General Gaming Article

---

• White House Asks Congress to Pass New Privacy Laws
• Graphics Porn: The Most Graphically-Stunning Game Screenshots
• Holiday 2013: 57 Fascinating Websites
• December 2013: 2014 Tech Preview
• November 2013: Micro-Towers
• Large Screen Smartphones are Cutting into Tablet Sales
• Google Refutes Glass Teardown Analysis, Calls $80 Build Price "Absolutely Wrong"
• Visit a Microsoft Store Over the Weekend, Maybe Walk Out with a Free Windows Phone
• Nvidia, Falcon Northwest Tag Team Gaming PC Charity Auction to Honor Philip Scholz
• Newegg Daily Deals: PNY Turbo 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive, Asus 24-inch LED Monitor, and More!

White House Asks Congress to Pass New Privacy Laws Posted: 02 May 2014 05:16 PM PDT Six recommendations being offered More safeguards for Americans' data and additional protections for emails are some of the recommendations being made by the White House as it asks Congress to pass new privacy laws. Six recommendations in total are being offered by President Barack Obama's counselor John Podesta, who posted the proposals on the White House website. Following a 90-day review, at Obama's request, the president's top economic and science advisers looked at how both the government and private sector use large sets of data. The result is a report that suggests additional privacy laws, increased efforts to protect student and consumer data, make certain that such data cannot be used in discriminatory practices, and even provide non-U.S. citizens increased privacy protections. One such recommendation revolves around the topic of physical mail and email. When it comes to physical mail, a warrant based on probable cause needs to be issued by a judge if law enforcement wishes to gain access. But when it comes to email, access can be gained with a warrant without a judge's signature most of the time. To fix this, the White House recommends that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act be amended so that additional protection would be in place during a law enforcement investigation. The White House is also asking for the passing of national data-breach legislation that would collect the assortment of state laws into one federal requirement that would address how data breaches should be reported to consumers and law enforcement. The proposal comes in the aftermath of hackers who stole personal data from millions of customers who shopped at Target.  How likely do you think it is that Congress will act on any of these recommendations? Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Graphics Porn: The Most Graphically-Stunning Game Screenshots Posted: 02 May 2014 12:41 PM PDT Showcasing the sexiest, most photogenic game screenshots this side of the Internet We've got our Rig of the Month feature for amazing case mods, but what is a graphics afficionado supposed to do with his or her stellar screenshots? We've got you covered with Graphics Porn. Every month, we'll be collecting and publishing the most beautiful, photogenic, and amazing screenshots submitted by Maximum PC readers.  If you've been using Steam's nifty screenshots feature or simply print screening some beautiful wallpaper-worthy game moments, we want to be able to share your captured works of art with the world. Please send them to mpcgraphicsporn@gmail.com. Make sure to include the name of the game, a title for the screenshot, and a description of what's happening on-screen. To kick off the inaugural post of Graphics Porn, we've called upon some of the redditors from /r/GameScreens. They've graciously provided us with the right to republish their screenshots to give us a starting point for future installments. Before you take a peek at the gallery, remember that some of the screens might just contain spoilers! You've been warned. Follow Ben on Twitter and Google+.

Holiday 2013: 57 Fascinating Websites Posted: 02 May 2014 11:38 AM PDT In the PDF archive of the Holiday 2013 issue, you can find Our 57 Go-To Website Picks AMD Hits Back Excellend Oddball Cases V3 Gaming Devastator review Asus Radeon R9 280X DC2 Top review Super Talent DRAM Disk review And more!

December 2013: 2014 Tech Preview Posted: 02 May 2014 11:37 AM PDT In the PDF archive of the December 2013 issue, you can find Coming Soon Gaming on the Go Surf Wars: Five Web Browsers Compared Origin Genesis review Silverstone Tundra TD03 Lacie Ruggedkey review And more!

