MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


Nanbo's RIFT Experience Levels 55 - 60

Posted:

Nanbo's RIFT Experience Levels 55 - 60


Hello and welcome to the final blog entry on my RIFT experience. I have hit 60, current end game cap, and that means this is my final review of the game at this point.

Secret World: Ep.9 "Getting The Shaft"

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Secret World: Ep.9


This part of the story makes no sense but meh. Finally heading to the desert lands after much drama. Let's see what happens when I get out there.

Black Desert: Second CBT New Screenshots

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Black Desert: Second CBT New Screenshots


Black Desert has posted some Screenshots on its official site to show us a fishing village, some new monsters(page 2), a few environment screens and a new siege weapon.

A Brief Look at Yulgang 2

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A Brief Look at Yulgang 2


My main aim was only to experience first hand the artistic direction of the game, the graphics quality and basic gameplay.

Continue reading A Brief Look at Yulgang 2.

Force Master Basic Mechanics Explored

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Force Master Basic Mechanics Explored


Here are some interesting findings about Force Master mechanics extracted from the thread. these are information that are not stated anywhere in game.



General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Google Grants Music All Access Subscribers VIP Access to Glass Explorer Program

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 11:43 AM PST

Google GlassGoogle Music All Access subscribers have a chance to shake their Glass

If you're a member of Google's Music All Access subscription streaming service, keep your eyes open for an email from the sultan of search inviting you to participate in the Glass Explorer program. Google hasn't made an official announcement, though some Music All Access subscribers report receiving VIP invitations to be part of what's so far been an exclusive club only open to developers.

"With the launch of Google Play Music on Google Glass, we've secured VIP invitations for All Access customers to join the Glass Explorer Program," the emailed invitations read. "Interested in rocking out while exploring with Glass? Sign up to receive your invitation below!"

Didn't receive an invite? You can try your luck by heading over to the sign up page, which indicates that this is open for a limited time. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. resident, be 18 years or older, purchase Glass, and provide a U.S. shipping address or pick up Glass at one of Google's locations in New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.

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District Judge Rules in Favor of Warrantless Border Searchers

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:26 AM PST

Border PatrolHeads up, travelers

Today marks the first day of a brand new year, but if you have plans of traveling abroad, be advised that the same old laws apply. That includes the government's right to search and seize your electronic devices without a warrant. The controversial law comes up in headlines every once in a while, and is again making the rounds after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the policy.

According to a report in The New York Times, Judge Edward R. Korman of the Federal District Court of the Eastern District of New York ruled that plaintiffs lacked legal backing for their lawsuit because border searches happen so rarely that "there is not a substantial risk that their electronic devices will be subject to a search or seizure without reasonable suspicion."

It doesn't stop there. Judge Korman said that if even the plaintiffs did have legal standing for their lawsuit, they'd still lose because the U.S. government does not need reasonable suspicion to search or confiscate a traveler's mobile phone, notebook, or any other device at the border.

"There's no silver lining to this decision," Catherine Crump, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement. "It's not just that we lost the case, it's that the judge decided against us on multiple alternative grounds."

Pascal Abidor, a graduate student in Islamic studies, first filed the lawsuit back in 2010 after U.S. border agents escorted him in handcuffs off an Amtrak train crossing from Canada to New York. He was held in a cell and questioned for several hours, and his laptop detained for 11 days.

Image Credit: Flickr (CBP Photography)

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Newegg Daily Deals: MSI N760 Hawk GeForce GTX 760 Graphics Card, Intel Core i5 3350P, and More!

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 06:24 AM PST

MSI N760 Hawk GeForce GTX 760 Graphics Cardnewegg logo

Top Deal:

Once the New Year hangover wears off, it will be time to kick off 2014 in style. How do you plan to ring in the New Year? If your New Year's resolution is to play more games on your PC, then you know what you need to do -- go shopping for a graphics card! You can start by looking at today's top deal for an MSI N760 Hawk GeForce GTX 760 Video Card for $270 with free shipping (normally $290; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). This thing is rocking two separate BIOS chips (the LN2 BIOS completely unlocks the card), an advanced thermal design, and for a limited time, it comes with two free games (be sure to add the Nvidia Gift Holiday bundle to your cart).

