MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News


Unlimited Ninja 15 into 1 Mega Server Merge

Posted:

Unlimited Ninja 15 into 1 Mega Server Merge


Ray Media had arranged to finish the server consolidation two weeks ago. After that, 15 servers have been merged into one server. Parts of player complained about this super server consolidation due to the level gaps.

Tree of Savior Dev Blog: Hidden Content and More Classes

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Tree of Savior Dev Blog: Hidden Content and More Classes


This week Tree of Savior dev blog#9 is ready, and IMC Games shows more interesting details in its Q&A. They anwsered questions most players concerned or were interested in, such as new classes, day - night system, hidden contents, marriage system etc.

Empire Z: How to Get Free VIP Status

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Empire Z: How to Get Free VIP Status


Empire Z is a game for fans of Game of War: Fire Age, who also happen to like zombies. Like many games of this type, you can get all kinds of VIP bonuses in the game, which include goodies such as free speed ups, speedy resource acquisition, troop attack and defense bonuses, and even more alliance missions. Read on to find out how to get VIP status for free!

First look of Dragon Slayer Alpha Test

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First look of Dragon Slayer Alpha Test


Developed by Taiwanese studio X-Legend Entertainment (Grand Fantasia, Eden Eternal, Aura Kingdom), Dragon Slayer is the latest online game being churned out. Currently in the Alpha phase in Taiwan, I managed to get hold of an account, thanks to my reliable ninja. Read on!

Raptorak's Review for New MMO ArcheAge

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Raptorak's Review for New MMO ArcheAge


ArcheAge is a MMORPG that is considered as "sandbox" game, in that it's not developers that design the in-game world, but rather the players. Players are able to plant their own trees, plants, grow their own animals.

Mabinogi Heroes KR Arisha Sexy New Video and Screenshots Released

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Mabinogi Heroes KR Arisha Sexy New Video and Screenshots Released


A new character video and images of Arisha was released. Her true looks were not shown, but apparently images and even a video of her was found by eager gamers, and picked up by Inven. Arisha is somewhat similar to a magic blade user, or rather a Witchblade.

Sonic Jump Fever: Guides and Cheats

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Sonic Jump Fever: Guides and Cheats


Catch the FEVER in an explosive race against the clock! Compete with Sonic and friends in high-speed bursts of vertical jumping mayhem. FREE and based on SEGA's hit Sonic Jump.

Maestia Online Aeria Games Look

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Maestia Online Aeria Games Look


Merc System is awesome! Allows you to rent a part if no one is around for a dungeon. Or you can call on friends you made in game. And they become NPC's to help you. This system is a lot of fun, it's almost a waste to be trapped in this game. Skills system is well designed and under used.

Hands-on Preview of Modern Combat 5: Blackout

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Hands-on Preview of Modern Combat 5: Blackout


AppSpy have posted a hands-on preview of this week's most-anticipated new release: gung-ho Gameloft game Modern Combat 5. The video covers the first level of the game, which features a shootout in Venice, a tussle with a helicopter, and a boat getaway down the city's famous canals.

Flappy Bird Developer Warns Against Developers Being Able to Repeat His Success

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Flappy Bird Developer Warns Against Developers Being Able to Repeat His Success


Flappy Bird developer Dong Nguyen was at the Gamelab 2014 conference that took place in Barcelona last month, and spent nearly an hour on a panel answering questions both from other guest speakers and those sitting in the audience. He discusses the game's notorious difficulty, and how it didn't originally start off as hard as it ended up being, but as Nguyen played his game and became better at it during development, he slowly increased the difficulty to compensate.

The Crew Closed Beta Is Now Live!

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The Crew Closed Beta Is Now Live!


Currently The Crew Closed Beta is ready for all players which will kick off through July 21 to July 25. The beta features quite many story missions. Covering the basic features of racing games such as go to destination, collect items and avoid chasing, the car is a weapon as well in The Crew Closed Beta.

