreds of challenging monsters to catch and train. Players can battle others' pets in PvP battles to earn a spot on the top ranking trainer board. Equip magical items to individual monsters, level them up, and create the ultimate monster team in this browser based role playing game. If you enjoy pet battling and text turn based combat than Monster MMORPG might be worth checking out.

Screenshots

Monster MMORPG Screenshots

Links

Monster MMORPG Links

Official Site

EverQuest II now free-to-play

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 11:44 AM PST

After previously launching EverQuest II Extended, a limited free-to-play version of the game, EverQuest II is now launching a new free-to-play model.

EverQuest II will now be free to download and play, and offers all content until the Sentinel’s Fate expansion, plus today’s new Freeport Reborn update. The game’s newest expansion, Age of Discovery, is available for purchase and includes the Beastlord class and Dungeon Maker feature.

The new model features three tiers. Free players have two character slots, although some features including races, bag slots, spell tiers, and equipment grades, are restricted. Silver players, who pay a one-time fee of $5, can have some of these restrictions removed. Gold players pay a $15 per month subscription fee and gain full access to the game.

Freeport Reborn, the latest update, adds a new storyline to Freeport and transforms the city into a single zone, adding new quests and better navigation.

EverQuest II is published by Sony Online Entertainment, which also publishes Free Realms and PlanetSide.

everquest2-trees.jpg

EverQuest II Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

EverQuest®II Is Now Free-To-Play

Game Update 62, Freeport Reborn Is Now Available for All Players

Age of Discovery Expansion Pack Also Now Available for Online Purchase

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) EverQuest ® II ( EQII ) is now free-to-play. Beginning today, all PC users will be able to freely download, install and launch the game without charge. Available free content includes the base game and all expansions up to and including EverQuest II Sentinel’s Fate ® as well as the brand new Freeport Reborn game update. The game’s eighth overall expansion – Age of Discovery – is also now available for purchase as a digital download, and introduces the fan-favorite Beastlord class and Dungeon Maker feature!

“Since EverQuest II’s introduction in 2004, our team’s mission has been to deliver a continuous flow of rich content that is both engaging and accessible,” said Dave Georgeson, executive producer of the EverQuest franchise. “The new membership system, game update and expansion are a direct response to our community interaction, and we’re confident that this will take EverQuest II in an exciting new direction.”

For EverQuest II players, there are now three membership levels: Free, Silver and Gold. Existing Platinum memberships will continue until they expire.

EVERQUEST II NEW MEMBERSHIP BREAKDOWN:

Free – All new players or “Bronze” level members from EverQuest II Extended will have two character slots to max out at level 90. Some game features will be restricted, including available races, bag slots, spell tiers, equipment grades and more.

Silver – Any player who purchases the Silver Upgrade token for 500 Station Cash (or $5 USD) will have fewer restrictions than “free” users. This level does not expire and includes all of the Free membership features plus additional features including character slots, bag slots, spell tiers, unlimited chat options and more.

Gold – Gold membership is available for $14.99 USD per month and provides access to 16 classes, 15 races, seven character slots, six bag slots per character, access to Legendary and Fabled equipment, and more.

A matrix detailing the three new EQII membership levels is available here: http://everquest2.com/free_to_play/game_overview.

The new membership system coincides with the launch of EverQuest II’s 62nd overall game update – Freeport Reborn . Available for free to all players, the new game update follows an aftermath of violence and disorder in Freeport. Here, citizens are called to action by the returning Overlord Lucan D’Lere to help eliminate those who betrayed him, consolidate his hold on the city, and restore Freeport to its rightful place as Norrath’s center of power. Transformed into a single zone with a convenient central commerce hub by the docks, the revamped Freeport features new quests at different levels that allow all players to assist the local citizens and learn more about the Freeport story.

Additionally today, Age of Discovery , EQII’s eighth expansion is now available for purchase. Age of Discovery allows players to make their mark in-game with the Dungeon Maker feature, play as the EverQuest fan-favorite Beastlord class, and hire Mercenaries for help in their heroic battles. For more information on the Age of Discovery expansion pack, please visit: http://everquest2.com/.

Fiesta Online announces new major expansion

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:55 AM PST

Fiesta Online has announced its upcoming expansion for later this winter: Expedition to Adealia.

The expansion will unveil the the new area of Adelia, where a village lays troubled by a Doomed Elf raid and other great evils around the land. Players will discover a new vulpine race, along with haunted gardens and exotic savannahs. The expansion will also raise the level cap, add a new open-world dungeon, and much more. Fiesta Online also plans to launch a browser-based client with the expansion.

Fiesta Online is published by Outspark, which also publishes Luvinia Online and Lord of Ages.

