General Gaming Article

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• Google Acquires AI Developer DeepMind
• Google Play Music All Access vs. Spotify
• Nvidia GeForce 334.67 Beta Drivers Now Available to Download
• Leaked Screenshots Supposedly Show Left 4 Dead 2 Rebuilt Using Source 2.0 Engine
• CyberPowerPC Jumpstarts Zeus Mini SFF Series with Eight Pre-Built Configurations
• Angry Birds Maker Denies Knowingly Sending User Data to Spy Agencies
• Newegg Daily Deals: Gigabyte GP-H11 Aluminum In-Ear Headphones, Intel Core i5 4670K, and More!

Google Acquires AI Developer DeepMind Posted: 28 Jan 2014 05:22 PM PST Google continues to grow one company at a time Google has purchased DeepMind and confirmed the business transaction to technology website ReCode, though declined to reveal the amount of money paid. According to the website, though, an initial amount of $400 million was offered for the London-based company.  DeepMind was founded in 2011 by computer game designer and neuroscientist Demis Hassabis along with Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman. The purpose of this compay is to combine "the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms."  Unfortunately, information about DeepMind and its projects are shrouded in secrecy and Google has refused to offer up any information as to its plans for the company's projects that include applications for simulations, e-commerce, and games.  The purchase of DeepMind follows a couple weeks after Google obtained Nest Labs, a company that develops thermostats and smoke alarms connected to the internet, for $3.2 billion. Then there was the acquisition of companies involved with robotics such as Boston Dynamics. Could it be that Google is developing an army of robots? Let us know what you think of these acquisitions in the comments below.

Google Play Music All Access vs. Spotify Posted: 28 Jan 2014 04:37 PM PST Google Play Music All Access vs. Spotify Rocky Marciano never lost a bout during his professional career, and so far in our own sanctioned cage fights, neither has Spotify. The spunky streaming music service handily dispatched Rdio when we tossed the two in a ring two years ago, and more recently, Xbox Music took a beating, losing four out of five rounds. Google, however, has come out swinging with a promising music service of its own: Google Play Music All Access. Will there finally be a new champ? For an in-depth comparison of all the different music streaming services, click here to read our best music streaming services roundup.  Round 1: Music Library Let's cut right to the chase—the real reason to consider subscribing to a streaming music service is for the music catalog. Size matters, and the bigger and more robust the selection of tunes, the better. At last count, Spotify was sitting pretty with around 20 million tracks and deals with all three major music labels (Universal, Sony, and Warner). Google also brought the big three on board and boasts 18 million–plus songs. With both services having lured the big fish to their respective ponds and both offering a similar number of tunes, we directed our attention to indie artists and obscure bands to see if either had an advantage over the other. It turns out they don't. Artists and bands like Ted Hawkins, Psychostick, and Apples in Stereo lie in wait, as do indie favorites like The National and Passion Pit. For all intents and purposes, this category's a draw. Winner: Tie Round 2: Pricing Google Play Music All Access (an unnecessarily long and clumsy name for a subscription service, by the way) burst into the streaming scene with an introductory price of $8 per month for anyone who signed up for a free trial by June 30, 2013. That deal will be long gone by the time you read this, so if you didn't hop on board, the price is now $10 per month. What that gets you is unlimited ad-free listening to Google's entire music catalog along with a Pandora-like radio service with unlimited skips. Spotify's Premium tier also runs $10 per month, but it's not the only option available. If you just want to access music on your PC without the ability to download tunes for offline listening, the price is cut in half. Alternately, you can get on-demand access to songs for free on your PC if you're willing to tolerate ads. Spotify's desktop client still has a tendency to feel cluttered, though it's relatively easy to navigate. Winner: Spotify Round 3: Platform and Device Support Spotify launched over four years ago (over two years ago in the United States) and is now available on just about every platform you can think of. Surprisingly, in-browser listening is a feature that was only recently added, but it's there, along with support for Android (including Kindle devices), iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry (select devices), Symbian (also on select Nokia phones), PC, and Mac. In stark contrast, Google's relatively new minted streaming music service is only available on Android, though an iOS app is in the works and may be available to download by the time you read this. While casting a net over Android and iOS catches the majority of mobile users, it won't come as any consolation to Windows Phone 7/8 or BlackBerry users. We suspect it's only a matter of time before Google invites more mobile users to the party, but for now, this is another round that belongs to Spotify. Winner: Spotify Round 4: Audio Quality Today's mobile devices aren't equipped with speakers that would delight an audiophile, but they're not total garbage, either. Audio quality matters, especially if you're plugging a high-end headset or earphones into your phone's audio jack, so it's up to Google and Spotify to serve up streams that don't sound like they're traveling across string from one tin can to another. Fortunately, both belt out tunes at up to 320Kb/s. By default, Spotify assumes you're more concerned with your data cap than with the highest quality stream available, so you'll have to go into Settings to change things. The Low setting equates to 96Kb/s, High translates to 160Kb/s, and Extreme quality is 320Kb/s. Google doesn't offer as much fine-grain control and instead chooses a bitrate based on your Internet connection, though you can insist on only receiving 320Kb/s streams regardless of available bandwidth. Winner: Tie Round 5: Interface Though it's the new kid on the block, Google has amassed an army of tunes ranging from mainstream artists to obscure bands. Spotify's desktop application is a far cry from a fine piece of art, and as we've lamented in the past, it can feel cluttered at times. The latest version is a slight improvement from the last time we examined it, but it still lacks the modern UI feel with larger tiles that's becoming so prominent. The mobile app, however, is less busy and generally much easier to navigate. Even so, Google's implementation is a bit slicker overall. Swiping from the left brings up a menu giving quick access to things like your library, playlists, and the radio feature. Google also takes advantage of tiles at every turn and it just feels like a more modern platform than Spotify. We also like that you can add artists to your library, which Google then uses to make recommendations based on who and what you like to listen to. Winner: Google Play Music All Access And the Winner Is… Google Play Music All Access is a slick-looking service with a lot of promise and eventually it's going to give the competition a serious run for its money, but today is not that day. For now, Spotify remains the undefeated champ, a sure sign of a mature contender that knows the ropes. Most notably, Spotify recognizes the importance of supporting multiple mobile platforms, and it doesn't hurt to offer multiple pricing tiers, either. Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of the magazine.

