MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com

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• Preview: Medieval times with War of the Roses
• Impact study on IORP review welcomed
• [23 Jul - 29 Jul] Weekly Korea rankings
• Computer Bug May be to Blame for Six Flags Roller Coaster SNAFU
• Samsung Galaxy Note Headed to T-Mobile on August 8th
• Amtrak Pulls Into Internet Era, Now Fully on Board with E-Tickets
• Samsung Chief: Apple's Fighting Us Over Rectangles
• Vizio's Full HD 1080p Ultrabook Bucks Tradition, Now Available Online
• Spotify's Spiffy Update Adds Radio Streaming to Android App
• SandForce Updates SSD Controllers for Longer Battery Life, Better Performance in Ultrabooks

Preview: Medieval times with War of the Roses Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Paradox Interactive and developer Fatshark’s upcoming title, War of the Roses, has made quite a name for itself with its ambitious take on Medieval style combat in large scale skirmishes. Coming off their successful showings at GDC, PAX East, and E3 -- Paradox has some big aspirations for War of the Roses. After taking some time to play the multiplayer mode at Paradox’s recent press event, I can say that the developers definitely have a lot to be proud of with their latest title. War of The Roses (PC) Developer: Fatshark Publisher: Paradox Interactive Release: September 12, 2012 MSRP: $29.99 Set in 15th century England during the historical dynastic war between rival houses Lancaster and York -- dubbed the War of the Roses -- players will pick a side and lay waste to their enemies on the battlefield. Spread across seven different battlegrounds in England, you’ll take the fight to your rivals and restore honor and glory to your allied faction. Veterans of Mount & Blade will feel right at home with War of the Roses’ setting and focus on medieval style combat. However, while that game focused on the role-playing elements and the sandbox gameplay of traveling the country and battling different factions, War of the Roses reins it in a bit and keeps the focus on different skirmishes and major battles between the two rival factions. This gives Roses’ a much more refined and tighter focus on large scale infantry combat. While on the surface it may appear to be on a smaller scale, the battle’s focus on the infantry level make the skirmishes feel just as epic -- perhaps even more so given the greater focus on combat. Each of the seven map types are designed to accommodate any number of players. During our preview session, 16 player games in team deathmatch were played on maps designed for 32 to 64 players. Despite the small size, each battle felt incredibly epic and tense as every player fought in the small villages of Clitheroe Forest and the tournament grounds in London. I truly expect to see madness unfold in full 64 player games playing the conquest game mode, where the map sizes can be used to their advantage. Fighting is done primarily through melee combat. Players coming from Mount & Blade will feel right at home with the mouse-control combat system. For the uninitiated, each attack and parry can be specifically controlled by the mouse. For instance, holding down the attack button and swiping left with the mouse will initiate a left sided attack, which can blocked by a right sided parry from the opponent. This particular combat system give each battle a feeling of rawness. In a good way, of course. The fights feel uncoordinated, spontaneous, and real. Which was further heightened by the superb hit-detection system that Fatshark has put into place. I came away from each battle with these feelings of self-preservation, which made each fight against other players all the more exciting. It was quite a surreal feeling to actually feel like you’re in a war, and that you only had your skill set to fall back on. It can even by downright scary when surrounded by four enemy players looking to land an execution. Combat feels balanced, regardless of which ever style you take advantage. For every great strength, there is an equal weakness. With this in mind, each type of soldier offers this great risk/reward system. Close-range fighters who run head on into combat run the risk of getting surrounded and pummeled, archers will suffer the vulnerabilities of long reload times and close range combat, and mounted knights will have to deal with being out the open on their mounts.  A key aspect of War of the Roses is the character customization. Before each battle, you’ll be able to customize and load out your characters however you please. At first glance, it may appear to be basic options for your classes, but upon further inspection you’ll find some rather substantial depth into how you deck out your characters. At the base, you have different weapon and armor types to choose from, but from there you pick different perks (spread across five different schools), fighting stances, and even the type of metal your weapons are made of. I was not only impressed with the variety and detail of your options, but also for the fact that it all seems to have a play in battle. Of course there are the obvious, such as light, medium, heavy armor types having a play on speed and agility, but then there’s the more less obvious consideration of how fighting stances can be influenced by metal types. The character customization gave off this sort of quasi RPG feel. There were several points when I came into matches late because I was so busy optimizing my foot soldier for battle as there’s just that much to consider before heading into battle. With that said, an important part of the game is understanding what role you’ll have in each battle. While there aren’t any defined classes per se, the way you customize your character will cast them in roles and dictate their effectiveness in battle. War of the Roses is very open to how players choose to customize their characters, and even the more unorthodox combinations seem to have an effect on battle. Want to create a crossbowman with medical perks and decked out in medium armor? You can do that. How about a mounted knight with lance and armor based perks? Absolutely! You’ll rarely, if ever, come across a player utilizing the same character traits and cosmetics. The sheer amount of options at your disposal opens the possibilities for truly unique soldier types among the player community. War of the Roses looks to be an engaging take on medieval style warfare. While Fatshark and Paradox were shy on detailing the single-player mode, what’s present here for the multiplayer is very encouraging, to say the least. War of the Roses will be available on Steam on September 12, and you can get your hands on it early during the opening of the public beta sometime in August.

