Check out the New Shokz Starcraft 2 Strategy Guide

The Shokz Guide is the complete Starcraft 2 Mastery Guide. The Starcraft 2 Guide is an in-depth guide teaching you how to master the Terran, Protoss, and Zerg. Learn the top strategies and play styles of all three races to earn your way to #1 rank Diamond.
The Starcraft 2 Guide teaches you every aspect of the game giving you the advantage against any opponent. The Guide has the top strategies used by the pros so you can learn how to micro and macro like a diamond player and take over your diamond division.

Along with covering all three races and battle.net strategies the Starcraft 2 Guide has a complete campaign walkthrough guide. Our campaign walkthrough guide takes you through all missions with step-by-step instructions while preparing you for battle.net gameplay.

Watch the Shokz Guide Video

Get the Shokz Guide Here

World of Dragons: Have Your Phone & Level Too!

Everyone loves free things, especially free games.  Honestly, I think they make the world go round.  Now for all MMO lovers that know this, you're probably wondering why you're here.  Where is this free stuff you ask?  Well before I get to that, let me throw an idea into your head (like an inception *hehe*).  Now don't hate me or love me too much for using this game as an example, but what if I told you that as of now you can bring your level 80 troll hunter with you wherever you go.  What if I told you that a cross platform MMO was possible.  What if I told you that I just lied and I'm not actually talking about World of Warcraft at all.  Well it's true, I'm not talking about WoW so you can all stop getting your hopes up.  Now out of everything I just said, there was some truth to the matter.

CorsairBand's latest MMO, World of Dragons (not Warcraft), is a free to play MMO that you can play on your computer with over a 100,000 other players in game.  Now why did I say "on your computer"?  Obviously MMO's are meant to be played on a computer with your friends.  Well that's where CorsairBand proves you all wrong and introduces the first MMO that will allow you to take it on your cellphone!  Now you can battle demons and level your characters wherever you go!  Is this a good thing?  I'm actually not too sure.  Well, good thing or not, it's still awesome!
The game is available on both systems right now! So head on over to the website by clicking here, and sign yourself up for some epic dragon slaying!  Be sure to download the game onto your cellphone as well as your computer.  Don't let this cool innovative concept go to waste!  If all goes well, maybe you might even see some larger MMO's try this approach in the future.  If were lucky, Blizzard's latest MMO might just be a cellphone game! (but lets hope not….)
For all the MMO news you need to know and more, keep up to date with us at mmocrunch.com
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Real Time Worlds Introduces Project: MyWorld

Besides Crackdown and APB, game developer Realtime Worlds has got a new project up their sleeves.  Not much about this game has been released and most people are still a little confused on what it is exactly.  What we do know is that it will utilize social networking sites to bring gamers from around the world that much closer together.  This new title is also directed at non-social gamers (but not hardcore), that enjoy a good jump in and jump out kind of game.  A sneak peak trailer for the game has been released and more details relating to Project: MyWorldshould hopefully be released in the near future.  Feel free to click here and find out more on this brand new game.  Any game where you can fly cute mini boats and planes must be semi-enjoyable right?  Right???
For all the MMO news you need to know and more, stay up to date with us at mmocrunch.com.
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SW:ToR Unveils Nar Shaddaa

Welcome to the crime ring, kid. Star Wars: The Old Republic has announced the addition of Nar Shaddaa into the game universe.
Hutta, a planet that once lived up to it's name of "Glorious Jewel", has become slowly desecrated by the presence of the greedy Hutts and their careless pursuits. Since the beginning of the Star Wars series, we have come to know first-hand the insatiable lust for wealth and power that defines the Hutta species. It is no surprise, then, that Hutta's nearby moon has earned a somewhat similar reputation. Nar Shaddaa, "where Hutt Gangsters go to relax", sees a constant stream of corruption, mischief, fickle loyalties, and other dirty business.
The moon's surface is burdened by an all-encompassing urban sprawl, and hazy smog that puts even Central Los Angeles to shame. Nar Shadda might also be likened to Las Vegas, on a much larger scale, and pleasure feeds into subversion at every chance.  Behind closed doors, however, the lights are not so bright, and fraudulent deals are made that hold more weight than the Republic or Empire would like to admit. Further down, the darkness thickens, and monopolistic corporations conduct heinous tests upon unwilling victims. In some twisted way, Nar Shaddaa paints a picture of Capitalism's most malicious incarnation. Despite it's insidious nature, Nar Shaddaa is essentially a neutral agent in the war between the Republic and the Empire. The fact remains, though, that Hutta's interstellar relative plays an essential role in the bloody rivalry between the Exchange and the Hutt Cartel.
Bioware has crafted Nar Shaddaa to fit within the visual theme of the game as a whole, while keeping it true to it's canon within the Star Wars universe. Boot up SW:ToR's HoloNet to read up on Nar Shaddaa's full backstory and flip through some screenshots.
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Mythic Announces European Payment Plans