Check Out the New Cards in Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas

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Check Out the New Cards in Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas


Blizzard has been constantly drizzling out new cards as they've teased the upcoming Hearthstone expansion Curse of Naxxramas, but with the first wing scheduled to open tomorrow, now is a great time to head over to their Facebook album where they've been continually adding new cards.

Weekly MMO Show Episode 32

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Weekly MMO Show Episode 32


A new look fresh games let's go. Welcome to the MMO Show. A series where I talk about the latest in MMO for the week. And have a little fun on the show. I'm trying to up the production value on everything I do now. So look forward to better quality videos, rather than faster released ones.

Continue reading Weekly MMO Show Episode 32.

Xeno Quest Beta Phase Will Begin at The End of July

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Xeno Quest Beta Phase Will Begin at The End of July


NGames announced that the open beta for fantasy mobile MMORPG, Xeno Quest, will be launched on July 30, 2014 for Android and July 31, 2014 for iOS.

World of Warcraft: Embersilk Cloth Farm Guide

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World of Warcraft: Embersilk Cloth Farm Guide


Making a little extra gold in WoW never hurts. Today we will have a look at an Embersilk Cloth farm guide, which can yield some nice cash, so without further ado, let's look at the farm spot:

Chroma Squad Devs Negotiate with Company over Copyright Issues

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Chroma Squad Devs Negotiate with Company over Copyright Issues


There's no denying the likeness between Behold Studios' Chroma Squad and the popular Power Rangers franchise, but does the similarity border on copyright infringement? Saban, the LA-based company who own the rights to Power Rangers in the West, think so.

MMOsite Morning Call: Weekly Cosplay Highlight [07.21]

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MMOsite Morning Call: Weekly Cosplay Highlight [07.21]


Morning, dear MMOsiters~ Here is your Weekly Cosplay Highlight show, and some cosplays of it are quite amazing and hot! I hope this morning call will bring you a different beginning of this fresh week.

MMORPG Reviews

MMORPG Reviews


Exclusive First Look at Bleach Online with Gameplay Commentary

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 04:10 AM PDT

We were granted the opportunity to check Bleach Online, which is based on the popular Manga series Bleach and currently in open beta testing. And, of course, we recorded a gameplay video for you to enjoy. This browser MMORPG allows players to meet and interact with a multitude of the characters from the original Manga […]

The post Exclusive First Look at Bleach Online with Gameplay Commentary appeared first on MMORPG Reviews.



General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Kingston Adds 960GB Capacity Option to SSDNow Series

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 12:07 PM PDT

Kingston V310 960GB SSDLargest capacity SSDNow drive to date

Kingston Technology today introduced the latest addition to its SSDNow V300 series, the V310. What's special about the V310 is that it's a 960GB SSD, the largest capacity available in Kingston's entire stable of SSDs (the second largest is 480GB, which is available in Kingston's HyperX 3K and V300 Series). The V310 also swaps the custom LSI controller found in the V300 Series for a Phison 3108 controller.

Capacity is the main selling point here, as the V310 won't break any speed records. Kingston rates the read and write speeds at 450MB/s, along with random 4k read and write performance of up to 40,000 IOPS and 20,000 IOPS, respectively. These are respectable, if not a tad underwhelming figures across the board.

"Since 2009, our V 'Value' series solid-state drives have delivered the best price to performance ratio as possible to enable consumers on a budget or entry-level users to experience the benefits of SSD technology. Our new V310 continues that along with providing the biggest capacity ever in a Kingston SSD," said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston. "SSDNow V310 with its large 960GB capacity is the perfect upgrade to an existing system as it improves boot speeds and application load times helping maximize one's computer investment."

The V310 will be available as a standalone drive as well as all-in-one upgrade kits for desktops and notebooks. While it's out of stock on Kingston's website, it appears that pricing will be in the neighborhood of $910.

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Graphics Porn (July 2014): Showcasing Screenshot Artist K-putt

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 11:26 AM PDT

Kputt Crysis 3

He's a hobbyist who's concerned with capturing the beauty of Crysis, Wolfenstein, Bioshock, and more

For some people, screenshots are just a way to capture a moment of hilarity, success, or good lighting. For others, screenshots are an emerging art form. K-putt falls into the second category and has built up a huge body of work that spans games of all genres. This month's installment of Graphics Porn delves into the expansive archives of the 23-year-old German moonlighting as a screenshot artist. 

