General Gaming Article

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• Does Refresh Rate Matter?
• Corsair 900D Review
• AMD’s HD 7990 Drops from $999 to $799
• Google's Relationship with China Could Hurt Nexus 7 Sales
• Samsung's 13.3-inch Ativ Book 9 Plus Notebook Dons a 3200x1800 Touchscreen Display
• PC Gamers are Propping Up the Declining PC Market
• Koolance EXC-800 Chills Your Liquid Cooling Setup for $1,400
• Newegg Daily Deals: MSI GS70 Gaming Laptop, LG Silver 23-inch IPS Touch Monitor, and More!

Does Refresh Rate Matter? Posted: 07 Aug 2013 04:19 PM PDT We pit a 60Hz refresh rate panel against a 144Hz refresh rate panel to see if hype over the higher spec is warranted We all know how the game is played when it comes to selling tech products. Six cores are better than four, two GPUs are better than one, and 1GHz is better than 500MHz. Besides the underlying pixel technology, monitors have really only been sold on either size or resolution—until now. In the last few years, manufacturers have begun marketing panels with more than double the refresh rate of a standard LCD panel. Rather than the 60Hz refresh rate that LCDs have been stuck with since, well, forever, these new monitors push the refresh rate to 120Hz and even 144Hz. A high refresh rate promises smoother scrolling and less blur in games, but these qualities may not be for everyone. Doubling the frame rate in The Hobbit from 24fps to 48fps, for example, is widely blamed for giving the movie its odd look that turned off many viewers. (While refresh rate and frame rate aren't completely synonymous, they effectively produce the same result on the PC.) Is the same true of content on a high-refresh-rate PC monitor? To find out whether people prefer the effect of a high refresh rate or the familiar 60Hz experience, we set up two identical PCs, with a 60Hz panel hooked up to one and a 144Hz panel hooked up to the other, and tasked a handful of gamers, editors, and other test subjects to pick their pixel-pushing poison. The Testing Methodology It's said that humans perceive reality at about 66 frames per second. Would watching a movie or game at more than double that hurt or help the experience? For our tests, we built two nearly identical X79-based machines. Each was outfitted with a stock 3.6GHz Core i7-3820, 8GB of DDR3/1600, an OCZ Vertex 3 SSD, and a GeForce GTX 580 card. Each machine was loaded with a clean install of Windows 8 and the identical Nvidia drivers were installed on both. We say "nearly identical" because the motherboards in our two boxes did differ. One featured an Asus P9X79 WS and the other an Asus Sabertooth X79 motherboard. The Contenders Representing the high-refresh-rate camp was Asus's new 24-inch VG248QE. This is the first monitor to bring a 144Hz refresh rate to a consumer panel. The monitor is commonly found for $300 but one reputable e-tailer had the panel listed for $265. The 1920x1080 VG248QE is LED-backlit and has a rated 1ms gray-to-gray response time and features an antiglare surface. The panel supports Nvidia's 3D Vision 2 but does not ship with an emitter or 3D glasses, to keep the price low. In fact, the VG248QE is one of two high-refresh-rate monitors Asus sells without 3D emitters, to appease gamers who want higher refresh rates but don't necessarily want to play in 3D. As a gaming panel, the VG248QE also features the company's "GamePlus" feature that will display a crosshair on the screen to circumvent (ahem, cheat) games that forego crosshairs when set to hardcore mode. Another mode displays a game timer for MMO players doing timed raids, and RTS gamers running on a clock. The VG248QE is a TN panel, so folks with high-color-accuracy needs should probably pass it up for IPS-like technology. Representing the standard 60Hz field was an Asus VN247. We considered pitting the 144Hz panel against a 60Hz IPS panel, since the prices are similar, but in the end we decided that gamers would be more interested in TN, given that tech's faster response time. The VN247 measures 24 inches and also features antiglare coating. It has a 1ms gray-to-gray response time and is rated at 250 nits. The 144Hz-rated VG248QE has a 350 nit rating, so we adjusted the brightness accordingly. Both were set to their "theater" preset, which we found to be fairly comparable upon visual inspection. It's not attractive, but by covering the bezels of both monitors, we could guard against bias. Since even the bezel of a monitor can influence people during image-quality tests, we used cardboard to cover both bezels of the panels, as well as the PCs themselves (since we used different cases for each). We also used identical keyboards, mice, and mouse pads for each machine, and audio was disabled on both, since, as we know, a monitor with better sound can be perceived as "looking" better. The Tests For our tests, we used three videos: The first was a 720p resolution video of an editor's commute across the Bay Bridge, shot at 120fps with a GoPro Hero3 Black. The second video was a FRAPS-recorded session of Left 4 Dead 2 running on a different 120Hz panel with VSync enabled, which locked the video down to 120fps. The third video was a 1080p high-definition MKV file at 24fps. This movie should have no bearing, as its way below the refresh rates of both panels, but we wanted to see how our test subjects would react to it. We believed the videos would be the most difficult part of our test, but we wanted to see what people's eyes preferred. We used a GoPro Hero3 Black to record 720p video at 120fps for our tests. For gaming, we used two Source Engine titles: Left 4 Dead 2 and Portal 2. We decided on them because they would comfortably exceed the refresh rate of both panels with the GeForce GTX 580 GPU in our systems. For our final two tests, we asked the test subjects to scroll a web page as they would in real life and to move a window around the screen in their typical fashion. The Instructions All of our test subjects were given the same instructions to weigh the smoothness of each monitor first and foremost. Subjects were also instructed to try to ignore color saturation, black levels, contrast, or color temperature when picking the experience they preferred. The tester was careful not to suggest one panel over the other or to make approving or disapproving statements. Finally, all of the testing was conducted in a sealed and darkened room, away from prying ears and eyes. Click the next page to read abou the suprising results.   The Surprising Results Our staff overwhelmingly preferred the 144Hz panel but our test subjects didn't always agree Before we get too far, we'll say that our preference is for the 144Hz or 120Hz panels. The overall smoothness, although unfamiliar at first, is something we quickly got used to. If we had to choose between a 60Hz TN panel and a 120/144Hz panel, the choice would be easy. The actual blind-test subjects, however, didn't see things quite as cut-and-dried. The Console Gamer Our first test subject is a software and hardware reviewer at a major console games magazine. As we expected, the video portion of our test was the most challenging and our subject had no preference in either of the high-frame-rate videos, but she preferred the 60Hz panel for the 24fps material. We wanted to know whether scrolling a web page looks better at 144Hz. As we moved onto gaming, she quickly latched onto the 144Hz panel, even saying the 60Hz panel is "tiring my eyes out," and "Owww, it's hard on my eyes." Moving on to what we thought was the easiest section, she surprised us by having no preference with the scrolling-web-page test. And in a further surprise to us, she picked the 60Hz panel in the moving-window portion because the text stayed sharper. The Salesman The second subject is a salesman who's also a gamer and PC enthusiast. He preferred the 120fps GoPro video on the 144Hz panel, saying, "This is more realistic." He had no preference in our high-frame-rate FRAPS