General Gaming Article

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• Nvidia Q1 Earnings Report Shows Growth for High End GPU Business
• Oculus Rift Used to Simulate a Bird Flying
• Epic Announcement: Development Begins on Next Unreal Tournament, Will Be Free
• Sony to Shut Down Reader Store Next Month
• Gigabyte Unveils a Bunch of 9 Series Motherboards in Anticipation of Refreshed Haswell Launch
• Watch Out Revlon, Mink Brings Makeup to the 3D Printing Market
• Acer's 32-inch WQHD Monitor Books a Trip to the U.S., Costs $899 MSRP
• Newegg Daily Deals: Samsung 21.5-inch LED Monitor, Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB SSD and More!

Nvidia Q1 Earnings Report Shows Growth for High End GPU Business Posted: 08 May 2014 04:59 PM PDT PC gaming and the cloud responsible for profitable first quarter Nvidia has released its Q1 earnings report for 2015 two days earlier than expected due to an internal communications snafu that sent the report to about 100 people. Despite that, Nvidia's earnings have been good for the period ending April 27.  According to the report, Nvidia's earnings for Q1 were $1.01 billion. While down 4 percent from the previous quarter, this is a 16 percent year-over-year increase for the company. Profits were also up with a net income of $136.5 million for the quarter. A 7 percent dip from the last quarter but a 75 percent gain compared to Q1 of last year. In regards to the company's GPU business, it was up $112 million, 14 percent, for year-over-year. Nvidia's high-end GeForce GTX GPUs for both desktop PCs and notebooks grew 57 percent. This growth is due, according to the company, to increased demand in all markets including the U.S., China, and Europe. Nvidia president Jen-Hsun Huang attributed the Q1 results to PC gaming and the cloud saying, "First quarter results benefited from gains in PC gaming and our continued progress in the data center and cloud. Nearly 600 enterprises worldwide are now evaluating GRID, our virtual GPU server platform. VMware announced support for GRID to enable GPU-accelerated enterprise virtualization. And with IBM, Dell and HP now selling our GPUs in their high-volume servers, we expect large-scale data centers to be a significant source of growth." Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Oculus Rift Used to Simulate a Bird Flying Posted: 08 May 2014 03:45 PM PDT Feel what it's like to fly like a bird A team of designers at the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland has developed a VR machine that simulates a bird flying. The VR device, called Birdly, allows users to mimic how a bird flies through the air in a unique fashion and is the world's first bird flight simulator. While the Oculus Rift provides a birds-eye view, there are a few other parts to help with the simulation. There is a fan that replicates headwinds depending on how fast the user is travelling and a complex setup where the user lays flat on their stomach with controls that help simulate a bird flapping its wings. Not only that, but the machine also replicates smells.  Although Birdly may only be an exhibition, it is an interesting direction to take the technology in. And be sure to check out the video that provides a glimpse at how the device works. Will other VR machines be developed that might simulate other types of flight? Like a dragon?   Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Epic Announcement: Development Begins on Next Unreal Tournament, Will Be Free Posted: 08 May 2014 12:48 PM PDT At long last, work has begun on a brand new Unreal Tournament title Epic Games is trying out something a little different with its upcoming Unreal Tournament title, which it confirmed is now under development. In an attempt to "do something radical," Epic Games is making the game in the open, meaning you have a front row seat (and a voice) as more lines of code get added. But wait, there's more to the announcement! When it's all said and finished, the new Unreal Tournament title will be free! We'll give you a moment to let all that sink in. Take your time. We'll just be over switching out our caffeine drip. Almost finished. Wrapped your mind around the three-part announcement yet? Good, let's get out of the kiddie section and jump into the deep end. Epic Games assembled a small team of UT veterans to work on the project. As development progresses, they'll use forums for discussions and Twitch to broadcast regular updates. Every single line of code that's written will be available live to UE4 developers on GitHub. Oh, and the game will be powered by Unreal Engine 4. It might take several months until the project is finished, but when it's complete, it will be free. "Not free to play. Just free," Epic Games states. Over time, Epic Games will create a marketplace where developers, modders, artists, and gamers can give away, buy, and sell models and content. Earnings from the marketplace will be split between developers and Epic, which is how it plans to pay for the game. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Sony to Shut Down Reader Store Next Month Posted: 08 May 2014 09:41 AM PDT Reader Store customers will transfer to Kobo Just a few months after selling off its Vaio PC division, Sony will further reduce costs by shutting down its Reader Store. It will close for good on June 16, 2014, up to which time you can continue to shop and make purchases at the Reader Store. That may seem like a silly thing to do with a closure just more than a month away, however Sony says you'll receive an email from Kobo with a personalized link that will allow you to transfer your library over. "In some cases, your eBooks purchased from Reader Store may not be available from Kobo. While a vast majority of your library will be available from the more than 4 million titles available at Kobo, we recommend that you download all of your eBooks to ensure that should one of your titles be unavailable, you can continue to read this eBook in the future," Sony said in a statement on its Reader Store website. Be advised that some features won't carry over to Kobo, such as highlights and wish lists. Credit balances will also go the way of the dodo, so if you have any store credit or vouchers, you'll want to use them up before June 16. For more information, see Sony's Reader Store Closure FAQ. Image Credit: Flickr (Bryan Mills) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Gigabyte Unveils a Bunch of 9 Series Motherboards in Anticipation of Refreshed Haswell Launch Posted: 08 May 2014 08:51 AM PDT More