General Gaming Article

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• Digital Storm Aventum II Review
• Chuck E. Cheese Plans to Party with Oculus Rift in Select Areas
• NZXT Tries Hand at Software, Designs CAM for Monitoring PCs
• Newegg Daily Deals: Antec Nine Hundred Case, Intel Core i7 4770K, and More!
• Microsoft Equips Surface Pro 3 with a Bigger Screen, Thinner Profile, and Faster Hardware
• Microsoft Announces New 12-inch Surface Pro 3
• MakerBot Now Shipping Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer
• Alienware Expects Steam Machine Will Be Least Profitable System

Digital Storm Aventum II Review Posted: 20 May 2014 03:39 PM PDT What's red and faster than Dream Machine? This PC There's a little secret in the high-end PC market—few if any of these premium rigs actually have truly unique case enclosures. Instead, most boutique builders start with existing off-the-shelf chassis and customize from there. The more ambitious OEMs will contract small runs from case companies and tack on a customized façade or logo. Even then, if you look close enough, you'll see their mass-production lineage. The Aventum II's case is custom built, not a re-skin of an existing case design. That's not so with Digital Storm's Aventum II. Now in its second iteration, the rig highlights Digital Storm's efforts at creating a truly unique enclosure. Rather than contract for a few thousand semi-custom cases with a slightly different nip or tuck, Digital Storm decided to CAD/CAM its own super-tower from scratch and have it hand-built right here in the US of A. This lets DStorm change the design to suit newer hardware, and boast a case that no one else can have. The giganourmous Aventum II case is a full four inches deeper than the already-honkin' Corsair 900D and dwarfs just about all other super-towers. With any system, it's not just about the case, though. Details of the components are spelled out in our spec chart, but the highlights include a 3.6GHz Core i7-4960X processor overclocked to 4.7GHz, along with 32GB of DDR3/1866 and a four-way GeForce GTX 780 Ti setup. If you read our Dream Machine story (September 2013), you know this much hardware is difficult to juice up. We had issues with our 1,600W PSU, and the last two four-way GPU boxes have all had big PSUs, too. DStorm gets around this by integrating two Corsair AX1200i PSUs into the system. That gives the box a combined power reserve of 2,400 watts. With the depth of the Aventum II (about 30 inches) it has enough room to integrate large rads along with the dual PSUs (and yes, peanut gallery, we hear you saying that maybe, just maybe, we should have done this in DM2013, too). In performance terms, the Aventum II is in good company. Up until now, the Dream Machine has held most of our benchmark records, but that's no longer the case. The Aventum II just squeezes past the 5GHz Core i7-3670X in DM2013 in Premiere Pro CS6 and X264 HD 5.01 performance. It gets trickier on the graphics side—the Aventum II does set a new record in Batman: Arkham City but that's pretty much a CPU benchmark today. In 3DMark11, the Aventum II loses to both DM2013 and the four-way Titan-based Origin PC Genesis that we reviewed in December, by about 10 percent. The reason? DStorm couldn't get water blocks for the 780 Ti in time for our review, as the PCB layout has changed from the Titan's. And on air, the company was sensitive not to offend our acoustic sensibilities since we had just beaten up its loud Bolt PC in our micro-tower roundup (November 2013). Consequently, the Aventum II is as silent as any liquid-cooled system. So, four-way Titan is better than four-way 780 Ti, right? Nope. We decided to see what the air-cooled 780 Ti cards could do when the librarian wasn't shushing them, so we overclocked the cards by 158MHz and let them push thermals higher. With those settings, we hit 17,840 in 3DMark11,  which easily bakes the four-way Titans—even the overclocked Titans—and we're sure 18K would easily be surpassed with another 10 minutes of tweaking. We have some internal figures for Tomb Raider, Hitman, and Unigine 4.0 for DM2013, and the Aventum II easily wins there too, once the noise gloves are off. For the record, it did get a little loud, but not offensively so. Still, we're torn. It's simply a crime not to have liquid-cooled 780 Tis in this Lust Red box, yet we acknowledge that the option doesn't exist today. And we also have to give Digital Storm props for its truly unique chassis, its digital fan and LED control, and the sheer straight-line speed it has in beating DM2013. As much as we wanted to withhold a Kick Ass from the Aventum II for the lack of liquid-cooled GPUs, we think the rig deserves the honor for being so dedicated to Pure PC Power. $10,905, www.digitalstorm.com