Other Deals:

WD AV-GP WD30EURX 3TB IntelliPower 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $120 with free shipping (normally $140; use coupon code: [EMCWVTW226])

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-2133C10D-8GXM for $75 with free shipping (normally $83; use coupon code: [EMCWVTW77])

Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition (VN10006W2N) White and Black SECC / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case for $195 with free shipping (normally $210; use coupon code: [EMCWVTW73]; additional $30 Mail-in rebate)

MSI N760 Hawk GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card for $270 with free shipping (normally $290; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Massively's Third Annual Frindie Awards

Posted: 01 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

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Frindie Awards
It's time once again for me to throw out my awards for the best of free-to-play, indie, and oddball MMOs, a real niche-within-a-niche. It might seem that I am assigned many of these titles as though I were some modern day Mikey, but the truth is that I get a huge thrill out of finding a new game but get even more of a thrill when I realize that no one is covering it. I had to really think hard about the criteria for the awards this year, mainly because "indie" is quickly becoming one of those often hard-to-define words, alongside "MMORPG" and "free-to-play." Fortunately, I think I know it when I see it.

I kept my choices to games that I have actually played this year. I wanted to avoid games that appear to be really cool. If you want a more broad batch of prizes, check out Massively's best of awards. (Side note: I voted for Defiance as my game of the year.)

These awards are for games that are being created on a shoestring or independent of massive budgets. Some of them are connected to some money, of course, but instead of trying to define "indie," I will only repeat: You'll know it when you see it.

Continue reading Massively's Third Annual Frindie Awards

MassivelyMassively's Third Annual Frindie Awards originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    World of Warcraft survey asks, 'How much would you pay?'

    Posted: 01 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

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    There's a new survey floating around from Blizzard that's polling World of Warcraft players about how much they might be willing to pay for various features in the game.

    Among the topics covered is a new annual pass program, whether the Warlords of Draenor expansion should be sold for $39 or $49, and how much players might pay for a character upgrade to level 90. One such upgrade will be included in the upcoming expansion, but this survey strongly hints that Blizzard is looking to monetize the feature as well.

    Out of curiosity, how much would you pay for these features and what would you like to see included in an annual pass program?

    MassivelyWorld of Warcraft survey asks, 'How much would you pay?' originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    MMO Mechanics: Kill 10 rats can be fun!

    Posted: 01 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

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    MMO Mechanics title image
    Quests are increasingly an MMO enthusiast's bread and butter, often becoming the staple component of a game's typical serving of progressive content. Over the years, developers have tried to serve up this familiar progression mechanic in many different ways: The modern themepark MMO makes us fetch, carry, explore, and investigate our way to the endgame through countless quest types and story arcs. Among the varieties of quest on offer, kill quests seem to cause the most tears and tantrums amongst picky players. No matter what developers do, there just isn't much love for missions that send characters off with a shopping list of mundane creatures to crush.

    Kill quests have become so common that plenty of MMOs have cheekily referenced the "10 rats" trope by literally making us smash in some rodent skulls, but killing cute, twitchy-nosed creatures is not the real problem. It's the uninspired kill list mechanic that often incites complaints of developer laziness, an argument that I don't think is justified. Kill quests exist to hone your skills through repetition, but they don't have to feel like an arduous grinding task and are actually a very useful mechanic for game designers.

    In this week's MMO Mechanics, I stand up for the unloved stepchild of questing; I'll show you that killing a list of creatures can be both contextually engaging and mechanistically interesting, depending on how it's presented.

