Yes folks, the QJ Giveaway spree is well underway! SOE gave us a ton of beta keys so that people can try out their upcoming Free Realms MMORPG, and already, we've been able to roll out the first batch of keys to our lucky QJ.NET readers - congrats guys, you know who you are! More beta keys strung up on our belts and chains, meaning everyone's still more than welcome to join in on the fun! We've even included a full 10-minute dev walkthrough of the game in the full article, just to get you guys started. Have fun!

Everybody loves getting in on a game early, and what better way to do that than with beta keys? Since we love you guys so much, we're giving away the Free Realms  PC beta keys we have in our possession so that you can go and explore the game's extremely open world before anyone else.

At QJ we're always trying to provide you guys with the best gaming and tech news from across the web in one easy to access place (with a touch of the ol' QJ wit of course). We're a community here at QJ and respect you folks far too much to half ass it or give anything less than 100%. It's because of this we've decided focus our coverage in a number of core areas and postpone our coverage in certain areas for the foreseeable future. What's on hold, what continues? Click on to find out.

Got a funny moment from your WotLK beta experience that you'd just love to share with the community? QJ.NET's request for player-submitted screenshots just might give you that chance. Further details on this announcement are available in the full article.

QuickJump QuickPeek finally gets a make-over! After a full year of weekly updates, we're now turning over a new leaf and allowing this QJ.NET mainstay to branch out by introducing the Weekend Warriors. Sorry, the Weekend Whattssitts? Hmm, just think of it as the Planeteers summoning Captain Planet. ...Or something - some other equally bad analogy like that at least. Ha! Nonetheless, it's going to be quite interesting from here on out. Here's to yet another year of some crazy weekly updates! And with that, we open the floor for the Weekend Warriors!

Numerical scores are like so last decade ago. So, breaking free from the supposed "one-size-fits-all" checklists of items to add up to a game's "score", we're going to be implementing a new five-star review system. See, we're trying to avoid having to quantify video games into arbitrary numbers. After all, many of us feel that a game isn't just the sum of all its parts (as in a checklist), but rather, the totality of the gaming experience itself! In the full article, we've come up with a handy FAQ to introduce this brand spanking new system to all of you QJ.NET readers. And yes, there're no half-stars about it! Rawr!

Today is October 5. That means that November 5, Guy Fawkes Night, is one month away.

While we don't celebrate this day in the US (it's not even a public holiday in the United Kingdom - it's only a yearly celebration), many of us know of this day thanks to the DC Comics / Vertigo graphic novel (comic book) series V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd and its movie adaptation (with inimitable performances by Natalie Portman as Evey and Hugo Weaving as V).

Still, any "holiday" that gives people an excuse to light fireworks and go door-to-door begging for spare change sounds like something worth celebrating. So we at QJ.NET invite you to get into the spirit of things to remember, remember the 5th of November.

On the 5th of November we're going to post an article or two about video games, gadgets, technology, and general geekness - what moves us and affects us and touches us, and all the things about video gaming and technology that ought not be forgotten. Pretty much like the QuickJump QuickList articles in our Opinions & Analysis section at the front page and the other articles in the Opinions & Analysis sections of our many video game, science, and gadget blogs.

We invite you to plan ahead and consider what you want to remember on that day - because our articles obviously can't be the final word - that's what comments and the QJ.NET Forums are for. (Besides, now that we've turned off anonymous comments - and now that comments are smarter, funnier, and more meaningful - you have a good venue to share your reactions.)

We look forward to your thoughts. See you on the 5th of November.

Happy Tuesday, true believers! Some of you may have noticed a slight change here at QJ.NET today. While this will be welcome (and long overdue) news to some, there's a strong chance that a lot of you hate our guts more than usual. Yes, we've finally disbanded the use of Anonymous Commenting, at least for the time being.

I hear the deafening cry of "Oh noes!" but this should be looked on as a positive step for the 'ol Q 'n J. For quite a while now, the comment section of this site has spiraled downward into chaos, filled with vulgarity, racist remarks, spam, and general knuckleheadedness that was impossible to moderate properly. The worthwhile and valid gaming discussions just got lost in the mess.

It's our goal to provide not only a source of 24/7 gaming news, but be a source of intelligent conversation as well. You all can be a smart and opinionated bunch and we want to encourage that sort of  behavior, not stifle it. 

