MMORPG Videos

MMORPG Videos


Defiance: PAX East Trailer

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 08:16 AM PDT

Trion Worlds has released the first ever trailer from its upcoming MMO, Defiance. The trailer shows off the first-ever in game footage from Defiance, an MMO that will tie in with the Syfy television show of the same name. The trailer was revealed at the 2012 PAX East convention.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Novare Coast

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 08:08 AM PDT

Bioware and the Star Wars: The Old Republic dev team have released a new trailer featuring the new Novare Coast warzone that will debut when v1.2 goes live later this month. Enjoy! http://www.swtor.com http://www.mmorpg.com


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


No BS Podcast #184: Kepler, Cameras, Kashyyyk

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 03:05 PM PDT

They liiiiiiiiive! Exactly on schedule, it's Episode 185 184 of the No BS Podcast! Nathan, Gordon, and Alex are joined by Senior Graphics Card Correspondant and hardware rockstar Loyd Case. 

This month the gang talks about more Kickstarted games, like Shadowrun and Leisure Suit Larry (which is created by Al Lowe, not Rob Lowe as Nathan originally suggested). Also: EA is the worst company ever? 

After the news, tech talk! Loyd goes in-depth about Nvidia's brand-new GTX 680 cards, which are flying off the shelves. Then we talk about the Nokia Lumia 900 and its chances for success against a crowded field. Later, there's jawing about Nikon's brand-new D800 DSLR. 

Also: Mice, mobile gaming, and much, much more. Finally, Gordon's ranting inevitably turns into an argument about Star Wars canon. 

Next episode goes up May 4th!

Computer trouble? A secret to share? Opinions? Need advice? Just need to get something off your chest?  Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or call our 24-hour No BS Podcast hotline at 877.404.1337 x1337--operators are not standing by.

 

Rumored GTX 670 Ti Specifications Surface

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 11:26 AM PDT

All right, the Nvidia GTX 680 is finally here, and it's awesome! The high end graphics card is so awesome, in fact, that picking one up will set you back a cool $500 -- more than many people are willing (or able) to spend on gaming. Fortunately for fraggers on a budget, we're starting to hear rumors about more moderately priced cards like the GTX 670 Ti.

The GTX 670 Ti will reportedly still use the same GK104 base as the GTX 680, according to the German 3DCenter.org website (and helpfully reported in English by VR Zone). In fact, the reports say GTX 670 Ti will basically be the GTX 680, but with one of the eight streaming multiprocessors (SMX) disabled -- presumably due to manufacturing defects. Each SMX rocks 192 CUDA cores, so a seven SMX-sporting GTX 670 Ti would have 1344 cores.

Most other specs are said to be basically identical to the GTX 680, but with rumored core clock base speed of at least 900MHz and a 1250MHz memory clock (5GHz effective). That means:

  • 1344 Cores
  • 4 Graphics Processing Clusters
  • 7 SMX Clusters (192 units per Cluster)
  • 112 Texture Units
  • 32 Raster Units
  • 256-bit Memory Controller
  • 2 GB GDDR5 Memory

So when can we expect to see the GTX 670 Ti? Nvidia's Kepler launch isn't as fast and furious as AMD's 7000 series roll out: all signs -- and by that, we mean rumors -- point to the GTX 670 Ti launching in May. That sort of timeframe would let Nvidia stockpile plenty of cards with a missing SMX block. Price-wise, 3DCenter.org says to expect the GTX 670 Ti to fall somewhere in the $350 to $400 range. The numbers sound right to our ears, but as always, remember to take all rumors with a punch of salt.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Goes Free For Easter Weekend

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 10:53 AM PDT

Stuck all alone in Mobile while your family gets together in Memphis this holiday weekend? Don't get mopey -- if it's up to EA and BioWare, you won't be flying (Han) solo this weekend. The companies hope to entice hesitant gamers to the dark side with a free helping of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The doors are wide open until the end of Sunday!

If our slightly less than overwhelming review of the game combined with SWOTR's high sticker ($60) and subscription costs ($15/mo.) dropped you on the fence, this freebie window is a great way to try the game out for yourself and discover if you find the story-centric MMO to be more Jedi Padawan or Jedi Master.

No commitment or credit card is needed to give the game a whirl, but you can't partake if you've signed up for a free SWTOR pass previously. BioWare plans on storing Free Pass characters indefinitely, so if you decide to pick up the lightsaber again sometime in the future, your trial characters will be ready and waiting for action. Freeloading players do have some restrictions, however, all of which can be read about over at the Weekend Pass Free Trial FAQ page. (Hint: Don't plan on trading items with other players or exceeding level 15!)

Interested? Head on over to the SWTOR Weekend Pass page and sign up now. The offer started yesterday so you should be able to jump right in to the action.

