MMO Updates |
- New Darkfall video shows off redesigned Sandbrook
- Planet War browser game to feature galactic conquest and alien foreign policy
- Picaroon introduces Nation's Challenge contest
- Torchlight MMO still on schedule, depending on success of Torchlight II
- Some Assembly Required: Issue #3 -- Building a base with SWG's Storyteller system
- The Daily Grind: Are MMO players angrier than other types of gamers?
- Nexon releases new MapleStory map and two new classes
- ArenaNet releases third Guild Wars 2 sound design dev diary
- Nexon invests in social gaming
- Study suggests one in three gamers has purchased virtual goods
- Firefall announces beta, details launch
- Behind the Mask: A long, slow, rumbling
- One Shots: Dance like no one's watching
- Scarlet Legacy closed beta kicks off today -- Get your key now!
- The Guild Counsel: Confronting our raid ghosts
- Captain's Log: Building a successful fleet
| New Darkfall video shows off redesigned Sandbrook Posted: 05 Aug 2011 10:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Darkfall, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Sandbox  Aventurine producer Tasos Flambouras tells us that "the city has been completely optimized and everything is conveniently located where players can find it easily." He also mentions that Sandbrook is no longer a starter town but is instead a human factional city. Sandbrook is a picturesque location despite the proximity of a nasty goblin tribe, and the town is home to a small band of humans who settled on the banks of a river in the shadow of some enormous Nithron ruins. Head past the cut for a brief look at the new and improved Sandbrook courtesy of Aventurine's latest Darkfall video. Continue reading New Darkfall video shows off redesigned Sandbrook
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| Planet War browser game to feature galactic conquest and alien foreign policy Posted: 05 Aug 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  The release for YooGames' new browser-based MMO Planet War said just that, and as a result we're keen on taking a look at the title's closed beta when it kicks off on August 9th. YooGames also says that Planet War is inspired by famous sci-fi novels and heroes, and aims to provide a unique strategy experience that features both conquest and alien foreign policy. We're not sure what that means as of yet, but it definitely piqued our interest. You can learn more about the game at its official web site as well as the Planet War Facebook portal.
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| Picaroon introduces Nation's Challenge contest Posted: 05 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play  Nice's latest press release outlines the prizes on offer, and first-, second-, and third-place winners will take home 5,000, 2,000, and 1,000 doubloons (Picaroon's in-game currency) respectively. Members of the winning alliance will also pocket 300 doubloons. The contest started yesterday, so don't delay in getting your team together, and be sure to check out the official rules on the Picaroon forums.
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| Torchlight MMO still on schedule, depending on success of Torchlight II Posted: 05 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, News items  While Schaefer assures players that it is still planned and that they "have a lot of good ideas for the MMO," he also admits that they currently have other priorities -- namely the release of the forthcoming Torchlight II. He is clear that they "just aren't committing to any kind of schedule yet." Looks like fans will have to bide their time a while longer.
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| Some Assembly Required: Issue #3 -- Building a base with SWG's Storyteller system Posted: 05 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Roleplaying, Some Assembly Required, Sandbox  Enter Sony Online Entertainment and its seminal Star Wars Galaxies sandbox. There are many reasons to dig this particular game if you're a fan of player-generated content, but among the most important is the Storyteller system. Yeah, I know SWG is on borrowed time. There's still plenty of time to enjoy it though, and if you're a Star Wars fan, a sandbox fan, and especially a player-generated content fan, you're going to love it. Join me after the cut as I show you how to create your own makeshift starship base, complete with starfreighters, starfighters, Rebel pilots, and even a few Wookiee commandos thrown in for good measure. Oh yeah, this is all in the live game-world too. No instancing here. Continue reading Some Assembly Required: Issue #3 -- Building a base with SWG's Storyteller system
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| The Daily Grind: Are MMO players angrier than other types of gamers? Posted: 05 Aug 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind  Case in point is a recent discussion that touched on the anger management issues that some MMO gamers exhibit. We basically agreed that -- generally speaking of course -- MMO players are a perpetually angry lot in comparison to their console, casual, and even PC brethren. We batted around a few possible reasons for this including the fact that MMOs usually require more of a time investment as opposed to the one-off experiences common to single-player games. Along the same lines, MMO communities are often personal and may even transcend the game. Both of these factors (and many others) conspire to build emotional attachments not commonly found in more disposable gaming genres. Today it's your turn to weigh in on this debate. Do you think MMO players are angrier than their non-MMO counterparts? Why or why not?  