MMORPG News

MMORPG News

Uncharted Waters Online: Win an iPad2, 3DS and More During Launch Events

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 06:30 AM PDT

gPotato is simply ecstatic over the recent launch of Uncharted Waters Online. To celebrate they're holding events in-game all month long, with some seriously killer prizes attached. If you don't feel like shelling out $500 for an iPad2, you can simply hit the level cap in UWO before July 31st to get one.

APB: Reloaded: Test, Kill, and Win a Joker RFP-9

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 06:24 AM PDT

APB Reloaded and Reloaded Productions are holding a stress-test all weekend long. Any player who logs in to give the game a hearty stressing and who also kills 100 other players will win a permanent Joker RFP-9 pistol. Another one hundred players will receive a special cowboy hat for their avatars.

Aion: New Refer-a-Friend Rewards

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 06:17 AM PDT

The folks at NCsoft and Aion would like everyone to know that there's some brand new rewards in place should you refer a friend to try life in Aion. There's also a mentoring program in place, so higher level players can help out their newbie friends.

PlanetSide: Story of the Week: Planetside 2 Debuts in Vegas

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 06:06 AM PDT

This week's crowning story has to no doubt go to the official unveiling of SOE's Planetside 2. Fans of the original have been waiting a long time for their first look at this sequel, and Vegas' Fan Faire did not disappoint.

General: Community Spotlight: Returning to MMOs

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 05:43 AM PDT

This week's Community Spotlight is all about "going home again"... or at least trying to. Find out what forumites like Pierth, Tdogskal, AlBQuirky, and DarLorkar have to say on the subject in Mike Bitton's weekly Community Spotlight.

Bounty Bay Online: Raging Seas Expansion Announced

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:06 PM PDT

The folks at Frogster and Bounty Bay Online have just announced a brand new expansion called "Raging Seas". The update is set to bring tons of new content to the game, including ships, missions and a new instance to boot.

General: Gamania Announces Un-Fairy Tale MMO: Dream Drops

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 11:44 AM PDT

Twisting classic fairy tale stories and characters that we all grew up with, Gamania and PlayCoo Games have just announced Dream Drops. With a stunning art-style and the promise of some time-travel and time-control mechanics, Dream Drops seems to have a lot of tricks up its sleeve.

General: SOE Fan Faire: Two Expansions and Planetside 2

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT

Drew Wood is on hand in Las Vegas for all there is to see at SOE's Fan Faire 2011. As luck would have it, the show's starting off with a bang, unveiling two new expansions and the long awaited first ever reveal of Planetside 2.

Scarlet Legacy: New Screens and Video Showcase Mounts and More

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 08:56 AM PDT

Today Games Campus has released new screens and video showcasing the mounts of Scarlet Legacy, as well as the game's combat, story, and classes.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO updates

MMO updates

The Secret World - Dungeon Demo

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 05:54 AM PDT


I am sure by now most avid online gamers would have heard of Funcom's upcoming MMORPG, The Secret World. In case you haven't, Funcom is also the developer of Age of Conan and Anarchy Online. The Secret World is a uniquely-themed online game based on modern myths and legends. Over the past few months, Funcom had been appearing in game conventions and actively promoting the game. GameSpot uploaded a video walkthrough for one of the game's first instance dungeon, which you can have a look below. How is The Secret World shaping up for you?

Eden Eternal (TW) - Housing system preview

Posted: 09 Jul 2011 05:36 AM PDT


Right after the new Samurai class was added into Eden Eternal (TW), or Finding Neverland Online, yet another major content update is being previewed for the game. First off, the Ranger class will be added. This advanced class requires a level 65 base character, level 60 Hunter and level 60 Martial Artist. As the name suggests, the Ranger will be a highly skilled ranged character.But that is not all!


Player housing will be making its way to the game! Well, players are actually renting the place, not owning it. Through ways including defeating mobs, players may obtain various kinds of furniture to decorate their houses. Organizing house events and inviting others will garner the participants some bonuses!


Well, that is not all... The 4th race, Bears, are finally coming as well... Stay tuned for more info!

Gamania reveals Dream Drops

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 08:16 PM PDT


Gamania Digitial Entertainment, also known as Beanfun in the English online gaming market, can't seem to stop revealing new games which are in development! After announcing 8 games last September, yet another one was revealed just yesterday. The game is called Dream Drops and its design is heavily cartoon-influenced.


