If you really want to improve your life and your financial situation you won't let any opportunity to make a few extra bucks pass you by. Lots of people want to make money online but few actually do.

Do you know why?

It's not because of lack of opportunity or that it's too hard to make money online. Most people who aren't successful online are not because their expectations are unrealistic. They think that all they have to do is put up a website with a few magic buttons that everyone will click on and shoot money into their accounts.

This is not how it works.

The truth is that you can make money online with less effort than you could with a "real" job. But you still have to put in some time and effort. Setting up a website isn't enough. Your website needs great content that will help your viewers and a fresh perspective on your subject. Also, you have to find a way to get people to see your site. A fantastic website with original content is useless without traffic. How do you get traffic to your site? Post comments on other people's sites, use keywords in your content, add inbound links, or pay for it with pay per click adwords.

The one thing I want you to walk away with from this post is this- when you see an opportunity to make easy money like the one offered this week you take it.

Here is the link to find out more:

bloggingexperiment

Good Luck!

But first I'm going to introduce myself. My name is Evan and I live Georgia, USA. I'm 15 and love to play pretty much anything where you can yell "NOOOOOOOOOBZORZ" and start a giant argument. Oh and arguments I love those too, Then again what teenager doesn't? Anyways I've been playing on the computer since the age of 2 and typing like a pro since the age of 1... slamming my hands on my keys while screaming because my mom turned off Lion King counts as professionalism right? >.>; Anywho, My life asparation is to become a programmer working at Blizzard.

Starting Races:
You'll start on a slave ship and at first you'll pick your gender and class. Your class is limited by what race you are, so think about what you want to play THEN see what races are available for that class.

Classes:------------

Assassin - Not for beginners. This class is tough to solo despite their stealthy ways. You'll be doing a lot of hit and run tactics to thin out mobs. I've seen Assassins do some devastating damage in PvP, but again it's heavily reliant on the player's skill and Feat selection.

Barbarian - One of the most fleshed out classes in the game. Although a Rogue, the Barb hits very hard and preforms very well in PvP. Getting hit with a Knock Down/Stun/Combo Chain from a Barb means you'll be dead before you stand up. Little armor is the Barb's weak link. Despite the image you might be picturing, these are lightly armored 'stealthy' fighters. You can go Duel Wield for DPS or go 2-Hander for AoE and limited CC.

Conqueror - Probably the best PvE melee classes in the game. You can stack your Feats in so many directions: no two Conquerors are alike. PvP isn't their strong point, but a skilled player can compensate. They also offer some decent PvE group buffs similar to Captains in LotRO.

Bear Shaman - Healer blunt melee class. Your heals can soak up a lot of damage, ironically making for a decent tank, but a warning: level 1-20 is a painful climb. This class doesn't get effective healing until you're almost out of Tortage, but don't get discouraged, after 20 this class is solo friendly and is a great team mate to have in PvP.

Dark Templar - You are a caster tank (read: Dark Paladin). You'll have a lot of HP and stay alive by leeching life from your foes as you attack them. Lack of DPS makes a DT slightly less effective in PvP, but they make up for it with AoE Procs, Stuns, Fear, and Limited CC (via Feats). PvE Tanking isn't easy at lower levels due to a steep power curve, but once you start to get your signature Abilities and Spells, you'll become a bullet proof tank powered by dark magic.

Demonlogist - This used to be the nuker caster of choice, well suited for solo PvE and PvP. However, the recent patch went live and this class was struck by the nerf bat. Part of the problem was the implementation of Spell Weaving, which turn spells into long casting combos to enhance their effect. Demo's damage was adjusted down to compensate. When Spell Weaving is improved upon I suspect Demos will have their day in the sun once again: until then stay away unless you like a challenge.

Guardian - Honestly I think this is the second most fleshed out class in the game. It feels really complete. They are supposed to be the melee tank class, but don't be fooled, they can do decent damage. The only class able to use Polearms, Guardians can do it all: tank (taunt), nice melee damage, decent CC. Fantastic PvP and PvE class.

Herald of Xolti - Not for everyone. A cloth wearing 2-hander caster class that minimizes any squishiness with protective spells and dishes out major damage (read point-blank damage; no ranged attacks here). Feat selection is key here, but a joy to play beyond level 15. Not a fantastic PvE class, but they can hold their own if prepared. PvP is solid but not exceptional: area root, good damage, and an alternative demon form that makes other players run away (mostly because of the area fire DoT).

Necromancer - AoC creature handler caster. Cool looking pets, moderate damage spells, and a variety of DoTs. Feat selection is key to making this class do what you want with it, but this class still feels like it needs another pass before I would recommend it to anyone.

Priest of Mitra - AoC clerics wouldn't do this class justice as a description. Are they healer casters? Sure, but what you really have is a CC/AoE class in disguise. They are fun to play, very survivable, and an awesome asset to any group - PvP and PvE. Like the Bear Shaman, the first 10-15 levels are a little rough, but then it's cruise control from then on.

Ranger - The new effective range of ranged combat (14m?) will result in one or two attacks at most until the mobs are pulled to melee range, but ironically that's where the Ranger surprises you. They are neither squishy or weak, and kick ass up close and at range. Switching to duel wield style then back to bow (or crossbow) is easy and opens up different combos. Traps are available for some limited CC, but they need another pass, honestly. The ability to switch to FPS mode when using a bow isn't implemented well, but I'm sure that will get polished soon enough. PvP is STILL a Ranger's strong suit: Let your group engage the enemy, pop out of Hiding, then commence nuking. It takes forethought, positioning, and timing to pull off ranged combos now, but still, your fingers aren't quite as busy as a melee class, especially in PvP.

