Content and news by Geek Girl

Much to my dismay, but not to my surprise, Myst Online: Uru Live is going offline, due once again to financial issues and most likely, lack of subscriptions.

GameTap has decided to discontinue the operation of Myst Online: Uru Live. Although Myst Online: Uru Live will be completely shut down in the near future, the game servers will remain live for the next 60 days. During that time, both newcomers and existing players can continue to experience the amazing world of Myst Online, explore the game’s many Ages, and interact with other players in the game and on the MystOnline.com website and forums. After 60 days, the title will be removed from the GameTap service, though MystOnline.com will remain live and active for fans to continue to share their passion for this important game franchise.

Source: GameTap Forums

Well shiver me timbers, it’s finally setting sail! Pirates of the Burning Sea has been in development for what seems like forever, but its sails have finally unfurled, the captains at the wheel and the albatross circles. Ok I’ve run out of pirate phrases. What would you do with a drunken sailor? Here’s the official announcement: 

Grab your parrot, raise the gang plank and ready the cannons with Pirates of the Burning Sea â„¢ (PotBS), the hotly anticipated online PC game where players can clash on land and sea. This new title from Sony Online Entertainment LLC’s (SOE) Platform Publishing label, and Flying Lab Software LLC (FLS), is available today at participating retail outlets worldwide and as a digital download through www.station.com and www.direct2drive.com for a suggested retail price of US$49.99, with a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99 plus applicable taxes.

Corsair pirate keyboard not included. 

Source: POTBS

CCP and Valve have teamed up to proudly announce that EVE Online will be the first MMO title to be available on Steam.  They will be offering a 21 day free trial of EVE for Steam gamers, and an addition 5 dollars off their first month’s subscription.

EVE Online, the award winning massively multiplayer online (MMO) game from CCP, is coming to Steam, a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC games and digital content with over 13 million accounts worldwide.

To celebrate the launch of Steam’s first massively multiplayer online game offering, a special 21-day trial period for EVE will be available, free of charge, to all Steam gamers. Steam gamers will also save $5 off their first full month of EVE Online.

"Launching EVE on Steam means the addition of another fantastic PC game and the introduction of MMOs on Steam," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "The team at CCP continues to expand EVE’s universe and gameplay for the legions logging in to play each month, just as we continue to expand Steam’s consumer and developer features."

Not sure I see the point, since you can download it off the EVE site as it is…but hey, the more exposure for this fabulous game, the better!

Source: Steam

Do you want it done now, or do you want it done right? Apparently the execs at Funcom have learned their lessons from AO and have extended the released date for Age of Conan into May this year. Here’s the press release:

The highly anticipated MMO receives 8 more weeks of development, allowing Funcom to deliver a more polished MMO experience when the game launches on the 20th of May 2008. Despite great feedback on vital aspects like immersion, fun factor and the exciting combat system, the management of Funcom has decided to polish the game even more. Eight weeks of development work is therefore added to stress game systems and polish the game further leading up to launch.

Funcom will also continue the beta efforts for the title with continued testing on its large server parks in North America and Europe. Players can already sign up at pre-order programs in several countries and enjoy the recently released website at www.ageofconan.com, displaying part of the wealth of marketing and game material already prepared for the game. A special Collectors Edition of the retail box is available for pre-order at select retailers. Thousands of players have been invited to the beta of the game, and the number will continue to go up as Age of Conan moves towards launch. If you too want to join the Beta of Age of Conan you may sign up for the Beta on www.ageofconan.com.

Source: Age of Conan

Forgive my play on words, but it looks like the old adage "if something looks to good to be true, it probably isn’t" holds fast here. Ginko Financial, a virtual bank the the game Second Life by Linden Labs was offering a 60% return on investments, and when they disappeared in the middle of the night, they did so with 750k of real currency.

Benjamin Duranske’s blog Virtually Blind is an ongoing account of the saga that is plaguing Second Lifers this month, on the heels of last months gambling ban.

