2
Feb

MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News

Guild Wars 2 Artwork Show

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Guild Wars 2 Artwork Show


Today we will share some fan-arts with you which were all about Guild Wars 2 and created by genjihl.

Continue reading Guild Wars 2 Artwork Show.

WoW 5.0: MoP Press Tour in March

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WoW 5.0: MoP Press Tour in March


Blizzard just announced a Mists of Pandaria Press Tour on March 13-15. MoP is definitely closer and it means we might finally see some new information of the new expansion soon!

Continent of the Ninth Seal - Factors Movie

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Continent of the Ninth Seal - Factors Movie


Continent of the Ninth Seal(C9), a new fast action MMO will be launching for the global market very soon, along with their first global user test that starts on February 4th. Webzen has released a brand new trailer showing off several features about C9. Enjoy!

Bard Class and PvP Skirmishes Coming to Allods Online soon

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Bard Class and PvP Skirmishes Coming to Allods Online soon


Game of Gods update will hit North America and Europe on February 15 and it's the biggest expansion ever according to the developer

Rift Lite Version Allows You to Play for Free up to Level 20

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Rift Lite Version Allows You to Play for Free up to Level 20


Trion Worlds continues to increase accessibility to their hit MMORPG Rift by introducing Rift Lite, a version that allows anyone with a Trion account to experience the game's first 20 levels at no cost and with no playtime restrictions.

MMO's And You

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MMO's And You


Recently I've been delving into a topic at school about addiction, and it's made me ponder, how many of us gamers out there are truthfully addicted to MMORPG's/MMO's? The thing is once you start playing these types of games, I think you're addicted to them in some form, anyways. Some of us are able to resist the addiction better than other's and we lead normal lives.

Continue reading MMO's And You.

Hellgate Global Celebrates Month of Love with Tons of Events

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Hellgate Global Celebrates Month of Love with Tons of Events


T3Fun today announced the continuation of Hellgate Global's 2012 kickoff with a plethora of events for February, celebrating the theme of love. Through a series of fun events, players who give to Hellgate Global will receive rewards back.

C9 - Make Video for VIP PASS! [ON]

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C9 - Make Video for VIP PASS! [ON]


C9 Webzen has made a VIP PASS VIDEO. For every 10 share of the event, there will be an extra winner. Winners are determined by the amount of likes on their video.

Sign Up for the 3D Action Space-themed MMO Star Conflict Beta

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Sign Up for the 3D Action Space-themed MMO Star Conflict Beta


Gaijin Entertainment is announcing the approach of the Star Conflict closed beta test. Those interested in taking part to play and beta test this upcoming MMO space action game can sign up now, with the closed beta scheduled to start in the near future.

Maestia is Now a Memeber of Alaplaya.net

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Maestia is Now a Memeber of Alaplaya.net


The free-to-play fantasy MMORPG Maestia is now part of the online games portal alaplaya.net. Additional servers and an update to the game's graphics and features enhance the MMORPG with the new subheading "Rise of Keledus".

Wisdom from the Elders - Clerics from Top Progression Guilds Talking about 1.7 Changes in RIFT

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Wisdom from the Elders - Clerics from Top Progression Guilds Talking about 1.7 Changes in RIFT


Hello everyone, this is the 3rd installment of my interview series talking with clerics from top progression guilds about cleric issues. The focus of this interview will be on the 1.7 changes that went live on Feb 1. You can read about the previous two interviews on 1.6.1 DPS and tanking.

Karma Online Rolls out the New A.I. Helicopter Mode

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Karma Online Rolls out the New A.I. Helicopter Mode


Joymax announced that it will start the year 2012 with a major update for Karma Online: Prisoners of the Dead. Starting today, players can take part in a new A.I. Helicopter mode whereby a team of four players work together to take down a heavy-duty V5 Helicopter gunship.

En Masse Entertainment: TERA Pre-Orders and Closed Beta Plans

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En Masse Entertainment: TERA Pre-Orders and Closed Beta Plans


En Masse EntertainmentTM announced today that its award-winning, PC-based action MMO title, TERA, is now available for pre-order from the company's website and retailers throughout North America for $49.99.

Sci-Fi Action Shooter Repulse Launches

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Sci-Fi Action Shooter Repulse Launches


Following the heels of successful beta testing, Repulse is now fully live and ready to play with an updated client featuring a wealth of exciting new additions and improvements including additional maps.

Why I Can't Stand WoW Anymore

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Why I Can't Stand WoW Anymore


After ESA dropped their support for SOPA, I decided to subscribe to WoW (again), and try it out.

Warhammer 40k MMO Publisher THQ Threatened with NASDAQ Delisting

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Warhammer 40k MMO Publisher THQ Threatened with NASDAQ Delisting


Warhammer 40k Dark Millennium Online publisher THQ has been threatened delisting from the Nasdaq stock exchange. This is another difficult time for THQ.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews

Global Agenda Booster Codes giveaway

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 11:03 AM PST

Hi Rez with FREE MMORPG and MMO Reviews, is giving away Booster Codes for Global Agenda. Celebrate the second anniversary of Global Agenda with these especial code that gives an additional 50 percent XP and a Credit boost; Additionally these codes will grant your character the chance to receive additional items. This item key giveaway [...]

