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Vietnamese government implements restrictions on online games

GameSpaz — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Citing increased real-life criminal activity originating in the online space, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communication has placed a number of tight restrictions on massively multiplayer titles. These include bans on any and all advertisements for online games, as well as regulations forcing ISPs to shut off service to gaming cafes and retailers after hours.

More drastic is the Ministry's decision to stop allowing any additional online games to come into the nation until further legislation on the matter can be considered. Man, that's harsh! Why can't they follow China's example, and just regulate the content of these games instead of -- oh, wait. Vietnam is doing that as well. Awesome.

Vietnamese government implements restrictions on online games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visit scenic Nar Shaddaa in Star Wars: The Old Republic

GameSpaz — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000

The Star Wars: The Old Republic website reveals a new world for the MMO: the "smuggler's moon" of Nar Shaddaa, orbiting the Hutt homeworld. It's a huge city full of fugitives and other criminals, and is host to an ongoing war between the Hutt Cartel and the Exchange Syndicate -- you know, the kind of thing that a Jedi pays no attention to because he's too busy bringing down the government of the whole galaxy. It also kind of looks like something out of Phantasy Star Online.

Have you ever noticed how in science fiction, entire planets will just have one defining feature? Like in Star Wars: Hoth is an ice planet, Dagobah is 100% swamp, Coruscant is one enormous city, and this place is a different planetwide city. Based on all the planets we've lived on (pretty much the one), that doesn't seem like how it works. Of course, the Star Wars universe is the one with lightsabers and Wookiee best friends, so there's definitely value to its interpretation of civilization.

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic (Nar Shaddaa)

Visit scenic Nar Shaddaa in Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Realtime Worlds reveals Project: MyWorld

GameSpaz — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:31:00 +0000

Realtime Worlds just released APB, but it's already hard at work on its next huge online game, which appears to be a ... real-time world. "Project: MyWorld," which RTW expects to release "early next year," is a social game based on a detailed model of the Earth. Players can build structures in a virtual version of real space, and open those spaces up to interaction with friends. The teaser trailer (after the break) shows one user commenting about a "fishing game" in a structure, for example.

The trailer also suggests a number of ways to interact with the real world from within MyWorld, with Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Google, and Loopt integration shown. "What would it look like if Nintendo built Google Earth?" the website asks. It wouldn't have this much online functionality, that's for sure.

Continue reading Realtime Worlds reveals Project: MyWorld

Realtime Worlds reveals Project: MyWorld originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek Online Season Two begins, price lowered to $20

GameSpaz — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:00:00 +0000

The recently teased free content expansion for Star Trek Online, titled "Season Two: Ancient Enemies," launched earlier today, bringing with it an increased level and rank cap, new ships and missions, a series of new episodes specifically geared towards the Klingon faction, and more. As with the last STO season, the new stuff doesn't stop coming after today's update -- five new "episodes" (aka missions) will debut every week starting in August. Click past the jump to see all the new features present in the update.

If you're intrigued by Cryptic's habit of giving away its expansions and you've yet to invest in Star Trek Online, the studio's made it that much easier for you to do so by lowering the price of the game to $20. Why, with all the money you'd be saving, you'd certainly be doing an enviable amount of prospering. Though, we're not sure what the secret to "living long" is. Fish oil? We bet it has something to do with fish oil.

Continue reading Star Trek Online Season Two begins, price lowered to $20

Star Trek Online Season Two begins, price lowered to $20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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‘EverQuest 2 Extended’ bringing free-to-play to EQ2

GameSpaz — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:50:00 +0000

SOE has announced a free-to-play version of EverQuest 2, called EverQuest 2 Extended. Yes, a free-to-play version. Rather than switching its business model as some MMOs have, SOE is actually going to operate Extended in parallel with the existing, subscription-based version of EverQuest 2.

Extended uses a smaller web-based application instead of EQ2's full download, and offers both free and optional paid membership content, as well as the option to purchase equipment. It includes access to all the game zones available in the "real" game, including those added in expansions up to "Shadow Odyssey". In other words, everything but the stuff added in "Sentinel's Fate." Find all the confusing details about the membership options after the break, or check the FAQ.

