General Gaming Article

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• “PC Games Have Surpassed Console Games,” Says DFC Intelligence Owner
• Xbox One Production Could Temporarily Cease
• No BS Podcast #222: Future of VR, Nvidia Shield 2, and AMD Never Settle Bundle
• Microsoft's Cortana Won't Talk to Kids Under 13, Says It's a COPPA Thing
• FCC Responds to Critics of Net Neutrality Proposal
• Toshiba Now Mass Producing Speedy 15nm NAND Flash Memory Chips
• Done Deal: Nokia Completes Sale of Mobile Unit to Microsoft
• Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair Carbide Series 500R White Case, Acer 27-inch IPS Monitor, and More!

“PC Games Have Surpassed Console Games,” Says DFC Intelligence Owner Posted: 25 Apr 2014 08:38 PM PDT The MOBA genre dominates PC gaming On a global scale, the PC gaming market appears has surpassed the console gaming market when it comes to revenue. This is according to DFC Intelligence owner David Cole who spoke to PCR about the market research company's findings. A reason for this shift is that, Cole explained, "Among core gamers there is a heavy overlap with most console gamers also playing on a PC. The big difference is that consoles are now the luxury item and PCs are the necessity. Just a few years ago the reverse was true. This means PCs have the broader audience." DFC predicted, back in January, that the PC market would exceed $25 billion for 2014 and, according to their prediction back in 2011, that its revenue would surpass console gaming. One of the reasons why PC gaming revenue has passed that of console gaming has to do with the popularity and success of the MOBA genre. According to Cole, "The MOBA games League of Legends and Dota 2 dominate everything else by an order of magnitude in terms of more usage than other products. In the first part of 2014 we saw some signs that may change with the introduction of new titles and increased play of games outside the MOBA category." While the MOBA genre has risen to dominance, Cole also attributed the MMO, strategy, and first-person shooter genres for PC gaming's growth as well. In addition, the European market has been a big factor for PC trends when it comes to free-to-play games.  Will PC gaming continue to outgrow console gaming in terms of revenue? Or will the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 push console gaming ahead? Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Xbox One Production Could Temporarily Cease Posted: 25 Apr 2014 05:38 PM PDT Too much supply and not enough demand Microsoft has revealed its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2014. During an investor call, the company reported that there was a gross revenue of $20.4 billion for the period of January 1 to March 31, 2014 with a net income of $5.66 billion, Gamasutra reported. While the Xbox One was not the primary topic of discussion, implications were made that Xbox One production might cease or slow down in the coming months.  According to Microsoft, 1.2 million Xbox One consoles were shipped globally in addition to 800,000 Xbox 360s within the third quarter. Last week, Microsoft had announced that five million Xbox Ones had been sold to retailers but didn't provide any numbers as to how many of those consoles were sold to consumers. While the Xbox One has seen impressive sales numbers, Microsoft revealed back in January that three million units had been sold to consumers, there are units just sitting on store shelves. To deal with the inventory surplus Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said, during the investor call, "We do expect to work through some inventory in Q4." In that same call, however, she also referred to, "channel inventory drawdown for Xbox consoles" which could mean a halt to production or slowdown of production until the stock currently sitting on shelves has been sold by retailers. But will Microsoft slow or halt production of its Xbox One console so that retailers can sell through its inventory? Sound off in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

No BS Podcast #222: Future of VR, Nvidia Shield 2, and AMD Never Settle Bundle Posted: 25 Apr 2014 04:02 PM PDT Episode 222 introduces a new host and brings back video Episode #222 of the Maximum PC No BS Podcast brings new changes. We've got a new host in Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang as he joins Deputy Editor Gordon Mah Ung and Associate Editor Tom McNamara. In addition, this episode brings back the return of video (with a multi-camera setup!). Content-wise the crew talks about the Future of VR, Nvidia Shield 2 rumors, AMD's new Never Settle Bundle, and we even show off a next-generation Intel chipset! We also answer a bunch of your Facebook and Twitter questions as well. Let us know if you like the new format, or if there are any changes you would like to see in the comments below!    Editors' Picks Tom McNamara: Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls Gordon Ung: Smart Volume Control Jimmy Thang: QuizUp Stalk us on the following networks: Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Become a fan on Facebook Tweet us on Twitter Subscribe to us on Youtube Check out our Windows 8 app in Microsoft's app store Subscribe to our RSS feed If you have any feedback or questions feel free to: Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or Leave us a voicemail at 877-404-1337 x1337 Subscribe to Maximum PC in print or on Google Play, iTunes, Kindle, Nook and Zinio. Thanks for listening!

