General gaming

General gaming


Darksiders II Skipping Multiplayer Due to Technical Challenges

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:50 PM PDT

Darksiders II

Disappointing as it may be that Darksiders II will, like its predecessor, have you playing solo, it wasn't because of a lack of interest in multiplayer. On the contrary, developer Vigil Games has been interested in multiplayer since it began development on the first game, but the challenge of implementing it has proven to be too much thus far.

"When we put together the pitch for Darksiders 1, we wanted it to be multiplayer then," Director Marvin Donald told IGN. "It's just too much work when you're starting a brand new studio with a new [intellectual property] and you're building your own technology. We're also evolving the series into more of [a role-playing game], which was something else we wanted to do from the beginning, but we just didn't have the resources or time or money to do it the first time around and do it justice."

Donald explained that each character -- War in the first game, and Death in the sequel -- has its own animation set consisting of 800 to 1,000 animations. That might not be an issue if animations could be shared between characters, but that's not possible because each has different proportions.

What is the Battlefield 3 Alpha Test All About?

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 05:17 PM PDT

Battlefield 3

You may have heard that some people are playing Battlefield 3 right now. While it's entirely possible that friend of yours claiming to have multiplayer access is a big liar, there are people participating in an ongoing alpha trial. Despite what some people may erroneously be referring to it as, this is not the beta that will kick off later this year.

A new post on the Battlefield blog has cleared up some confusion. DICE Community Manager Daniel Matros laid out exactly what the purpose of the current alpha -- not beta -- is: "It is a highly tech focused test period where the main purpose is to do a number of server related tests in preparation for game launch requiring a set amount of players online to ensure the final experience is as much fun and easy as possible."

Matros continued, "[T]his is an Alpha Trial, meaning this software is still not at the 'Beta' development milestone."

Beg for Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and You Just Might Get It

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:36 PM PDT

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Nintendo gave The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time the full remake treatment for its 3DS release last month. The company has yet to commit to remaking fellow N64 title Majora's Mask, a game that some prefer to OoT. While it's no guarantee, clamoring for a 3DS remake might convince Nintendo to make it happen.

"It's been 13 years since Ocarina of Time was originally released, and one of the big things that we made this remake possible was that there was an outpour of emotions from people who said they would like to see this game done," explained longtime Zelda director and producer Eiji Aonuma in an interview with Nintendo Power (via Zelda Informer, CVG). "We said we could do it in 3D, so we did. I think certainly if there was a similar output of emotion and clamor from fans for a remake of Majora's Mask, it wouldn't be an utter impossibility."

Suggesting that an outpouring of support would convince Nintendo to do something seems like a joke in light of what's happened with Operation Rainfall and its attempts to encourage Nintendo to bring several Wii RPGs to North America. (Nintendo's answer, in sum: No.)

Get a Taste of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 with Tekken Hybrid

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:20 PM PDT


The previously announced Tekken Hybrid is a Blu-ray-only collection of Tekken content. Before now, its big draw was a new, full-length CG movie called Tekken: Blood Vengeance 3D which, rest assured, has nothing to do with the abysmal live action movie that came out last year. Hybrid also packs in an HD version of Tekken Tag Tournament, the old arcade/PlayStation 2 fighting game. Over the weekend, Namco announced a third aspect of Hybrid, one that'll likely make it a must-buy for fans: a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue-esque taste of Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue is a smaller, standalone version of the Tekken Tag sequel. Since being announced last year, there had been no word on a console release, making this especially good news for anyone without easy access to a Japanese arcade.

Prologue is comprised of four characters from Blood Vengeance: Alisa Boskonovitch, Ling Xiaoyu, Devil Kazuya, and a fourth character who is being kept a secret for now. All four will come with two costumes -- one reflecting their Tekken Tag 2 look, and another based on how they look in the movie.

Watch the EVO Fighting Game Tournament Finals From PlayStation Home

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:16 PM PDT


The 2011 EVO World Finals are set to take place this weekend, and whether you couldn't afford to make the trip to Las Vegas, are too young to attend, or whatever else, you'll be able to watch all the action from PlayStation Home.

Sony announced today it will be broadcasting all three days of the world's largest fighting game tournament through its virtual world. By visiting the PlayStation Home Theater, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to watch tons of fighting game action as reigning two-time reigning Street Fighter champ Daigo Umehara goes for his third championship in a row.

