CrimeCraft Officially Released In North America

The very first persistent world next-gen shooter (abbreviated as ‘PWNS’) has officially been released for North American gamers. THQ and Vogster Entertainment recently made the announcement and the game can be purchased and played, right now.

The game has really been hiding under the radar despite being one of the most innovative new game genres ever to be released.
Daniel Prousline, vice president of development for Vogster commented in the press release, saying…
“The streets of CrimeCraft are ready to be filled with players anxious to leave their mark and earn leader board glory for themselves and their gangs. We are pleased to work with Best Buy as our exclusive retail partner to develop a one of a kind program for their customers.”

CrimeCraft blends MMORPG style grinding, leveling and questing with standard-fare third-person shooter mechanics. Players can level, shoot and acquire items like never before. The community role-playing elements even feature various classes with various skills. The game is pretty tight and definitely deserves to be checked out by anyone who is tired of the medieval fantasy MMOs.

You can learn more or purchase the game by visiting the Official CrimeCraft Website.

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T-Pain Comes To Outspark's Fiesta

Today Outspark announced that it would introduce a line of branded virtual goods based on the rapper T-Pain into its freemium MMORPG Fiesta Online. This deal is the latest licensing arrangement between Outspark and virtual goods licensee Virtual Greats. Right now players can purchase virtual items representing T-Pain's hat, glasses, and suit from his latest album Thr33 Ringz at Fiesta's in-game item store.

Outspark is also promoting the license with a music video contest that asks Fiesta players to create music videos using select T-Pain songs, Outspark assets, and Fiesta gameplay footage. Winning entries will receive T-Pain albums, iPods, and 10,000 SparkCash virtual currency each. T-Pain is the second celebrity license to be represented with a virtual goods line in Fiesta, following an inaugural line of Tila Tequila items also licensed through Virtual Greats.

In the past, Outspark has teamed with Virtual Greats to bring a line of goods based on the Rocawear designer label into its Project Powder snowboarding MMORPG. Outspark is also promising a line of celebrity brands lined up for its next major online game launch, Dance Groove Online, which will include both music and apparel components.

Virtual Greats has brought celebrity and other IP-branded items into a variety of virtual worlds and online games including WeeWorld, RockYou Pets, Whyville, vSide, and Gaia Online. Virtual Greats has also partnered with the Viximo virtual goods platform to introduce branded items into its portfolio. Licenses handled by Virtual Greats include the NBA, Collegiate Licensing, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, and Elvis Presley.

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Crimecraft

CrimeCraft is a third-person shooter where players can compete against others in teams of three to eight or against enemy AI. Experience is gained primarily through combat, but the game will also feature quests. The game will support several gameplay modes, including free-for-all deathmatch, team deathmatch, and a control-point modeA hands-on demo at E3 2009 also featured a gameplay mode called "Robbery", the game's implementation of capture the flag gameplay.

Quests in CrimeCraft can occur in instanced environments or require meeting a certain tally of Player versus Player (PvP) statistics. Players can set the difficulty of quests against PVE enemies, which will result in an adjustment of the quality of loot drops. Items and crafting are important components of gameplay. Players will be able to create clothing, weapons, weapon attachments and boosts. Loot will drop off AI enemies, as well as off the corpses of defeated players.

Players will be able to join different gangs the game, which are similar to clans or guilds in other games. Gangs will be able to specialize in different crafting disciplines.

Play Crimecraft Now

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• CrimeCraft: Sasha Redden Bio Trailer (cinemablend.com)
• Review: Bionic Commando (destructoid.com)

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Kung Fu Remix | Arcade |

Kung Fu Remix classic game. A remake of the NES classic. Please wait for the game to load.

Game Controls
Arrow keys
space bar to select on main title
z = punch
x = kick
p = pause (can't against bosses)
shift = run
1 2 or 3 keys = specials (can't be used against a boss)

arcade games

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Latale Online

LaTale is a 2D Side scrolling Fantasy MMORPG that looks a lot like WindSlayer and Pi Story. Unlike other MMORPGs LaTale has a good deal of character customization and numerous skill trees for each class. Like MapleStory, LaTale’s game play feels extremely polished. This game is definitely worth checking out.


LaTale is a brand new MMORPG to the English gaming market, being fully released to the public as of September 18, 2008. Being an anime, cute styled 2D sidescroller, one may come to judge this game too quickly. Its counterpart, MapleStory, plays completely differently. There is not much to be compared between both of these games aside from their graphical resemblances.

