General Gaming Article

---

• Google Beefs Up Android Security, Watches for Misbehaving Apps
• Internet Ad Revenue Surges to $42.8 Billion, Leaves Broadcast TV in the Dust
• Microsoft's 'Escape from Windows XP' Game Caps the End of an Era
• Symantec: Cybercriminals Shift Behavior to Mega Breaches in Hopes of Bigger Payouts
• PC Market Starting to Stabilize After Eight Quarters of Declining Shipments
• Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 23.8-inch LED Monitor, Corsair HX Series 750W Power Supply, and More!

Google Beefs Up Android Security, Watches for Misbehaving Apps Posted: 10 Apr 2014 11:21 AM PDT New security measures keeps your installed Android apps in check It's not unusual for a malicious Android app to sneak into Google Play, though they're obviously much more prevalent from third-party sources, especially from sketchy areas of the web. To help protect users from falling prey to an app's malicious intentions, Google is rolling out a new enhancement to its security scheme that will examine an app's behavior after it's been installed. The security scheme will continually check devices to make sure installed apps aren't misbehaving. It's part of Google's "Verify apps" security system, which also scans apps prior to installation. "Because potentially harmful applications are very rare, most people will never see a warning or any other indication that they have this additional layer of protection. But we do expect a small number of people to see warnings (which look similar to the existing Verify apps warnings) as a result of this new capability," Google stated in a blog post. "The good news is that very few people have ever encountered this; in fact, we've found that fewer than 0.18 percent of installs in the last year occurred after someone received a warning that the app was potentially harmful." This new measure will also protect against potentially malicious apps that might have been installed prior to Google's verification system going live in 2012. Either way, it's nice to have the extra layer of protection, especially as malware writers begin to pay more attention to Android. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Internet Ad Revenue Surges to $42.8 Billion, Leaves Broadcast TV in the Dust Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:57 AM PDT There might be something to this whole 'Internet' thing Big media and Hollywood studios have approached streaming services like Netflix with trepidation, but if they're truly interested in lining their pockets with dollars, they may want to pay attention to where the money's at. And where is that? According to the latest IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report, the Internet is where the majority of advertising revenue is going these days. Internet ad revenues skyrocketed to $42.8 billion in 2013, representing a 17 percent increase over 2012's record setting $36.6 billion. The explosive growth propelled the Internet ahead of broadcast television for the first time, the latter of which collected $40.1 billion. "The news that interactive has outperformed broadcast television should come as no surprise," said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. "It speaks to the power that digital screens have in reaching and engaging audiences. In that same vein, the staggering growth of mobile is clearly a direct response to how smaller digital screens play an integral role in consumers' lives throughout the day, as well as their critical importance to cross-screen experiences." Mobile is a large reason why the Internet is performing so well. For the third year in a row, mobile saw triple-digit growth, rising $7.1 billion during 2013, a 110 percent jump from the previous year. As for digital video, it accounted for $2.8 billion in in ad revenue for 2013, up 19 percent versus 2012. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft's 'Escape from Windows XP' Game Caps the End of an Era Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:32 AM PDT Going out in style Well, that's it folks. Support for Windows XP officially ended on Tuesday, marking the end of a run that lasted nearly 13 years. Some will inevitably cling to the dead operating system, though as PC shipment data shows, many have also chosen to migrate rather than risk running an abandoned OS. As a final reminder to those who have yet to upgrade -- and perhaps as a fitting homage -- Microsoft created "Escape from XP," a fun (and free) time waster that's available to play on modern browsers. It's a trip down memory lane that begins with booting into Windows XP from presumably an ancient PC with a CRT monitor. You're then thrust into an arcade-style shooter in which you move around blasting bits of XP era icons. In the game, you're the last person in the world still supporting IE6 on XP, and it's time to navigate away from what Microsoft now calls a "pestilence on the peaceful developer community." Controls are simple -- WAD to move, arrow keys to shoot in the desired direction, and Q to swtich weapons. Diehard XP fans might take exception to Microsoft painting their belove OS as a "pestilence," but hey, it's a fun way to remind people that the retro party's over. The only thing missing is a cameo from Kurt Russell, who starred in Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. You can play Escape from XP here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Symantec: Cybercriminals Shift Behavior to Mega Breaches in Hopes of Bigger Payouts Posted: 10 Apr 2014 09:06 AM PDT A so-called "mega breach" can be worth as much as 50 smaller attacks Large scale cyber attacks are on the rise, says security firm Symantec, which dubbed 2013 "Year of the Mega Breach." According to Symantec, there's a significant shift taking place in how cybercriminals operate. Rather than go in for quick hits with small rewards, cybercriminals are seeing the financial benefit in plotting bigger attacks months in advance. A single mega breach, as Symantec calls these attacks, can yield the same reward as 50 small scale attacks. "While the level of sophistication continues to grow among attackers, what was surprising last year was their willingness to be a lot more patient – waiting to strike until the reward is bigger and better," said Sheldon Hand, regional manager for Rest of Africa, Symantec. Symantec says there were eight mega breaches in 2013, compared to just one mega breach the year prior. As far as the bigger picture goes, there was a 62 percent increase in the overall number of data breaches from the previous year, which resulted in 552 million exposed identities. "Nothing breeds success like success – especially if you're a cybercriminal," said Hand. "The potential for huge paydays means large-scale attacks are here to stay. Companies of all sizes need to re-examine, re-think and possibly re-architect their security posture." Targeted attacks jumped 91 percent in 2013 compared to 2012 and lasted an average of three times longer. Interestingly, personal assistant and people working in public relations were the two most targeted professions, Symantec says. You can read more in Symantec's 2014 Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 19. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