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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| Nexon releases new MapleStory map and two new classes Posted: 04 Aug 2011 07:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, MapleStory, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play  MapleStory's Big Bang patch series is reloading for a second round of content updates, and this time the new stuff includes a new map, two new classes, and a new story.Nexon's free-to-play fantasy side-scroller now features the Wild Hunter and Battle Mage classes, which players can commandeer in an effort to stem the tide of the relentless Black Wing menace that threatens to destroy the Resistance. Surprisingly, the Battle Mage isn't a bring-up-the-rear kind of DPSer like most mages you may have met. Nexon's press release says he'll be "the first into danger, placing himself between his teammates and the forces of darkness." The Wild Hunter, on the other hand, is very much a keep-'em-at-range kind of gal who "will shoot down her targets with deadly accuracy [while riding] on the back of a jaguar." MapleStory will also be featuring another Hot Time event on August 6th, so mark your calendars and be sure to log in, grab an SP reset scroll and get some double XP. Finally, don't forget to click past the cut for a couple of videos focused on the new classes. Continue reading Nexon releases new MapleStory map and two new classes
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| ArenaNet releases third Guild Wars 2 sound design dev diary Posted: 04 Aug 2011 06:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries  The piece is clearly written by and for sound geeks, and we mean that in the nicest possible way (as some of the terminology left us scratching our heads). Lead sound designer Drew Cady and sound engineer Robert Gay are our guides to everything from voice processing, to mastering, to parallel processing. We're not sure what the heck any of that means either, but we're confident you'll get it if you go read the blog right now. If you're in a rush, the long and short of it is that ArenaNet is spending a lot of time, effort, and money on Guild Wars 2's sound design. Though gaming soundtracks are often drowned out by custom playlists and voice chat, Tyria's soundscape is shaping up to be one worth hearing.
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| Nexon invests in social gaming Posted: 04 Aug 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: MapleStory, Business models, Free-to-play, Vindictus, Dragon Nest  There is no direct link between this partnership and Nexon's announcing that its flagship MMO MapleStory will be spun off into a Facebook game called Maplestory Adventures, but 6Waves CEO Rex Ng believes the relationship between the two gaming companies can only benefit the player with great content and adventures in the long run. This news comes on the coattails of another MMO developer, NCSoft, buying a smartphone application developer. The MMO space is expanding well beyond the at-home PC. The MMO gaming industry is integrating itself into more and more aspects of our daily lives, stretching the definition of "living world."
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| Study suggests one in three gamers has purchased virtual goods Posted: 04 Aug 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Business models, Culture, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Consoles, Casual  The research was compiled last month and samples a pool of 1,000 gamers drawn from a VGMarket database. While the one-in-three statistic is interesting in its own right, even more compelling is the evidence that suggests 57 percent of participants purchase virtual items on a monthly basis. You might think that social networking games are responsible for the lion's share of these percentages, but VGMarket's data show console games with online play accounting for 51 percent of the purchases, with social titles claiming second place at 30 percent (MMOs came in third, if you're curious). The study presents quite a number of curious factoids despite its relatively small sample size, and you can check out all the findings at the official PlaySpan website. It's also worth noting that downloading the full study requires providing PlaySpan with your personal info via a web registration form.
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| Firefall announces beta, details launch Posted: 04 Aug 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Launches, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS  Mark Kern, CEO of Red 5 Studios, dropped by the Firefall forums today to write an open letter to The Escapist regarding Firefall's beta testing and launch. In the post, Mr. Kern states that the game is currently in friends and family beta testing. But there's good news for those of you who aren't friends or family of the folks at Red 5: The expanded beta program will begin later this month after PAX Prime. As far as the game's launch is concerned, Mr. Kern goes on to explain that the team already considers the game to be launched, as Red 5 seems to feel that the traditional closed beta to open beta to launch process is outdated "in a modern, online, service oriented business, especially a free2playgame." Instead, they will be modeling the game's launch after Gmail's invite system, wherein certain players will be invited by the team, and those players will receive invitations that they can pass on to friends, thereby allowing the game to gradually grow as layers of invitations are passed around. Stick around for more, because you can bet we'll have the first news on the beta this month after PAX.
