MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


Ragnarok Online 2 Is Coming to Steam May 1st

Posted:

Ragnarok Online 2 Is Coming to Steam May 1st


WarpPortal announced Friday they are partnering with Valve to bring Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of the Second, to their leading online platform for PC games, Steam. Ragnarok Online 2, will open for Commercial Service May 1st at 3pm PDT. You can visit the official website to get more information.

Call of Duty Online (CN) Alpha Test Begin on April 30

Posted:

Call of Duty Online (CN) Alpha Test Begin on April 30


Currently only available for China, Call of Duty Online will begin its official Alpha test phase tomorrow. While majority of the elements are from the Modern Warfare series, exclusive content is also promised.

NCsoft Launched First Mobile Games Lineage: The Second Moon

Posted:

NCsoft Launched First Mobile Games Lineage: The Second Moon


NCsoft's first mobile game based on its hit online games, Lineage: The Second Moon, launched in Japan recently. Co-developed with mobile giant, GREE, the storyline of the game takes place within the Lineage Online lore, with heroes becoming cards.

WoW 5.3 PvP Preview: Deepwind Gorge and The Tiger's Peak

Posted:

WoW 5.3 PvP Preview: Deepwind Gorge and The Tiger's Peak


The war between the Horde and the Alliance continues to escalate as both factions vie to claim Pandaria's resources as their own. Deep within the Valley of the Four Winds, the mines of Deepwind Gorge serve as a Battleground where victory is measured not in fallen foes, but in gold.

WoW 5.3 PTR Patch Notes - Updated April 29

Posted:

WoW 5.3 PTR Patch Notes - Updated April 29


The 5.3 PTR Patch Notes were updated today. Some big changes are coming. Check out the patch notes for details.

DotA 2 G1 League NA/EU Qualifier: Evil Geniuses vs Fnatic

Posted:

DotA 2 G1 League NA/EU Qualifier: Evil Geniuses vs Fnatic


DotA 2 Champions League NA/EU Qualifier: Evil Geniuses vs Fnatic.

Aion KR Shop Adds New Wings, Mounts and A Pet

Posted:

Aion KR Shop Adds New Wings, Mounts and A Pet


Aion Kerea Shop just Added several new wings, mounts and a pet. Please check it out.

Supercell: Is This The Fastest-Growing Game Company Ever?

Posted:

Supercell: Is This The Fastest-Growing Game Company Ever?


Paananen is CEO of Supercell, a startup that has had astonishing growth almost overnight. It has only two titles in Apple AAPL +2.15%'s App Store–a tower defense game called Clash of Clans and a social-farming game called Hay Day–but it grossed $100 million last year and $179 million in the first quarter of 2013 alone.

Amounts of Fashions for Blade and Soul Gon

Posted:

Amounts of Fashions for Blade and Soul Gon


Amounts of Fashions for Blade and Soul Kun

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews


Episodes 4, 5 and 6 of our Neverwinter playthrough series

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:40 AM PDT

Today our Trickster Rogue continues her journey through Neverwinter. In these videos you can see more pve questing, character progression and first PvP match. Neverwinter playthrough series Episode #4 Level 6 to Level 8. Blacklake District, Blacklake Sewers ‘dead rats’, the Nasher hideout, Lakeside. Neverwinter playthrough series Episode #5 Level 8 to level 9. Lakeside [...]

The post Episodes 4, 5 and 6 of our Neverwinter playthrough series appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.

MMO Games & News: 8th Episode

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 08:24 AM PDT

Dear readers, like every week, we present the Episode #8 The Mighty Quest for Epic MMO Games of our MMO Games & News, hosted by our very own video game nymph, Mintchip. Through this episode we will brush up Earthrise: First Impact, LOTRO, Anno Online, The mighty quest for epic loot. Let’s have a look [...]

The post MMO Games & News: 8th Episode appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.

What type of video would you like to see more of on MMOReviews?

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 07:52 AM PDT

As you probably know, videos are a very important part of our content. During these years we have brought you thousands of videos -trailers, gameplays, teasers, analysis, commentary, events, parties, etc- through our Youtube channel, MMO HD TV. Recently we have launched our MMO Games & News series and our Commentary review series, but without [...]