As seen in the trailer above, which is in Japanese, the title is aiming primarily at the Japan market despite Gamania rooting from Taiwan. You might have also notice the heavy Alice in Wonderland influence in terms of the game's lore. There is an abundance of information available at its teaser website, so have a look!

NCsoft looking to buy Trickster Online developer

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT


According to foreign reports, Korean mega MMO developer and publisher, NCsoft, is in talks to take over developer Ntreev Soft. Ntreev Soft is well-known in the online gaming world as the developer of hit games including Trickster Online, Pangya and more recently, Alicia in Korea. The decision apparently stems from NCsoft's top brass looking to enter the casual games market, which the mega company has failed so far to try breaking into.


With NCsoft recently starting a new baseball team (the most popular sport in Korea), it seems that Ntreev Soft is the right development team to purchase in order to develop a baseball MMO. Ntreev Soft currently has a baseball MMO (Pro Baseball Manager) under its belt, not forgetting Pangya (golf) and Alicia (horse riding) as well. More news to follow as the takeover talks continue.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News

CJ E&M to Focus on Many New Games Release in 2nd Half of 2011

Posted:

CJ E&M's game portal Netmarble is going to take more action in the second half of 2011. CJ E&M, which had been called "CJ Internet" for 7 years, was faced with a big challenge on account of the fight for the hottest Korean FPS Sudden Attack's publishing rights. This just caused CJ E&M Netmarble's president to resign directly. At the new turning point, Netmarle's steps in the second half of this year are much concerned about in the industry.

The Sweet PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Details You'd Like to Know

Posted:

After announcing PlanetSide 2, SOE gives further details in regard to the gameplay details of the persistent world FPS game. Check it out.

Guild Wars 2 - Creating Varied Combat In An MMO

Posted:

Alright so a few words to start off, I'll try to summarize my thoughts and the reason for this topic at the end of this post, I tend to think a lot and analyze to a great extent so if you don't wanna read the whole thing I will as I said try to summarize the coming text at the bottom of the post.

RIFT Butchering Leveling Guide

Posted:

Butchering is a gathering profession that goes exceedingly well with Armorsmiths, Apothecary, and Outfitting.

Friendster Finally Completes Its Metamorphosis into a Social Gaming Butterfly

Posted:

One of the earlier social media sites, Friendster, has completed its "revamp" and "transformation" from a social networking hub, into a social gaming site.
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Videos

MMORPG Videos

Battle of the Immortals: Battle of the Immortals: Kronos Instance

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 05:12 PM PDT

Perfect World Entertainment has announced that a new Titan Update is on the way with a Titanic-sized boss coming to Battle of the Immortals. Kronos comes in at nearly 100 feet tall! Check out this exclusive video preview!
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews

Exclusive Luvinia Preview

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 04:48 PM PDT

We've been playing Luvinia Online CBT and would like to share some information about the game with you all. It is a high fantasy mmo rpg from Outspark, with a deep subclasses system, PvP, professions, several areas and frequent in-game events. First we found is a classic character creation menu with several options to choose [...]

Bright Shadow has opened its servers

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 03:12 PM PDT

Gamania Digital Entertainment Europe has announced that Bright Shadow is ready to be explored. It's important to note is that there will be no data-wipe during this closed beta to give Bright Shadow fans the chance to get a head start in collecting monster cards. Gimme 10 As an additional treat Gamania is giving away [...]

PlanetSide 2 Teaser trailer

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 02:41 PM PDT

PlanetSide 2 is a MMOFPS that delivers truly epic, massive combat on a scale never before seen in stunning, breathtaking detail. Battles take place not between dozens of troops, but thousands; with air and ground vehicles slugging it out alongside squads of troops. Whether in open fields, tightly-packed urban centers or enormous structures, winning requires [...]

Street Racers teaser trailer

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 02:30 PM PDT

Street Racers is browser-based MMORPG. You will be racing against other racers, participate in tournaments, buy and sell cars, car parts. Game features -Unlimited levels -Racer clubs -Player vs Player races -Tournaments -Club tournaments -Club wars -Nice 3D rendered cars and parts -Sell and buy cars and parts -3 Specialities: Racer, Forcer, Mechanic -Repairing parts [...]

Allods Online has announced a new content update, Renaissance

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 02:13 PM PDT

Gala Networks Europe has announced Allods Online: Renaissance, the first update for Allods Online. Due to go live in mid/late July, the update includes the highest-level dungeon so far in the Allods universe and a set of new features including a reincarnation system, an all-new character creation interface, changes to dynamic events and improvements to [...]