Impact study on IORP review welcomed Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Insurance Europe has welcomed the quantitative impact study that the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) will carry out on the review of the EU Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORP) Directive. It supports EIOPA's proposal to take the principles of the forthcoming Solvency II regulatory regime as the benchmark for the regulation of occupational pensions in the EU, while still recognising the specific characteristics of pension funds. It has submitted to EIOPA detailed comments on the draft technical specifications for the study.

[23 Jul - 29 Jul] Weekly Korea rankings Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Welcome to the first edition of the weekly Korea game rankings! Do note that different ranking websites have different statistics, and mine is… more »

Computer Bug May be to Blame for Six Flags Roller Coaster SNAFU Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT A dozen thrill seekers who jumped on board the Superman Ultimate Flight roller coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California got more than they bargained for when a malfunction caused one of the cars to stall at the very top of the ride. Sitting 150 feet above the ground, passengers in the stalled car sat stranded on the ride's zenith (in an upright position) for about 90 minutes before being rescued, and a computer malfunction may be to blame. "This was not mechanical whatsoever," Six Flags spokeswoman Nancy Chan said in an interview, which is viewable at Los Angeles Times online. There are several possible culprits under investigation, and one of the front runners is that "it could be programming issues" that proved to be the Kryponite, Chan added. Tests are currently under way, and in the meantime, Six Flags has taken the Superman ride offline. As for the passengers, they were compensated with free food and drink passes, along with free tickets to return to the park. Image Credit: Six Flags Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Samsung Galaxy Note Headed to T-Mobile on August 8th Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT T-Mobile users with oversized hands or just a penchant for ginormous smartphones will be delighted to learn that Samsung's Galaxy Note is coming your way a week from Wednesday. T-Mobile, which had been a bit cagey to the Galaxy Note's launch, confirmed via Twitter that Samsung's 5.3-inch smartphone is headed its way on August 8, 2012 for $250 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and with a two-year service agreement. "Note Takers - The Samsung Galaxy Note will be on T-Mobile Aug. 8th!," T-Mobile posted to Twitter. Some have dubbed the Galaxy Note a phablet (equal parts phone and tablet) due to its large size. Outside of its 5.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus HD display and S Pen integration, the Galaxy Tab also features a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, 16GB of built-in storage expandable via a microSD card slot. 3.5mm audio jack, and a handful (literally) of other odds and ends wrapped in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. For more details, visit T-Mobile's Galaxy Note product page. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Amtrak Pulls Into Internet Era, Now Fully on Board with E-Tickets Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT In the second Back to the Future flick, Stephen Spielberg envisioned a future with flying cars, one that according to the date on the DeLorean's dashboard is just three years away. That gives GM and company several months to get on the ball, but in the meantime, there are still trains, planes, and land-based automobiles to get from point A to point B. Getting with the times not a moment too soon, Amtrak announced it's now accepting eTickets on all of its trains. Welcome to the Internet era, Amtrak. "eTickets deliver the convenience and flexibility expected by passengers and its innovative technology is transforming other aspects of how Amtrak does business," Amtrak chief Joe Boardman said in a statement (PDF). Amtrak's eTicket system lets travelers print their ticket at home and skip waiting in line at the ticket window, or present their eTicket to the conductor using their smartphone. Everything should run smoothly at this point, as Amtrak piloted the eTicket program on five routes prior to Monday's national rollout. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Samsung Chief: Apple's Fighting Us Over Rectangles Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT The high-profile and long-anticipated Apple versus Samsung trial kicked off in San Jose, California yesterday morning with a jury selection process consisting of a 20-minute question and answer session in which a pool of 74 potential jurors was whittled down to 10. Those 10 individuals -- seven men and three women ranging in occupation from social worker to an unemployed video gamer seeking a software degree, according to CNN -- will hear arguments from Apple and Samsung in a case the latter described as "fighting over rectangles." Kevin Packingham, Samsung's Chief Product Officer, sat down for an interview with Wired ahead of the trial to discuss the dispute and patent wars in general. In response to a question about Apple's focus on design patents, Packingham broke it down into simple terms. "I would say the patents we're struggling with -- where there's a lot of discussion and litigation right now -- are around these very broad design patents like a rectangle," Packingham told Wired. "For us, it's unreasonable that we're fighting over rectangles, that that's being considered as an infringement, which is why we're defending ourselves." As far as Packingham sees it, consumers clearly want their smartphones and tablets in the shape of a rectangle, and the fight with Apple is "whether you can deliver a product in the shape of a rectangle." "A rectangle did not come out of R&D investment that we've made," Packingham continued. "Some of our products happen to be in the shape of a rectangle, but I wouldn't consider that to be an art or a science that we've created." Samsung's rectangular theme figures to be a major theme in the jury trial, and it underscores how silly patent law has become. There's a neat write-up in InformationWeek that argues the real losers in this trial are "you, your company, and our economy," and we'd have to agree. Apple's claim against Samsung is that its Galaxy products copy the look and feel of Apple's iPad and iPhone devices, and for that, the Cupertino company wants $2 billion in damages. Samsung's products could also be banned from sale in the U.S. if the jury sides with Apple. The situation stinks for consumers, but as they say, don't hate the player (Apple), hate the game (patent law). Image Credit: Modified from wynapse.com Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Vizio's Full HD 1080p Ultrabook Bucks Tradition, Now Available Online Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT As much as we're in love with the Ultrabook category's thin and light form factor, we're not nearly as smitten over the low display resolution that plagues the majority of first and second generation models. Even larger models like Acer's 15.6-inch Timeline and HP's equally sized Envy both sport 1366x768 screen resolutions, while Samsung's 15-inch Series 9 taps out at 1600x900. Well, as luck would have it, I stumbled upon Vizio's online collection of PCs, including a 15.6-inch Ultrabook model that finally gets the resolution right. The fact that Vizio's 15.6-inch Ultrabook boasts a 1920x1080 display resolution isn't some grand revelation -- after all, Vizio revealed as much a little over a month ago when it officially announced a line of PC products that were first introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. However, it's now available to purchase, and as I've discovered, 1920x1080 is a rarity in the Ultrabook space. Full HD comes at a cost. Vizio, traditionally a value oriented brand, kicks off its 15.6-inch Ultrabook category with a $950 model that also includes a Core i3 3217U processor clocked at 1.8GHz, 4GB of DDR3-1333 RAM, Intel HD 4000 graphics, 128GB solid state drive, 802.11n dual-band Wi-Fi, HDMI output, two USB 3.0 ports, 1.3MP webcam, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. For $50 more, Vizio upgrades the processor to a Core i5 3317U clocked at 1.7GHz, while it's flagship $1,250 model features a Core i7 3517U processor clocked at 1.9GHz and twice the amount of solid state storage (256GB). These aren't inexpensive Ultrabooks, though they are larger than most -- 15.6 inches versus 13.3 inches and 14 inches -- with a screen resolution to match the added real estate. For the record, Vizio also sells a series of 14-inch models starting at $900, all of which feature a 1600x900 resolution and solid state storage. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Spotify's Spiffy Update Adds Radio Streaming to Android App Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT Good news for Android users who are fans of Spotify. The spunky streaming music service just launched its free unlimited radio feature on the Android platform for users living in the U.S., bringing the service up to par with its iOS counterpart that received the same upgrade about a month ago. Previously the only way Android users were able to listen to free music on the go with Spotify was to sign up for a 48-hour trial. "Exciting news for Android users! Starting today, you can now enjoy Spotify on your Android for free!," Spotify announced today. "Our latest app now offers free radio - the only radio where you can save the songs you love. It's never been easier to discover, save and enjoy an unlimited amount of music on the go." The entire catalog -- "millions of songs" -- is available on mobile. Music listeners can fine tune their streaming experience by creating stations based on artist, album, or playlist, and then give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down. Essentially the same can be said about Pandora, and like its rival, Spotify will interrupt the stream with occasional ad breaks for free users. Unfortunately for Kindle Fire users, Spofity is still not available in the Amazon Appstore for Android. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

