General Gaming Article

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• Maximum PC's Geek Quiz 2013
• Adata Launches XPG V2 DRAM with Redesigned Heatspreaders
• Newegg Daily Deals: Acer 27-inch Monitor, Seagate Barracuda 3TB HDD, and More
• IDC Cuts PC Forecast, Says Users are Content to Use Older Systems
• Former AMD Exec Values Xbox One Deal at $3 Billion
• Intel: Haswell Will Deliver 50 Percent More Battery Life in Laptops
• Gigabyte Throws Small and Sleek "BRIX" Into Mini PC Waters

Maximum PC's Geek Quiz 2013 Posted: 28 May 2013 11:33 AM PDT Measure your nerd knowledge in our 12th annual interactive Geek Quiz! Since time began, the fittest of any species have found ways to test their mettle in the fiery cauldron of competition. First there was the Olympics, then Jeopardy, and finally – the Maximum PC Geek Quiz. Though you are probably cracking your knuckles, keep in mind that we've designed this timed quiz, not to entertain you, but to destroy you. Yes, those are fighting words. And yes, we mean it. Don't worry – we've made this a fair fight by mixing softballs with knees-to-the-groin-region, so if you're a regular reader of Maximum PC, and don't go running off to your Google mommy, you should come out the other end of this a better man, woman, or child.

Adata Launches XPG V2 DRAM with Redesigned Heatspreaders Posted: 28 May 2013 11:03 AM PDT Funky or futuristic? You be the judge! Adata is clearly making a fashion statement with the redesigned heatspreaders it slapped onto its new XPG V2 series of DRAM products designed for 3rd Generation Intel Core processors and the Z87 platform. Exactly which statement is up for debate. Some might view them as funky fresh, others might consider them fugly, but Adata says they were designed with a "futuristic form." While beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, performance is in the hands of the designer and Adata's binning process. The new modules will come in dual-channel kits of 8GB and 16GB ranging in frequency from 1600MHz to 2800MHz. The highest frequency kits (8GB and 16GB DDR3-2800) will run at CL12-14-14-36 with 1.65V, while the rest are rated slightly tighter at CL11-13-13-35 at either 1.65V or 1.5V, depending on the kit. Underneath the extruded heatsink on each module is a 2-ounce double-copper PCB (printed circuit board). The chips themselves are "selected through a strict filtering process," Adata says. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Acer 27-inch Monitor, Seagate Barracuda 3TB HDD, and More Posted: 28 May 2013 10:13 AM PDT Top Deal: Like the eyes are the windows to your soul, a PC monitor is the portal to the web the everything else you use your system for. Need a new one? Today's top deal is for an Acer 27-inch Widescreen LED Monitor with built-in speakers for $200 with free shipping (normally $320 - use coupon code:[EMCXRVM62]). It has a 6ms response time (GTG), 100,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and three inputs (VGA, DVI, and HDMI). Other Deals: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive - Retail Kit for $130 with free shipping (normally $143 - use coupon code:[EMCXRVM35]) Corsair 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory for $50 with free shipping (normally $62 - use coupon code:[EMCXRVM47]) Asus Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card for $135 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code:[EMCXRVM58]; Free Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon with purchase) Toshiba Canvio Basics 3.0 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive for $60 with free shipping (normally $80 - use coupon code:[EMCXRVM64])