The post What type of video would you like to see more of on MMOReviews? appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.

DUST 514 is going to be released on May 14

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 06:44 AM PDT

CCP Games has announced that free-to-play MMOFPS for Playstation 3, DUST 514 is going to be released on May 14, 2013. The game is fully integrated with New Eden, the huge universe where EVE Online take place. In DUST 514 players wage war in this first-person shooter at unprecedented scale, the outcome of each ground battle [...]

The post DUST 514 is going to be released on May 14 appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.

In-depth video review of Neverwinter’s Foundry system

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 05:46 AM PDT

So finally with Neverwinter going into closed beta (Open Beta starting April 30th) our team got the chance to try The Foundry system, something we've wanted to do for a while but hasn't been available in the previous beta weekends. For those not following the game who don't know what the Foundry is it basically [...]

The post In-depth video review of Neverwinter’s Foundry system appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.

CCP Games will create a television serie based on the EVE Online

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 04:46 AM PDT

CCP Games has announced an amazing new! Partnering with the filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur and his production company, CCP Games are going to create a television serie based on the EVE Online Universe. Kormákur’s creative team, in collaboration with CCP, will create an original concept and storyline set in the EVE Universe taking inspiration from “EVE [...]

The post CCP Games will create a television serie based on the EVE Online appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.



General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Corsair Isn't For Sale, But Is Looking for Investment Partner to Fund Buying Spree

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 01:43 PM PDT

Corsair BuildingA private equity firm plans to invest $75 million into Corsair.

Everyone take a sigh of relief, Corsair isn't for sale, and therefore isn't at risk of ending up in the hands of a person or organization that doesn't share the same passion for PC peripherals as Corsair does. What about the rumor floating around that suggests Corsair may be sold to private equity firm Francisco Partners? Corsair tells Maximum PC the rumor is "inaccurate," though the company is looking to secure an investment.

Corsair sent Maximum PC an FAQ that addresses several questions, which we've posted in its entirely below. Straight and to the point, however, Corsair says it's still making a profit, and though it's run its operations for nearly two decades without any outside investment, it's seeking one now as it looks to continue acquiring companies.

"We would like to make more acquisitions and this requires outside investment. That's why we targeted the IPO market last year, but ultimately chose private investment from Francisco Partners instead because we believed the public markets did not properly understand or value our market niche," Corsair states in its FAQ.

The planned investment is for around $75 million, and we have to question why Corsair doesn't simply take out a loan instead of selling off a chunk of its company. One possible answer is that banks don't just hand out $75 million loans willy-nilly, even to profitable firms. It's also possible Corsair prefers to sell off a stake in its firm to avoid the pressure of having to repay a loan by a certain date.

In any event, Corsair insists the move won't negatively impact its customers, and if anything it will prompt the company to be more aggressive in its bid to lead the gaming and music markets.

Corsair FAQ on Francisco Partners Transaction

Is Corsair going to be sold?

No. However, we are securing an investment from Francisco Partners, which will be a new shareholder for the company.

How will this affect Corsair?

The new shareholder, Francisco Partners, is a private equity (PE) company and is planning to make a significant investment in Corsair. The current management team will stay in place and no management changes are planned. Of the three founders who started Corsair 19 years ago, one has retired. Andy Paul and John Beekley are still very much involved and will remain meaningful shareholders in the business.

Who is Francisco Partners and what is private equity all about?

Francisco Partners is a well-respected private equity (PE) firm located in the SF Bay Area that specializes in tech companies. Private equity is an alternative to public funds (i.e., going public) and PE companies typically bring industry and operating expertise to the table in addition to capital. PE is particularly attractive when the public markets are not sensibly valuing certain market segments. This is the case with any company involved around PCs today. The fact is that for companies like Corsair, the PC market is alive and well, since our focus is the gaming and enthusiast market, which is growing and shows no signs of stopping.

Why does Corsair need cash anyway, I thought they were profitable?

