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World of Warplanes teaches you how to do a canopy roll
When Peppy Hare's advice to do barrel rolls fails to get you out of tricky situations in the sky, then you need to turn to the real aviation experts. The devs over at World of Warplanes say that in the event of an enemy dogging your tail, the most effective move is actually a canopy roll. In a new video -- which we coincidentally have for you after the break -- you can get a quick lesson on how to perform the three varieties of canopy rolls and which fighter craft are best suited for such maneuvers.
The Daily Grind: Do you use Steam for your MMOs?
I've been feeling the urge to play World of Warplanes lately, and it surprised me to learn that Wargaming's F2P actioner isn't on Steam. Not only that, but neither is the firm's outrageously successful World of Tanks. I guess it makes sense, though, since WG has made a mint without Steam and there would seem to be little point in renting a storefront from Valve. Still, Steam has become my defacto PC game cataloging app, and it kind of rankles when a title I want to play isn't supported. What about you, Massively readers? Do you do all your MMO gaming or PC gaming in general via Steam? 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!
World of Warplanes celebrates a birthday
One year ago this week, Wargaming launched World of Warplanes. Now, the company is celebrating the game's first anniversary by giving you a free premium plane, special anniversary missions, and discounted premium bundles that include all manner of digital goodies.
War Thunder prepares to roll out Steel Generals
Do you enjoy being able to roll around on the ground in War Thunder while taking out anything on the business end of your tank's main guns? Good! The game's next update is giving you new ways to do just that. War Thunder: Steel Generals is due out by the end of the year and is aimed at spicing up the ground game with the addition of US military hardware to the game's lineup. How many pieces of hardware, exactly? Try 30 new tanks and AA units from the appropriate time period. It's exactly the sort of update that can appeal to players who like the game so far but feel it just doesn't feature quite enough tanks. No specific release date has yet been announced, but it's due out before the end of the year, so you won't have to wait long to get your US-based tank on. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release]
Researchers take a hint from birds to fight airplane turbulence
We've all been there: you're trying to catch a little shut-eye on a flight when boom, out of nowhere, the plane hits a rough patch and you're dramatically roused from your slumber. Thanks to researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, those rude awakenings just might become a thing of the past. Inspired by the way birds detect and adjust to shifts in wind and airflow using their feathers, the school's Unmanned Systems Research team cooked up a series of sensors they can attach to an (admittedly tiny) aircraft's wings. Here's the thing: as well as just measuring gusts of wind as they pass across the wing's leading edge, the sensors can pick up shifting air currents in front of the wing too before they have a chance to send planes a-tumblin' (naturally, they proceeded to patent the stuff just to be safe). In its current form the tech is best suited for keeping lightweight planes on the straight and narrow, but team supervisor Simon Watkins thinks it could easily be applied to bigger vehicles -- like maybe the shiny new 777 you board down the road.
World of Warplanes rolls out MiGs in update 1.6
Ready to fly some of the most iconic Soviet airplanes in history? World of Warplanes update 1.6 introduces the Soviety MiG line at Tier V and above, allowing players to take the controls of these historic crafts and use them in mid-air dogfights with other planes. There are also five new premium aircraft available in the game, offering another way to take to the skies with this patch. Aside from new vehicles, the patch also adds in a new multirole classification, placing some planes between fighters and heavy fighters. The net effect is creating planes that can use a more varied loadout and switch roles in battle more effectively. Map boundaries for the El Halluf location have also been extended, giving the update plenty of features for players to enjoy.
This live action War Thunder trailer looks pretty expensive
Gaijin Entertainment, the Russian studio behind War Thunder, has released a live action trailer commemorating the Eastern Front conflict between Russian and German forces during World War II. The clip, titled Victory is Ours, debuted at last weekend's Russian Comic Con. Fortunately you don't have to travel to Soviet Russia to view it, as we've embedded it just beyond the cut.
Engadget Daily: Windows 10 preview, the deal with vape modding and more!
Wondering what all the e-cig hullabaloo is about? Today, we take an in-depth look at the birth of vaporized nicotine and its growing, mod-addicted community. That's not all we have on deck though -- read on for our news highlights from the last 24 hours.
The Daily Grind: What did you accomplish in your games this weekend?
This past weekend I played a little Marvel Heroes, a lot of Space Engineers, a bit of War Thunder, and a few other things that I can't justify writing about on an MMO site. I gained some Storm levels in MH and got a few nice drops, but I had the most fun building up my outpost in SE and inviting a friend into my game to serve as my mining slave help me design and craft a few essentials. What about you, Massively readers? What did you accomplish in your MMOs or multiplayer games over the weekend? 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!
World of Warplanes' latest Flight School video talks team play
Wargaming has released the latest episode of its Flight School video series for World of Warplanes. The clip concentrates on crew assembly, aircraft class characteristics, and effective team communication during battles. Click past the cut to have a look!