As for what you can watch from Home, things kick off with three rounds of Super Street Fighter IV action on Friday morning. Saturday is dedicated to Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and then the top eight from each of the tournaments will compete for their respective championships on Sunday in the following order: BlazBlue Continuum Shift, Tekken 6, Mortal Kombat (the new 2011 game), Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Super Street Fighter IV. The full schedule can be seen on the PlayStation Blog.

1UP's Doctor Who: Series Six, Part One Giveaway

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:35 PM PDT

1UP's Doctor Who: Series Six, Part One Giveaway
How To Play

Prizes

Do you enjoy monsters, mysteries, and adventures across time and space?

If so, then today's giveaway is for you! Yup, we're giving away Doctor Who: Series Six, Part One all day long! Here's what it takes to win:

ESA Wants California to Fork Over $1 Million in Attorneys' Fees

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:19 PM PDT

Supreme Court videogame law

It was almost a full month ago now that the United States Supreme Court decided to strike down California's violent videogame law. Opponents of the law argued that it was a waste of California taxpayers' money to continue pursuing the law, which had been ruled unconstitutional several times before it reached the Supreme Court. Now it may end up costing the state another million dollars, as the Entertainment Software Association has filed a motion to be reimbursed for attorneys' fees totaling $1.1 million.

"We look forward to moving forward and working together to raise awareness about the valuable tools and information available to parents," said ESA CEO Michael D. Gallagher in a press release. "From the start of this misguided legislation, then-Governor Schwarzenegger and specific California legislators knew that their efforts to censor and restrict expression were, as court after court ruled, unconstitutional and thus a waste of taxpayers' money, government time, and state resources."

The ESA, which filed the motion in the U.S. Supreme Court according to today's press release, is the trade association responsible for representing the videogames industry. It was the main opponent of California's law and, under its previous name (the Interactive Digital Software Association), it founded the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) back in 1994.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel Review

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:39 AM PDT

The Call of Juarez series has comfortably been akin to that distant older relative (grandfather, uncle, cousin) "from the old country." That is, well-meaning and full of interesting stories and mannerisms, but also prone to moments of slight stereotyping or racism. Yet, you could chalk that latter point to coming more from cultural ignorance rather than outright malevolence. Unfortunately, this newest installment, Call of Juarez: The Cartel, then feels like that blatantly annoying contemporary relative -- a sort of unironic Ali G.

I've called the previous COJs, "Polish Call of Duty with hats" before, in that they are linear first-person shooters that funnel players through combat and scripted moments like a rollercoaster, but with the aesthetics of the Western rather than the War Movie. Like Call of Duty 4, The Cartel attempts the bold move of shifting time periods from the olden days into the present. Though, while the previous games were homages to iconic Westerns, The Cartel feels more like a clumsy fusion of The Shield and Bad Boys II.

Avatar Kinect is Out, Now You Can Make Your Own Talk Show

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:44 AM PDT


Microsoft's visual chatroom of sorts, Avatar Kinect, which allows players to control their Avatars in a 3D space, has been released today. It's available from the Kinect Fun Labs area of the dashboard, the home for various "experiences" and "gadgets" that was announced and then launched during E3 last month.

Avatar Kinect's existence was first leaked in January and then officially revealed at CES. Kinect owners can watch as their Avatar mimics their facial movements (raise your eyebrows, smile, nod, talk, etc. and your Avatar does the same) with up to seven friends across a variety of settings. These include a late night talk show set, news set, and a parking lot for tailgating.

While sitting around and talking to friends as your Avatar might not be something that ends up being used more than a few times, the ability to record and share videos on KinectShare.com could make it very useful for some. From Microsoft's website, you can download the video and upload it to YouTube, Facebook, or wherever else, thereby giving camera shy people the ability to make, say, their own talk show.

MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


Walmart Will Finally Release Game Sales Data

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The Walmart company has decided to publish information regarding its game sales, after so long of not giving details about it. Research firms like Nielsen Co. and NPD will now have access to all the video game sales own by Walmart.

Mounted Combat Coming to Forsaken World

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By completing a quest line that has you visiting multiple regions, you'll be granted the license, an item that will enable mounted combat for your character.

Dragon Nest(NA) Open Beta Starts Today

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Dragon Nest fans must have known the time, but it's still necessary to mention here again that Dragon Nest NA starts open beta today at 12 PM (PST).