LaTale features a more distinctive character sprite, having full body proportions to a certain extent. You will also have many more customization choices in character creation on LaTale, having about ten hairstyles with many colors to choose from, and other customizations such as face and skin complexion. The game is also much more quest based, in my opinion. Anyhow, LaTale has been highly anticipated ever since OG Planet signed the contract to this game back in March 18, 2008.

Play Latale Online Now

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Phishing spam targets World of Warcraft gamers

Piggybacking on recent buzz about the hugely successful World of Warcraft (WoW) massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), scammers have launched phishing spam attacks attempting to trick gamers into giving up their WoW account information.

Web security researchers at Sophos have spotted phishing spam that disguises itself as an official offer from Blizzard Entertainment, the company that makes WoW and this past weekend held its annual BlizzCon gamer conference.

The spam email claims to offer a free trial of new WoW mounts (fantastical beasts players in the game can ride). Recipients who want the phony free trial are directed to click a link that spoofs the WoW website and asks users to use their login name and password to gain access to the new mounts.

"Naturally, your WoW game account will be stolen once this confidential information has been submitted," Sophos warned in a blog post. "As the online gaming community grows, we anticipate such phishing scams targeting the MMORPG to continue to proliferate."

Scammers have targeted WoW gamers with similar spam in the past. Blizzard Entertainment, which just released details of the newest expansion to the game, called World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, warns users on its website about threats from Trojan malware.

Source: http://www.mxlogic.com

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Champions Online releases

Champions goes live today for anyone who pre-ordered the game. All other subscriptions begin September 1.

Champions Online is a mixed bag of reviews from the closed and open beta. Not everyone likes all of the features of the game, but there are those that people agree on. The character customization is amazing. Cryptic put a lot of work into this. There is more flexibility in character creation than in any other MMORPG out there.

Many people get hung up at this point in the game, creating character after character. There are only eight available character slots, but for those with extended subscriptions, they received an extra eight character slots. There are people who have to delete characters, just so they can create another. Most any costume imaginable can be created, but the customization does not end there. Power sets, the look of the powers, from which part of the body the power comes from, and even initial stats are all customized. The character really is what the player wants it to be, and not a preset class.

The power sets are not completely balanced. All characters need defensive powers, no matter what kind of character they are. Some power sets are more powerful than others. However, Cryptic is listening to players, and has made attempts to balance powers more. Players can choose what stat (strength, intellect) that they stack to increase their power.

The other function that is undisputedly loved is the travel powers. Characters can get around the world by flying, super jumping, swinging, speed running, riding a floating rock, and many other options. Characters get two travel powers, one at level 10 and another at level 35. Some are better than others, but the more fun ones that might not be the fastest can be offset by another that is more efficient.

The rest of the game is open for debate about how much fun it is to play. Combat works more like a console game, with only a few buttons to focus on, and these are hit repeatedly. It is easier to set up an Xbox like controller to the PC and play this way. RPG purists argue that this has no place in an MMO. RPG format is not for everyone, and there are many that loved battling this way. Most superhero games on consoles have this kind of action, so they have their audience.

The game is instanced, putting only so many players into an area at a time. This can separate people from their friends, and initially coordinating the right instance with other people is tricky. This is also a concern that Cryptic is aware of and should be fixed soon, if not already easier in the release. On the plus side, there are still plenty of people around, and it reduces competition when trying to fight a certain mob.

The starting zones act as a tutorial, and every character goes through this, even if it is the player's sixteenth character. There are a few secrets throughout, rewarding extra equipment and such if the player takes the time to do these. This will reward people who want to take the time, but allow those that have seen it to speed through a little faster. After the first tutorial is another instanced crisis zone, which allows two options of which zone to go to. This is sort of a secondary tutorial. It will take the character to level 10. Unfortunately for the game, these are not the most exciting places. Many people in beta never moved passed this and had a negative impression of the game. Once past this, and into the "real game," it gets better, and is worth sticking around for.

The real test of this game will begin now, when the players become a community. There will be reports of initial sales and subscriptions of the game, and it will be interesting to see how many players they have in a year. DC Universe is coming up, some may defect to that game, or it might be regarded as inferior. And then City of Heroes/Villains is still out there, with upcoming content. Champions might lure players from that game, or make people want to revisit it.

By Andrew Powers
Source:http://www.examiner.com/

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World of Warcraft patch 3.2 hits servers

As many gamers no doubt know, servers for developer Blizzard’s hit MMORPG, World of Warcraft, are going to be down a little longer than normal today.

The bad news is that gamers are going to have to find something else to do on their Tuesday besides waiting at their keyboards impatiently for servers to go back up.

