"Throne and Liberty" is Amazon's foray into big budget fantasy MMORPGs, and is being licensed to manufacturers of PC hardware and gaming peripherals. GIGABYTE unveiled two such pieces of hardware, the Z790 AORUS Elite X Throne and Liberty Edition; and the GeForce RTX 4070 WindForce OC Throne and Liberty Edition. Both products come in fancy Throne and Liberty co-branded boxes. The Z790 AORUS Elite X special edition gets Throne and Liberty decals on its large CPU VRM heatsinks. The RTX 4070 WindForce OC special edition gets such decals on its backplate, and has themed fan impeller hub stickers. The two products are otherwise identical to their originals. Throne and Liberty went live on December 7.

Washed ashore on the northern isle of Midrath, a new adventure begins...the Soulframe team debuted their latest gameplay demo during TennoLive, giving fans a brand-new look at gameplay and systems coming in the upcoming fantasy co-op action game from Digital Extremes. Discover what it means to be Alca's chosen hero, an Envoy, and draw the strength of your Ancestors long past to fight back against the oppressive Ode'n.

It began as song, pitched sweet and solemn…And they that heard, 'came, hollow, fallen…Gather round, Envoys. A new adventure begins. Soulframe is an upcoming game from Digital Extremes and the creative minds behind Warframe, with a heavy focus on themes of nature, restoration, and history in a brand-new world.

Gary McKay, General Manager at BioWare, states: "Hello, it's been a little while since I've checked in, and as you might have heard, there's a lot happening here at BioWare. Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) remains a fantastic success, continuing to welcome new players to its vast galaxy and entertaining veteran players with its evolving content. It's the longest-running live service Star Wars game ever and we're enormously proud of the work the team has done in creating, expanding, and maintaining this incredible game. We're delighted to have grown such a dedicated and passionate community through all these years. The future of the game and the community continues to be very bright.

I've been working closely with Keith Kanneg, who leads the SWTOR team, to give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve. And so, while EA will remain SWTOR's publisher, development of the game will move to our partner and friends at Broadsword, a boutique studio with expertise in managing online games. Both the Broadsword studio and SWTOR team members will be joining forces and working tirelessly to support "every player, every day," ensuring that these worlds and these communities continue to thrive and grow. Their Founder and President, Rob Denton, even has direct experience with SWTOR, having helped lead the team during the development and launch of the game during his time at EA.

A BioWare Austin developer is openly discussing the transfer of their long-running "Star Wars: The Old Republic" MMORPG to an external studio—games news sites picked up on insider information earlier this month alleging that the studio and its parent company (EA) were holding meetings with Broadsword Online Games. An EA spokesperson responded to the leak (at the time) and explained: "We're evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players." It seems that the involved parties have agreed upon terms for "handing off" responsibilities, according to a developer's recent declarations.

Keith Kanneg - the Executive producer for Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) - has this week provided a comprehensive update about future plans on the game's discussion board: "Appreciate your patience with us as we continue to navigate the future shift of SWTOR's development team to a third party studio. We're working through the changes right now so I'll share with you the details I have. With 7.3 now live, our priority is continuing to prepare for Game Updates 7.3.1 and 7.4 along with planning for 2024 and 2025 with a focus on content and continued modernization initiatives." It is interesting that Broadsword is not named or directly referred to.

IGN has been informed by inside sources that Electronic Arts is in negotiations to "offload" ongoing development and support of BioWare's long running MMORPG "Star Wars: The Old Republic" to a third party studio. In a news article published yesterday speculation points to Broadsword Online Games being the prime candidate to takeover a franchise that has been kept alive since December 2011. Broadsword was established about a decade ago by Rob Denton - a former BioWare Vice President and co-founder of Mythic Entertainment - his team currently oversees the running of Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot. The IGN news piece notes that Denton previously worked on Star Wars: The Old Republic during its incubation period.

Electronic Arts has since caught wind of IGN's report and provided the news site with their own statement today: "Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic remains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and passionate community. We're so proud of the work the team has done, and the future of the game and the community continues to be very bright. We're evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players." The spokesperson's wording on the matter does not fully confirm that Broadsword is fully confirmed to takeover, but IGN's inside information posits that Electronic Arts will remain as the franchise publisher, while BioWare will concentrate on the development of its single-player intellectual properties (Dragon Age and Mass Effect).

