MMO Updates

MMO Updates


Bigpoint buys out sports game development firm

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 10:00 AM PDT

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Bigpoint logo
The Bigpoint browser monster has gobbled up another game development firm, and it's still hungry according to a news blurb at Reuters.

49Games is Bigpoint's latest acquisition, and the former is best-known for its winter sports games on the Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 consoles. 49Games is based in Germany (as is its new parent), and boasts around 40 developers. Bigpoint now features over 700 devs and says that it is the "world's largest browser-based online game provider" thanks to more than 200 million registered users.

Bigpoint is best known for its Battlestar Galactica MMO, as well as its controversial stance on selling in-game advantages.

MassivelyBigpoint buys out sports game development firm originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond prepares to plumb the depths of space for adventure

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT

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Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond
While NASA's shuttle mission may be over and the International Space Station's future in doubt, there is one place that space exploration is moving forward: online. Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond is looking more promising by the day, especially now that the team has secured almost $40,000 via Kickstarter to help fund the project.

So why did NASA agree to an MMO of all things? Daniel Laughlin, project manager of NASA's Learning Technologies, sees the two as having a lot in common. Talking with Universe Today, Laughlin said, "Based on the existing literature as well as my own experiences gaming, an MMO was the logical choice for a game project for NASA."

While NASA is partnered with the development team, the space agency is not funding the game -- hence the use of Kickstarter to raise money for Astronaut. It takes place in 2035 as mankind is just starting to colonize the solar system, and promises to use real physics and technology to simulate these efforts.

Khal Shariff says that players should expect a lot of crafting, use of proper gear, and missions that flow together for a bigger storyline. Interestingly enough, it seems that even NASA has room for a few new heroes. "We have protagonists in the game, and I won't say much about them, because I don't want to spoil the opening scene of Chapter One," Shariff said. He hopes that players will enjoy the melding of science fiction with science fact: "We want you to sit down and curl up with one session and have a feeling like you had when you read the best short science fiction stories, especially like those of Clarke. There is plenty of adventure to plumb."

MassivelyAstronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond prepares to plumb the depths of space for adventure originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter IV

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 09:00 AM PDT

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RIFT Drowning in Snow
Since April, Massively and Trion Worlds have been revealing installments of Drowning in Snow, a story intended to flesh out the lore of the ever-popular RIFT. Today, we publish the fourth chapter in this ongoing saga as it follows Kira Thanos and Uriel Chuluun, a pair of Defiant who traverse the treacherous, frozen heights of Abyssal Precipice to rescue the Eth woman Shiyesa Wohab from a band of insane cultists.

Sit back and enjoy the drama after the break!

Continue reading Massively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter IV

MassivelyMassively Exclusive: RIFT - Drowning in Snow, Chapter IV originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wargaming.net publishes World of Tanks development plan

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT

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World of Tanks - screenshot
Wargaming.net has gifted World of Tanks fans with a development roadmap for the World War II-based action MMO, and a visit to the game's official website will give you a preview of what's coming down the pike over the next year.

The post lays out quite a bit of information, most of it marked with vague release windows like Q3 2012 and so on. There's the standard "dates are subject to change" disclaimer, but it's nonetheless interesting to see what looks to be a fairly complete development schedule. What are the highlights? Well, more tank models, of course, followed by new game types including historical battle, escort, garage battle, assault, and company battle modes.

There's also an expansion of the clan wars map in the works, as well as new customization options, vehicle physics, and more.

[Thanks to Greg for the tip!]

MassivelyWargaming.net publishes World of Tanks development plan originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MV Guide: September 12-18, 2011

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 07:00 AM PDT

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MV Guide
MV Guide is a weekly rundown of the MMO gaming events planned on Massively's Livestream channel.

Every week, the Massively staff logs in to play various MMOs live and in person, and we'd love for you to drop by the channel and visit. We have a combination of regular weekly games and new surprises, so you'll find a variety of titles to take a look at. During livestream events, you can participate in the live chat, ask questions to learn about the game, and simply spend some time with Massively staff and readers. (Of course, livestream events are subject to the whims of outside forces like server-side gremlins once in a while.)