Fiesta Online: Expedition to Adealia Artwork

Source:

Outspark Announces Massive Expansion For Fiesta Online

Epic Adventures Await in Mysterious New Realm

SAN FRANCISCO – December 6, 2011 – It's been more than a year since the last major expansion to Outspark's flagship franchise, Fiesta, and much excitement is building for the next chapter in this fantasy-based free-to-play MMORPG.

Set to launch this winter, the Expedition to Adealia expansion delivers an array of whimsical characters, powerful allies, terrifying monsters, and magical landscapes to the world of Isya and introduces a clandestine continent that casts a halo of hope over the vast darkness that surrounds it.

Players begin their journey by joining a team of explorers who long ago came to Adealia to establish a great settlement with the natives; however, despite the peaceful village they built, the world surrounding their retreat is far from calm and tranquil. With a surprising and violent raid from the indigenous Doomed Elves, the Adealia village is thrown into chaos.

As mighty champions dispatched to battle the evil that consumes the land, players visit exciting locales like the bustling city of Adealia Village and encounter wary residents that boast vulpine features and the cunning traits of foxes. There are also dangerous regions like the phantom-filled Psiken Garden, where ghostly apparitions lurk in the shadows, and the fertile plains of Kahal, where a variety of exotic beasts roam a thriving, but deadly, savannah.

"Following the wildly successful release of Fiesta's Trickster class earlier this year, we're thrilled to present this vast, new continent for the Expedition to Adealia expansion which will provide hours of exploration," remarked Philip Yun, CEO of Outspark. "The developer, Ons On Soft, has provided fascinating creatures, races and quests which we've woven into a storyline full of mystery and intrigue. We know players are going to love it!"

The Expedition to Adealia expansion also includes other highly-anticipated features. The maximum level in game will be raised, allowing players to increase their stats and strengthen their heroes. There's also an open world dungeon with big bosses dropping outrageous loot for those that best them. In fact, there's so much content being added to the game that in the weeks leading up to launch, the Fiesta community is being treated to exclusive reveals of the new world. Join in the fun weekdays at 4pm PT with expansion sneak peeks, fan challenges and more at http://www.facebook.com/outsparkfiesta.

Rosh Online officially launches

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:30 AM PST

Ignited Games has announced that Rosh Online: The Return of Karos has officially launched today.

The launch comes with a new update, adding the Siege War and Mining War for PvP fans, along with new pets and weapon enchant stones at the item store.

In addition, a few events are being held to celebrate the game’s launch. All players who log in will receive a beginner’s package, and those who level up will also find another package with level 19 gear. Players can find blue or red boxes from their enemies, containing rare items, weapons, and armor, for the holiday season.

Ignited Games also publishes WonderKing and Wind Slayer 2.

rosh_online_launch_screen_0

Rosh Online Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

The Battle Begins in Rosh Online: The Return of Karos

Ignited Games’ Third North American Title Officially Launches

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Dec. 7, 2011 – Calling all paladins and rogues:  Rosh Online: The Return of Karos is now live and  Ignited Games is seeking the bravest online warriors to restore peace to the Broccion continent in its latest combat-action massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Curious combatants can now sign up and download the free-to-play  Rosh Online at the  game’s official site.

“Rosh Online provides countless hours of adventure, featuring top-notch visuals and packed to the brim with action for online gamers,” said Peter Kang, CEO of Ignited Games. “After an extremely successful beta period, we couldn’t wait to officially launch our second game for players in North America.”

For the official launch, Ignited Games added several features in the game that were not available during the beta test. Players are now able to participate in more player versus player modes (PvP), including Siege War and Mining War. Furthermore, a variety of new pets and weapon enchant stones are available for purchase at the item store.

To celebrate the official launch, Ignited Games is hosting several events, including:

  • Nobody is a Rookie in  Rosh Online – All players joining the official launch will receive the beginner’s package which includes a box full of valuable items to get them started in the game. Players also will receive another box containing level 19 weapons and armor.
  • Blue Box and Red Box – Holiday presents came in early for  Rosh Online players. Conquering heroes will collect red or blue boxes containing rare items, including enchanted weapons and armor, from their vanquished foes.

In  Rosh Online: The Return of Karos, players fight their way through quests, guild clashes, large-scale PvP action and castle sieges to bring peace to the fantasy world of Asmara. In addition to the traditional experience-point-based leveling system,  Rosh Online features the Fletta system that can be used to increase stats, give buffs, buy resources and enchant items. Furthermore, open world PvP adds a morality system to the game, providing an even deeper level of customization for online gamers.
Posted by Shri Krishna
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