Chuck E. Cheese Plans to Party with Oculus Rift in Select Areas Posted: 20 May 2014 10:48 AM PDT Oculus Rift will virtualize the ticket blaster experience If you've ever been to a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party before, then you're familiar with the Ticket Blaster -- a phone booth sized contraption filled with single tickets, plus a special 1,000 ticket piece of paper. The kid celebrating his or her birthday gets to slip inside and try to grab as many tickets as possible as a vortex of wind swirls them around. Kids love it, but at select locations, Chuck E. Cheese will create a virtual Ticket Blaster experience using the Oculus Rift. "Kids today have unprecedented access to game consoles and tablets," said Roger Cardinale, president, CEC Entertainment, Inc. "Our challenge is to deliver an experience not available at home, and there is no doubt virtual reality does just that. Oculus Rift technology is the next frontier in the gaming industry, and we're thrilled to be able to say it's part of the Chuck E. Cheese's lineup." The Oculus Rift VR headset will register how many tickets the kid collects as they spin a full 360 degrees. Users are supposed to feel like they're in the machine, though whether it's successful or not remains to be seen -- Chuck E. Cheese will test the technology at more than 15 locations for a period of six weeks. "We believe that virtual reality eventually will be as popular as our handheld devices," said Reel FX founder and Executive Creative Director Dale Carman. "It's a game-changer, and we're investing incredible time and talent into developing content for the Oculus Rift." This isn't exactly the kind of thing we had hoped for when Facebook acquired Oculus Rift for $2 billion back in March, but hey, it's better than virtual Candy Crush, right? Right!? Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

NZXT Tries Hand at Software, Designs CAM for Monitoring PCs Posted: 20 May 2014 10:33 AM PDT CAM lets you keep an eye on your system's vitals NZXT offers a robust line of case, cooling products, power supplies, and related accessories. However, one thing the company hasn't dabbled with up to this point is software. That all changes today. NZXT just launched its CAM software -- essentially a companion utility for your PC that allows you to monitor system vitals, such as GPU and CPU temps, along with a range of other data. You can create an account and sync CAM to the cloud. In doing so, you can monitor your PC away from home on your mobile device. Depending on how you have it configured, CAM will send you notifications if, say, your motherboard or graphics card exceeds a certain temperature threshold -- pretty handy if you're into distributed computing projects such as Folding@Home. CAM can also let you know if your hard drive is filling up, if a fan has lost its connection, or if your motherboard's CMOS battery is going bad, among other things. The software is free to download and use. It's available for Windows now, and will be available for iOS and Android in June. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Antec Nine Hundred Case, Intel Core i7 4770K, and More! Posted: 20 May 2014 09:43 AM PDT Top Deal: Earlier today Microsoft announced its Surface Pro 3 tablet, which the company says can replace your laptop. Maybe it can, but we're still fans of the desktop, which we like to stuff with high-end hardware. Do you agree? It starts with picking out the right case, and if you're in the market for a well constructed mid-tower, then check out today's top deal for an Antec Nine Hundred Black Case for $70 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCPEHW39]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). This version has been upgraded with two USB 3.0 ports. It also comes with 3 120mm TriCool fans. Other Deals: Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor for $320 with free shipping EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 Video Card for $250 with free shipping G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $72 with free shipping (normally $80 - use coupon code: [EMCPEHW25]) Western Digital WD Green WD10EZRX 1TB IntelliPower SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $60 with free shipping (normally $65 - use coupon code: [EMCPEHW27])

