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Chrome beta helps you find offline-friendly files in web apps
Sophisticated web apps can make videos and other files available offline, but finding that media is tricky if the website doesn't give you an easy way to find it. Soon, though, that search might be trivial. Google has released a Chrome 80 beta whose centerpiece is a Content Indexing framework that lets progressive web apps list all their offline-capable content. You could find a must-have photo or report without wading through pages to get it. The framework is just in an an "origin trial" phase between now and Chrome 82, but relief is in sight.
Will a Veteran's Edition join WoW's free to play ranks? UPDATED
Update: We've gotten an official announcement from Blizzard saying that Veteran Edition is coming with patch 6.1 as a way for players who have ever had a subscription to log on, chat (with restrictions) and play (also with restrictions) even after their subscription has lapsed. This version of the game will have all of the restrictions the Starter Edition has, but let you check in with the game (and your friends) without paying for subscription time. Original post: Since the patch 6.1 files well and thoroughly datamined, another rumor about free to play WoW has started making the rounds. Hidden in the patch data is a new account type called Veteran Edition which is set up to have similar restrictions to the Starter Edition, in which you can play for free up to level 20. However, just what those restrictions are aren't yet defined: all we know now is that there are new strings in the patch file that refer to a Veteran Edition. Though there are plenty of military personal who play and love World of Warcraft, we really can't say what this Veteran Edition is -- but if it gave military or veterans a chance to revisit WoW that only seems like a good thing. However, it might yet turn out to be nothing at all... or just an idea that wound up in the patch files that may vanish by the next PTR release. Though Blizzard has expanded the game's microtransactions, sparking rumors that WoW itself would be going free to play, Blizzard has said before that there are no plans to make the game free to play. So even if we do get a Veteran Edition, it's probably not a segue towards a free to play game -- but we're definitely curious as to where this is headed. [Via Cnet]
Has the free-to-play bubble burst?
Richard Bartle isn't alone in thinking the free-to-play bubble is soon to burst. Talking at this week's Develop Conference in Brighton, UK, three mobile game designers with an expertise in free-to-play discussed the negative direction that F2P titles are headed and why that may be coming to an end. "I would rather have 10,000 people who play my game for two years, than a million people who only play for a short time," Matthew Wiggins of mobile studio Jiggery Pokery states. The discussion, as reported by Gamasutra, focused on the unsavory practices of quick in-and-out publishers who were only out to make gobs of cash as quickly as possible. But one industry vet thinks that the F2P bubble has burst. "I think we're moving away from the aggressive initial monetization," CSR Racing studio boss Jason Avent says. "Those people who love your game are happy to pay for it. It's getting people into that longer game... We need to move away from exploiting a small number of people, and instead work to make lots of people stick around."
New Dungeons & Dragons Online video interviews Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood
Earlier this month, Turbine announced that it would be partnering with Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons and Dragons pen-and-paper game, to bring his classic module Haunted Halls of the Eveningstar into the world of Dungeons and Dragons Online. Today, Turbine released a new video wherein Community Specialist Jerry Snook sits down with Greenwood himself to discuss the process of bringing his beloved tabletop adventure into the digital realm of DDO. During the interview, Greenwood details the obvious challenges of translating an adventure written for the pen-and-paper game, wherein players have nearly limitless ways of interacting with the world, to its MMORPG incarnation, which is decidedly more limited in its possibilities. Greenwood also speaks a bit about the content that was cut from the original pen-and-paper module, originally written as an entire campaign before being whittled down to a single dungeon, and how the digital remake gave him the opportunity to work in some of that lost material. It's certainly worth a watch, if only to hear a Dungeons and Dragons legend's thoughts on his time in the business and the future of D&D in the digital space.
RIFT announces account-wide premium mounts
Mount aficionados of Telara have reason to celebrate, as Trion Worlds has announced that RIFT's premium mounts are available account-wide. Now, all of a player's premium mounts will be available to every character on his account, regardless of which character acquired the mount in the first place. Trion has also announced that all premium mounts will be 25 percent off in the game's shop from today, February 21st, until February 23rd. For the full list of account-wide mounts, plus some notes on other features introduced in the game's latest patch, check out the full post on RIFT's official site.