Microsoft's Cortana Won't Talk to Kids Under 13, Says It's a COPPA Thing Posted: 25 Apr 2014 09:55 AM PDT Child protection laws prevent Cortana from interacting with kids under 13 years old Here's something interesting -- if you're planning to purchase a Windows Phone device for your child who's not yet 13-years-old, be aware that the Cortana voice assistant software will give him or her the silent treatment. The revelation came in a Microsoft forum post in which a father asked why Cortana was telling his daughter she needs to be older to use that feature. "I'm sorry, you'll need to be a bit older before I can help you," Cortana tells people who are under 13-years-old. Microsoft's Rob Chambers explained that his daughter, along with anyone with a Microsoft account listed as under 13, can't use Cortana because of "Cortana's highly personalized approach" and Microsoft's "efforts to comply with COPPA," or Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Cortana, which is similar to Google's Google Now and Apple's Siri software, is one of the highly touted features being rolled out with the Windows Phone 8.1 update. It's currently in beta form, so there's a chance Microsoft could offer a gimped version of Cortana that would be allowed to work on devices used by kids protected by COPPA. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

FCC Responds to Critics of Net Neutrality Proposal Posted: 25 Apr 2014 09:23 AM PDT FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler says reports of end of net neutrality are "flat out wrong" There's a lot of hubbub on the Internet over a controversial set of proposed rules by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which if passed would allow broadband providers to charge companies for faster delivery of their content. On the surface, this seems to fly in face of the concept of net neutrality, but FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler insists that reports of the agency pulling an about-face on the subject are "flat out wrong." "There are reports that the FCC is gutting the Open Internet rule. They are flat out wrong," Wheeler said. "Tomorrow we will circulate to the Commission a new Open Internet proposal that will restore the concepts of net neutrality consistent with the court's ruling in January. There is no 'turnaround in policy.' The same rules will apply to all Internet content." In a separate statement from Wheeler, who used to be a cable industry lobbyist, the FCC voiced concern over a "great deal of misinformation" over the topic of net neutrality and what the proposed rules will mean. "To be very direct, the proposal would establish that behavior harmful to consumers or competition by limiting the openness of the Internet will not be permitted," the FCC said. All of these comments and statements appear to be contradictory to the wording of the proposed rules, as they would allow companies like Comcast to charge Netflix and other streaming service providers a fee for a faster Internet connection into homes. The FCC defends this notion by saying it will establish a baseline level of service to subscribers and establish a high bar for what is considered "commercially reasonable," the standard by which ISPs would have to act when making delivery deals with companies. Image Credit: Flickr (pfly) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Toshiba Now Mass Producing Speedy 15nm NAND Flash Memory Chips Posted: 25 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT Toshiba wins race to 15nm in NAND flash memory field What a relief it must be for OCZ to now be owned by Toshiba. Prior to the acquisition, OCZ had to fret about its supply of NAND flash memory chips, and that's not a concern for Toshiba, which makes its own. On top of that, Toshiba continues to advance the technology. To wit, Toshiba just announced it developed the world's first 15nm processor technology, which it's applying to 2-bit-per-cell 128-gigabit (16 gigabytes) NAND flash memories. Mass production of these new chips is getting under way at Toshiba's Fab 5 Yokkaichi Operations in place of second generation 19nm parts. Toshiba's also working on a second stage at its Fab 5 plant, which will also focus on 15nm memory. The 15nm NAND flash memory chips are smaller, sport improved circuitry, and achieve the same write speeds as Toshiba's 19nm parts, though the data rate is boosted to 533 megabits per second, which is 1.3 times faster. That speed increase is largely due to a new high-speed interface. These faster chips will make their way into smartphones, tablets, and solid state drives (SSDs), Toshiba says. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Done Deal: Nokia Completes Sale of Mobile Unit to Microsoft Posted: 25 Apr 2014 07:52 AM PDT Microsoft and Nokia clear all remaining hurdles in mobile unit sale It took a bit longer than anticipated -- regulatory hurdles require a lot of jumping and maneuvering, especially when it's on a global scale -- but just as originally planned, Microsoft now owns substantially all of Nokia's Devices & Services business (essentially the company's mobile division). The transaction also includes an agreement to license patents to Microsoft, Nokia announced. The final price is a little more than the original €5.44 billion (around $7.2 billion) announced back in September, as it was subject to potential price adjustments, Nokia said. However, the total amount won't be revealed until next week when Nokia announces its first quarter financial results. "Today we welcome the Nokia Devices and Services business to our family. The mobile capabilities and assets they bring will advance our transformation," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "Together with our partners, we remain focused on delivering innovation more rapidly in our mobile-first, cloud-first world." Former Nokia chief Stephen Elop will serve as executive vice president of the Microsoft Devices Group, which will oversee an expanded devices and business that includes Lumia smartphones and tablets, Nokia mobile phones, Xbox hardware, Surface, Perceptive Pixel (PPI) products, and accessories. It will be interesting to see what Microsoft does with this transaction. Microsoft is woefully behind both iOS and Android in mobile market share, though the roll out of Windows Phone 8.1 with Cortana voice assistant software along with new devices could help boost Microsoft's position, especially as BlackBerry continues to struggle. Image Credit: Flickr (Nicola) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair Carbide Series 500R White Case, Acer 27-inch IPS Monitor, and More! Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:30 AM PDT Top Deal: Did you know that today is 'Adopt a Computer Case' day? No? Well, that's because it's not. In fact, there's no such thing. Yeah, we're enraged about it too. However, the good news is you can bring a case home any day of the year, and if you're looking for one, we suggest taking a look at today's top deal. It's for a Corsair Carbide Series 500R ARctice Whilte Mid-Tower Gaming Case for $80 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHH242]; additional $10 mail-in-rebate). This modern day marvel supports USB 3.0 and 2.5-inch SSDs, offers plenty of cooling, and looks sharp. Other Deals: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory for $135 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHH36]) Acer H6 H276HLbmid Black 27-inch 5ms HDMI IPS panel Widescreen LED Backlight Monitor for $210 with free shipping (normally $230 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHH57]) Seagate Expansion 4TB USB 3.0 3.5-inch Desktop External Hard Drive for $130 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHH53]) Kingston DataTraveler Generation 4 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $8 with free shipping (normally $12 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHH64])