The good news, however, is that when the servers go live again, they’ll be sporting the much anticipated patch 3.2. of the highly popular game

In addition to a brand new shiny dungeon, Crusaders’ Coliseum, that comes in six delicious flavors (5, 10 and 25 normal and heroic), patch 3.2 also brings a new battleground, class modifications, and more higher level loot that you can shake a stick at.

A lot of elements in the World of Warcraft game are receiving massive revamps in patch 3.2.

Druids get more character models; classes are being nerfed and buffed left and right; and players can now disable experience gaining (perfect for WoW twinks) and also earn experience by completing battleground objectives.

In addition to those revisions, several parts of the PVP (Player Versus Player) system are being revamped. Resilience has always been an important stat for PVP’ers, but now it’s more important than ever and will help improve the pacing of arena matches by making players harder to kill. There’s also going to be a new battleground for gamers to wage war on, and there’s also a new boss being added to the Wintergrasp raid, Vault of the Archavon.

Perhaps the largest change, however, that you can expect in World of Warcraft patch 3.2 is the alterations to the badge system.

To promote faster gear upgrading, Blizzard has decided that all heroic instances will now drop Emblems of Conquest, which can be redeemed for high level gear.

In essence, guilds will have a much easier time gearing up their raid members without having to farm older raids like Naxxramas over and over again for loot. That said, the new dungeon and new badges, Emblems of Triumph, bring a slew of even higher level gear.

As awesome as this new patch sounds, don’t expect to dive right in tonight or even tomorrow. World of Warcraft is infamous for its server instability following large patches, and I wouldn’t be surprised if servers still aren’t fully playable until this weekend.

For more details about all the goodies that patch 3.2 is bringing to World of Warcraft, I highly recommend you check out the full patch 3.2 notes and an in-depth analysis of them over at Wow.com.

As always, the guys and gals at Wow.com have done an amazing job of helping gamers get prepared for everything and anything that the patch has to offer. Check it out. You still have a good several hours before the servers should be up.

By Mark Fujii

Source: http://www.collegenews.com/

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Top Two Picks for Online Gaming in China

NetEase.com (NTES) and Perfect World (PWRD) are two online gaming companies that remain undervalued even in China’s hot economy. Online gaming has been a growing industry in China, but recent regulations may put a damper on growth, while several high-profile new releases could create a lot of competition between the industry’s major players.


Easy Profits for NetEase?

Despite posting a 54.7% increase in its net income during the first quarter, NetEase.com’s stock trades at just over 20x earnings. Meanwhile, the company remains well-capitalized with more than CNY6 billion in cash and short-term investments and no long-term debt, with several promising prospects in terms of game development down the road.

NetEase.com plans to start open beta testing of its in-house 3D MMORPG (massively multiplayer role playing game) Tian Xia Er (TX2) on September 20th, according to the game’s official site. Meanwhile, the company also submitted a revised version of its licensed 3D MMORPG World of Warcraft, which is extremely popular in the United States.

A Perfect Opportunity

Perfect World trades at slightly lower discount of around 20x earnings with net income growth of 36% in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the company also remains well-capitalized with over CNY1 billion in cash and short-term investments and no long-term debt, with several new projects under development that could prove to be successes down the road.

Perfect World expects to start closed beta testing of its 2D turn-based cartoon MMORPG (massively multiplayer role playing game) Fantasy Zhu Xian after about a month from the start of its alpha testing on August 6th. The company also plans to release one or two 2D real-time strategy games in late 2009 or early 2010, according to President Zhu Qi.

Troubles in the Sector

China’s Ministry of Culture has begun to crackdown on online games with themes that promote gang cultures, saying that they “undermine morality and Chinese traditional culture.” As a result, several leading web sites have already been removed or blocked, including two popular ones known as “Godfather” and “Gangster,” according to the agency.

Then earlier this week, Citigroup downgraded the Chinese online gaming sector to Neutral from Positive as it believes most of the good news on the sector has already been priced into shares and that new regulatory issues will be overhangs on the stocks. However, the firm’s top picks in the space also remain NetEase.com and Perfect World, given their cheap valuations.

Conclusions

Online gaming companies operating in China may see an increased risk of government regulation in the form of a crackdown on violence. However, the lure of an estimated 200 million players of online games could mean big profits for companies that play by the rules. Perfect World and NetEase.com remain two of the cheapest online gaming companies operating in China with great prospects going forward.

Source: http://sumfolio.com/

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Wonderland MMO, due out next year, targets teen girls

Teen girls may be upset that there's not really a Twilight MMORPG in the works, but perhaps they can find solace in the news that Wonderland MMO is on its way. Developed by Virtual Fairground, Wonderland MMO will be Flash-based and work in any web browser. It's based, of course, on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. There's no connection to the Tim Burton movie also due out next year starring Johnny Depp, but I'm sure the timing won't hurt things for the fledgling MMO.


