| Massively's Darkfall launch week diary: Day one Posted: 17 Apr 2013 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Darkfall, Game Mechanics, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Hands-On, First Impressions, Sandbox Darkfall Unholy Wars' April 2013 launch was quite a bit like Darkfall's February 2009 launch. For me, at any rate. One crucial difference was that this time I was actually able to purchase Aventurine's fantasy sandbox title even though I wasn't able to log into it. Four years ago, finding a digital copy of Darkfall was damn near impossible. Fast forward to the present and AV has improved its billing apparatus but certainly not its delivery mechanism. After nearly three hours, DFUW's patcher managed to pull down 90 MB out of 6487. I switched to the torrent download, and while it was faster, I still had to leave it overnight. So technically this is day two impressions even though it's day one for yours truly. Continue reading Massively's Darkfall launch week diary: Day one  Massively's Darkfall launch week diary: Day one originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Latest Perpetuum dev blog delves into research system Posted: 17 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Dev Diaries, Sandbox At the end of last year, Avatar Creations posted a detailed dev blog outlining some of the new systems and revamps in store for Perpetuum. In today's blog update, the devs offer a progress report on the new research system. A fixed tech-tree system will replace the random lottery that's currently in place, and players can accumulate research points to unlock items within the tech tree. As it stands, the system will have separate trees for each of the three main factions -- Pelistal, Nuimqol, and Thelodica -- as well as one for the modular colony system, one for the industrial items/robots, and one for the common stuff (although the final two might be combined). The blog also touches on an extended combat log system that will pave the way for an achievement system. For more details on these two systems, check out the full progress report. Latest Perpetuum dev blog delves into research system originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Age of Wushu getting new PvP, PvE content Posted: 17 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Sandbox, Age of Wushu Snail has updated Age of Wushu's website with its immediate designs for the western version of the recently launched wuxia sandbox. The firm has grand plans to bring content from the game's Chinese server to North America including the Mount Hua PvP competition, new rage skills, and the new Yanmen Pass instance. Snail also implores gamers to "stop living in the close friend zone" by availing themselves of the game's wedding mechanics. The company has also published its official stance on gold sellers and gold spam, as well as its intention to ban both buyers and sellers. [Thanks Mikey!] Age of Wushu getting new PvP, PvE content originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Path of Exile Season Two starts April 19th, adds solo challenge Posted: 17 Apr 2013 08:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Events (In-Game), MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Path of Exile Although still in open beta, Path of Exile has already wrapped up one round of its popular race events, where players joined short-term leagues on brand-new characters in a race to complete objectives and rack up points. And now Grinding Gear Games is all set for the next round: Season Two begins on April 19th and runs through June 1st in North America. Season Two differs from its predecessor with a few new offerings, including a larger variety of unique prizes. Players can achieve prizes more easily and in new ways; participants who complete at least one goal within the race can be awarded random spot prizes. Also added are new "Signature Events" -- solo events of a consistent-length that are run multiple times during the season. When the season concludes, the best performing characters of each class will receive a prize similar to the top 20 overall for the entire season. For a complete listing of events, check out the full schedule. [Source: Grinding Gear Games press release] Path of Exile Season Two starts April 19th, adds solo challenge originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Sieges coming to ArcheAge Korea, new trailer released Posted: 17 Apr 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, Patches, PvP, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox If yesterday's ArcheAge fishing trailer didn't float your boat, XLGAMES is trying again with a more combat-oriented gameplay teaser. Castle sieges are the subject, and the game's latest clip takes us on whirlwind tour filled with siege engines, flying arrows, cavalry charges, and clashing armies. Siege mechanics are new to the Korean version of the game, which launched in January. Trion will publish ArcheAge in the west, though the company has yet to announce a release window. Click past the cut for the full clip. [Thanks Dengar!] Continue reading Sieges coming to ArcheAge Korea, new trailer released Sieges coming to ArcheAge Korea, new trailer released originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| First Guns of Icarus Online adventure mode Kickstarter goal funded Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, PvE, Crowdfunding, Steampunk, Buy-to-Play