He won't give his real name—and that's probably not the worst idea considering the influx of mass surveillance—, but he's happy to share some of his greatest screenshots of all time. K-putt traces his history as a screenshot artist back to a German-language forum where he uploaded what began as run-of-the-mill screencaps of gameplay. Everything changed when he first laid eyes on screenshots that weren't just about capturing a particularly satisfying headshot or ragdoll gone wrong—see some of his own examples below.

He transitioned to the, now defunct, Dead End Thrills group on Flickr and eventually the Dead End Thrills forum. It's a community dedicated to capturing the jaw-dropping, GPU-killing screenshots that we highlight with Graphics Porn. The site-wide guidelines provide some sense of the  lengths that these veritable artists go to ensure worthy results. Rules like: no HUDs, no 'jaggies', and even "Their art, your composition," define the nature of the game for these hobbyists. 

Despite some of the spectacular shots he's taken, K-putt is still running an AMD 7950 in his rig. The 2-year-old graphics card is supplemented by the substantially beefier Xeon 1230v3 and 8GB of RAM. He says that he's waiting for 16 nm GPUs or DX12-ready cards before he upgrades. 

Enough with the words, it's time to move onto the spectacular pictures that we've been talking about. Check out some of K-putt's best shots in the gallery below and comment with your favorites! Make sure to click through to the Flickr pages to see the images in their entire high-resolution goodness.

Whether you've been using Steam's nifty screenshots feature or simply print screening some beautiful wallpaper-worthy game moments, we want to be able to share your captured works of art with the world. If you think you can do better than the pictures submitted below, please email your screenshots to  mpcgraphicsporn@gmail.com so we can show them off. Make sure to include the name of the game, a title for the screenshot, and a description of what's happening on-screen.

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Microsoft Reportedly Plans to Dish Out Windows 8.1 Update 2 on August 12

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 11:24 AM PDT

WindowsThe final major update for Windows 8.1 is said to arrive on Patch Tuesday in August

Mark your calenders, folks, and be sure to use pencil instead of ink (unless it's erasable ink) -- a Russian website is reporting that Microsoft will release Windows 8.1 Update 2 on August 12, which is also next month's Patch Tuesday date. This is expected to be the last major update for Windows 8.1 before Microsoft switches gears to Windows 9, or Threshold as it's also been referred to.

Neowin first noticed the leaked information on PCPortal.org.ru, which posted what's supposed to be official Microsoft documentation. Though Neowin believes the information is authentic based on previous leaks, it has not been confirmed by Microsoft.

Microsoft has continually been adding features to Windows 8/8.1 in order to address customer complaints and widen its appeal to users who have stuck with XP and Windows 7. Early indications suggest that Windows 8.1 Update 2 will contain mostly minor updates, and if that's the case, it's unlikely to change the perception of users who've refused to upgrade up to this point.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit, WD Black 3TB Hard Drive, and More!

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 10:32 AM PDT

Microsoft Windows 7newegg logo

Top Deal:

We jumped off the hate train for Windows 8 a long time ago, and with the roll out of Windows 8.1, there's a lot to like about the OS. Nevertheless, we're not oblivious to the fact that plenty of people would rather watch Bachelorette marathon than stare at Windows 8.1 on their PCs. If you're one of them, then check out today's top deal for Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-Bit OEM for $125 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCPCWC24]). And don't worry about those XP programs -- you can run them in Windows XP Mode.