next-generation motherboards show up to the 5th Generation Core party While we may never know which came first, the chicken or the egg, we do know that next-generation 9 Series motherboards are arriving ahead of Intel's refreshed Haswell launch. Gigabyte is the latest to debut Z97 and H97 motherboards -- about a million of them (slight exaggeration) broken up into four different categories that include the G1 Gaming Series, Ultra Durable Series, Overclocking Series, and Black Edition. "Gigabyte is excited to launch four new series of motherboards for the Intel 9 series chipset, each offering a host of new and unique Gigabyte features matched with Gigabyte signature quality and durability," commented Henry Kao, Vice President of Gigabyte Motherboard Business Unit. "Our 9 series motherboards also offer a future proof platform to our customers by supporting the latest 4th generation Intel Core processors including the soon to launch refresh and unlocked CPUs, as well as future 5th generation Intel Core processors, ensuring they will be able to take advantage of current and upcoming Intel technologies." If you're looking for reliability over all else, the Black Series is where you should focus. Gigabyte says its Black Series boards undergo an extra 168 hours (7 days) of server-grade full system testing conducted at its new state-of-the-art testing facility in Taiwan. We count 34 total motherboards spread out through all four categories, including a handful of Sniper boards like the G1.Sniper Z97. It features gold plated display and audio ports, high end Nichicon capacitors, AMP-UP audio technology, Killer E2200 networking, and a bunch of other goodies. Intel's refreshed Haswell line is expected to launch next week. Broadwell, which is a die shrink of Haswell down to 14nm, is also expected to be compatible with 9 Series motherboards. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Watch Out Revlon, Mink Brings Makeup to the 3D Printing Market Posted: 08 May 2014 08:22 AM PDT Print your own custom makeup from your couch Talk about a shakeup in the makeup industry! Meet Mink, a 3D printer that can take any image and transform it into a wearable color cosmetic. Using existing software, Mink takes that custom color you've chosen and then prints it into a blush, eye shadow, lip gloss, lipstick, or any other type of makeup that you'd otherwise shop up and down the aisles of a brick and mortar location for. As TechCrunch explains it, the majority of makeup comes from the same basic substrates -- that includes premium brands and the cheap stuff alike. Mink founder Grace Choi has sourced the same substrate to make printing makeup at home a reality. The market here could be huge. First there's the convenience of not having to leave your home or waiting for shipping -- just the time it takes to print the makeup. Secondly -- and perhaps more importantly -- is the ability to find exactly the color you want rather than the limited ones offered at stores. 3D printing is still mostly expensive at this early stage, however Mink will cost less than $200 when it launches later this year (it's being aimed at 13 to 21 year old girls, Choi says). There will still be the cost of printing the lipstick itself, though you have to appreciate how Choi shoots it straight in terms in this regard. "The makeup industry makes a whole lot of money on a whole lot of bullshit," Choi said at TechCrunch Disrupt. "They do this by charging a huge premium on one thing that technology provides for free, and that one thing is color." Choi also said that per unit, makeup printed at home using Mink will be cheaper than what you buy at the store. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Acer's 32-inch WQHD Monitor Books a Trip to the U.S., Costs $899 MSRP Posted: 08 May 2014 07:54 AM PDT Acer's 32-inch B326HUL LED monitor is now available in North America There are a couple reasons why you might be putting off the upgrade to a 4K monitor. One is the technology -- it's not very mature at this point. The second is horsepower, meaning it takes one hell of a fast system to push all those pixels around, especially in gaming. Acer's compromise is the B326HUL, a 32-inch WQHD (2650x1440) display with 100 percent sRGB coverage. For what it's worth, the spec sheet indicates a 100,000,000:1 maximum contrast ratio, 6ms response time, 178-degree viewing angle, and 6-axis color adjustment. Other features include a built-in USB 3.0 hub, two HDMI ports, DVI-D input, DisplayPort, a pair of 2W speakers, smartphone holder, and a stand that supports tilt (25 degrees up or -5 degrees down), swivel (60 degrees left or right), and height (150mm up or down) adjustments. "The new Acer B326HUL display was engineered to provide commercial customers with a very comfortable and productive viewing experience," said Edward Chan, product manager for Acer America. "Professional users will benefit from the superb image quality and large viewing area that enhances collaboration and significantly reduces scrolling through spreadsheets. IT professionals will appreciate the excellent connectivity, power savings and VESA mounting capability that maximizes work space." Acer says the B326HUL will be available this month for $899 with a three year warranty. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Samsung 21.5-inch LED Monitor, Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB SSD and More! Posted: 08 May 2014 06:11 AM PDT Top Deal: What's 21.5 inches, sports a Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) resolution, and is built by Samsung? If you guessed a smartphone (or phablet), you're wrong, but probably not for long with the pace Samsung has been increasing mobile phone display sizes. However, the answer is featured in today's top deal -- Samsung SD300 Series S22D300HY 21.5-inch LED Backlit LCD Monitor for $120 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCYTZG266]). This glossy display has both D-Sub and HDMI inputs, a 5ms response time, and 600:1 DCR Mega Infinity contrast ratio. Other Deals: Kingston HyperX 3K 120G 2.5-inch 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive for $75 with free shipping WD AV-GP 2TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $85 with free shipping (normally $100 - use coupon code: [EMCYTZG262]) WD My Book 3TB USB 3.0/USB 2.0 3.5-inch External Hard Drive for $110 with free shipping (normally $120 - use coupon code: [EMCYTZG263]) MSI R9 270X GAMING 2G Radeon R9 270X 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 Video Card for $200 with free shipping