Nvidia GeForce 334.67 Beta Drivers Now Available to Download Posted: 28 Jan 2014 10:31 AM PST Includes several new and improved 3D Vision profiles Itching to try out some new graphics drivers? You're in luck, provided you own Nvidia hardware and don't mind tempting fate by installing beta code. That's because Nvidia has made available its new GeForce 334.67 beta drivers, which introduce a variety of new SLI and 3D Vision profiles. Nvidia also baked in the obligatory performance and system stability tweaks that typically accompany each new driver release. New SLI profiles include HeartStone: Heroes of Warcraft and Gass Guzzlers. On the 3D Vision side, Nvidia added or updated a dozen titles, including Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Bioshock Infinite, Hitman: Absolution, Assassin's Creed III, Sniper Elite V2, Battlefield 4, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Saints Row 4, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Far Cry 3, Total War: Shogun 2, and Warframe. The driver is bundled with GeForce Experience version 1.8.2, which includes support for Nvidia's GameStream technology. Also included is the beta version of GeForce ShadowPlay with "several highly-requested features" ranging from quality customizations (resolution, capture frame rate, capture bitrate) to support for microphone recordings and 5.1 audio. You can download the beta drivers direct from Nvidia. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Leaked Screenshots Supposedly Show Left 4 Dead 2 Rebuilt Using Source 2.0 Engine Posted: 28 Jan 2014 10:10 AM PST Real or fake, these are some snazzy looking screenshots The gaming community is abuzz with what are claimed to be leaked screenshots contained in a confidential PowerPoint presentation from Valve showing portions of Left 4 Dead 2 redrawn with the next generation Source 2.0 engine. While we'll temper our excitement until if or when Valve makes an official announcement, giving some credence to the leaked photos is that they were posted by Neogaf user "CBOAT" (crazy buttocks on a train), who despite the silly nickname has a history of leaking confidential information to the masses. He's also made inaccurate predictions on a number of occasions, so keep that in mind when viewing the L4D2 screenshots. Disclaimer aside, one of the screenshots shows the Plantation level in L4D2 as you've never seen it before. It's much more detailed and makes better use of lighting effects than the current version. Slide 20 on the supposedly leaked PowerPoint gets into some of the technical details of Source 2.0, though it's unfortunately only partially visible. It discusses redesigned tools and workflow with the following: Powerful GUI front end for content authoring (can be easily extended with custom and pre-game assets) Browser for quickly finding, managing, editing assets Simple, automatic compiling of content The PowerPoint slide has gamers dreaming about Left 4 Dead 3 and Half Life 3, both of which would be obvious candidates to show off Source 2.0. However, there's no mention of either title in the slides. If this ends up being real, it's entirely possible that Valve is simply working on an updated L4D2 release and nothing more. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