We are profitable and have been able to run our operations for 19 years without any outside investment. We have grown in terms of customers and product breadth, and we now ship over 10 product lines to over 60 different countries around the world. Recently, we have started to make acquisitions, since we find that small companies making just one type of component cannot be efficient in the market the way we can be. In the last year we have bought two companies, one German company specializing in gaming peripherals, called Raptor Gaming, and a Scottish company making multi-room streaming music systems, called Simple Audio. We would like to make more acquisitions and this requires outside investment. That's why we targeted the IPO market last year, but ultimately chose private investment from Francisco Partners instead because we believed the public markets did not properly understand or value our market niche.

What does this mean for Corsair customers?

It means we will continue to do more of what we do well–design exciting products for enthusiasts, whether they are enthusiasts in overclocking, building gaming PCs, gaming, or listening to high quality music. These are the things we are enthusiastic about here at Corsair. We enjoy making really cool products for our customers and ourselves. Will Corsair products continue to meet the same high standards of quality? Absolutely. Our goal is to make the best products we can for every-type of customer, regardless of the price point. Making great products is what has enabled us to become successful and we have no intent of changing that. Less well-run companies sometimes have to cut quality levels to make any profit and thus stay in business. We have all seen that happening in our industry. We continue to be profitable because we always make great products that our customers enjoy and our quality levels are very high, so we never have to cut corners. Our new financial partner has spent months talking to us and to our distributors and retailers, as well as taking stock of what our customers think about Corsair and Corsair products. The overwhelming positive things the heard is the reason that they are making a significant investment in the company.

What sort of investment are we talking about?

The planned investment is approximately $75M.

When will all this happen?

The transaction is expected to close in the next few weeks.

What should we expect to see in the future?

We may pursue more acquisitions, perhaps some larger than before. Above all you should expect to see Corsair take a more aggressive approach to becoming a leader in the gaming and music markets, taking the same important position that we hold in the PC enthusiast market.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Windows Phone Ad Pokes Fun at Samsung and Apple Feud

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 11:20 AM PDT

Apple TattooNokia's Lumia 920 is a lover, not a fighter.

It does seem at times as though Apple and Samsung almost enjoy fighting with each other, doesn't it? A new ad promoting Nokia's Lumia 920 smartphone and the Windows Phone platform it runs on comes right out and says it, and then implores viewers, "Don't fight. Switch." The 1-minute ad spot does little to promote the Lumia 920's features or Windows Phone software, but you have to hand it to Microsoft for at least trying to get into the thick of things.

The setting for the ad is a wedding where everything seems to be going well, that is until a guy with a Galaxy phone blocks the view of someone with an iPhone who's attempting to snap a picture of the bride and groom.

"Excuse me. Would you mind moving your enormous phone?," the iPhone toting attendee asks in snarky tone. Verbal jabs are then tossed around like rice at the end of a wedding ceremony, only it never gets that far because eventually a massive scuffle breaks out between Samsung and Apple users. At one point, a guy rips open his shirt to reveal an Apple logo tattoo on his chest. While all this is going on, a pair of waitstaff record the shenanigans on their Lumia 920 phones.

They also appear to be the only two out of a crowd of about 100 toting Windows Phone devices, so kudos to Microsoft for keeping things accurate, even if unintentional.

Here's the ad:

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Thermaltake Introduces Water 3.0 Liquid Cooling Systems

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 10:45 AM PDT

Thermaltake Water 3.0 ExtremeLiquid cooling made easy.

Just as you can configure and build your PC from scratch, cooling enthusiasts can also piece together a custom liquid cooling solution, provided they have the requisite cash and experience. For everyone else, self-contained liquid cooling systems are the next best thing, offering similar benefits but for less money and far less risk. Enter Thermaltake, one of the more active players in the LCS market, which just announced a trio of new cooling products.

Sitting at the top of Thermaltake's LCS totem pole is its new Water 3.0 Extreme, The Extreme uses a specially designed 240mm large surface radiator with two (or more) 120mm double curve fans to dissipate heat and keep things cool. It has a full copper plate base and comes with fan control software to monitor and customize a range of parameters, including liquid temperature, CPU temperature, fan speed, and pump speed.

Sitting one notch below is the Water 3.0 Pro. It uses a double-thick radiator (49mm) cooled by up to two 120mm fans and is aimed at users who don't have enough space to install a Water 3.0 Extreme but still want high-end cooling performance.