Karma Online: Prisoners of the Dead has released a major update

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 10:45 AM PST

Joymax, has released a major update for its first-person shooter World War II game, Karma Online: Prisoners of the Dead. The new update introduces a new gameplay mode, a comeback Soldiers’ Event, a Clan Championship and a Channel for Turkish Community. In the new A.I. Helicopter mode, players are grouped into four-man units that must [...]

Allods Online Volume 5: Game of Gods is going to be launched on 15th February

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 10:09 AM PST

Gala Networks Europe and Gala-Net have announced more details about the next content expansion for Allods Online, Volume 5: Game of Gods, which will go live on the 15th February 2012 for all EU English and North American servers. This details sheds light on Bards, a new player archetype, new PvP battlegrounds and a challenging [...]

Dungeons and Dragons Online has announced the Update 13: Web of Chaos

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 06:35 AM PST

Turbine has presented the first screenshots from the next content update for Dungeons & Dragons Online. The Update 13: Web of Chaos serves as the prequel to the recently announced Menace of the Underdark expansion which will allow players to adventure within the Forgotten Realms setting. The new screens depict the cult controlled by the [...]

League of Legends has presented a new champion, Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 06:27 AM PST

League of Legends has presented a new champion Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert. The first thing you'll notice about Ziggs is that he doesn't get anything for free, it requires a strong throwing arm and keen aim to get the most out of him, trading safety and caution for massive damage opportunities and insane poke. Ziggs [...]

Teaser trailer of the Android version of Urban Rivals

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 03:33 AM PST

Boostr has launched the Android version of Urban Rivals. Take a look of its features with this teaser trailer.

Bigpoint browser games has surpassed 250 million registered players

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 02:29 AM PST

Bigpoint has announced that it has surpassed 250 million registered players for its free-to-play, browser-based online games. Bigpoint, which has established a global publishing network of 1000+ game portals, social networks, and media sites, attracts over 250,000 new players to its key titles every day, such as Battlestar Galactica Online, Drakensang Online, Dark Orbit, and [...]

Rosh Online: The Return of Karos is celebrating a Storm Tiger giveaway

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 01:33 AM PST

Ignited Games with FREE MMORPG and MMO Reviews are giving away a $10 worth exclusive mount for Rosh Online: The Return of Karos. The exclusive mount, is the Storm Tiger, that gives 40+ defenses along with 80+ speed, don’t need requirements and lasts 15 days. This giveaway is only for EUROPE and NORTH AMERICA. To get [...]
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Videos

MMORPG Videos

Repulse: Gameplay Trailer

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 12:21 PM PST

Aeria Games has announced that its sci-fi MMOFPS, Repulse, has officially launched into retail service. Repulse offers players a visceral PvP and PvE environment in which to game. To celebrate the launch, the dev team has added four brand new maps and a ton of new moves and a second server for lag-free play.

Myst Online: URU Live: First Impressions with Ripper X

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:14 PM PST

Ripper X checks out the Free to Play Opensource game Myst Online. Myst Online: Uru Live is an open source massively multiplayer online adventure game developed by Cyan Worlds. The game is the multiplayer component to the 2003 video game Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. Like Uru, Myst Online takes place in 2000's New Mexico, where an ancient civilization known as the D'ni once thrived. The D'ni had the ability to create portals to other worlds or Ages by writing descriptive books of the Age. Players un
Posted by Shri Krishna
1
Feb

General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

The Game Boy: Headcrabs, Deathclaws, and Bears – Oh My

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 03:24 PM PST

Gordon Freeman is a coward. Or at least, he is when I play him. It's those damn poison headcrabs. As soon as they start hissing – shrouded in darkness, probably fresh off the assembly line from some Nightmare Factory – I turn into an orange-and-black blur and beeline for the nearest corner to cry in. When Alyx is around, I push her into the poison headcrab's Terror Lair and hide until she makes the bad things that can kill me in two hits go away. Meanwhile, in real life,  I lean away from the screen until my spine feels like it's recently been on the receiving end of a Mortal Kombat Fatality. If you haven't gotten the picture yet, I really, really don't like poison headcrabs.  

I love, however, that they exist. Half-Life 2's enemies in general are some of the most memorable I've ever encountered. In fact, I haven't experienced such a visceral reaction to any game enemy since. 

And that's a problem. 

Iconic enemies can define a whole level – or even an entire game. The headcrab's a perfect example. Sure, it may (head) crib a few attack strategies from Alien's facehugger, but excellent art/audiovisual design and level placement elevated it far beyond a mere face-munching me-too. Among gamers, the cuddly-as-it-is-horrifying jumping bean from hell is basically a cultural phenomenon. 

Meanwhile, what's our hyper-advanced modern gaming scene bringing to the figurative dog show? Well, let's see: We've got the generic terrorist from Modern Warfare 3, the generic terrorist from Battlefield 3, the generic steroid-addled thug from Arkham City, generic zombies from everything, and inferior headcrab rip-offs from Gears of War, Halo, Resistance, etc. Remember that one guy from that one level of Homefront? Hey, me neither!

