MMO Updates

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• The Stream Team: Vanguard's final week
• WRUP: This is why we can't have nice things
• The Daily Grind: Do you have a regular gaming group?
• Betawatch: July 19 - 25, 2014
• Choose My Adventure: Hunting for trouble (and riches) in ArcheAge
• Analyst predicts that Destiny will sell between 15M and 20M units
• Romero: 'PC is decimating console, F2P has killed a hundred AAA studios'
• Riot Games promises to increase diversity in League of Legends
• Firefly Online brings the crew back together (for voices)
• Marvel Heroes celebrates Guardians of the Galaxy
• Working As Intended: It's not the journey or the destination

The Stream Team: Vanguard's final week Posted: 26 Jul 2014 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Vanguard, Free-to-Play, Livestream, The Stream Team With only a week left of life, Vanguard players have limited time to jump in and get the all the things done. Massively's MJ is heading back in with the intention of diving into a dungeon or two, although chances are she just might get sidetracked by intense nostalgia. Maybe she'll just take her sorrow for the loss of the game out on some nearby mobs or dungeon dwellers! Join us live at 11:00 a.m. to be a part of the mob butt-kicking group or just to share memories about the game. Game: Vanguard Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Saturday, July 26th, 2014 Time: 11:00 a.m.. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading The Stream Team: Vanguard's final week The Stream Team: Vanguard's final week originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jul 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

WRUP: This is why we can't have nice things Posted: 26 Jul 2014 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Miscellaneous Welcome back to Massively's What Are You Playing, the game in which we tell you what we're playing this weekend and you giggle at all the lore purists who demand in-game lore-friendly holidays and events instead of Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day because here it is. This is our punishment for hating on Ewoks with cupid wings. This is why we can't have nice things. Continue reading WRUP: This is why we can't have nice things WRUP: This is why we can't have nice things originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jul 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Via: Blame Space Cobra for the depressing meme pic

The Daily Grind: Do you have a regular gaming group? Posted: 26 Jul 2014 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous Some of my best experiences with MMOs have involved regular gaming nights with a set group of friends. These days I only have a Monday night The Secret World excursion to look forward to with my cabal, but it's undoubtedly the highlight of my gaming week. I have friends who have been playing a Monday night LotRO skirmish group for years now, and they often regale us with tales of idiocy, running jokes, and extremely slow leveling. But the point is more to socialize and have fun than progress, which I can respect. Do you have a regular gaming group for your MMO? If so, how did you get into it? What exciting adventures have you gone on lately? 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: Do you have a regular gaming group? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Betawatch: July 19 - 25, 2014 Posted: 25 Jul 2014 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Business Models, Launches, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous, Crowdfunding Destiny's beta opened its doors to everyone this week... as long as you have a PS3, Xbox Live Gold, or a PlayStation Plus subscription, that is. What else is new in the world of MMO testing? ArcheAge's second beta event begins July 30th. Firefall relaunches next week. WoW showed off female Tauren models for Warlords of Draenor. We took our first look at Swordsman, which launches July 29th. Shroud of the Avatar posted PvP-centric Release 8 for its beta. The Crew kicked off its beta earlier in the week. Closers Online is now looking for Korean closed beta testers. Bounty Hounds Online and Zombies Monsters Robots are both now in open beta. (Thanks, Metadune!) The full Betawatch roundup is below. Continue reading Betawatch: July 19 - 25, 2014 Betawatch: July 19 - 25, 2014 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Choose My Adventure: Hunting for trouble (and riches) in ArcheAge Posted: 25 Jul 2014 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Choose My Adventure, Livestream, ArcheAge, The Stream Team Bouncing between alpha and beta has hindered progress in ArcheAge for Massively's MJ, but it hasn't diminished the fun. As per last week's vote, she spent the past weekend in beta, checking out life on the other continent as an Elf. Now, with the next beta a whole week away, it's back to alpha life as a Firran. But that doesn't mean it's a lonely life! MJ found a spot for her little farm and has been raising some goslings as she continues her crafting and trade exploits. And there's also this thing about joining a guild... we're sure she could find some more trouble to get into with friends. Perhaps she'll even finally make it to prison! Join us live at 7:00 p.m. for MJ's final two-hour CMA Live adventure. Game: ArcheAge Host: MJ Guthrie Date: Friday, July 55th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT Enjoy our Stream Team video below. Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Hunting for trouble (and riches) in ArcheAge Choose My Adventure: Hunting for trouble (and riches) in ArcheAge originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analyst predicts that Destiny will sell between 15M and 20M units Posted: 25 Jul 2014 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, MMO Industry, MMOFPS, Destiny, Buy-to-Play I think we all know that Destiny is going to be a very big launch when it happens this September, but one analyst has put a number to that feeling: 15 to 20 million copies sold. Cowen & Company Analyst Doug Creutz has been tracking the progress of Destiny, saying that it has topped the company's rating chart: "We continue to believe that Destiny is a lock to sell at least 15 million copies. And we now view 20 million copies as increasingly likely." Creutz said that Destiny will help to sell PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles and predicted that the game will be purchased alongside with many of them. He also noted that Destiny may cannibalize sales from the Call of Duty franchise. Analyst predicts that Destiny will sell between 15M and 20M units originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: VentureBeat