Microsoft Equips Surface Pro 3 with a Bigger Screen, Thinner Profile, and Faster Hardware Posted: 20 May 2014 09:23 AM PDT Surface Pro 3 makes a bid to replace your laptop As expected, Microsoft took to stage and unveiled its Surface Pro 3 device at a press event in New York City today. The third generation Surface represents an improvement over previous models in just about every way and may finally convince users it's worth using as their primary laptop. It's thinner at 9.1mm, lighter at 800g, and boasts a bigger display at 12 inches. The Surface Pro 3 is also faster with up to a Core i7 foundation. The theme during the unveiling was that Surface Pro 3 is a tablet that can replace your laptop. It certainly has the hardware -- Core i3, i5, and i7 processor options, 64GB to 512GB of storage space, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, full-size USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort, and a microSD card reader. All this supplements the color-calibrated 12-inch display with a 2160x1440 resolution To really replace a laptop, however, you'd be well served to invest in an optional Type Cover and/or dock. The Type Cover comes in five colors and has a more responsive touchpad that's 68 percent larger. It also has an secondary attachment mode that provides additional stability when using the Surface Pro 3 on your lap. Other notable tidbits from the unveiling -- the kickstand features a new hinge design that can bend all the way down to 150 degrees, the docking station can output to 4K Ultra HD displays, and Microsoft invented a new fan technology that's 30 percent more efficient than the previous version. The Surface Pro 3 will be available to preorder tonight at 12:01 am Eastern Time at Microsoftstore.com, at Microsoft Stores, and Best Buy in the U.S. It will then be available to purchase on June 20th. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft Announces New 12-inch Surface Pro 3 Posted: 20 May 2014 07:58 AM PDT Bigger screen, slimmer profile Microsoft kicked off its Surface event in New York City announcing a new 12-inch Surface Pro 3 tablet that's faster and even thinner than the Surface Pro 2. The biggest thing about the new slate is its new 12-inch diagonal screen with a 2160x1440 resolution. What's more the screen has 3:2 aspect ratio screen that adds a bit more vertical resolution space to read stories. Tucked inside the Surface Pro 3, it has what Microsoft Corporate VP Panos Panay says is the thinnest Core processor Intel has ever created. While it's extremely thin, the new Haswell Core i7 processor also affords the new tablet 10% more performance. You'll get "the full power of the PC in one hand," Panay said on stage. By packing in a more effecient fan, the Surface Pro 3 has been slimmed down to a mere 9.1-milimeters, a major nip tuck from the Surface Pro 2's 13-millimeter thickness. It's also over 100-grams lighter compared to the Surface Pro 2 at 800-grams. In another external change the new tablet has a fully articulating kickstand rather than the two-stop hinge on the Surface Pro 2. This new fiction hinge allows the tablet start off from a 22-degree angle to a nearly laid flat canvas mode making the tablet easier to type and write on. Panay says they've also reinvented its type cover with an extra magnetic latch that clips into the bottom lip of the tablet to make it more stable when laid across your lap. It's a small addition but Panay demonstrated the way an extra point of stability almost like a laptop. The new type cover is also thinner and has a much better track pad reducing friction by 70% and a two-finger scroll that actually kicks in when you want it to. The Surface Pro goes one sale starting tomorrow starting at $799 with a Core i3 model complete with 4GB of memory and 64GB of SSD storage. It's $999 for the next tier up with Core i5 processor, 128GB of storage, and the same ammount of RAM. For double the storage and RAM it's $1,299. Getting into the first Core i7 chip with the same internals as the previous Core i5 spec costs $1,549. Lastly power users can pick up the top-end Core i7 model with 512GB of SSD space for a hefty $1,949.