Bioware Mythic has just revealed the new payment options coming to all European Warhammer Online and Dark Age of Camelot players.  Players are told that they will still have the option to purchase game time codes from the EA online store, as well as some new payment methods that may be preferred.  The game time codes will still be sold in 30, 90, and 180 day packages for both Warhammer Online and Dark Age of Camelot.  European players now have the option to set up an automatic billing plan by using a valid Visa, Mastercard, Discovery or American Express card.  Mythic is currently working on a wider selection of European billing options, but in the mean time Mythic will be providing introductory pricing.  This will only stick until they have released their full line-up of billing options.  The current prices have been posted by Mythic and are all in USD with the additional "Added Value Tax".

The current prices are as followed.
GBP:

• 1 Month – $ 13.99 USD
• 3 Months – $ 37.99 USD
• 6 Months – $ 69.99 USD

Euro:

• 1 Month – $ 15.99 USD
• 3 Months – $ 43.99 USD
• 6 Months – $ 79.99 USD

Mythic would like to remind its players to access their master accounts on the Bioware Mythic account center so that they may utilize these new payment plans.  For more info on Mythic's new European payment plans, head over to warhammeronline.com to keep up to date on all Warhammer news along with official mythic updates.

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Comic-Con 2010 Wrap-Up: The Video Games

In spite of its name, San Diego's Comic-Con is dominated by movies -- Hollywood always makes the biggest splash at the show by far. Comic Book sellers and artists are relegated to one part of the hall, and video games have an even smaller footprint than that. But that doesn't mean gaming's isn't on display.
This year, the big news was fighting games. Specifically, Street Fighter x Tekken and Tekken x Street Fighter. Pitting the fighters of Tekken against the Street Fighters in two different game seem more like a dream a sixth grader would have than actual products, but they are real, and they were announced at Comic-Con this year. Check it out in the video below:

Also in fighting game news: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 also made a splash with the announcement of Thor and Okami's Amaterasu as playable characters in the upcoming game.
Bungie revealed it's new, easy-to-use Forge World for Halo: Reach as well as new modes: Vs. Firefight and Gruntpocalypse.
We learned a lot about Star Wars: The Old Republic.
We also learned a lot about Dead Rising 2, and got to check out a brand new trailer. We went deep inside the horror of Dead Space 2's panel, got a look at some Gears of War 3awesomeness, and even brought back some important Disney Epic Mickey news.
We learned how Fallout: New Vegas came to exist, checked out the sweet dual lightsabers that will be featured in The Force Unleashed 2, and got our hands on the following games:

• Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
• James Bond: Blood Stone
• Goldeneye 007 for the Wii
• Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
  
• Echochrome 2
• Kung Fu Rider

That's not all, of course. Check out the rest of our Comic-Con coverage for much, much more news about games, panel live-blogs, previews and more, more more!

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Lineage readies Season 3, Episode 1 update

Massively is traveling back in time this week with regard to NCsoft titles, first with news about updates to Lineage II and now with word on an exciting bit of new content for the original Lineage. Yes, you heard right -- the first-gen MMORPG (originally released in 1998) is still alive, kicking, and updating.

July 29th will bring players the opportunity to experience Episode 1 of Season 3 on NCsoft's Play Test Servers. Subtitled Crack of Time and featuring new classes, a dungeon, and an expanded storyline, the update has yet to receive an official live release window.

New classes include the dragon knight (a damage-dealer featuring the ability to shape-shift into beast forms) and the illusionist (a PvP-centric class with substantial debuff magic and area-of-effect attacks). The update also brings revamped starting areas, Thebes Dungeon (which features a random entrance-spawn and a challenging completion timer), and tweaks specifically designed to cater to North American audiences. These changes include double XP, higher item drop-rates, and higher boss-spawn rates.
Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage, Expansions, Patches, News items
Lineage readies Season 3, Episode 1 update originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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City of Heroes: Going Rogue New Zones Detailed

With City of Heroes: Going Rogue just around the corner, Cryptic studios has generously provided the good old fashioned CoH fans with some juicy info on two new zones in City of Heroes that will be featured in the game's upcoming expansion.  This new info gives the players a look into the back story and current situation of each of these new zones.  Each zone differs from one another, the first zone entitled Nova Praetoria takes place in a city type setting, and the second entitled The Underground sets itself in subway tunnels and underground passages.