Source: Wired

Blueside seems to be on a roll. Hot on the heels of their most recent release, Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom is the announcement that they’ll also be releasing Kingdom Under Fire: Dominion, with a twist! This twist comes in the form of a new genre and the acronym to go with it, MMOARTS: massively multiplayer online action real-time strategy.

We won’t be seeing anything more until 2009 but until then you can ooh and aah at the concept art. QJ.net has screenshots!

Oh and I forgot to mention this is for PC and Xbox360 only!

Microsoft’s John Schappert, who oversees Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows joins one of the most dynamic GDC speaker lineups ever. Featured speakers include the creators of BIOSHOCK, HALO 3, CRYSIS, MADDEN, SINGSTAR, THE BROWN BOX, PONG, FABLE 2, GTA, and METAPLACE! Featuring game industry luminaries whose direct contributions launched the industry to the revolutionaries behind tomorrow’s games.

Schappert’s keynote explores the Xbox 360 platform’s next step in democratizing game development, vastly opening up the industry for developers of all sizes. The session will set the strategy for Xbox 360 this upcoming year, revealing top developers’ plans for the platform in 2008. Schappert will discuss how the increasing role of online gaming will continue to shape gameplay and game distribution this year.

Learn more here.

CES is in full swing, and the evening started out with Digital Experience. It’s hard to convey the extent of technology that one encounters at CES. Picture every gadget, monitor, tv, cell phone, and electronic toy you have ever dreamed of, all there in front of you. Becker showed off their new Traffic Assist Portable Navigation, Vudu introduced us to tv’s new best friend, a box that streams high-def video on demand. Eye-Fi Card is a Wireless 2GB Memory Card and MagicJack lets you make and receive long distance calls from all around the world via your USB port. And the most jaw dropping for this geek girl was the Alienware super panoramic monitor that blew my mind.

But don’t think it’s just computer stuff, Jakks has an EyeClops, a “bionic eye” that serves as a microscope, allowing the image to be pumped directly to a display screen such as a monitor or TV, Pocketfinder Pets are locator devices that utilize GPS tracking technology to offer peace of mind to pet owners. iRobot had a new device to unveil, a gutter cleaner. You simply place it in your rain gutter and hit the power button, it moves itself along, cleaning your gutters for you. When it’s done, you just retrieve it. That’s just an example of a household item available, but there’s much much more.

The show floors open again in just a few hours so this Geek Girl needs to get her sleep, I’ll let you know what treasure I find tomorrow.

No I don’t mean the draught, I mean the Guinness World Book of Records. They’re calling for all gamers!

Want to be a record breaker? Think you are the ultimate Guitar Hero? Join us on the 6th February for the Guinness World Record Guitar Hero Marathon Relay between the UK, US, Canada, Australia and France to celebrate the launch of the new Guinness World Record Gamers Edition!

For more information visit the site and you can see the book!

Imagine a solar panel without the panel. Just a coating, thin as a layer of paint, that takes light and converts it to electricity. From there, you can picture roof shingles with solar cells built inside and window coatings that seem to suck power from the air.

That’s what is being said at PopSci about the Nanosolar Powersheets. There have been rumours of something akin to this for a few years now but it looks like someone finally pulled it off. What is it you ask? Well give it a few years and you can print solar panels at home, but for now a company called PowerSheet is printing solar cells with a printing press style machine that sets down a layer of nano-ink onto foil thin metal sheets.  As you can imagine, this greatly reduces the costs, reportedly for about a tenth of what current panels cost. With backing from Google’s founders and $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, Nanosolar’s first commercial cells rolled off the presses this year.

For more information be sure to see Popular Science website and make sure to watch the slideshow at the bottom of the page!

While technically not tech news, this is something that affects all of us packing for CES in a few days. To help reduce the risk of fires, air travelers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning Jan. 1. the Transportation Department said Friday.

Passengers can still check baggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carryon baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.

TWO? I can only carry two, ok so we have laptops, digital recorders, cameras, portable scanner, and a plethora of other gadgets that I’m forgetting about and we get TWO extra batteries?