Engineers develop damage-detecting 'skin' for airplanes
Modern aircraft require lots of ground checks to ensure they're safe to fly, but researchers at BAE Systems believe they've found new hi-tech way to minimize that down time. Using tens of thousands of micro-sensors, the aerospace giant has developed a new type of "smart skin" that can detect damage and report back health statistics to its operator. BAE says the experimental coating might sense wind speed, temperature, movement and strain in the same way that human skin detects and sends impulses back to the brain, reducing the need for personnel to make physical inspections on the ground. On top of that, maintenance crews could also replace parts before they become unsafe or inefficient. While its new smart skin is still very much in development, BAE reckons it can shrink its self-powered sensors down to the size of a grain of rice and then spray them onto new or existing aircraft like paint. Planes with feelings, it appears, won't just be limited to animated Disney films.
War Thunder aiming for 360-degree panoramic VR view with Project Morpheus
War Thunder's been on board the virtual reality train for a while now, given its compatibility with the Oculus Rift. Gaijin isn't stopping there, though, according to a new website posting that touts War Thunder on Sony's PlayStation 4 Project Morpheus VR prototype. There's no launch date just yet, but Gaijin promises "a 360 degree panoramic view of the battlefield."
Wargaming claims over 100 million registered users
How many players has Wargaming amassed via its ubiquitous World of titles? Over 100 million registered souls across all platforms, according to the firm's latest press release. The company of course neglects to mention how many of those 100 million players are active or how many of them have spent money, but we suspect it's doing OK for itself in both departments. You can read the full blurb after the break. [Source: Wargaming press release]
War Thunder dev diary explains battle rank and more
Have you ever wondered what, exactly, the battle rank statistic governs in War Thunder? If so, Gaijin's latest dev diary video is worth watching. The clip is the first in a planned series called Developer Answers. It runs for nearly nine minutes and explains, in part, how BR is the average efficiency of a given vehicle in all battles as opposed to the efficiency of a given vehicle against another specific type. Various War Thunder devs explain how this relates to the WWII flight sim's matchmaking mechanics, too, and they also address several other questions pulled from community members and social media channels. You can watch the full clip after the cut.
Now you can get paid for making War Thunder content
Want to make a little real-world money from your War Thunder addiction? Now you can thanks to Gaijin's newly announced revenue-sharing initiative. In April of 2014, the devs released the War Thunder CDK which allows users to make their own content in the form of missions, locations, and vehicle skins. If any of these creations are selected by Gaijin for inclusion in the game's 1.43 update, the authors "will receive reasonable reward." You can read a more detailed FAQ on the initiative at the game's official website. We've also embedded a video dev diary with more details after the break. Elsewhere in the War Thunder universe, Gaijin is running a "Summertime Madness" promotion this weekend that features bonus RP gains and 30 percent vehicle discounts.
Engadget Daily: planes without TVs, limited edition Pebble styles and more!
Today, we review the Slingbox M1, check out new limited-edition Pebble styles, visit a plane without any TVs, learn about how Google helped nab a sex offender and more. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
War Thunder coming to PS4 on June 3
War Thunder is bringing its brand of World War II plane and tank mayhem to the PlayStation 4 on June 3rd. That date also "signals the global release of [the] Ground Forces" expansion, according to a Gaijin press release. "Cross-platform compatibility is coming very, very soon," the company says. Click past the cut to read the full blurb.
Learn to fly ground attack aircraft in World of Warplanes
Wargaming.net today released another in its "Flight School" series of tutorial videos for World of Warplanes, this one intended to teach novice players how to fly ground attack aircraft. Says the studio, This detailed tutorial tells about ground attack aircraft, the most controversial type of warfare in World of Warplanes, and explains how many advantage points pilots can get by hitting different types of targets, while focusing on the most effective ways to score those points in order to reach air dominance. The guide also delves into the ins-and-outs of concealment tactics and the mechanics that will affect the supremacy meter, which can make a difference in the midst of battle. Massively's aviation MMO expert (it's totally a thing now) Jef Reahard took a deep-dive into the game when it launched last December. Enjoy the new video below. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
War Thunder launches Ground Forces, complete with trailer
Have you ever sat down to play War Thunder and thought to yourself that it's missing something? Maybe you have. Maybe you've though that what it really needs is tanks. A lot of them. An entire world of them. They could call it something compelling, like... how about "Planet of Armored Vehicles?" Or Ground Forces, that would make sense too. Especially since that's what the team at Gaijin Entertainment did call it. Yes, the Ground Forces expansion is now live, allowing every player to take part in a landscape of mechanized weaponry. There's a launch trailer just past the cut celebrating the inclusion of this global set of armored artillery, complete with plenty of shots of planes being shot down by anti-air vehicles. So if you like the idea of taking the gameplay out of the air and onto the ground, the game has you covered now.
Celebrate the end of WWII by killing your enemies in War Thunder
Gaijin wants you to celebrate the "peaceful time" at the ending of World War II by blowing the crap out of enemy planes and tanks in War Thunder. May 7th marked the official end of WWII in Europe, while May 8th is remembered as Victory Day. To celebrate, Gaijin is holding its own Victory Day on May 10th and will be handing out extra Golden Eagles currency for match victories. Starting today, you can earn a victory banner decal and access to the Ground Forces beta test by notching 60 kills and six match victories over the next four days. Five random aircraft will also see their purchase prices heavily discounted and "all the famous aircraft of WWII" will boast 30 percent repair cost discounts. [Source: Gaijin press release]