video, and also preferred the 24fps material on the 60Hz panel. Interestingly, the subject felt Left 4 Dead 2 "felt smoother" on the 60Hz panel but then in Portal 2 preferred the 144Hz panel. In our scrolling and window-moving tests, he preferred the 144Hz panel. The Gearhead Our third subject is a hardware editor with a leading PC magazine. He was familiar with our challenge so we tried to throw him off by telling him we had swapped the monitor positions. He still picked the 144Hz panel for all of the tests save one: the HD source material at 24fps, which he said looked better on the 60Hz panel. Color us cynical, but we suspect some confirmation bias at play, as his picks didn't actually mesh with others. The Tech Editor Our next subject is a long-time hardware and tech editor. He immediately picked our 120fps GoPro video on the 144Hz panel and had no preference for our FRAPS video. And, like the others, picked the 60Hz panel for the 24fps HD movie. In games, however, he had no preference in Left 4 Dead 2 and actually preferred Portal 2 on the 60Hz panel, saying, "It just looks sharper to me." He also preferred the 60Hz panel for both our scrolling test and moving-window test, echoing our first test subject's reasons: sharper text, albeit at an admittedly lower frame rate. The PC Gamer Our fifth subject, a junior games editor, chose the smooth rims of the wheels in our GoPro video at 144Hz versus the strobing on the 60Hz panel, had no preference on our FRAPS video, and like all others, picked the 60Hz panel for the 24fps material. In games, he first picked the 60Hz panel saying, "This one definitely feels smoother," but then reversed his preference in Portal 2, saying, "[The 60Hz] is definitely smoother, but I'm liking Portal 2 on [the 144Hz panel]." However, he described the differences between the two monitors in Portal 2 as "miniscule." He also picked the 60Hz panel for both the scrolling and window-movement tests, saying it was "smoother" for both.  The IT Guy  An IT guy served as our next subject. He had no preference whatsoever in any of our video tests or when playing Left 4 Dead 2. But he thought the 144Hz panel had a slight advantage in Portal 2. In our scrolling and window-moving tests, he picked the 144Hz panel for both, saying the panel was "snappier." Games Editor We included a second gaming editor for his "bionic-like" LASIK-corrected eyesight. However, he bucked our expectations by choosing the 60Hz panel in both our GoPro video and in the HD movie, believing the 60Hz panel was "sharper." In our L4D2 test, he picked the 60Hz panel even though he said he thought the 144Hz panel was actually "smoother." When we got to Portal 2 though, he uttered, "uh oh" and "oh, dear," as he realized which panel was actually 144Hz, which is the one he preferred in that test. He said the scrolling and window-moving tests were both smoother on the 144Hz panel, but that he didn't care about those factors very much. The Video Producer A self-proclaimed video nerd, this subject immediately keyed in on the differences between the panels. He picked the 144Hz panel for the GoPro video, calling it more "realistic" (albeit "wigging" to his eyes), but preferred the 60Hz panel for the FRAPS video and had no preference for the 24fps material. In gaming, he could tell the difference between the two monitors but actually chose the 60Hz panel because the motion blur felt more "comfortable" to his eyes. "This is like an old shoe," he said, even though intellectually he knew the other one was faster. He thought that scrolling on the 144Hz panel made it seem like the web page was on "grease" and, though off-putting, he said he thought he could get used to it. "If you said I could take one home right now, I would take the high-refresh-rate monitor." The Refresh-Rate Results Don't blink. To find out if high refresh rates are worth it, we tasked eight people to take our blind taste test Subject 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Winner Occupation Console Games Editor Salesman Hardware Editor Tech Editor Games Editor I.T. Guy Games Editor Video Producer / Writer   Glasses No Yes No Yes No No Bionic Yes   Age / Sex 31 / Female 32 / Male 34 / Male 46 / Male 23 / Male 45 / Male 38 / Male 37 / Male   GoPro Hero3 Video 120fps  Neither 144Hz 144Hz 144Hz 144Hz Neither 60Hz 144Hz 144Hz Left 4 Dead 2 FRAPS Video 120fps  Neither Neither 144Hz Neither 60Hz Neither Neither 60Hz 60Hz HD MKV Video 24fps 60Hz 60Hz 60Hz 60Hz 60Hz Neither 60Hz Neither 60Hz Left 4 Dead 2 144Hz 60Hz 144Hz Neither 60Hz Neither 60Hz 60Hz 60Hz Portal 2  144Hz 144Hz 144Hz 60Hz 144Hz 144Hz 144Hz 60Hz 144Hz Scrolling Test  60Hz 144Hz 144Hz 60Hz Neither 144Hz Neither 144Hz 144Hz Window Moving Test 60Hz 144Hz 144Hz 60Hz Neither 144Hz 144Hz 144Hz 144Hz The Upshot When we tallied up the results, it was a closer contest than we expected. Rather than 144Hz being the clear-choice technology, in many instances our subjects preferred the 60Hz "look," even if they couldn't always articulate exactly why they liked it more. Display expert Dr. Ray Soneira said some of our results are not surprising. Video tests are particularly challenging when you're trying to display video at frame rates that don't divide into the refresh rate of the monitor. This creates artifacts that hurt the experience. More puzzling to us is why the 144Hz panel was the preference with Portal 2 but not with Left 4 Dead 2 (which is based on the same game engine). One theory is that L4D2 takes on a too-smooth, "plastic-y" look (more so than Portal 2) when seen at high refresh rates, and that puts people off. Still, we're going to call this a win for 144Hz—but only by a hair. Our testing shows that it's certainly not the clear-cut, no-doubt-about-it choice for everyone. The Sky's the Limit Or why Asus says we may actually see higher-than-144Hz panels Despite the somewhat mixed results in our blind taste test, it's pretty clear to us that higher-refresh-rate panels offer a real advantage for gamers. We spoke with Asus's David Wung to get the skinny on high-refresh-rate monitors. Q: What is the limitation in getting 120Hz/144Hz refresh rates in IPS/PVA panels rather than TN? A: Two main factors affect whether the panel can support 120Hz/144Hz—ignoring the scaler requirements and other issues. The first is the timing controller, or T-Con for short. It's the IC package that controls the timing frequency transmitted to the panel. The second is the graphics card supporting the proper timing for 120Hz/144Hz operation, which is no longer a problem [so there's really no reason the technology won't be found in other panel types]. Q: Why is Asus the sole producer of 144Hz panels today? A: The primary reason is that Asus has a very close professional relationship with the leading panel suppliers and graphics card vendors. At times, we often receive exclusive collaboration from our partners due to our ability to engineer, produce, and market these premium products in volume. Our LCD team also works extensively with our in-house VGA team, which guarantees that the 144Hz panels work seamlessly with a variety of GPU products. Q: Are people buying these monitors primarily for gaming? A: It depends, but most of time, we think so. In some cases, people also can sense the benefit while watching video on a panel with 144Hz support. We have noticed an incredible rise in popularity of the 120Hz, and now 144Hz panels, in gaming over the past two years, but now we are also seeing a similar rise in other environments like media playback and digital content creation, since the higher refresh rates allow a smoother overall image display. Q: What exactly is the special sauce in making 120/144Hz panels? Is it only cherry-picked panels that can hit the speeds? A: Not at all. Unlike with CPUs, as long as we can successfully develop the T-Con [monitor timing controller] and can get the support from graphic cards, then the panels can hit the speeds we need them to hit.