Wonderland MMO will have a darkly romantic and mysterious feel to it, in contrast to many games aimed at teenagers. According to Ilja Goossens of Virtual Fairground:

* "We really want to create a different kind of online game experience for girls. There are already so much sugary sweet virtual worlds for this demographic or those that are just about shopping and buying things. We believe girls have more varied interests and preferences. Something that is clearly proven by other media such as books, tv-shows and movies.”

Wonderland MMO has been in development since 2008 and has a projected release date
of 2010.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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World Of Warcraft's U.S. Retail Sales Total 8.6 Million

Blizzard's World Of Warcraft has sold a spectacular 8.6 million copies to date, according to NPD data provided to Gamasutra.


Following the revelation that The Sims 3 sold more than 800,000 copies in its first month at U.S. retail, Gamasutra followed up with NPD to find out how well WoW -- perhaps the only retail competitor to The Sims series over the past few years -- has fared.

The NPD Group rolled up multiple SKUs of the massively popular PC online game and its expansion packs since its November 2004 launch to arrive at the 8.6 million figure.

No information on average sale price across all versions was provided. But presuming $30 for each unit sold (the core game currently retails at $19.95; expansion packs and compilations for as much as $39.95), it amounts to as much as $258 million total from U.S. retail alone.

The statistics provided by NPD included the base World of Warcraft, plus the Collectors Edition version, the expansion pack-bundling Battle Chest, and the two standalone expansions: The Burning Crusade and Wrath Of The Lich King.

Although the operator transition in China is likely to have diminished the userbase somewhat, Activision Blizzard's most recently-announced total of 11.5 million subscribers is the company's main moneyspinner.

Millions in the West pay $15 a month to play the game, which means hundred of millions of dollars yearly for Blizzard. World of Warcraft shows no signs of losing its massive lead in the subscription MMO market in the near future.


Source: http://www.gamasutra.com

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Blizzard Reveals World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

At its BlizzCon show, Blizzard Entertainment showcased an upcoming World of Warcraft expansion pack, Cataclysm, plus an updates on its venerable Diablo and Starcraft franchises.



Blizzard Entertainment rallied the faithful last week at its fourth BlizzCon 09 conference, wowing enthusiastic gamers with promised updated to its long-running Diablo and Starcraft franchises, along with taking the wraps off World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, an upcoming expansion pack for its widely popular MMORPG game.

First up: Cataclysm. Blizzard promises the third expansion pack for its World of Warcraft MMORPG game will turn Azeroth on its head as the dragon Aspect Deathwing sudden bursts forth from a long underground nap and begins laying waste to the face of the world. The emergence of Deathwing promised to alter the balance of power in the Azeroth universe, and create new opportunities for heroes—and villains—to emerge. As with previous expansion packs, Cataclysm will introduce new elements to the game, including two new races (goblins and worgen), the ability to advance all the way to level 85 (remember when level 60 seemed unachievable?), and massive alternatives to classic game zones in the wake of Deathwing's destruction. The expansion pack will also introduce new lands (including a sunken city), offer new player-versus-player and battleground zones, enable new race and class combinations, and introduce a new profession (archeology—watch out, Indiana Jones!) But when will Cataclysm be available? Blizzard hasn't said yet, but it's a good bet they'd like to have it available in time for the end-of-year holiday buying season.

Blizzard also updated fans on the forthcoming Diablo III, which will mark the company's first update ot the combat franchise in more than a decade, unveiling a fourth character class—the monk—in addition to the barbarian, witch doctor, and wizard. Blizzard also showed off Diablo III's new 3D graphics, but did not offer a release date for the game…some industry watchers aren't expecting it until 2011.

Blizzard also showed off the upcoming Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty real-time strategy game—another franchise loyal fans have been anticipating for years. Blizzard announced StarCraft II will offer infinitely re-playable single-player campaigns that don't just serve as a training ground for multi-player campaigns—which might be a good thing since Blizzard recently revealed that Starcraft II will not support LAN play, and will instead rely on its own Battle.net online multiplayer service.

by Geoff Duncan

Source: http://digitaltrends.com/

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Zodiac Online Enters Alpha Test

Ingle Games Ltd has announced that the long-awaited MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) Zodiac Online is entering into its Alpha testing phase on Sep. 1st, 2009.