CyberPowerPC Jumpstarts Zeus Mini SFF Series with Eight Pre-Built Configurations Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST A new crop of small form factor gaming PCs starting at $599 Don't have room for a hulking desktop tower but still want to get your gaming fix? CyberPowerPC may have a solution. The boutique system builder today rolled out eight pre-built Zeus Mini Small Form Factor (SSF) Series PCs ranging in price from $599 to $1,479. In an attempt to cater to all preferences, you'll find Intel and AMD systems rocking AMD and Nvidia graphics solutions. According to CyberPowerPC, the Zeus Mini more than doubles the cooling performance over standard SFF gaming systems with its ability to install 240mm liquid cooling solutions. Beyond cooling, all Zeus Mini models feature three USB 3.0 ports (two in front, on in back), HDMI 1.4 output, S/PDIF, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. The Zeus Mini-A 100 is the least expensive at $599 and includes an AMD A10 A7850K APU (Kaveri) with Radeon R7 graphics, 8GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, 8x slim DVD burner, and Windows 8.1 On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive model is the Zeus Mini-I 780 with an Intel Core i7 4770K foundation. It also features Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 graphics, 16GB of RAM and 2TB hard drive, along wtih the same DVD burner and Windows 8.1 OS. CyberPowerPC's customizable Zeus Mini PCs are available now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Angry Birds Maker Denies Knowingly Sending User Data to Spy Agencies Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:11 AM PST Rovio responds to reports of NSA taking advantage of leaky apps Several news agencies on Monday reported that the National Security Agency and its U.K. counterpart (Britain's Government Communications Headquarters) have been working together to collect data from dozens of so-called "leaky" smartphone apps, including Rovio's popular Angry Birds game. Top secret documents claim these apps transmit all kinds of user information over the web, which spy agencies scoop up and store. Having been called out specifically by several reports, Rovio issued a statement denying it collaborates with any spying organization. To be clear, the classified documents don't suggest that these agencies are necessarily working directly with app makers. As it pertains to Rovio, the NSA and its U.K. cohort are tapping into third-party advertising networks to collect personal data transmitted by the Angry Birds app. Rovio denies it's been working with these agencies and says if advertising networks are indeed being targeted, then no Internet-enabled devices that visits ad-enabled websites or uses ad-enabled apps is immune to such surveillance. "Our fans' trust is the most important thing for us and we take privacy extremely seriously. We do not collaborate, collude, or share data with spy agencies anywhere in the world. As the alleged surveillance might be happening through third party advertising networks, the most important conversation to be had is how to ensure user privacy is protected while preventing the negative impact on the whole advertising industry and the countless mobile apps that rely on ad networks", Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio Entertainment, stated in a blog post today. "In order to protect our end users, we will, like all other companies using third party advertising networks, have to re-evaluate working with these networks if they are being used for spying purposes." According to reports published by The New York Times, The Guardian, and other news outlets, intercepted data can include information such as age, gender, location, and even sexual orientation, depending on the app. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Gigabyte GP-H11 Aluminum In-Ear Headphones, Intel Core i5 4670K, and More! Posted: 28 Jan 2014 07:07 AM PST Top Deal: Whether you're a fan of pop music, rock, or off-the-beaten path genres as belted out by the likes of Gangstagrass (who just dropped a new album today), it's more fun to listen to music with a pair of earphones while belting out lyrics at an inappropriate volume (your co-workers may disagree). And while it may be tempting to pick up a cheap pair at the checkout line in K-Mart, don't be surprised if your impulse purchase translates into crummy sound and crappy construction. That doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune on a set of ear gear -- check out today's top deal for set of Gigabyte GP-H11 3.5mm Aluminum In-Ear Stereo Headphones for $8 with free shipping (normally $20 -- use coupon code: [EMCPWHF222]). These earphones feature chamber absorbers to enhance bass performance, two different size ear pads, and aluminum construction headsets. Other Deals: Adata XPG V2 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 2400 Desktop Memory for $140 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF33]) Kingston HyperX Black 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 for $145 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF35]) Corsair CXM series CX500M 500W Modular Power Supply for $55 with free shipping (normally $65 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF52]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $220 with free shipping (normally $240 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF44])

