MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


Skill Overload in Jade Dynasty, More Than Just Simple PvE

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Skill Overload in Jade Dynasty, More Than Just Simple PvE


I recently gave Jade Dynasty a spin, the martial arts MMO based on the popular internet novel, Zhu Xian. I have been unable to find an English translation of the work so while I'm unsure of the accuracy; the game itself is a combination of numerous skill trees, multiple advancement options and micro-management tactics that are incredibly layered. Unfortunately the actual PVE elements of game and story come secondary.

6 Races to Be Available in Dragon Quest X MMO

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6 Races to Be Available in Dragon Quest X MMO


As reported by the Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump, 6 races in total will show up in Dragon Quest X: The Five Awakening Races Online.

WoW 4.3: Druid Tier 13 and Visual Retrospective

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WoW 4.3: Druid Tier 13 and Visual Retrospective


Adventurers will be tested like never before in 4.3 as they take on Deathwing and his minions, emerging with powerful new treasures. Please enjoy this preview of the druid tier 13 set, as well as a visual guide to tiers 1 through 12 for Transmogrification purposes.

Frog-like Race and Crafting System Has Arrived in Eden Eternal

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Frog-like Race and Crafting System Has Arrived in Eden Eternal


Aeria Games, a global publisher of free-to-play online games, today released its latest content patch to one of its newest titles, Eden Eternal, which introduced the frog-like race the Anuran.

SWTOR Will Have Same-sex Romance After Launch

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SWTOR Will Have Same-sex Romance After Launch


The same-sex romance options in Star Wars: The Old Republic had evoked a heated discussion. It had been mentioned in interviews that there is no same gender romances in SWTOR. Now it is officially announced that they will not offer it at launch, but will be a post-launch feature.

New Guild Wars 2 Blog Unveils Asura Environment Arts

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New Guild Wars 2 Blog Unveils Asura Environment Arts


Guild Wars 2's asura week goes on with two new posts giving us more back stories of asura. The first post comes from ArenaNet's Lore Designer Jeff Grubb who explained the origins of Mr. Sparkles. The concept story was written 3 years ago and managed to hang on while many other stories are no longer reachable. Who is Mr. Sparkles and why is this tale so important?

Adult Fantasy MMOG Mark Online(KR) to Enter CBT on September 16th

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Adult Fantasy MMOG Mark Online(KR) to Enter CBT on September 16th


Adult fantasy MMORPG Mark Online, developed by Korea-based Black Smith, is scheduled to enter the first closed beta test from September 16th to September 17th. Making public for the first time in July this year, Mark Online set background in middle ages Europe.

Do You Have Any Special Hobbies?

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Do You Have Any Special Hobbies?


Special as in something that not many does, like football and those. No offense to those whos hobby are those of course, but just as in example.

World of Battleships Official Website Launches

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World of Battleships Official Website Launches


Wargaming.net announces the launch of the website for the recently announced naval combat action MMO World of Battleships. The World of Battleships website (www.worldofbattleships.com) features screenshots, trailers and other materials to keep players updated on the game's progress.

League of Legends: Dominion NOT Releasing Today

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League of Legends: Dominion NOT Releasing Today


After making an incredibly strong showing at both Gamescon and PAX, I was really looking forward to Dominion, the new gameplay mode that League of Legends is adding to its line up. Unfortunately, the game update has been pushed back an additional 24 hours for further bug testing.

Bigpoint Takes Over 49Games GmbH

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Bigpoint Takes Over 49Games GmbH


Bigpoint, an international leader in online games, is immediately taking over the entire production team of the internationally successful development studio 49Games to develop online games instead of console titles.

RIFT Comments about Mage in Patch 1.5 on PTS

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RIFT Comments about Mage in Patch 1.5 on PTS


In the following I'll go through all souls and a little general stuff about the Mage and his souls. While it may seem to be more about PVP, it's largely because our problems in PVE are less severe than in PVP (which are also addressed in another thread).

Blade & Soul (KR) - Great Desert Footage

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Blade & Soul (KR) - Great Desert Footage


Footage from NCsoft's Blade & Soul beta phase featuring the new Great Desert region.

Diablo III Class Resources

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Diablo III Class Resources


Similar to World of Warcraft's resources such as mana, rage,focus, energy, runic power, all of the five classes in Diablo III will have different resources to fuel their spells and help them override their foes.

Continue reading Diablo III Class Resources.

MMORPG Videos

MMORPG Videos


Rift: Rift: Telara After Dark

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:55 PM PDT

From the Rift dev team: "Who doesnâ??t like a good old fashioned dance party? After a hard day of driving back monstrous invaders from six horrific dimensions, the denizens of Telara like to let loose and shake it."

Rift: Rift: Ascend a Friend Trailer

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:48 PM PDT

Trion Worlds and the Rift team have created a new Ascend a Friend promotion using the Old Spice treatment.

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews


New screenshots of Core Blaze

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:07 AM PDT

Gamania has unveiled some new screenshots of its upcoming action MMORPG Core Blaze. The game is inspired in the Eastern mythology and uses Unreal Engine 3; the game offers a structured fantasy world unique in its main and branch leveling design. Its free customization alters the core gameplay experience dynamically depending on various factors, such [...]

The naval combat MMO World of Battleships has launched its website

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 05:52 AM PDT

Wargaming.net has announced the launch of the new website of the naval combat action MMO World of Battleships. The new website features screenshots, trailers and other materials to keep players updated on the game's progress. World of Battleships brings players in to the era of 20th century warships and lets them dive into massive naval [...]