Zodiac Online is a colorful, free to play MMO based on the Chinese Zodiac. Its 12 characters are set in a fantasy land borne of an amazing legend of allegiance, valiance, and guardianship. In the game, players will act as Zodiac Envoys on a mandate from heaven, which creates an unforeseen and mysterious set of circumstances.

Some of the game's unique features are listed as follows:

1. There are no class limits! In Zodiac, nothing but aptitude counts, therefore all skills are available to all players!

2. Innovative way of aptitude growth. The way characters’ aptitudes increase depends on which Zodiac Envoy you choose, not on your class. This creates endless possibilities for each character’s growth.

3. Zodiac sign system. Underpinned by the history of Chinese horoscopes, it is especially designed in-line with the Zodiac signs, granting unexpected surprises, windfalls or posing some challenges.

4. Taming wild monsters. Unlike other MMO’s limited choices of pets, the game provides a wide range of choice, with all monsters available for capture!

5. Find Mr. Right. Similar to constellation horoscopes, this system works with the Chinese traditional horoscope. It reads your future, and helps you recognize the right person from the crowd from the very first moment.

6. Growing weapon. It grows as you level up. Reinforced by Spiritual Stones possessing disparate powers, it is always the strongest backing for your fight.



As a whole, Zodiac will be digitally distributed on Sep. 1st, 2009 by Ingle Games Ltd. By that time, more features and details will be unveiled.



How to join in the Alpha Test?

As the testing day approaches, some official events will be held on its forum Zodiac.enjoymmo.com/forum. There will be a chance to get activation codes by taking part in these activities.

Good Wishes (Alpha Code Giveaway 1)

Code Hunter (Alpha Code Giveaway 2)


Source : http://www.gamezone.com

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Aurora Blade

Aurora Blade is a cool, new role-playing web game. It does not require any download or installation. Simply open the link in a new browser window, and type your IGG account and password in to start. The main aim of this new game is to build a healthy internet game-playing environment for gamers. With every click of the mouse, you can be changed into different characters or hang out in Barlow Valley with your friends.

In Aurora Blade, whenever you come to a new place, you can step into more than one map to find adventure. On these maps, you may be attacked by aggressive monsters because you’ve invaded their territory or because they just don’t like you. They are monsters, after all. Some high level branch line quests will ask you to conduct exploration of these maps. These are the kind of quests where you can team up with friends to help you fight your way through. Also, the rewards you will get can be very attractive as well. You may be rewarded with Good Fellow Cards used to exchange for high level gear, mine for valuable ore, or the great drops that only come from BOSSes.

Play Aurora Blade Now

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Silkroad Online Client

SilkRoad is a fantasy MMORPG based on the cultural and economic trading paths between ancient Asia and Europe of long-lost civilizations. On the sprawling SilkRoad, merchants are trading, burglars are stripping them of goods, and hunters are policing the area to take down burglars. The hostility and secret strife in which various groups continuously engage for the benefit of their own groups give SilkRoada world with constant activity, danger and life.

There is no fixed job in the SilkRoad world. All players can freely promote the growth of their own characters by will, alter the character, and change characters between merchant, burglar and hunter. It is entirely up to you whether you will earn money in the trade, become one wolf which pounces on prey, or become the guardian who protects the peace of SilkRoad.

Download the client:
http://www.filefront.com/14378217/SilkroadOnline_Client_v1_210_Aug_09.exe

By Jon

Source: http://filefront.com/

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CrimeCraft debuts today

A trio of new MMORPGs will be fighting it out for your entertainment dollars over the next month; they are as varied in format as they are in theme, and all promise to offer something different from the norm.

CrimeCraft kicks off today at 2:00 p.m. PDT for those who qualify for the “head start” week; Champions Online will take center stage on September 1st and Aion will grace the scene on September 22nd.

While all three products promise any number of intriguing options, none have had the hubris to proclaim itself the next World of Warcraft or the game that will topple the current King of the Hill.

Even so, that doesn’t mean that the new launches aren’t set to compete or are lacking in confidence. As a matter of fact, each believes it’s taking a step forward in the evolutionary progress of MMORPGs.

While both Aion and Champions Online have grabbed the attention of many MMORPG players, CrimeCraft unveils with a somewhat lower profile but also a theme further away from traditional MMORPGs than most. Here’s a look at what the game is all about:

CrimeCraft by Vogster Entertainment

The least ballyhooed of the new releases, CrimeCraft can best be described as a futuristic third-person team shooter with RPG elements. Global recession has peaked to the point where society has basically deteriorated into anarchy. Amidst the urban sprawl known as Sunrise City, Clans (called Gangs) have formed to provide both protection and livelihood in a world gone crazy. It’s definitely survival of the fittest. Your avatar will be a member of this “live by the gun, die by the gun” world.

