MMO Updates

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• The Road to Mordor: The Helm's Deep info avalanche continues
• CIG patches Star Citizen's hangar, puts Caterpillar on sale
• WRUP: Learn to cheese edition
• The Daily Grind: Would you prefer to level quickly or level 'right'?
• Betawatch: September 14 - 20, 2013
• CCP clarifies EVE terms of service changes again
• Storyboard: You've got to make a living
• Tamriel Infinium: The Nightblade is The Elder Scrolls Online's pirate
• Some Assembly Required Extra: The scoop on Albion Online
• Thrash down a mountain on an Elder Scrolls Online snowboard
• Why I Play: Final Fantasy XIV
• Happy 16th birthday, Ultima Online
• Darkfall's Duelist update also ushered in treasure map changes

The Road to Mordor: The Helm's Deep info avalanche continues Posted: 21 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Free-to-Play, The Road to Mordor Holy moly do we ever have a lot to talk about! For whatever reason, Turbine's been holding onto all of this information about Helm's Deep and then decided to push it all out at once a couple of months prior to the expansion's release. As such, I'm seeing Lord of the Rings Online fans scurry all over the place trying to soak up the news and make sense of it all. It's been... interesting, to say the least. LotRO's in for a packed fall, no matter whether you're feeling psyched, depressed, confused, or anything else in the emotional rainbow. I'm right there with the rest of you, sorting and analyzing. All I can say right now is that (a) I'm welcoming of new content for the game and (b) I've given up trying to predict Turbine. I mean, after it broke with its "[something] of [place]" naming convention, all bets were off, folks. Madness must ensue. Continue reading The Road to Mordor: The Helm's Deep info avalanche continues The Road to Mordor: The Helm's Deep info avalanche continues originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Sep 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

CIG patches Star Citizen's hangar, puts Caterpillar on sale Posted: 21 Sep 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Buy-to-Play Cloud Imperium has released a new patch for Star Citizen's hangar module. The update "contains over 100 changes based on feedback [...] from backers experimenting with the module." Fixes include flickering decals, missing cargo pallets, character sitting and running animations, and more. A complete list of patch notes is available via the SC launcher. CIG is also running a weekend-only promo on the Drake Interplanetary Caterpillar. The cargo and pirate support ship will set you back a cool $225.00, but keep in mind that like all SC pledge ships, the proceeds go directly to development costs and the ships themselves will be earnable via gameplay if you choose not to pre-purchase. CIG patches Star Citizen's hangar, puts Caterpillar on sale originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Sep 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

WRUP: Learn to cheese edition Posted: 21 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous All right, people, it's time for you to learn how to cheese. We're starting with the basics. That picture up there is brie, and it is delicious. It is a soft milky wonder of a cheese. That having been said, if you are eating it without the rind, you are not cheesing properly. The rind is half of the flavor. You need that rind, people. Also worth considering are gruyere and camembert. If you read that and wondered why I didn't mention ricotta, you've unfortunately confused "cheese" with "testament to the sins of Man." Ricotta is horrible. Learn to cheese. Now, let's talk about WRUP. That's all about what the Massively staff is up to this weekend. Very little cheese is involved. If your world has been rocked by the idea of cheese, it will be a breath of fresh air. But seriously, please, learn to cheese. This is important to me. Continue reading WRUP: Learn to cheese edition WRUP: Learn to cheese edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Sep 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Would you prefer to level quickly or level 'right'? Posted: 21 Sep 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous There is almost always a method to speed your character along to the level cap. Sometimes it's just slightly faster than the path you're supposed to take; sometimes it's orders of magnitude quicker. It almost always does not involve actually challenging content. Instead, you grind something repetitive with good rewards (FATE parties in Final Fantasy XIV, rifts in RIFT, and so forth) until you can happily say that you're at the level cap and ready to take part in the endgame. Of course, you frequently aren't ready to participate in that endgame, as the past however many levels didn't really teach you how to play the game except for efficiency. For some people, learning at that point is easier than learning as they go. For others, it's better to take a little longer to hit the cap on the condition that you'll know how to play the game better when you get there. So which do you prefer? Learning along the way or just learning when you're at the top? 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: Would you prefer to level quickly or level 'right'? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Sep 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Betawatch: September 14 - 20, 2013 Posted: 20 Sep 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous It's hard to make a free-to-play Eastern-style fantasy MMO stand out amidst a sea of similar games. Heva Clonia Online is hoping to be seen as unique thanks to its pet system; it's just entered closed testing, so you can see for yourself how successful it's been at that goal. There's no barrier to entering World of Warplanes at the moment, as it's in open beta, but its official release date has been moved ahead by a month and a half. Silent Hunter Online will provide lovers of military hardware another open-testing outlet for their enjoyment, although the game struggles a bit to really justify the "online" portion of its title. Oh, and there's still a big old list of games just past the break for anyone interested in a title not mentioned here. If something in the list has sneaked in a cash shop, please let us know down in the comments. Continue reading Betawatch: September 14 - 20, 2013 Betawatch: September 14 - 20, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