Dragonica announces the release of its upcoming expansion, New Origin: Rise of Drakan on September 20th

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 04:24 AM PDT

Gala Networks Europe, has announced that the new expansion of Dragonica, New Origin: Rise of Drakan is going to be released on September 20th. New Origin comes with addition of video resolution options, a new race and riding pets, as well as a level cap raise to 80 and many more exciting features. New Origin [...]

Dungeons & Dragons Online has launched its latest update: Secrets of the Artificers

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:21 AM PDT

Turbine has announced today that the latest update for Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited (DDO Unlimited), Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers is now live. Update 11 introduces a new class to the game: the Artificer, a new high-level quest hub, along with new crafting levels and much more. Secrets of the Artificers features: [...]

The first developer diary of Dungeon Defenders has been released

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:33 AM PDT

Trendy Entertainment has presented the first developer diary for its upcoming cooperative action-RPG tower-defense game, Dungeon Defenders. Combining some elements of a variety of genres and offering a great level of depth, Dungeon Defenders will be available for PC on October 19. Dungeon Defenders is a downloadable game which is equal parts tower defense and [...]

Star Trek Online exclusive screenshots and Free to play Trailer

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:24 AM PDT

Star Trek Online, is going to be free-to-play in later this year. Star Trek Online free-to-play features: The Universe is Your Only Limit – Play as much as you like for as long as you like at no cost. No subscription is required, nor is payment of any kind required. Episodic Gameplay – Experience new [...]


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Bethesda Drops 20 Minutes of Skyrim Footage, Shows Dungeons, Dragons, Yetis – Oh My

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 08:05 PM PDT

If you're anything like the rest of the human race, you're probably chomping at the bit to get your hands on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. That in mind, Bethesda's latest tantalizing batch of Skyrim eye (and eye only) candy should be considered the most heinous of torture tactics. The new footage is stuffed to the brim with a bit of everything – swordfighting, dual-wielding, spells of all shapes and propensities for causing hilarious ragdoll deaths, murky dungeons, and, of course, dragons. So obviously, it looks incredible. Almost makes up for the heart-shattering news that Bethesda passed on the rights to make Videogame of Thrones. Almost. Check out the full 20-minute behemoth after the break.

US Prosecutors Begin Criminal Probe of eBay Employees

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:53 PM PDT

ebayAccording to a subpoena obtained by Reuters, US prosecutors are preparing a criminal case against eBay employees. At issue is the accusation that eBay abused its position on the Craigslist board to steal confidential trade secrets. Company spokespeople have indicated they will cooperate with any investigation, but they believe Craigslist's allegations to be false.

The two companies have been battling it out in civil court for years after eBay launched a classified posting service very similar to Craigslist. A judge ruled last year that Craigslist was justified in removing an eBay employee from its board. Federal prosecutors apparently feel that the situation rises to the level of a criminal matter. "In February 2005, Pierre Omidyar requested information about Craigslist's approach to adding new cities as well as advance notice of plans to launch in new cities," the subpoena says.

Right now, this is just a preliminary investigation aimed as collecting documents and records that will inform the eventual grand jury. It is unclear how many individuals could be caught up in the criminal case.

First Look: Samsung Windows 8 Dev Tablet

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:41 PM PDT

Samsung and Microsoft treat BUILD conference goers to large, powerful developer tablet

Today, Microsoft announced the Developer Preview of Windows 8 at their BUILD conference for developers in Anaheim, CA. Conference attendees were also told they would be receiving tablet devices from Samsung with the Developer Preview pre-loaded, enabling them to get a head start on developing apps using the latest and greatest APIs and sensors.

Here is a rundown of the device's features:

  • 2nd Generation Intel Core i5
  • Samsung Super PLS 1366x768 display
  • AT&T 3G included (conference attendees received 1 year of 2GB/month service)
  • UEFI BIOS
  • 4GB DDR3
  • 64GB SSD
  • NFC Sensors, USB, microSD, HDMI, Pen
  • Dock with USB, HDMI, Ethernet
  • 11.6" diagonal, 909 grams, 12.9mm thick

The right side of the device features the power button and sim card. USB, HDMI, headphone port, and volume controls span the left side. The top of the device holds the microSD slot, while the bottom is reserved for the dock port, which provides additional connectivity options. Samsung also included front and rear cameras as well as GPS, accelerometer, and NFC (Near Field Communication) sensors.

After spending a few minutes with the device, we'd have to say that it's everything we want from a Windows tablet. Having a device that is thinner, lighter, or faster will always be desired, but Microsoft and Samsung have hit squarely in the size vs. performance sweet spot.

Bottomline: you're going to want one when they become available.

Turntable.fm Gets Funding, Releases iPhone App

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:33 PM PDT

turntableTurntable.fm instantly became the musical smash hit of the summer when it arrived a few months back. Now the New York-based start up has begun an expansion after receiving $7.5 million in venture funding. The first order of business was to release an iPhone app that brings the unique Turntable look to mobile devices.

Turntable allows users to gather in a virtual room where several users act as DJs and play tracks for the crowd. The audience can vote on each song, which awards points to the DJ. This social gaming aspect of music enjoyment has proven very popular so far. Since the service launched there have been more than 300,000 rooms created and 600,000 users have signed up. Keep in mind that this has all been done in a semi-private beta.

Along with the iOS app, all users will now be able to get access to Turntable.fm through Facebook. Previously, only users that already had a friend on the service could get in. No word yet on other mobile platforms, but we can hope.

File Host Suing Warner Bros For Copyright Fraud

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:58 PM PDT

wbFile hosting and sharing service, Hotfile was sued earlier this year by a consortium of copyright holders including Warner Bros, Disney, and Fox. The MPAA recently scored a victory when it was ruled that Hotfile has to divulge user details. Now Hotfile is firing back, accusing Warner of abusing the anti-piracy takedown tool built into the service.