Build It: Upgrading an X58 Rig into a Gaming Powerhouse

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 10:45 AM PDT

The Mission: Way back in the recession-bound depths of 2009, we skipped our normal balls-to-the-wall Dream Machine build in favor of three more modest PCs. Rather than a $10,000 ode to excess, we built rigs actual people would build. Our $1,400 midrange system, which we called the Budget Surplus, was kitted out with an Intel Core i7-920 overclocked to 3.5GHz on a Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R motherboard with 6GB DDR3, a 1.5TB boot drive, and the finest in dual-GPU technology: a Radeon HD 4870x2. 

The Budget Surplus is showing its age—nearly three years old! I've had many people with similar systems ask if it's time for a new rig, but I'm hesitant to recommend a major upgrade before Ivy Bridge and Ivy Bridge-E come out.

Rather than going all-out on a new machine, I'm going to bring our 2009-era box into the present day with a few upgrades that'll make the machine feel new again, and that I'll be able to bring with me when I do bite the bullet on a new CPU and motherboard.

Strategic Maneuvering

[caption]Our Budget Surplus machine as it appeared in 2009. 

 

As I mentioned above, I'm not going for a whole new build here. I just want to wring some more life out of my X58 system. The Core i7-920 is still a good CPU: it has four cores and multithreading, and it overclocks like a champ. Plus, with Ivy Bridge and Ivy Bridge-E on the horizon, it doesn't make sense to upgrade my CPU just yet. 

The motherboard is a weird one: it was a budget board in mid-2009, and though it has triple-channel DDR3 support, it only has four DIMM slots instead of the usual six. The fourth DIMM slot, if used, will up the total amount of memory at the expense of bandwidth. When we built the machine, we used three 2GB DIMMs for 6GB total. RAM is cheap these days, and four 4GB DIMMs only cost a tiny bit more than three 4GB DIMMs, so I'm going to buy a 16GB kit and use three of the DIMMs, keeping the fourth in reserve for when I change motherboards later. That still gives me 12GB of RAM—double what this machine had before. 

As much as I'd like an SSD, I don't want to spend a fortune just yet, so I'll wait until the eventual platform upgrade. Until then, I'm sticking with the hard drive, optical drive, case, and PSU from the old build, since they're still going strong. Well, the hard drive was replaced with a 1TB Caviar Black at some point, but since that happened in the indefinite past it doesn't count. I will add a $30 USB 3.0 PCIe expansion card, because I like USB 3.0 and that's the only way I'll get it without a motherboard upgrade. 

The graphics card, on the other hand, is four years old, sucks power, and doesn't even support DirectX 11, so that's gotta go. I'm replacing it with a brand-new Sapphire Radeon HD 7950. At $480, it's cheaper and faster than a GTX 580, supports DirectX 11, and draws less power than the ancient card it replaces. With Sapphire's aftermarket heatsink, it's also much cooler.

The original configuration called for Windows 7 Release Candidate, but I'm operating under the assumption that anyone who still uses X58 would have updated to a real version of Windows 7 when the RC stopped working, so I don't count Windows 7 as an upgrade. Total cost for the RAM, USB 3.0 card, and GPU? Just $605. 

 

Tearing It Down

Before I began the upgrade process, I uninstalled the drivers for the old videocard. Next I powered down the system and started the upgrade. The first thing I did was remove the old GPU and RAM from the system. I also took this opportunity to remove the heatsink, clean off the old thermal paste, and reapply it.

It's a good idea to do this every year or so, and I've been bad about that. I used Arctic Silver's ArctiClean two-step thermal compound remover ($10, www.arcticsilver.com) and Arctic Silver 5 ($13, www.arcticsilver.com).

I also took this opportunity to move the heatsink fan from pull configuration to push, to give it some distance from the rear exhaust fan which was creating a bit of noisy turbulence.

 

Tidying Up

While the system's empty, it's nice to do some dusting and rewiring. The Thermaltake Element S doesn't have the cable-routing features we take for granted in more modern cases, but it does have a few routing cutouts, as well as a cover to hide the shameful non-modular power supply cables. We did a good wiring job when we built the thing, but, well, it's been a while. Stuff happens. It's not a big effort to take a few minutes and clean up. The motherboard power cables, for example, can be wired behind the motherboard tray. 

We Can Rebuild It

Once the case was nice and tidy, it was time for the upgrades. I put the new RAM in the three white slots (I could install the fourth DIMM in the blue slot, but I'd take a bandwidth hit). The USB 3.0 PCIe adapter can go in either of the top two x1 PCIe slots, and the videocard in the top x16 PCIe slot. I connected two 6-pin power connectors, closed up the case, and booted to see how much of a difference the new components made.