IDC Cuts PC Forecast, Says Users are Content to Use Older Systems Posted: 28 May 2013 09:02 AM PDT PC sales still in a slump. Perhaps we should start posting more guides on how to squeeze every ounce of performance out of aging PCs, because if International Data Corporation (IDC) is correct in its assumption, then part of the reason for slumping computer sales is that users are "making do with older systems." They've figured out that tablets and smartphones are capable enough for checking social media, surfing the web, and firing off emails, though that doesn't mean the masses have moved on. The way IDC sees it, PCs are still a relevant computing platform in certain situations, but for the most part, mobile devices have enough pep for day-to-day activities, hence the reluctance to upgrade components or buy new rigs. "As the market develops, usage patterns and devices are evolving," said Loren Loverde, Program Vice President, Worldwide Quarterly PC Trackers at IDC. "Many users are realizing that everyday computing, such as accessing the web, connecting to social media, sending emails, as well as using a variety of apps, doesn't require a lot of computing power or local storage. Instead, they are putting a premium on access from a variety of smaller devices with longer battery life, an instant-on function, and intuitive touch-centric interfaces. These users have not necessarily given up on PCs as a platform for computing when a more robust environment is needed, but this takes a smaller share of computing time, and users are making do with older systems." Because of this, IDC downgraded its PC shipment forecast. The research firm now expects worldwide PC shipments to fall by 7.8 percent in 2013 as users "increasingly consider alternatives such as delaying a PC purchase or using tablets and smartphones for more of their computing needs." IDC says the updated forecast takes into consideration the significant drop in volume during the first quarter. We're still talking about hundreds of millions of PCs, mind you -- 321.9 million in 2013, to be exact. By 2017, that number will jump to 333.4 million, still shy of the 349.2 million shipped in 2012 but hardly indicative of a lethargic market. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Former AMD Exec Values Xbox One Deal at $3 Billion Posted: 28 May 2013 07:45 AM PDT AMD sticks its hands in the next generation console cookie jar. Make no mistake, AMD is a survivor. Save for the short-lived glory days of the Athlon 64, it seems AMD has always been a step or three behind Intel in performance, and there haven't been many quarterly financial reports to get excited about. Yet AMD keeps grinding, finding ways to survive in a cutthroat industry in part by branching out into side markets, like graphics and consoles. In terms of the latter, AMD's multi-year deal with Microsoft to supply APUs for the upcoming Xbox One console is believed to be in the neighborhood of $3 billion. Former AMD employee Bob Feldstein posted the figure on his LinkedIn account, noting that his "involvement [with the Xbox One deal] was focused on business management and supply agreement negotiations," which entailed coordinating various teams within AMD and setting up regular customer meetings with leadership teams. Feldstein now works at Nvidia. It's an impressive win for AMD, which also secured a deal to supply a semi-custom APU for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4 console and is currently providing graphics chips for Nintendo's Wii U system. As to the Xbox One, it features a 64-bit architecture, 8GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, and a Blu-ray drive. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Intel: Haswell Will Deliver 50 Percent More Battery Life in Laptops Posted: 28 May 2013 05:57 AM PDT Company touts energy efficiency and graphics performance ahead of Haswell launch The arrival of the next generation of Intel Core processors is drawing near and, as you would expect, the chipmaker is busy drawing the world's attention to all that is worth highlighting about its upcoming "Haswell" (codename) chips. The company most recently talked up the 22nm chips it is widely expected to launch early next month at a media briefing it hosted last week. Almost all the talk about Intel's Haswell microarchitecture has, until this point, centered on its improved integrated graphics part and vastly reduced energy appetite, and this event was no different. Per Rani Borkar, corporate vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group, Haswell-based laptops will be 50 percent more power efficient as their Ivy Bridge-powered predecessors during normal operations, last up to 20 times more while in idle or standby mode, and still manage to be way more powerful than "content consumption" devices. Improving the performance of its chips' integrated graphics is another key area where Intel seems to have put in a  lot of work. This has, according to Borkar, resulted in an integrated graphics solution that delivers double the performance of Ivy Bridge-powered laptops and thrice that of Ivy Bridge-based desktops. If Haswell is as good as is being claimed by Intel then this is undoubtedly the best opportunity Ultrabooks have of accomplishing what they were originally supposed to do: to bring the ongoing rally in tablet sales to a screeching halt. Follow Pulkit on Google+