PC Market Starting to Stabilize After Eight Quarters of Declining Shipments Posted: 10 Apr 2014 08:16 AM PDT Users migrating from Windows XP helped offset weak consumer spending in the PC sector Market research firms agree that worldwide PC shipments declined in the first quarter of 2014, which is the eighth quarter in a row of negative movement. However, there are signs that the market is starting to stabilize. It's a bit of a fuzzy picture at the moment because users migrating from Windows XP could be mucking with the trend line, but the picture should become much clearer by the end of the year. International Data Corporation (IDC) pegs the number of PC shipments at 73.4 million, a decline of 4.4 percent year-on-year, which is better than the projected decline of 5.3 percent. That's also roughly in line with Gartner's figures, which counted 76.6 million PC shipments in Q1, down just 1.7 percent from the same quarter a year ago. "While the PC market remains weak, it is showing signs of improvement compared to last year. The PC professional market generally improved in regions such as EMEA. The U.S. saw the gradual recovery of PC spending as the impact of tablets faded," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. IDC wasn't quite as optimistic, though it did come to a similar conclusion in terms of stabilization. "Worldwide PC shipments have now declined for eight consecutive quarters as a result of shifting technology usage and competition (notably with tablets & smartphones) as well as economic pressures (including high unemployment, slow growth & investment, tight credit, and currency fluctuations) related to the Great Recession, sovereign debt crises, and their related impact on international trade," said Loren Loverde, Vice President, Worldwide PC Trackers. "The economic front seems to be gradually stabilizing and/or improving."computers Both firms have Lenovo leading the market, IDC with a 17.7 percent share versus HP's 17.1 percent stake, and Gartner crediting Lenovo with 16.9 percent of the market, versus HP's 16 percent. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 23.8-inch LED Monitor, Corsair HX Series 750W Power Supply, and More! Posted: 10 Apr 2014 07:12 AM PDT Top Deal: Kids these days have no concept of what it was like shopping for a monitor back in the day. It was a back (and wallet) breaking affair -- quite literally. A big size CRT could weight as much a Tyrannosaurus Rex after binge eating a pack of Triceratops. And today? Well, just check out today's top deal for an Asus VN248H-P Super Narrow Bezel Widescreen 23.8-inch LED Monitor for $135 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [EMCPFPB22]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). This monitor is rocking an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel (read: not TN!) with a Full HD 1080p resolution, 80,000,000:1 dynamic constrast ratio, 5ms GTG response time, and built-in speakers.Connectivity options include D-Sub and HDMI w/ MHL. Other Deals: Corsair HX Series HX750 750W ATX12V 80 Plus Gold Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply for $90 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [EMCPFPB33]) AMD FX-6350 Vishera 3.9GHz Socket AM3+ 125W 6-Core Desktop Processor for $125 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCPFPB36]) Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Video Card for $200 with free shipping (normally $220 - use coupon code: [EMCPFPB37]) Western Digital Red NAS 1TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $65 with free shipping (normally $74 - use coupon code: [EMCPFPB39])