Back in 2009, Warner approached Hotfile about making it easier to have infringing material removed from the service. Hotfile complied and developed the Special Rightsholders Account (SRA). This system allowed rights-holders to manually remove content that they owned the copyrights to. Hotfile now alleges that Warner committed fraud and abuse by removing thousands of files they did not hold the rights to.

In the counter-suit, Hotfile points to numerous free and open source files deleted by the Warner SRA. It appears that instead of investigating a file, Warner used an automated search algorithm to remove anything that might be theirs. Hotfile is seeking damages from lost revenue and disruption of its business. If anything, these accusations should remind us that a takedown system with checks and balances is the best solution we have. 

Scoundrels or Saviors? 8 Notorious Nerds On Trial

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:01 PM PDT

We decide: Scurvy dogs or merely edgy?

Every hero is a villain, every villain a hero. Truth is that even the greatest people in history had at least a hint of the dark side within them.

Today we look at an assortment of men inside—or merely tied to—the tech industry. Some are merely controversial, others are clearly of the bad seed variety. But do they deserve their status? How evil are they?

We come to conclusions, from Assange to Zuckerberg. Come along for the ride.

Julian Assange

Hero to many and villain to many more (he's been labeled a high-tech terrorist by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Mitch McConnell), Julian Assange is nothing if not incredibly controversial. Purportedly hacking computers by his mid-teens with a group calling itself "International Subversives," Assange had little interest in implanting viruses, annihilating data, or stealing cash. He instead felt the need to expose information - and even then only dicey corporate and government information he personally figured needed to be exposed. Whether that made him a truly bad guy depends very much on who's doing the judging.

But in WikiLeaks, Assange has a far more formidable weapon—the subterfuge of others. Since its official launch in 2006, the "not-for-profit media organization" has gathered and released hundreds of thousands of anonymously submitted media bits—usually documents, but oodles of video and audio segments, too—often to the obvious detriment of the organizations from which the media was obtained. Through WikiLeaks, the world has seen footage of apparent civilian massacres, critical corporate and government cover-ups, documents that approve assassinations, confidential climate change information, and much more.

Today, Assange is both reviled and worshiped. He's been temporarily jailed, threatened with treason, and—it would appear—chased by the Pentagon. And let us not forget that whole allegations of sexual misconduct thing—a situation some say is a purposeful frame job. Yet he's also been handed numerous awards and distinctions and was selected as Time Magazine's Reader's Choice 2010 Person of the Year (third place went to—cough—Lady Gaga).

Ultimately, it would seem Julian Assange is an imperfect man doing potentially perilous stuff that he believes is righteous work. Pompous? Yes. Questionable tactics? Yes. Villain? Er…maybe a wee bit.

Gerald Blanchard

We've all seen those movies where the impossibly adept, impossibly intelligent, and often impossibly handsome master-thief plans and executes, with split-second precision, the most daring of escapades. He's not out to physically harm anyone, and he's just so damned…exciting that we can't help but pull for him as he so cunningly sticks it to The Man. A villain? Of course. He is a thief, after all. But a somewhat loveable villain just the same.

Born in the cold Canadian prairie town of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Gerald Blanchard would become the real life manifestation of just that. He was a master of disguise, concealing his identity on countless occasions during the course of his travels. He was fearless—parachuting in total darkness into a Viennese castle to steal a priceless diamond-encrusted pearl, then later rappelling from the walls of that very castle. And he could slip from custody or even the oncoming threat of custody seemingly on a whim. Police cruisers, police stations, jails—to Blanchard, they were mere challenges.

But more importantly for the purposes of this article, Blanchard was a high-tech whiz. His mother has since claimed that even as a kid, he "could take anything apart." And before he'd reached his teens, he was not only disassembling devices but building them too.

In time, Blanchard's passion for gadgetry only grew, as did his taste for thievery. He would learn how security devices work, then he'd set out to defeat them. In one instance, he surreptitiously installed pinhole video cameras and listening devices in a recently constructed bank to learn the lay of the land in advance of his theft. When the day came, he looted the ATM room, stole the hard drives containing incriminating surveillance footage, replaced the bank's camera equipment with his own, and did it all so carefully that investigators initially found nothing amiss.

Described by Canadian police as one of the most sophisticated criminal masterminds they'd ever seen, Blanchard eventually served several years in a prison from which he could not escape, and is currently somewhere between a halfway house and his supposed new, legit career as a security consultant. To which we say, "Yeah, sure."

Though Blanchard's generally high-tech exploits have a certain roguish charm, the fact remains that he's stolen a lot of money from a lot of people. Moreover, he's been loosely linked with terrorism. And for that, he is a mid-level villain, at the very least.

Larry Ellison

Co-founded and Chief Executive of software giant Oracle Corporation, Larry Ellison is a ridiculously wealthy man. Indeed, he's currently ranked as one of the ten richest dudes on the planet, regularly pulling in an annual salary in the high eight-figure range.

And he knows it. In fact, some might say he flaunts it.

Ellison owns cars—a full blown stable that includes a McLaren F1. He owns aircraft—a whole bunch of aircraft, big and small. He owns boats, though he's recently sold the most famous—the 500-foot behemoth named Rising Sun—to fellow moneybags David Geffen. His principle home (one of many) is valued at a bazillion gazillion dollars, and features a concert-worthy sound system so incredibly powerful that it purportedly uses a drained swimming pool as its subwoofer.

Good god, man, have you no shame?

But seriously folks, when you're this rich and this, er…up front about it, you will get detractors. Yet Ellison is disparaged for more than his ability to attract gobs of money, spend gobs of money, and accumulate more high-end toys than perhaps any man before him. You see, he is, in a word, antagonistic.