Corsair 900D Review Posted: 07 Aug 2013 02:19 PM PDT Corsair 900D Review: Cue Also sprach Zarathustra for this monolith There's much to like about the Corsair 900D, given that this cast-aluminum-and-steel chassis weighs as much as a tank and casts an authoritative presence underneath one's desk—if you can even fit the full-tower case under there. The sequel to the famed 800D is even more imposing in appearance, but less impressive in execution. Our problem? The case's adornments aren't as good as its overall construction. You could probably pull an Indiana Jones and survive a nuke if you wedged yourself into the approximately 26x10x27-inch case, but you're still going to have to fuss with its drive bays, magnetic filters, panels, and other upgrade-critical parts. We love the aesthetic created by the case's simple, flat façade. A giant cover on the bottom half of the case's front pops off to offer easy, push-snap access to its three front 12cm fans (and corresponding fan filter). Locking the filter back into place can feel a wee bit flimsy, but we'd almost rather have that than the far more secure covers over the case's four 5.25-inch drive bays. You have to shove your hand into the case and do some blind-nudging of tabs to pop off the panels; we wish they were more accessible from just the front alone. Also hidden behind a panel is the case's ample connectivity: two USB 3.0 ports (with an internal header) and four USB 2.0 ports. The stealth is a bit of a moot point, however, given that you won't be hiding much of anything when you're using said ports, and it's slightly annoying to have to flip open a panel just to access them—pretty as it might look. We give Corsair all the credit in the world for making its case even more screw-free than what we'd otherwise expect to find when describing a case as "screwless." Removing the case's main side panels—on both sides—is as easy as pressing a button on the case's rear and gently pulling the panel away. While we're on the subject, we love the quasi-polarized, reflected look of the 900D's left-side panel: By eschewing the typical clear Plexiglas, Corsair adds to the mystique of the case's no-nonsense design. The case's 5.25-inch bays all use easy-to-manipulate locking mechanisms to keep one's parts and pieces in place. The hard drive trays that fill the case's nine free bays—including three hotswap-friendly bays with SATA power and data backplane—are a bit fussier. The better word might be "flimsier," as they don't feel all that sturdy when you pull them out, push them in, or lock them into place. It's a minor quibble, but still a technical flaw for a case that breaks the bank at $350. The case's 10 expansion slots require you to spin thumbscrews to lock your components into place. Get ready for some finger fun, because the case's design makes it difficult to use a standard-length shank screwdriver on these little guys. We've long credited Corsair with setting the standard in cable management with the 800D, and the 900D doesn't disappoint. There's plenty of cable management built into the case's motherboard tray (standoffs, too), with eight large, rubberized holes and six smaller holes for routing cables every which way. And we love how you can stuff one or two power supplies into the case's bottom portion, which is accessible via its own flip-down side panel (with lame magnetic filter covering). Although the 900D comes with five distinct locations for mounting liquid-cooling radiators (yay), the case's top is firmly screwed into the chassis itself—you're going to have to do work to install a radiator anyway, we realize, but we'd prefer to be able pop off the case's top sans instruments. Finally, Corsair's case lacks any and all pizazz. You're paying 100 percent for construction: no flashy lights, no strips of LEDs, no ultra-quiet fans (just normal fans), no fan controller. And while we absolutely enjoy some of the clever (and durable) construction work Corsair's put into its chassis, we can't help but think that a few more tweaks could have taken this case from "very good" to "absolutely great"—especially when the case itself eats up such a large chunk of your building budget. $350, www.corsair.com