November 2013: Micro-Towers Posted: 02 May 2014 11:36 AM PDT In the PDF archive of the November 2013 issue, you can find Micro-Towers of Power The Cloud Crowd The Mod Man Interview Nvidia Shield review Gigabyte Z87-UD5H review  Asus GeForce GTX 780 DirectCU II 3GB review And more!

Large Screen Smartphones are Cutting into Tablet Sales Posted: 02 May 2014 09:30 AM PDT International Data Corporation reports a slowdown in tablet shipment growth According to latest data published by International Data Corporation (IDC), tablet and two-in-one device shipments dropped to 50.4 million units in the first quarter of 2014, which represents a 35.7 percent sequential decline and just 3.9 percent jump compared to the same quarter a year ago. IDC believes larger size smartphones are eating into the tablet category. In addition, existing tablet owners seem content with their current devices and are no longer upgrading as often. "The rise of large-screen phones and consumers who are holding on to their existing tablets for ever longer periods of time were both contributing factors to a weaker-than-anticipated quarter for tablets and 2-in-1s," said Tom Mainelli, IDC Program Vice President, Devices and Displays. "In addition, commercial growth has not been robust enough to offset the slowing of consumer shipments." Interestingly, Apple is still in the lead, even when factoring in two-in-1 laptop/tablet hybrid devices. However, the gap isn't as wide -- Apple shipped 16.4 million iPad and iPad mini devices in the first quarter, down from 26 million in the previous quarter and below the 19.5 million units it shipped in Q1 2013. Samsung took the No. 2 spot by shipping 11.2 million units, up from 8.5 million a year prior. That bumped its market share up to 22.3 percent (Apple's share now sits at 32.5 percent). Image Credit: Flickr (Janitors) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Google Refutes Glass Teardown Analysis, Calls $80 Build Price "Absolutely Wrong" Posted: 02 May 2014 09:04 AM PDT Evaluating the BOM of Google's Glass device You may have seen reports indicating that the bill of materials (BOM) associated with Google Glass is a mere $79.78, well short of the $1,500 price tag it costs to join the Explorer program and bring a set home. Sounds like highway robbery, right? Even after factoring in other expenses that have nothing do to with the actual component costs, the markup seems downright obscene. But is it? Google denies its Glass device cost just $80 to make. So how much is it really? That's a heck of a good question. In a statement provided to The Wall Street Journal, a Google spokesman said simply the cost estimate floating around the web is "absolutely wrong." Unfortunately, that's all he said -- there was no followup on the actual cost or any hints as to why it's off. The sub-$80 estimate originates from Teardown.com, which notes that the processor is the most expense part at $13.96. Non-electrical components add another $13.63, followed by a catch-all "other" category accounting for $11.32 and Connectivity tacking on $10.79 to the cost. Every other part in the breakdown comes in at less than $10, according to the teardown analysis. WSJ says one point of contention could be the display, which is pegged at just $3 (display/touchscreen and glass). Given the device's high resolution and thin profile, it might actually cost much more. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Visit a Microsoft Store Over the Weekend, Maybe Walk Out with a Free Windows Phone Posted: 02 May 2014 08:27 AM PDT Microsoft is giving away a limited number of Windows Phones this weekend Statistically speaking, if you own a smartphone, there's a high probability that it's running Android or iOS. Microsoft is taking steps to change that, and if you're intrigued by what the company is doing with its Windows Phone platform, you may want to stop by a Microsoft Store this weekend, provided it's not too far out of your way. Those who do will have a chance to win a free Windows Phone. Microsoft is giving away 8 Windows Phone handsets per day on May 3 and 4 (Saturday and Sunday), per store through its Opportunity Rings instant win game, the company announced on Facebook. This is a giveaway that's taking place at all of its U.S. locations, full line and specialty. Your chances of scoring a free Windows Phone probably aren't all that great based on the assumption that this promotion is likely to draw a big crowd, or at least a bigger one than Microsoft typically gets at its stores. But hey, if you're local to a store and curious, consider this a friendly heads up. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Nvidia, Falcon Northwest Tag Team Gaming PC Charity Auction to Honor Philip Scholz Posted: 02 May 2014 05:39 AM PDT Charity auction honors late Nvidia worker Philip Scholz who gave his life saving another Life is tough sometimes, there's just no two ways about it. Earlier this year, Philip Scholz, a 35-year-old graphic design marketer employed by Nvidia, lost his life trying to save a man that was laying down on the Caltrain tracks at the Santa Clara station. In his attempt to pull the man off the tracks, both were struck by the commuter train traveling at 50-70MPH. The man on the tracks survived, but Scholz did not. If there's a silver lining to such tragedy, it's that Scholz's name lives on through the Philip Scholz Memorial Foundation, for which Nvidia and Falcon Northwest are attempting to raise funds through a charity auction on eBay. The foundation provides scholarships to needs-based youth and promotes physical activities involving Scholz's favorite pastime, baseball. A giving person who made the ultimate sacrifice while alive, the Philip Scholz Memorial Foundation ensures the spirit of his character lives on in death. "He was confident, aggressive, capable, I could see that without a moment's hesitation, he's going to act," Nvidia co-found Chris Malachowsky told San Jose Mercury News. "I'm sure his knee-jerk, no hesitation to help someone else is what caused this -- he goes down as a hero in my book." The machine that's been donated to the charity auction features an Intel Core i7 4770K processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan Black graphics card, Asus Z87 Maximums motherboard, 16GBof G.Skill DDR3 memory, and two Crucial 1TB M50 solid state drives shoved into a custom designed Falcon Northwest Tiki chassis. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to the foundation. Head over to the auction page to spy more pictures and/or place a bid. The auction ends on May 8, 2014. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: PNY Turbo 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive, Asus 24-inch LED Monitor, and More! Posted: 02 May 2014 05:38 AM PDT Top Deal: How many movies have you seen where a guy or gal has broken into an office and is transferring files via USB as they nervously watch the progress bar hoping they don't get caught? If they would have used a USB 3.0 flash drive, they could have been in and out without all the suspense and unnecessary stress. Do you hear that, movie actors? Tell your friends about today's top deal for a PNY Turbo 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $98 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: [EMCPEPW86]; additional $10 mail-in-rebate). With read and write speeds up to 185MB/s and 135MB/s, respectively, you can spend less time stealing enemy secrets on woefully unsecured PCs and more time planning your next move! Other Deals: WD My Book 4TB USB 3.0/USB 2.0 3.5-inch External Hard Drive for $140 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code: [EMCPEPW23]) Samsung 840 EVO 2.5-inch 120GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive for $80 with free shipping (normally $85 - use coupon code: [EMCPEPW27]) Asus VE248H Black 24-inch 2ms Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor for $145 with free shipping (normally $180 - use coupon code: [EMCPEPW28]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) Linksys WRT54GL Wireless Broadband Router 802.11b/g up to 54Mbps for $40 with free shipping (normally $50 - use coupon code: [EMCPEPW38])