Finally, the Water 3.0 Performer is the same as the Pro, only smaller (the radiator measures 27mm). Thermaltake says it's a good solution for first-timers new to liquid cooling.

No word yet on price or availability.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 10:33 AM PDT

SSDNewegg

Top Deal:

While everyone loves the portability of laptop PCs, they often have small hard drives. Today's top deal, Seagate's Solid State Hybrid 1TB laptop hard drive attempts to remedy that. Running for $110 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: EMCXSVP25), the drive offers a nice balance between the speed of an SSD and the heftsy size of a mechanical hard drive. 

Other Deals:

Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1333 desktop RAM for $90 with free shipping (normally $105 - use coupon code: EMCXSVP39

Fractal Design Define R4 Black mid-tower case for $80 with free shipping (normally $120 - use coupon code: EMCXSVP52

ASUS Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 2GB video card for $135 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code:EMCXSVT49; additional $15 mail-in rebate

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W power supply for $80 with free shipping (normally $120 - use coupon code: EMCXSVR23; additional $20 mail-in rebate)

First Radeon HD 7730 Graphics Card Spotted in the Wild

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 08:56 AM PDT

MSI Radeon HD 7730MSI's Radeon HD 7730 breaks cover and gets benchmarked.

A rather active user on the Chinese-language forum Coolaler posted several pictures of an MSI Radeon HD 7730 graphics card. As far as we can tell, the entry-level card's model was supposed to have been kept a secret, as identifying information on the retail box was replaced with a red censor strip, but it's tougher to hide such things from software. In addition to the model number, there are also some benchmark numbers to share.

The forum user who posted the pictures also tossed up a few benchmark comparisons between the Radeon HD 7730 and HD 6670. Here's how it shook out between the two:

  • Radeon HD 7730, 3DMark Vantage Performance: 10,764
  • Radeon HD 6670, 3DMark Vantage Performance: 5,366
  • Radeon HD 7730, 3DMark 11 Entry: 4,539
  • Radeon HD 6670, 3DMark 11 Entry: 2,477
  • Radeon HD 7730, 3DMark 11 Performance: 2,609
  • Radeon HD 6670, 3DMark 11 Performance: 1,428
  • Radeon HD 7730, 3DMark Fire Strike: 1,680
  • Radeon HD 6670, 3DMark Fire Strike: 878
  • Radeon HD 7730, Cloud Gate: 11,959
  • Radeon HD 6670, Cloud Gate: 7,042
  • Radeon HD 7730, Ice Storm: 101,701
  • Radeon HD 6670, Ice Storm: 63,660

Those are some big gains across the board, and in some cases, the Radeon HD 7730 benched almost twice as fast as the Radeon HD 6670.

The entry-level part is a 128-bit card with 1GB of memory clocked at 1,125MHz and a core clockspeed of 800MHz. Most of the other details are still a secret, including price and release date.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

 

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Available to Pre-order for $500

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 08:24 AM PDT

Sony Xperia Tablet ZThere's no thinner 10.1-inch tablet, according to Sony.

Sony's wedge-shaped Xperia Tablet S didn't exactly take the Android tablet market by storm, and truth be told, we don't think the Xperia Tablet Z will either, though it's an interesting slate. The Xperia Tablet Z, which is now available to pre-order for $500 on Sony's website, is supposedly the world's thinnest 10.1-inch slate measuring just 0.27 inches thick and weighing barely more than a pound (1.09 pounds, to be precise).

In addition to being thin and light, the Z model is also water and dust resistant. Sony claims it can withstand up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes, so you can look up recipes by the kitchen sink or surf the web poolside without worrying about a little bit of water splashing the screen.

At $500, Sony's charging a premium price at a time when Android tablets are becoming increasingly affordable. In return, the Xperia Tablet Z offers a Full HD 1080p (1920x1200) resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage flanked by a microSD card slot, USB 2.0 connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC support, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.

By all means, it's a high-end slate that will likely find some eager buyers, we just don't know if there's a significant market for $500 Android tablets right now. We'll soon find out.

Shipments for the Xperia Tablet Z are estimated to begin May 22, 2013.