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MMO Updates

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• Norrathian Notebook: Jump in, the water's fine in Landmark!
• Destiny dev diary details armor, weapons, and loot
• WildStar's open beta is live... as is a story trailer
• First wave of BlizzCon tickets sold out
• Elder Scrolls Online console releases delayed six months [Updated]
• The Daily Grind: Are you subbing to Elder Scrolls Online?
• Infinite Crisis introduces Sinestro
• The Stream Team: Accruing more ArcheAge alpha adventures
• Star Trek Online refitting two patrol escorts
• Leaderboard: What class are you playing in WildStar?
• Oculus wants to build a billion-person MMO
• 'Summer of SWTOR' plans updated
• WildStar open beta patch adds levels and a dire warning
• Transformers Universe demos its MOTA gameplay
• Oceans roll into Landmark today
• Here's another awesome Black Desert video
• RIFT 2.7: Binding of Blood delayed [Update: It's live now!]
• WildStar's Stephan Frost on using the subscription model

Norrathian Notebook: Jump in, the water's fine in Landmark! Posted: 08 May 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Sandbox, Player-Generated Content, Norrathian Notebook, Landmark The drought has finally ended: Water has come to the parched shores of Landmark. After a day of torturing fans with some not-so-subtle teasing on Twitter involving beach songs, links to life vests, and musings on slow garden hoses, SOE Director of Development Dave Georgeson finally outright admitted that the first phase of water was indeed headed into the game. And as of yesterday's update, the long-anticipated liquid is a permanent part of the landscape. No more shall players stare off over the edge of their islands, eyes skipping over the sand whilst seeking just a hint of moisture. No longer must the faithful beta testers dream of the day the sun's rays would reflect off the rolling waves. Oceans are here! And while there's no need to grab a towel on your way to the beach (you can't actually get in the water), players are still rejoicing. Why? Because it finally feels like beta, baby! Continue reading Norrathian Notebook: Jump in, the water's fine in Landmark! Norrathian Notebook: Jump in, the water's fine in Landmark! originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Destiny dev diary details armor, weapons, and loot Posted: 08 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Consoles, Dev Diaries, Destiny, Buy-to-Play Destiny's making headlines this week, and it's not simply due to the sci-fantasy shooter's rumored $500 million price tag. Bungie lead designer Lars Bakken and community manager Dave Dague have taken center stage in a three-minute video designed to show off the title's armor, weapons, and loot. View it in its entirety after the cut. Continue reading Destiny dev diary details armor, weapons, and loot Destiny dev diary details armor, weapons, and loot originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube Via: Joystiq

