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SWTOR welcomes Collector's Edition arrivals and suffers credit farmers
It was the best of times in The Old Republic, it was the worst of times. Even though BioWare's freshman MMO has yet to officially launch, so-called "credit farmers" are already hard at work setting up operations to sell in-game currency via third party sources. Shacknews identified one company, IGXE, as spearheading the assault on SWTOR's economy, although that company certainly is not alone in attempting to bypass the EULA. On a brighter note, the Collector's Edition of the game has already shipped to many (but not all) customers, and Darth Hater has a massive 20-minute unboxing video to show off all of the physical goodies that come inside. If you're curious or are still waiting for your own CE to arrive, you can view the action-packed video after the jump.
CEATEC Japan 2011 wrap-up
Just 20 kilometers to the east of Tokyo at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, CEATEC is winding down, following a gadget-filled week where impressive prototypes appeared to outnumber consumer devices. Unlike IFA in Berlin, which is just as much for the public as it is for industry insiders, Japan's consumer electronics show gives manufacturers a chance to show off their prototypes and components to a smaller, mainly local audience. Many products announced here will never leave the country's shores, but can inspire future devices that will be marketed to a worldwide audience. Click through our gallery below for a broader look at the show, then jump past the break for a roundup of our CEATEC 2011 coverage. Arigatou gozaimashita!%Gallery-136037%Richard Lai contributed to this report.
We're live from CEATEC 2011!
From one messe to the next. We're on the ground at Japan's Makuhari Messe for CEATEC, on the hunt for robots, green tech, 3D, smartphones and a boatload of prototypes from every product category. The big news this week is obviously that mysterious smartphone we're expecting to see in Cupertino on Tuesday, but CEATEC is the highlight here in Tokyo, providing Japanese companies with an opportunity to shine on home soil, and giving us a sneak peek at what we can expect in the months and even years to come. We'll be bringing you hands-ons throughout the week, so use this link to stay on top of everything CEATEC.%Gallery-135523%
IFA 2011 wrap-up
As with the end of any massive and absolutely chaotic consumer electronics trade show, it's with mixed emotions that we pack up our gear and prepare to depart IFA. We hope you've enjoyed our countless news stories, hands-ons, and liveblogs -- all neatly organized just after the break (so you can count, if you really want). But now it's time to say goodbye to Berlin -- until next year, at least. We've also organized a small sampling of photos that didn't really have another home here, but should give you an idea of just how huge and diverse this show really is. Click on through to the gallery below, and jump past the break for a roundup of all our IFA 2011 coverage. Wiedersehen!%Gallery-132611%
We're live from IFA 2011!
Guten tag, Berlin! We'll be sending you live updates from the German capital all this week as we explore IFA, the country's absolutely monstrous consumer electronics trade show. This year, 3D, smartphones and Android tablets are all the rage, and we're expecting a generous spattering of product announcements in the days to come. So pack up the laptop, head over to your local biergarten and grab a brezel and brat as you sit back and enjoy the slew of hands-ons and liveblogs that'll be hitting the site later this week. And you may want to cancel those weekend plans as well -- we'll be posting gadgets directly from the show floor all day Friday and Saturday. Danke schön! Protip: Use our "ifa2011" tag to see this week's hottest IFA news!
The Daily Grind: What's the most you'd pay for a collector's edition?
So the year's most inescapable MMORPG has officially made it to the pre-order stage. Not only that, but BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic opus has also pulled the curtain back on its collector's edition treasure hoard (which will dent your wallet for the princely sum of $150.00). While both the in-game and real world goodies are quite appealing to Star Wars fans, the price tag is one of the most expensive in the history of MMOs. Today's Daily Grind is all about your reaction to said price tag. Are you going to shell out twice what a normal CE costs for SWTOR? If not, what's the most you'd pay for a collector's edition? 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!
Unboxing the RIFT Collector's Edition
Like hyperactive kids on Christmas morning, we've been tearing into our copies of RIFT's Collector's Edition with unbridled excitement. Although Trion Worlds has offered a variety of versions of the game, from the standard to the Digital Collector's Edition, we're most interested in checking out the many physical goodies that come with the deluxe CE. Included with the RIFT Collector's Edition is the game, various digital in-game items, 30 days of gameplay, a poster, mousepad, 8 gigabyte flash drive, soundtrack, reference card, and a 128-page full-color comic set in the game world of Telara. If you like what you see, it's not too late to pick up a copy of the CE -- which runs you $76.99 from Amazon -- and get in with tomorrow's head start launch. You can view all of the CE's wonders and treasures by checking out the gallery below:%Gallery-117421%
'Liberate' for the Zune HD unlocks hidden Windows CE potential
Sure, we just spent the last four or five years chiding Microsoft for its anachronistic Windows CE interface, a UI which was holding Windows Mobile back in a post-stylus world, but now that Windows Phone 7 is here we get to start feeling all nostalgic, right? The ongoing Liberate project for the Zune HD, which just hit version 1.5.1, strips away that flashy Zune veneer and boots the device to Microsoft's stock CE 6.0 copy of explorer.exe. Notably, the latest version adds an onscreen keyboard and better right click support. Folks are using the freedom of CE to run applications like Foxit Reader, Opera Mini and Pocket Word, and with support for GDI, DirectDraw, and OpenGL ES 2.0 there's hope of gaming ports as well. [Thanks, David R.]
