Updated Articles and Resources

By Dave Spohn, About.com Guide since 2002

Diablo 3: The Online Only Debate Created: Monday, May 21, 2012 Updated: Monday, May 21, 2012
The online only requirement in Diablo 3 doesn't sit well with a lot of single-player fans. Here's a look at the debate surrounding this requirement and what the implications of it are.
Foldit: Solving Puzzles for Science Created: Saturday, May 12, 2012 Updated: Saturday, May 12, 2012
An overview of Foldit, a puzzle game that lets you fold proteins to help scientists gain a better understanding of certain diseases and potential treatments for them.
TERA Online Beta Impressions Created: Saturday, April 28, 2012 Updated: Saturday, April 28, 2012
These are my beta impressions of TERA, a MMORPG from En Masse Entertainment and Bluehole Studios.
Tribes: Ascend Review (PC) Created: Friday, April 20, 2012 Updated: Friday, April 20, 2012
Our review of Tribes: Ascend, a free-to-play online shooter from Hi-Rez Studios.
Top Keyboards for Gaming Created: Sunday, April 15, 2012 Updated: Sunday, April 15, 2012
There are a wide variety of keyboards on the market designed for gaming. This list has some suggestions for people considering an upgrade to a gaming keyboard.
WoW: Transmogrification Basics Created: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, April 10, 2012
World of Warcraft players can swap the appearances of items to attain a look that better suits their preferences. This is an introduction to the transmogrification feature that makes it all possibl..
Story in Games: Does It Matter? Created: Friday, April 06, 2012 Updated: Friday, April 06, 2012
A good story can compliment gameplay, but a lot of people skip past narrative and lore as quickly as possible. These are my thoughts on the role of story in games.
Buying a Keyboard for Gaming Created: Friday, March 30, 2012 Updated: Friday, March 30, 2012
The keyboard is a vital part of any PC gaming system and options for gamers have grown rapidly over the years. Here are some things to consider if you're looking to buy a keyboard for gaming.
GW2, Microtransactions, and Fairness Created: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Microtransactions account for a rapidly growing piece of the game revenue pie. Are there fair ways to implement F2P revenue models, or does this approach lead inevitably to people paying to win?
Battlestar Galactica Online Review Created: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Itching for a little space combat? Battlestar Galactica Online offers Colonial vs. Cylon fleet battles right in your Web browser. Here's our review of this sci-fi MMORPG from Bigpoint.
MMORPGs: Solo vs. Group Created: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Although grouping with other players has long been a central to gameplay in MMORPGs, current titles tend to leave ample room for soloing, especially until you reach the level cap. Should there be a..
The Secret World Preview Created: Saturday, March 10, 2012 Updated: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Funcom's new MMORPG The Secret World is due to arrive in the summer of 2012. Find out more about the game in this preview.
Social Games: The Clone Debate Created: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Cloning other successful game ideas is standard proceedure for some companies in the social games industry. Given that game concepts aren't really subject to copyright laws, is there any recourse f..
Solid State Drive (SSD) Basics Created: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
A solid state drive, or SSD, can improve boot times and make your games load faster. They've become much more affordable in recent years, and many gamers are now adding them to their desktop system..
TERA Online Preview Created: Monday, February 27, 2012 Updated: Monday, February 27, 2012
TERA is a Korean-developed MMORPG that will arrive in North America and Europe in May of 2012. If you're not familiar with the game, this is an introduction to its core features.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Space Combat Basics Created: Saturday, February 25, 2012 Updated: Saturday, February 25, 2012
Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't just about light sabers, you can also go into battle in your spaceship. This introduction to space combat is intended to get you off to a good start.
MMORPGs: 4 Ways to Improve AI Created: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Has the behavior of monsters in MMORPGs become too predictable? We look a few ways to make the AI in games a little a more dynamic, and make encounters with mobs less routine.
Diablo 3 Beta Impressions Created: Friday, February 17, 2012 Updated: Friday, February 17, 2012
Diablo 3 will arrive in 2012, and I've been frantically clicking my way through the closed beta. Here are my impressions of what I've seen of the game so far.
MMORPGs: The Travel Dilemma Created: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The amount of in-game running around required from MMORPG players has been steadily reduced over the years with quick travel and various instant forms of transportation. These changes aren't to eve..
Crowdfunding and the Future of Game Publishing Created: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding may change the way video games are developed and funding in the upcoming years. Here's a look at how the publishing model is being affected by these recent trends.
Top Multiplayer FPS Action Games (PC) Created: Friday, June 15, 2007 Updated: Sunday, February 12, 2012
First-person shooters have long been a dominant force in online gaming, especailly on the PC. If you need some fast multiplayer FPS action, these are some of the top games currently available.
10 Best MMORPG's for PC Video Created: Friday, February 10, 2012 Updated: Friday, February 10, 2012
There are tons of great MMORPG's out there for PC's, but which are the absolute best? Here are the cream of the crop, ten of the best MMORPG's for PC on the market.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Review (PC) Created: Thursday, February 09, 2012 Updated: Thursday, February 09, 2012
Renowned game developer Bioware's first MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic, let's you dawn a lightsaber or a blaster pistol and fight your way across the galaxy. We've posted our review of this ne..
Tribes: Ascend Preview (PC) Created: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Updated: Tuesday, January 31, 2012
It has been a long wait for an addition to the Tribes series, but Hi-Rez Studios is making it happen with Tribes: Ascend. These are my first impressions of the game after playing the closed beta te..
MMORPGs: Why So Few Sandboxes? Created: Sunday, January 29, 2012 Updated: Sunday, January 29, 2012
For the most part it would appear that themepark MMORPGs have won out over their sandbox brethren. Is it really over for big-budget sandbox worlds, or is it just that nobody has come up with secret..
WoW: Mists of Pandaria Talent Overhaul Created: Saturday, January 28, 2012 Updated: Saturday, January 28, 2012
Mists of Pandaria will include big changes to World of Warcraft's Talent system. We take a look at the new system to see how it measures up.
Top Multiplayer RTS Games (PC) Created: Friday, June 15, 2007 Updated: Thursday, January 26, 2012
Many real-time strategy games for the PC now have multiplayer options that allow you to wage war over the Internet. In most cases you are required to gather resources, research new technology, buil..
Multiplayer Strategy and Sports Games 101 Created: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 Updated: Thursday, January 26, 2012
The ability to compete online with other players is becoming a common feature in recent strategy and sports games. Strategy games give you control of entire armies and empires, rather than just a s..
SWTOR Crafting Basics Created: Sunday, January 22, 2012 Updated: Sunday, January 22, 2012
Need a good combination of Crew Skills for your Star Wars: The Old Republic character? This is an introductory guide to the game's crafting and gathering system.
MMORPGs: The Difficulty Dilemma Created: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Have MMORPGs become too easy in recent years? This week we discuss the connection between a game's difficulty and its popularity.
PlanetSide Retrospective Created: Sunday, January 08, 2012 Updated: Monday, January 16, 2012
Countless people have fond memories of the truly massive engagements that PlanetSide introduced back in 2003, and they really haven't been surpassed in scale to this day. This is look back at the g..
SWTOR Nexus Guild Leader Interview Created: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 Updated: Monday, January 16, 2012
Considering a switch from World of Warcraft to Star Wars: The Old Republic? We talk to leader of the Nexus guild about transitioning to SWTOR, and get their impressions of group content in Bioware'..

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