So, what's the deal? Why have enemies suddenly taken a tumble in the whitewashing machine? And – more importantly – what aren't they doing that older-school baddies nailed so perfectly? Well, there are a few factors to consider. First off, there's the matter of mentality. Many of the enemies in today's big-name games are basically cannon fodder – and nothing more. They pop up, you wallop them with your whack-a-mole hammer (or multi-barreled rocket shotgun that also fires reminders that the Smurfs movie exists, as it were), and then you move on. 

Games like Half-Life 2 and BioShock, meanwhile, are so memorable because of the multifaceted manner in which they present their most frightening foes. For instance, Half-Life 2 initially flings you crowbar-first into a world ruled by the Combine. I mean, if you ask me what my first memory of the basic Combine soldier is, it's not even a difficult question. And no, the answer isn't "shooting one in the face." Instead, it's a simple line: "Pick it up." And when I refused to drop that tiny tin can in the garbage out of sheer, I'm-Gordon-goddam-Freeman defiance, he smacked me in the face. That moment – and not when I was facing down a small army of gun-toting space oddities – was when I understood how bad things had gotten in Gordon's absence.  

It's the little moments that count biggest. Similarly, there was also Lamarr the friendly headcrab and controllable Ant Lions to offset the sheer otherworldly terror of Ravenholm's special brand of headcrab zombies or retch-worthy clusters of ceiling-dwelling barnacles. They showed other sides to Half-Life 2's enemies. Somewhat paradoxically, I felt an attachment to the very things I was blasting.

BioShock, meanwhile, designed an entire ecology around Big Daddies, making them far more than diving-suit-clad foils for the business end of your shotgun. Over the course of the game, you discovered their origins, purposes, and – eventually – became one yourself. (Admittedly, however, it wasn't until BioShock 2 that the franchise really perfected that concept.) Sure, having a giant drill for a hand definitely gave the Big Daddy an upper hand... drill... thing in the memorability category, but a gradual trickle of information turned Big Daddy from a giant target into a crucial part of Rapture's existence.

There's also the matter of smart, measured build up and the air of mystique it creates. Wasteland denizens in Fallout 3, for example, whispered of Deathclaws in frightened tones long before I ever met one face-to-face. And when I finally saw one loping toward me, gangly limbs flying like vital-organ-seeking missiles? I turned tail  and fled for dear life while attempting to write out my last will and testament. Lamentably, I didn't exactly make it far. 

Indie horror hit Amnesia, however, really steals the show in that category. It's so terrifying not because boogie men pop out and shout "boo!" around every corner, but for the exact opposite reason: they don't. Instead, there's a constant sickening dread lurking in the darkness. Slight sights, unsettling sounds, perfectly placed shadows. Together, they create a mystique that other survival horror games simply can't match. And your character, of course, is hopelessly helpless, rendering the classic "fight or flight" multiple choice test fairly easy. The answer is D) Wet Yourself.   

There's another factor, though, that I think has played a major role in the shift away from interesting, well-designed enemies: graphical fidelity. Madness, you say? Well, consider this: The more realistic graphics are, the easier it is to design enemies that look and move like people. However, as humans, we naturally fear difference. My poison headcrab phobia? I bet it wouldn't be nearly as bad if I wasn't also violently afraid of spiders. Point is, we're pre-programmed to fear things that are unlike us, because nature's creepy crawlies have a tendency to, you know, murder us with poison.  

Earlier games, though, were perfectly positioned to take advantage of that. A lack of detail became creepy,  inhuman abstraction. Awkward animations became herky-jerky, unnatural movements. Enemies like Legend of Zelda's life-sapping Re-Deads and dungeon-crawling (literally) Wallmasters were – on some level – a product of necessity. Technology was limited, so developers had to be creative. 

Ever played SkiFree? Yes, that SkiFree. Same idea. The yeti didn't trigger minor heart attacks just because it signaled insta-death. Its rapid, oddly terrifying movements gave Child-Me many a pixelated nightmare because it ambled ever forward in a manner that was downright wrong. Happily, Minecraft's enemies – Creepers, especially – carry that torch today to some extent today, but they're the exception, not the rule. 

By and large, it's all hyper-realistic terrorists this, hyper-realistic zombies that. Oh, and there's the occasional hyper-realistic giant spider in there – just to make me feel frightened in spite of myself. I want more than that, though. Give me a love-hate, life-death relationship for the ages – not another shooting gallery. Press start. Find me a new challenger.

Facebook Files for Its Long-Awaited IPO

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 02:44 PM PST

fbIt's finally happened — the Facebook IPO is a real thing. No more speculation, no more guess-work. Facebook filed its S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission this afternoon indicating its intention to go public with an eye toward raising $5 billion from sales of stock based on a $100 billion valuation. 