MakerBot Now Shipping Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer Posted: 20 May 2014 07:55 AM PDT MakerBot's $1,375 3D printer has begun shipping to customers Perhaps one day in the future, 3D printers will be as common as any other appliance in the household, like a toaster or microwave. In the meantime, it's all about small victories as the technology inches closer to the mainstream. Taking a step in that direction, MakerBot today announced that its 'MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer' has begun shipping out to customers. The Replicator Mini, as we'll refer to it from here on out, is one of the company's new fifth generation 3D printers. it was originally announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this year and has won a handful of awards since then. "As soon as we announced the MakerBot Replicator Mini, we received calls and orders from customers who couldn't wait to purchase this easy and affordable 3D printer," said Bre Pettis (PDF), CEO of MakerBot. "We see the MakerBot Replicator Mini as a turning point in the 3D printing industry. Much like the transition of the computer moving into the home 30 years ago, the MakerBot Replicator Mini is one of the first 3D printers to shift from the office to the home." Though it's billed as a comparatively affordable 3D printer, the Replicator Mini carries a $1,375 price tag, which isn't exactly chump change. However, it's affordable in the sense that some other 3D printers can run much more, and it's the least expensive one MakerBot offers. Using the Replicator Mini, you can find and download 3D printable items from Thingverse.com. The online destination has over 300,000 free downloadable digital designs to play with. You can also purchase and download files from the MakerBot Digital Store, or create your own 3D prints. You can find out more (and place an order) on the Replicator Mini product page. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Alienware Expects Steam Machine Will Be Least Profitable System Posted: 20 May 2014 06:13 AM PDT Dell is up to the challenge of pushing Steam Machines through its Alienware arm After much hype, the hoopla surrounding Valve's Steam Machine initiative seems to have died down, though it's only the calm before the storm. They're coming, and though Valve won't receive royalties from PC makers who build Steam Machines around its Linux-based Steam OS, there is sufficient pressure to keep pricing on the level of traditional game consoles. This is something Alienware admits will be a challenge, though it's one the company is more than happy to tackle. "It's going to be very challenging," Frank Azor, general manager of Dell's Alienware division, told The Wall Street Journal. "This will absolutely be the least profitable system we ever sell." If that's the case, the obvious follow-up question is why even bother with the Steam Machine initiative? Alienware's answer is the power of Valve and the impact Steam has had on PC gaming. Azor expanded on that sentiment to our sister publication, PC Gamer. "Alienware is very optimistic about PC gaming's future and its opportunity to extend to the TV. We have been partners with Valve since the inception of the Steam Machine over 2 years ago," Azor explained. "Our decision to invest in developing the purpose-built Alienware Steam Machine, pairing it with incredible performance and pricing it as aggressively as possible has everything to do with how much we believe in this vision and want to see it materialize."  In some ways, Alienware and the other dozen or so OEMs jumping on board are taking a leap of faith that Valve's vision is spot on. If Valve is right, everyone involved will benefit -- OEMs, gamers, game publishers, and of course Valve. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMO Updates

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• Age of Conan's anniversary celebration starts today
• Shards backers can play as soon as Kickstarter campaign completes
• Here's Diablo 3's Reaper of Souls on the PS4
• Guild Wars 2's Festival of the Four Winds launches today
• The Daily Grind: What's the ideal level cap for an MMO?
• Not So Massively: The Division's delay, Atari's MOBA Minimum, and HEX's lawsuit
• Here are a bunch of interesting Darkfall stats
• Guild Wars 2 teases Crown Pavilion bosses
• World of Warcraft releases new class primer videos
• Destiny claims to be reinventing the first-person shooter
• Neverwinter announces its fourth module, Tyranny of Dragons
• EVE Online infographic details what makes the game unique
• WildStar will be intermittently playable from now until the headstart
• The Stream Team: Just another magic Monday in Black Gold Online's beta
• Guns of Icarus postmortem on post-publisher challenges

Age of Conan's anniversary celebration starts today Posted: 20 May 2014 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Anniversaries Age of Conan turns six today, and doesn't that make you feel old? As we reported last week, Funcom is gifting players with a new PvP-themed Festival of Bloodshed that lead content designer Matthew Bennett calls "arguably our largest PvP patch in the game's history." But wait, there's more! The Shadows of the Past anniversary event sees players uncovering a plot against King Conan and traveling back to Tortage. The event, as well as a cash shop treasure chest giveaway, starts today and runs through June 3rd. The Festival of Bloodshed starts on May 21st, lasts for one week, and will recur on a monthly basis. Age of Conan's anniversary celebration starts today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Anniversary event