You are subscribed to email updates from Maximum PC - All Articles To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

MMO Updates

---

• Chaos Theory: Funcom flubbed it with The Secret World's mankinigate
• Elite's premium beta starts today, expands May 30
• Wurm testing 64x64 kilometer non-instanced mega-server
• World of Tanks makes more per user than LoL, GW2, and everyone else
• Defiance's fifth DLC to release on April 15
• The Daily Grind: What do you hope to see at this year's PAX East?
• World of Tanks shows off new game modes for 2014
• SMITE now features Bastet, the Goddess of Cats
• SOE's H1Z1 is a zombie-flavored sandbox after all
• Leaderboard: Are you looking forward to The Crew?
• Make your own kind of music in Guild Wars 2
• Fallen Earth nodes to get less 'willy-nilly'
• EA's Dawngate MOBA gets open beta, new trailer
• HD Streaming for EVE Fanfest now on sale
• The Stream Team: Jumping on the (literal) Landmark rollercoaster
• WildStar's elder gem system to get post-launch love
• Entropy lets players fight over star systems
• SOE All Access changes go into place on April 23rd
• Diablo III's 2.0.4 patch makes resplendent treasure feel more resplendent
• Black Gold's closed beta getting 'major changes,' new classes
• ArcheAge alpha is officially underway
• Blizz shows off WoW's actual female Draenei revamp

Chaos Theory: Funcom flubbed it with The Secret World's mankinigate Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play I'd rather be focused on the four new investigation missions that just launched in The Secret World, even though I need much more time to complete them all, or yammering on about Tokyo coming next month (did you catch that in the director's letter?). But as the fates would have it, Funcom did something else this past week that has nabbed attention and necessitates a little scrutiny. Mankinigate. Last week during the notable first of April shenanigans, The Secret World poked fun at the fact that female outfits in games (including TSW) are stereotypically skimpy while males get adventuring gear. The item store offered the "Gender Equality" clothing pack: full scuba gear for females and a mankini for males. As hideous as I think the mankini is, I appreciated this obvious jab at stereotypes, not to mention the fact that Funcom listened to players who've requested revealing attire for their male avatars. But then with no real explanation given at the time, the makinis were yanked not only from the store but from players inventories as well. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Funcom flubbed it with The Secret World's mankinigate Chaos Theory: Funcom flubbed it with The Secret World's mankinigate originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elite's premium beta starts today, expands May 30 Posted: 10 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Elite: Dangerous, Buy-to-Play Frontier has announced that the premium beta for Elite: Dangerous "effectively starts today." Backers may download a single-player combat build and play around with it until the full testing phase starts on May 30th. Prior to that, the devs will roll out the fourth and final phase of Elite's alpha, wherein the sci-fi sandbox title will expand with two new modes of faster-than-light travel as well as the full Milky Way galactic map featuring 400,000,000,000 star systems. You can read the full press release after the jump. [Source: Frontier press release] Continue reading Elite's premium beta starts today, expands May 30 Elite's premium beta starts today, expands May 30 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wurm testing 64x64 kilometer non-instanced mega-server Posted: 10 Apr 2014 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Wurm Online, News Items, Sandbox Wurm Online's largest current server measures 16x16 kilometers, but the developers have their eyes on a much bigger prize. Today at 10:00 p.m. Central European Summer Time (4:00 p.m. EDT), Code Club will be testing a 64x64 kilometer non-instanced mega-server. You can join in if you like, as the Wurm devs are looking for anyone and everyone to see how many players the server can simultaneously support. No registration is required for the test. Lead developer Rolf Jannson says that 50,000 critters will be roaming the fantasy sandbox title's wilderness during the test, which is actually "a fairly low population in Wurm terms." Jannson also says that no other MMO has launched a modifiable map of this scale, and "running this many players in one game zone is pretty unusual in itself and will be an interesting experience." [Thanks bdew!] Wurm testing 64x64 kilometer non-instanced mega-server originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2014 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

