MMO Updates |
- Pitch Black Games announces Prime: Battle for Dominus
- Rumor: Is Pottermore the upcoming Harry Potter MMO?
- Runes of Magic Chapter IV launches today
- Champions Online comic series issue 3 goes live
- THQ signs German publishing deal for Gods and Heroes
- Dark Millennium Online to be playable at E3 2012
- The Daily Grind: Do you like the idea of monetizing third-party utilities?
- Dark Age of Camelot launches new website
- Third-party development acquiring monetization options from EVE Online
- Free for All: Fairyland 2 weirds me out at E3 (in a good way)
- DC Universe Online updates fans on console freezes
- Enter at Your Own Rift: Necessary diversions
- Massively Speaking Episode 153
- GamersFirst announces acquisition of Fallen Earth with new F2P business model
- Catch up on Hyborian changes with Funcom's new Age of Conan newsletter
- Quaggan SMASH: Guild Wars 2 reveals its most cute -- and deadly -- race yet
- One Shots: Strutting their stuff
- Choose My Adventure: Should have played it by now edition
- RIFT's 1.3 update bringing new raid, free transfers, and more
- A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The freedom to travel
| Pitch Black Games announces Prime: Battle for Dominus Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, News items  PitchBlack Games has officially unveiled its new upcoming title, Prime: Battle for Dominus. The game takes a departure from the omnipresent high fantasy genre, opting instead for a futuristic science fiction approach. Built on the HERO engine, Prime is named for the element that is the key source of contention in the game's world. This so-called "prime element" is used to power all of the game's advanced technology, and players will find themselves fighting tooth and nail for control of this precious commodity. Players can choose to join one of three playable factions: the Humans, the genetically modified Rodon, or the young race of the Salent. Developers boast that the game will include 11 seamless, fully-explorable worlds, each with its own secrets for players to uncover. Players can establish control of these worlds by constructing bases from which to push back invaders who will come in search of precious prime. As one might guess, PvP looks to play a large role in the game, with each faction fighting for dominance over valuable resources with which to advance their own ends. Players looking to make a profit can take up the mantle of the bounty hunter and sell their services to the highest bidder. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the game, however, is GM-run events. Prime will offer live events to provide an unprecedented level of player engagement. If you want to find out more about this promising new title or if you'd like to apply to test the game, head on over to the game's official site.
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| Rumor: Is Pottermore the upcoming Harry Potter MMO? Posted: 16 Jun 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: New titles, Rumors, Miscellaneous  It gets interesting when you look at Pottermore's trademark page, which lists it as owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and described as follows: Providing multiple-user access to a global computer information network; providing on-line chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among users in the field of general interest; providing on-line communications links which transfer the web site user to other local and global web pages; providing on-line facilities for real-time interaction with other computer users concerning topics of general interest.The Guardian notes that Pottermore could stand for "Potter Multiplayer Online Role-playing Experience," among other things. An editor at HPANA was one of the few to get a glimpse of the full site, commenting, "It is breathtaking in scope, detail and sheer beauty." Meanwhile, on YouTube's JKRowlingAnnounces channel, a timer is counting down to an announcement as to why "the owls are gathering" sometime on the 23rd. Of course, a Harry Potter MMO has been heavily rumored for some time now, perhaps in association with Turbine (which is owned by WB). It's a tenuous connection -- but a possibility as well, so we'll be keeping our eyes on the site to see what transpires! Thanks to reader Alen for the tip!
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| Runes of Magic Chapter IV launches today Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Events, in-game, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic  In story terms, Chapter IV introduces Demon Sismon, a new baddie who is fond of trailing disease, pestilence, and various forms of yuck in his wake, and players will need to discover his true motives in order to save Taborea and its citizens. The Chapter IV launch also features a new community event. Frogster is running a sightseeing contest and giving players the chance to win prizes including Logitech gaming mice and in-game items. Check out the new Chapter IV trailer after the cut and head to the official website to download the game! Continue reading Runes of Magic Chapter IV launches today
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| Champions Online comic series issue 3 goes live Posted: 16 Jun 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Free-to-play, Champions Online  The last issue of Champion's Online's Aftershock comic series, Hang On, saw our valiant heroes returning to Camp Lantern, where UNTIL's Major Okonkwo and her troops were trapped in a bunker with a legion of UNTIL and VIPER troops possessed by some eldritch power. Against all odds, the heroes were able to reach the Major before she met an untimely demise, but this small victory was short-lived as the Major reported the presence of Operation Demonflame veteran Sergeant James Collins as well as a number of arcane Qliphothic artifacts. Do the artifacts have some connection to the strange occurrences at Camp Lantern? Will our heroes make it out alive, or are they doomed to meet the same fate as the possessed soldiers? Well, Champions Online players can find out now, as issue 3 of the Aftershock comic series is now live. In this issue, the entire fortress in which our heroes are currently trapped has been transported to the Qliphothic realm, described as "a dimension of chaos and destruction." Players must contend with the unspeakable horrors of the Qliphothic realm while they search for a way home. The fate of Major Okonkwo, the Champions, and perhaps the universe rests on the shoulders of our heroes in Aftershock issue 3, A Long, Long Way From Home!