Tempest of Set - This caster class resembles a Druid in that you can wear light armor, do decent AoE Damage, and can also heal (HoT) yourself and your group. They are PvP (Stun) and PvE viable, but Feats and player skill are a major factor here. This is one of the most complete feeling casters in AoC. The only downside is the limited damage spell variety, how long before your bored of throwing down lightening on enemies? Never, I say.

----------------------

Video Settings:
Wait until you get washed on shore and get past the Intro dialog THEN start playing with video settings. I suggest you start with Medium and adjust up or down from there. The game is gorgeous on High but scales well enough on Medium and Low. If you can get away with Medium settings but keep the textures on High then you're not missing much as you might speculate. Once you get into Tortage you might have to readjust (lots of players on screen).

Welcome to the Jungle:
Get past intro dialog, run up hill towards jungle where you'll notice a chained up Slave Girl. Speak to her by right clicking and you'll get to see the fancy NPC dialog cinematic for the first time. She'll tell you to go down to the beach and kill an NPC. You'll have weapon already with which to to complete this grisly task.

First Kill:
1,2,3 keys are your basic swings. Enjoy.

You'll immediately notice ring of shifting shield icons around the mob. These represent how the mob is stacking its defenses. Attack where the mob is less protected.

After you kill the NPC you'll see a glowing loot bag drop. Loot it for the key (right click), but don't go back to the Slave Girl yet.

I would open options and explore the controls. Personally I make the tilde key (left of 1) my toggle combat button. After you kill the NPC you'll see a glowing loot bag drop. Loot it for the key (right click), but don't go back to the Slave Girl yet.

Beach Party/Tool Bar:
Continue up the beach and kill all mobs and monsters you encounter to practice the new combat system. It takes some getting used to, like any fine motor skill (Guitar Hero), but you'll get it eventually.

Keys 1,2,3 are your melee attacks with 4-0 being your toolbar slots.

There are two additional tool bars (invisible until you mouse over them) to the right of the screen. These tool bars can be turned horizontal or vertical by right clicking them while you're mousing over them. They can also be stretched just like a window to open more spots.

You won't have any combos to start with, but once you gain a few levels you'll learn spells, abilities, and skills.

You can open your Ability/Combo/Spell window with the 'B' button. Click and drag your special moves or spells into the 4-0 slots.

Combos are executed by first clicking the ability icon, then executing the directional attack that appears in the center of the screen. The higher you level the more complex your combos become.

The rest I'm sure you'll figure out.

What am I missing?

• Every time you level you earn Skill Points. Open your Skill window with 'P'. On the right of the screen you'll notice a list of skills and points that you have to distribute to them. Click on the '+' symbol to level them up.
• 'U' key is the Use Key. When you're near a climbing location (a white ring will appear at points you can climb) just stand near it and click 'U', then begin climbing. You have to have a high enough Climb Skill to overcome the difficulty. Most starting areas have very low Climbing Point difficulties, such as 5 or 10.
• 'H' activates the Hide Ability. Even non Rogue Classes can eventually point Skill Points into their Hide Skill, but they use Stamina and move slower than real Rogues in Stealth mode. Heavier armor penalizes your Hide Skill.
• Fatalities happen when you kill a mob with a Combo. Wait until the mob is almost dead then time your Combo for the kill. There appeared to be a 25% chance of a fatality if I killed a mob with a combo.
• Double tapping forward gives you a short buff that may Stun your target with your next melee attack.
• Double tapping backwards gives you a short Dodge buff.
• Loot bags and chests that are left with contents in them become free-for-all loot bags if left on the ground too long (before disappearing).
• Your melee combos are less effective if used against a mob's shielding. Wait for an opening then activate your hard hitting combos.

Tortage:
You'll arrive in Tortage during the day. To earn your way out of Tortage you have to complete the Destiny Quests for your class and achieve level 20. These quests are all given by your trainer NPC in the bar and are single player only.

Your NPC trainer will give you the option to go to the Single Player (Night) Tortage to complete these quests. You can switch from Day (Multi Player) and Night (Single Player) at anytime by speaking to your trainer.

Often you'll complete a few legs of your Destiny Quest Line then not be able to continue until you level up some more. No problem, go to Tortage: Day and solo or group with other players until you achieve the minimum level to continue the Night (Destiny) Quests.

All instanced Destiny (Night) quests will scale to your level, i.e. all mobs will become your level. It's a great idea to start an instance just before you level, get enough kills to level, and then gain +1 to all mobs for the rest of the quest.

Once you complete the Destiny Quest line and achieve level 20 you'll be ported to your race's home land and begin the REAL MMO on the mainland.

I'll add/edit more later.

Aaaaber für was ich definitiv die Dailys und das Farmen erstmal bei Seite schmeisse ist Age of Conan, was am Samstag rauskommt. Da wirds dann nen Tagebuch von mir geben und so weiter :>

Mehr kann ich euch nich grad sagen, außer das ich Ferien hab und am chillen bin ;)
Wer übrigens mit mir raiden mag: www.myoga.de.gg und fürn Raid bewerben. Wir suchen noch PewPew-Eulen, Bäumchen und Shadowpriests.
Wenn ihr also so einen Char besitzt oder auf Gul'dan Horde einen solchen leveln wollt dann nur zu ;) Ich bin btw mit Thizeh und Thiz meistens on wenn ich net grad aufm Bankchar bin und das Gold aufm Kopf schmeiss.
Dort findet ihr übrigens auch viele Videos von mir über Bosskills usw.