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

---

• Ask Massively: Newsletters, EVE Online, and the value of alpha previews
• EVE Fanfest 2014: Project Legion brings DUST 514 to the PC
• WildStar puts up patch notes for its latest weekend beta
• The Repopulation team has squashed a lot of bugs
• The Daily Grind: What NPC ability would you like to have?
• EVE Fanfest 2014: Economy talk highlights PLEX prices and reveals titan production statistics
• SOE compensates players for All Access issues
• Today's Elder Scrolls Online AMA discusses bug fixes, housing, spellcrafting, and more
• The Think Tank: Founder packs, exploitation, and choices
• Azeroth Choppers revs up to episode three
• SMITE to offer new Nemesis ninja skin
• Neverwinter shows off new Black Ice armor sets
• SOE updates Landmark, pushes back international Player Studio rollout
• EVE Fanfest 2014: EVE Valkyrie demos gameplay, features Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff
• Portions of RIFT's May cash shop proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders
• Guild Wars 2 begins Chinese open beta

Ask Massively: Newsletters, EVE Online, and the value of alpha previews Posted: 02 May 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous Welcome back to a grab-bag edition of Ask Massively. First up is reader Roy, who asked, Do you have any kind of newsletter or weekly email on this site? Nope, no newsletter or email blasts! But there are lots of easy ways to follow our work. If you want the whole shebang, you can follow us through your RSS reader of choice as well as several social media avenues, all outlined in an Ask Massively from last year. If you want just a summary of our best stuff, you could follow just our Week in Review column, which runs every Sunday evening and might just serve your desire for a weekly summary of cool posts. We also publish weekly roundups of MMO in beta testing, crowdfunded MMOs, and pseudo-MMOs, including coverage of some games we don't traditionally cover separately. What else have we got this week? How about an internet spaceships question from Gabe. Continue reading Ask Massively: Newsletters, EVE Online, and the value of alpha previews Ask Massively: Newsletters, EVE Online, and the value of alpha previews originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 May 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Fanfest 2014: Project Legion brings DUST 514 to the PC Posted: 02 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, PvE, Consoles, MMOFPS, First Impressions, Events (Massively's Coverage), DUST 514, Dev Diaries, Sandbox One of the main complaints about DUST 514 since its announcement was the fact that the game was a PlayStation 3 exclusive. DUST was CCP's first attempt to break into the massive console shooter market and its first game to use the free-to-play business model, but things didn't exactly work out to plan. The millions of console gamers CCP expected to flood into New Eden failed to materialise, reviews were mixed at best, and DUST quietly fell off the console radar. Players have been asking for a PC release ever since, as the game's unique connection with the EVE Online universe could potentially make it popular with existing EVE players. If you've been hoping for DUST on the PC, your prayers may have just been answered. A few hours ago at EVE Fanfest 2014, CCP demonstrated a prototype of something it calls Project Legion -- an attempt to bring DUST 514's shooter gameplay to the PC but with all-new sandbox gameplay. The project is extremely early in development, but CCP was able to put together a concept demo for Fanfest attendees showing how the game will work. Most of the demo was a slick UI and transition into a DUST planetary environment which has had its graphics significantly improved. DUST 514 is severely limited by the specs of the PS3, so Legion being on PC means it should actually still look that good when deployed. In addition to signing up for mercenary contracts, players will be able to scan the entire EVE universe for open sandbox salvage zones where resources have been found. These planets have no pre-defined missions, victory conditions, or teams; Instead, they're free-for-all PvE zones with open world PvP, and CCP hopes that this will promote the same kind of emergent gameplay as is seen in EVE. It won't be a true sandbox until you can stab someone in the back, CCP announced to a pleased audience. Little else is known about the project, and the announcement has raised some pretty big questions. Will Legion link in with the EVE universe in any way like DUST? And what will happen to DUST 514 on PS3 if Legion takes off? Whether you're a die-hard fan of internet spaceships or just a gawker on the sidelines, EVE Fanfest is the EVE Online event of the year (and the key source of new DUST 514 and EVE Valkyrie scoops!). Follow Massively's Brendan Drain as he reports back on this year's Fanfest starpower, scheming, and spoilers from exotic Reykjavik, Iceland. EVE Fanfest 2014: Project Legion brings DUST 514 to the PC originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 May 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WildStar puts up patch notes for its latest weekend beta Posted: 02 May 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Patches, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play It's about a month until WildStar launches in full, possibly while playing an electric guitar and riding a motorcycle over a bus that's been set on fire. That means that the patches are coming fast and furious with each weekend beta, and this weekend is no exception. The most recent patch trims up some lag and instability issues while also updating and improving several aspects of the game, from character customization to Warplot functionality. For example, players will no longer be subjected to having facial customizations that don't quite work, nor will they be able to hurl themselves to their doom while building Warplots. War parties now require at least 10 members online to queue as a group. Players will now be limited to editing their costumes at Protostar Dye Specialists in Illium and Thayd. Dead players may no longer be the target for starting a duel (not counting Mordesh, obviously). You get the idea. Check out the full patch notes for a clearer picture of this weekend's beta. WildStar puts up patch notes for its latest weekend beta originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 May 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Build 6658 Patch Notes