Guess I’m repacking…
Source: New York Times

Tom Drapeau, director of the Netscape brand for AOL has announced that AOL will cease development on all Netscape web browsers on February 1 2008. The company will continue to support the current version of the browser, Netscape 9, by releasing patches or security fixes until that date. It’s all over February 1 2008.

For more information, read Drapeua’s blog

Crystal Dynamics & Eidos have finally announced Tomb Raider Underworld. TRU will take place after the events of Tomb Raider Legend and is set around the Mayan calendar, specifically the six lost days which open the gates to the Underworld.
We’ll be seeing improvements such as Lara’s body reacting to the weather and environment – if it is hot, she will sweat. If it is raining, the water will trickle down her body. If it is muddy, dirt will cling to her and gradually wash off due to the rainfall. Her clothes will also react to changing environmental conditions. Lara interacts with environmental foliage, sweeping it away as she passes through it. 

TRU uses a realistic and dynamic weather system including torrential rainpour, thunderclouds and lightning. An improved physics engine means that the whole world is reacts to Lara’s presence and has memory. Lara leaves footprints in the mud. Debris and bodies will no longer vanish, providing valuable markers of where the player has been in the game world. An innovative lighting system moves beyond simple dynamic lighting to create stunning and realistic environments. The game is more open-ended than ever before, giving players the choice of how to tackle situations. Crystal Dynamics travelled on location to photograph the Mayan tombs ensuring a realistic look to the ruins. For more information, please visit http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/underworld/index.html

The Video Game Voters Network (VGVN) is committed to raising awareness of the fight against video game regulation where ever we can. That’s why they’ve launched a Facebook page, to help spread the word in this increasingly popular social networking site.

If you’re already on Facebook, become a fan of their page, and then you can help spread the word about the fight to your friends on Facebook – show AND share support now! Here’s the URL http://videogamevoters.org/facebook or http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=7982195994.

Trinity is EVE Online’s largest expansion to date and centers around a new graphics system.

The time for EVE to evolve from beautiful to gorgeous is approaching! Trinity, EVE Online’s newest content expansion, will be deployed on Wednesday 5 December, commencing at 0200 GMT. Tranquility and the EVE forums will be unavailable for the length of the deployment, both are expected to return to service by 0200 GMT on Thursday 6 December.

EVE evolves to involve Linux and Mac users.

On November the 27th CCP/WhiteWolf are deploying a patch to TransGaming’s Linux and Mac game engine. This will not affect Windows users, nor will the patch require extended downtime to deploy. If you run EVE using their Linux packages, after downtime on the 27th the client will automatically download and install a patch for the TransGaming components. Mac client users will need to download and apply a different client patch.

VidaBox produces some of the finest HTPCs on the market, but until recently, they’ve bundled keyboards from other companies. We are taking a look at their first own offering, a wireless solution with built-in trackball. It’s compact, sturdy and surprisingly impressive.

Gamers love using peripherals that give them an edge, but is Ideazon’s MERC Stealth one of those products? That’s what we were set to find out. One thing is clear… this is a feature-packed keyboard, though it might not be for everyone.

The end of an era, my friends. The IBM Thinkpad becomes the Lenovo Thinkpad, among other changes.

"IBM sold its personal computing division to Chinese manufacturer Lenovo (previously called Legend) in 2005, divesting itself of a product line they could not make a profit from. After this weeks announcement that the IBM brand will be dropped, the brand that arguably launched the whole PC more will be consigned to history."

"By making substantial progress on all of our critical priorities over the past few quarters, we’re now a stronger, healthier company," Amelio said. "One important sign of this progress is our decision to completely transition our Think products from the IBM brand to the Lenovo brand two years earlier than planned."

Source: Geek News Central

mmorpg.com is having another one of their contests, only this one is a little strange. They’re giving away 50 boxes of games, 25 copies of Tabula Rasa and 25 copies of Guild Wars.

Now this would be perfect for someone like me to win, as I’d give them away to the fans of Techgage, but for an individual, this is a bit of a strange thing to have, unless you want to suck up at work and give them away as holiday gifts.

No matter, it’s all good!

Here’s the link if you want to sign up and enter!