Phase-One Complete

Since the Budget Surplus machine's CPU was already overclocked to 3.5GHz, I didn't see any meaningful change in benchmarks that measure processing performance—all CPU-bound benchmarks were within 3 percent of their original scores. Our benchmarks aren't really designed to measure memory size, either, so I didn't see a big change from that upgrade, but in daily use, 12GB of RAM is better than 6GB, and hell, it's cheap!

Gaming benchmarks were a different story. "Wait," I hear you cry, "You mean to tell me a brand-new $480 Radeon 7950 outperforms a videocard from mid-2008?" Shocking, but true: The Sapphire HD 7950 was twice as fast in Stalker: Call of Pripyat (which the dual 4870s had to run in DirectX 10 mode) and 35 percent faster than the old setup in the DirectX 10 Far Cry 2. 

If you're like me, you rarely go three years without updating a single component, and you don't replace every part of your PC when you do update. This upgrade is designed to be the first step in a two-step process: The next step will include a CPU, cooler, and motherboard at the very least, and an SSD and a new case if I'm feeling fancy. All the parts I bought for this upgrade (save the USB 3.0 adapter, which will be rendered superfluous) will carry over into the new build, as will the PSU and drives. 

The two-step upgrade process serves two purposes: it spreads the financial pain of upgrading into two discrete chunks, and it gives me a performance boost on my current rig. Rather than using a slow machine for longer, I get a slightly faster machine now and another speed boost later. Don't think I'll forget about this build, either—tune in in a few months when I do the second half of this upgrade. We'll ponder the Ship of Theseus paradox. You can Google that. 

Our Budget Surplus machine consisted of a quad-core 2.66GHz Core i7-920 overclocked to 3.5GHz, 6GB of Corsair DDR3/1333 on a Gigabyte X58 motherboard, with an ATI Radeon HD 4870x2 graphics card, a 1TB WD Caviar Black drive, and 64-bit Windows 7 Professional.

Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Caught Sporting Project Glass HUD In Public

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 10:27 AM PDT

One of the reasons Google tipped the "Project" Glass wearable HUD technology so early in the product's lifecycle was because it wanted Googlers to actually, you know, be able to wear the glasses and try them out. It certainly didn't take them long to get on the ball: Project Glass was only officially unveiled this past Wednesday, and Thursday, Google co-founder Sergey Brin was already caught rocking a prototype of the intriguing new Google Glasses in public.

Well-known tech blogger Robert Scoble noticed Sergey's accessory at a Foundation Fighting Blindness charity dinner last night. Scoble quickly took to Google+, appropriately enough, to share the news:

He quickly told me it is a prototype. I saw a bluish light flashing off of his right eyeball. I could only guess that my Google+ profile flashed up, or maybe some PR voice said "stay quiet" or something like that.

But the glasses are real. Very light looking. Most of the people around us had no idea that these glasses are pretty special.

Scoble buddy-slash-professional photographer Thomas Hawk snapped several pics of the Google Glasses-sporting Sergey, which you can see above. The glasses definitely don't look like a big, boxy hindrance. Now, we're left wondering: what does the world look like to Sergey Brin?

Z77 Ivy Bridge-Ready Mobos Flood The Streets

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 10:05 AM PDT

"Finally, now the meat of the systems are starting to come out," Maximum PC reader I Jedi exhaled in the comments of our earlier article about the new Biostar TZ77XE4 Motherboard. If he only knew how right he was: since the Biostar news went live, a bevy of companies have announced new 7-series-supporting mobos of their own, including ASRock, MSI and Gigabyte.

All of the Z77 boards rock the LGA 1155 socket and come compatible with both the existing Sandy Bridge and upcoming Ivy Bridge chips. As Paul said earlier, though, Sandy Bridge-E chips use socket 2011 and won't work so well -- and by that, we mean at all -- if you try to cram one into an Ivy Bridge mobo. These motherboards and the upcoming Ivy Bridge CPUs support the speedy 6Gbps PCI-E 3.0 standard.

Every manufacturer puts its own spin on things, of course, to try and separate themselves from the cloud, and today's announcement are no different. Amongst other things, Gigabyte's Z77 boards include a dual UEFI BIOS and an "All Digital" power controller design; MSI's offerings rock a OC Genie II overclocking button and class III military grade components; and ASRock's Ivy Bridge boards sport performance-boosting XFast RAM, XFast LAN and XFast USB technologies. Hit those links for press releases containing plenty more details about the 7-series boards from each manufacturer.

Being flooded with Ivy Bridge mobos makes it feel like the rumors that Ivy Bridge is supposed to launch on the 29th of this month are true, eh? Note, however, that none of those press releases mention any prices or release dates.