Shards backers can play as soon as Kickstarter campaign completes Posted: 20 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding Citadel is kicking off week two of its Shards Online Kickstarter with new incentives for backing the multiverse sandbox. Shards is different from other crowdfunded MMOs in that there is a "fully playable build available now," the company explains. As such, backers will get in the game "as soon as the campaign completes," and they'll receive three months of subscription time on top of their current pledge level, too. Citadel will also be hosting events for backers, the first of which will be livestreamed Saturday, May 24th at 4:00 p.m. EDT. Finally, the firm has announced a referral program that includes both in-game rewards and pledge-level increases for each new backer that you recruit. You can get all the details in the press release after the cut. [Source: Citadel press release] Continue reading Shards backers can play as soon as Kickstarter campaign completes Shards backers can play as soon as Kickstarter campaign completes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here's Diablo 3's Reaper of Souls on the PS4 Posted: 20 May 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Expansions, MMO Industry, News Items, Diablo III, Buy-to-Play Blizzard has released a brief look at Diablo III's Reaper of Souls expansion on the PlayStation 4. The Ultimate Evil Edition is headed your way on August 19th, and you can see it in action via the video after the break. Continue reading Here's Diablo 3's Reaper of Souls on the PS4 Here's Diablo 3's Reaper of Souls on the PS4 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube Via: Joystiq

Guild Wars 2's Festival of the Four Winds launches today Posted: 20 May 2014 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Interviews, Launches, Lore, Patches, Previews, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Buy-to-Play As promised, today ArenaNet will update Guild Wars 2's western servers with the Festival of the Four Winds, a Chinese-themed patch that will return the Zephyrite festival to the game and mark the game's launch in China. Says the studio, The Zephyrites have returned to Labyrinthine Cliffs in their large-sailed flying ships to support Lion's Arch in its time of need. Although Lion's Arch suffered a devastating blow as a result of Scarlet's nefarious plans, Captain Ellen Kiel of the Captain's Council is grateful to see the Zephyrites return with their generous offer of materials and moral support. And to help reinvigorate trade and provide some joy to its citizens, the Zephyrite Master of Peace and Queen Jennah of Kryta are hosting a festival to honor Lion's Arch. Visit Labyrinthine Cliffs and experience the rush of Aspect movement skills, take part in the Sanctum Sprint, or enjoy one of the brand-new events; then take a hot-air balloon to Divinity's Reach and enjoy the reopened Crown Pavilion, including a new version of the Queen's Gauntlet, the Boss Blitz. Join Braham, Rox, Marjory, Kasmeer, Taimi, and Scruffy as they enjoy the festivities and usher in the return of Lion's Arch services! We spoke to ArenaNet Game Design Lead Mike Zadorojny and Associate Game Director Steven Waller about the update and how players will gradually aid in the rebuilding of the Tyrian capital. Continue reading Guild Wars 2's Festival of the Four Winds launches today Guild Wars 2's Festival of the Four Winds launches today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What's the ideal level cap for an MMO? Posted: 20 May 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Endgame, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Massively commenters recently debated whether a game without levels is the same as a game without a leveling cap thanks to Black Desert's proposed character advancement system, an increasingly common lateral advancement system that allows players to build their characters more sideways than up. But outside of such sandboxes, most themepark games stake their mechanics on levels, for good or bad. And that got me thinking about the ideal level cap for an MMO. Even if two games require roughly the same amount of time to cap, a bigger number can seem so much more intimidating. Asheron's Call's 150 levels and Anarchy Online's 205 always seemed unreachable to me, and wasn't it cute back when World of Warcraft expected but 60 levels out of you? What do you think -- what's the ideal level cap for an MMO with levels? 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's the ideal level cap for an MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 May 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Not So Massively: The Division's delay, Atari's MOBA Minimum, and HEX's lawsuit Posted: 19 May 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, New Titles, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Mobile, Trading Card Games, Consoles, MMOFPS, MMORTS, Miscellaneous, Not So Massively, Sandbox, MOBA, Diablo III, Crowdfunding, Destiny, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous, Path of Exile, HEX, Hearthstone Welcome back to No So Massively, where every Monday we round up the highlights from the past week in the world of MOBAs, roguelikes, MMOTCGs, and other games that aren't quite MMOs. Wizards of the Coast is suing the makers of MMOTCG HEX. The Division has been delayed until 2015. Exactly no one is surprised. Atari resurrected MOBA Minimum. The trailer's just after the cut. Diablo III is celebrating its second birthday this week. Blizzard is swinging the banhammer on AFKers in Hearthstone. League of Legends' Championship series is now up and running. Elite: Dangerous' alpha 4 has arrived; David Braben discussed his game's competition. FEAR Online announced a May 26th beta. SMITE's Ah Muzen Cab and Geb both received new skins. The videos are below! Continue reading Not So Massively: The Division's delay, Atari's MOBA Minimum, and HEX's lawsuit Not So Massively: The Division's delay, Atari's MOBA Minimum, and HEX's lawsuit originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here are a bunch of interesting Darkfall stats Posted: 19 May 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, PvE, Sandbox, Subscription Have you ever wondered who Darkfall's top gankers are and how many gankees they've ganked? How about Agonian market activity? Would you like to know how many items have been traded or whether there's more demand for iron ore, cotton, or timber? These and other burning Darkfall questions are answered in a series of infographics recently released by Aventurine. There's even one for PvE featuring lifetime mob kills on both the NA and EU servers. [Thanks Jane!] Here are a bunch of interesting Darkfall stats originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Unholy statistics Via: Darkfall Now