When a company makes the call to go public, they are required to share financial data. As such, this is the first time we've gotten a peek at Facebook's balance sheet. According to the S-1, Facebook pulled in $3.71 billion last year, with net income of $1 billion. When Google filed for its IPO in 2004, the S-1 revealed that it only earned $105 million in profit the previous year. 

Obviously, Facebook has held back longer as the secondary market for private shares has allowed investors to get a taste of the social network. When the stock goes live, it's probably going to be the biggest buy since Google itself, and will make thousands of Facebook employees really stinking rich. Zuckerberg himself owns about 28% of the company, and will thus be worth $28 billion if the valuation holds up.

Apple Denied Sales Ban on Galaxy Tab and Nexus in Germany

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 02:25 PM PST

tabOne of the hotbeds in Apple's ongoing patent war with Samsung has been Germany, but a German court just handed Apple a bit of a smackdown. A Munich court has found that Apple does not have the right to ban Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Nexus from Germany. The case came after Apple revoked a licence previously granted to Samsung relating to touchscreen technology.

This is a case of "prior art" as it is often called in the U.S.. According to the judge on the case, Samsung successfully showed that the suit would fail because the technology in question, "was already on the market before the intellectual property had been filed for protection." This win for Samsung comes on the heels of a case in which Apple successfully argued that the Galaxy Tab looked too much like an iPad, forcing Samsung to redesign the device. It then released the Galaxy Tab 10.1N. 

The patent at issue described the bounce effect that gives users a visual clue when they have reached the scrolling limit of a page. The patent is not technically invalidated, but considering the language used in the decision, it is unlikely Apple will strongly assert ownership of this behavior going forward.

Seven Ways to Stop Piracy WITHOUT DRM

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 12:35 PM PST

It's a fact of life: Pirates be pirating. Last year, UK Interactive Entertainment estimated a 4:1 ratio of pirated games against those that were legally purchased. What do those numbers mean? A lot, when you're talking about loss revenue. In interview with our own Nathan Grayson, CEO Marek Španěl of Bohemia Interactive admitted that for every legitimate player rocking a rocket launcher in ARMA 2, another 100 players with pirated copies of the game are turned away. That's a whole lot of unrealized realized cash that should have wound up in Bohemia Interactive's coffers. As most of our readers will be quick to point out, Bohemia Interactive's not the only company to have their timbers shivered by digital piracy. As a defence against having their intellectual properties swiped, cracked and traded online like so many baseball cards, a lot of companies have turned to Digital Right Management; a move that seldom does more than temporarily slow pirates and enrage paying customers. Fortunately, there's a growing number of non-DRM related options out there for developers and software vendors to explore that'll stymy piracy while respect the rights of their paying users.

Bake in Deterrents 

Instead of being Insidious, why not be hilarious when it comes to defending your wares from piracy? That's what Serious Sam 3 developer Croteam did when faced with the problem of how to discourage the piracy of their creation without saddling their legitimate users with the frustrations that can stem from a healthy dose of DRM. Instead of crippling illegally obtained copies of the game, Croteam opted to make Serious Sam 3 a miserable experience for pirates by inserting an indestructible pink scorpion hellbent on destroying them into the mix. No matter where the players runs or tries to hide, the game's hilariously powerful enforcer tracks them down and kills them, making it impossible to play the first-person shooter in peace. 

 

Provide Higher Levels of Support & Quality Control

Rage, Fallout New Vegas, Skyrim and Battlefield 3 all have one thing in common: They were all a hot, glitchy mess when they were launched.  A lot of pirates justify their pillaging of digital goods by saying that they refuse to pay for a product that doesn't perform as it was intended to. While release schedules and industry pressures will always be a factor that decides upon when a piece of software made available to consumers, software developers would do well to consider adopting Blizzard's "it's done when it's done" mentality and sit on their products until they're able to vouch for their performance. If that's not possible, then employing a robust system for error reporting and resolution is a must: After all, no one wants to pay for something that's broken right out of the box, and if they do, they want to know what can be done to fix it as quickly as possible. 

 

Perks

In an effort to quell the second-hand sale of their software, a growing number of developers have been offering consumers premium downloadable content perks tied to a single-use code. The Catwoman missions in Batman Arkham Asylum and the cross-game weapons and armour offered by Electronic Arts in a number of the games from their catalog over the past few years are great examples of this. We're betting gamers would like to see more of this sort of thing—with tastier options than a few cosmetic items for our in-game characters. By routinely doling out fresh in game content to paying customers, development houses would be providing consumers with a compelling reason to pay for their wares. It might not stop piracy dead in its tracks, but it'd definitely boost sales. 

 

Standardize International/Regional Releases

There's plenty of excellent reasons to stagger the release of a new piece of software on an international scale: Doing so keeps servers from melting into pools of unusable silicon, and preserves the sanity of help desk agents, if only for a little while. That said, if a game's not available in the states, even though the Italians have had it for a week, you know that someone, somewhere is going to be pirating that bad boy.  By giving consumers what they want simultaneously on an international level, developers could strike another reason for illegally downloading an application from the the litany of excuses pirates have been employing for years. 