LulzSec Hacker Spills the Beans on Sony Breach, Enters Plea Agreement

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 07:30 AM PDT

Cody Kretsinger, the 24-year-old who hid behind his online handle "Recursion," may end up facing jail time for his participation in an organized security breach of Sony Pictures Entertainment last year. There's no need to call Kretsinger an "alleged" hacker, he readily admitted his role in the hack attack, and it's now up to a California judge to decide how much time he'll spend behind bars, if any.

"I joined LulzSec, your honor, at which point we gained access to the Sony Pictures website," Kretsinger stated after his guilty plea, according to Reuters.

Kretsinger sang like a canary in court, testifying that he handed over stolen information obtained from Sony to other LulzSec members, which then ended up being plastered all over the Web, including Twitter and Pastebin. According to Reuters, he was calm throughout the proceeding.

Well known LulzSec members "Sabu" (leader of the group whose real name is Hector Xavier Monsegur) and "Topiary" were also involved in the data breach, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Vandevelde. Monsegur, who previously pleaded guilty to hacking charges, cut a deal with the FBI to rat out his fellow hackers. It's unclear if Kretsinger's plea agreement also includes leniency in exchange for incriminating information. If not, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years and could have to pay back damages, of which Sony claims is more than $600,000.

TUL's PowerColor PCS+ HD7850 is a Graphics Card for Gamers Who Fancy Factory Overclocks

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 06:59 AM PDT

Overclocking a graphics card isn't terribly difficult, and if you're careful, it's not all that dangerous either. But there's always that risk of taking things too far or ending up with components that just don't respond well to faster clockspeeds. Factory overclocked cards get around both problems, and one of the newest on the market is TUL Corporation's PowerColor PCS+ HD7850, a spiffy looking hunk of hardware with a power friendly design.

The PowerColor PCS+ HD7850 strolls into town sporting a 1000MHz core clockspeed and 1225MHz memory clockspeed. AMD's reference blueprint calls for Radeon HD 7850 graphics cards to be clocked at 860MHz for the core and 1200MHz for the memory.

TUL said it armed the PCS+ HD7850 with a 'Gold Power Kit' design, a fancy way of describing a combination of features intended to help keep the card stable. These include DrMos (integrated Driver MOSFET) Digital PWM (pulse-width modulation), and a multi-phase design, all of which work together to provide cleaner, consistent voltage.

Cooling chores are handled by a custom heatsink with a 92mm fan and SS-Shape heatpipes with direct touch technology. According to TUL, this allows the card to run 15 percent quieter and 15 percent cooler than AMD's reference cooler.

TUL didn't announce when the new card will ship or for how much, though as a point of reference, the PowerColor's stock clocked AX7850 streets for around $260.

Image Credit: TUL Corporation

Biostar Launches TZ77XE4 Motherboard for Ivy Bridge

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 06:29 AM PDT

Biostar's chefs just finished baking a new batch of high end motherboards for Intel's Z77 chipset, one of which includes the company's flagship TZ77XE4 model. The TZ77XE4 plays nice with both 3rd generation (Ivy Bridge) and 2nd generation (Sandy Bridge) processors in a socket 1155 package (don't try plunking your Sandy Bridge-E processor into one of these boards, they require a socket 2011 motherboard).

There are four DDR3 memory slots on the TZ77XE4 supporting frequencies up to 2600MHz and capacities up to 32GB. It also features four SATA 6Gbps ports, four SATA 3Gbps ports, RAID 0/1/5/10 support, an eSATA connector, two PCI-E x16 3.0 slots with support for SLI and Crossfire, a single PCI-E x16 2.0 slot, two PCI-E x1 2.0 slots, two standard PCI slots, two USB 3.0 ports (plus a USB 3.0 header), four USB 2.0 ports (plus two USB 2.0 headers), GbE LAN, and onboard 8-channel audio.

Biostar also equipped the TZ77XE4 with a 13-phase power design and 100 percent solid capacitors, features that should help with overclocking stability and overall durability.

If that's more than you nead, another new board from Biostar is the TZ77XE3, a slightly toned version of the E4 variant with half as many SATA 6Gbps ports and no eSATA connector. It also doesn't have a DisplayPort, which the E4 does.

Biostar didn't say when these new models will ship or how much they'll cost.

Image Credit: Biostar

HTC Profits Plummet 70 Percent in Q1 2012

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 06:03 AM PDT

It really wasn't all that long ago when HTC was on top of the world. HTC was the goose that only laid golden eggs, again and again and again. And now? Competition in the Android market is fierce, more than ever before, with the likes of Samsung and Motorola throwing their weight around. As a result, HTC saw its net profit slide 70 percent during the company's first fiscal quarter of the new year.

HTC also reported (PDF) that total revenues were down by more than a third -- 34.92 percent -- year-on-year in Q1 2012, though to put that into perspective, HTC still collected nearly $2.3 billion (it's lowest since 2006). Still, total revenues stood at $3.43 billion just one quarter prior.