Gigabyte Throws Small and Sleek "BRIX" Into Mini PC Waters Posted: 28 May 2013 05:56 AM PDT Small form factor (SFF) PCs have been around for a long while, but now we're starting to see ultra compact systems with powerful components emerge into the market place. Enter Gigabyte and its new BRIX desktop, a square-shaped PC that fits in the palm of your hand just like Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) device, it sports a stylish glass surface mounted on an anthracite aluminum frame. "The BRIX lays down a new standard in terms of compact form factor, connectivity and performance, making it suitable for a broad range of applications in the home, office and commercial spaces," commented Henry Kao, Vice President of Gigabyte Motherboard Business Unit. "The BRIX demonstrates how we can leverage our exceptional R&D and manufacturing prowess to create new and exciting PC products that defy convention." There are four different CPU configurations to choose from. The highest-end option is the GB-XM1-3537 model, which features an Intel Core i7 3537U dual-core processor clocked at 2GHz (3.1GHz Turbo) with 4MB of smart cache and Hyper Threading support. All models ship with two SO-DIMM DDR3 memory slots with support for up 16GB of RAM (1333/1600MHz), mSATA slot, half-size mini-PCIe slot (occupied by a Wi-Fi card), a single USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort, HDMI output, LAN port, Kensington lock slot, and a VESA bracket in case you want to mount the system behind your monitor. No word yet on price or availability. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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Brain Activity test by Samsung for Galaxy Note 10.1 Posted: 27 May 2013 09:31 AM PDT Brain Activity test by Samsung for Galaxy Note 10.1 An easy-to-use EEG cap could expand the number of ways to interact with your mobile devices. Thought launch: A Samsung researcher tests an EEG-controlled app on a tablet. One day, we may be able to check e-mail or call a friend without ever touching a screen [...] The post Brain Activity test by Samsung for Galaxy Note 10.1 appeared first on GAMEFORUMER.COM | MMORPG | Technology | Video Gaming.

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MMO Updates

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• Infinite Crisis adds Cyborg to the mix
• Guild Wars 2 video highlights Last Stand at Southsun
• Massively's pre-E3 Elder Scrolls Online preview
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Prepare for crazy Karka in Guild Wars 2
• The Daily Grind: What game should you like but don't?
• Not So Massively: Diablo III stats, LoL All-Stars tournament, and new MOBAs
• Chaos Theory: Throwing TSW's next themed party
• Leaderboard: What kind of crafting do you prefer?
• Captain's Log: STO's Legacy of Romulus launches