TERA presents its new dungeon, the Dark Cathedral

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 01:55 PM PDT

TERA has unveiled its new dungeon the Dark Cathedral. The Dark Catheral is a building that stands alone in the desert wilderness, and test the capabilities of the adventurers who dare to fight in the sacred walls of this tarnished relic. Lok, the once mighty but now defeated demon god, has long been gone, but [...]

Rift presents a new video of the Cleric Class

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:07 AM PDT

Trion Worlds has released today new video that outlines the types of Clerics in RIFT. Known for their great wisdom, and unwavering faith, the Telara clerics are a versatile class that also feel comfortable supporting the different roles of the game or limiting the damage received by their friends. Look the video and witness the [...]

Mini Fighter presents a new update that introduces the Zombie Mode, a new character and a in-game event

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 04:50 AM PDT

CJ E&M Games has introduced a new Zombie Mode for their 2D brawler MMO Mini Fighter Online. Also players can fight back with a new character, Power Ryusei. To celebrate one of the biggest updates in Mini Fighter history, Netmarble is also hosting an exciting Slot Machine Event. - Zombie Mode - Zombies vs Mini [...]

Prius Online ends the IP Restrictions and presents new content

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 04:10 AM PDT

Prius Online's open beta is getting a solid and insightful feedback from its players. Now, the game team has announced that Prius Online will end its IP restrictions and brings new game content. Thousands of fans across the globe exclaimed their distress when Prius Online launched with IP blocks. After seeing exactly how upsetting this [...]
Posted by Shri Krishna


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

AVADirect Begins Shipping Llano-equipped Desktops

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 08:15 PM PDT

The first accelerated processing units (APUs) for desktops from AMD became available in late June. The first installment of desktop APUs comprises two quad-core chips, the A6-3650 and A8-3850, both of which have garnered mixed reviews. PC manufacturers, too, haven't quite warmed up to the new chips so far. Nonetheless, boutique system builder AVADirect has announced a couple of Llano-equipped PCs.

Both the AVADirect DTS-FM1-PD33XTP and DTS-FM1-2CFD33XTP can be customized around either the A6-3650 or the more powerful A8-3850. They have a starting price of $450.15 and $601.66, respectively. The base configurations of both models are almost identical. Both of them feature the A6-3650, 2GB of RAM, and 1TB HDD storage. The latter, however, ships with a Radeon HD 5750 graphics card with 1GB GDDR5 memory.

Forum Feature: The Star Trek PC is Done!

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:08 PM PDT

Star Trek Mod Badge
It's real, and it's spectacular.

This week's Forum Feature gives pride of place to Bill Owen's amazing Star Trek PC, which is finally finished, packed up, shipped out, and now living in our offices for a few weeks while we cram it full of beautiful top-notch hardware. Then we're gonna bring it to Comic-Con and GIVE IT AWAY. Because we love you. David Gerrold—Maximum PC columnist, science fiction legend, Tribble inventor, commissioner of the case and recipient of its twin—will be at our booth at Comic-Con this year to sign autographs next to his aluminum child.

Star Trek Beauty Shot

Check out the shots of the completed case in the build log on our official forums, and at MNPCTech's website. We'll have more details as Comic-Con approaches, plus a full writeup on the build in a later issue of the mag!

In other forum news:

Trkkr wants to know which laptop brands are worth looking at when shopping for a customizeable gaming laptop.

Cakeflan (mm!) is building a small formfactor gaming rig and wants input.

DJSPIN80 gives a quick primer on threads and how they related to CPU cores.

Share your wacky SSIDs in the Network Nook.

davidm71 wants to know which is the better tablet: the Samsung 10.1 Tab or Asus Transformer?

Have a great weekend!

Dream Machine 2015: 7 Maximum PC Editors Predictions

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 05:08 PM PDT

Want more Dream Machine 2011 coverage? Check out our gallery of 30 Unbelieveable Custom Cases

You know what's always fun? Dream Machine predictions. Not because they ever turn out to be very informative, but because it's always fun to look back and see just how wrong we were about the future.

Why's it fun to be wrong? Because even though sometimes we get a little too optimistic, more often than not our predictions are wrong because the future turns out even more awesome than we expected. We asked everyone around the office to make their predictions for Dream Machine 2015, so that in 4 years we'll have something to have a good laugh about. Check out what we thought, then hit the comments and leave your own predictions for the future.