AMD’s HD 7990 Drops from $999 to $799 Posted: 07 Aug 2013 12:45 PM PDT The red team shakes up the high end According to postings on Newegg, AMD's insanely powerful HD 7990 has received a massive price cut. The dual-gpu video card is selling for $799 and some listings have it as low as $630 after rebate. This price drop comes hot off the heels of AMD's new Catalyst 13.8 Beta Driver which fixes frame pacing on CrossfireX video cards.  When it comes to performance, AMD's reference HD 7990 stacked up well against Nvidia's dual-GPU GTX 690 card and the uber powerful GTX Titan in our benchmarks. Over the two $1,000 Nvidia cards, the 7990 won five of our nine video card benchmarks which include 3DMark Fire Strike, Unigine Heaven 4.0, Crysis 3, Far Cry 3, and Metro 2033. AMD's card lost against the GTX 690 in 3DMark 2011, Shogun 2: Total War, Batman Arkham City, and Catzilla Beta. When AMD's 7990 squared off against the GTX Titan, it beat Nvidia's esteemed card in every benchmark against the card. If you're interested in purchasing an AMD 7990, there are several on sale at Newegg. It is worth mentioning, however, that some of the HD 7990s are non-refundable and merely have a replacement policy of 30 days. This is in stark contrast to an AMD card like the 7970, which allows refunds.  Here's a benchmark chart of how the 7990 performs. Will you buy a HD 7990? Let us know in the comments below!

Google's Relationship with China Could Hurt Nexus 7 Sales Posted: 07 Aug 2013 11:08 AM PDT Second generation Nexus 7 shipments may be lower than expected Google recently launched its second generation Nexus 7 tablet, once again tapping Asus to manufacturer the popular slate. This time around, the new model Nexus 7 comes with an upgraded 1920x1200 display, a faster SoC (1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor), twice as much RAM (2GB), the addition of a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera, and a few other praise-worthy enhancements, but even so, shipments may not be as high as Google hoped. According to Digitimes and its sources within Taiwan's supply chain, Google's rocky relationship with China is holding back the Nexus 7. Google's new tablet isn't welcome in China due to the search giant's decision to pull its search engine out of the country in 2012 after refusing to comply with China's Internet policies. Having Asus on board isn't likely to help Google's case. Ironically enough, the 7-inch MeMO Pad HD 7 built and sold by Asus is the top selling tablet in China right now. That's of no help to Google, of course, which may only ship 3.5 million second generation Nexus 7 tablets by the end of the year. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Samsung's 13.3-inch Ativ Book 9 Plus Notebook Dons a 3200x1800 Touchscreen Display Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:24 AM PDT Shipping later this month Apple likes to throw around the term "Retina Display" when talking about products that have a high resolution panel, but nothing in Apple's lineup wields as many pixels as Samsung's Ativ Book 9 Plus Ultrabook. This thing trots onto the scene with a 13.3-inch panel boasting a QHD+ (3200x1800) native resolution, all while offering up 10-point touch support for good measure. Beyond the display, the Ativ Book 9 Plus features an Intel Core i5 4200U processor (Haswell) clocked at 1.6GHz, 4GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, 128GB solid state drive (SSD), integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400, 3-in-1 media card reader, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, webcam, microphone, integrated speakers, and Windows 8 64-bit. The system measures 12.5 inches by 0.5 inches by 8.7 inches and weighs just 2.56 pounds. It's every bit an Ultrabook, just with a much higher resolution. We're still waiting on an official word from Samsung regarding price and availability, though it's been spotted on B&H for $1,400 with an expected availability date of August 20, 2013. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