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


Beyond: Two Souls Corrects Heavy Rain's Character Flaws

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT

Heavy Rain offered a great deal to players looking for a deep tale of love and loss. The narrative was well-woven, moments of tension were masterfully orchestrated, and player agency was so thorough that any two people might have had completely different character interactions and dialog opportunities. The title did have its detractors, though according [...]

StoryKid, Created By Literature PhDs, Is An App That Helps Young Ones Tell Stories (And Their Parents, Too)

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT

Children are known for how much they love to play make believe, and StoryKid, an app introduced today during the Disrupt Hackathon in New York, takes this and gives it a new twist by offering a series of pictures as visual cues for a child to tell a story based around them. StoryKid is aimed [...]

Pay With Bits Wants To Be The Square For Bitcoin

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT

Considering the gold rush around peer-to-peer currency Bitcoin, it’s not surprising that one of the hackers at the Disrupt NY hackathon created an application around the currency. Pay With Bits was to be a Square for Bitcoin. The startup essentially allows Bitcoins to be transfered between parties via their mobile phones. The idea is the [...]

Google Drive Update Enables Offline Support for Documents

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 11:01 AM PDT

Google takes another step in the right direction. In terms of features, Microsoft Office has Google Doc’s beaten hands down. The bad news for Microsoft however, is that the vast majority of features a typical user cares about are quickly being addressed. Of those missing features, the most common complaint we hear is lack of [...]

HP Slate 7 Android Tablet Now Available, Sports $170 Price Tag

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 11:01 AM PDT

Hewlett-Packard re-enters the media tablet market with 7-inch Android Jelly Bean tablet If you are a PC vendor mulling a foray into the world of smartphones and media tables, there is perhaps no other platform more convenient than Android for this purpose. That is not to say that it is an option that readily appeals [...]

Correcting Heavy Rain's Character Flaws

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:55 AM PDT

Heavy Rain offered a great deal to players looking for a deep tale of love and loss. The narrative was well-woven, moments of tension were masterfully orchestrated, and player agency was so thorough that any two people might have had completely different character interactions and dialog opportunities. The title did have its detractors, though according [...]

Correcting Heavy Rain's Character Flaws

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:50 AM PDT

Heavy Rain offered a great deal to players looking for a deep tale of love and loss. The narrative was well-woven, moments of tension were masterfully orchestrated, and player agency was so thorough that any two people might have had completely different character interactions and dialog opportunities. The title did have its detractors, though according [...]

Correcting Heavy Rain's Character Flaws

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:45 AM PDT

Heavy Rain offered a great deal to players looking for a deep tale of love and loss. The narrative was well-woven, moments of tension were masterfully orchestrated, and player agency was so thorough that any two people might have had completely different character interactions and dialog opportunities. The title did have its detractors, though according [...]

Correcting Heavy Rain's Character Flaws

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:40 AM PDT

Heavy Rain offered a great deal to players looking for a deep tale of love and loss. The narrative was well-woven, moments of tension were masterfully orchestrated, and player agency was so thorough that any two people might have had completely different character interactions and dialog opportunities. The title did have its detractors, though according [...]

Correcting Heavy Rain's Character Flaws

Posted: 28 Apr 2013 09:36 AM PDT

Heavy Rain offered a great deal to players looking for a deep tale of love and loss. The narrative was well-woven, moments of tension were masterfully orchestrated, and player agency was so thorough that any two people might have had completely different character interactions and dialog opportunities. The title did have its detractors, though according [...]

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Captain's Log: More Romulan ships coming in Star Trek Online

Posted: 29 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , ,

STO D'Deridex HEADER
Late last week, Star Trek Online community manager Brandon Felczer posted an enormous dev blog delving into the details surrounding the influx of new ships heading into the game the moment the Legacy of Romulus expansion goes live.

So today I'd like to touch on these new ships and the new Legacy Pack and Starter Packs that were announced as being available for Star Trek Online!

