MMO Updates |
- Hyperspace Beacon: Post-launch
- The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger
- Fallen Earth 1.9.2 debuts tomorrow, expands fast travel options
- SWTOR's Daniel Erickson: 'The mix of anticipation and fear is huge'
- The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the hardest learning curve?
- Not So Massively: So much beta information your head will explode
- Drakensang Online open beta is live
- Firefall Faire burning a path to Final Fantasy XIV
- Wings Over Atreia: And 2.6 came to pass...
- Storybricks: Opening the Pandora's box of MMO design
- Lost Pages of Taborea: Faction flags
- One Shots: Welcome to pop culture week!
- Guild Wars 2 Sylvari Week begins
- New Firefall hands-on coming to Gamescom and PAX
- Get crafty with Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers
- Carbine Studios dev blog details usability testing
- World of Warplanes classes and website announced, first screenshots glimpsed
| Hyperspace Beacon: Post-launch Posted: 09 Aug 2011 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, New titles, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon  I have teased my post-launch plans a few times before, but I figured I should put it all down in writing. This way I have something to reference when the time comes, and I'm sure the readers here will hold me to my word. Most of all, Star Wars: The Old Republic will be an extraordinary experience for anyone who follows me. Hop past the break for the full details. Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Post-launch
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| The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger Posted: 09 Aug 2011 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, Interviews, Shadowbane, Free-to-play, The Game Archaeologist  After last week's initial foray into our Shadowbane retrospective, I fished around for a hearty veteran of the minotaur wars who was willing to step up and answer a few questions without succumbing to post-traumatic stress disorder. Within a minute, my good friend Grimnir bit into the topic, and I reeled him in as he flopped and gasped for air. At some point, this metaphor got away from me, but no worries. Hit that jump and let's cast our nets down memory river and see what we can dredge up! Continue reading The Game Archaeologist uncovers Shadowbane: The battle-scarred blogger
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| Fallen Earth 1.9.2 debuts tomorrow, expands fast travel options Posted: 09 Aug 2011 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Fallen Earth, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Patches, News items, Free-to-play, Post-Apocalyptic  Along with the requisite combat, skills, and recipe updates, the big news is the expansion of the game's fast travel mechanics. Players are now able to zip between certain LifeNet pod locations, with additional destinations becoming available as LifeNet's supplies are restocked. The fast travel system necessitates mission turn-ins at each pod location that a player wishes to use, and the mechanic also features level, chip, and knowledge requirements. That's not all there is to 1.9.2, of course, and the update notes are pretty extensive. Head to the Fallen Earth dev blog to read new info on progress towns, mission updates, and a laundry list of other tweaks.
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| SWTOR's Daniel Erickson: 'The mix of anticipation and fear is huge' Posted: 09 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Interviews, Launches, Star Wars: The Old Republic  In the interview, Erickson used the opportunity to clear the air over a misquote concerning SWTOR "lasting decades," explain why he doesn't fully trust outside industry analysts, and talk about why the dev team stayed with the tried-and-true hotbar for combat. Erickson also thinks that the subscription model isn't going anywhere, but will be applied mostly to "top tier" MMOs. "I expect to see a small group of games compete for the subscription dollar," he predicts, "and a larger group take on the F2P market with smaller, faster produced games that try to establish a core market then use the revenue streams created from that small market to improve and expand their game."