Hi gamers! I'm Samuel, the PD of Chrono Studio. To all who have been eagerly awaiting Chrono Odyssey, we are thrilled to finally unveil our second trailer giving you an in-depth look at the gameplay itself. At Chrono Studio, we are more than just developers - we are avid gamers who share a passion for epic titles and we believe that MMORPGs are more than just games - they are gateways to unforgettable experiences formed through shared adventures and challenges. Our vision for Chrono Odyssey is to continue the legacy of beloved MMORPGs that have stood the test of time.

At first glance Chrono Odyssey may seem like your typical MMORPG, but what sets Chrono Odyssey apart from the rest is its unparalleled graphics, made by the UE5 engine and our accumulated expertise. We have also elevated combat to new heights by incorporating the Chrono (time) element, which serves as the core of the game's universe, as well as the real-time MMO content enjoyed by hundreds of players to provide a dynamic social experience unlike any other.

The Duviri Paradox is an entirely new way to play Warframe - no matter where you are in your journey. Whether you're a seasoned Tenno or entering the Origin System for the very first time, an astonishing new experience awaits you April 26 on all platforms. The most astonishing chapter in Warframe's sprawling cinematic narrative now has an official release date. Open to all players - regardless of where they're at in their journey - The Duviri Paradox is more than just an open world, it's a brand new way to experience Warframe

Assume the role of The Drifter and explore the vast, color-shifting Planes of Duviri through a gritty new Cinematic Quest. But be careful, Tenno. Your attempts to wrest control of this new open world will not go unnoticed by the despotic Dominus Thrax, whose emotions transform the fabric of Duviri itself. Fly high atop your loyal Kaithe solo, or Squad up with fellow Tenno to take on spectacular new threats like the fearsome Orowyrm. Will you restore Duviri before the next Spiral?

Blizzard is about to shut down its services in China today, as it was unable to reach a favorable partnership renewal with NetEase, the Chinese company handling Blizzard's business in the Chinese market, including local regulatory compliance, geographic localization of servers, and accepting payments. NetEase CEO William Ding said the partnership renewal negotiations fell apart due to "material differences on key terms." This means gamers in China no longer have a means to play the genre-defining MMORPG "World of Warcraft," "Starcraft," and other popular titles. A lot has changed in China's domestic gaming industry over the past two decades, and there are dozens of popular game studios with their titles in the MMORPG genre.

Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey designed a new VR headset that adds the ultimate layer of realism to VR—mortality. Thought to be relegated to dystopian cyberpunk fiction, this new headset comes with the ability to literally kill its user if killed in-game. Its design involves an Oculus Quest Pro, with explosive charges strapped to the forehead, which activate when the headset receives a specific pattern of red color flashes from the game's display-head, to a photo receiver (typically the "Game Over" screen). There's already a concept for a game designed for this.

Mortality replaces visual fidelity and photorealism (or other forms of sensory realism); as the most powerful stimulus. You play the game like your life depends on it—which it literally does. You're in an MMO playing against another human in an unpausable PvP game, where the consequence of losing the duel is losing your head in real life. But first, the good news—the cursed thing isn't in mass-production, and while the US-FDA has approved for certain kinds of pain-stimulating gaming peripherals, it didn't approve killing the user. The product will have to pass through a long line of political, legislative, legal, and philosophical hurdles before it's released to market as something you can buy. Please don't.

Just a few days back, we have seen reports being made about EVGA graphics cards dying from playing a closed beta test of Amazon Game's New World MMORPG game. Multiple users are reporting on their GPUs getting fried from playing the game, and EVGA is already offering a replacement for the GPUs. However, today's situation appears to be slightly different. According to the report coming from Igor's Lab, EVGA is charging premium prices for its advanced GPU RMA service, getting some criticism from the community. For starters, the advanced RMA service is a service designed for EVGA customers to send their faulty GPUs, pay a deposit, receive a replacement GPU from EVGA, and once EVGA receives the old GPU, it returns the deposit to the person who made it. It basically allows less downtime for owners of the GPU, with a replacement quickly on the way.