SWTOR to Last for Decades, 19 Major Worlds Now, 500 in 2025

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BioWare hopes its most expensive project Star Wars: The Old Republic will last for decades. As to SWTOR release date and beta testing, the wait is nearly over! They said they will have new content for SWTOR until 2025 as the game progresses.

Martial-arts Infinite Worlds to Debut at Chinajoy, Promotional Trailer Unveiled

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Lately Infinite Worlds (Official Website: http://w.51play.com) officially unveiled a promotional trailer, as well as a collection of screenshots captured from the trailer. It is the first time that the game has revealed related trailer content.

Firefall has Geared up for ChinaJoy 2011

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Red5 Studio wants to make a big show for the online FPS game, and they've confirmed that there will be a splendid booth, playable demos, and $1 million USD worth of Firefall statues.

Dragon Nest NA Open Beta Tips

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Greetings, Dragon Nest fans. The Dragon Nest Beta will soon begin at 12 PM (PST) on July 26, 2011 and is open for all! We summed up several tips for you to enjoy this grand carnival~

WoW: Illidan Stormrage's Tattoo Favored by a Russian Swimmer

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We once reported in one of our articles that Andrei Kirilenko, a famous NBA star player, had a quite cool WoW-themed tattoo on this back. Today we found another athlete, Nikita Konovalov, a Russian swimmer who also has a WoW-themed tattoo on this body.

[Hot Blog] Crazy Alt’oholic Player in Perpetuum!

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Hey guys, I have been playing Perpetuum for a couple of days now and so far everything is good, I only had a few minor stags but for the most part the game quirkiness keep things interesting… Of course certain bizarre things are out of this world…

Vindictus: Episode 8, Part 2 "Unveiling the Truth" to Launch on August 3

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Vindictus is launching the Episode 8 Pt. 2: "Unveiling the Truth" and a new video showing Glas a new raid boss and introduces the Succubus.

Survey: How Long it Takes Gamers to Finish a Title

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A survey was conducted to find out that how long gamers usually spend actually playing a game and its campaign mode may lead developers something to think.

Rusty Hearts: The Second Developer Diary to Detail PvP System

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As the excited closed beta testing for Rusty Hearts is coming on July 27th, Perfect World Entertainment released the second Developer Diary video to detail the Rusty Hearts PvP system and a blog post get a sneak peek of the multiplayer experience in the game's PvP.

[Hot Blog] China Joy show!

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Ok, today's theme, China Joy. As I know, it is another comic-con in China. Game developers release their new games in the CJ, show girls and cosplayers are the most attractive thing besides new games.

RIFT World Event - Are you Prepared for Hammerknell in Phase 5?

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With Rift's newest 20-man dungeon on the horizon, Hammerknell has many guilds scrambling to prepare themselves for whats to come. The games newest patch release has brought much hype to the giant encounter loaded with a total of ten bosses.

[Topic] Why Do You Play MMORPGs?

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ive played mmos for about 6 years and over that time ive come to wonder why even i play them, after a while it just seems meaningless, theres no end to it, you cant really hope to be the best because theres always someone that plays more than you that shows its not about skill but time spent on the game.

Dragon Nest New Generation Academic Unveiled!

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Dragon Nest Korean official site unveiled an event about new generation Academic from July 22nd to July 28th. This character can summon a monster to fight and change her job into engineer.

Eudemons Online Becoming the Definite Vampire MMO

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Eudemons Online's latest class – the night dwelling Vampires – has swooped into the popular MMORPG in style.

[Topic] Have You Done Mean Things for Your Own Good in Game?

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Like you know straight said being a d*ck for your own sake, ninja a loot because you need it too, keep tricks you can do in game from other people so you would be in front of them in game and stuff like that.

KUF2 Review: Hybrid of Strategy and Hardcore Action Combat

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Hi guys, this is yuto-kun from mmosite, bringing in this oportunity an awesome review of a hardcore mmorpg game called KUF2 (Kingdom Under Fire 2). It seems like no much people mention its one of the games of the year, But i will show you guys how wrong they are!

Ixion Saga Reveals 3 Classes' Special Attacks

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Japan-based Capcom has recently released the latest info about its online PC action game Ixion Saga, including the special attacks of the three in-game classes and the mighty weapon "Aroma Cannon" which's able to control the war situation.

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews


Auto Club Revolution begins its closed beta test

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 12:39 AM PDT

Eutechnyx has launched the Closed Beta Test of Auto Club Revolution. From today, players will be granted access to the test version of the game and asked to report their feedback. “It’s a big day for the Auto Club Revolution team“, said executive producer, Doug Wolff. “We’ve been working up to this for over four [...]