PC Gamers are Propping Up the Declining PC Market Posted: 07 Aug 2013 09:57 AM PDT PC gaming saves the day There's no doubt that tablet PCs and smartphones are taking their toll on the desktop and notebook markets. Your Aunt Mabel doesn't need a tower system to use Facebook, and even little Billy is infatuated with touchscreen devices like the iPad. But there's one group that hasn't been swayed by the handheld mobile movement: PC gamers. Jon Peddie Research (JPR) likens this group to motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts, noting that they're always looking for more speed, power, utility, and handling. "Not only is gaming becoming an even more important purchasing influence of PC sales due to the offloading of more basic functionality to smart devices, but we are forecasting growth in the most expensive discrete graphics products. We are also impressed with the embedded graphics offerings this generation and going forward," Jon Peddie, President of JPR, said in a statement. Ted Pollack, Senior Gaming Analyst at JPR, said the effect key titles have on hardware sales is "phenomenal." He pointed to ARMA 3, saying that this title alone will directly influence $800 million of PC builds. It's not just tablets and smartphones that PCs are competing against, however. In terms of gaming, Microsoft (Xbox One) and Sony (PlayStation 4) have new consoles releasing later this year. Nevertheless, JPR points to the PC's ability to run ultra-high resolution displays, while consoles have display restrictions and forgiving couched based control input. "[Consoles] just can't compete with the PC's precision and power," JPR noted. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Koolance EXC-800 Chills Your Liquid Cooling Setup for $1,400 Posted: 07 Aug 2013 09:09 AM PDT Keep calm and cool on Would you scoff at the notion at paying $1,400 for a recirculating liquid chiller? If so, then Koolance's EXC-800 portable 800W chiller isn't for you. For those who don't mind spending a small fortune on big time cooling performance, Koolance will take your money in exchange for the EXC-800, which offers four configurable temperature methods, including the option to lock liquid to ambient temperature to avoid condensation. It can also lock temps to an external K-type thermocouple sensor, though you'll need to provide your own. What it does come with is an integrated Koolance PMP-500 pump with a maximum coolant output of 2.9 gallons per minute. You can adjust the pump speed with 10 level increments while keeping an eye on the pump impeller speeds in RPM, coolant flow rate in LPM/GPM, and condenser fan speed in RPM. If you don't plan to fixate your eyeballs on the chiller at all times, there's audio alarm you can configure based on temperature. There's also a relay trigger around back that can be configured as NO or NC and adjusted based on temperature. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: MSI GS70 Gaming Laptop, LG Silver 23-inch IPS Touch Monitor, and More! Posted: 07 Aug 2013 08:46 AM PDT Top Deal: MSI didn't get the memo that gaming laptops are supposed to be thick and heavy. The company's GS70 is anything but, wielding an Intel Core i7 4700HQ processor, 16GB of RAM, a pair of 128GB SSDs in Super RAID, 1TB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M graphics in a frame that measures less than in inch at its thinnest point and weighs just over 5 pounds. The MSI GS70 2OD-002US laptop is also today's top deal -- it's yours for $1,900 with shipping for $14.99 (Free LG monitor with purchase, limited offer). Other Deals: Razer Spectre StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Silver USB Wired Laser 5600 dpi Gaming Mouse for $41 with free shipping (normally $48 use coupon code: [RAZ15SA]) LG Silver 23" IPS-Panel 10-point Touchscreen Monitor for $400 with free shipping (normally $500 - use coupon code: [0730BTS18]) Cooler Master HAF X Blue Edition ATX Full Tower Computer Case for $170 with free shipping (normally $210 use coupon code: [0730BTS13]) Razer DeathStalker Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard for $68 with free shipping (normally $80 use coupon code: [RAZ15SA])

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MMO Updates

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• Leaderboard: What classes do you want in EverQuest Next?
• MMO Family: Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures at SOE Live
• Choose My Adventure: Beyond Bree-land
• A look at the current endgame for Blade & Soul
• Massively Exclusive: Jake Song introduces Civilization Online
• The Daily Grind: What MMO would be great on tablets?
• SOE Live 2013: PlanetSide 2 highlights Hossin and more
• Webzen puts Arctic Combat on ice
• Peek behind SOE's EverQuest Next development curtain
• SWTOR's Titans of Industry patch now live
• Jukebox Heroes: RuneScape 3's new sound
• Pirates of the Burning Sea fine-tunes engagement odds
• Six new Age of Wushu faction trailers sighted in the wild
• Lord of the Rings Online answers 20 questions about Big Battles
• SOE Live 2013: Dragon's Prophet on what makes it so metal
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• Guild Wars 2 discusses upcoming arena changes
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Crashing Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash
• Hyperspace Beacon: Five quick and dirty tips for SWTOR update 2.3