Crime Craft’s designers haven’t hedged on whether or not their game should be considered an MMORPG. They’ve decided that they’re “. . . not really.” Matt McEnerny , an executive producer of the game, coined a new acronym for CrimeCraft, calling it a PWNS (Persistent World Next-gen Shooter). According to McEnerny, “While we have a lot of really cool RPG features, they supplement the core game play experience . . . First and foremost we are a Shooter.”

CrimeCraft deviates from the “Massive” moniker because while Vogster hopes that there will consistently be massive amounts of gamers online, gang vs. gang warfare will be capped at 16 players to fit the concept of smaller tactical combat.

RPG elements like leveling and looting, gaining skills and items will make CrimeCraft a living (persistent) world and there will be numerous places to buy and trade items, accept missions and so on, but the pace of the game will be frenetic.

Other standard RPG elements include close to three dozen active and passive skills that can be learned, various modes of play (currently six different PvP scenarios and two PvE scenarios). And, yes, there will be Crafting. You’ll be able to learn to be a Tailor, Gunsmith, Chemist or Engineer.

What there won’t be are specific starting classes. Character creation consists of selecting your gender and then “personalizing” your appearance, naming your avatar and entering the game. The skills you choose and the crafting upon which you decide will be, at this point, the only way to differentiate your character from all others. Depending upon your style of play and the way you use your skill points, you can eventually define your avatar as a Sniper, Medic, etc.

It's important to note that there will be, thankfully, ways to re-spec your characters so as you advance you aren’t necessarily going to have wasted time if you decide you’d like to reorient your avatar.

CrimeCraft doesn’t debut without risks. Its theme may turn off older gamers who may think they need to learn a new language to understand that a “crib” is a home not a bed in which a baby sleeps; that “getting down” doesn’t always mean to duck”.

CrimeCraft is also going to have to overcome the competition of not only other MMORPGs but also increasingly sophisticated stand-alone Shooters that mimic a MMORG through NPCs and hirelings; as well as convince skeptics that it isn’t just a glorified Grand Theft Auto, something that it certainly isn’t.

According to an early FAQ, "CrimeCraft is all about gang warfare and the spoils that come with it. Gangs fight to gain Reputation as they claw their way to the top of the leader boards to be the biggest baddest crew. “

Hopefully, it will get a fair chance to prove its uniqueness and worth.

By James Trunzo

http://www.examiner.com/

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Divine Generals | Arcade |

This is a war strategy game. You need to construct various buildings, increase population, produce resources, conduct scientific research, train soldiers, pillage resources and occupy wild lands. When you have enough power, you can occupy enemy cities and


Instructions:
Mouse.

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5 Free MMORPG Games Under 1 Gig in Size

These free mmorpg games all have such a small file size download that players can try them all.

1. Wind Slayer

This 2D fantasy from Outspark has a side scrolling game play. While a bit cutesy with the graphics there, the PvP has arena based and a major focus of the game instead of just a partial inclusion. There is a medium player pool of account holders and the file size for this mmorpg download is under 300MB. For the PvE (player versus environment) player there are tons of quests, a good many classes, several job promotions, and a sprawling game environment.

2.The Warlords

This is also a 2D fantasy from TQ Digital. There is a low computer system requirement to this game that allows it to be played on older computers. It sports a high player pool and the file size for this mmorpg download is around 600MB. The game is one that is plagued with bad translations and there are only two classes that can be played. However there is a good control interface and the level cap is quite high.

3.GodsWar Online

This 2D fantasy is from IGG and is similar to the Titan Quest RPG in that it is based on greek mythology. There is a faction based PvP in the game and has only a modest 143 file size download. There are many quests and easy controls, however, there are failing graphics. For those needing a simple game style with a theme that hasn’t been redone to death, this may be the right game.

4.Fiesta Online

The only 3D game in this group, this game is a fantasy from Outspark. It is bright and cutesy with a high player pool and a few PvP zones. It is just slightly over half a gig in file download for the mmorpg, at 574 MB. There is crafting and gathering in the game, with good progression in skills. There is only a few classes to start off though, and some players may find this restricting.

5.DarkEden

This 2D Diablo feeling vampire fantasy game is from Joymax. There is a low player pool but there is an open style PvP in the game. This too has just a slight over half a gig in download file size, at 566 MB. The translations are a bit scattered but there are dozens of skills in the different races to utilize. This really has a good retro feel to the game play and style, and fans of the old school Diablo will enjoy this one.