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| The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the hardest learning curve? Posted: 09 Aug 2011 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Second Life, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Sandbox  Games like EVE Online and Second Life are renowned for their learning curve and the amount of research necessary to play at a high level, and we're curious to hear about others you may have experienced. For this edition of The Daily Grind, share your thoughts on MMO complexity, and whether the term entails mechanics, the UI, gameplay options, or some combination of all three. While you've got your thinking cap on, which MMO has the hardest learning curve?  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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| Not So Massively: So much beta information your head will explode Posted: 08 Aug 2011 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Not So Massively  Last week, I gave my first impressions of competitive multiplayer Facebook game Dungeon Overlord, and we had a chat with its creators about the future of the game. League of Legends announced some impressive figures, now boasting over 15 million registered accounts and a peak concurrency of 500,000 players. The big news stories of last week included Heroes of Newerth finally going free-to-play, and the controversial Diablo III cash auction house announcement. In this week's Not So Massively, everyone seems to have beta-testing fever. Diablo III and FireFall both give us details of how to get involved in their upcoming closed betas, and Realm of the Titans launches its closed beta contests. Rise of Immortals also celebrates its upcoming support of NVidia's 3D Vision technology with a contest to win one of two massive 3D monitor and graphics card packages. The latest Heroes of Newerth competitive tournament went live this week, pitting a massive 1024 teams against each other in a bid to win a slice of $5,000 US. League of Legends also announced the impending end of Season One and released a champion spotlight on Tryndamere following his massive overhaul. Continue reading Not So Massively: So much beta information your head will explode
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| Drakensang Online open beta is live Posted: 08 Aug 2011 05:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, News items, Free-to-play, Browser  Bigpoint Games, makers of Battlestar Galactica Online and Lord of Ultima, announced today that its newest creation, Drakensang Online has entered open beta. The game puts players in the shoes of one of two classes -- the fearless Dragonknight or the arcane Spellweavers -- and sends them to battle against the fierce monsters of the Anderworld. Action-RPG fans will be familiar with Drakensang's formula of grouping up, finding bad things, and hitting them until they stop moving in hopes of getting some shiny new loot. For gamers on the go, however, Drakensang offers one distinct advantage: It runs in your browser. Anyone interested in giving this new game a test run can join the beta over at the official website.
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| Firefall Faire burning a path to Final Fantasy XIV Posted: 08 Aug 2011 04:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV  Running through August 29th, the event will task players with extinguishing several Bombards by enraging them and luring them to their doom. Players who successfully complete the task will have access to a swimsuit, but further participation allows players to uncover more varieties of swimwear. Unlocking all of the possible colors will grant players access to a special wallpaper via the Lodestone, a nice way to commemorate the holiday's event. It's not another dungeon just yet, but it should keep the fire lit under FFXIV's players for the duration.
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| Wings Over Atreia: And 2.6 came to pass... Posted: 08 Aug 2011 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches, Opinion, Wings Over Atreia  Not as heralded as its companions that came before, Aion's patch 2.6 hit North American servers this past Wednesday. But just because it wasn't cool enough for its own name (like Assault on Balaurea or even Empyrean Calling) doesn't mean it is without some goodies of its own. Granted, the patch isn't an Atreia-shattering deluge of content, but as I have stated previously, adding small chunks of content more frequently is better for keeping players interested and engaged in the game. And besides, 2.6 is one step closer to 3.0! This patch introduced a solo version of the Empyrean Crucible for your crucible-insignia-hording pleasure, a new auto-group feature, some UI changes, a new pet, skill tweaks, and other assorted tidbits. This past weekend I experienced as many aspects of the new patch as I could in order to bring you a peek at life after the patch. Is Stormwing really easier to beat? Can you really get platinum medals from the pet? How challenging is the Challenge? For the answers to these and more, join me past the break. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: And 2.6 came to pass...
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| Storybricks: Opening the Pandora's box of MMO design Posted: 08 Aug 2011 03:00 PM PDT Filed under: Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous, Sandbox  At one point or another, we've all said this, usually in disgust after we've become fed up with another tired MMO trope or lazy quest design. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the good fortune to work for a major game studio and thus will never see our brilliant ideas come to fruition. Except that this may no longer be true. Enter Namaste Entertainment's Storybricks, a bold and intriguing concept aimed at putting game design in the hands of Joe and Jane Gamer. Namaste is a small startup that began in 2010 when its team members got tired of derivative titles and mechanics in the industry. Storybricks is the team's first project, and while it's still in its infancy, it's already started to capture the imaginations -- and excitement -- of gamers everywhere. At this past week's GenCon, I caught up with Brian "Psychochild" Green and the rest of the Namaste crew as they publicly demoed Storybricks to the gaming crowd. Hit the jump as we look at why this program may just be the answer to a question you've never fully asked. Continue reading Storybricks: Opening the Pandora's box of MMO design
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| Lost Pages of Taborea: Faction flags Posted: 08 Aug 2011 02:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Lore, Free-to-play, Races, Runes of Magic, Lost Pages of Taborea  Many of the factions in RoM have unique architecture and flags signifying their peoples. I've dug through the beast I call a screenshot folder and put together a visual trip through the many different ways factions choose to advertise. Did I say there were many? There are. I didn't include every last faction-flag I could find, but I've chosen from some of the more common ones -- and some of my favorites. As you'll see, there are some really great designs that help immerse you in RoM. I love these little attentions to detail that show the effort developers put into designing a world. Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: Faction flags
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| One Shots: Welcome to pop culture week! Posted: 08 Aug 2011 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Guild Wars, One Shots  While I like many of the references to pop culture I see in MMOs (Star Trek, Firefly, Oprah Winfrey), it is the slightly more obscure ones that stand out for me. Like one that can be found on the Jade Sea in Guild Wars: Factions. Zenos, a Luxon famous for his writings about his squad's adventures, had tragedy hit his last expedition.We're celebrating pop culture in our MMOs this week. 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 all week.