Leaderboard: What classes do you want in EverQuest Next? Posted: 07 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Sandbox, Leaderboard OK, I know what some of you are thinking. That damn Massively! Just milking the heck of out EverQuest Next! And yeah, I guess we kinda are since we've had several SOE Live features, a Daily Grind, and now a Leaderboard focused on SOE's upcoming fantasy sandbox over the past few days. But you know what? We're not apologizing! It's an exciting time to be an EverQuest Next fan, even though we have as many questions as answers after last week's reveal. Speaking of, SOE has thus far mentioned but five of a reported 40-plus classes. We don't know yet if these will be starting classes, advanced classes, or really anything else about them other than that they're called Rogue, Warrior, Tempest, Wizard, and Blademaster. With that said, what other classes or class types would you like to see? Vote after the cut! 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 classes do you want in EverQuest Next? Leaderboard: What classes do you want in EverQuest Next? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Family: Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures at SOE Live Posted: 07 Aug 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Free-to-Play, Free Realms, Events (Massively's Coverage), Kids, MMO Family, Family While we've heard lots of news this past weekend about SOE's lineup of titles for the adult audience, there's an ever growing presence of children at the convention thanks to the popularity of Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures. They might not have as many years of experience gaming as the "grown-up" crowd, but they still had lots of questions and insight to share with the developers of both games. To meet that demand, there were two panels for SOE's kid-friendly MMOs; one focused on the art of the games, while the other talked about some of the ways that the team designs their games around a younger audience. And there was some exciting news about what's planned for the future as well. Read on for the highlights! Continue reading MMO Family: Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures at SOE Live MMO Family: Free Realms and Clone Wars Adventures at SOE Live originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Beyond Bree-land Posted: 07 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Choose My Adventure This week in my Lord of the Rings Online journey, it's all about making that big choice to go further east of Bree-land into the desolate Lone-lands or to head north through Trestlebridge and see what the North Downs have in store. With last week's vote pointing me toward a final destination of Everswim... er, Evendim, it might make the most sense to head north. But I had to make a little detour at the Forsaken Inn first. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Beyond Bree-land Choose My Adventure: Beyond Bree-land originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

A look at the current endgame for Blade & Soul Posted: 07 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Endgame, News Items, Blade & Soul, Dungeons If you're looking forward to playing Blade & Soul when it finally comes to this side of the pond, you probably want to know what to expect from the endgame mechanics. Fortunately for you, the game has just released its newest endgame dungeon, and a preview is available of the final boss fight within that dungeon as well as the process for gaining and powering up loot from bosses. Which is... ornate, for lack of a better term. The short version is that everyone present for the kill gets a loot box containing a weapon. You can either pay money to ensure that the weapon is right for your class, or you can buy an ordinary key and take your chances. Once you've gotten the right weapon (with the right stats) after however many trips, you can start leveling it up... but in order to really advance it, you'll need to get two more weapons and level those up. Take a look at the full preview for details on boss mechanics and the weapon upgrade process. [Thanks to Steparu for the tip!] Continue reading A look at the current endgame for Blade & Soul A look at the current endgame for Blade & Soul originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Steparu

Massively Exclusive: Jake Song introduces Civilization Online Posted: 07 Aug 2013 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Classes, Game Mechanics, Interviews, New Titles, Previews, PvP, War, Crafting You might have heard about a little project called Civilization Online, a new MMO in development based on the popular Civilization series of turn-based strategy games. You also might have heard that XL Games CEO Jake Song, of ArcheAge and Lineage fame, is overseeing the project as Executive Producer. But chances are, that's really all you have heard. Until now, that is. We had the opportunity to sit down with Song, XL Games Senior VP Jung Hwan Kim, and Producer Garrett Bittner from 2K Games to get the scoop on the project. Follow along for all the juicy details about building up civilizations in a new open world environment, including crafting, PvP, and more! Gallery: Civilization Online Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Jake Song introduces Civilization Online Massively Exclusive: Jake Song introduces Civilization Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What MMO would be great on tablets? Posted: 07 Aug 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Mobile, Miscellaneous Ever since receiving it as a gift last Christmas, my iPad mini has been a constant companion of mine at bedtime. It's the perfect way to unwind after a day, although I do wish that more MMOs would be created for it or ported over to it. It's good news that we have Ultima Forever and RuneScape 3 to look forward to, but where's the rest of the flock? I'd love to see some of these older games make the transition to tablets. I think it was genius to bring Puzzle Pirates to tablets a little while back, because you get the benefit of years of development without the worry of being a performance hog. Ultima Online might make a great tablet MMO, as would a pared-down version of World of Warcraft. Let's turn our imaginations loose today. What MMO would be great on tablets? 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 MMO would be great on tablets? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE Live 2013: PlanetSide 2 highlights Hossin and more Posted: 06 Aug 2013 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Patches, PvP, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), PlanetSide 2 This year's SOE Live event saw the largest showing of PlanetSide 2 fans to date, and those fans were treated to a heaping helping of fun and facts over the weekend. With plenty of panels, a tournament (with impressive cash prizes), and even their own keynote address, the convention had more things dedicated to the game they love. And between all those avenues, a good amount of information was disseminated about current projects, future updates, and more. Add to all that our chance to speak personally with Senior Art Director Tramell Isaac and Creative Director Matt Higby! We've learned about (and seen, in what has to be the funnest presentation ever) the new zone of Hossin and the battle island Nexus, heard about upcoming player-generated missions and base ownership, and even got an update on the newly implemented Player Studio. Continue reading SOE Live 2013: PlanetSide 2 highlights Hossin and more SOE Live 2013: PlanetSide 2 highlights Hossin and more originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Webzen puts Arctic Combat on ice Posted: 06 Aug 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Sunsets Longevity in free-to-play games is odd. Some seem to last forever while others barely make it to one year. Arctic Combat was well on its way to the one-year mark after launching in December of last year, but Webzen has announced that the game will be closed completely as of September 2nd. The gradual shutdown started on August 2nd, with the item shop and downloads disabled, but service will continue for players still in the game until September. Players looking for compensation will receive money for use in other Webzen titles and are eligible to pick up special compensation packs in several other titles, including MU Online and Allods Online. Direct refunds are not offered. Our consolations go out to all players and staff members affected by this shutdown. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!] Webzen puts Arctic Combat on ice originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Shutdown notice Via: MMOCulture