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MMO Updates

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• Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft
• Funcom secures $1.6 million in additional equity
• Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews
• World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters
• The Daily Grind: How much paranoia should MMOs provoke?
• The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes
• ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99
• Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th
• The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond
• World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers
• TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited
• City of Titans nears the end of pre-production
• John Smedley discusses H1Z1 monetization
• Shroud of the Avatar opens up access to Release 5
• Dragon's Prophet EU introduces the Column of the Prophet content update
• Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction
• Final Fantasy XIV updates PvP in patch 2.25

Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft Posted: 25 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, Business Models, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Miscellaneous, MMORPG, Working As Intended MMORPGs struggle to meet two contradictory goals: They want to provide stability, permanence, a world you feel you can always come home to, and they want to provide dynamism, change, a world that always has something fresh and new. Lean too hard to one side -- change too much or too little -- and the backlash from fans and former fans and future fans can be overwhelming. That's something Blizzard has never learned. With World of Warcraft, Blizzard is constantly chasing different demographics to maximize its playerbase, and those different demographics typically want different things out of the game, be they veterans or returnees or hardcores or casuals. Most of the game's expansions have retooled combat and classes and specs in some way, but in Cataclysm, and now again in Warlords of Draenor, the class revamps have been so far-reaching that they actually manage to turn off both veterans and returnees. Gamers, it seems, are willing to tolerate only so much dramatic change to their precious characters before rebelling. This is a lesson City of Heroes could have taught World of Warcraft had Blizzard been listening. Continue reading Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft Working As Intended: Change for change's sake in World of Warcraft originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Cottage image credit

