Sometimes, when I right click npm and select "Manage npm Modules", the package manages says "Loading published package list", but it comes back empty. See screenshot here: 
I am still able to install packages using the npm command, but they are not added to packages.json and I have to call npm init manually.
Comments: I'm getting the same issue. Package info downloads, but nothing is visible in the Install New npm Packages window. My first attempt to download package info failed due to poor mobile data connection. Once I was on wifi, it downloaded all 49Mb without a problem. > node --version v0.10.31 > npm --version 1.4.23 Latest dev build of NTVS: NTVS Dev 2014-09-05 VS 2013.msi Output window: Reading 51820104 bytes from C:\Users\XXX\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Node.js Tools\packagecache.json (17/09/2014 9:32:10 PM) Current Time: 17/09/2014 10:33:59 PM Last Refreshed: 17/09/2014 9:32:10 PM Number of Results: 99435
I am still able to install packages using the npm command, but they are not added to packages.json and I have to call npm init manually.
Comments: I'm getting the same issue. Package info downloads, but nothing is visible in the Install New npm Packages window. My first attempt to download package info failed due to poor mobile data connection. Once I was on wifi, it downloaded all 49Mb without a problem. > node --version v0.10.31 > npm --version 1.4.23 Latest dev build of NTVS: NTVS Dev 2014-09-05 VS 2013.msi Output window: Reading 51820104 bytes from C:\Users\XXX\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Node.js Tools\packagecache.json (17/09/2014 9:32:10 PM) Current Time: 17/09/2014 10:33:59 PM Last Refreshed: 17/09/2014 9:32:10 PM Number of Results: 99435