Peek behind SOE's EverQuest Next development curtain Posted: 06 Aug 2013 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next Remember that meany-pants teaser vid for EverQuest Next a couple of weeks back? Of course you do. Who could forget the sight of senior producer Terry Michaels about to open the door to the SOE inner sanctum only to be thwarted by a quick cut to black? Well, SOE has finally aired the rest of that video, and it's basically a quick five-minute tour through the offices where EQN is currently taking shape. Along the way there are interviews with key team members, including creative director Jeff Butler just before he dons an Oculus Rift device, as well as some glimpses of art and in-game vistas. See for yourself after the break. [Thanks Paul!] Continue reading Peek behind SOE's EverQuest Next development curtain Peek behind SOE's EverQuest Next development curtain originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

SWTOR's Titans of Industry patch now live Posted: 06 Aug 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic Star Wars: The Old Republic's latest patch day has brought us Game Update 2.3. Better known as Titans of Industry, the content dump features a new story arc and two new level 55 Flashpoints alongside a handful of fixes, tweaks, and quality-of-life niceties like a new companion pet and the game's first animal mount. BioWare has also released a Titans of Industry teaser trailer which you can view after the cut. Continue reading SWTOR's Titans of Industry patch now live SWTOR's Titans of Industry patch now live originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Jukebox Heroes: RuneScape 3's new sound Posted: 06 Aug 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Interviews, Opinion, RuneScape, Free-to-Play, Jukebox Heroes, Music Amid all of the hoopla surrounding the third major iteration of RuneScape was a notice that many readers may have skipped right over: Jagex authorized the audio team to go ahead and build a new sound engine for RuneScape 3 and record high-fidelity music with a full orchestra. As a result, RuneScape now has over eight hours of ear-blowing awesomeness thanks to composer James Hannigan and the Slovak Symphony Orchestra. I'll be giving RuneScape the traditional Jukebox Heroes treatment in an upcoming column, but today we're going to talk with Jagex Audio Lead Stephen Lord about the enormous effort it took to overhaul the music for RuneScape 3. We've got the inside perspective on making RuneScape's new sound as well as several pieces from the new soundtrack, all after the break! Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: RuneScape 3's new sound Jukebox Heroes: RuneScape 3's new sound originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pirates of the Burning Sea fine-tunes engagement odds Posted: 06 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Patches, PvP, Free-to-Play, Sandbox It's never fun to be the one on the bottom of a PvP dogpile, and the folks at Pirates of the Burning Sea understand that. The developers have been making adjustment to their open sea engagement rules to find the right balance to make a memorable encounter. While the team initially restricted confrontations so that ganking by player mob couldn't happen, the devs admit that the end result wasn't what they had hoped: "That adjustment went too far, and the fights since have by and large been less dynamic." So to bring back some of the unpredictability in encounters without making it a gankfest, the devs will be tweaking engagements so that at maximum they can only be two-on-one fights. They also vowed to keep an eye on these fights going forward, particularly in regard to the reinforcement timers. Pirates of the Burning Sea fine-tunes engagement odds originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Open sea engagements

Six new Age of Wushu faction trailers sighted in the wild Posted: 06 Aug 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Sandbox, Age of Wushu Age of Wushu's expansion is hitting the game's Chinese servers in a couple of days, bringing with it six new factions. MMO Culture has posted teaser trailers for all six, including one for the infamous Rootless Clan that features in-game castration as an entry requirement. There's also a seventh trailer for players who opt to remain faction-less. Click past the cut to see the new videos. Continue reading Six new Age of Wushu faction trailers sighted in the wild Six new Age of Wushu faction trailers sighted in the wild originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