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MMO Updates

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• Flameseeker Chronicles: The greatest Guild Wars 2 love story ever told
• Kingdom Under Fire II interview highlights development
• RuneScape behind-the-scenes video reveals boss character development
• Get the scoop on Aion's new Glory Points and dungeon systems
• Journey to the Edge of the Mists in Guild Wars 2's next content release
• The Daily Grind: What first drew you to your current game?
• Not So Massively: LoL update blocked by porn filter, Firefall's story campaign, and PoE's summoning skills
• 8 Bit's Skara MOBA greenlit on Steam
• The Stream Team: Running missions in EVE Online
• Captain's Log: Gearing up for Star Trek Online's fourth anniversary
• EVE Online: Rubicon 1.1 patch inbound tomorrow
• The Stream Team: Alganon's new expansion with Beau and the devs
• Riot claims 27 million daily players for League of Legends
• Chaos Theory: First five favorite moments in The Secret World
• Pantheon interview offers glimpse of economy, housing, and more
• The Nexus Telegraph: Everyone's got active combat, and so does WildStar
• The cows come home in Marvel Heroes Game Update 2.14

Flameseeker Chronicles: The greatest Guild Wars 2 love story ever told Posted: 28 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Lore, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Buy-to-Play I enjoy the Twisted Marionette fight, and I'm looking forward to smacking some wurms if I can ever make it off the overflow servers, but what I really love about Guild Wars 2's latest content release, The Origins of Madness, is its emphasis on characterization. Some of you probably think my cheese has slipped off its cracker for finding a mini-instance in which NPCs chatter at each other the most charming part of an update, but I am what I am. I feel a little less alone in this since I'm not the only one turning cartwheels over it. A recent ArenaNet developer livestream contained a reference to the relationship between Marjory Delaqua and her partner, Kasmeer Meade, as a "love story." For those of us who had already picked up on their affection for each other and were hoping to see them become a couple officially, this was very exciting, and their interaction in the current release has shown them growing closer. But why are Kas and Jory such a big deal? They're just a pair of NPCs, right? Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: The greatest Guild Wars 2 love story ever told Flameseeker Chronicles: The greatest Guild Wars 2 love story ever told originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Kingdom Under Fire II interview highlights development Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Betas, Game Mechanics, New Titles, News Items, Consoles, MMORTS Kingdom Under Fire II, which is finally releasing this summer, has undergone a number of changes during its six-years-plus of development. And in a recent interview, Executive Producer Sang Youn Lee sat down with Worlds Factory to discuss the evolution of the game and highlight its upcoming features. Players can look forward to guild-owned territories, a persistent world, territory disputes and sieges, PvE dynamic events, and much more. Sang Youn Lee also noted that while the game will be available on multiple platforms, it will not have cross-platform play. Check out the full interview for all the details. [Thanks to David for the tip!] Kingdom Under Fire II interview highlights development originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jan 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Worlds Factory interview