World of Tanks makes more per user than LoL, GW2, and everyone else Posted: 10 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Business Models, Economy, MMO Industry, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks Wargaming's tank-based lobby battler generated more revenue per user than League of Legends and Dota 2 over the past 12 months. In fact, World of Tanks generated more ARPU than any other major F2P title, according to Superdata. "There's World of Tanks, which has a monthly active user base of around 9.1 million and makes $4.51 per month per user. And there's League of Legends, with 58.5 million average monthly actives over the past twelve months, and a $1.32 spend per user. Five times the audience, but less than [a] third of the earnings per player," Superdata says. After WoT, the top five includes Team Fortress 2, Guild Wars 2, War Thunder, and PlanetSide 2. World of Tanks makes more per user than LoL, GW2, and everyone else originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Superdata

Defiance's fifth DLC to release on April 15 Posted: 10 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Patches, War, Defiance, Buy-to-Play Tax day just got a bit sweeter as Trion announces that Defiance's fifth DLC pack will release on April 15. Arktech Revolution introduces an EGO rating cap increase, new perks, new enemy difficulty tiers, dynamic event scaling, expert co-op maps, and much more. PC and Xbox 360 players can grab the DLC on April 15th, while PlayStation 3 players will only get it that day if they have a PlayStation 3 Season Pass. The DLC will be available in the PlayStation store on April 29th for North American players and April 30th in the European store. Defiance's fifth DLC to release on April 15 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: DLC Date Announcement

The Daily Grind: What do you hope to see at this year's PAX East? Posted: 10 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, Previews, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Events (Massively's Coverage), Miscellaneous Massively will be on the ground in Boston at this year's PAX East, which officially starts on Saturday. We'll be scurrying all over convention land to check out WildStar, Landmark, EVE Valkyrie, Warlords of Draenor, Guild Wars 2, Star Citizen, The Repopulation, PlanetSide 2, Guns of Icarus, State of Decay, and Infinite Crisis, among others. A few big MMO studios won't be present, of course; I think everyone will grok why ZeniMax Online might be a bit too busy for another con just now. But big guns like Carbine and SOE and Blizzard will all be in attendance at the first gamer-centric rather than media-centric con of the year. So what are you looking forward to seeing out of PAX? 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 do you hope to see at this year's PAX East? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Tanks shows off new game modes for 2014 Posted: 09 Apr 2014 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks World of Tanks continues rolling along and updating, and it has some big features on deck for 2014. The latest video development diary shows off some of the new game modes which will be coming to the game in the near future, starting with Fortifications. The Fortification system allows clans to build structures and collect bonuses while at the same time defending their fortifications against other clans. The result is a complex interplay of new elements like pillboxes and aerial strikes that give both sides the tools to take fortified structures or defend them as needed. That's not the least of the additions being made, however, as Historical Battles are also incoming. While this game mode has been in discussion for a long time, due to massive differences in tank capabilities, it's been tricky to create battles with an equal chance of victory for both sides. The solution is asymmetrical team composition, a rebalancing of stats for this specific game mode, and respawning lighter support tanks. Take a look at the video past the cut for a more in-depth examination of these changes. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] Continue reading World of Tanks shows off new game modes for 2014 World of Tanks shows off new game modes for 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Updates preview