CCP clarifies EVE terms of service changes again Posted: 20 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, News Items, Legal, Sandbox You may remember that about a week ago CCP incurred the ire of many fans by rewording EVE Online's Terms of Service, which according to many threatened to put a stranglehold on players hoping to scam some chumps by impersonating another player. Well, as part of the ongoing madness/dialogue between players and CCP, the studio has posted a clarification on the game's official site. Specifically, the post clarifies that "the purpose of the ToS update was to pull bits of existing policy into a prominent place where everyone would be able to see it, rather than requiring players to dig through EULA and Naming Policy to fully understand all the rules regarding impersonation." The post goes on to dig through the history of CCP's policies on impersonation from the beginning and the changes they have undergone since. You can find all those nitty-gritty details in the official post, but the takeaway from CCP seems to be that the only thing that has changed is the wording of the terms of service and that CCP will continue to handle cases of impersonation in the same way it has in the past. If you want to read the whole statement for yourself, just click on through the link below. CCP clarifies EVE terms of service changes again originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EVE Online -- Terms of Service History and Clarification

Storyboard: You've got to make a living Posted: 20 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Opinion, Roleplaying, Storyboard, Miscellaneous Your character does something to stay alive. No, I'm not talking about fighting off demons or flesh-eating wolves or whatever else you blunder into on a regular basis. I mean that your character either needs to construct shelter, gather food, and produce clothes himself, or he has to pay someone to do it. Yes, most games probably allow for the possibility that those wolves contain enough meat, articles of clothing, and end tables to provide all of the above. That would be a separation of mechanics and story. It's much more fun than watching most of your characters die of infections caused by mild scrapes against rusty metal. As a roleplayer, you need to think about what your character does for a living, not just because it gives you an explanation for what's going on when you aren't playing (although that certainly helps) but because what we do informs a lot of who we are as people. It's always better to show than tell, and nothing shows quite as nicely as character occupations done right. Continue reading Storyboard: You've got to make a living Storyboard: You've got to make a living originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tamriel Infinium: The Nightblade is The Elder Scrolls Online's pirate Posted: 20 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, PvP, PvE, Opinion, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription, MMORPG, Tamriel Infinium Yesterday marked the official 11th anniversary of Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day. And since I write this column a day before its released, that would be today for me. So ahoy, maties, and all that. Although there are pirates in Elder Scrolls lore, I think we should talk about the biggest pirate-like class in the Elder Scrolls Online: the Nightblade. Most likely, this will be the first class I will try. I'm excited about this class mostly because of the fast action combat of ESO and the diverse DPS that the class appears to bring to the playing field. Oh, yeah, and who doesn't like to turn invisible? From the reports coming out of PAX and other conventions, the Nightblade appears to be the first rogue class that I've seen that has some strong viability in a PvE setting, but of course, the class still plays wonderfully in PvP. Stick with me as I break down my thoughts on the class as we know it. Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: The Nightblade is The Elder Scrolls Online's pirate Tamriel Infinium: The Nightblade is The Elder Scrolls Online's pirate originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Some Assembly Required Extra: The scoop on Albion Online Posted: 20 Sep 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, Interviews, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox, Housing, Player-Generated Content After a long drought in the industry, the tide of the sandbox gaming is finally coming in. This year can definitely be called the year of the sandbox. While not all of them are out yet, many more games promising those features we love are in development now than ever before. In fact, there are so many titles floating about now that it can be hard to keep them straight! One of the latest upcoming titles to be announced is the stylized, medieval sandbox Albion Online. With such offerings as territory control, housing, a player-driven economy, and full looting, this game certainly fits the sandbox bill. Heck, the development company is even named Sandbox Interactive! But what makes Albion Online stand out from the pack is that it will be a cross-platform experience; players will be accessing the game via both tablets and PCs. Of course, as promising as it may sound, just a terse feature list doesn't give players the kind of details we want. So to get the scoop, I had a chat with Sandbox Interactive CEO Stefan Wiezorek, who shared more information about the economy, housing,the skill system, PvP, and territory control. Continue reading Some Assembly Required Extra: The scoop on Albion Online Some Assembly Required Extra: The scoop on Albion Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Thrash down a mountain on an Elder Scrolls Online snowboard Posted: 20 Sep 2013 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Humor, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription When you're about to stomp that pickle-reaver on a double-black diamond, you want to make sure that everyone around you knows exactly what video game you support. That's why Bethesda is selling a limited edition snowboard for The Elder Scrolls Online. MMOs need all the slope cred they can get these days, we suppose. The Ebonheart Snowboard will cost you a cool $500, and that's if you're able to secure one of the only 50 boards being made. The art on the board is done by former ArenaNet artist Kekai Kotaki, and the board itself is an all-terrain, all-condition model. And yes, before you ask, the RDS 2 Damping System is included. Currently the Bethesda Store is accepting pre-orders for the snowboard, promising to ship it this December. Thrash down a mountain on an Elder Scrolls Online snowboard originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Bethesda Store