Lord of the Rings Online answers 20 questions about Big Battles Posted: 06 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Community Q&A As Lord of the Rings Online's storyline moves to Helm's Deep, the designers faced a problem. None of the game's existing models for content really fit the scale of the battle, and it just didn't feel right to have a large-scale war shoehorned in to skirmishes or raids. As a result, the team put together a new sort of content, tentatively named Big Battles, and has answered 20 questions about how this new format will play. Players will be able to participate in the content solo or in several group sizes, with each experience tailored for the specific group size rather than simply scaling health values for enemies. Rather than focusing on specific boss encounters, players are going to be part of a larger tactical environment, working toward a large objective instead of pursuing small ones independently. As this style will be replacing traditional instance progression, veteran Lord of the Rings Online players will want to take a close look at what the system entails and how they can work within it. Lord of the Rings Online answers 20 questions about Big Battles originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: 20 Questions - Big Battles

SOE Live 2013: Dragon's Prophet on what makes it so metal Posted: 06 Aug 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, Game Mechanics, Guilds, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), Dragon's Prophet One of the more eye-raising moments this weekend at SOE Live came when President John Smedley showed off the newest trailer for Dragon's Prophet. The video, which we highlighted here at Massively earlier this summer, made an appearance at the keynote and left many in attendance curious about what makes this title so #supermetal. As the game approaches its launch date of September 18th, the development team at SOE took some time this past weekend to give a progress report of how the game is coming together and show off some big changes and additions that are sure to please fans. And if that isn't enough, the team unveiled a new dragon that EverQuest fans will surely appreciate! Continue reading SOE Live 2013: Dragon's Prophet on what makes it so metal SOE Live 2013: Dragon's Prophet on what makes it so metal originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE Live 2013: DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC and beyond Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Expansions, Interviews, Lore, PvP, Free-to-Play, Events (Massively's Coverage), DC Universe Online, Dungeons Just before the events of SOE Live actually got rolling, DC Universe Online's next DLC was announced. But that little bit of foreknowledge certainly didn't mean that folks had heard everything; it was, in fact, quite the opposite. Attendees were treated to an eye-ful and earful of Sons of Trigon goodness as well as some other non-DLC 8 related tidbits. We were on the scene to catch these announcements in the various panels for you, and we also got to speak with Design Director Jesse Benjamin, Producer Larry Liberty, and Creative Director Jens Andersen to hear their thoughts on DCL 8, see a preview of the new areas, and get a hint of what's coming in the future. Continue reading SOE Live 2013: DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC and beyond SOE Live 2013: DCUO's Sons of Trigon DLC and beyond originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guild Wars 2 discusses upcoming arena changes Posted: 06 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Previews, PvP, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play Guild Wars 2 isn't always about stories or elections or even dynamic content. Sometimes it's just about players getting into an arena and smashing each other to pieces. Players fond of the game's Rated Arenas can look forward to some upcoming improvements and additions, starting with a split into solo and team formats rather than the current catch-all header. While the game mechanics will be identified as both, Solo Arenas are composed solely of people queueing up alone, thereby ensuring that both sides of a match are thrown into a random group rather than a premade team facing several assorted members. The arenas will also implement a 72-hour debuff for players who abandon their matches, with five stacks preventing players from queueing up again. The full discussion of these changes goes on to promise more map randomization, spectator mode, and new permanent finishers for fans of rated PvP. It's good news for everyone, unless you made a long habit of joining rated games and then leaving for no reason. Guild Wars 2 discusses upcoming arena changes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: A Look at Upcoming PvP Changes

Flameseeker Chronicles: Crashing Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash Posted: 06 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Lore, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Races, Flameseeker Chronicles, Buy-to-Play ArenaNet's latest release for Guild Wars 2, the Queen's Jubilee, takes place in the human capital city of Divinity's Reach. Not everyone is as giddy about this as I am. Humans are boring. Do we really need another festival-based event? Where's the real lore? However, Divinity's Reach is a hotspot for plot-based drama and intrigue, and setting an event there does more than just encourage players to return to the city for the sake of livening it up: it also sets the stage for ArenaNet to (hopefully) revisit some of the plot elements introduced at the launch of the game. The update will have gone live by the time this article is published, but chances are we won't know every bit of the story right away, so I'm going to take this opportunity to recap some of the pieces on the chess board which could make this event important to more than just humanity. This will necessarily include massive spoilers for the plot of GW2. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Crashing Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash Flameseeker Chronicles: Crashing Guild Wars 2's anniversary bash originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hyperspace Beacon: Five quick and dirty tips for SWTOR update 2.3 Posted: 06 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guides, Hyperspace Beacon, MMORPG This morning, the third major installment to Star Wars: The Old Republic since Rise of the Hutt Cartel hit the servers. BioWare calls Update 2.3 Titans of Industry; I call it Czerka, Czerka, Czerka. I've been on and off test center for the last few weeks, checking out not only the latest zone planet CZ-198 but also the Bounty Contract Week, and I figured that since you guys will likely be jumping right into this new content, I will give you a few tips of my own to help you better succeed in this new venture. Disclaimer: These quick and dirty tips are not endorsed by Czerka Corporation, the Galactic Republic, the Sith Empire, or their affiliates. The Hutt Cartel might endorse these tips, but seriously, when have you known Hutts not to be quick and dirty -- well, at least, dirty? Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Five quick and dirty tips for SWTOR update 2.3 Hyperspace Beacon: Five quick and dirty tips for SWTOR update 2.3 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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