Other Deals:

Acer H6 27-inch 5ms HDMI IPS panel Widescreen LED Backlight Monitor for $200 with free shipping (normally $210 - use coupon code: [EMCPCWC27])

Logitech G602 Black 1 x Wheel USB RF Wireless 2500 dpi Gaming Mouse for $50 with free shipping

Corsair Flash Voyager GT 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $35 with free shipping (normally $40 - use coupon code: [EMCPCWC89])

WD Black Series 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $170 with free shipping (normally $190 - use coupon code: [EMCPCWC64])

 

GameStop Introduces Gift Card Exchange Program

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 09:50 AM PDT

GameStopTurn that Barnes & Noble gift card into a GameStop E-Card

You told Aunt Millie a hundred times that junior would love a GameStop gift card for his birthday, but instead, he had to feign happiness at receiving one for Pottery Barn. It's not quite the same, though it's not the end of junior's world, either. GameStop recently rolled out a gift card exchange program in which you can trade gift cards from nearly 100 retailers into a GameStop e-card.

The online program is powered by Cardpool and involves just a few easy steps. All you have to do is fill out your gift card information by selecting the retail store from a pull-down menu, enter in the number, and provide the pin (if it has one). Once the information gets verified, a GameStop e-gift card will be emailed to you.

"We've always been about providing our customers access to the best in gaming technology and providing value through our trade-in and preowned offerings," said Jon Haes, vice president, pre-owned merchandising at GameStop. "Through our partnership with Cardpool, GameStop is offering customers a new way to purchase the devices and games they enjoy playing. Offering our customers the unique ability to exchange other retailers' gift cards into GameStop e-gift cards, we are providing a way to get even more value from being a GameStop customer."

The e-gift cards can be redeemed at any of GameStop's more than 4,400 locations across the nation. If you want to try it out for yourself, head here.

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Verizon Cranks FiOS Upload Speed to Keep Pace with Downloads

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 09:25 AM PDT

Verizon FiOSUpload videos like a boss!

Depending on where you live and what Internet service provider (ISP) you're subscribed to, there's a high possibility that your download speed is massively faster than your allotted upload speed. Such is the way it typically goes, though not so on Verizon's FiOS network. Effectively immediately, existing and new Verizon FiOS residential customers will receive upload speeds that match their download speeds.

This is a free bump in uploads, and a well timed one, according to Verizon, which points out that customers are uploading more and more information to the cloud these days. From sharing videos and photos to video chatting and backing up big files, upload speed is becoming an important metric.

"Faster upload speeds means better sharing experiences," said Mike Ritter, Verizon's chief marketing officer for consumer and mass business. "All Internet sharing – whether videos, large photo files or gaming – starts with uploading. FiOS all-fiber-optic technology offers a unique opportunity to enhance our customers' Internet experience on a mass scale by increasing our upload speeds to equal to our industry-leading download speeds. As the Internet of Things becomes a reality, equal download and upload speeds will become essential."

Verizon's decision to upgrade its upstream speeds is backed by market research from IDC. According to IDC, more than 20 percent of U.S. broadband subscribers upload nearly as much content as they download. That figure is expected to balloon to 60 percent by 2017.

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Acer Skips Ahead of Samsung to Take the Chromebook Crown

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 08:16 AM PDT

Acer ChromebookNearly a third of Chromebook shipments belong to Acer

It may seem like a trivial thing to lead the Chromebook market when Windows-based PCs are so much more functional, but considering that three of the top five selling laptops on Amazon are Chromebooks, as well as five of the top 10, it's a potentially lucrative market to dominate. So in that regard, Acer should be pleased as punch that's it currently the top Chromebook player.

According to recent data by TrendForce, Chromebook shipments tallied 1.8 million in the second quarter of 2014. When the dust settled. Acer emerged on top with a 30 percent share of the Chromebook market, leapfrogging over Samsung for the first time, which itself settled into second place with a 24 percent share. Hewlett-Packard, a relative newcomer to the category, is in a close third place with a 21 percent share.

"Samsung used to be the top competitor in the Chromebook segment since 2013 but saw its spot drop in the second quarter due to high pricing for two new units that were released," TrendForce explains. "Meanwhile, other vendors had competitive pricing and released new units as well, which in turn provided consumers with a wider range of choices. Most notably that the release of Microsoft's US$249 unit has also decreased the attractiveness of the overall Chromebook market."