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| THQ signs German publishing deal for Gods and Heroes Posted: 16 Jun 2011 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items  "Gods & Heroes offers an outstanding MMO experience and is the perfect fit for our THQ Partner's distribution portfolio in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. We're very excited to be able to send MMO fans on an unforgettable journey to ancient Rome," said THQ managing director Stefan Krings via press release. Gods & Heroes was developed by Heatwave Interactive and features personal ancestral estates, 130 unique minions, and traditional MMO combat. You can learn more, as well as pre-order the game, at the official website.
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| Dark Millennium Online to be playable at E3 2012 Posted: 16 Jun 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Interviews, MMOFPS, Warhammer 40k  Eurogamer reports that THQ is committing to this time frame. Danny Bilson says that WAR40K will be the highlight of the company's display: "Next year, I promise you, next E3. I've already got plans for what the booth is like. The centrepiece of the booth will be that MMO." We only caught a glimpse of a teaser trailer for the game at this year's E3. Vigil Games is hard at work on the $50+ million project, and Bilson says that it's looking good and on track for a launch between April 2012 and March 2013. "It looks fabulous. I like it. I can't speak to it now, or people will kill me. But, I'll tell you what, it plays differently. A little bit... This thing is gonna be special," he said. "We're going to come out when we come out in a big way. I feel like we're fully competitive with the other guys. It'll be seven years in the making when it comes out. We're competing with the best games in the world. You can't mess around with this thing."
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| The Daily Grind: Do you like the idea of monetizing third-party utilities? Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Business models, Economy, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  On the one hand, charging money for services means that it's possible for good services and databases to go professional, helping to ensure a higher level of quality. On the other hand, no one likes paying money for something that used to be free, and the idea that said free services may not always be free is a bitter pill to swallow. So what do you think? Are you happy with the idea that independent developers can make money off of a game, or does the EVE Online change fill you with apprehension?  Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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| Dark Age of Camelot launches new website Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, MMO industry, News items  The new version of The Herald is leaner, meaner, and much easier to navigate, though it does come with an "under construction" caveat. DAoC producer Stuart Zissu provides users with a brief introduction to the new site via an embedded video on the front page, and he also hints at the long-running title's 10th anniversary celebration currently scheduled for October. Head to the official website to, er... check out the new official website.
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| Third-party development acquiring monetization options from EVE Online Posted: 15 Jun 2011 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Business models, MMO industry, New titles  For a $99 license fee, developers and service providers will be able to sign up and start charging money for their products while having full access to the EVE Online API. The entry itself goes into more details on the restrictions of the program and what it will mean for non-commercial sites (which will not be required to pay any sort of fee). It's an interesting move, one that means that the game will be able to develop a more robust real-world economy to complement the in-game activities.
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| Free for All: Fairyland 2 weirds me out at E3 (in a good way) Posted: 15 Jun 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Screenshots, Culture, New titles, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Free for All  So I designated each of the two major show floors as "noisy" and "less noisy." Still, it wasn't as though I was being forced to walk on fire or to stab needles into my eyes. Let's be honest: This was the greatest assignment any game writer could ask for. Still, I wanted to find the games that no one was talking about. The booths that were tucked somewhere near the bathrooms. And find one I did. It was a cool little booth that represented games from Taiwan. As soon as I saw that, I pounced. Granted, one of the games was not an MMORPG, but they were all intriguing. I walked around the entire collection of publishers and asked questions. I found some pretty neat stuff, too. Click past the cut and I'll tell you what I found. Continue reading Free for All: Fairyland 2 weirds me out at E3 (in a good way)
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| DC Universe Online updates fans on console freezes Posted: 15 Jun 2011 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Bugs, News items, Consoles, DC Universe Online  According to the update, the common out-of-memory error that's causing console freezes requires a very specific set of conditions to be met, and while the team is doing its best to replicate the conditions for freezing, the live environment is very different from the in-house testing environment. DC Universe Online players who are trying to enjoy the game on the console might not be mollified by this update, but it's a clear sign that the developers are trying to keep an open line of communication.