RuneScape behind-the-scenes video reveals boss character development Posted: 28 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, RuneScape, Free-to-Play When you face a massive foe in your favorite game, do you wonder what went into making it? RuneScape has overhauled one if its earliest bosses and brought fans along for a look at the creative process in a new behind-the-scenes video. The revamp of the Giant Mole Boss shows off the steps from conceptualization to animation to audio to release. The finished product of the team's efforts is a nastier looking Giant Mole with modern boss mechanics, two difficulty modes, and an instanced lair for both solo and group runs. And what boss overhaul would be complete without new loot? Once players defeat this boss, they have the chance to acquire new rewards -- a mole that improves anti-dragon shields and numbing roots that remove DoTs -- on top of the original items. Follow along with the revamp in the clip below. [Source: Jagex press release] Continue reading RuneScape behind-the-scenes video reveals boss character development RuneScape behind-the-scenes video reveals boss character development originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jan 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Get the scoop on Aion's new Glory Points and dungeon systems Posted: 28 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Game Mechanics, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dungeons When Aion's Steel Cavalry launches tomorrow, Daevas will have their first chance to experience the new Glory Points and instanced dungeon entry systems. To help players better understand these changes, NCsoft has compiled two helpful guides. Glory Points (GP) are a new form of Abyss currency that will determine the rankings from officer on up. While soldier ranks will still be determined by Abyss Points (AP), ranking for officers, generals, commanders, and the Governor will not be affected by gain or loss of AP at all. GP can only be earned in specific ways, such as the Arena of Glory (61+), GP Quests, and fortress sieges in Katalam, Danaria, and the inner upper Abyss. The dungeon entry system is changing from a specific timed-cooldown to an entry count. This means that players will no longer be forced to wait a specific amount of time to re-enter an instance after one run, but instead have a set number of opportunities to do so within a time frame. The entry count for each dungeon will reset on its own schedule, either daily, weekly, or even several times per week. Get the scoop on Aion's new Glory Points and dungeon systems originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jan 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Glory Points guide, Dungeon Entry Count System guide

Journey to the Edge of the Mists in Guild Wars 2's next content release Posted: 28 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Interviews, Lore, Patches, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play Guild Wars 2's new World vs. World map, the Edge of the Mists, has been in beta testing for several months. Soon, players will get to experience it in the live game, along with (hopefully) reduced WvW queue times and new opportunities to beat up players from rival realities. There's trouble in PvP paradise, though, and it comes in familiar red airships. ArenaNet's Colin Johanson and Meelad Sadat sat down with us to talk about the upcoming content release, appropriately named Edge of the Mists. Jump past the cut to grab some info and watch the teaser video! Continue reading Journey to the Edge of the Mists in Guild Wars 2's next content release Journey to the Edge of the Mists in Guild Wars 2's next content release originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What first drew you to your current game? Posted: 28 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous My memories of 2004 grow hazier over time -- that was a decade ago, after all -- but I still remember what first drew me to World of Warcraft, and it wasn't a longstanding love of the strategy games. No, what engaged me was the fact that it promised a break from the tedious group-based slogs and aimless wandering that made up the MMO landscape at the time. After playing Final Fantasy XI for two years, the idea of being able to just go out into the world and do things and have actual quests was so intoxicating that it could be legally called a drug. It's been many years since WoW was new and many years since it was my main game, and what keeps me in the game is not what initially attracted me to the game. But I do remember why I bought it in the first place, during a time when it seemed almost impossible to find and was first breaking subscription records. So what about you, dear readers? What first drew you to your current game, even if those attributes aren't the reason you stick around now? 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 first drew you to your current game? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 Jan 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: LoL update blocked by porn filter, Firefall's story campaign, and PoE's summoning skills Posted: 27 Jan 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Video, Business Models, Culture, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III, Firefall, Crowdfunding, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile ​Star Citizen hit $37 million in crowdfunding this week, unlocking the strange new Tanga solar system in a rectangular planetary nebula. In the latest Elite: Dangerous newsletter, developers revealed plans for the upcoming multiplayer alpha stage, the travel and trading alpha, and the eventual full beta release. Red 5 Studios secured $23 million in funding for additional development on Firefall and revealed plans to launch in 2014 with a full story campaign. Several League of Legends players in the UK have reported that innocuous game files in the latest patch are being inadvertently blocked by the new country-wide internet pornography filter. Heroes of Newerth indulged lore-hounds this week with a new content website for artwork and game fiction. Diablo III's latest public test realm patch doubled the drop rate of legendary items, and developers clarified that XP gain for players grinding paragon levels will be drastically increased in the next update. And Path of Exile revealed the four new summoning skills coming in patch 1.0.6 that will make necromancer Witch builds a lot more viable. Continue reading Not So Massively: LoL update blocked by porn filter, Firefall's story campaign, and PoE's summoning skills Not So Massively: LoL update blocked by porn filter, Firefall's story campaign, and PoE's summoning skills originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