With Windows-based laptops coming down in price, the future of Chromebooks remains uncertain. Price has always been the primary appeal of Chromebooks, followed by data security for enterprises. However, Microsoft is lowering the price for certain Windows laptops from $249 to $199.

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Google Chrome: Draining Laptop Batteries Since At Least 2010

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 12:38 AM PDT

Low Battery WarningFirst discovered in 2010, battery-draining bug yet to be fixed

It seems Microsoft has quietly slipped into the habit of commissioning at least one study every year that compares the power-consumption habits of major web browsers and declares the latest version of the company's very own Internet Explorer to be the most power-efficient browser of them all. Although one can't take such comparisons seriously, there may be some truth to them after all, especially where the lackluster performance of Chrome is concerned.

There is a serious bug in Chrome that causes the browser to wake up the CPU as many as 1,000 times per second even when idle, thanks to the system clock tick rate being set to 1.00ms by Chrome. This is many times more than the 64 times per second usually observed with the Windows default clock tick rate of 15.625ms. Believe it or not, this bug has been known to Google for many years now but has yet to be addressed. According to a Chromium bug report, dated September 29, 2012 (the bug first surfaced in 2010), the issue boils down to there being "no system clock tick interval management."

The bug report also quotes Microsoft on this whole issue of the clock tick being decreased to 1ms: "If the system timer interval is decreased to less than the default, including when an application calls timeBeginPeriod with a resolution of 1 ms, the low-power idle states are ineffective at reducing system power consumption and system battery life suffers.System battery life can be reduced as much as 25 percent, depending on the hardware platform. This is because transitions to and from low-power states incur an energy cost. Therefore, entering and exiting low-power states without spending a minimum amount of time in the low-power states can be more costly than if the system simply remained in the high-power state."

Thankfully, Google is now trying to fix this issue and the bug has been assigned internally.

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Still Committed to Small-screen Windows Tablets, Lenovo Insists

Posted: 20 Jul 2014 11:44 PM PDT

Lenovo Miix 8

Company recently diverted ThinkPad 8 inventory meant for the States to other markets

On Thursday, a report quoting a Lenovo spokesman claimed that the Chinese PC vendor had decided to stop selling sub-10-inch tablets in the States "due to lack of interest" and was going to divert any remaining inventory of the ThinkPad 8, which debuted in January with a starting price of $449, to countries like Brazil, China, and Japan where demand for such 8-inch tablets continues to remain strong. The company has now issued a statement clarifying that the withdrawal of the ThinkPad 8 should not be construed as an exit from the market for sub-10-inch Windows tablets in the States.

"We will continue to bring new Windows devices to market across different screen sizes, including a new 8-inch tablet and 10-inch tablet coming this holiday," the company said in a press release Friday. "Our model mix changes as per customer demand, and although we are no longer selling ThinkPad 8 in the U.S., and we have sold out of Miix 8-inch, we are not getting out of the small-screen Windows tablet business as was reported by the media. In short, we will continue to sell both 8 and 10 inch Windows tablets in both the U.S. and non-U.S markets."

This means those contemplating buying a small-screen Windows tablet will have one less vendor to choose from for the foreseeable future — not an ideal situation considering there's not a lot to choose from anyway.

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Frustrated FiOS Subscriber’s Video Exposes Severity of Verizon's Netflix Throttling

Posted: 20 Jul 2014 09:26 PM PDT

Netflix Throttling by Verizon

New York-based Verizon user finds Netflix to be nearly 10x faster with a VPN than without it

Netflix and Verizon are now locked in a blame game over the sluggish performance of the former's video streaming service on the latter's network. This despite Netflix (grudgingly) agreeing to pay Verizon to ensure the smooth delivery of its streaming video content to the ISP's subscribers. Regardless of who's to blame, it's paying customers of both companies who are being made to suffer for no fault of theirs. One such end user caught in the crossfire, New York-based entrepreneur Colin Nederkoorn, posted a video exposing the severity of the issue. The video has since gone viral, having amassed over 400,000 views on YouTube.