In addition to an increasingly popular Android market, HTC's financial results reflect competition from the launch of Apple's iPhone 4S last year, a device all three major carriers in the U.S. (AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint) carry. Going forward, HTC is hopeful that its One series will once again have the company sitting on top of the world.

Image Credit: HTC

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


New PvP warzone coming with SWTOR's Legacy patch

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 10:00 AM PDT

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Star Wars: The Old Republic - Novare coast PvP
Want more details on Star Wars: The Old Republic's 1.2 Legacy patch that's due later this month? The official SWTOR website is the place to go, and the latest update features a new PvP Warzone called the Novare Coast.

The planet Denova is home to a vital beachhead that leads to its open oceans, and whoever controls the coastline will have a leg up on controlling the planet. Three mortar turrets represent the contested objectives along the beach, and players can blast each other with artillery fire as well as engage in more personal combat throughout the instance. Get a load of the teaser video after the break.

Continue reading New PvP warzone coming with SWTOR's Legacy patch

MassivelyNew PvP warzone coming with SWTOR's Legacy patch originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Firing Line: Can you hate EVE and love DUST?

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 09:00 AM PDT

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The Firing Line - Can you hate EVE and love DUST?
Hoo boy, CCP and EVE Online.

Wait, what? Isn't this Massively's shooter column? Well, yes, yes it is, and if you weren't already aware, CCP has made a shooter called DUST 514 set in the EVE universe. I bring this up for two reasons. One, I'm really looking forward to the game (as I might have mentioned last time). Two, CCP has taken some lumps in the PR department over the past couple of weeks primarily because of its annual alcohol-fueled sausage-fest.

I'm not going to rehash cyber-bully scandals today, but since e-thug players will undoubtedly have some sort of DUST presence, and since DUST shares certain unforgiving gameplay tenets with its sister title, should those of you who love sandbox shooters but hate EVE Online even bother with the game?

Continue reading The Firing Line: Can you hate EVE and love DUST?

MassivelyThe Firing Line: Can you hate EVE and love DUST? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    WildStar records score, dishes out free music

    Posted: 06 Apr 2012 08:30 AM PDT

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    WildStar
    This week's WildStar spotlight takes the focus off the look of the game and puts it on the melodious strains of its soundtrack. In it, Carbine Studios Lead Composer Jeff Kurtenacker steps in front of the camera to talk about creating and recording the score for this upcoming MMO.

    "The recording process is pretty fascinating and pretty complicated, actually," Kurtenacker began. He said that the score starts with his recording basic MIDI tunes for use in the game's early testing. Following that, he assembles musicians to record the proper score, including "cues" (short pieces) and longer tracks.

    His favorite part of the recording day comes when there's silence right at the beginning and then the first notes fill the air. "That always to me is a fantastically amazing moment," he said.

    On top of the video, which you can check out after the jump, Carbine's provided two free music tracks to download and enjoy: Enemy Camp Battle and Rescue Mission.

    Continue reading WildStar records score, dishes out free music

    MassivelyWildStar records score, dishes out free music originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    World of Tanks 7.3 patch revamps Soviet tech tree, brings new maps

    Posted: 06 Apr 2012 08:00 AM PDT

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    World of Tanks - 7.3 video
    It was just last week that Wargaming.net rolled out patch 7.2 for its World of Tanks action title. Today the company has announced the followup, and while we don't have a release date on 7.3 as of yet, we do know that it features quite a lot of new content.

    First and foremost is the revamp to the game's Soviet tech tree, which sees heavy tanks split into two separate branches. The 7.3 update also brings a new South Coast battle arena to World of Tanks as well as Dragon's Ridge, the first of the game's maps to be set in Asia.

    "We've got loads of exciting new content to share with our players," said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net. "The new machines should give players a taste for heavy vehicles, and with the help of the upcoming battle arenas, the game will get a fresh look from both a visual and tactical point of view." You can get a visual preview of 7.3 via the video after the cut.

    [Source: Wargaming.net press release]

    Continue reading World of Tanks 7.3 patch revamps Soviet tech tree, brings new maps

    MassivelyWorld of Tanks 7.3 patch revamps Soviet tech tree, brings new maps originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Karos Online shutting down, Rosh Online welcoming refugees

      Posted: 06 Apr 2012 07:30 AM PDT

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      Karos Online
      We haven't heard much about Karos Online since its 2010 launch. It seems as though the title struggled to find an audience over the past two years and is now facing the end of its days. The team announced that Karos Online will be shutting down soon and urged its community to migrate to Rosh Online.

      As of today, new accounts for Karos are disabled, and current players will be unable to purchase in-game currency for the cash shop. Karos Online will spend its next week spinning down its wheels before turning off the lights on April 13th.