8 Bit's Skara MOBA greenlit on Steam Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, MOBA Fledgling MOBA Skara: The Blade Remains has been greenlit on Steam. 8 Bit Studios says that the title garnered over 240 votes "in only two hours" as part of Valve's ongoing indie popularity contest. The firm's press release claims that Skara represents a new gaming genre -- the MOV, or multiplayer online versus -- "where as many as 16 players enter arenas to engage in the kind of real-time combat fighting seen in various games." [Source: 8 Bit press release] 8 Bit's Skara MOBA greenlit on Steam originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Running missions in EVE Online Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, EVE Online, PvE, Massively Meta, Hands-On, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team, Subscription, MMORPG It's been too long since Massively's Mike Foster has loaded himself into a spaceship and set out into the black searching for fame and fortune. Tonight, EVE Online returns with Tier II mission running. Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EST to find out what PvE questing content looks like in the world's biggest sandbox. As long as no nefarious stream snipers show up, it should be a nice, peaceful evening. Game: EVE Online Host: Mike Foster Date: Monday, January 26th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Running missions in EVE Online The Stream Team: Running missions in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Captain's Log: Gearing up for Star Trek Online's fourth anniversary Posted: 27 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Events (In-Game), Patches, PvE, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Captain's Log, Promotions, Anniversaries We're only a few days away from the release of Star Trek Online's fourth anniversary celebration, and a lot of information about upcoming events is rolling out. As the team prepares for the launch, several new blogs have popped up teasing players with information about upcoming content and changes including news that actor Tim Russ, who played Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager, will reprise his role in Star Trek Online's Fourth Anniversary Featured Episode! It's only logical Last week's announcement that Tim Russ would be providing his voice for upcoming content certainly made a lot of Trekkies happy. Community Manager Brandon Felczer interviewed Russ for the game's video blog and asked a lot of great questions. It was also revealed during the interview that recordings of Russ' voice won't just be used in the upcoming Featured Episode (called A Step Between Stars); it will also be heard in "upcoming content" including "Season Nine and beyond." Continue reading Captain's Log: Gearing up for Star Trek Online's fourth anniversary Captain's Log: Gearing up for Star Trek Online's fourth anniversary originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online: Rubicon 1.1 patch inbound tomorrow Posted: 27 Jan 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Patches, Sandbox, WildStar, Subscription EVE Online is prepping its Rubicon 1.1 patch for tomorrow, January 28th. Clocking in at a little over a gigabyte, Rubicon 1.1 will supplement the most recent expansion with new deployable structures, the final Sisters of EVE ship, graphic tweaks, UI improvements, and the usual kids-clean-up-the-mess-you-made fixes that post-expansion patches typically contain. The full patch notes for Rubicon 1.1 are currently available to read as your ship prepares for drydock. EVE Online: Rubicon 1.1 patch inbound tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Rubicon 1.1

The Stream Team: Alganon's new expansion with Beau and the devs Posted: 27 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Alganon, Livestream, The Stream Team Join Beau Hindman and members of the Alganon team as they explore some of the features of the brand-new and long-awaited expansion. Come ask questions, or if you've never seen it before, check out the gameplay during our livestream! Game: Alganon Host: Beau Hindman Date: Monday, January 27th, 2014 Time: 4:00 p.m. EST Enjoy our Steam Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Alganon's new expansion with Beau and the devs The Stream Team: Alganon's new expansion with Beau and the devs originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Riot claims 27 million daily players for League of Legends Posted: 27 Jan 2014 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends It's no secret that Riot Games's League of Legends is the biggest MOBA on the block, but just how big might come as something of a surprise. Riot has revealed that the League playerbase has now reached 27 million players daily. Player concurrency hits about 7.5 million players during high-traffic hours; for comparison, Valve's Dota 2, which most would consider League's primary competitor, sees about seven million players per month. The high numbers have done wonders for Riot's pocketbook, helping League to generate over $624 million in revenue in 2013. Riot claims 27 million daily players for League of Legends originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Wall Street JournalVia: Joystiq