These five games are small enough to take little room on a hard drive so that the gamer can test them out and have something different to play. Try one or all, there is bound to be one that will catch a fancy.

Source: http://internet-games.suite101.com/

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Smashdown Boxing

Free online boxing game where you train your boxer and fight against thousands of other players to become the world's heavyweight champion. You can choose between six different boxing styles.

Play Smashdown Boxing Now

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Top 5 most annoying things in MMORPGs

Thirty minutes into the grind and Alan says to no person in particular, “I should’ve gone outside and played basketball.” Alan hates basketball. Alan has made it very clear, again and again, that he would rather pass an inflated basketball through his urethra than try to put it through a stupid net. Having no real urge to test his hypothesis, his buddies agree without question. Even if they wanted to, the legality might prove a slight problem.

This is going to come as a surprise, but annoying things are annoying. Sometimes even really annoying. And MMORPGs, bless their profitable souls, are full of annoying things. Game-specific irks aside, here’s a top 5 list of the most annoying things that MMORPGs just can’t seem to do without.

5) The generic quest.

The first time you get a quest, you’re already thinking epically. “Man, I just paid fifty dollars for this game, and I’m going to be paying about fifteen more a month from here on out! This has got to be awesome.” Your task of retrieving 6 wolf pelts stimulates your imagination like lollipops stimulate Lil’ Wayne. You’ll go through epic dungeons and vicious forests to kill the six beasts of Nar’lthug, an ancient race beast-taming race that will reveal itself later in the deep, encompassing, and morally relevant plot.

You arrive at your location to find six poorly rendered and nameless wolves that are either licking themselves or having epileptic fits. There are otherwise at least thirty flawless corpses of the things littering the ground. The supposedly live ones turn with preternatural quickness in apparently random directions, as if about ten dollars were put into animating their turgid bodies. Rabbits walk around them freely, but you could care less. To kill the epic beasts! The obvious conclusions cannot override your imagination, and you cheer with every additional, pristine corpse that pops out a pelt like a gumball dispenser.

Ten days later, you’re smoking in-game cigarettes at the in-game pub. To think you actually wondered why they added this in the game. “Yeah,” you say, “gotta rack up another twelve boar skins to get some gold.” The others nod, though you can’t actually see them do this. The crackling fireplace sounds like a trashbag being continuously crumpled, and as you stare into the glowing orange thing that is supposed to be the fire, you begin to cry, slowly. Well, that’s what the chat-box says, at least.

4) The tedious skill

“Lordy, I’ll be able to make my own items?!” It’s hard not to exclaim this fact. You ignore those generic quests, passing them off as some silly mistake so the developers could focus on other parts of the game. As to what parts, exactly, you can’t quite define, but you’re sure this part will be better.

After about ten hours of collecting and organizing, you’re prepared to make items, and a ton of them. Your skill isn’t great, but why would they have the skill in the first place if you couldn’t make something worthwhile? The memory of the quests drifts over your mind like the Enola Gay over Hiroshima. Your imagination, however, is apparently some sort of adamantium bunker which nothing can penetrate, and the option “forge item” causes you to smile.

Another ten hours later, completely sleep deprived, you’ve managed to make three maces that someone ten levels below you might use, if they were poor. The rest of your creations look like the fire sprites tried to hump the crap out of a piece of metal. One of the maces actually hurts you without any apparent benefit if you try to use it. Defeated, you retreat to the pub and complain to the NPC bartender as to the weakness of her wares. Your compatriots nod reassuringly. “Perhaps,” you lament, “there is something else.”

3) The useless helper

It came to pass that you were gifted with Deregen, son of Allergen, lord and minister of the Snuffle-Sniffle alliance. He is a “mighty and brave warior[sic] whose very fierce actions were heralded.” You wonder for a moment as to who, exactly, heralded his “fierce actions” or what, exactly a “warior” is. No matter. Deregen appears beside you in regalia that, for the slipshod graphics, actually looks kind of cool. “Awesome”, you say to the fellow beside you, who has also received Deregen and has him placed next to yours, “This guy is awesome.” As you head off to your next quest, you wonder if the other Deregen you saw was part of some sort of bizarro-world.

Deregen, as your imagination has begrudgingly come to accept, runs off like a flaming idiot into the woods. His superbly rendered armor and weapons apparently count for nothing, and after two hits from a rabies-infested rat, he dies. Seeing no other viable option, you stop and sit by the road you were on before trying to save Deregen, and hold a brief séance. You pair together previous lines from his largely inane commentary, and yell to passersby your divinations. “Deregen is…” you take a moment to put together a sentence, “happy you should love the smell of a roasted Snuffle-Sniffle kingdom we poked hard!” A few moments later, after the chat-box reveals the disgust your holy interpretation created, Deregen appears. “Hey there, chip! Just took a little spill. Right hard we fought, we did!” You listen vainly for a breeze to break the horrible, awkward silence that follows.