MapleStory presents a new update, Big Bang

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 07:48 AM PDT

Nexon has presented the Big Bang update for MapleStorywill thrill players with a whole new experience. With this first update, players will be able to step out into the Maple World as heroes who can level up much faster than ever before. Skills and monsters have also been rebalanced, allowing players to rediscover the game [...]

Exclusive Raffle of 5 walliecards of 20€

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 06:29 AM PDT

Wallie through FREE MMORPG and MMO Reviews celebrates a raffle of 5 Wallie-cards of 20€. Wallie is the easiest and the fastest way of paying, but also the safest one. You will not have to provide private information, you just need to type in a unique code and you will be able to pay on [...]

Rusty Hearts launches its second Developer Diary

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:59 AM PDT

Rusty Hearts has unveiled details about the PvP sytem with its second Developer Diary. Rusty Heart’s full-fledged PvP system will allow competitive style gamers to create rooms to face off against friends, trade PvP points for gear and in-game items, try out exciting battle modes including death match, solo and team survival, tag team, VIP [...]

Vindictus launches Episode 8 Pt. 2: “Unveiling the Truth” on August 3

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 03:28 AM PDT

Vindictus is launching the Episode 8 Pt. 2: “Unveiling the Truth” and a new video showing Glas a new raid boss and introduces the Succubus. The epic conclusion of the rebellion at Ortel castle arrives August 3rd with the Episode 8, part 2 content update for Vindictus. Players should be excited to know that a [...]

DDTank launches it’s new patch 2.6: Dragon’s Lair

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:36 AM PDT

YooGames has announced the launch of the newest expansion for DDTank, patch 2.6: Dragon’s Lair. The update includes new dungeons, an increased level cap, and an additional Server “YooGames’ DDTank is the first in the world to receive the 2.6 patch, and we’re proud to be on the cutting edge of the wants and needs [...]

MMORPG Videos

MMORPG Videos


ACE Online: ACE Online - 1st Impressions with Ripper X

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 04:17 PM PDT

Ripper X touches down on the 3D Space Shooter ACE Online! Basic gameplay and 1st impressions are included while Ripper X falls in love with the guide Gina.


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Comic-Con 2011 Videos: Check Out Toys, Collectibles, And The Star Trek PC!

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:47 PM PDT

Future Studios rolled with us on our annual voyage to San Diegos nerd mecca, and they kept their cameras rolling. Check out the two videos below; one features a montage of toys and collectibles, and the other features our stellar Star Trek PC. Enjoy!

 

 

Old School Monday: World Wide War

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 04:16 PM PDT

In this week's blast from the internet past, we take a look at the 1996 perspective on online gaming. Anyone who's read a few of our Old School Monday features knows that we haven't always been right in our predictions, but this one was right on the mark when it predicted that the internet was the future of multiplayer gaming. 

Anyone paying attention in 1996 could have told you that internet gaming was a big deal for shooters and sims like Quake and Mechwarrior, of course, but we went a step further and called out the likes of the then-unreleased Meridian 59 and Ultima Online--titles that would pave the way for the entirety of massively multiplayer gaming.

And no, we can't explain why all those people are playing Quake with gamepads. Let's just chalk it up to it being the nineties and move on.

mmo one

mmo two

 

mmo three

mmo four

Netflix Expected to Acquire Streaming Rights to DreamWorks Animation Catalog

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:46 PM PDT

netflWe know that a lot of you are mighty sore about the recent hike in Netflix rates, but according to sources, they're putting that money to use. Netflix has reportedly worked out a deal with DreamWorks Animation to get the studio's films on the Internet company's streaming service. 

Interestingly, DreamWorks currently has a distribution deal with HBO that is not set to expire until 2014. It is rumored that HBO is willing to end that deal two years early. HBO has apparently already acquired the content deals necessary to replace the two animated features they got per year from DreamWorks. This means that the DreamWorks catalog of movies could show up on Netfix in just a few months.

Netflix and DreamWorks are not talking, but that's no great surprise at this point. Netflix is about to announce quarterly profits today. Expect this to be one of many new streaming deals announced as Netflix continues to shift away from discs. 