Ellison openly and creatively disses his rivals. He's the king of hostile takeovers. He regularly outspends his competitors and emerges unapologetically triumphant because of it. He stomps on the competition and comes away smiling, and he's regarded by many as an indiscreet womanizer. In the end, Ellison, like Charlie Sheen, enjoys "winning."

But are we to vilify the guy for merely practicing the principles of capitalism to the nth degree? We think not. Certainly no saint, Ellison is merely marginally villainous.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates has made a lot of enemies in his lifetime. His company has been accused, sometimes quite angrily, of monopolistic, anti-competitive business practices and heavy-handed tactics. It has also been criticized for assimilating technology, or at least assimilating the companies that create that technology, rather than innovating from within. Worse still, it has been unabashedly knocked for buying up new ideas and then extinguishing them—in essence acting as the schoolyard bully.

And let us not forget that Microsoft's trump card, Windows, has long derided by end users, who grew weary in the 90s and the 00s of its security flaws and error-prone clunkiness, particularly when compared to the apparent smooth-sailing of Apple's competing operating system. Though Win 98, XP, and 7 have generally been pretty solid, most every other edition has justifiably received its fair share of criticism.

As for the man himself, Gates is no stranger to searing condemnation. One need only Google his name and an appropriate adjective to feel the contempt by which this man is held in some circles. He's a nerd, sure, but is that reason enough to get the hate on? Not really. We attribute a lot of it to plain old jealousy, though he does seem a bit arrogant at times, and certainly rumors of his questionable inner business dealings abound, particularly in Microsoft's formative years.

That the guy is the subject of more memorable downbeat quotes than any nerd past or present clearly doesn't help. Sun Microsystems Scott McNealy once said Gates is "probably the most dangerous and powerful industrialist of our age." Columnist Dave Barry quipped "there was never a chip that Bill Gates couldn't slow down with a new batch of features." Our favorite? Dennis Miller and his "Bill Gates is a monocle and a Persian cat away from being the villain in a James Bond movie."

And that's the question. Is he a mega-villain? We say no. Very few mega-billionaires assumed their place in life without stepping on a few toes along the way. But far more importantly, very few mega-billionaires give away so incredibly much of their fortune. This isn't some last-minute thing either - he's been at it since way back in 1994, and the guy hasn't let up since. Criticized even in his philanthropy for allotting money as he sees fit, Gates nevertheless has simply done too much good to be considered truly dastardly. A tincture of villainy notwithstanding, Gates is essentially a good guy with all-too human elements.


Jonathan James

On May 18, 2008, Jonathan James wrote a five-page note telling the world he was no villain. He then picked up a gun, walked into his shower, and shot himself in the head. He was just 24 when he died.

It had all seemed so…different eight years earlier, when a 15-year-old James showed off his hacking savvy by gaining access to key computers at high-level organizations such as BellSouth, NASA, and the Department of Defense. Among other transgressions, James downloaded environment control software from the International Space Station—a frightening development that forced NASA to temporarily suspend operation of its computers—and installed a backdoor into the DoD threat analysis system. Ultra-serious stuff to be sure, it resulted in a multi-pronged raid of his home and six months of house arrest, but villainy? Not entirely.

James would later say he was "playing around," claiming his misdeeds were merely personal challenges. Indeed, in some circles, the still very young super-hacker was viewed as somewhat of a folk hero.

James would not pop back into the spotlight until 2007, when he was investigated again, this time for potential involvement in a large-scale international identity and credit card theft operation that had apparently netted its participants tens of millions of dollars. And once more James' home was forcibly raided, as was that of his girlfriend.

Though he was not taken into custody, James faced a stacked deck. He was friends with all who'd been arrested, and he knew circumstantial evidence would soon point his way. Two weeks later he learned the group mastermind, Albert Gonzalez, had been pulling double duty as a fed informer. Concerned over what would happen next, and, says his father, suffering from clinical depression, Jonathan put pen to paper. His last words: "I die free."

Ultimately, Albert Gonzalez was sentenced to twenty years in the federal pen and ordered to repay 70 million dollars. Other members of the gang are likewise serving jail time and paying big bucks out of pocket. We'll likely never know if James was involved or to what level that involvement reached. Villain verdict: Incomplete.

Joseph Konopka

How could we possibly loathe a dude who nicknames himself "Dr. Chaos" and assembles a collection of lackeys he dubs the "Realm of Chaos"? Why, even the thought of it conjured up images of Get Smart.

But this chaos was no laughing matter.

Born in De Pere, Wisconsin in 1976, the future Dr. Chaos, a.k.a. Joseph Konopka, was by most accounts the typically troubled, withdrawn child that later in life becomes a monster. Yet time has a way of mellowing personalities, and by his 24th birthday Konopka had seemingly ironed out some of his difficulties. He'd found himself employment in the tech world as a computer system administrator—clearly the very antitheses of chaos—and was apparently an upstanding citizen.

Within him, however, burned the heart of a super-villain—at least according to court documents from his trial two years later. Konopka, you see, was secretly using the Internet to recruit a merry band of adolescent followers—some from the website "Teens for Satan"—to help him on his upcoming crusade. And together, Dr. Chaos and his Realm of Chaos began their campaign.

By his 2002 arrest. Chaos and his misguided minions had not only pirated software and committed several instances of arson, but also disabled air traffic control systems, damaged multiple computers, disrupted television and radio broadcasts, caused 28 individual power failures, and carved nearly a half-million dollar trail of destruction throughout 13 Wisconsin counties.