      Happily, Ignited Games has created a generous welcome package for Karos players willing to make the jump to Rosh Online. The benefits for doing so include in-game goodies and the conversion of cash shop currency to a compatible equivalent. On top of that, Karos players can jump into higher-level Rosh characters depending on how high they leveled their Karos contemporaries.

      [Thanks for the tip, Jeff!]

      MassivelyKaros Online shutting down, Rosh Online welcoming refugees originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      PAX East 2012: Cryptic shows new Neverwinter trailer

      Posted: 06 Apr 2012 07:00 AM PDT

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      Neverwinter - when dragons attack
      The first reveal of PAX East 2012 belongs to Cryptic and its Neverwinter title. The game began its life as a co-op RPG in 2010 but was then converted to a full-fledged MMO when Cryptic was acquired by Perfect World Entertainment last year.

      If you're heading to the Boston convention, the game is playable on the show floor. If you can't make it, feast your eyes on the new CG trailer that we've got for you after the break, and look for our report on the game itself later this weekend.

      Massively's on the ground in Boston during the weekend of April 6-8, bringing you all the best news from PAX East 2012. Whether you're dying to know more about TERA or PlanetSide 2 or any MMO in between, we aim to have it covered!

      Continue reading PAX East 2012: Cryptic shows new Neverwinter trailer

      MassivelyPAX East 2012: Cryptic shows new Neverwinter trailer originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Is your character modeled after you?

      Posted: 06 Apr 2012 06:00 AM PDT

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      Everywhere you look
      Earlier this week, we ran a story about someone who made celebrity look-alikes in the Guild Wars 2 character creator. While this ability isn't new, we've reached a point in our MMO technology at which our characters can be tweaked to look more easily identifiable as real, recognizable human beings.

      With those tools in hand, we may also experiment with our own doppelgangers from time to time, although that may be a little too creepy for some people.

      So what do you say? Do you regularly, or have you ever created an MMO character in your image? Or do you tend to steer clear of resemblances in favor of creating a character you'd rather be instead?

      Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Is your character modeled after you? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Newest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online takes a look at the road ahead

        Posted: 05 Apr 2012 09:00 PM PDT

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        It should be more like classic Trek, where you have to jettison the warp core every three episodes and the holodeck regularly tries to kill everyone on board.
        There's a great big galaxy out there in Star Trek Online, so much so that some things occasionally fall through the cracks. The latest installment of Ask Cryptic focuses on a few of these elements, like the Andorian ship and the addition of a playable Romulan faction. Neither of these elements is on the table for immediate inclusion, but both are in the pipe for future updates; the former is planned for sometime the next year, while the Romulans are on the more distant horizon.

        Not everything comes down to a simple "not right now," however. The KDF, for instance, is slated to continue receiving new updates and additional features to bring the faction more in line with the Federation's content level. The development team is also hard at work trying to allow older ships to be retrofitted into higher-level content, letting players take classic designs into modern engagements. It's certainly not a question of whether the development team has a plan or not, just a matter of how soon all of these fabled upgrades will be implemented.

        MassivelyNewest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online takes a look at the road ahead originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition

        Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:00 PM PDT

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        MMO Report
        This week on The MMO Report, Casey tells everyone to stop whining about Mass Effect 3's ending, laments the loss of the "online" part of Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online, touches on the World of Darkness keynote, and outlines The Secret World's preorder plans. He also reveals the identity of one of TERA's key voice actors: Michael Hogan (of Battlestar Galactica fame), who will play Samael in the final game. Finally, he pulls one measly letter from the mailbag and debates which class he represents in TERA.

        Enjoy the full MMO Report after the cut!

        Continue reading The MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition

        MassivelyThe MMO Report: Shut up about Mass Effect edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Ask Massively: The diversity of New England edition

        Posted: 05 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT

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        Admittedly, it all looks pretty much the same in Google Maps 8-Bit.
        Every year, when I head up to PAX East, some well-intentioned soul will point out that it must be nice to have a convention so close to home. Except it's really not. I live in Connecticut, and PAX East is in Boston. Despite what years of media exposure may have led you to believe, New England is not a uniform sea of snow, lobsters, and wizened old men spouting curmudgeonly wisdom. The lobsters are pretty much all Maine, for instance, and Rhode Island has the mafia instead of wizened old men. Also, no one in Connecticut says "cah." We say "car."

        But you didn't click on through for me waxing poetic about my home region, I imagine. No, you came here for this week's installment of Ask Massively, which is all about how we schedule articles and why it seems like time occasionally passes us by. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment of the column, leave it down in the comments or mail it along to ask@massively.com. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.