Continue reading Captain's Log: More Romulan ships coming in Star Trek Online

MassivelyCaptain's Log: More Romulan ships coming in Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

    The Nexus Telegraph: Respecting the NDA on WildStar's beta

    Posted: 29 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , ,

    There are probably some dark secrets in there, and you know what?  I don't need to know them!  I'm all right with those staying secret.
    Carbine Studios is holding all of the cards for WildStar and those of us not in the beta just have to wait. Which is beyond frustrating. We have to sit back and let things slowly come out of the official PR machine, and no matter how fast we get new revelations, they're never fast enough. The temptation to look for someone willing to peel back the veil is immense because it beats pressing against the glass and waiting to find out more.

    But the NDA is there for a reason.

    Speaking as someone who isn't in the beta but is still talking about the game on a weekly basis, I will be the first to point out that waiting for official information is often like waiting for a solar eclipse before doing even the most basic tasks. It's frustrating, slow, and irritating. The problem is that the alternative -- wherein we just jump on every new piece of leaked information -- isn't good, and it comes out worse in the end.

    Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Respecting the NDA on WildStar's beta

    MassivelyThe Nexus Telegraph: Respecting the NDA on WildStar's beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments

      Heroes and Villains releases trailer, revamps website

      Posted: 29 Apr 2013 08:00 AM PDT

      Filed under: , , , ,

      Heroes and Villains releases trailer, revamps website
      Spiritual successor Heroes and Villains is marking City of Heroes' ninth anniversary with several new updates. These include a revamp of the website and forums and the launch of the game's first teaser trailer and first official screenshot.

      Heroes and Villains aims "to create a casual, community-focused game that will allow players with even limited amounts of time to still be able to log in and achieve something, or just hang out with their friends."

      Head past the cut to view the teaser trailer.

      [Thanks Amanda!]

      Continue reading Heroes and Villains releases trailer, revamps website

      MassivelyHeroes and Villains releases trailer, revamps website originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

      Permalink | Email this | Comments

        The Stream Team: Fuzzy slippers edition, April 29 - May 5, 2013

        Posted: 29 Apr 2013 07:00 AM PDT

        Filed under: , ,

        The Stream Team  Fuzzy slippers edition, April 29  May 5, 2013
        Comfort food is a pretty universally understood concept. And most folks can also easily envision the security of a blanket a la Linus in the Peanuts cartoons. But what do gamers turn to for stability and comfort during stressful times? I mean, we all know that sometimes games get pretty intense. If you don't believe me, just watch Massively TV! Death and glory, victory and defeat: The Stream Team experiences it all.

        Some folks have specific food or drinks on hand for their gaming sessions. I know one gamer with a bobble-head. Me? I've got my fuzzy slippers! Yes, really. When I wear them, glorious victories are all the sweeter and harrowing defeats lose their sting. And I swear they bring me luck. Gaming is just better in fuzzy slippers. If you haven't tried it, I totally encourage you to. Uncertain? Try it, you might like it! Grab a pair and give them a test run while watching this week's shows. Or if you have your own can't-do-without gaming accessory, let us know what it is in the Outtakes.

        Continue reading The Stream Team: Fuzzy slippers edition, April 29 - May 5, 2013

        MassivelyThe Stream Team: Fuzzy slippers edition, April 29 - May 5, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

        Permalink | Email this | Comments

          The Daily Grind: What plugin(s) can you not live without?

          Posted: 29 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT

          Filed under: , , , , , ,

          Lord of the Rings Online - UI with TonicBars
          I recently returned to Lord of the Rings Online, and one of the first things I did after reinstalling was hunt down all the old plugins I had a couple of years ago. Some are more important than others, but one is basically indispensable.

          Without TonicBars, the LotRO interface is a horrific jumble of 27,000 hotbars and 127,000 abilities, but with TonicBars these abilities are kept neatly off my screen until I roll over the appropriate button and unfurl the underlying bar. You can also configure the plugin to display a hotbar only when various gameplay conditions are met, like, say, your health dropping below a certain percentage.

          So that's my indispensable add-on. What's yours?

          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: What plugin(s) can you not live without? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

          Permalink | Email this | Comments

            MMO Week in Review: EVE Fanfest 2013

            Posted: 28 Apr 2013 06:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , ,

            EVE Fanfest
            At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post.