NCSoft's Exteel is a science fiction based shooter. Game play is based around piloting a mech through various game modes, equipped with a panoply of different weapons. The game seems solid, and NCSoft is testing a micro-transaction system which allows you to buy weapons and items for Exteel. Personally, I haven't been able to play the game for more than 5 minutes. The game starts acting all wonky on my computer and tech support seems unable to figure out why, which is why this post is a preview instead of a review. On a positive note, NCSoft's tech support for free players is excellent.

As many of you know, I am a big fan of Warhammer 40k, I am completely in love with their lore. I love how dark and different it is to most SciFi. For those of you who don't know much (or anything) about Warhammer 40k, it is a table top game that was released by Games Workshop in 1987.  Click here for more information about Warhammer 40k. 

Myself and a few of my friends have been talking about how cool a WH40k MMO would be, and that we would love to play one. The new leaked about a year ago that a WH40k MMO was in the works, and we where excited. That was until one of the developers decided to start posting on f13.net and ended up making a complete fool of himself. This got a lot of us depressed about the possible outcome of the WH40k MMO. Not much information has been released about the game. Well, recently a question and answer session was done by PC Gamer, and posted online. 

To preface, let me say that this game will be an RPG. That needs to be said, because when someone thinks of a Warhammer 40,000 MMO there is definitely some question as to the style of play: will it be an FPS, an RTS, or some other genre altogether? Relic has the RTS angle covered with the awesome Dawn of War series - we are making an RPG.

Hit the jump for the full interview.

PC Gamer: Besides the obvious distinction of being science fiction as opposed to fantasy, how will you distinguish yourselves from the Warhammer fantasy MMO from EA Mythic?

David Adams: The fact that Warhammer 40,000 is science fiction and not fantasy goes a long way to distinguish the game from other Fantasy MMOs, such as Warhammer. Besides the obvious visual differences, the setting also affects many aspects of the gameplay.

First off, unlike a fantasy MMO, guns play a major role in the dynamic of combat. The gameplay will be much more intense, focusing a lot on fire-fights, tactics, cover and general brutality (which is befitting a game set in the grim future).

Secondly, the sheer scale of Warhammer 40,000 lends itself to experiences players have never seen in an MMO. The term “Battleground” takes on an entirely different meaning. Our battlegrounds will be more epic in scale, more intense, and more true to a game with the tagline, "In the grim darkness of the future, there is only war." This doesn't preclude the more intimate battlegrounds that other MMOs have, only that we will also be including more grand affairs, that give a player the sense that they are immersed in an actual Warhammer 40,000 battle.

PCG: The 40k universe is already very complex and rich; how are you making it approachable to players new to the world?

DA: One of the reasons Warhammer 40,000 has been successful is that it has a built in cool factor. Someone new to Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe doesn’t need to understand the sheer depth of the Imperium, or the age-spanning history of the Eldar to appreciate the setting. All they need to see in the universe are a couple of Space Marines defending a corridor against a rush of Genestealers, or an Eldar Farseer facing off against a Daemon Champion of Khorne - and you are hooked - whether you are new to Warhammer 40,000 or not.

PCG: When is this game set in the 40k universe (i.e. is it set before or after the Horus Heresy?)

DA: The game is set in the 41st millennium, well after the Horus Heresy and more contemporary to the tabletop game.

PCG: The gameplay for the tabletop game focuses on squad combat and tactics. How are you translating these elements to an MMO?

DA: To preface, let me say that this game will be an RPG. That needs to be said, because when someone thinks of a Warhammer 40,000 MMO there is definitely some question as to the style of play: will it be an FPS, an RTS, or some other genre altogether? Relic has the RTS angle covered with the awesome Dawn of War series - we are making an RPG.

However, that doesn’t mean that aspects of the tabletop don’t influence the style of play we present to the player. As I mentioned earlier, just the inclusion of ranged weapons as a dominant form of combat changes the basic underlying mechanics of a typical MMO. This leads to similar tactics that you might employ in the tabletop, such as cover, suppression fire, flanking, etc… If you think about it, “Group” is a just another way of saying “Squad”.

PCG: How many different races are playable?

DA: We aren’t ready to release a full list just yet. Rest assured, all of the races important to Warhammer 40,000 lore (not to mention the fans) will be represented. We want each and every race to have weight in the game world, and feel distinct. We won’t include a race if we can’t do them justice.

PCG: What kind of classes will be offered? The table-top game boasts the line: "in the future, there is only war." But will there be non-violent, "social" classes as well?

Joe Madureira: We have a ton of classes planned, but honestly, the final classes will only be cemented once we’ve tested them a bit, weeded out any overlap or redundancies, balance issues, etc. As just about everyone knows, class balance and fun group dynamics are some of the trickiest, and most important aspects of the MMO genre. While characters will be able to take part in non-violent actions in the game (social activities are vital to the success of an MMO), there won't be any characters that advance completely outside of combat. It just doesn’t fit in with the vision of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

PCG: What are the player customization options? Can a player design their own Space Marine Chapter or Ork Clan?

JM: We have a very robust system for creating distinctive looking characters - and of course, it wouldn’t be Warhammer 40,000 without tons of stuff hanging off your character, including weapons, scrolls, chains, books, medals, and what have you! I hate to say this without showing images to back it up, but I feel like we are going to have the coolest looking characters of any MMO, ever. Of course that isn’t all that hard to achieve being that everything in Warhammer 40,000 is over-the-top badass! Once we begin releasing images, feel free to call me on that remark.

PCG: What kinds of NPCs will the player encounter? Will we see the Fat Bloke?

DA: We want to build a Warhammer 40,000 world that extends beyond the battlefield. This will involve cities (of all scales, types and sizes), exotic alien temples, Chaos shrines, deserted battlefields, mysterious ruins, ancient structures, drifting hulks in space, etc... Warhammer 40,000 is a universe filled with mystery - where the unknown lurks around every corner, ready to kill you.