NATHAN EDWARDS, SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR:

The 2015 Dream Machine?

First, it'll still be a desktop computer, but it'll probably be smaller. As laptops and tablets gain prominence in the lives of average users, desktops will become more and more the domain of the power user, but that doesn't mean they'll stay as huge as they are. I predict the 2015 Dream Machine will have a micro-ATX or Mini-ITX motherboard, a 24-core processor, and maybe 48GB of RAM. Sure, that's a lot, but it's only 3x the RAM of this year's DM, and twice the RAM of last year's. The Dream Machine will still have dedicated GPUs, but that doesn't mean most machines will—GPUs integrated with the processors will be the de facto standard of 2015, and only enthusiasts will bother to have dedicated GPUs—which means the Dream Machine will have 'em. And the GPUs it does have might not be PCIe at all—optical Light Peak could have superceded it by then. The DM will also have at least 1TB of solid-state storage, though I'm sure it'll still have mechanical drives for mass storage. Most computers of 2015 will be glorified docks for smartphones and tablets (take the Atrix concept to its logical conclusion), but the Dream Machine, though it'll surely have a phone dock, won't rely on the portable processor for most of its juice. Beyond that? 30-inch panel (what? It's a sweet spot!), mechanical keyboard, laser mouse (we're classicists), a really great headset, and we'll be in business.


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ALEX CASTLE, ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR:

I think that picking 2015 for a year to make predictions about was an interesting choice—it's close enough at hand that we can make some pretty educated guesses, but just far enough away that in our current climate of perpetually accelerating technological progress, all those guesses could be totally wrong.

What I think we can say for sure is that (despite contrary predictions) the desktop PC will still exist in more or less its current form in 4 years. It'll still feature an x86 processor, but with 12 or more physical cores running at more than 5 GHz. You'll find at least 64GB of RAM (probably more) in the system, and one or more terabyte-class SSDs. If we're even still bothering with HDDs and that point, we'll only need one for massive capacity storage. I don't think Dream Machine 2015 will feature any optical drives.
Finally, I think DM 2015 will still be running Windows 8. Microsoft will have to step up their game, though, or I think it's unlikely that DM 2020 will be running a Windows OS at all.

 

g

 

GORDON MAH UNG, SENIOR EDITOR:

To really appreciate what Dream Machine 2015 will look like, you have to look backwards four years. In 2007, the "Ultimate PC" ran a 3GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6850 processor overclocked to 3.66GHz. Graphics were courtesy of two XFX 8800 Ultra (remember those?) XXX Editions on an EVGA 680i board, a 750 Watt PSU and yee haw – four 1TB Hitachi drives. In the RAM department we opted for a controversial 2GB of DDR2/10000 to aid overclocking instead of "maxing" it out at 4GB and well, because, Vista was a mess.

So what possible configuration will make today's Dream Machine seem pathetically antiquated in comparison? I'm going to say that the rig will run one single x86 processor sporting 12 cores. It will be built on a 15nm process and clock in at the 4.5GHz range (overclocked). The CPU or APU or BPU by then will have eaten even more graphics capability but discrete graphics will continue to be king. Switchable graphics, however, will finally work so the 90 percent of the time your PC isn't pushing heavy duty 3D needs, it'll be running on the onboard chip's graphics. Hardware encoding acceleration in the processor will allow native 4K editing and encoding without breaking a sweat. Security features in the chip will also continue to help Embedded DRAM, or eDRAM, will be present in the chip as well but likely won't play a large role in an enthusiast configuration. The box will likely sport 64GB of DDR4/3333.

As I said, discrete graphics will still be king for anyone who actually cares about gaming and DM2015 will sport no fewer than two GPUs in the PCIe 4.0 slots. I'd guess it'll have two 2TB SSDs in RAID 0 plugged in to the SATA 12GB/s slots, which, believe it or not, will still be a bottleneck for the SSD's of 2015. Hard drives will continue handle bulk store with say, a total of three 9TB drives for 27TB of storage. USB 4.0 running Thunderbolt will be integrated into the chipset as well. The PSU, interestingly, will continue to be topped out at 1,500 watts as there's simply no where to go from there. The panel will support native 4K or 4096x2160 pixels and 120Hz capability for 3D and touch capability. The OS will be the next, next-generation of Windows, but by then, Microsoft will have learned a lesson from Apple and simply increment by tenths for future iterations. Thus, Dream Machine 2015 will run Windows 8.5 codename: T-Rex.

