Back in April of 2011, I asked myself whether I would play RIFT if it were a free game. I know that I was impressed with its build quality but not so much with its lack of spirit. It seemed like a hollow game, one that used gimmicks to take the place of true adventure. At the same time, I didn't want to downplay how well it was made. I still agree with this sentiment; the game is great and has only improved over time, but I still wish it had a little something more.

Did the recent switch to free-to-play change how I felt about the game? Why would a payment model affect how I felt while playing the game? After all, I champion the idea that a payment model does not define a game, but I still have to recognize how a payment model affects people.

Including me.

Once upon a time, I was teaching a friend how to duel in Age of Wushu. She was easily frustrated by things, and she expressed to me that she felt as if everyone had superhuman reflexes compared to her. Because she was a beginner, I couldn't just convey all the complexity of mind games to her. Explaining all the different options (beyond the basics), weighting them, and explaining the opportunity costs of each was not really an option. She was having trouble even with slightly advanced stuff (which is totally normal), but she also lacked some of the natural "killer instinct" that allows some of my other friends to duel.

At the same time, I had been fighting Zyden, one of the most skilled duelists in English-speaking Age of Wushu. He actually does have near-superhuman reflexes. Earlier that day, though, I had hit him with a very slow-animating feint that he normally interrupts with a stun. Normally, his reactions are superhuman, but there are some times when they aren't. It's not a matter of "off day," either. He just wasn't prepared for me to do what I did right at that moment.

I told my friend, "Outside of a moment, you can only react." Immediately afterwards, I realized just how important those words were.

Alongside the third phase of beta testing, Square-Enix is also testing another aspect of Final Fantasy XIV's relaunch -- the new and improved Lodestone. The original Lodestone served as a combination community site and data aggregator, but it had some system issues and deserved a revamp along with everything else connected to the game. Players are encouraged to log in to the site now and try out its improved functionality, as well as explore the things that can be done from the site with and without fully logging in.

The new site features all of the functionality of the original incarnation, including character blogs and a surfeit of information about your character even when logged off. It also allows players to search for characters, linkshells, and free companies freely. And it features a mobile version for times that you want to check your character data while you're on the road. Anyone in the game's test (which includes all former players of the first incarnation) are invited to test out the improvements for themselves.

Blade & Soul's biggest update yet is coming on June 26th according to Steparu.com. The site reports that new skill revisions, an upgrading system, new dungeons, an increased level cap, new story chapters, new instanced dungeons, and new PvP areas are on the way.

Whew!

Yes, that's a lot of new, and Steparu has also posted a handful of gorgeous new Blade & Soul posters for your viewing enjoyment. Have a look via the link below.

Remember The War Z? Hammerpoint Interactive is hoping that you don't, at least when it comes to the game's checkered development and customer service history that includes being temporarily pulled from Steam and suffering a major security breach.

At any rate, the firm is looking for a fresh start and has changed the zombie MMO's name to Infestation: Survivor Stories. The War Z's original URL now automatically redirects users to a rebranded website.

[Thanks Paul!]

It's update day for Vindictus, as players will have the fun of exploring the Season 2 Episode 2 patch after the download is complete. The update is a hearty helping of content that includes dungeons, battles, and character revamps.

Nine new battles are now available in the Twilight Desert, and players might have to cut their way through the addition of Grim Reapers and Guardians to get to them. The update implements a time progression feature, which is important since it determines which of the patch's 14 dungeons are open or closed for business. There's also a new expertise to level up in called Gathering, although it's accessible only in the Season 2 zones.

[Source: Nexon press release]

Dungeons and Dragons Online: Shadowfell Conspiracy is exactly two months away today, so there's still some time to work up excitement over this Forgotten Realms-centric expansion to the game world. We've expanded our screenshot gallery to include 10 new vistas of the Stormhorn mountains, a wilderness area that will feature large in players' adventures. You can check out all of the beauty below:

What's better than a buy-to-play game that has no subscription fee? How about one that's 50% off! Make that game The Secret World and you've got one sweet deal. If you or anyone you know has been putting off purchasing a copy of the horror and conspiracy-themed game in hopes of a good deal, today is your day.

For 24 hours, TSW is a cool $14.99 (or 14.99 euros) on Steam. Got that? Only 24 hours... and already counting down. So if you want to take advantage of this deal and get full access to everything up through Issue #4, there's no time for hemming or hawing about this deal; it goes the way of the dodo at 1:00 p.m. EDT tomorrow, June 20th.

[Thanks to Balsbigbrother1 for the tip!]

Are you tired of bombing around the post-apocalyptic wastelands of the Bay Area, shooting hellbugs in the face and popping wheelies on your four-wheeler, with none of your friends around to watch/high-five? Trion Worlds feels your pain.

The studio has just announced a recruit-a-friend system for its video game/television experiment, Defiance. If you have a copy of the game on any platform and a valid Trion Worlds account, you can hop over to the Defiance Ark Hunter recruitment site and shoot your besties some email invitations. Also available: a recruitment link for social media.

As is customary, bringing friends to Defiance comes with special rewards. Your first friend lands you a Tier I lock box, your first five get you a unique title, and your first ten give you two additional inventory slots. If one of those friends actually buys the game, you'll get a new outfit. Five purchases gets you a flame-emblazoned truck, and every purchase after that results in a Tier III lock box.

38 Studios collapsed upon itself in a heap of flaming disaster last year, and Rhode Island taxpayers ended up stuck with the bill. The state used a $75 million loan, acquired through the sale of taxable bonds, to convince 38 to operate within its borders, and RI is now on the hook for around $89 million after the studio declared bankruptcy.

Some state lawmakers in Rhode Island flirted with the idea of "walking away" from the debt, which is apparently a privilege afforded to a government and not its citizens. However, the state's House Finance Committee has approved a budget that includes, at the very least, making an interest payment of $2.5 million on the debt in May 2014. If Rhode Island is running off the plan it talked about last month, this first payment will be followed by yearly payments of $12.5 million until the debt is repaid.

The budget hasn't passed; it still needs to get through the state's House and Senate. Future interest payments will also have to be approved by the state legislature.