SMITE now features Bastet, the Goddess of Cats Posted: 09 Apr 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Video, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA Hi-Rez has revealed its latest SMITE deity in a new five-minute video focusing on Bastet, the Goddess of Cats. The clip delves into Bastet's Egyptian lore, her passive and active abilities including Pounce, Razer Whip, and De-claw as well as her ultimate Cat Call. The clip also features plenty of in-game scenarios showing off said abilities, so click past the cut if you want a preview of Bastet in action. [Thanks Soren!] Continue reading SMITE now features Bastet, the Goddess of Cats SMITE now features Bastet, the Goddess of Cats originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

SOE's H1Z1 is a zombie-flavored sandbox after all Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:20 PM PDT Filed under: Historical, Horror, Game Mechanics, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox, MMORPG SOE has just released more information on its upcoming F2P zombie MMO H1Z1. In a letter posted to Reddit just moments ago, President John Smedley explained his vision for the game. "It's a massively multiplayer game in which players fight for survival in a world where death is the only sure thing," he writes. Set in middle America with a distinct zombie flavor, the game will be a sandbox with a "deep crafting system" with which "players can build shelters out of resources in the world" and "work together to make amazing fortresses complete with weaponry to help defend against both the Infected and other players." How is the game different from the multitudes of other kill-or-be-killed post-apoc zombie sandboxes already in existence? Smed says it's a persistent MMO with thousands of players and different rulesets, a strong economy, open looting in PvP, access to devs, an emphasis on "player ownership and building," and cool tech borrowed from PlanetSide 2. The studio plans to have a player-playable version within four to six weeks; it will fall under the $15 All Access Pass and have microtransactions but will not be P2W. Have a look at the first released screenies below. The Game Talk Live stream is now over. [Source: SOE press release] SOE's H1Z1 is a zombie-flavored sandbox after all originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Via: Reddit

Leaderboard: Are you looking forward to The Crew? Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Real-Life, MMO Industry, New Titles, Opinion, Leaderboard Ubisoft hosted a preview event for The Crew earlier this week, and while I was already excited for the game, seeing some of the press coverage that emerged got me even more hot and bothered. And the fact that I saw a MINI in the latest batch of screenshots didn't hurt, either. While The Crew may not be an MMO in the massive numbers of players sense, it certainly does feature a massive open world, quests, and plenty of character progression to go along with its sweet, sweet car porn. How about it, Massively gear heads? Are you looking forward to The Crew? 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: Are you looking forward to The Crew? Leaderboard: Are you looking forward to The Crew? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Make your own kind of music in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 09 Apr 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Music, Player-Generated Content, Buy-to-Play You could be forgiven for overlooking the new drum in Guild Wars 2's cash shop -- it's just a cosmetic thing for roleplayers who stand around town, right? Well, not exactly, and a developer diary from ArenaNet audio programmer Aaron McLeran aims to explain why you should care (and buy all the things). The drum actually allows players to select from two modes: a pre-set groove mode, which lets you auto-play several drum tracks solo or in time with other players' tracks, and user groove mode, which starts to travel into Lord of the Rings Online territory. Says McLeran, The first five skill buttons have five unique drum sounds respectively. Each sample can be triggered individually so the drum can perform like our previous instruments in free-play mode. The only difference is the drum will quantize beat events so that they always sound good to you - and in rhythm. If you push the sixth or seventh skill slot, you put the drum into "loop-record" mode. If this is the first time you've pushed it, you'll hear a nice little click-track (that only you can hear!) that gives you an idea of where the "global" pulse is. Think of it like a count off: "A one, a two, a one two three four!" Then, when you push the drum sample set skill buttons again, they'll actually loop back on themselves. You can build up ever more complicated and funky grooves. We just have one question: Where's our Bard class? Make your own kind of music in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev diary