WildStar's open beta is live... as is a story trailer Posted: 08 May 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Previews, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play There's been a pretty consistent tone to most of WildStar's promotional materials -- not strictly comedy, but certainly irreverent. The developers obviously enjoy getting a good nudge and a laugh. But with the game's open beta test going live today, a new trailer has been unveiled, and this one isn't funny at all. If you've played the previous betas, you know the game has more story than just witty snark, and this trailer is all about that. You can check the trailer out just past the break, and the game's beta servers are open now through May 18th. The team is also planning on hosting a livestream today on the official WildStar channel at 2:00 p.m. EDT, as well as another longer stream on Friday starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Or you can just jump in on the servers now if you want to see how the game plays out. [Source: Carbine Studios press release] Continue reading WildStar's open beta is live... as is a story trailer WildStar's open beta is live... as is a story trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

First wave of BlizzCon tickets sold out Posted: 08 May 2014 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Real-Life, Events (Real-World), Miscellaneous, Diablo III ​ Tickets for BlizzCon 2014 have sold out! Well, the first round of tickets have, anyway. It's estimated that this first offering sold out in five to 10 seconds, according to our sister site WoW Insider. Past BlizzCons have seen similar ticket sales, and this year is already showing that Blizzard's still got it. If you happened to blink at any time yesterday, you can still try for round two this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT). First wave of BlizzCon tickets sold out originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2014 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Official Announcement

Elder Scrolls Online console releases delayed six months [Updated] Posted: 08 May 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, News Items, Consoles, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription The Elder Scrolls Online was originally scheduled to release on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in June. According to a now-removed FAQ entry on ZeniMax's website, the console versions will be delayed by "about six months." "While it has become clear that our planned June release of the console versions isn't going to be possible, we have made great progress, we have concluded that we'll need about six more months to ensure we deliver the experience our fans expect and deserve," the blurb explained. A Reddit user captured a screenshot of the FAQ entry before it was removed, and Joystiq has done a bit of sleuthing to verify via Google search that the text was legitimate. Massively has contacted ZeniMax for an official statement. [Update]: ZeniMax has posted an update that confirms the six-month delay. The company is also offering transfers of developed characters from the PC platform to either of the console versions. Elder Scrolls Online console releases delayed six months [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Reddit Via: Joystiq

The Daily Grind: Are you subbing to Elder Scrolls Online? Posted: 08 May 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, News Items, The Daily Grind, The Elder Scrolls Online, Subscription Elder Scrolls Online's 30-day free period ends this week, as does the five day grace period that ZeniMax granted customers on account of the game's launch issues. I'm still having quite a lot of fun in Tamriel, so transitioning to the monthly subscription was a personal no-brainer. What about you, Elder Scrolls purchasers? Are you continuing with the game now that the free period is over? 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: Are you subbing to Elder Scrolls Online? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Infinite Crisis introduces Sinestro Posted: 07 May 2014 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Patches, Free-to-Play, MOBA, Infinite Crisis The Green-Lantern-turned-bad, aka Sinestro, is the latest champion to be showcased in Turbine's Infinite Crisis MOBA. The free-to-play game based on the DC Universe will introduce Sinestro on Wednesday, May 21 for all players. Sinestro's uses silencing and fear to defeat his enemies, thanks to his power of control over Parallax, the living embodiment of fear. You can see Sinestro in action, including his featured powers and a bit of a battle strategy, in the video after the cut. [Source: Warner Bros press release] Continue reading Infinite Crisis introduces Sinestro Infinite Crisis introduces Sinestro originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Stream Team: Accruing more ArcheAge alpha adventures Posted: 07 May 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, New Titles, Free-to-Play, Livestream, ArcheAge, Sandbox, The Stream Team Does one need to have a plan of action when logging into ArcheAge? Not really; one of the best things about a sandbox is the freedom to explore different things. Massively's MJ is back from her walkabout and is contemplating advancing her Firran's quest lines, but you never know if she might get distracted by farming, hopping aboard a ship, or touring a few player homes. And it's the unexpected adventures that can be the most fun! So join us at 8:00 p.m. to see where MJ's adventures take her. Who knows, she may even end up on a jury! Game: ArcheAge Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Wednesday, May 7th, 2014 Time: 8:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Accruing more ArcheAge alpha adventures The Stream Team: Accruing more ArcheAge alpha adventures originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Star Trek Online refitting two patrol escorts Posted: 07 May 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play, Dev Diaries Two big refits are in store for Star Trek Online's patrol escorts, so if you are partial to the Tempest or Maelstrom class vessels, pay rapt attention to the following announcement. The Tempest class refit will be improved to include a fifth tactical console slot, better bridge officer seating, and increased aft firepower. It'll also come standard with a Nadion Saturation Bomb console that "lays down a string of explosive fire" to the enemy ship and beyond, leaving a damaging radiation field afterward. The ship will require Vice Admiral rank and 2,500 ZEN to purchase. The Maelstrom class refit isn't as grand due to its size, but it will be beefed up, add a third engineering console slot, and include a fused aft Tempest tail gun. This ship also requires Vice Admiral rank to purchase along with five fleet modules. Star Trek Online refitting two patrol escorts originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Dev blog

