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ArchivesScams Targeting Online Games: Old Phish With Fresh Bait Are phishing crews paying more attention to virtual worlds? Phishing attacks on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have been around since at least 2002, and perhaps earlier. But some observers of online games say the growing market for virtual currency and player accounts may be attracting fresh attention from phishing scams, which are mass-mailing "bait" e-mails seeking to capture gamers' account logins.Phishing attacks most commonly target banks, credit card companies and payment sites such as Paypal. This year phishers have expanded their target list to include smaller regional banks and credit unions. While phishing attacks on online games aren't new, they may represent a logical area of expansion for these scams, given the growing value of player accounts, the youthful demographics of online gaming, and a recent influx of new players due to the popularity of World of Warcraft. [ Read More! ] Guild Wars: First Impressions It’s hard to talk to anyone interested in PC games these days without hearing about Guild Wars, the latest from NC Soft. That company made its name on City of Heroes, which won fans by throwing out the traditional MMO rulebook – along with the typical inventory and crafting systems. Guild Wars also adds some unique twists to the online role-playing genre, although this time, in a traditional sword and sorcery world that wouldn’t look out of place in Everquest. The biggest bullet point about Guild Wars is that it has no monthly subscription fee. Once you buy the original boxed game, you’re good to go. Instead of relying on your $10-15 a month, NC Soft hopes to release retail expansions a few times a year to keep you coming back for more. [ Read More! ] EverQuest Releases Latest Expansion Sony Online Entertainment announced today that it has released the latest expansion in the EverQuest II series, Desert of Flames. The first expansion pack since the core game's release in Nov. 2004, Desert of Flames inducts the game into the world of player versus player gameplay. The expansion adds to the regular updates offered since the game's release. [ Read More! ] Guild Wars Hits the Million Unit Milestone
The world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games announces yet another milestone for its top-selling competitive roleplaying game, Guild Wars®, from ArenaNet® studios. More than one million units have been purchased since the game launched on April 28th of this year, and the numbers are increasing.
“We reached this lofty goal in an extremely short period of time,” said Robert Garriott, president of NCsoft’s North American business. “We launched the game in late April and throughout the notoriously slow summer buying season, account activations just continued to grow. Our business model, which does not require a subscription fee, coupled with the quality of the game, have struck a chord with gamers everywhere.” [ Read More! ] Age of Empires III goes gold Ready your troops! Age of Empires III, the stunning real-time strategy (RTS) landmark from Microsoft and Ensemble Studios, is complete and poised to invade retail on October 18.Available in two versions standard and Collectors Edition Age of Empires III will fire up gamers with groundbreaking new features like the persistent Home City and jaw-dropping graphics never before seen in an RTS. Gamers can now experience the game first-hand with a recently released playable demo that offers hours of exciting combat challenges, as well as the ability to upgrade the players Home City. [ Read More! ] NVIDIA announces GeForce 7800 Go
SANTA CLARA, CA SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the world leader in graphics and digital media processors, today unveiled the new NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX graphics processing unit (GPU), the flagship of the NVIDIA notebook GPU line-up.
This new GPU is immediately available in notebooks from Sager Computer, Inc., Falcon Northwest, Voodoo Computers, Inc., Eurocom Corporation, ABS Computer Technologies, Inc., Hypersonic PC Systems, Evesham Technology, and ProStart Computer, Inc. [ Read More! ] Three in Four Koreans Go Online
Three-quarters of Koreans between the ages of seven and 65 use the Internet, the most recent survey shows. Koreanclick and Research International said Wednesday they arrived at the figure by polling 5,000 Koreans.
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Why Fantasy And Not SciFi? Fasten Your Seat Belts. We Are Entering The Blogosphere. Internet!
Terra Nova asks a simple question today: Why Magic? Rather than commenting on their page, I'm going to comment on this one.
Game designers use magic because you can excuse anything with it. Science fiction, by contrast, relies on science. Thus, you have to have something resembling a cosistent, coherent universe, and MMORPGs are anything but consistent and coherent. Why, for example, can you bring a dead person back to life? Well, EVE has developed a sophisticated cloning system and AO just kind of fudges it, but neither of them are as simplistic as "Rez Spell III." Fantasy MMORPGs also have the corpse of Tolkien to pick from, though every last shred of ingenuity has been picked clean. It's much, much easier to develop a fantasy game because most of the work has already been done for you. [ Read More! ] Dead Millionaire Finances Online Casino
A new online casino has been launched with funds from a deceased millionaire. LastCallPoker.com is a free Texas Hold ‘Em site which has a no download Flash engine, an in-game chat system and the highest quality of graphics and interactivity in the business.
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Pay others to play games for you?
The latest answer to the question What has the world come to? is this: People are paying other people to play video games for them.