Warhammer 40,000 is also a universe filled with history - you get a sense that the stars have been tread countless times, by forces beyond imagining. This is what makes it such a great place for adventure and excitement - but it also makes it a cruel and remorseless place where a single man is less than a speck in an ocean of stars. However, those that manage to make their mark in such a time and place are all the more remarkable for it - and that's where our players come in.

As for NPCs, all these fantastic locations will be brought to life with a wide range of NPCs: Imperial citizens, Chaos sycophants, xenos (40k for alien), Daemons from the warp, Eldar craftsman, oge raders, ancient killing machines, etc... I could go on forever.The point is, the game will be filled with NPCs both ready to help you and kill you.

PCG: Will players be able to control vehicles?

DA: This isn’t something we are willing to talk about at this point, but let’s just say that we are well aware of the importance of vehicles in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

PCG: How much involvement has the Games Workshop staff had in the making of the game?

DA: Games Workshop is the master of Warhammer 40,000, they have spent decades building up, what I believe to be one of the best science fiction IPs of all time. The job of translating that IP into an MMO setting is largely left up to our team, but Games Workshop does a wonderful job of providing us all the appropriate feedback and information to ensure that what we make remains true to the universe they have created. As an avid fan of the setting, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

PCG: What kind of missions can the player look forward to playing solo or with parties?

JM: We’ll have a large number of solo, party, and PvP missions. We are not going to try to force grouping, as some games have tried to do - that’s just annoying. MMORPGs are about giving the player options, and that means letting them play the game how they want to. Though, while it will be possible to solo for the life of your character, you’re definitely going to want some buddies watching your back in some of the missions, especially the PvP ones. Yes - there will be PvP and bloodshed. After all, this is Warhammer 40,000 - and there is only War!!!

Thanks to Gamesradar.com for putting up the interview.

While the gaming industry has been pre-occupied with GTA IV and record console sales, Electronic Arts have been quietly continuing with their plans for an all-out assault on the MMO side of the business.

When Activision combined with Vivendi Games last November in a deal worth $18bn, publishers such as THQ and Take-Two Interactive saw shares rise amid increasing takeover speculation.

With plans to outsource game development and put a concentrated focus on online gaming - MMOs in particular - EA, arguably one of the most dominant multi-format game providers in the world, decided that the time was right to bolster their forces for the long battle ahead.

Although initial offers was turned down (Take-Two had made it known that they believed EA was trying to take advantage of a low share price before the release of GTA IV), EA recently secured a loan of $1 billion to support its bid.

Now, on the surface, EA's 'hostile takeover' of Take-Two, which now currently stands at $2bn (£1bn) doesn't see like it has any connection to the company's MMO plans - certainly, Take-Two offers nothing like Blizzard Entertainment's "World of Warcraft" franchise.

Take-Two brands such as Bioshock and The Darkness seem like a perfect fit for EA, although I wouldn't bet on seeing "Manhunt 3" or "Bully 2" being released under the EA umbrella - EA would already have their hands full with GTA.

So what would a Take Two acquisition mean for EA, and how does that play into EA's plans for a future MMO franchise?

How about a GTA MMO?

Hey, if Ubisoft can announce plans for a Tom Clancy MMO, anything is possible.

Although such a product has been whispered about before, a GTA MMO is pure speculation at this point in time. However, with the advancements in the GTA tech where multiplayer online play is concerned, it wouldn't be too much of stretch to imagine a fully-realised (and far bigger) Liberty City Online environment. Heck, why stop there? While it would take a lot of effort to create several cityscapes to cause mayhem in, their are endless possibilities. How about a city catering for certain parts of the globe, or even specific decades? GTA set in 1980's New Romantic London, anyone?

The problem with a GTA-based MMO is that it's very much set in the real world. No Elves or Orcs allowed. While many find this their favourite option, there's no doubt that millions of gamers across the globe prefer their MMOs just a little more fantastical in nature.

Which would mean that, as sweet as the (possible) Take-Two deal for EA is, they're simply going to have to look elsewhere in order to compete with the likes of World Of Warcraft and Lineage.

Hmmm...Lineage...

With many "industry insiders" speculating that Take-Two is just the first of many companies on EA's list, it would appear that the next target (and indeed, most logical choice) for acquisition would be NCSoft.

Yep - NCsoft is the publisher responsible for Lineage (and that's not all).

With an output consisting almost exclusively of MMOs, the Korea-based NCsoft, with its development and publishing offices in Texas and California, has successfully launched multiple online titles in the last four years, including; Lineage/Lineage II, City of Heroes/City of Villains, the Guild Wars series and Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa.

Although the company saw its sales drop 3% year over year in 2007, operating profit, pre-tax profit, and net profit increased 14%, 24% and 18%, respectively, NCsoft is still an attractive option for EA.

Korea is the biggest market for NCsoft, with some $56.6 million made their last year. North America comes next at $16.3 million, with Japan and Europe standing at $9.1 million and $7.7 million each.

Korea and North America recorded 21% and 11% increases respectively in '07, and Japan saw an increase of 9% from the previous quarter thanks to the release of the recent Lineage II content update.

Sales of Lineage and Lineage II increased 35% and 4% - although City of Heroes/City of Villains and Guild Wars saw their respective sales drop 6% and 29%. For 2008, NCsoft plans to launch official service for Aion along with a variety of casual online games in Korea including Point Blank, Punch Monster, Dragonica and Love Beat.

Lineage (and to a lesser extent Guild Wars, although GW2 is on the horizon) would be a highly lucrative franchise for EA, especially when considering how popular the game is in Korea, the spiritual home of the MMO.