Leaderboard: What class are you playing in WildStar? Posted: 07 May 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Classes, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvE, Opinion, WildStar, Subscription WildStar's open beta starts tomorrow, which makes this an opportune time to inquire about your class preference in Carbine's sci-fantasy MMO. But don't just vote in the poll past the cut! Tell us why you'll be rolling with said class in the comments. 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: What class are you playing in WildStar? Leaderboard: What class are you playing in WildStar? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Oculus wants to build a billion-person MMO Posted: 07 May 2014 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Virtual Worlds, Virtual Reality Say what you will about the Oculus-Facebook marriage, but one thing the partnership doesn't lack is ambition. Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe told a TechCrunch Disrupt audience that his firm is looking to build "an MMO where we want to put a billion people in VR." How MMO this MMO will actually be is at this point theoretical, and Iribe admitted that it's both far in the future and that it may end up as a number of separate worlds rather than a single one. Oculus wants to build a billion-person MMO originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: The Verge Via: Joystiq

'Summer of SWTOR' plans updated Posted: 07 May 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Patches, Previews, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dev Diaries BioWare Senior Producer Bruce Maclean took to the forums today to give an updated plan for the "Summer of SWTOR" that's coming to an MMO near you and to a galaxy far, far away. The updated schedule for the next few months of the game are as follows: June 10th: Game Update 2.8 arrives with a playable Nar Shaddaa Casino, double PvP currency events, a double Starfighter currency event, an overhaul to groupfinder operations, a nightmare mode for Dread Palace, an update to the nightmare mode for Dread Fortress, two new starfighters, and various tweaks. June through August: BioWare will cycle through all of its major in-game events, one after another, between the launch of 2.8 and the arrival of 2.9. August 19th: Game Update 2.9, also known as the Galactic Strongholds expansion, will unlock for subscribers. This will include the Forged Alliances storyline. Maclean also teased that his team has "a lot of folks working on something very big for later this year that [he has] yet to give details on." 'Summer of SWTOR' plans updated originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Summer of SWTOR

WildStar open beta patch adds levels and a dire warning Posted: 07 May 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Patches, WildStar, Subscription Are you ready for WildStar's open beta tomorrow? Then you're going to need the latest patch to get the fullest out of your experience. Also, you can't play unless you patch up. It's just a fact of life. The open beta patch raises the level cap to 30, adds the journeyman tradeskill tier, and bumps up the path level cap to 20. The devs are obviously anticipating a low-level crush of players, which is why Build #6670 includes an overflow system for additional zones. Other improvements coming with the patch include German and French language options, a redesign of the video options menu, a fix so that the launcher will run on 64-bit operating systems, and optimization of the guild UI. Also, the patch notes bear a dire warning for a particular item: "Players who hold the Moodie mask for too long... will pay ever-so-dearly for their affronts to the great Moodie Spirits. The player who dared mock the sacred oath of the mask carrier will have fiery vengeance rained down upon them, dealing a blow so powerful it will rip away their precious life force several times over. The Moodie spirits shall not only destroy the mask carrier's body, but will also place a curse on their VERY SOUL FOR ALL ETERNITY... or until the spawn timer runs out, whichever comes first." In other news, WildStar has added an option to upgrade from the standard to the deluxe version of the game for $15 on its store page. WildStar open beta patch adds levels and a dire warning originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