 

Lower the Cost of Digitally Distributed Software

Placing a software product in a physical marketplace is a costly undertaking, matter how you cut it. Product production, art and marketing, shipping—they all cost a goodly sum of dollars that wind up getting factored into the retail cost of a piece of boxed software, thus forcing consumers to decide between buying groceries for the rest of the month or investing in a new application. For some reason—let's call it crazed avarice—digitally distributed iterations of the same software often costs the same as their boxed up, marked up cousins. Were software developers to dramatically lower the price of their digitally distributed wares, it'd be an uphill slog for pirates to complain about the market value cost of what they're swiping. Sure, lower prices for digitally distributed wares means a less robust bottom line, but some cash is better than none, and where piracy is concerned, no cash gleaned from the sweat of your programer's brows is likely exactly what you'll wind up with. 

 

Make an Effort to Actively Engage Your Community

Friends don't steal from friends. Friends have your back. Whenever possible, you want your customers to be your friends. It doesn't pay to get locked into an adversarial relationship with the people responsible for giving you money. Developers would do well to get to know and understand the concerns of their market. Insomuch as it's possible, uncover the reasons why your market base feels compelled to pirate your products and do your best to address them. Listen to your customer's frustrations and concerns, and whenever possible, provide them with the help they need and deserve. As the old adage suggests: Respect earns respect. While you might not be able to obliterate the piracy of your products entirely, a modicum of concern for your customers could help to reduce it.

 

Nuke Them From Orbit (It's the Only Way to Be Sure)

You've tried lowering your prices. You've opted to forgo Digital Rights Management measures in favour of introducing downloadable incentives to paying customers and tormenting pirates with a frustrating in-app nemesis. Simultaneously releasing your software across all regions? Been there, done that. Hell, in an attempt to curb pirating, you've even gone so far as to drastically reduce the online price of your software. Sadly, none of it has managed to make a dent in your company's shrinkage you'd been hoping for. At this point, you can keep on keeping on and hope that your non-DRM related anti-piracy measures and hope that they eventually gain traction, or sue the bejeezus out of anything that moves. Sadly, neither solution will be the cure-all you're looking for. DRM is, well it's DRM. Hated by the masses and viewed as a challenge by dedicated hackers, it's only a matter of time until any Digital Rights Management solution is circumvented. 

What about lawsuits, you ask hopefully? 

As with most legal matters, suing the individuals who pirate your products is more of a marathon than a sprint. Take CD Projekt Red, the development house behind  The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, for example. Since it's release in 2011, over 4.5 million copies of the PC game were illegally downloaded, putting CD Projekt Red in an ugly fiscal position, to say the least. In response to the rampant piracy they were being subjected to, the Polish development studio tracked down a large number of alleged pirates of the game and demanded they be paid for the the use of the software, or face legal prosecution. Great idea, right? Not so much: In the first few weeks of January, the development house announced that they would be discontinuing their legal crusade against those that would dare to pirate their game, chiefly due to the fact that the only thing that seems to enrage gamers more than DRM is the prospect of a shaky, difficult to support lawsuit based on the art—not science, mind you—of IP tracking. 

If there's a final, definitive solution to online piracy that doesn't in some way involve Digital Rights Management, it has yet to be found. We can only hop that when such a solution is implemented, it's one that's as just to a product's paying end users as it is to the companies that designed it.

 

Stolen Online Game Items Leads to Offline Conviction in the Netherlands

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 11:59 AM PST

The Dutch Supreme Court denied an appeal by a 19-year-old who was convicted of stealing a 13-year-old boy's virtual goods in the online game Runescape and ordered to serve 144 hours of community service. It probably didn't help that the suspect roughed up the 13-year-old and threatened him with a knife until he logged into Runescape and handed over an amulet and a mask, but this case was just as much about the value of virtual goods as it was the violence that took place offline.

The offender's lawyer argued the stolen virtual goods "were neither tangible nor material and, unlike for example electricity, had no economic value," according to an AP report. However, the high court shot down his argument and said the amulet and mask had intrinsic value to the 13-year-old based on "the time and energy" he expended procuring them in Runescape.

This was a two-man operation that involved one of the thieves beating up the 13-year-old Runescape player while another suspect waited online to retrieve the goods he was forced to drop. They were convicted in 2009, though only one of them decided to appeal.

Nvidia GeForce 295.51 Beta Drivers Fix Annoying Fan Issue, Beefs Up 3D Vision Support

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 11:33 AM PST

Nvidia has made available for download its GeForce 295.51 GPU drivers in beta form, and while beta code typically isn't for the faint of heart, this release could help you rest easy if you're an owner of a GeForce GTX 590 videocard that insists on spinning its fan full bore all the time. In addition to address the annoying fan issue, Nvidia crammed the new driver full of 3D Vision profile updates.

Nvidia added or updated 31 3D Vision profile updates in all, including DotA 2 (rating upgraded to Fair), Fractal (rated Excellent), and Tropico 4 (rated Good). Other notable tweaks include:

  • Fixes instances of driver timeouts while simultaneously watching multiple videos
  • Adds edit/delte option for custom resolutions
  • Supports multiple languages and APIs for GPU comptuing: CUDA C, CUDA C++, CUDA Fortran, Open CL, DirectCompute, and Microsoft C++ AMP
  • Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and OpenGL, including 3-way SLI, Quad SLI, and SLI support on SLI-certified Intel and AMD motherboards

You can download the beta driver here.

