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‘GTA: Online’ opens the doors to The Diamond Casino & Resort
The wait is over for GTA: Online's long-rumored "Vinewood Casino." The Diamond Casino & Resort opened its doors today. The "sprawling entertainment and luxury living complex" offers plenty to bet on, including roulette, blackjack and three card poker, plus slot machines and horse racing. And if gambling isn't your thing, you can always hangout in the infinity pool on the roof or customize your master penthouse.
You can now gamble while playing 'Frogger'
Konami has launched a version of Frogger that's suitable for gambling, which is now available to play in a casino. Frogger: Get Hoppin' is a skill-based title that enables players to wager money in exchange for testing their reflexes in the game. It's the first of its kind that's been authorized by Nevada's gambling commission in the hope of creating a new generation of gamblers.
The Daily Grind: Is in-game gambling fun?
Recently, Star Wars: The Old Republic released a new update that had, among other things, gambling minigames at an in-game casino. It's not the first MMO to add some sort of sanctioned gambling, although it made me wonder just how much demand there is for this sort of thing. On one hand, I'm all for adding more function and features to the game world, even if it's mostly cosmetic and fluffy. Or especially if it's cosmetic and fluffy. Immersion can't begin and end with combat; game worlds should feel alive in a multitude of ways. Plus, giving players more options during a game session is always something I can get behind. On the other hand, if I wanted to gamble online, aren't my needs already met elsewhere? Isn't this a lot of effort for a minigame that will probably get one or two plays from most people before being discarded? What do you think? Is in-game gambling 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!
Hyperspace Beacon: Beating the system in the new SWTOR event
I'm not a huge fan of gambling in general. "The house always wins" isn't a motto, it's the truth. But if you have fun while you're doing it, then it's fine that the house wins. However, I don't have fun playing most gambling games, especially the overly simplistic ones like slot machines. Some gambling establishments will claim to have the loosest slots in the business, but I can tell you that the slot machines in Club Vertigo and the Star Cluster Casino are not that loose. But there is a best way to play the game. On June 10th, Star Wars: The Old Republic launches Update 2.8: Spoils of War, and the casino event called the Festival of Splendor along with most of the patch already resides on the public test server. Over the last week or so, Voidmynx (a.k.a Laura Williams from Gamebreaker's The Republic and HSB Sci-Fi MMO Show) and I have tried multiple methods to beat the slots. And I believe we've found a decent one.
'Summer of SWTOR' plans updated
BioWare Senior Producer Bruce Maclean took to the forums today to give an updated plan for the "Summer of SWTOR" that's coming to an MMO near you and to a galaxy far, far away. The updated schedule for the next few months of the game are as follows: June 10th: Game Update 2.8 arrives with a playable Nar Shaddaa Casino, double PvP currency events, a double Starfighter currency event, an overhaul to groupfinder operations, a nightmare mode for Dread Palace, an update to the nightmare mode for Dread Fortress, two new starfighters, and various tweaks. June through August: BioWare will cycle through all of its major in-game events, one after another, between the launch of 2.8 and the arrival of 2.9. August 19th: Game Update 2.9, also known as the Galactic Strongholds expansion, will unlock for subscribers. This will include the Forged Alliances storyline. Maclean also teased that his team has "a lot of folks working on something very big for later this year that [he has] yet to give details on."
Open beta is in the cards for Kickstarted CasinoRPG
There are fantasy and sci-fi MMORPGs galore, but how many gambling ones have you come across? The answer is very few. Like, only one. But GoldFire Studios is here to change that: Successfully kickstarted in early 2013, CasinoRPG is ready to enter open beta after a year of development and closed testing. A free-to-play browser-based title, CasinoRPG combines roleplaying and city-building elements with gambling; players can take their virtual winnings from games like poker, blackjack, and slots and use them to create casino empires, design luxury apartments, and basically build and manage the cities within the game. Why an RPG? With the increased popularity of social casino gambling on various platforms, James Simpson, founder and CEO of GoldFire Studios, explained his project by saying, "Innovation has stalled, and we wanted to do something new." To get into beta, sign up on the official site. For a look at other projects in the crowdfunding arena, check out Make My MMO. [Source: GoldFire Studios press release]
Gambling MMO Dragon's Tale prepares for beta
Gambling? On the internet? Perish the thought! Or don't perish it, because eGenesis would like to invite you to give it a try. The maker of A Tale in the Desert announced that it will begin the beta for Dragon's Tale on July 12th. Dragon's Tale isn't your traditional internet casino, however. There are quests, leveling, a mentor system, and a political system similar to A Tale in the Desert. It looks as though there will be plenty of minigames that swing between luck and skill, including cow tipping, fishing, and maze running. Players can use credit cards and Bitcoins to gamble, and the client will be available on Windows, Linux, and OSX. Lead Designer Andrew Tepper hopes that Dragon's Tale will create a bonding experience between players: "The first thing that stuck me about online gambling today is that it's a pretty lonely experience, typically one player in a web browser, watching a 2-D slot machine. I've taken what I've learned in the last 15 years building MMOs and for the first time applied that to gambling. I've created an intensely social world where players can explore the game world together, share techniques, and rely on each other as they level up by completing gambling quests." [Source: eGenesis press release]
The Daily Grind: What's the sneakiest cash-shop trick in MMO land?