All of that is working neatly in theory. However, as every person involved in the PC building recently knows, prices for GPUs are at an insane level as demand is much higher than the supply currently available. Igor's Lab has reportedly experienced a similar situation with EVGA as well. As Igor filed for the advanced RMA program, the deposit needed to be made. Instead of the regular 782 Euros (or about 931 Euros with VAT included) for EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra, EVGA asked for as much as a 1,728.20 Euro deposit to be made.

In a typical Battle Royale game, players fend for themselves, scour the map for loot, remain in the playable area and strategically plot to become the sole survivor. Mantisco's Hunter's Arena: Legends delivers a fresh approach to gameplay: In addition to their rival Hunters, players must contend with up to 10,000 artificial intelligence (AI) enemies, bringing together into one title the best MMORPG1, MOBA2 and Battle Royale features.

Developing a game with up to 60 players and 10,000 AI enemies was a massive technical undertaking. Mantisco needed to deliver seamless gameplay with exciting battles that keep players in the middle of the action. Intel helped Mantisco optimize gameplay through Intel Xeon servers and 10th Gen Intel Core CPU utilization that allow battles to take place simultaneously across the map. Using Intel VTune Profiler, which provides detailed profile data to improve CPU and GPU computing-intensive tasks and CPU threading performance, Mantisco created continuous and explosive moments of conflict among human and AI opponents alike through a dynamic monster respawn system.

Blizzard employees protested the company's decision to ban Hearthstone player "Blitzchung" from an event for his opinions on the ongoing situation in Hong Kong SAR. Some employees covered up a portion of a floor decal in the company's office that read "Think Globally," and "Every Voice Matters," in protest. Blizzard's MMORPGs are "massively" popular in China, with Chinese Internet giant Tencent holding an equity stake. Some see the move to ban "Blitzchung" as the company "bending the knee" to China by taking a position on the situation in Hong Kong, instead of remaining neutral. The picture of a ruled piece of paper covering up the company floor decal with duct tape was tweeted by former Blizzard employee and eSports industry observer Kevin Hovdestad.

The global community of FINAL FANTASY XIV Online continues to grow as SQUARE ENIX announced the game has now surpassed 16 million registered users worldwide during a Letter from the Producer LIVE segment streamed from San Francisco. Accumulating almost six years of critical adoration and passionate fandom, the positive momentum of the MMORPG carries into the upcoming release of its third major expansion, FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers on July 2, 2019.

Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida also revealed several new details for the upcoming expansion during the livestream, including:

• Details on battle system changes, including the introduction of the charged action system.
• Updates to the FATE system, side quests, as well the addition of role quests.
• Adjustments to job synergy and rebalancing of jobs
• Various quality of life changes and UI updates

Warframe is one of those games that has seen a marked improvement after its initial release. The changes to the games' systems and offering of activities is something really overwhelming, should one look at it and consider the magnitude of changes. From repeated environments and a basic MMORPG, hack/slash/shoot game that offered little to distinguish itself to the industry juggernaut it is now, Warframe has been getting better, bigger, and bolder with each subsequent release.

The new Fortuna expansion is just another step in that direction, with another huge open-world area being added to the game - after last years' Plains of Eidolon, of course. The new expansion will see an added area that is four to five times bigger than the open-world environment of Plains of Eidolon. Fortuna will push the science-fiction aesthetic farther up the hill, and will focus on Orokin-based architecture traversal as players follow the Solaris United faction's struggle against Corpus. New bounties and missions will obviously be available, and in a new high for the series, players will have access to the new K-Drive hoverboards, which will bring new ways of traversing the open world environment Oh, and... via the Codename: Railjack mission, players will be able to control a spaceship and enjoy combat in outer space. If that doesn't scream development when compared to Warframes' initial gaming environment, I don't know what does.

Today, Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios announced Star Trek Online is preparing to commemorate its 8th Anniversary. Originally launching in February 2010, the game is now one of the longest running Star Trek series in the history of the franchise and offers 161 episodes, three major expansions and 14 full seasons of playable content. PC captains can help celebrate this milestone throughout the month, by joining daily giveaways leading up to the anniversary and participating in a brand new featured episode and special events for rewards, which begin January 23. Anniversary events will also be available on Xbox One and PlayStation4 at a later date. In addition, Star Trek Online is teaming up with Loot Crate to give away free subscriptions for the Star Trek Mission Crate to kick off the game's anniversary. Captains who visit the in-game C-store from now through January 23 can participate in server-wide giveaways, which allow them to collect a new reward each day, including uniforms, starships and other items. Giveaway items will be revealed on Star Trek Online's blog.