Microsoft's 'Menlo' working towards a mobile future without Windows CE?
Since Courier's now a mystery unearthed -- and subsequently sent six feet under -- it looks like we need new secret Microsoft projects to pique our curiosity. Enter the ever-connected Mary Jo Foley with some investigative notes into "Menlo," which seems to be a future replacement of Windows CE "with Windows NT inside of mobile devices." The associated graphics platform would be "Experiment 19" (not quite as interesting a codename, we agree). Presumably heading up Menlo is Galen Hunt, a researcher from the Singular project, joined by other Microsoft brains Ruben Olinsky and (at least at some point) Kerry Hammil. It's always surprising how much info we can glean from LinkedIn, but we digress: Hunt's associated profile says Menlo "[combines] OS, UX, and applications research to explore the future of computing when mobiles becomes users primary PCs." Some bigger picture conjecture seems to center around Menlo having a Silverlight-based UI and boasting improved compatibility between itself and Windows desktop apps. Lots of food for thought, and if you're interested in what might come out of Redmond many, many years down the line, head on past the read link for all the juicy tech gossip.
Intel looking to 'deploy capital' on smartphone and other CE acquisitions
Say you're the world's largest producer of desktop processors, you've got a ton of cash ($16.3 billion to be exact) burning a hole in your pocket, and you're watching the entire mobile industry grow into a monster before your very eyes with virtually no skin in the game. Sure, you've got MeeGo and Moorestown up your sleeve -- but considering that they're distant underdogs with no global domination strategy (or product, for that matter) in sight, it might be time to play some hardball, yeah? CFO Stacy Smith commented this week that the company is "looking at what [it believes] can accelerate [its] progress" in the smartphone game -- and, more broadly, the consumer electronics game -- and that it "can and will deploy capital" if it sees something it likes, just as it did with its Wind River Systems buy last year. Intel has had shockingly little relevance in the race to dominate the pocket ever since it offloaded XScale to Marvell a few years back; is it time for these guys to embrace ARM again, or can they find a way to put x86 cores in devices that people like?
Unboxing the Star Trek Online Collector's Edition
Today, we launch into Star Trek Online! Our ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before. Well OK, not since beta, anyway. Still, it's always exciting to hold a shiny new MMO box in your hands -- made even nicer when you're a huge Star Trek fan and have managed to get your hands on the Collector's Edition. Curious as to what came in this shiny metallic box now that you've checked out all of our launch day coverage? Well, travel along with us as we put it into warp and set off for a gallery look in the package. %Gallery-84513%
First Skype HD webcams from In Store Solutions detailed
Remember those 720p-capable webcams we mentioned yesterday, specifically positioned to work with Skype HD? We've got the details courtesy of In Store Solutions, which is launching a trio of models, two of which are HD and feature integrated video compression chips, so less than cutting-edge machines should be able to get their high-def on (though a 1.8GHz, dual-core processor is still recommended). They are the Freetalk Talk-7170 HD Pro and the Talk-7181 HD Pro Plus, both offering 720p sensors and H.264 video compression, the latter also packing quad cardioid microphones with a four meter range. The former gets by with just stereo. An 800Kbps connection (both upload and download) is needed for HD streaming, so if you're stuck on low-tier DSL you may be more interested in the Freetalk HQ Talk-7140. No specific details were given for this one, but most "high quality" Skype cameras are 2 megapixels, and at a price of just $40 this looks to be the cheapest. No MSRP mentioned for the two HD models, but you can read all about them after the break.
The Daily Grind: Will you be picking up the Mortal Online CE?
When we heard about the all the goodies in the Mortal Online Collector's Edition - combined with the especially cool one that's up on eBay, with 100% of the proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders - we were pretty impressed. Not only are Star Vault starting off on a great foot PR-wise with their special charity auction, but it sounds like the extras in their CE version are pretty cool - at least, if you were planning on buying Mortal Online anyway! So if you're one of the hardcore PvP MMO fiends, is this on your list of things to get? Are you frustrated by the extremely short notice? Or are you psyched to finally get some details on it - and chomping at the bit to get into beta?
Video: Tegra-based Mobinnova élan running Windows CE rocks our world
To quote our Engadget Chinese editor, Andy Yang, "Tegra really rocks!" Our team in Taipei grabbed a video of the 8.9-inch Mobinova Elan in action and came away seriously impressed. NVIDIA is really pushing the HD playback and gaming capabilities of this Tegra-based netbook smartbook machine. In fact, we saw it running a 1080p trailer as smooth as silk. Now we know what you're thinking, Windows CE... ugh. Remember, CE (and Android for that matter) runs on the ARM-based Tegra whereas XP, Vista, and Windows 7 won't. Besides, NVIDIA was showing a custom UI with an OS X-like application launcher along the bottom. No word on price yet or availability but we'll update you when we've got more. Video after the break.