2) The braindead GM

After a while, Deregen simply disappears. You retrace your steps and try to activate everything you can, but he’s apparent dust in the pixellated wind. Your private message to the Game Master comes back with an automatic reply: “I will message you back as shortly as possible please be patient thank you ~xxXXglavoriXXxx~”. Ten minutes later, the conversation begins.

You: So, Deregen disappeared.
GM: Where’d he go
You: I was hoping you could answer that.
GM: Hey man, chill out. Hold on brb
You: Okay.
(Ten minutes pass)
GM: Sorry hadta pee
You: Did you try spelling the alphabet with it? You had enough time.
GM: Hah hey no sexual jokes okay??
You: What?
GM: Sex u kno.
You: Yeah… So, Deregen.
GM: What about him
You: He’s gone and, uh, I’d like him back.
GM: Where’d he go
You: Again, I was hoping you’d know.
GM: Okay I’ll reset ur account an der should be on there hav fun

Twenty minutes later, and your entire account is reset. Everything you worked for, it seems, has joined Deregen in the great poorly-rendered beyond. Oh well, you say. My friends should be able to help.

1) The fickle friends

“Well,” you say, “This sucks. Rob got me into this, he can probably get me out.” You remember Rob’s very grandiose story about being a GM or president or some such for the game, about his plans for you to become the second in command of a large and dedicated guild and a bunch of other exciting stuff you can’t really remember. His account is logged off, so you call his house and explain. His reply echoes through the now-vacant expanse of your skull.


“Nah man, that game is old. No one’s on that. This one is where it’s at.” He then mentions the new game. You look it up. It’s a sword-and-magic game, just like this one. It’s got slightly better graphics. You imagine these slightly better graphics, and the slightly better fireplaces in the slightly better taverns, maybe even slightly better quests, and your imagination once again begins to soar. “Perhaps,” you say to yourself, “this one will be better.” The wind fails again in making an appearance.

By Stephen Marshall

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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Break In | Arcade |

Finish each mission by getting to the destination without being caught by patrol guards' spotlights. Pick up tools on the way to aid your break in. It's a time trial. The score is the time it takes for you to finish all 6 levels.



Instructions:
[A]: Left
[S]: Down
[W]: Up
[D] Right
Toggle [Down] to use Cover

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MMORPGs 101: PC security and MMORPGs

Computer security is important for everyone, gamer and non-gamer alike. No one is safe from the greedy eyes of hackers anxious to get their hands on your personal information, especially credit card numbers or bank account info.
Just as most computer viruses out there are made to target Microsoft's Windows operating system, the biggest target for hacking in the MMORPG world is World of Warcraft. With over 11 million subscribers worldwide, it's no wonder that it's also a popular target among identity thieves. But just because World of Warcraft is the biggest target, don't assume that it can't happen with other games.


So what's the point? Why would someone want to hack an MMORPG account? The answer is, of course, money. Getting access to someone's game account also gives access to the in-game items that belong to that account and in some games, in-game items can be sold for lots of money -- sometimes virtual, sometimes real money.

How do hackers gain access to someone else's game account? One way is they get the information they need (account name and password) directly from the account owner. They might get this from an in-game conversation with the victim, or through a "phishing" e-mail. The best way to protect yourself from this threat is to simply never give away your account information, especially your password. It's important to remember that game companies will never ask for your password. If someone does, then it's a sure bet that it's someone out to hack your account.

The other big threat is keyloggers. A keylogger is computer software (a type called "malware") that, once it's on a computer, can record keystrokes and send them to a remote computer over the Internet. A keylogger can record the exact keys used to type in your account name and password, all that a hacker needs to gain control of your account. To protect yourself against keyloggers and other malware, be sure to have good, up-to-date antivirus and antimalware software. There are several good, free programs out there to protect against malware: AVG antivirus, MalwareBytes, and SpyBot. Also, don't log into your game accounts (or other sensitive accounts, like e-mail or online banking, for that matter) from computers for which you're unsure of their virus protection.

Victims of account hacking are usually successful in working with game publishers to regain control of their account, but in many cases hackers can clean out an account of its valuables before the victim even realizes what happened. There can be social ramifications of account hacking, too, if someone else spends much time at all on the victim's account, interacting with the victim's friends. It's best to concentrate on following safe practices that will stop one from being a victim in the first place.

By Cecil Adkins

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

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