 

m

 

MARKKUS ROVITO, ONLINE EDITOR, MAXIMUM TECH:

Being completely unqualified never stopped anyone from assuming oppressive dictatorships, and it's in that spirit that I pull my predictions for the 2015 Dream Machine from my posterior.

We'll begin with a motherboard accommodating 96GB of RAM, which we will max out, of course. The board includes four Thunderbolt slots, as well as plenty of USB 4.1 and SATA7 ports, as well. These are just for show, however, because as dutiful early adopters, you are already on board with the health-hazardous, but ever-so-convenient 802.11x standard and transfer anything and everything wirelessly.

For storage, we've finally gone all solid-state. Three 3TB SSDs make a respectable 9TB data dump. We wanted to break double-digit terabytes, but what do you think this is, 2016? Dual octa-core processors clocked at 5.5GHz and four graphics cards clocked at 2GHz each ensure that you'll have a top-notch machine for at least a good three months before ridiculously bloated software and Windows X knocks it down a peg.

This machine will certainly win a Kick-Posterior award. In fact, this machine will be so powerful, that President Ron Paul will declare it a threat to national security and put the offices of Maximum PC under constant surveillance. Okay, I admit there's no way Ron Paul will ever be president, but you can take the rest of these predictions to the bank.

 

k

 

KATHERINE STEVENSON, DEPUTY EDITOR:

In 2015 there may very well be large numbers of people who don't own a desktop PC, or even a notebook, as smartphones are showing all signs of evolving into pocket-size powerhouses capable of meeting many computing needs on their own– in conjunction with the cloud, natch. But I certainly don't think the PC will be extinct. That's because content—be it games, video, or data—will itself continue to evolve, getting ever more intensive and requiring ever more computing muscle to manage and manipulate—more than what would be practical in a mainstream device. Just as now, there will be power users who want a machine that's up to any task.

It's quite likely, however, that the Dream Machine of 2015 will be smaller than DMs past, while packing way more power. The processor will have a massive number of cores, of course, many of which will be GPUs. Indeed, by then, discrete graphics cards will probably be obsolete. Local storage—because who would entrust the cloud with all their data?!—will be handled by flash memory. And advances in cooling will further shrink the rig's size. This mighty mite will be paired with a large, high-res display, possibly curved, that's capable of displaying 3D content sans glasses and 4K video in all its glory.

 

ab

 

AMBER BOUMAN, ONLINE FEATURES EDITOR:

Dream Machine 2015 will almost certainly feature a glasses-free 3D display of some sort - and with the average display size creeping ever larger, the display in question will likely be 30+ inches. Maybe 35 or 37 inches, and there will be at least two monitors.I also think that there will be some type of mobile aspect to it - an associated tablet that docks to the PC, or a smartphone dock...perhaps some sort of flexible tablet? Perhaps a projected hologram or 3D image? Either way, the mobile aspect will be impossible to ignore or exclude. I'm also thinking... and this is pure speculation... improved/increased voice controls, better/more cloud adaptation freeing up memory and hard drive space, and heavy home integrations i.e. controlling your front door, home theatre or alarm system with your PC.

 

jp

 

JON PHILLIPS, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR:

I wouldn't hazard to posit anything about the specific components we might find in Dream Machine 2015. But I do think that on the CPU side of things, the so-called "power wall" will continue to forced Intel and AMD to mitigate clock speed limitations with multi-core designs. How many cores exactly? I'll reserve speculation! Sure, new process technologies will eventually emerge that allow us to handle thermals and power issues at very fast frequencies, but don't expect any mass-market breakthroughs within the next four years.

All that said, I'm willing to state with utmost certainty that the CPU in DM2015 will be running an X86 architecture. It won't be ARM so that we can all play the desktop version of Angry Birds 4. And we'll probably see some type of iteration of Thunderbolt. And while notebook, tablets and even smartphones will continue to chip away at desktop sales, we'll still see a thriving PC hardware enthusiast community in 2015, and we'll continue to be using desktops for games, video editing, and mundane office crap. Home entertainment box functionality will also be more important than ever before. None of this is a matter of idle speculation. It's on industry road maps.