But that wasn't all. When apprehended inside a Chicago subway storeroom, Chaos was in possession of potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide, two substances critical to the manufacture of chemical weapons.

Still in jail, Konopka/Chaos is, by his own admission, a villain, and we cannot disagree.

William Shockley

Was one of the transistor's three inventors a villain? Maybe not of the Snidely Whiplash variety, but William Shockley was, nevertheless, far from angelic.

Any study of the history of Silicon Valley will point to Shockley as one of its early high tech inhabitants. He was there decades before Intel and Apple and all the other Pirates of Silicon Valley. He was there, several years after discovering the transistor, returning to his childhood stomping grounds to set up a company he felt would revolutionize the way in which his invention was manufactured. And he was there, ultimately, to make a whole bunch of people angry.

You see, Shockley was a brilliant yet heavily flawed man. Enamored with physics from childhood, he voraciously tore into it throughout his youth and eventually nabbed degrees and a PhD along the way. His passion would pay off in the invention of the transistor, for which he would eventually pick up a Nobel Prize. And that's when the cracks in his persona began to show.

Not happy sharing Nobel credit, he sought to prove his place in history was more deserving than that of his peers. To say he became obsessed with doing just that is not an understatement; as time went on he succeeded only in alienating most everyone he'd ever dealt with.

That reputation would follow him into the mid 1950s to the rented Silicon Valley fruit stand Shockley had renamed Shockley Semiconductor Labs. It was here he would attempt to alter the original transistor design into something better. Instead, he would meet his Waterloo.

Shockley initially tried to hire former colleagues to join his crusade, but, quite simply, no one who knew him wanted to work with him. So he opted for a collection of young, bright engineers fresh out of school, eventually assembling a cracker jack staff that included several future Silicon Valley captains of industry—including eventual Intel boss Gordon Moore.

The arrangement lasted all of one year, when eight of the engineers—now known as The Traitorous Eight—quit en masse. Accounts of Shockley's growing paranoia abounded. In one incident, he forced employees to take lie detector tests. In another, he accused his staff of placing sharp objects where people could cut themselves. He withheld information from team members so they rarely knew what they were working on.

When Shockley retired from the electronics industry several years later, he seemingly grew even more malevolent, delving into eugenics (the study of racial differences in human intelligence), lauding extreme views, associating himself with concepts such as selective sterilization, and repeatedly making comments rife with xenophobic overtones. It is said he died alone, estranged from family and friends and a clear-cut villain.

Mark Zuckerberg

In December of 2010, Time Magazine once again chose its Person of the Year. It also gave subscribers a chance to do the same in its Readers' Choice Person of the Year, and they overwhelmingly looked toward WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange. Facebook overlord Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, finished so far back he was a mere blip in the rear view mirror, with 18,000 votes to Assange's 380,000.

Didn't matter. The Time editors had made up their minds. And Zuckerberg won the more prestigious award.

Mark Zuckerberg has done a lot of winning in his relatively short life. Born to a wealthy family, he was a brilliant student, a computer whiz at a time when most kids are discovering TV, and a star of his school's fencing team. He founded Facebook in his dorm room in 2004, and has since increased his net worth by a cool 15 billion dollars. Not bad for a guy still in his twenties.

Could this—the natural resentment of impossibly fast-rising success stories—be the reason Zuckerberg seems awash with haters? It's certainly a start. Add a movie that portrayed him as a mildly arrogant and somewhat treacherous social outcast, and it's no wonder the guy's image is less than stellar.

But an outright bad dude? For that we defer to official Man of the Year runner-up Assange, who now famously said after his non-win, "What are the differences between Mark Zuckerberg and me? I give private information on corporations to you for free, and I'm a villain. Zuckerberg gives your private information to corporations for money and he's Man of the Year."

And that may well be it—the impression that Zuckerberg's Facebook tears away privacy, but holds so many of us so addicted that we…just…can't…escape. Targeted ads, data gathering—it's enough to make you wish for the good old days of generic McDonald's blurbs on that TV thing you keep hearing about. And please, do not get us started on Yoville and Farmville and all those other -villes some people seem to live for. Or pokes, "suggestions," and status updates for that matter. Grr.

Mark Zuckerberg—total villain.

Post PC My Ass

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:01 PM PDT

Post PC my butt.

I've been meaning to write about this for some time, but a few weeks ago Robert W. Baird analysts published the results of a survey that said tablets are not cannibalizing the PC as quickly as most pundits have said they would. In fact, 83 percent of those surveyed said they would still buy a PC. Of the 17 percent who said they could live without a PC, 11 percent said they didn't see that happening today and that "maybe" they could live without a PC in the future.

So, in reality, of the 1,114 people surveyed by Baird, 6 percent said they could live without a PC today. (To be fair, that 17 percent also said they had no plans to buy a new PC, so I imagine the 11 percent would continue to use their desktop or notebook.) I don't know about you, but that's a pretty dismal number, and that's not even considering that the PC is mutating (like it always has) to meet the challenge. I think Intel's push for the Ultrabooks within a very short amount of time could very well give the tablet a challenge.

I spoke with Baird analyst Jayson Noland who said they were surprised that so few were ready to trade in their PC for a tablet today. He also said that a surprising amount of young people had absolutely no interest in a tablet. Why? He suspects lack of disposable income to be the primary reason. Also of interest, older folks tend to think they can get along without a PC.

Diving into the 11 percent who think the PC might be replaced in the future by a tablet, the features they want to see are: more storage, more accessories (really?), more performance, oh, and Windows. This, of course, brings up the other thorny question: is the tablet a PC?