Hellbound, the newest addition to the Lineage II franchise, has just been announced, continuing the storyline and content from December’s "Kamael" expansion. Increasing the game’s level capacity to 85, Kamael also adds new quests and skills.

And keep this in mind - the Hellbound expansion is free to current Lineage II subscribers.

Lineage II is known as the gaming market’s premier player-versus-player (PvP) online role-playing game, with a customer reach of more than 19 million players worldwide. That's a highly impressive number of potential EA customers. Add-in the fact that Epic's Unreal Engine tech will be used for two "top-tier massively multiplayer online games" from NCsoft in the coming two years, and suddenly gamers everywhere are sitting up and taking notice as well.

Meanwhile, although its popularity has waned somewhat, the Guild Wars series has been critically well received and won many editor's choice awards, as well as awards such as best value, best massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), and best game.

It also offers online play without subscription fees. Once again, with Guild Wars 2 on the horizon, now would be the perfect time for EA to make their move.

World Of Warcraft and Lineage (as well as Guild Wars) have managed to live peacefully side by side for years, but with EA now on the offensive, how long can that last?

It's probably a good idea at this point to bring up EA's acquirement last year of VG Holding Corp. - owners of development studios BioWare and Pandemic. While at first seemingly offering little in the way of MMO content for EA, the deal, worth $860 million, nevertheless significantly bolstered EA's presence in the role-playing game market. BioWare are responsible for the sublime Mass Effect RPG, as well as the now classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

So why would I bring this particular deal up? Simple - BioWare is currently working on an as-yet un-named MMORPG. Early indications are that it's based on SW:KOTOR. More food for thought.

If EA's buyout of BioWare/Pandemic and subsequent hostile takeover bid of Take-Two are steps one and two in their MMO initiative, then last week's acquisition of MMO social networking site Rupture (for around $30 million) is the third.

Even though the site is still in its beta phase, Rupture is certainly a step in the right direction for EA, and proof that creating social networks around massively multiplayer games is a key component of EA's online strategy going forward.

Established by Napster founder Shawn Fanning, Rupture pulls stats from online games, collates player information and acts as a central communication hub for MMO players. (By the way, it's been further revealed that Fanning and co-founder Jon Baudanza will now join EA's ranks.)

With Sony now officially declaring their intentions to focus on bringing MMO games to the PS3 (as detailed in The Seattle Times), and with Xbox Live going from strength-to-strength with every big game release, online is clearly where the future of the gaming industry lies. Hey, that's been pretty obvious for at least two years now!

Need further proof?

Last week, Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates unveiled a plan to invest 147 million dollars in South Korea over five years to strengthen his company's presence there.

Although Gates mentioned initiatives such as a new in-vehicle music and entertainment system with South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor, as well as investing in education and other fields, Gates also revealed that "another new development is a games development center to take some unique work here and adopt it to the 360 global market."

By "unique work", can we assume he means "MMOs"?

The advent of next-gen sandbox games like GTA IV, along with the continual global popularity of World Of Warcraft and The Sims (which has now sold 100 million units around the world) points to a gaming future populated by a global network of gamers far in excess of that seen today.

If EA wish to maintain their position as the number one multi-platform games publisher in the world, they can't afford to let a potential deal with NCsoft slip through their fingers.

www.joo-see.com

I think MMOs are going to be a real strong selling point for the PS3 long term — there's going to be some great ones on the PS3. You're not going to find "The Agency" on the 360.

The Passively Multiplayer Online Game

Well, here it is...PMOG! The newest extension in firefox(that lets you play with mines,portals,armor,and loot!)! How exciting. I'm a shoat in pmog, that's their term for newb. I've already spent half my day dropping mines, teleporting peeps, and racking up my gold(so I can do it all over again tommorow).The game has a really interesting concept, and so far seems pretty entertaining. I'm still new, and so I've just been messing around with it; but the possibilities seem endless, from promoting your blog, to advertising a new product, or just using it for the LULZ. I haven't used it enough to give an in depth review on it(or really understand it), but check it out for yourself. I predict this will be an internet success!

Now comes word (via CNet) that it might never be too soon to get your kids into VR:

"Knowledge Adventure, the maker of kids' educational game software JumpStart, plans Monday to begin selling virtual world software for 3- to 5-year-olds. The software, called JumpStart Advanced Preschool World, will encourage kids to learn their ABCs by playing games in a 3D version of the beach or a jungle, with heavy use of voice and images instead of text. And it will give young ones their first taste of creating and decorating an avatar."

While this seems like an inevitable evolution I wonder what the effect of having kids that young playing in virtual worlds before they've figured out much about the real world.

"We believe that the potential of online is much greater than the performance we've seen in the last several years," the exec admitted. "And to realise that potential, we have to catch up in terms of technological infrastructure and breadth of content and interconnectedness between what we do in the virtual world and what we're doing in other businesses in terms of e-commerce, in terms of events, in terms of advertising, in terms of social networking."

End of trial thoughts.

I have to agree with mbp here, I did enjoy the trial but my concerns were that the trial is more a trap laid out by the MMO to snare your attention into buying the 1st month of game time.

I have my reservations with timed trials & for it to be a fair trial a pause function should be allowed. This would allow players that have yet to decide on a game, the full length of the trial time to make an informed decision. The pressure should be off the player in the trial period & on the game to perform, not the other way round.

My activity in this 21 day trial assumed I could play EVE Online everyday of that trial, to get the most out of it. With the 21 days being concurrent, it allowed no time in those 3 weeks to be away from the game without the feeling that I was missing out.