    Continue reading MMO Mechanics: Kill 10 rats can be fun!

    MassivelyMMO Mechanics: Kill 10 rats can be fun! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Leaderboard: What was the best year for MMOs?

      Posted: 01 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

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      1897 calendar
      So, it's like, 2014. Happy New Year or something. Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the MMO genre's more notable years. Maybe you're partial to 1999, since it gave us Asheron's Call and EverQuest. How about 2001, which introduced Anarchy Online, World War II Online (now known as Battleground: Europe), and Dark Age of Camelot?

      Don't forget 2003, which featured the launches of Star Wars: Galaxies, EVE Online, PlanetSide, Shadowbane, and A Tale in the Desert, just to name a few. Oh, OK, we probably shouldn't forget 2004 either, since it brought us World of Warcraft, EverQuest II, and City of Heroes.

      My point is, there are plenty of choices when it comes to picking great MMO years. What about the best year in terms of MMO launches, though? Vote after the cut!

      Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

      Continue reading Leaderboard: What was the best year for MMOs?

      MassivelyLeaderboard: What was the best year for MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Daily Grind: Are you a creature of habit?

        Posted: 01 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

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        DAoC
        To some extent, I think that most of us are creatures of habit when it comes to our lives and our gaming. We go through an experimental phase, we learn over time what works for us, and then we settle down into a comfortable routine from then on. There's a reason why adults tend to stick with the same haircut after age 28, kids.

        Speaking for myself, I definitely have my comfort zones in MMOs. I prefer theme parks over sandboxes, I like hybrid and pet classes most of all, I almost always go with a short race if given the option, and I am quite happy soloing most of the time. But lately I've been trying to challenge myself to try new things, to go through a new experimental phase, and see what I might be missing. I'm giving myself permission to break the habits and enjoy new flavors and new vistas.

        I'm curious today if there are any others out there that recognize the comfortable routines and choices they've established, and if, like me, you've decided to venture outside of the bubble to lands you've long rejected.

        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: Are you a creature of habit? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jan 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Stream Team: Send off 2013 with a clean sweep of High Keep in EQII

          Posted: 31 Dec 2013 04:00 PM PST

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          Before the new year settles in, there's one thing Massively's MJ has to do -- give EverQuest II's High Keep a good scrubbing! Those goblins have really made such a mess of the place, and who wants to start the new year tripping over dishes, giant pigs, and dead bodies? The party starts at 7:00 p.m., so join us and say goodbye to 2013 in true EverQuest Two-sday style!

          Game: EverQuest II
          Host: MJ Guthrie
          Date: Tuesday, December 31st, 2013
          Time: 7:00 p.m. EST

          Enjoy our Steam Team video below.

          Continue reading The Stream Team: Send off 2013 with a clean sweep of High Keep in EQII

          MassivelyThe Stream Team: Send off 2013 with a clean sweep of High Keep in EQII originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Dec 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Jukebox Heroes: Reader request 3

            Posted: 31 Dec 2013 02:00 PM PST

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            jukebox heroes
            Since it's our very last Jukebox Heroes column of the year on the very last day of the year, I thought it would be most appropriate to open up the reader request lines once again and feature MMO tunes that are your favorites. If you'd like to put in your own request for the next time I run one of these columns, please list your favorite MMO music track in the comments along with an explanation as to what you love about it!

            So check out what your fellow soundtrackophiles appreciate and stay tuned for a totally rockin' 2014!

            Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Reader request 3

            MassivelyJukebox Heroes: Reader request 3 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Dec 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              The Soapbox: My MMO resolutions

              Posted: 31 Dec 2013 11:00 AM PST

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              The Elder Scrolls Online
              Today is the last day of 2013, a long year of extended betas, early access pre-purchases, and soft launch nonsense. The release slate for 2014, however, brings slightly more excitement. 2014 is the year we'll (hopefully) first set foot into Elder Scrolls Online, EverQuest Next Landmark, Destiny, Star Citizen, WildStar, and more. It's the year in which a record number of MMOs will go live on consoles. And most importantly, it's likely the year in which consumers will decide whether the traditional MMO is dead or just in need of a good kick in the pants.