My frustration is not with the traditional definition of a consumer PC: keyboard/mouse/x86/Windows, it's how the mass media and analysts throw around the term. On one hand, you have analysts who will report that Apple is leading the world in mobile PC sales and then casually note that it's because the iPad is selling so well. Wha-, what? Is the iPad a PC or not? If it's a PC, then, well, PC sales are through the roof, man. If so, how can we be in a post-PC world? Well, no, pundits say. PC sales are not through the roof (400 million x86 chips will be sold this year alone), tablets have replaced them, as we live in a Post-PC world now. But the iPad gets counted as a PC sale for Apple?

The saddest aspect of the survey is how it got played. There were certainly some writeups that were fair. But the vast majority of reports seemed to miss the point—83 percent (and more) are still planning on buying PCs—instead concentrating on the fact that the iPad was still kicking all other tablets in the teeth. To be fair to the NYT writer, he did at least mention that the cannibalization was going very slowly.

But which is actually news? That the iPad is selling gangbusters over BlackBerry, WebOS, and Android Tablets (duh!), or that the vast majority of consumers still need a PC on their desk and maybe all this post-PC talk is really a load of crap?

Google Agrees to Optimize Future Android Builds for Intel Atom Processors

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 11:28 AM PDT

Things are about to heat up in a big way in the handheld mobile space, a sector that's currently dominated by ARM. Intel has long said it plans to push its platforms into smartphones and tablets, and the Santa Clara chip maker took a gigantic step towards that goal by getting Google to agree to optimize future versions of Android for Atom processors. Should ARM be worried?

Yes, to be frank. This is exactly the sort of deal Intel needed to strong arm its way into a mobile space it doesn't yet dominate. There's still the hardware to figure out, but on the software side, this is a big deal.

"Our collaboration with Google will bring a powerful new capability to market that helps accelerate industry innovation, adoption and choice," said Paul Otellini, Intel President and CEO. "I'm excited by the possibilities of this collaboration. It will enable our customers to bring exciting new products and user experiences to market that harness the combined potential of Intel architecture and the Android platform."

Otellini made the announcement during a keynote at IDF in which he also shared some details about Intel's upcoming "Haswell" platform for Ultrabooks. As the successor to Ivy Bridge, Haswell is also built on a 22nm manufacturing process, but promises to reduce idle platform power consumption by more than 20 times over current designs without giving up any performance. According to Intel, this will make possible more than 10 days of connected standby battery life and will help advance always-on-always-connected computing. Haswell is slated for 2013.

NBC News Twitter Hack Came Courtesy Of A Trojan Christmas Tree

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 11:15 AM PDT

If you're a follower of NBC News' Twitter account, there's a good chance you crapped your pants last Friday evening. "Breaking News! Ground Zero has just been attacked!" the feed blared, followed by flight numbers and rumors of hijacking attempts. Ten minutes later, a group calling themselves "The Script Kiddies" came clean and announced that they'd hacked the account. NBC's been trying to figure out how the feed became compromised ever since, and now they think they've found the culprit: a Trojan Christmas tree.

NBC's social media director, Ryan Osborn, received a mysterious email as Hurricane Irene was barreling down on New York a few weeks back, MSNBC reports.  Entitled "Hurricane Alert," the message was brief and hand-tailored: ""Ryan, You need to get off TWITTER immediately and protect your family from the hurricane. That is an order."

Osborn replied to the email and asked who the sender was. In return, he received a message stating "I'm the girl next door," with an attachment included. Osborn, who apparently can't resist the allure of an attachment from "The girl next door" and obviously has never been explained the basics of email security – despite being NBC's social media director – opened the attachment. All it contained was an image of a Christmas tree -- and a keylogging trojan. Hope he enjoyed the gift!

SanDisk Teams with Intel and Other Industry Heavyweights to Promote Low Power SATA Spec

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 10:59 AM PDT

SanDisk is pushing hard for a new SATA standard that will purportedly enable OEMs to offer solid state drives with SATA performance while consuming significantly less power than today's devices. The spec is called SATA DEVSLP, and SanDisk has the support of several tech giants, including Intel, Samsung, and Microsoft, all of which have a vested interest in reducing power requirements for mobile devices.

"Mobile computing platforms such as Ultrabook devices and tablets are challenged to deliver the high performance and long battery life demanded by consumers," said Jeff Janukowicz, research director, solid state drives, IDC. "The intent of this initiative is to extend the SATA high-performance standard to better address these low power mobile applications. It's encouraging to see industry-wide support by key vendors in the mobile ecosystem and this is a big step toward widespread use of SSD solutions."

According to SanDisk, today's best-in-class SSDs support low power consumption modes that sip just 50mW. Not bad, but the SATA DEVSLP spec would lower that number all the way down to 5mW, ultimately resulting in thinner devices with longer battery life, and without giving up performance.

Image Credit: SanDisk

MMO News

MMO News


Tank Ace Gameplay – First Look HD

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 04:55 PM PDT

To Learn More About the Game Check out our Tank Ace Page.

Tank Ace is a 3D World War 2 themed Tank MMO published by GamesCampus – the same company behind Asda Story, Asda 2, Scarlet Legacy, 9Dragons, Drift City and several other free to play titles. Gameplay wise – Tank Ace is very similar to World of Tanks from WarGaming – as the game features actual tanks from World War 2. To learn more about Tank Ace check out the official MMOHut Tank Ace page which includes a detailed review, tons of screenshots, and additional videos.

World of Battleships website now live

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:41 PM PDT

Wargaming.net has launched the website for its upcoming naval combat MMO, World of Battleships, at www.worldofbattleships.com.