Google Street View Cars Captured Locations of Phones and PCs

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:30 PM PDT

streetviewGoogle certainly does not need anymore bad publicity for its Street View product after lat year's Wi-Fi data scandal. But, here we have the French data protection authority Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) claiming that Google's Street View cars slurped up the MAC addresses of mobile devices and laptops.

The MAC address is a unique number given to every IEEE certified network interface device. It is essentially a unique identifier that is very hard to change. CNIL says that their investigation shows that Google's Wi-Fi sniffing cars were grabbing these numbers in addition to the MAC addresses from routers, like the were supposed to. By having to GPS coordinates associated with a MAC address, devices can estimate their location based on nearby MAC addresses.

The offending data was posted to Google's location web interface. Most experts feel that the inclusion of mobile devices and computers was just an accident. Since these devices move around quite a bit, their MACs are not very useful for location determination. But this new wrinkle has once again led to demands for an opt-out method for Google location tracking. 

The MAC IDs should not pose any real privacy problems for individuals. The number is tied to a computer, not the person using it. No one can know where someone has been from this data unless they already have the MAC address.

Comic-Con 2011 Gallery: 57 Photos From Day Three!

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT

Exhausted but undeterred, we hit the show floor of Comic-Con 2011 hard on our final day, raffling away our coveted Star Trek PC, and, as always, keeping a vigilant eye out for awesome costumes. Click through the images below!

Test Your PC Skills: Geek Quiz 2011

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 12:26 PM PDT

Are you a PC know-it-all or a newb? It's time to find out!

Within the span of a generation, one new technology radically changed society, propelling many folks into the realm of the well-connected and well-educated. It was expensive, especially at first, but economies of scale soon brought this technological advance into the homes of millions instead of just an elite few. That's right: We're talking about the book.

The Internet has largely replaced the book as a tool for democratizing access to information, but one thing remains true: knowledge is power. And you'd better have some significant knowledge at your disposal if you hope to fare well on the 11th annual Geek Quiz. We've collected 55 questions from the easy to the mind-burning to test your knowledge of technology more advanced than deadtreeware. If you've been zoned out, it's OK, but you'd better hit the books. Go ahead. We'll wait. The Geek Quiz will still be here, mercilessly taunting you until you give it a go.

The Moment of Truth

IF YOU'RE NOT AS SMART AS YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE, THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR

0-14 CORRECT:
Either you need to invest in Computing for Dummies, or you're a dog who has found your master's copy of Maximum PC on the floor. In which case, we greet you. Woof. Woof.

15-30 CORRECT:
Your knowledge of PC tech and history might not be the stuff of legend, but you still know more than 90 percent of your peers. The dumb 90 percent.

31-45 CORRECT:
Truly you are wise in the ways of the Force. We can't help but feel that if you went outside a little less often, you'd have done better on this quiz.

46-55 CORRECT:
You've absorbed everything we've been teaching you and more. Heck, you could probably write next year's Geek Quiz by yourself. Which is good, because we need a vacation.

Prey-Enabled Devices Offer A Glimpse Into The Lives Of Second-Hand Electronics

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:23 AM PDT

When a sticky-fingered thief pilfers your laptop, you rarely get a chance to track him down – unless you use Prey, that is. We've already covered how to use the GPS-enabled, screenshot-sending program to recover your notebook in just that circumstance, but creative researchers at MIT have started using Prey for a more humane effort. They've begun installing the software on second-hand electronics sent to developing countries in Indonesia, South Asia and Africa to help charities put a face to people who are helped by the donations.

The guys and gals at MIT's Senseable City Lab came up with the project, which is dubbed Backtalk, CNET reports. They installed Prey on second-hand netbooks and smartphones, then disseminated them with the help of nonprofit organizations. Every 20 minutes, Prey records the GPS location of the device and snaps a shot with the device's camera, letting the MIT gang know exactly where the donation ended up – and see the face of the person benefiting from it.

Take a chill pill, privacy advocates; we already hear you grumbling. The Backtalk program only tracks devices after the new owners agree to it, and stickers explaining the program are affixed to the case of all affected electronics. The stickers are written in the tongue of the person receiving the device. They're showcased on the screenshot above.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York plans on showcasing screenshots from the program in an exhibit that opened yesterday.