Continue reading MV Guide: September 12-18, 2011

MassivelyMV Guide: September 12-18, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How do you deal with class overload?

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT

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Not a real depiction of my guild roster :D
As my guild gets around to signing up on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website in the hopes that we can join the game as a group during the pre-order access phase, we're slowly coming to the realization that we kinda like playing the same class. As in, most of us. As in, more than half of us are planning to play Smugglers at launch, which makes for an awesome themed guild but doesn't really help us much in terms of class balance when it comes to actually putting groups together and running content.

Granted, the new wave of MMOs is doing away with rigid class restrictions and holy trinities, but that doesn't mean all need for balance is dead and gone. So how do you deal with a class overload in your gaming groups? Do you embrace the theme or hope players' desire to be a unique snowflake will help them spread out their choices? Do you impose limits on classes and force people to diversify? Or do you figure your friends will figure it out on their own once they can't form a balanced group out of four Han Solos?

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!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How do you deal with class overload? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Week in Review: Smuggle this

Posted: 11 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT

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SWTOR concept art
At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. Miss a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week? You've come to the right post.

This week, Star Wars: The Old Republic managed to steal the limelight with delays for the European beta and a lack of beta this weekend for everyone else. Only SWTOR could pull that off! Fortunately, BioWare occupied fans with a Smuggler video, a beta FAQ obviously intended to rival War and Peace, and unsurprising news that the company is studying its biggest competitor.

Skip past the break for a run-down of this week's other top MMO posts.

Continue reading Week in Review: Smuggle this

MassivelyWeek in Review: Smuggle this originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Expansions, not excuses

Posted: 11 Sep 2011 04:00 PM PDT

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EVE Evolved title image
Over the last few months, the phrase "Flying in Space" has been increasingly used by both EVE Online's developers and its players to describe features other than those of Incarna. It seems like a redundant phrase as all of EVE's gameplay currently takes place in space, but the distinction has become necessary when discussing the allocation of development resources. Members of EVE's player-elected Council of Stellar Management have recently spearheaded a wave of new complaints about the level of resources dedicated to EVE's in-space features, claiming that developers have been left without the resources necessary to do a good job.

In the previous three EVE Evolved columns, I discussed the upcoming nullsec revamp scheduled to begin this winter and the incredible new gameplay players might get as part of it. Members of the CSM know exactly how many people will be working on that revamp, and although those numbers haven't been made public, several delegates have gone public with their disapproval. EVE's subscription fees are currently paying for the development of CCP's upcoming fantasy MMO World of Darkness and its ambitious console MMOFPS DUST 514, leaving few resources for new EVE gameplay and content.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at the success of EVE's first blockbuster expansion and ask why development on EVE Online has dramatically decreased over the past two and a half years.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Expansions, not excuses

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Expansions, not excuses originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Maybe she'll sing!

Posted: 11 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT

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Yum!
We're wrapping up the week on a bit of a high note thanks to Massively's very own Karen, who couldn't resist joining in on the fun with a Free Realms screenshot. The image itself was funny (and kind of icky) and got even funnier once Karen explained, "I'm paying homage to Lady Gaga."

That's it for this week, and we're ready to move on to starting zone week! First impressions are a big deal, so many developers put a lot into that first zone you see. Show us a screenshot of your favorite starting zone -- add your name and a little bit about the image, send it in to oneshots@massively.com, and we'll feature it in next week's One Shots!

MassivelyOne Shots: Maybe she'll sing! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rise and Shiny recap: Drakensang Online

Posted: 11 Sep 2011 12:00 PM PDT

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Drakensang Online screenshot
This week I was excited to spend some more time exploring Drakensang Online, the latest version in the long-running RPG series. I'd barely touched anything from the previous games, so I was blissfully unaware of what to expect from this one. I knew that Bigpoint was involved, so I had a feeling that the cash shop would be controversial but very convenient. I had also viewed screenshots and watched videos from before, so I was ready to see just how it would run on a basic laptop with three gigs of ram.

The experience turned out more or less as expected, but it did throw me a few curveballs. Click past the cut and let's talk all about it.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny recap: Drakensang Online

MassivelyRise and Shiny recap: Drakensang Online originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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