Funcom secures $1.6 million in additional equity Posted: 25 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, Casual, Kids Funcom's website has published news of a move that gives the firm $1.6 million of additional equity as it prepares to launch LEGO Minifigures Online. In May of 2012, Funcom reached an agreement with US fund manager Yorkville Advisors and is now partially exercising the resulting option. "We are very pleased to have increased the company's financial flexibility with funds that will be used in preparing for the launch of LEGO Minifigures Online," explained CEO Ole Schreiner explained in a prepared statement. "We have several times expressed a need for additional equity and have considered different alternatives to secure this. This facility has been available to us since 2012, but the timing has not been right before." Funcom secures $1.6 million in additional equity originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews Posted: 25 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Sandbox, Black Desert Steparu and MMO Culture are both playing Black Desert's second Korean closed beta, and both sites have published recaps of their various adventures. Steparu details the fantasy sandbox's combat and skill system as well as the process of catching a mount with a lasso! MMO Culture focuses on the melee brawler Giant class. Both sites have uploaded gameplay videos, which you can sample after the cut. Continue reading Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews Here are a couple of Black Desert beta reviews originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters Posted: 25 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Events (Real-World), Patches, War, Free-to-Play, World of Tanks, World of Warplanes Wargaming is announcing the release of the newest patch for its flight combat MMO World of Warplanes today. Update 1.3 introduces a new line of American heavy fighters and an auto detect feature for graphic settings so everyone isn't playing on the medium setting by default. Wargaming will also be attending the Chicago Comic Con and Entertainment Expo where it will host two panels on World of Tanks and World of Warplanes. For those who can't attend, a stream will be available on the con's Twitch channel. [Source: Wargaming press release] Continue reading World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters World of Warplanes update brings more American heavy fighters originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: How much paranoia should MMOs provoke? Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Daily Grind, Post-Apocalyptic, Miscellaneous, H1Z1 A few weeks ago, SOE's John Smedley suggested that H1Z1's gameplay mechanics and atmosphere are intended make you "scared when you see someone" and that "your first instinct needs to be to hide." It seemed to me that what he was describing was not an MMORPG but the antithesis of an MMORPG. I usually log into MMOs to be surrounded by people, not to hide from them. Even in a game with open PvP, I don't want the entirety of my play experience to be summed up by sheer paranoia, especially a game that features so prominently a crafting-based and presumably social economy. What do you think -- how much do you want the feeling of paranoia and fear of your fellow players to dominate your play experience? [With thanks to SallyBowls and Space Cobra for the inspiration for this question!] 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: How much paranoia should MMOs provoke? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Apr 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes Posted: 24 Apr 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Giveaways, Livestream, Sandbox, The Stream Team, Player-Generated Content, Landmark There's so much creativity to experience thanks to Landmark's landmark contest, and Massively's MJ is trying to showcase as much as possible, which means she's adding plenty of obelisks, dwellings, temples, and other things that just have to be seen to her itinerary. Are you yearning to see these masterful creations up close? During the tour MJ will be giving out more beta codes so that you can join her on future tours. And for the Tigger in all of us, she'll have some Lunar Anklet codes to distribute as well. Join us live at 9:00 p.m. for the next round and astonishing creativity and a chance to add yours to the mix! Game: Landmark Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Thursday, April 24th, 2014 Time: 9:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes The Stream Team: Touring Landmark's landmarks and giving away codes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99 Posted: 24 Apr 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Launches, Free-to-Play, Promotions, ArcheAge, Sandbox While Trion Worlds is still being coy about a release date for ArcheAge (the official line is still "2014"), the studio announced today during its livestream the details behind a trio of founder's packs for the upcoming fantasy sandbox. Here's what each of the packs contains: Silver ($49.99): Beta access, four-day head start, Founder title (with stats), 30-day patron pass, experimental hang glider, and 2,500 credits. Gold ($99.99): Beta access, four-day head start, Traveler title (with stats), 60-day patron pass, 10 evenstones, 10 hereafter stones, glass phoenix hang glider, desert assassin platemail, and 7,500 credits. Archeum ($149.99): Alpha access, beta access, four-day head start, Trailblazer title (with stats), 90-day patron pass, Daru Chests, 10 evenstones, 10 hereafter stones, glass phoenix hang glider, desert assassin platemail, Founder's cloak with customizable logo, personalizable crest, 10 pet healing potions, and 11,250 credits. We spoke to Trion earlier this week about these founder's packs and upcoming test periods -- read on! Continue reading ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99 ArcheAge's founder packs will run you $49.99 to $149.99 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Founder pack site

Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th Posted: 24 Apr 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, News Items, Free-to-Play, Steampunk In a press release issued today, Snail Games announced that the closed beta for its steampunkish MMO Black Gold Online will begin on May 15th. Says the release, Closed Beta participants will see large-scale battlegrounds with customizable 'Carriers' (large battle mounts for each faction) and can develop over 100 distinct carrier-types for battle. Black Gold Online also features true hardcore PvP, where players can fight against members of their same faction as well as opposing forces across a variety of battlegrounds, arenas and 'Chambers of Greed.' Finally, players can join even larger Energy Well battles as they form armies to fight for control of precious resources in large-scale faction and guild battles. The closed beta will also include revamped graphics and a refreshed interface. We've embedded the latest trailer below! Continue reading Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th Black Gold Online closed beta begins May 15th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank Black Desert has been filling our headlines lately because of its Korean beta, but over here in the US, we have no inkling as to when or whether we'll ever get our hands on the game. That leads us to this week's Think Tank question: Would you rather know all about the awesome games overseas we might never get to play, or would you prefer they just shut up until they have a plan for those of us in the west? I polled the Massively team members for their take. Continue reading The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond The Think Tank: Wistfully watching MMOs across the pond originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers Posted: 24 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, Culture, News Items, Subscription The first episode of Azeroth Choppers (a collaboration between American Choppers and World of Warcraft) ended with the early frames being shown off and the promise of a cliffhanger. This week's episode resolves that cliffhanger: Everything has to be ready within five weeks' time. Which, as the episode states repeatedly, is a very difficult timeline to hit. Presumably even harder when you sit around mentioning how difficult it will be on camera, but hey. Since both bikes are still very early in design, the episode focuses on introducing Team Alliance and Team Horde, with members reacting to the short timeframe and the challenges of the design. Watch the full episode just past the break, and check out the official page introducing the team members in more depth. Continue reading World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers World of Warcraft rolls out episode two of Azeroth Choppers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Azeroth Chopper ep.2, Meet the Teams

TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited Posted: 24 Apr 2014 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Events (In-Game), News Items, Free-to-Play, TERA, Anniversaries TERA celebrates its second birthday this weekend, and for reasons that make sense only to MMORPGs and hobbits, that means it's giving its players a bunch of presents. En Masse will be handing out 20 prizes per server per day from today to May 1st, with a special jackpot chance for those who play over the weekend. The prizes include party packs, special mounts, skins, and the all-important 2013 swimsuit bundle. Everyone who logs in will be showered in daily federation bills, and this Saturday the team plans to bring in "special guests" who come bearing -- you guessed it -- more loot. The studio produced a trailer to punch up the festivities and demonstrate just how far the game has come since launch; we've included it below. Happy birthday, TERA! Continue reading TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited TERA's having a birthday party and you're invited originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: TERA anniversary page

City of Titans nears the end of pre-production Posted: 24 Apr 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Super-hero, Game Mechanics, News Items Producing a game means doing a lot of things, and sometimes that means choosing not to do things. Missing Worlds Media is wrapping up pre-production on City of Titans, the upcoming spiritual successor to City of Heroes, and one of the things that's been mandatory is keeping a realistic perspective on what can and cannot be achieved on a limited production schedule. The latest development blog talks about exactly that, focusing on something very familiar to everyone who has played an MMO: respawns. One of the elements included in the Unreal Engine powering the game is a respawn system. The development team had originally thought about creating an entirely new set of systems, but developing all of that would substantially add to the amount of development time needed in the game. As such, it was deemed as not mandatory for launch. It's a bit of a disappointment, but as the blog entry explains, it's a choice that needed to be made as the game approaches the full production stage. City of Titans nears the end of pre-production originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Nearing the End of Pre-production