My life away from the gaming does go on & maybe I just planned this trial at the wrong time. But with such a short window of opportunity, I really think the trial is more a marketing ploy rather than a way to introduce a player to a game.

I suppose it's just the nature of the beast when it comes to MMO gaming & I am yet undecided on whether to do another MMO trial.

§Related Posts ¦ EVE Online

Well, is a good game.
Bad on any Sg people who never heard of it.

So, what is Granado Espada.

is a Korean fantasy MMORPG developed by IMC Games Co.,Ltd
Granado Espada won the 2006 Korean awards for Best Graphics and Game of the Year, and has many new features previously unseen in an MMORPG such as the ability for players to control multiple characters at the same time.

Brief on Why GE rocks

Multiple Character Control, or MCC, system. Rather than playing one character at a time, or using multiple clients, players may control a party of up to three characters at a time, making gameplay similar to a real-time strategy game. Up to three characters can be selected to be part of a team within the "Quarters" at the barracks. Any member of the party can be selected to be part of a team, regardless of differences in levels or classes.

Who wouldn`t want to control 3 characters at one go?

Quick way to gain Exp, Let you party fo all the world while you sleep.

Well, there are some bad thing about it.
The prepaid is too expensive, range from $1 to $50
Damn Ex.

The game is great, great graphics and good design monster. The area theme get stuck in ur head cause it too good. the story is engaging. Overall, this game is too good cause you can leave you characters over night while they are attacking the monsters. (Keep Mode System)

Cyberstep's latest English MMOG, SplashFighters, is an anime/manga style fighter. The game just left closed beta, no word yet of a future open beta. It seems K2 Network and Cyberstep have signed a deal to distribute SplashFighter through K2's game portal, GamersFirst.

Other items of interest:
+ GamersFirst
K2's game network, which lets you centrally manage game accounts.

Online
Multiplayer

Sito del gioco: Vedi
Condizioni di utilizzo: Full game
OS: Browser Game
Lingua:
Screenshots: Vedi

I started playing Lord of the Rings Online recently. I've been a huge fan of Tolkien for about as long as I can remember, and I've even struggled through most of his less readable books, like the unedited and incomplete ones released post-humously by his son. I've even studied a little bit of Quenya.

Now, that sounds like a lot of geek talk (especially, I'll be the first to admit, the bit about Quenya; even knowing that there is more than one Elven language in Tolkien's world probably adds a few extra geek points). For me, it's always been something else. In any craft, it's both a pleasure and a responsibility to hunt down the masters of that craft and study what makes them tick.

Tolkien wasn't exactly Shakespeare. As a matter of fact, as much as I love Lord of the Rings, I'll be the first to admit how dull and dry the writing is.

But I've always been impressed by his ability to create an entire, very complete and thorough world and populate it with interesting characters. As I've been exploring Lord of the Rings Online, it's become even more evident just how thorough Tolkien was in his work. Play as an Elf, and through the first part of the game, you're exploring the ancient ruins near the Grey Havens, many of which were populated places of note in the Silmarillion. Play as a human, and you have an entirely different set of places to visit, from Combe and Bree up through the Barrow Downs and Buckland (I even stumbled across Tom Bombadil's cabin last night; it made me happy).

I have a little love affair with the Elves and the Ainur, so I've followed most of their stories. It occurred to me last night, though, as I was roaming the Barrow Downs searching for the tomb of the Last Prince just how many layers of history Tolkien really wrote. One would almost have to approach his massive volumes of work as a historian does to get the full scope of it. It would probably be impossible to examine all sides of every race; just as a real historian specializes in one country, culture, or part of the world, it's easier to take Tolkien in bits and pieces - Elven history (which is the most elaborate), Hobbit history, etc.

World Completeness

I say all of this with high praise for Tolkien. He was not an author in the traditional sense of the word; he was a professor of mythology and an avid scholar in linguistics. His driving purpose behind the vast world of Middle Earth and the surrounding metaphysical forces was to create his own mythology, which he ultimately intended to be the ultimate "British myth."

So for Tolkien, publishing works of fiction was not exactly a professional choice. It was a hobby and a plesure, something he started while grading papers just prior to World War I and continued on through the war and beyond.

He loved his world, and his son has made a healthy career out of sorting through Tolkien's huge volumes of work. It must be a truly astonishing collection to behold.

Much or Too Much?

Here's my question: How much of this is necessary? How much do we amateur authors of the world need to examine Tolkien's method? True, he brought together many of the aspects of what is now mainstream fantasy and gave it a flavor and direction that persists in most modern works, and he taught us that a fake world doesn't have to feel fake. But really, how many people read the Hobbit and take the time to ponder the history of Rivendell, or the lives of Gollum's River People?

I wonder if Tolkien was disappointed that he'd written all of these wonderful tidbits that very few people would ever get to appreciate.

On the other hand, I think he just enjoyed doing the work. He didn't mean for most of the books now being released to ever be published. Not to mention, unlike the modern professional author, Tolkien was able to devote most of his life to just one world and one set of books. If anyone is intending to make some manner of living in publication, one has to commit to several projects, and many of my writing friends tend to make those commitments five or six at a time.

At the same time, with no world building, any novel (not just fantasy) feels dry and flat. Compare all of this to The Road where the author never lets you see inside the history of what happened to the world; all we ever know is that something went horribly wrong. I know this is one of those novels that everyone raves about, but it's been a real challenge reading through it. There's nothing that really catches the eye in the book; it's one long exposition on the relationship between a man and his son.

Still, even The Road offers the occasional, teasing hint. And there's an entire spectrum of novels, good and bad, in between. My ponderance for the day is: How much do you really need to sell a book, and how much background is really just at the author's behest?