Infinite Crisis adds Cyborg to the mix Posted: 28 May 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Screenshots, Video, Classes, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, Infinite Crisis While the last superhero to join the Infinite Crisis lineup was mystically imbued, the newest member is a mix of man and machine. Today Turbine announced the addition of Cyborg to the roster of champions as well as released new art for the Green Lantern. Like you'd expect a man with an energy cannon for an arm, Cyborg is a ranged fighter, doling out powerful blasts while dodging direct confrontation with melee. His various skills include Cybernetic Targeting, Cascade, and Plasma Cannon. Charged Burst is an AoE attack and Tracer Shot marks opponents and adds a debuff that can be triggered for additional effects by his other skills. Check out the reveal video after the break for some tips on fighting as -- and fighting against -- this newest champion. After the video, take a look at the newest Infinite Crisis art, showing off Arcane, Prime, and Atomic versions of Green Lantern. [Source: Turbine press release] Continue reading Infinite Crisis adds Cyborg to the mix Infinite Crisis adds Cyborg to the mix originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2 video highlights Last Stand at Southsun Posted: 28 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Patches, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Livestream, Buy-to-Play Later today, Guild Wars 2 players will get to enjoy new content when the Last Stand at Southsun update goes live. But why wait to see what's in store? ArenaNet has released a gameplay video showing off footage of some of this update's highlights, including a glimpse of a new boss encounter and a glance at the limited-time achievements and rewards available. Not enough detail in that short clip nestled after the break? Then join the ArenaNet community team on the studio's official Twitch.tv channel at 3:00 p.m. EDT today (May 28th) for a livestream look. [Source: ArenaNet press release] Continue reading Guild Wars 2 video highlights Last Stand at Southsun Guild Wars 2 video highlights Last Stand at Southsun originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Massively's pre-E3 Elder Scrolls Online preview Posted: 28 May 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Screenshots, Bugs, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, PvE, Opinion, Hands-On, Events (Massively's Coverage), Crafting, The Elder Scrolls Online If you're the type to commit your early-morning hours to gaming as I am, you're probably waiting for E3 to open its floodgates. This year's Expo might be a few weeks away, but the gaming community is getting its fair share of glimpses and leaks thanks to publisher previews, and last week, Bethesda and ZeniMax joined forces for a press event in LA to preview The Elder Scrolls Online. Mystery and suspicion has surrounded the game so far; it's the MMO entry in a long series of single-player installments for a beloved IP, so players are anxious to see how the transition from single-player adventuring to massively online gaming will play out. Unfortunately, the build I saw used only a third-person perspective and excluded PvP, but I still got a solid look at the game. Continue reading Massively's pre-E3 Elder Scrolls Online preview Massively's pre-E3 Elder Scrolls Online preview originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Flameseeker Chronicles: Prepare for crazy Karka in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 28 May 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Endgame, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles I hope you've all been enjoying your time in sunny Southsun Cove. We talked about it last week, so if you're a little lost as to what's going on, I'd suggest reading back a bit. Wooden Potatoes recently posted an excellent recap of what's changed and happened in Guild Wars 2 from launch to the present day. It's an good reflection, which will hopefully give us a good perspective as we look at where the game might be going. At almost precisely nine months of launched life, Guild Wars 2 is at something of a defining point. It looks as if the team is going to be moving to a more rapid cadence. That's not a guarantee, but as we're seeing more consistent releases, I'm prepared to get my hopes up a little bit. We're also seeing more sPvP and WvW features coming down the pipe; the last few updates set that in motion, and the preview for today's patch seems to be following up in support of those. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Prepare for crazy Karka in Guild Wars 2 Flameseeker Chronicles: Prepare for crazy Karka in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What game should you like but don't? Posted: 28 May 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous We all like different games. That's a good thing; a world where EVE Online, World of Warcraft, and Second Life co-exist is a better one for everyone. But every so often a game comes along that plays exactly to our tastes, one that everyone we like seems to think is the greatest MMO to come out in a long while, one that gets so much praise that you try it out. And you don't like it. It's not just that you can see its flaws; you actively don't like the game and don't want to play it. Today, we aren't asking just about the games you don't like but about the games you should like and yet don't. The games that seem to be designed just for you, ones that you can recognize as good, but ones you still don't actually enjoy playing. So what game do you feel that you should like when you don't? 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! The Daily Grind: What game should you like but don't? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: Diablo III stats, LoL All-Stars tournament, and new MOBAs Posted: 27 May 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Dev Diaries, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Anniversaries, Elite: Dangerous Path of Exile revealed plans to expand its multiplayer options with new group loot options in the next patch, which should come as good news to anyone who runs endgame maps with other players. Blizzard continued its Diablo III anniversary celebrations with an interesting new infographic packed full of stats on the game's first year of operation. The League of Legends All-Stars tournament was a huge success, with the massive event in Shanghai being streamed live around the world. In celebration, Riot Games also released a new cinematic trailer. Russian MOBA Prime World prepared for its upcoming second closed beta event, and Infinite Crisis expanded its roster with new champion Shazam. Upcoming sci-fi sandbox Elite: Dangerous showed off redesigned ships in its latest development newsletter, and it's not the only new game in development. This week we heard of upcoming military-themed browser MOBA Merc Elite and MOBA Dawngate, the latter of which aims to bring RTS elements back to the genre. Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III stats, LoL All-Stars tournament, and new MOBAs Not So Massively: Diablo III stats, LoL All-Stars tournament, and new MOBAs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Throwing TSW's next themed party Posted: 27 May 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Opinion, The Secret World, Humor, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play I spy with my little eye... a trend! With last month's announcement of The Secret World's next update, I noticed a certain motif. It appears that beyond just adding new content, the conspiracy game is getting in on the party planning business, throwing themed bashes for players to enjoy. And the players themselves get to arrive as iconic guests of honor! While not making you the exact person, the two most recent DLCs effectively give you the chance to participate in adventures with the persona of a beloved and/or well-known character: Indiana Jones headlined Issue #6, and James Bond will be the star of Issue #7. That leads me to wonder: What -- or who -- will we meet next? We've already offered some suggestions for new locales for future TSW updates, so why not toss out a few ideas on the next major icons to represent? I know you all have some favorite role you'd love to slip into, so come add your suggestions to these possibilities. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Throwing TSW's next themed party Chaos Theory: Throwing TSW's next themed party originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Leaderboard: What kind of crafting do you prefer? Posted: 27 May 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvE, Opinion, Crafting, Leaderboard Today I'd like to talk about crafting. I like crafting, hence my wanting to talk about it. You may not like crafting, but don't worry, you'll get a chance to bash it -- or at least make known your displeasure -- in the traditional poll choice after the cut. This poll will be pretty simple, because, hey. It's Memorial Day and I'd rather not be working. So. Do you prefer complex MMO crafting systems where you're actively involved in the fabrication process or do you prefer simpler systems where you combine a couple of items with a button press (or even have an NPC do it for you)? For the special snowflakes who choose the "neither" option, tell us how you'd do crafting differently. Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard! Continue reading Leaderboard: What kind of crafting do you prefer? Leaderboard: What kind of crafting do you prefer? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: STO's Legacy of Romulus launches Posted: 27 May 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Bugs, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log Last week Star Trek Online's much anticipated expansion, the Legacy of Romulus, went live after months of veritable hype. The launch was not without its problems, and some of those problems are still being ironed out. In spite of all the server issues, I finally got to jump into the game and begin my first Romulan character and take my Vice Admiral character to the new adventure zone on Nimbus III to take a look around. Take a leap past the jump to see what's new in the Star Trek Online universe. Continue reading Captain's Log: STO's Legacy of Romulus launches Captain's Log: STO's Legacy of Romulus launches originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMORPG News