        Continue reading Ask Massively: The diversity of New England edition

        MassivelyAsk Massively: The diversity of New England edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Phantasy Star Online 2 posts a benchmark and character creator for all

          Posted: 05 Apr 2012 05:30 PM PDT

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          If there was ever an excuse for breaking out the Genesis for some 16-bit nostalgia, this is it.
          If you're an American fan of Phantasy Star Online 2 -- or heck, just a non-Japanese fan -- you're kind of out of luck at the moment. The game is currently not anywhere near a translated state, and testing has thus been mostly limited to Japanese players. If you're in that unlucky boat, however, things are getting at least a little bit better now. The game's character creator and benchmark has just been released for all, whether or not you're testing the game or even able to read the language.

          A fan blog for the game features both screenshots of the character creator and corresponding benchmark as well as a guide to getting the program to work on your machine. While it's not quite the same as being able to log into the game and enjoy the testing sequence, it's at least a chance to get a taste of what the game will be like when (and if) it comes to our shores.

          [Thanks to Venova for the tip!]

          MassivelyPhantasy Star Online 2 posts a benchmark and character creator for all originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Massively Exclusive: Trion previews End of Nations' armory

          Posted: 05 Apr 2012 05:00 PM PDT

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          End of Nations - armory
          Trion's super-secret End of Nations is moving right along in its alpha cycle, and today Massively has an exclusive piece of news for you regarding the upcoming MMORTS.

          The game differs from traditional real-time strategy titles because it doesn't have base-building, but what it does have is something called an armory. Trion tells us that players will "set their loadouts, create companies, modify units, customize skins, and more" inside the armory. The dev team has just revamped the armory mechanics, and you can get a good look at the armory window in the image after the cut (click on it to zoom in!).

          Continue reading Massively Exclusive: Trion previews End of Nations' armory

          MassivelyMassively Exclusive: Trion previews End of Nations' armory originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            New Guns of Icarus video shows off cooperative airship battles

            Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:30 PM PDT

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            Image
            Remember Guns of Icarus? If not, let's recap: small indie studio, steampunk, airships. That probably rings a few bells, and you'll be happy to know that the dev team has parlayed a successful Kickstarter campaign into an extended development cycle.

            As a result, we have a spiffy new video that shows off cooperative airship combat. Muse Games also wants you to know that you can download the single-player game (and sign up for the multiplayer beta) at its official website. Before you go, check out the full clip after the cut.

            Continue reading New Guns of Icarus video shows off cooperative airship battles

            MassivelyNew Guns of Icarus video shows off cooperative airship battles originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            ArenaNet details Guild Wars 2's squad mechanics and region-locking [Updated]

            Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:00 PM PDT

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            Guild Wars 2 - WvW group
            So what the heck is a squad as it relates to Guild Wars 2? I surely don't know, but ArenaNet's Jordan Massey does. Fortunately for all of us, he's explained it via the latest GW2 dev blog that's hot off the presses.

            Essentially, squads are ANet's answer to the problem of WvW communication. As Massey says, "team chat was too large because everyone in the entire map could talk in it, resulting in too much noise. On the other hand, parties [...] were too small."

            The squad, then, is a "one-to-many" command structure with its own chat channel that only accepts chat from the leader. Squad leaders also get squad map markers, which function much as normal waypoints. Massey also says that while the squad mechanics were designed with PvP in mind, they'll be quite helpful for larger PvE events. Read all about it at the official ArenaNet blog.

            [Update: ArenaNet has also clarified whether GW2 will be region-bound. The Facebook statements are after the break.]

            Continue reading ArenaNet details Guild Wars 2's squad mechanics and region-locking [Updated]

            MassivelyArenaNet details Guild Wars 2's squad mechanics and region-locking [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            En Masse reveals TERA crafting guide

            Posted: 05 Apr 2012 03:30 PM PDT

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            TERA - crafting interface
            Crafting probably isn't the first (or even the second) thing that springs to mind when someone says TERA, but thankfully Bluehole and En Masse didn't opt to leave the system on the cutting room floor when designing the new fantasy MMO.

            En Masse recently released a fairly detailed tradeskilling guide, and while it won't tell you exactly where to get rare materials, it does give you plenty of info on the basics. TERA features six different crafting disciplines, and your character can learn them all at any time. There are no training costs; all you'll need to worry about is finding patterns and raw materials.

            Crafted items are usually better than random loot drops, but generally you'll be outpacing your gear every five levels, so you'll want to upgrade fairly often anyway. There's a lot more info on TERA's tradeskilling system at the official website.

            MassivelyEn Masse reveals TERA crafting guide originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Get your PAX strategy guides here

            Posted: 05 Apr 2012 03:00 PM PDT

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            PAX East strategy guide
            Heading to PAX East this weekend? If so, you're in good company, as the Massively and Joystiq crews are going too! ThriftyNerd has put together a brief PAX strategy guide, and it's well worth a look if you don't have your itinerary planned out to the minute (or heck, even if you do, because you might have forgotten something).