The Repopulation team has squashed a lot of bugs Posted: 02 May 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Bugs, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, The Repopulation Above & Beyond has released its latest monthly recap for crowdfunded sci-fi sandbox MMO The Repopulation. April saw the launch of Alpha 3, and the dev team says that next week they'll start inviting "preview weekenders" to grow the tester numbers yet again. The team's primary focus right now is bug fixing, as there have been "quite a few new things that we never expected to happen bug-wise." Most of them have been dealt with, though, as the massive list of fixes in the update makes clear. You can read the full report at The Repopulation's official web site. The Repopulation team has squashed a lot of bugs originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 May 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: April report

The Daily Grind: What NPC ability would you like to have? Posted: 02 May 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription I'm pretty content with my avatar in The Elder Scrolls Online. He looks cool, he's a badass with a crazy amount of useful combat and crafting skills, and he has a tremendous singing voice. One thing he can't do, however, is lean back and flip a coin like the NPC in the image up there. ESO does feature a couple of nifty wall-leaning emotes and plenty of other appealing fluff. But I want a coin and I want people to see me flipping it, dammit! What about you, Massively readers? Is there a certain NPC ability you crave for your character? 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 NPC ability would you like to have? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 May 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Fanfest 2014: Economy talk highlights PLEX prices and reveals titan production statistics Posted: 01 May 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Business Models, Culture, Economy, Events (Real-World), Guilds, PvP, Opinion, Events (Massively's Coverage), Dev Diaries, Sandbox, Crafting, Player-Generated Content, Subscription, MMORPG When we asked our readers to to pick the EVE Fanfest panel they most wanted to hear about, the most popular choice by a comfortable margin was Economy: Into the Second Decade. So today I popped in to hear what CCP's Lead Economist Dr Eyjo had to say on the year's biggest economic events and plans for the future. The talk started with the usual comparison of ISK sinks vs. ISK faucets, showing the various ways that ISK enters and leaves the game. Too much entering could cause rapid inflation, while not enough could cause economic collapse. A net value of around 20-25 trillion ISK is reportedly injected into the game each month, a level that Dr Eyjo insists isn't enough to cause any inflationary problems in the economy. The big focus of this year's economics talk was the destruction of around $270,000 US worth of Titan class supercapital ships in the recent Bloodbath of B-R5RB. Also on the table for discussion was the recent rapid increase in price of the 30 Day Pilot's License Extension (PLEX), an item that can be bought on the market for ISK and exchanged for game time. This can effectively make EVE free-to-play, but prices are now at over 700 million ISK and are starting to become prohibitive for some players. Read on for a detailed breakdown of CCP's entire economics talk from Fanfest 2014, including surprising stats on how many titans are built each quarter. Continue reading EVE Fanfest 2014: Economy talk highlights PLEX prices and reveals titan production statistics EVE Fanfest 2014: Economy talk highlights PLEX prices and reveals titan production statistics originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE compensates players for All Access issues Posted: 01 May 2014 06:45 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Events (In-Game), Free-to-Play, DC Universe Online, Giveaways, PlanetSide 2, Dragon's Prophet, Landmark Acknowledging that the recent switchover to the new All Access program has been "frustrating," SOE announced today that it will be compensating its playerbase for these issues. The studio will be handing out 50 replay badges to DCUO players, adding an additional week to seven-day Landmark closed beta keys, and triggering double XP weekends for Dragon's Prophet, EverQuest, EverQuest II, and PlanetSide 2. "The implementation of this new membership plan across SOE's game portfolio has been one of the most complicated updates to our billing system to date," SOE apologized in a post. "As fellow gamers, we know that this has been frustrating and we sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused." SOE compensates players for All Access issues originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Your loyalty means the world to us!