Muse Games has issued a press release celebrating the successful Kickstarter campaign for Guns of Icarus Online's new adventure mode. The update will add "large-scale PvE combat, player and ship progression, and much more" to the co-op airship title. Muse is breaking down its ambitious plans into a series of funding pillars, the first of which is the AI director that will enable co-op and solo PvE missions to go along with the game's existing PvP. Next up is a world map with towns, trade routes, player factions, and a "fully dynamic resource economy." After that, Muse will focus on a set of world-building tools. Guns of Icarus Online is a steampunk-flavored airship combat game with a buy-to-play business model. You can learn more about the adventure mode goals at the project's Kickstarter page and more about the current live game via Massively's hands-on. [Source: Muse press release] First Guns of Icarus Online adventure mode Kickstarter goal funded originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| The Daily Grind: Are head starts worth the hassle? Posted: 17 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Launches, Opinion, One Shots, Miscellaneous We're getting into the spring launch season, what with Age of Wushu, Defiance, and Neverwinter (not to mention expansions and whatnot). It's an exciting time of year, kind of the groundhog coming out of his digital hole to break the cold dry spell of winter. As with any launch, there's usually the question of early access and how much you're willing to jump through hoops to get in a couple days before the rest of the crowd. As a player who's done anything he can to get in there on the pre-launch day, I can attest that it's pretty important for me. I like knowing I'm in there right at the start, that I can reserve my names, and that I don't have to twiddle my thumbs while knowing that other players are enjoying the game. But that's just me. What about you? Are head starts worth the extra effort and money to join? Do those extra few days matter in any significant way?  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!The Daily Grind: Are head starts worth the hassle? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Jukebox Heroes: Super Adventure Box's soundtrack Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Humor, Jukebox Heroes, Music OK, yeah, how could I not do this? I know that we at Massively have gone a little ga-ga over ArenaNet's stellar April Fools' Day prank-slash-massive update, but when I saw that the team released a half-hour of original score in addition to all of the pixelated monkey mayhem, I knew I had to review it. Your enjoyment of Guild Wars 2's Super Adventure Box and its score will largely depend on your memories or feelings about old-school video games. For a kid who grew up on 8-bit and 16-bit games, the sound of SAB is pure nostalgia (even if it is original composition). I think it's also as catchy as cooties. Composers Maclaine Diemer and Leif Chappelle put in a lot of effort to not just make a classic-sounding soundtrack here but specifically reference and pay homage to plenty of old-school hits. Hang with me as I highlight the best of Super Adventure Box, and I promise that next week we'll get back to serious business. Continue reading Jukebox Heroes: Super Adventure Box's soundtrack Jukebox Heroes: Super Adventure Box's soundtrack originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Ultima Online producer's letter talks vendor search, vet rewards, and more Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Ultima Online, Dev Diaries, Sandbox Ultima Online producer Bonnie Armstrong has penned a new producer's letter designed to do two things. One is to disseminate some of the ideas in the pipeline for 2013, and the other is to quell any community uncertainty stemming from the recent EA layoff announcement. Some of the coming updates include a second house on Siege, more accessible veteran rewards, and vendor search functionality that should eliminate the need to use third-party script sites to find who's selling what. Read all about that stuff and more at the official UO website. Ultima Online producer's letter talks vendor search, vet rewards, and more originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Hyperspace Beacon: Why I don't do SWTOR's new GSI dailies Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Endgame, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Guides, Hyperspace Beacon  Nobody likes doing dailies. Dailies are a grind. Dailies are just something game designers use to keep players occupied until new content comes out. I've heard all those phrases before, and if dailies fall into one of those general categories, I don't do them. It is possible, however, that if doing dailies will help me acquire a significant reward (such as credits to buy that lightsaber hilt I've been eyeing), then I might overlook the grind to do the dailies anyway. But the key factor has to be time. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, time is your biggest investment. Despite what some players will tell you, there's a multitude of things to do at endgame. Unfortunately, a single player cannot do all of them all the time. You have to choose, and time to completion (or better yet, time to fun) weighs heavily in the decision-making process. Let me help make one of those decisions for you: Don't do the GSI dailies. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Why I don't do SWTOR's new GSI dailies Hyperspace Beacon: Why I don't do SWTOR's new GSI dailies originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Final Fantasy XI's Feast of Swords cuts into another year Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Events (In-Game), Previews, News Items, Consoles We're just a month away from the 11-year anniversary of Final Fantasy XI, which means that certain events in the game have taken on a certain sense of routine. Every year the Feast of Swords comes around at the same time, and every year a ceremonial armor gets stolen. This year's lore piece isn't about the event, it's about the growing suspicion of an adventurer that there's more behind this annual event and "unexpected" theft than anyone has been told... But you don't need that as motivation to go beat up armor with a wooden katana, do you? Of course not. The event starts off on April 24th this year and runs until May 8th. The procedure is much the same as in previous years -- characters pick up a wooden katana, get a buff, and run around starter zones tying to beat up enchanted armor. It might be a conspiracy in-game, but out of the game it's just a chance for everyone to be a samurai for a few days. Final Fantasy XI's Feast of Swords cuts into another year originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| World of Warcraft Battle Chest on sale for $10 Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:00 PM PDT |
| Syfy touts Defiance premiere numbers Posted: 16 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Culture, MMO Industry, News Items, Defiance, Buy-to-Play Syfy is patting itself on the back for what was apparently a very successful Defiance series premiere. The new drama debuted last night with a feature-length pilot that set the stage for the series' regular Monday night time slot in the U.S. Syfy says the premiere was its most-watched scripted show among adults aged 18 to 49 since the 2006 premiere of Eureka. Defiance also drew 2.7 million total viewers, which was good enough for first place over 2009's Warehouse 13. Trion's Defiance shooter MMO has seen players rack up more than 6 million hours of gameplay since its April 2nd debut. [Source: Syfy press release] Syfy touts Defiance premiere numbers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| PlanetSide 2 mobile app guns down office productivity Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Screenshots, PvP, War, Mobile, Hands-On, Miscellaneous, PlanetSide 2 Developing a mobile app to go along with your MMO is so in right now. Sure, not every developer can afford such a luxury, but it's always good to see three-dimensional developers include our mobile devices in the fun. These apps are also a good way to suck players into a game and keep them there thanks to the word of the day: accessibility. While some player is at her office, theoretically working for a living, she is also busily checking in on her favorite game. Brilliant! Even if the application offers just information without much interaction, it can be a great way to keep players plugged in. SOE has just published a mobile app for Planetside 2, and we thought it would be great to check out how the apps worked alongside the game and how it performs across different devices. Continue reading PlanetSide 2 mobile app guns down office productivity PlanetSide 2 mobile app guns down office productivity originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Flameseeker Chronicles: Simple pleasures in Guild Wars 2 Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles Right after finally crafting The Flameseeker Prophecies, I took my in-game efforts down a couple of notches. As a result, I've had a few fairly quiet weeks in Guild Wars 2. It's not for lack of things to do or of goals; I've still got plans for oodles of armor sets, a few of the pseudo-legendary weapons, a double-handful of additional level 80 characters, and some titles. I've just been taking a more laid-back approach to achieving those goals. For the last month or so before getting my shield I was running two to three dungeons a day along with other things like camping meta events and going into Orr for T6 mats, which is by no means hardcore but has made for a very pleasant experience switching into a lower gear. I've been taking time to enjoy the simpler pleasures of Guild Wars 2. Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Simple pleasures in Guild Wars 2 Flameseeker Chronicles: Simple pleasures in Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Star Trek Online's character creator revamped for Legacy of Romulus Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, News Items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-Play The seventh installment of Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus dev blog is live. This time, the subject is character creation, and Cryptic has apparently revamped the system from the ground up to coincide with the introduction of the game's third faction. The dev blog talks everything from design flow to thematic presentation to the UI to selection presets, and it's clear that the company put a lot of thought into STO's character creator 2.0. Read all about it on the game's official website. Star Trek Online's character creator revamped for Legacy of Romulus originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Camelot Unchained makes 