Pirate Bay Operators Maneuver To Avoid Jail Time, Domain Seizure

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 11:19 AM PST

By all accounts, 2012 hasn't been very nice to the torrent freaks over at Pirate Bay. Megaupload's takedown has them worried, and today, the Swedish Supreme Court ruled that Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm and Carl Lundström -- the original operators of the site -- will have to pay fines and serve jail time for copyright infringement. Is the ship going down? Nah -- the site says it has things in the bag.

As soon as they learned about the Swedish Supreme Court's decision, the group switched its domain from .org to the Swedish .se, TorrentFreak reports. The change is already in effect. Why? Because the U.S. government can seize .com, .net and .org domains. Someone from Pirate Bay told TorrentFreak they made the switch "just in case ICE has been waiting for the court case to be over." ICE is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement wing of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and has been seizing domains of alleged copyright infringers left and right over the past couple of years.

But wait: why should the Pirate Bay's owners care? Aren't they about to be thrown in the clink? Not so fast, the Pirate Bay says in a blog post.

With this said, we hear news from our old admins that they have received a verdict in Sweden. Our 3 friends and blood brothers have been sentenced to prison. This might sound worse than it is. Since no one of them no longer lives in Sweden, they won't go to jail. They are as free today as they were yesterday.

So there you have it: the Pirate Bay just gave the middle finger to the governments of both the U.S. and Sweden. It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

Redbox Renews Agreement with Walmart, Cuts Ties with Warner Bros.

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 11:16 AM PST

Warner Bros. decided to play hardball with Netflix, Blockbuster, and Redbox by demanding they each wait 56 days after a title is released before making it available for rent, which is twice is long as the 28-day waiting period film studios typically impose. While Netflix and Blockbuster begrudgingly accepted WB's terms, Redbox decided it can do better on its own and decided not to renew its contract, which expired on January 31, 2012.

It's not a total loss for Redbox customers, however. Redbox plans to continue offering Warner Bros. flicks obtained through alternative sources, a move that not only eliminates the 56-day window, but could potentially make WB films available the day of release.

"Redbox will continue to provide our consumers with affordable access to new release movies from all major studios including Warner Brothers at our more than 28,000 locations nationwide. We will work to provide Warner Brothers' movies through alternative means. Redbox maintains direct working relationships with every other major studio," said Gary Cohen, senior vice president of marketing and customer experience at Redbox.

That's all Redbox was willing to say on the matter, though its actions speak louder than words, and you can bet it resonated with other studios that might be thinking about imposing the same elongated waiting period. It's in nobody's best interest to cut Redbox off, directly or indirectly, and the message has been sent that it doesn't bluff during negotiations.

In semi-related news, Redbox announced it renewed its agreement with Walmart to continue plopping kiosks at more than 3,700 Wallyworld locations nationwide. You can expect to see more Redbox kiosks at Walmart stores in the future, Redbox said.

Microsoft Calls Out Google's Privacy Changes In Newspaper Ads

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 10:53 AM PST

Microsoft's never been one to shy away from a fight with Google; when Microsoft recently signed LG to an Android licensing deal, several Redmond bigwigs taunted Google with a series of mocking Tweets. Now, Microsoft's sending yet another attack dog into the fight: ads running in several major U.S. newspapers that attempts to stir up feelings of resentment over Google's recent privacy policy changes.

You can see a full image of the ad here on Microsoft's TechNet website, but here's a choice excerpt:

Google is in the process of making some unpopular changes to some of their most popular products. Those changes, cloaked in language like "transparency," "simplicity" and "consistency" are really about one thing: making it easier for Google to connect the dots between everything you search, send, say or stream while using one of their services.

But, the way they're doing it is making it harder for you to maintain control of your personal information. Why are they so interested in doing this that they would risk that kind of backlash? One logical reason: EVERY DATA POINT THEY COLLECT AND CONNECT TO YOU INCREASES HOW VALUABLE YOU ARE TO AN ADVERTISER.

It goes on, but we think you get the gist. Microsoft's solution to the Google privacy problem is one you probably expected: why not try switching to Bing, Hotmail, IE or Microsoft Office 365?

How do Google's privacy changes sit with you? Will you jump ship at Microsoft's suggestion, or do you consider the hubbub much ado about nothing?

Image credit: AndroidShine.com

Seagate: HDD Shortage Will Be A Year-Long Problem

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 10:28 AM PST

A new year means a fresh start, and a fresh start entails putting 2011's skyrocketing HDD prices behind us, right? Not quite. Seagate released its quarterly financial results yesterday, and although the report left investors cheering -- Seagate pocketed $3.2 billion in revenue despite last year's catastrophic floods -- things are looking a bit bleaker for end users. Seagate fully expects the hard drive shortage to continue until the end of 2012 as manufacturers struggle to catch up to consumer demand.