Today's Elder Scrolls Online AMA discusses bug fixes, housing, spellcrafting, and more Posted: 01 May 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Bugs, Classes, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, The Elder Scrolls Online The Elder Scrolls Online's Paul Sage, Matt Firor, Rich Lambert, Brian Wheeler, and Nick Konkle descended upon Reddit today along with a bevy of community managers to run another ask-me-anything, perfectly timed after the release of this morning's release of ZeniMax's plans for the game in 2014. Here are just a few of the highlights: Spellcrafting will involve the rediscovering of "traditional" Elder Scrolls schools of magic, like alteration and destruction. Wheeler hinted that aesthetic changes might be en route for the Imperial City. There are no current plans for smaller scale PvP zones or dueling. Grouping, werewolf, quest achievement, and PvP vampire issues are being worked on. SLI support arrives with Craglorn. Lambert confirmed the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood will have their own skill lines. There's no time-frame for player housing right now. "We want to do it right," Community Manager Jessica Folsom said. Guar mounts are also planned sans timeline. Aside from weekly stability patches and "after the dust settles," the team still plans content updates every four to six weeks. The complete AMA is on Reddit for your review. [With thanks to tipster Leiloni!] Today's Elder Scrolls Online AMA discusses bug fixes, housing, spellcrafting, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit AMA

The Think Tank: Founder packs, exploitation, and choices Posted: 01 May 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank, Crowdfunding Free-to-play MMOs have learned at least one key lesson from crowdfunding: Some people will shell out huge amounts of money for pixels, far more than we've traditionally paid for industry-standard preorders and collectors editions. Most recently, Landmark, ArcheAge, Trove, and Transformers Universe have come under fire for offering pricey "founder packs" that provide a range of early access benefits, some of them significant, for what are otherwise F2P games. I polled the Massively writers for their take on this trend. Is it exploitative or just the reality of modern MMO funding? Continue reading The Think Tank: Founder packs, exploitation, and choices The Think Tank: Founder packs, exploitation, and choices originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Azeroth Choppers revs up to episode three Posted: 01 May 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, News Items, Subscription You've met the teams. You've understood the concept. Now it's time to get to the exciting work of watching people build fantasy motorcycles for World of Warcraft characters to ride in the newest installment of Azeroth Choppers. This is the first stage of assembly, leading to the usual ramping drama that you see in any sort of reality show wherein someone runs out of something and everyone panics before more is obtained in a minute of screen time. If you've enjoyed the previous installments, you'll find more to like here, as both of the factional teams are feeling the pinch in time and one team loses a crucial member. This episode also gives the barest hints of what the bikes will look like in preparation for the first look for Blizzard at the end of the episode. Take a look past the break to watch the full show, and stay tuned for future installments. Continue reading Azeroth Choppers revs up to episode three Azeroth Choppers revs up to episode three originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Azeroth Choppers episode 3 Via: WoW Insider

SMITE to offer new Nemesis ninja skin Posted: 01 May 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Previews, News Items, MOBA Do you enjoy playing Nemesis in SMITE? Do you ever find yourself thinking that you'd much rather be playing the Greek personification of vengeance if she were dressed up like a Japanese ninja for no adequately explained reason other than the fact that ninjas are cool? Well, you're going to get your remarkably specific wish with the next major SMITE patch. (If you had hoped to see her dressed up as a Portugese milkmaid from the 16th century, we're afraid your pleas have gone unanswered.) So what does she look like in the new costume? We're glad you asked because otherwise you'd have no reason to click past the break and check out the video of the new Nemesis costume in action. So... you know, do exactly that. The patch is currently scheduled for early next week. [Source: Hi-Rez Studios press release] Continue reading SMITE to offer new Nemesis ninja skin SMITE to offer new Nemesis ninja skin originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Neverwinter shows off new Black Ice armor sets Posted: 01 May 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Neverwinter's Curse of Icewind Dale is two weeks away, and the team at Cryptic hopes to whip up interest by showing off the new armor sets coming with the update. Module 3 will allow players to forge this new type of armor from black ice, a special material that they'll be picking up from quests and adventuring. There are two different types of sets that each class can make from it, Corrupted and Purified Black Ice armor, each with its own stat builds and the ability to be powered up for a limited time. The armor not only looks all cool and jaggedy but it will help protect characters from the new black ice damage that's also coming in the new area. The studio posted pictures of the armor sets for each one of the classes, a few of which you can check out after the break. Continue reading Neverwinter shows off new Black Ice armor sets Neverwinter shows off new Black Ice armor sets originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Black Ice armor preview