Chaos Theory: First five favorite moments in The Secret World Posted: 27 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Game Mechanics, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play I've been asked many times why I love The Secret World. And I have always answered enthusiastically about my favorite parts of this unique game. But a more interesting take on the question presented itself recently: When did I love The Secret World? This query gave me pause as I thought back to the point at which my I'm-having-fun feelings turned into bona fide squeals of delight and shrieks of surprise. And I came to the conclusion that all I really needed to love The Secret World I learned in Kingsmouth. If you think about it, that's a pretty good thing. Since Kingsmouth is the first real adventure zone after your tutorial (I'm not counting the faction cities), having experiences that grab folks' interest there is vital to producing long term-players. In a game, just as in a book or a movie, it is important to hook your intended audience early on so its members stick around to see what's going to happen next. And hook me Kingsmouth did. The following are the first five moments that captured my heart (and mind -- this is TSW we're talking about, after all). They are by no means the be-all, end-all of the game; they are very simple, in fact. But these particular moments did help define my appreciation for the game and ensnare me enough to keep me coming back for more. Continue reading Chaos Theory: First five favorite moments in The Secret World Chaos Theory: First five favorite moments in The Secret World originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pantheon interview offers glimpse of economy, housing, and more Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Economy, Interviews, MMO Industry, Housing, Crowdfunding, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen With the imminent shut down of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes on the horizon, eyes are turning to the upcoming Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen project spearheaded by one of the earlier fantasy game's creators. Brad McQuaid, first known for his work on the original EverQuest, is looking to fill the niche for old-school games that focus on group content and slow progression. How much will Pantheon fit the bill as the go-to game for all those old-school gamers looking for a challenging new home? Before the weekend announcement caught everyone off-guard, we nabbed McQuaid and Director of Development Salim Grant to find out a few more details about the game and its economy (no bind-on-pickup!), crafting, housing, and classes and races. Continue reading Pantheon interview offers glimpse of economy, housing, and more Pantheon interview offers glimpse of economy, housing, and more originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Nexus Telegraph: Everyone's got active combat, and so does WildStar Posted: 27 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph, Subscription, Buy-to-Play WildStar is launching with active combat, but let's be totally honest about something: The whole telegraph system is not exactly as special now as it might have seemed, say, three years ago. Guild Wars 2 has active combat. Ditto TERA, ditto DC Universe Online. The Secret World makes use of telegraphs all over the place (which kind of feels like a kludge, but so does most of the game's combat system, so there). Even Final Fantasy XIV -- a game I have noted on many occasions as having a much slower and more tactical combat pace -- makes heavy use of telegraph mechanics. And The Elder Scrolls Online is certainly launching with a more active combat system, to boot. There's more to WildStar than telegraph markers, though. So it's time to talk about what the game actually does in terms of combat that's interesting and novel. We've been told that the active combat of the game is a big deal, but is it actually revolutionary, an evolution, or just another thing? Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Everyone's got active combat, and so does WildStar The Nexus Telegraph: Everyone's got active combat, and so does WildStar originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The cows come home in Marvel Heroes Game Update 2.14 Posted: 27 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Classes, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes Game Update 2.14 hit Marvel Heroes over the weekend and introduced a few more goodies to the superhero game, including the new tundra zone of Bovineheim where Skrull cows are plotting great evil and must be stopped. Also, the most experienced heroes will find more challenging content thanks to the new Cosmic Terminals. On top of that, both Captain America and Hawkeye have new abilities and build options. Players can also don the new enhanced costume of Kate Bishop as Hawkeye, with all new voice-over, emotes, and animations. You can see Bishop in action in the trailer below. If you'd rather play Nightcrawler, Gazillion Entertainment announces that he should be making an appearance later this week. [Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release] Continue reading The cows come home in Marvel Heroes Game Update 2.14 The cows come home in Marvel Heroes Game Update 2.14 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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