SandForce Updates SSD Controllers for Longer Battery Life, Better Performance in Ultrabooks Posted: 31 Jul 2012 05:01 AM PDT LSI Corporation today announced an injection of enhanced features into its SandForce SF-2200 and SF-2100 series of client flash storage processors (FSPs) specifically designed to play nice with Ultrabooks. The new features are said to extend battery life by as much as one hour, cut down on resume times when waking from sleep mode, and "enhance the overall user experience." One way the upgraded processors purport to do that is by enabling faster system boot times. Support has been added for "virtually all MLC flash product families," as well as SATA 6Gbps host connectivity, all while meeting the low Z-height product requirement of Intel's Ultrabook form factor. Affected SandForce processors include the SF-2141, SF-2241, and SF-2281, each of which can handle capacities ranging from 24GB to 512GB. This is good news for the Ultrabook sector, which typically employ slower SSDs (generally speaking) than what's found in the desktop and traditional notebook markets. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMO Updates

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• The Secret World's first update is now live, includes marketplace and bonus rewards
• EverQuest II decorators, prepare to strut your stuff
• Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you!
• Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions
• The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO
• The Daily Grind: Why is there so much hate for game companies?
• Hands-on with MechWarrior Online
• MechWarrior Online answers questions about Founder status
• Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments
• Final Fantasy XIV is heating up another round of the Moonfire Faire
• SOE delays PlanetSide 2 beta, files Reign of Fear trademark
• EVE Online walks us through the remaking of a tutorial
• Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online
• Industry execs conclude that gamers like free games
• Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two