Fallen Earth nodes to get less 'willy-nilly' Posted: 09 Apr 2014 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fallen Earth, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Dev Diaries, Crafting Tired of node placement refusing to make a lick of common sense in Fallen Earth? There's a dev for that. Fallen Earth's new state of the game post for April has a word or two to say about how the team is moving around gathering nodes to fit the environment better. "What this will look like is an increase in hand-placed nodes that reflect the setting and environment better and fewer nodes scattered willy-nilly," said Producer Marie Croall. The post also talks about new armor suits and cosmetic gear recipes that are coming soon as part of the rewards for controlling the Outpost. Fallen Earth nodes to get less 'willy-nilly' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: April state of the game

EA's Dawngate MOBA gets open beta, new trailer Posted: 09 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, MOBA Electronic Arts and Waystone Games want you to know that their Dawngate MOBA is now in open beta. Should you play it? That depends on whether you value things like resource gathering and character customization in your MOBAs. If you're still not sure, you can have a look at Dawngate's "Break the Meta" trailer after the cut. Don't forget our hands-on impressions while you're at it. Continue reading EA's Dawngate MOBA gets open beta, new trailer EA's Dawngate MOBA gets open beta, new trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

HD Streaming for EVE Fanfest now on sale Posted: 09 Apr 2014 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), News Items, Subscription Are you a big fan of EVE Online? Do you want to go to EVE Fanfest but can't fit a trip to Iceland into your budget? Do you have a spare PLEX sitting around? Are you thinking about marzipan? Because right now you can buy a high-definition stream of the entire Fanfest from CCP Games for $19.95 or one PLEX, whichever works better for you. (The marzipan thing you'll have to sort out on your own.) Buying the stream gets you access to three days of high-definition coverage, the pre-convention livestream from developers, your choice of one of four industrial ship skins, subscriber-only giveaways, and a digital version of the Fanfest shirt for 2014. Sound good to you? Then head on over and drop your money! Or you can just watch the festivities streamed for free on Twitch, but you'll have to put up with normal definition footage, like an animal. HD Streaming for EVE Fanfest now on sale originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Fanfest HD Stream now on sale!

The Stream Team: Jumping on the (literal) Landmark rollercoaster Posted: 09 Apr 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Livestream, The Stream Team, Player-Generated Content, Landmark When Landmark devs say you can build anything (appropriate, that is), they aren't kidding! Massively's MJ has come across a wide variety of creative endeavors. In fact, recent adventures have uncovered a number of cool and interesting builds, not the least of which is an actual rollercoaster. Don't miss out on her latest tour; join us live at 5:00 p.m. EDT and see the latest and greatest creations to crop up. Game: Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 Time: 5:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Jumping on the (literal) Landmark rollercoaster The Stream Team: Jumping on the (literal) Landmark rollercoaster originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WildStar's elder gem system to get post-launch love Posted: 09 Apr 2014 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Launches, Patches, WildStar, Subscription What you see is only half of what you get, at least in regard to the elder gem system in WildStar. Carbine Studios Product Director Mike Donatelli churned out a good-sized post on the forums this morning concerning WildStar's elder gem system and what the studio has planned for it after the game's launch. He said that what's currently in-game is "only half of the intended final system," and while the team can't get in the full deal by release, the rest will be included in the first major post-launch patch. Elder gems are a type of currency that players will earn with XP once they hit the level cap. There's a weekly limit to the number of gems that can earned, and players can use these gems to buy gear and items from special vendors. Future plans for the system include the ability to buy amp and ability tier points that haven't been procured elsewhere and weekly and daily quests to earn more gems. WildStar's elder gem system to get post-launch love originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Elder gems -- what's coming