              Ordinarily I'm not the type to make New Year's resolutions. It seems arbitrary to hang important life changes on a date on the calendar. But the end of the year does bring a nice opportunity to look back on my gaming habits over the last 12 months and provides me with an opportunity to draft a list of things I'd like to do better moving forward. 2014 will be an MMO year like no other, so perhaps it warrants a few adjustments in behavior.

              With that in mind, these are my 2014 MMO resolutions.

              Continue reading The Soapbox: My MMO resolutions

              MassivelyThe Soapbox: My MMO resolutions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Dec 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                Hyperspace Beacon: The rest of SWTOR's year-end report

                Posted: 31 Dec 2013 10:00 AM PST

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                Hyperspace Beacon: The rest of SWTOR's year-end report
                The end of the year is nigh, and as I promised, I will give you my final thoughts on Star Wars: The Old Republic and its achievements for 2013. I wanted my assessment to be based on something other than squishy feelings. Of course, opinions are extremely subjective, but that doesn't mean they cannot be based on something a bit more substantial. In July, I created a mid-term report card for SWTOR using Dr. Richard Battle's studies as the starting point. Bartle's study allowed me to step out of my normal playstyle and observe the game from the standpoint of different types of MMO players.

                Some players find discovery and exploration to be the most important part of an MMO. Others want to achieve the highest scores or defeat the biggest bosses. Some want to prove that they are better than other players in direct combat, and yet other players want to use the game as an interactive chatroom or work with a group to achieve a goal. Few people fall neatly into one category or other, but nearly everyone will have a dominant motivation.

                A couple of weeks ago, I graded the game based on the perspective of Bartle's Killer type, giving SWTOR a C- in the category. Because of Galactic Starfighter and 4v4 arenas, I raised the grade from the F I gave it during the mid-term report. I gave the game an A- for Achievers, B for Explorers, and C for the Socializer earlier this year. Has SWTOR been able to raise its grade in these other categories?

                Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The rest of SWTOR's year-end report

                MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The rest of SWTOR's year-end report originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Dec 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  MMORPG News

                  MMORPG News


                  General: A Few Wishes For 2014

                  Posted: 30 Dec 2013 01:43 PM PST

                  A Few Wishes For 2014

                  With 2014 a few short hours away, it's time for our annual speculation about the coming year. The Free Zone today looks ahead at 2014 and offers a few thoughts about what we'd like to see. Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments.

                  General: McQuaid Makes Us Wonder: Who Is that Burly Man?

                  Posted: 31 Dec 2013 09:53 AM PST

                  McQuaid Makes Us Wonder: Who Is that Burly Man?

                  Brad McQuaid is gearing up for January's revelation of the new game he is working on. To get fans in a frothy frenzy, McQuaid has released a piece of artwork of a burly blue-eyed man. Any thoughts?

                  Elder Scrolls Online: Three Ingredients for Late Nights in ESO

                  Posted: 30 Dec 2013 01:33 PM PST

                  Three Ingredients for Late Nights in ESO

                  Depth is an element of MMOs that players need to feel immersed and involved in their game of choice. In our latest Elder Scrolls Online column, we take a look at depth in Zenimax' game and much more. Read on!

                  General: The Most Wanted MMOs of 2014

                  Posted: 30 Dec 2013 07:15 AM PST

                  The Most Wanted MMOs of 2014

                  In this week's List, we're doing the obvious... ranking our staff's top ten Most Wanted MMOs of 2014. The new year is just a day away, so it's time we took stock of the ten games, expansions, and so forth we're most looking forward to in the next twelve months. So tarry no more, read on, and dig our list of the Most Wanted MMOs for 2014.

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