Why I Play: Final Fantasy XIV Posted: 20 Sep 2013 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Lore, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Why I Play, Subscription I hate two kinds of MMO: themeparks and sandboxes. Much like "nerf," these are two terms that have been beaten into the ground until they no longer have any intrinsic meaning. The original "themepark" game was freaking EverQuest, which is not what anyone thinks of when he uses the term in a more modern sense. There's more concern given to whether or not a game fits into a given category than whether or not it's actually fun to play. And that is a bad thing. Sure, your sandbox features a great housing system, but so does The Sims 3, and the latter doesn't abandon me in a featureless wasteland that eschews actual content in favor of letting me choose my final destination (here's a hint: All those destinations are grinding). Yes, Mr. Themepark, I see you chuckling in the background, but your single leveling path followed by the exact same huge-group gear-grabbing jamboree is not better, just annoying in a different way. That's why I play Final Fantasy XIV. But I should probably elaborate a bit on that. Continue reading Why I Play: Final Fantasy XIV Why I Play: Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Happy 16th birthday, Ultima Online Posted: 20 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Patches, News Items, Ultima Online, Anniversaries, Subscription, MMORPG I've taken my share of ribbing from the youngins on the Massively staff (as well as the readers!) about my continuing obsession with Ultima Online, but I can't help it: It's hard not to love the game that effectively started it all, especially in an age when MMORPGs have veered so dramatically from the standards set for them by the earliest titles. Next week, Ultima Online turns 16, and you'd better believe we'll be at the party. To honor the game, of course -- not just to gobble free cake. Earlier in the summer, we took a deep dive into the current state of the game (as well as its music!), but since that article ran, Mythic has been ratcheting up the update machine. It's bringing out new veteran rewards, an anniversary event complete with the usual round of anniversary festivities, and a new patch that includes tweaks to the Clean Up Britannia rewards and turn-in system, new Halloween content, and new character titles. Oh, and did I mention players will be embarking on the first part of a new dynamic story arc? With any luck, this one won't end with the brick-by-brick destruction of a beloved NPC town (but hey, at least actions in the game have permanence!). The big party is happening this Saturday, September 21st, on the test server so that everyone can attend no matter his home server. Expect a hedge-maze scavenger hunt, design contest, and storytelling event, complete with some pretty pricey prizes. See you there, and happy birthday, UO! Happy 16th birthday, Ultima Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Darkfall's Duelist update also ushered in treasure map changes Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Classes, Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, News Items, Sandbox With a brand new Skirmisher school -- the Duelist -- to try out courtesy of Darkfall's most recent update, it would be understandable if players didn't noticed the other aspects of the patch that hit Agon this week. Along with fixes in the areas of performance, conquest, and the world, an overhauled treasure map system was introduced where map size determines treasure placement. This new system means that treasure maps will no longer direct you to a spawn randomly anywhere in the world. Instead, the size of the treasure map dictates in what level of danger zone the spawn will be located. Small maps will lead to a lower danger zone, but to dig up the treasure from a large map, players will have to venture into Danger Level V zones. These changes and more can be found in the patch notes. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip.] Darkfall's Duelist update also ushered in treasure map changes originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