Lets start off with Nova Praetoria.  This new city sits upon an island which was created when the leader of the city (Emperor Marcus Cole) flooded the river that flowed through the middle of it.  He did this to ensure that the city was protected from any and all outside threats.  The city is heavy on it's defense; featuring two operational police departs who are dedicated to protecting the city and keeping the peace.  Marcus Cole has even taken the liberty of using the the old river passage as a subterranean highway in order to transport top secret materials, data and or personal.

The second of the two zones, The Underground, holds home to some of the more dangerous characters in Going Rogue.  This system of tunnels is the same system that connects to Nova Praetoria.  Gangs and resistance members like to hang around down here either slaughtering the men of Marcus Cole, or raiding his supply trucks and material shipments.  The Underground is a place that is often avoided by regular civilians, one because of its secrecy, and the second because of its danger.  Gangs are also not the only thing lurking in these dark and damp tunnels.  This tunnel is also the home of ghouls.  Ghouls  are almost zombie like creatures that have inhabited the tunnels.  They love to hide in the cold darkness waiting for pray.  They tend to tread these tunnels because they enjoy the freedom that they would not see if they were to travel to the surface.
These two new zones are discussed in even further detail on the official City of Heroes news feed.  Follow the link to find out more!

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Persistent zones appear on EQII's test server

EQ2Wire draws some interesting conclusions from last week's Test Update Notes on Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest II. The long-running fantasy MMORPG appears to be waffling on whether or not players should level rapidly. Last weekend marked a double XP smorgasbord, but now comes word of new persistent zones on the game's test servers.

These zones include many instances in the Desert of Flames and Kingdom of Sky sections of the world of Norrath, and making them persistent will prevent players from zoning in and out for a fresh set of mobs.

"This is the type of change that makes players the most negative about a game, these "yank the rug out from under you" changes which only serve to make players feel that their time is beingintentionally wasted to maintain an artificial leveling pace. It only emphasizes the treadmill characteristic that all MMOs have, but usually try to conceal," writes EQ2Wire's Feldon.

Check out the original article for more commentary, as well as the full patch notes.
Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches
Persistent zones appear on EQII's test server originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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July Progress Report: Anarchy Online

Nowadays, when gamers hear the name "Funcom", the trumpeting horns of Hyboria's armies can be heard approaching over the next ridge. Sexualized barbarism & bloodshed rest on the tip of our tongues, and in the seat of our minds, for we are undoubtedly thinking of Age of Conan. That's fair enough, as Funcom's newest MMO has been heavily publicized since it's release, easily overshadowing the uniquely realized (though dated) world of Anarchy Online.
Senior Designer Brad L. McAtee has written up a short post on the official website to assure us that, despite the general "loneliness" of his office (July is vacation month), a few dedicated employees are still punched in and crunching away on Anarchy Online's newest features. "Newest features?" you scoff, as you raise an eyebrow. I don't blame you. The game has been slow to update since a significant portion of Funcom's resources have been funneled off to AoC in the last year or two. Nonetheless, Brad, or "Kintaii", has some big plans for the next update, including new head models, Keeper nano changes, and world additions.

Anarchy Online's content updates start with some revamped AI Dungeon and Daily Mission content, which should be evidenced by screenshots in the days to come. As mentioned before, Nano and "Metaing" systems are being assessed, and subsequent updates are planned here as well. Brad himself has been tinkering with a new PvP playfield, and intimates that the area is coming along quite nicely – if he doesn't say so himself. Moreover, he plans to publish the mechanics of this new zone in the next update. A plethora of additional tweaks and fixes are in the lineup, as well as in-game events and an ongoing "Newland City Logo" contest. Here is Brad's post at the official site.
Moral of the story is, if you're an AO player, this looks like a good time to jump back in and explore the game's newest additions. Just watch your back …Omni-Tek knows where you sleep!