Guild Wars 2 teases Crown Pavilion bosses Posted: 19 May 2014 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Patches, News Items, Guild Wars 2, Humor, Buy-to-Play The Guild Wars 2 team has just posted a new primer for the baddies entering the game with tomorrow's patch. "Learn more about the bosses from the Crown Pavilion before you meet them on the battlefield tomorrow," reads the tweet. We think you'll grok the theme; the NPCs include Sparcus Firesplash, whose fighting style involves "flame and fire lying and flying around," and Pyroxis, who prefers "lava and flames, front and left." And then there's good old Boom-Boom Baines (seriously; we are not making this up) with her "fiery and clever" personality. Enjoy the full image with all six bosses via Guild Wars 2's Twitter. Guild Wars 2 teases Crown Pavilion bosses originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Twitter

World of Warcraft releases new class primer videos Posted: 19 May 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Video, Endgame, News Items, Guides, Subscription So you've bought your World of Warcraft expansion and you boosted a character to the level cap. That's good. You also have no idea how to play that class at level 90, which is bad. A new series of videos from Blizzard is designed to address that problem, however, offering a quick two-minute guide to how to play each of the classes at level 90 as a selected DPS spec and walking you through the basic play patterns. Yes, all of these guides are for DPS; you'll find no detailed tanking walkthroughs here. And each guide just picks a particular spec, so if you were hoping for insight into playing an Enhancement Shaman, you're out of luck. But if you've boosted a character and totally can't figure out what you're supposed to be doing now, it's a good crash course on playing well enough to fake it in LFR. World of Warcraft releases new class primer videos originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Class primer videos