Seagate says that the hard drive industry will probably end up around 150 million HDDs short of the demand for them by the end of the year. As far as last quarter goes, the company says the entire hard drive industry made around 110 million HDDs, shipped 119 million, and had demand for 175 million -- so it came far short of meeting customer wants.

Seagate's facilities weren't damaged in the Thailand floods, but it is still facing problems securing components from washed-out suppliers. PC World reports that seven of Seagate's top 10 suppliers suffered manufacturing damages during the floods. Things are looking even worse at Western Digital; WD did get smacked by the rising waters and doesn't expect to return to full manufacturing capacity until the third quarter. 

Bottom line: things will get better eventually, but be ready to pay through the nose for a HDD for the forseeable future. For more info about HDDpocalypse, check out the lead QuickStart story in the print issue on stands now.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO News

MMO News

Hellgate Global celebrates with February events

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 03:32 PM PST

Monthly events have arrived again in Hellgate Global. For February, players can find the following events available:

* Hell Rush, Level and Be Rewarded, and Jumpstart return, giving boosts and giveaways to characters as they level up.

* Premium item rewards for completing Base Defense Mode.

* Daily Hunt, letting players earn rewards for finding each day’s specific item.

* Rewards for players who complete the daily quest, Catacomb Run in Parliament Square, depending on how many times it has been completed.

* Earn rewards for posting blogs that are helpful to the Hellgate Global community, submitting fan art for Hellgate’s Profile Picture, and sharing their best loot drops on Facebook.

* Bonus premium items for players who buy featured premium items before Valentines, as a Pre-Valentine’s Perk.

* 20 random premium shop customers will be awarded each week with a 7-day, +30 attribute point capsule. The top five buyers at the end of the event can get a +2 upgrade to weapon or armor of their choice.

Hellgate is published by T3Fun, which also publishes Mythos.

hellgate-2011-07-04-23-13-28-49

Hellgate  Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Hellgate Global Celebrates February by Showing Love for Loyal Fans: Offers the Most Monthly Events in Hellgate History
Hellgate Global February events loaded with rewards, celebraing the themes "Players Give" and "Hellgate Global Gives Back"

LOS ANGELES – February 1, 2012

T3Fun today announced the continuation of Hellgate Global’s 2012 kickoff with a plethora of events for February, celebrating the theme of love. Through a series of fun events, players who give to Hellgate Global will receive rewards back. With the most events to ever take place, February will be one of the most exciting months in Hellgate history!

February Hellgate Global events include:

Players Give

• Hellgate Journals – Hellgate Global unveils a long term program for players that are also active bloggers. Players will be rewarded for posting blogs that can help the Hellgate Global community.
• Give Hell Some Face – Players will be able to submit their fan art to Hellgate Global for a chance to be used as Hellgate Global's Profile Picture for Hellgate Global. Four pieces of art will be chosen and those players will be handsomely rewarded.
• Popular Vote: Best Loot – Players are invited to post their best loot drops on Hellgate Global's Facebook Page. The loot with the most likes and positive remarks will be declared as the winner.

Hellgate Global Gives Back

• Hell Rush – Hell Rush is back! Together with Level and Be Rewarded and Jumpstart, new, rerolling, and returning players will be able to enjoy their early levels with major boosts and giveaways from Hellgate Global!
• Base Defense Challenge – Players that can complete the Base Defense mode will have a chance to receive premium items.
• Daily Hunt – Hellgate players are always looking for a new hunting challenge. In Daily Hunt, Hellgate Global tasks players to hunt a specific item a day and players with the sharpest hunter's sense will be rewarded. This in-game event was started in January and will be extended until the first week of February.
• Pre-Valentines Perk – February is the month of love. As a means of giving back to its loyal players, Hellgate Global will award players a bonus premium item whenever they buy a featured premium item for the duration of the event.
• Hell Pick – Every week, 20 lucky premium shop buyers will be awarded a 7-day capsule that adds +30 attribute points. At the end of the event, five of the top 100 buyers will be given the chance to get a +2 upgrade to their weapon or armor.
• Daily Quest: Catacomb Run in Parliament Square – A month-long event where players who complete the daily quest will be rewarded, depending upon the number of times the daily quest has been completed.

AI Helicopters arrive in Karma Online

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 02:28 PM PST

Karma Online is getting a new mode today: A.I. Helicopter.

The A.I. Helicopter mode places players into four-man teams in a ten-round multiplayer competition. Teams must face off against a set number of predetermined enemies to advance, including bosses and the V5 Helicopter gunship. Returning veterans  will be able to get special in-game items for dropping in the game and checking out updates since they last played.

The game has also added an exclusive channel for Turkish players, with plans to release more localized channels throughout 2012.

Karma Online is published by Joymax, which also publishes Silkroad Online and Digimon Masters Online.

Karma Online: A.I. Helicopter Mode:

Source:

KARMA ONLINE: PRISONERS OF THE DEAD SAYS

‘GET TO DA CHOPPA!!!’