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MMOGaming News

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• Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn – Leveling Process, Review – Part 1
• WoW Fan Art: Dekaron and The Brew Story of Chen
• Blizzard Hiring eSports Director for All-Stars
• World of Warplanes Bumps Release Dates to November

Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn – Leveling Process, Review – Part 1 Posted: Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is the newest online sensations that almost everyone keeps talking about, we all know the story behind this game, it's a re-release of the original FF14 back in 2010 and we also know that the original game was full of issues, bugs and design problems. Continue reading Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn – Leveling Process, Review – Part 1.

WoW Fan Art: Dekaron and The Brew Story of Chen Posted: The World of Warcraft Fan Art Section has been updated with three new pieces of fan artwork, Dekaron and The Brew Story of Chen. Continue reading WoW Fan Art: Dekaron and The Brew Story of Chen.

Blizzard Hiring eSports Director for All-Stars Posted: Blizzard has posted looking for an E-Sports director for the upcoming title, amongst other things. It's been a long time since any news has come out about Blizzard All-Stars. Continue reading Blizzard Hiring eSports Director for All-Stars.

World of Warplanes Bumps Release Dates to November Posted: World of Warplanes's official website has changed its official release date from September 25 and 26 to November 12 (for the Russian Commonwealth of Independent States) and 13 (for both North America and Europe). Continue reading World of Warplanes Bumps Release Dates to November.

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MMORPG Reviews

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Wargaming.net delays the launch date of World of Warplanes Posted: 20 Sep 2013 04:51 AM PDT Wargaming.net has announced today that they have changed the worldwide launch date for its anticipated flight combat action MMO World of Warplanes to November 12 and 13. Wargaming is going to use the time gained with this delay to polish more game, so when it is released, players can enjoy a richer, more absorbent and [...] The post Wargaming.net delays the launch date of World of Warplanes appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.

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General Gaming Article

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• BioShock Infinite Review
• Get a Visual Tour Inside 1&1’s Massive Data Center
• Valve Teases Trio of Upcoming Steam Announcements
• Steve Ballmer Believes Google Has Reached Monopoly Status
• Google is Rewarding QuickOffice Users with 10GB of Online Storage for 2 Years
• Director Robert Rodriguez Taps AMD Technology to Power "Machete Kills" Film
• PSA: Microsoft Designed the Xbox One Console to Lay Flat
• Newegg Daily Deals: AVerMedia Live Gamer HD, Intel Core i5 4570, and More!