EverQuest 2 Extended is expected to launch in beta form "on or around August 17, 2010." Along with it, UI improvements will be released for the current version of EQ2.

Continue reading 'EverQuest 2 Extended' bringing free-to-play to EQ2

'EverQuest 2 Extended' bringing free-to-play to EQ2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Realms offering lifetime memberships for $30

GameSpaz — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Listen here, you Free Realms freeloader, you. If you've been thinking about throwing some money at Sony Online Entertainment's MMO to get the full experience the game has to offer, you can now get a lifetime membership to the game for a one-time lump sum of $30.

Continue reading Free Realms offering lifetime memberships for $30

Free Realms offering lifetime memberships for $30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIV’s XVIII different classes revealed

GameSpaz — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:20:00 +0000

The full list of Final Fantasy XIV's peculiar, discipline-based classes was recently outed by Famitsu (as translated by fansite FFXIV Core). If your idea of an MMO class roster boils down to Wizards, Warriors, Rogues, etc., you're probably going to be perplexed by the game's profession-centric composition. Don't get too bogged down in thought, though -- you'll be able to switch between these jobs at will once the game drops for the PC in September.

For a full breakdown of class distribution between the combat-focused Disciples of War, the wizardly Disciples of Magic, the gathering-adept Disciples of the Land and the crafty Disciples of Hand, just click past the jump.

Continue reading Final Fantasy XIV's XVIII different classes revealed

Final Fantasy XIV's XVIII different classes revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Browse these new details and screens from Battlestar Galactica Online

GameSpaz — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Our MMO-centric sister site Massively received a whole mess of gameplay details and screenshots from Bigpoint's promising browser-based MMO, Battlestar Galactica Online. Players will be able to choose between the Human and Cylon factions, will be able to create their own out-of-ship avatars, and will progress through individual quests and story-based missions exclusive to their own factions. For instance, Cylons might be tasked with preparing a fresh slice of toast. (Because Cylons look like toasters. Obviously.)

For more details, check out the info Massively managed to glean from Bigpoint. For visual images you can see with your eyes, check out the gallery below.

Gallery: Battlestar Galactica Online (7/23/10)

Browse these new details and screens from Battlestar Galactica Online originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioWare confirms space combat for Star Wars: The Old Republic

GameSpaz — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:20:00 +0000

BioWare's community managers have confirmed that The Old Republic will allow players to engage in space combat, which -- well of course it will. What did you think, that BioWare would announce during E3 that players would have their own spaceships for housing purposes, and that those spaceships would stay permanently on the ground? Are we to believe that the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic is just one big trailer park, with people living out of their dormant A-Wings and TIE fighters, soft mounds of Space-Skoal tucked into their alien oral cavities?

Fan site Mos Eisley Radio reported the rumor of space combat first during Comic-Con, which BioWare quickly confirmed in a forum thread. Originally, the announcement was to come when community members had reached a certain social networking outreach goal -- which they didn't. Don't worry, though: Even if BioWare had decided to withhold that info as a punishment for their failure to adequately spread the word, we could have told everyone that, yes, spaceships fly.

Details are slim now, but BioWare says further info on the mechanics of space combat will surface in the October issue of PC Gamer magazine.

BioWare confirms space combat for Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek Online: Season Two to revive some ‘Ancient Enemies’

GameSpaz — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:35:00 +0000

We weren't exactly sure what qualified as an "Ancient Enemy" in the Star Trek universe -- haven't most of them been around since, like, the 60s, anyway? The debut trailer for the second season of content updates (which carries the "Ancient Enemies" subtitle) for Star Trek Online reveals the true identity of these time-tested foes: Big, scaly dudes with tusks. Oh, and floating, demonic torsos. Oh, and floating, demonic torsos that can fly around in space without a ship.

So, in short, not only are these enemies older than the game's traditional fare, but they're jumpsuit-spoilingly scarier as well. You can catch a glimpse of these second season baddies in the trailer posted after the jump.

Continue reading Star Trek Online: Season Two to revive some 'Ancient Enemies'

Star Trek Online: Season Two to revive some 'Ancient Enemies' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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