Wakfu announces plans for crafting revamp
Ankama Games' quirky, cel-shaded, turn-based title Wakfu is tearing down its old crafting system and rebuilding it into something totally new. While the dev blog on the topic makes it clear that the final version of the crafting revamp is still subject to many changes, the basic idea behind it is to recreate crafting as a time-based system in which players assign crafting tasks to their (NPC) workers, with each task taking a variable amount of time to complete. Players can continue their adventures as usual while their workers complete a task, so there's no need to park your character and go make a sandwich while he crafts. Each crafting task occupies a craft slot, with each character beginning their crafting career with a single slot. Players can unlock additional task slots (allowing more crafting tasks to be completed simultaneously) by completing crafting achievements, up to a maximum of nine slots. In addition to this new crafting system, the revamp will also introduce a contract system that will allow buyers to place orders with their crafters of choice, complete with the tools for price negotiation and the ability for buyers to supply the required materials to the crafters. When a contract is completed, the item is delivered directly to the buyer's inventory upon its completion, making for a hassle-free shopping experience. All the finer details on Wakfu's proposed crafting revamp can be found in the full dev blog on the game's official site. [Thanks to Avaera for the tip!]
Mabinogi update introduces Doki Doki Island, Valentine's Day events
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Nexon America has announced a new update to its free-to-play title Mabinogi that will add the romantic Doki Doki Island to the game. The new area will also introduce the Soulmate system, which makes romance more of a game than it already is. On the island, players can "create a profile" by talking to the Matchmaker, who will then match them with their "soulmate." Side-by-side, players and their soulmates can "explore charming landmarks such as the Harmony Torch in the town square and participate in events to accumulate Romantic Points." When enough Romantic Points have been earned, soulmates gain the ability to fly, presumably through the power of love or something equally inspirational. Aside from hanging out with their hopefully-not-axe-murderer soulmates, players can also take part in a variety of new minigames and daily quests centered around Doki Doki Island or scour the beaches for cat's eye gems that can be exchanged for items such as an exclusive armor set. To top it all off, beginning on February 26th players will be able to celebrate their newfound powers of flight by taking part in the Seize the Skies event, which will allow players to test their aeronautical prowess against one another in competitions for prizes and bragging rights. If this romantic getaway sounds up your alley, you can join the fun over at Mabinogi's official site. [Source: Nexon America press release]
Heroes of the Storm client screenshots and character list leaked
Blizzard's upcoming universe mash-up MOBA, Heroes of the Storm, has sprung a bit of a leak as screenshots of the game client's login screen and option menus have hit the internet along with a list of the game's playable characters. Massively's sister site WoW Insider reports that many of the playable heroes on the list have been public knowledge for some time now, but there are still a few new contenders, including Warcraft's Muradin Bronzebeard and Zeratul, Tychus, and Sgt. Hammer of Starcraft fame. And while the leaked screenshots aren't particularly interesting since they only display your standard array of PC game options, WoW Insider notes that the more exciting implication behind the screenshots is that the game's beta may be coming soon, though it's worth noting that the screenshots are watermarked as alpha. We'll just have to wait and see about that, but if you need a quick Heroes of the Storm fix, you can check out the full character list, complete with stats and descriptions, at the link below.
Why I Play: Neverwinter
I have to say that for all of my yapping about needing to play MMOs that allow me to freely roam and to explore a virtual world and live a virtual life, I sure am a fan of linear themeparks. Who isn't? In fact, show me someone who now claims to be the enemy of all things themed, and I'll show you someone who at some point enjoyed the benefits of a good themepark, most likely World of Warcraft. I'm not sure why there's any shame in admitting that one enjoys a good romp through a virtual storybook, but I sure do. In fact, I often depend on it in order to get me over lazy sandbox slumps. Neverwinter is one of my favorite themeparks out there. There are quite a few reasons it works so well, many of them obvious. I'd like also to point out some of the reasons Neverwinter might work so well for certain types of players.