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| Enter at Your Own Rift: Necessary diversions Posted: 15 Jun 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift  Ironically, I've quested more in RIFT than I have in any other MMO. It's not that I find it faster to level; it's that I actually enjoy the lore behind the quests, another area that I have tended to ignore in other MMOs. Questing can be extremely frustrating for me, though, because I'll almost always bump into someone else doing the exact same quests as me, and yet he won't group up and join forces, even with the luxury of the public quest button. So when I reach my limit in trying to politely suggest to people that we group only to get a few grunts in reply, I decide to take a breather from questing and find an outlet for my frustration. PvP would be the natural choice except that I'd get my rear handed to me on a platter, adding insult to injury. Luckily, there are lots of fun little mini-diversions in RIFT that give me an opportunity to burn off some steam and have fun at the same time. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll look at a few of them, from prize fighting to centaur racing. Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Necessary diversions
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| Massively Speaking Episode 153 Posted: 15 Jun 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Podcasts, Culture, News items, Opinion, Massively meta, Humor, Massively Event Coverage, Massively Speaking  Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot an email to shawn@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air! Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes. [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. Listen here on the page: Read below the cut for the full show notes.  Massively Speaking is the official podcast of Massively.com. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Shawn Schuster and Community Manager Rubi Bayer, Massively Speaking takes on the week's biggest news and dev interviews with plenty of opinion, rants, and laughs thrown in for good measure. Join us every Wednesday afternoon to listen in and see what we'll say next!Continue reading Massively Speaking Episode 153
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| GamersFirst announces acquisition of Fallen Earth with new F2P business model Posted: 15 Jun 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, News items, Massively Interviews, Post-Apocalyptic  Well, it has now. Today, GamersFirst has given us the exclusive news that it will be taking over the operations of Fallen Earth immediately. Of course, following all other games in the GamersFirst library, Fallen Earth will also adopt a F2P business model. But what does this mean for the development of Fallen Earth? Will GamersFirst take over production and content design? Just how free will the game be? Follow along after the jump for answers to those questions and more. Continue reading GamersFirst announces acquisition of Fallen Earth with new F2P business model
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| Catch up on Hyborian changes with Funcom's new Age of Conan newsletter Posted: 15 Jun 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play  Don't forget about the Savage Coast of Turan content coming later this summer (and coinciding with the Conan feature film reboot), and of course there's the Blood & Glory hardcore PvP server ruleset (also coming soon). If you're a former AoC subscriber, check your email for the newsletter, and stick with Massively for more exclusive AoC coverage throughout the summer.
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| Quaggan SMASH: Guild Wars 2 reveals its most cute -- and deadly -- race yet Posted: 15 Jun 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, Guild Wars 2, Races  ArenaNet is back with another exposé on the races of Guild Wars 2. This time the studio's focusing on the Quaggan, which it calls "our most cuddly race." But what do cuddles and creatures that look as though they should already be sold as plushie dolls through the ArenaNet gift shop have to do with the rough-and-tumble fantasy world of Guild Wars 2? While the peaceful and polite race wouldn't normally make waves, the Quaggans have an interesting ability to "hulk out" and go on rampages when they get mad. As the saying goes, "Do not make Quaggan angry. You would not like Quaggan when Quaggan is angry." Therefore Quaggans have to be mellow to avoid a non-stop WWE battle royal -- although at times, unleashing their inner aggression can save their hides. It's this dynamic ArenaNet latched onto while fleshing out the race's place in the world. You can read more about the dolphin-like Quaggans over on the ArenaNet blog.
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| One Shots: Strutting their stuff Posted: 15 Jun 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Galleries, Screenshots, Guilds, Free-to-play, One Shots, All Points Bulletin, Crime  We are a clan in All Points Bulletin. We stream on Justin.tv all week! We are very event-oriented; this pic was taken at an event on Memorial Day!Are you ready to show off your guild? Gather up your best group shots of you and your guildmates. Whether you're hanging out, enjoying guild housing, taking out a huge enemy, or throwing a party, send a screenshot of your guild in action to oneshots@massively.com along with your name and the name of the game, and tell us about your guild!
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| Choose My Adventure: Should have played it by now edition Posted: 15 Jun 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Polls, Opinion, Choose My Adventure, Miscellaneous  But which game I'll spend the next several weeks playing isn't up to me; that task lies in your hands, folks. So what's it going to be? Should I stop being the only person in the world who hasn't played RIFT? Will I dive into the free-to-play domain of Runes of Magic? Should I break my usual conventions and take a shot at Global Agenda or get some solid aggression out of my system with Warhammer Online? All of these are games I've only had a little playtime with at best, and in most cases, I haven't even touched them. So click on past the break and let me know what I'll be playing, and I'll see you back here in a week to find out more about my next destination. (But make sure to vote by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 19th!) Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Should have played it by now edition
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| RIFT's 1.3 update bringing new raid, free transfers, and more Posted: 15 Jun 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, RIFT  The official unveiling will happen courtesy of a world event on June 22nd, and RIFT's 1.3 version update will subsequently include guild bank functionality, new item sets, new character accessories, new artifacts, free character transfers, and Hammerknell. This last is a 20-player raid that Trion says "will challenge even the most practiced players." The encounter boasts three wings, 10 bosses, and a gaggle of gross-out monsters designed to make life more fun for Telara's endgame players. If we've piqued your curiosity, have a look at the official website for all the details.
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| A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The freedom to travel Posted: 15 Jun 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Game mechanics, Opinion, A Mild-Mannered Reporter  And just like that, it requires a bit of a history lesson, some conceptual nattering, and an understanding of what relevance gameplay restrictions had in the past and have in the present. See, today I'm talking about travel powers. The fact of the matter is that we've gone from having travel powers as an important milestone at level 14 to having those powers be more or less irrelevant in their restrictions. There are arguably bigger issues that have to be attended, more pressing areas of the game in need of updates or cleanup... but it's important to look at these issues as well. In the wake of the (singularly awesome) Steampunk Pack, it's as good a time as any to look at what the game is doing now and ask whether there are pieces of complexity that aren't really necessary. Continue reading A Mild-Mannered Reporter: The freedom to travel
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