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| Behind the Mask: A long, slow, rumbling Posted: 04 Aug 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Super-hero, Expansions, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Champions Online, Behind the Mask  Unsurprisingly, I played through the first three issues of Aftershock, Champions Online's new comic series, before I decided I was irritated with waiting every week for the latest issue. I was sort of put off by bugs in the first issue of the series, and I decided that waiting for the final release would give the devs time to polish out the bugs. New content is new content after all, and when it's released weekly, it doesn't get a lot of time on PTS before it gets pushed to live. Issue #6, The King is Dead, was released a few weeks ago, and the devs have put the finishing touches on Aftershock. How does it match up with the rest of CO's content? Continue reading Behind the Mask: A long, slow, rumbling
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| One Shots: Dance like no one's watching Posted: 04 Aug 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Star Wars Galaxies, One Shots  Can't have a player-generated content week without the king of player-generated content games, amirite? This shot was taken a long time ago, in a Star Wars MMO far, far away, and features the cargo hold of a YT-2400 freighter. One of the great things about SWG was the sheer variety of crafted items (and the fact that you could name them whatever you wanted).Now it's your turn to show off your items. This week's theme is Some Assembly Required -- a little nod to the newest addition to our column lineup. Some Assembly Required covers player-created content, so we want to see the best of what you've created. We're preparing for next week's theme too: Pop culture in MMOs. Developers sneak references in all over games, whether it be via NPCs, quests, or items, and we want to see your favorites. Grab a screenshot, tell us a bit about what it is, and send it to oneshots@massively.com. We'll be featuring the best of these next week.
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| Scarlet Legacy closed beta kicks off today -- Get your key now! Posted: 04 Aug 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play  Scarlet Legacy's closed beta test starts today, and if you're interested in the game's fantasy martial arts trappings, you'll be happy to hear that we've got closed beta keys for you. Pick up your key on our giveaway page, then visit the Scarlet Legacy site and click the "register for closed beta" link. Follow the prompts, enter your beta key, and you're in! You can also get a look at a few of the game's unique mounts courtesy of our screenshot gallery and video feature from last month. The game features four classes, multiple talent trees, crafting, pet customization and mutation, and dozens of minigames. Scarlet Legacy also boasts thousands of quests and a narrative that concerns the player's efforts to save Princess Scarlet from the forces of evil. 
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| The Guild Counsel: Confronting our raid ghosts Posted: 04 Aug 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel  Raiding offers both the best and worst parts of MMOs, and it's come a long way through the years. It's worth taking a step back, and spending some time with the ghosts of raiding -- past, present, and future. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll do just that! Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Confronting our raid ghosts
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| Captain's Log: Building a successful fleet Posted: 04 Aug 2011 11:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Guilds, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Captain's Log  Hello, computer (and players)! In the Star Trek Online universe, fleets are the foundation that ensures ones' in-game (and even out-of-game) experience is one that is active, social, and fulfilling. Whether you enjoy PvP, Special Task Forces, role play, or a combo of all the above, there should be a fleet out there for you to call home. But, what do you do if you can not find one that suits your warp core? Well, you start your own! That's right! Gather your friends (or make new ones), visit the fleet contact on Earth Space Dock, think up a clever name, and click that "create" button. Okay, okay -- I make it sound a lot easier than it actually is. Building a fleet takes a lot of work, time and dedication, but is possible with the right spirit at the helm. Then, just when you have it built, successfully running it becomes an even bigger challenge. During this week's Captain's Log, I am going to take you on a tour of duty as we explore a possible structuring to your future fleet. Based off of one of the most successful fleets in-game, Stonewall Fleet, which has had over 1,400 members sign-up for membership, let's take a look at the roles they have in place to make it all happen. Ensign, warp 10! Let's help our readers create the perfect structure to their fleet... Continue reading Captain's Log: Building a successful fleet
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