Casino chain Harrah's could teach MMO cash shops a thing or two. The casino famously employs a complicated system of tracking and metrics to estimate when precisely an individual losing player will walk away from a gambling game... and right before that predicted moment arrives, employees swoop in with complimentary food and free currency to encourage the loser to stick around (and lose more, of course). I don't know of any MMOs that use this exact trick, but they certainly could. An MMO could easily track how many mobs you're willing to kill for a drop or how many lockboxes you're willing to buy before you stop playing and stop buying altogether, then trigger a drop custom-tailored for you just to keep you around. The thought of it is a little creepy but not entirely unwelcome after all the Dragon Chests I've opened to no avail lately. That day is not yet upon us, so today, we're wondering just what is the sneakiest cash-shop trick in MMO land? 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!
ArcheAge player infiltrates casino, finds housing blueprint
Ready for some ArcheAge-style gambling? No, it's not lockboxes, but in-game casino gambling looks to be implemented on the game's Korean servers. An article on 2p.com has the details, which are somewhat premature since the author had to sneak into the closed facility via some crafty climbing and judicious use of glider wings. Inside he found a "spacious hall with lavish decoration" as well as slot machines and three types of exchange trophies, one of which was "obviously [a] blueprint of [a] house." If you're playing the Korean version of ArcheAge, you can check it out for yourself by following 2p.com's map which marks the location on the game's Fantasy Island. [Thanks Dengar!]
ESA raises $800K for charity at 'Nite to Unite' event
The Entertainment Software Association held its 15th annual "A Nite to Unite - For Kids" event in San Francisco last week, and we'd like to congratulate the ESA on raising over $800,000 at the event through the dinner, silent auction, and casino festivities. That money will go to the ESAF, a charity arm of the organization that has raised more than $12 million so far to provide resources and opportunities (many of them related to digital entertainment) to children around the country.At the gala, the ESA also honored Valve co-founder Gabe Newell with the 2012 ESA Champion Honoree award for "using his technological creativity in interactive entertainment to help teachers utilize new learning software and to develop critical problem-solving skills in students." Sounds like a real honor, and it's all in the name of a great cause. If that's what he got for helping teachers, though, what would they have given him for Half-Life 3?
Wings Over Atreia: Bringing Lady Luck to Aion
I had a thought... now, don't look at me like that! I do have them! And I share them in Wings Over Atreia often. I won't always attest to their relevance, but I won't discount their existence! Boy, show a few strands of insanity and... wait where were we? Oh yes! My thought. So this week, my mind kept drifting back to the Mega Kinah Millions lottery going on now. I knew I wanted to point the event out to you guys before it closed, but something else about it was nagging at the edges of my mind. My thoughts meandered from contemplating the dream of winning all that moolah to why is the Shugo wearing a tux?, took a detour around mmm cake! and then ended up at gambling in Aion. That's when the idea hit me: Why settle for just a short-term fling with chance when you could have an all-out gambling smorgasbord? Aion is ripe for it! It's not as if gambling isn't inherent in the game anyway, with every Daeva taking part in it daily. I mean, just look at the RNG! Simply put, gambling could be quite a benefit to Aion; among other things, it could be a viable non-grinding pastime that brings more Daevas into the game. So why not ask Lady Luck to take up permanent residence?
Google Maps for Android takes navigation indoors for France, helps find your way through Carrefour
Interior navigation with Google Maps for Android has usually been the province of only a handful of regions at best. But what about Provence? While the deal isn't all-encompassing, Google is now serving indoor maps for popular locations throughout France. Coverage starts with the major airports in Paris and Lyon, extending to include major nationwide stores like Carrefour and FNAC, shopping centers like the Carrousel du Louvre and museums like La Géode. All told, over 50 venues have signed onboard and should be enough for those moments when you're rushing to catch a connecting flight at Orly... or just want to find the salad dressings in aisle three.
AMD launches R-Series chip for next-gen casinos, surveillance systems, distractions
While others push for ever-smaller processors to power the so-called Internet of Things, AMD's new R-Series chips are designed to go the other way: upgrading devices that are already hooked up but that could benefit from more graphical whizz. These embedded processors have the same Piledriver and Radeon HD 7000 internals as their Trinity cousins, but they're intended for digital billboards, casino gaming, payment systems and other applications that need to present a pretty picture to the end-user. In addition to visuals, they can also use their built-in GPUs to speed up encryption / decryption and support parallel-processing tasks like medical imaging, multi-camera surveillance and, you know, serious stuff. A number of manufacturers have already adopted the new chips, but perhaps the only place you're likely to be aware that you're using one is if you happen to buy an R-Series equipped mini-ITX motherboard.