Chrome Web App of the Week: Autodesk Homestyler

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:02 AM PDT

Updating the look of a single room or your entire home can be an exciting and stressful affair. Exciting because taking the time and spending the coin to pick out new furniture, paint or otherwise tinker with your home can breathe new life into a stale living space. Stressful because, let's face it, sometimes the vision of how a room should look that we see in our head just doesn't work out the way we planned when we get down to putting it all together in the real world. Fortunately, Autodesk Homestyler is here to help you iron the kinks out of your home styling faux pas.

autodesk one

Autodesk Homestyler allows users to create, decorate and redefine their apartment, house, or any other space with drag and drop simplicity. Room sizes, wall lengths and angles can all be tweaked with nothing more than a few clicks of a mouse.  Once the size and shape of your space is up to snuff, Homestyler makes it easy to try out decorating options, furniture arrangements, and various floor and wall palettes. Once you have your space's colors and layout down pat, the web app allows you to kick your design into 3D to give you a bit of perspective of how your creation will look should you ever decide to bring it into meatspace.

autodesk two

If you happen to create a design that you'd like to follow through on, it can be saved for later (saving requires you sign up for a free user account), printed, exported as an image file or sent to a number of social networks. Be sure to check back every Monday for another edition of Maximum PC's Chrome Web App of the Week.

Virgin Media Tests "World's Fastest Cable Broadband" In London

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:50 AM PDT

Remember everybody's favorite pair of deliberately acting turtles, the Slowskis? Comcast used the commercials to poke fun at the slower speeds of Verizon's DSL service back when the cable company was trying to break into the broadband provider scene. Well, the tables have turned; even Comcast's 20Mbps speeds end up looking more tortoise than hare when compared to Virgin Media's blazing new 1.5Gbps down/150Mbps up connection.

The company already offers 100Mbps speeds to half the UK population, Daily Tech reports; the Gb-shattering thresh hold is currently in trial stages only. The service is being offered to a small area of London known as "Silicon Roundabout," centered around Old Street. Virgin Media achieved the speeds using DOCSIS 3.0 technology, which the company calls a "future-proofed platform with theoretically near infinite capacity." Virgin Media touts the 1.5Gbps service as the fastest cable-based Internet in the world.

So how'd they do it? "These superfast speeds are possible because of the £13 billion of private investment made by Virgin Media which means that every cable home is connected to a state-of-the-art fibre optic network by a high-grade coaxial line," the company's press release boasts.

In June, Comcast proved that they could achieve speeds of 1Gbps at the annual Cable Show in Chicago. Prepare to hit your bandwidth cap in a couple of hours!

Creative Programmer Whips Up A Web Browser For Graphing Calculators

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 10:22 AM PDT

Those graphing calculators that you're issued in high school geometry class are capable of crunching some serious numbers, but if you're anything like us, you spent more time playing hacked versions of Zelda and Tetris on the things than solving quadratic equations. If you're more of a Web-head than a gaming guru, a new hack plops a browser on your Texas Instruments graphing calculator and lets you surf the Web when you should be working – assuming you don't mind the lack of newfangled features like images, that is.

The creator of the Gossamer Web browser is an PhD student named Christopher Mitchell, whom TechCrunch calls "the world's most prolific graphing calculator programmer." Compatible with the TI-83+ through TI-84+SE calculators, Mitchell says in a YouTube demonstration that Gossamer accesses websites via the "Mobile CALCnet Networking Protocol."

"I first created a Python web clipping application employing Lynx that runs on the globalCALCnet metahub, then a calculator-side client named Gossamer. Gossamer can already request, receive, display, and scroll pages, maintain a page viewing history, and allow the user to click on links to visit pages," Mitchell explains on a forum post introducing the project. The browser also includes an input box for entering URLs, although that feature wasn't available at launch.

It ain't pretty, but it gets the job done. If the idea of graphing calc hacks intrigues you, be sure to check out the rest of Mitchell's website – there's plenty of calculator-modifying goodness to be found.

MMO News

MMO News


Tales of Pirates II previews new card activator skills

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:39 AM PDT

The next patch for Tales of Pirates II will introduce new skills through Energy Cards and Card Activators, which can be obtained from NPCs on Astral Isle. A list of the skills that will be available, and what will be required to make these cards, has been released and detailed as follows:

* Vibe Slash – Deals 3,000 damage – requires 2 Level-F Energy Cards
* Covert Fog – Disappear for 30 seconds – requires 2 Level-F Energy Cards
* Energy Bulwark – Every SP absorbs 0.75 damage – requires 3 Level-F Energy Cards
* Energy Web – Seals your opponent – requires 5 Level-F Energy Cards
* Halo Salvation – Restores 10,000 HP – requires 10 Level-F Energy Cards

Level-F Energy cards will require a blank card, a red energy quartz, and 5,000g. Skill Cards can also be created, and require blank cards, red energy quartz, and the appropriate skill quartz core.