There needs to be a balance, obviously, and we're not all Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien, but a story is far more entertaining when the author gives us those tantalizing little glimpses into the bigger scheme of things.

Time and Energy

In the end, it would seem to me that it boils down to these two things: Time and energy. Obviously, if you're on a deadline, you can't spend sixteen years writing background material. It also will do you no good to write pages and pages of dull material because you've lost all interest in it.

I'll admit to committing the horrible short story foible, where I make up the background story as I go along - "Oh, yes, that inn has always been like this, ever since that spell that everyone knew about was cast here...duh!" Maybe that works from time to time, but on the other hand, it's not going to sustain an entire novel.

There's no logical conclusion to this entire thing; just more thoughts and ponderances. And excellent, delectible food for thought it is.

This article in the NYT is a must read but I am going to pull a few key chunks below.  It follows a mother's step through the lookingglass and into the world of alternate realities her 10-year-old daughter inhabits.  Prior to diving in the mother already admitted:

"Already, when Clementine plays online Scrabble, she tells her opponents she is a French single mother of twins (Jacques and Pierre) and has recently moved stateside to improve her English. And at Zwinky.com, another of her haunts, she pretends to be a college student in a dorm."

Let's try to overlook the fact that she named her kid Clementine and accept that her kid is on the edge of precocious.  Instead, look what happens when they get online together:

" But before I had finished the thought, Clementine had figured out how to take us to a planet called Funkitron. Then, as terrible pop music began blaring, she coolly scrolled through the selections of an onscreen jukebox (where did that come from? I still don’t know) to change the tune.

“Now what are you doing?” I asked, as she clicked on a little box.

“I’m buying hair,” she said, adding with a frown that they don’t have much choice.

Next she clicked quickly and intuitively through all the features on the menu bar before concluding: “This site is made for kids, not teenagers. See how you see your person onscreen as a little kid?” In other words, it was w-a-a-a-y too uncool to be aspirational for 10-year-olds who read Seventeen magazine (but who won’t read it in seven years). "

If you have a kid and you haven't asked them for a tour of their life online then you are missing out on a big part of your own kid's life.

Before I get too much into my philosophy on this, I want to clear the air on what I think is an Adult Game. Many, I believe, think adult games mean lewd, profane -- often pornographic, and to some lesser extent extreme violence. Although, these descriptions fall into Adult Games, I do not believe they paint a complete picture of what I hope Funcom, and others in the game development community, mean by this.

To me, Adult Games, are those that are created for gamers who have the ability to concentrate and analyze complicated systems and revel in adult themes. Adult themes does not necessarily nudity and violence, though they could. What I mean by themes is character mortality, character achievements, and ultimately character Resolution.

In Character Mortality, I think we need to seriously look at the death of a character. In a fantasy world such as AoC (Age of Conan), death can be permanent but there are always options for a player to bring his character back to life. This resurrection process, however, needs to be lengthy (as in time out of the game) or difficult (either incurring expense in ingame money or quests [performed by subordinates]). We must put into the game the obvious threat of death -- and not a death that simply plops the character to an entrance zone with some minor debuffs. As "Adults" we must understand and quantify the dangers of adventuring and fighting. This would accentuate combat and make each battle more meaningful. Death would be less common, but mean something to each player.

Character Achievement also needs a hand at bringing it into more adult themes. Instead of the simple "Candy Reward" after each quest or mission, we need to accentuate long term growth of our characters in the world with long term results -- land, status, marriage, children -- simply put a legacy that matters in the course of history in the game. As long as we simply give "candy" in items or titles without engaging our characters into the day to day activities of the world, we are playing like children.

And ultimately, we need to address Character Resolution, or ending our character's career -- and not just ending it when we get bored or our subscription to the game runs out. One adult theme that we need to seriously look at is time in the game -- the worlds of MMOs run at a much accelerated time than ours, but our characters are ageless and the world does not change. This is a serious flaw in common MMOs today, and must be addressed with adult themes of time, aging, seasons, family, heads of state, governance, and geopolitical fluctuations.

I also think that adult-centric games are those that have robust and complicated character generation systems and physics.  Games such as WoW are definitely not adult games, even though I think they play on the scantily clad female elves and the profane violence of the evil side. I often think that Vanguard, initially, had an adult themed physical world, with a rich sense of character generation and development.  I hope that in future MMOs, designers will think less of showing skin and gore when experimenting with adult games, and concentrate more of complicated game systems with rich and powerful scripting language -- to allow greater freedom and breath in the game.

These are the real "Adult Themes" in games. I am more concerned with that others think are the "Adult Themes" which are simply nudity, sex, and abject violence. I hope the people at Funcom see an adult game as more than that.

It seems after the latest update in Trickster Online...drags a lot players back to Trickster Online, due to some of their 'mega events' o_o...

This May they seems including some of the 'mega events' to the game.

Tho they added a lot events this May, its seems the players who benefit most from this events are those newbies or new starters who just started the game...

Ok lets see what happened...

I managed to walk around in Trickster Online a while and check the game status as my friend, FoxieFox reported that THERE'S A LOT PPL AFK-VENDING this time, and its packed, only at paradise beach itself o_o...

Below is some screenshots that I managed to took last night.

 
o_o...so many...

 
Inside the shop too :o

 
@Megalopolis, too quiet you think???

 
Nope, TONS of vending stalls @_@

I think for this time for now, and I wanna try that Driller Boy ><...I'll up the pic afterward =D

Stay tuned ^_^

]]> http://giochigratisonline.wordpress.com/?p=225 Sat, 10 May 2008 07:22:51 +0000 Jake http://giochigratisonline.wordpress.com/?p=225

Online
Multiplayer

Browser game ambientato in epoca futuristica. Uccidi i tuoi avversari e scala la classifica!