Destiny claims to be reinventing the first-person shooter Posted: 19 May 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, Consoles, MMOFPS, Destiny Bungie is throwing down the gauntlet with a new Destiny video, saying that the team has truly reinvented the first-person shooter with this upcoming title. The two-minute video gives a quick overview of what Destiny is and what makes it special. The devs talk about the familiar Earth setting, the "tight" controls, the unique abilities for classes, and the chance encounters that will make up your exciting adventures. Give the video a watch after the break -- for eye candy, if nothing else -- and let us know what you think. Is this an audacious claim for Bungie to make, or should we trust that the Halo studio knows that of which it speaks? Continue reading Destiny claims to be reinventing the first-person shooter Destiny claims to be reinventing the first-person shooter originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Neverwinter announces its fourth module, Tyranny of Dragons Posted: 19 May 2014 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Neverwinter Stupid dragons. They think they're so special, with their wings and their breath weapons and their intelligence and their hides like armor. Sure, maybe all of that is pretty special when you think about it, but that's not the point. While we can't be sure just yet, though, it's a fairly sure thing that the next Neverwinter module will indeed allow you to put some dragons in their place; after all, the next module is dubbed Tyranny of Dragons. Seems like it would involve some draconic influence there. Tyranny of Dragons is due for release on August 14th, 2014. Unfortunately, we have no further details at this time outside of the fact that it will include dragons and will tie into the overarching story of the same name moving through the Dungeons & Dragons product line. Regardless, you'll want to get your best dragon-slaying shoes on for late summer because it's high time you showed those dragons what you think of them. (They're not so big.) [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] Neverwinter announces its fourth module, Tyranny of Dragons originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Online infographic details what makes the game unique Posted: 19 May 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Sandbox A new infographic created by A Winning Personality blogger Merike Taal showcases EVE Online with a huge focus on what sets it apart from all other MMOs. "If you've never heard of EVE Online," the infographic states, "here's why you should start paying attention." With details on everything from the trifecta of alliance power to stats on the space MMO's largest battles, this infographic seems mostly to target those who are either unaware of or unconvinced of EVE's allure. You can check out the complete graphic after the cut. Continue reading EVE Online infographic details what makes the game unique EVE Online infographic details what makes the game unique originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: EVE Online Infographic post

WildStar will be intermittently playable from now until the headstart Posted: 19 May 2014 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Events (Real-World), News Items, Community Q&A, WildStar, Subscription Carbine Studios has just published an FAQ covering WildStar's status from now until the beginning of the headstart period on May 30th. Dubbed "Ops Week," this period will see the team "testing various launch systems, practicing [its] disaster recovery processes, making sure [its] fail overs fail over correctly, and putting some extra testing on [the] final Release Candidate." But you don't care about their problems; you just want to know whether you can log in. Yep! Carbine intends to make the servers available for play. Although uptime windows won't be announced ahead of time and some may be brief, players should anticipate server availability during business hours on the west coast. Open beta characters will be accessible for as long as the team can manage it before the inevitable wipes. WildStar will be intermittently playable from now until the headstart originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Ops week FAQ

The Stream Team: Just another magic Monday in Black Gold Online's beta Posted: 19 May 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Livestream, The Stream Team, Steampunk, Black Gold Monday is a good time to feel some of that Black Gold Online magic! Or try to use it, anyway. Last week, Massively's MJ checked out the technology side of the upcoming title focused on faction-based warfare, so this time she's heading to the fantastical lands to try her hand at magic. Come check out how the other half lives on Montel! Join us live at 3:00 p.m. and see if anything can in the magic realm can top getting a motorcycle. Game: Black Gold Online Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Monday, May 19th, 2014 Time: 3:00 a.m./p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Just another magic Monday in Black Gold Online's beta The Stream Team: Just another magic Monday in Black Gold Online's beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Guns of Icarus postmortem on post-publisher challenges Posted: 19 May 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Dev Diaries, Steampunk, Buy-to-Play If you're a Guns of Icarus fan, an indie fan, or just a gamer interested in the creative process, you should take a few minutes to read the ongoing dev diary from Muse CEO Howard Tsao and co-authors Eric Chung and Tim Doolen at Gamasutra. Part two was published this morning, and it tackles the dev team's development struggles in the aftermath of part one's publisher debacle. "Designs on paper are rarely any good until they're tested in some form," Tsao says. "Ultimately, everything begins with low fidelity (cards, dice, paper, and role play) prototypes but sometimes jumping straight into digital prototypes is required. At the time, it was important to move fast and find results quickly and in this it case meant one person going from ideation, designing interaction flow, to digital prototype. A combination of flexible responsibility, knowledge, and Unity's low barrier to entry made it possible." Guns of Icarus postmortem on post-publisher challenges originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Part two

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