The new website features an introductory trailer, screenshots, and a brief introduction to the game. The website confirms that World of Battleships will use the same money and experience systems found in World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, with the same style of straightforward controls. The game will also offer dozens of tactics, and three classes of ships – aircraft carriers, battleships/heavy cruisers, and light destroyers. Each ship will have stats that include firepower, speed, armor, and endurance. Also revealed is that the naval maps featured in game will include changing weather conditions that will alter the course of battle.

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World of Battleships Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

World of Battleships Website Goes Live

London, UK, Paris, FR and San Francisco, CA (13th September, 2011) — Wargaming.net announces the launch of the website for the recently announced naval combat action MMO World of Battleships.

The World of Battleships website (www.worldofbattleships.com) features screenshots, trailers and other materials to keep players updated on the game's progress. World of Battleships brings players in to the era of 20th century warships and lets them dive into massive naval battles and control the overwhelming power of multiton titans to conquer the hard-line high seas!

The game provides numerous strategic opportunities for combat. Sudden strikes from cover, cunning flanking attacks or open head-to-head encounters — every player will have dozens of tactics to choose from. And don't forget about the team! It's the joint effort and efficient cooperation that will give your fleet near invincibility against the enemy attacks.

"We're excited to launch World of Battleships website," said Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi. "We want to make it home for all those in love with naval battles and WWII-era warships."

Find more about World of Battleships at:

  • www.worldofbattleships.com

Join World of Battleships at Facebook:

  • http://www.facebook.com/wobwargaming

Follow World of Battleships at Twitter:

  • http://twitter.com/#wob_com

Kultan begins open beta

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:54 PM PDT

Bigpoint has launched the international open beta for its latest fantasy MMORPG title, Kultan: The World Beyond.

Kultan is browser-based (using Unity 3D),  nautical MMO set in the New World. The game offers three character classes (Commander, Adventurer, and Mystic) and three factions (the Caliphate Almeerah, Tian Empire, and Republic of Gudtholm). Players can work together or compete against each other as they battle sea monsters and bosses, and build a unique ship from over 36 ship types.

Bigpoint also publishes Battlestar Galactica Online and War of Titans.

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Kultan Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

"KULTAN: The World Beyond" launches the international Open Beta

·         "KULTAN: The World Beyond" launches in multiple languages

·         Latest Bigpoint title geared towards fantasy MMORPG fans

Hamburg, September 13, 2011 – Bigpoint (http://www.bigpoint.com/) is sailing into international waters this month with the action-packed new fantasy MMORPG "KULTAN: The World Beyond". English, French, Spanish, Italian and Spanish versions of the game will allow intrepid explorers to set sail on an epic voyage of discovery to the mystical, once-forgotten continent of Kultan. "KULTAN: The World Beyond" can be played for free directly in browsers at http://www.kultan.com. The German version of the game has been online since September 1, 2011.

Three factions ready for mystery and action

As fearless captains in "KULTAN: The World Beyond", players develop seafaring skills to master the challenges and perils of the New World. The character development of the three available classes is just as important as recruiting the right officers to hone the player's skills and strategy, and keep their crew's morale high. Players can select their captain from one of three detailed factions: The proud and unrelenting kingdom of Tian, who obsessively pursue their goals and don't hold back from using dark powers of mysticism to achieve them; the Almeerah Caliphate, who draw on the great wealth of their long history. Their wisdom and inexhaustible experience leaves them only to fear a prophecy that an ancient, unspeakable evil may rise out of the depths of the ocean once more. And the Republic of Gudtholm, which was recently united following a long war of succession, and now confidently faces a prosperous future.

The gripping story of "KULTAN: The World Beyond" can be experienced together with other players,  cooperatively or competitively. Rival flotillas must battle it out in epic sea skirmishes for oceanic dominance and make their fortune from the great gold rush for Aicanum treasure. A passion for discovery, a heart full of courage and a dash of daring are all the qualities of a captain destined for greatness.

"'KULTAN: The World Beyond' is not a game for the unadventurous!" according to Philip Reisberger, Chief Games Officer at Bigpoint. "Fantasy MMO fans will be blown away by our latest game.  The vast, beautiful game world, state-of-the-art graphics and a story full of twists and turns, secrets and dangers, make KULTAN a truly unique browser experience which is immediately available in multiple key languages."

Kultan comes to life

In addition to its complex story, "KULTAN: The World Beyond" offers a gaming world brought to life with impressive Unity 3D graphics. The stories of competing nations, all from very different cultures, are as detailed and lifelike as the myriad of terrifying sea creatures and boss monsters featured in the game. Combined with 36 ship types to allow players to fully customize their crafts, the game offers players the ocean adventure of a lifetime.

Starting immediately, Bigpoint's free-to-play game "KULTAN: The World Beyond" will be internationally playable in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish at http://www.kultan.com.

Dream Drops Hands-On Preview

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 02:20 PM PDT

The Gamania Game Show (GGS) took place this year on Sept 8 and Sept 9 in Taipei, Taiwan. Press from around the globe, including MMOHut, were invited to take a hands-on look at the game company’s four new games in development – Dream Drops, Langrisser Schwarz, Tiara Concerto, and Core Blaze – as well as other products.

dream-drops-key-visual

The first of four games MMOHut was able to preview at the Gamania Game Show, Dream Drops is a light-hearted MMORPG set in a world of upside-down fairy tales. We sat down among brightly colored cartoon buildings at a mock tea-table – sans Mad-Hatter – for a chance to play the game and talk with the developers and producers of this whimsical title.