It can take hundreds of hours to work through the beginning stages of online video games, fighting off virtual enemies and building up cool powers and weapons. But a new service will let gamers skip all that mundane effort, allowing them to rent virtual characters that are already beefed-up and powerful. [ Read More! ] Inside World of Warcraft There is a growing epidemic spreading across dorm rooms and invading computer screens. Millions of dollars are being made from this drug and many a teenager has become dependent on it as their only form of entertainment and alternative to talking to the opposite sex. First appearing on the streets back in the 1970s as online text-based computer games, the form of MMO (massive multiplayer online) games evolved through the 1980s and early 1990s from "Islands of Kesmai," the first MMO role playing game, to "Neverwinter Nights," "Ultima Online" and "Everquest." Each new strain was refined to further evolved the genre, hooking more and more players with each new release. This brings us to the newest, best and most widely-played MMO on the market today, "World of Warcraft." [ Read More! ] MoneyGaming Raises the Stakes in Skill Gaming with Trinity Mirror Partnership
MoneyGaming Raises the Stakes in Skill Gaming with Trinity Mirror Partnership
[27 September 2005] The Money Gaming Corporation Ltd (TMGC) today announced it has joined forces with Trinity Mirror plc, the UK's largest newspaper publisher, to offer MoneyGaming to MGN Digital's 2.7 million unique users. MoneyGaming is the world’s first dedicated high-stakes, skill gaming platform aimed at audiences looking for a more sophisticated gaming experience. [ Read More! ] Digital plague hits online game World of Warcraft
Fortunately, the epidemic was not real, but the aftermath of an inadvertent digital plague caused by a simple change to the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, World of Warcraft.
The change? Giving a monster the ability to curse in-game avatars with a self-propagating, albeit temporary, disease. While the developers only intended the disease to affect the group of characters fighting the monster, the infectious malady quickly became a tool in the hands of malicious players known as griefers, who found ways to bring the digital virus into heavily inhabited areas of the world. [ Read More! ] China Clocks Online Games
The Chinese government wants a three-hour restriction on online games which could dent the industry sales if it takes effect.
August 25, 2005 The Chinese government said it will restrict online gamers to three hours of consecutive game play to curb the country’s growing online game addiction. [ Read More! ] Codemasters launches online gaming portal
The new online gaming portal from software publishers Codemasters is now live, and all visitors who sign up to the newsletter will receive a free introductory game.
Funsta offers a vast selection of games to suit all tastes and is categorised into genres such as puzzle, sports, word, card, action adventure, arcade, mah-jong, casino and kids. There are over 80 free-to-play web browser games, including MSN favourite Bejewelled [ Read More! ] Eve Online 70,000 Players
CCP Games, an independent developer and publisher of massively multiplayer online games, announced today that since the immensely successful launch of "EVE Online: Cold War Edition," the game has surpassed the 15,000 peak concurrent user record and smashed through the 70,000 active subscriber mark. This is a remarkable milestone for EVE Online considering the industry-wide decrease in MMOG subscriber numbers due to the impact of big-name entries into the genre.
[ Read More! ] EVE Online Growing At A Phenominal Rate"PRESS RELEASE: EVE Online Growing At A Phenominal Rate Press release supplied by Games Press 17:16 22/09/2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE REYKJAVIK, ICELAND - September 22, 2005 - CCP Games, an independent developer and publisher of massively multiplayer online games, announced today that since the immensely successful launch of "EVE Online: Cold War Edition," the game has surpassed the 15,000 peak concurrent user record and smashed through the 70,000 active subscriber mark. This is a remarkable milestone for EVE Online considering the industry-wide decrease in MMOG subscriber numbers due to the impact of big-name entries into the genre." GamesIndustry.biz - EVE Online Growing At A Phenominal Rate [ Read More! ] InternetRetailer.com - Daily News for Monday, August 29, 2005"Entertaining online games can be successful marketing tools for e-retailers Online games can be effective marketing tools for e-retailers but only if they are entertaining enough to appeal to potential customers, Dave Williams, chief marketing officer and general manager of Shockwave.com, tells InternetRetailer.com. Shockwave, an online game network, develops customized games for retailers, including Radio Shack." InternetRetailer.com - Daily News for Monday, August 29, 2005 [ Read More! ] SOCOM: US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo Preview | PSP World"SOCOM: US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo Preview Filed under Games on Sep 27, 2005 at 10:09 AM PSPworld Exclusive: An anonymous PSPworld reader has sent in a first look report at the Public Beta for the upcoming PSP SOCOM title, including details about the controls, online play, graphics, and screenshots of the online interface. SOCOM US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo is expected to ship November 8 and sell for $39.99." SOCOM: US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo Preview | PSP World [ Read More! ] ABS creates exclusive website for online games"ABS creates exclusive website for online games The Hyderabad based Apex Business Solutions (ABS) has created an exclusive website key2crorepati.com to