Google Apps Users Promised Google+ Access Someday

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 03:06 PM PDT

gplusIt is nothing new for users of Google Apps. A cool new Google service comes out, but they can't access it. These dedicated users have been clamoring for access to Google+ (like half of the Internet seems to be), but Apps access to the social network is not happening. According to Google's president of enterprise, they're working on it, though.

Google tends to roll out new features and service to paid Google Apps users slowly. Part of the deal, and what users expect, is that Apps will have a certain uptime and reliability guarantee. So Google often delays beta products for Apps. But in the case of Google+, they may be adopting an accelerated timetable for the rollout. 

We know that Google is in the process of setting up business pages on Google+, and the Apps support would seem to go hand-in-hand with that. Are you an Apps user hankering for access? Is Google just stalling, or is the change imminent?

Battlefield 3 System Requirements Revealed

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 02:09 PM PDT

VG247 report that GameStop have listed system specifications for Battlefield 3. These aren't an official announcement from DICE so we can't confirm the required rig, yet, though we have contacted EA to verify the specs. Still worth a peek though, eh?

MINIMUM

  • Hard Drive Space: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version
  • OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7
  • Processor: Core 2 Duo @ 2.0GHzRAM2GB
  • Video Card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card

RECOMMENDED

  • Hard Drive Space: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version
  • OS: Windows 7 64-bit
  • Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPURAM 4GB
  • Video Card: DirectX 11 Nvidia or AMD ATI card, GeForce GTX 460, Radeon Radeon HD 6850

Looks like it's nowhere near as intensive as ARMA 3, the equally beautiful PC-only war sim that's due out next summer. Battlefield 3 is due for release in October. Read our preview and watch the latest gameplay footage, for your next battlefield fix. And here's all our Battlefield coverage in one handy place.

Do you need to upgrade for Battlefield's incredi-visuals?

PCGamer.com is the global authority on PC games, with exclusive news, reviews, demos and updates.

Sony's PSN Pass Cripples Content In Used Games

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 11:47 AM PDT

Game makers love stores like GameStop because – duh! – the stores sell their games. There's one thing game makers don't like so much about Gamestop, though; the stores often sell the games used. Second-hand sales are great for cash-deficient everyman gamers who can't afford a $60 diversion, but buying a used game denies the original manufacturer a slice of the profit pie. Sony's new "PSN Pass" program is geared towards milking more moolah out of used and rental games, placing the company alongside EA and THQ at the forefront of the used-games war.

Gamasutra reports that some first-party PlayStation 3 games from Sony will include a special one-time-use code that gamers will need to enter to receive "full online access" to the game. Presumably, players with used or rented games will need to pay to access those same features, neatly tying Sony back into the used-game moneypit. If it sounds familiar, that's because EA uses a similar model for its releases. Dragon Age 2, for example, included codes for the Black Emporium and Mabari Warhound inside the game's packaging, but gamers with used copies needed to pony up $10 to download the features (Protip: Save your money).

Resistance 3 will be the first Sony title sporting a PSN Pass when it hits the shelves in September. You'd think Sony would want to attract consumers back to the PS3 with gamer-friendly incentives after the whole "PSN Outage" debacle, but nope -- they're all about the dollah bills, ya'll.

Image credit: Engadget

Nevermind Obama - Vote Anonymous in 2012

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 10:51 AM PDT

LulzSec may have been in it for the laughs, but Anonymous has always claimed that its hack attacks and DDoS bombs are designed to push forward a liberating social agenda. "Hooey," you might say, "What about that time Anonymous harassed that kid with the No Cussing Club?" and we'd have no option but to nod our heads thoughtfully. Someone in the group takes the social message to heart, though; Anon recently announced a splinter political group called the Anonymous Party Of America, made for people who empathize with Anon's civil liberties message, but disagree with hacking the Church of Scientology.

Some elements in Anonymous disagree with the idea of Anon being a group, rather than a loose coalition. A tweet on Anonymous' @Anon_Central account says "Anonymous is not a f**king group or a party. If someone is telling you that they can lead this then you are getting butt f**ked and you don't even know it."

Whoa! Slow your horses, Anon – the Anonymous Party of America isn't looking to steal your DDoS thunder. Testudo Smith, a spokesman for the political splinter group, told ComputerWorld that "This (party) is just another group that wants to support the goals of Anonymous. It isn't going to replace it... We have no control over Anonymous as a whole. There aren't any leaders, and it would be futile to attempt to control Anonymous."