Time Stolen: The Backdrop

Growing up, you may have been led to believe of the Queen of Hearts as a villain – but in Dream Drops, she has been transformed. As a leader of her kingdom, she seeks to put an end to the Time Thieves, a villainous force who is stealing time from the fairy tale world of After Dream and setting things topsy-turvy. The Queen turns to calling the "sleep walkers," humans who will be brought into this world of dreams to set things right.

dream-drops-wall-scrolls

The Queen of Hearts is not the only major fairy-tale character we’re introduced to: we also get to meet Snow White, a dark-looking (yet still girlish) figure with a skull embroidered onto her chest and carrying a hefty sword-and-shield. Snow White has become a snobbish girl with a penchant for designer-clothing, and serves as a major villain in Dream Drops’ storyline. A few other characters were also glimpsed during the demo, such as Hook from Peter Pan, who has been transformed into a powerful tiger-pirate suitable for a box of Frosted Flakes on Halloween.

The Colorful Four: Classes

Dream Drops will offer four distinct classes at launch: the sword-and-shield Nutcracker, designated for tanking; the Dream Painter, a mage class; the Indian Warrior, a hybrid DPS class; and the Pastry Chef, a support healer. Each of these classes is inspired by a set of fairy tales in the game; for instance, the Indian Warrior comes from the wilds of Neverland.

dream-drops-team-shot

Gameplay for these classes was as they could be expected. The Nutcracker, as a tank, comes with threat and defensive maneuvers, including throwing mice at her opponents, while the Dream Painter makes use of a brush to "paint" the colors of her spell before casting it at the opponent (throwing giant, animated suns seemed to be the most powerful spell she could cast). The Indian Warrior has a more unique set of skills that includes summoning a bird on a totem to taunt nearby opponents, summoning larger totems around herself, and leaping up into the air before charging down on an enemy. The greatest surprise, perhaps, was the Pastry Chef, who quite literally tosses about giant ice creams, breads, and candy to heal and support his team.

Battling the Queen

After playing around on our own in the After Dream, we were invited to team up as balanced parties of four to go into one of the game’s early instances and face off against (curiously enough) the Queen of Hearts. With the game not yet localized into English, the instance was a little more challenging than it will be for the average player. Still, we were able to see an interesting boss encounter and see how some of the threat and healing components worked in the game.

dream-drops-battling-the-queen

As the Queen summoned adds (Poker Soldiers and some form of healer), which quickly piled up, we were encouraged to switch targets to make the battle easier. The wide room gave the healer plenty of room to kite around some of the extra enemies the tank failed to pick up, but also meant the team had to stick together to focus targets and be aware of what new enemies had been summoned.

Building Dreams: Guild Territories

Once the Queen was defeated, we relaxed after our eventful romp to allow the developers to give us a personal tour of the guild territory system. Each guild is given its own private instance which grows with the guild, where players can place decorations and buildings to develop their own city, park, or whatever else they can dream up. Buildings can be discovered through the After Dream, and some may have guild-specific functions including crafting and, possibly in the future, dungeons or PvP arenas.

dream-drops-guild-city

The guild city design interface is a giant grid which expands as the guild does, and allows the guild leader to zoom in or out to place decorations, roads, and buildings through a top-down view. Buildings require materials, which guild members can contribute, as well as freelancers who may go on missions to both earn an individual reward and, in turn, help build the city of the guild they choose to support. Guilds also can assign ranks to their members, each of which has a specific function and duty within the guild city system.

Final Impressions: Almost Dreamy

The initial impression after our hands-on session with Dream Drops was simple: it’s pretty vanilla. While the game played very well, it felt and looked like so many other anime-style MMORPGs out there, and the influence from the developer’s experience in building Lucent Heart was strong.

Innovation may have seemed short in Dream Drops, but there were two things we stayed impressed with. First, the guild territory system is fantastically detailed, letting players get a high level of customization and creative freedom. The guild city system also rewards teamwork and guild promotion, which should boost social interaction in the game in and out of guilds. The second thing that left an impression was the colorful and brightly animated world and characters. Dream Drops feels almost cartoony at times; cheerfully exaggerated with reduced violence and a backdrop that, while twisted, doesn’t cross into the realm of being dark. Dream Drops will certainly be a game to watch, especially for those who prefer more social or casual MMOs.

Pictures and Screenshots of Dream Drops at the Gamania Game Show:

Dungeons and Dragons Online Update 11 now live

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 06:12 PM PDT

Dungeons and Dragons Online has launched its 11th major update today.

The update introduces the new Artificer class, which uses both rogue-like and magic-like skills to animate mechanical pets and weapons. As part of the Artificer release, House Cannith has been redesigned as a new quest hub and home for the class. Additional content includes the premium “Secrets of the Artificers” pack, which adds a new wilderness area, two high level raids, and three new dungeons; as well as new crafting skill and the newly craftable Draconic Runestones.

Dungeons and Dragons Online is published by Turbine, which also publishes The Lord of the Rings Online.

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Dungeons and Dragons Online Artificer Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Turbine Launches Biggest Update of the Year for Dungeons & Dragons Online™Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers Now Live!

Turbine announced today that the latest update for Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Eberron Unlimited™ (DDO Unlimited), one of the world's best free to play massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), is now live!

Update 11:  Secrets of the Artificers features:

·         New Artificer Class! — A blend of Rogue and Arcane classes, the Artificer uses specially created weapons and mechanical pets to challenge their foes

·         New House Cannith Enclave! Home of the Artificers, House Cannith is a new high level quest hub where magic and mechanics converge

·         New Content! Born in war, forged in fury, Stormreach faces its most terrible foe yet. The Secrets of the Artificers premium adventure pack will be available in the DDO Store and Free to VIPs includes:

§  Two New High Level Raids

§  New Wilderness Area

§  3 new dungeons

·         New Crafting Levels! — Craft all the way to level 150. Plus, craft Draconic Runestones, a new magical weapon available to all classes

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