Romero: 'PC is decimating console, F2P has killed a hundred AAA studios' Posted: 25 Jul 2014 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, News Items Doom co-creator John Romero gave an interesting interview to GamesIndustry.biz recently in which he compares the modern free-to-play model with the early 1990s shareware revolution driven by id's hellish sci-fi shooter. "Our entire first episode was free -- give us no money, play the whole thing. If you like it and want to play more, then you finally pay us. To me that felt like the ultimate fair [model]. I'm not nickel-and-diming you. I didn't cripple the game in any design way. That was a really fair way to market a game," Romero said. "When we put these games out on shareware, that changed the whole industry. Before shareware there were no CD-ROMs, there were no demos at all. If you wanted to buy Ultima, Secret of Monkey Island, any of those games, you had to look really hard at that box and decide to spend 50 bucks to get it." He goes on to say that F2P design will mature and at some point lose its stigma. "People are spending a lot of time trying to design this the right way," he explained. "They want people to want to give them money, not have to. If you have to give money, you're doing it wrong. For game designers, that's the holy grail." Romero also remarks on the parallels between today's industry and the fledgling game industry of 30 years ago that he says was wholly created by indies, as well as the autonomy enjoyed by modern developers as a result of the move away from retail and traditional publishing. "With PC you have free-to-play and Steam games for five bucks. The PC is decimating console, just through price," he said. "Free-to-play has killed a hundred AAA studios." Romero: 'PC is decimating console, F2P has killed a hundred AAA studios' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: GI.biz

Riot Games promises to increase diversity in League of Legends Posted: 25 Jul 2014 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Events (Real-World), News Items, Free-to-Play, MOBA, League of Legends League of Legends features a lot of diversity among its male champions, but the female champions all feature a fairly uniform body type. That's something the developers at Riot Games are keen on changing. In response to a fan question at SDCC, producer Omar Kendall said that the company has been introducing new ways of looking at body types and shapes, with the end goal of making female champions who don't look like the others. Kendall went on to specify that the call for more diversity is one that players should see represented soon in a new character coming out. He also noted that diversity is being strongly considered with further character designs and any new champions. Game designer Brian Feeney noted that it would be a net boon to the game as a whole -- as Riot is very concerned with distinctive silhouettes, a more robust selection of body types makes it easier to tell champions apart. Riot Games promises to increase diversity in League of Legends originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Polygon

Firefly Online brings the crew back together (for voices) Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Culture, Previews, News Items, Mobile, Miscellaneous Despite the name, Firefly Online isn't really an MMO. But it does feature online interactions, and perhaps more importantly, it does feature the original cast together again. If you were hoping to hear Captain Malcolm Reynolds growl at you while you played the game -- and let's face it, odds are almost certain you were -- you can be happy to know that the main cast will be reprising their roles for the first time since the movie. Alan Tudyk will also be voicing multiple roles, and Michael Fairman will be playing Niska, who is apparently hiring if you're none too worried about your conscience bothering you. The game is set to release in 2015 on multiple platforms. Firefly Online brings the crew back together (for voices) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: io9

Marvel Heroes celebrates Guardians of the Galaxy Posted: 25 Jul 2014 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy film hits theaters on August 1st, and Marvel Heroes is counting down with its 10 Days of Guardians of the Galaxy in-game event. Players can complete three shared quests once per day to max out their allotment of Planet X Bark, which can then be redeemed for loot boxes with varying levels of unique rewards. There's also a daily login reward, so head to the official Marvel Heroes website to read all about it! Marvel Heroes celebrates Guardians of the Galaxy originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