Entropy lets players fight over star systems Posted: 09 Apr 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Patches, PvP Forget fighting over small patches of dirt in some fantasy arena; Entropy now lets you conquer entire star systems. The space sim launched its first major update today called Hostile Takeover. The core feature of the patch is a three-faction PvP system that allows players to fight over, conquer, and protect outlying star systems from their enemies. Factions must destabalize an enemy system in order to cause a crisis -- a limited window of opportunity to swoop in and cripple the enemy's space station. If this is done, then the system changes hands. "With support for up to a hundred players in the same match, we expect some truly epic battles," said Artplant Producer Jack Wulff. Entropy is currently available through Steam Early Access. Entropy lets players fight over star systems originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

SOE All Access changes go into place on April 23rd Posted: 09 Apr 2014 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, PlanetSide, Business Models, Free-to-Play, DC Universe Online, EverQuest Next, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox, Dragon's Prophet After a couple of delays in rolling out the revamped All Access plan, SOE has targeted "on or about" April 23rd as the go date for the changes. According to the revised FAQ, the new membership plan will include "top-tier" access to SOE's entire library, a monthly stipend of 500 Station Cash, a 10% discount on marketplace purchases, and other promotions. The cost will be $14.99 a month with discounts for multi-month packages. SOE said that all current memberships will be automatically transitioned into the new All Access plan and that details concerning Dragon's Prophet benefits are forthcoming. SOE All Access changes go into place on April 23rd originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: All Access FAQ

Diablo III's 2.0.4 patch makes resplendent treasure feel more resplendent Posted: 09 Apr 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, PvE, Crafting, Diablo III, Buy-to-Play Blizzard has patched Diablo III to version 2.0.4 in the Americas. There are a decent number of class tweaks in the patch as well as an adjustment to the drop of unique legendary crafting materials. They've been "significantly increased," if you're wondering. There are a few itemization changes, too, including an adjustment to to treasure drops from resplendent chests. "The treasure from Resplendent Chests has been improved to feel more resplendent," Blizzard says. Diablo III's 2.0.4 patch makes resplendent treasure feel more resplendent originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

Black Gold's closed beta getting 'major changes,' new classes Posted: 09 Apr 2014 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Steampunk, Black Gold Snail Games says that fans of steampunk MMO Black Gold Online can expect "a newer, smoother, updated version" of the title when closed beta testing starts "soon." The game's UI, graphics, battlefields, and vehicles will be tweaked, and Snail says that "major" combat system, quest line, and PvE changes are already happening. While there's no date on the closed beta just yet, today's press release reveals that it will feature four new classes. You can click past the cut to read the full notice. [Source: Snail Games press release] Continue reading Black Gold's closed beta getting 'major changes,' new classes Black Gold's closed beta getting 'major changes,' new classes originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Press release

ArcheAge alpha is officially underway Posted: 09 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News Items, ArcheAge Trion Worlds has announced today that the alpha test version of XLGAMES' ArcheAge is now underway. Yes, that sentence was real. No, you don't need to rub your eyes and re-read it; the game is finally in testing after lying dormant for so long that many feared it had been quietly shelved. We're staring down the barrel of more testing and an ultimate release. You don't believe it? That's fair. Don't take our word for it; take it from the trailer just past the cut that's being used to advertise the start of testing. Admittedly, it isn't showing off in-game footage, but it is in English. Besides, it's cool. The long wait for English ArcheAge fans won't be quite so long now, especially as press (like us) has the testing NDA dropped and can start talking about our experiences in the client. [Source: Trion Worlds press release] Continue reading ArcheAge alpha is officially underway ArcheAge alpha is officially underway originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blizz shows off WoW's actual female Draenei revamp Posted: 09 Apr 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Expansions, MMO Industry, News Items, Subscription Blizzard has followed up its April Fools' Day prank with a look at the actual female Draenei model. Senior art director Chris Robinson says the space goat girl is very much a work-in-progress and currently lacks body and facial animations. Still, it's worth seeing where Blizz is going in Warlords of Draenor, and you can do so via World of Warcraft's official website. Blizz shows off WoW's actual female Draenei revamp originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev blog

You are subscribed to email updates from Massively To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610