Transformers Universe demos its MOTA gameplay Posted: 07 May 2014 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Previews, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, Transformers Universe I have high hopes for what Transformers Universe could be. The game has changed a great deal from its original inception, going from an MMO tying into the then-current Prime series to a MOTA under the Generations banner. And you know that things have gotten at least a little odd when a game makes up an entirely new term to identify itself. What is a MOTA, anyway? From a look at the recent press preview event, I'd say it's World of Warcraft battlegrounds with League of Legends champions and some World of Tanks elements. Sort of. There might be more. As the above implies, we recently had the opportunity to take a look at some preview footage explaining how the game worked and what the actual play would be like. The game is certainly looking nice, especially when you consider that it's a free-to-play browser game built in Unity. But the proof is always going to be in the gameplay, and while it's hard to say for certain how well it delivers from mere preview videos, it's certainly intriguing. Continue reading Transformers Universe demos its MOTA gameplay Transformers Universe demos its MOTA gameplay originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Oceans roll into Landmark today Posted: 07 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Patches, Free-to-Play, Player-Generated Content, Landmark It's official! Landmark is no longer devoid of water. Thanks to today's update, players now have oceans to frolic upon, if not in. Players who are eager to dive in and swim about still have to wait; this first phase of water deployment only supports walking on it, not swimming in it. However, those who currently have claims that are completely submerged can access their land by using a shard and teleporting. Additional changes with this update include moving item upgrading from the new tech forge to the stone forge, placing additional crafting stations at the hubs, adding the ability to sift stone to the sifters (and changing how sifted materials are converted into gems, ore, and relics), introducing sea shell props, and giving players the ability to group even when on different servers. Check out all the details in the official patch notes. Oceans roll into Landmark today originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Update notes

Here's another awesome Black Desert video Posted: 07 May 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Black Desert Ready for your daily helping of Black Desert awesome sauce? Good, because this particular video is one of my favorites. YouTuber InporlemQQ has captured 22 minutes of city and country life from the Korean fantasy sandbox. There's little in the way of combat here, but it's an explorer's paradise featuring some of the prettiest MMORPG visuals to date as well as a fun in-game soundtrack. Enjoy after the cut! Continue reading Here's another awesome Black Desert video Here's another awesome Black Desert video originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

RIFT 2.7: Binding of Blood delayed [Update: It's live now!] Posted: 07 May 2014 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, RIFT Trion has identified a "major issue" with RIFT's 2.7 update and will not be deploying the Binding of Blood patch today as planned. The firm does not have an ETA on either a fix or the revised update as of yet. Update: As of this evening, the patch is now live! Here's what today's part of the overall update includes: Four new souls: Available at the RIFT Store, the four new Souls allow Warriors and Rogues to heal, Mages to tank, and Clerics to support like never before! New Quests: All new multi-chapter Soul Quests (available to everyone) will explore the lore behind the origin of these new souls. UI Upgrades: Crafting, Quests, Macros, Wardrobe, and Achievement Tracking UIs have all been improved for RIFT 2.7. Trion is also adding all new text color options, to grant players full control over text displays. RIFT 2.7: Binding of Blood delayed [Update: It's live now!] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

WildStar's Stephan Frost on using the subscription model Posted: 07 May 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, WildStar, Subscription, Buy-to-Play Launching with a subscription fee in the current MMO market isn't a winning proposition; pretty much every newer title that has done so has moved over to free-to-play before long. A recent interview with WildStar's design producer Stephan Frost saw him liken the subscription fee to the extra fee for viewing cable stations such as HBO. People pay the extra money every month because the channel produces good content, and a subscription MMO has to do the same thing to justify that ticket price. Frost goes on to state that players should see new content in the game roughly every 28 days, with a vague mention that the team may do an expansion at some point but is mostly concerned with justifying the subscription price. It also ties into the CREDD system, which he states helps to cut down on gold-selling practices while also creating some parity between players with more real money and those with more real time. Time will see if the game justifies that subscription; you can try it out for yourself when the open beta goes live tomorrow. WildStar's Stephan Frost on using the subscription model originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 May 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: IGN

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