RIFT announces Dream Weaver patch date, introduces new Budgie mounts
Telarans anxiously awaiting the next RIFT update won't have to wait much longer because Trion Worlds has announced that patch 2.6, Dream Weaver, will go live on February 12th. The update brings with it a slew of new features, perhaps the most notable of which is an entirely new crafting class: the titular Dream Weaver. The Dream Weaver tradeskill allows players to craft keys for 15 new dimensions and create a number of lighting and particle effects that can be used to add a little pizzaz to your dimension. The update will also kick off a new Air Saga storyline that takes players back in time to relive the story of Crucia, the dragon goddess of air, and will see the addition of the new bounty system, new combat pet skins, and unstable artifact sets. But if you just can't wait one week to get your RIFT fix, perhaps you could pass the time trying to acquire an adorable new mount, the Frosty Budgie. Until February 11th, players can compete in daily Budgie races in Silverwood (for Guardians), Freemarch (for Defiant), Pelladane, and Cape Jule. Completing all three races will earn an achievement and a Budgie Trove, which has a chance to contain the rare Frosty Budgie. Players can also complete new daily quests in the aforementioned zones to earn bird seed, which can be used to purchase the new Ashen Budgie mount. For players who absolutely must have these new mounts can purchase additional bird seed and Budgie Troves via the in-game cash shop.
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Free for All: Thoughts on SOE's mass MMO sunset
Sony Online Entertainment recently announced the upcoming closure of not one or two but four of its titles. Those titles are Free Realms, Clone Wars Adventures, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and Wizardry Online. The announcement hit most of us pretty hard, even those who weren't active or interested players. Four titles just feels much more like a move of desperation than one or even two games. And for players like yours truly, MMOs like Free Realms and especially Vanguard hold a very special place in our hearts. Having said that, I will never wager solely on perception. It's my guess that SOE does indeed know what it is doing and that some of this is due to licensing issues, new games from similar developers, or an attempt to streamline an already fat lineup in order to get ready for one or two massive new titles. In other words, there is no conspiracy. It's most likely that this decision was due to boring old business. I decided to break down what each game meant to me in the hopes that the confessional will get me ready for the upcoming sunsets. Here's to hoping.
Free for All: My three favorite MMOFPS games have a shoot-out
I love a good MMOFPS or MMOTPS. A good one. Currently, I have three favorites: PlanetSide 2, Defiance, and Firefall. I have enjoyed other shooters in the past, games like Mechwarrior Online and APB: Reloaded and even a handful of standalone titles. There's something in a shooter that satisfies on a primitive level, some sort of textural quality that when done right can generate a good gaming session of zoned-out, open-mouthed pleasure. There's something even cooler about a multiplayer version of the same genre. I don't mind killing baddies alone, but blasting the face off of a monster is a lot more fun with dozens of other players around. As you can see, I have a problem. Let's forget the fact that I play way too many MMOs as it is because between these three games I can easily kill a weekend and leave no room for games that I need to write about. That means I need to pick a favorite. Let this be a shootout to determine which MMOFPS will be my home. My awesome, loud, deadly home. I've nominated three categories and will pick a winner for each. May the best shooter win!
First impressions of Archeblade
Archeblade is a new action-based, arena-based, multiplayer game by Codebrush games. I've been told that fans who enjoy fighting games like Street Fighter or MOBAs should enjoy this title. Even though I'm not a huge fan of these genres, I enjoyed the game more than I thought I would, but what it offers is not that surprising or unique. Players will find mostly standard gameplay in Archeblade. There are a dozen or more characters to choose from, each one offering a unique way to play inside the sometimes claustrophobic maps. Each character has a basic attack on his left mouse button and special attack on his right and will build up rage as he fights and take damage. Once the rage meter fills up, a special attack can be released; the special attacks range from valuable heals to damage buffs. And as is often the case in MOBA-styled games, the large number of character types does not stop the usual character roles from being featured. Players can choose to melee, assassinate, or kill from a range.
The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot traps you for hours of fun
It might sound like a bad thing, but my favorite part of playing Ubisoft's The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot is logging into the game. I just love it when I get past the loading screen that warns "closed beta" to see who has attacked my castle and how the attackers fared during the attempt. Usually they have just blown past my defenses and humiliated me, but thanks to a wonderful replay feature, I can see exactly where my castle is at its weakest and can adjust accordingly. Every player in the game gets a castle like mine. They're all floating in the sky, chock-full of riches that are up for grabs as long as the attacking player can get past the castle's defenses. The gameplay is nothing really new. We have been playing castle defense or action-based puzzlers for a long time, but The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot delivers everything in such a polished, unique-looking package that it gets props for being unique. There's much more to the game, but you'll have to get past my glue traps to read the details!