enable millions of viewers, to participate in the online games, after the company's successful quiz programmes on televisons." ABS creates exclusive website for online games .:. NewKerala - India's Top Online Newspaper [ Read More! ] Web site caters to young who battle in online games"Web site caters to young who battle in online games By James McNair, The Cincinnati Enquirer Chip Kellam runs an Ohio company that oversees violent disputes that end in death and mayhem for the losers. Chip Kellam, CEO and president of Gamebattles.com, sits in his office in Norwood, Ohio with a life-size futuristic soldier provided by Sony. By Steven M. Herppich, The Cincinnati Enquirer Kellam's company, GameBattles Inc., is a warlord of sorts for the legions of people, mostly console-gripping young men, who fight each other online. Its Web site, www.gamebattles.com, hosts leagues, ladders and tournaments for players of Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox and PC games such as Killzone, Counter-Strike and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2." USATODAY.com - Web site caters to young who battle in online games [ Read More! ] Nokia launches a collection of connected multiplayer casual games for Java enabled handsets"PRESS RELEASE: Nokia launches a collection of connected multiplayer casual games for Java enabled handsets Espoo, Finland – Nokia, the leader in mobile communications, announced today that the launch of its casual games collection for Java-enabled cell phones is expected to occur later this year. The first four titles in the series, all powered by Nokia's SNAP Mobile service, are Blackjack, Dominoes, Backgammon and Shuffleboard. Java-enabled mobile phone users will be able to play these and many of their other favorite casual titles in real time with other users of Java-enabled mobile phones." GamesIndustry.biz - Nokia launches a collection of connected multiplayer casual games for Java enabled handsets [ Read More! ] Peerme and Boonty Join Forces to Introduce Online Games Channels"Peerme and Boonty Join Forces to Introduce Online Games Channels PeerMe, Inc. (peerme.com), a peer %u2013to-peer voice communications technology company, and Boonty, the world leader in downloadable digital games, today announced a strategic alliance to introduce a series of PeerMe games channels. The games channels will feature thousands of games, ring tones and other consumer products for PC, mobile and handheld platforms. The PeerMe Games sites are expected to launch in multiple languages over the next several weeks." Peerme and Boonty Join Forces to Introduce Online Games Channels [ Read More! ] Verizon Opens Whole New Virtual World of Online Games"Verizon Opens Whole New Virtual World of Online Games Tuesday September 13, 9:37 am ET Subscribers Can Get More Out of Every Game They Play NEW YORK, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon is asking, "What's your game?" as it launches Verizon Game Services today. The online site at http://games.verizon.net is the place for on-demand, full-version computer and interactive games for all kinds of players. It's for anyone who loves to play games and has a broadband connection." Verizon Opens Whole New Virtual World of Online Games: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance [ Read More! ] Online Mobile Games Get Sequels"Sequels Improve on Hit Mobile Games
Sequels are often said to be rarely better than the originals, but it seems that mobile games are an exception to the rule as many of the latest sequels to popular mobile games have become more successful than their originals. The life cycle of mobile games tends to be shorter than that of console or online games on computers but as producing sequels of mobile games is regarded as a way to upgrade insufficient parts of the originals, sequels can be more appealing and better in quality." The Korea Times : Online Mobile Games Get Sequels [ Read More! ] Step Right Up"Step Right Up The game is afoot%u2014or a-mouse%u2014at online retailers By Linda Punch Its no secret that online gaming can be addictive. More than 80 million people go online every month to play games, according to industry analysts. And online adults spend about six hours per week on video games, according to Jupiter Research. So its no surprise that online retailers have latched onto the marketing phenomenon known as advergaming to promote their web sites. The theory is that people enjoy playing games, there is a large audience of folks who do, and if you can engage them with your brand, it will have brand impact, says Jay Horowitz, analyst with Jupiter Research." InternetRetailer.com - Step Right Up [ Read More! ] THAI GAMERS TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE"THAI GAMERS TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE Thailand is the fastest growing country in Southeast Asia in terms of online gaming subscribers Story by KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE %u2013 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing markets for online gaming, and Thailand is the fastest of the bunch, according to research from IDC. Its latest figures showed revenues from this sector growing 300 percent for Thailand in 2004, with subscribers expected to grow from 1.4 million to 2.6 million by 2009, bringing in some US$58.4 million (2.4 billion baht) in subscription revenues." [ Read More! ] Seminar introduces online games"Cyber cafe owners, operators and personnel from the Brunei Telecom Department were introduced to the next generation of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, (MMORPG) games during a seminar at Sheraton Utama Hotel. It was organised by Bru-Haas Sdn Bhd with official sponsors from Intel, www.e-Games.com.my, Terra ICT and Concept Computer. [ Read More! ] |
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