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| Guild Wars 2 Sylvari Week begins Posted: 08 Aug 2011 01:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars 2, Races  The blog post includes 10 images, all of which are much more than just fluff to fill out the words. It's the first look at the redesigned Sylvari race since ArenaNet announced a redesign in 2010. Check out the new design and Kristen's information over at the ArenaNet blog.
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| New Firefall hands-on coming to Gamescom and PAX Posted: 08 Aug 2011 01:00 PM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Massively Event Coverage  The Gamescom crowd can expect to enjoy the full demo and some intense coop events, while PAXers will get to see additional multiplayer maps as Firefall debuts its open-world experience. Not heading to either convention? Red 5 hopes you don't give up hope, and invites you to sign up for the Firefall beta program, which is currently in the friends and family stage but is set to expand significantly after PAX. Firefall is slated to launch this December, which is not a minute too soon to those anticipating this title. Enough talk -- it's time for action! Hit the jump to check out the awesome new trailer showcasing Firefall's gorgeous cel-shaded look, crazy action scenarios, and glowy glider wings. Continue reading New Firefall hands-on coming to Gamescom and PAX
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| Get crafty with Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 11: Secrets of the Artificers Posted: 08 Aug 2011 12:30 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Classes, Patches, Previews, News items, Free-to-play  Change is coming to Eberron this September as Turbine gears up for Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 11, Secrets of the Artificers. This update is sure to excite fans of Eberron's magic-tech setting, as it introduces the oft-requested Artificer class to the game. The Artificer is best thought of as a cross between a Rogue and a Wizard or Sorcerer, though unlike any of those classes, the bulk of an Artificer's power tends to stem from the magical items (and, in the case of Eberron, mechanical pets) he creates. As if a new class wasn't enough, Secrets of of the Artificer also brings a new enclave for House Cannith, the House of the Artificers, as well as new dungeon and raid content teased only by the statement, "Born in war, forged in fury, Stormreach faces its most terrible foe yet." So, Cthulhu then? Ahem, anyway. Lastly, the update will introduce new crafting levels, allowing players to progress to crafting level 150 as well as the ability to craft Draconic Runestones, which are a new class of magical weapon available to all classes. For a small preview of some items and locations coming with Update 11, check the gallery below.
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| Carbine Studios dev blog details usability testing Posted: 08 Aug 2011 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Dev Diaries, Miscellaneous  Though we still have absolutely no idea what exactly Carbine Studios' next project is, that's not going to stop the studio from talking to us about it. Carbine's Senior Producer, Eric DeMilt, has released a dev diary regarding the ongoing development of the studio's super-secret project. In particular, the diary details usability testing. Players are able to test the game in a testing lab on-site, where the devs are able to watch players as they play in order to gauge their reactions to certain content. Players also are asked to complete a short survey afterward, which provides Carbine with a wealth of valuable information regarding difficulty, user-friendliness, and the overall quality of the game. Mr. DeMilt's full blog post can be read over at Carbine Studios' official site.
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| World of Warplanes classes and website announced, first screenshots glimpsed Posted: 08 Aug 2011 11:30 AM PDT Filed under: Historical, Real life, Classes, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War  The press info also says that World of Warplanes will feature three warplane classes: single-engine light fighters, heavy fighters with "deadly straight attacks," and strafing aircraft for ground assaults. The new site also features the first in-game screenshots, and you can look forward to Massively's exclusive in-depth interview with Wargaming.net later this month as the title is revealed at Gamescom.
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