The video shows a couple of Netflix streaming speed tests performed by Nederkoorn, first using nothing but his 75 Mbps Verizon FiOS connection and then using a VPN (VyprVPN to be precise). In the first instance, the results are truly awful, with Nederkoorn only managing 375 Kbps with "severe" buffering. Once he switches to a VPN, however, there is an almost 10x increase in streaming speed.

"It seems absurd to me that adding another hop via a VPN actually improves streaming speed," Nederkoorn wrote in a post on his blog. "Clearly it's not Netflix that doesn't have the capacity. It seems that Verizon are deliberately dragging their feet and failing to provide service that people have paid for [as is alleged to be the case by Netflix and Level 3, one of the Internet backbone providers contracted by the former to deliver its video content]. Verizon, tonight you made an enemy, and doing my own tests have proven (at least to me) that you're in the wrong here."

Please note, the results reflect the experience of one user and haven't been verified by us.

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MMO Updates

MMO Updates


WoW's Warlords of Draenor beta: The disappointment of garrisons

Posted: 21 Jul 2014 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

This house is not a home.
Once a player finishes the introductory quests for Warlords of Draenor, the Horde and Alliance gangs go in separate directions, and I had slightly higher hopes for the rest of my beta experience. The introduction was kind of a wash, a climactic third act delivered we'd been left out of the first two acts unless we'd read novels and participated in an event that's not yet live. But Shadowmoon Valley was where I could start seeing the pure promise of this expansion realized, the beautiful idea of a Draenor still filled with Draenei before the corruption and assault of the Horde, an alien landscape far from what was familiar on Azeroth. Not too far, of course, but just far enough to feel like we'd really come to a strange new place. And, of course, the first thing you do is unlock your Garrison.

If my first impression of the WoD beta, which I posted last week, was negative, then this is where it took a sharp nosedive into something resembling rage. But let me start off with a statement that might seem to make no sense, in this context: I've always been fine with housing never being a part of World of Warcraft.

Continue reading WoW's Warlords of Draenor beta: The disappointment of garrisons

MassivelyWoW's Warlords of Draenor beta: The disappointment of garrisons originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Bungie explains no cross-platform play for Destiny

    Posted: 21 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , ,

    Destiny
    As most new video games are striving for a cross-platform multiplayer experience, Bungie decided against it with Destiny. Sure, the game can be played on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles, but the studio feels that there are too many major disadvantages to allowing those consoles to battle against each other in the upcoming game.

    "I have a disadvantage sniping across the map because [my opponent with a next-gen console] is only two pixels on my screen and I'm four pixels on his," Bungie engineer Roger Wolfson told Digital Trends. "You see that in the world of PC gaming, where people are always racing to the best video card to give themselves the advantage."

    This is especially true when you consider the fact that the Xbox One version won't have 1080p resolution at the beta launch on July 23, but Bungie is still gunning for 1080p on all consoles for September's launch.

    MassivelyBungie explains no cross-platform play for Destiny originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    See the savage beasts of WoW's Shadowmoon Valley

    Posted: 21 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , , ,

    Blizzard released a dev blog on World of Warcraft's Shadowmoon Valley over the weekend, and it's filled with prose and images detailing the regions beasts. These include riverbeasts, podlings, elekk, and even "enormous sentient trees" that may give would-be lumber collectors a bit of pause.

    MassivelySee the savage beasts of WoW's Shadowmoon Valley originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Elite's expansions to include planetary landing, ship interiors

    Posted: 21 Jul 2014 07:00 AM PDT

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

    Frontier's latest newsletter for Elite: Dangerous talks post-launch plans for the sci-fi space sim sandbox. Launch is currently scheduled for sometime in Q4 of 2014, after which Frontier will continue to expand the game.

    "Major new features will include planetary landings and even walking around inside ships, stations, and planet surfaces," the firm says. Elite users with a lifetime expansion pass will get "all such significant expansions" at no extra charge. The LEP is currently packaged with the game's premium beta access or available separately via the Frontier store.

    [Thanks Peteris!]

    MassivelyElite's expansions to include planetary landing, ship interiors originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    The Daily Grind: Do you craft for fun?