The Perfect Ten: The truth about lockboxes
Call them lockboxes, lootboxes, super packs, gift packs, treasure boxes, mystic chests, or Chupacabra's lunchpails, but these virtual boxes of mystery, fame, and fortune are all the rage in MMOs these days. Few studios have resisted the siren's call of such easy money, much to the dismay of many-a-gamer. The idea is that a game will dish out to players free locked treasure boxes that require purchased keys to open. The allure of the box's mystery prize is often too strong to resist, especially when there's the possibility of a huge reward inside. The result too often is strong buyer's remorse and studio glee. There's been a lot of conversation around lockboxes here on Massively, so I wanted to dedicate this week's Perfect Ten to dissecting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of these items for you.
Global Chat: Rose-colored glasses vs. realism edition
Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat! There's a lot of hype and excitement floating around the gaming world these days. Exciting titles are in various stages of development, and speculation is the name of the game. Titles still in development aren't the only source of excitement, though. Players love to talk up their favorite games and sometimes the industry in general. Some of our readers jumped in on various Massively stories this week with some slightly more down-to-earth thoughts -- not that this is bad! Follow along after the jump to see what some of our most astute readers of the week had to say.
Test Drive Unlimited 2's 'Casino' DLC trailer is for the lucky ones
When Test Drive Unlimited 2 launches early next year, players will be able to indulge in one of life's sweetest vices: Gambling. The launch day Casino DLC pack will give players another channel of income and unlockable cars -- provided they're as constantly lucky as the players in the trailer below.
EVE Evolved: Gambling away all your ISK
EVE Online is said to be a game in which you can do literally anything you set your mind to. It doesn't matter whether your ambition is to climb the alliance ranks, become the scourge of low-security space or even just fly around space telling jokes. If you can conceive of an idea that can be carried out in-game, it's probably a perfectly viable way to play the game. Over the years, players have come up with a number of unique and unconventional gameplay styles. Most of them began as ways for the pilots involved to make ISK or gain notoriety, but some were created just to see if it could be done. I've seen everything from player-run graveyards for the victims of piracy to players renting kill-boards for ISK, and yet the EVE community never ceases to amaze me with the new ways people find to play the game. The most recent development to blow me away is SOMER.blink, a website where players can gamble their ISK to win fabulous prizes. Gambling in EVE is nothing particularly new; players have been wagering ISK on everything from lotteries to hands of poker for a long time. What makes SOMER.blink special is its absolutely flawless execution. Almost everything is automated, from the transfer of ISK into your account balance to the prize lotteries themselves. The website itself is even accessible from outside EVE once ISK has been deposited in your wallet. I've spent hours so far blinking away on lotteries and losing quite a bit of ISK, but I'll be damned if it hasn't been fun. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look into the addictive phenomena of Somer.BLINK and try to explain where all my damn ISK went.
Sega receives poorly timed online gambling license
Here's a fun little slice of coincidence to brighten up your life: A pair of Australian researchers recently published a study that tracks the correlation between heavy video game use in teens and pathological gambling tendencies. Not 24 hours before this study -- which concluded that there was some connection between the two activities -- hit the blogosphere, Sega made an unfortunately-timed announcement: The company had secured an online gambling license from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, allowing it to run Sega-branded online casino games for real-life money. While some may weave these two stories into a tapestry of fear for our young, impressionable youths, we're honestly not that worried. After their first roughing up by professional loan shark Big the Cat, they'll likely shy away from games of chance altogether. [Thanks, Barry.]
AMD's ATI Radeon E4690 brings HD, DirectX 10.1 support to embedded GPU arena
AMD's newfangled ATI Radeon E4690 may not be the next Crysis killer, but it should do just fine in next-gen arcade and slot machines. All kidding aside (sort of...), this new embedded graphics set is said to triple the performance of AMD's prior offerings in the field, bringing with it 512MB of GDDR3 RAM, DirectX 10.1 / OpenGL 3.0 support and hardware acceleration of H.264 and VC-1 high-definition video. The 35mm chip also differentiates itself by integrating directly onto motherboards and taking on many of the tasks that are currently assigned to the CPU, but alas, it doesn't sound as if we'll be seeing this in any nettops / netbooks anytime soon ever. Video after the break.
The Queue: Casinos? In my WoW?
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.If you've been reading The Queue for awhile, you'd know that Adam Holisky and I were taking turns writing this thing each day, but he's been sparse lately. Before we get started today, I just wanted to stop and let you guys know that he's okay, he's alive, but the flooding in his hometown of Fargo has gotten pretty ridiculous. He's been documenting the Fargo Flood on his personal blog the whole way through, so if you're interested, give it a gander.If you have friends or family in the area, or simply want to lend a hand, Red Cross and the United Way have set up some resources for all of you to peruse as well. Keep the people of Fargo in your thoughts, folks. I'm sure having Blackhawks flying over your house loses its cool factor after awhile.Jack Spicer asked..."What's the best/easiest way to get starter gear for PvP at 80?"