11 promises to consumers Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Culture, MMO Industry, PvP, Crowdfunding, Camelot Unchained, Subscription City State Entertainment President Mark Jacobs has a few promises to make to players -- 11 of them, to be exact. He's put together an updated list of subscriber promises that he and his team will follow when developing and running Camelot Unchained. The promises include being responsive to players, fighting gold sellers, having the team play the game regularly, eliminating the need for copy protection, protecting player privacy, rewarding players for finding bugs, and never lying to consumers. Most interestingly, Jacobs vows that if Camelot Unchained is ever shut down, then the studio will release the compiled server code to the gamers. Camelot Unchained makes 11 promises to consumers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Darkfall Unholy Wars finally launches Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:30 PM PDT |
| Guild Wars 2 changes WvW match reset time Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:00 PM PDT |
| SWTOR brings Smugglers and Imperial Agents up to date Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Classes, Expansions, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dev Diaries With Rise of the Hutt Cartel finally open for business, the folks at BioWare are doing their best to educate players on the significant changes in Star Wars: The Old Republic's first expansion. Today sees not one but two class dev diaries itemizing the tweaks and upgrades to the Smuggler and the Imperial Agent. As both classes mirror each other and use similar skills, the twin dev diaries cover mostly the same basic topics. Alacrity has been buffed to genuinely speed up attacks, DoTs are cheaper to throw down, shields now absorb any type of damage, and accuracy's importance has been raised when you're fighting elite and tougher mobs. The diaries also cover changes to specific advanced classes and skill trees. BioWare says that it will be releasing similar diaries for the remaining six classes in the near future. SWTOR brings Smugglers and Imperial Agents up to date originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| XL releases ArcheAge fishing trailer Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox, Crafting Ho hum, fishing in MMOs. Who cares, right? Wrong! XLGAMES cares, and the company apparently thinks enough of its ArcheAge angling mechanics to make a gameplay trailer out of them. MMO Culture has uploaded the trailer to YouTube, and in it you'll see over a minute's worth of deep sea fishing plus the transporting of the day's catch back to land, presumably to sell or cook. ArcheAge is gearing up for its Chinese closed beta phase, a date for which will be announced later this month. The game has already released in its native Korea and will be published in the west by Trion, though no date has been forthcoming. You can view the trailer after the break. Continue reading XL releases ArcheAge fishing trailer XL releases ArcheAge fishing trailer originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| WildStar composer releases several new music tracks Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:30 AM PDT |
| MechWarrior Online devs talk Update 15, new UI, new mechs Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, PvP, War, Free-to-Play, Post-Apocalyptic, MechWarrior Online, Player-Generated Content Mechwarrior Online is about to hit its fifth month of open beta, with promises of a late summer launch. With that launch comes continued production, new content, plenty of bug fixes, and tweaks. With all of the new content -- said to be delivered on a regular schedule -- comes plenty of challenges for the developer team. We sat down with Piranha Games' creative director, Bryan Ekman, and president, Russ Bullock, to talk about how things have been going and where they're going in the future. Not only did we get the scoop on the next community-designed Mech to be released, but we also found out about new HUD improvements, aid for players who suffer from high ping, and much more. Click past the cut for all the details! Continue reading MechWarrior Online devs talk Update 15, new UI, new mechs MechWarrior Online devs talk Update 15, new UI, new mechs originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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| Nexon EU offers two Vindictus gameplay videos of the new cross gun Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, Vindictus A month ago Vindictus fans learned of the new cross gun being introduced to Kai's arsenal. It's a rapid-firing weapon that merges the look of the traditional crossbow with the firepower of the gun. Now, Nexon Europe has released two new videos that highlight the gameplay of Kai with his new armament. Watch the cross gun in action as teams take on various foes amid ruins, in the jungle, and across the desert dunes in the two trailers after the break. [Source: Nexon press release] Continue reading Nexon EU offers two Vindictus gameplay videos of the new cross gun Nexon EU offers two Vindictus gameplay videos of the new cross gun originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Android activations are on the rise.
This isn't your grandmother's notebook.
The newest sound card from Asus works with desktops and laptops.
Android is quite the money maker...for Microsoft?