    Posted: 21 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , ,

    Yesterday I spent an hour or so crafting a full set of gear and mods for one of my Star Wars: The Old Republic alts. I guess I could have farmed slightly better equipment in the lowbie flashpoints, but it would have taken longer and relied on the RNG gods, so it seemed more satisfying to hop on my main(s) and trick out the new guy with homemade armor mods, enhancements, stims, and weapons. Plus, I just like to make stuff, you know?

    What about you, Massively readers? Do you like MMO crafting enough to do it for fun?

    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: Do you craft for fun? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      MMO Week in Review: Crime and punishment in Elder Scrolls Online

      Posted: 20 Jul 2014 06:00 PM PDT

      Filed under: , ,

      ESO
      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.

      The Elder Scrolls Online enjoyed another big reveal week, this time from its throne at QuakeCon, as it launched on Steam and announced new zones as well as a new system for active world PvP and criminal justice that embraces players' compulsive kleptomania. Massively ESO expert Jef Reahard examined some of the proposed updates in his Tamriel Infinium column.

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

      Continue reading MMO Week in Review: Crime and punishment in Elder Scrolls Online

      MassivelyMMO Week in Review: Crime and punishment in Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        EVE Evolved: Stepping through the EVE Gate

        Posted: 20 Jul 2014 04:00 PM PDT

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

        EVE Evolved title image
        Though EVE Online is often lauded for its rich decade-long player history full of wars and complex political dealings, the NPC storyline and New Eden's ancient backstory have always held my fascination. I started playing in early 2004 after reading dozens of fiction chronicles and mock scientific articles on the EVE website that painted the picture of a real living universe where incredible things could happen. Sure enough, my first years of play were punctuated with compelling live events and storyline arcs like the Crielere research project that led to the development of cloaking devices, the theft of a Federation Navy titan by Serpentis pirates, and the Blood Raiders taking over Delve.

        CCP has frequently stated that its goal with EVE is to create the ultimate sci-fi simulator, and the core of a compelling sci-fi setting is a living universe that grows and changes. The best sci-fi TV shows are those with a constant cycle of revealing compelling mysteries and then solving them and of encountering escalating challenges to be overcome. EVE has done this extremely well a few times in its life, such as with the release of wormholes or when the Sansha incursions events were kicking off, and each time the concurrent player numbers have spiked. Guild Wars 2 has shown the power of an evolving living storyline to get people into the game and keep them actively playing in the long term, something that should be the norm for MMOs and that EVE Online could take much greater advantage of.

        In this edition of EVE Evolved, I look at some of the big NPC mysteries revealed in EVE Online's decade-long history and ask why they were abandoned and where they could go now.

        Continue reading EVE Evolved: Stepping through the EVE Gate

        MassivelyEVE Evolved: Stepping through the EVE Gate originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 20 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          MMORPG News

          MMORPG News


          General: 5 MMOs to Play with Non-MMO Players

          Posted: 19 Jul 2014 06:10 PM PDT

          5 MMOs to Play with Non-MMO Players

          By design, MMOs are more fun to play with your friends. Most of them encourage or even require grouping for a lot of the best and most rewarding content, which necessitates either being social in the game world, or coming into the experience with a pre-determined group of friends to play with. Sometimes though, it can be hard to find people. Whatever the case may be, every MMO player wishes X friend would play in their favorite virtual worlds with them.

          General: This Week's Live Stream Schedule

          Posted: 21 Jul 2014 05:31 AM PDT

          This Week

          We've published this week's live stream schedule for the MMORPG.com Live Stream Team. Check it out and be here at the appointed time to join in!

          General: Preview - Il-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

          Posted: 18 Jul 2014 01:16 PM PDT

          Preview - Il-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

          MMOs are among the most intimidating genres for entry-level gamers, second only perhaps, to flight simulators. Mash the two concepts together and you've got one heckuva scary-sounding game--well, not really, but that's the impression many people have--one the fanatic flyboys at 1C Game Studios are hoping to dispel with their new-player-focused flight sim, Il-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad.

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