October 9th, 2017: Patriot, a global leading brand in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals, and flash storage solutions today announced a new addition to its Viper series, the Viper LED Gaming Mouse Pad. The Viper Series Gaming LED Mouse Pad offers fantastic decorative LED backlighting with an advanced polymer gaming surface. The Viper LED gaming mouse pad is a perfect match for any high-end gaming mouse and is designed to provide a better gaming experience for the serious gamer.

Patriot is committed to creating a better gaming environment for enthusiasts and gamers and is launching the Viper series LED mouse pad right after V570 Blackout edition gaming mouse. Most of the gamers agree that peripherals with fantastic backlighting will stimulate their gaming appetite. The Viper LED gaming mouse pad features six different LED color settings that provide a continuous backlighting effect around and beneath the entire mouse pad. Users may customize their own LED lighting effects through the control switch on the USB power cord.

ASUS GeForce GTX DirectCU, DirectCU OC, and DirectCU TOP graphics cards now arrive in a special World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria edition. Customers get a bonus Pandaren Monk Pet downloadable character, coinciding with the release of the latest expansion to the globally-popular MMORPG. The TOP version uses a hand-picked GPU operating 157MHz faster than reference, and all cards make sure adventuring stays cool and quiet with DirectCU thermal innovation. Exclusive ASUS DIGI+ VRM and Super Alloy Power contribute greater stability, overclocking, and product longevity, plus GPU Tweak returns to give gamers easy access to diverse card tuning capabilities.

Perfect World Co., Ltd.("Perfect World"), a leading online game developer and operator based in China, and Valve, a leading entertainment software and technology company based in the United States, today announced an agreement granting Perfect World exclusive rights to operate Dota 2 in mainland China. In development at Valve, with design lead "IceFrog," Dota 2 promises to expand on the unique mix of action, RTS, and RPG gameplay that has made Dota one of the most popular online games in the world and a leading title at professional e-sport competitions.

"Valve is one of the best developers of online games in the world. We are very excited to partner with Valve in bringing Dota 2 to Chinese gamers," commented Mr. Robert Hong Xiao, Co-CEO of Perfect World. "Dota 2, a refined work by the developers at Valve, has received great attention from players worldwide. With our years of expertise in delivering quality games in China, we are confident that adding this action strategy game to our diverse portfolio of games will bring additional world-class entertainment and premier gaming experiences to our players in China."

Say, you like scavenging for supplies in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the walking dead, don't you? If Day Z is too intimidating, you may fancy the newly announced MMORPG The War Z, which seems to offer a slightly less hardcore "survival horror" experience but still has permadeath and that jazz if you want it. Roaming across maps of 200-400 square kilometres, you'll be searching for food and weapons, anything to keep the zombie hordes--and other players--at bay. There are RPG-y elements, like gaining experience to learn new skills, and safe towns where you can buy supplies, but it sounds pretty bleak in general. Hit the announcement for more details. As well as a 'hardcore' mode with permadeath, like in Day Z, there will be 'normal' servers where you can revive. Developer Hammerpoint Interactive plans to run dedicated public servers, but players can also run their own. And, pleasantly, The War Z doesn't seem to be either subscription-based or free-to-play. Like Guild Wars 2, once you buy the MMORPG there are no subscription fees. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were optional microtransactions too, though.

The War Z is due on PC this fall, and you can sign up for a closed beta launching in summer.

AMD Korea today announced that it has signed an agreement with Korean game developer, SOFTMAX, to provide technical collaboration for its new game title, The War of Genesis IV: Spiral Genesis. This type of collaboration, a core component of AMD's Gaming Evolved program, will help optimize The War of Genesis IV: Spiral Genesis to enable a superior experience for anyone running the game on AMD products and technologies.

"AMD remains focused on providing the ultimate gaming experience through its cutting-edge technology and industry-leading gaming initiatives, like the Gaming Evolved program," said David Kwon, president of AMD Korea and managing director of Global Strategic Sales, AMD. "Our collaboration with SOFTMAX is evidence of these efforts and ensures AMD continues its close work with industry-leading game developers. At the end of the day, this collaboration means gamers can expect unparalleled and immersive gaming through AMD products and technologies."