New Update Introduces New Gameplay Mode, Comeback Soldiers’ Event, Clan Championship and Channel for Turkish Community

February 1, 2012 – Joymax, a leading online game developer and publisher, announced that it will start the year 2012 with a major update for its first-person shooter World War II game, Karma Online: Prisoners of the Dead. Starting today, players can take part in a new A.I. Helicopter mode whereby a team of four players work together to take down a heavy-duty V5 Helicopter gunship. To learn more about the game, players can visit http://www.joymax.com/karma/.

“The universe of KARMA is expanding rapidly and we are pleased to introduce the new A.I. helicopter gameplay mode into the mix,” said Joymax CEO, Nam-chul Kim, “The new mode is perfect for group play and with the introduction of the comeback soldiers’ events, clan championship and a new region specific channel for players in Turkey, 2012 is already shaping up to be a massive year for KARMA.”

In the new A.I. Helicopter mode, players are grouped into four-man units that must work across ten grueling rounds of frantic multiplayer mayhem. Each unit faces a pre-determined number of enemies that must be defeated in order to advance forward. In select rounds, players will also face off against a variety of bosses including the heavy-duty V5 Helicopter gunship.

Joymax will be running a Comeback Soldiers Event for all veteran players of KARMA from January 31st. All returning veteran players during the event period will be awarded with special in-game items.

Joymax has also opened an exclusive channel to better cater to its expanding Turkish community. The new server aims to provide a better gaming environment for players both inside and outside of Turkey. Similar channels will be rolled out to local communities throughout 2012.

Repulse officially launches

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 01:17 PM PST

Aeria Games has announced the official commercial launch of Repulse today.

Repulse’s launch today includes the addition of four new maps with multiple gameplay modes, and include features like teleporters (Memorial and Arena) and energy-draining static fields (Castle). A second East Coast server will also be added, along with a high ping kick feature to help improve gameplay by removing players who are lagging severely from the game. The Repulse item mall also opens today with a variety of items to help gameplay.

Aeria Games also publishes Wolf Team and Last Chaos.

repulse-sniper

Repulse Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Aeria Games Blasts Out Sci-Fi Action Shooter Repulse

Commercial Launch of Highly Anticipated Dystopian Sci-Fi MMOFPS Offers Players
New Features Including Four New Multi-mode Maps

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – February 1, 2012 – Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today the commercial launch of its new sci-fi themed first person shooter (FPS) game, Repulse. Following the heels of successful beta testing, Repulse is now fully live and ready to play with an updated client featuring a wealth of exciting new additions and improvements including additional maps.

Experience Repulse's striking 3D graphics while battling enemies in the game's futuristic, dystopian setting. An arsenal of high-tech weaponry, enhanced movement abilities, and fast-paced combat make this MMOFPS a visceral experience. Repulse provides adrenaline-pumping action in a variety of hard-hitting player-versus-player (PvP) and player-versus-environment (PvE) modes. This frenetic FPS game also features full clan support, resulting in intense shootouts between rival players and clans.

"We've upgraded Repulse with four brand new maps to celebrate its commercial launch as an intense, hard-hitting sci-fi shooter," said Tom Nichols, North America Director of Publishing, Aeria Games. "With twitch-based action moves like the Boost Jump, Wall Jump, and Dodge, Repulse sets the standard for brutally futuristic online combat."

Repulse fires up the free-to-play FPS genre with explosive features:

  • Special Action Moves – Use the dodge step ability and quick reflexes to avoid incoming enemy fire. Quickly jump in and out of combat with the boost ability. Overcome obstacles with the wall jump or sneak up on your enemies by cloaking. All these features and more are available in the Action Mode channels.
  • New Content Added – Four new, exciting maps with multiple gameplay modes have expanded the game since the Closed Beta. Utilize the new teleporters to test your skills in the Memorial and Arena maps but watch out for energy-draining static fields in the Castle map!
  • High Ping Kick Safeguard – In order to ensure lag-free gameplay, a second East Coast server will be added (select the server closest to you for the fastest gameplay). In addition, a high ping kick feature has been implemented to automatically remove players who are severely lagging from the game in order to provide a better experience for everyone.
  • Customize Your Game – The Repulse web mall features a variety of items to enhance your Repulse experience.

Visit the official Repulse website to download the game: http://repulse.aeriagames.com/. Like all titles at Aeria Games, Repulse is free to download and free to play.

Dungeons and Dragons Online reveals new Update 13 Screens

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 12:30 PM PST

Turbine has released a new set of screenshots for Dungeon and Dragon Online’s upcoming patch, Update 13: Web of Chaos.

The update will introduce three new free quests: The Lords of Dust, Servants of the Overlord, and The Spinner of Shadows. Two new items, the Omnispell Dust and Omnispell Stone, free up inventory space for casters who need material components. A new veteran status will allow players to start their character at level 7, and can be earned through favor or purchased in the store. The store will also add a Cloak of Resistance, a Necklace of Protection, and +1 Elemental Touch Weapons.

Dungeons and Dragons Online: Update 13 Screenshots
Posted by Shri Krishna
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