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Global Agenda: Into The Sandstorm

Immediately after announcing that Global Agenda will remain subscription less forever, Hi-Rez Studios pulls out their latest trump card with the free to download major content update "Sandstorm".
Phase two of Global Agenda's Sandstorm patch released  on Thursday July, 22, 2010  featuring major updates such as a brand new open world PvE zone entitled the "Sonoran Desert" .  While traveling the new desert zone, players are capable of collecting NPC given quests which are tracked and able to be completed in a party.  The zone also holds home to many new enemy types and mobs that are ready to be farmed and looted for valuable items and experience.  Phase two of the sand storm update also features a new Base Defense mode that is selectable from within dome city.  This event may only be selected when a base outside of the city is under attack by the newly added Recursive Colony faction.  You and nine other players will work together to stop the base from being overrun by NPC enemies who work for this new faction.
Other Major updates include new Sonoran Desert themed PvE missions available for levels 5 through 19, consumable items providing the player with boosts and combat advantages during battle, and the ability to salvage armor and weapons that are outdated or unused.  Using the new Salvage feature will remove your salvaged item from your inventory, replacing it with a component loot drop.
These are only some of the features and changes that come with Global Agenda's new content update.  Click here for the full  patch notes to find out what's in store for all you elf haters.
To finish things off here is the new trailer for Global Agenda's Sandstorm update.

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Checking Up on Asheron’s Call

This month, Turbine's Asheron's Call is keeping the pace with modern MMOs by putting out several skill, item, and quest updates. Notable additions include a revamped Monthly "Kill Task", a shiny new armor set, and a veritable laundry list of updated quest rewards.
July has proven to be a busy month for Turbine. In addition to the aforementioned content patches, Asheron's Call played host to in-game event, simply titled, "July Event". A handful of vibrant screenshots were posted, though I am still unsure as to what people were doing… Regardless, the event was more than just an in-game forest romp; game lore was also written to accompany the celebration. Not many games do this as much as they should, and creating additional storylines to go along with existing fiction is a great way to flesh out a game universe.

From "Filling in the Blanks":
Asheron had spent weeks in his sanctuary, working on ways to both stabilize Portalspace and to isolate the threat that had attacked his earlier efforts at freeing the small pocket of his people Claude had directed him to.  A small army of Emissaries and Golems swarmed through the sanctuary, rushing the construction of the three devices he'd need to make more permanent corrections to the destabilized area in Portalspace.

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Pirates of the Burning Sea confirms expansion release date, extra features

Get ready to return to the high seas, as Flying Lab Software and Sony Online Entertainment have announced the official release date for Pirates of the Burning Sea's first expansion. Power and Prestige will sail on August 24th due to Flying Lab's desire to polish and perfect.

The expansion, which already features quite a list of game improvements, will also debut with a new career rewards exchange shop, a junk buyer exchange shop, and client-side preferences for auto-facing targets in avatar combat. When we add these to the previously announced port governance, skill revisions, career revamps, ship tweaks, avatar skill revamps, and hefty doses of new mission content, the result looks to be a premium expansion that will keep captains busy for quite some time.

You can view all the details via the official press release and expansion feature list.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic: Space Combat Confirmed

At this weekend's Comic Con in San Diego, Star Wars: The Old Republic developers were on hand for a special panel. During their talk, devs confirmed that space combat will be an integral part of The Old Republic. Devs have a plan to reveal more about space combat in the upcoming weeks including a spread in the October 2010 issue of PC Gamer which goes on sale in mid-August.

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EVE Evolved: EVE Online's not-so-free market

One of the most talked-about features of EVE Online is its player-run economy. Due to over 330,000 players living on one server, the markets have reached a critical mass where the laws of economics play out in a very effective manner. When there's a demand for something, no matter how obscure the item or low the demand, you can be sure there are dozens or hundreds of pilots trying their best to supply it. The in-game economy mirrors real-life economic situations so closely that CCP even hired a dedicated economist to analyse the market and advise CCP of any problems that arise.

EVE's economy is often referred to as a pure free market, but that isn't technically true. At its heart, EVE is still a game designed and implemented by a team of developers. All MMO economies require some degree of control and intervention for the game to remain playable. In EVE, this comes in the form of careful balance of supply and demand via changes to game mechanics and drop rates. There are also a number of more direct passive influences on the market, such as NPC market orders and insurance.


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One Shots: Time for a nap

Have you ever imagined what life is like for MMO characters once you log out of the game? Do they go to the market? Enjoy some free time flying kites? Perhaps they simply sleep, as we see in today's Dungeons and Dragons Online One Shots that has come to us from Weables Wigglebottom, a human monk. Of course, we also picked this image for today because Sundays are truly awesome days to catch a little catnap after a long week. Weables writes in: "When my friend and I found a fluffy bed inside a mummy's tomb, we decided it was a good time for a cuddly snooze."


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