Origin is the fledgling online download account-based DRM service from Electronic Arts launched last June, that is home to Battlefield 3. To compete effectively against other similar services, the industry-leading Steam in particular, it must offer more content. To this end, Origin has added 11 publishers to its portfolio, reports CVG. These are Trion Worlds, Robot Entertainment, Freebird Games, Recoil Games, Autumn Games, 1C Company, inXile entertainment, Paradox Interactive, Core Learning Ltd, N3V Games and CD Projekt RED. That last one is interesting, because CD Projekt RED owns and runs www.gog.com, the website dedicated to selling DRM-free games.

Thermaltake continually revolutionizes the market by creating, innovating and implementing the most efficient solution on the products which designed to provide maximum performance to gamers of all levels. With the "deliver the perfect user experience" as the determinative mission, Thermaltake this September is globally introducing the new Massive 23 GT Notebook Cooler which continues the illustrious features of Thermaltake "Massive23 LX" and "Massive23 CS", and excitingly takes it into future. The design idiom accentuates its lively, stylish and passionate presence. The same applies to the functionality.

The new Massive 23 GT Notebook Cooler blends flip-up valve design with five different angles adjustment with ergonomic typing angle, high airflow 200mm red LED fan decreases temperature, multiple applications for notebook and tablet PC, such as iPad, its fan speed control from 500 to 800 RPM, dual USB and one mini USB ports for expandable usage for everyday uses, top performance with exemplary for keeping notebook components running at optimal temperatures and creating the perfect atmosphere for the users! This summer, the easy carrying Massive 23 GT Notebook Cooler will put out the fire in games and cool the battling gears for gamers to achieve best effectiveness in FPS, RPG, MMORPG and RTS gaming competition.

Tt eSPORTS, the world's leading professional gaming gear division by Thermaltake has unveiled their new keyboard the CHALLENGER Ultimate, a gaming keyboard created for MMORPG and RTS gamers to rule your kingdom with your own style. Enjoy the dark atmosphere but execute accurate shots, it's the only way to take down the enemies. With the Wizard 256 back light design, 4 levels of illumination design that simulates all time true-to-life gaming ambience that can match any mood, the CHALLENGER Ultimate also provides up to 14 Macro keys capability to be one step ahead of their competitors.

With 64KB on board memory in 5 game profiles and 70 Marco keys, plus anti-ghosting capability, gamers are given that extra boost of confidence to win. Tt eSPORTS is not only the leading gaming gear provider, but they are always focused on adding that something extra. With 2 extra built-in USB ports, audio jacks for Mic. in and SP out, Gold-plated USB connector are convenient features that enhance the gaming actions.

Thermaltake, leading DIY chassis brand, is launching the world's first SideClick EasySwap HDD docking mid-tower with integrated USB 3.0 SuperSpeed connector particularly designed for AMD Leo gaming PCs, the ARMOR A60 AMD Leo Edition. Thermaltake lined up with AMD to design a computer chassis particularly catering to the latest AMD Leo gaming platform. It shows the typical bullet-proof armory contours of this series while the front panel has gotten an even fiercer AMD-red color ornamentation, with the left side panel sporting an AMD Leo tattoo.

The otherwise entirely black design with metal mesh elements lend the ARMOR series an extremely stylish and powerful appearance that attracts gamers and enthusiasts alike. The top and front red LED-fans enhance the overall combat ambience, resembling the typical MMORPG ambience but also providing ideal cooling characteristics for the AMD Leo platform. A special lock mechanism for your mouse and keyboard ensures that you'll always stay in arms.

With headsets rapidly becoming the standard accessory in eSports ie. Shooting games (FPS), role playing games (MMORPG) and real-time strategy games (RTS) - consumers will be looking to Tt eSPORTS for the most extreme gaming gears. Headsets equipped with a microphone can open up a whole new world of multiplayer gaming. The ability to taunt your enemies and strategize with your teammates all becomes possible as Tt eSPORTS unveils its newest product the SHOCK headset. Unlike many headsets out on the market, the Shock headset covers the ear entirely. This attention to detail makes a very big difference when it comes to comfort and noise cancellation giving players the satisfaction of knowing that Tt eSPORTS designs with their consumers in mind.