The Secret World's first update is now live, includes marketplace and bonus rewards Posted: 31 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, New titles, Patches, News items, The Secret World, Dungeons Delivering on Funcom's promise of monthly updates, The Secret World's first update Unleashed is now live on servers. Players can now log in to check out the various additions and fixes to the fantasy horror MMORPG. This update introduces seven new missions, a Nightmare Mode to two dungeons, and a cross-dimensional marketplace so players can buy, sell, and even ship goods to other players. The marketplace can be utilized via the bank NPCs in London. Among other fixes, it is also noted that the /say and /shout commands are now working properly. As an added bonus, players who complete all of the new missions will earn an achievement and receive unique clothing rewards. You can read up on all the details in the Issue #1 patch notes, while specific mission details can be found here. [Source: Funcom press release] The Secret World's first update is now live, includes marketplace and bonus rewards originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EverQuest II decorators, prepare to strut your stuff Posted: 31 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Contests, News items, Free-to-play, Housing With a housing feature as robust as EverQuest II's, players can create a multitude of original spaces. To highlight the abundant creative decorating skills of EQII players, Sony Online Entertainment is bringing back the Norrathian Homeshow. If you think your place deserves a spotlight tour on the official website, snap some flattering screenshots capturing the best of your creation (sans UI of course) and send it via email to homeshow@soe.sony.com along with character name, server, and title of the home or dungeon. Players should also add a general description of the place as well as caption each screenshot. For full details on how to submit your home, check out the official announcement. Selected entries will be featured in a future Norrathian Homeshow. EverQuest II decorators, prepare to strut your stuff originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you! Posted: 31 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles, Guides There comes a time in every Guild Wars 2 adventurer's life when her progression begins to go through certain, well, changes. These changes begin when an adventurer reaches level 5, and they get even more pronounced when she hits level 11. It might feel confusing and embarrassing; suddenly, you've got red exclamation marks on your hero panel and a nearly uncontrollable urge to allocate your skill points. Your skill bar starts to fill out. It's OK. It's totally natural. You'll have questions. Where do utility skills come from? Which skills do you take, and in what order? What if you give your first point to the wrong trait line? Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you! Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 skill points, traits, and you! originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions Posted: 31 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, Interviews, MMO industry, Free-to-play, Jukebox Heroes For many Lord of the Rings Online players, the name Chance Thomas is synonymous with the feel of virtual Middle-earth. From the earliest days in the game, explorers have traversed the Shire, Moria, and beyond listening to Thomas' melodies. So we were excited to hear that Turbine is bringing Thomas back to score not only Riders of Rohan (his first soundtrack for the game since Mines of Moria) but also Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark as well. Thomas is an Oscar- and Emmy-winning composer who's been working primarily in the field of video game music since 1998. Being a huge fan of MMO soundtracks, I made it a personal quest to talk with him about these two new scores and how he feels about working in this genre. In the weeks ahead, I'll be reviewing both Rohan and Underdark's soundtracks, but today I wanted to focus on the man behind the music. Join me, then, as we embark on a voyage to worlds far away, sailing on the wings of a song. Geez, that's cheesy, ain't it? Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions Jukebox Heroes: Chance Thomas talks about scoring Turbine's expansions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO Posted: 31 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Runes of Magic, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I'm amazed how often I still hear the phrase "learn to play." It's become a nasty term that makes me suspect those saying it just don't want other gamers around at all. And I can hardly blame them when the MMO market is pushing a markedly single-player agenda. MMOs tout our ability to play with friends and interact with others, but in the end, they are selfish games that breed and attract selfish gamers. In modern MMOs, interaction barely rises above single-player co-op. Guild Wars 2 exemplifies this by dropping you in a world with the potential for thousands of players to be all around you, but its alienating mechanics often make you feel like a lonely ghost who wants nothing more than to hug someone. L2P and other stock insults are rooted in something ugly: the literally antisocial nature of many MMOs. Continue reading The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO The Soapbox: 'L2P' and the antisocial MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: Why is there so much hate for game companies? Posted: 31 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Gaming discourse has gotten out of hand in recent years, and the anonymity offered by the internet and the decline of civility in general has conspired to bring arguments, personal attacks, and flame wars to the forefront of many a discussion. Most of the ire seems to be directed at gaming companies. If we look at it objectively, a company like Electronic Arts or Sony Online Entertainment is just a collection of people focused on a common goal, that goal being the production of entertainment products that are optional purchases. And yet if an outsider were to read your average gaming forum, he might think that EA or SOE is engaged in the wholesale slaughter of children, kittens, and puppies on a daily basis. So what do you think, Massively readers? Why is there so much hate for gaming companies? 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: Why is there so much hate for game companies? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with MechWarrior Online Posted: 30 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Guilds, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous, MechWarrior Online Last week, we sent San Francisco freelancer Emil Vazquez to the MechWarrior Online Community Day event to get some hands-on time with the game. This article reflects his opinion of his experiences! The MechWarrior franchise is, unsurprisingly, one that centers on giant mechanical battle-beasts beating the un-living daylights out of each other. Like a lot of mech games, MechWarrior Online makes "big" its modus operandi: You pilot a giant mech with colossal weaponry that unleashes biblical levels of destruction on its surroundings. It really should be obvious what you're getting into when you slip behind the controls of your own insanely customized mechanical soulmate, and for the most part, the surprises are few. But there are a few things that I came to appreciate during my time with the hands-on demo of MechWarrior Online, and it's the little things that make MechWarrior Online (and the MechWarrior franchise in general) more than just a mech simulation. Continue reading Hands-on with MechWarrior Online Hands-on with MechWarrior Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MechWarrior Online answers questions about Founder status Posted: 30 Jul 2012 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, MechWarrior Online If you can't wait for the chance to stomp around the battlefield in your very own BattleMech, you probably gave the fine people behind MechWarrior Online your money for the Founder Package as soon as it was available. But perhaps you waited a little longer and have discovered that you still have none of the promised beta access, or perhaps you weren't even sure when the beta access would begin. Fear not, as Piranha Games has posted a brief update clarifying these matters. Founders should already have access to the game's closed beta, with any recent purchasers receiving it shortly after the transaction clears. However, there was a glitch on the servers last weekend that resulted in some purchasers not being granted beta access as intended. Founders without access should contact customer support for help in resolving that matter, but most everyone affected should be free to log in to the test servers now and start blasting away. MechWarrior Online answers questions about Founder status originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Founders Gain Immediate Beta Access

Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments Posted: 30 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Video, Bugs, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively, MOBA, League of Legends, Diablo III Two major Diablo III exploits were made public this week, allowing Wizards to make themselves invulnerable and Barbarians to kill monsters just by running past them. The exploits have been in the game for at least a month and were hotfixed this week. Path of Exile celebrated its third public testing weekend this weekend and released its major 0.9.11 update, including a complete revamp of the passive skill tree. In MOBA news, Major League Gaming released details of its $10,000 League of Legends tournament this week, and Riot Games unveiled new champion Diana, Scorn of the Moon. Dota 2 released a whopping three new heroes this week and began preparation for its upcoming tournament The International. Wrath of Heroes introduced a new leaderboard system and newbie quests in game update 0.23 this week, and Bigpoint unveiled its new MOBA, Universal Monsters Online, which lets players take on the mantle of Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster. Continue reading Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments Not So Massively: Diablo III exploits and competitive tournaments originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIV is heating up another round of the Moonfire Faire Posted: 30 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, News items, Consoles, Humor, Final Fantasy XIV Veterans of Final Fantasy XIV remember the struggle of last year, the desperate battle to protect the land of Eorzea against a rampaging fire. A battle so desperate that it could be fought only by having men and women dress in skimpy swimsuits and make kissy-faces at fire elementals. This year, the battle must be waged again, but this time adventurers will be dressing up in traditional Eastern clothing. Yes, the Moonfire Faire is upon us once again. From today and running until August 13th, players will have the opportunity to take part in the event by speaking with event NPCs located in each of the major cities. There are no details on precisely what the event will entail, although the mechanics are likely to be similar to last year's equally ridiculous offering. There's also no word on whether or not this year will also allow players to unlock special wallpapers, although it's certainly possible. So if you're in the mood to beat the heat in-game, log in now and start chasing some fire elementals! Final Fantasy XIV is heating up another round of the Moonfire Faire originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Moonfire Faire announcement