SOE updates Landmark, pushes back international Player Studio rollout Posted: 01 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Contests, Economy, Patches, Free-to-Play, DC Universe Online, EverQuest Next, PlanetSide 2, Landmark It was the best of times for SOE and it was the worst of times. It was the season of glorious patches and of disappointing delays. It was also May 1st, in case you haven't checked your calendar. SOE delivered an update to Landmark's beta today, including claim feedback, chat improvements, new props, and the ability to teleport to other claims from the gallery view. The studio also launched its first competition, this one to create visually stunning landmarks for the game's environment. The competition will conclude on May 7th. Unfortunately, international players of SOE's library looking to partake in Player Studio goodness will have to wait a while longer: "Initially, we hoped to expand Player Studio to Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on or before May 1st, but given the intricacy of the program and our recent launch of the new All Access Membership plan, we have decided to roll out international support for Player Studio at the end of May." SOE updates Landmark, pushes back international Player Studio rollout originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Update notes, Player Studio update

EVE Fanfest 2014: EVE Valkyrie demos gameplay, features Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff Posted: 01 May 2014 12:10 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Events (Real-World), Game Mechanics, Lore, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Consoles, Casual, Events (Massively's Coverage), Dev Diaries, Sandbox, MOBA, Virtual Reality Moments ago at EVE Fanfest 2014 in Reykjavik, Iceland, developer CCP Games revealed some exciting developments for its upcoming virtual reality dogfighter EVE: Valkyrie. Among the announcements was the revelation that actress Katee Sackhoff (of Battlestar Galactica fame) will be starring as the voice of Valkyrie faction leader Ran. The Valkyrie faction is a breakaway sect of EVE Online's Guristas pirates that has become a mercenary outfit, using cloning and genetic enhancements to get an edge on the other pirate factions of New Eden. Sackhoff's character will be handing out missions to players in the final game and barking orders in your ear throughout each mission. Read on for our the highlights of the Valkyrie demo and Sackhoff's video missive to players. Continue reading EVE Fanfest 2014: EVE Valkyrie demos gameplay, features Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff EVE Fanfest 2014: EVE Valkyrie demos gameplay, features Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Portions of RIFT's May cash shop proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders Posted: 01 May 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT Trion and Doctors Without Borders have partnered to further the latter's humanitarian efforts around the globe. From May 1st through May 31st, purchases of the lab coat or doctor bundle from the RIFT cash shop will trigger a $5.00 donation to the charity organization. [Thanks Zuji!] Portions of RIFT's May cash shop proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Guild Wars 2 begins Chinese open beta Posted: 01 May 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play Guild Wars 2 has made in-roads with a significant MMO audience this week, as it has kicked off its open beta in China. While local publisher KongZhong is calling this a launch, it's technically the beginning of a two-week head start period before the full open beta commences in the region on May 15th. Guild Wars 2 is the first major MMO to use a buy-to-play business model in China, selling 500,000 copies during its pre-order period. Interestingly, the official press release admits to regional "doubts" as to the effectiveness of this model. All pre-order players are now able to check out the game during this head start period, with any future purchasers required to wait until the 15th to try it out. Guild Wars 2 begins Chinese open beta originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 May 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Market Watch

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