BioShock Infinite Review Posted: 20 Sep 2013 03:57 PM PDT Would you kindly play this game? How do you critique a dream? It's the problem we face in reviewing Irrational Games's BioShock Infinite, a game that straddles the gap between an adventure title and a first-person shooter. The visuals within BioShock Infinite can be awe-inspiring. That's not a reflection of its overt design—BioShock Infinite is, at its core, a title that will leave those with less-developed keyboard and mouse skills a bit sad. Rather, the flawlessness of the game's storytelling and general structure compels a player to want to explore, not shoot. BioShock Infinite, once you beat it—and kudos to you for making it through the game's final challenge, which is a bit of an unexpected kick in the pants to its difficulty level—just makes sense. The game's big reveal helps to write away some of the frustrations you might feel when pushing your way toward the conclusion, ever driven by BioShock Infinite's exceedingly complicated storyline and wonderfully drafted protagonists. We had hoped for a title that eschews raw gunslinging for role-playing, one that allows a player more choice and flexibility in gameplay—sadly, this is not it. Instead, BioShock Infinite offers a fairly linear progression that feels like a step back of sorts from the game's predecessors. BioShock Infinite is the truest journey into the unknown, accentuated by flashbacks and other plot devices that give the story a perfect, full-circle narrative (no spoilers). You'll be confused. You might even be bored at times—thanks to those action elements that, quite frankly, are hardly as compelling as your character's stumbles through a world that doesn't make sense, won't make sense, and makes less sense the more you uncover its secrets. In its third BioShock offering, Irrational has perfected the art of, well, being BioShock, which requires mastering a tricky balance of aloofness, storytelling, and just plain weird that you don't often see quite as brilliantly mixed in other similarly "odd" titles. We're loathe to discuss the plot of BioShock Infinite to our usual detailed degree due to the transformative experience that Irrational builds during your trip through the 1912 world of Columbia—truly, a city in the clouds. In many ways, the game's plot is what you make of it; blast your way through with reckless abandon and you'll lose some of the flavorful storytelling elements that require a bit more sleuthing to uncover. And God help you when it comes time to parse the game's overall plot during its big conclusion—you'll get a nosebleed. What we can say is this: You're tasked with tracking down a girl, Elizabeth. This quest pushes you through all the oddities of an Andrew Ryan–like totalitarianism—based on religious zealotry this time around, not capitalism—throws in the age-old plot device of forcing your character, Booker DeWitt, to run the gauntlet between two warring factions, and then just gets plain strange. The strange parts offer up some of the game's most intellectually stimulating moments, assuming that they don't completely turn you away from finishing the title outright. They could. You'll wonder why '70s rock music and other "modern" songs coexist in the same realm where you're shooting up giant robotic Abraham Lincolns and blasting them with wicked powers from your glowing left hand. A giant George Washington robot carrying a huge gun is something we wouldn't want to piss off. We're not huge fans of the game's combat elements, precisely because they aren't really all that difficult, nor do they offer a great deal of variety or interest. Your guns are fun, but relatively standard—pistols, machine guns, burst-fire machine guns, sniper rifles, etc. They're upgradable to a small extent via purchasable elements from the litany of terminals scattered throughout the game, which present a fun challenge in itself: You have limited resources to upgrade. Unless you frequently spend big on ammunition, you'll find yourself frequently switching between whatever guns you happen to be able to pick up. Which is to say, don't bank on always having a favorite at your disposal during an extended firefight. Your left-hand "Vigor" powers—an icon of the BioShock universe—are a bit more varied. You can zap, firebomb, push, and even turn enemies to your side (they kill themselves when they're finished fighting for you, one of the game's first "oh, wow" moments). These, too, can be upgraded, but at a significantly greater cost than your guns. You can also string your powers together to form some unique and painful combinations, but this is definitely one of BioShock Infinite's less-advertised bits. (We hope you saved your Salts.) The game's baddies are decently intelligent, but BioShock Infinite is a bit fonder of throwing legions of pain at you and forcing you to come up with fun ways to kill them without turning to fisticuffs (which, we note, is still fun). You do get some strategic elements to play with around midway through the game, thanks to your travelling companion, Elizabeth—as to how, we won't spoil. However, these bits make some fights almost too easy, though we do appreciate being able to summon friendly, chaingun-carrying robots to hang out with us. The world of Columbia does tie into historical events… to a certain extent. And then there's Elizabeth. Irrational has polished the nuances of your travelling companion to such a degree that you might actually find yourself emotionally struck by the various twists and turns you two take throughout your journey(s) in Columbia and beyond. Not since Valve's GLaDOS have we felt that a developer perfectly nailed a character's presentation in such a compelling, captivating fashion. This is helped in part by the game's mechanics—specifically, its help-you system, which has Elizabeth tossing you items whenever you seem to need them most. Not only does she save your gaming butt, the experience further cements the unique bond that Irrational often evokes between your character and hers. She's not just a combat droid along for the ride; she's humanity in digital form. If you don't believe us, go hunting around for a guitar within the game; the single scene of Elizabeth singing Columbia's "theme," as it were, is easily one of the more poignant (albeit subtle) moments we've experienced in a first-person shooter. Heck, she'll even warm her hands on a fireplace when you enter a room that has one—it's subtle, but critical believability. BioShock Infinite's pacing and "learnability" is ideal; its complexity is vast yet subtle, precisely based on how deep you're willing to try new tactics and features as you play. Its characterization and environments are as beautiful as its dystopian setting is disturbing and, at times, racist. You owe it to yourself to play this game all the way through, if for nothing else than the hours you'll spend debating its merits (if not its ending) with your gamer friends. The world of BioShock doesn't get much better than this. $60, www.bioshockinfinite.com