SOE delays PlanetSide 2 beta, files Reign of Fear trademark Posted: 30 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2, Sandbox Those of you hoping to get your hands on PlanetSide 2's beta are going to have to hope a bit longer. SOE president John Smedley took to Twitter this afternoon to let anxious Auraxians know about a slight delay in the MMOFPS's big closed beta push. "Had planned for today or tomorrow but we have some stuff we need to make sure is awesome," Smedley wrote. "The team is working like crazy but we need to polish some stuff and test it before we let in a massive number of people." In other SOE news, the company filed a trademark for something called Reign of Fear. We don't know whether the title pertains to an expansion for an existing MMO or is an entirely new property. The filing covers "video game software providing downloadable multiplayer, roleplaying, real-time" gameplay "via the internet and local area computer networks." SOE delays PlanetSide 2 beta, files Reign of Fear trademark originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Smedley Twitter

EVE Online walks us through the remaking of a tutorial Posted: 30 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Patches, Previews, Dev Diaries With EVE Online's inbound Inferno 1.2 patch comes a completely overhauled tutorial experience for the game. CCP Games was concerned by how many potential players failed to make it through the existing tutorial, and CCP Greyscale wrote a lengthy post detailing how a studio goes about retuning the beginner experience to retain customers. This process is detailed in five steps. The first was to gather metrics and analyze them to see where problem areas lay. From there the team broke apart the current tutorial, reorganized it, and formed task forces to deal with each section. After making the changes, the team turned the new tutorial over to outside testers for evaluation and feedback. Finally, the improved tutorial will be implemented to (hopefully) greater effect. CCP also listed many of the changes coming with this new tutorial. These changes include removing the voiceovers and adding right-click context menus, better visuals, highlighting text, and easier navigation between the tutorial steps. EVE Online walks us through the remaking of a tutorial originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Tutorial revamp dev blog

Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online Posted: 30 Jul 2012 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log This past week, Star Trek Online's developers proved they're listening to community feedback. STO Executive Producer Daniel Stahl has released this month's state-of-the-game letter, Foundry missions are playable again, and a few of the game's developers began preparations for their appearance at the upcoming Discussion with the Devs panel, which will be co-hosted by Massively and Trek Radio at the official Star Trek convention in Las Vegas. Still, there are some outstanding issues that haven't been addressed by Cryptic or Perfect World, and some players are beginning to wonder whether PvP has been laid to rest in STO. Also, the addition of a new EV suit to the ZEN Store has ruffled quite a few feathers, including mine. Join me while I sift through what happened in STO over the past week! Continue reading Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online Captain's Log: The state of Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Industry execs conclude that gamers like free games Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Economy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Miscellaneous The latest declaration regarding the validity of the freemium business model comes to us from MCV. "It turns out free is the price point people want to pay for games," BBC Worldwide executive Robert Nashak told the website. Nashak goes on to say that freemium raises the quality bar by virtue of putting the power in the hands of the consumer. "If you're not hooking people in you can't monetize," he says. BioWare-Mythic's Eugene Evans agrees, and he says that the model has its roots in the games rental business. "For me that really did start when I saw the retailer Blockbuster started renting out games. I'm convinced that probably put some studios out of business," Evans explains. "There [were] a lot of people [who] complained about game rentals at the time, but they were often the people whose product was just bad." Industry execs conclude that gamers like free games originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MCV Via: Gamespot

Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two Posted: 30 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches, Free-to-play, Wings Over Atreia, Dungeons Last week, Wings Over Atreia discussed one of the biggest changes that came to Aion with the 3.1 patch: the Fast-Track server. That alone might have grabbed your attention (it certainly did mine). However, the inclusion of an at-will PvP-free leveling zone wasn't even close to the only thing brought to the table; plenty of other morsels were served as well. Changes -- they are legion! Mixed among the requisite jumble of fix-this-wording and adjust-this-skill tweaks were changes that affect instances, repeatable quests, AP, and housing. And of course, as in any Aion update, devs a played a rousing game of squash-a-bug. Here's a look at some of the highlights of patch 3.1. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two Wings Over Atreia: Aion 3.1 part two originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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