Tales of Pirates II is published by IGG, which also publishes Angels Online and Tales of Fantasy.

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Tales of Pirates II Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Tales of Pirates II: Take a Sneak Peek at the New Card Activator Skills

Tales of Pirates II (http://top2.igg.com) will soon release Astral Isle, but there's more for players to look forward to in the new map than your run-of-the-mill final-stage bosses. Some of the most talked about additions are the all-new Card Activator skills adventurous pirates can't wait to get their hands on. This new skill system lets players unleash incredible forces locked within various Skill Cards by using Energy Cards and Card Activators. Here's a preview of the powerful skills accessible with these cards.

Skill Effect Requires

Vibe Slash Deals 3,000 damage 2 Level-F Energy Cards
Covert Fog Disappear for 30 seconds 2 Level-F Energy Cards
Energy Bulwark Every SP absorbs 0.75 damage 3 Level-F Energy Cards
Energy Web Seals your opponent 5 Level-F Energy Cards
Halo Salvation Restores 10,000 HP 10 Level-F Energy Cards

Requirements for a Level-F Energy Card
A Level-F Energy Card requires 1 Blank Card, 1 Red Energy Quartz and 5,000g.

Requirements for Level-F Skill Cards
A Level-F Vibe Slash Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Vibe Slash.

A Level-F Covert Fog Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Covert Fog.

A Level-F Energy Bulwark Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Energy Bulwark.

A Level-F Energy Web Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Energy Web.

A Level-F Halo Salvation Skill Card requires 1 Blank Card, 10 Red Energy Quartz and a Skill Quartz Core – Halo Salvation.

Players will be able to buy the items needed to combine Skill Cards and Energy Cards from various NPCs on Astral Isle, so you won't need to go far to restock before facing each new challenge. With all the exciting content waiting on Astral Isle, you'll want to stack the deck in your favor with these sweet skills. If you play your cards right, fame and fortune could be yours for the taking!

Wind Slayer shutting down

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 11:03 AM PDT

Outspark has announced that it will be shutting down Wind Slayer on August 10.

There will be no character migration, although Outspark will store character data for a while just in case. A special compensation package will be sent to Wind Slayer players via e-mail, and a portion of the Sparkcash spent in game since April will also be refunded to players.

Outspark also publishes Fiesta Online and Secret of the Solstice.

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Wind Slayer Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Dear Slayers,

We greatly appreciate all the support and love you have provided to Wind Slayer. From the first steps into the game to the many levels, weapons, and hours spent fighting your way to the top, we are glad that you spent it here and with us. Because of this, it is very hard for us to announce that Wind Slayer will be closing on August 10, 2011.

Wind Slayer has been an important part of Outspark which made this a hard decision for us to make. For Outspark, it has always been a joy to see the Wind Slayer community grow and evolve from the day we opened the service all the way to now. We understand the amount of effort and dedication all players have been put into Wind Slayer and value the time that you have spent playing this game.

As gamers ourselves we know what its like to become attached to a game’s world and all the people and places in it; we know this is a sad time for you, as it is for the Outspark team. As painful as the sting of leaving this game may be right now, we know that there are a plethora of new gaming experiences out there to experience. As you begin your search we hope you will check out the other games Outspark has to offer and we are preparing a compensation package to help ease you in to these games (details below).

Currently, there are no plans for any kind of character migration. However, we will be temporarily storing all character information, and if there is any change in that plan we be sure to let all players know by email. As for the Wind Slayer store, it will be closing shortly.

Additional details on the compensation package and other information, including redemption codes, will be sent via email by August 3, 2011. Please make sure you are receiving official emails from Outspark. You can update or change your email address at http://outspark.com/profile/account

In addition, we will be partially compensating purchases of Wind Slayer items made from April onwards based on the following policy:

Purchases made in April 2011 will receive 20% of the Sparckash spent. Purchases made in May 2011 will receive 30% of the Sparkcash spent. Purchases made from June and July 2011 will receive 50% of the Sparkcash spent.

As we mentioned, we value all the efforts the everyone has provided to Wind Slayer and Outspark during the life of the game. We hope to see you soon in one or more of our games.

~Outspark Staff

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