            The guide has a rundown on essential mobile apps as well as plenty of tips for both the seasoned con-goer and the wet-behind-the-ears rookie. Be sure to follow Massively all weekend as we'll be bringing you all the best MMO news direct from Boston.

            MassivelyGet your PAX strategy guides here originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Star Conflict blasts into beta

            Posted: 05 Apr 2012 02:00 PM PDT

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            Star Conflict
            Star Conflict may not be the MMO on everyone's tongue right now, but give it time -- it might just catch on. The gestating title from Star Gem Inc. has passed through the beta barrier and is looking for testers to help take it to the cosmos and beyond.

            Star Conflict is a free-to-play PvP-based game in which players team up to launch fully armed spaceships at each other in the hopes of winning a game of galactic chicken. It's set over 3,000 years from now, when factions battle over a discovered planet containing important ancient technology. Players begin their careers as wealthy mercs who have enough money to buy a few ships and outfit them the way they want.

            From there, players will join one of six factions and engage in instanced PvP maps. Star Conflict has several game modes in which factions look to extend dominion over each other.

            You can sign up for Star Conflict's beta today, and be sure to check out the first teaser trailer after the jump and let us know what you think!

            [Thanks to our tipster for the heads-up!]

            Continue reading Star Conflict blasts into beta

            MassivelyStar Conflict blasts into beta originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Summoner's Guidebook: Practice makes perfect

            Posted: 05 Apr 2012 01:00 PM PDT

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            League of Legends screenshot
            If you haven't noticed from previous editions of The Summoner's Guidebook, I emphasize practicing new techniques a lot. Practice is the only thing separating novice League of Legends players from experts. Talent can help speed up the process, but the best summoners are those who work hard to improve their skills. No pro player got to where he is today by playing only one or two games a day.

            However, merely playing a lot of games doesn't make you a good player. In fact, the wrong kind of practice builds bad habits that are hard to break. When I first got into League of Legends, I knew quite a few people who also played the game. Although a few (who are semi-pro players) are still much better than I am, I became vastly better than the rest of my peers in a very short amount of time. Want to know my secrets? Read on!

            Continue reading The Summoner's Guidebook: Practice makes perfect

            MassivelyThe Summoner's Guidebook: Practice makes perfect originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Guild Counsel: The six most embarrassing things you can do in a guild

              Posted: 05 Apr 2012 12:00 PM PDT

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              Vanguard riding a camel
              There are some things in life that just go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly, Bert and Ernie, sun and sand, and guilds and embarrassing moments. In fact, one thing that makes guild life so memorable is our collection of those little screw-ups that leave us laughing and wondering what on earth someone was thinking. There are tons of things people do in game that leave them flustered (believe me, I know!), but some go down in history as classic moments of mortification. Let's take a look at a few epic embarrassments in this week's Guild Counsel.

              Continue reading The Guild Counsel: The six most embarrassing things you can do in a guild

              MassivelyThe Guild Counsel: The six most embarrassing things you can do in a guild originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                RuneScape revamps starting experience, releases new trial and trailer

                Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:00 AM PDT

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                RuneScape - The Troll Warzone cinematic
                RuneScape's starting experience has a new coat of paint, and Jagex has released a cinematic teaser trailer to celebrate. The long-running browser MMO now features a fresh newbie area called The Troll Warzone that comes complete with a new quest line and plenty of introductory accoutrements.

                That's not all, as Jagex has also told us that it is offering a free 14-day trial for new RuneScape adventurers. This includes "full access to the entire RuneScape world, hundreds of hours of members' quests, an additional nine powerful skills, 20 compelling mini-games, full-screen gaming and much, much more."

                The new cinematic introduces some of the lore behind The Troll Warzone, so be sure and click past the cut to view it in full.

                [Source: Jagex press release]

                Continue reading RuneScape revamps starting experience, releases new trial and trailer

                MassivelyRuneScape revamps starting experience, releases new trial and trailer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  BioWare kicks off SWTOR's third weekend free trial

                  Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:30 AM PDT

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                  Star Wars: The Old Republic - agent and bounty hunter
                  So you still haven't played Star Wars: The Old Republic, eh? Well, BioWare's not giving up on you yet. The company is trotting out its third Weekend Pass Free Trial starting today, and you've got through April 9th to join in the fun.

                  As in the previous events, there's no payment or credit card required, and you'll get full access to the game's first 15 levels, all eight character classes, all the origin worlds, and your factional capital.

                  Also as before, your previously canceled account (or your previous Weekend Pass Free Trial account) is not valid, since these events are designed specifically for new blood. More details are available on the official SWTOR website.

                  MassivelyBioWare kicks off SWTOR's third weekend free trial originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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