So what do you have to do to comment? Just sign up and register. Its free, it only takes a couple of seconds, and there's a few added features that come along with being registered as well. You can select what kind of news to display on our "Blog of Blogs" page, you can choose to get daily email newsletters from your favorite section, and you can review your history of comments that you've made.

But since registration is a bit more mandatory, we would love to hear your input on what other kinds of features and abilities you'd like to have for your QJ profile, just leave a comment below or send us an email using the Contact Us form. Or you can just tell us how we've ruined your life by taking away the anonymous comments, it's up to you.

Now put down the chainsaw and go register. Just remember to set your email client (especially Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, etc.) to allow messages from "qj.net" otherwise you may not get the registration confirmation email!

*Article originally posted Sep 11, 2007 at 01:42PM

 

In WoW, when you're up against someone who has the same experience and level as you, you can normally count on your 1337 gaming skills to get you through.  However, when you find that your opponent possess the same gaming prowess you do, winning the game will require data. Information about what he has equipped and what abilities they give. How you can prevent certain trinkets from being too effective, that sort of thing. WoW Armory Beta allows you to check on that kind of information, and it is now an open beta.

While some people have been having a hard time accessing the site, most of those who have are happy about what they saw and experienced on the site. Guild masters can easily check the names of their next targets in the Arena, not to mention check on their own guild. Here's are details from the WoW website that tells us of the details:

Details:

• Character Profiles: View equipment, stats, skills, reputation, and talent build of every character above level ten with the in-depth Character Profiles. You can check out your own characters, or check out those of your friends and guild mates – all characters from all realms are listed in the armory.
• Guild Profiles: Access information about any guild, including the guild’s roster and a detailed statistical breakdown of the guild’s race, class, gender, and level combination with the Guild Profiles.
• Arena Team Profiles: See how your team is doing or check out the competition with the Arena Team Profiles. These profiles provide you with some very valuable information about your team, like your team rating, your standing, win/loss history, and team membership.
• Arena Ladders: Always stay up-to-date on which team holds the top spot, which teams are quickly climbing up the ranks, and the players to watch out for, with the PvP Arena Ladder.

All in all, a lot of people feel that this was a good move on the part of Blizzard. There are certain people however who worry about the release of their character's information as it might take away certain element of their strategy. More news as we get it.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to QJ.NET every day in search of the latest gaming news for your favorite consoles! No where else will you find a website more frequently updated with the latest PSP Updates, Xbox 360 screenshots, Nintendo DS news, MMORPG musings, breaking PS3 ponderings, and the latest word about the Wii. But let's face it - there's more to life than just video games!

Our goal here at QJ.NET is to provide you with up to the minute news and information on a variety of topics that might interest or entertain our readers - so here's your chance to get introduced to some of our newest blogs that you might not know about yet. So branch out with us and let us show you what you've been missing! Who knows, you might even learn something!

They're quirky, they're handy, they're revolutionary - and sometimes you just have no idea what they are. Everyone loves Gadgets, so everyone should love the new QJ.NET Gadget Blog!
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Aside from taking the world by storm, what has Steve and Co. been up to lately? Check out our Apple Blog to get the latest on the iPod, MacBook, and the latest love affair between Apple and Intel!

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Stop by our Mobile Blog to get the inside scoop on the latest phones, service plans, and accessories to make the most out of your mobile experience! The world just got a little smaller!
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Consoles can't have all the fun! True next-gen gaming is already here and it's on your PC! From real time strategy, to first person shooters, Games for Windows is where the future lies!

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The world of online gaming belongs to World of Warcraft - the indisputable leader of the MMORPG genre. Come see what over 7 million people would sell their firstborn child for!
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Not to be outdone by orcs and blood elves, there's another MMORPG in the works that could knock WoW off its throne. Set for a 2007 release, come find out why people are talking about Tabula Rasa and prepare for the invasion!

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We've saved the best for last - we love our Science Blog! Check out the latest space-faring news and get a glimpse of all the heavens have to offer. You can't branch out any further than the final frontier!
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We hope you will take a moment to explore all that QJ.NET has to offer, I'm almost positive you'll find something that'll keep you coming back - if so, remember to bookmark it, or you can always find the list of QJ.NET Blogs in the middle sidebar to the right. You can also take a look at our Blog of Blogs which contains every piece of news covered in all our blogs - there's guaranteed to be something new to read every time you visit! And we aren't stopping here - keep your eyes peeled for even more blogs that are in the works and on the way - not to mention our constant efforts to improve your experience here at QJ.NET!

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