Working As Intended: It's not the journey or the destination Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, Sandbox, MMORPG, Working As Intended If you play MMORPGs, you've no doubt been told, hundreds of times, "Slow down! Don't rush! Stop to smell the flowers! It's the journey, not the destination!" Typically, you're being told to slow down in an MMO whose focus is the destination: the endgame. All the good stuff is at the end. The best dungeons are there. The best gear is there. The best PvP content and titles and achievements are there. The players the devs cater to are there. Patches and expansions provide new content there. In fact, the only reason to play the rest of the game is to level up to get there. The midgame is a hindrance, a barrier to the "real" game, and it's usually neglected by developers once most players are through it. So if games themselves reward you only for arriving at the destination, why on earth should you feel bad for not savoring the journey? Continue reading Working As Intended: It's not the journey or the destination Working As Intended: It's not the journey or the destination originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 25 Jul 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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MMORPG News

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• Destiny: Log in on Saturday for a Special Event Reward
• Guild Wars 2: New PvP Armors & More Coming Soon
• General: Square Enix Crushes Fan Mod
• Warhammer 40.000: Eternal Crusade: Special Gifts Added to Founder's Packs By Way of Thank You
• Wakfu: Petsmounts Added As New Feature
• Transformers Universe: Motorbikes Swagger and Diabla Enter the Game
• Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: Opportunities to Expand Horizons
• EVE Online: Andie Nordgren Named as Executive Producer
• Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: Release Date Moved Forward
• Firefall: Red5's Second Shot Nails Its Target

Destiny: Log in on Saturday for a Special Event Reward Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:10 PM PDT Destiny beta testers are reminded that playing on Saturday, July 26th will net them a special in-game badge as a reminder of their participation in the event and in the beta.

Guild Wars 2: New PvP Armors & More Coming Soon Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:46 PM PDT Read Up Streamer, Dulfy, has screen capped several images out of todays Guild Wars 2 Live Stream via Twitch.tv. The pictures reveal new PvP armors and brand new skins that will be arriving in game very soon.

General: Square Enix Crushes Fan Mod Posted: 23 Jul 2014 05:46 PM PDT Amidst the best game communities are modders willing to breathe new life into the games they love, expanding them beyond their original scope, and introducing them to entire new audiences. So long as the publisher is willing to let them, of course. That wasn't the case this week as Square Enix dropped the boot on a years-long Final Fantasy project, much to the dismay of fans.

Warhammer 40.000: Eternal Crusade: Special Gifts Added to Founder's Packs By Way of Thank You Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:41 AM PDT The Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade team has announced the addition of several special gift items for the Founder's Packs currently on sale. Gifts include a unique pistol and close combat weapon for each of the four starting factions and are being added to the pack by way of thanking players for their support of the team. Founders already having purchased a pack will have these added automatically and anyone buying a pack prior to the end of Gamescom will also receive them.

Wakfu: Petsmounts Added As New Feature Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:18 AM PDT Ankama has announced the arrival of petsmounts in Wakfu. Petsmounts are as customizable as pets and can be given an inventory and the ability for players to apply costumes to them. Players will gain access to a "Dragoturkey" via a quest, with others becoming available via the in-game shop.

Transformers Universe: Motorbikes Swagger and Diabla Enter the Game Posted: 25 Jul 2014 11:12 AM PDT Two new motorbikes have entered Transformers Universe Online. Swagger (Autobot) and Diabla (Decepticon) zoomed into the game during the latest update and the pair are the first new bots to debut in game since it entered open beta.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: Opportunities to Expand Horizons Posted: 23 Jul 2014 05:34 PM PDT Victor Barreiro Jr. describes the Hunt system of FFXIV, what changes it brings to player behavior, and why he thinks Hunts are the uncomfortable beginnings of a bigger plan to improve the game.

EVE Online: Andie Nordgren Named as Executive Producer Posted: 25 Jul 2014 10:47 AM PDT CCP has announced that Andie Nordgren will take over the executive producer duties for EVE Online. Nordgren has been with CCP since 2010 and most recently served in the senior producer capacity on EVE.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: Release Date Moved Forward Posted: 25 Jul 2014 10:42 AM PDT Fans of RPGs will be happy to hear that Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor has had its release date moved forward. The North American release will take place on September 30th, with the rest of the world seeing the game arrive on October 2nd.

Firefall: Red5's Second Shot Nails Its Target Posted: 23 Jul 2014 05:30 PM PDT I really liked Firefall last year when it went into open beta. But like everyone else, I saw the writing on the wall that Red 5 was having direction issues with the title, and it seemed like their MMO shooter would never quite make it out of the development seesaw it was consistently riding. Firefall was a game that didn't seem to know what it wanted to be.

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