Sito del gioco: Vedi
Condizioni di utilizzo: Freeware
OS: Browser Game
Lingua:
Screenshots: n/a

PLANETART PRESSRELEASE:

One of the largest art festivals in the Netherlands:

De Kunstvlaai / Art Pie International

shows also art wich is only visible from Second Life.

10-18 May 2008 at the Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam + in Second Life

De Kunstvlaai is the alternative Dutch art fair, founded as reaction
on the commercial art fairs. This year PLANETART <http://www.planetart.nl>,
organisation of the multimedia art, expands the Kunstvlaai into Second Life.

Virtual Worlds Mash-up

Art can be admired, only visible through Second Life, to use the possibilities of new worlds optimal and also to give international visitorsthe ability of visiting the Kunstvlaai as intense as possible in a digitalway. Besides this, the visitors of the Kunstvlaai are offered the possibilty of exploring Second Life, under the guidance of DutchX and Meta.Live.Nu, in the Flexbar at the Westergasfabriek terrain

Discover the undiscovered

The Flexbar is the place for interactive media art. In the main room the
installation Virtual Mash up is present. A collection of wide screen video
projections, computer networks and monitor installations with art mixed from
a range of virtual worlds as Second Life, Webkinz, Barbieworld,
Disneyfaries, MissBimbo, Wii interfaces, and several other games and
gamehacks. Contributions from i.e. Joane Leandre, Edo Paulus, Arahan
Claveau, Ichibot Nishi, Nebulosus Severine, Sandwoman Petion
and by students of the Rietveld art academy and
the VU University Amsterdam.

Edo Paulus http://www.eude.nl
Nebulosus Severine http://chromotive.blogspot.com
Arahan Claveau http://www.crabcult.com

The main locations of De Kunstvlaai - API in SL are:

Virtual Holland
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Holland/126/125/23
secondlife://Virtual%20Holland/126/125/23

and

Amsterdam SL
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Amsterdam%202/150/250/25
secondlife://Amsterdam%202/150/250/25

At several big sims announcements will be placed with big screens, works of art
and a teleport, like on Rotterdam, Groningen, Enschede, Dublin, Diegoland
(San Diego), Zurich, Museum of Robots & SS Galaxy (cruiseship).

More info: http://www.planetart.nl/kunstvlaai.htm

*Powered by:*
Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, STAD ENSCHEDE, Dutch Exchange, Engage
Tactical Media, Workx, AKI, it-staffing, H&S computerservices, VU University
Amsterdam, Westergasfabriek, Meta.Live.Nu

*PLANETART*, organisation for the multimediakunst, organises since 1995
festivals , exhibitions, manifestations and projects. Founded in the
Netherlands, Twente and since 2007 also structually active in Amsterdam.

Images from a live performance by Nebulosus Severine and Arahan Claveau at AmsterdamSL

Kunstvlaai API images group : flickr.com/groups/kunstvlaai

Snapshots taken at Amsterdam sims are also welcome at
flickr.com/groups/slamsterdam
Snapshots taken at Groningen sims are also welcome at
flickr.com/groups/slgroningen
All snapshots taken at any dutch sims are also welcome at
flickr.com/groups/slnl

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

It's relatively bare bones, as far as selection goes, but I'm very interested by the choices presented. Here's some stuff from the manual.

Races: 

The Humans- The youngest of the races of Uld, the Humans have emerged as a strong peacekeeping force, brokering alliances and trade between the other races. A hardy race, they are generalists who can perform any task admirably. 

The Satyrs- The Satyrs are the oldest of the races of Uld, and their culture is steeped in history and lore. They have a natural affinity for magic, and generally keep to their own, preferring the company of other Satyrs whenever possible. 

The Cyclopes- Enormous and brutish in appearance, the Cyclopes have a great affinity for the stone of the earth and a great aptitude for shaping it. Fiercely loyal to their kind, the Cyclopes pass down only their twelve laws that each live by. 

The Gremlins- The Gremlins are a quick-witted and nimble race. Gregarious, and given to occasional fits of temper, they are both agile and strong, with a love of machinery and tinkering. 

Classes

Bloodletter- the Bloodletters' gifts for melee combat make them formidable opponents, employing powerful skills to damage many nearby attackers. Their ability to summon blood minions from their fallen foes to serve as their own private army makes them fearsome opponents indeed. 

His Highness' Take: This is your warrior, your tank. The pets make for an interesting nuance, but I'm not sure how varied the class can be. If I can get into the beta, I'll let you know!

Pyromancer: Gifted in control of elemental fire, Pyromancers can effectively attack from a distance with powerful spells, or weave protective shields and enchant weapons to attack foes face-to-face. Pyromancers also have the ability to summon powerful elemental minions to aid them in battle. 

His Highness' Take: It's the MAGE! Everybody knows him, everybody loves him- ladies and gents, I give you the tried, the true, the time honored, MAGE. Again, if I get into the closed beta, I'll write more posts with my reactions.

Gadgeteer- Gadgeteers excel in the use of rifles, and improve their effectiveness in surprising ways with their penchant for tinkering. Gadgeteers construct and hurl traps, bombs and helpful drones to set up ambushes thereby defeating their foes with technology. 

His Highness' Take: This could be a really interesting class, frankly, combining the odd elements of WoW's Hunter, the engineering profession, and perhaps even a bit of the classic D&D rogue, all blended together with a sprinkling of steampunk. I'm curious as to how this turns out. 

With that tantalizing glimpse of what's to come, I really hope they let me in.