Unboxing the Mines of Moria Collector's Edition
In Sunday's The Daily Grind, we asked if you had purchased the Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Collector's Edition. Some of you said you did, while others of you said that you didn't see the sense in paying extra for physical items that would simply collect dust or sit in a box. While we're not here to push unwanted extras on anyone, we wanted to show our readers what all is included in this complete Collector's Edition box.Follow along through the unboxing gallery below for a piece-by-piece tour of the LotRO: Mines of Moria Collector's Edition box contents. Delve into the Mines >> %Gallery-37118%
Breakfast Topic: How are you buying Wrath of the Lich King?
In less than a week, at 12:01 AM on 11/13/08, Wrath of the Lich King will be available and (hopefully) live on the servers. If you, like many of us, are planning to get the expansion immediately, how are you going to get it? After all, there are so many options: Pre-Order for in-store pickup: You can pre-order your copy and then pick it up when it is available. This works great if you are going to a Midnight Launch or you just want to make sure it is available when you are able to get to the store. Pre-Order for delivery: You can pre-order your copy to be delivered to your door. Amazon even gives an option to have it delivered before midnight. Though if you want the Collector's Edition, you have to catch Amazon during one of the brief windows it is available. More options are after the break.
Halo Wars CE to include Halo 3 Mythic map pack
click to enlarge It seems Halo Wars is set to become the new Crackdown, with Microsoft enticing franchise fence sitters with goodies from Halo 3. The real-time strategy game set within Bungie's sprawling, hoop-filled universe will arrive this forthcoming February in both regular form and a Limited Collector's Edition. The latter should prove tempting even to those who prefer to see their aliens on the other side of a crosshair, as it will include early access to Halo 3's Mythic multiplayer map pack. The three maps, named "Assembly," "Orbital" and "Sandbox," join Halo Wars: Genesis, a graphic novel by Phil Noto, Graeme Devine and Eric Nylund; a "unique" in-game Wraith vehicle; six leader cards (they "possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle," it says here) and a "Spirit of Fire" patch, which your mom can sew onto your favorite jacket. Just be sure to pay her back the $79.99 as well.%Gallery-36281%
Win a WotLK CE from WoW Macros
Macros are awesome. I may not use them all that extensively, but the ones I have, I love. And I'm always on the lookout for more good macros to simplify my action bars. WoW Macros, a site that's been around quite a long time and has the laudable mission of listing handy macros for all classes, has just undergone a complete redesign, and they're having a contest to celebrate, with some pretty sweet Wrath-related prizes. Up for grabs are: One Wrath of the Lich King collector's edition Two regular copies of WotLK Three 60-day time cards As well as ten copies of Derek's WotLK Guide, a normally-paid Wrath leveling guide. If you want my opinion, though, just go for Jame's guides; they're free and very high-quality. Jame's guides will be released in the week ahead on WoW Pro.At any rate, there are some very cool prizes here. And what do you have to do to participate? Just head on over to the WoW Macros site and submit a new macro, or suggest an improvement to one that's already on the site (be sure to use a valid email). Every valid submission gives you a "ticket" to the contest, and shortly after midnight on November 12, the day before Wrath, sixteen winners will be drawn randomly and emailed. You can't win more than one prize, but submitting more macros does give you a greater chance to win something. Now get coding -- that collector's edition isn't going to win itself.
Ask A Beta Tester: Questions I wish we'd been asked
Here at WoW Insider sometimes we go a little nuts around big news events due to sleep deprivation or sensory overload in conjunction with large hits of caffeine. When that happens while we are writing "Ask A Beta Tester," occasionally we ask ourselves questions ("Why am I not in bed?") that we later realize might actually be useful.As Wrath of the Lich King's release date creeps up and the beta becomes more and more deserted (seriously: Dalaran is a ghost town these days, not that my computer's wheezing hardware doesn't appreciate it), I find myself turning to a few topics that readers generally never asked about, but wound up being game-defining experiences in the beta. By necessity, most of them are a little more general -- overall impressions, things you wouldn't necessarily think to ask about unless you were a fresh arrival in Northrend and noticed the differences -- but I've included a few specific things that I hope people will find interesting. Unlike --Why are you not in bed?What makes you think I'm not?
The Daily Grind: Do you buy Collector's Editions?
They're expensive and they're usually mostly useless, but they sure are popular anyway! Collector's Editions are a given for any major game release these days, and MMOs are no exception -- Age of Conan and Warhammer Online both had 'em, and even expansion packs get 'em in Wrath of the Lich King's case.Sometimes they just come with fancy boxes and art work or soundtrack CDs, while other times they come with in-game bonuses like free mounts. Sometimes they even let you play the game earlier. But they're awfully pricey -- what do you think, are they worth it? Have you bought Collector's Editions before, or do you plan to? Or are you perfectly happy forgoing the frills and just getting the basic box?