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• World of Tanks: 10,000 Square Feet of Wargaming Awesomeness
• General: This Week's Live Stream Schedule
• General: The Lasting Impact of Voice Chat
• Guild Wars 2: Trying to Make a Living World
• General: HEX: Exploring the World of Entrath

World of Tanks: 10,000 Square Feet of Wargaming Awesomeness Posted: 28 May 2013 05:55 AM PDT Wargaming has announced that visitors to next week's E3 convention in Los Angeles will have over 10,000 square feet of gaming goodness in which to play. The team will be bringing along World of Tanks and World of WarPlanes as well as the first playable demo of World of WarShips. Lastly, the team will unveil its first console title during E3.

General: This Week's Live Stream Schedule Posted: 28 May 2013 03:12 AM PDT Be sure to swing by the MMORPG.com Live Stream channel at any of the times below to check out some of today's hottest games with our intrepid band of merry players.

General: The Lasting Impact of Voice Chat Posted: 26 May 2013 02:46 PM PDT Voice chat is both bane and boon to players in MMOs these days. It's a great thing for strategy, for getting to know new people, for the fun of talking while playing. It can be a problem, however, as player isolate themselves into small groups. In our latest Social Hub column, we take a look at voice chat from both sides. Read on and then leave your opinions in the comments.

Guild Wars 2: Trying to Make a Living World Posted: 26 May 2013 02:35 PM PDT ArenaNet is determined to make Guild Wars 2 a dynamic, ever-changing space thanks to the Living Story. In our latest column, we take a look at the dynamic that the Living Story brings to the game and much more. Read on before leaving your thoughts in the comments.

General: HEX: Exploring the World of Entrath Posted: 26 May 2013 02:58 PM PDT Cryptozoic announced less than two weeks ago that it would be developing HEX, a new trading card game, and that they would be starting a KickStarter campaign. Fast forward to today and we find a fully-funded game and a preview of why HEX is bound to be one of the most popular TCGs on the market. Read on and then leave your impressions in the comments.

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