So what's the point, then? Smith, who apparently doesn't believe the "anonymous" part of "Anonymous," says that the political party's goals line up with what Anon's been asking for all along: transparency and accountability from the government and a focus on individual rights.

If you're picking up what Smith and the Anonymous Party are putting down, you can check out their website at anonymouspartyofamerica.com, but you might want to give it a few hours; the server's not resolving at the time of publication. Google's cached different portions of the site, though, so you can check out their populist rants by going that route.

Cool Site of the Week: NoPhoneTrees

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 10:49 AM PDT

When you buy a product or invest in a service, it's reasonable to assume that you're going to get what you paid for. Sadly, this doesn't always happen. Computers break down. Credit cards get stolen and baggage gets lost. Often. At stressful times like these, the last thing any of us wants to do is navigate the byzantine phone system of a multi-billion dollar corporation to get the assistance that we, as their devoted customers, deserve. So of course, the first thing you'll have to do in order to get the assistance you deserve is navigate the byzantine phone system of a multi-billion dollar corporation in order to get the help you deserve. Unless of course you pay a visit to NoPhoneTrees, our Cool Site of the Week.

Offering consumers cut-to-the-chase access to thousands of corporate help desk and customer service phone numbers with an actual human being on the other end of the line, NoPhoneTrees is about as mission-specific as a website can get. Have a bone to pick with your car rental company's head office? Sick of paying for cellular features that you didn't sign up for? NoPhoneTrees will have you venting your rage via the appropriate direct dial telephone number in no time.

The site allows users to search for phone numbers by entering the company's name, scrolling through an alphabetical list or by industry. After just one use, we're sure you'll agree that the value of this site cannot be overstated.

Be sure to check back every Friday for another edition of Maximum PC's Cool Site of the Week.

Net Neutrality One Step Closer To Becoming Law

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 10:15 AM PDT

Net neutrality's motto is simple: Hey ISPs, don't tell us what to do with the Internet. Comcast's P2P traffic-shaping fiasco kicked the movement into high gear a few years back. The net neutrality dream took one step closer to becoming reality yesterday, as the FCC officially registered its hotly debated rules with the Office of Management and Budget – a vital step towards getting the new law on the books. There's still a hard road ahead, however; pissed-off companies are expected to throw legal challenge after legal challenge at the proposed regulations.

A five-person FCC panel approved the new net neutrality regs way back in December in a 3-2 vote. The three "Yays" came from Democrats, while the dissent came solely from Republicans – including a "Nay" vote from new Comcast-NBC VP and former FCC commissioner Meredith Baker. The other "No" came from Robert McDowell, who wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed claiming the FCC (his employer) overstepped its bounds and calling net neutrality "the beginning of a long winter's night for Internet freedom."

Verizon's already challenged the upcoming regulations, Cnet reports, but the DC Court of Appeals slapped it out of the court, saying you can't sue to stop a law that isn't even technically a law yet. The proposed regulations can be commented on for the next 30 days (well, 29 now) and become legally enforceable 60 days after that. Internet providers and other companies are expected to fight the proposal every inch of the way, but the Obama administration backs the new bill.

Private Investors Overvalue Twitter at $8 Billion

Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:22 AM PDT

For now at least, Twitter isn't in a mad rush to go public and watch its stock price soar in what some are calling the second coming of the dot-com bubble. But that doesn't mean the microblogging service is hard up for cash, either. On the contrary, Twitter is trying to finalize an additional $400 million in funding that, if successful, would value the company at around $8 billion, the New York Times reports. What is Twitter really worth?

That's not an easy question to answer, so let's instead look at some of the other numbers. There are currently more than 200 million registered Twitter users, everyone from average Joes tweeting about their weekend plans, to celebrities and politicians posting updates on all matter of things. Even the Pope isn't immune from Twitter.

Analysts believe Twitter pulls in about $200 million a year from online advertising, putting the company close to profitability, NYT reports. A valuation of $8 billion is about 40 times Twitter's sales, and according to Rory Mayer of Hudson Square Research, that's a bit much.

"It's a small business," Maher said. "The ad volume isn't there. They're going to have to come up with products that drive more volume for them, and they need to increase the number of users."

The most recent high-profile online company to file for an IPO is Zynga, which recorded nearly $600 million in revenue last year with a profit of $90.6 million. Zynga is expected to offer shares at a valuation of at least $20 billion, or 33 times its sales.
Posted by Shri Krishna
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