Get a Visual Tour Inside 1&1’s Massive Data Center Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:48 AM PDT Web hosting company invites us to Kansas to check out its 55,000 square-foot facility To celebrate its 10-year anniversary in the United States, web hosting company 1&1 invited us to check out its sophisticated 55,000 square-foot data center in Lenexa, Kansas.  If you're unfamiliar with 1&1, the company started in Germany in 1998 and focuses on helping people and small-to-medium businesses build websites. The company's research shows that many small-to-medium companies want to build professional-quality sites, but are intimidated by the process. When we met with 1&1, the company said that its straightforward "MyWebsite" content management system has gone a long way in streamlining this process for over 500,000 customers. This is quite impressive when you consider that this feature has been around for less than two years. Want to integrate e-shop apps, PayPal support, or social media integration on to your website? Simply drag and drop those supported apps on to your web page using the company's site-building tool. That is not to say the web hosting company doesn't support other content management systems, however. If you'd rather use Wordpress, Drupal, or other popular services and just wanted to register a web domain through 1&1, that's an option too. As a result of its business practices, 1&1 is now one of the largest web hosting companies in the world.  When we spoke with 1&1, the company said that the Internet landscape will really change in the next few years with over 700 new top level domains (TLDs) rolling out. This means that instead of seeing ".com" at the end of every website, you'll begin to see .music, .blog, .nyc, and more. 1&1 says that these new TLDs will bolster relevant search engine optimizations (SEO) and help local businesses with geo-location searches. To take advantage of this, 1&1 says that it has worked out an agreement to register these new  TLDs from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It will be interesting to see how these developments affects the online landscape moving forward. Regardless, the thing that got us most excited about 1&1 was being able to visit the company's high-tech data center. To get a glimpse of what it was like on the inside, check out our pics and descriptions below!

Valve Teases Trio of Upcoming Steam Announcements Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:20 AM PDT Something bold is brewing at Steam Valve co-founder Gabe Newell turned a few heads earlier in the week at the LinuxCon 2013 conference by saying the next step for his company is to release some work it's been doing on the hardware side of things. Many speculated he could be referring to an official Steambox, though even if that's the case, it won't be the only thing Steam is cooking up for next year. Valve will make three announcements next week. If you head over to http://store.steampowered.com/living/room, you'll see the headline, "The Steam Universe is Expanding in 2014," along with placeholders for three announcements at the bottom. The first one will be revealed on Monday, though there isn't much in the way of clues if you're trying to guess beforehand. "Last year, we shipped a software feature called Big Picture, a user-interface tailored for televisions and gamepads. This year we've been working on even more ways to connect the dots for customers who want Steam in the living-room," Valve states on its teaser page. "Soon, we'll be adding you to our design process, so that you can help us shape the future of Steam." Other than an official Steambox, it's possible Valve will announce a Linux-based Steam operating system to drive its hardware. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Steve Ballmer Believes Google Has Reached Monopoly Status Posted: 20 Sep 2013 09:17 AM PDT Ballmer drops the "M" word at Google There was a time not all that long ago that when you heard the word "monopoly" being used in tech circles, it was often directed at Microsoft. Some would still argue that Microsoft is a monopoly, but underscoring the changing of the guard as the market transitions to mobile, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer tossed the "m" word at Google during an annual meeting with financial analysts. In response to a question about how Microsoft can make money in consumer services, Ballmer pointed out that Google has found a way, and then added a bit of a quip in some followup remarks. "They have this incredible, amazing, dare I say monopoly that we are the only person left on the planet trying to compete with," Ballmer said, according to The Verge. Ballmer points out that Microsoft with its Bing search engine is the only company in the world attempting to compete with Google's dominance in search and advertising. Even though Bing is in second place with a 17.9 percent share of the search market, there's a tremendous gap between it and Google, which commands a 67 percent share. "I do believe that Google's practices are worthy of discussion with competition authority, and we have certainly discussed them with competition authorities," Ballmer added. "I don't think their practices are getting less meritorious of discussion." Ballmer has never been once to mince words, though now that he's announced his retirement, there may be even less of a filter between what he's thinking and what he says. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Google is Rewarding QuickOffice Users with 10GB of Online Storage for 2 Years Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:58 AM PDT QuickOffice is now free and comes with a perk Google is determined to win the cloud wars, and to prove it, the company announced that its document editing software QuickOffice is now free for both Android and iOS platforms. Prior to Google's pro bono change of heart, this was a $20 program, which is popular for its ability to let you edit Microsoft Office documents on your smartphone or tablet. Not only is it now free, but Google is giving away online storage, too. Just sign into your Google Account from the new QuickOffice app for either platform by September 26, 2013, and you'll receive an extra 10GB of Google Drive storage to your account for two years (it will show up sometime in the next few weeks, Google says). Combined with the free app, that's not a bad haul for no out-of-pocket expense. Google removed the old version of QuickOffice from Apple's App Store and Google Play, so there's no confusing which one you're downloading. The updated app also has some new features, including a refreshed icon, the ability to create ZIP folders, and the ability to view charts in Excel and PowerPoint files. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Director Robert Rodriguez Taps AMD Technology to Power "Machete Kills" Film Posted: 20 Sep 2013 07:52 AM PDT AMD goes to Hollywood You may have seen a trailer for "Machete Kills," an upcoming sequel to "Machete" starring Danny Trejo, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara, Michelle Rodriguez, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., and even Lady Gaga (her first cinematic appearance). There are some big names there, though they're not the only recognizable ones involved with the film. Behind the scenes is another big name: AMD. Quick Draw Studio's visual effects division, Troublemaker Digital, is using AMD Opteron processors and FirePro graphics cards on many of the movies it's involved with, including "Machete Kills." According to AMD, director Robert Rodriguez of Quick Draw Studios is a pioneer in the use of computing technology for big-screen action and high fidelity imagery in major motion pictures. "Editing, content creation and special effects were all made easier with AMD technology in our studios," Rodriguez said. "We just had to put AMD's brand in the film as a special shoutout to a great technology partner, and we had a lot of fun bringing this sequel to life. 'Machete Kills' is action-packed and very visually rich, and we pushed our creative process even further on this release." This isn't Rodriguez's first time tapping into AMD. He's also used the Sunnyvale chip designer's hardware in a bunch of previous films, including the first "Machete," "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams," "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over," and "Sin City," among several others. "Machete Kills" come to theaters in October. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