Free for All: Two weeks on a private Infestation server
I remember when I first laid eyes on Infestation: Survivor Stories. It was GDC Online in 2012, and I did an interview with Alex Josef, Hammperpoint's PR consultant We made a quick trip to the press room, where he popped out a large gaming laptop to show me the game. I was really impressed with how simple its premise was: You're dropped in the middle of the wilderness, there are zombies all around, and you can starve to death. It felt great, as well, sporting realistic lighting effects and systems to simulate hunger, thirst, and sound. So much has happened since that first meeting. I am very, very aware of all of the drama concerning the developers -- the name changes, the patches, the community issues, and so on. I am not writing this to discuss that part of the story. My specific goal over the last couple of weeks was to see whether playing on a private, paid-for server would give me a different experience than Massively's Mike Foster's. During his time with the game at launch he was, to put it mildly, miserable.
First impressions of Heroes of the Obelisk
Heroes of the Obelisk might look familiar, probably because its developers are the same folks who brought us Luna Online and Legend of Edda. I really enjoy its art style, one that puts us in control of Chibi-style, juvenile characters. The backgrounds are pretty, and there are some nice modern bells and whistles like distance blur and glow effects. As is normally the case with an Anime-based game that comes to us from the East, the game looks like a carbon copy of other titles, at least at first glance. The details make all of the difference, however, and there are a few things in this title that manage to just barely keep it out of "clone" territory. I do take issue with the fact that the developers refer to it as a hack-and-slash title, though. Heroes of the Obelisk is not what you think of when you think of action combat. Games like Vindictus, Neverwinter, and Dungeons and Dragons Online are action-based gaming. Heroes of the Obelisk is standard, class-based, hotbar-mashing combat.
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PlanetSide vs. PlanetSide 2: The key differences
If you're a PlanetSide player who has been around since the beginning, I don't need to explain the differences between the original and its follow-up, PlanetSide 2. But if you're an old-school player who has never touched the second version, a new-school player who's never played the original, or a player who's brand-new to the universe completely, then this article about the PlanetSide duo and what sets the two games apart is for you. The first and most important difference is each game's population. I am not exaggerating when I say that the original PlanetSide is today merely a shell of its former self. I tried on several occasions to find a fight to join and was only once able to locate a tiny battle in one small corner of the world. That's something to keep in mind if you give the elder game a deeper look.
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Seven zombie-infested MMOs for the survivalist in you
Let's talk zombies and post-apocalyptic futures. Sure, the undead have become an overused and watered-down genre, but it's easy to see just why it's so successful -- it practically has something for everyone. The horror fans love it for obvious reasons; there's nothing scarier than the reanimated dead. Sandbox fans and survivalist maniacs love that it represents what happens to society when everything -- and I mean everything -- breaks down. MMO fans adore it because it's all about teamwork and developing a society from the ground up alongside other people. So even though the genre is getting spread a bit thin, it's still as promising as any other. I thought it'd be a good idea to round up many of the current zombie MMOs and pseudo-MMOs so that over the holidays you can celebrate by ignoring your family to bash in a few previously deceased skulls. You can thank me later when all of the training you receive while playing these games helps you survive the coming zombie apocalypse.
Free for All: Why MMOs are still the greatest value in gaming
If you are the type of gamer who has access to a number of ways to game, then you probably do not need me to remind you that the hobby can be an expensive one. Consoles are becoming slicker, and the games they run are sure to go up in price, maybe someday soon close to $100 for a single game. A good gaming PC can still be an expensive thing to build and maintain especially as newer and better graphics cards and processors are introduced at a higher rate than we've ever seen before. Luckily, we have outlets like Steam that offer staggering sales and indie titles that can be bought for close to nothing. There's also the mobile market with its tens of thousands of games that can be played essentially for free. So while the prices at the highest end of technology go up, there are still plenty of places to get a cheap yet fulfilling gaming fix. Even with all of the deals out there, however, there is no better value than a modern MMO.
VLC 2.1 for iOS adds audio-only playback, streaming over FTP and UPnP
VLC returned to iOS with big upgrades like AirPlay and Dropbox integration, but it left out a few of the very valuable features we've seen in other media players. The app's new 2.1 update addresses several of those omissions in one fell swoop. VLC can now play audio-only files, and it will stream content from both UPnP devices and FTP servers. Even a few of the smaller additions could be quite useful for some viewers -- there's a video deinterlacing option, for example, as well as support for subtitles in non-Western languages. We're sure that VLC 2.1 won't please everyone, but iOS media lovers who held off on downloading 2.0 will want to give the update a closer look.