            Every spring for the last 10 years, EVE Online fans from around the globe have journeyed to their MMO Mecca in Reykjavik, Iceland, for EVE Fanfest. This year, Massively's Brendan Drain attended the event to report not just on EVE but on CCP's other inbound titles, console shooter DUST 514 and vampire sandbox World of Darkness. From Brendan, we heard about EVE's virtual reality demo and revamp plans, DUST's launch date, EVE's anniversary collector's edition and TV series, and of course, World of Darkness' early development.

            Read on for a peek at the rest of this week's top MMO stories.

            Continue reading MMO Week in Review: EVE Fanfest 2013

            MassivelyMMO Week in Review: EVE Fanfest 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

            Permalink | Email this | Comments

              EVE Online's 8th Council of Stellar Management members announced

              Posted: 28 Apr 2013 05:00 PM PDT

              Filed under: , , , , ,

              EVE Online's 8th Council of Stellar Management members announced
              The results are in for EVE Online's eighth Council of Stellar Management (CSM8) as announced by Hilmar Veigar Pétursson during EVE Fanfest this weekend in Reykjavik, Iceland.

              Since this is the first time the Single Transferrable Vote mechanic has been used, each elected member received the necessary amount of votes (out of a total 49,702 votes) to get onto the CSM. When the council convenes for the first time, a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, and vice-secretary will be chosen.

              Be sure to read the complete election results for the names of all 14 CSM8 members and more on how the votes were calculated this year.

              MassivelyEVE Online's 8th Council of Stellar Management members announced originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

              Permalink | Email this | Comments

              EVE Evolved: Hands-on with EVE's virtual reality demo

              Posted: 28 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT

              Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

              EVE Evolved Handson with EVE's virtual reality demo
              As EVE Online's tenth anniversary Fanfest slowly got underway, the press were led into a small upstairs room with chairs lined up and ominous-looking black headsets. The headsets turned out to be expensive prototype devkits of the Oculus Rift, a recently kickstarted PC peripheral that aims to make immersive virtual reality affordable for gamers. VR headsets are traditionally heavy monstrosities costing thousands of pounds and usually have input processing lag that make them unsuitable for high-action gaming, but the Oculus Rift is a light and highly responsive device currently clocking in at a more reasonable $300.

              We were sat down to take part in a demo of EVR, a new virtual reality multiplayer dogfighter that uses art assets from EVE Online. It was an incredibly immersive experience for those of us unfamiliar with the Oculus Rift, and even members of the press who had used the device seemed impressed with the game. Fanfest attendees were equally excited when a trailer for EVR was shown at the EVE Keynote on Friday, and many attendees got to try the game first hand last night. But what impressed me the most was the story behind the demo's creation and the possibilities that Oculus Rift could potentially open up if support for it were brought to EVE Online.

              In this week's EVE Evolved, I give my hands-on impressions of EVR, delve into the story behind its creation, and speculate on how Oculus Rift support could revolutionise EVE.

              Continue reading EVE Evolved: Hands-on with EVE's virtual reality demo

              MassivelyEVE Evolved: Hands-on with EVE's virtual reality demo originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

              Permalink | Email this | Comments

                Rise and Shiny: War Thunder

                Posted: 28 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT

                Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

                War Thunder screenshot
                War Thunder, a new instanced-based WWII flying battle, uhm, thingy, didn't really seem that appealing at first. It looks nice, and yes, the planes can be controlled in a few different styles ranging from an FPS twitch style to a more "realistic" mode, but I was worried it would be just another slogging grind until I was able to have any fun. There's some truth behind my worry about the grind, but overall I had an incredible time in the game. The only real shame is that I didn't get to put as much time in it as I would have liked. The game had infrequent connection issues, but when they cropped up, they lasted a while. Even so, each match lasted long enough to give me a pretty good taste of combat.

                I stuck with the "arcade" style of gameplay. It's a simpler way to control the planes that allows players to point the mouse pointer for control. You might need to land for repairs and take off again, but it's as simple as slowing down until you touch down. I started to take the more realistic mode's tutorial, but as soon as it told me I had to manually control much more of the plane's controls, I gave up. Call me a wimp, but I just wanted to shoot planes.

                Continue reading Rise and Shiny: War Thunder

                MassivelyRise and Shiny: War Thunder originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

                Permalink | Email this | Comments

                  Total Pageviews

                  statcounter

                  View My Stats