PSA: Microsoft Designed the Xbox One Console to Lay Flat Posted: 20 Sep 2013 07:08 AM PDT Go vertical at your own risk Here's a heads up for any of you who may have pre-ordered or otherwise plan on purchasing an Xbox One game console. Depending on how adventurous you're feeling, you may need to rearrange your AV cabinet if you've already made room for the console and assumed it would be okay place it vertically. Turns out it's not okay and you could actually damage the console if you don't lay it flat. So says Albert Panello, senior director of product management and planning at Xbox, who spoke with GameSpot at the Tokyo Game Show this week. "We don't support vertical orientation; do it at your own risk," Panello said. "It wouldn't be a cooling problem, we just didn't design the drive for vertical. Because it's a slot loading drive, we just didn't design it for both." To us, that seems like a major oversight, especially since the Xbox One is the most expensive of all three next generation consoles (it also comes with a Kinect motion controller, so it's not an arbitrary price difference). And it's not like Microsoft is breaking new ground here. Both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 sport similar designs with slot-loading optical drives, but you're free to orient them vertically or horizontally. Panello reasons that through Microsoft's own research, the company found that 80 percent of people situate their Xbox console horizontally anyway. Even if true, 20 percent is a big chunk to flip the finger at. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: AVerMedia Live Gamer HD, Intel Core i5 4570, and More! Posted: 20 Sep 2013 05:51 AM PDT Top Deal: If all you're doing is playing video games, you're missing out on half the fun. The other part of the equation is recording your epic gaming moments and sharing them online. All you need is a capture device, and it just so happens that today's top deal is for an AVerMedia Live Gamer HD Capture Card for $150 with free shipping (normally $170 - use couopn code GAMING9212). Armed with a PCI-E x1 interface, this capture card records 1080p@60 gameplay and lets you add live voice commentary, too. Other Deals: Intel Core i5-4570 Haswell 3.2GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $190 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [GAMING9197]) LG 24EB23PY-B Black 24" 5ms LCD Monitor w/ Built-in Speakers for $225 with free shipping (normally $250 - use coupon code: [LGCMNT23]) OCZ Fatal1ty 550W Modular Power Supply for $63 with free shipping (normally $70 - use coupon code: [SECX10]; additional $30 Mail-in rebate) Raidmax Helios Black Steel/Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case for $45 with free shipping (normally $60 - use coupon code: [GAMING9188]; additional $15 Mail-in rebate)

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