John Smedley discusses H1Z1 monetization Posted: 24 Apr 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, Sandbox, H1Z1 Player characters in H1Z1 won't be concerned with money, seeing as how they'll be busy trying to fortify themselves against hordes of shambling zombies. Sony Online Entertainment, however, does indeed want to make money off of the game. President John Smedley took to Reddit to share the details of the team's first monetization meeting, and while it's not a decisive list of how the game will make money, it serves as a preview. The early list contains character slots, wearable items, crates with random selections of wearable items, and emotes. The team also intends to allow players to loot wearables from other players, but looted cash items will degrade over time rather than being perpetual acquisitions. Smedley makes it clear that resources like food, water, and ammunition will not be sold, nor will any boosts to those resources, since acquiring these assets makes up the core of the gameplay. Take a look at the post for the details and the community response. John Smedley discusses H1Z1 monetization originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: We had our first monetization meeting

Shroud of the Avatar opens up access to Release 5 Posted: 24 Apr 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, News Items, Shroud of the Avatar It's time to get skilled in Shroud of the Avatar's combat system. That is, it's time to actually have access to the skills that will eventually be in the game. Release 5 is now open to the game's backers, and it brings with it 35 of the 171 skills that will eventually be in the full game. Some skill lines are more fleshed out than others; while the Death line has access to death in both touch and ray form, Water is currently limited to Ice Fist and nothing else. But that will change. Aside from this major addition, the new release will also see the first wave of potential backers admitted into testing with keys that have been given out via an Alienware Arena promotion. There's also a new lighting model in place and a variety of functionality updates. Whether you're in the early access period or just want to keep an eye on the development, check out the full list of Release 5 notes for more details. Shroud of the Avatar opens up access to Release 5 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Release 5 Notes

Dragon's Prophet EU introduces the Column of the Prophet content update Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-Play, Dragon's Prophet Dragon's Prophet has announced the release of the Column of the Prophet content update today. This new challenge features a tower that reaches 100 stories into the sky with monsters that increase in difficulty with each level of the tower. Three sources can be called upon to aid your character whether solo or in a group: a medic, Skyhammer guards, or a war dragon. Right now, this update is only for European players of the game handled by Infernum, not SOE. A North American update schedule has not been announced. [Source: Infernum press release] Dragon's Prophet EU introduces the Column of the Prophet content update originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction Posted: 24 Apr 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Horror, Real-Life, Business Models, Lore, The Secret World, Chaos Theory, Buy-to-Play Let me just start by saying that the fact that I have not completed all four of The Secret World's new investigation missions in the recently released Sidestories: Further Analysis does not in anyway diminish the awesomeness of the pack. You don't have to do them all -- or even do them at all -- to appreciate this new content. That's because the beauty of these new missions goes beyond the actual investigative content; it's the fact that it is additional content! If there is one thing that TSW fans have been clamoring for, it's more content, especially content that tosses players deeper into the world and expounds on the story. (The popularity of last Halloween's Spooky Stories of Solomon Island quests sure proved that!) So even those who would rather stab their eye repeatedly with their mouse instead of puzzling out an investigation mission should be fistpumping this new development. With this new type of content release, Funcom has hit on an idea that can satisfy nearly everyone! And that certainly bodes well for the future of the game. Continue reading Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction Chaos Theory: Sidestories lead The Secret World in the right direction originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV updates PvP in patch 2.25 Posted: 24 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, PvP, News Items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, Subscription When was the last time you were in the Wolves' Den in Final Fantasy XIV? A week ago? A month? Was it never? Well, perhaps you should drop back in, because there's some new stuff in there. New armors. Attractive armors. And don't worry that veterans will have them right away when you log in; these armors require climbing the PvP ranks further, as this patch also adds ranks 31-40 to the ladder. So there's that much more reason to jump into the arena and start earning your Wolf Marks. Patch 2.25 also adds a couple of other features. Players can now use materia transmutation to exchange unwanted materia for a (hopefully more desirable) piece of materia at random. Darklight gear has been made dyeable, and Ventures have been added as a possible reward from treasure hunts. Take a look at the full notes for a few more details as well as a list of bug fixes included with the patch. Final Fantasy XIV updates PvP in patch 2.25 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch 2.25 notes

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